Asuma was in an awkward position now. With the Third Hokage dead, he alone had been left to shoulder the burden.
Unfortunately, neither his cunning nor his strength was enough for such a responsibility.
All he could do now was watch helplessly as the Sarutobi Clan fell apart.
Asuma had originally hoped to rely on the Daimyo. After all, he had once been one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja and could be considered close to him.
But after those Chunin Ninja Exams, Asuma had come to understand that the Daimyo's standing had already hit rock bottom.
Both the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, and the Uchiha Clan's leader, Shin Uchiha, maintained a veneer of courtesy toward the Daimyo, but he no longer had any standing whatsoever in Konoha.
And Asuma lacked the courage and ability to lead the Sarutobi Clan out of Konoha as Shin Uchiha had done with his own clan.
So he could only watch the Sarutobi Clan's decline in pain and helplessness.
His friend, Master Chiriku, had been the abbot of the Fire Temple. Though the temple was not particularly powerful, it could still have offered some support.
What he had never expected was that the entire Fire Temple would be wiped out, and that Master Chiriku would be brutally murdered, his head taken as well.
As Asuma walked out of the Fire Temple with a grim expression, Sakura, who had been waiting nearby for some time, hesitated before finally approaching him and asking:
"Sensei Asuma, what do we do next?"
But after hearing Sakura's question, Asuma merely took a deep drag on his cigarette and viciously ground out the remaining stub. He glanced at her, then set off in pursuit without a word.
In Asuma's eyes, these students of his were utterly useless. They had been Shinobi for