Night.
"What? There's still no news back?"
Senju Tobirama stood up abruptly and said.
"That's right, we haven't received any intelligence from the Ninja Hawks all day.
If it's not some special order from Hokage-sama, then either they were delayed, or they might have met with misfortune.
Please make a decision, Hokage-sama."
An Anbu respectfully reported to Senju Tobirama.
The special communication Ninja Hawks cultivated by the Anbu were custom-made, extremely fast Ninja beasts, bred with various secret medicines, sacrificing all other aspects for speed.
Under such cultivation, they were capable of flying across the entire Land of Fire within a day.
Even intelligence from neighboring countries could be transmitted back to Konoha Ninja Village within the Land of Fire within a day.
They could basically meet all mission requirements for Anbu Ninja around the entire Land of Fire.
And now, two squads had not reported any news for an entire night, which was enough to prove that these dispatched teams had basically met with misfortune.
"This shouldn't be!
Even if Uchiha Ming and the two Anbu squads were on a fake mission, it's impossible for them not to send back news by now.
According to Anbu regulations, daily mission progress must be reported.
As elite Anbu personally trained by me, how could they forget?
Could it be... really...?"
"No, impossible.
With their strength, even a Clan Head Level Ninja encountering them could be surrounded and killed.
How could they meet with misfortune?
After all, a quasi-Clan Head Level expert, plus thirty-four members, at least Jonin-level teams, how many in the entire Ninja World could match them?"
Senju Tobirama frowned, questioning the liaison Ninja who came to report on the Anbu mission, full of disbelief that the elite Anbu he had trained could forget even this!
But the words were half-spoken.
"Unless..." Senju Tobirama seemed to have thought of something, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy.
It's those abnormal methods!
Could it be that this time, the Earth Spider's target was Uchiha Ming and his team?
It couldn't be such a coincidence!
However, Senju Tobirama thought, even if his powerful dispatched team encountered an expert like him, some could still escape to report the news.
But now, the entire team hadn't sent back any information at all, excluding the possibility of being surrounded by a large number of Ninja within the Land of Fire.
But who has such ability to mobilize so many Ninja into the Land of Fire without being discovered by the entire Konoha Village?
This is simply impossible.
Even the other four newly established great nations couldn't achieve such a feat.
"Then, they must have encountered an attack method that left them no time to react," Senju Tobirama mused.
So what kind of attack method was that?
Senju Tobirama couldn't help but think of the Earth Spider Clan.
Thinking of this.
"That's right, it can only be them!"
Senju Tobirama clenched his fists, trembling with anger, his heart filled with rage, yet he suppressed it tightly.
Damn it!
Could it be that the target of the Earth Spider Forbidden Technique this morning was them?
Would the Earth Spider be so bold?
Dare to directly fight Konoha with a single clan?
"Wait, what if the Earth Spider Clan's target isn't the entire Konoha Ninja Village, but only specifically targets either our Senju Clan or the Uchiha Clan?
After all, I have a conflict with them, and they also have a conflict with the Uchiha Clan!"
Senju Tobirama changed his perspective and thought for a moment.
That's right!
Only this makes sense.
After all, this team included many Senju Clan members, and the leader was Uchiha Ming, an elder of the Uchiha Clan.
If they wanted to target our two clans, they would inevitably have a chance to strike.
Otherwise, it's hard to imagine the Earth Spider Clan wasting the lives of their own clansmen so much.
Such a strategic Forbidden Technique, easily released without any target action, consuming clansmen, is truly illogical!
It's just, what was the purpose of their attack?
Or did the other party only pretend to agree to reconcile with me, but actually wanted to strike at our Senju Clan?
But that's not right either.
If the other party really wanted to be enemies with our Senju Clan.
Shouldn't they have deployed the Forbidden Technique within Konoha's range?
Such a large-scale Forbidden Technique, just once, could wipe out the entire Konoha.
At that time, except for my elder brother, Senju Hashirama, and my Flying Thunder God Technique who could escape, the entire Senju Clan, including all Ninja in Konoha, would be almost completely annihilated by the Earth Spider Clan's Forbidden Technique in one go.
Moreover, with the suddenness of their speed, there would be no way to defend, only to choose spatial transfer.
But the other party didn't do that!
And last time, the Earth Spider Clan intended to use their clan's inherited Forbidden Technique to warn me, and now, perhaps it's still the same.
But why on earth is this happening!
Senju Tobirama was a bit clueless, suppressing his hatred while thinking, which brought him a clear mind, constantly reviewing the previous intelligence, deliberating step by step.
Soon, Senju Tobirama recalled something.
Could it be Uchiha Ming?
"That's it!
That scoundrel, when he left in the morning, he was showing off so ostentatiously.
If an Earth Spider Clan spy discovered this scene and truly believed they were going for revenge, then to avoid being ambushed by such a powerful two squads of thirty-four elite Anbu, they would definitely have to strike first.
So, is this why this happened!"
Senju Tobirama seemed to have figured something out, his face instantly darkened, his eyes red with anger, his face flushed.
You dog, you dog!
Senju Tobirama instantly slammed the table, throwing all the documents on it to the ground, cursing Uchiha Ming, that dog, in his heart.
What was even more infuriating was that this action of the other party had already shown the Earth Spider Clan that the Uchiha Clan and the Senju Clan had reconciled and were going to unite against their Earth Spider Clan.
"And now, the other party has used such a Forbidden Technique?
Nine times out of ten, they are demonstrating to me? Warning me."
"That's right, they are also afraid that if we fight to the death, some stragglers from Konoha might escape and retaliate against them.
After all, the Earth Spider Clan's weakness is also very obvious: they are extremely afraid of top Ninja directly raiding their stronghold.
Even with the most powerful Forbidden Technique, it's impossible to release it in their own lair; that would only make their entire clan die faster."
"So, it's only used as a deterrent, not intended for mutual destruction!
Plus, with Uchiha Ming, an elder of the Uchiha Clan, leading the team, they believe I will also endure the bitter fruit and watch the tigers fight, letting me know their strength!"
Senju Tobirama suddenly understood something, wishing the entire Earth Spider Clan would die, yet he suppressed this murderous intent in his heart.
Because the other party's move indeed hit his weak spot.
It was clear that the Earth Spider Clan thought the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan had reconciled again, which made them retaliate in fear, leading to the complete annihilation of this mission.
But he himself was speechless and couldn't reason with them.
Even if he questioned the Earth Spider Clan, they had already put the Forbidden Technique right in his face, didn't he understand what it meant?
For a moment, the self-proclaimed clever Senju Tobirama, by accident, performed an operation where the process was completely wrong, but the result was completely right.
"Next, it's going to be troublesome!" Senju Tobirama secretly groaned, feeling that he had thought everything through very clearly, but at this moment, he still felt overwhelmed.
Why did he have so many troublesome things since becoming Hokage?
First, the Ōtomo within the Land of Fire were inexplicably wiped out, causing the Daimyo to demand an explanation, and after several months of investigation, the matter still hadn't been clarified.
Secondly, various Konoha clans had sold their land cheaply due to a good harvest of grain, but then because of recent grain price fluctuations leading to food shortages in Konoha, these clans were saying they wanted to redeem their former land and estates.
The numerous arguments and questions in the administrative hall had already made him anxious.
And now, the heavy losses from this mission had directly wiped out half of the entire Anbu.
Those were elite Ninja he had painstakingly cultivated with great difficulty!
They were all gone in an instant!
At this, Senju Tobirama was so angry he almost vomited blood.
He could only think to himself that he had snatched the position of Hokage from the Uchiha, such a great thing, to adjust his mood and calm down.
