Konoha: Offer your heart to the Hokage!

Looking at the bloodstains still visible on the tree bark, Senju Momoka felt as if her heart was being torn apart, her voice trembling uncontrollably: "Is the last trace of the Hokage confirmed to be here?"

“That’s right, Lady Momoka.” Aburame Ryugen pushed up his glasses and said regretfully, “My parasitic insects detected that the Hokage’s chakra disappeared right here.”

"If chakra hadn't been deliberately sealed..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, but the meaning had already been conveyed.

"The Hokage has sacrificed himself."

Senju Momoka finished his sentence for him, her tone heavy: "The most crucial question now is, where is the Hokage's body?"

Aya Inuzuka stepped forward and reported, "According to the clues from the ninja dogs, the Hokage's aura points to Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village), and his body should have already been taken away by them."

Suppressing the bitterness and grief in her heart, Momoka said, "Send back the information immediately. No matter the cost, we must retrieve the Hokage's body."

"Yes!"

"Cloud ninja are approaching." The only member of the Hyuga branch family in the group immediately warned, but his face showed some doubt. "There are only three of them, but they don't seem to be here for a fight."

Thousand Hands Peach Blossom immediately ordered everyone to take cover and be on guard.

Before long, the Cloud Village delegation, carrying the sealing scroll, was exposed to everyone's sight.

There's an unwritten rule in the ninja world that each village's envoy carries a unique insignia. No matter how intense the war situation, no village can carry out war-related missions as an envoy, let alone impersonate an envoy from another ninja village.

This is an absolute taboo; to break it would be tantamount to personally severing all possibilities of peace talks and a ceasefire. Therefore, it can be confirmed that the other party is indeed a genuine delegation from the Hidden Cloud Village.

Senju Momoka sensed something and immediately led her people out of the bushes to surround the three-person delegation.

"You are..."

"A Konoha ninja?!"

The Cloud Village envoy, Amoi, instantly assumed a defensive stance, but then, remembering his identity as an envoy, his tense expression eased slightly. He took the sealing scroll from his back and handed it to Senju Momoka.

"Now that you've come to this position, you must already know the reason, so I won't go into details. This scroll contains the remains of your Hokage."

"Please don't misunderstand, Kumogakure has no intention of restarting the war. The instigators of this rebellion, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, not only killed your Hokage, but also our Second Raikage. We have suffered the same pain."

"The two have already been dealt with by the Third Raikage."

Senju Momoka's mind was fixed on the phrase "the Hokage's remains".

She seemed dazed and didn't hear what was said after that.

With trembling hands, she opened the sealing scroll and took out Tobirama Senju's body. Looking at the bloodstains and gruesome wounds covering the body, an overwhelming grief gripped her heart.

long silence.

"That's ridiculous."

Senju Momoka retrieved Tobirama's body back into the sealing scroll, slowly rose, and said coldly, "Go back and tell your Third Raikage. Konoha will never resolve this grudge just because the Second Raikage is dead."

"Whether a new war will follow or peace will be maintained will be decided by the Third Hokage of Konoha."

Chapter 167 Returning to Konoha with an air of nonchalance, meeting the teacher in a dirty and disheveled state

The Konoha rescue team carried Tobirama's body back to Konoha, remaining silent the entire way.

The atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

Halfway through their journey, the sensory ninja in the group suddenly sensed something amiss. Following the chakra trail deep into the forest, they found the body of a female ninja that had been "crushed."

The picture is appalling.

"It's Koharu from the Shadow Guard," Aburame Ryugen reported in a low voice, her expression grave.

Senju Momoka was taken aback and immediately stepped forward to check.

The core mission of the rescue team is solely to retrieve the remains of the Second Hokage. The Kageshield members who escaped under Tobirama's cover are not part of the mission.

They are currently in a war zone within the Land of Lightning, and the situation is unclear, with the possibility of an encounter at any moment. The most important thing right now is to bring Tobirama's body back to Konoha safely as quickly as possible.

Of course, as companions, they would definitely help if they encountered them on the road. But since they failed in their duty first, the village will not spare any more resources to actively rescue them.

Looking at Koharu Utatane's body, Momoka Senju felt a mix of emotions.

She extended her affection to Tobirama's disciples, especially Koharu Utatane, whom she had personally instructed and taught.

But this incident was like a cold nail driven into her heart. A tragic, insurmountable barrier now stood between her and the Shadow Guard, and their past master-disciple relationship could never be the same again.

Even if Tobirama's intention was to cover the rear, they should have refused.

If Tobirama wants to give it, then you will accept it?

Even so, his words still had a great impact on people's hearts.

As precise as a word that awakens someone from a dream.

Under the influence of this emotion, looking at Koharu Utatane's body, Momoka Senju did not feel much sadness, but simply ordered, "Put it away and bring it back to the village."

"Yes! However... Koharu Utatane's body looks strange. This kind of injury doesn't seem to be caused by Lightning Release."

Senju Momoka also noticed this and had some guesses in her mind, but still said, "We'll take it back and have the Dark Guard and Gospel Hospital do an autopsy. We don't have any extra time to waste here."

"Yes."

...

In just a few days, the atmosphere in Konoha Village became unusually strange.

First, news of the Hidden Cloud Village breaking the peace treaty somehow spread, followed by news of the Second Hokage's suspected death.

The dramatic turn of events at the two film summits sparked considerable discussion.

Initially, the discussion was relatively normal, condemning Yunyin's treacherous behavior as something everyone should do.

But at some point, the wind began to change.

It was as if an invisible hand was manipulating public opinion, guiding the villagers' discussions toward a conspiracy. The usually amiable villagers of Konoha began to focus on the details of the meeting between the two Kage, officially released by the Hokage Building.

Known.

The Second Hokage's signature ninjutsu was the Flying Thunder God Technique. According to the living elders of the Warring States period in the village, the Second Hokage was known as the White Flash for this technique.

Moreover, the Second Hokage did not travel alone; he was accompanied by four members of the Shadow Guard led by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The question is, with the ultimate life-saving ninjutsu, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and four powerful guards protecting him, how exactly did the Second Hokage die?

That's so hard to guess!

Zen Monk Shen Er took a sip of tea from his cup.

He stood ramrod straight in the Hokage's office, looking down at Konoha, which was mired in public opinion, and smiled knowingly: "This prosperous era is just as I wished."

The public opinion storm in Konoha was naturally orchestrated by him behind the scenes.

He used his grudge to control several innocent villagers, and in places like old izakayas, he guided them to think critically. Finally, through his tireless efforts, public opinion shifted in the direction he desired.

Finally, we can see a normal public opinion environment in Konoha.

Even though I always found it strange when watching Naruto, Konoha's will to dominate everything, why wasn't the captain of the Shadow Guard who abandoned the Hokage bullied, but instead became a respected Hokage?

Clearly, the villagers weren't smart enough; they only focused their attention on the murderer, Yun Yin.

Now, after Shen'er's explanation, the villagers suddenly understood and started paying attention to the Shadow Guard.

There's nothing we can do about it...

If the four of them were to die out there, the kind-hearted Shen'er might allow them to go to see their teacher with a clear conscience.

Unfortunately, the information sent back by Uchiha Yan only resulted in the successful interception of Koharu Utatane; the other three were not found.

Since they didn't all die outside the village, they shouldn't expect to be innocent.

Hats, blame, bullying—you can't leave out any of them!

At this moment, as if sensing Shen Er's dark thoughts, his heart stirred.

In the end, Tobirama Senju's heart was devoured by Jin.

When the heart was delivered to Shen, it was in extremely poor condition, having fallen to the level of a Jonin. However, because Shen's Sage Body had already begun to take effect, even the damaged heart could be gently nurtured and repaired to its peak.

However, the prerequisite is that for a long period of time, Shen'er cannot use this water-style heart in intense battles. Once a battle begins, all the repair effects will be wasted, and the entire heart will completely die.

The real challenge lies not in repairing the heart, but in the remaining primal instincts within it.

When Jin used the Raikage's heart to kill Chloe, the heart's instincts were awakened, instinctively resisting the supply of power to Jin.

The same applies to Tobirama's Water Release Heart. Seemingly sensing Jin's sinister schemes against his disciple, the Water Release Heart exhibited a severe rejection reaction, attempting to break free from Jin's control.

If it were Shen'er, who had just obtained the Earthly Grievance, she might truly be devoured by this rejection.

But the current Shen'er is the true Lord of the Earthly Grudges! The God of the Heart Realm.

Even in his lifetime, Tobirama couldn't defeat him, let alone now that only his instinctive heart remains.

This feeble resistance was suppressed by Shen'er's absolute will, and could not stir up even the slightest disturbance.

The monk Shen'er looked towards the village gate and murmured:

"Judging by the time, it should be about time."

...

noon.

A disheveled figure staggered into the gates of Konoha Village.

The first member of the Shadow Guard to escape death was Mitokado Yan.

Looking at the familiar gates of Konoha, the weariness and sorrow that had been building up for days welled up in her heart. Mitokado Homura couldn't help but tear up and choked out in a low voice, "Konoha... I'm back, I'm finally back!"

"Everyone, I'm back!"

He shouted to the ninja guarding the village entrance.

The expected welcoming ceremony and heartwarming greetings for a hero's return did not materialize. There was no welcome, no comfort, only unfamiliar and distant gazes, as if looking at an alien, falling upon him.

Only... a silent stillness.

Mitokado Homura felt bewildered. Shouldn't everyone be smiling and saying to him, "It's so good that you're alright; everyone was worried about your safety," at a time like this?

That's not what it says in The Will of Fire!