Chapter 51: Hiruzen Shinobu, My Foolish Eldest Son!
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi's fingertips were trembling. Ash from his pipe fell in streams into the ashtray.
Hiruzen Sarutobi (inner thought): They dared to kill Danzō… which means they dare to kill us… We should start thinking about how to escape…
"Danzō was killed right in front of me. Uchiha Sanpō chopped off his head without the slightest hesitation."
Homura Mitokado pushed up his crooked glasses and said: "The Root base has already been breached. Its secrets have been exposed. The people of Konoha have lost all trust in us."
The office fell into dead silence. The ticking of the wall clock's second hand suddenly became disturbingly loud.
Koharu Utatane broke the silence: "Hiruzen, what are your thoughts?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly pulled open a drawer and took out a scroll engraved with a flame crest: "The Uchiha will definitely make more moves. We must prepare a way out for ourselves. Three months ago, the daimyō proposed the 'Twelve Guardian Ninja' plan. Now is the time to activate it."
Koharu Utatane frowned: "Hiruzen, didn't you previously 'look down on the daimyō'? You said the daimyō wanted to develop his own ninja forces to check Konoha… so you never agreed… Now you want to rely on the daimyō… and after dragging it out for more than three months… will the daimyō still agree?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked the scroll with his fingers and interrupted: "Times have changed. The future of Konoha is no longer something we can decide. I have decided to let Asuma join the 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'… and have him take some members of the Sarutobi clan… to seek refuge with the daimyō… Consider it an apology."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged a brief glance in the air and nodded in tacit understanding.
Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses: "We also agree. In fact, I also want to send some clan members… to seek refuge with the daimyō."
Hiruzen Sarutobi made the final decision. His voice carried a rare urgency: "Then let's do it this way. Leave tonight to avoid any complications!"
Homura Mitokado lowered his voice: "What about the specific route?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped the table with his pipe: "Assemble at 3 AM and leave through the Sarutobi clan's secret passage."
...
Inside the study of the Sarutobi clan mansion, the 13-year-old Asuma kicked over the low table.
The tea set shattered with a loud crash. Hot tea snaked across the floor.
"I'm not going! Why should I become one of those 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'?"
Hiruzen Asuma (inner thought): 'Twelve Guardian Ninja'? Isn't that just becoming the daimyō's dog?
The boy stubbornly raised his head. His messy hair was as unruly as his temperament.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brows twisted into a knot: "Asuma, this is not asking for your opinion. This is an order!"
Asuma scoffed: "That old bastard Danzō got what he deserved. I didn't offend the Uchiha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi slapped the wall hard. The entire door shook: "Shut up! Do you think this is some ninja game? Uchiha Sanpō dared to behead an advisor elder on the street today. Tomorrow he could massacre the entire Sarutobi clan!"
Asuma was momentarily stunned by his father's outburst, but the rebelliousness of youth quickly took over again.
"Then let big brother go! Isn't he always bragging about how amazing he is?"
"Shinobu… he has other tasks. You are the most suitable candidate." Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes flickered for a moment, and his voice suddenly became low.
Asuma keenly caught his father's brief hesitation.
"I don't want to leave Kurenai… I promised to stay with her. Tomorrow I was going to eat three-color dango with her…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi squatted down and looked his son in the eyes: "Asuma, listen to me. The clan is in danger of being wiped out at any moment. If you go to the daimyō, at least you can leave a spark for the clan."
Hiruzen Asuma pursed his lips, stubborn tears shining in his eyes: "Then what about Kurenai?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi forced a smile and reached out to ruffle his son's messy hair: "We'll be fine. Once the situation stabilizes, you can come back anytime. Maybe by then you'll already be the leader of the 'Twelve Guardian Ninja', and that girl Yūhi Kurenai will definitely look at you with new eyes."
Seeing Asuma turn his face away but no longer arguing, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew he had compromised.
"Go pack your things. Only take what is necessary. Assemble at the clan shrine at 3 AM. Remember, don't tell anyone, including Kurenai."
Hiruzen Asuma nodded silently and left the room.
...
At 3 AM, Hiruzen Asuma carried a small bundle on his back. Beside him were more than twenty Sarutobi clan members.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado each brought twenty-one clan members.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stuffed a secret letter into Asuma's inner pocket.
"Remember the route? After exiting the secret passage, head straight to the small river on the east side. There will be people waiting. You must reach the daimyō's residence within one day and personally hand this letter to the daimyō."
Asuma nodded, his throat tight.
Only at this moment did he truly realize that he carried the future of the clan on his shoulders.
"Father…"
Hiruzen Sarutobi patted his son's back lightly, holding back the soreness in his nose: "Go. Let the name of Sarutobi shine in the daimyō's residence."
With a muffled sound as the mechanism activated, the shrine floor slowly slid open, revealing a pitch-black hole.
Asuma took one last look at his father and the familiar shrine, then turned and stepped into the secret passage.
More than sixty people followed closely behind and soon disappeared into the darkness.
When the floor closed again, the group gradually dispersed.
A figure stepped out from the shadows. Hiruzen Shinobu had a cold smile on his lips.
"Father really dotes on his younger son. He would rather let his younger son escape while leaving his eldest son to die… I always thought you were just strict with me. Now I understand—you never saw me as the heir at all!"
Looking at his eldest son being so useless, Hiruzen Sarutobi cursed angrily: "Foolish! Have you ever thought that as the clan heir, if you abandon the clan in its moment of danger, how will the clansmen view you? Will you still be worthy of inheriting the clan then?"
Hiruzen Shinobu's voice grew sharper and sharper: "This is just your excuse… You must be lying to me!"
Looking at his eldest son being so foolish, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt exhausted.
He sighed and said: "Right now the village only has 10,208 ninjas left. Our Sarutobi clan, together with the Koharu, Homura, and Shimura clans, totals 3,695 ninjas. If all of us clans are wiped out, Konoha will only have a little over 6,000 ninjas left. How could we possibly defend the Land of Fire then? That's why I sent Asuma there—to tell the daimyō that our situation is very dangerous and we need the daimyō's support!"
The current Hiruzen Shinobu was only 24 years old. How could he see through all the twists and turns?
He lowered his head and said with a wronged expression: "Father… I was wrong!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had wanted to slap Shinobu, but hearing him admit his mistake, the hand he had just raised finally dropped powerlessly.
He felt a thousand emotions in his heart: …Shinobu, my foolish eldest son… Your talent is not as good as Asuma's, and your mind isn't sharp either… How could I hand the Sarutobi clan… over to you… Don't blame me… This is all fate…
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