Chapter 75: Cruelty
At the gates of Konoha.
The village had posted a notice in advance: a large number of bodies and wounded were being sent back from the Land of Grass. A massive crowd had gathered at the village gates to wait.
Senju Rinmoku stood at the very front. His eyes were vacant, his arms hung loose, and his shoulders slumped. He looked entirely drained of life.
The head of the Senju clan, the son of Senju Hashirama, no longer carried his former soaring fighting spirit. All that remained was the profound grief of a middle-aged man who had lost his son.
The convoy slowly approached.
One by one, the body bags were claimed by their families.
Some relatives wept, while others stared in numb silence. A few were already confirming the amount of their death compensation with the ninjas.
The final body bag contained Senju Nawaki.
Senju Rinmoku heard none of the clamor around him. His mind was filled with a ringing silence as he dragged his stiff legs forward, inch by inch.