"A spy?"
Senju Tobirama's voice betrayed no emotion, but the sudden drop in temperature within the office indicated his inner turmoil.
He hadn't expected Su Yu to throw out that word so directly.
"That's right, a spy." Su Yu leaned back, sinking into the chair, his posture impossibly relaxed. "Think about it, what kind of person best fits the 'guilty conscience, full of contradictions' description I just gave?"
He answered his own question: "A spy embedded in an enemy Village. He has to play another person every day, saying things he doesn't mean, doing things he doesn't agree with. His heart is bound to be full of contradictions and a sense of tearing. On one hand, he must be loyal to his own Village and mission; on the other hand, to avoid being discovered, he must feign loyalty to Konoha."
"This long-term cognitive dissonance will make his psychological state extremely unstable. It's like a balloon blown up too big; it looks normal on the outside, but with just a tiny prick, 'pop!' and it's all over."
Su Yu gestured an explosion in the air with his finger, his expression as light as if he were discussing the weather.
Senju Tobirama's sharp gaze locked onto him, as if trying to see through him, inside and out.
"These are also your 'psychology'?"
"Of course." Su Yu nodded as if it were obvious. "This is called 'spy psychological profiling,' a profound field of study. But for you, it might be a bit beyond your scope."
Tobirama: "..."
He found that whenever he talked to Su Yu, he always felt an urge to use Water Release Ninjutsu to calm him down.
Suppressing the inexplicable annoyance, Senju Tobirama said coldly, "Empty theories are meaningless. Since you can say such things, I presume you're not just talking hypothetically."
This was a challenge.
Su Yu understood; he wanted something practical and verifiable.
"Alright." Su Yu sat up straight, his expression becoming slightly more serious. "Nidaime(2nd)-sama, do you think the Village's anti-spy system is already perfect? Sensory barriers, Anbu surveillance, lie detection interrogations... many methods, right?"
"But these methods all have a common flaw."
"What flaw?" Tobirama asked instinctively.
"They all target 'behavior' and 'Chakra,'" Su Yu pointed out incisively. "A clever spy can perfectly mimic a person's habits, and even change his Chakra fluctuations through secret techniques. But there's one thing he can't change."
"His subconscious."
Su Yu lightly tapped his temple with his finger.
"A person's subconscious is revealed through many tiny, involuntary details. Like a glance, a micro-expression, an unconscious movement, or even word choice."
"Ordinary observers wouldn't even notice these things. But in the eyes of a professional psychologist, these are all information, pieces of a puzzle. When enough pieces are put together, they can reveal his innermost, true thoughts."
Senju Tobirama listened in silence, his expression unchanged, but his eyes grew increasingly solemn.
What Su Yu described was a Domain he had never encountered. A 'technique' that bypassed all Ninjutsu and conventional reconnaissance methods, directly targeting the human heart.
"As you said, it sounds very mysterious." Tobirama slowly spoke, his tone full of scrutiny. "How can I believe that your theory is truly effective?"
"Simple." Su Yu snapped his fingers. "Give me the file of an elite Jonin from the Village. You don't need to tell me his name, just provide his detailed mission reports, commendation and punishment records, and daily behavior evaluations. I can, solely through these written records, draw you a psychological profile of this person."
"His personality, his strengths, his weaknesses, even the deep-seated traumas or hidden dangers he might harbor, I can analyze with high accuracy."
These words were full of strong confidence.
Senju Tobirama gave him a deep look.
He didn't agree immediately, nor did he refuse.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at Konoha Village, which had already returned to peace.
The Naka River incident was like a stone thrown into a lake. Although the surface quickly calmed, the ripples beneath continued to spread.
Danzo's loss of control made him see the fragility within his Disciple.
If one Danzo Shimura fell, were there a second or third "Danzo" in the Village? Did those Ninja who had experienced brutal battles in the war also harbor unknown traumas and distortions within their hearts?
These were questions he had rarely delved into before.
In his view, Ninja were weapons, and weapons only needed to obey orders and be sharp enough. As for the 'heart' of a weapon, that was something not worth considering.
But Su Yu's appearance, and the terrifying 'insight' he displayed, made Tobirama realize for the first time that the human heart might be the most powerful, yet also the most fragile, weapon.
If what Su Yu said was true, if it was really possible to identify unstable factors in advance through his methods, and even... find those perfectly disguised spies... then for Konoha, its strategic value would be no less than an S-rank forbidden Ninjutsu!
"You..." Tobirama turned around, looking at Su Yu again, his eyes incredibly complex. "You are indeed more dangerous than I imagined, and... more useful."
He made a decision.
"Good, I'll give you this chance."
From the mountain of files, he pulled out a not-too-thick dossier and threw it in front of Su Yu.
"This is the file of a Special Jonin in the Village, codenamed 'Owl.' It contains all his information from graduating the Ninja Academy to the present. I want you to give me a psychological profile report on him within one day."
Su Yu picked up the dossier and casually flipped through it.
It was densely packed with various mission details, from D-rank to A-rank, with illustrations and extreme detail.
"No problem." Su Yu closed the dossier, stood up, and prepared to leave. "The report will be on your desk tomorrow morning. Oh, by the way, as payment, the tea leaves in my office need to be replaced. Although I can't taste them, I can still smell them."
With that, he walked straight out of the office without waiting for Tobirama's reply.
Watching his lazy back disappear through the doorway, Senju Tobirama sat back down, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the desk.
The file he threw to Su Yu was, of course, not an ordinary one.
The Special Jonin codenamed "Owl" was an elite in Konoha's Anbu and one of Tobirama's most trusted subordinates. He was steady, had an extremely high mission completion rate, and possessed an unyielding will, earning him the title "Shield of the Anbu."
But at the same time, he was also a pawn Tobirama had set.
A perfect "reference point" to test Su Yu's abilities.
If Su Yu's analysis was merely vague and ambiguous, it would mean his abilities were nothing more than a pretense.
But if... if he could truly see through the reality beneath "Owl's" steel-like will... Senju Tobirama's eyes grew deeper... The next morning.
When Senju Tobirama entered his office, he immediately saw the report written on Konoha standard paper on his desk.
He walked over and picked it up.
The report wasn't long, only two pages, with clear handwriting, but it carried an indescribable sense of casualness.
【Psychological Profile Report on Codename "Owl"】
【Reported by: Konoha Chief Psychological Advisor (self-proclaimed) Su Yu】
Tobirama's eye twitched uncontrollably when he saw the title.
He suppressed the urge to complain and continued reading.
【I. Surface Personality Analysis:】
【"Owl's" exhibited personality is typical of a "Guardian" type. High sense of responsibility, selfless dedication, absolute adherence to rules and order. His loyalty to the Village and the Hokage is unquestionable, even reaching the level of faith. In missions, he displays extraordinary calmness and decisiveness, making him a perfect executor of orders.】
Upon reading this, Tobirama nodded slightly.
This was almost identical to his own assessment of "Owl." The analysis was precise but still within normal bounds. An experienced commander could also draw similar conclusions from mission reports.
He continued reading.
【II. Deep Motivations and Core Needs:】
【"Owl's" core motivation does not stem from an understanding of grand ideals like the "will of fire," but from a more primal emotion - "atonement." All his actions are aimed at compensating for a profound sense of indebtedness deep within him. This sense of indebtedness is the fuel that maintains his iron will, and also his greatest psychological weakness.】
Tobirama's pupils suddenly contracted.
Atonement? Indebtedness?
He continued reading.
【III. Potential Risk Assessment:】
【1. Self-destructive tendencies: Due to his behavioral pattern being built on "atonement," "Owl" subconsciously chooses the most dangerous, closest-to-death methods when performing high-pressure missions. He is not unafraid of death, but subconsciously believes that "death" is the ultimate redemption. Recommendation: Avoid having him perform long-term, high-risk infiltration missions alone, otherwise his spirit will quickly be depleted.】
【2. Emotional trigger point: The file shows that "Owl's" entire Family was killed in early wars. This concept of "Family" is the softest and most untouchable part of his heart. If a mission involves situations similar to "protecting a Family" or "innocent children," his judgment will be severely compromised, and he is highly likely to act contrary to mission priorities.】
【3. Absolute loyalty: His object of loyalty is the symbol of "Hokage," not a specific person. While this loyalty is pure, it is also extremely dangerous. Once he believes the current Hokage's actions "betray" the "Hokage symbol" in his heart, he will not hesitate to turn his spearhead towards the current Hokage. There are no gray areas in his logic; it's black or white.】
【Summary: A powerful, reliable, yet extremely fragile tool. Psychological intervention is recommended to help him process early traumas, otherwise, this sharpest of shields will one day shatter from within.】
【P.S. This kind of work is too mentally taxing. Next time, I'll need more money.】
Tobirama's hand, holding the report, trembled slightly.
He looked up, gazing out the window, his eyes filled with turbulent waves.
Su Yu... he was right about everything.
Regarding "Owl's" past, that S-rank classified history, only he knew about it. "Owl's" former Family, due to a false intelligence report, was purged by Konoha's higher-ups (he and Hashirama were not in the Village at the time) as traitors. Only the young "Owl" survived. Later, the truth came out, the Village compensated him, but buried the truth. He, with this deep-seated hatred and complex feelings towards the Village, became the most loyal Anbu.
He wasn't serving the Village; he was "atoning" for the sins of his Family.
And Su Yu, simply through a cold dossier, had seen through it all.
This was no longer mere insight.
This was a Demonic Technique!
"Someone!" Senju Tobirama called out in a deep voice.
An Anbu instantly appeared before him.
"Have Su Yu come see me immediately!"
"Yes!"
After the Anbu disappeared, Senju Tobirama slammed the report down on the desk.
Looking at the phrase "Next time, I'll need more money" at the end of the report, he felt for the first time what true Tricky meant.
This Su Yu, the "weapon" he wielded, was a hundred times more terrifying than he had imagined!