Chapter 233: The Falling Out Between Asuma and Hiruzen
End of Year 62, Konoha. Winter.
"Welcome, please come again~"
Amidst the enthusiastic calls of the ushers, Kakashi walked out from the entrance of the Robin Cinema's Konoha branch.
"Ah~ I've been had…"
Kakashi looked at the Make-Out Tactics: Signed Edition in his hand, a hint of helplessness flashing in his dead-fish eyes.
Make-Out Tactics, with the female lead played by the Daimyō of the Land of Snow, Kazahana Koyuki.
However, compared to her status as the Daimyō of a small country, her stage name, Fujikaze Yukie, was far more famous.
The youthful young woman, brimming with a beautiful and elegant aura, was arguably the biggest topic of conversation in the ninja world recently.
But compared to Princess Gale, a film that was a masterpiece right from its debut, the movie adapted from the novel Make-Out Tactics had received a lukewarm reception.
"Lord Jiraiya was already so restrained this time, why did they have to cut out the exciting parts? That's the essence Lord Jiraiya wanted to express!"
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, feeling it was a great pity.
The front-row movie ticket had cost several hundred ryō. Robin Productions didn't understand art at all.
But despite the complaints, the cinema was still packed to the rafters. It seemed they were still making a fortune.
"Sigh…"
For some reason, Kakashi suddenly sighed.
"There won't be time for this kind of leisure in the future."
Lee, Tenten, and Neji had already graduated. Guy had even led the three of them to see blood. It wouldn't be long before Naruto and the others graduated as well.
Even if Kakashi thought with his toes, he knew the Third Hokage wouldn't let him stay idle.
The most suitable person to be Naruto and Sasuke's team leader, besides Lord Jiraiya, was him, Hatake Kakashi.
But there was no real need to do that.
One had already begun to learn Sage Art from Mount Myōboku and had basically inherited Lord Jiraiya's legacy. The other had inherited the Uzumaki Clan's sealing jutsu and Wind Release ninjutsu, and had even become a perfect Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Without going all out, Naruto and Sasuke were evenly matched.
Kakashi even felt that the strength of the two of them had already surpassed his own as a jōnin.
He couldn't think of any other student who would be suitable to team up with them.
Making them start from genin was a complete waste of time.
"...Forget it, I'll just go and ask."
After a moment's thought, Kakashi casually stuffed Make-Out Tactics into his ninja tool pouch and walked towards the Hokage Tower.
If possible, he didn't want to become a team leader jōnin either.
Especially not the team leader of those two monsters.
A moment later, Kakashi soon arrived at the Hokage Tower.
However, seeing the "second-hand smoke" seeping out from under the office door, the corner of his eye twitched, and he immediately stopped in his tracks.
"...It seems someone is more worried than I am."
The smoke was practically squeezing out of the office. One could imagine what the scene inside was like.
Just then.
Click!
A red-faced Iruka opened the door and walked straight out of the office.
The moment he came out, he closed the door and began to gasp for air, looking as if he had just survived a disaster.
"Teacher Iruka, are you…"
Seeing Kakashi before him, Iruka revealed a bitter smile.
"Good afternoon, Jōnin Kakashi."
The two exchanged a look, and Kakashi immediately understood the Third Hokage's terrible mood. He nodded and walked down the corridor with Iruka.
Away from the Hokage's office, Iruka finally let out a sigh of relief. "The atmosphere in there was really scary. I could barely breathe," he said, relieved.
Kakashi asked softly, "What's wrong with Lord Hokage again?"
After a moment's hesitation, Iruka sighed with a bitter smile. "Jōnin Asuma had another argument with Lord Hokage. The tempers of those two, sigh, you know…"
Hearing this, a look of realization appeared on Kakashi's face.
"Has Asuma still not found his 'King'?"
Asuma, as the second son of the Third Hokage, had ideals that were incompatible with his father's. He could be called a heretic.
He questioned whether the "Kage" should exist, and even questioned whether the Will of Fire was correct.
However, since it was a family matter and an ideological conflict between father and son, they, as subordinates, couldn't say much about it.
"It seems different from before this time."
Iruka shook his head, a hint of doubt in his tone. "In the past when they argued, it was always Jōnin Asuma who was left speechless by Lord Hokage's rebuttals and then stormed out in a fit of shame and anger."
"Although I still couldn't understand what Jōnin Asuma meant, he was actually able to debate with Lord Hokage for several rounds."
"I feel that Jōnin Asuma seems to have found his 'King'."
At that time, he had been discussing the graduation exam for Naruto's class with Lord Third.
As it turned out, Jōnin Asuma didn't even knock and just barged into the Hokage's office, shouting.
He was yelling about "military reform," "the Hokage and the Daimyō should not be separate," "civilians and ninja should be integrated as a whole"…
Anyway, Jōnin Asuma rambled on and on, and he, as a "teacher," didn't understand a single thing.
But looking at Lord Hokage, who had slammed the table and stood up, his old face red with anger, it was probably some outrageous and heretical statement again.
He stood there anxiously for half an hour, and Lord Hokage was only focused on scolding Jōnin Asuma.
It wasn't until their argument completely fell into a cold war, one puffing on a pipe and the other on a cigarette, that the entire Hokage's office was shrouded in smoke. He finally couldn't hold back a cough, and only then did the Hokage remember to let him leave the office.
"Sigh, I don't know where Jōnin Asuma learned so many strange and bold ideas."
Iruka sighed. "I feel like the burden on Lord Hokage is getting heavier and heavier. If the candidate for the Fifth Hokage could be decided soon, the situation might be much better."
He smoked constantly when he was physically and mentally exhausted every day, afraid of becoming the first "Kage" to die from smoking or overwork.
"That will depend on whether Lady Tsunade is willing."
Kakashi shrugged and replied, "We are just subordinates. We just need to do our own job well and try not to worry Lord Hokage."
The issue of the Fifth Hokage's appointment was indeed a major event for Konoha.
Although Kakashi was not keen on power and status, for jōnin of their level, it was inevitable that they would hear some sensitive topics.
And the thoughts of the higher-ups on this matter were not difficult to guess.
One of the Sannin, Orochimaru, was already an enemy of Konoha.
Jiraiya's personality was flighty, and he didn't care for politics, so he wasn't very suitable for the position of Hokage.
Kakashi couldn't imagine what kind of mess Konoha would be in if Lord Jiraiya became Hokage.
Perhaps, he would turn all the bathhouses into open-air ones?
Such an absurd thing was entirely possible.
Therefore, the only person with the ability and prestige to serve as the Fifth Hokage was the last of the Sannin, Princess Tsunade.
As for the others, they were either too old, too young, or lacked the seniority to be qualified for the position of Hokage.
"However…"
Kakashi thought to himself, "If the Konoha high command knew about my current strength, they would probably also consider me as a candidate for the Fifth Hokage."
Unfortunately, he had no dream of becoming Hokage.
If he had to say, he now wanted to find that masked man who called himself "Uchiha Madara."
To use "Purple Electricity" to break that guy's mask and see what face was underneath.
"Oh, right, Jōnin Kakashi, I almost forgot."
Iruka turned his head and said, "Lord Hokage told me that you should be the one to serve as Naruto and Sasuke's team leader."
"Ah, is that really so? I don't know what Lord Hokage is thinking…"
Kakashi scratched his head, somewhat troubled. "It seems I'll have to be a babysitter for three little brats again."
The last of the Uchiha clan, plus the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, and a boy-crazy girl from a civilian family…
Thinking of this, Iruka couldn't help but look at Kakashi with a gaze full of pity.
"It is indeed a bit of a headache. Are you thinking of going to talk to Lord Hokage about it?"
Both of them were hot potatoes. Other jōnin would avoid them at all costs upon hearing about it.
Adding the boy-crazy Haruno Sakura between the two monsters, just thinking about this combination made one's scalp tingle.
"I'm not stupid enough to go looking for trouble with Lord Hokage at a time like this."
Kakashi had a look of utter despair, as if comforting himself, "Forget it. Anyway, there's only one who needs guidance. I'll just treat it as paid leave."
He, of course, understood why Lord Hokage had chosen him.
In the entire village of Konoha, the only one with the time and strength to take on this mission was probably him, Kakashi.
"Hehe, I should thank you for freeing me."
Iruka smiled and patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "For someone with mediocre talent like me, those two little monsters are really tormenting. It might be better with a genius like you."
Hearing this, the corner of Kakashi's mouth twitched, but in the end, he swallowed his retort.
Actually, it would be the same no matter who it was.
The only difference was that he had already given up.
Isn't it just being surpassed by the next generation?
To be surpassed alongside Lord Jiraiya is also a blessing.
Meanwhile, inside the smoke-filled Hokage's office.
Looking at Asuma's stubborn posture, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath. "...Can't you just listen to me for once?"
Sarutobi Asuma's eyes were downcast. Without raising his head, he said in a low voice, "I've said everything I wanted to say. Can I go now, Lord Hokage?"
Sarutobi Asuma, like Nara Shikaku, loved shogi. He was also a person with a rough exterior but a delicate heart.
Since he was very young, since he started playing shogi, there had been a question that troubled him.
There were eight types of pieces in shogi.
Namely, the King, Rook, Bishop, Lance, Knight, Silver General, Gold General, and Pawn.
The three rows closest to oneself were the "home camp," and the three rows farthest away and closest to the opponent were the "enemy camp."
The King was the core. Once the "King" was checkmated or trapped by the opponent, that side had lost.
Assuming the Land of Fire was a "home camp," then was the "King" the Hokage or the Daimyō?
How could there be two "Kings" on one board, in one "home camp"?
The Hokage and the Daimyō, which of these two was redundant?
This thought, with the passage of time, did not disappear from Asuma's mind, but instead grew stronger.
This also caused Asuma to be confrontational every time he met his father.
Finally, after a falling out, he gave up his status as the Hokage's second son and chose to leave the village to serve under the Daimyō's office, becoming one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, just to see who the "King" really was.
But in the eyes of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as the Hokage's second son, to question whether the Hokage should exist, this idea was a deviation from the will of Konoha and was a complete betrayal of the Will of Fire.
"Asuma, although I don't know where you learned these twisted reasonings, your current way of thinking is really very dangerous for Konoha."
"I don't want you to continue to be decadent, nor do I want to see my own son turn his back on the Konoha he belongs to."
After a pause, Hiruzen sighed, his tone softening. "Asuma, can you come home for dinner tonight?"
"...You are still giving me orders as the Hokage even now."
After a long silence, Asuma frowned. "After returning to Konoha, I thought I would see an ambitious Ninja Hero, but what I saw was just a decrepit old man."
The father in his memory, who once had ambition and drive, had now become a stubborn old man on the verge of death.
"Perhaps what Kazuma said was not entirely without reason."
The radical faction among the Twelve Guardian Ninja, led by Kazuma, believed that the Land of Fire could not be entrusted to a weakened Konoha.
They wanted to turn Konoha's military power into a military organization centered on the Daimyō, and even wanted to wage war on other countries, unify the ninja world, and attempted to launch a coup d'état and assassinate the Third Hokage.
Therefore, the Twelve Guardian Ninja, including Asuma, began to kill each other due to ideological differences.
Now, only Asuma and Chiriku were left of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Finally, in his disillusionment, he chose to return to Konoha.
"If you still can't understand my words, then just treat what I just said as bullshit."
Asuma turned around, his expression blank. "If there's nothing else, this subordinate will take his leave."
After speaking, without waiting for Hiruzen to say anything else, Asuma left the office directly.
Watching Asuma's back disappear before his eyes, Hiruzen lit a match with a sorrowful expression.
His trembling hands tried three or four times before he finally managed to light the pipe in his mouth.
"Hah! Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough!!"
He hurriedly took a deep drag, but choked so hard that he almost coughed up a lung, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.
Hiruzen felt as if something was stuck in his throat. After putting down the pipe, he coughed violently for a long while before gradually recovering.
He stood up with his hands behind his back, his gaze turning to the window.
Looking at the peaceful and comfortable Konoha, he felt powerless.
It had been a long time since he had felt so bad.
Since Naruto became a perfect Jinchūriki, this was the first time Hiruzen had felt so bad.
As a Hokage, he was already somewhat unqualified.
But as a father, he was equally unqualified.
Hiruzen really couldn't understand why his second son, who had grown up in Konoha since he was a child, would question whether the Hokage and the Will of Fire should exist.
As a ninja of Konoha, shouldn't he protect Konoha, the "King"?
"He just went out on one mission, why… sigh…"
After a long time, the myriad of words in Hiruzen's heart finally turned into a single sigh.
(End of Chapter)
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