Chapter 185: The Yamanaka Clan Begins the Investigation

"We've got a problem on the inside," the Third Hokage explained as they walked. "While on a mission, some of our ANBU operatives were killed just after leaving the village. Whoever did it was ruthless—they left no clues behind and even used wild animals to devour the bodies. We found nothing useful at the scene."

The Hokage made no effort to hide the situation from Takuya as he continued, "From what we've gathered, this was likely the work of enemy spies from another village. They might have already infiltrated ANBU, so we need to conduct a thorough internal investigation. Your task, along with Tsunade, is to ensure no spies try to attack or flee during the process."

"Dead or alive, it doesn't matter," the Hokage added. "Even a corpse can reveal secrets. Especially if it falls into the hands of the Yamanaka clan."

"This situation is that serious?" Tsunade frowned, her brow furrowing.

These spies had become far too bold, infiltrating ANBU of all places.

Takuya, walking a little behind them, kept his head lowered, seemingly staring at the floor—but in reality, he was stifling his laughter. The last thing he wanted was to burst out laughing.

Who would've thought that Snowy knocking out two Root operatives would cause this much chaos?

The Third Hokage was now so paranoid that he was ordering an internal sweep of ANBU. All thanks to Snowy's impeccable timing and skill.

"Snowy did a brilliant job," Takuya thought, trying not to grin.

Back at home, Snowy stretched, yawned, and curled up again, oblivious to the chaos she'd caused. She had the vague sense that Takuya was praising her, but she chalked it up to a dream and drifted back to sleep.

The Interrogation Department was one of the most secretive and grim places in the village. If ANBU brought you in for questioning, it likely meant you were a suspect, and they just needed to verify things. But if you were sent to the Interrogation Department, congratulations—you were probably never leaving.

Even if you did make it out, you might be alive, but you wouldn't walk out—you'd be carried. And sometimes, even your corpse would be put to use. Death didn't always mean peace in the world of ninjas. There were plenty of jutsu, like the infamous Reanimation Jutsu, that played with the souls of the dead.

This was Takuya's first time visiting the Interrogation Department, and he hadn't expected it to be located underground, not far from the Hokage's office.

The closer they got, the stronger the faint metallic smell of blood became. It was enough to make anyone's skin crawl. Who knew how many lives had been ended in this place?

Inside the department's main hall, every available ANBU and Root operative had been gathered. Alongside them stood members of the Yamanaka clan, who had been tasked with screening for any spies.

"Isn't this a bit much?" Takuya muttered, yawning as he leaned against the wall, looking more tired than alert.

He hadn't slept well, and it showed.

"Stop talking like that," Tsunade snapped in a low voice, glaring at him. "Can't you at least pretend to be serious?"

Takuya rolled his eyes. I'm always serious.

He glanced around the room with mild interest. The gathered ANBU and Root operatives had all removed their masks, revealing their faces—something rarely seen.

"Isn't this supposed to be a secret operation?" Takuya thought. "Why drag me into this?"

They were starting with ANBU and Root. Would they move on to suspecting the jonin next? Would they start looking at him too?

Takuya mulled it over. The chances of them coming after me... almost zero. He had never been involved with any of the village's barrier nodes, which were usually under the control of ANBU, Root, or former members of those groups.

Takuya had always entered the village through the front gate. If it hadn't been for Snowy, he wouldn't even have known there was a way to sneak in and out through the mountains.

As the Third Hokage entered the room, Koharu, Homura, and Danzo arrived with him. Danzo, it seemed, couldn't sit still after losing so much chakra metal. Despite his injuries, he had dragged himself out of the hospital.

The Third Hokage had tried to convince him to go back and rest, but Danzo insisted on participating. After all, the dead men had been his subordinates—it would've been strange if he hadn't been there.

Several unfamiliar jonin and special jonin entered the room shortly after, taking up positions at the entrance to the Interrogation Department, sealing off any possible escape routes.

Glancing around, Takuya noted that most of the ninjas were faces he didn't recognize.

"Tsunade, do you know any of these guys?" he asked, noticing her frowning in thought.

"I've seen a few of them," she replied quietly. "They're from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, but I don't run into them often."

Sarutobi and Shimura, huh? Takuya shrugged. Well, that makes sense.

These two clans had tons of ninjas, yet they still claimed to be "commoners." It wasn't surprising that some of them had been kept in reserve, hidden away from the public eye.

With ANBU under investigation, how many trustworthy people did the Hokage still have at his disposal? If he couldn't even fully trust ANBU, it made sense that he would rely on clan members.

What a waste of time, Takuya thought. Why did they drag me out here? I could be sleeping right now.

Once everything was set, the Third Hokage stepped forward, addressing the gathered ANBU and Root operatives with a grave expression.

"As many of you already know, we suffered an attack outside the village last night. Our forces have been infiltrated by spies. These spies are taking advantage of the current crisis to make their move."

The Hokage took a deep breath, his face full of regret. "As Hokage, I take full responsibility for this failure. I should have prevented this from happening."

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.

"To ensure the safety of our village, I have consulted with the advisors and elders, and we have decided to conduct an internal sweep. We will begin with ANBU and Root to root out any spies among us."

"There's no need to apologize, Lord Hokage," one of the ANBU captains spoke up. "We understand the situation. We'll comply with the investigation, even if it's a bit... uncomfortable."

Takuya could tell what he meant. The presence of the Yamanaka clan meant one thing: mind-reading. They were going to delve into people's memories. And while these ninjas might not be spies, everyone had secrets. Having your memories exposed was a violation, even if it was for the greater good.

"Please rest assured," one of the Yamanaka clan members stepped forward. "We are bound by strict agreements. Any information unrelated to the investigation will not be disclosed to anyone. Our only focus is finding the spies. Nothing more."

Hearing this, the uneasy expressions on some of the ninjas' faces eased slightly. Still, nobody liked the idea of someone poking around in their mind. Everyone had things they'd rather keep private.

Even the Hokage himself would be in trouble if the Yamanaka clan were to dig into his memories and reveal certain... indiscretions.

The ANBU were the ones who handled the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the village. And now, they were the first ones being investigated. It hardly seemed fair.

Takuya shook his head, thinking. If it were me, no way would I let anyone rummage around in my memories—not even if the sky was falling.

"What's with you?" Tsunade asked, turning to look at him. "Why are you shaking your head?"

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