Chapter 19: The Rescue Mission BeginsIbiki returned to his seat, his gaze remaining cold:"Start with the nearest one. Report your numbers and configuration...""If there is a single lie, you know the consequences."Matsumoto gasped for air, his eyes unfocused.At this moment, he no longer had the courage to resist and could only confess mechanically:"The one closest to Konoha Village is an abandoned mine thirty li to the northwest outside the Village. There are twelve children hidden there, with three guards, all at the Genin level..."His voice trembled unceasingly; with every location he spoke of,the corresponding images would surface in his mind, and guilt and fear made him almost suffocate."Also, the wooden cabin in the mountain forest fifty li to the northeast is a temporary transit point. It usually holds children who have just been kidnapped, about fifty to eighty people, with four guards...""At the riverside fishing Village a hundred li to the south, there is an abandoned fishery, which is their long-term stronghold. It holds the most children, over two hundred, and has Jonin-level guards...""The canyon cave to the west, near the national border, is the hub used for transferring people. It usually doesn't keep children; there are only people there during handovers, and the guards are all elites..."One hiding spot after another spilled from Matsumoto's mouth.From the nearby strongholds thirty and fifty li around Konoha Village, to the fishing Village and canyon a hundred li away, and then to the more distant border towns and ancient castles in the deep mountains.A total of seventeen human trafficking hideouts were clearly confessed by him one by one.He not only stated the locations but also frantically added details for each one:which were long-term detention points, which were temporary transit points, and which were responsible for cross-border transfers.The strength of the guards, handover times, and contact codes for each location were all disclosed without reservation.By the end, Matsumoto was sobbing uncontrollably, slumped in his seat with empty eyes.He knew that he had personally destroyed all his escape routes, but under Ibiki's interrogation, he had absolutely no choice.The sins he had concealed and the suffering of those innocent children all turned into words of repentance in the face of extreme fear.Ibiki took out paper and a pen, expressionlessly recording every piece of information. The rustling sound of the pen tip across the paper was exceptionally clear in the interrogation room.His gaze remained cold, without the slightest pity.For someone like Matsumoto who helped the evildoer, any sympathy would be a desecration of the victimized children.Seventeen strongholds, spanning the area around Konoha Village and the borders of several countries, formed a massive and sinful human trafficking network.Ibiki finished organizing the recorded information, looked up at Matsumoto slumped on the floor, and said in a tone without a ripple:"Are there any omissions?"Matsumoto shook his head desperately, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible:"No more... Everything I know, I have told you..."Ibiki stood up, put away the records, and turned to walk toward the door of the interrogation room.When he reached the door, he stopped and left behind a faint remark:"There is no need for last words... What you have done is enough for you to die ten times over."The cold words plunged Matsumoto into total despair.As the door closed tightly, wails immediately rang out from within...The wails in the interrogation room were completely cut off by the thick stone door.Clutching the pages filled with sins, Ibiki walked steadily straight to the Hokage Office, the cold air around him even more intense than during the interrogation.This confession of the seventeen strongholds, every word a piece of evidence stained with blood, could not tolerate a moment's delay.Inside the Hokage Office, the lights were on all night.The Third Hokage looked at the dense list of locations, numbers, and guard configurations on the paper. His knuckles turned slightly white, and after a heavy sigh, his gaze suddenly sharpened."Assemble immediately. Seventeen squads, launch raids on separate routes; not a single stronghold can be let off."Once the order was given, within Konoha Village, the secret lines rapidly transmitted instructions, and the Jonin who usually performed their respective duties assembled at this moment.Kakashi picked up the Kunai leaning against the wall with one hand. The Sharingan under his forehead protector flashed with a cold light; he had no extra words;Might Guy's blood surged, his green jumpsuit taut against his muscles, leading his team as they prepared to depart;Kurenai Yuhi concentrated delicate genjutsu Chakraat her fingertips, the usual gentleness in her eyes fading, leaving only determination.At the Uchiha compound, Uchiha Itachi's scarlet Sharingan opened in unison, and cold Chakrapermeated the air.As representatives of the Uchiha Clan, they received orders to rush to the furthest stronghold on the border.Uchiha Fugaku personally led an elite Uchihasquad, stationing himself at a core stronghold to use the pressure of the Uchiha to deter all those who put up a desperate fight.The patriarchs of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio gathered: Nara Shikaku, Akimichi Choza, and Inoichi Yamanaka, heading straight for the riverside fishery stronghold with the largest number of people.Hyuga patriarch Hyuga Hiashi was dressed in white, his Byakugan already activated, with pale cyan Chakra circulating around his body.His ocular power, which could see through everything, was the best weapon for breaking traps and finding the hidden children.He led the Hyuga squad, responsible for clearing out the hidden cave strongholds.In addition to this, the elites of various major clans in Konoha Village and experienced Jonin formed teams one after another.In a moment, seventeen figures led their respective squads, speeding out from different directions of Konoha Village, turning into seventeen sharp blades in the night, cutting through the sky.At the abandoned mine thirty li away, Kakashi's squad arrived first. His Sharingan perceived the movements of the guards, and Chidori neutralized the enemies in an instant.At the mountain cabin fifty li away, Might Guykicked the wooden door to pieces. The roar of youth echoed through the mountain forest, and his taijutsu offensive was like a violent storm.The four guards didn't even have a chance to resist before they were all subdued.At the abandoned fishery a hundred li to the south, the Ino–Shika–Chō squad coordinated seamlessly.Shikaku's Shadow Possession Jutsu trapped the Jonin guards, Choza's heavy fists broke their defenses, Inoichi read the remaining evidence of crimes, and over two hundred children were comforted one by one and set on the journey home.Uchiha Itachi, responsible for the western border canyon, used the Sharingan's genjutsu in combination with Fire Release to completely defeat the elite guards in charge of cross-border transfers.Relying on the Byakugan, the Hyuga squad precisely located targets in the pitch-black caves. Every hidden compartment and every trap had nowhere to hide, and all the hidden children were brought out.At the remaining strongholds, the Konoha squads were unstoppable.There was no maneuvering, no hesitation; all the evildoers involved in human trafficking either surrendered or were killed on the spot.A night of raids, and all seventeen strongholds were cleared.When the horizon turned white at dawn, the seventeen squads sent back reports of victory one after another; all the children were safely transferred.All evidence of crimes was confiscated, and the human trafficking network that spanned several countries was uprooted by Konoha Village.Inside the Hokage Office, listening to the continuous stream of good news, the Third Hokageslowly closed his eyes, and after a long while, said softly:"Thank you all for your hard work. It is you who have upheld the morality of the Village and protected the innocent lives."And those rescued children were properly settled in the medical facility of Konoha Village...
