MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: Chapter 15: The Consultant’s Arrival
Chapter 15: The Consultant's Arrival
The next day, Uchiha Douhuan arrived early at the police department's interrogation room.
"Clan Leader." The Uchiha members in the interrogation room nodded and saluted upon seeing Douhuan.
"How's the interrogation of those three from yesterday going?" Uchiha Douhuan asked.
"Ah?" Uchiha Zaitou, who was in charge of interrogating them, froze for a moment. He hadn't received any specific instructions from Douhuan on what to interrogate.
Douhuan said nothing, glancing over at the three senior members of the Shimura clan who had been severely beaten and were barely recognizable. It was clear this had become a personal vendetta.
"Sorry, the clan members helping out got a bit too enthusiastic. I couldn't stop them," Uchiha Zaitou said awkwardly with a smile.
Douhuan shook his head. "It's fine. I should've been clearer about the instructions."
He then pulled up a chair and sat down a short distance away from the three prisoners.
"Now, tell me. How much do you know about the crimes of Shimura Danzo?" Uchiha Douhuan asked, his tone cold as he looked at the three prisoners, whose eyes burned with hate.
"The naturally evil Uchiha clan… Hokage-sama won't let you get away with this!" The oldest of the three, who was the most involved with Danzo, spat blood and glared fiercely.
Before Douhuan could respond, one of the Uchiha members nearby immediately struck the man across the face with a baton.
"Uncle Feidao?" Uchiha Douhuan looked at the person who had struck, a middle-aged Uchiha elite jōnin in his forties. "I thought the Fourth Squad was off duty today?"
"Just came to help out since the interrogation team was too busy," Uchiha Feidao chuckled. His second son had sacrificed his life during the Third Shinobi World War, and with the low survival rate of the teams at that time, Uchiha Feidao had a lot of unresolved anger toward the Shimura clan. Finally, when some of the Shimura clan's members were captured, he couldn't hold back. He had queued all night just to get this opportunity.
While Uchiha Feidao continued beating Shimura Retsudou, Douhuan turned his attention to the next prisoner.
"Shimura Aran, we have evidence showing that on the battlefield of the Land of Water, you privately allied with enemy shinobi forces, causing the Uchiha clan's jōnin, two chūnin, and three civilian ninja to be surrounded. Afterwards, you took six pairs of Sharingan and handed them over to the traitor Shimura Danzo. What do you have to say about that?" Douhuan asked, leaning casually on the armrest of his chair.
"Uchiha Douhuan! You're slandering me!" Shimura Aran shouted angrily.
"Be quiet!" Shimura Aran quickly shut his mouth after a sharp order from Douhuan.
"Shimura Yousuke," Douhuan continued, addressing the last person.
"What do you have to say? You've never been on the battlefield!"
"Is it an honor to never have been on the battlefield as a ninja? Your actions are unrelated to the Third Shinobi World War, but we found that in Konoha Year 44, you spread rumors in the village, causing former Anbu Captain Hatake Sakumo to be humiliated and commit suicide. You were also involved in silencing one of the informants, Kishida Keisuke. Am I wrong?" Douhuan asked.
"You… you're slandering me! I never did those things!" Shimura Yousuke's eyes flashed with panic, something Douhuan easily picked up on.
Douhuan sat up, intrigued. It seemed that simply picking names from the Shimura family tree had yielded a relevant catch.
"There's an old saying: 'A wise man knows how to act when necessary.' We have various interrogation tools here, and I'm sure they can make you talk. I hope you'll cooperate," Douhuan said coldly.
At that moment, one of the Uchiha members quickly entered the room and whispered into Douhuan's ear:
"Clan Leader, Shimura Hiroshi and two of the Hokage's advisors, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, have arrived. They're demanding we hand those three over."
"Uchiha Douhuan, if you know what's good for you, release us now, or the village won't spare you!" Shimura Retsudou shouted, overhearing part of what was said.
"How noisy," Douhuan muttered, turning to Feidao. "Uncle Feidao, you're getting old—don't push yourself."
"Tch. Don't underestimate me. Even at eighty, I could deal with a scum like this without breaking a sweat," Feidao retorted, swinging his baton even harder and eliciting more screams from Shimura Retsudou.
"Be careful not to kill him," Douhuan called as he left the interrogation room.
Outside, Shimura Hiroshi stood at the police department entrance along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, backed by a large group of Shimura shinobi.
"Advisors, you must help the Shimura clan!" Shimura Hiroshi pleaded. "Danzo-sama devoted his life to Konoha, yet look at what's happening to his family after his death. This is clearly the Uchiha clan's revenge!"
"Don't worry. The village will give you an explanation," Homura Mitokado assured him.
Just then, Uchiha Douhuan and Uchiha Fugaku emerged from the police department.
"Well now, what brings you two advisors here?" Douhuan asked brightly, then turned to Fugaku. "Captain Fugaku, this is on you. How could you let the advisors wait outside? At least invite them in for some tea."
"Busy with official duties; please excuse the oversight," Fugaku said.
"Uchiha Douhuan, you arrived just in time. Release Shimura Retsudou and the others right away—this has gone far enough!" Koharu Utatane demanded as soon as she saw Douhuan.
"Release them?" Douhuan chuckled. "I'm afraid that's impossible. All three are implicated in the crimes of the traitor Shimura Danzo, including selling out fellow Konoha shinobi and taking their lives—acts that verge on treason."
"This is slander! Pure slander!" Shimura Hiroshi declared righteously, pointing an accusing finger at Douhuan. Yesterday he had been timid in his own territory, but with the two advisors present, he felt emboldened to speak freely.