Hiruzen said nothing.
He found Ibiki's attempt at reassurance completely worthless.
Four people entered the Interrogation Division. Three handled it. Only his son broke.
And that was supposed to mean 'not everyone can endure it'?
The most galling part was that one of the three was a child, who endured it just fine. How was that supposed to make anyone feel?
"Your assessment of the incident with the prisoner and Takumi?" Hiruzen asked, settling back into his chair.
A Kumogakure's Shinobi spy, who had previously preferred death to betrayal, was scared into incoherence by Takumi in under three minutes and remained mentally unstable. It was profoundly puzzling.
"Based on Kumogakure's Shinobi's subsequent ravings, he claimed Takumi had tortured him severely using blackboard and chalk..." Ibiki himself looked utterly confused.
This was Takumi's first visit to the Interrogation Division, and he had never encountered that Kumogakure's Shinobi before.
Yet the prisoner described the imagined torture with excruciating, vivid detail, as if it were a real memory.
"Could it have been a Genjutsu, Hokage-sama?" A specific technique surfaced in Ibiki's mind: the Uchiha Clan's advanced Genjutsu.
It was said victims of those Genjutsu were trapped in a Genjutsu World and tortured by the caster for a lot of time.
"Highly improbable. Standard Genjutsu creates illusions and confusion. Genjutsu capable of inflicting that level of psychological trauma are all high-level techniques."
"Takumi lacks the Sharingan. He couldn't possibly cast a Genjutsu of that caliber."
"It was likely simple psychosis. Perhaps Takumi bears a resemblance to someone who previously traumatized that individual..." Hiruzen shook his head in weary resignation.
Compared to his own incompetent son, Takumi was superior in every conceivable way.
A single visit to the hospital earned him the deep respect of numerous Konoha's Shinobi.
He even restored the will to live in those who had lost all hope.
One trip to the interrogation chambers, and he single-handedly terrified a subject the Interrogation Division's Chief couldn't break into a full confession...
Such a remarkable youth...
He was worthy of bearing Konoha's future!
...
Ichiraku Ramen.
"Takumi, is it true you scared a prisoner so badly he pissed himself?" Naruto and Sakura stared at Takumi, utterly flabbergasted.
'How long had it been since Takumi graduated? Less than a week!'
'And he'd already accomplished that?'
Takumi quietly picked up a slice of fish cake with his chopsticks and ate it thoughtfully.
He then replied with nonchalant indifference, "I wouldn't know. I suppose he simply lost his mind."
"That's insane! I heard Asuma-sensei vomited in that interrogation room, but you were completely fine. That's incredible." Ino gazed at Takumi with open admiration.
She felt that ever since Takumi revealed his true power and was honest with them, his entire presence had changed.
He was still just as kind, but now there was a sharp, formidable edge to him.
He looks so much cooler than Sasuke!
"Truthfully, that place isn't particularly frightening. Anyone with reasonably strong mental fortitude would likely be unaffected." Takumi's casual statement sent Naruto and the others' imaginations spiraling.
"Wait, what? But Asuma-sensei vomited, right? And Takumi says it's not scary?"
"But out of the four people who entered, only Asuma-sensei got sick..."
"Does that mean Takumi's mental strength is greater than Asuma-sensei's?"
"That can't be right..."
After a brief huddle, Naruto and the others reached their verdict.
It was impossible for Takumi's mental fortitude to be superior to the others.
Those were seasoned Shinobi who had seen real combat.
That left only one logical conclusion:
Asuma's mental fortitude was... lacking.
"Hey, Takumi, when are you going on a mission?" Sakura leaned in close, asking sweetly.
"That..." To be honest, Takumi had given missions considerable thought.
This wasn't a simulation. A mistake on a real mission could cost him his life.
He lacked the protagonist's plot armor that Naruto or Sasuke enjoyed, and fortune didn't smile upon him.
Mission success depended solely on his own skill and power.
"Unclear. I'm waiting for Hokage-sama's assignment." Even as he said this, a plan was forming in Takumi's mind.
He needed to find a way to select his own missions!
Otherwise, if he were assigned a suicide mission, wouldn't he just be throwing his life away?
"Ayame-nee, more noodles, please!"
"Of course, Hubby."
...
Early morning.
Sunlight poured through the window.
Takumi turned over and slowly opened his eyes.
The moment he did, all drowsiness fled, replaced by sheer shock.
A face was hovering right in front of his!
Pale skin, delicate features.
And most strikingly, gemstone-red eyes were staring intently into his.
"Gah!"
"Kurenai-sensei! What are you doing here?!"
Takumi jolted in surprise.
Kurenai had slipped into his home, was leaning over his bed, her face mere inches from his!
They were so close their noses were almost touching!
"No... it's not there..."
"How peculiar..." Kurenai muttered, baffled, then straightened up, moving away from him.
"Hey, what were you looking for? And when did you get in?" Takumi's brow furrowed slightly.
'Had Kurenai just been... inspecting him?'
"Oh, I just arrived. I'd only just sat down when you woke up." Kurenai answered plainly.
"But it's so strange! You don't have them!"
"Them? I do. And they're quite substantial." Hearing Takumi's innuendo, Kurenai's fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
She shot him a glare before clarifying, exasperated, "I'm talking about eyes! Eyes! You clearly don't possess the Sharingan, so how did you perform such a powerful Genjutsu?"
Finally, Takumi understood.
Kurenai was still fixated on the Kumogakure's Shinobi incident.
The prisoner's extreme reaction naturally led people to suspect he'd used Genjutsu.
"I don't know any Genjutsu." Takumi shrugged.
"What? No Genjutsu? Then how did you terrify him like that?" Kurenai found it unbelievable.
Based on her knowledge, only one technique in the Shinobi World could inflict that level of mental devastation.
The Uchiha Clan's advanced Genjutsu.
She had wondered if Takumi was a clansman Itachi had missed, or if he had secretly acquired a Sharingan.
But during her earlier... examination... she hadn't found anything unusual.
"Perhaps my killing intent was simply too overwhelming." Takumi replied flippantly as he pulled on his clothes.
"Killing intent? What killing intent could a little brat like you possibly have?" Kurenai was utterly dismissive.
"Not so. If one focuses their spirit sufficiently, even an infant can project a formidable aura." Takumi said, his face perfectly serious.
"Don't be absurd. You're just a child. At most, you have strong willpower. There's no way you could project an aura that intense." Kurenai waved a hand, scoffing.
Even at the peak of his power, she hadn't sensed an aura that potent from Hokage himself.
As for Takumi?
Stop joking around.
"Would you care to test that theory?" Takumi sat down beside Kurenai.
---
FOR EVERY 50 POWER STONES, I'LL UPLOAD ONE CHAPTER