The air in the underground bounty station was thick with smoke and iron. Sarutobi Asuma stood at the front of his squad, the gleam of his trench knives catching the dim light as he stared down the two Akatsuki members who had brought slaughter to the Fire Temple.
Hidan leaned lazily on his three-bladed scythe, a mocking grin plastered across his face. "Well, well, another group of fools chasing us down. Don't you people ever learn?"
Kakuzu's stitched frame shifted beside him, eyes glinting with irritation. "Enough chatter. Let's get this over with."
Asuma motioned for his team to spread out. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino took positions behind him, their young faces taut with tension.
Steel rang as Asuma lunged at Hidan. Their weapons clashed violently, sparks flying. Hidan's movements were reckless but deceptively fast, his scythe carving arcs that forced Asuma onto the defensive. Every swing seemed careless, but the danger in each strike was real.
"Tch—what's with this guy's fighting style?" Asuma muttered, parrying a vicious downswing.
Hidan laughed. "Oh, don't worry about that. You'll find out soon enough."
A shallow cut opened on Asuma's cheek, blood trailing down his jaw. Hidan's grin widened unnaturally. He dragged his tongue across the scythe's blade, licking up the blood with relish.
"Finally. That's what I needed."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as the markings of Hidan's ritual circle began spreading across the ground. "Sensei! Be careful, something's wrong!"
Too late. Hidan drove the spear of his weapon through his thigh. Across the field, Asuma gasped as pain tore through his leg, blood spilling down his trousers. He dropped to one knee, disbelief flashing across his face.
"What the—?!"
Hidan's ecstatic laughter echoed through the chamber. "Ahhh, that's it! The link is perfect! Now, whatever I do to myself happens to you." He raised the spear again, this time pressing it against his chest where his heart lay.
Shikamaru's shout cracked with panic. "Asuma-sensei!"
The blade punched through Hidan's chest. Asuma staggered, clutching at his side as blood bubbled up in his throat. His body swayed, strength leaving him in waves.
"Teacher Asuma!" Ino's voice broke into sobs as she and Choji tried to rush forward—only for Kakuzu's threads to whip out, blocking their path.
"Don't waste your time," Kakuzu said coolly. "Your teacher's life is already finished."
Asuma's vision blurred, but he forced his eyes to Shikamaru. His voice rasped, urgent. "Listen… Shikamaru. Don't… don't throw your life away here. Take Ino, Choji… get out."
"But—!" Shikamaru's throat tightened, his mind racing, desperate for a way out.
"Go!" Asuma's shout rang with a final command. His gaze softened as it fell on Shikamaru. "I have… one last favor to ask. Watch over Kurenai for me. Please…"
Shikamaru bit down hard, tears stinging his eyes. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, even as his fists trembled. "I understand, Sensei."
With gritted teeth, he grabbed Ino and Choji, dragging them toward the exit despite their cries of protest.
Behind them, Hidan plunged his weapon straight into his heart. Asuma fell to his knees, eyes wide with pain before dimming into silence.
Kakuzu's threads coiled around the body, lifting it casually. His voice carried no emotion, only greed. "Thirty-five million. Combined with Chiriku, that makes sixty-five. Not a bad week."
Hidan slung his scythe across his shoulder and snorted. "Tch, you and your money obsession."
Kakuzu didn't even glance at him. "You wouldn't understand."
News of Asuma's death spread through the village like wildfire. Team 10 gathered in heavy silence, their grief suffocating. Ino wept openly. Choji's fists shook, his face buried in his hands. Shikamaru said nothing at all. He only sat in the shadows, eyes staring blankly at the floor, the weight of Asuma's last words crushing him.
But no one bore the loss more heavily than Kurenai. The moment she heard the truth, her body went rigid, the child she carried suddenly a reminder of everything torn from her. She turned away, tears streaming, unable to accept that the man she loved was gone forever.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Forest of Death, Naruto stood alone among twisted trees, a marked kunai balanced on his fingertip. His brow furrowed.
"It's there. The Hiraishin formula is engraved perfectly. So why can't I make it work?"
He threw the kunai. It is embedded in a tree trunk. Naruto focused, chakra flooding through him, but nothing happened.
Minutes bled into hours. Sweat ran down his face, frustration tightening his chest. Still, he refused to give up.
Finally, as dusk fell, something shifted. Naruto hurled the kunai again, eyes narrowing with fierce concentration. The moment the seal flared, his body vanished in a blur of golden light—reappearing beside the embedded blade in an instant.
He staggered, staring wide-eyed at the spot he had stood only seconds before. A laugh broke from his throat, raw and triumphant. "I did it… Hahaha! The first step of the Flying Thunder God—finally successful."
His hand clenched tight around the kunai. "With this, even if I can't win, I can always survive. No enemy can corner me now."
His thoughts shifted, darker. Asuma's death was a reminder—Akatsuki was moving faster, striking harder. If he didn't accelerate, he would be next. And beyond survival, there was more.
Shisui's eye. Kotoamatsukami. The key to reshaping the board. Danzo held one, but Itachi still carried the other. Naruto's lips curled into a grim smile. "Next time I see him, I'll have to make him hand it over. One way or another."
He exhaled, slipping the kunai back into his pouch. For all his calculations, he knew one thing—plans meant nothing if he burned himself out. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten since morning.
"Heh. Guess even future legends need dinner." He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking toward the village. "Ichiraku Ramen it is. Haven't been there since I got here… time to finally enjoy it."
The Forest of Death grew silent again as he stepped out, the faint light of Konoha waiting beyond the trees.