"That's everything I know."
Ye's eyes were vacant. She mechanically recounted every detail of the information concerning Amane from the past two months.
It was now noon the following day. After a night of combat, according to Mei Terumī, Ao, and the others who had returned, everything was over, and they had secured the final victory.
Currently, the entire base was undergoing final cleanup operations—specifically, rescuing the wounded, identifying the casualties from both sides, and gathering evidence.
"Thank you for your cooperation. You may leave."
The Ninja in charge of the interrogation had a look of pity in his eyes. He hadn't expected that in the new era following the bloody mist, his first task would be to interrogate a child.
But it couldn't be helped; after understanding the context of the situation, this interrogation was necessary. One wrong move, and Kirigakure could suffer immeasurable losses.
"Thank you."
After speaking politely, Ye silently walked toward the exit.
"Though this isn't much of a comfort, based on long-term experience, your companion likely didn't even know what she possessed. There's a high probability she was a disposable pawn from the start; it's a 'common tactic'."
First, deliberately destroying a child's family to make them lose everything, then appearing as a certain family member, and finally using that relationship to raise the child as a tool or a disposable pawn.
This wasn't rare in the world of espionage; it had been happening long before the bloody mist, and even Kirigakure itself had done it many times.
"Which Villages are under suspicion?"
Ye's tone was very calm, but the interrogating Ninja couldn't help but sigh.
This wasn't rare either.
But unless favored by fate, such inquiries were destined to be fruitless.
After leaving the interrogation room, Ye was called out to. Turning her head, a sliver of a smile finally appeared on her face.
"You're awake, Ringo Yuriko."
Ringo Yuriko was covered in bandages. After greeting her, Ye suddenly remembered that Ringo Yuriko's ears seemed to have been injured by the Black-Robed Person's technique last night; her voice probably couldn't reach her at all.
"Don't worry, it wasn't a direct hit. The Medical Ninja already healed me. Then I heard some interesting news, and they started asking me about that guy. What about you?"
The possibility that Amane was a spy had been told to Ye by Mei Terumī after she returned.
Although Mei Terumī had been very tactful, it was still enough to make Ye lose control of her emotions at the time. Only after she mentioned that Amane's chest was pierced by a Black-Robed Person and then blown to pieces by exploding tags did everyone's attention shift away from Ye to begin investigating the scene.
As for the results, Ye didn't know.
She had been under interrogation until just now; she presumed Ringo Yuriko was here to take her place.
After hearing Ye's description, especially the part about Amane being blown up, Ringo Yuriko frowned and fell into silence.
At that time, she had been knocked unconscious by those golden chains. Logically, Ninjas are protected by Chakra. As long as the Chakra infused in a body part isn't exhausted, the body's defense and attack power are enhanced.
But the moment those golden chains touched her, Ringo Yuriko found she couldn't feel a single bit of her own Chakra, which was why she had been taken down so easily.
"Is that so?"
Ringo Yuriko's reaction surprised Ye; she seemed so calm.
Usually, wouldn't she be gritting her teeth like an erupting volcano?
"Anyway, let's hear what Teacher Mei has to say first. Remember to bring me food later."
Ringo Yuriko, appearing so calm she seemed like a different person, walked into the interrogation room after speaking.
Ye watched her enter the interrogation room with concern.
But she also understood that although both she and Ringo Yuriko wanted to talk more, now was definitely not the time.
Ye took a deep breath, calmed her emotions slightly, and decided to walk around.
Only at this moment did Ye truly realize how brutal last night's battle had been!
Everywhere she looked were piles of corpses; these were Ninjas of the Kaguya Clan, to be gathered and cremated later.
As for the Ninjas on their side, they would be cremated individually after identification and then laid to rest in the Kirigakure cemetery.
After some inquiries, Ye found out where Mei Terumī was and ran all the way there.
She couldn't stay here for long; the faint sounds of weeping made her sad, and the occasional boasting about battle achievements made her feel unpleasant. From any perspective, she found it unbearable.
{Fearing injury, fearing pain, fearing death. Only after knowing the terror of these things can one endure and shoulder it all to move forward, so that their precious ones don't have to taste them. That is what a 'Ninja' truly is.}
Recalling what Amane had told her in the past about what it means to be a Ninja, Ye finally understood how heavy it truly was.
Fortunately, she found her target quickly. At that moment, Mei Terumī was talking to a man covered in bandages with a large sword on his back. Beside him was a child about the same age as Ye.
"What! Is what you're saying true?!"
Mei Terumī suddenly shouted, her expression filled with disbelief.
"Yeah, it's likely the same person. That Black-Robed Person came over and just started talking to himself. Then he told me everything about your situation here in detail.
Including how the Fourth Mizukage I wanted to assassinate was being controlled, how you were currently fighting him in his full Tailed Beast form, and how the base was being attacked by a large number of Kaguya Clan Ninjas."
Ye's footsteps couldn't help but stop. Hearing the Black-Robed Person mentioned again, her ears instinctively perked up.
"And you believed him?"
The person before her was known as the Demon. Mei Terumī found it hard to believe that the Black-Robed Person could so easily persuade him to come and provide support; there might be some clues to uncover behind this.
"At first, I didn't believe him and even wanted to take him down on the spot. But he said... anyway, I decided to come and see, and then I saw the Tailed Beast Ball in the distance and the overwhelming disadvantage of your base."
{Why not go take a look? If what I say is true, it aligns perfectly with your desires. You could clear your name and become a hero. But if you don't go, Kirigakure might truly perish today.
When that happens, how could the other Five Great Ninja Villages let such a prize slip away? The Fourth Great Ninja War might break out, and no matter who wins, Kirigakure is destined to vanish.}
After all, Zabuza's original reason for defecting was that he couldn't stand the cruelty of the bloody mist system, which was why he led his subordinates in an assassination coup, though it ultimately failed.
In the original work, the reason he targeted the Land of Waves was actually to plot to accumulate wealth and then launch another counterattack.
Although the Black-Robed Person provided no evidence, his description of Kirigakure's current state was extremely logical, and the most important factor was the 'what if'.
If it were true, Zabuza could not afford to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even if it were false, he only needed to change direction to go to the location mentioned by the Black-Robed Person; could he really be ambushed like that?
Thus, his fate changed, and Zabuza decided to come here and take a look.
As soon as he arrived, he knew the Black-Robed Person's words were true. Then, without a word, he rushed into the base to provide aid; after all, Fourth Mizukage Yagura's location was still quite far from him.
Once he took action, the title of the Demon quickly spread among the struggling Ninjas. Seeing that he was there to help them, their morale instantly soared!
Of the six Kaguya Clan Jonin, Zabuza personally took down two; his contribution to this battle was immense.
"Zabuza, this is important. I hope you can share more information about him."
Sensing that Zabuza was hiding something, Mei Terumī couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
"I've spent time in the Anbu, after all. Anyway, he explained the reasons why the Village of the Bloody Mist came to be—it was done by an organization called Akatsuki, right? And the one I spoke with was just a Shadow Clone."
Zabuza had still made a move, but unfortunately, it was clearly anticipated, or rather, the person was extremely cautious.
Mei Terumī could only sigh helplessly at this; it seemed there was no more information to be gleaned. She then turned her gaze to the black-haired young girl beside him and asked, "This child is..."
"Haku, of the Yuki Clan," Zabuza replied without concealment.
"Uh..." Mei Terumī's gaze switched back and forth between the two, feeling as if she had seen this scene before.
In her mind, she once again recalled the disciple she had previously favored the most.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Mei Terumī hesitating to speak, Zabuza felt curious as well as confused.
"It's nothing, just thought of a disciple of mine again. Anyway, thank you for your help at the critical moment. Your return is truly a godsend for Kirigakure."
Mei Terumī spoke sincerely. The current situation, except for her disciple's side, could be described as the bitterness ending and sweetness beginning—the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining.
How could she continue to be swayed by her emotions?
Glancing at Ye, who had been standing nearby, Mei Terumī smiled, waved her over, and made introductions.
Haku looked at Ye, who had the same hair and eye color, with great curiosity. A hint of longing appeared in his eyes, but one hand gripped Zabuza's clothes tightly.
[They are practically identical.]
Recalling the day she first met Amane, Mei Terumī almost thought she had traveled through time.
"Hmph! Speak up. I said I've been in the Anbu. This child came here for that reason too, didn't she?"
The two had just finished exchanging information. Zabuza had already learned about the situation of Amane and the other two, so he naturally knew that Mei Terumī's heart was far from calm.
With such a hard-won favorable situation, Zabuza couldn't allow one of the leaders to be in this state.
"In conclusion, the remains indeed possess Amane's characteristics."
Ye's heart skipped a beat, and tears uncontrollably overflowed from her eyes.
Seeing this, Haku hurriedly ran over, placed a hand on her back, looked at her with a worried gaze, and handed her a handkerchief.
"What about the possibility of it being faked?"
Zabuza pressed further.
"I'm not sure, but from the descriptions of those present at the time, that possibility is almost nonexistent."
Mei Terumī said this while also glancing at Ye.
"Hey! Kid! Once you're done crying, recount the situation at that time for me. Carefully."
Wiping her tears, Ye choked back sobs as she recounted everything that happened last night once more.
Upon hearing that her chest was pierced, Zabuza couldn't help but frown.
If the possibility of Genjutsu is ruled out, then perhaps this girl really was killed. What kind of Ninja could survive such a severe injury?
Unless it was a special Ninjutsu, or this girl named Amane is an immortal.
"It wasn't Genjutsu. Everyone present has been checked, and there are no signs of being under a Genjutsu."
Mei Terumī said this while pointing to her right eye, hinting at who performed the check.
Zabuza fell silent. He now truly understood why Mei Terumī cared so much about this Black-Robed Person.
The truth could only be obtained from him, and he was a Black-Robed Person. That is to say, this person was essentially synonymous with a non-existent ghost; Mei Terumī might never have the chance.
"Golden chains... go back and look into that."
This was also a clue. At least among common Five Element Ninjutsu, none are known to be golden, so it can be concluded to be a Secret Technique.
But this was also a difficulty.
Because the Five Great Ninja Villages are not at peace, there is only a consensus on basic information; Secret Techniques, in particular, have a very high level of confidentiality.
Information will likely be hard to find.
"So I've decided that I will find out what this technique is! Can you help me, Ringo Yuriko?"
After leaving Mei Terumī, Ye prepared a bento and waited for Ringo Yuriko to come out. Then, the two went together to the place where Amane was attacked and killed.
On the way, Ye told Ringo Yuriko everything from the conversation and vowed to investigate the matter.
"Is that so? Then go ahead and do that."
Arriving at the site of the explosion, Ringo Yuriko looked at the large crater and spoke without turning her head.
This unexpected behavior made Ye curious, but just as she was about to ask something, Ringo Yuriko continued:
"First off, I'm not crazy. I don't think that girl is dead. Don't ask me for proof; it's just a feeling. I can't even be sure if it's just psychological comfort."
Ringo Yuriko was extremely composed, appearing like a completely different person than before—actually quite similar to how Amane was when facing trouble.
Seeing this, Ye indeed didn't ask further. Having gone through the events of that night, she had also grown quite a bit.
Ye felt that perhaps this was Ringo Yuriko's way of mourning.
"What do you plan to do next?" Ye asked, though she already knew.
"Get stronger! I'm simply too weak."
Recalling that blue thunderstorm and those golden chains, it was certain that neither was something she could handle right now.
If Amane really was killed by that person, then by the time Ye tracked him down, Ringo Yuriko would have to be qualified to stand before him and possess the power to cut him down with her own hands!
And if Amane really isn't dead... "I'll tie her up, make her confess every bad thing she did as an undercover agent, and then use my lightning to make her feel like she's in heaven!"
Ringo Yuriko shouted loudly and then couldn't help but grin.
"Hahaha, you're still holding that grudge? Well, I'll definitely help you then."
Just thinking about the possibility of Amane being alive, and then she and Ringo Yuriko tying her up, even Ye broke into a smile.
I want to see that! It seems she needs to get stronger too.
Regardless of which possibility it is, Ringo Yuriko will need a helper. How could she be satisfied with just looking up information?
Seeing the two of them each making their resolutions, Mei Terumī, who was secretly following them, couldn't help but smile as well.
As their teacher, she would have to support them properly.
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