The 14th had finally arrived.
Throughout the day, people came and went within the Senju compound, with nothing unusual to report.
Late at night, Yako stood atop the Hokage Rock, peering through binoculars toward the Senju clan grounds.
Behind him, Senju Kaba and Yachi waited patiently.
Senju Kaba, watching Yako lower the binoculars, asked,"Was the Uzumaki clan's extermination really carried out with the help of the Anbu?"
Yako nodded."Of course. Konoha's sluggishness was unnatural. The Cloud and Mist shinobi were already attacking Uzushio Village, yet Konoha's intelligence network knew nothing. That's far too suspicious."
Senju Kaba nodded grimly. His son hadn't died at the hands of spies, but was killed by Konoha's Anbu after coming into contact with surviving members of the Uzumaki clan through their marriage ties.
There was no way his son had died quietly in a Konoha alley—someone must have disguised themselves as someone close to him and ambushed him.
Yako said,"The Uzumaki survivors believe that the Konoha Anbu, using the excuse of transferring the Nine-Tails seal, cut off all communication between Princess Kushina and the outside world.
Lady Mito Uzumaki had no idea about the true cause behind the Uzumaki clan's destruction.
The Uzumaki wanted Princess Kushina to become the Three-Tails Jinchuriki, so Konoha chose to abandon them.
Not only did Konoha stand by and watch, they also suppressed the news.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, eventually led over 2,000 shinobi to Uzushio Village, but it was nothing more than a last-minute performance to maintain the appearance of an alliance."
Yachi, who had also taken part in that so-called rescue, nodded repeatedly.
Everything fit together now.
He pitied his student Senju Haku, whose entire worldview collapsed upon learning this secret—realizing the village wasn't what he had believed.
In the end, Haku had been assassinated by the Anbu.
Yako continued,"The Senju compound was heavily guarded during the day. We'll make our move in the latter half of the night, when the watch is relaxed.
Uncle Kaba, please take me to Lady Mito Uzumaki's residence. I have crucial intelligence given to me by Yuka.
If I can deliver this to Lady Mito, the truth about the Uzumaki clan's destruction will be revealed."
Senju Kaba nodded. His eyes were filled with the resolve of a man ready to die."You mentioned last night that there are traitors within the Senju clan?"
To prevent Kaba from acting prematurely, Yako had made up that claim—and now continued with the lie:"Yes, traitors within the clan have sided with the village.
They know the truth about the Uzumaki massacre. If you act rashly, they might kill you.
What matters now is reaching Lady Mito directly, before those traitors intercept the intel.
The way your son died… stabbed in the back of the head with a kunai—it had to be someone he knew. Most likely, a traitor within the Senju clan."
Senju Kaba nodded repeatedly. This young man, sent by the Uzumaki as an inside agent, truly had a clear grasp of the situation.
Seeing that he had convinced Kaba, Yako turned and looked down at Konoha Village.
'Tonight… the state of my corpse will surpass anything you ever imagined.'
***
"Drink! Come on, drink more!"
In the middle of the night, Senju Kaba stood at the center of a group, completely drunk and swaying.
Two people supported him as they headed into the compound.
The guards saw it was Senju Kaba—knowing his son had just died, they assumed he was drinking his sorrows away and being escorted back by friends.
They said nothing and let them pass.
The person on Kaba's left was Senju Haku's teacher, a frequent visitor to the Senju clan.
The man on the other side was unfamiliar—young, probably one of Haku's friends.
Yako glanced at the large trees around the Senju compound out of the corner of his eye. He knew the Anbu surveillance points well, and kept his back to all of them.
The three entered and walked down a side alley between the central and right paths.
Their steps were unsteady, weaving left and right.
In his mind, Yako counted:
First courtyard…
Second courtyard…
Third courtyard…
After passing the fourth public courtyard, they were nearly at their target.
Senju Kaba had told him: the fifth courtyard housed Senju Rinju, the clan head, while the sixth was Lady Mito's residence.
As they neared the outer wall of the sixth courtyard, all three suddenly broke into a sprint.
Despite wearing a prosthetic, Kaba's speed was impressive.
Yako pulled out a kunai—attached to it was steel wire, and strung along that wire were hundreds of explosive tags.
"You—!"
Kaba began to say something—Why are you carrying so many explosive tags? Doesn't seem like you're here to deliver a message to Lady Mito.
But the next moment, Yako hurled the kunai and tags—not at Lady Mito's residence, but at the back wall of Senju Rinju's house.
Kaba exhaled in relief.
Ah. So he's going after the clan head. That's fine, then.
Whether or not Rinju was a traitor, as the current clan leader, he at least deserved to bear the blame for incompetence in the Uzumaki tragedy.
Kaba's wife had been an Uzumaki—a gentle and resilient woman, who had left him many cherished memories of their earlier life.
After Tobirama's death, the clan had slowly come to realize Rinju lacked the strength to return the Senju to its founding glory.
He didn't know whether Princess Tsunade or Lord Nawaki would eventually grow to lead the clan's resurgence.
A chain of explosions rocked the back wall of Senju Rinju's residence.
Smoke and thunderous blasts shattered the peace of the night.
Yako shouted,"You two go find Lady Mito! I'll hold off Senju Rinju!"
Senju Kaba was deeply moved. This young insider sent by the Uzumaki was truly someone worth trusting.
Tonight, this boy would surely die—a death without hesitation.
After blasting open the rear wall, Yako looked into the study.
Inside, Senju Rinju was holding a scroll, seemingly reading something.
When Rinju saw Yako, his eyes filled with fury."Who the hell are you?!"
He launched a Body Flicker Technique through the destroyed wall, charging straight at Yako.
Yako hadn't come just to get beaten up and dragged off for interrogation—that would've made all this for nothing.
So—
"Senju Rinju! You've brought shame to the entire Senju clan!
You freeloading, do-nothing second-gen trash! You're a joke!
Even a tied ninja hound to the clan head's seat would've done a better job than you!
You failed to protect the Uzumaki—and your own mother too!
You—!"
Senju Rinju's breath caught; his nostrils flared in rage.
He planted his foot hard and flashed in front of Yako, throwing a full-force punch fueled by his fury.
The monstrous blow smashed into Yako's chest, caving it in instantly.
His pain receptors overloaded—he couldn't even feel it anymore.
What stabbed through my arm?
Ah… it's one of my own ribs.
From behind, Yachi was frozen.
What the hell?
Weren't we here to deliver intel to Lady Mito?
This kid… does he hate Rinju that much?
Anyone watching would think Rinju himself wiped out the Uzumaki! This guy has a death wish!
Senju Rinju swatted the foul-mouthed intruder away and caught sight of Kaba and Yachi running toward Mito's residence.
"You two! What are you doing?!"
Rinju assumed Kaba had betrayed the clan and was trying to assassinate his mother, Mito Uzumaki.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
After forming three hand seals, a massive water dragon roared into existence and surged toward Kaba and Yachi.
Yachi, perched on the wall, turned to intercept the blast.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
The wall held for a moment, but was soon overwhelmed.
Though Rinju lacked the power of the Hashirama–Tobirama brothers, he was still a seasoned elite jōnin.
Senju Kaba's voice rang out, shrill and sharp in the night:"Lady Mito! Konoha's Anbu took part in the Uzumaki—"
Rinju's water technique was formidable. The dragon split into three smaller streams after crashing into the wall and swerved around it, slamming into Kaba's back.
Years of retirement had dulled Kaba's strength. The jutsu smashed him to the ground.
His last words remained unfinished.
He lay sprawled, chest and back shattered, blood pouring from his mouth. He raised a trembling hand toward Lady Mito's chambers.
A ninja blade pierced his skull.
Captain Yellow Dog had arrived.
Even in death, Senju Kaba never saw the door to Lady Mito's room open.
Yako had also breathed his last.
Senju Rinju's monstrous punch had shattered his ribs and driven them into his heart.
Before his vision faded, he saw countless shinobi vaulting over the wall into the Senju compound, rushing toward Mito's residence.
[System detected host death. Activating Arc of the Waning Moon...]
Here we go. Wonder what I'll pull this time!