Outside the palace, two guards stopped Asuma.
"Halt. Asuma, you don't need to come here anymore."
Although he had half-expected it, hearing these words from a former colleague left Asuma with a complex mix of emotions inside.
"Why?"
The two guards exchanged glances but offered no explanation.
"I wish to see the Daimyo," Asuma requested.
Finally, one of them spoke again. "The Daimyo won't see you. You know why yourself."
Come on—how could anyone dare employ a member of a clan now labeled as rogues?
Without the discipline normally found among ninja ranks, they were simply unstable elements.
Sighing, Asuma turned and walked away.
Back at his residence, he sorted through recent letters but still hadn't received any reply from Danzo.
Maybe Danzo had already caught wind of the Sarutobi clan being branded as traitors. Either way, he hadn't reached out to Asuma since.
Already in a terrible mood, Asuma couldn't help but curse inwardly.
That bastard Danzo! Left twisting in the wind like this—this is exactly that backstabbing kind of trick!
Danzo only needed to talk. Yet Asuma had to tread carefully while leading his people forward cautiously.
Thinking further, he felt puzzled—didn't Danzo care about the fate of the Sarutobi clan either?
Asuma knew Tsunade had principles and likely wouldn't order a massacre—but life under her rule sure wouldn't be what it used to be.
Had Danzo abandoned the Sarutobi clan? Or were they willing to live a life filled with humiliation in Konoha?
At that moment, several clan members came looking for him.
Asuma knew what they wanted—they'd just ask again about plans for the next steps.
Now labeled rogue ninjas by Tsunade, they might soon face assassination attempts from Konoha's shinobi.
He needed to plan their future carefully during this brief window of time.
After briefly speaking with the clan members, Asuma once again arrived at the Daimyo's palace.
"I wish to see the Daimyo," he said.
The guard's tone remained cold and unyielding. "The Daimyo will not see you."
With nothing more to say, Asuma quietly turned and left.
The next day, he returned there again and made the same request—only to get the same rejection.
On the third day, the fourth day—it continued like this.
The guards became increasingly impatient, and by the end, they simply ignored him altogether.
By the fifth day:
"I want to see the Daimyo."
"Asuma, are you done yet? It's just impossible!" One guard frowned.
"I said," Asuma repeated firmly, "I want to see the Daimyo. My tone leaves no room for negotiation."
As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of Sarutobi clan members suddenly appeared behind him.
Then, footstep after footstep echoed louder and louder.
Countless figures flickered into view.
Within moments, row after row of Sarutobi clan members lined up behind Asuma.
Looking at them, nearly two hundred strong, differing in height but all with determined expressions in their eyes.
The guards froze for a moment, then muttered among themselves, "Didn't think there were this many still around."
Upon hearing that, Asuma hesitated slightly.
They were surprised only by their numbers—but clearly weren't shocked to see them appear like this.
Could it be... the Daimyo already knows something?
Seeing the determined approach from Asuma and his group, the guards reacted quickly, sending out a signal summoning reinforcements stationed around the outer perimeter of the palace immediately.
"Enemy attack! Fall in!"
Soon, the two forces clashed.
Asuma charged ahead, slicing through the chaos and bloodshed, forcing his way into the palace. Following familiar corridors, he quickly reached the Daimyo's presence.
Hearing the sounds of battle outside, the Daimyo was already protected by several ninjas. He stood dressed in elaborate robes, calm and composed.
"Daimyo-sama," Asuma bowed respectfully despite his bloodstained clothes, revealing his former identity.
"Asuma, I regret to say I no longer require your services," the Daimyo said flatly.
At least publicly, he could not possibly retain a rogue ninja as a subordinate.
"Daimyo-sama, I request that you restore honor to the Sarutobi Clan."
Ignoring the Daimyo's previous words, Asuma made his request.
At this, the Daimyo merely shook his head slightly. "Matters of Konoha have always been resolved within Konoha. I cannot interfere."
Lowering his head, Asuma's expression became difficult to read.
Two ninjas guarding the Daimyo exchanged glances, nodded, and stepped forward, drawing their kunai toward Asuma.
As the kunai were about to strike, Asuma executed a Body Replacement Technique to evade.
At that moment, the ground seemed to tremble under heavy impact, shaking continuously.
All the Sarutobi clan members Asuma had led earlier now rushed in at full speed.
Their bodies were stained with the blood of fallen enemies.
Among the outer guards, most were ordinary soldiers, while all Sarutobi clan members were ninjas. Defeating them posed little challenge, with minimal losses.
"Asuma, are you attempting rebellion?" someone from the Daimyo's side shouted.
Asuma spoke nothing, silently allowing his clan members to press forward.
"Kill them all without exception," the Daimyo ordered with a frown, retreating under the protection of three ninjas.
As for other combat-capable individuals within the palace, they picked up weapons and joined the fight.
In terms of sheer numbers, more than one hundred ninjas were stationed in the Daimyo's palace, with even more samurai and regular guards outnumbering them significantly.
Watching the bloody battlefield from a distance, the Daimyo coldly called out toward one direction, "Are you still waiting?"
Hidan lazily emerged from around the corner.
"Daimyo-sama, business is always about money," Kakuzu, standing nearby, remarked.
Sighing, the Daimyo reluctantly nodded.
...
After staying a few days in the Country of Hot Springs — known for its therapeutic springs and peaceful landscapes — Hanabi began to feel restless, cheerfully pulling Hinata along to explore, while Hinata quietly followed.
Hiroki currently had nothing urgent on his hands, so he also came out for a walk.
Pedestrians bustled past in all appearances, displaying various levels of wealth.
Hinata watched them closely.
She noticed something unusual — even among the poor, there was no numbness, no despair. Instead, their eyes burned with excitement and fighting spirit.
This reminded her of movie scenes she'd recently seen.
Kaguya's rule over the ancient humans thousands of years ago… what she did back then…
Glancing toward Hiroki, she slowly walked closer.
After remaining silent momentarily, she softly asked, "Am I the only one who cares about those things?"
"Since that day's confrontation with Kaguya, everyone's attitude hasn't changed much, especially Hiroki. He still comes and goes with Kaguya as usual."
"Doesn't anyone even care what happened?"
Hinata's sudden words sounded somewhat confusing, but Hiroki understood what she meant.
Looking straight ahead, he said, "Hinata, the past cannot be changed. What we can hold onto is only the present and future..."
Hinata went quiet, deep in thought.
"Hinata, do you know what 'bonds' mean?"
"Bonds?" Hinata was taken aback. Of course she knew its meaning—the term had been constantly emphasized throughout teamwork training at the Ninja Academy.
Just as she was deep in thought, White Zetsu suddenly appeared and said, "Big news! Members of the Sarutobi clan have broken into the Fire Daimyo's Palace. Kakuzu, Hidan, and others are fighting each other."
"The people before you now belong to the Country of Hot Springs, but they will eventually become Kaguya's future subjects. If she intends to carry out her plans, there's no need to improve their lives."
"I still have something urgent to attend to. I'll take my leave first. You two keep playing."
After hastily saying those words to Hinata, he immediately followed White Zetsu and left, leaving Hinata alone standing there.
"Sister, come here quick!" Nearby, Hanabi waved at her.
"Coming." Hinata finally responded, then hurried over.
Holding Hanabi's small hand, Hinata recalled Hiroki's earlier words again.
Bonds...
For Hanabi, she would sometimes compromise and give in.
So... Was he trying to tell her that even an older sister could sometimes make compromises because of those bonds?
Inside the Daimyo's Palace, at a spot unnoticed by others, White Zetsu brought Hiroki into view, silently observing the battle.
At this moment, the fight between both sides was intensifying. After a brief clash, both parties quickly settled into their tactics.
Kakuzu was essentially a walking artillery platform.
Though the Sarutobi clan had more members, for Kakuzu, it actually meant less restriction.
He sent out his earth, lightning, and wind attribute clones, while retaining the water and fire attribute masks on his main body.
The Sarutobi clan was the second most skilled Fire Release family in Konoha after the Uchiha Clan, possessing numerous fire-natured ninjutsu users who had even developed many unique Fire Release techniques within the clan.
They moved in perfect sync, waves of scorching heat surging toward Kakuzu and his allies. The flames blazed fiercely and fast, spreading outward relentlessly as if trying to consume everything in their path.
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Most buildings inside the palace were wooden structures. The Daimyo faction's shinobi couldn't extinguish the flames nearly as fast as the fire was expanding.
Kakuzu's mastery of Water Release was limited to a simple "Water Encampment Wall".
Moreover, he didn't really care about the lives of others. He simply kept exchanging jutsu with the Sarutobi clan warriors behind the flames.
The busiest ones were the original palace ninjas. Since the Sarutobi attackers came prepared while they were completely unready, each used different techniques—visually impressive but chaotic and disorganized.
The one suffering the most was Hidan. Although these flames might not necessarily kill him, the pain was definitely real.
Separated by a raging wall of fire, he couldn't get close to his enemies or draw anyone's blood.
"Damn it, they all just disappeared!"
"Your Lordship, we should temporarily leave this place," a ninja beside the Daimyo quietly suggested as sparks kept igniting on the palace's structures.
The Daimyo's eyes flickered while maintaining a cold expression.
A large portion of his palace had been scorched; repairing it would likely cost an enormous sum of money.
"Haven't Leaf sent anyone?" he asked.
"If we notify them now, the earliest they can arrive is this afternoon," replied the ninja.
"I meant earlier," the Daimyo said, somewhat angrily.
"Er… apparently not." The speaker shook his head helplessly.
Sighing, the Daimyo had no choice but to follow him out.
Behind the sea of flames, Sarutobi clan members released coordinated ninjutsu in perfect unison.
That blazing inferno never disappeared.
Asuma relaxed slightly. After watching the retreating figures of the Daimyo and others for a moment, he left his team and silently followed them.
White Zetsu and Hiroki also chose to trail behind quietly.
As soon as the Daimyo and his group found a suitable spot to stop, Asuma's voice rang out.
"Your Lordship…"
Leisurely walking toward the group, Asuma approached them.
"Asuma, are you here to overturn your old decision—kill me like you once planned?" the Daimyo asked.
Long ago, internal disagreements erupted within the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Their ideologies clashed: the radical faction believed that the Land of Fire needed only the Hokage, not the Daimyo, while the conservative faction insisted on maintaining the status quo.
Asuma stood with the conservatives, and battle broke out between the two factions—the conservatives defeating the radicals.
Afterward, the unit completely disbanded.
The few surviving members eventually went their own separate ways.
Asuma originally intended to return to Konoha, but by then its leadership had changed, so he stayed away.
"Your Lordship, I hope you will clear the Sarutobi Clan's name," Asuma repeated what he'd said before.
"How do you expect me to clear it? Everyone already knows what you did. Unless you kill everyone who remembers it, you'll never be seen as innocent," the Daimyo sneered bitterly.
Asuma didn't answer, tightening his grip around the Chakra Blade in his hand, his face growing colder.
Three ninja charged forward suddenly. As the fight began, the Daimyo naturally felt tense.
At this moment, if an enemy appeared, he could very likely die.
He couldn't flee, but staying put was no safer either.
All he could do was hope his men could hold up better—whichever side won first, whether here or back there, was fine.
At this moment, he couldn't help but resent Tsunade.
Since she'd already declared them rogue ninjas, why hadn't she just gone all the way and killed them off?
Her womanly mercy—those in power needed ruthlessness, not compassion.
Hiroki watched the ongoing battle in silence.
Asuma was among the rare wind-element users who mastered chakra nature transformation. The weapon in his hands was particularly unique because it could channel chakra.
His three opponents, by contrast, seemed to have no particular strengths whatsoever.
Hiroki Hyuga gave White Zetsu a knowing glance. "Go bring the *Daimyo* here."
White Zetsu understood his intention. He went to where Hidan and others were fighting, found a barely alive ninja, absorbed his chakra, and transformed into his appearance.
The ninja under the service of the *Daimyo* were easily identifiable since they all wore uniforms.
After mimicking someone else's appearance, White Zetsu tore his clothes and acted out of breath, pretending to have just come from battle. Approaching the *Daimyo*, he expressed concern.
"*Daimyo* my lord, are you alright?"
At this moment, the *Daimyo* didn't suspect anything and responded with great delight, "Is it over already?"
"That's right."
Supporting the *Daimyo*, White Zetsu turned around and led him to Hiroki.
Hiroki smiled as he watched them approach.
"Who are you?" The *Daimyo* questioned, sensing something was slightly off.
"I'm the reinforcement sent by *Konoha*," Hiroki replied, pointing at the forehead protector on his head.
The *Daimyo* looked at him suspiciously and clearly doubted his abilities, but couldn't show his discontent openly at this moment.
"Then go help," he said indifferently.
"Hey, what do you guys think? What qualifications does one need to become a *Daimyo*?" Hiroki didn't leave immediately, instead asking an irrelevant question.
"Anyone would do, I guess," White Zetsu answered.
The *Daimyo*, puzzled and somewhat annoyed, looked at the two men.
What they said sounded like an insult aimed directly at him.
Under the gaze of the indifferent eyes, Hiroki took out a green [Spiritual Sphere] and threw it into the *Daimyo*'s body.
The *Daimyo* froze for a brief moment, quickly recovered, and stared at them blankly.
"Just wait here," Hiroki said and then turned away.
As though receiving orders, the *Daimyo* obediently stood still upon hearing these words.
"Hidan, Kakuzu, how come you're still not done yet? Are you just playing around?" Jumping onto the rooftop overlooking the battlefield, Hiroki shouted toward the fighters below.
Upon hearing the voice, Hidan looked up briefly before turning his head away with a disdainful "Tch."
Kakuzu felt something strange about this, however.
How could this stranger know his name?
Kakuzu then remembered he was a well-known bounty hunter — no wonder people had heard of him. This cleared up his confusion quickly.
The Sarutobi clan members also glanced towards him curiously.
"Who is he...?"
"I recognize him. That's from the Hyuga Clan — Hiroki Hyuga?"
"Does this mean Tsunade has already sent people to deal with us?"
"Just this brat? He's just a damn Chunin..."
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