The Konoha Anbu Dungeon, located directly beneath the Hokage building, was known for its strict security and cold, sterile environment.
Inside a clean but compact cell, Rinto lay comfortably on a not-so-soft iron bed, dressed in a pair of bear-patterned pajamas. His legs were crossed as he leisurely flipped through a book while munching on a skewer of octopus balls.
The small, windowless cell, no larger than ten square meters, was sparsely furnished. A dim oil lamp on the metal table cast flickering shadows, its feeble light barely illuminating the room. Scattered across the table were a few empty plates and several well-worn books, their covers adorned with tiny illustrations of people.
Suddenly, the heavy door creaked as the small food slot slid open with a metallic scrape.
"No. 233, it's time for dinner," a familiar voice called out.
Rinto's ears perked up, and he immediately tossed his book aside, rolling off the bed in one swift movement. With an eager grin, he rushed to the door, peering through the small opening.
"Hey, Brother Gou! What brings you here?" he greeted enthusiastically.
Outside, Tu Gou—the Anbu operative behind the dog-mask—instinctively took a step back, wary of Rinto's boundless energy. Beneath his mask, the corners of his lips twitched in frustration.
What do you mean, why am I here? I'm here to bring you food, you troublemaker!
Rinto's life in prison was anything but normal. Unlike the other prisoners who were given only a single ration pill per day, Rinto enjoyed three full meals—each consisting of well-prepared dishes. Morning started with seaweed rice balls, lunch featured a hearty meatball stew, and dinner often involved barbecue.
The more Tu Gou thought about it, the angrier he became.
Even behind bars, this b*****d was living better than most shinobi! He even had the nerve to request specific dishes, making the guards run around to fulfill his whims.
And then there were the books—his precious Tale of Genji series! Lent out under extreme duress, now they lay in the cell, smeared with greasy fingerprints. Rinto, a brat who hadn't even grown all his hair yet, had the audacity to read adult literature?
Suppressing his irritation, Tu Gou placed the meal through the slot and said in an oddly restrained tone, "Your sister made you a... special dinner."
With that, he quickly shut the slot and disappeared down the corridor, barely able to suppress his laughter.
Rinto eyed the plate suspiciously, his grin fading as he beheld the contents. A dark, unidentifiable lump stared back at him ominously.
Oh no… This looks worse than prison food!
For a moment, he hesitated. Then, with a deep sigh of resignation, he popped the unknown substance into his mouth, grimacing as he chewed. The taste was indescribable—somewhere between burnt charcoal and bitter regret.
"Ugh… Is this... edible?" he muttered, shaking his head.
Still, with no other choice, he swallowed and wiped his mouth, turning his attention back to his book. However, his sharp senses remained alert, his ears twitching at the slightest sound.
---
Time passed. A full day and night had gone by since Rinto's imprisonment.
Above, in the Hokage building, things had changed dramatically. All classified documents had been transferred to the underground intelligence vault. The once-bustling offices were now eerily quiet, save for a few essential personnel.
As the evening fell, Rinto remained motionless on his bed, his eyes closed. Internally, however, he was carefully analyzing the situation.
"Two days and one night in the Anbu Dungeon…
During this time, Anbu has patrolled nonstop. The interval between each patrol varies; sometimes it's every thirty seconds, sometimes every five minutes—no discernible pattern.
Tobirama-sama really is something. It seems the patrol routes are randomized daily.
This explains a lot about the future… If the Hokage Building was always this well-guarded, there's no way Naruto could have stolen the Scroll of Seals so easily. That must have been orchestrated by old man Sarutobi himself…
But then again… what if the so-called Scroll of Seals was a fake? Just a decoy filled with non-critical techniques?
After all, a young Naruto wouldn't benefit from truly dangerous jutsu like the Five Elements Unsealing or the Demonic Sealing.
If that's the case, then it makes perfect sense. The village wouldn't risk losing anything vital. And even if Mizuki had escaped with the technique, they could always track down the user…"
Lost in thought, Rinto smirked to himself.
---
Meanwhile, far away in the Land of the Moon, Senju Tobirama sat in a temporary office, reviewing a newly delivered intelligence report. An Anbu agent knelt before him, waiting for orders.
The document in his hands detailed Rinto's time in captivity.
Rather than a standard intelligence briefing, the report read more like an Anbu's diary of suffering.
Rinto, it seemed, was an anomaly. Unlike other prisoners who accepted their fate in silence, he had become a force of chaos. His meal requests alone had turned the dungeon into a nightly spectacle.
If meals were even a second late, he would start banging on the door, demanding food. And somehow, his complaints had spread to the other prisoners, who now chanted a bizarre litany of dish names during mealtimes.
To make matters worse, Rinto never repeated a dish's name twice.
It was infuriating.
Tobirama could feel a vein throbbing in his forehead even as he read the report. Suppressing his rising frustration, he turned to the kneeling Anbu.
"Send more operatives back to Konoha. I want Rinto Shokata under constant surveillance. Whatever he's planning, I don't want any surprises."
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" the Anbu responded promptly.
---
Back in the dungeon, time ticked forward. Midnight passed, and soon it was two in the morning.
The cell was quiet, the candle on the table flickering faintly as its wax melted away. The room was bathed in dim, shifting shadows.
Rinto, who had remained still for hours, suddenly opened his eyes. A slow, mischievous grin spread across his face.
"The Book of Seals… Here I come."
With that, he moved.
---------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Samurai492