Entrustment

Under Senju Tobirama's leadership, Konoha had developed well. The villagers' lives were steadily improving, and everything appeared orderly.

Its relations with the other villages had also relatively eased as the small countries along the borders gradually unified. Diplomacy proceeded normally, trade flourished, and they had entered a stage of mutual development.

There were even rumors that some major villages wished to ally with Konoha to mend the rifts left by the previous war. However, they remained only rumors; no major village had actually made a proposal. Instead, several small countries had shown considerable goodwill toward Konoha, each hoping to form an alliance with it.

Senju Tobirama naturally welcomed them all.

However, an incident that had occurred recently gave Senju Tobirama quite a headache. About three months ago, a powerful explosion had taken place in the southern Land of Fire, in an area fairly far from Konoha. Its aftershock had even affected a radius of several hundred miles.

Unfortunately, by the time Konoha's Anbu arrived, they found nothing. The ground had become a scorched wasteland, a sight that was truly shocking.

Senju Tobirama later went there himself. The moment he saw that stretch of land, he thought of the Valley of the End.

Back when Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had clashed, the earth had likewise been reduced to the sight before him.

Unfortunately, even with Senju Tobirama personally investigating, he found no useful intelligence. Still, he firmly believed that such a scene could not have formed naturally. Natural disasters such as earthquakes could not possibly create it. Even if a meteor had fallen from the sky, there should have been scattered rocks all around.

Thus, he increased the Anbu presence, deploying hundreds of reconnaissance ninja to the region, including experts from the Hyuga Clan and Inuzuka Clan.

Yet without exception,