When they said there was "no way," it wasn't that they truly had no options; some things were left unsaid, but everyone knew the truth. The so-called Twelve Guardian Ninja might sound impressive, but they weren't significant enough for the Hokage to bother with.
In fact, Choza Akimichi's real concern wasn't the Twelve Guardian Ninja.
It was the Daimyo of the Land of Fire!
Though all intelligence gathered so far showed no evidence that the Daimyo was pulling the strings, the trouble seemed to stem from just a handful of individuals led by Kazuma. The Daimyo himself appeared oblivious. But anyone who genuinely believed the Daimyo was in the dark had to be either incredibly naive or downright foolish—or perhaps feigning ignorance.
As the Fifth Hokage, Choza Akimichi didn't buy into the idea that the Daimyo was some pure-hearted saint.
This possible involvement of the Daimyo had turned what seemed a minor issue into a serious matter requiring a discussion among Konoha's higher-ups, resulting in a decision to simply "wait and see."
The Daimyo, after all, is the nominal head of the Land of Fire.
Even the Hokage, in principle, is technically below the Daimyo. Under these circumstances, Konoha can hardly take preemptive action. Even if they had concrete proof that the Daimyo was acting against Konoha, taking action would have repercussions as long as the Daimyo didn't make the first move.
The "one country, one village" system is deeply ingrained in people's minds. While many Konoha ninja see the Hokage as the village's ultimate leader, they still hold a certain respect for the Daimyo. Moving against him would face substantial opposition.
Of course,
If the Hokage were decisive and held strong enough influence, it wouldn't be impossible to replace the Daimyo. There are a hundred ways to do it—one of the more direct methods would be to support one of the Daimyo's many children, who have no chance of inheriting his position, to stage a coup.
But Choza Akimichi wasn't that type of person.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio has always kept a low profile. Unlike the Uchiha or Hyuga, they're known for staying out of the limelight. Expecting Choza to make such an extreme choice would be unrealistic, so no one even brought up those measures to eliminate all future problems at the source.
Anyway, he wasn't worried about it at all.
After all, what kind of trouble could a ragtag group of foot soldiers stir up? Even if they somehow caused a disturbance, he wouldn't care. If water comes, it's blocked with earth; if soldiers arrive, the general stands firm. He feared no challenge.
---
At the Daimyo's Palace.
A note: The Daimyo's palace isn't merely his residence; it's the capital of the Land of Fire, a bustling city comparable to Konoha. While Konoha still refers to itself as a "village," it's merely semantics; the Daimyo's palace is truly a royal estate, akin to a king's palace.
The Twelve Guardian Ninja work at the Daimyo's palace, responsible for his personal security.
On this particular day, Asuma Sarutobi had just finished his shift and was about to head out for a drink after handing over duties to his colleague. Just as he returned to his room to change, someone came knocking. "Asuma, are you heading out?" The visitor was a bald man with a handsome face, dressed in gray and white monk robes.
"Yo, Chiriku! You're here! I didn't see you earlier and thought you were out. How about it? Want to join me for a drink?"
Asuma smiled as he invited his friend.
"You're in the mood for a drink?"
Chiriku frowned, questioning sternly, "Do you know what Kazuma's been up to lately?"
"What Kazuma chooses to do is his own business. I have no right to interfere."
This response only fueled Chiriku's anger further. His face twisted into an expression like that of a wrathful deity carved into the Temple of Fire. Through clenched teeth, he said, "Asuma, what's gotten into you? Are you really just going to stand by and watch Kazuma do as he pleases? Don't you care if Konoha ends up under attack because of it?"
Chiriku's frustration was rooted in Kazuma's actions of late—and in Asuma's inaction.
He was bewildered.
He couldn't understand Asuma's sudden indifference toward Kazuma's behavior. While Asuma still worked seriously, he rarely socialized with his colleagues anymore, instead spending his off-hours drinking alone at various taverns around the Daimyo's palace.
"Care?"
Asuma looked at Chiriku, who blocked the door, knowing he wouldn't be leaving until he explained himself. After a few seconds of staring, Asuma scoffed, "Why should I care?"
Chiriku's eyes widened in disbelief. He never imagined such words would come from Asuma. "Do you even know what you're saying, Asuma? Why should you care? Isn't that obvious? You're a Konoha shinobi!"
This was bizarre.
The Twelve Guardian Ninja come from diverse backgrounds.
Kazuma was a member of the Daimyo's elite personal guard; Chiriku hailed from the renowned Temple of Fire in the Land of Fire; some others, like Kitane, came from the prestigious White Peak Village. Asuma Sarutobi was the only one of the Twelve who came from Konoha.
By all rights,
Asuma should be the one most concerned about the situation.
Yet he seemed entirely unconcerned.
"When I joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja, I was officially stripped of my Konoha shinobi status—that's what the Fifth Hokage told me the last time I returned to the village." Asuma's expression was cold as he looked at Chiriku. "According to your logic, as a Konoha shinobi, I should dedicate myself to Konoha. But I'm no longer a Konoha shinobi. So, can you let me through? I'm tired and need a drink to relax."
"You... Asuma, are you still hung up on your father's death?"
Chiriku couldn't help voicing his suspicion.
"Yes, I've never forgotten. The idea that a mere Zabuza Momochi managed to kill the Third Hokage is absurd! Do they take me for a fool?" Asuma erupted, a deep rage in his voice. Chiriku was furious, but so was Asuma.
Chiriku opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless. He suspected there was more to the Third Hokage's death as well, yet the Fifth Hokage and Konoha's leadership had accepted it. As a humble monk, he knew it wasn't his place to interfere with Konoha's internal affairs.
Having reached this point, Chiriku realized Asuma wasn't going to intervene in Kazuma's schemes. Feeling disheartened, he stepped aside in silence. Asuma, without another word, exited the room with determined steps, fading into the distance.
Chiriku returned to his quarters, feeling conflicted.
As soon as he entered, someone asked, "So, what did Asuma say? Is he going to talk to Kazuma? Why didn't he come with you?" Clearly, the questioner assumed Chiriku would bring Asuma along.
"Asuma's not going to get involved."
Chiriku answered succinctly.
He walked into his small, three-tatami room. As a monk, Chiriku had little need for material possessions, so even with two visitors, the small space didn't feel crowded.
"What do you mean, Asuma's not getting involved?"
As Daido took a seat on the tatami mat, one of the guests finally spoke up.
"It's exactly what it sounds like. Asuma's father was the Third Hokage, and he still hasn't emerged from the shadow of his father's death. Beigen, Seima, we can't count on Asuma to act with us right now. We're on our own."
Beigen was a man with notably thick eyebrows, making an otherwise ordinary face unforgettable. His expression grew complex as he listened to Daido's explanation. Though he wanted to say something, he only managed a helpless sigh. "Ah… Asuma, he... ah!"
The assassination of the Third Hokage wasn't exactly a secret in the Land of Fire.
And as personal guards to the daimyo, they knew the situation was more complicated than it seemed. Honestly, if it weren't for their companion Sarutobi Asuma, they wouldn't have been too invested in it. After all, they weren't Konoha shinobi, so why should Konoha's internal strife concern them?
"But without Asuma's support, it'll be tough to go up against Hema and his group."
Another guest joined in. Seima's face was a bit more refined than Beigen's, with a cross-shaped scar on the edge of his right cheek. He gave a wry smile and said, "There are only five of us, and Hema's group has six... If things come to a clash, we'll be outmatched."
The Twelve Guardian Ninja, as the name implies, consisted of twelve members.
Due to ideological differences, they had split into two factions: the radical and the moderate. Conveniently, each faction had six members, with Hema leading the radicals and Sarutobi Asuma the moderates. The balance in numbers helped maintain a certain peace since neither side could overpower the other.
But now, things had changed.
For some reason, Hema had recently become increasingly bold and aggressive, openly promoting his theory that the Hokage was obsolete and that Konoha should fall under the daimyo's direct rule. Being the capital of the Land of Fire, the daimyo's city attracted numerous elites and, consequently, ninja from all over the country.
To clarify a bit,
The Land of Fire has only one official ninja village: Konoha, established by the First Hokage and the Fire Daimyo as part of a one-nation, one-village system. However, beyond Konoha, there are many ninja clans and "Ninja Hamlets."
Ninja clans are straightforward—groups of shinobi bound by bloodlines.
But not all ninja clans could sustain themselves. Back in the Warring States era, ninja clans began gathering into communities known as "Ninja Hamlets," the predecessors of today's ninja villages. These hamlets consisted exclusively of ninja, with no civilians, so the concept of civilian ninja didn't emerge there.
This situation isn't unique to the Land of Fire; other nations have similar structures. The most obvious example is the Land of Water, where the Mist Village constantly has clashes with various Ninja Hamlets and families within the Land of Water.
At the moment,
Hema has been actively contacting and trying to persuade these Ninja Hamlets and clans, and it seems he's made some progress. After all, not everyone is fond of Konoha. Some of these hamlets and clans are self-sufficient, while others rely on missions from nobles and merchants to make a living. Konoha, as a strong competitor, isn't exactly popular.
Of course, there are also hamlets and clans that maintain friendly ties with Konoha. For example, Beigen's White Peak Hamlet has close ties with Konoha, which influences their stance against Hema. The same goes for Daido; the Fire Temple has even stronger connections with Konoha.
"Do you think Hema and his followers would actually dare to strike?"
Beigen found Seima's words a bit exaggerated.
The conflict between radicals and moderates wasn't new; it had existed since shortly after the formation of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. The two factions had been at odds for years, but things had always remained at the level of training and practice matches.
"Why wouldn't they? Hema's group isn't afraid to go against Konoha, so why wouldn't they dare strike at us?" Seima's retort left Beigen silent. It was a good point; Hema's increasingly bold actions were bound to draw Konoha's attention eventually, yet they continued. It wasn't hard to imagine that Hema had likely already made up his mind.
A decision that could finally shatter the stalemate they'd had for so long. Worse still, the moderate faction had lost its leader. Before, even if a real conflict broke out, it would have been a fair fight, but now the balance had shifted. Losing Asuma wasn't just a matter of one less number; his absence left a significant impact.
Once balance is broken,
Things tend to swing heavily in one direction.
"Daido, do you have any ideas?"
Beigen turned to Daido.
In the moderate faction of six, if Asuma was their leader, then Daido was the second in command. Now that Asuma had chosen to stay out of it, Daido was their only hope.
"I'm thinking of making a trip to Konoha."
"To Konoha?"
Seima raised a brow, surprised. "Are you planning to ask Konoha for help against Hema?"
"Not sure of the exact approach yet, but we can't just let Hema run wild. If we let him go unchecked, I fear it could lead to irreversible consequences. Since we alone can't stop him, we may need Konoha's support."
Daido spoke seriously.
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