"I'm descended from a ninja clan that fled the Land of Fire. My people offended a powerful noble, who hired the Fuma Clan's ninja to wipe out our entire clan. I escaped with my people's help."
In the end, Asuma chose not to tell Kakashi the truth about himself. Instead, he hastily made up an excuse.
Konoha was a ninja organization officially recognized by the Land of Fire, but it wasn't the only ninja force in the country. Outside Konoha, there were also ninja clans of modest strength with distinctive traditions, as well as small ninja villages.
That was the basis for Asuma's lie.
"Then how did you recognize me?" Kakashi pressed.
"I once went to Konoha with my elders. I saw you there and knew you were a genius of Konoha's new generation," Asuma explained quickly.
Kakashi stared into Asuma's eyes with a sharp gaze. After scrutinizing him for several seconds, he finally lowered the Kunai in his hand a little.
"Kakashi, ask him the surname of the clan he came from." Sakumo's voice sounded in Kakashi's mind.
Kakashi interrogated him. "What's your real surname?"
"Takeda. My real name is Kazusuke Takeda." Asuma secretly congratulated himself for having once sneaked a look at intelligence on ninja from other villages that the village had collected, back when he was home in the old man's study.
Hearing the surname Asuma gave, Sakumo thought it sounded familiar. After thinking carefully, he recalled some information.
"I've heard of the Takeda Clan. Like our Hatake Clan, their ancestors were once a noble samurai family serving the Daimyo.
"Later, ninja rose to prominence and samurai fell into decline. To survive, we had no choice but to try training in Chakra.
"I didn't expect their clan to have been wiped out, too!"
Sakumo's voice carried a hint of sorrow as it sounded in Kakashi's mind.
At that, Kakashi lowered the Kunai in his hand, but he didn't completely trust Asuma. He continued questioning him warily. "You come from a ninja clan. Why haven't you had any ninja training?"
Asuma didn't answer right away. Instead, he tilted his head up at a 45-degree angle, gazed at the sky, and let a look of hatred appear in his eyes. Then, with award-winning acting, he said, "You've seen it yourself. I'm in poor health and completely unsuited to becoming a ninja. My parents didn't want me to spend my whole life caught up in ninja bloodshed, either."
Kakashi nodded. "You really do have terrible aptitude."
Asuma felt his chest tighten. He glared angrily at Kakashi. "If you can't say anything decent, then shut up!"
"You want revenge? You want to use the Akatsuki to get revenge for you?" Kakashi ignored Asuma's displeasure.
"No! I'm not an ingrate. Konan saved me, so I stayed with the Akatsuki partly to repay her and partly to have a place to live," Asuma said heatedly.
Kakashi watched Asuma's agitated expression and decided to believe him for the moment.
"I'll believe you for now."
Asuma's eyes widened. He protested, "What do you mean, 'for now'? And why has a ninja from Konoha infiltrated the Akatsuki? Aren't you afraid I'll—"
Before Asuma could finish, the sharp Kunai in Kakashi's hand was already pointed at his throat.
"What are you doing?" Asuma hurriedly took a step back.
"If you dare reveal my identity, I'll kill you," Kakashi threatened coldly.
Asuma glared at Kakashi, deeply resentful. If his current body weren't holding him back, how could this jerk Kakashi bully him like this?
"Aren't you worried I'll agree and then secretly tell Konan afterward?"
Kakashi lowered his right hand and gave Asuma a look as if he were an idiot.
"Damn it! What's with that look?" Asuma said irritably.
"I have a suggestion," Kakashi said sincerely.
"What?"
"Let go of your hatred. Stop thinking about revenge."
"Why?"
Kakashi looked at Asuma with pity. "With your aptitude and intelligence, going after revenge will only wipe out the Takeda Clan for good."
"You!" Asuma was furious.
"Come with me." Kakashi ignored Asuma's anger and turned to walk back.
"What are you going to do?" Asuma asked, confused.
"Keep my identity secret, and I'll guide you in your training. It's your only chance to get revenge."
Before the words had even faded, Kakashi was already far away.
"That arrogant jerk!" Asuma watched Kakashi's retreating back and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Kakashi walked ahead alone, but in his mind he was in constant conversation with his father, Sakumo.
"Kakashi, I'll keep an eye on this boy over the next few days. If he does anything suspicious, I'll stop him immediately."
"Kakashi, let me help, too!" Rin, who had been by Kakashi's side these past few days without being able to do much, couldn't help speaking up.
Kakashi wanted to refuse, but when he saw the girl fly out of the ring, looking so eager, he couldn't bring himself to turn down his teammate's kindness.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Rin."
Happy to have a task, Rin beamed. She held her hands in front of her and clenched them into fists, like an adorable little hamster.
"I'll do my best, Kakashi!"
Sakumo floated behind Kakashi. Watching his son interact with the girl, he couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face.
Wonderful, Kakashi!
Hiruzen Sarutobi was in a terrible situation!
Although he had escaped Konoha through a secret passage right away, the pursuing squad made up of Uchiha and Anbu Ninja had caused him no small amount of trouble.
It wasn't that these people were so powerful that Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't handle them.
The real problem was that the squad was led by his eldest son, Shinnosuke Sarutobi.
As the Hokage's eldest son, an Anbu squad leader, and an elite Jonin of the Sarutobi Clan, Shinnosuke Sarutobi was furious when he learned that his father had been ambushed by Danzo and gravely wounded.
To avenge his father, Shinnosuke had personally asked to lead the pursuit of Danzo.
Under Shinnosuke's firm insistence, his "father," the "Third Hokage" Danzo, had agreed to the request.
With his own son on his heels, Hiruzen Sarutobi was suffering in silence.
Worse still, in his fury, Shinnosuke Sarutobi wouldn't even give Hiruzen Sarutobi a chance to speak.
Beneath a large tree, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just managed to shake off his pursuers. He sat leaning against the trunk to rest.
His heart filled with grief and indignation, Hiruzen Sarutobi's hatred for Danzo grew by the day.
That bastard Danzo was utterly vicious, going so far as to engineer the grotesque tragedy of a father and son turning against each other.
At the thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't suppress the murderous intent rising within him toward Danzo.
A faint sound reached Hiruzen Sarutobi's ears from a distance. He sprang up warily as several Shuriken sliced through the air toward his vital points.
Hiruzen Sarutobi used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge and leaped into a tree, bounding from branch to branch. He had no intention of getting tangled up with the village's ninja.
Before you continue