Chapter 178: Communication
When Ishiro saw Han, Han was training. Suppressing a Tailed Beast required a firm will. Han could only temper his will through training to better control it. This way, he could utilize the Five-Tails' power for longer periods when on the battlefield in the future.
Ishiro walked over and said to Han, "Senior Han, we meet again."
Han stopped his actions and nodded to Ishiro. He was somewhat taciturn, which was normal; few Jinchūriki were entirely normal.
Being looked at with strange gazes for years on end, it would be abnormal if one remained normal.
Ishiro thought for a moment and said, "I have some things I'd like to talk to you about, but now is not the time. How about this: I'll come over every once in a while in the future. When I do, I'll take you out for a walk, to stroll around the village."
Upon hearing this, Han's eyes lit up. Han was different from Jinchūriki like Naruto or Gaara. He wasn't a Jinchūriki in his childhood; his early life was like anyone else's. His life only changed drastically after becoming a Jinchūriki.
Although he had volunteered to become a Jinchūriki, and the village higher-ups had carefully explained the consequences of becoming one during the selection process back then, he still resolutely agreed.
Despite being mentally prepared, after truly becoming a Jinchūriki, his personality gradually changed.
More than ten years had passed, and Han had become increasingly silent. The lively and determined youth he once was seemed like a thing of a past life.
Han couldn't remember how long it had been since he last returned to the village. Now, hearing that Ishiro could take him for a stroll in the village, his first reaction was disbelief. Then, thinking that Ishiro was the one who developed the Five Elements Seal, he appeared somewhat hesitant.
Han slowly said, "But, will the higher-ups agree?"
Ishiro smiled and said, "Senior Han, please rest assured. I am currently assigned by the village to be responsible for looking after you and the Five-Tails. If Senior Han has nothing else to do right now, we can go for a stroll in the village immediately."
Han quickly said, "Nothing, I have nothing to do. Let's go now."
Ishiro nodded, called over Tajima, and asked him to dispatch an Anbu squad to follow, while the others remained in the valley.
Then, Ishiro and Han walked ahead, with the Anbu squad following behind, and the group headed towards the village.
With Ishiro, an advisor, leading the way, Han's entry procedures into the village were completed very easily.
Walking on the village streets, Han was like a curious baby, looking this way and that. While looking, he would whisper to Ishiro about what this place was like when he was a child, which places were still the same, and which had changed drastically.
Han, who had been taciturn just moments ago, had now become a chatterbox. Ishiro didn't reply much, just listened with a smile.
Gradually, Han became more accustomed to the village atmosphere. At first, he was a little scared, afraid that people would recognize his Jinchūriki identity. But later he realized he had overthought it; people didn't know he was a Jinchūriki at all.
Along the way, because he was with Ishiro, some people who recognized Ishiro even took the initiative to greet them.
Ishiro noticed that no matter who came to greet them, Han would respond earnestly, as if someone speaking to him was a great honor.
Arriving at a dango shop, Ishiro said, "I heard you used to like the dango from this shop? Shall we go have some?"
Han was stunned for a moment, not expecting Ishiro to have investigated even this. He nodded and said softly, "Thank you." Then he went in with Ishiro.
Han ate rather quickly. The few skewers of dango he ordered were finished in no time. Ishiro wanted to order more but was stopped by him. "Thank you, Ishiro, that's enough. When I came here as a child, I only ate this many skewers."
Ishiro was silent for a moment and then said, "Han, thank you! It should be us thanking you. Your silent contributions have given us a safe environment to grow up in. But while you silently contribute, you also have to endure everyone's misunderstandings, their fear, and their rejection. We are the ones who have wronged you."
Hearing Ishiro say this, Han suddenly felt a pang in his heart, and tears immediately streamed down his face. Then, this grown man, while shedding tears, wiped them vigorously with his sleeve, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the tears.
Afterwards, the two didn't go anywhere else, because Han proposed returning to the valley.
Ishiro knew he was too emotional right now, so he didn't insist. There was still plenty of time in the future. So, he escorted Han back to the valley with the Anbu squad.
After Han returned to his house in the valley, Ishiro went to carefully inspect the surrounding barrier.
With Ishiro's expertise, it naturally wasn't difficult to analyze this barrier. Before long, Ishiro had finished analyzing it. He thought for a moment; it seemed this barrier was indeed useful, but it could probably be modified.
However, modifying the barrier couldn't be done by Ishiro himself. Otherwise, if the people who set up the barrier didn't know the situation, it would be bad if they found something wrong the next time they needed to use it.
He would find some time to visit the Barrier Team and discuss it with them.
After Ishiro left, he made another trip to the place where Rōshi, the Jinchūriki of the Four-Tails, was staying.
Rōshi lived in another direction from the village, also about ten-odd kilometers away. But when Ishiro arrived at Rōshi's location, he didn't even get to see Rōshi's face.
Because Rōshi stated that he wanted to read Buddhist scriptures and would not see anyone else.
Ishiro thought for a moment; it seemed that Rōshi in the original story indeed had this kind of temperament. So, he didn't disturb Rōshi either.
Of the two Jinchūriki, being able to change one was about enough. Ishiro didn't want to try and warm up to Rōshi's stubborn temper only to be met with a cold shoulder.
Subsequently, Ishiro would take Han out for a stroll every now and then. Of course, the place they went to most often was in Iwagakure village, and occasionally they would also visit towns relatively close to the village.
With these experiences, Han's mental state gradually readjusted. Of course, this was all for later.
After hitting a wall with Rōshi, Ishiro went to the Interrogation Department. Those temporarily detained in the Interrogation Department were all ninjas – either spies from various countries or prisoners captured on the battlefield.
Although Iwagakure had just experienced a major battle, because Konoha and Iwagakure had already signed a peace treaty, the Konoha ninjas captured on the battlefield had already been exchanged by Konoha. So, the number of ninjas in the Interrogation Department currently wasn't large.
Ishiro didn't have any particular skills in interrogation. The main reason he chose this department was to see if he could obtain some useful intelligence, such as ninjutsu training insights, by interrogating spies from other countries.
The number of ninjas detained in the Interrogation Department wasn't large. Many ninjas whom the Interrogation Department deemed to have no more intelligence to extract were either directly executed or sent to prison for detention.
Ishiro looked at the list. There weren't many ninjas whose origins were clearly recorded. Most ninjas were noted as "spy," but it wasn't clear which country they spied for.
Ishiro found a ninja noted as a Cloud ninja spy. Then, accompanied by the person in charge there, without alerting the other party, he arrived at the area where this person was located.
This interrogation room was not spacious, and the lighting was insufficient, giving a very oppressive feeling. This spy had been identified and captured while disguised as a wealthy merchant. His current attire was still what he wore when he was first captured, only now it was tattered and torn from torture.
Ishiro secretly observed this person from a corner for a moment and finally decided to try, anyway, there would be no loss.
Ishiro cast a genjutsu on this Cloud ninja, precisely the Genjutsu Interrogation.
In this interrogation genjutsu, this Cloud ninja was similarly in a Iwagakure prison. His identity was still that of a captured spy, and he had undergone severe torture and interrogation, yet he had said nothing.
But what was different was that in the illusion, he was met with a new lease on life. Because the Third Great Ninja War had reached a critical moment, Konoha was counterattacking fiercely, and Iwagakure and Kumogakure had formed an alliance.
To express sincerity, Iwagakure repatriated all Cloud ninja spies to Kumogakure, including him.
He was sent to a temporary Cloud ninja camp in the Land of Iron.
There, Elite Jōnin Tanimoto Naoto, a Storm Release Kekkei Genkai user, interrogated these repatriated Cloud ninja spies one by one. The interrogations of others went smoothly, but when it was his turn, a problem arose.
Tanimoto Naoto took out a list, frowned, then carefully read the list again. As if confirming something, Tanimoto Naoto shouted loudly, "Who are you? You are not on our list of spies sent by Kumogakure to Iwagakure. Which village sent you? Speak the truth!"
Hearing Tanimoto Naoto's question, he was shocked and quickly said, "Lord Tanimoto Naoto, it's me, I'm Doi! I belong to Lord Andō. It was Lord Andō who sent me to Iwagakure."
"Don't you remember me? I once met you while accompanying Lord Andō."
Ishiro, who was maintaining the genjutsu, felt a stir in his heart. The name Andō – he had seen it before. It belonged to an Elite Jōnin from Kumogakure. Most importantly, this Andō was skilled in Lightning Release.
Calming his thoughts, Ishiro continued his genjutsu.
In the illusion, Tanimoto Naoto seemed to ponder for a moment, then softened his tone and said, "Then, did you obtain any intelligence from Iwagakure?"
Doi gave a wry smile. He had been discovered as soon as he entered Iwagakure village and hadn't had time to gather any intelligence at all.
"Hmph!" Tanimoto Naoto sneered. "You think you can deceive me with such a meager trick?"
Doi became anxious: "Lord Tanimoto Naoto, I was really sent to Iwagakure by Lord Andō! You can go ask Lord Andō."
Slap! Tanimoto Naoto slammed the table and said, "Damn it! You clearly know Andō was killed by Konoha's Minato Namikaze, yet you still try to deceive me with this method!"
Doi was instantly stunned: "Lo... Lord Andō is dead? Then... then who can vouch for me?"
"Lord Tanimoto Naoto, I really am a Cloud ninja! I've lived in the Land of Lightning since I was a child. Many people can testify for me." Saying this, Doi rattled off a long list of names.
Hearing Doi say this, Tanimoto Naoto seemed to hesitate again. But at this moment, a Jōnin beside Tanimoto Naoto suddenly interjected, "Senior Tanimoto Naoto, these can all be faked. It's just saying a few names. It wouldn't be too difficult to investigate such intelligence."
Seeing Tanimoto Naoto about to lose his temper again, Doi learned his lesson this time and quickly said, "My lord, my lord, I know things that people from other ninja villages don't know!"
Tanimoto Naoto, as if his patience was about to run out, briefly said only one word: "Speak!"
"My lord, I know..." Then Doi blurted out everything he believed only Cloud ninjas knew.
However, the more Ishiro listened, the more anxious he became, because these things were not what he wanted.
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