"Here you are." A man with black hair wearing a red headband, his hands in his pockets, his forearms wrapped in bandages, walked over with a calm expression. He looked at the man in front of him, who wore a Konoha forehead protector, had a rough, bearded face, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, calmly leaning on the railing and gazing at the scenery. He said flatly, "The Third Hokage's son..."
"Sarutobi Asuma!"
"Click~"
Sarutobi Asuma glanced at the newcomer, pulled out a lighter, lit the cigarette in his mouth, and said nothing. He continued leaning on the railing, quietly watching the scene before him...
The man with the red headband didn't mind Asuma's impoliteness. He walked to Asuma's side and leaned on the railing in the same posture.
Not long after...
"What do you want?" Sarutobi Asuma asked calmly, the cigarette held at the corner of his mouth. "Kazuma, if I remember correctly, our relationship isn't good enough to enjoy the scenery together."
"Don't mind it," Kazuma replied upon hearing Asuma's words, not turning his head. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly into a smile as he also looked ahead. "No matter what, we are both now part of the Daimyo's direct guard. We are colleagues."
"Heh." Asuma sneered, took another drag of his cigarette, and said nothing more. He turned his head back to continue looking at the scenery before him...
Colleagues?
How ridiculous. How could someone who wanted to destroy his home have the nerve to call themselves a colleague?
Why did he sneak past the village guards and leave Konoha back then?
Wasn't it precisely because a group of radicals were stirring up trouble between the Daimyo's court and Konoha?
But...
Sarutobi Asuma took the cigarette from his lips and let out a breath...
Before he could even begin to act, Konoha had already started rebuilding. And now...
He was burdened with the infamy left by the old man. It was impossible for him to return to Konoha as he had before.
The elders of the Sarutobi clan had also advised him to stay outside for a while. If absolutely necessary, he should hide his family name and clan emblem.
One could imagine...
How much Konoha must resent the Sarutobi clan now.
Clearly, his father, the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, had done everything to protect Konoha and maintain peace in the ninja world. So why had it come to this in the end?
Perhaps...
Some of the old man's actions were improper, but his intentions were always good. Yet, he never expected...
After being propagandized by certain people, it had become like this.
"So tired."
Asuma sighed, quietly feeling the evening sunlight. For some reason, he began to feel weary and listless inside. Perhaps this was...
He could no longer find the purpose he had back then.
A bitter smile touched his lips...
"Speak. Why did you come find me?"
He knew...
This radical couldn't possibly truly see him as a colleague and just come to watch the scenery with him.
"You have lost. Konoha has lost." Kazuma's lips curled into a sneer as he spoke contemptuously. "I told you long ago, the Hokage is an unnecessary existence. Shinobi should be governed by the Land of Fire's Daimyo. Otherwise, true peace in the ninja world is impossible."
A triumphant smile appeared on his face...
"Look at the Land of Whirlpools. A small island nation, yet through reforms, it leaped to become the sixth great nation, even..."
He turned his head, a hint of madness in his eyes...
"Surpassing the five great nations. And you shinobi, you ninja villages that hinder the Land of Fire's development, haven't even noticed. How laughable."
From long ago, he had believed...
Only if the Daimyo's court controlled Konoha and restrained those shinobi who brought chaos could the ninja world achieve greater peace. But...
No one had believed him back then...
The Daimyo, Konoha, the Hokage... they all thought he was just a madman. After all, the First Hokage created the village system and indeed brought peace to the entire Land of Fire.
It wasn't until the rise of the Land of Whirlpools, that youngest Kage, governing under the name of a Daimyo, controlling all the shinobi, and making the Land of Whirlpools so powerful that even the five great nations feared it, that the Land of Fire's Daimyo finally realized...
He wasn't a madman.
Creating the Twelve Guardian Ninja was also his idea, aiming to counterbalance Konoha's shinobi. Yet, he never expected...
A disguised son of a Hokage would sneak in halfway. By the time he discovered it, half of the Twelve Guardian Ninja were already pro-Konoha. He originally thought he had no hope left of toppling Konoha, but then Uchiha Shin suddenly appeared, nearly destroying Konoha, and...
Weakening the prestige left by the Third Hokage...
"In the future, Konoha will certainly not exist. The Daimyo's court will take control of you shinobi who bring chaos to the ninja world."
This was the path the Land of Whirlpools had shown him...
However...
Sarutobi Asuma, hearing Kazuma's words, was momentarily stunned. He took another drag of his cigarette and said calmly, "Perhaps."
What Konoha would become in the future...
He didn't know either.
Watching the warm sunset, he let out a long, slow sigh...
He also knew about the Fourth Hokage. A Hokage who resembled this warm sun, responsible and powerful. But...
In his heart, Konoha was never his top priority.
Perhaps the Fourth Hokage would sacrifice his life to protect Konoha, but...
He would also sacrifice Konoha for the sake of peace.
A long time ago, the old man had told him this.
The Fourth Hokage...
Was supposed to become a competent Hokage, but for some reason...
He suddenly changed.
"In the place where the leaves dance, the fire also burns endlessly. The light of the fire will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."
He took a drag of his cigarette and said quietly, "Konoha may truly not exist in the future, but the Will of Fire will always be passed down."
Everyone saw how the Land of Whirlpools abandoned the ninja village system, using a small island to become a powerful nation in the ninja world. But they chose to ignore some things...
That Land of Whirlpools Daimyo was a peak-level powerhouse in the ninja world, a powerhouse not inferior to the First Hokage, the God of Shinobi. No shinobi dared to oppose him. And he dared to trust foreign shinobi. Tell me...
Does the Land of Fire's Daimyo have such strength, such courage?
A cold smile played on his lips...
If Konoha weren't within the Land of Fire suppressing the scum and villains, who knows how many monsters and demons would emerge? After all...
This is the era of shinobi...
Asuma extinguished the finished cigarette butt and casually tossed it into a nearby trash can. He put his hands in his pockets, turned around, and said flatly, "I've seen enough. Enjoy the view yourself."
But...
Even if he wanted to do something now, how easy would it be?
Once some things start, it's not as simple as wanting to stop them.
Kazuma, hearing Asuma's words, turned and leaned back against the railing, a smile still on his face as he watched Asuma's retreating back...
But his tightly clenched fists revealed the turmoil within him.
"Ah, right."
He seemed to remember something and called out to Asuma, who was about to leave. "I almost forgot something important."
However...
Asuma did not pay attention to Kazuma. He continued walking slowly forward, hands in his pockets...
"In a few days, the Fourth Hokage will come to the Daimyo's court. The Daimyo asked me to inform you." Kazuma didn't mind, his face still wearing a smile. "Don't forget."
As soon as the words fell...
Asuma's footsteps seemed to hesitate for a moment. Then, they immediately resumed, continuing their slow pace forward...
Not long after...
Just as Kazuma shrugged his shoulders, turned back, and continued leaning on the railing...
A faint voice came over...
"Understood."
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