Ninjas move through the forest at a speed comparable to simple vehicles, and powerful Ninjas like Senju Mori are naturally even faster.
After parting ways with Uzumaki Chizawa, he quickly arrived at the outskirts of Konoha Village.
However, Senju Mori was not in a hurry to return to the Village; instead, he found a lake in the forest not far from the Village and meticulously 'groomed' himself.
He had to ensure his return caused the greatest possible sensation throughout Konoha!
Senju Mori first took out the Armor (body armor) he wore during the previous battle and put it back on.
This was the best proof of his life-and-death struggle with a powerful enemy to 'retrieve Hokage-sama's body'.
Anyone looking from the front could immediately see three huge, ferocious claw marks, extending from the middle armor of his chest and abdomen all the way to the flank armor on his right rib.
These were the marks left by the half-Tailed Beast transformed Kinkaku on Senju Mori.
Senju Mori then took out a can of blood plasma from a sealing scroll and carefully poured it over various parts of his body, especially over the three claw marks left by Kinkaku and his entire back.
The dirt and dust accumulated from his journey were authentic and needed no further embellishment.
Finally, Senju Mori did not forget to retrieve Senju Tobirama's body from the sealing scroll and tie it securely to his back with a rope.
After completing all this, Senju Mori sat still for a moment, waiting for the bloodstains to dry slightly before standing up again and walking to the edge of the lake to look at his reflection.
Gazing at himself reflected on the water's surface, Senju Mori first scrutinized his appearance, and after a brief thought, he knelt down and dipped a few drops of lake water into his eyes.
The distinct sensation of a foreign object made him blink hard, and after a slight discomfort, his eyes indeed turned completely red, with even a few tears sliding down his nose... Only then did Senju Mori finally nod in satisfaction, pick up his basho fan again, and stride towards Konohagakure in the distance...
Time quickly passed to that afternoon, and Konoha Village, like a giant beast licking its wounds in the twilight, silently exuded a profound sadness.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others brought back unprecedented bad news, the two Chunin guarding the gate showed unprecedented vigilance and caution towards everything approaching the Village.
Therefore, when the figure stumbling from the distant forest entered their sight, the two Chunin guards instantly tensed, their hands reaching into their Ninja tool pouches, gripping their kunai tightly.
But soon, a deeper shock replaced their vigilance.
As if seeing the most incredible sight, the throats of the two Chunin seemed to be choked, emitting only a short, startled gasp, and they cried out in a trembling voice:
"Is that... Jonin Mori? And... on his back is—Hokage-sama!!!"
"Hokage-sama!!!"
"It's Jonin Mori! He brought Hokage-sama back!!!"
As a cry of surprise echoed through the sky, the originally silent atmosphere seemed to come back to life in an instant, and countless figures swarmed towards Senju Mori.
Senju Mori walked very slowly, each step seemingly incredibly heavy, and he paid no attention to everything happening around him, because it was all within his expectations.
He precisely calculated the time, deliberately choosing to arrive at the Village gate at dusk, when the villagers were most numerous and the flow of people was densest, precisely to let as many people as possible witness this scene.
He was the sole actor on this stage, and every detail was a meticulously arranged prop.
His right hand tightly gripped the red and white basho fan; the ferocious appearance and vivid colors of this six paths sage tools immediately attracted a large number of gazes.
This was his trophy, a symbol of great power, silently declaring what kind of terrifying enemy he had defeated.
His left arm held a huge sealing scroll tightly, and unknowing villagers and Ninjas, upon seeing it, probably thought it contained something important.
Was it information? Was it other six paths sage tools? Or was it the bodies of Cloud Hidden Ninjas?
But Senju Mori knew well that after taking out the basho fan and Senju Tobirama's body, there was nothing left inside that huge scroll.
The reason he still carried it was to deliberately imitate the attire of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
Black hair, red body armor, a huge scroll always carried by his side, the identity of the Senju Clan... In this critical moment when the war had not yet ended and the Hokage had just died, this attire would undoubtedly give people a great sense of security and a certain familiarity from their memories.
Senju Mori was confident that at this moment, countless people's minds had a similar thought—'If only Lord Hashirama were still here.'
And this was the situation Senju Mori hoped for.
Facing the approaching villagers and Ninjas, Senju Mori bravely puffed out his chest, displaying the huge, charred, tearing claw marks on his chest armor to everyone.
No superfluous words were needed; this was the most intuitive and shocking 'medal'.
Of course, Senju Tobirama, carried on his back, was the core of the entire performance.
Due to being specially secured with ropes, the Second Hokage's head was now resting on Senju Mori's shoulder, his eyes closed, his face completely lifeless, facing forward.
His pale complexion and disheveled white hair impacted the hearts of every witness, and the cheers that had just erupted died down again.
"It's Second Hokage-sama!"
"Second Hokage... Second Hokage-sama... sacrificed himself?!"
"Look at his injuries... My goodness! What did he go through?!"
"Didn't they say Jonin Hiruzen and the others had returned? Why did someone from the Senju Clan bring back Hokage-sama?"
"Could it be that the recent rumors in the Village..."
Just as everyone was whispering, with the news that "Senju Mori brought back Hokage-sama," the real dignitaries of Konoha Village also rushed over.
Hokage's disciples led by Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, Jonin and core clan members of the major Ninja Clans—Uchiha, Hyuga, Senju, Ino–Shika–Chō... Figures who would only gather for a Jonin trust vote in the past, now appeared at the gate of Konoha Village at this special moment, by coincidence.
The villagers' discussions did not subside because of the appearance of the dignitaries; instead, they intensified as more people gathered.
Every whisper around them was like a poisonous barb piercing Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others who had rushed over upon hearing the news.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was at the forefront, turned pale the moment he saw his teacher's body, almost losing his footing, his eyes filled with genuine grief and self-reproach.
A hint of sadness also flashed in Danzo's single eye, but he quickly narrowed it, scanning every detail of Senju Mori's body with sharpness, then looking at the still-chattering villagers.
His face immediately turned extremely grim, so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
Facing their teacher's body, Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu also showed immense pain, but within this grief, there was a faint hint of surprise and unease.
Among the five, Akimichi Torifu alone was the most somber, his usually unexpressive plump face almost frozen, his expression revealing a sense of desolate despondency.