Night Light took on a reporting mission, and he was not in a hurry.
The chase and escape situation ahead was very complex.
Vortex Kushina was at the very front, followed by two Konoha ANBU Squads, and finally the Kirigakure who wanted to seize the Uzushiogakure Sealing Scroll.
The number of Kirigakure was approximately 3 Squads.
If Night Light walked too fast, he might run into a large number of Kirigakure, and he would die without knowing how he died.
Outside the Vortex Country capital, Night Light saw a battlefield.
There were many bodies on the ground, some from Kirigakure, some from Konoha ANBU, and five bodies were particularly conspicuous, bearing the emblem of the Vortex Country Daimyo and the Uzumaki Clan crest.
The Vortex Country Daimyo's guardian Ninja were dead.
These guardian Ninja were very strong; there were no bodies within a dozen meters around them, indicating they were worn down by the Kirigakure's long-range Ninjutsu.
Night Light split off a Shadow Clone to search the bodies.
Some Shadow Clones died due to traps on the Ninja tool pouches.
After spending a good amount of time, Night Light found 300,000 ryo and three Exploding Tags.
These Ninja didn't even bother to bring more good things when they went out, so stingy.
Continuing on his way, Night Light saw more than a dozen battlefields, large and small, and successively plundered another 100,000 ryo.
He now had a huge sum of 1,100,000 ryo; it should be noted that the reward for an S-rank mission is only 1,000,000 ryo.
With this money, he could splurge when he returned to Konoha.
Approaching the Land of Fire border, Night Light became increasingly cautious.
The Kirigakure would not easily enter the Land of Fire, as there were many Konoha intelligence squads within the Land of Fire.
Climbing a high mountain, Night Light used binoculars to look around.
Found them!
Below the distant hillside, the Kirigakure had already half-surrounded two Konoha ANBU Squads.
Behind the Konoha ANBU Squads was Danzo Shimura, holding Vortex Kushina.
Spear Egret, Yatagarasu, Giant Eagle, and other summoning beasts were nowhere to be seen.
Vortex Kushina shivered in Danzo Shimura's hand like a frightened bird.
There was not a single Vortex Ninja around, nor any Vortex summoning beasts.
Facing the Kirigakure's encirclement, Danzo Shimura was unconcerned. His other hand rested on the Uzushiogakure Sealing Scroll.
That Sealing Scroll recorded all of the Uzumaki Clan's sealing secret Ninjutsu and forbidden Ninjutsu, truly making one envious.
Let alone the Kirigakure, Night Light's heart beat a few times faster just seeing the Sealing Scroll from afar.
Danzo's face was ashen, and he shot a resentful look at Vortex Kushina.
He didn't hate Vortex Kushina, but rather Kato Dan.
Having obtained the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Scroll, Danzo planned to learn the sealing secret Ninjutsu first.
However, Kato Dan used the Spiritual Transformation Technique, spanning thousands of miles, to possess Vortex Kushina.
Kato Dan, through Vortex Kushina's mouth, stated that he, Kato Dan, was observing everything here.
Senju Rinmu, the Senju Clan Leader, was beside Kato Dan.
With Kato Dan watching, Danzo Shimura held the Sealing Scroll but could not look at it.
The Senju Clan was still strong, pressuring the Konoha higher-ups, making them unable to breathe.
The Senju Clan had many Jonin, and even Elite Jonin like Kato Dan who mastered forbidden Ninjutsu.
Kato Dan was also Tsunade's lover and extremely loyal to the Senju Clan.
Many of Danzo's previous arrangements were interrupted by Kato Dan.
The Spiritual Transformation Technique was too powerful; Kato Dan alone could monitor many corners of the Ninja World and possess people thousands of miles away.
Recalling Kato Dan, Danzo's eyes grew colder and colder.
Night Light hurried down from the mountaintop.
It wasn't because he was eager to join the Anbu's battle, but because a large number of Konoha Ninja appeared in the forest behind them!
Konoha's reinforcements had arrived!
Konoha Village and Uzushiogakure were allies; how could Konoha stand idly by when Uzushiogakure was in trouble?
Night Light quickly jumped down the hillside, heading straight for the side of the battlefield.
He saw the important figures in the reinforcement squad from afar.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, actually led the team himself to support Uzushiogakure.
Besides the Third Hokage, Homura Mitokado, another high-ranking official, also came.
Night Light also saw many members of the Senju Clan; their clothes all bore the Senju crest.
Even the Senju Clan Leader, Senju Rinmu, had come.
Senju Rinmu was the son of Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage, and also Tsunade's father.
At this time, Tsunade had not yet earned the title of Sannin; her honors came more from being the Senju Clan Princess and the Third Hokage's disciple.
Closest to Senju Rinmu was his favored son-in-law, Kato Dan.
"Uncle!"
Vortex Kushina became excited when she saw Senju Rinmu. She swung her arms, trying to pull her hand out of Danzo Shimura's grasp.
Danzo Shimura glanced at Senju Rinmu, then at Kato Dan.
Senju Rinmu frowned. What did Danzo mean by this?
Danzo had no choice but to release Vortex Kushina's hand, letting Vortex Kushina run towards Senju Rinmu.
Senju Rinmu embraced Kushina's back, gently patting Kushina.
"Uncle! The Kirigakure and Kirigakure launched a sneak attack on the Village. Clan Leader Grandpa and the Third Mizukage died together, and the Village was destroyed!"
"What? The Village was destroyed?"
"What? The Third Mizukage is dead?"
Senju Rinmu and Homura Mitokado each shouted.
This news was too shocking.
Uzushiogakure was not a small Ninja Village; it had thousands of Uzumaki Clan members, many small Ninja clans absorbed into the Village, and also its own trained civilian Ninja.
The number of Ninja exceeded three thousand, making it one of the top two Ninja Villages below the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Moreover, the Uzumaki Clan also had many large summoning beasts and almost unresolvable sealing Ninjutsu, so no Ninja Village dared to say they could easily take down Uzushiogakure.
Homura Mitokado and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged glances, feeling both joy and sorrow in their hearts.
The joy was that Konoha's next Jinchuriki was settled. Danzo successfully brought back the Whirlpool Princess and the Uzushiogakure Sealing Scroll.
The Third Mizukage was also dead, meaning Konoha had one less formidable enemy on the eastern battlefield.
The sorrow was that the destruction of an allied Ninja Village was regrettable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand, signaling all the Konoha Ninja behind him to charge and eliminate the pursuing Kirigakure.
He himself walked towards Vortex Kushina, his tone filled with regret:
"I apologize, Whirlpool Princess. The Kirigakure and Kirigakure blocked the intelligence. Konoha Village dispatched two thousand Ninja to rescue Uzushiogakure, but we didn't expect to be too late."
What else could Vortex Kushina say?
Surrounded by a large number of Konoha Ninja, Konoha's investment was undeniably significant.
But too late was too late; everything was over.
Senju Rinmu's face turned pale.
There were many relatives of the Senju Clan in Uzushiogakure.
Kushina called him uncle, and he also called the Vortex Clan Leader uncle.
His mother, Uzumaki Mito, was the Vortex Clan Leader's elder sister.
There were also many of his nephews and nieces who had married into the Village.
Uzushiogakure was not only an ally, but it also had many in-laws of the Senju Clan.
Intermarriage within Ninja clans, while ensuring the purity of bloodlines, would continuously accumulate bloodline diseases.
The Uzumaki Clan was an important allied Ninja Clan for the Senju Clan; intermarriage not only would not weaken the bloodline but also could prevent bloodline diseases.
Without the Uzumaki Clan, what would the Senju Clan do?
With two thousand Konoha Ninja acting, the three Kirigakure Squads didn't even have a chance to escape and were tragically killed on the border within minutes.
Senju Rinmu looked at Danzo Shimura.
"Advisor Danzo, please give me the Sealing Scroll. Kushina is still young; I will keep it for her."
Danzo glanced at Kushina. This was a critical period for the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki's handover, and Danzo didn't want any unexpected issues with the Jinchuriki matter, nor did he want Kushina to feel resentful.
He handed the Sealing Scroll to the Senju Clan.
Night Light found Captain Huang Quan and reported the situation encountered by the Black Gorilla Squad to him.
After listening, Captain Huang Quan did not make a decision himself but took Night Light to see Advisor Danzo.
Since it involved the Vortex Elder, it was better to let Advisor Danzo decide.
As he approached the Konoha higher-ups, Night Light heard the fierce argument between the Senju Clan Leader and Homura Mitokado.