Naruto did not answer immediately. He just calmly put his hand into the ninja bag. This action made the bodies of the brother and sister in the corner tense up instantly. Nowaki even guarded his sister Kana tightly behind him, thinking that the other party was going to take out Kunai or Explosive Tag to end this meaningless inquiry.
However, what Naruto took out was a square piece wrapped in delicate tinfoil and colored paper.
That thing looked out of place in the dark cell, reflecting the dim light of the dancing torches.
'This is...'
Naruto's mind flashed back to Hinata Hyuga's shy and expectant face before setting off. When she forced the small box into her hand, her voice was as thin as a gnat. "Naruto-kun... on the way... to replenish strength..."
"It's such an incomprehensible emotional investment." A thought flashed through Naruto's mind.
"I'll also bring some Kirigakure specialties back... just to be polite."
He handed the box of chocolates to the siblings.
"Survival and loyalty." Naruto said lightly, "This is what you need to do now, nothing more."
Nowaki and Kana stared blankly at the beautifully packaged piece of food, their eyes full of confusion and wariness. In their world, there is no giving without price. Every mouthful of food, every breath, is clearly marked with a price, usually dignity, sometimes blood.
"This is a 'reward' for making the right choice." Naruto saw through their doubts and explained coldly, "In my Order, if you obey orders and complete tasks, you will be rewarded. If you betray, Purification will come."
Commendation? Purification?
These words were too unfamiliar to them, but the strange aroma exuded by that piece of chocolate, which they had never smelled before, carried a primitive allure.
Kana's throat rolled, and finally, she stretched out her hand tremblingly and took the piece of chocolate from Naruto's hand.
Her fingers carefully peeled off the colorful wrapping paper, her movements jerky as if she were dismantling some delicate mechanism. When the dark brown, checkered solid was exposed to the air, a richer sweet fragrance penetrated her nostrils.
She broke off a small piece and put it hesitantly into her mouth.
The next second, the girl's eyes suddenly opened wide.
A direct and pure sweetness that she had never experienced before exploded like thunder on her dry taste buds. The sweetness quickly swept through her entire mouth and slid down her throat, like a warm current, instantly dispelling the coldness and hunger accumulated in her body for more than ten years.
In Valley of Hell, they gnawed on tree bark and insects with a fishy earthy smell. If they were lucky, they could hit one or two skinny birds with a stone and roast them in the most primitive way. The smell of burnt meat was the best delicacy in their memory.
This extreme sweetness formed the most striking contrast with the overwhelming blood and despair surrounding it.
Naruto no longer disturbed the shocked brothers and sisters. He stood up, turned his head, and faced again the prisoners in the D District passage who were suppressed by Shadow Clone and either died or were maimed.
"The interview is over."
His cold voice stopped all moans and gasps.
His eyes swept across the faces that were either in pain, resentment, or numbness, as if inspecting a batch of lifeless cargo.
"Five qualified candidates."
He raised his hand and pointed in several different directions.
"You two." His fingers first fell on the Ketsuryūgan brother and sister.
Then, he pointed at the two teenagers who were pinned to the ground by Shadow Clone, but they were still struggling and growling like wild beasts, trying to bite the ground with their teeth. Their body structures were different from ordinary people. Even if they were suppressed, their bones were still shaking slightly under the skin, making disturbing friction sounds.
"And you." Naruto finally pointed to a shivering girl huddled in a corner. In the chaos just now, because of her extreme fear, she unconsciously rolled up a miniature cyclone mixed with dust and debris around her.
Platform Release. A rare Kekkei Genkai composed of Wind Release and Earth Release.
"Take care of the three of them to ensure that their functions are intact." Naruto ordered Shadow Clone beside him.
Immediately, several Shadow Clones stepped forward and used rough and effective methods to treat the wounds of the two Kaguya boys and Platform Release girls and reconnect the broken bones. The movements were not gentle at all, purely to allow the "parts" to continue functioning.
Naruto walked up to the two Kaguya teenagers who were pinned to the ground, and kicked one of them in the head with his toes.
"Hello."
The young man raised his head, with undisguised hatred and murderous intent in his eyes.
"Do you want a more exciting battle?"
The breathing of the two teenagers instantly became heavy, and the killing intent in their eyes was gradually replaced by a more primitive and fanatical desire. For the Kaguya Clan, fighting is the entire meaning of its existence.
Naruto got the answer he wanted.
Then, he looked at the remaining dozens of "unqualified" prisoners. Their eyes were different, some were full of fear, some were still crazy, and some were completely silent.
'The mental state is extremely unstable, the upper limit of power is too low, or the will has been completely destroyed. There is no transformation value, but... scrap materials also have uses for scrap materials.'
Naruto gave an ultimatum, without any emotion in his voice. "Your value is limited to causing chaos."
"Now, I give you a choice."
"Or, be 'cleaned' by my Shadow Clone now and disappear completely from this world."
"Or, rush out and kill every jailer you can see. Those who survive, I allow you to gain temporary freedom."
Dead silence.
The passage fell into a suffocating silence.
"You... who are you to decide our life and death! Who do you think you are!" A prisoner with half his body stained red screamed hysterically.
He didn't finish his words.
"Click!"
There was a crisp sound of bone cracking.
The one closest to him, Shadow Clone, didn't even look back. He just used his backhand knife to accurately cut off his cervical vertebrae.
The prisoner's roar suddenly stopped, his head drooped at a strange angle, and his body fell softly to the ground, making no more noise.
Absolute and unquestionable violence instantly wiped out all signs of commotion.
The last traces of luck and will to resist in the eyes of the remaining prisoners were completely crushed. Instead, they were replaced by the final madness that burst out under the fear of death.
"I will kill! I will kill! Let me out!"
"I'm going to kill them!!"
They accepted this bloody deal.
"Very good."
Naruto signaled Shadow Clone to release the clamp.
"Go ahead."
Under the "guidance" of Shadow Clone, this torrent of serious criminals did not rush towards the weakly defended exit. Instead, they roared and roared towards the central prison area where the prison guards were most concentrated.
At the same time, South Water Fort is outside the main entrance.
The pouring rain washed away the muddy ground and Ringo Ameyuri's pale face.
Zabuza's powerful and heavy blow with the hilt of the knife almost took her breath away. She lay in the muddy water and struggled to get up, but found that all the chakra in her body seemed to be frozen, unable to be mobilized at all.
A slender figure quietly emerged from the ice mirror next to her and landed silently next to her.
Bai had just used several Senbons tempered with anesthetic to accurately block the main chakra nodes in Ringo Ameyuri's body. This Lightning Release master, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmens, was now a piece of meat on the chopping board.
"Do you think... if you threaten me with my brother, I will give in?" Ringo Ameyuri coughed out a mouthful of blood and glared at Zabuza, who was approaching step by step, with a full face of resentment, "Kirigakure's ninjas are not cowards!"
"I'm not threatening you." Zabuza walked up to her, dragging the huge Kubikiribōchō on the ground, leaving a muddy mark, "I'm just stating a fact."
"That old guy Genji is far more afraid of death than you think. And Fourth Mizukage Yagura is now a madman who only knows how to kill people. Do you think, in their eyes, is it better to be a tool with weaknesses or a tool without weaknesses?"
Ringo Ameyuri's pupils contracted violently.
"You!"
"Do you think your plan is perfect?" Zabuza sneered and dropped a bombshell, "All cargo ships going to Land of Bears, ANBU visited the port three days ago and checked the departure records. I'm afraid they have been marked as 'high risk'. Your little secret is not a secret at all in Mizukage's Office."
"No... impossible!" The blood on Ringo Ameyuri's face faded instantly.
"Nothing is impossible." Zabuza squatted down and patted her cheek with the back of Kubikiribōchō's knife, "It's just that Genji is now being beaten by my' Revolutionary Army' is scared out of his wits and is busy dispatching troops to protect his life. And Yagura also has no time to take care of you. So, this secret is just a secret for the time being."
Zabuza's voice is like the whisper of a devil.
"Do you think that old guy who is afraid of death will gladly pull your brother off the ship in order to keep you and protect him? If you don't obey, he will make him take a...'Only one person can live' graduation exam in front of you?"
Bai glanced at Zabuza and thought to himself, "Master Zabuza shouldn't be able to speak in this style normally. This is what Master Commissar taught me."
Ringo Ameyuri collapsed completely. She bit her lips until she tasted blood in her mouth, and her eyes showed despair.
"What do you want?" she asked hoarsely.
"I don't want to do anything." Zabuza stood up and looked at her condescendingly, "The man behind me is a little interested in Thunder Blade Fang. Of course, he is more interested in people who have the ability to control it."
"He asked me to bring you a message."
"A legendary Ninja Blade should not rust in a dark cell. A valuable warrior should not die meaninglessly for a corrupt system. Your brother, and your own future... choose it yourself."
Bai nodded affirmatively and said to himself, "This is indeed what Mr. Commissar taught me."