There were too many bodies — they couldn't all be taken at once.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura left a portion of the Anbu behind to guard the corpses, while leading most of the unit away.
Yoru requested permission from Captain Yellow Dog to remain behind until Konoha's recovery team arrived to transport the dead.
Yellow Dog agreed without hesitation.
Yoru wanted to stay because he didn't want to travel with Danzō.
Danzō's left eye had already been replaced with a Sharingan.
The bandaged eyepatch over it must have been inscribed with a high-level sealing technique — one that completely blocked sensory ninjutsu, preventing the Uchiha clan from realizing that he possessed a Sharingan.
Yoru thought quietly to himself: I need to find a way to deal with Danzō's Mangekyō Sharingan.
After the Fox Squad finished collecting the Anbu bodies, Yoru stood silently beside them, watching the remaining Senju clansmen gather their own fallen.
In the distance, Senju Hanaki was surrounded by the only five surviving jōnin of the Senju clan.
In this sealing ritual, the closer one had been to the center, the stronger the ninja — and the faster they had died.
All six of the Senju's elite jōnin were gone. Of more than thirty jōnin, only Hanaki and five others remained.
Now that the sealing had ended, the sudden release of pressure left their faces etched with grief.
Senju Nan spoke to Hanaki, but she only responded numbly — her mind was near collapse, unable to process thought anymore.
Her eyes drifted toward the Fox Squad.
Something about tonight was wrong. Deeply wrong.
The Nine-Tails had manifested an Uchiha Susanoo — a terrifying impossibility — and her mother, Mito, had died unexpectedly as a result.
Then, when her brother Rinmu died, his expression was filled with rage and confusion, as though he had suffered a great injustice — something unbearable.
But the chaos during the Nine-Tails' rampage had been too great; he hadn't even been able to leave last words.
Everything was far too strange.
Hanaki stared at the Anbu, recalling how Danzō had rushed to the scene earlier — not from Konoha, but from the northwest, from the direction of the Land of Rain.
The entire sealing operation was cloaked in suspicion.
If Kushina hadn't erupted with chakra twice during the battle, the entire Senju clan would likely have perished there.
Who wanted the Senju wiped out?
Hanaki's first suspicion was the Anbu.
Before the sealing, Rinmu had already clashed several times with Konoha's upper leadership — especially over what would happen to Kushina afterward.
"Hanaki," Senju Nan interrupted her thoughts. "Are you listening? We've decided to nominate you as clan head."
"Sorry… I got distracted," Hanaki said softly.
"Contact Tsunade on the frontlines tonight. Tell her everything that happened here — every detail, nothing omitted. Especially the Anbu's behavior, and Danzō's sudden appearance."
Senju Nan's expression stiffened. "Hanaki, you mean…"
"Shh," Hanaki cut her off. "Any clan might betray Konoha — but not the Senju. I just want Tsunade to know the truth."
What Hanaki planned had to be kept secret even from most of her people.
"Send word to Dan Katō — I need to see him immediately."
Hanaki knew that Dan possessed the Spirit Transformation Technique, which allowed his soul to leave his body and move freely.
To openly investigate the Anbu was suicide — only Dan could collect intelligence silently, unseen.
Even the Anbu couldn't guard against that.
This investigation had to remain absolutely secret.
All four Anbu squads involved that night, plus Danzō's two assistants, were to be included in the probe — the real culprit had to be uncovered.
Hanaki quickly composed herself. When she looked back at the Anbu, the anger and suspicion in her gaze were gone.
Yoru watched Hanaki carrying the unconscious Kushina on her back, and the two enormous sealing scrolls beside her.
It hadn't been for nothing — the Senju had survived with enough strength to still have a voice in the village.
As long as that voice existed, Danzō couldn't completely control Konoha.
Hours later, Kushina awoke.
When she saw the neatly lined corpses before her, she burst into tears.
Grandmother Mito… Uncle Rinmu… they had both been so kind to her.
Kushina tugged on Hanaki's sleeve, motioning her to lean closer.
As Hanaki listened, her eyes widened in shock.
Kushina said that one of the Anbu was an Uzumaki — that person had twice infused her with chakra filled with sealing energy, helping her suppress the Nine-Tails.
No wonder Kushina had erupted with such power twice — it had been because of that hidden Uzumaki ally within the Anbu.
Even Rinmu hadn't known.
Hanaki resolved that when Dan began his investigation, he must be extremely careful — no killing blows. They couldn't risk harming the Uzumaki spy by mistake.
Several hours later, a large group of Konoha shinobi arrived and carried the Senju and Anbu corpses back to the memorial grounds.
The next day, in front of Konoha's Memorial Stone.
Half the village's shinobi came dressed in black.
Uzumaki Mito — wife of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama — had passed away.
Her death marked the true end of Konoha's founding generation.
The founders — Hashirama and Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha — and the previous heads of nearly every clan had all perished for one reason or another.
With Mito gone, Konoha had now passed fully into the hands of the new era — led by Hiruzen Sarutobi — with no one left to restrain them.
Hiruzen stood before the crowd, leading the funeral service.
"I still remember the first time I met Lady Mito — I followed Lord Tobirama into the Senju compound. It was the grand wedding of Lord Hashirama and Lady Mito.
Together, they poured their hearts into building this village. Lord Hashirama is gone. Lord Tobirama is gone. And now, Lady Mito has gone to join them.
But though they've left us, the most precious thing they built — the village of Konoha — remains. We will carry on their will…"
Yoru stood at the back of the crowd, wearing his Anbu uniform and mask.
To be honest, the Third Hokage's words were deeply moving; many around him wept openly.
In the front row stood Danzō. Beside him was Uchiha clan head Uchiha Toki, who paid him little attention.
So Yoru's guess had been correct — the sealing technique on Danzō's bandages completely blocked sensory detection.
But where had he gotten such a technique? Could it have been from Tobirama himself — who might have once experimented with Sharingan transplants and left notes behind?
After all, every one of Tobirama's techniques seemed designed to counter the Uchiha.
Water Release to overpower Fire Release.
The Flying Thunder God to outpace Sharingan perception.
The Darkness Technique to neutralize genjutsu.
It wasn't impossible that he had once experimented with a Sharingan himself.
Beside Uchiha Toki stood the young heir, Uchiha Fugaku, freshly graduated from the Ninja Academy.
After the funeral ended, most people dispersed.
Uchiha Toki and Fugaku approached to offer condolences to Hanaki.
But then, sharp shouting broke out — drawing everyone's attention.
"Uchiha Toki! You owe me an explanation! Where were you last night?!"
Hiruzen turned his head, glancing briefly at the furious Hanaki and the bewildered Toki. He said nothing and walked away.
Toki kept explaining that he had been within the Uchiha compound all night — dozens could confirm it.
He had already heard of what happened to the Senju, and he knew Hanaki was blaming the Uchiha for summoning a Susanoo during the sealing.
But he insisted: he didn't even know Susanoo, nor did any of his clan.
No matter how he explained, Hanaki refused to believe him — her accusations only grew louder.
Finally, Toki had to back down. "Please, Lady Hanaki, calm yourself. I'll visit once you've collected your thoughts."
When everyone was gone, Senju Nan asked quietly, "Clan Head Hanaki… was it really the Uchiha?"
Hanaki didn't answer.
She wanted to muddy the waters — to keep public suspicion fixed on the Uchiha and draw all eyes there.
It was all just a cover.
A cover for Dan Katō's secret investigation.