Interrogation

Hearing that Nawaki had pieced together the broad strokes of his past in just a few words, a flicker of wariness crossed Zhixin's eyes. "I really shouldn't say too much in front of a monster like you!"

Nawaki smiled faintly. "Betrayal and redemption? Things like that happen all the time in the Shinobi World. Do you care a lot about your past, Mr. Zhixin? Would you do me the honor of telling me about it?"

Zhixin's talkative side took over. "It's all in the past anyway, and it's no great secret. I don't mind telling you! My idiot teammate trusted people way too easily and couldn't keep her mouth shut. She actually told her so-called 'friend' about our mission. We argued over it, and sure enough, our squad was attacked because of that betrayal. Everyone else died. I only survived because she covered for me!"

Nawaki nodded. "I'm guessing that idiot you mentioned was a woman?"

Zhixin raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

"Girls are more likely than boys to be interested in flowers and plants, aren't they? And there were four people in your squad, so why would she cover only you and tell you to live on in her place? She must have been very fond of you. As for the leak... Mr. Zhixin, don't you think you talk quite a lot yourself? How can you be sure she was the one who leaked the information, and not you?"

Zhixin's expression shifted between pale and flushed. Then his face filled with regret. "I never thought a kid like you would see things more clearly than I did. You're right. I may have been the one who got the whole squad killed. So there's no way I'd ever betray anyone again, even if it costs me my life!"

Nawaki furrowed his brow. It seemed he'd said the wrong thing and only strengthened Zhixin's resolve to die.

"Why go that far, Mr. Zhixin? Those rogue ninja mean nothing to you, and the Consortium behind you is only using you for its own ends. Are they really more important than your loved one's dying wish?"

Zhixin remembered what that idiot had said when they parted. "Zhixin! Hurry, go! If you think I got everyone killed, then let me stay behind and atone! Remember to live on for me, too! Go, Zhixin!"

Remembering that painful past, Zhixin closed his eyes, and two streams of tears ran down his face. "Kill me! You'll never get any information out of me! And don't try to fool me. I know your secret now. Once you get the information, you'll kill me to silence me, won't you?"

Nawaki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What secret of mine does Mr. Zhixin know?"

"You claim to be from the Senju Clan, and you just used a technique that absorbs chakra. I'm guessing that was the legendary Wood Release! The terrifying kekkei genkai of the God of Shinobi has a successor! News this big hasn't spread through the Shinobi World at all. Konoha must have kept you hidden away all this time. How could you let me go after I learned something so classified?"

"Clap, clap, clap." Nawaki applauded. "You really can't underestimate any ninja. In such a short time, Mr. Zhixin figured out something so important! You're pretty sharp, too. I'm starting to admire your talents... If you're willing to cooperate, I guarantee I'll spare your life!"

"If you spare me, aren't you afraid your secret will get out?"

Nawaki answered confidently, "If you're willing to submit, I have ways to keep the secret safe. Have you ever heard of the Cursed Seal?"

"The Cursed Seal? That's Konoha's signature binding technique!"

"Exactly. Once I carve a Cursed Seal into your body, I'll have nothing to worry about."

Lately, Nawaki had been studying Cursed Seals specifically to master the Flying Thunder God Technique. But there was no way he could develop a Control Cursed Seal in such a short time. So he had used the knowledge of Cursed Seals left behind by the Second Hokage as a template, then spent Wish Power to have the system derive his own Control Cursed Seal. Its principles were the same as the Cursed Seal Madara used to control Rin and Obito: once Nawaki carved it into someone, he could control their every move. He had also incorporated the effects of the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. If someone bearing the seal tried to reveal his secret, their entire body would go numb, leaving them unable to speak or move. The seal would only disappear after Nawaki's death. Since the Control Cursed Seal didn't involve the rules of space, it had only cost one hundred thousand Wish Power.

"Hmph! Even if you put a Cursed Seal on me, I still won't submit to a kid like you! You'll never get any information out of me!" Zhixin finished, closed his eyes, and made it clear he wouldn't cooperate.

Nawaki shook his head and said helplessly, "You're awfully stubborn, Mr. Zhixin. This is going to be difficult. I guess I'll have to use some special methods!"

Seeing that Zhixin still wouldn't budge, Nawaki continued, "I'm guessing that besides your teammate's last request, another reason you didn't bite your tongue and kill yourself was that you were afraid of the pain before death, right?"

Nawaki was right. After seeing his squadmates brutally murdered with his own eyes, the screams they had let out as they died and the pain etched on their faces afterward had haunted him ever since. That was why he couldn't bring himself to kill himself.

Watching Zhixin's trembling eyelids and pricked-up ears, Nawaki knew he had guessed correctly. "I'm rather interested in interrogation, so I've studied torture methods and even tried inventing a few of my own. I've never had a chance to use them, though. I suppose I'll have to try them out on you today, Mr. Zhixin."

"Hmph! Do your worst!" Zhixin couldn't help speaking up.

"Good! Mr. Zhixin certainly has courage. Let me introduce my specially designed torture methods first. Let's start with flaying. The most straightforward way is to shave away the skin and flesh bit by bit with a knife. But that takes a long time and requires a skilled hand. So I came up with an easier method: scald the skin with boiling water, then use a brush to scrub away the cooked flesh a little at a time. I got the idea after watching a butcher skin a pig. It's easier to do and doesn't make as much of a bloody mess. What do you think, Mr. Zhixin?"

As Nawaki calmly explained every detail, Zhixin couldn't help picturing himself being tortured. Cold sweat broke out on his face.

Ding! Zhixin felt intense fear toward the host. Gained 1,000 Wish Power.

After receiving the system's notification, Nawaki knew Zhixin's psychological defenses were at their limit. Just a little more pressure, and he would completely break. So Nawaki pressed on. "Actually, pain in the skin and flesh is nothing compared to pain in the organs and nerves! I've also studied Medical Ninjutsu. Pain can be divided into twelve levels. Pain in the skin and flesh reaches level four at most, while pain in the organs and nerves can reach level twelve! That's why I specially developed a Wood Release technique. As it happens, this technique is right up your alley, Mr. Zhixin! As a gardening enthusiast, you must be very familiar with the art of taking cuttings, right?"