The Shadow of Samui's Life

Nara Luling could not help but feel surprised upon hearing this. She raised her head, her large, lively eyes fixed on Shi Xiu, filled with confusion.

However, after a brief pause, Nara Luling nodded gently and replied, "Alright!"

Just then, Minato and his group slowly walked out of the house.

Yet, among them, Obito was nowhere to be seen. Seeing this, Shi Xiu looked toward Minato and asked, "Has Obito not woken up yet?"

Minato gave a slight nod in agreement, then let out a soft sigh and answered with a heavy tone.

"Yes, but Rin has already carefully examined him. Fortunately, there is nothing seriously wrong with Obito; he just needs some time to recover."

Shi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then turned his gaze to Kakashi, who was standing behind Minato, and said slowly.

"The Monkey must have already mentioned the mission to the border of the Land of Fire to you all, right?"

Kakashi was stunned for a moment, seemingly not understanding who the "Monkey" Shi Xiu was referring to, but he quickly realized and nodded in response.

"Yes, the Hokage did indeed speak to us about it earlier. Are you planning to lead us there yourself this time, Lord Shi Xiu?"

As he spoke, Kakashi could not help but cast his gaze toward Nara Luling's injured arm, a trace of worry appearing in his eyes.

Shi Xiu naturally noticed where Kakashi was looking. He shook his head and explained.

"No, I will only be taking you with me this time. Nara Luling will stay here to rest and help keep an eye on the house."

Upon hearing this, Kakashi nodded again to show he understood. Immediately after, Shi Xiu waved goodbye to Minato and the others, walked with Kakashi to the courtyard gate, pushed it open with force, and stepped outside.

Nara Luling watched Shi Xiu's departing back, sighed slightly, and after speaking with Minato and the others, headed toward Shi Xiu's room.

Shi Xiu walked with steady strides, leading Kakashi into the gates of the Konoha Interrogation Department.

As soon as he entered, Shi Xiu spotted the renowned master of interrogation, Morino Ibiki.

He was seated behind an old wooden desk, his face—usually stern and devoid of a smile—marked by two shocking scars.

These scars were clearly remnants of brutal torture from enemies in the past, adding a layer of ferocity to a countenance that already commanded awe.

At that moment, Morino Ibiki's sharp, hawk-like eyes caught sight of Shi Xiu and Kakashi.

Morino Ibiki gave a slight nod in greeting, then asked in a low, authoritative voice, "I presume you two have come to take custody of the prisoners from the Cloud Village?"

Shi Xiu nodded slightly in response, while Kakashi, standing to the side, quickly pulled a secret order personally signed by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, from his robes and handed it to Morino Ibiki.

Morino Ibiki took the order with an expressionless face. After examining it carefully, he nodded as well and gave a decisive wave to his subordinates behind him.

Before long, the sound of light footsteps approached, and several members of the Interrogation Department appeared, escorting Samui and three other prisoners.

At first, Samui held her head high, a look of slight arrogance on her face.

However, the moment her gaze inadvertently swept over Shi Xiu, that arrogance vanished like a receding tide, replaced by a deep, profound fear.

This fear seemed to stem from the darkest corner of her soul; in an instant, it devoured all of Samui's courage and pride, turning her face deathly pale.

Morino Ibiki keenly sensed the drastic change in Samui's expression. He turned to look at Shi Xiu with a hint of confusion, wondering to himself: What on earth did this young man do to instill such bone-deep, soul-reaching terror in her?

However, this was not the time for curiosity. Several members of the Interrogation Department walked over with hurried steps.

With serious expressions and efficient movements, they handed Samui and the others over to Shi Xiu and his companion.

Shi Xiu stared intently at Samui, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile as he said softly.

"Samui, it's been a long time." This smile, which appeared as gentle as a spring breeze and completely harmless, might have seemed kind to others, but to Samui, it was like the bared fangs of a demon.

In an instant, Samui felt a chill rise up her spine.

She could not help but tremble all over, her throat turning dry as she struggled to swallow.

Recalling that massive red figure from that day, it haunted her mind like a nightmare, becoming an inescapable shadow for the rest of her life.

Just then, Shi Xiu raised his hand slightly. In an instant, the level ground began to tremble violently, and countless thick vines burst from the earth, wrapping around Samui and the other three prisoners with lightning speed.

In the blink of an eye, all four were tightly bound, unable to move an inch.

It was the same familiar posture, the same style of binding that made one blush with shame.

Feeling the faint sounds of people swallowing around her, Samui felt both humiliated and helpless.

Faced with such an embarrassing situation, she had no choice but to close her eyes tightly, trying to escape the mortifying scene.

Even Morino Ibiki, who had seen it all, was taken aback by such a peculiar binding style.

Morino Ibiki subconsciously turned to look at Shi Xiu, his eyes filled with doubt and surprise.

Shi Xiu, on the other hand, remained composed as he picked up Samui—who was tied up like a rice dumpling—and walked forward steadily.

In contrast, Kakashi did not have it so easy; he had to control the remaining three prisoners by himself, which proved quite strenuous.

Don't ask why Shi Xiu didn't just use the Wood Prison Jutsu to make a cage; the answer is that Shi Xiu's inner pervert was burning bright.

Shi Xiu looked at Morino Ibiki, nodded with a smile, and said, "We'll be taking our leave then."

Before Morino Ibiki could speak, Shi Xiu placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and vanished from the sight of Morino Ibiki and the others in an instant.

Morino Ibiki looked at the spot where Shi Xiu had just been standing and smiled thoughtfully.