An Inch of Gold

19

Kakashi clenches his fists, his entire body drawn taut.

There's more going on here than just keeping watch over a potential enemy, and they need to find out what it is. But getting information from this crazed, ghostly man is like trying to walk through an abstract painting.

Kakashi has all manner of experience getting people to talk. Interrogation techniques are basic training for jōnin and required for all ANBU. However, in this case, they would likely all be useless. Jikken is someone that has been tortured before; more than that, his entire existence was based on sheer horror from what Kakashi understands. He can likely hold out for hours without revealing a thing. They don't have hours.

Of course, the other option is trying to puzzle out the information they want on their own and using what they know of Jikken to discover how close they are to the truth.

Kakashi reflects on his allies at the moment: himself, two prodigies and two knuckleheads that always manage to stumble on the right answer somehow.

Well, if figuring it out ourselves doesn't work, there's no choice but to resort to more intense interrogation techniques...

"Staying here doing nothing isn't an option, so we need to get to the bottom of the time phenomena," Kakashi announces.

"What do you think we've been trying to do?" Sasuke grumbles.

"Not like this. Now it counts," Kakashi says. "Here's what we know: the time bubble is covering an area of at least three kilometres at last check, and growing. Something's causing it, but we don't know what and he's not going to tell us. Probably the 'goddess' he was talking about. Likely another experiment. Maybe even one with a curse seal, that did something to her abilities the way Mumyōi's made him stronger."

"Obviously all of this is related to his assassination plans," Konohamaru adds.

"And he doesn't necessarily have to be there—wherever there is—for it to keep happening. Again, probably the 'goddess'."

"And maybe she's something that can be stopped," Sasuke adds, "because he said the...goddess, or whatever she is, says we have to be here. Maybe her ability is something we can interfere with?"

His eyes flit to Jikken who is observing them all calmly, while Boruto's shadow clones continue to bracket him on all sides. Without a formal order to stand down, the teleporter is still their prisoner.

Even if, at the moment, that doesn't feel like the case.

"So, the longer we're here, the better for him?" Naruto ponders, obviously trying to keep up with the deductions his friends are exchanging.

"All of us?" Boruto asks.

Everyone stares at him.

"What do you mean?" Konohamaru asks.

"Well, he doesn't seem to really care about people he has no use for," Boruto explains, glowering at Jikken, who is smiling now, almost as if this whole thing is entertaining. "He took Mitsuki for his plans, but he left you and me lying unconscious in a lab."

"If he really wanted us out of the way permanently he would have killed us or locked us in a cell or something, not tied us up with a rope," Konohamaru says, rubbing his chin in thought. "In fact—I think he forgot about us completely."

"You are immaterial," Jikken agrees conversationally.

"We were always going to escape, but he didn't care," Boruto continues. "And it's the same with Sarada. If she was a real threat to him, he would have made sure she was dead when he threw her off that cliff. It's like we're all just afterthoughts. But he just said he wants us here."