"The explosions seem to be getting closer?"
Asuma Sarutobi stood outside the cell, a bit uneasy.
"Something's off!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the old monkey, had a much sharper intuition than his younger son. The explosions drawing nearer were one thing, but the guards who had been watching them from the hallway had also disappeared without a trace. This corridor, lined with numerous rooms, only held him as a prisoner; there was no one else.
The sudden absence of guards made the place feel eerily quiet.
"Asuma, something's wrong. You need to leave."
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly made a decision. His instincts told him that big trouble was on the way. Although he didn't believe that Akimichi Torifu and the others would openly kill him, as an experienced Hokage, he knew that nothing was absolute. There are always loopholes, and it all depends on whether someone finds one.
"Leave?"
Asuma Sarutobi was no longer a clueless kid.
In the two years he served as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, he had witnessed all kinds of political struggles within the Daimyo's palace. It didn't take long for him to understand what his father meant by "leave."
"Old man, could it be that someone actually dares..."
When they first met, Asuma called him "Father." However, due to his rebellious nature, he quickly reverted to calling him "Old Man."
"I underestimated their boldness," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed softly.
It seemed he was indeed getting old. Not only was his body deteriorating, but even his mind wasn't as sharp as before. Being a former Hokage wasn't the protection he thought it was; instead, it had become a death warrant.
Those who forced him out of the Hokage's seat would never want to see him rise again. How could they prevent his return to power?
Only a dead man stays quietly in a coffin.
But—
"Kakashi, who sent you here?"
Hiruzen looked at Kakashi Hatake, who had appeared at the end of the hallway, with some confusion.
"No one sent me. I came on my own." Kakashi walked forward, holding a small blade.
"On your own?"
Hiruzen's confusion deepened.
He prided himself on knowing Kakashi well. The boy, around the same age as his own son, was far more talented than Asuma. However, Kakashi had suffered a deep psychological trauma after his father's suicide. Later, his teammates and teacher also died, causing him to shut off his emotions, numbing his soul with endless missions.
A person like Kakashi didn't act on his own. His actions were always driven by tasks or orders.
"I'm here for revenge! For my father!!!" Kakashi spoke each word clearly.
"Revenge?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.
"Kakashi, I don't know who told you this, but I can assure you, Sakumo's suicide was the last thing I wanted. His death was an irreparable loss to the village."
"But you never punished Danzo for it, did you, Lord Third?"
Kakashi's gaze shifted from Asuma to Hiruzen inside the cell, his eyes gleaming with a sharp intensity. "I don't know if you ever truly regretted my father's death, but I do know that in the last ten years, you never sought justice for him."
"And I saw it. The action report with your signature, hidden in Danzo's private archive. You probably wanted him to destroy it, but unfortunately, he kept it as a weapon against you."
Kakashi raised his sword, ready to strike.
"Danzo…" Hiruzen's expression grew grim, though he remained composed.
"Kakashi, what you saw might not be the truth. If you know Danzo's ambitions, how can you be sure that report wasn't forged?"
"Don't take me for a fool!" Kakashi growled.
In a flash of lightning, Kakashi appeared midair outside the cell, raising his blade high. Thunder roared as he slashed down with lethal intent.
*Clang!!!*
The blade was blocked by an iron bar.
Wind-natured chakra spun like a chainsaw around the bar, leveraging its elemental advantage over lightning to deflect Kakashi's strike. Asuma Sarutobi, however, was drenched in sweat, knowing he had taken a risky move.
After all, he hadn't brought his usual chakra blades. In desperation, he had broken off an iron bar to use as a temporary weapon. He had no real confidence that it would hold against Kakashi's strike.
Fortunately, it worked. He wasn't sliced in half by Kakashi's blade.
"Asuma Sarutobi."
Kakashi leaped back, locking eyes with his peer. Though they were technically classmates, Kakashi had graduated from the Ninja Academy at age five and became a Jonin at six, so their relationship had always been distant. In fact, calling them acquaintances might be more accurate.
"Are you going to protect your father?"
"Kakashi! Do you realize what you're doing right now? Attempting to assassinate a former Hokage? Are you planning to betray the village?" Asuma, gripping the iron bar, was sweating profusely as he rebuked Kakashi's actions, though he inwardly felt a tinge of fear.
There was no need for a prolonged battle; the brief clash just now had made Asuma realize why Kakashi was the most famous genius of their generation.
That strike had been fast, steady, precise, and ruthless.
Even though wind chakra countered lightning, Asuma wasn't sure how many more strikes he could block.
"Just like you're protecting your father, I only want justice for mine. And don't try to guilt me with that talk about betraying the village—it makes me sick!" As Kakashi finished speaking, his killing intent surged as he charged at Asuma again, engaging in a fierce battle.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood inside the cell, unmoving.
His focus wasn't on Kakashi for long. He sensed another presence filled with killing intent. This intruder, hidden in the shadows, wasn't as strong as Kakashi, but he was definitely a cold-blooded killer.
Asuma might not be Kakashi's match, but he could hold him off for a while.
During that time, Hiruzen had to deal with the hidden threat.
The enemy lurking in the shadows was clearly a skilled infiltrator, someone highly proficient in stealth. Hiruzen could sense the murderous intent, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact location.
Hiruzen didn't hesitate. He wasn't going to sit back and wait for death.
Whether it was Kakashi or anyone else, they wouldn't take his life easily.
*Boom!*
Hiruzen gathered what little chakra he could and unleashed a powerful shockwave, shattering the restraints on his wrists. Though the shackles were meant to suppress chakra, they were ineffective against a ninja of Hiruzen's caliber.
In truth, he could've broken out anytime. The question was: what then?
Even if he escaped the secret prison, the political landscape in Konoha wouldn't change. Staying here gave him time to think of a solution. He hadn't expected someone would try to kill him so soon, giving him no time to plan.
"Let's see who's after my life. The Uchiha? The Hyuga? Aburame? Or… Torifu?"
With his chakra no longer suppressed, Hiruzen's hands blurred through a series of seals. "Barrier: Celestial Dome!"
A transparent barrier expanded rapidly from Hiruzen, detecting all chakra within its range.
In less than two seconds…
"Found you!"
Hiruzen looked up at the rocky ceiling.
He made another series of hand seals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
He spat a barrage of fireballs upward.
"Impressive as always, old man!"
A voice filled with admiration echoed.
Before the flames could hit the wall, the hidden intruder revealed himself. With a powerful swing of a large broadsword, he shattered the incoming fireballs, standing upside down on the ceiling, looking down at Hiruzen.
"A Mist ninja? One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen… Biwa Juzo?"
Hiruzen stared at the man in shock, his mind reeling. What was going on? A Mist ninja had come to assassinate a former Hokage? Why?
And this was deep within Konoha! How did a Mist ninja get in here?
"Who sent you to kill me?" Hiruzen demanded.
"That's a question I'll answer after I take your head." Juzo sneered, completing a series of hand seals as he spoke. "But for now… let's play! Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Thick mist spread through the underground prison.
chapter end