"Hokage-sama! Something's very wrong!" When Torifu heard this, his heart skipped a beat, but he still calmed down and asked.
"What's wrong? What's the problem?"
Jiraiya pushed the door open, one hand on the door frame, panting heavily. "You have to come to the interrogation unit with me and see for yourself."
Torifu immediately stood up. The people in the office also followed him to the interrogation unit. The interrogation unit was located on the outskirts of Konoha. Because the people being interrogated were usually various criminals and spies from enemy countries, the methods used were often very cruel.
If such a department were to be set up in a populated area, it would likely cause both physical and mental discomfort. So, during the time of the Second Hokage, it was moved to the outskirts of Konoha, with open fields and training grounds all around. No one lived there. The villagers also knew what this place was for, so no one would go looking for trouble.
The moment they walked in, it felt like a hospital. White walls, and the corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant. As they went further in, the surroundings became more and more unsettling. The walls were covered with all kinds of torture devices, but they looked like abandoned things. Even though Torifu was the Hokage, he rarely came here, so he wasn't very familiar with the interrogation unit. Ever since Torifu took office, the interrogation unit had become a department with little work, but whenever there was work, it was always a big one, like last night's.
Jiraiya led Torifu and the others to the room where the twelve ninjas were being interrogated. As soon as they entered the room, they saw several ninjas in white uniforms treating five people with pale faces. They were constantly foaming at the mouth, and their bodies were twitching. The remaining seven people were also not in a good state, and their faces were slightly pale.
Torifu immediately used several healing jutsus on them, and their faces returned to normal. But within a minute, they returned to their original state, and even faster. The five ninjas lying on the ground gradually stopped twitching, and their bodies began to stiffen. Just as Torifu was about to step forward to check them, the bodies suddenly started to burn! One of the medical ninjas didn't get out of the way in time, and his arm was instantly engulfed in flames! Fortunately, Torifu reacted quickly and used a Water Release to extinguish the flames on his hand. The flames on the bodies grew bigger and bigger! Finally, they turned into a pile of ashes in front of everyone.
"What! What is going on!" Hiruzen couldn't help but exclaim in shock! He saw that one of the five people was the ninja he had captured yesterday! Why did he just die during interrogation?! What kind of torture was used to do that?! The flames died down, and the ceiling of the room was blackened with soot.
"Where is Morino Ibiki! What is happening!" Although the medical ninjas were a little panicked by the scene, they quickly recovered.
"Ibiki-sama was injured this morning and is still unconscious." The medical ninja's words made Hiruzen a little confused.
The person being interrogated suddenly died and then spontaneously combusted. The head of the interrogation unit was also injured and unconscious! What was going on?
Hiruzen wanted to ask more questions, but Torifu stopped him. "Don't be anxious. Let him speak slowly. If you do that, his thoughts will be even more jumbled."
After calming himself down, the medical ninja tried his best to explain. "Ibiki-sama began interrogating these guys as soon as they were brought in last night, but they wouldn't say anything. It wasn't until this morning that the first person started to show strange symptoms."
"Ibiki-sama didn't take it seriously and was about to interrogate him again when he was hit by the flames that burst out from the ninja's body. Although he wasn't burned, he has been unconscious ever since."
When Torifu heard this, it felt like he was listening to a story. It was so fantastical. They were already sealed, so how could they burst out with flames? The situation right now could be described as a mess. The leader was not among the people who died. They were just some small-time lackeys, but they all had Kage-level strength. The remaining people were still hanging, and their faces were also starting to turn pale.
Only the ninja leader had no changes at all, but he kept his eyes tightly closed, refusing to look or speak. Torifu glanced at him, then said to the medical ninja, "Take me to see the head of the interrogation unit."
"Hokage-sama, this way, please."
Some people stayed behind to watch the prisoners in case of any accidents. Tsunade and Jiraiya followed Torifu to the place where Ibiki was resting. As soon as they opened the door, a smell of charcoal filled the room. Only one medical ninja was treating Ibiki's injuries.
"How is he?"
The man saw Torifu had arrived and immediately bowed. "Hokage-sama, I am powerless to treat Ibiki-sama's injuries. A strange energy is corroding his internal organs."
Torifu waved his hand, signaling him to move aside. Then he walked to Ibiki's side, and a cloud of chakra surged from his hand. He then slapped it directly into Ibiki's body! They heard a sizzling sound! A smell of burnt earth surged from Ibiki's mouth! When Torifu saw this, he immediately used several healing jutsus on him, and his face became rosy again. The medical ninja also wiped a bead of sweat. Hokage was so amazing that he could even heal something like this.
After a while, the healed Ibiki slowly woke up. He opened his eyes and saw that the Hokage was looking at him. He immediately got up from the bed!
"Hokage-sama, please forgive me! I have failed to live up to your trust!"
Torifu waved his hand. "I've already heard the general story from the medical ninja. This is not your fault. It must be a trick from the people behind these guys to prevent us from getting any information."
Although he said that, this method was a little too malicious. If Torifu hadn't used his Cloud Release to neutralize the scorching energy in Ibiki's body, then in a short amount of time, Ibiki would have become a pile of ashes, just like the bodies from before.
"Hokage-sama, all of these people, except for the leader, cannot speak. Their throats have been burned dry. Even if they were alive, they wouldn't be of any use."