The Truth Behind the Destruction?

"Lady Tsunade, watch your image! Your image!"

Shizune's face turned red as she panicked.

"It's fine, Shizune. We're all family, hahaha!"

Tsunade realized that it was indeed somewhat inappropriate and could only wave her hand boldly.

A blessing for ball-loving spectators! As expected of Lady Tsunade—she really was generous in every sense!

Doichi Hyuga accepted the scroll, yet it somehow felt scorching in his hands. He had handled quite a few scrolls of even greater value before, but this was the first time he had felt this way. How strange!

After reading for half an hour, Doichi Hyuga sorted out the principles and concepts behind the Yin Seal. He closed the scroll and returned it to Tsunade.

What Doichi Hyuga valued most about the Yin Seal was its ability to regulate chakra and keep the body's functions at their peak.

Both traits could improve a shinobi's overall combat ability. It was a rare support-type ninjutsu and highly valuable as a reference.

"Doichi Hyuga, thank you for taking care of Rena and her daughter. That should have been my responsibility. Thank you!"

Tsunade's willingness to hand over the Yin Seal also carried her gratitude for caring for the Uzumaki mother and daughter.

There was no need to elaborate on the relationship between the Senju Clan and the Uzumaki Clan—they had been steadfast allies for a thousand years. When Tsunade had arrived in the Land of Whirlpools, it had already been reduced to ruins. She had not found a single person, leaving her consumed by fury.

"But why didn't you bring them into Konoha?"

After holding the question in for days, Tsunade finally asked it.

"Lady Tsunade, we were the ones who didn't want to go. It had nothing to do with Lord Dao Yi."

Rena Uzumaki lowered her head and defended him.

"Why not?"

Tsunade could not understand and asked outright.

"On the day the Land of Whirlpools was attacked, the elders saw Konoha ANBU!"

Rena Uzumaki would never forget that day. Her clansmen had been slaughtered at will, and the sea had swallowed the entire Land of Whirlpools. In the end, only a handful had escaped.

"How could that be possible? Someone must have been impersonating them, right?"

Tsunade's eyes widened as she demanded loudly.

"One of them used the Aburame Clan's secret technique."

"Are you sure?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Rena Uzumaki nodded and answered helplessly.

Tsunade abruptly rose to her feet, her entire body consumed by overwhelming rage.

"Brat! Move!"

Tsunade charged out the door like a raging tyrannosaur, only for Doichi Hyuga to block her path.

"What are you going to do, Senior? Are you planning to find Lord Hokage?"

"That has nothing to do with you. Stay out of my business, or I'll deal with you first."

Tsunade's face darkened as she raised a fist in warning.

"Lady Tsunade, please calm down!"

Rena Uzumaki hurried after her, panting, and she and Shizune held Tsunade down from either side.

"All of you, get out of my way. Otherwise, I won't be polite!"

"Senior, you should investigate everything before acting! Senior Rena hasn't finished speaking yet. Don't you want to hear the rest?"

Tsunade suppressed her fury and was dragged back into the living room by the three of them.

Haku and Karin had been scared stiff. Tsunade's aura just now had been terrifying.

"Senior Rena, please continue."

"Those Konoha ANBU took the sealing technique scrolls and captured two children. The clan elders led six of us in pursuit, but we failed to rescue them."

Hearing this, Tsunade's expression improved somewhat. Although the other side had not killed anyone, another issue concerned her even more.

"Later, when news came that the Land of Whirlpools had been attacked, the elder ordered us to split into three groups and flee. He decided to return alone to rescue the clansmen, but we never saw him again. The six of us were also completely scattered while avoiding pursuit."

"Karin's father and I were fairly lucky and escaped the pursuit. I just don't know what became of the others. Later, Karin's father died of illness, and I brought Karin to join Kusagakure."

Tsunade had seen the bite marks on Rena Uzumaki's body. If Rena Uzumaki had not stopped her, she would have already torn Kusagakure apart.

Six people escaped, but the numbers didn't add up! Rena and her husband, plus Honoka Uzumaki's parents. Where did the last two go? Were they dead?

Doichi Hyuga calculated silently.

The Uzumaki Clan had fared slightly better than the Takeori Clan. At least a few of them were still alive.

Kushina Uzumaki and Nagato's parents could not be counted among those six.

Kushina Uzumaki had already arrived in Konoha before the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed.

When the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, Nagato had already been born. Nagato's parents must have fled the Land of Whirlpools with him, or perhaps they had left even earlier.

"When was the Land of Whirlpools attacked?"

Doichi Hyuga asked.

"All I know is that it was about a year after the Second Hokage passed away!"

Rena Uzumaki thought for a moment. She had been too young at the time and could not remember many details clearly. When Tsunade heard mention of the Second Hokage, her expression quickly darkened.

Rena Uzumaki's answer also confirmed that Nagato had been born before the Second Shinobi World War.

The Second Shinobi World War had begun around Konoha's thirty-seventh year and lasted roughly four years. Jiraiya had encountered Nagato's group of three near the end of the war, when they were already eight or nine years old.

By that calculation, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki were about five years older than Nagato's group.

Tobirama Senju had likely died in the first year of the Second Shinobi World War, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had succeeded him as Hokage that same year.

Because he had ascended to the position under the Second Hokage's final orders, the normal procedures had not been followed. There should have been many people in Konoha who refused to accept Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his control over Konoha had been insufficient.

While Tobirama Senju had been in office, he had explicitly stated that the Hokage should be chosen democratically.

The Hidden Cloud Village, the Hidden Mist Village, and perhaps even Iwagakure. They had joined forces to attack the Land of Whirlpools, Konoha's loyal ally, further weakening Konoha.

"Right, I remember something that happened before the Land of Whirlpools was attacked. One of Konoha's elder advisors suddenly visited the Land of Whirlpools, and the daimyo became furious over it!"

Rena Uzumaki recalled something that might have been connected to the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools.

"When I was little, I was rather mischievous. My playmates and I were all curious about it, so we asked the daimyo's children. It turned out that the Konoha elder had invited us to join Konoha, but the daimyo sternly refused. Afterward, they argued, and that Konoha elder was driven away by the furious daimyo!"

"Looks like that elder foresaw the crisis facing the Land of Whirlpools. If your daimyo had accepted, perhaps the Land of Whirlpools could have been preserved."

Doichi Hyuga sighed inwardly, while his thoughts continued to mock them. What a case of bringing disaster upon yourselves! Fine, a shinobi clan founding a country was one thing, but you were arrogant enough to call yourselves daimyo. You were an isolated island overseas, with less than a third of the territory of even the smallest nation—the Land of Grass.

Who gave you such courage? Weren't you just asking to be destroyed? And what role did the daimyo of the various countries play in all this? Perhaps only heaven knew.

"If that elder foresaw the Land of Whirlpools' crisis, why didn't Konoha take any measures? Rena, do you know anything else?"

Tsunade might have been reckless, but she was also perceptive. She had actually caught the implication in Doichi Hyuga's words.

"Nothing else. If I remember any information, I'll tell you, Lady Tsunade."

"Brat! I'm going back to Konoha. Are you coming with me?"

Tsunade was in a foul mood and did not want to take action against Doichi Hyuga, so she came up with this idea.

"No need. Senior Tsunade, just don't expose me. I have nothing to do with the Uzumaki Clan, and I don't know any of them. As long as you can guarantee that, I definitely won't stop you."