Fire Country, Konoha
Hokage Building – Meeting Room
Chaos consumed the room.
Medical-nin had rushed in, attending to the unconscious Yamada Taro and Mitokado Homura. Their skilled hands worked quickly, stabilizing both men, though their conditions were uncertain.
Tsunade, however, remained still. She was part of the medical division under the Uchiha Guard, and she would not act without Bai Ye's direct order. Her affiliation with the Guard meant her loyalty was separate from the Third Hokage's administration.
And, of course, there was her hemophobia.
At this moment, she lay against Bai Ye's chest, her body stiff. Yet, she wasn't as worried as she once might have been. Bai Ye had assured her that during the upcoming New Year Festival, he would help her overcome her fear of blood. She had no idea what method he had in mind, but his confidence was oddly reassuring.
The rest of the room, however, was far from at ease.
All eyes were on Yamada Taro, his body covered in blood. His sudden arrival had disrupted what had been an attempted coup against Sarutobi Hiruzen. The power struggle was momentarily abandoned as the severity of the situation became apparent.
The phrase "the dead are great" echoed in their minds.
Yamada Taro had once been the captain of Konoha's Border Defense Unit but had been replaced recently by Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Hokage's son. Now, Yamada Taro stood as the sole survivor of his unit—or so he claimed.
His words had been fragmented before he collapsed. There were too many unanswered questions. Interrogation would have to wait until he regained consciousness.
Regardless, even if the Hokage's two sons had perished, the loss of the Border Defense Unit was a grave matter. Their deaths demanded recognition, and Konoha could not afford to ignore the implications. With this, the pressure to force Hiruzen's abdication dissipated.
More pressing was the question: what had happened at the border? Had another Shinobi Village launched an attack? If so, what was Konoha's next move?
The weight of war loomed over everyone present.
Even with the return of two of the Legendary Sannin and the formidable strength of Bai Ye's Guard, Konoha was not prepared for a large-scale conflict. A war now could mean devastation.
No matter how powerful a police force was within the village, they had never been deployed as frontline soldiers. Even if they were willing, would Bai Ye even allow it?
The atmosphere thickened with unease.
For now, the coup was set aside.
Among the crowd, Sarutobi Hiruzen wore an expression of profound sorrow. His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he processed the news: his two sons were dead.
Yamada Taro had only managed to say that the entire squad had been wiped out before he lost consciousness. The loss of Shinnosuke and Asuma was a crushing blow.
But amidst his grief, Sarutobi felt something else. Something unsettling. A twisted sense of relief.
Was it possible that he had survived this political crisis because of their deaths?
That realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.
His gaze drifted to Mitokado Homura, who was also unconscious.
Before, the rumors had been just whispers. That his wife, Biwako, had been unfaithful. That she had been involved with Homura. That Asuma's true father might not be him.
Those whispers now felt like undeniable truths.
Both his sons had fallen, yet it was Homura who collapsed in grief?
Asuma had inherited the same style of beard as Homura—a resemblance Sarutobi could no longer ignore.
How was he supposed to carry on as Hokage when his very identity as a father was in question?
His mind spiraled back to a night many years ago.
Biwako had not yet conceived Asuma. That night, Homura had come over, insisting they drink. Sarutobi had blacked out, only half-awake to the sound of Biwako murmuring, "Where is my husband?" "My husband is still here." "My husband is amazing."
He had thought it was a dream.
Perhaps it had not been.
His fists clenched, his expression dark and twisted with grief, fury, and humiliation.
He turned his eyes toward Utatane Koharu.
If Homura had done this to him, was it not fair for him to return the favor?
Danzo was imprisoned. There was no rush for that retribution.
But for Homura? Revenge could come swiftly.
A groan broke through the tense silence as Mitokado Homura stirred.
"Lord Hokage, the advisor is regaining consciousness," a medical-nin reported.
"His condition is stable. Just some exhaustion and, well… mild kidney deficiency."
"Kidney deficiency?" Bai Ye quirked an eyebrow, amused.
The medical-nin, ever professional, explained further. "His collapse was due to a surge of emotions. Extreme grief. It overwhelmed his system temporarily."
Before he could continue, Homura shot up, slapping a hand over the medic's mouth, preventing further humiliation.
The gathered shinobi exchanged glances, their opinions on Homura and Sarutobi shifting in real-time. This was getting ridiculous.
Homura, shaking with anger, turned to Bai Ye.
"Uchiha Bai Ye, the destruction of the Border Defense Unit and the deaths of Shinnosuke and Asuma—you have nothing to say?!"
An accusation. A desperate attempt to shift blame.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stiffened.
But Bai Ye simply leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. Tsunade, seeing the shift in energy, lit a cigarette for him, ignoring the no-smoking rule.
Bai Ye exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl toward the ceiling.
"A dead burden."
Silence.
"I mean, Sarutobi Asuma and Sarutobi Shinnosuke."
The room recoiled at his bluntness.
But Bai Ye wasn't finished.
"The penalty assigned to Shinnosuke's squad was set by the Hokage's office. Who was it that claimed Sarutobi's sons were elite shinobi, worthy of proving themselves on the frontlines?"
His gaze bore into Homura.
"You sent them there because you believed in them. But it seems they were eggshells pretending to be kunai."
Homura's mouth opened, then shut. He couldn't refute it.
Bai Ye stepped closer, his voice softer but no less cutting.
"They weren't heroes who died for Konoha. They were liabilities who led their team to destruction."
Homura's breath hitched.
He turned to Sarutobi, trembling.
"Sarutobi, you... you let this happen?"
Sarutobi, eyes glazed, responded with sudden fury.
SLAP!
His hand struck Homura hard, sending him reeling.
"The old man's sons died for Konoha! They died well! It was an honorable death!"
His voice thundered, righteous in its finality.
Then, with a wheeze, Homura collapsed again.
And across the room, Yamada Taro began to stir…
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