"Hokage-sama, you heard it too."
Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a deep sigh.
"This child… Bring Uchiha Mina in."
"She was detained in the next interrogation room before you arrived.
Shall we begin the questioning now?"
"Proceed."
The two left the room and entered the next interrogation chamber, where Uchiha Mina sat anxiously, her hands clenched together, her body trembling slightly.
BANG!
Yamanaka Takuya strode into the room, sitting opposite her with a cold, unreadable expression.
"Tell me exactly what happened yesterday. If you cooperate, there might be room for leniency.
You should know—Uchiha Tunan tried to take the blame for you today.
But his lie was too obvious. I saw right through it."
Yamanaka Takuya deliberately exaggerated, attempting to pressure Uchiha Mina into confessing.
"Tunan-kun… He tried to take the blame for me…?"
Her voice was barely a whisper, but her eyes widened in shock.
"No… I don't want this. I did it. This has nothing to do with Tunan!"
Clearly, Uchiha Mina wasn't one for deception. The moment Yamanaka mentioned Tunan's name, her emotions overflowed.
"Why did you kill Hyūga Chirei?"
"I… I'm sorry… I acted on impulse…"
"That's not an answer. Tell me the reason."
"She killed Xiaoxue first… and then tried to seduce Tunan—she stood in front of him completely naked!
I lost control… I couldn't let her get away with it."
"Xiaoxue?"
"Xiaoxue was the kitten Tunan-kun gave me. It was the first gift he ever gave me."
Yamanaka Takuya swiftly jotted down the motive, nodding slightly.
"Good. Now, start from the morning of yesterday—don't leave out a single detail. You can't hide anything from me."
"...Yesterday..."
Slowly, Uchiha Mina recounted everything she could remember.
When she finished, Yamanaka Takuya's brows furrowed. He exhaled deeply before closing his notebook.
"It's over," he stated flatly.
Uchiha Mina nodded. Her eyes were lifeless, filled with resignation.
Tunan-kun, thank you for your kindness, but I must take responsibility for my actions.
Yamanaka Takuya left the room with the full transcript and approached Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, Uchiha Mina has confessed. She admitted to killing Hyūga Chirei.
This is the full report. Please review it."
Sarutobi took the transcript and carefully read through it.
The motive, the sequence of events, the crime scene details—everything matched up.
"Hmm… This should be sufficient."
But Yamanaka Takuya hesitated before speaking again.
"Something still feels… off."
Sarutobi looked up, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"I can't quite explain it. It's just a feeling."
Sarutobi didn't dismiss the concern outright. A seasoned interrogator's instincts were worth considering.
"In any case, killing a fellow villager means execution under the village's laws.
We should verify her memories with the Yamanaka Clan's Mind-Reading Jutsu to be certain."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Yamanaka Takuya prepared to issue the order.
"Wait," Sarutobi interrupted.
"I'll speak to Tunan first. I want to hear his thoughts."
"Understood."
Yamanaka Takuya now fully grasped how much Uchiha Tunan meant to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He's asking for the opinion of a child? Would he really overturn a death sentence for him?
A chill ran down his spine.
A mere Uchiha boy… holds this much weight?
---
In the interrogation room, Uchiha Tunan sat hunched over, his fingers gripping his hair, his entire demeanor filled with despair.
"Tunan," Sarutobi Hiruzen entered quietly, walking over to place a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Uchiha Tunan lifted his tear-filled eyes, gazing up at Sarutobi as though seeing a father figure.
Without hesitation, he threw his arms around the elderly Hokage, sobbing.
"Hokage-sama… I… hic..."
Sarutobi sighed, patting the boy's back in a comforting manner.
"Child, I understand your pain… but some things cannot be changed."
"I'm so heartbroken..."
"Mina has already confessed. According to the law, she must be executed.
The village and the Hyūga Clan need justice."
Uchiha Tunan froze, his eyes widening.
"She… has to die?"
Perfect.
Sarutobi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he hesitated, as if deliberating deeply, before speaking carefully:
"The victim was from the Hyūga Clan. This isn't just an internal Uchiha matter—
we cannot turn a blind eye."
Sarutobi had already made his decision. If Tunan truly begged for Mina's life,
he would find a way to secretly spare her.
That would make Uchiha Tunan forever indebted to him.
Of course, it would require some sacrifices and political maneuvering,
but the outcome would be worth it.
However—
Uchiha Tunan suddenly stopped crying.
He stood up straight, wiping his tears away, then bowed deeply to Sarutobi.
"I understand.
The laws of the village must be upheld."
Sarutobi's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
He values the village and me more than that girl.
This was even better than he expected. No need for a complex rescue plan.
And once Uchiha Mina was gone, Tunan would lose both family and love—
leaving only the village. Only Sarutobi.
Perfect.
"It's alright, Tunan. You're still young, and emotions can cloud judgment.
I just hope you don't grow to resent the village over this."
Uchiha Tunan took a deep breath, then firmly shook his head.
"No, Hokage-sama.
Mina brought this upon herself. The village has done nothing wrong."
Sarutobi nodded approvingly.
"One more thing—before her execution, we will probe her memories with the Yamanaka Clan's jutsu,
just to be sure."
Uchiha Tunan's heart sank slightly.
That's dangerous.
But outwardly, he only showed concern.
"Will… will it hurt her?"
Sarutobi hesitated before answering honestly.
"If we only examine the past 24 hours, there shouldn't be any lasting damage.
But the process can be… painful."
Uchiha Tunan closed his eyes briefly, then spoke hoarsely:
"She must be terrified right now. As her… former lover,
please allow me to be with her in her final moments."
If anything went wrong, he had to be there to fix it.
Sarutobi saw no harm in granting the request.
"Of course."