Asuma Rescued by Konan

On the front line facing the Hidden Cloud, by the time Shiraishi arrived, the main force led by Minato had already settled into camp.

After receiving word from one of his subordinates, Minato came out of the command post with a delighted look and walked over to Shiraishi.

"Shiraishi, what brings you here?"

"I've come under orders from the Third Hokage to protect Asuma." As he spoke, Shiraishi handed Minato Danzo's written order.

Minato took the order and read it carefully before slipping it into his inner pocket. Then he looked up at Shiraishi.

"I'll be counting on you to look after that boy, Asuma." Minato seemed to have shed some of his burden, and looked considerably more relaxed.

As one of the war's top fighters, Minato possessed the greatest mobility and had been entrusted with an extremely important strategic mission.

Under the circumstances, having to spare attention for an impulsive boy eager to prove himself put Minato under considerable pressure.

Especially after the tragedy of losing two of his students in the war, Minato was deeply worried that his own carelessness or inattention might lead to Asuma's death on the battlefield.

Now that Shiraishi had come to protect Asuma, it would take a great deal of pressure off Minato.

"Looks like this won't be an easy assignment." Shiraishi looked at Minato and spoke in a relaxed tone.

Minato sighed at that and explained, "Asuma's a good ninja, and he's got decent skills. It's just that he's a little impulsive and eager to prove himself."

Faced with Minato's tactful complaint, Shiraishi smiled again and replied with confidence, "Leave him to me. We'll say it's a mission and take him away from camp. I'll bring him somewhere safe and keep him there for a while."

Minato's eyes lit up. He thought Shiraishi's idea was excellent.

"Then I'll leave it to you. I'll go get Asuma now. Wait here a moment."

With that, Minato vanished on the spot.

Before long, Minato returned with Asuma and brought him over to Shiraishi.

"Asuma, this is Shiraishi, one of the village's jonin. He has a secret mission to complete, and you'll be going with him," Minato introduced.

Fourteen-year-old Asuma had the characteristic arrogance of a teenager. With his arms crossed over his chest, he eyed Shiraishi suspiciously.

"Are you really a jonin from the village? You're not trying to trick me into going back to the village, are you? I'm telling you, I'm not leaving the battlefield!"

Minato stood to the side and gave Shiraishi an apologetic smile, preparing to explain Asuma's behavior.

But before Minato could speak, Shiraishi moved. His right hand flashed through the air, and before Asuma could react, Shiraishi knocked him unconscious.

Minato's eyes widened as he stared at Shiraishi in shock.

Shiraishi caught the unconscious Asuma with his right hand and smiled faintly at Minato. "I'll take care of him from here."

With that, Shiraishi picked Asuma up with one hand and turned to leave.

Minato stood in place, watching Shiraishi's back and Asuma dangling from his hand, his feet dragging along the ground. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

So this was how Root operated? They certainly got straight to the point!

Darkness. Endless darkness. Asuma felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp of darkness.

He struggled constantly, but the intense pain coursing through his entire body left him powerless to break free.

"Hey! Wake up! Don't fall asleep! Hang in there!"

A gentle woman's voice, like a heavenly melody, drove away the endless darkness. It became a pair of delicate hands that held Asuma and slowly rescued him from the swamp in the abyss.

Asuma's consciousness gradually returned, and the pain in his body grew clearer. With difficulty, he slowly opened his eyes.

Through his blurred vision, Asuma saw a beautiful, gentle face. It was filled with concern, like an angel descended to earth.

"I... I'm... where?" Each word Asuma spoke made his body feel as if it were being sliced by a knife.

His vision slowly cleared. A beautiful young woman with purple hair and orange eyes was kneeling beside him, carefully treating his wounds. She had a gentle air about her.

What a beautiful woman. She was just like an angel!

Asuma looked at the woman beside him and instinctively tried to sit up. The moment he moved, she gently held him down with one hand.

"Don't move. Your injuries are serious. I need to stitch you up and bandage you right away."

Asuma's mind was a complete mess. He couldn't figure out what had happened. Why had he been at camp, beside Jonin Minato, one moment, then gravely injured and lying on the ground, being bandaged by a strange woman the next?

"Who are you? Where am I?" Asuma asked urgently, looking at the woman.

"My name is Konan. Your caravan was attacked by bandits, and everyone was killed. When I arrived, you were the only one still alive."

That's right. The kunoichi who had saved Asuma—or rather, the body Asuma had reincarnated into—was none other than Konan, one of the founders of the Akatsuki.

"Konan..." Asuma felt even more confused. How had he ended up with a caravan?

Asuma wanted to ask more, but his weakness made him drowsy, and darkness kept closing in on his vision.

Before long, he lost consciousness again.

When Asuma woke up once more, he found himself lying on a bed in a room. He struggled to sit up, but his severe injuries had left his chest, abdomen, and arms wrapped in bandages. He was too weak to move.

"You're awake? That's wonderful." The familiar woman's voice sounded again. Asuma turned his only movable part, his neck, and looked to the right, where the voice had come from.

Konan walked to the bedside with a gentle smile. She leaned over and checked Asuma's injuries.

"You can't move around right now. Be a good boy and rest here until you're better." Speaking in the soothing tone one might use with a child, Konan gently wiped the sweat from Asuma's forehead with a towel.

Asuma stared blankly at Konan. At his age, he had never met a woman so gentle and beautiful before.

"Konan, where are we now?" Asuma asked, concerned about their situation.

"Call me Big Sister Konan." Smiling, Konan gently pinched Asuma's cheek and corrected him.

Asuma felt his face grow hot. He didn't dare meet Konan's gaze again, and slowly turned his head to the other side.

Konan straightened up and smiled at the blushing Asuma.

"Um... Big Sister Konan, where are we now?" Asuma asked again in a weak voice.

"We're at a base near Amegakure. You're safe now, so don't be afraid. Just rest and get better," Konan reassured him.

Asuma endured the pain and abruptly turned his head toward Konan, exclaiming excitedly, "Amegakure?"

"Yes, in a town right beside Amegakure. Don't worry," Konan said gently, soothing him.

Asuma stared blankly at Konan, countless questions rising in his mind.

Why was I in Amegakure? What exactly happened?