Naruto: Kage of Kages

After Team 6 had rendezvoused back at the caravan who did not even need to slow its pace due to how quickly and efficiently the ambushers had been dealt with, it was time for the interrogation.

Thankfully, with a Yamanaka Elite Jonin like Inori around, extracting information directly out of a target’s mind was plenty possible.

It was during this process that Shiki quickly realized yet another example of the samurai’s lack of versatility and the weakness inherent in that.

Any high ranking shinobi with access to important information has genjutsu blocks set up by specialists of their village.

The quality depends on the shinobi and their village of origin but even if surface memories and basic information are easily extracted, trying to reach deep into a target’s mind to pull out all of their secrets usually required entire teams and specialized setups with fuinjutsu assistance.

One merely had to look at the effort it took for Konoha to extract the important information from a random chunin from Ame in the original series.

Because his regular job transporting corpses was somewhat connected to Nagato/Pain’ Six Paths Jutsu, numerous genjutsu blocks had been set up in his mind.

It was definitely not normal for a chunin’s mind to be that well protected but generally speaking, the more information a shinobi held, the more likely that they were protected.

After all, it would be bad if things like Hidden Jutsu from powerful clans were easily extracted from prisoners of war for example.

Samurai on the other hand, lacked any such methods.

They did undergo some sort of training to make them resist and break genjutsu and techniques like the Yamanaka’s, something which gave Inori a bit of trouble to be sure but after they were taken down and made unconscious, browsing their mind was a cinch.

Being one of the best in her clan, Inori was almost done with the memory extraction by the time Shinka and Shiki had returned.

That meant a successful extraction of key information in no more than half an hour, the result of the combination of a master of the mind and a completely defenceless target.

“That still felt a little too fast though.” Shiki said with some disbelief.

‘Wow! I actually impressed this disagreeable brat enough for him to show it.’ Inori thought with self satisfaction.

Regardless of his inner feelings, Shiki always seemed unruffled, unbothered and unimpressed by anything.

It was honestly quite annoying, especially when combined with his almost clinical way of speaking.

“Knowing what you are looking for helps a lot. Key words like “leader” or “mission” can help guide the mind, especially if you’re looking for something in a relatively short timeframe.” Inori explained.

“If you are just looking for “something” important without knowing specifics or even just a period of time to focus on, then the only choice is to go over everything in order until you find what you want. Sifting through that huge volume of useless information is what takes time.”

“But if you already have a good idea of what you’re looking for . . .“

“Then guiding the target’s mind towards what you want becomes easy.” Shiki finished her sentence.

“Well, depends on how good you are with the Psycho Mind Transmission Jutsu too but basically.” The Violet Rose added.

“So sensei got what we wanted?” Mei asked from the side.

“Naturally.” Inori replied with her signature devious smile.

The woman looked devious and sultry even when she had zero intentions.

{What are we up against?} Shinka signed a question while remembering her talk with Shiki.

While she did not want to abandon the mission, if they were facing suicidal odds than of course the girl would prefer to back out.

‘But Shiki did predict a good result for us and the village . . . His intuition has not failed us yet.’ The Aburame thought to herself.

“So there is good news and bad news.” Inori started.

“Of course there is.” Shiki sarcastically commented with a monotone voice and expressionless face but was promptly ignored.

“The ones targeting that “Beni-sama” are a powerful and influential samurai clan from the Land of Iron.” The Violet Rose informed.

“How influential?” Mei asked the critical question.

“Diplomatic nightmare influential.” Her sensei replied.

“But that is only a problem for us within the Land of Iron. Outside, they are the ones most worried about the diplomatic implications.” Shiki interjected.

“That part is the good news. We need to talk with Tenma-dono to see if it is possible to bypass the Land of Iron.” Inori nodded.

“That would be best but with our luck . . .” Mei interjected with a fed up look, not even bothering to finish the sentence.

The meaning was clear anyway.

After feeding the prisoner to Shinka’s insects for disposal, the group went to meet Tenma.

Unfortunately for the enemy, this world had no rules for how one should treat prisoners. Typically, the force keeping them decides what to do based on the identity, attitude and prowess of the individual along with the circumstances.

With the guy becoming a logistical and possibly political hindrance, disposing of him after learning useful information became the obvious course of action.

“Have you managed to learn anything, shinobi-dono?” Tenma asked the group.

“Yes. Apparently, the people chasing Tomoe-dono and company are from a powerful samurai clan going by the name of Kurogane.” Inori replied.

“Wha!?” Tomoe showed an expression of complete and utter shock.

‘Even if she did not think we would obtain the information, that reaction is a little too exaggerated for it to be just that.’ The Violet Rose thought with suspicion.

“I find it hard to believe you managed to extract the truth out of the assailants so quickly. Is Inori-dono sure that the information given to you, by what I assumed to be a captured enemy, is accurate?” Ema, who joined with Tenki following close behind, seemed to have misgivings.

‘This Ema seems to be the more logical and calculating member of the group, a strategist, Tomoe on the other hand is more akin to a warrior and guardian.’ Inori evaluated.

“You look like you’re having a hard time believing in the information.” She casually commented, eying both women down with narrowed eyes.

“But I’m a shinobi of the Yamaka clan, I don’t need to ask my prisoners for information, I can just rip it out of their mind by force.” The Violet Rose let some threat creep into her voice, purposefully wording things in a more violent way to prod the two ladies.

Expectedly, they had no idea such jutsu existed and their expressions showed as much.

‘Either the Land of Iron’s isolationist policies are leaving them utterly ignorant or the powers that be are purposefully limiting what information from the outside world can come into the country.’ Shiki quietly analyzed.

It made no sense for high ranking samurai being so utterly ignorant over the ways of shinobi considering they were said to have more than enough power to defend themselves from a shinobi invasion.

“With the knowledge that my information is, as far as the leader of the assailants believed, the truth . . . Why does the name Kurogane come as a surprise? Don’t you even know who is after you?” Inori pressed despite only getting silence as a response.

But suddenly, a very young but calm and steely voice shattered the silence.

“Because I am the last of the Kurogane.”

+++++

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