Two days later, the body of Uchiha Sen was discovered and brought back to Konoha.
Upon arrival, the corpse was immediately taken to the Analysis Division, entrusted to the most skilled ninja in that field for examination.
Several hours later, a group of slightly fatigued men and women emerged from the division.
Leading them was a man with long blond hair, wearing a green vest over which he had draped a red cloak.
This was Yamanaka Inoichi, head of the Yamanaka clan.
"Clan Leader Inoichi, the Hokage requests your presence," said a member of the Anbu who appeared beside him.
Following the Anbu's lead, Inoichi entered a room.
Inside, the Third Hokage sat smoking a kiseru pipe, deep in thought.
Noticing Inoichi's arrival, he put down the pipe and asked,
"Have you managed to extract any memories from Uchiha Sen's final moments?"
Even the Anbu did not know Sen's true identity, but the Hokage certainly did.
Sen had been his planted informant within the Uchiha clan, secretly embedded there for sixteen years.
Upon hearing of Sen's death, his first thought was that Sen's cover had been blown, and the Uchiha clan had taken lethal action against him.
That was why, as soon as Sen's body was returned, he ordered Inoichi, the best at analysis, to examine the corpse.
"Inoichi shook his head. "Uchiha Sen's brain tissue was severely damaged—memories could not be retrieved. I was unable to recover anything."
The Third Hokage recognized how important Sen's death was, but he did not press further.
Though Sen was a member of the Uchiha clan, he was also a loyal Konoha shinobi with elite Jonin-level strength—an invaluable asset.
It was only natural the Hokage took his death seriously.
"Brain tissue damaged?" The Hokage muttered thoughtfully.
Such damage meant valuable intel was lost, but it also indicated the enemy was desperate to hide critical information within Sen's mind.
If the Uchiha clan themselves had carried out the attack, the Sharingan would have surely revealed itself during the fight.
To prevent this vital information from leaking, the brain was deliberately destroyed.
From this, suspicion on the Uchiha clan grew strong.
"Yes. Besides the brain damage, both of his eyes were also removed," Inoichi replied.
"What was the cause of death?"
The Hokage was unsurprised by the missing eyes.
The Uchiha's Sharingan and the Hyuga's Byakugan were powerful kekkei genkai.
These eyes could be harvested, even passed on or sold to others.
Any enemy who killed Uchiha Sen would make sure to take his eyes.
There was no useful information to be gained from this fact alone.
"The cause of death was a wound to the chest," Inoichi described in detail.
"He was first pierced by a sharp object, which then sprouted many thorns from inside his body, causing internal damage."
"Wood Release bloodline limit?" The Hokage's eyes sharpened.
The injuries clearly matched the Wood Release technique known as "Wood Release: Impalement Technique."
"Yes. The injuries are identical to those suffered by the slain Anbu team member. We conclude it was caused by the Wood Release: Impalement Technique."
"In that case, it was either the same person or someone else with the Wood Release bloodline."
"Is it possible this is a frame-up?"
After a moment's thought, the Hokage asked.
If the wounds were truly from Wood Release, then the Uchiha clan was likely innocent, and Sen's death wasn't punishment for his betrayal.
But if it was a setup, then suspicion would definitely fall on the Uchiha clan.
So the key question now was whether these injuries were genuine or staged.
"A frame-up is unlikely," Inoichi shook his head.
"Judging from the muscle reactions on the corpse, all wounds were inflicted in the final moments before death."
"Besides the Wood Release Impalement, it would be difficult to fake such injuries."
Inoichi added,
"Moreover, Sen had no other wounds only one fatal strike, a one-hit kill."
"The attacker must be very powerful, likely of Anbu rank. Judging by this, the one who killed Sen is probably the same person who killed the Anbu squad."
"I understand. You may leave now. Repair the body and return it to the Uchiha clan," the Hokage waved him off.
It was almost certain Sen's death was an accident an attack by enemy shinobi hostile to Konoha, not a purge for his betrayal.
And the idea that anyone in the Uchiha clan had Wood Release was impossible.
The Uchiha lacked the necessary cells, and most importantly, they had no Hashirama cells.
Inside a coffin lay a body covered by a white cloth Uchiha Sen's returned corpse.
"Sen, open your eyes…"
An elderly woman with graying hair sobbed by the coffin, wailing out his name with heart-wrenching pain.
She was Uchiha Sen's mother, Uchiha Umeko.
Around her were familiar people close to Sen, save for those on missions who could not attend.
Among them were those who had promised to drink with Sen after their mission promises that would now never be fulfilled.
Uchiha Fugaku and other clan elders were also present, their faces grim.
The death of an elite Jonin was no small matter for the Uchiha clan.
A family meeting had already been held before the funeral.
"If you make a mistake, you pay the price!"
Looking at the grieving Umeko, Fugaku felt a pang of pity—soon pushed aside.
Everyone must bear the consequences of their actions; otherwise, right and wrong lose meaning.
Sen had been the Third Hokage's informant, betraying the Uchiha clan, and must be punished by death.
Umeko's grief was pitiful, but was anyone in the Uchiha clan spared pity during the clan's annihilation two years later?
Because of traitors like Sen, Shisui, and Itachi, the clan's situation worsened, ultimately leading to the Night of the Uchiha Massacre.
To change that fate, all those traitors had to be eliminated one by one
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix