There were too many bodies to carry at once.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura left some ANBU behind to guard the corpses and took most of the ANBU away.
Yako requested permission from Captain Koton to stay behind until the Konoha shinobi arrived to transport the bodies.
Koton readily agreed.
Yako wanted to remain because he did not want to follow Danzo.
Danzo's left eye had been transplanted with a Sharingan.
On the bandaged eye patch was surely a high-level sealing jutsu to block all sensory ninjutsu and prevent the Uchiha clan from knowing he possessed a Sharingan.
Yako pondered ways to deal with Danzo's Mangekyo Sharingan.
After the Fox Squad finished organizing the ANBU bodies, Yako stood by the corpses, watching the Senju clan members arrange their dead.
In the distance, Senju Hanaki was gathered with the only five remaining Senju jonin.
The closer a ninja was to the sealing center, the stronger—and the faster to fall—they were.
All six elite Senju jonin had died. Of over thirty jonin, only Hanaki and five others remained.
Now that the sealing was complete and pressure eased suddenly, sadness lingered on their faces.
Jonin Senju Minami spoke to Hanaki, who replied numbly, her mind near collapse, unable to think clearly.
Hanaki's eyes shifted, spotting the Fox Squad.
Something was off—tonight was too abnormal.
The Uchiha Susanoo mysteriously appeared on the Nine-Tails, causing Mito's premature death.
Then when Linmu died, his face was full of grief and confusion, as if deeply wronged by something he could not accept.
The chaos during the Nine-Tails rampage was too great—Linmu left no final words.
Everything was strange.
Hanaki stared at the ANBU, remembering how Danzo hurried in before the seal.
Danzo had come not from Konoha, but from the northwest Rain Country.
This sealing was shrouded in suspicion.
If Kushina hadn't erupted twice, the entire Senju clan would have perished here.
Who wanted to destroy the Senju?
Hanaki's first suspicion fell on the ANBU.
Before the seal, Linmu had clashed fiercely with Konoha leadership several times over Kushina's future arrangements.
Senju Minami asked, "Hanaki, are you listening? We've decided to nominate you as clan leader."
"Sorry, I was distracted," Hanaki said.
"Tonight, contact frontline Tsunade and report everything exactly as it happened—especially the ANBU's behavior and Danzo's appearance."
The jonin looked surprised. "Hanaki, are you saying..."
"Shh!" Hanaki said.
"Any clan can betray Konoha, but not the Senju. I only want Tsunade to know the details."
What Hanaki planned must be kept from most clan members.
She added, "Send Kato Dan back to the village—I need to see him soon."
Hanaki thought of Kato Dan's forbidden soul-separation jutsu.
Investigating the ANBU openly was suicidal; only Kato Dan could silently gather intel without being noticed.
Even the ANBU couldn't resist Kato Dan's scrutiny.
This matter must remain secret—no one else can know.
The four ANBU squads involved in tonight's sealing and Danzo's two aides were all under investigation. The real culprit must be found.
Hanaki steadied her gaze, no longer filled with suspicion or hatred when looking at the ANBU.
Yako watched Hanaki carrying Kushina and the two large sealing scrolls of the Senju and Uzumaki clans beside her—his efforts had not been in vain.
The Senju still held some strength and a voice in the village—they were not afraid of Danzo's total control.
After a while, Kushina awoke.
Seeing the neatly arranged corpses before her, she wept.
Grandma Mito and Uncle Linmu had both cared so much for her.
Kushina tugged on Hanaki's hand, signaling her to bend down.
Hanaki's heart shook as Kushina revealed there was a member of the Uzumaki clan among the ANBU!
That person twice infused chakra into her, with powerful sealing energy that helped seal the Nine-Tails.
No wonder Kushina erupted twice—it was because of an Uzumaki spy inside the ANBU.
Even Linmu did not know this.
Hanaki thought carefully—when sending Kato Dan to investigate, they must be cautious, avoiding harm to the Uzumaki spy.
Hours later, a large number of Konoha shinobi arrived, transporting the Senju and ANBU corpses to the memorial monument.
The next day, before Konoha's memorial monument,
More than half the village's ninjas, dressed in black, gathered.
The death of Mito Uzumaki—the first Hokage Senju Hashirama's wife—marked the official passing of Konoha's founding generation.
The founding generation—Hashirama and Tobirama Senju brothers, Uchiha Madara, and previous clan heads—had all died for various reasons.
With Mito's death, Konoha was completely in the hands of the new generation led by Hiruzen Sarutobi, free from old constraints.
Hiruzen stood at the front, presiding over Mito's funeral.
"I remember the first time I saw Grandma Mito, accompanying Uncle Tobirama into the Senju lands.
It was the grand wedding of the First Hokage and Grandma Mito.
Together, they poured their hearts into founding the village.
Hashirama is gone, Tobirama is gone, and now Grandma Mito has also passed.
Though gone, their most precious legacy—Konoha village—remains.
We will carry on the founding generation's will..."
Yako, dressed in ANBU attire and masked, stood to the side and back of the crowd.
How to say it—Hiruzen spoke with great emotion, and many around him quietly wept.
Danzo stood in the front row; Uchiha clan leader Uchiha Kane paid him little mind.
Yako's suspicion was confirmed—the sealing on Danzo's bandaged eye blocked all sensory ninjutsu.
Where Danzo got that sealing technique was unknown—perhaps from notes Tobirama left on Sharingan transplantation?
Tobirama's skills seemed tailored to counter the Uchiha—Water Release beats Fire Release, Body Flicker beats Sharingan, Dark Pursuit Technique beats genjutsu.
Tobirama might truly have experimented with Sharingan transplantation.
Beside Uchiha Kane was the young Uchiha clan heir Uchiha Fugaku, fresh from the ninja academy.
After the funeral, most departed.
Uchiha Kane and Fugaku stayed behind to offer condolences to Senju Hanaki.
Sharp shouting drew others' attention.
"Uchiha Kane! You must explain! Where were you last night?!"
Hiruzen turned, glanced at the hysterical Hanaki, then at the bewildered Uchiha Kane, and said nothing, continuing to walk away.
Uchiha Kane insisted he was in the clan lands all night—many could confirm.
He learned of the Senju clan's ordeal and knew Hanaki blamed the Uchiha for the Susanoo's havoc.
He denied ever wielding Susanoo, swearing it was neither him nor the Uchiha clan.
Despite his explanations, Hanaki refused to believe him; the argument grew fierce.
Eventually, Uchiha Kane asked Hanaki to calm down, promising to apologize in person later.
Once everyone left, Senju Minami asked quietly, "Hanaki clan leader, could it really be the Uchiha?"
Hanaki gave no answer.
She planned to muddy the waters, openly blaming the Uchiha to stir conflict.
It was all a cover—to protect Kato Dan's investigation.