Chapter 68   - Ch68. Interrogation?

When Konan and Rei returned to Barbo, they saw the man having closed eyes with a twisted expression while Tsunade giggled mischievously. Rei approached her and asked. "What did you do to the guy?" His eyebrow raised.

"Oh, nothing." She waved her hand covered with a bloodied glove. "I just showed him a bit of what it means to be a medic-nin." Tsunade again giggled. "Really, these big bad assassins and combat-experts... they never have enough 'guts' to stomach the realities of medic-nin." She rolled her eyes amusedly, patting her stomach to emphasize 'guts' while all around the amphibian were meters upon meters of guts strewn across the floor. Rei decided to not ask further... He rather left her to her devices and went to Barbo. Surprisingly or not, he didn't even need to open his mouth.

When he came closer, Rei was greeted with eyes similar to a dead fish. "I will talk." Barbo said in a defeated and exhausted tone and hung his head low. The sight of Tsunade's 'autopsy' of a still-breathing being must have been quite disturbing for the man.

"Okay then, we are listening." Rai said as he sat on the ground next to the still paper-bound man.

Barbo was quiet for a moment before he sighed and started. "The Tsuchikage doesn't like you being so good at large-scale destruction. But that's not all." Barbo mulled over his next words before starting to speak again. "Kiri was always a village shrouded in the shadows. It was the village of assassins. Quiet and unnoticeable. It had to be. Kiri might be one of the Great Five but it never had numbers or front-line fighters capable of matching other villages of the Great Four. In mist and on the sea, Kiri's forces are almost unbeatable but on land? Kiri is no threat when it comes to invasion. It has always been that way. Even Suna is a bigger threat than Kiri." Barbo said slowly, and Rei nodded. This much, he knew. Kiri might have got fewer casualties in the war against Kumo but it was felt. The village was smaller and more specialized towards kenjutsu and assassinations. Not many ninjas knew large-scale ninjutsu and definitely not on the level of future Hoshigaki Kisame or Mei Terumi. The Kiri-nin preferred silent killing rather than flashy Jutsu. Oddly enough, most often than not, it was those big flashy jutsu that could be seen for miles which showed the real strength of 'ninja' rather than a silent and unseen approach. From this bit Rei started to see the 'bigger' picture and why his and Konan's existence might have been so threatening in Tsuchikage's eyes. After all, the old small man was always the first to jump the gun. Rei didn't voice out his reasonings and rather let Barbo speak.

"And then, Kiri gained you. Two ninjas famous for their 'flashiness'." Barbo chuckled dryly. "Kiri was becoming a bigger and bigger threat due to the acquisition of Kekkei Genkai in the past but they never seemed to be able to use it all that well. The clans there still have a lot of freedom and the Mizukage has quite limited authority over them which stems from the joining agreements they had with the village upon becoming its members."

"And you know that just how exactly?" Konan butted in with a quite important question. Barbo just looked at her with a deadpan gaze.

"They took in whoever. Sure, their anti-spy policy is very good but they can't catch every single spy. Plus the offer of these 'deals' that would safeguard the joining clans was the first thing Kiri offered so many of our spies brought the information about them." He said, making Konan impassively nod but it only strengthened the belief that she and Rei would eventually have to leave Kiri. If the enemy knew about these things, there was bound to be some f.u.c.k-up later down the line that will threaten the village. Maybe even use some political pull or a spy inside to start a civil war... the laws of Kiri were very edgy so Konan could imagine something like that to happen. She would have to try to persuade Rei to get out of the village sooner than expected...

While Konan pondered about the revelations of just how easy it was to plant a spy into Kiri, Barbo continued. "Your presence in Kiri is a threat. If you raise pupils capable of performing your Jutsu, the Kiri could raise its strength to rival other villages of Great Five on land and become a real threat. It was also obvious the Mizukage wanted to do just that since not one of our spies managed to get any noteworthy intel about your identity or skills..."

"And the spies being...?" Rei butted in, stopping Barbo in his tracks.

Barbo opened his mouth but then closed it before saying. "I don't know."

"Are you sure?" Rei tilted his head and glanced towards Tsunade but knew it was pointless. He wouldn't really take Barbo's words at face value. Obviously, he drew a seal of 'truth' on the guy when he was unconscious. While the seal can't make the man spit out every secret he had, it was enough to make him completely truthful while not making him even realize it. It also had the effect of making the person actually subconsciously willing to speak. That's why Barbo divulged his name so easily and that's why it didn't take too long for him to spill.

"Yes." Barbo simply said, making Rei sigh. The man really had no idea who the spies were. While it didn't really matter to Rei as Kiri was just a momentary stop, he wouldn't mind giving the Mizukage a parting present. Worse yet, Rei didn't know when he would leave Kiri but it would be years yet. Living in the village while knowing it has spies in it? He hoped he wouldn't get paranoid...

"So tell me," Rei started. "was this only Tsuchikage's idea or someone else was involved?" Rei was really curious about this. If it was only Tsuchikage then good. It was expected but if someone else was involved? Rei wouldn't like to have an unknown third party after his life.

Barbo was quiet for a moment but then started talking. "It was an anonymous request. They paid three times the max amount for S-rank so it gave a good excuse for the Tsuchikage. Half up-front and the second half after the job is done." Rei nodded. So there was some bastard who wanted them dead, after all! Tsuchikage had to think about the good of the village and wouldn't pull a stunt like this without an enormous excuse.

"So... someone is trying to instigate a third ninja war, huh?" Rei distractedly stated with a frown, making Barbo exclaim.

"What!?" He gaped at Rei but from his expression it was clear the gears were turning in his head, thinking about how Rei came to such a conclusion. It didn't take long for Barbo to understand. Konan and Rei were quite important for Kiri's progress. At least, that was the conclusion from all the information embargo the Mizukage employed. Their death would surely sour the relations between Kiri and Iwa... add a few similar kinds of missions for other villages and voila, the conclusion is clear. It would lead to another war not ten years from the end of the previous one. The main point was the payment. Nobody pays three times the amount for S-rank. Not even nobles or the Daimyo. It's just not done so when someone offers it, the village should be helluva alerted that something was fishy! Not even the assassination of a Daimyo would be so costly, after all! But clearly, the villages would jump at the vision of money if the client seemed trustworthy. Considering the problems Iwa had with Rei and Konan's continuous existence and Onoki's stubborn hotheadedness... Yes, the anonymous person knew well who to approach for the job.

Rei was about to continue asking questions when Tsunade finally finished with the Salamander for the day and approached them after healing him up to health, her previously white coat now covered in innumerable bloodstains. Her face sported a wide Cheshire smile as she turned towards Rei. "So how does your little interrogation go?" She asked while looking at Barbo who instantly tried to scurry away but his body was tightly bound so he managed to only avert his gaze towards the ground while quivering.

'Huh? Guess Tsunade really inflicted trauma on the poor bastard.' Rei resisted the urge to snicker when Tsunade suddenly hugged him, making him go rigid. "Uh..." He bit out, his arms not reaching towards her back. "Tsu? You know you are from head to toe covered in blood?" Rei asked with indignation in his tone and Tsunade instantly stepped back with a sheepish look as she saw the entirety of Rei's shirt covered with one big red stain.

The awkward atmosphere was quickly interrupted by Barbo. "You people are insane." He said with wide eyes, staring at the blood-covered shirt of Rei. "How can you not react at all? She has more blood on herself than any torturer of Iwa could hope to see after a month of work! You people are insane." Barbo repeated, quivering at the sight of blood and Tsunade only tilted her head.

"Did my little show perhaps give him hemophobia!?" Both of her eyebrows rose in surprise at that and even Rei facepalmed.

'Oh, the irony...'