125. Cheating

The battle scene wasn't as gruesome as one might expect, yet it still sent chills down the spines of the arriving members of the Senju clan.

In their view, eighteen elite Senju warriors lay cold and motionless on the ground. Their clothes were intact, and there were no obvious external injuries, only strange, eerie marks around their necks. Their faces, now skeletal, were frozen in expressions of terror.

Crack!

One of the Senju members inspecting the bodies lifted one carefully, only to find it fragile and brittle, as if it had been completely drained of moisture, resembling a mummy.

"Young Master, there are no signs of a struggle here. The bodies have no external injuries; it's as if they were all killed in an instant, and..."

A clan member skilled in autopsy reported quickly to Tobirama Senju after examining the scene and bodies.

"And what?"

Tobirama, unusually calm, stood over the body of Senju Koji, whose eyes remained wide open in death. Koji, who had been physically strong in life, had a large, fist-sized hole in his chest, the fatal wound. The brutal method of his death was eerily similar to the very techniques Koji himself had mastered.

"The eighteen clan members were completely drained of both chakra and life force, turning them into withered corpses."

The clan member, unnerved by the strange sight of Koji's death, gulped and shared his findings.

"Such a technique…"

Hearing the cause of death, Tobirama frowned. The first thing that came to mind was his brother's carefree smile. But he quickly shook his head.

No, that's impossible. His brother's talents are unique; no one else could replicate them. This must be some other forbidden technique.

"Check Koji's body carefully," Tobirama commanded the autopsy expert, instructing him to inspect Koji's unsettling corpse.

"Yes, sir!"

The clan member hurriedly obeyed, and after a few moments of detailed examination, reported back, "Young Master, Captain Koji died from having his heart crushed by his own hand blade technique."

"Genjutsu?"

The mention of the word made Tobirama immediately alert.

"That's right. There are clear traces of genjutsu on Captain Koji's body. He was likely forced to commit suicide while under the enemy's control."

The clan member gave his final conclusion after inspecting the body.

"I see."

Tobirama's headache worsened. An unknown enemy had managed to instantaneously eliminate eighteen of the clan's skilled members. Furthermore, they had easily used genjutsu to control an elite captain like Koji. Judging by the scene, the enemy's numbers weren't large—possibly just one person.

"Was it Madara Uchiha? Or maybe Tajima Uchiha himself?"

Tobirama's mind raced, trying to deduce who among his enemies could accomplish such a feat. In his knowledge, only a few could manage this.

"How's the situation?"

Arriving late, Uzumaki Mito frowned, worried she might find a familiar corpse at the scene. But after seeing only the bodies of recently slain Senju members, she quietly sighed with relief. Turning to the deep-in-thought Tobirama, she asked, "Any clues?"

"It's hard to say. Help me sense if there's any trace of Uchiha's ocular power lingering here," Tobirama replied, temporarily setting aside his usual disdain for Mito, now deeply troubled by Koji's mysterious death. He suspected another power had entered their hunt for the Hagoromo clan.

Mito's heart skipped a beat. Lowering her head to avoid Tobirama's gaze, she thought, How did this white-haired brat suspect the Uchiha clan?

In truth, Tobirama only harbored suspicions. He wasn't certain the Uchiha were involved, but his ingrained hatred for them immediately led him to blame them whenever something went wrong.

Mito, feeling conflicted, said nothing more and began carefully using her sensory abilities. After a while, she furrowed her brow.

"Did you sense anything?" Tobirama, noticing her odd expression, asked, frowning.

"Uh, well… I didn't sense any trace of Uchiha's ocular power," Mito said confidently, as there truly was no sign of it.

"That's impossible! Who else could have such advanced genjutsu to control Koji, known for his strong will?" Tobirama grew frustrated, even questioning Mito's abilities. "Are you sure you're as good as your reputation as the Uzumaki Princess?"

"What did you say? You wanna fight, brat?" Mito fumed, ready to punch him for doubting her. She hated being called the "Uzumaki Princess," after all.

Tobirama, now more focused on the scene, ignored her outburst and muttered, "If it's not ocular power, what's this dense chakra residue?"

"Do you really want me to say it?" Mito's expression became more strange.

"Spit it out."

"There's no trace of Uchiha's ocular power. However, the area is filled with the life energy of your brother's unique jutsu."

Mito's words struck Tobirama hard.

"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Tobirama nearly shouted in disbelief.

"Face reality, kid."

Mito looked at him with pity, trying to calm him down as Tobirama grappled with the thought of his brother's possible involvement. "Your brother's defected! Better head home and take charge!" she teased.

Realizing she had gone too far with the joke, she quickly backpedaled, "Just kidding!"

Tobirama, however, was already forming another theory. "Someone must have stolen my brother's secret techniques…"

With his mind settled, Tobirama made a decisive call. "Let's continue the pursuit of the Hagoromo clan. We'll find the culprits if we track them."

Seeing Tobirama's sharp gaze, Mito had no choice but to continue guiding them. She soon sensed the remnants of their quarry's trail and reluctantly resumed the chase, muttering to herself,

I'll just take a peek from afar.

---

As the pursuit continued, Mito found herself growing increasingly nervous. She was close to someone she hadn't seen in years, her heart racing with mixed emotions. Would he even remember her after all this time? Had he married yet?

Suddenly, she stopped, realizing she was now just a few kilometers away from him. If she led Tobirama any closer, the two men would surely meet, and they would forever be enemies.

"What's the matter now?" Tobirama, impatient, questioned her again.

"I need to relieve myself," Mito blurted out, then darted into the nearby woods before Tobirama could respond.

---

Now alone, her heart pounding, Mito felt torn between her desire to reunite and her fear of dragging him into the Senju-Uchiha conflict.

Screw it! I'll just take a quick look, she decided.

She ran swiftly toward the Uchiha's direction until she could see their group from afar. Her eyes scanned the ranks, finally landing on a figure she had longed to see for six years. She was just about to step forward when she restrained herself, thinking of the consequences.

Just as she was about to leave, her eyes widened in fury. There he was, the man she had been pining for, shamelessly groping a young girl who clearly wanted none of it.

Crack!

Her final thread of restraint snapped. The next second, she became a red blur, delivering justice with a fierce punch aimed squarely at the man.

"I swear on the happiness of Uchiha's ancestors, if I ever think of another woman, may lightning strike me down!" the man shouted desperately.

"Die, human trafficker!" Mito roared as her fist connected.

-----

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