Although Yoruha wasn't exactly a hopeless romantic…
He did care about people. And if there was even a small chance of preventing Ino from getting hurt, he was willing to put in the effort.
Of course, that depended on timing—and the right opportunity.
After all, it's not like he could babysit Asuma 24/7.
After dinner, Yoruha and Hinata took a quiet walk together through the softly lit streets of the village.
They strolled hand in hand, not saying much, but their smiles said enough.
It had already been ten years since they met.
And even though they didn't talk much when they were alone like this, the silence between them was never awkward.
Their bond had already grown past the need for words.
"Yoruha," Hinata said, her voice soft, "Kurenai-sensei is pregnant. She asked us to help her think of a name for the baby. Do you have any ideas?"
"A name, huh…" Yoruha paused, then chuckled. "How about… Sarutobi's Future?"
"'Sarutobi's Future'... That's a beautiful name," Hinata said warmly. "I'll tell her next time we see her. Maybe she'll actually choose it."
Yoruha looked at her with a subtle smile. From her expression alone, he could tell Hinata had a lot of affection for Asuma's family.
Of course, so did he.
And for that reason…
If something happened to Asuma, Hinata would be devastated.
Ino, too.
Yoruha let out a quiet sigh.
Saving Asuma sounded easy. But realistically? It was anything but.
If only he could run into the Immortal Duo a little earlier—he could crush them and be done with it.
But life didn't hand out that kind of timing.
Just as he was lost in thought, an Anbu ninja appeared in front of him without warning.
"Lord Yoruha, there's an urgent matter," the Anbu said respectfully. "Please report to the Hokage's office immediately."
"Urgent?" Yoruha frowned. "What kind of urgent?"
He had only just returned from a mission and rested for three days.
And now they were throwing him into something again?
He suddenly found himself envying Kakashi. Lying around and doing nothing… actually sounded kind of nice.
"I think it's related to the Fire Temple," the Anbu answered. "I saw a monk from the temple arrive earlier."
"Oh? The Fire Temple?" Yoruha's eyes narrowed. "Understood. I'll head over now."
A troubling thought crossed his mind.
Could it be that Chiriku—the head monk—was killed by the Immortal Duo already?
Not long after, Yoruha arrived at the Hokage's office.
Kakashi and Asuma were already there, waiting.
"Alright," Tsunade began once they were all gathered, her expression solemn. "Let me brief you on this mission."
"What kind of mission requires the three of us to work together?" Asuma asked, lighting a cigarette.
"The head monk of the Fire Temple, Chiriku, was killed," Tsunade said flatly. "And it was two members of the Akatsuki who did it."
As soon as she said the words, Asuma choked on the smoke.
His eyes widened. "Chiriku was killed? That can't be…"
Chiriku wasn't just some monk. He had once been a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire's feudal lord.
Asuma had known him personally. Back in his rebellious days, Asuma had left Konoha and served as a Guardian Ninja himself.
He knew how strong Chiriku was.
The man's defensive jutsu could hold up even against attacks from the likes of the First Hokage.
And yet—he was dead?
"The intel is confirmed," Tsunade said grimly. "He was killed for his bounty."
Kakashi folded his arms, thinking aloud. "If they're hunting bounties, then they'll stay in the Land of Fire for a while. We just need to track the local bounty stations—they'll have to hit one eventually."
"Exactly," Tsunade nodded. "That's your mission: hunt them down. Do not let them leave the Land of Fire."
The Fire Temple wasn't just a religious site. It held massive political weight in the Land of Fire—almost sacred status.
And now?
Its head monk had been assassinated.
That alone had made the feudal lord furious. Tsunade knew she couldn't afford to let those killers escape.
Otherwise, the entire Leaf Village would be seen as incompetent.
Yoruha couldn't help but roll his eyes a little.
Seriously? he thought. Orochimaru killed the Third Hokage and we didn't make this big of a deal. But now it's war over one monk?
Was this really worth risking Asuma's life over?
"There are dozens of bounty stations across the Land of Fire, some big, some small," Asuma muttered, stubbing out his cigarette. "At least ten are within range of the Fire Temple. Even with three squads, tracking them won't be easy."
"Don't worry," Tsunade said. "Shizune's already assigned locations to each squad. You three will be joined by three Chūnin teams. No matter who locates the Akatsuki members first, remember—do not engage alone. Signal the others and stall for time. The goal is to trap them once everyone arrives."
Tsunade was no fool.
She knew how dangerous the Akatsuki were.
She didn't want her ninja dying needlessly. Her plan was simple: surround and swarm.
"Oh, and one more thing. Kurenai is on leave due to her pregnancy. So this time, Yoruha—you'll lead Team 8."
"Got it," Yoruha nodded without hesitation.
A moment later, they picked up their assignment scrolls from Shizune and left the building.
In the forest outside Konoha, the squads dispersed and moved toward their assigned areas.
Team 8 trailed behind Yoruha's clone, marching in quiet formation.
Hinata smiled sweetly beside him, but Kiba and Shino both wore complicated expressions.
They'd grown up together—eating BBQ, going on missions, training side by side.
And now, suddenly, Yoruha was leading them?
It was surreal.
And to make matters worse… he wasn't even leading them himself.
This was just a shadow clone.
Somewhere far behind, the real Yoruha was following Asuma's team from a distance.
Because no matter how many leads they had, Yoruha knew only one person would find Kakuzu and Hidan.
Asuma.
It was destiny. Scripted by the so-called "God of Plot."
So all Yoruha had to do… was stick close.
He glanced ahead toward Ino, who was chatting excitedly.
Look at her, Yoruha thought with a sigh. If she really runs into Hidan and Kakuzu, she'll probably charge straight in swinging.
If I weren't shadowing them… I might not even have a sister left by the end of this.
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