"...And that concludes my report, Lord Third," a masked ANBU member said, his voice muffled by the mask as he placed a file on the table beside Hiruzen's bed.
Hiruzen, his frail form almost completely obscured by bandages, met the ANBU member's gaze. Despite the pain etched on his face, he managed a faint smile. "Good job. You may go now."
The ANBU member nodded, his presence flickering away like a shadow. He summoned his personal bodyguards, instructing them to leave as well.
Reluctantly, they obeyed the Hokage's command, their departure leaving the room in a heavy silence broken only by the soft hum of medical equipment.
The hospital room, once filled with the bustle of healers and patients, now housed a broken leader. Hiruzen's eyes, weary yet still possessing a glimmer of determination, stared at the file before him.
In the dim light of the treatment chamber, the weight of the world bore down upon Hiruzen Sarutobi, it etched lines of exhaustion on his battle-worn face. The room was filled with the scent of antiseptic and the remnants of fleeting conversations, yet Hiruzen felt utterly alone.
The masked ANBU member's departure left behind an eerie silence, shattered only by the whispers of bandages shifting against his fragile skin. Hiruzen's once towering presence had withered, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes, once bright with determination, were now clouded with grief.
The recent events weighed heavy on his heart—the battle with the Akatsuki, the kidnapped Gaara, the political turmoil brewing between nations—but nothing compared to the devastating blow that had shattered his very soul.
His son, his flesh and blood, was gone, a victim of the very conflicts he sought to protect the village from. The pain of this loss gripped him, leaving him gasping for breath, searching for solace in the darkness that enveloped his spirit.
In his anguish, Hiruzen's trembling hands reached upward, beseeching an answer from the heavens. His voice, cracked and laden with sorrow, echoed through the chamber as he questioned the higher powers, begging for understanding, for a reason behind this cruel twist of fate.
"Oh Sage, what did I do to deserve this?" His voice quivered with each word, carrying the weight of a lifetime of responsibilities, regrets, and the unbearable grief of a father losing his child. The tears fell freely, cascading down his weathered cheeks, each drop carrying the immense pain that had engulfed him.
In that moment, the Hokage was not the mighty leader of Konoha, but a broken soul, pleading for answers in the face of incomprehensible loss.
The room remained silent, bearing witness to his heart-wrenching lament, as the world outside continued its relentless march, oblivious to the depths of his despair.
In the midst of Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart-wrenching lament, the hospital room's tranquility was abruptly shattered by a resounding slam. The door splintered open, propelled by the fury of the Kazekage.
"Hokage!" Rasa's voice thundered, his eyes ablaze with anger, as he kicked down the hospital door. Multiple ninjas restrained him, their expressions strained with the difficulty of holding back the enraged Kazekage.
"Hokage!" Rasa shouted again, his voice echoing through the room. "You said my son would be safe! Now what!? My son has been kidnapped by those good-for-nothing rogues!"
Hiruzen, his eyes still wet with tears, met Rasa's wrath with a mix of resignation and understanding. He recognized the desperation in Rasa's eyes, the fear of losing a child mirrored in his own grief-stricken heart.
Rasa's anger faltered as he observed Hiruzen's defeated expression smeared by guilt and tears. A shameful realization washed over him. What was he thinking to whine about his missing son when the old man in front of him had lost his own? His face flushed red with embarrassment.
"I am sorry for your loss," Rasa said, his voice softer now, filled with genuine regret. "Kindly pardon my intrusion. I will take my leave now."
Rasa's departure surprised the Suna ANBU guard who had been secretly following him. He had expected the Kazekage to take advantage of Hiruzen's vulnerable state.
However, what the ANBU didn't know yet was that he was a changed man now.
The catalyst for this transformation was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the man with whom Rasa had fought against the Akatsuki.
Rasa had always been prideful, even dismissing Hiruzen's advice as orders at the beginning of their fight. But as their life-or-death battle against formidable Akatsuki progressed, something shifted within him.
Perhaps it was witnessing the god of shinobi in action or recognizing the immense gap between Hiruzen's strength and his own. Regardless of the reason, Hiruzen had unwittingly humbled Rasa.
Hiruzen wasn't just powerful like the Raikage; he possessed charisma, intelligence, and wisdom that far transcended his era. Even in the face of adversity, he never chose to sacrifice others for his village, a stark contrast to Rasa's own choices.
"Unlike me..." Rasa muttered, clenching his fist in self-reproach.
Contrary to Hiruzen, Rasa felt like a failure. He had been unable to protect his wife when his village faced dire circumstances, a haunting memory that weighed heavily on his soul. Even worse, he had made the devastating choice to sacrifice his own children for the sake of his people, a decision that gnawed at him, leaving a bitter taste of remorse in his heart.
The burden of his failures became even more unbearable when he realised he had wrongly blamed Gaara, his own son, for his wife's death. In truth, it was his own weakness and misguided choices that had led to such tragedy.
Rasa had come to a profound realisation—it wasn't the world around him that was in the wrong; it was he himself who was in the wrong. The weight of this realisation settled on his shoulders like a mountain, the gravity of his mistakes threatening to crush him.
"But no more," he declared, his eyes clear with newfound determination.
As Rasa walked toward his own hospital room, the weight of his past actions hung over him, a constant reminder of the pain he had caused. Yet, intertwined with this burden was a newfound determination—to rectify his past, to protect his remaining family, and to become a leader worthy of his village's trust.
Meanwhile, Hiruzen had a different reaction to the Kazekage's abrupt entrance. When Rasa stormed into his room, Hiruzen was understandably shocked. However, as Rasa apologised and left, Hiruzen's initial surprise melted into understanding, and he nodded with a sympathetic expression.
Hiruzen had known the Fourth Kazekage for a long time, well aware of his obnoxious nature. Yet, witnessing Rasa's transformation, Hiruzen felt a mix of relief and hope.
He knew that this change in the Kazekage could pave the way for a more stable future for both their villages. At the very least, Hiruzen could now give his son, Asuma, a proper burial before the storm of political chaos descended upon Konoha.
With a determined spirit, Hiruzen wiped his tears for one final time, his grief giving way to a small smile. "Asuma wouldn't like to see his old man crying," he muttered, finding solace in the memory of his son's strength and resilience.
Turning to his side, Hiruzen summoned one of his personal guards. As the guard approached, Hiruzen's expression turned serious. "Summon Shikaku Nara at once," he instructed firmly.
His gaze then shifted through the window, where the familiar scenery of his village lay beneath the night. "Begin preparations for a Kage Summit," he declared, his voice carrying the weight of authority and determination.
——————
Ino's footsteps quickened as she overheard the somber whispers about Lord Third's son. A sense of foreboding gnawed at her, urging her to hasten her pace toward Team 10's meeting spot.
It had been a few days since she last saw her Sensei, and although unsettling rumors circulated, she clung to the hope that everything would be fine.
Arriving at the familiar spot, she spotted Shikamaru and Chōji. Relief washed over her, and she approached them with a hesitant smile, attempting to push aside the lingering unease. "Hey, guys! Where is Sensei?" Ino asked, trying to sound cheerful despite the disquiet in her heart.
Shikamaru and Chōji exchanged glances, their expressions clouded with sorrow.
Ino's smile wavered, sensing the heaviness in the air. "H-Hey, what's u-up?" she stammered, her optimism fading as she picked up on their subdued demeanor.
With growing worry, she pressed for an answer, her voice growing more urgent. "Why aren't you guys answering me?" she implored, her concern deepening.
"Do you really not know?" Shikamaru's words cut through the air, his tone sharp, laced with sorrow.
"What do you mean by that?" Ino's eyes widened with disbelief, her mind struggling to accept the unthinkable truth.
"I mean, do you really not know or do you not want to accept the truth," Shikamaru said, his voice firm, his eyes pleading for her to understand.
"It can't be right, right? There is no way those civilians were telling the truth, right?" Ino's voice cracked, her denial battling with the harsh reality.
Shikamaru approached her, his grip on her shoulders tight but gentle. "Listen carefully, because I am only going to say this once," he said, his eyes meeting hers with unwavering intensity. "Asuma is dead, our sensei is dead," he stated firmly, the weight of his words sinking in.
"Hey! You don't have to be rude like that!" Chōji, too, was shaken, his voice pleading for understanding as he separated both Shikamaru and Ino.
Shikamaru's frustration boiled over. "Then what do you expect me to do? Look at her sorry state and go along with it?" he spat, his frustration evident.
Ino, unable to deny the truth any longer, stumbled backward, her hands covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "Stop! Just stop you two!!" she pleaded, her voice breaking.
Shikamaru sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and sorrow in his eyes. "What a drag..." he muttered, clicking his tongue in frustration. "Follow me, let's go somewhere quiet," he said, his voice softer now, his demeanour reflecting a newfound understanding of the depth of their grief.
Ino, her denial shattered, followed Shikamaru and Chōji. In that moment, amidst the pain and sorrow, she began to grasp the magnitude of their loss.
The realisation, like her friends, marked a profound shift within her, a stark reminder of the fragile nature of life and the strength they would need to find in each other to endure the challenges ahead.
——————
The vast grassland stretched out before them, and Chōji couldn't help but ask in amazement, "Where is this place?"
"This is my secret sleeping spot. I will kill you if you ever mention it to anyone," Shikamaru said, reclining on the grass, allowing the soft sunlight and rustling wind to caress his face.
As Ino and Chōji settled down beside him, Shikamaru's expression grew serious. "With Akatsuki's attack and Sensei's passing, I've realised something," he began.
Ino and Chōji, both having accepted Asuma's death during their journey to this place, looked at Shikamaru, their curiosity piqued. "I've realised that our village isn't as safe as it used to be anymore," Shikamaru stated, his words hanging heavy in the air.
The realization dawned on both Ino and Chōji, their eyes widening in disbelief.
What Shikamaru had said indirectly implied an insult to their own village, a notion that struck at the core of their beliefs. As young genin, such criticism of their home was nothing short of blasphemy, leaving them stunned and bewildered.
Intrigued yet concerned, Chōji ventured, "What are you going to do, Shikamaru?" A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek, reflecting his unease.
"I'm going to become stronger, strong enough to be the umbrella that protects Konoha from rainstorms," Shikamaru said, determination etched across his face.
Ino, seemingly unconvinced, questioned, "What are you even talking about? There are plenty of strong people in our village." She brushed off Shikamaru's concerns, listing the powerful figures they had in Konoha.
"No, we're not safe," Shikamaru flatly stated, his gaze unwavering. "Lord Third is old, Ino," he continued, his tone grave.
Sitting up, he elaborated, "Lord First captured eight of the nine tailed beasts and founded Konoha. Lord Second stabilized Konoha during wartime. Lord Third maintained the stability gifted by the Second. And Lord Fourth sacrificed himself to protect that stability."
His eyes met theirs, the weight of his words sinking in. "But who can maintain that stability now?" Shikamaru asked, his voice filled with conviction. "Who can shield the torch from blowing away on a stormy day?"
"I am going to become stronger," he declared, clenching his fist, his resolve unwavering. "I will ensure that no storm can blow away the Will of Fire."
With that, he stood up and walked away, leaving behind a bewildered Ino and a determined Chōji, both left contemplating the gravity of Shikamaru's words.