Soul detection

In the late hours of the night, within the land of the senju clan, in a house owned by the clan patriach, lay a basement stocked with numerous scrolls. Seated cross-legged on a tatami mat within this chamber was Kirito. His eyes were closed, and he held a meditative pose.

Surrounding him were four black incense sticks, each as thick as a thumb. Once lit, they emitted blue smoke. However, this smoke did not disperse into the surroundings; instead, it transformed into four thin, blue streams, flowing directly toward the center of Kirito's body.

The green smoke remained motionless, unaffected by the invisible force drawing the blue streams into Kirito's body.

Clearly, it was Kirito who, situated at the core of the four black incense sticks, was inhaling the green smoke through an enigmatic method.

These incense sticks, collectively known as Soul Incense, served as an invaluable aid for spiritualization practice. They hailed from a distant realm known as the Demon Kingdom, supposedly crafted by witches to nourish spiritual entities.

While Kirito was unaware of the Soul Incense's worth, he knew that the black incense he currently utilized was of the highest quality—a superb-grade Soul Incense created by the witch Maitreya.

Who was Maitreya the Witch? She held the esteemed title of Guardian Priestess in the demon Kingdom, a formidable priestess with the ability to suppress both monsters and spirits. Her status was equivalent to that of a daimyo in various countries.

Kirito's possession of such premium Soul Incense was made possible through the aid of the Senju clan. with this special-grade incense, It greatly facilitated his spiritualization practice, leading to rapid progress.

In just three weeks of practice, his soul had grown increasingly robust. The duration he could sustain his soul outside of his body had extended from a few minutes to an entire hour before fatigue set in. Furthermore, his soul's perception range had broadened to encompass up to one kilometer.

Within that one-kilometer radius, no living entity could elude his soul's awareness.

After roughly two hours, all of the Soul Incense had been expended, and Kirito concluded his spiritualization practice for the day.

In an instant, a translucent, white figure separated from Kirito's body, stretching itself before him.

His soul had exited his body once more.

As Kirito floated above Nawaki house, his spiritual body gazed at the room below with an ethereal perspective. He could distinctly discern the souls of every living being within.

This extraordinary perception was known as soul vision, a unique ability of the spirit body that allowed Kirito to see the souls of others unimpeded by physical objects.

In Kirito's spiritual vision, each soul appeared as a fiery sphere, its color and radiance unique to the individual. The spectrum of colors varied widely, often reflecting the chakra nature cultivated by the person.

Upon conversing with Mito, Kirito learned that a person's soul's color correlated with their chakra's nature. For those without chakra training or cultivation, their soul remained white. Once they embarked on the path of chakra cultivation and developed a specific chakra nature, their soul's color would shift accordingly.

Kirito speculated that perhaps souls possessed their own equivalent of genetic material, akin to human DNA. This theory was purely speculative and required further investigation, a task that necessitated growth, learning, and financial resources.

Within Nawaki house, Mito's soul fire was the most conspicuous. Her soul exhibited a dazzling array of seven colors, a testament to her mastery of yin and yang attributes, as well as the five elemental natures.

Nonetheless, despite its impressive colors, Mito's soul fire appeared diminutive compared to the other souls in the room. It flickered like a candle in the wind, radiating brilliance but displaying fragility.

A long, wordless sigh escaped Kirito's spiritual form as he observed Mito's soul fire. His expression was laced with sorrow and longing.

Over the past two years, Mito had treated Kirito exceptionally well, and their relationship had transcended the mere roles of teacher and apprentice. Mito cared for him as if he were her own grandchild, and her genuine concern could not be feigned. Kirito deeply felt the warmth of Mito's heart, and he reciprocated that affection with gratitude and love.

However, it was evident that Mito's time was drawing near, as indicated by the diminishing brilliance of her soul's fire. Kirito felt a profound reluctance but knew better than to persuade her to stay. He understood that Mito had long yearned for a peaceful departure from this world. She had lived a full life and now sought the solace of old age before reuniting with familiar faces in the afterlife.

Had it not been for Mito's commitment to the pact with her husband to protect Konoha, she might have departed alongside the First Hokage many years ago.

Kirito watched Mito's soul fire in silence for a while, then gracefully departed, soaring through the air until he reached the outskirts of the Senju Clan.

Spiritualization possessed a remarkable ability to remember encountered souls. Once a soul was remembered, the user of spiritualization could blur their perception of its location and subsequently track it down, as demonstrated by Kato Dan during the Fourth Ninja World War when he located Tsunade on a distant battlefield, hundreds of kilometers away, and provided her with chakra.

Kirito had honed his spiritualization abilities over the past three weeks, granting him the capacity to remember the unique soul signatures of countless individuals. This extraordinary talent allowed him to instantly identify individuals by their soul's essence, rendering disguises and superficial changes ineffective against him.

His memory of the soul breaths within the Senju Clan and Muye Village was now impeccable, making him acutely aware of any foreign souls approaching.

On this particular day, Kirito detected unfamiliar soul signatures belonging to a group of mice infiltrating the Clan's territory. Though these mice remained on the outskirts and did not venture deep into the clan's lands, their presence raised alarm bells.

"These mice are Root ninjas. What is Danzo plotting?" Kirito muttered under his breath. Recognizing the familiar soul signature, he immediately understood the source of these mice and grew concerned.

Any association with Danzo, the notorious figure, typically forebode ill intentions in Konoha. Given the great debt of gratitude Kirito owed the Senju Clan, he could not stand idly by and allow Danzo to harm them.

Determined to investigate further, Kirito discreetly approached the Root ninjas to ascertain their purpose.

Upon closer observation, he discovered that these agents were methodically sabotaging the sealing barrier that protected the Clan's territory. They had cleverly damaged a discrete portion of the barrier's interior, allowing it to appear intact while rendering it virtually useless against external threats.

"What is Danzo trying to achieve? Is he so audacious? "

Mito-sensei is still alive. His audacity knows no bounds.

"Does he believe Mito-sensei is powerless?" Kirito fumed as he watched their actions.

Kirito had never underestimated Danzo's cunning and ruthlessness, but this audacious scheme had surprised even him. Despite Mito and Tsunade still being alive and the prestige of the Senju Clan yet reverberating in the village, Danzo had no qualms plotting against the senju clan.

As Kirito's anger swelled, he shifted his focus to three other individuals dressed as Root ninjas, who were evidently collaborating with Danzo's agents. These three traitors, concealed beneath their disguises, all bore the distinct soul signatures of the senju Clan.

Kirito had never expected Danzo's influence to extend so far as to infiltrate the Senju Clan, and to such a high degree. Their involvement in the successful sabotage of the Thousand Hands ( senju ) Clan's sealing barrier indicated the crucial role played by these traitors.

Kirito realized that the most dangerous enemies often lurked within, as the destructive power of internal betrayal far surpassed external threats.

No matter the justification, betrayal within one's own ranks was an unforgivable offense.

Kirito regarded Senju Yun, Senju Leith, and senju Shimizu, the internal agents assisting the Anbu ninjas in sabotaging the sealing barrier, with a cold and condemning gaze. Their actions would not go unnoticed, as Kirito had already etched their identities into his memory. Determined to prevent further damage, he intended to promptly inform Mito of their treacherous deeds.

Time was of the essence.

Meanwhile, the three Senju Clan members engaged in the sabotage operation felt an inexplicable chill wash over them. Their anxious glances darted around, but they found no evidence of danger. The wind-sensing ninja overseeing their mission shook their head, momentarily allaying their fears.

Each of them understood the gravity of their actions. If their mission were discovered, they would face execution in secret, expulsion from the clan's lineage, and the eternal stigma of shame on the Thousand Hands Clan. Their families, too, would bear the consequences of their betrayal.

Despite these dire prospects, they harbored no regrets. Their unwavering belief in the righteousness of their mission to protect the village outweighed any personal sacrifices. As the roots of Konoha, they were dedicated to safeguarding the village, even if it meant forsaking family, prestige, and honor. Danzo, the inheritor of Tobirama's will, had earned their trust and unwavering loyalty.

"Hurry up; I have a bad feeling about this," Yun whispered to the Root ninja responsible for destroying the sealing barrier.

A ninja's intuition, especially that of a seasoned warrior, was a powerful and reliable guide. The Root ninja nodded in agreement. "I'll do my best, but Orochimaru's method, while effective, is intricate. This is my first attempt at such a task, so I must proceed with caution..."

"Orochimaru?" Kirito, who had been observing from the shadows, raised an eyebrow upon hearing the unexpected name.

It became apparent how these Root ninjas could circumvent Mito's sealing barrier and damage it—they had enlisted the aid of Orochimaru, a sealing technique prodigy. Orochimaru's mastery of sealing techniques had allowed him to even crack the formidable S-rank Shinigami Sealing technique in the future.

However, the fact that Orochimaru was involved in this matter and collaborated with Danzo elevated its severity considerably.

Orochimaru, a disciple of the Third Hokage, was no ordinary ninja, and such an association carried substantial consequences.

Kirito pondered the implications of this revelation. Was Orochimaru acting independently, or was the Third Hokage clandestinely orchestrating events behind the scenes?

are we dealing with a black dumbled--- Hiruzen ? 

The circumstances surrounding his recent encounter with Orochimaru at the hospital raised suspicions.

Though Konoha had achieved some success in the ongoing Land of Rain conflict, they remained far from securing a definitive victory. Kirito wondered what could have prompted Orochimaru to return from the battlefield. The answer seemed clear: someone with the authority to summon Orochimaru back had intervened.

The Third Hokage was the only logical candidate.

"Third Hokage, please don't be entangled in this," Kirito muttered as he silently retreated.

The gravity of this situation was beyond his ability to address alone. Mito, with her prestige and authority, would need to intervene.

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