The days went by as Asami recuperated. Being shackled to a hospital bed wasn't a pleasant experience. She felt isolated. Aside from the occasional visits from doctors and nurses, no one else acknowledged her existence.
She missed Okaa-san. She missed her deeply. But Okaa-san would never return, and the void in her heart only widened with time. Every second spent in this sterile room felt wasted. She had far more important things to do than lie motionless in a hospital bed. Boredom set in—suffocating, relentless boredom. Time passed, yet nothing changed.
To make matters worse, her supply of reading material had dwindled to a dire level, despite her frequent, half-serious threats to incinerate the children's books they offered. The content insulted her sense of literacy. No picture books. No fairy tales. No oversimplified novels about noble shinobi overcoming obstacles with friendship and hard work. She craved literature with depth. Eventually, she got what she wanted—or so she thought.
Asami held a worn copy of the Daily Konoha. The tone bordered on tabloid journalism, and the paper quality was laughable, but she wasn't in a position to be picky. She took what she could get.
Her sharp eyes scanned the columns, hunting for information of value. Her search yielded little substance. Instead, she found a ranking of the 'Sexiest Shinobi Alive,' an article about a 'Secret Hyūga Love Affair,' and a trivial personality quiz titled 'Which Hokage Are You?'
Asami was just about to toss the paper aside when she stopped abruptly. An article caught her attention—one with direct relevance to her.
"Mysterious Murder Case"
Current investigations regarding the brutal slaughter of the prominent Minami family last week have yielded no significant leads. No official statement has been released. The Hokage's administration remains tight-lipped about this glaring breach of internal security.
Can ordinary citizens still feel safe in Konohagakure? Unlikely.
The Minami estate was completely destroyed by fire. The entire family was found massacred—save for one survivor. A lone girl. Minami Asami, now the last living member of her household. Covered in blood and suffering from exhaustion, she was rushed to Konoha General Hospital.
No suspects have been named. Once again, Konoha's law enforcement appears baffled, failing to prevent foreign infiltrators from attacking within the village walls.
Asami let out a soft giggle, slightly amused by the dramatics. They weren't entirely wrong. Still, what surprised her most was the startling lack of censorship in a militarized state like Konoha. She didn't expect newspapers to be so bold in criticizing the Hokage's administration. Fascinating.
Asami had just begun scanning a new section of the newspaper when two figures entered her room. She set the paper aside and narrowed her eyes at the newcomers. Who were they, and why were they here?
They approached without hesitation. One wore the signature attire of the ANBU—his porcelain fox mask and silver hair gave him away. The other man was unmistakable. He wore the regal red-and-white robes of the Hokage, a hat that bore the kanji for "Fire." Every child in Konoha recognized that symbol. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, had come to visit her.
Asami did her best to conceal her surprise. The Hokage himself had come to see her—how curious. What could Hiruzen want with her? Surely he had more pressing matters to attend to than visiting a hospitalized child.
The old man spoke gently. "How are you, Asami? Are they treating you well? How's the food? Back during the last war, the hospital food was so bad, I suspected the cooks were trying to poison me."
He chuckled, clearly trying to lighten the mood. Asami didn't even flinch. He knew her name. Not a good sign. That meant he knew who she was—and more importantly, he wanted something from her. Troublesome.
She cleared her throat and replied evenly, "Reasonably well, considering the circumstances. But, if I may ask, to what do I owe the honor of your visit, Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen smiled warmly. "Can't an old man look after the younger generation? Aren't we all one big family here in Konoha?"
Asami rolled her eyes internally. Sugar-coated words wouldn't earn her trust. Did the Hokage truly have nothing better to do than pay idle visits to children?
"Your concern is noted and appreciated, Hokage-sama, but I fail to grasp the true purpose of your visit. How may I assist you?"
The Hokage let out a chuckle, clearly amused by her composure. "You're quite the brave girl, Asami. It's not every day someone speaks to the Hokage so directly."
He took a puff of his wooden pipe. Smoke curled from his mouth, drifting lazily out the open window. "Then let's not waste time. Do you remember what happened that night, Asami?"
She offered a slight smile. "I know as much as you do, Hokage-sama."
"And that would be?"
"Not much."
"'Not much'... That implies you know something, does it not?" Hiruzen pressed, his tone still gentle, but probing.
Asami replied smoothly, "I mean exactly what I said. I don't know much—only what is obvious. And I imagine the same applies to you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here interrogating a girl still recovering from her wounds. You seek answers—answers that don't exist. You have no idea who the attackers were, and neither do I. They escaped, and their identities remain unknown."
Hiruzen paused, the silence thick between them. He exhaled another cloud of smoke. "I see... One last question, then. Kakashi informed me—"
"Kakashi?" Asami tilted her head.
Hiruzen gestured toward the masked ANBU beside him. "This is Hatake Kakashi, captain of the ANBU unit that found you unconscious among the ruins."
The man named Kakashi gave a brief nod, silent as expected.
Hiruzen continued, "He told me they found a sword in your hands and your chakra nearly depleted when they discovered you. Asami... why were you holding a sword? Why was your chakra exhausted? You fought them, didn't you?"
"... ... ..." Asami hesitated, then nodded. Her resistance melted away. "... I did. There were three men that night. They claimed to be ANBU investigating disturbances near our estate. I didn't trust them... but I followed. They murdered my mother in front of me. I still don't know why..."
The room fell into a cold hush. No words were spoken. Smoke coiled from Hiruzen's pipe as he nodded. "I see... Thank you, Asami. You've been very helpful."
"What do you think, Kakashi? Is she telling the truth?" Hiruzen walked slowly down the hospital corridor, his sandals tapping softly against the polished floor. Despite the case's uniqueness, he had taken a personal interest in it. The explosion in the heart of Konoha had sparked concern—and the victim's background demanded answers.
Kakashi's tone was measured. "Difficult to say for certain, but I think so. The mansion was completely destroyed. I suspect Asami herself had a role in it. She may have even caused the explosion... What I can't understand is why they targeted her. Her family is wealthy, yes, but otherwise she's just an ordinary academy student. There's no clear motive."
Hiruzen stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You raise a fair point. Their motivations remain unclear... But do you realize the implications of her statement, Kakashi?"
Kakashi nodded. "That there's a prodigious kunoichi hiding in plain sight. A girl who managed to hold off trained attackers, survive, and even conceal the true extent of her abilities from the academy for years. Someone capable of wielding a blade and tapping into enough chakra to level a mansion."
Hiruzen's expression turned contemplative. "Exactly. That such talent could go unnoticed until now is troubling. She was right under our noses the entire time."