There were too many bodies to take away all at once.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo left with most of the ANBU, leaving a portion behind to guard the bodies.
Yōkō requested permission from Battalion Commander Yellow Dog to remain stationed here until the Konoha shinobi responsible for transporting the bodies arrived.
Yellow Dog naturally agreed.
The reason Yōkō wanted to stay was to avoid accompanying Danzo.
Danzo had already transplanted a Sharingan into his left eye.
That bandaged eyepatch must be inscribed with some high-level sealing technique to block all sensory ninjutsu, preventing the Uchiha clan from discovering he possessed a Sharingan.
Yōkō pondered, he needed to find a way to deal with Danzo's Mangekyō Sharingan.
After the Fox Squadron finished organizing the ANBU bodies, Yōkō stood by the corpses, watching the Senju clansmen organize their own dead.
In the distance, Senju Hanaki was surrounded by the only five Jōnin remaining in the Senju clan.
During the sealing, the closer a shinobi was to the center of the seal, the stronger they were, and the faster they died.
All six of the Senju clan's Elite Jōnin had died. Of the over thirty Jōnin, only Senju Hanaki and these five remained.
Now that the seal was over and the pressure had abruptly lifted, an lingering sorrow settled on the faces of Senju Hanaki and the others.
Senju Minami was saying something to Senju Hanaki, but Hanaki only responded numbly. In reality, her mind was nearing collapse, devoid of thought.
Senju Hanaki's eyes shifted, landing on the Fox Squadron.
Something was wrong. Tonight was far too abnormal.
The Uchiha clan's Susano'o had mysteriously appeared on the Nine-Tails, causing her mother Mito's unexpected early death.
Later, when her elder brother Rinoki died, his face was full of grief, indignation, and incomprehension, as if he had suffered a great injustice or encountered something he found hard to accept.
It was a pity the chaos during the Nine-Tails' rampage was too great; her brother didn't even leave any last words.
Everything was too strange.
Senju Hanaki stared at the ANBU shinobi, then recalled Danzo's hurried arrival just before the seal.
Danzo hadn't come from Konoha Village, but from the direction of the Land of Rain to the northwest.
This sealing was shrouded in suspicion.
If not for Kushina's two sudden surges of power at the end, all the Senju shinobi would have died here.
Who wanted the Senju clan dead?
Senju Hanaki's first suspicion fell on the ANBU.
Before the seal, her elder brother Rinoki had already had several intense conflicts with the Konoha leadership over Kushina's future arrangements.
Senju Minami asked: "Hanaki, are you listening? We've decided to elect you as Clan Head."
"Sorry, I was distracted," Senju Hanaki said:
"Contact Tsunade at the front tonight. Tell her everything that happened here, exactly as it was, leaving nothing out. Especially the details about the ANBU's actions, Danzo's appearance, and so on."
The Senju Jōnin looked startled: "Hanaki, are you saying..."
"Shh!" Senju Hanaki said:
"Any clan might betray Konoha, but the Senju cannot. I don't mean anything else, I just want Tsunade to know the details."
What Senju Hanaki planned to do had to be kept secret from most of the clan. She added, "Ask Kato Dan to return to the village. I need to see him as soon as possible."
Senju Hanaki thought that Kato Dan possessed the forbidden technique, the Spirit Transformation Technique, which allowed his soul to leave his body and act.
Openly investigating the ANBU was suicide; only Kato Dan could gather intelligence silently and covertly.
Even the ANBU couldn't withstand Kato Dan's investigation.
This matter had to be kept completely confidential; no one could know.
The four ANBU battalions that participated in tonight's seal, along with Danzo's two assistants, were all within the scope of the investigation. The true culprit had to be found.
Senju Hanaki quickly adjusted her expression, no longer looking at the ANBU with scrutiny and hatred.
Yōkō watched Senju Hanaki carrying Uzumaki Kushina on her back, and the two large Sealing Scrolls beside her. His immense effort hadn't been in vain.
The Senju clan had preserved some strength and still had a voice within the village, so they need not fear Danzo dominating completely.
After a while, Kushina woke up.
Seeing the neatly arranged bodies before her, she began to cry.
Grand Aunt Mito, Uncle Rinoki... they had both been so good to her.
Kushina tugged on Senju Hanaki's hand, signaling her to bend down.
Listening to Kushina's account, Senju Hanaki's mind was shaken.
Kushina actually said there was someone from the Uzumaki clan among the ANBU shinobi!
That person had transmitted chakra to her twice. The chakra contained powerful sealing power, helping her seal the Nine-Tails.
No wonder Kushina had two sudden surges; it turned out there was a Uzumaki spy within the ANBU.
Even her elder brother Rinoki hadn't known about this.
Senju Hanaki thought that when having Kato Dan investigate, he must be extremely careful and not directly use lethal force, to avoid accidentally harming the Uzumaki spy.
Several hours later, a large number of Konoha shinobi arrived. They transported the bodies of the Senju clan and the ANBU back to the area around the Memorial Stone.
The next day, in front of Konoha's Memorial Stone.
Most of the village's shinobi, dressed in black, gathered here.
The passing of Konoha's matriarch, Uzumaki Mito, wife of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama, symbolized the official passing of the village's founding generation.
The founding generation – the brothers Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Madara, and the previous or two-generations-ago clan heads of the various shinobi clans – had all died for various reasons.
After Uzumaki Mito's death, Konoha was completely handed over to the hands of the village's first generation, represented by Sarutobi Hiruzen, with no more restraints.
Sarutobi Hiruzen presided over Uzumaki Mito's funeral at the front.
"I still remember the first time I met Mother Mito, following Lord Tobirama into the Senju clan grounds.
It was the grand wedding of Teacher, the First Hokage, and Mother Mito.
Mother Mito worked tirelessly with Teacher Hashirama for the village's founding.
Teacher Hashirama is gone, Teacher Tobirama is gone, and now, Mother Mito is also gone.
Although they are gone, their most precious legacy, Konoha Village, has been passed down.
We will uphold the legacy of the founding generation..."
Yōkō, wearing his ANBU uniform and mask, stood at the rear of the crowd.
Somehow, the Third Hokage's speech was so moving, full of emotion, that many people around him were moved to tears.
Danzo stood in the front row. The Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Kane, didn't pay much attention to Danzo.
It seemed Yōkō's guess was correct; Danzo's bandaged eyepatch had a sealing technique that blocked perception.
He just didn't know where Danzo obtained the sealing technique. Could it be that Senju Tobirama had researched Sharingan transplantation during his lifetime and left some notes?
Senju Tobirama's entire skill set seemed almost tailor-made to counter the Uchiha clan.
Water Release countered Fire Release, the Body Flicker Technique countered the Sharingan, and the Darkness Genjutsu Technique countered Genjutsu.
The idea of transplanting the Sharingan was something Senju Tobirama might very well have experimented with.
Next to Uchiha Kane was the Uchiha young master, Uchiha Fugaku, who had just graduated from the ninja academy this year.
After the funeral ended, most people left.
Uchiha Kane, accompanied by Uchiha Fugaku, separately expressed their condolences to Senju Hanaki.
A sharp, arguing voice attracted everyone else's attention.
"Uchiha Kane! You must give me an explanation! Where were you last night!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head, glanced at the hysterical Senju Hanaki, then at the bewildered Uchiha Kane, said nothing more, and continued walking away.
Uchiha Kane repeatedly explained that he was within the clan grounds last night, and many people could vouch for him.
Uchiha Kane had learned about the Senju clan's ordeal last night. He knew Senju Hanaki was blaming the Uchiha clan for the Armored Susano'o.
He said he himself didn't even know Susano'o, so it definitely wasn't him, nor was it the Uchiha clan.
No matter how Uchiha Kane explained, Senju Hanaki refused to believe him, and the argument only grew fiercer.
Finally, Uchiha Kane had no choice but to say he would come to apologize in person after Senju Hanaki had calmed down.
After everyone had left, Senju Minami asked doubtfully, "Clan Head Hanaki, was it really the Uchiha clan who did it?"
Senju Hanaki did not answer.
She wanted to muddy the waters, openly pursuing the Uchiha clan and deliberately creating conflict.
It was all a cover, a cover for Kato Dan's investigation.
(End of Chapter)