章 25: **Chapter 25: Thanks to Asuma!**
Seeing Asuma appear, Reiki's eyes glinted with a knowing look as he swung Murasame through the smoke. But as he struck, he was suddenly thrown backward, landing hard on the ground.
"Reiki-kun!"
"Brother!"
Kurenai and Shizune rushed over, their faces filled with worry.
"I'm okay," Reiki muttered with a slight grin. "Who just attacked us, though? That was some serious strength!" he exaggerated, clutching his side.
Yuhi Kurenai noticed Asuma not far away, casting fire jutsu after fire jutsu, engulfing the attackers in flames. *That's strange,* she thought. *Asuma's usually not this strong with Fire Release.*
These attackers seemed skilled—probably all at least chunin-level—but Asuma seemed to be overpowering them. *Something isn't right here,* Reiki mused silently. Turning to Shizune, he whispered instructions. Though puzzled, she hurried off as he'd asked.
Yuhi Kurenai's confusion only deepened. *Since when are Reiki and Asuma such good friends?* she wondered.
Soon after, Tsunade arrived, quickly assessing Reiki's injuries. "You're lucky you only took a few bruises," she said, casting a critical look toward the burning attackers.
"Reiki, has Asuma been casting Fire Release on them this whole time?" she asked, quirking a brow.
"Yes, thanks to Asuma, we were saved from danger this time," Reiki replied with a little too much enthusiasm. "Those three were strong—one of them had power close to a special jounin."
Hearing this, Tsunade grew serious. She trusted Reiki's judgment, knowing he'd encountered many high-level ninjas on the battlefield. But still... *How could Asuma, a student, manage that?* She frowned, catching Reiki's hint.
"Yes," Reiki continued, a little mischievously. "We really owe Asuma-san for this!"
*Asuma brought along ANBU,* Tsunade realized. But he wasn't directly confronting Reiki—he'd likely intended to impress Kurenai. *Typical Asuma,* she thought, mildly exasperated.
With a quiet sigh, Tsunade called over to Asuma, "It's done—the enemy is dead."
Asuma, mid-attack, froze, the pride draining from his face. *Dead?* How could that be? He was just casting Fire Release!
"I'm a medic," Tsunade continued dryly. "I can tell that two of those corpses were burned to unrecognizable bits by your Fire Release. As for the third...already dead."
Turning to Reiki, she muttered, "Alright, kid, let's get out of here before you dig a deeper hole."
Reiki, hiding a grin, nodded and led Kurenai and Shizune back to Tsunade's place. Asuma, meanwhile, was left stunned, his pride deflating as he slumped onto the ground.
---
In the Hokage's office, the door swung open as a masked ANBU body was tossed at Sarutobi Hiruzen's feet. Tsunade's eyes were steely as she addressed him.
"Sarutobi-sensei, this man and two others attacked my disciple," she said, her anger barely controlled. "I believe his name is Fengkan, an ANBU operative. Care to explain why?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened—Danzo's previous interference had already led to problems. If he didn't tread carefully, he knew Tsunade might not hold back next time.
"Tsunade, I can assure you that I did not order this…" he began, but Tsunade interrupted.
"Yes, thankfully, Asuma was there to help Reiki. He stepped in and took them down before things got worse," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You should be proud—your son really saved the day." She emphasized the words just enough for Sarutobi to catch her meaning.
Hiruzen's confusion was clear. "Asuma?"
While ANBU working independently was troubling enough, now *Asuma* had been involved? He rubbed his temples, starting to piece together what had happened.
Tsunade shrugged casually. "Enthusiastic kid, your son," she added. "Anyway, just wanted to thank you and suggest looking into this infiltration—seems outer villages are sneaking into ANBU ranks. It could be damaging to the Hokage's reputation if left unchecked."
With that, she turned and left, leaving a visibly puzzled Hiruzen behind. Checking Fengkan's body, he found no significant injuries, only a single superficial wound. *So how did this man die?*
"Earth Secretary," he called softly. "Fetch Asuma."
---
Ten minutes later, Asuma entered the office, looking utterly bewildered.
"Asuma," Sarutobi Hiruzen began, hiding his smirk, "Tsunade was just here to compliment you. It seems you really saved the day."
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