Senju Ken's Cause of Death

"After the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha died, the Second Hokage might not have been the strongest in the Shinobi World, but his ability to stay alive was absolutely second to none. The Flying Thunder God Slash he developed was an offensive technique, but it was also perfectly suited for escaping."

"The enemy seized upon his weakness, using his young subordinates as hostages. They forced him to stay behind and fight to the death, buying enough time for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others to escape."

"What if the ambush against the Second Hokage wasn't merely a spur-of-the-moment rebellion by Hidden Cloud Village?" Kakashi asked, looking at the utterly numb Hatake Sakumo before him.

Hatake Sakumo, whose mind had gone completely blank, did not react at all. He simply waited quietly for Kakashi's analysis.

After being a ninja for so many years, today was probably the day he had most keenly felt his own incompetence... His intelligence had been completely crushed.

"As far as I know, before the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans attached themselves to the Senju Clan during the Warring States period, they had once been retainers of the Land of Fire's daimyo... So is it possible that—"

"Because of the Land of Whirlpools incident, after the First Hokage died, the only obstacle preventing the daimyos of the various nations from destroying the Land of Whirlpools was Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage."

"If the Second Hokage's ambush had been a premeditated operation from beginning to end, and the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans played disgraceful roles in it... and Senior Senju Ken learned of it... There should have still been other members of the Senju Clan alive then, right? Even if there weren't, Senior Senju Ken, Tsunade, and Lady Mito alone would have been more than enough to crush the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans combined."

"...That's only your speculation, isn't it?"

"Of course, it's only speculation. But the established fact is that Senior Senju Ken was murdered. There was no other way he could have come into direct conflict with Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi held the moral high ground. The position of Hokage had been personally passed down to him by the Second Hokage. No one could deny that. And Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't the sort of person who would commit heinous acts for petty gain, so it couldn't have been some other disgraceful matter that Senior Senju Ken discovered, forcing them to murder him."

"So I boldly speculate that, Father, you at least have a direction to investigate now, don't you?"

"You're right. No matter what the cause was, my teacher really was killed by them. I won't let him die for nothing. It's just... I'm worried about you..." Hatake Sakumo finally voiced the concern that weighed most heavily on his heart.

"Don't worry, Father. It's not like I'm telling you to go chop down Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others right now. I'll be careful too. From now on, don't deliberately investigate those old matters. Focus on improving your strength, wait for the right moment, and lull them into complacency."

"Mm... I understand."

The conversation ended there.

Early the next morning, an ANBU agent came to their home. The Third Hokage had summoned Hatake Sakumo.

Meanwhile, after getting ready, Kakashi headed toward the mission assignment center.

In Konoha, missions did not have to be issued by the Hokage alone. Other high-ranking officials also took shifts at the mission assignment center.

The elder on duty today was Mitokado Homura.

Though only recently past his prime, Mitokado Homura already showed faint signs of age on his face.

After occupying a high position for many years, he had neglected his training. Compared to his peak, his vigor had declined greatly. Everyone knew that personal strength was the ultimate foundation of all security, but how many people could truly persist day after day, year after year?

In the end, being swept aside by the tide of the times was the norm for most people.

"You're finally here, Kakashi! You sure took your time." The three people from Minato's Team had already been waiting. The moment Kakashi entered, Inuzuka Kawa voiced his displeasure.

"Morning, Minato-sensei. Morning, Haru." Completely ignoring Inuzuka Kawa, Kakashi greeted Minato and Aburame Haru.

"Alright, let's get a mission." Stopping Inuzuka Kawa before he could start causing trouble again, Minato led them toward the mission counter.

Mitokado Homura, seated behind the counter, saw Minato's Team. More precisely, when he saw Hatake Kakashi, an unreadable glint flashed through his eyes behind his plain glasses.

It had to be said that after living in comfort for too long, even his most basic ability to conceal his emotions had deteriorated.

Not only did Kakashi, who had long been on guard, notice something was off, even Minato, with his naturally sharp senses, detected the oddity.

"Elder Mito. Genin Team 7, led by their squad leader, Namikaze Minato, has come to receive today's mission. Please give us your instructions!" Meticulous as ever, Namikaze Minato slightly lowered his head and waited for an answer.

"Minato, the village has been somewhat short-handed lately. Although your team was only recently formed, considering your strength, there shouldn't be a problem with taking on a C-rank escort mission, right?"

Although phrased as a question, Mitokado Homura had already handed over the mission document he had prepared long ago.

Trusting his first instinct, Namikaze Minato was still considering how to refuse the mission when Inuzuka Kawa behind him started shouting loudly.

"There definitely won't be any problem, Elder! Team 7 is the strongest team of this graduating class! Hehe, this must be the first C-rank mission any team from our class has received!"

Already tired of endlessly repeating boring D-rank missions, Inuzuka Kawa urged Minato with his eyes to accept the mission quickly. Aburame Haru beside him also seemed to show a look of anticipation.

"Hahaha, young people need that kind of drive to grow quickly! Minato, you won't disappoint your subordinates, will you?"

To prevent Minato from refusing, Mitokado Homura even used "subordinates," a term no longer commonly used for fresh graduates, instead of the usual "students."

Minato, now put on the spot, found himself caught between a rock and a hard place.

"It should be fine, Minato-sensei. It's only a C-rank mission. There shouldn't be any overly powerful hostile ninja, right? With your abilities, sensei, there shouldn't be a problem."

Seeing the stalemate, Kakashi reminded Minato.

Though he did not know why Kakashi was joining in, Minato could only take the offered way out.

"Since it is the elder's instruction, Team 7 will certainly do our utmost to complete the mission."

"Good, good! Haha, Konoha needs young ninjas like you to continuously inherit the glory of your predecessors and carry it forward!" Mitokado Homura said happily. After all, the plan arranged for today had begun smoothly, so naturally he was in high spirits.

After waiting a while, a Konoha staff member brought the client for this mission—the merchant who needed escorting—into the mission assignment center, allowing Minato's Team and the client to acquaint themselves.

After a brief exchange, the merchant went alone to wait at the village gate.

After leaving the mission assignment center, Minato's Team returned home separately to prepare their gear.

Since they had not expected to receive a C-rank mission today, much less an escort mission outside the village, preparing their gear took some time. About half an hour later, the four met the merchant at the village gate. Then, under Minato's lead, they stepped through Konoha's gates and began Team 7's first mission outside the village.