Capítulo 61: Chapter 61
________________________________________
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the mess in the study and frowned.
"What are you rummaging through?" he asked impatiently.
Asuma felt a deep sadness in his heart but managed to keep a calm expression. He had come to a realization: his father had strayed far from the righteous path.
Having grown up influenced by the Will of Fire, Asuma instinctively made his choice when faced with the dilemma of loyalty between his family and the village.
He chose the village.
Thinking of the incriminating documents he had just read, Asuma casually placed them back and, feigning indifference, replied, "I was just looking for notes on the nature transformation of chakra. I'm a Chūnin now, and if I want to advance to Jōnin, I need to learn these things. Matsushita-sensei told me so."
At that moment, Asuma felt a profound transformation within himself. A sense of righteous purpose surged through him, filling his adolescent heart with exhilaration.
If I can prevent my father from continuing down this dark path, I'll be a hero of Konoha—a greater one than my elder brother! My brother has already followed our father's crooked ways, but I stand on the side of justice!
Where Konoha thrives, the fire burns bright!
It's up to me to correct my father's mistakes!
Meanwhile, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched his son's face shift through a range of emotions in mere seconds, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"The notes on chakra nature transformation are on that bookshelf over there. And clean up this mess you made!" Hiruzen barked, growing impatient. He didn't suspect for a moment that Asuma had uncovered anything incriminating.
After all, while the documents were valuable, none explicitly implicated him. The Wood Release research, for example, was recorded under the village and the council of elders, making him appear at worst an indecisive and gentle leader.
Unfortunately for Hiruzen, he underestimated the power of preconceived notions.
Asuma, primed by Shiyu's earlier hints, had approached the documents with the assumption that his father was the villain. This bias now clouded his judgment, leading him to interpret even neutral information as evidence of his father's malfeasance.
Hiruzen's mention of Shinnosuke again pushed Asuma to his breaking point. His forced smile wavered as he muttered, "Of course. I'll continue to learn from my elder brother…"
Hiruzen looked at Asuma, surprised by his lack of backtalk. Has this kid finally grown up?
Relieved, he nodded. "That's for the best."
With that, he grabbed his pipe, took a puff, and left the room, satisfied.
Asuma watched his father leave with a complicated expression. Gritting his teeth, he thought, This isn't enough to turn him back from the brink. I need more evidence!
First, I'll inform Lord Toki about everything. He must prevent my father from weakening the village further!
His determination solidified as an image of Toki flashed in his mind, alongside her reminder: The village's purpose is to protect children under sixteen from going to war.
He recalled how the latest conscription for the Defense Corps only targeted those over sixteen, ensuring younger children were spared.
This is what the Will of Fire means. This is what it means to be a Konoha ninja. And I'll fight to uphold it!
---
The Next Day
The following morning, Asuma took drastic action. Leading a group of merchants and commoners who had been extorted by the ANBU.
All the "military funds" Hiruzen had painstakingly siphoned off over the past few months were forcibly returned to the merchants.
Standing at the gate of the Brigade, Asuma shouted to the gathered villagers:
"From now on, if you see corruption like this, come to me! I, Sarutobi Asuma, will not tolerate such dirty behavior!"
"I am the son of the Third Hokage, and I will seek justice for everyone!"
"Good!"
A wave of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. The merchants, now holding their returned money, wept tears of gratitude.
Asuma stood tall, gazing at the cheering villagers. An overwhelming sense of responsibility and purpose filled him.
This is the Will of Fire, the very principles my father taught me. I might not be able to stop him directly, but I'll use my position to atone for his mistakes. Surely, my father must feel deeply moved by now.
---
"Pfft!"
Hiruzen choked on his tea as he listened to the ANBU operative's report.
"What did you say?!"
The ANBU agent hesitated but repeated, "Young Master Asuma led a group of civilians and… smashed our operation…"
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder