Second Hokage, Your Cause of Death

A day later, Kawadera Uchiha and Seigetsu Senju crawled out of the tree hollow.

That morning's treatment had ended.

After moving around a little, Kawadera Uchiha found that all his muscle strains had healed. Not only that, his muscles felt stronger.

He looked at Seigetsu Senju in confusion, unsure whether it was merely his imagination.

Seigetsu Senju said, "You finally noticed!

Controlled, mild microtears in muscle fibers, combined with perfect repair, can increase muscle strength.

The Senju Clan possesses extraordinary constitutions. First, it is because of talent. Second, it is because the Senju Clan is also the strongest medical ninja clan in the Land of Fire, even the entire Shinobi World.

Training every day until mild muscle fiber damage appears, then having the clan's medical ninja repair it, can continuously improve one's constitution.

I have trained this way since childhood.

The Senju Clan's bloodline is particularly suited to this training method. Other ninja may not see results as good as ours, but this method still helps them greatly."

Kawadera Uchiha was greatly astonished. He had not expected the Senju Clan's strength to extend to every aspect.

They had developed a training method suitable for ordinary clan members.

It seemed he had to find a way to help Seigetsu Senju earn more of Tsunade's trust and learn more medical ninjutsu. Only then could she master stronger medical ninjutsu and help him grow stronger.

Looking at the panel, his [Body] had increased by 0.1 and his [Strength] by 0.3.

As his constitution improved, his [Essence], which represented chakra reserves, had also increased by 0.1.

[Kawadera Uchiha's Eight Ninja Stats:

Ninjutsu—6.4, Body—6.3, Genjutsu—8.0, Wisdom—6.9;

Strength—4.5, Speed—6.1, Essence—6.9, Seals—6.7.

Overall Rating—51.7]

"Let's go. We can continue on our way."

They encountered no more assassins until they left the forests of the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Grass.

Conflict had many dimensions. After repeated attempts on Nawaki's life, Tsunade and Orochimaru had become vigilant, so enemies both within and outside Konoha had to behave themselves for a while.

After wandering around the main camp, which looked much the same as when they had left, Kawadera Uchiha suddenly sensed something unusual in his Sea of Consciousness.

"I am giving you an A-rank mission: assist in investigating who was behind the assassination attempt on Nawaki."

Kawadera Uchiha heard the urgency beneath Tobirama Senju's calm tone.

Tobirama Senju rarely assigned missions on his own initiative.

"What is it, Second Hokage? Can't you sit still anymore? Do you really want to know who the mastermind is?"

Tobirama Senju said, "Given Little Tsunade and Orochimaru's capabilities, this should not have dragged on for so long.

More than a month has passed without an answer, and everything is calm. That proves the mastermind has a special identity, and they have encountered enormous resistance."

Kawadera Uchiha felt that he had found Tobirama Senju's weakness.

Without descendants, there were no weaknesses. Such a person was truly invincible.

Tobirama Senju cared deeply about Nawaki Senju. Last time, he had paid for the forbidden technique Eight Inner Gates for Nawaki. This time, he was generously offering an A-rank mission reward.

He asked a question. "Second Hokage, setting Nawaki aside for now, I really want to ask you something. Why did you still die on the battlefield when you had the Flying Thunder God?"

After asking, Kawadera Uchiha expected to hear another lecture about the Will of Fire. It would probably be something about six guards who were also six disciples, and a moment of carelessness amid constant delays.

After a long silence, Kawadera Uchiha assumed Tobirama Senju was unwilling to answer and was about to leave the Sea of Consciousness.

"I could have escaped, and I already had.

But...

I had given each of my six disciples a Flying Thunder God kunai. At a critical moment, it could save their lives.

When Cloud Ninja pursued us, I believed I had delayed them long enough. Worried that my six disciples had not gotten far enough away, I used the Flying Thunder God to return to them.

However...

Someone tampered with my Flying Thunder God kunai.

Betrayal. Betrayal was what killed me.

Cloud Ninja had set a trap beside the tampered Flying Thunder God kunai.

In a moment of carelessness, I died there."

"What?! Someone tampered with your Flying Thunder God kunai? Who?" Kawadera Uchiha asked. "Who was it? Who do you think it was?"

Tobirama Senju spoke rapidly, voicing the thoughts he had wrestled with for months since entering Kawadera Uchiha's Sea of Consciousness:

"It absolutely could not have been Little Monkey. I had no children in my life, yet I had no regrets. Little Monkey filled the place of a son in my heart.

Even if I had had a child, he would have been no different from Little Monkey.

It absolutely could not have been Danzo. I was strict with Danzo, but I also cared for him.

It absolutely could not have been Koharu. She was a gentle girl.

It absolutely could not have been Homura. Mitokado Homura understood advancement, retreat, and compromise better than anyone. He would never do something so harmful and utterly without benefit.

It absolutely could not have been Torifu. Torifu was simple and honest by nature, the most guileless of them all.

It absolutely could not have been Kagami. Kagami was an Uchiha who appeared only once every few decades, someone capable of understanding the village and understanding others."

Kawadera Uchiha hurriedly said, "You named six people it 'absolutely could not have been,' but the one who tampered with it was one of those six."

No way?

Why does it still sound like the inherently evil Uchiha are taking the blame? Could it really have been my cousin, Kagami Uchiha?

"I said it definitely was not Kagami Uchiha. Not every Uchiha is as extremely selfish and self-serving as you."

"Then who was it?"

Tobirama Senju fell silent. He had pondered this question for months, yet he was as lost as when he had been six years old and could not understand why his brother was so powerful.

Something had to be wrong somewhere, but nowhere could possibly be wrong.

Kawadera Uchiha asked, "How about giving me an S-rank mission to investigate the true cause of your death?"

The dignified Second Hokage, a Second Hokage who had mastered the Flying Thunder God, dying at the hands of some lowly Cloud Ninja was already ridiculous enough. Now there was even a traitor?

Was the traitor one of those six guards and disciples whom it was "absolutely impossible" to suspect?

Do your teeth hurt? Hahaha, my little teeth are about to fall out from laughing!

You said so many times that it was "absolutely impossible." You were not telling me anything. You were trying to convince yourself.

You were pitifully and humbly trying to convince yourself.

Give me an S-rank mission reward, and I will investigate your cause of death."

"No!" Tobirama Senju rejected him outright.

"My death is already an established fact. Investigating its cause is worth, at most, a D-rank mission.

Through you, I have learned about present-day Konoha. Overall, it remains within the bounds of what I expected.

The cause of my death is not worth wasting any of Konoha's ninjutsu.

Nor should the cause of my death stir up any further turmoil."

"Your mouth is really tough, tougher than your brother's Wood Human. Still, I accept!"

Tobirama Senju wanted to say something else, but Kawadera Uchiha spoke firmly:

"Even if you will not give me any reward, I will definitely complete this D-rank mission!

I never rise early without profit, and I abandon loyalty for gain, but when it comes to you being deceived, I, Kawadera Uchiha, have to test the waters!

I just want to know how poor your judgment of people really was.

Pure curiosity!"

Kawadera Uchiha continued:

"I know you are noble and honorable. You do not want to waste resources over something that is already settled.

We are now neighbors who cannot see one another. I am outside, and you are inside.

Your business is my business. I do not care about D-rank mission rewards. I am simply curious.

The stigma of dying at the hands of Cloud Ninja must be cleared from your name."

For an instant, Tobirama Senju was moved.

Kawadera Uchiha continued, "But let me make this clear, it may take me five or eight years to get to the bottom of this mission."

Tobirama Senju felt that his momentary gratitude had been a weakness.

"You would not spend eight years completing a D-rank mission with almost no reward. I have seen many flatterers. You are merely one of them, and a particularly clumsy one at that.

Focus on the A-rank mission before you: investigate the mastermind behind Nawaki's assassination attempt.

As long as you obtain conclusive evidence, I will give you an A-rank mission reward."

Kawadera Uchiha neither agreed nor disagreed. Carrying the captive captain on his back, he headed toward the command tent.

It seemed he needed to find a way to remain with Orochimaru and investigate why this captive captain had tried to assassinate Nawaki, as well as why he had tried to assassinate him.

When they reached the vicinity of the command tent, Tsunade came over to greet them first.

"Sorry, Xingyue. The mission I gave you was a cover. The fact that your squad was protecting Nawaki could not be kept hidden from everyone. I hope you do not mind."