Chapter 102: I Didn't Want to Show Off, but the Third Told Me to Show My Skills
At the residence of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"You're back," Hiruzen said to Asuma.
There was no disappointment in his eyes, nor was there overt praise—only a profound calm. After years of training abroad, he believed Asuma must have gained a different level of understanding.
What is the "King"?
Asuma sat cross-legged on the floor. "Well, it's been a long time. The house is still the same as ever!"
His mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Four years of training had given him a sense of direction, but he was still uncertain about what the "King" truly was. Life goes on, which only proved his training was still insufficient. He needed to keep working hard.
Wa-ee~~!
A baby's cry rang out, followed by a stream of liquid arching through the air, splashing right between the two men.
Splash!
"Hey! Konohamaru, you little brat! The one moment I'm not paying attention, you do this to me..."
Hiruzen had just been feeling gratified that his son had matured, only to be immediately distressed by his grandson's antics. Whenever he returned from work, he would take over for the nanny to spend time with his young grandson. He had just taken off the diaper when Asuma arrived; before he could finish the job, the boy caused trouble again. He had to wait for Konohamaru to finish before cleaning up.
"Dammit... does that kid's children not have this problem?" Hiruzen muttered, the image of Tonbo Tobitake's relaxed face when talking about his kids flashing through his mind.
"Is this my brother's son, Konohamaru?" Asuma laughed awkwardly. He had just returned; did he really need such a "warm" welcome? Since the Twelve Guardian Ninja had stabilized, he had stayed in touch with the village over the last two years and knew his brother had a son named Konohamaru.
"Yeah. Stay right there for a bit, I need to deal with this first," Hiruzen said, his hands in a frantic blur.
Asuma watched silently, a sudden ripple of emotion touching his eyes. Perhaps... this was the "King"? He wasn't sure, but a seed had been planted in his heart.
The Far Side of the Mountain.
In a wide plain within Konoha, the wind howled, forcing the green grass to bow low. In this atmosphere, a squad of men stood with their heads held high, waiting for training to begin.
Standing before them were the instructors for this session: Yuhi Kurenai and Kurama Murakumo. Asuma, as the Guardian Ninja lead, stood to the side.
Asuma lit a cigarette. "Kurenai, the time is almost up. Why hasn't that guy shown up yet?" He looked toward the empty path, feeling dissatisfied with Tonbo's absence.
To him, this felt like a half-hearted effort toward a mission assigned by the Hokage. After being back for a few days and seeing his subordinates treated at the hospital, he knew one of the instructors was Tonbo Tobitake—the man he had encountered years ago. Back then, although Tonbo had helped him, Asuma still felt resentful. He felt like a lamb led to the slaughter, and the only reason he hadn't been dragged back by force was his status as the Third Hokage's son.
Now, he had grown. He had survived countless assassinations and defeated numerous enemies. He was confident he could defeat Tonbo without breaking a sweat.
Kurenai replied, "He's likely handling work at the Analysis Division and the Barrier Team."
"What?" Asuma was confused.
Kurama Murakumo smiled. "He is a genius, much like Kakashi. He is currently a Jonin of Konoha, the Captain of the Analysis Division, and the Leader of the Barrier Development Team. He carries heavy responsibilities for the village."
Though Murakumo hadn't interacted with Tonbo personally, he knew Konoha had such a person—a truly remarkable Genjutsu ninja.
"...?" Asuma's mind was filled with question marks. By what merit does he hold such vital positions?
"Captain, why is there still one person missing? Let's just start without him."
"Exactly. He's just a commoner, yet so arrogant. I bet he knows he lacks the ability and is too scared to show up as an instructor."
"Captain, we should report this when we return. At the very least, his salary should be docked."
"Hmph, just wait until he gets here. We'll give him a piece of our minds."
The members of the Near-Guard Agency were extremely impatient. Though they used chakra, their behavior wasn't that of ninjas, but of a regular army. They were filled with rage at being made to wait. They were the elite guards of the Daimyo's estate; when had they ever been treated like this?
Kurenai looked at Asuma. "Asuma-kun, it seems your subordinates are a bit difficult to get along with."
Asuma scratched his head. He had initially agreed with his men, but the moment Kurenai spoke, the words died in his throat. He put away his cigarette and turned to the squad. "Quiet! You are here to learn, not to pick a fight. Say one more word and I'll thrash you myself."
Asuma finished speaking and looked sheepishly at Kurenai, receiving a smile in return.
Thump-thump!
He suddenly felt his heart beating faster. Oh no, it's the sound of a heart falling in love.
Seeing their captain's warning, the Near-Guard members swallowed their complaints, but their eyes remained full of resentment. Among them, one member's eyes darted around.
Tonbo Tobitake?
Zetsu hadn't expected that in his quest for better Genjutsu-dispelling techniques, he would end up learning from the very opponent he was interested in. This was perfect.
"I wasn't actually late. It's not very nice to talk about me like that, is it?"
Vroom!
Just as Zetsu was feeling his luck was turning, a voice rang out, echoing through the air. Everyone turned to look, and a sudden wave of pressure slammed into their minds and bodies.
Thump-thump!
Their hearts raced under the weight of the pressure. The figure of Tonbo Tobitake appeared. Wearing his flak jacket and with his hands in his pockets, cherry blossoms seemed to swirl around him. Every step he took felt as though he were treading directly on their hearts.
Tap, tap... one step, two steps, three...
Asuma looked at his own arm; goosebumps had risen across his skin. Seeing that familiar bandaged head, he felt a sense of profound shock. Simultaneously, a thought rose: Is this guy just trying to look cool and attract Kurenai's attention because he knows she's here?
He looked at Kurenai and saw her eyes trembling; she seemed completely captivated by Tonbo's entrance. A sudden, inexplicable urge rose in Asuma's heart—he wanted to knock Tonbo flat on the ground.
"Who are you?" The Near-Guard members felt as though they were facing a great enemy. Their bodies felt suppressed, and they could barely move their lips.
Kurama Murakumo whispered, "Genjutsu."
Kurenai blinked. "Genjutsu?"
"What?"
Asuma was stunned. Feeling his suppressed body and watching Tonbo approach through the falling cherry blossoms, he realized: Is his Genjutsu really this powerful?
"Release!"
Kurama Murakumo and Kurenai were the first to break the illusion. Kurenai then placed her hand on Asuma's shoulder, injecting chakra to dispel his Genjutsu.
Asuma's vision finally returned to normal. There were no cherry blossoms around Tonbo, and no crushing pressure; there was only a young man with a bandaged head and a smirk on his face. However, being the innocent youth he was, Asuma found himself wishing Kurenai's hand would stay on his shoulder just a little longer.
Kurenai pulled her hand away. Asuma's face was slightly flushed. Meanwhile, the Near-Guard Agency members could only watch helplessly as Tonbo drew closer, their bodies still paralyzed as if facing a terrifying predator.
Cold sweat dripped.
Drip.
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