The Otokage didn't dare lift a finger against this man who was likely Uchiha Madara.
Even if he wasn't, anyone capable of abducting the Eight-Tails had to be incredibly powerful. He was simply no match for such a person.
If it really was Uchiha Madara, fighting was even more out of the question.
He was well aware of his own strength; he was only a Jōnin-level shinobi.
He approached respectfully and asked,
"I was unaware of your arrival, Lord Uchiha Madara. To what do we owe this honor?"
Ryōsuke noted the "Sound" kanji on the man's hat, confirming he was the leader of the village.
"You must be the Otokage. Tell me, where is Orochimaru?"
The Otokage frowned. The man was looking for Orochimaru.
Although he held the title of Otokage, he was nothing more than a puppet. Orochimaru was the true master of the village.
It was a headache; he couldn't afford to offend either of them, so he tried to play dumb.
"If you are referring to Orochimaru of the Sannin, he isn't here."
Ryōsuke stared at him.
"Are you trying to lie to me?"
"If you don't reveal Orochimaru's whereabouts today, your life ends here."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his Sharingan flared with power, pinning the man with a cold, piercing gaze.
Staring into those eyes, the Otokage felt his very soul tremble.
This was an impossible situation; the pressure from those eyes alone was nearly unbearable.
Red eyes... they had to be the Sharingan.
For the Three-Tomoe to possess such overwhelming power...
Was it truly the legendary Uchiha Madara?
Could he really betray Orochimaru?
The price for betrayal would be horrific.
Ryōsuke watched the man keep his mouth shut.
Since he wasn't willing to talk, there was only one way forward.
His eyes bled into a deeper red as he activated the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique.
This was a specialized interrogation Genjutsu unique to the Uchiha clan.
Instantly, the Otokage's consciousness was dragged into a crimson illusory realm.
The Otokage's face was filled with shock.
'How is this possible?'
'I fell into his Genjutsu just by looking at him!'
Five massive stakes now pinned him in place. He couldn't move, and he certainly couldn't break free from such a powerful illusion.
Ryōsuke slowly manifested in front of him, staring him down.
"Will you speak now?"
The Otokage gritted his teeth, holding out.
"My Lord, I truly do not know."
He knew Orochimaru's cruelty all too well. If he leaked anything...
Orochimaru would surely tear him limb from limb or feed him to the massive Manda.
That would be a far more miserable end.
Right now, it was only Genjutsu. The pain in this space was just an illusion.
He just had to endure it.
Ryōsuke watched the Otokage still trying to deceive him.
A surge of irritation rose within him.
"It seems I come across as too merciful, giving you the impression that I'm easy to fool."
A short sword appeared in his hand, and he thrust it directly into the Otokage's body.
The Otokage's features twisted in agony as a gut-wrenching scream tore from his throat.
In this dimension, the pain inflicted upon the victim felt as real as anything in the physical world.
Because it targeted the spirit directly, the suffering was far from fake.
Seeing that the Otokage was only wailing and hadn't begged for mercy yet, Ryōsuke ripped the blade out, eliciting another agonizing shriek.
Then, he plunged it back in.
He repeated this dozens of times.
The Otokage screamed incessantly, but Ryōsuke showed no sign of softening.
Looking at the now-shattered Otokage, he sneered.
"So? Will you talk?"
"Even within this Genjutsu, I can still kill you."
"The damage to your psyche will be permanent. If I keep this up, you'll be nothing more than a mindless husk."
The broken Otokage shuddered, looking at the man in sheer terror.
He knew the man meant it. His mind was already screaming in agony.
A few more rounds of this and his consciousness would truly snap.
He no longer cared about Orochimaru's revenge. He gasped out weakly.
"I'll talk... I'll talk!"
Only then did Ryōsuke let out a small smile.
He promptly dispelled the illusion.
The Otokage felt the world tremble. His vision blurred, and when he finally blinked, he was back in the real world.
Even the natural sunlight felt painfully bright.
The five stakes were gone, but the crushing exhaustion remained.
His mental state was so ravaged that he lost all motor control, his body slumping forward until his hands hit the dirt.
Cold sweat drenched him.
The phantom sensation of the sword repeatedly piercing his flesh was so vivid that the pain still felt real.
He didn't dare move, terrified that the slightest motion would tear his body apart.
The surrounding Sound ninja, seeing their leader collapse, were instantly incensed.
"You bastard! What have you done to the Otokage?"
However, some of the more experienced ninja realized their leader had been hit by a devastating Genjutsu.
It was a technique so profound that it left the Otokage looking as though he had suffered physical trauma.
This man was truly monstrous.
Their faces grew pale.
How could they possibly oppose such a person? This wasn't a fight that could be won with numbers.
The Otokage, slowly regaining some sensation, felt his heart stop when he heard his subordinates' insolence toward Uchiha Madara.
He desperately forced himself to speak.
"Shut up! All of you! Do not be disrespectful to Lord Uchiha Madara!"
A single look had been enough to break him. That was the power of Uchiha Madara.
With such ruthless methods and a reputation as the Ghost of the Uchiha...
He was not a man to be crossed.
If they truly angered him, he might just slaughter the entire village on a whim.
The Sound ninja were stunned by their leader's command.
Their Otokage had been tormented like this, yet he was still showing such deference?
It felt incredibly demeaning.
But they had no alternative. Their strongest had been crushed in an eyeblink; this was likely their only chance at survival.
One by one, they fell silent.
Seeing them comply, the Otokage felt a wave of relief and managed a strained smile.
"Lord Uchiha Madara, I will take you to Orochimaru immediately."
While this would offend Orochimaru, refusing now meant certain death. He even hoped this Uchiha Madara would simply kill Orochimaru and be done with it.
Ryōsuke looked down at him.
"Then lead the way."
He signaled to Haku and Zabuza to follow.