Swish~~
As Asuma Sarutobi strode forward, Genya and the others immediately stopped their conversation and turned to look at him.
Genya's expression darkened instantly.
In the past, he hadn't felt anything special about Asuma Sarutobi, but now, it was clear that this Asuma was unbearably arrogant.
Relying on the fact that his father was Hiruzen Sarutobi, he acted recklessly, showing no regard for anyone.
Perhaps it had a lot to do with the environment Asuma grew up in. Like Konohamaru, he had never faced real setbacks and had always been arrogant.
Even going to see the daimyo was just a formality, a chance to add prestige.
Genya knew in his heart that if things continued on their original path, as long as Hiruzen Sarutobi lived, Asuma had a high chance of becoming the Fifth Hokage.
"Hmph, I didn't expect you guys to actually make it back alive!" Asuma approached, looking at Uchiha Genya and Hinata.
His expression was especially dark, and in his mind, he thought: These two are really tough. To survive all that and come back alive!
He had come this time partly to mock Genya, to see how he had managed to escape.
"Of course, I'd come back alive. Why would you think I'd be in danger?" Genya looked Asuma in the eye, his tone instantly chilling. "Teacher Asuma, are you hoping we'd die?"
His words were direct, and at the same time, icy enough to seem capable of freezing the air.
In an instant, the atmosphere around them plummeted to freezing. It felt as if the very air was solidifying.
Asuma's face, which had held a cold smile, suddenly stiffened. He stared at Genya, full of disbelief, with a hint of surprise. Genya's words were sharp enough to cut through him.
Their conflict had existed for a long time, though it had never been openly addressed.
But today, with so many watching, if he dared to nod and admit he had hoped Genya wouldn't make it back…
Not only would the Sarutobi clan's reputation suffer greatly, but their relationship with the Uchiha clan would also deteriorate further, and it would tarnish Hiruzen Sarutobi's name.
Genya, however, didn't care. The relationship between the Uchiha and Sarutobi clans was already practically dead.
If Asuma dared to tear that façade apart, Genya had nothing left to hold back.
Anyway, the time for the Chūnin Exams was drawing near, and Hiruzen Sarutobi should step down soon.
Besides, that old man didn't deserve to be Hokage at all.
Under his leadership, Konoha hadn't grown stronger; instead, it had become weaker and more laughable.
Even so, this old fox Sarutobi Hiruzen kept cultivating his reputation as a kind and gentle man.
Genya even felt a bit eager. When Sarutobi Hiruzen's true face was finally revealed, how would the villagers, no—the entire ninja world—react?
"Genya, what are you thinking? Lord Asuma is just worried about you!" someone beside Asuma quickly said to smooth things over.
"You left not long ago, and Konoha's higher-ups discovered that there was a problem with the person you were escorting, Hideki. You might have been in danger, so Lord Asuma was a little surprised when he saw you."
After saying this, the ninja next to Asuma secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: In such a tense situation, I was able to help Asuma. Once this is over, he'll definitely reward me!
But just as he was feeling proud of himself, he received a sharp side-eye from Asuma.
"Really?" Genya looked at Asuma Sarutobi with a half-smile.
"Yes!" Asuma nodded and continued, "So after you left, the Hokage sent people to secretly protect you!"
Genya and Kurenai listened, a cold laugh rising in their hearts.
Heh, send people to protect us?
Ridiculous. Those people were clearly coming to kill us!
"I see!" Genya nodded, pretending to have an epiphany. "No wonder we ran into a group of Konoha ninja being ambushed on our way back. They were coming for us. Too bad… they were intercepted before they could reach us."
By the end, his tone carried a hint of schadenfreude and amusement.
"What… they're all dead?" Asuma's brow furrowed, then he erupted in rage. He took a few steps forward, glaring at Genya, speaking deliberately, every word dripping with anger.
To think, Sarutobi Hiruzen had sent out the elite ninjas of the Sarutobi clan to secretly kill Genya, and they were all dead just like that?
"Exactly~. We felt sorry for them, so we even found a place to bury them!" Genya met Asuma's gaze, completely unfazed by his furious expression, still calm and composed. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Teacher Kurenai!"
Asuma froze for a moment, then turned his eyes to Kurenai.
He desperately wanted to know what had happened to those Sarutobi clan ninjas, hoping that Genya was lyng.
No wonder Kurenai returned, but those ninjas didn't!
Kurenai nodded and said, "Yes. When we passed by, those ninjas had already been killed."
Of course, Kurenai was lying. The moment those ninjas saw them return, they came out to intercept, only to be countered and killed by Genya.
Asuma Sarutobi instantly flew into a rage. "You…"
The Hokage's office.
By now, the sky had darkened, and Hiruzen Sarutobi felt especially exhausted today. He was planning to return to the Sarutobi clan's territory to rest.
At that moment, the door to the Hokage's office suddenly burst open with a loud bang, and Asuma Sarutobi stormed in, fuming.
The moment he entered, he turned to Hiruzen with an agitated expression. "Father, all the ninjas we sent to intercept Uchiha Genya… they're all dead!"
Hearing this, Hiruzen, who had been lighting his pipe to stay alert, instantly narrowed his eyes. A faint, sharp glint flickered across them.
"Say that again," Hiruzen said slowly, lowering his pipe and leaning back in his chair. "What happened to the ninjas we sent to intercept Uchiha Genya?"
His voice was heavy and oppressive.
The temperature in the Hokage's office seemed to drop instantly. Even Asuma, who had barged in with fury, felt a chill.
It seemed his father was genuinely angry.
Hiruzen's brows were nearly furrowed into a single line, and his usually clouded eyes now carried a subtle but unmistakable killing intent.
In recent years, the Sarutobi clan had suffered enormous losses.
At least a hundred elite ninjas had fallen while carrying out missions Hiruzen had assigned.
The clan's current elite numbers were already dwindling.
And now, Asuma was telling him that all of those ninjas were dead?
The thought caused a sharp pain in his chest. Those were the clan's finest.
****
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