At the spot where the [Reverse Four Symbols Seal] had left its mark, nineteen corpses lay neatly aligned. Each body was covered in bloodstains, and all the ninja's faces were hidden... It felt like when an entire household perishes—gone all at once.
Considering how recently the Senju clan had gone into hiding, there was a risk their identities might still be recognized. Therefore, not even the most loyal Anbu directly under the Hokage's command were permitted near the bodies after dawn, let alone conduct inspections for further intelligence.
Even the guards stationed beside the corpses weren't from Anbu at all—they were Kagenami ninja who had retreated first last night, then were ordered back secretly after the battle situation had generally stabilized.
The Kagenami differed from both Anbu and other Konoha ninja. First, most Kagenami members were originally Uzumaki clan members from outside the village, and many were also quite young ninja. Therefore, there was no risk of them leaking sensitive information. Second, regarding what happened last night, if anyone could be absolutely trusted by Third Hokage, Haseo would certainly count as one such person.
Their positions aligned completely—neither wanted the true identity of the incident's instigator exposed to general knowledge: A Senju clan member had launched an attack against the Third Hokage. Obviously, revealing this fact to most villagers would cause unimaginable impacts and upheavals.
Shortly after daybreak, Haseo met with the Third Hokage and reported everything he experienced the previous night—whether the words spoken by the ninja he killed were truth or deception, whether the speaker deserved trust, none of these judgments belonged to him to make.
His duty was simply to inform the Hokage accurately and fully; decisions rested solely with the Hokage himself. Besides, whether Biwako was trustworthy or not was never something particularly important or urgent for Haseo to personally verify... As previously stated, naturally someone else would have greater motivation, qualifications, and reasons to validate everything.
Haseo didn't know whether similar events had occurred in Konoha's "original history." If it had happened before, Biwako's later fate would have already shown whether she was reliable. If not, then circumstances became somewhat more complicated.
Regarding another matter—the question about whether the Senju actions had coordinated with the Fire Daimyo—he intuitively doubted so. The crucial link between them centered on Tsunade. Yet while the Fire Daimyo's objective was establishing connections with Konoha through acquiring Tsunade, the attackers' aim last night was controlling Tsunade herself, intending to utilize her identity for certain schemes aimed at reuniting the Senju clan.
The two goals were quite different from each other.
Use Tsunade to win the Daimyo's favor? Members of the First Hokage's clan wouldn't sink that low.
Furthermore, even if such an alliance existed, the radical faction of Senju would receive nothing more than partial financial support and a "legitimate title" from the Fire Daimyo. But these would offer little help for what they'd already done last night—and would likely only increase the risk of leaking details beforehand.
Besides, even those so-called "radical Senju" were probably resentful toward the restless Fire Daimyo. In fact, it was most likely them who slaughtered the Daimyo's envoys last night.
If ninja hold grudges against ordinary folks, pulling off something like this quietly should be enough to settle matters.
In another sense, Haseo didn't really care whether or not the Daimyo attempted such an alliance because... clever people or fools are rarely irritating since their traits are straightforwardly known, but those who are obviously foolish yet fancy themselves wise—that kind of person is especially grating.
To Haseo, the Daimyo's mind had probably been polished for twenty straight years and then waxed glossy for six more months—so slick not a single crease could form.
Everyone should have just kept to themselves and let things be peaceful.
During last night's battle, Third Hokage sustained only minor injuries. After Haseo submitted his report, he rejoined his subordinates—standing before the neatly aligned corpses, a wave of absurdity suddenly washed over him.
Certainly, the original intention of the Third's wedding must have involved an effort to further appease the Senju clan—but now, quite the opposite had occurred.
Moreover, many foreign envoys had come to Konoha for the Hokage's wedding, so right now, Hidden Leaf looked embarrassingly vulnerable in front of outsiders. This was supposed to be Konoha—Hidden Leaf Village—yet how far had it fallen from its former glory?
"Everyone, clean up the scene. The bodies of these enemies have already been fully entrusted to us by the Third," Haseo said to his subordinates, signaling them to carry away the corpses.
The Uzumaki ninja nodded. One approached the bodies, knelt beside them, pulled out a scroll, and started sealing the corpses inside one by one.
Clearing the battlefield aftermath wasn't the duty of Haseo's small unit. As this new unit's first appearance, whether through yesterday's mission escorting the bride, last night's combat with enemies, or this morning's corpse watch, the Kagenami Unit had undeniably announced its presence. And in certain meaningful ways, it had also demonstrated the Third's trust in this new group... although reality differed somewhat from others' assumptions, this perception was certainly beneficial for Kagenami.
Once the corpses were sealed, Haseo accepted the scroll handed over by his subordinate, and then the Kagenami Unit began withdrawing from the site... At this point, Haseo signaled with his eyes for Tsunade—who had remained here all along—to follow as well.
If these corpses could be returned to the Senju clan, then even the Third would definitely prefer that course. As long as it benefited the village and stabilized the current situation, the Third wouldn't think anything of having suffered slight injuries himself, let alone much emotional distress.
Yet the "Senju" as a collective had already vanished, so such exchanges no longer existed.
At the very least, these Senju corpses should be properly and completely destroyed, rather than falling into the hands of someone with ill intentions... Neither should their identities be traced nor should their bodies be turned into precious "experimental materials."
Haseo himself wasn't the kind of person who liked meddling with others' corpses either, so destroying these bodies in Tsunade's presence was the best possible choice.
Haseo's team wasted no time after returning to the base and immediately cremated the corpses in a corner of the underground space.
Before long, what was once flesh and blood became nothing more than a pile of charred bones — there was no way to tell whether they were Senju or anyone else anymore... Only then could they truly vanish from the world.
Later the same day, a crisp, continuous set of footsteps rang out again within the underground passage of Kagenami.
Konoha had many departments buried underground, and now, finally, a neighbor had come calling... Haseo Yu, Master of Kagenami, was about to meet face-to-face with Danzo Shimura — the man known as the invincible scapegoat.
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