"Wait, that symbol..." Boruto scratched his head, searching his memory. "It looks so familiar! I feel like I've seen it somewhere, but I can't quite remember."
"That's the Senju Crest." Shikadai's voice rang clearly through the enclosed passage, his expression intent.
"I saw it in some old records and the Family Tree in my dad's study."
"When Konoha was founded, the two most important clans were the Uchiha and the Senju Clan. That's the Senju Clan's emblem."
"Oh! Right, right!" Boruto slapped his forehead. "No wonder it looked familiar! Lord First Hokage was from the Senju Clan!"
"So was this place a secret shrine the Senju Clan built in the Land of Wind during the Warring States Period? Or a hideout?"
"No." Shikadai frowned, sweeping his light carefully over the crest again, then across the other markings that remained nearby.
"That doesn't make sense. During the Warring States Period, ninja clans had fiercely defined territories."
"The Senju Clan's main sphere of influence was undoubtedly in what's now the Land of Fire, where they fought the Uchiha Clan for years."
"The Land of Wind was far away, and the environment was harsh. Why would they build a permanent underground structure here, one this large and this finely made?"
"Uh... Maybe it was for a secret alliance? Or a refuge?" Boruto guessed.
"Unlikely. Relations between the major clans were tense in the Warring States Period. Establishing a hideout this far away would have been too risky, with little strategic value."
Shikadai shook his head. "Unless..."
Boruto's startled cry cut off his thoughts.
"Ow!"
Boruto caught his foot on something and stumbled forward, but reacted quickly enough to brace himself against the wall. "What was that?" he muttered, shining his flashlight at his feet.
A kunai lay in the shadowed corner of the