Asuma Sarutobi refused the position his father had arranged for him and also refused to join the Security Force. For the time being, he was just an ordinary Jonin. His direct superior was Jonin Class Nara Shikaku, who was now the head of the Nara Family.
He rarely paid attention to the Jonin. To ordinary ninjas, it was a leisurely job, but those who were truly at the center of power knew the importance of this position.
" Asuma, when Shikaku retires, you should take over his position," the Third Elder advised.
Asuma clearly hadn't thought that far ahead. He waved his hands repeatedly, indicating that he was unworthy of taking over the position of Jonin Class.
That was a very important position, especially during wartime. It required an exceptionally intelligent mind and strong leadership skills to command a large number of unruly Jonin.
"Oh dear, if you don't agree, Hiruzen might transfer you to his Anbu, then you'd be under his nose every Tenten." The Third Elder said with a smile, talking about what might happen.
Asuma was speechless once again, and he realized that he couldn't let the Elder keep talking, so he took the initiative to change the subject and asked the question that had been on his mind ever since he returned to Konoha.
"Father, his body--"
"Didn't you stay with him yesterday? You should know the situation now."
Upon hearing this, the Third Elder's smile vanished instantly. His face fell, he sighed heavily, and said softly, "Perhaps he might try to hide it from you, but in the eyes of us old folks—"
He shook his head slightly and sighed again, which made Asuma's heart clench once more.
"If he elects the Fifth Hokage now and then chooses to retire, he might be able to hold on for a few more years. If someone takes good care of him, living for more than ten years wouldn't be a problem."
"But now, you stayed with him yesterday, and you know what time he doesn't get home and what time he goes to work this morning—"
"In addition to what happened before, the Hokage Building collapsed completely, and then it was attacked. Did you know that those who attacked him were not members of the Uchiha Clan, but they all possessed the Sharingan?"
"I remember you and Hatake Kakashi were good friends. You should know that even ordinary ninjas become exceptionally powerful after transplanting the Sharingan."
Hiruzen didn't say whether he was injured or not, but he refused to go to the village hospital for a checkup. Although he appeared to be perfectly fine, who knows if he had any internal injuries.
"Let me tell you, before you were born, when the Second Hokage and even the First Hokage were still alive, Hiruzen fought exceptionally hard in all kinds of battles, and sometimes he would even risk injury to protect his comrades and teammates."
"The scars on his body and the internal injuries inside him are far more numerous than you can imagine. We old folks are from the same era as him. Last year and the year before, clansmen of similar age to Hiruzen passed away—"
"It's good that you're back--" The Third Elder patted Asuma's shoulder heavily.
As the banquet drew to a close, the Third Elder did not say anything more. Although some Elder winked at him, he quietly glared back at them.
After Asuma left the banquet, the Elder did not leave, but gathered together there.
"Third brother, why don't you just confront him directly?"
"Hmph, he's just like Hiruzen, stubborn as a mule. The more you whip him, the less likely he is to do what you want him to do."
"Although it's urgent, we can't be too hasty, or we'll have nothing left."
"You wait here, I'll go find Xiao Huang first. With her help, we'll succeed quickly!"
The third Elder spoke with absolute certainty, and the Elder had no more doubts.
But Asuma beat the Third Elder to it. After the banquet, he went straight to the Security Force building, but he didn't see his good cousin. Instead, someone else was sitting in the minister's seat.
"Huh? Asuma?"
Shikaru Nara was sitting with his legs crossed, constantly revising a document, but the various snacks and drinks next to him told Asuma that this guy was only pretending to be working because he suddenly heard the door open.
In other words, she's slacking off.
"Don't you ever knock?" Shikaru Nara put down her documents and pen, picked up her snacks again, and started munching away. As she ate, she asked, "You never knock before going into Akira's house, do you? I'm going to spread this news throughout the village so everyone knows you're a total pervert."
"No, no--" Asuma couldn't stand this. He had known Shikaru Nara for a long time and knew her personality. She not only liked to ask all sorts of questions, but she was also quirky and always liked to tease people with her words.
After repeatedly begging for mercy, he quickly changed the subject.
"Where's Huang? Isn't she the minister? Why are you here today?"
"Me?" Shikaru Nara patted his chest, a hint of feigned pride in his voice, and said with a grin, "Although my official position outside is the captain of the Security Force, I actually do the work of an assistant to the minister."
"You don't know, when the Security Force was first established, I had to manage everything. Now, I only sit here and slack off for a while when our Minister is busy."
"As for our minister—" Her voice suddenly lost its liveliness and became somewhat low.
"They're at the Uchiha Clan's territory. They just left recently, so you can still make it there now."
"Also, that pink-haired girl from yesterday, she's not a spy. Your family members always like to make a mountain out of a molehill and interrogate ordinary people. Remember to have a good talk with them when you get back."
Asuma nodded, indicating that he understood.
I will--
He then turned around and saw a thin black shadow in front of him, the end of which transformed into the shape of a hand, holding a bunch of yellow and white chrysanthemums.
"If you're going over there, remember to give me a bouquet too."
Shikaru Nara spoke quietly, and Asuma nodded, took the words from the shadow's hand, and slowly stepped out of the Security Force building.
The Uchiha Clan's territory is not far from the Security Force. It's afternoon, the hottest time of day, but there's no sign of life here; instead, it's eerily quiet.
Asuma, carrying chrysanthemums, walked through the alley. He suddenly realized that he seemed to have forgotten to ask where the Uchiha Clan was finally buried. But he hadn't gone far when he saw small mounds of earth.
Green shoots have already begun to emerge from the top of the mound.