Under the continuous gloomy rain, it was as if a premonition of the ninjas who had died on the battlefield.
The sky was dim, with occasional flashes of lightning.
In the Senju Clan compound.
"Damn it! How could there be such a coincidence in the world!"
Tsunade furiously slammed her fist, shattering the table. Mito Uzumaki, in front of her, was silent.
She never expected that this time, the bloodline of the First Hokage's line would be nearly extinguished.
"Tsunade, what if it really was a coincidence?"
After a long pause, Mito Uzumaki spoke in a raspy voice. However, even as she said it, the elderly woman let out a self-deprecating, sorrowful laugh.
She herself didn't believe the words.
And Tsunade, even more so, gritted her teeth and said in a low voice:
"A coincidence? These wandering samurai had nothing wrong with them. It's reasonable for them to have a few explosive tags for self-defense, and it's also normal for them to set traps."
As she spoke, Tsunade looked up, a sarcastic smile on her face.
"It's all so reasonable. There isn't a single flaw to be found. But it was this simple mission, still within the Land of Fire, where Orochimaru was careless, and a ninja with chunin-level strength carelessly walked into a trap."
"And was killed by explosive tags! But Grandma, don't you think the number of those explosive tags was a bit too high? Even if the investigation proves they all came from normal sources!"
The more flawless and without a single clue, the more suspicious it becomes.
If they hadn't known beforehand, they might have investigated for a long time, and even after repeated checks, it would have remained a mystery forever.
But they had received the information beforehand!
And it fit so perfectly!
Especially since this mission couldn't even be considered just "within the Land of Fire" anymore; it was practically on Konoha's doorstep.
Nawaki celebrated his birthday one day and went on a mission the next. That same night, Jiraiya was able to notify Tsunade to come see the body in the village. This was practically on their doorstep!
"As for the Uchiha!"
At this, Tsunade let out a cold, sarcastic laugh.
"The Uchiha are isolated and ostracized right now. They are constantly trying to integrate into Konoha. Let's not even talk about whether they would have a reason to attack us. Does a mere police force have the power to do this?"
The Uchiha's power is very strong!
One could even say they are the number one noble clan, not just in Konoha but in the entire ninja world.
But in Konoha, most of the Uchiha's elite have been sent to the front lines. The village has never trusted the rest, constantly maintaining vigilance and surveillance in secret.
If the Uchiha clan were to do something like this, the risk would be too great, and they couldn't possibly have made it so flawless.
"Tsunade!"
Mito Uzumaki finally sighed with melancholy. A hint of sorrow appeared on her aged face.
"Nawaki is my own grandson. It's for the best that he is gone. We'll use this opportunity to send him to the Daimyo's estate. The power of the Senju clan is still there and can protect him as he grows up in the shadows."
"Tsunade, the Konoha of today really might not be the Konoha of the past, but with war on the horizon, you must not act on impulse!"
At this moment, Tsunade was undoubtedly at her most furious, but the moment she looked up, her face returned to a state of calm.
This calmness left Mito Uzumaki speechless.
"Grandma, don't worry."
Tsunade would become the future Fifth Hokage. Impulse was part of her personality, but that didn't mean she was mindless.
When it came to important matters, she not only had her own opinions but also had a political mind, far from being a simple ninja. Otherwise, she would not have become the Fifth Hokage.
Seeing Tsunade calm down so quickly, Mito Uzumaki also showed a gratified smile.
"Tsunade, I don't have long to live. In the future, the clan and Kushina will be in your hands."
Just then, both of their expressions changed. They had clearly sensed that someone was coming.
"Tsunade!"
With Jiraiya's familiar voice, the moment the door opened, Tsunade pretended to be normally angry and said:
"Jiraiya, unless you have a good reason, you owe me an explanation!"
However, Jiraiya's expression was grim, which made the anger on Tsunade's face gradually disappear, replaced by a sense of foreboding.
She forced a stiff smile.
"Jiraiya! Don't tell me the front lines have suddenly gotten more tense!"
But Jiraiya's throat seemed to be clogged. After a long pause, he said in a low voice:
"Tsunade, Orochimaru is back. At the morgue!"
BOOM!
A flash of lightning passed, illuminating the blank, disbelieving look in Tsunade's eyes. It was as if she had already figured out what had happened.
The next moment!
Thump!
Water splashed everywhere as Tsunade burst into motion at her fastest speed, heading toward her destination.
Seeing this, Jiraiya also hurried to follow her.
It must be said that women are born to act, not to mention ninjas. Tsunade had not shown a single flaw from start to finish.
...
Under the gloomy sky, the heavy rain poured down.
In front of the morgue, a sudden stop and a sound of heavy breathing could be heard.
Tsunade looked at the building in disbelief, with Orochimaru leaning against the door outside.
The sound of breathing was not from exhaustion but from tension!
Just as Tsunade's body trembled and she prepared to walk forward, a sorrowful expression appeared on the face of the arriving Jiraiya.
"It's better not to see the body."
For Jiraiya to say that, one could only imagine how gruesome the corpse was.
Orochimaru, leaning against the door, had a strand of black hair covering his eyes. He spoke in an eerily calm tone:
"What's the big deal? You wouldn't be able to recognize your brother anyway."
"Shut up, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya immediately snapped at his companion.
But Orochimaru merely let out a cold laugh, hiding the grief deep within his eyes.
"The corpse has already been processed. That's how it is when you're a ninja. It's a shame there are no doctors on the battlefield. It's a little too cruel for a child, though."
"Especially when it's the day after he just received a gift!"
Orochimaru spoke in a casual tone, as if the matter had nothing to do with him, and at the same time, he took a pendant out of his pocket.
The moment the familiar necklace appeared, Tsunade's pupils widened, and her eyes became hollow and blank.
Jiraiya, standing nearby, couldn't bear to look away.
This was war!
After a long pause, Tsunade's trembling hands took the necklace. Two lines of clear tears were now streaming down her eyes.
"Nawaki!"
A sorrowful cry of pain echoed in the rainy night. All the Konoha ninjas who heard it were filled with sorrow.
A ninja is a profession that is always accompanied by death.
Especially during wartime, such heart-wrenching cries happen almost every day.
...
Within the Land of Fire.
A light rain fell, and the smell of wet earth hung in the air.
"August 10th. Yesterday was Nawaki's twelfth birthday, so today Tsunade should know."
Even if Nawaki's death was a coincidence, once you know it beforehand, it's no longer a coincidence.
This is human nature!
On a tree branch, Uchiha Yoru suppressed his aura and looked up at the night sky.
"Yoru!"
Suddenly, a black figure flashed and appeared behind him, drawing his attention.
In the rainy night, Uchiha Mikoto, carrying a clan-standard longsword on her back, had a two-tomoe Sharingan in her eyes as she looked at a cave in the distance.
"According to the ninja cat's scent tracking, that guy is inside!"
The usually gentle Uchiha Mikoto was now filled with coldness. A killing intent emanated from her eyes as she looked at the cave.
Tap!
The next moment, Uchiha Yoru placed his hand on her shoulder, and her killing intent instantly vanished.
"Big Sister Mikoto."
The soft call brought Uchiha Mikoto's mind back to reality. She looked at the cave in the distance with a serious expression.
Inside the dark cave.
"A man? Or a woman?"
In the dark and damp cave, a gaunt old man slowly raised his head. He seemed to have sensed something, and a strange tone accompanied his calm voice.
"I've decided. If a woman rushes in this time, I'll kill her!"
The initially calm eyes gradually filled with madness as he stared intently at the cave entrance.