Whoever snitched, step forward!

Tōka appeared at the final Battlefield to help Budong, Fufeng, and Fuen, and Bu Yuan retreat.

With the Third Hokage in mind, Kakashi, seeing that the Third Hokage had suddenly retreated, did not continue the pursuit, but turned around and rushed into the Forest where the Third Hokage was.

The fighting has subsided; we need to hurry...

The thought flashed through his mind, Kakashi pushed off with all his might, unleashing a burst of chakra from the soles of his feet to propel his body forward.

With a whoosh, Kakashi transformed into a black shadow and disappeared into the Forest.

With the Third Hokage Orochimaru dead, and all the events now understood, Tōka immediately rushed to the Cave where the Genjutsu had been set up after the three of them, Budong, had retreated.

"Untie!"

With a low shout from Tōka, the Genjutsu set up in the Cave was immediately dispelled.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura awoke one after another from their slumber, opening their bewildered eyes and looking up at the jumbled, protruding sharp rocks above them.

"Teacher Tōka?" Sakura was the first to come to her senses, noticing Tōka standing at the cave entrance.

Upon hearing the sound, Sasuke and Naruto immediately looked over.

"Get up if you're awake, we should go back." Tōka turned and walked out, gesturing for the three to follow.

It was just a simple hypnotic Genjutsu; the three were unharmed. After exchanging glances, they immediately got up and gave chase...

The commotion in the Forest grew louder, followed by a series of hurried footsteps.

Through the Eternal Tenseigan's vision, Konoha's reinforcements arrived at Sanghe Village, and the panicked villagers were comforted by the Konoha Ninja and returned home.

The bodies of the Third Hokage and Orochimaru were quickly discovered by Konoha Ninja...

The Hyuga Clan's scout ninja ran at the forefront, leading the main force to the Forest that the Third Hokage and Orochimaru had destroyed.

Following closely behind were four Elite Ninja squads.

The Jonin leading the support force this time was none other than the Third Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma.

The group passed through a dense Forest, and what came into view was a ruin of broken branches and trees.

"Kakashi, what's the situation?!" Asuma's first notice was of a silver-haired ninja standing at the edge of the ruins.

"Asuma." Kakashi opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know how to talk to Asuma, "The Lord Hokage..."

The Third Hokage is not only a shadow of the village, but also Asuma's father.

Kakashi understood this indescribable pain because he had experienced it firsthand, so Kakashi stepped back two paces to give way.

Asuma's gaze moved forward and landed on the corpse behind Kakashi, which was covered by a white sheet.

"Call..."

Asuma exhaled deeply and took a step forward, his heavy legs feeling like they were filled with lead.

It took Asuma almost half a minute to walk a distance of only five or six steps.

"Old Man." All the words he wanted to say were condensed into a long sigh. Asuma lifted the white sheet and silently gazed at the Third Hokage's remains.

His dry, chapped skin was pressed together, outlining clearly visible wrinkles.

In the silence, a sense of grief permeated the Forest.

The crowd bowed their heads, mourning silently in their hearts. Third Hokage of heroes had sacrificed themselves for the village; tears would only be an insult to them.

Three days later, on the day of the Funeral for Third Hokage.

The main force returned to Konoha from Sanghe Village, and it happened to be a rainy day. The drizzling rain cast a shadow over everyone's hearts.

The air seemed damp, and a somber atmosphere enveloped the entire village.

While everyone else was attending the Third Hokage's Funeral, Tōka was locked in a dark room! That's right, the Interrogation Room of Konoha's Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force!

After glancing at the Interrogation Room, which was surrounded by iron walls and had no windows, Tōka slowly rested his head on his arm, closed his eyes, and began to relax.

This so-called Interrogation Room was meaningless to Tōka.

The reason Tōka was willing to be "locked up" here was because there was a question she couldn't understand.

Why was he "captured" and brought here by the Anbu as soon as he returned to Konoha? Was his identity exposed?

Tōka recalled everything that had happened in Sanghe Village, and it seemed that there was nothing that had slipped up.

Kakashi was the only member of the Shadow Guard who survived. Kakashi initially escorted the villagers to safety, but was then cornered by Kazuma.

The two didn't meet again until the last Third Hokage had died.

"If it's not Kakashi, then it could be..." Just as Tōka was lost in thought, a strange thumping sound suddenly came from Interrogation Room.

A flash of Ice Blue light One Flash into the darkness, and Tōka recognized the person who had appeared...

Shimura Danzō?!

With a muffled thud, the heavy iron door of the Interrogation Room was opened, and Danzo, wrapped in gauze and leaning on a cane, walked in like a Danzo.

At the same time, a blinding white light shone from the ceiling of the Interrogation Room —a high-powered Incandescent Lamp embedded in the wall.

"You're really taking it easy, aren't you? How can you even sleep in this situation?" Danzo said sarcastically, looking at Tōka who was leaning against the wall with a lazy expression.

"You mean this?" Tōka raised his hand, revealing Black Iron Chains binding his wrist. "You don't actually think this thing can restrain me, do you?"

"I'm not here to waste my breath on you," Danzo said impatiently, Danzo his cane.

"Oh? So you've come to see me make a fool of myself?" Tōka knew that Danzo must have come for something important, but he couldn't figure out Danzo's purpose.

Therefore, Tōka used jokes to try and disrupt Danzo's composure, hoping to make him accidentally reveal his true intentions. Only by knowing the other party's expectations could he gain the upper hand.

Tōka Danzo his lips and remained silent; Dongge's little tricks were nothing to him.

However, Danzo had no intention of hiding his thoughts; he was there to make a deal with Tōka.

Friend? Enemy?

Danzo never saw any connection between the two; only interests could maintain the alliance. This was Danzo's consistent principle in his actions.

After a long silence, their gazes clashed fiercely in the air.

Finally, Danzo turned around as if to leave, saying, "If you don't want to continue this conversation, I'll just leave."

Step...

Two steps...

Just as Danzo's figure was about to disappear outside the door of the Interrogation Room, Tōka's eyes darkened slightly, and he finally spoke first.

"What do you want?" Since Danzo liked to Gate of Opening, Tōka was too lazy to beat around the bush.

Danzo understood Tōka's unspoken meaning and knew that Tōka's next question would definitely be, "What can I get?"

Therefore, he decided to give the answers to both questions directly.

"The Fifth Hokage!" Danzo turned around, staring intently at Tōka, and uttered these words, pausing for a moment afterward.

He then added, "I'll ensure you leave Konoha alive!"

The first sentence reveals Danzo's purpose, while the second sentence Danzo Tōka a bargaining chip. Unfortunately, although his idea was good, he was rather stingy with the offer.

Upon hearing this, Tōka burst out laughing.

The frozen atmosphere in the air was shattered in an instant, and the oppressive atmosphere that Danzo had deliberately created vanished.

"How so?" After laughing, Tōka, far from being angry, asked with a look of great interest.

Danzo Tōka a cool look, not understanding what was so funny about such a serious matter.

At least in Danzo's view, what he said was true.

"I believe you will find me, and then we can talk." Danzo raised his palm and pointed his Sword Hand Seal, preparing to dispel the Shadow Clone.

Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing.

"Here's a free message for you: someone suspects that Sarutobi's death is related to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a puff of White Smoke exploded with a bang, Danzo's figure disappeared from the spot.

As the commander left, the heavy iron door of the Interrogation Room slammed shut, and the light on the ceiling gradually went out.

Darkness swept in once more, engulfing the entire room.

Tōka could have guessed that the deaths of the Third Hokage were suspected.

He took three kids on a mission to Sanghe Village, and then a piece of information was sent back to Konoha saying that Naruto was in trouble.

This is why the Third Hokage rushed off with only two Shadow Guards.

But afterwards, not only were Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura unharmed, but Tōka also acted as if nothing had happened.

The people of Konoha aren't stupid; it's understandable that they suspect him.

"But why would that Fox Danzo deliberately bring this up?" Tōka asked, one arm crossed over the other, the other stroking his chin with a puzzled expression.

Tōka was mentally prepared to be thoroughly investigated upon returning to Konoha.

Sudden!

The once quiet, Interrogation Room was suddenly filled with a dull rumbling sound, and the large iron Interrogation Room that had just been closed was opened once more.

Two men and one woman walked in one after the other.

The leader was Konoha Jonin Sarutobi Asuma, and the two people behind him, one on his left and one on his right, were identified as Anbu Captain Hatake Kakashi and Konoha Jonin Kurenai Yuhi.

"They arrived faster than I expected." Tōka waved his arm, shoving the thick iron chain aside.

Then, he used the wall for support to stand up.

Asuma's gaze pierced through the darkness, landing intently on Tōka's face, as if trying to see through Tōka's heart.

"You guys aren't just here to 'check in' on me, are you?" Tōka stared at the three men expressionlessly. Was Danzo implying that he should be wary of these three?

Although Tōka didn't think anyone in Konoha could pose a threat to him, he always felt that Asuma's gaze was very unsettling...

I'm annoyed!

"Tōka, I only have one question for you." After a short silence, Asuma said in a low, hoarse voice.

"Speak." Tōka's eyelids lowered slightly, and he uttered a single word.

"Does the Lord Hokage's death have anything to do with you?" Asuma's Gate of Opening question startled Tōka.

After a moment's hesitation, Tōka slowly nodded.

Meanwhile, a pair of wary black eyes were hidden in the pitch-black world; Tōka's eyes did not reveal the appearance of the Eternal Tenseigan.

But he could still clearly see the expressions on the faces of the three people.

Kakashi's eyes showed a hint of surprise and disbelief, while Kurenai looked at Asuma with a worried expression.

Asuma's reaction was the most puzzling to Tōka!

Click!

Asuma inserted the key to the Black Iron Chains into the chain in Tōka, and with a slight twist of his wrist, the chain opened with a soft click.

Tōka rubbed his wrist, which was injured by the hard iron ring, and looked at Asuma with a puzzled expression.

It seemed like he was asking, "What's going on? He was clearly nodding, not shaking his head! Are you seeing things?"

"Get out." Asuma casually tossed the key aside, turned and pushed aside Kakashi and Kurenai, walking straight past them out.

Kakashi and Kurenai were also confused. After a slight pause, Kurenai immediately turned around and chased after them, while Kakashi stayed behind.

His gaze fell on Tōka, his eyes flashing with countless emotions in a single second.

Tōka was taken aback by Asuma's reaction, but he kept these thoughts to himself. After freeing himself from his restraints, he walked past Kakashi and left the Interrogation Room without any expression.

Even though he was only locked up for half a day, the fresh air outside still made Tōka smile.

The air of freedom is something to yearn for.

On the rain-shrouded street, Red, holding an umbrella, ran quickly toward Asuma. She was shorter than Asuma, and could only stretch out her arm to cover half of Asuma's body with the umbrella.

Maintaining this posture with their arms raised, the two walked from one end of the street to the other.

After turning into the alley, we walked onto the next street.

"Red, do you think I'm useless?" Asuma reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, about to tear open the paper, when he suddenly stopped.

Looking at the cigarette pack in his hand, Asuma sang the Third Hokage.

The main reason Asuma started smoking was that the Third Hokage himself was a heavy smoker, with his pipe always in his mouth and hand.

Hong stopped silently, letting the rain fall and wet her slightly curly hair.

Tick-tock...

All I could hear was the sound of rain falling, mixed with a faint, mournful sobbing, as if someone was truly grieving for the death of the Third Hokage.

Old Man, it seems you've been a successful Hokage.

Tears are the most sincere emotion. Some people cry because of the passing of Third Hokage. Asuma is happy and proud of his father.

Only...

"Asuma, what do you want to do?" Red asked nervously, noticing a sudden change in Asuma's somber and oppressive aura.

"Tōka admitted it." Asuma glanced at Hong expressionlessly, uttered these words, turned around, and strode away, disappearing into the rain in a few moments.

The raindrops pattered and shattered at my feet, turning into sparkling droplets that then scattered and fell into the puddles.

In the rain, Asuma's figure was barely visible.

His fist was clenched tightly, and you could vaguely see a crumpled piece of Waste Paper in his clenched palm.

Hong stared blankly at Asuma's departing figure, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Asuma's words were very simple and straightforward: he decided to take revenge on Tōka in his personal capacity, as Hiruzen Sarutobi's Son's son.

The direct culprit, Orochimaru, is dead, but the indirect culprit Tōka, is still alive.

As a Hokage descendant of the Hokage and his own son, Asuma knew many unknown secrets, such as...

The Fourth Hokage was always wary of Tōka, and the Third Hokage never truly accepted Tōka.

These are not unfounded suspicions, but evidence from a real source! It's right there in that Waste Paper in Asuma's hand.

Asuma didn't know who gave it to him, but he believed that what was written on it was true!