Chapter 62 – Interrogation
Ten days later, at the Akimichi Clan compound in Konohagakure.
"Ryuya, what exactly has been going on with you lately?
The village has already sent people several times to inquire about your whereabouts."
Akimichi Rōu sat seiza-style in the main hall, arms crossed over his chest, staring solemnly at Ryuya as he spoke.
"Uncle Rōu… our mission failed."
Ryuya lowered his head, his expression slightly gloomy.
"I know that much.
More than a month ago, the bodies of the three chūnin who accompanied you were found.
Only you and Medic Shennong were missing."
Akimichi Rōu fixed his gaze on Ryuya, his brows tightly knit, his eyes filled with both concern and probing suspicion.
Over the past month, unfavorable rumors about Ryuya had already begun circulating within the village.
At first, Rōu hadn't believed a single word of them.
But now, seeing Ryuya standing there with his head lowered, doubt inevitably crept into his heart.
Could it be that this kid had truly been unwilling to accept the failure of the mission and had defected—only to return because he had nowhere else to go?
Was the mysterious ninja who appeared at the border of the Land of Fire and fought against Kumogakure's Two-Tails Jinchūriki really this boy?
But according to intelligence from the village, that ninja had summoned a giant serpent and even used Sage Arts during the battle!
Ryuya couldn't possibly know Sage Arts… right?
Question after question lingered in Akimichi Rōu's mind.
"Uncle Rōu, on the way to the Land of Wind, we encountered an assassination unit from Sunagakure.
They were hunting down the Scorch Release ninja Pakura. Because we stumbled upon their operation, we were targeted as well.
Their strength was overwhelming. We had no choice but to split up and escape separately.
During the pursuit, I was gravely injured and had to go into hiding to recover.
After my injuries healed, I was unwilling to accept the mission's failure.
I planned to sneak toward the northern border and launch a surprise attack on Kumogakure's rear, hoping to redeem myself.
But halfway there, I encountered Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki of Kumogakure.
Facing her, I had no choice but to go all out just to barely escape with my life.
Even then, my body was seriously injured again.
After recovering for a time, I rushed straight back to the village."
Ryuya raised his head and met Akimichi Rōu's gaze calmly as he finished speaking.
Aside from omitting the part about persuading Pakura and the two of them going to the Land of Rice Fields to establish Anshitang, Ryuya told him everything else in detail.
Mixing truth with lies—
that was the highest form of deception.
Ryuya didn't want to deceive Akimichi Rōu, but some things truly weren't suitable for him to know.
"So… you've already learned Sage Arts?"
After listening to Ryuya's account, Akimichi Rōu's expression became subtly strange. He couldn't help but ask.
Sage Arts were techniques that stood at the very pinnacle of power in the shinobi world.
Hearing that Ryuya could already use them, Rōu felt both relieved—and somewhat bitter.
It seemed that, as an uncle, he might no longer be able to defeat this fifteen-year-old boy.
"That's right.
But I was forced into using it for the first time back then.
There are still many flaws. My body suffered serious backlash after the technique.
If I want to truly master it, I still have a long way to go."
Ryuya nodded without hesitation, openly admitting it.
There was no point in trying to hide something like this—it would only raise more suspicion.
Akimichi Rōu fell silent, his expression complicated.
After a long while, he waved his hand at Ryuya.
"Alright. You've worked hard these past days.
Go back and rest first.
In a couple of days, the Hokage's Office may call you in for another talk. Be prepared."
"Yes, Uncle Rōu."
Ryuya bowed and withdrew.
Just before leaving the hall, his gaze subtly flicked toward a certain direction inside the room.
After Ryuya left, a sliding door opened.
The figure of Akimichi Ryōta, the head of the Akimichi Clan, appeared.
"Rōu, how much of that boy's story do you think is believable?"
Ryōta asked as he stepped inside.
"About seventy to eighty percent,"
Rōu replied slowly.
Ryōta smiled and nodded.
"That's about right. That kid's a slippery one.
He probably knew from the start that I was hidden there.
What he said can only be believed to that extent.
The Suna assassination unit is real.
Pakura, the Scorch Release ninja, is real.
His battle with Yugito Nii is real.
But there's definitely something else hidden beneath it all—something we don't know."
Ryuya believed his lies were flawless, yet he had already been seen through by both Akimichi Ryōta and Akimichi Rōu.
Rōu remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement.
After thinking for a moment, he hesitated before asking,
"Clan Head… who do you think taught Ryuya Sage Arts?"
Ryōta answered calmly,
"Who else could it be?
In Konoha, the only one who has truly mastered Sage Arts is Jiraiya-sama.
But Jiraiya-sama is rarely in the village, and it's unlikely Ryuya had much contact with him.
Aside from Jiraiya, the only other possibilities would be his fellow Sannin—
Orochimaru-sama or Tsunade-sama—both of whom have studied Sage techniques.
Didn't Orochimaru recently come into contact with Ryuya?
It was probably then."
Rōu frowned slightly.
"Orochimaru-sama's reputation in the village hasn't been very good these past two years.
Isn't it risky for Ryuya to be so close to him?"
Ryōta waved his hand dismissively, smiling.
"It's fine.
Let him finish learning Sage Arts first."
Ryōta had personally witnessed the terrifying boost Sage Arts could bring to a shinobi's strength.
If anything, he hoped Ryuya would stay by Orochimaru's side and grow stronger as quickly as possible.
Judging from Ryuya's current performance, the boy hadn't disappointed his expectations at all.
Rōu continued,
"What about the fact that Ryuya acted on his own without receiving orders from the village?
How do we explain that to the higher-ups?"
Ryōta replied calmly,
"No need to worry. I'll personally explain it to the Third Hokage.
The Akimichi Clan is part of the Hokage's faction.
After all, it wasn't easy for our clan to produce such an outstanding talent.
The village's leadership will never allow him to be suppressed.
They won't let another tragedy like White Fang happen again."
Hearing this, Akimichi Rōu finally let out a quiet sigh of relief and bowed respectfully.
And just as Ryōta had predicted, over the next two days, the village's handling of Ryuya unfolded exactly as expected.
After summoning Ryuya to the Hokage's Office for a detailed inquiry, the higher-ups showed no intention of punishing him—neither for the failed mission nor for acting without explicit orders.
Instead, they paid far more attention to two pieces of information Ryuya had revealed:
First, that Sunagakure's Scorch Release ninja Pakura was being hunted by her own village.
Second, that Ryuya was already capable of using Sage Arts with the aid of a summoning beast.
On one hand, Sunagakure was currently Konoha's ally, and the movements of an allied village naturally warranted concern.
On the other hand, in the current situation, having one more shinobi who could use Sage Arts was something everyone in the village welcomed wholeheartedly.
Even Ryuya himself hadn't expected to pass through this ordeal so easily.