Too Late Is Too Late

Yagami had accepted a mission to report in, so he was in no hurry.

The pursuit ahead was extremely complicated.

Uzumaki Kushina was at the very front, followed by two Konoha Anbu squads, with the Cloud Ninja seeking to seize Uzu Hidden Village's Forbidden Scroll bringing up the rear.

There were roughly three Cloud Ninja squads.

If Yagami moved too quickly, he might run into a large number of Cloud Ninja and die without even knowing how.

Outside the Capital of the Land of Whirlpools, Yagami came upon a battlefield.

Many corpses littered the ground—Cloud Ninja, Konoha Anbu, and five especially conspicuous bodies bearing both the Land of Whirlpools Daimyo's crest and the Uzumaki Clan emblem.

The Land of Whirlpools Daimyo's Guardian Ninja were dead.

Those Guardian Ninja had been very strong. There were no corpses within a dozen meters of them; the Cloud Ninja had worn them down with long-range ninjutsu.

Yagami created a Shadow Clone and had it search the bodies for loot.

Some Shadow Clones died to traps set on the Ninja Tool Pouches.

After spending quite some time, Yagami found 300,000 ryō and three Exploding Tags.

These ninja really should have brought more valuable things when they went out. What cheapskates.

Continuing onward, Yagami came across more than a dozen battlefields of various sizes and looted another 100,000 ryō.

He now possessed the enormous sum of 1.1 million ryō. Even an S-rank mission only paid 1 million ryō.

With this money, he could indulge himself once he returned to Konoha.

As he neared the Land of Fire's border, Yagami became increasingly cautious.

The Cloud Ninja would not easily enter the Land of Fire, where many Konoha intelligence squads were stationed.

Climbing a high mountain, Yagami surveyed the surroundings through binoculars.

He found them!

At the foot of a distant slope, the Cloud Ninja had already half-encircled the two Konoha Anbu squads.

Behind the Konoha Anbu squads stood Shimura Danzō, holding Uzumaki Kushina by the hand.

White Spear Heron, Yatagarasu, the giant eagle, and the other Summoned Beasts were nowhere to be seen.

Like a frightened bird, Uzumaki Kushina trembled in Shimura Danzō's grasp.

There was not a single Uzumaki Ninja nearby, nor was there a single Uzumaki Summoned Beast.

Facing the Cloud Ninja's blockade, Shimura Danzō did not care in the slightest. His other hand was pressed against Uzu Hidden Village's Forbidden Scroll.

That Forbidden Scroll recorded every sealing secret technique and forbidden sealing technique of the Uzumaki Clan. It was truly tempting.

Not to mention the Cloud Ninja—upon seeing the Forbidden Scroll from afar, even Yagami's heart began to race faster.

Danzō's face was ashen as he cast Uzumaki Kushina a venomous look.

It was not Uzumaki Kushina he hated, but Dan Katō.

Having obtained the Uzumaki Clan's Forbidden Scroll, Danzō had planned to learn the sealing secret techniques before anyone else.

However, Dan Katō had used the Spiritualist Technique to cross over a thousand miles and possess Uzumaki Kushina.

Speaking through Uzumaki Kushina, Dan Katō told him that he was watching everything happening here.

Senju Clan Head Senju Rin was at Dan Katō's side.

With Dan Katō keeping watch, Shimura Danzō held the Forbidden Scroll but could not read it.

The Senju Clan was still powerful enough to leave Konoha's upper ranks struggling for breath.

The Senju Clan had many jonin, as well as an Elite Jonin like Dan Katō, who had mastered a forbidden technique.

Dan Katō was also Tsunade's lover and fiercely loyal to the Senju Clan.

Many of Danzō's previous arrangements had been disrupted by Dan Katō.

The Spiritualist Technique was simply too heaven-defying. Dan Katō alone could monitor countless corners of the ninja world and possess people thousands of miles away.

At the thought of Dan Katō, Danzō's gaze grew colder and colder.

Yagami hurriedly rushed down from the mountaintop.

It was not because he was eager to join the Anbu's battle, but because a large number of Konoha Ninja had appeared in the forest behind them!

Konoha's reinforcements had arrived!

Konoha and Uzu Hidden Village were allies. How could Konoha stand idly by when Uzu Hidden Village was in trouble?

Yagami swiftly leaped down the slope and headed straight for the flank of the battlefield.

From afar, he spotted an important figure among the reinforcements.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had actually led the forces personally to aid Uzu Hidden Village.

Besides the Third Hokage, Mitokado Homura had also come among the upper ranks.

Yagami also saw many members of the Senju Clan, all wearing clothes emblazoned with the Senju crest.

Even the Senju Clan Head, Senju Rin, had come.

Senju Rin was the son of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and Tsunade's father.

At this time, Tsunade had yet to earn the title of one of the Sannin. Most of her renown came from being the Senju Clan's princess and the Third Hokage's disciple.

Standing closest to Senju Rin was the son-in-law he favored, Dan Katō.

"Uncle!"

The moment Uzumaki Kushina saw Senju Rin, she became excited. She swung her arm, trying to pull her hand free from Shimura Danzō's grasp.

Shimura Danzō glanced at Senju Rin, then at Dan Katō.

Senju Rin frowned. What did Danzō mean by this?

Danzō had no choice but to release Uzumaki Kushina's hand and let her run toward Senju Rin.

Senju Rin wrapped an arm around Kushina's back and gently patted her.

"Uncle! The Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja launched a surprise attack on the village! Clan Head Grandpa died together with the Third Mizukage, and the village was destroyed!"

"What? The village was destroyed?"

"What? The Third Mizukage is dead?"

Senju Rin and Mitokado Homura each cried out.

The news was simply too shocking.

Uzu Hidden Village was no small shinobi village. It housed thousands of Uzumaki Clan members, many small shinobi clans that had been absorbed into the village, and civilian ninja it had trained itself.

With more than three thousand ninja, it ranked among the top two shinobi villages beneath the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Furthermore, the Uzumaki Clan possessed many large Summoned Beasts and nearly unsolvable Sealing Jutsu. No shinobi village would dare claim it could easily take down Uzu Hidden Village.

Mitokado Homura and Sarutobi Hiruzen exchanged a glance, both delighted and sorrowful.

They were delighted because Konoha's next Jinchuriki had been secured. Danzō had successfully brought back the Uzumaki Princess, along with Uzu Hidden Village's Scroll of Seals.

The Third Mizukage was dead as well, meaning Konoha had one formidable enemy fewer on the eastern battlefield.

What saddened them was the destruction of an allied shinobi village, which was worthy of sympathy.

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, signaling all the Konoha Ninja behind him to charge and wipe out the pursuing Cloud Ninja.

He himself walked toward Uzumaki Kushina, his tone full of regret. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki Princess. The Mist Ninja and Cloud Ninja blocked all intelligence. Konoha deployed two thousand ninja to rescue Uzu Hidden Village, but we never expected to still arrive too late."

What could Uzumaki Kushina say?

There were countless Konoha Ninja around her. Konoha's commitment could not be called small.

But too late was too late. Everything was over.

Senju Rin's face turned pale.

Uzu Hidden Village had many relatives from the Senju Clan.

Kushina called him uncle, and he had called the Uzumaki Clan Head uncle as well.

His mother, Uzumaki Mito, was the Uzumaki Clan Head's elder sister.

There were also many of his nephews there, as well as nieces he had married off into the village.

Uzu Hidden Village was not merely an ally. Many members of the Senju Clan had married into families there.

Intermarriage within a shinobi clan could preserve the purity of bloodlines, but it also continuously accumulated bloodline diseases.

The Uzumaki Clan was an important marriage ally of the Senju Clan. Marrying between the two clans would not only avoid weakening their bloodlines, but also eliminate bloodline diseases.

Without the Uzumaki Clan, what would become of the Senju Clan?

Once two thousand Konoha Ninja moved, the three Cloud Ninja squads did not even have a chance to flee. Within minutes, they were slaughtered at the border.

Senju Rin looked at Shimura Danzō.

"Advisor Danzō, hand the Scroll of Seals over to me. Kushina is still young. I'll safeguard it for her."

Danzō glanced at Kushina. This was the critical period for transferring the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. He did not want any mishap regarding the Jinchuriki, nor did he want Kushina to develop any resentment.

He handed the Scroll of Seals over to the Senju Clan.

Yagami found the Yellow Dog Squad Leader and reported the Black Gorilla Squad's situation to him.

After hearing him out, the Yellow Dog Squad Leader did not make the decision himself. Instead, he brought Yagami to see Advisor Danzō.

Since it involved an Uzumaki Elder, it was better to let Advisor Danzō decide.

As Yagami approached Konoha's upper ranks, he heard the Senju Clan Head and Mitokado Homura engaged in a fierce argument.