The 14th had finally arrived.
Throughout the entire day, the Senju compound was bustling with people coming and going, without any abnormality.
Late at night, Yōkō stood atop the Kage Rock, using a telescope to observe the direction of the Senju compound from afar.
Behind him, Senju Kaede and Kamochi waited patiently.
Seeing Yōkō lower the telescope, Senju Kaede asked, "Did the Anbu really participate in the destruction of the Uzumaki clan?"
Yōkō nodded and said, "Of course they did. Konoha's slowness to react was abnormal. The Kumo-nin and Kiri-nin had already attacked Uzushiogakure, yet Konoha's intelligence system knew nothing about it. That's far too strange."
Senju Kaede nodded. His son didn't die by a spy's hand, but was killed by the Konoha Anbu because he made contact with the remnants of their allied Uzumaki clan.
His son couldn't have died silently in a Konoha alley; someone must have impersonated someone familiar to his son and succeeded in a sneak attack.
Yōkō said:
"The Uzumaki survivors believe that the Konoha Anbu, using the Nine-Tails transfer and sealing as a pretext, cut off Uzumaki Mito's communication with the outside world.
Lady Uzumaki Mito knows nothing about the truth behind the Uzumaki clan's destruction.
When the Uzumaki clan wanted Princess Kushina to seal the Three-Tails, Konoha decided to abandon the Uzumaki clan.
Not only did Konoha stand by idly, but they also suppressed the information.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, finally went to Uzushiogakure with over 2000 shinobi, but that was just a final performance to maintain the appearance of not breaking the alliance."
Kamochi, who had also participated in that rescue mission, kept nodding.
Everything matched up.
It was a pity for his student, Kashiwa. Upon learning such a secret, his past values collapsed, realizing the village wasn't what he imagined.
In the end, he was even killed by the Anbu.
Yōkō said:
"During the day, the Senju compound is heavily guarded. We will infiltrate late at night, past midnight, when the Senju compound's vigilance relaxes.
Uncle Kaede, you must take me to Lady Uzumaki Mito's residence. I have important intelligence given to me by Uzumaki Yuka.
As long as we deliver this intelligence to Lady Uzumaki Mito, we can definitely prove the truth about the Uzumaki clan's destruction."
Senju Kaede nodded, his eyes filled with the resolve of someone ready to die. He said, "You mentioned last night that there are also traitors within the Senju clan, right?"
To prevent Senju Kaede from acting prematurely, Yōkō had made up this reason and now continued deceiving him:
"Yes, there are traitors within the Senju clan; those traitors have sided with the village.
They know the truth about the Uzumaki clan's destruction. If you act rashly, you might be killed by them.
The most important thing now is to go directly to Lady Uzumaki Mito, to prevent the intelligence from being intercepted by those traitors.
Your son died so suspiciously, stabbed in the back of the head with a kunai. It must have been someone familiar, possibly a traitor from within the Senju clan itself."
Senju Kaede nodded repeatedly. This young man was truly worthy of being the Uzumaki's inside agent; his analysis was clear and logical.
Seeing that he had convinced Senju Kaede, Yōkō turned and looked down upon Konoha Village.
Tonight, the manner of my death will be beyond your imagination!
"Drink! Drink, keep drinking!"
In the dead of night, Senju Kaede, dead drunk in the middle, swayed unsteadily.
The two men beside him supported him as they walked towards the compound.
The guards saw it was Senju Kaede and knew his son had just died not long ago; he was at his lowest point.
He was just drunk and being brought back by friends. The guards didn't say much and let them pass.
The person on Senju Kaede's left was Senju Kashiwa's teacher, who often visited the Senju clan.
They didn't recognize the person on the other side; a young man, perhaps a friend of Senju Kashiwa's.
Yōkō glanced sideways at the large trees surrounding the Senju compound. He was very familiar with the Anbu surveillance points and kept his back to all the Anbu surveillance teams.
After the three entered the Senju compound, they walked inward through the alley between the central and right sections.
Their pace wasn't fast, swaying left and right.
Yōkō counted in his mind.
First courtyard...
Second courtyard...
Third courtyard...
After passing the fourth public courtyard, they were about to reach the target courtyards.
Senju Kaede had said the fifth courtyard was Senju Rinoki's residence, and the sixth courtyard was Uzumaki Mito's residence.
As they approached the outer wall of the sixth courtyard, the three broke into a sprint.
Senju Kaede, wearing his prosthetic, was surprisingly fast.
Yōkō took out a kunai. Tied to the kunai was a wire, and densely packed along the wire were over a hundred Explosive Tags.
"You!"
Senju Kaede started to say, carrying so many Explosive Tags doesn't look like you're here to present the truth to Lady Uzumaki Mito.
The next moment, Senju Kaede saw Yōkō throw the kunai with the Explosive Tags towards the rear wall of Clan Head Senju Rinoki's residence and breathed a sigh of relief.
It's for dealing with the Clan Head. That's fine then.
Regardless of whether Clan Head Senju Rinoki was a traitor or not, for the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, the current Senju Clan Head should at least bear the blame for incompetence.
Senju Kaede's wife was from the Uzumaki clan, a gentle and resilient woman who had left him with many beautiful memories from the first half of his life.
After Clan Head Tobirama's sacrifice, the clan gradually realized that Clan Head Rinoki's strength was insufficient to lead the Senju clan back to its peak from the village's founding era.
It was unknown whether Princess Tsunade or Young Master Nawaki, once grown, could become the pillar of the Senju clan's revival.
A continuous series of Explosive Tags detonated at the rear wall of Senju Rinoki's residence.
Thick smoke and loud explosions shattered the night's peace.
Yōkō shouted, "You two go find Lady Uzumaki Mito! I'll hold off Senju Rinoki for you!"
Senju Kaede felt a wave of emotion. The Uzumaki clan's inside agent was truly trustworthy.
Tonight, this young man would surely die, with such absolute resolve.
After blowing open the rear wall, Yōkō looked towards the study.
Inside the study, Senju Rinoki was holding a scroll, reading something.
When Senju Rinoki saw Yōkō, his eyes were filled with rage.
"Where did this petty thief come from!"
Senju Rinoki used the Body Flicker Technique to charge out through the hole, rushing towards Yōkō.
Yōkō sought out Senju Rinoki but didn't want to be crippled by him and then sent for interrogation; that would have been a wasted effort.
So...
"Senju Rinoki! You've disgraced the entire Senju clan!
You good-for-nothing second-generation waste! You're trash!
They could tie a ninken to the Clan Head's seat, and it would do a better job than you!
You couldn't protect the Uzumaki clan, and you can't even protect your own mother!
You..."
Senju Rinoki's breathing halted, his nostrils flaring with anger.
He pushed off powerfully with his feet, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of Yōkō, throwing a furious, full-force punch.
A tremendous force struck Yōkō's chest, causing it to cave in immediately.
His pain receptors overloaded, so Yōkō couldn't even feel the pain anymore.
What pierced his arm?
Oh, it's his own rib.
Kamochi, watching from behind, was stunned.
What?
Weren't they here to explain the truth to Uzumaki Mito?
Does this young man hate Senju Rinoki that much?
If one didn't know better, they'd think Senju Rinoki was the one who destroyed the Uzumaki clan. This young man is really asking for death, isn't he?
After Senju Rinoki sent the foul-mouthed thief flying with his punch, he saw the retreating figures of Senju Kaede and Kamochi.
The two were rushing towards Uzumaki Mito's residence.
"What are you doing!"
Senju Rinoki thought Senju Kaede had become a traitor, trying to kill his mother, Uzumaki Mito.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
After three hand signs, a water dragon appeared, surging and coiling as it rushed towards Senju Kaede and Kamochi.
Kamochi stood on the courtyard wall, turning to block the Water Dragon Bullet.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
The Earth-Style Wall held for a moment before being quickly washed away.
Although Senju Rinoki's strength didn't match that of the Hashirama and Tobirama brothers, he was still a long-standing Elite Jonin.
Senju Kaede's voice was extremely sharp and high-pitched in the night air.
"Lady Mito! The Konoha Anbu participated in the Uzumaki clan's..."
Senju Rinoki's Water Release prowess was extremely high. After the Water Dragon Bullet collided with the Earth-Style Wall, it quickly split into three smaller water dragons. Their momentum unabated, they bypassed the broken Earth-Style Wall and slammed into Senju Kaede's back.
Senju Kaede, retired for many years with severely declined skills, was slammed to the ground by the Water Release.
His final words were never spoken.
He lay on the ground, his chest and back shattered, vomiting blood, raising an arm, reaching vainly towards Uzumaki Mito's living quarters.
A ninja sword pierced through Senju Kaede's head.
Battalion Commander Yellow Dog had actually appeared here.
Until his death, Senju Kaede never saw the door to the living quarters open.
Yōkō also breathed his last.
Senju Rinoki's monstrous strength punch had shattered Yōkō's ribs, driving them into his heart.
He saw countless shinobi jumping from the walls into the Senju compound, rushing towards Uzumaki Mito's direction.
[Host death detected. Mochizuki's Arc system activating...]
It's here! I wonder what good stuff I'll draw!
...
Read 50 advance at patreon.com/CNBLUE
(End of Chapter)