Chapter 25: Useful
Outside the interrogation room, the members of Baku's ANBU squad—who had gradually become accustomed to Li Yao's screams—suddenly tensed, instinctively hunching over and clenching their legs together.
They didn't know exactly what the Third Hokage was doing to Li Yao inside.
But that kind of sharp, gut-wrenching scream triggered a primal response from their bodies.
Clearly, that sort of "stimulation" was pain beyond what any ordinary person could endure.
Thud!
Inside the interrogation room, Li Yao, strapped to the torture bed, threw his head back in agony, tightening the neck restraint in an attempt to suffocate himself to death. But before the sensation of choking could fully take hold—
He passed out from the pain, his head thudding heavily onto the bed, his wide eyes streaming bloody tears.
"Genjutsu – Bringer-of-Darkness Technique."
The Third was ruthless. He didn't waste a single chance to infiltrate Li Yao's chakra.
Every time Li Yao passed out from pain, he would cast his genjutsu immediately.
This time was no exception.
And as expected, the genjutsu failed again.
But unlike before, the Third didn't remain calm.
He frowned, a rare hesitation flickering across his face as he stared at Li Yao's vacant expression.
Even this kind of "stimulation" couldn't shatter the boy's spirit? Would further torture really work?
But what else was there?
Without breaking Li Yao's will and penetrating his chakra, there was no way to retrieve his memories or extract the modified Spirit Transformation Technique.
"Keep going. I don't believe anyone can withstand endlessly escalating pain."
Soon, the Third's gaze hardened again. There was no other option—he had to break him mentally.
"Water Style – Water Shockwave."
Hm?
One blast of water—normally enough to wake Li Yao—had no effect this time. The Third raised an eyebrow.
Then his expression changed.
He cast it again—three times in total—until the water level inside the room reached his knees. Still, Li Yao didn't wake up.
"His body has entered a stronger self-protection mode!"
The Third's eyes lit up. His torture was working.
Previously, Li Yao would always wake up after a blast of cold water. But now, even after multiple attempts, there was no reaction.
That meant Li Yao's spirit was retreating, refusing to reconnect with the pain of his body.
The mental damage caused by the physical pain had finally crossed a critical threshold.
The Third believed that if he continued this, Li Yao's spirit would collapse completely.
"I'll spare you for tonight. But if you think staying unconscious will let you escape your fate, you're far too naïve."
"You'll wake up eventually. And that is when your real suffering will begin."
Casting a mysterious, ominous smile at Li Yao's unconscious body, the Third packed up his tools and left.
Outside, he specifically instructed Ran not to heal Li Yao tonight.
—
Midnight.
Li Yao woke up.
Not because he was well-rested.
He woke from a sharp, indescribable pain radiating from below his abdomen.
Extreme pain had caused his body to shut down.
But now, the dulling of that pain had woken him up again.
It wasn't as severe as when the Third had been "working."
But it still felt like a long, invisible needle had been embedded deep inside him—sending agonizing pulses through his core.
Li Yao didn't dare move.
Even though his face was twisted with pain, he lay completely still.
Because even the slightest twitch—
Would trigger another full wave of the kind of pain he'd experienced earlier.
He didn't sleep at all that night.
The throbbing pain in his lower abdomen kept him wide awake, even as exhaustion consumed him.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The real agony came with dawn.
A growing, unbearable pressure inside his body told him that sleepless pain was nothing—
Compared to what was coming.
The blood that had clotted over his wounds acted like a dam, sealing off any kind of natural release.
"Hssssss..."
Li Yao sucked in a breath through gritted teeth—he'd lost count of how many times he'd done that.
Every time the internal pressure built up, it strained the wound, threatening to tear it open.
At the last second, he would reflexively suppress it again with every ounce of strength.
But like a dam with no outlet, the internal pressure kept rising.
Eventually—it exploded.
The dam burst.
His wound split open violently from the pressure, tearing the skin and muscle around the Third's puncture site wide open.
"AAAHHHH…!"
A scream tore through the interrogation room.
This time, unlike before, Li Yao's face showed not just pain—but also a twisted sense of relief.
Pain and pleasure intertwined—breaking his mind even further.
Thump. Thump. Thump!
Outside, the ANBU team heard the sounds through the walls. Their faces turned pale, their legs instinctively clamping together. Not one dared look at the door.
They knew now what the Third had done to Li Yao.
They knew exactly what caused that sound.
And even they—elite ANBU, trained to endure pain—couldn't help but shiver.
They finally understood the horrors of "old-school interrogation."
If it was this bad just to imagine—
What must it feel like for Li Yao inside?
As expected, Li Yao passed out again.
And, also as expected—
"Genjutsu – Bringer-of-Darkness Technique."
Genjutsu chakra once again tried to invade.
From the left corner, the Third reappeared, having hidden there in stealth all along.
That sly old fox.
He had shown up early, hidden in the shadows, just for this moment—to catch Li Yao off guard while unconscious.
And, just like before—
It failed.
The Third didn't get angry.
As long as the torture was working, he wouldn't stop.
He had time.
Beyond pain, there was still itching, psychological terror, and all sorts of sensory torment.
When it came to torture, the Third—shaped by the final days of the Warring States era—was far more experienced than any current ANBU.
And he truly believed:
Given enough time, Li Yao's spirit would eventually collapse.
(END CHAPTER)
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