"Uh, well..."
Seeing Xia Yu's serious expression, Kurenai grew even more bewildered.
"Marry me, Kurenai."
Before Kurenai could speak, Xia Yu had already risen from his seat across from her and sat down beside her.
"Xia Yu, you...?"
"I just want to be your child's father... and take your first kiss while I'm at it."
"Mmph..."
Meanwhile, in Konoha Hospital, Asuma Sarutobi still lay in his hospital bed, struggling against the unbearable pain in his two kidneys.
Despite all the painkillers he had been given, the pain had not eased at all. Asuma's face was pale, and beads of sweat the size of beans streamed down his forehead.
The junior ninja who had been looking after him could no longer bear to watch him suffer like this and urged anxiously:
"Asuma, how about I tell Lord Hokage about your condition? Perhaps only his beloved student, Lady Tsunade, can cure you now! If your father asks, I'm sure Lady Tsunade will come back!"
"No! My father absolutely cannot see me in this pathetic state...! Right, what-what is my father doing now?"
"Lord Hokage is probably still interrogating Danzo. Sigh, it's been a whole day already. I wonder how it's going..."
Interrogation room one, Konoha's Interrogation Department.
This interrogation room was the largest in the Interrogation Department, with the tightest security and the most complete assortment of torture instruments. Only war criminals guilty of heinous crimes or disgraced officials of extremely high standing qualified to be held here.
Behind the iron bars, Danzo was tightly bound in chains.
Across from him, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the center, flanked by Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ibiki Morino, and a group of masked Anbu Ninja.
The atmosphere was unusually quiet.
That silence had already lasted an entire day.
Ever since Shimura Danzō had entered, no matter how inhuman the torture methods Ibiki Morino used on him, he had not said a word. Even his hollow, lifeless eyes had not blinked once.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had not asked anything either. He simply kept watching Danzo with a meaningful gaze.
"Phew..."
A flash of light passed, and Ibiki Morino returned to reality from the Summoning Technique Torture House. His brows drew tightly together as he shook his head helplessly.
Clearly, he had once again failed to get anything out of him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi drew in a thick mouthful of smoke and said flatly, "Continue."
"Wait!" Inoichi Yamanaka could not take it anymore. He strode up to Hiruzen and requested loudly, "Lord Hokage, this isn't getting us anywhere. Danzo is too tight-lipped. Physical pressure won't make him talk. Let our Intelligence Department take over!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was just about to say something when Shikaku Nara stepped forward beside him to support his friend's words. "Lord Hokage, Inoichi has a point. I hope you'll accept his suggestion."
Ibiki Morino pulled off his head covering and wiped away the sweat that had pooled in little channels in the scars on his scalp. Breathing heavily, he said, "I think that's what we should do too, Lord Hokage. I have very little chakra left. There's no point in carrying on like this. But with Mr. Inoichi's abilities, I'm sure the truth will soon come to light."
Hiruzen Sarutobi understood this perfectly well. He was anxious too, because once he handed Danzo over to Inoichi Yamanaka, far too many people would learn of the many secrets between him and Danzo.
"Lord Hokage, please give the order."
Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi was still hesitating, Shikaku Nara began subtly applying pressure.
It looks like I can only find a way to have Root's members secretly take Danzo's body away...
With that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh. "All right, Inoichi. I'll leave Danzo to you, then. Notify me immediately if you learn anything. It's getting late, so I'll head back first."
Hiruzen intended to take the opportunity to leave and go to Root's base to assign its members a mission.
Just then, Danzo, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly seemed to go berserk. He began desperately struggling against his chains, shouting in a cracking voice, "Hokage! I've become Hokage! I've finally become Hokage!"
"Someone! Notify the village's finest stonemason at once! Give him half a day to carve my face into Hokage Rock. If he fails, kill his entire family!"
"Hahahahahaha! Second, I'm the one who has inherited your will most perfectly! Just watch. I'll make Konoha unite this world!"
"Hokage, hehehe... Hokage..."
"I... am the Hokage!!"
"Hahahahaha, hehehehe-hic! Hehehe..."
Everyone present, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, wore remarkably identical expressions. They all stared, dumbfounded, as Danzo reveled in his own world, muttering disjointed phrases before breaking into another fit of crazed, witless laughter.
Ibiki Morino stammered in astonishment:
"L-Lord Danzo, he, he... has he gone mad?"
Before you continue