In Konoha.

  More precisely, inside Konoha’s prison.

  The sensation of suffocation is like losing feeling in your limbs. Vision and hearing are dull; you know someone is speaking nearby, but the words are indecipherable. Lungs starve for oxygen as instinct demands breath, yet none comes. The brain swells with a sharp, bloated pain, a pain that forces uncontrolble thrashing. When the struggle is restrained, panic arises—fear of darkness, fear of death. Time seems to slow, stretching every moment of life or death into an eternity. The so-called pre-death “life fshes before your eyes” is a human illusion. True death is infinite darkness, where time loses meaning, leaving only pain and the indescribable dread of awaiting death.

  It is terrifying—enough to instill fear in even the most hardened ninja, enough to bring one to tears.

  But this time, tears mixed with the water sustaining her suffocation. Eyes closed, no one could see the terror within them.

  Behind her, a man grabbed her blood-stained white hair and yanked her head from the water. Air rushed into her lungs, cshing with the water already inside, producing a silent cough that expelled a mix of blood and water.

  “Who else was on the mountain that day besides you?”

  A man in bck cloak and headwrap asked, his scarred face grotesque, marring what was once a slightly handsome visage.

  Kita refused to open her eyes, unwilling to reveal the bloodshot veins and near-surrender in her gaze. The suffocating sleep control combined with this respiratory torture left her eyes glowing red with defiance.

  Almost… but not quite.

  The infamous Konoha interrogation expert, Ibiki Morino, had methods so horrifying they made death seem preferable. Yet a critical piece of information remained unshared—how Uchiha Madara could wield Wood Release, and the existence of Izanagi. If Nagato remained unaware of this jutsu, he would never defeat Madara. If so… what would happen to Akatsuki?

  More terrifying than suffocation itself.

  “Who exactly fought you?”

  Kita forced a slight upward curl of her lips. Her pale face cshed with the scars on her body. Naked, subjected to what is academically termed shame interrogation, a method of mental oppression, yet she remained unaffected. Ibiki had arrived too te for it to work; the effect would have needed to start before her birth.

  “It’s a simple question. Answer, and you can sleep. There’s food too—anything.”

  Red face, white face—typical interrogation roles. The white-faced one usually handled physical punishment, but only this ANBU member knew sign nguage.

  Silent. Only the sound of water dripping from her long hair fell. Ibiki noticed his patience thinning; a full week had passed—twice his usual limit. Unforgivable.

  A hand struck down; Kita once again faced suffocating torment.

  Seconds, minutes, hours… in the suffocation world, Kita could not tell. Outside, Kakashi knew precisely.

  Five seconds—she struggled. Ten seconds—struggle intensified. The two holding her increased their grip. One hand pressing her head slipped free for a brief half-second. Ibiki’s face darkened. The young man, about eighteen, quickly pressed her back into the water, stammering, “S-sorry, Captain.” This time, the grip on her white hair was unyielding.

  Thirty seconds, forty-five, spsh, one minute, one minute thirty…

  Kakashi gred at Ibiki. Even trained ninjas during suffocation drills could only st a minute and a half unprepared.

  “Ibiki, she’ll die if this continues,” Kakashi warned, his task to keep this non-human alive.

  Ibiki gave no sign, bck eyes fixed on the white hair, silent.

  “Ibiki, do you want my mission to fail?!” Kakashi’s voice sharpened.

  No, that thought did not exist.

  Kita seized a brief breath, coughing blood.

  Ibiki waved off the two restraining her. Weak and exhausted, she colpsed to the floor. Maintaining composure was impossible now. Fortunately, choosing Mind Lock years ago had been wise; Konan had foresight. As expected of the one I love.

  “Impressive, even small nations have ninjas like you. Who do you protect, and what secrets? The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Isn’t the one who fought you your enemy?” Ibiki coaxed, though Kita thought he was unorthodox.

  “Even if you don’t speak, we have ways to make you. Threats, temptations, humiliation, rage, physical torture, sleep deprivation—nothing has worked this week, and we won’t kill you,” he continued, “Yamanaka cn—you’ve heard of them, yes?”

  She had indeed, and had trained hard to counter them.

  Kita opened her bloodshot eyes, a flicker of scorn curling her gaze. Words unspoken, defiance visible.

  Everything had been tried—threats, seduction, shame, provocation, pain, sleep restriction. Ibiki had gained nothing without killing her, except this faint smirk of contempt.

  “Ah, looks like you’ve met your match. That’s enough for today. I’ll return,” Kakashi said, ruffling her hair, waving outward. “Over 168 hours. Continuing risks mental colpse.”

  Ordinary humans are shocked after 72 hours. Even the strongest ninja would break under prolonged psychological torment. Kita endured not only sleeplessness but constant agony.

  Ibiki’s clenched fist tightened in frustration. Sweat trickled down her neck. The pain surpassed all prior torture—whipping, clubbing—unparalleled.

  The torment extended to the practitioner.

  “Yes, I feel your pain. Pain does not lie. In pain, we are equal. Tell me—your pain!”

  Pain? You don’t understand at all.

  Kita tried to smile, but pain made it impossible. If she could speak, she would scream surrender, but she couldn’t. Lucky, she was mute—able to maintain silent defiance even in agony.

  Crimson blood seeped from her skin where steel wires cut in, slicing through muscle to bone.

  Death must feel like this—but they did not know of Izanagi, nor Wood Release.

  Suddenly, pressure released. Wires loosened. Kita colpsed like a dog, catching a glimpse of the so-called interrogation expert also sprawled on the floor. Shared pain had been used to psychologically pacify the victim—a clever method. Had she not been mute, she might have surrendered. Still, luck is on my side…

  Moments ter, Kita slipped into deep, heavy unconsciousness.

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