The Senju Clan's swift defeat did not arouse anyone's suspicion. Everything had happened naturally. It was also perfectly normal for Konoha not to send reinforcements, because everyone knew that Konoha's strength was currently insufficient.
After Senju Hushen and his wife died, the battle had already fallen apart. When the Senju first headed to the Land of Wind battlefield, they still had three veteran experts of the older generation. Now, not a single one remained, and their strength was less than a tenth of what it had been.
The small force that escaped back to Konoha was no longer the Senju of old, nor could it influence the decisions of Konoha's upper ranks.
This was precisely what Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted. From the very beginning, they had never intended to exterminate the Senju completely; they had merely given them a push when the opportunity arose.
Even now, the Senju still retained a spark of hope. As Senju Hashirama's wife, and with the naturally long lifespan of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Mizusu had lived to this day. Her prestige within the village was something no one dared ignore.
Kumogakure's decision to strike at Sunagakure rather than Konoha at this time was certainly related to Hiruzen and the others retaining a reserve force for defense, but it was also possible that they were wary of Uzumaki Mizusu's identity as the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Now that both the First and Second Kage had been dead for many years, Uzumaki Mizusu was a living legend. She had personally witnessed that magnificent era. As long as she remained alive, even if she did nothing at all, no one dared underestimate her.
However, not long after the news of the Senju Clan's tragedy returned to Konoha, the white-haired Uzumaki Mizusu fell gravely ill. Even after enduring an