Realizing the Hyūga's purpose, Jūzō's face flickered through several expressions — he knew he'd been unlucky enough to run into this.
Hearing Hyūga Shinichi's question, Jūzō fell into thought. The Konoha shinobi were, by nature of the current climate, mortal enemies of the Mist; yet their target was Ao, and the one in charge looked like a mere kid. Complying with them might still leave a sliver of hope — but seizing that hope required careful calculation: he had to make the best use of his identity and the intelligence he held.
Just as Jūzō considered how to break his way out, a voice cut through.
"Not willing to betray your comrades?"
"Someone like you who lets subordinates die as sacrificial shields — do you really cherish your partners?"
Hyūga Yūta stood at Jūzō's side, unable to hold back his taunts when he saw the man hesitate.
Jūzō's furtive little moves might have fooled the other Mist nin trapped in the encirclement, but they couldn't fool the Hyūga with Byakugan. Yūta had kept his gaze on Jūzō from the start.
"You what?"
"What do you know, huh?"
"Only people like me surviving will better protect our village!"
"They died to cover me — it was their duty and their resolve!"
"Do you think they didn't notice what I did?!"
"My partners all understood — that was our tacit agreement!"
"Don't insult the resolve of the Mist-nin!!!"
Jūzō turned his head and glared at Yūta's sudden outburst. The words stung; struggling against his bindings, the captured leader writhed violently, as if trying to wrench free.
"Calm down!"
Fearing Jūzō would break loose, the Hyūga guard gripped his shoulders and held him down. Even restrained, Jūzō's strength was terrifying — the guard had to work to keep him subdued.
Seeing Jūzō about to erupt, Shinichi spoke up:
"You don't think I'll admire you more just because you put on a show of having backbone, do you?"
"Don't waste your struggles. Tell me where Ao is, and I'll keep my promise."
Shinichi's words quieted the furious Jūzō. Even in anger, he knew when to pick his fights — and Shinichi was clearly the leader of this force. Jūzō understood that winning Shinichi's favor would greatly increase his chances of survival.
He guessed, not unreasonably, that a child of Shinichi's age would be shallow-hearted and raised on the clan's lofty teachings. A display of loyalty and righteousness might move him and loosen his defenses. Jūzō's angry show was partly to justify his dead subordinates, but mostly it was an attempt to win Shinichi's sympathy and improve his odds.
But things weren't going smoothly. Shinichi's face remained impassive, untroubled by theatrics — and that cold indifference chilled Jūzō. Mistaking a hardened Hyūga main-house prodigy for a mere child had been his miscalculation.
"I know Ao," Jūzō blurted. "I know where Ao is — I can be useful to you."
His quick mind calculated that this was the right thing to say now. Would he feel guilt for betraying a comrade? Not a chance. If Ao hadn't put the Hyūga on alert by injuring the clan head, Jūzō wouldn't be trapped like this. Even as a scapegoat, he wouldn't die for someone like Ao.
The Mist's organizational system was warped: following orders was absolute; during missions, even killing a comrade for the mission was allowed. Now Jūzō's priority was survival and delivering the information he carried. His life mattered far more to him than Ao's. Betraying Ao would not trouble his conscience.
"Hmph?"
Shinichi murmured in surprise. He hadn't expected to squeeze useful intelligence from one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's number — an elite jōnin like Jūzō. From memories of Jūzō's past deeds, Shinichi didn't see him as the sort to squeal easily. Shinichi had asked on a whim, but to his surprise, he might actually get something.
Silently, Shinichi grew wary — he wanted to see what sort of scheme was brewing in this man's head.
"Tell me — where is he?" Shinichi narrowed his eyes and pressed.
Jūzō suddenly curled his lip and replied, "I don't know right now. Ao is one of our upper-rankers; at this time, he'd be carrying out assignments from above."
"I'm in the Fire Country — how would I know his location?"
"He's not the front command, he's not planted in one place."
Tone of mockery or provocation? The Hyūga around them bristled, thinking they'd been played. A Hyūga guard struck Jūzō hard in the belly. The blow stole his breath, but Jūzō kept that same smile, lifting his head to meet Shinichi's gaze.
The guard prepared to teach the Mist-nin a lesson, but Shinichi stopped him with a raised hand and stepped forward. He leaned in and said calmly, "Hm. What you say makes sense."
"So how exactly do we lock down Ao's position?" Shinichi continued, earnest. His composure unnerved Jūzō, whose pupils shrank and who lowered his eyes to avoid the boy's stare.
In negotiations, controlling the emotional rhythm and seizing initiative are basic tactics. Whether through provocation or submission, the goal is the same — to command the dialogue. Both sides had needs: Shinichi wanted Ao's whereabouts to save time and avoid lingering on the battlefield; Jūzō wanted to survive. That common ground made this interrogation more like a parley.
Unlike the more easily swayed Hyūga clansmen, this calm prodigy unnerved Jūzō. After a moment's thought, Jūzō said, "Let me go."
"I'll be your informant — I'll spy on the Mist for you and gather info on Ao."
"If you're worried, seal a curse-mark on me."
Jūzō had a plan. He knew his worth and what he could offer; from the Hyūga's perspective, this kind of pawn was hard to refuse. Whether from Konoha's or the Hyūga's standpoint, a living asset was more valuable than a corpse. He smiled confidently.
At his words, the Hyūga exchanged looks — interest showed on their faces. The guard who'd earlier struck him brightened and looked at Shinichi.
"A spy… hard to refuse."
Shinichi nodded silently. Just as Jūzō felt relief, Shinichi shifted tone:
"But… for the Hyūga, your usefulness is limited."
"Our objective is Ao. As long as he's an active Mist operative on the field, he'll reveal his trail."
"Your value alive is only that."
"On the other hand… if you die, that would benefit me."
"The name of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen still carries weight. If I take your head, I'll gain more influence within the clan and in Konoha."
"That would boost my standing considerably."
"Compared to taking extra time to find Ao, killing you better fits my current interests."
Shinichi's words were blunt, and Jūzō's face changed immediately.
"You only consider yourself?" he snapped. "Don't you think of Konoha? Having an informant like me inside the Mist — do you know how much that would help you? You'd kill me just for prestige?"
Jūzō could clearly feel the killing intent Shinichi displayed and cried out. Around them, other Hyūga were also thinking of Jūzō's value but held their tongues out of deference to Shinichi. The guard who had intervened was Shinichi's uncle — respected among them —, and he tugged on Shinichi's sleeve to signal his disapproval. Shinichi seemed not to notice and continued to stare at Jūzō.
Seeing Jūzō's emotional turmoil, Shinichi produced a scroll from his robe and tossed it at the Mist-nin's feet.
"I see how badly you want to live," Shinichi said softly. "Fine — I'll give you a chance."
"Within three days, use this scroll when you are within one meter of Ao."
"If you fail, you know the consequences…"
As he spoke, Shinichi pressed lightly on Jūzō's shoulder and stamped a Flying Thunder God mark upon him. He chose not to use a curse seal; if Jūzō failed, Shinichi still wanted the man's head as prestige. Compared with sending a death-seal, using Flying Thunder God to come retrieve the head later was more convenient.
More importantly, Shinichi was planning. If this man became a defector from the Mist, it wouldn't be long before he joined Akatsuki. Then the pawn would still have activation value.
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