The Ninja Army had been happily plundering the rich when Tobirama's sudden summons caught them off guard. They hurriedly put down their gold, silver, and treasures and gathered in a panic before the ruins of the Tenshukaku.
As soon as they approached, the battle-hardened shinobi noticed a faint scent of blood drifting through the thick smoke. They exchanged glances, then looked toward the dense forest that had overturned the building, along with the mangled chunks of flesh and scraps of fine clothing caught among its branches. A chill ran through them as they immediately realized that the person who had killed the Daimyō was none other than their Lord Hokage.
That realization struck everyone present like a thunderbolt. After all, as far as they were concerned, killing a Daimyō seemed more like something Hashirama's close friend Madara Uchiha would do.
Their astonishment lasted only a moment, however, before an angry shout from the grim-faced Tobirama snapped them back to their senses.
The magnificent, lavish palace before them had now been burned beyond recognition by raging flames. Fire blazed into the sky, illuminating both the shinobi's bewildered, helpless expressions and Tobirama's terrifyingly dark face.
"Who started this fire?"
The Ninja Army froze. They looked at one another, then at the furious Tobirama Senju, and hurriedly protested at the top of their lungs:
"Lord Tobirama, it really wasn't us!"
They had been in the city the entire time, looting nobles and wealthy merchants. In so little time, they had not even finished stripping the mansions they were working on. How could they possibly have gone to the palace to set it on fire? This had absolutely nothing to do with them!
"Wait, Lord Tobirama. Didn't this fire start inside?"
The Nara Clan shinobi were the first to spot the clue. At the