The Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan were also a thorny problem for Rasa.
Earlier, they had been considering whether the six or seven hundred people from those two clans could be put to any use.
If they could make use of them to seize part of Konoha's territory, Rasa would naturally be pleased.
But Gaara seemed to have a pretty good relationship with the Uchiha Clan now. The Jinchūriki seemed much more subdued, and not nearly as bloodthirsty.
To Rasa, Gaara might have been his son, but he was first and foremost a Tailed Beast weapon.
Now that the Uchiha Clan could bring out more of Gaara's value, that was a win-win for Rasa.
Working with Sarutobi Asuma was too risky, but cooperating with the Uchiha was practically a sure thing.
"Maki, take the Sunagakure ninja and drive Sarutobi Asuma and his people out! They can go wherever they like, as long as they never set foot in the Land of Wind again."
Rasa folded his arms and ordered Maki.
Maki nodded. "Yes!"
As expected, Sarutobi Asuma had become a discarded pawn.
A smile tugged at Uchiha Yu's lips.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
Asuma was practically left with nowhere to go.
It wasn't his fault. Asuma had wanted to rebel, and he couldn't even keep his subordinates in line.
An organization divided against itself would never amount to anything.
The Shimura Clan and the Sarutobi Clan might have been in the same boat, but they each had their own agenda. Together, they were unlikely to get anywhere.
Rasa watched Maki leave through the door and let out a long breath. "Uchiha Yu, I'll attend the Hokage succession ceremony a month from now. You don't need to worry."
Then Rasa asked quietly, "I wonder what the Uchiha Clan plans to do with the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan."
Uchiha Yu shook his head. "Who knows? It depends on whether they want to keep digging their own graves!"
The Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan were both old, powerful families in the village.
But the Uchiha Clan had nothing to fear from them!
They had already lost their momentum, so Uchiha Yu had no reason to worry.
Besides, where could the Sarutobi Clan go now?
Out in the wilderness.
Driven out of Sunagakure, Sarutobi Asuma trudged through the desert with six or seven hundred people behind him.
Their eyes were full of confusion.
Where were they supposed to go?
The Land of Water kept to itself all year round, and the Land of Lightning was extremely warlike. As for the Land of Earth...
It was no pushover, either.
Because of its treacherous terrain and limited contact with the outside world, Sarutobi Asuma had no idea what identity he could use to seek refuge there.
Help the Land of Earth attack the Land of Fire?
With that geography, even with a turncoat like Sarutobi Asuma on their side, they'd be too lazy to venture out.
They were utterly lost...
"Am I really going to have to become a rogue ninja?" Sarutobi Asuma shook his head in despair.
Suddenly, something cold brushed against his neck.
Frowning, Sarutobi Asuma reached up to grab it.
It was a snake.
"A snake!"
Sarutobi Asuma's eyes widened.
There were snakes in the desert?
The snake lay in Sarutobi Asuma's grasp without the slightest fear. It simply opened its mouth and spat out a slip of paper.
"It's an address?" Sarutobi Asuma stared at the coordinates on the slip, his eyes wide.
The paper listed a set of coordinates, and the name signed at the bottom was Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru..." Sarutobi Asuma would never forget that name. Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin, but Sarutobi Asuma had driven him out of the village for conducting inhumane experiments on human subjects.
He hadn't expected that, now that power had changed hands, even Orochimaru would be unable to sit still.
Though six or seven hundred people would be a thorn in the side of any ninja village, there was no denying they were a formidable fighting force!
It seemed Orochimaru really needed them.
Sarutobi Asuma gave a bitter laugh. "I never thought I'd have to rely on Orochimaru."
The group changed course once more and headed toward Otogakure.
Sunagakure.
Uchiha Yu sat in a courtyard, watching Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto play around with Gaara.
They were only children playing together, but Uchiha Yu was sitting off to the side, nearly falling asleep.
This was so boring.
When could he go back?
Sarutobi Asuma had already left, and he'd delivered his letter and obtained the intelligence. Couldn't he leave now?
But from the look of Hyuga Tokuma, they'd still be staying for quite a while.
Suddenly, a Chunin came over to Uchiha Yu and Hyuga Tokuma.
"Senior Tokuma, we've found Sarutobi Asuma's location." The Chunin gave a slight bow.
Hyuga Tokuma stroked his chin. "Where are they headed? Surely they're not going to seek refuge with another ninja village?"
The Land of Earth was the closest to the Land of Wind, but given how it operated, it would never take in Sarutobi Asuma and his people.
So where was Asuma going?
The ninja furrowed his brow. "We're not sure. They seem to be heading north, toward the Land of Fire, but there aren't any major ninja villages north of the Land of Fire."
"That's true. Most of the north is made up of deep mountains and scattered little ninja villages. Could they be going to the Land of Lightning?" Uchiha Yu shook his head helplessly.
If Asuma went to the Land of Lightning, he'd be lucky to survive a meeting with the Raikage.
Those people weren't ones to mess with.
Wait, north of the Land of Fire?
A rough map of the ninja world flashed through Uchiha Yu's mind.
To the north...
Amegakure? How could that be! Were they going to play chess with Pain?
Could they be heading for Otogakure?
Uchiha Yu's heart skipped a beat.
Otogakure was Orochimaru's domain. It should only just be getting started now, and the Sound Four probably hadn't been assembled yet.
At most, Kimimaro would be by Orochimaru's side!
And Kimimaro was only ten years old now.
Could Orochimaru be planning to take in the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan?
But why? To avenge Sarutobi Hiruzen?
That definitely wasn't Orochimaru's style. He always had his reasons for doing things. He had to be after something.
"Could he be after... Uchiha Itachi's body?" Uchiha Yu frowned.
The only person in Konoha who could attract Orochimaru's interest now was probably Uchiha Itachi.
"Senior Tokuma, keep an eye on things here. I'm going out for a while."
Uchiha Yu instantly used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.
Hyuga Tokuma stared at Uchiha Yu's sudden departure in surprise, then shook his head helplessly. "That child is always appearing and disappearing without a trace. Who knows where he's gone off to now? Oh well. As long as he comes back alive."
Out in the wilderness.
Uchiha Yu hurried toward the spot where he remembered Otogakure to be.
He hoped he could intercept Sarutobi Asuma. He wanted to find out whether Asuma really was headed for Otogakure!
Thanks to his mobility as a lone traveler and his Sage Body's tremendous stamina, Uchiha Yu finally spotted a group of people in the distance after an entire afternoon of pursuit.
They were still wearing their shabby Konoha Ninja uniforms.
It really was Sarutobi Asuma and his people!
It was dusk, with the setting sun red as blood and smoke rising from the lonely desert.
Weariness showed on Sarutobi Asuma's face, too.
The Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan had sensibly split into two rows, with the Sarutobi on one side and the Shimura on the other.
It seemed that after last night's farce, a deep rift had formed between the two clans.
Sarutobi Asuma lit a cigarette. He had just exhaled when a familiar figure appeared in front of him.
"Uchiha Yu!" Sarutobi Asuma felt a headache coming on. "Why are you following us again? Haven't you caused us enough misery already?"
After chasing them all afternoon, Uchiha Yu had a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
"Are you headed for Otogakure?" Uchiha Yu asked with a cold snort.
Sarutobi Asuma's pupils immediately contracted.
Oh, shit! How did you know?
The Shimura Clan leader raised the Ninja Blade in his hand. "You really walked right into our hands! We couldn't make a move in Sunagakure, but now you've conveniently come right to us! You're asking for it!"
Uchiha Yu gave his wrist a slight twist and gripped the Kusanagi Sword. "If you want to fight, go ahead and try!"
Before you continue