Nawaki!

Konoha.

Beneath the unending rain, it was as though the weather mourned the shinobi who had died on the battlefield.

Lightning occasionally flashed across the gloomy sky.

Senju Clan.

"Damn it! How could there be such a coincidence in this world?!"

Tsunade smashed the table with an enraged punch, while Uzumaki Mito before her remained silent.

Who could have imagined that this time, the bloodline of the First Hokage's branch had nearly been wiped out?

"Tsunade, what if it really was a coincidence?"

After a long while, Uzumaki Mito spoke hoarsely. Yet after saying those words, even she, old as she was, revealed a self-mocking, sorrowful smile.

She did not believe it herself!

Tsunade believed it even less. Gritting her teeth, she said in a low voice:

"A coincidence? There was nothing suspicious about those wandering samurai. It was reasonable for them to carry a few Exploding Tags for protection, and normal for them to set traps."

As she said this, Tsunade raised her head, a mocking smile on her face.

"It was all so perfectly reasonable. There wasn't the slightest clue to investigate. Yet for such a simple mission, within the Land of Fire no less, Orochimaru would let his guard down, and a shinobi with the strength of a Chunin would carelessly walk into a trap."

"Then get blown to death by Exploding Tags! But Grandma, don't you think there were a few too many Exploding Tags? Even if the investigation showed that every single one had a legitimate source!"

The more flawless and lacking in clues it was, the more suspicious it became.

If they had not known beforehand, they might have investigated for a long time, repeatedly verifying everything, and it would have remained an eternal mystery.

But they had received intelligence in advance!

And it matched so perfectly!

Especially since this mission could no longer be said to have taken place merely within the Land of Fire. It had happened right on Konoha's doorstep.

Nawaki had celebrated his birthday one day, then gone on a mission the next. That night, Jiraiya could come to the village to notify him to identify the body. If that was not right on their doorstep, what was?

"As for the Uchiha!"

At this point, Tsunade revealed an even more sarcastic sneer.

"The Uchiha are currently isolated and ostracized, constantly trying to integrate into Konoha. Never mind whether they even had a reason to target us—did the Konoha Military Police Force alone have the strength to pull this off?"

The Uchiha were indeed powerful!

They could be called the foremost great clan. And that did not apply only in Konoha, but throughout the Shinobi World.

But in Konoha, most of the Uchiha Clan's elite had been sent to the front lines. Konoha had never trusted those who remained, maintaining secret vigilance and surveillance over them.

If the Uchiha Clan did something like this, the risk would be far too great. They simply could not have done it so flawlessly.

"Tsunade!"

Uzumaki Mito finally let out a melancholy sigh, a trace of grief appearing on her aged face.

"Nawaki is my own grandson. It is better that he leaves now. Take this opportunity to send him to the Daimyo's Mansion. The Senju Clan still has influence there, and they can protect him while he grows in secret."

"Tsunade, perhaps Konoha truly is no longer the Konoha it once was. But with a great war imminent, you must not act impulsively!"

At this moment, Tsunade was undoubtedly furious. Yet the instant she raised her head, calm had returned to her face.

That calm left Uzumaki Mito speechless.

"Grandma, don't worry."

Tsunade would become the future Fifth Hokage. Impulsiveness was part of her nature, but that did not mean she lacked intelligence.

When it came to important matters, she not only had her own opinions, but also possessed political acumen. She was more than merely a simple shinobi; otherwise, she would never have taken the position of Fifth Hokage.

Seeing Tsunade calm down so quickly, Uzumaki Mito revealed a relieved smile.

"Tsunade, Grandma does not have much time left. The clan and Kushina will depend on you from now on."

Just then, both women's expressions changed. It was obvious that they had sensed someone approaching from outside.

"Tsunade!"

At the familiar sound of Jiraiya's voice, the moment the door opened, Tsunade put on an ordinarily irritated expression and said:

"Jiraiya, if you do not have a good reason, you owe me an explanation!"

However, Jiraiya's expression was grave at that moment. The anger on Tsunade's face gradually vanished, replaced by the look of someone with a terrible premonition.

She forced a stiff smile.

"Jiraiya! Don't tell me the front lines have suddenly become tense!"

But it seemed as though Jiraiya had something lodged in his throat. After a long while, he lowered his voice.

"Tsunade, Orochimaru has returned. He is at the morgue!"

Boom!

A bolt of lightning flashed, illuminating Tsunade's vacant, disbelieving eyes. It seemed she had already thought of something.

The next moment!

Bang!

Water splashed in every direction as Tsunade burst forth at her fastest speed and rushed toward her destination.

Seeing this, Jiraiya hurried after her.

It had to be said that women were born able to act, let alone shinobi. From beginning to end, Tsunade had not revealed the slightest flaw.

Under the dark sky, heavy rain poured down.

Before the morgue, the sound of abruptly halted footsteps rang out, followed by harsh panting.

Tsunade stared at the place in disbelief. Orochimaru was leaning outside the door as well.

That panting was not from exhaustion, but from nervousness!

Just as Tsunade trembled and prepared to step forward, the arriving Jiraiya revealed a sorrowful expression.

"It would be better not to look at the body."

For Jiraiya to say such a thing, one could imagine how miserable the corpse must have been.

Leaning against the doorway, a lock of black hair obscuring his vision, Orochimaru spoke in an extremely calm, low voice.

"What is there to see? You would not recognize him as your own brother even after seeing him."

"Shut up, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya hastily snapped at his companion.

But Orochimaru merely sneered, concealing the grief deep within his eyes.

"He is already a dead man whose appearance has been altered. They are all like this, because there are no doctors on the battlefield. But for a child, it is a little too cruel."

"Especially the day after receiving a gift!"

Orochimaru spoke in a casual tone, as though the matter had nothing to do with him. At the same time, he took a pendant from his clothes.

In an instant, as that familiar necklace pendant appeared, Tsunade's pupils dilated and her eyes went blank.

Jiraiya beside her could not bear to watch and turned his head away.

This was war!

After a long while, her trembling hand accepted the necklace. Two streams of tears were already running down Tsunade's face.

"Nawaki!"

Her grief-stricken cries echoed through the rainy night, leaving the Konoha shinobi outside with darkened expressions.

Shinobi had always been a profession that walked alongside death.

Especially during wartime, such heart-rending cries occurred almost every day.

Within the Land of Fire.

Fine rain fell steadily, and the air carried the scent of earth.

"August 10th. Yesterday was Nawaki's twelfth birthday, so Tsunade should have learned about it today."

Even if what happened to Nawaki had truly been a coincidence, once they knew about it beforehand, it was no longer a coincidence.

That was the human heart!

On a tree trunk, Uchiha Yoru concealed his presence and could not help raising his head to look at the night sky.

"Yoru!"

A black blur suddenly flashed past and appeared behind him, drawing Uchiha Yoru's attention.

Under the rainy night, Uchiha Mikoto carried a clan-standard longsword on her back. Her Two Tomoe Sharingan stared toward a distant cave.

"According to the ninja cats' scent tracking, that person is inside!"

Usually gentle, Uchiha Mikoto was filled with cold severity at this moment. As she looked at the cave, killing intent seeped from her eyes.

Tap!

The next moment, Uchiha Yoru's hand settled on her shoulder, instantly dispelling her killing intent.

"Sister Mikoto."

That soft call brought Uchiha Mikoto back to herself. She looked gravely toward the distant cave.

And inside the dark cave.

"A man? A woman?"

Within the dark, damp cave, a gaunt old man slowly raised his head. He seemed to sense something, and his calm voice carried an eerie undertone.

"I've decided. If a woman rushes in this time, I'll kill her!"

The calmness in his eyes gradually gave way to madness, yet he continued staring fixedly at the cave entrance.