Secret Detention

Swish, swish, swish.

After Hiruko manifested, Nara and his five subordinates surrounded him, cutting off all paths of retreat.

"Why are we pursuing you? Do you not know what you have done yourself? Hmm!?"

Uchiha Nara demanded with righteous indignation, the heavy nasal grunt at the end sounding as if the evidence were already ironclad.

"Is the Chimera Technique I, Hiruko, created to be buried before it has even been perfected?" Hiruko looked at the surrounding ninja, his brow furrowed tight.

"I am the Konoha jonin Hiruko. Are you not mistaken?" Hiruko replied, feigning composure.

"Hiruko, you are suspected of involvement in the disappearances of Konoha ninja. Come with us!"

"Do not frame an innocent man! I am a Konoha jonin; how could I be related to such an incident?" Hiruko argued.

"Whether you are being framed or not, we will know once you return to the Military Police Building with us. If you are innocent, we will naturally release you. What are you afraid of? Hmm!?"

Hiruko's eyes flickered, and he seemed hesitant.

Nara let out a sharp shout: "Look at me!"

Hearing this, Hiruko could not help but look at Uchiha Nara, only to be met by a pair of scarlet Sharingan and five small clusters of chakra gathered on Nara's fingertips.

Seeing Hiruko's stunned expression—a clear sign the genjutsu had taken hold—Nara lunged forward in a flash.

"Five Elements Seal!"

Caught in the illusion of Nara's Sharingan, Hiruko was unable to move, watching helplessly as Nara pressed his five fingers against his abdomen.

"My, my cha, chakra..."

The immense impact of Nara's fingers against his abdomen caused Hiruko's body to arch, his eyes bulging. The genjutsu was broken by the external force, but he had been struck by the sealing technique.

The Five Elements Seal disrupts the flow of chakra. Under its influence, even the most powerful ninjutsu are reduced to the toys of a toddler, posing no threat at all.

Those with average chakra levels might even find themselves unable to refine chakra, let alone release any ninjutsu.

Uchiha Akabi pulled out a rope and bound Hiruko's hands.

"Take him away!"

Konoha Prison

Konoha Prison was located on the edge of the Uchiha clan grounds; the Military Police Building and the prison were the two most important institutions within the district.

The existence of the prison had made the Uchiha clansmen increasingly arrogant and lawless, often tormenting the prisoners within.

Once one entered Konoha Prison, they were essentially halfway into the grave.

In the high-security wing, Hiruko was assigned a single cell due to his status as a jonin.

There were two arm-thick holes in the cell wall that let in the sunlight, and the corners of the room reeked of rot, accompanied by blackened bedding and a decrepit cot.

Hiruko pinched his nose, his eyes dazed as he tried to circulate his chakra, only to find it dissipating rapidly. He could not condense it into ninjutsu.

"To think I have fallen to such a state..." Hiruko muttered, his eyes devoid of life.

Hokage Building

"Nara, a group of wandering ninja drifted into the Land of Fire and held your clansmen hostage. They have already been dealt with by the Anbu. I trust your clansmen have returned home by now."

The Third Hokage spoke softly and gently. He puffed on his pipe, holding a dossier without looking up at Uchiha Nara.

"Yes! Ten of the missing Uchiha have returned, but five remain unaccounted for," Nara replied quietly.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The Third Hokage looked up at Nara, frowning slightly. He was certain that Danzo would not dare defy him and should have released all the captives.

Suspecting that Uchiha Nara was trying to extort benefits, the Third Hokage's expression turned stern.

"Yes! The case has been solved. It was the Konoha jonin Hiruko. Due to injuries sustained during the Second Great Ninja War, his mental state became unstable, and he attacked villagers outside the village without cause. We found clues and tracked him down."

"His home was already abandoned and rigged with numerous traps; my Military Police officers were nearly injured. We have been investigating for several days. If Hiruko is not on a secret mission, I suspect he has defected."

Nara had no intention of challenging the Third Hokage. Since the beloved grandson of the Second Elder, Uchiha Kyo, had returned to the clan, the elder's anger had subsided.

As for the other missing ninja, their bodies had been discovered at Hiruko's experimental base, confirming their deaths.

"Ghost Fox, go check Hiruko's file and see if he is currently on a mission."

The Third Hokage blew a smoke ring and spoke toward Nara.

Nara was unsure how to respond, but an echo sounded in the corner of the Hokage's office. With a puff of smoke, an Anbu ninja vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

The security of the Hokage Building is truly tight, Nara thought to himself.

"Nara, you have done well, and this investigation by the Military Police Force was excellent. You may return; I will handle the rest."

"Yes!"

Nara left the Hokage Building and headed back toward his clan.

It was clear that a talent like Hiruko could not be handed over; it was better to simply declare him a defector and have the Third Hokage issue a warrant for his arrest.

Of course, the Anbu would never be able to apprehend him, for Hiruko was currently locked away in Konoha Prison, having fallen into Naraku's hands.

Before coming to the Hokage Building, Naraku had already instructed the Warden not to mistreat Hiruko, allowing him to live normally within his cell.

At this moment, Naraku was considering how to make use of Hiruko; judging by his style of conduct, the experiments for the Chimera Technique had undoubtedly already begun.

Furthermore, he must have reached a critical juncture, otherwise, Hiruko would not have been so desperate and unscrupulous.

Konoha Prison held many inmates; some were ordinary villagers arrested for minor offenses just to be taught a lesson, but there were also many hardened criminals guilty of grave crimes.

It was not that Naraku was cruel or ruthless, but when it came to finding test subjects, these high-level criminals were perfect for recycling as waste. Moreover, there would rarely be any lingering consequences.

In the past, the Uchiha clan had used torture to abuse some of the villagers who had no kin or connections within Konoha Prison.

Those whose families had sacrificed everything for the village, leaving behind only a single descendant, or those who were alone for other reasons—if such people fell into Konoha Prison, no one would pay them any mind or show concern.

With no one to care and no relatives to file complaints, the Hokage would never know. If he didn't know, then naturally, nothing was the matter.

Because of such incidents, Uchiha Sanzang had previously punished the Warden severely, which had slightly improved the arrogant atmosphere of the Uchiha.

However, the culture was dictated by this environment and could not be changed.

As for those detained for minor incidents, whether they were from ninja clans or civilian ninja families, they were generally punished according to the law and released upon serving their time.

The Military Police Force, generally speaking, held significant power, but also handled tasks that were both minor and tedious.