Asuma's Death—Feel Pain, Hiruzen Sarutobi

Splat!

A sword pierced straight through Asuma Sarutobi's heart the moment he finished speaking.

Pfft!

Asuma Sarutobi spat out a mouthful of blood and turned his head in disbelief. "How is this possible? When did you use a Shadow Clone? And how did I not sense you approaching at all?"

"Because you're too weak." Uchiha Shadian's Shadow Clone spoke blandly before turning into smoke and vanishing.

Uchiha Shadian looked indifferently at Asuma Sarutobi. "I couldn't be bothered with you if you hadn't shown up, but you just had to walk into the line of fire. Don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"If you want to blame someone, blame Hiruzen Sarutobi! If he hadn't ordered the Uchiha Clan's extermination, you wouldn't be dying today."

"I'm not willing..." After saying that, Asuma Sarutobi's body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground. With his heart pierced, unless he possessed ninjutsu like Tsunade's or a special constitution such as a Sage Body, an ordinary person was certain to die.

"Brother Shadian, how did your Shadow Clone appear behind Senior Asuma in an instant?" Rin Nohara asked curiously.

Uchiha Shadian replied blandly, "When we drank together before, I secretly left a Flying Thunder God Technique formula mark on him."

Rin Nohara's eyes widened. "So, Brother Shadian, you already foresaw that Konoha would stand against you and secretly made all these preparations long ago?"

"What a clever beauty. But there's no reward for guessing right," Uchiha Shadian said calmly.

Rin Nohara did not care whether there was a reward or not.

"Brother Shadian, Senior Asuma was the Third Hokage's son. Wasn't it a little rash to kill him just like that?" Rin Nohara asked.

Uchiha Shadian said blandly, "It would have happened sooner or later. Before absolute strength, there's no need to consider so many schemes and tricks."

"Let's go. We should support Senior Izuna. After fighting for so long, his ocular power and chakra are probably nearly depleted."

Rin Nohara nodded.

"Bring this guy along too. Let Hiruzen Sarutobi experience the pain of losing a loved one."

Uchiha Shadian grabbed one of Asuma's arms. "Rin, hold onto me. I'll use the Flying Thunder God Technique to take you with me."

"Mm!" Rin Nohara's face flushed slightly as she wrapped her arms around Uchiha Shadian's waist.

Whoosh!

Uchiha Shadian activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and instantly vanished from the spot with Rin Nohara and Asuma Sarutobi's corpse.

When they reappeared, they were directly atop the Nine-Tails' head.

"You're back, junior. I haven't even had my fill yet!" Sensing Uchiha Shadian's arrival, Izuna Uchiha swept his blade horizontally, forcing back the ninja before him. Then, with a Body Flicker Technique, he quickly approached the Nine-Tails.

"Shadian, a genin came to report that Konoha has become ruins. What exactly did you do to Konoha?" Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately demanded upon seeing Uchiha Shadian return.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi still isn't dead? Senior Izuna, you're slacking," Uchiha Shadian said, ignoring Hiruzen Sarutobi and teasing Izuna Uchiha instead.

"That guy has a large number of ninja risking their lives to protect him, and he isn't weak himself. Killing him directly is indeed troublesome." Izuna Uchiha leaped onto the Nine-Tails' head and panted heavily.

"Senior Izuna, you're already panting like this after only half an hour. Your endurance isn't very good," Uchiha Shadian continued teasing.

Izuna Uchiha said irritably, "Try fighting one against a hundred while being constantly surrounded by newly arriving ninja, then you'll know."

Konoha's ninja had attacked endlessly like locusts. The fact that he had held on for so long without losing, while killing so many of them, was already an excellent record.

"Little girl, do you know medical ninjutsu? Treat these superficial wounds for me," Izuna Uchiha asked Rin Nohara.

Rin Nohara nodded. "I do. Senior Izuna, where are you hurt? I'll stop the bleeding and treat you."

Izuna Uchiha turned around and faced his back toward Rin Nohara. "I got slashed across the back when I wasn't paying attention. Treat that first. It hurts like hell."

"Okay." Rin Nohara walked over to Izuna Uchiha, cast the Mystical Palm Technique, and began healing him.

"I'll leave those guys below to you, junior," Izuna Uchiha told Uchiha Shadian.

"No rush. Let's give our 'strongest' Hokage in history some time to grieve first," Uchiha Shadian said blandly.

A sensory ninja warned, "Lord Third Hokage, that man is healing. We have to interrupt him."

"Itachi, have you recovered?" Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Itachi Uchiha, who was resting and recovering nearby.

"I've mostly recovered." Itachi Uchiha replied blandly. With Soldier Pills and treatment from medical ninja, he had recovered much faster than usual.

"Very good," Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "I'll need you to lead the attack next. Only your Mangekyō Sharingan can contend with Uchiha Shadian."

"No problem. I'll restrain Uncle. I'll leave the Nine-Tails and Izuna Uchiha to you, Lord Third Hokage," Itachi Uchiha said.

"Good. We'll do that."

"First, interrupt Izuna Uchiha's treatment. We absolutely cannot let him return to peak condition, or Kakashi and the others will have died for nothing."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, I have a gift for you." Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was arranging tactics against Uchiha Shadian and the others, Uchiha Shadian suddenly shouted in his direction.

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. Uchiha Shadian had ignored him earlier and left him hanging, yet now he claimed to have a gift for him. What was this guy plotting?

He did not believe Uchiha Shadian had any good gift to offer him.

A human-shaped figure flew through the air toward Hiruzen Sarutobi's position.

"Be careful, Lord Third Hokage!" An Anbu ninja leaped up and caught the thrown object.

After landing, the Anbu ninja's expression changed when he saw what he had caught.

"Lord Third Hokage, it's a corpse," the Anbu ninja reported.

"Whose?" Looking at the familiar clothing, Hiruzen Sarutobi was suddenly seized by an extremely ominous feeling.

The Anbu ninja pulled aside the Konoha forehead protector covering the dead man's face. When he saw the face clearly, his expression changed drastically. "Lord Third Hokage, it's... it's Lord Asuma."

"What?" Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if the sky had collapsed. He staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

An Anbu ninja quickly caught him. "You must hold on, Lord Third Hokage! Everyone still needs you to lead them and defeat the enemy!"

"Shadian, did you kill Asuma?" Hiruzen Sarutobi demanded of Uchiha Shadian through his grief.

"What? Are you sad? Hahaha..." Uchiha Shadian burst into delighted laughter. "Can you feel the pain, Hiruzen Sarutobi? Does it feel good to have a loved one killed? Hahaha..."

Pfft! Enraged by Uchiha Shadian's mockery, Hiruzen Sarutobi spat out a mouthful of thick blood.