"Sarutobi Shinnosuke, Jōnin of Konoha, has fallen in battle!"
At those words, both Sarutobi Asuma and Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen in place.
"You... What did you just say?"
Asuma's eyes widened in disbelief. He grabbed the Anbu's shoulders, his voice urgent and unsteady.
"Sarutobi Shinnosuke…" The Anbu began to repeat himself, but before he could finish, he saw Hiruzen's body stagger as he collapsed to his knees beside the baby's cradle.
"Father?!"
Asuma quickly turned, rushing to his father's side to support him.
"When did this news arrive?"
Hiruzen raised a hand to stop Asuma from helping him up. His expression was weary, his eyes devoid of their usual sharpness. He suddenly looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant. The light in his gaze had dimmed, and his skin had lost its color.
"Lord Hokage just received the information. The message was sent by none other than the Fourth Hokage—Lord Uzumaki Raiden."
The Anbu relayed the report concisely.
Hiruzen listened in silence, then slowly closed his eyes.
He had personally approved his son's mission. Konoha had already known the approximate location of the target, and the presence of the enemy in the Land of Flowers had been confirmed beforehand.
Moreover, Hiruzen knew that Uzumaki Raiden had also been in the Land of Flowers recently. And if the news of his son's death had come from Raiden, the chances of error were almost zero.
In other words, his eldest son was truly dead.
And it had been his decision that sent him to his death.
"Shinnosuke..."
Hiruzen let out a long, weary sigh. He waved his hand, motioning for Asuma and the Anbu to leave. Then, slowly, he walked toward Konohamaru's cradle and gently picked up the baby.
The Anbu, understanding the situation, immediately excused himself. Asuma, though grief-stricken, clenched his fists and forced himself to leave as well. He needed to confirm the details of his brother's death at the Hokage's office.
More than anything, he wanted revenge.
Once they were gone, Hiruzen, still holding Konohamaru, could no longer suppress his emotions. Tears welled up in his eyes.
Even the legendary Professor of the Ninja World—one of Konoha's greatest shinobi—could not hold back his grief when faced with the death of his own son.
His heart was heavy, filled not just with sorrow but with crushing guilt.
Shinnosuke had died carrying out his orders.
News of Sarutobi Shinnosuke's death spread quickly.
The Jōnin of Konoha were deeply shaken. Though Konoha was a large village, the death of a Jōnin and three Chūnin was no small matter—especially in these times of peace.
But more than that, Shinnosuke wasn't just any Jōnin.
He was the eldest son of the Third Hokage.
This loss reverberated through Konoha's elite ranks, a stark reminder that peace was fragile and that war was never far away.
Hokage's Office
Asuma stormed into the Hokage's office, barely waiting to be announced. Inside, Minato Namikaze was in the middle of a discussion with several senior Konoha officials.
Among them were Nara Shikaku, the village's top strategist; Hyuga Hiashi, the head of the Hyuga Clan; and Uchiha Fugaku, the leader of the Uchiha Clan.
"Hokage-sama, I need to know the full details of my brother's mission!"
Minato turned to Asuma, his expression darkening.
"Asuma, come in first."
Minato sighed, setting his documents aside.
"Regarding your brother's death… I'm sorry. It was my miscalculation of the enemy's strength that led to this."
But Asuma was in no mood for apologies.
"Forgive me, Hokage-sama, but I don't want to hear that right now!"
"I just want to know who killed my brother and where that bastard is!"
His voice was rough with emotion. There were even tears in his eyes, but his gaze burned with unrelenting fury.
"The one who killed your brother was Kakuzu."
"But…"
Minato continued, his voice firm.
"Uzumaki Raiden has already dealt with him. He captured him alive, and I've sent a team to retrieve the prisoner."
"You'll be able to see him soon."
"Asuma, Uzumaki Raiden has already avenged your brother. You should try to find peace."
Minato stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Asuma's shoulder.
But at that moment, all the anger and grief that had been boiling inside Asuma suddenly turned into emptiness.
All this time, he had been consumed by a thirst for vengeance. But now that vengeance had already been taken on his behalf, he didn't know what to feel anymore.
For a long time, he stood frozen in place.
The room was silent.
Minato led Asuma to a chair and handed him a cup of water. He understood his pain. Seeing Asuma like this reminded him of his own comrades—his disciples.
He couldn't help but wonder—how were they doing now, those who had followed Uzumaki Raiden?
The ninja world was in chaos.
Though the Five Great Nations were in a delicate state of balance, minor conflicts and skirmishes never ceased.
Konoha had its share of tensions with neighboring lands, and soon, the attention that had briefly been on Shinnosuke's death would shift to other matters.
But for those who had truly loved Shinnosuke—his father, his brother, his family—the pain would never fully fade.
Time might dull the wounds, but it could never erase them.
Two Years Later – Sarutobi Clan Residence
"Father, I want to leave Konoha!"
Sarutobi Asuma knelt before Hiruzen in the family's tea room, bowing deeply.
"The daimyo is recruiting ninjas to form an elite personal guard—I want to join them!"
Two years had passed since Shinnosuke's death. Recently, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had announced the formation of his own exclusive guard unit, recruiting top-tier samurai and ninjas.
To Asuma, this was an opportunity—a chance to finally escape Konoha and forge his own path.
His brother's death had changed him. He wanted to grow stronger.
But here, under Hiruzen's watchful eye, he felt trapped.
Since Shinnosuke's passing, Hiruzen had placed strict controls over him, interfering in his missions, his training, his promotions.
Despite his strength, Asuma was repeatedly denied access to high-level assignments. Without enough merit, he had been unable to advance past Chūnin.
Worse still, his nephew, Konohamaru, was being smothered by Hiruzen's overprotection.
Asuma refused to live like this.
He wanted freedom.
He needed to leave.
"The daimyo's personal guard?"
Hiruzen took a slow sip of tea, his expression unreadable.
"Minato and I have already discussed this matter."
"Asuma, anyone else can go."
"But you are not allowed to."
His tone was final.
(End of this chapter)