In the Anbu base, only Night Light remained in the Fox Squad's changing area.
In the empty surroundings, he really wished Purple Cat was there.
Night Light created a Shadow Clone, and he himself activated his Sharingan under his mask.
He posed as if for a photoshoot, constantly changing his stance.
The Shadow Clone continuously changed hand gestures, reminding Night Light when his Sharingan would be visible and when it would be obstructed by the mask.
After testing, when enemies appeared outside a 30-degree angle from his line of sight, they wouldn't be able to see Night Light's Sharingan.
Using the Sharingan required extreme caution; unless it was a life-or-death situation, exposing it would cause a huge commotion.
The Vortex Clan, the Senju Clan, and now even the Uchiha Clan had Spies embedded in the Anbu, and these three Spies were even the same person.
His current Sharingan was a single-tomoe Sharingan, primarily enhancing perception, which meant an improvement in his Taijutsu.
He wondered if other abilities like copying or Genjutsu would emerge once it evolved into a two-tomoe or three-tomoe Sharingan.
A few days later, in the morning, Night Light lingered in Qiao Yi's bed.
Ever since Night Light returned, the Izagaya closed early and opened late, and Qiao Yi was somewhat neglecting her duties for pleasure.
Night Light advised Qiao Yi that even if she stopped being a Ninja, she still needed to train; otherwise, they wouldn't be evenly matched in bed, and Qiao Yi would always have to trade two for one, which no woman could endure.
Speaking of being evenly matched, Night Light thought of Vortex Yuka; in that regard, Vortex Yuka performed the best.
After kissing Qiao Yi goodbye, Night Light left.
He bought a few bouquets of white flowers and headed to the Memorial Stone.
Behind the Memorial Stone, many new graves had appeared.
Night Light stood among the graves, looking around; this small area probably wouldn't be enough after this war.
The distant forest would likely be cut down.
Following the Squad roster, Night Light found the graves of Bai Yang, Leaf Monkey, and others, and laid down the white flowers.
Bai Yang had wronged him by informing Captain Huang Quan, but he was already dead, so it was water under the bridge.
Leaf Monkey...
How many Leaf Monkeys had died? He couldn't quite remember, perhaps the fourth.
The reimbursement rate for this mask was too high.
Anbu Ninja died silently.
They were already marginalized in the Village, either as marginalized members of Ninja Clans or as commoners with few friends.
If Night Light died, probably only Purple Cat would come to offer flowers.
And that would only happen if Purple Cat lived long enough and, after being promoted to Squad Leader, reviewed the previous Squad's information to learn his true name.
After turning around, Night Light saw two women dressed in black at the front of the cemetery.
Senju Flower Wood and Tsunade.
Tsunade wore the First Hokage's necklace around her neck.
Before them was Kato Dan's tombstone.
The tombstone had Kato Dan's photo and Kato Dan's name.
As Night Light walked past the two, he couldn't help but glance at Tsunade.
A strong woman weeping, a sight that moved him to pity.
Tsunade's first half of life was a series of ups and downs and downs and downs and downs.
Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was the granddaughter pampered by the First Hokage.
She was a junior in the family on whom the Second Hokage placed great hopes; for her sake, the Second Hokage appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as Tsunade's teacher.
With the Second Hokage's sacrifice, Tsunade's fate took a sharp turn for the worse.
The Senju Clan, upholding the will of the two Hokage, charged first in the two Ninja World Wars and retreated last, suffering countless casualties, causing the clan to grow increasingly weak.
Her younger brother, Nawaki, was killed by an explosion, almost crushing Tsunade.
Such a fierce woman cried for days beside Nawaki's corpse.
On the night of the Nine-Tailed's transfer and sealing, Tsunade was fighting on the front lines and couldn't return.
The combination of Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya was an important arrangement made by Hiruzen Sarutobi on the front lines.
That night, Tsunade's grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, her father, Senju Rinmu, and her mother all died at the hands of the Nine-Tailed.
Next came the death of Kato Dan.
Tsunade buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling with sobs.
Senju Flower Wood glanced at the young man passing by, hoping he would leave quickly.
However, he was also there to mourn relatives and friends, so she couldn't rush him.
Night Light scanned Kato Dan's tombstone and left the Memorial Stone cemetery.
When Tsunade had cried herself out and her emotions had stabilized, Senju Flower Wood said:
"Tsunade, I've always kept this from you. In my original plan, you were the bridge for communication between the clan and the Village's high command.
Even in the most extreme circumstances, as long as you were here, the Village's high command wouldn't completely fall out with the clan.
Many of the clan's dark secrets, I only told Dan.
Now Dan is also gone, and the Senju Clan has reached its most critical moment; many things can no longer be kept from you."
Green medical Chakra appeared on Tsunade's hands, healing her swollen eyes and bloodshot veins, restoring her resolute appearance, and she said, "Aunt, tell me. I've already had some guesses."
Senju Flower Wood connected the annihilation of the Vortex Clan and the Nine-Tailed's transfer and sealing, speculating that there was a faction within the high command that was systematically targeting the Senju Clan.
Tsunade listened silently, then turned with Senju Flower Wood to look at the Hokage Rock.
The stone statues of the First Hokage and Second Hokage were gazing at the Village.
"It's truly despicable. They can attack their comrades within the Village, yet we, the Senju Clan, cannot overcome this psychological barrier," Tsunade said after some thought:
"Aunt, slowly recall the clan's Ninja fighting on the front lines and train them in Medical Ninjutsu.
Until we uncover the truth, we cannot take any more risks.
Konoha has changed its flavor; such a Konoha is not worth our bloodshed.
However, we cannot abandon our love for the Village; the Village is the Senju Clan's painstaking effort.
Train our clansmen to leverage their physical advantages, transition them into Medical Ninja, and continue to contribute to the Village.
I will find a way to uncover the truth, Aunt. Rest assured, I will not take risks; I understand the severity of the situation.
I will not die; I will carry on their legacy and persevere."
If it had followed the original plot, Tsunade would have already developed hemophobia and completely despaired of Konoha at this point.
Before Hiruzen Sarutobi's death, Tsunade never set foot in Konoha again.
At this time, the Senju Clan still had hope, and no matter how much pain Tsunade was in, she would pull herself together and continue to fight for the clan.
-----------------
The full moon was like a silver platter, and the moonlight was like white frost.
Night Light finally waited for the full moon, and his whole body relaxed.
It was terrifying; this full moon cycle involved Uchiha Madara, Kato Dan, and Danzo; it was truly not easy.
In the Anbu base, Yellow Dog sought out Night Light.
"Fox, here's a new mission.
We will follow Lord Danzo into Hidden Rain Village.
Lord Danzo was supposed to have important negotiations with Hanzō last month, but the negotiations were delayed by a month due to the appearance of Uchiha Madara.
From the existing intelligence, Hanzō and Hidden Rain Village's will to fight is not firm.
Orochimaru and others are leading teams operating in the Land of Rain, and the Rain Ninja have not organized large-scale decisive battles.
Lord Danzo has studied Hanzō; Hanzō can be persuaded to retreat through an exchange of interests.
Hanzō declared war on Konoha because Ōnoki promised Hanzō many benefits.
Konoha is prepared to concede a portion of the Land of Rivers' mission quota.
In a few days, we will go to the Land of Rain, try to contact Hanzō, and sound him out."
Night Light nodded, thinking to himself that he had to go to the front lines again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was becoming more and more like a politician, increasingly fond of achieving goals through compromise.
In the Ninja World, weakness was the original sin.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and other high-ranking officials were not as strong as the First Hokage and Second Hokage, constantly compromising, constantly using Konoha's interests to exchange for stability, maintaining Konoha's false glory.
Several days later, Night Light followed Danzo into the Land of Grass main camp and finally met his Squad.