“What??” Tsunade was stunned for a moment, then her expression instantly turned to rage.
“You old dog, Danzo!” “I was worried I’d be the first to dig up the grave, but I didn’t expect him to beat me to it!” Orochimaru stood to the side, his golden slit pupils narrowing slightly.
Watching this furious display from Tsunade.
He naturally assumed this anger was because “her own grandfather’s grave had been robbed.” His own expression wasn’t very pleasant either.
At this point, he was not yet the “mad scientist” who would later view human life as worthless and grave-robbing as a daily routine.
The First Hokage’s grave in Konoha had been robbed; anyone would be angry about that.
“It must be Danzo!” Tsunade said in a low voice, her tone firm and decisive.
Orochimaru: “???” He turned his head to look at Tsunade.
He didn’t understand why she was so certain.
Although Danzo had a bad reputation, he was still a high-ranking official in Konoha.
The leader of Root.
How could he do something like grave-robbing?
And stealing the First Hokage’s grave, at that?
Tsunade didn’t explain, she just gave him a look and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Play along with my act.” Orochimaru was silent for two seconds, then nodded.
Although he didn’t know what Tsunade was up to, the two were “partners” now, and they had that much tacit understanding.
The two exchanged a quick glance.
Then Tsunade took a deep breath, suddenly looked up, and roared at the sky: “Who is it——!!!!!!” The sound was like a thunderclap, instantly echoing throughout the entire back mountain cemetery!
Immediately after, she raised her right foot high.
Chakra poured into it frantically, and then she stomped hard onto the ground!
“Boom——!!!!!” A loud bang!
With her foot as the center, the ground cracked like a spiderweb!
The powerful impact shattered the stone slabs around the tombstone directly.
And with one stomp, it kicked the coffin buried underground out.
Orochimaru stood to the side, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
This woman…
her strength seems to have increased again.
“What’s going on?!” “Is there an enemy?!” “Protect Lady Tsunade!” Two figures rushed out from the edge of the woods almost simultaneously.
They were the Anbu and Root Ninjas that Tsunade had sent away earlier.
They looked grim and immediately took up a defensive stance back-to-back.
Scanning their surroundings, their Chakra was already mobilized.
“Lady Tsunade!
What happened?!” The Anbu Ninja asked urgently.
The Root Ninja didn’t speak, but his eyes uncontrollably darted to the cracked coffin at Tsunade’s feet.
Tsunade ignored the Anbu.
She flashed directly in front of the Root Ninja, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up!
“Speak!
Where is my grandfather’s body?!” Her voice was cold, her eyes sharp as knives.
Veins bulged on her forehead, and Chakra uncontrollably leaked out from her body.
Forming an invisible sense of oppression.
The Root Ninja was lifted off his feet, his face behind the mask turning pale.
“I, I don’t know!
Lady Tsunade!
The body…
isn’t the body right there in the coffin?” He hurriedly pointed to the cracked coffin.
“The coffin?” Tsunade snorted coldly, clenched her left fist, gathered Chakra, and punched the coffin!
“Bang——!!!” Wood chips flew everywhere!
The entire coffin was blown to pieces by her punch!
It was completely empty inside.
Let alone a body, there wasn’t even a scrap of cloth!
The Anbu Ninja’s eyes widened instantly; the mask couldn’t hide the shock on his face.
“Empty?!
How is this possible!” The Root Ninja was scared out of his wits, shaking his head repeatedly: “No, it wasn’t me!
I don’t know!
I really don’t know!” Tsunade released his collar, letting him fall to the ground, and swept her gaze over the two.
“You two, who can tell me what is going on?!” Her voice wasn’t loud, but the veins on her forehead throbbed, and her Chakra fluctuations became increasingly violent.
As if she were about to lose control the next second.
The Anbu and Root Ninjas were so scared their legs went weak.
“Lady Tsunade, we really don’t know anything!” “We’ve been guarding the entrance the whole time, we definitely didn’t let anyone in!” “The coffin…
we haven’t touched the coffin either!” The two explained desperately, their voices trembling.
Tsunade stared at them for a few seconds, then suddenly grabbed the Root Ninja again.
“Orochimaru!” “Here.” “Go to the Hokage Building right now and call that old man Hiruzen over!
Tell him my grandfather’s grave has been dug up and his body is missing!” “Alright.” Orochimaru acknowledged and turned to leave.
“Wait!” The Root Ninja suddenly spoke, his eyes rolling.
“Lady Tsunade, for something like this…
why don’t I go notify Hokage-sama and Danzo?
After all, our Root…” “Notify?” Tsunade interrupted him, her eyes colder.
“Are you trying to tip someone off, or are you trying to collude on a story?” “I…” “Did your Root do this?!” “No, it wasn’t!
Definitely not me!” The Root Ninja waved his hands frantically in fear, cold sweat dripping down.
Orochimaru licked his lips and said nothing more.
His figure flashed, turning into an afterimage and disappearing on the mountain road.
Tsunade just stood there.
Arms crossed, her face so gloomy it could drip water.
The Anbu and Root Ninjas stood to the side, not daring to breathe loudly.
Time passed minute by minute.
About ten minutes passed.
Several sounds of breaking air rang out.
Orochimaru landed first, followed closely by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and…
Danzo Shimura.
Danzo actually followed too?
Tsunade frowned.
Did he realize something was wrong?
Or was there another spy in Root who tipped him off early?
However…
it’s good that he came.
“Tsunade, what happened?” Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over quickly, his expression serious.
When he saw the smashed, empty coffin on the ground, his face instantly darkened.
“What is this situation?!” He shouted in a low voice, his tone filled with irrepressible anger.
The Anbu Ninja knelt on one knee and shook his head vigorously: “Hokage-sama, this subordinate does not know!
We have been guarding the entrance the whole time and have never seen anyone enter or leave!” Tsunade stepped forward, pointed at the coffin and said: “Old man, I came to pay respects to my grandfather early this morning.
When I kowtowed, I felt the echo from underground wasn’t right.” “Upon checking, there was indeed a problem!
The coffin is empty!
My grandfather’s body is missing!” Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, his gaze scanning back and forth between the coffin and Tsunade.
Danzo stood to the side, his expression twitching slightly.
Kowtowing?
Echo?
So that’s how you found out?
This is…
hell!
Danzo felt so aggrieved he wanted to curse.
He did indeed transfer the body of Senju Hashirama.
And he had only done it recently.
He thought he had done it without anyone knowing.
Didn’t expect it to be discovered so soon?
And discovered in such an outrageous way!
Tsunade didn’t give Danzo much time to think; she turned to Hiruzen Sarutobi, her tone firm: “It must be investigated strictly!
Everyone who was on guard duty at the cemetery must be interrogated!” “Don’t let me find out who did it; if I do…” She clenched her fists, her knuckles making a “crack, crack” sound.
“I will peel his skin off!” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face was gloomy; he understood the seriousness of the matter.
Just about to order a thorough investigation.
“No need to investigate.” A hoarse voice rang out.
Danzo stepped forward, his single eye looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade.
“I did it.” He actually admitted it voluntarily?
Tsunade was surprised, but her face showed an angry expression of “I knew it was you.” Hiruzen Sarutobi’s face looked even worse.
“Danzo, you…” Before he could finish his sentence, Tsunade had already moved!
“Old Thief Danzo!!” “Take my punch!!!” Her figure flashed, appearing instantly in front of Danzo.
Her right fist slammed into his abdomen without warning!
“Bang——!!!” A dull impact sound rang out.
Danzo hadn’t expected Tsunade to attack suddenly, and hadn’t had time to put up any defense; he took the punch squarely.
“Puff!!!” A mouthful of blood sprayed directly from Danzo’s mouth!
He curled up like a shrimp, stumbled back several steps, and his face turned pale instantly.
“Tsunade!
Don’t be impulsive!” Hiruzen Sarutobi hurried forward to stop her, blocking between the two.
Danzo clutched his abdomen, gasping for air.
His single eye was filled with shock, anger, and pain.
He had been completely off guard just now and had taken one of Tsunade’s super-strength punches head-on.
It felt like his internal organs were shifting, his intestines were almost tied in knots.
“Danzo, explain yourself clearly!” Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Danzo, his voice cold.
“Why did you privately transfer the body of Shodai-sama?” Danzo endured the severe pain, straightened up, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
“Hiruzen, I did it for Konoha as well.” His voice was hoarse as he began to quibble.
“The body of Shodai-sama was too unsafe left here.” “Although this is a cemetery, the defensive strength is weak.
If hostile forces infiltrated and stole it, the consequences would be unimaginable.” “So I took the liberty of transferring the body of Shodai-sama to a safer place.” “It was my fault not to inform you about this matter, but I was also thinking about Konoha.” Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at him, his gaze complex.
Tsunade listened from the side and curled her lip.
For Konoha?
I think it was for yourself!
She snorted coldly, interrupting Danzo’s performance: “For Konoha?
I think the person who covets my grandfather’s body the most is you!” “Privately transferring the Hokage’s body without notifying the Hokage, Danzo, you have some nerve!” Danzo’s single eye widened: “Tsunade, you…” “Cut the crap!” Tsunade couldn’t be bothered to listen to his quibbling and waved her hand directly.
“Take me to see my grandfather’s body!
Now!
Immediately!
Right now!” “I want to confirm with my own eyes whether the body is intact!” Danzo’s expression was ugly, a trace of hesitation flashing in his single eye.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s gaze also turned cold.
“Danzo, lead the way.” His voice was unquestionable.
Danzo gritted his teeth and finally nodded.
“…Follow me.” He got up and actually walked towards the deeper part of the cemetery.
Hiruzen Sarutobi’s expression changed slightly.
Then several people followed immediately.