Naruto :Madam, You Don’t Want Anything To Happen To Sasuke, Right?

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The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was known for his gentle and amiable demeanor. He rarely lost his temper.

But now, he was so furious he nearly slammed his hand down on the table just to vent. That alone made it clear how enraged he truly was.

"Hokage-sama... it's not that Uchiha Haru forced Tsunade-sama to leave," Asuma said carefully. "It's that Tsunade-sama herself doesn't want to return to Konoha."

"She chose to go with Uchiha Haru to the Hidden Mist Village. Willingly."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows furrowed. "What?"

"You're saying Tsunade doesn't want to return to Konoha?"

"Yes," Asuma confirmed without hesitation.

He was certain Uchiha Haru hadn't said a single word of coercion.

Tsunade had gone with him willingly.

"Is that really true?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his gaze to Kakashi, seeking confirmation, disbelief etched into the lines of his face.

Kakashi gave a small nod. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

A chill settled over the room. Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened, his instincts warning him that something wasn't right.

"What happened?" he asked, voice low. "As the granddaughter of the First Hokage, my student, and one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin—how could Tsunade possibly not want to return?"

Jiraiya, standing off to the side, also looked confused.

He had known Tsunade for most of his life. Her love for Konoha had never wavered.

Konoha was in dire straits now more than ever. If Tsunade wouldn't come back, there had to be a reason. Was it something more important?

Or... was she still haunted by the deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan?

"This…"

Asuma shifted uncomfortably. There were parts of the story they had agreed not to speak of, so every word now had to be chosen with care.

Almost reflexively, he cast a glance at Kakashi.

Normally, Kakashi would step in during moments like this, to smooth things over or redirect the topic. But today, for some reason, Kakashi had been silent ever since entering the office.

Other than Kakashi, the only ones who had seen Tsunade were Asuma and Kurenai Yuhi. And he couldn't just dump this mess on Kurenai.

With no other choice, Asuma took a deep breath and began recounting the entire situation—from their encounter with the head of the Kaguya Clan, to Uchiha Haru's intervention, and finally, to when they met Tsunade.

Naturally, he omitted any mention of Uchiha Haru's commentary on Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.

"A bone sword pulled from the body? That's definitely a kekkei genkai—Shikotsumyaku," Jiraiya muttered. "That means it must have been the Kaguya Clan. There's only one person from that clan known to possess that kind of terrifying power... their leader."

Jiraiya, having traveled extensively and fought in the last Great Ninja War, was no stranger to bloodline abilities. From Asuma's description alone, he quickly deduced the man's identity.

But what surprised him even more was something else entirely.

"Uchiha Haru blocked Might Guy's full-power strike while he was in the Seventh Gate?" Jiraiya asked, eyes wide.

As one of Konoha's Sannin, he knew better than most just how deadly the Eight Gates Technique was.

Might Guy had started as an average Genin. But when he opened the Eight Gates, he had once decimated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, reducing them to just three survivors. The others only lived because they'd fled fast enough.

Now, Guy was even stronger than he had been back then. A prodigy of the current generation.

Seventh Gate—Daytime Tiger. That level of power was already beyond most Kage.

And yet... it had been blocked?

"Are you sure?" Jiraiya demanded.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Asuma said solemnly. "It was like his punch hit an immovable mountain. Haru didn't even budge."

That moment had been seared into his mind.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, however, didn't look surprised.

No one understood Uchiha Haru's strength better than he did.

On the night of the Uchiha Clan's extermination, Haru had stood alone against five Kage-level opponents—and held his own with terrifying composure.

If anyone could block Guy's Seventh Gate, it would be him.

After confirming the situation, Sarutobi Hiruzen dismissed the others.

Soon, only he and Jiraiya remained in the office.

"Jiraiya," he said slowly, "what do you think about all this?"

Naturally, he was referring to Tsunade.

Jiraiya frowned, clearly uneasy. "It doesn't add up. Tsunade wouldn't do something like this. Unless… unless she's still carrying the burden of what happened back then?"

"But that doesn't explain why she'd go to the Hidden Mist Village."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression faltered for just a moment, as if an old memory had stirred something uncomfortable in him.

But he covered it up with a vague sigh. "Maybe."

"Sensei," Jiraiya said after a moment, "how about I head to the Hidden Mist Village myself? I can talk to her. Figure out what's really going on."

"This…" Sarutobi Hiruzen paused.

After a brief moment of silence, he shook his head. "Not yet. Let's hold off for now."

"Konoha is short-handed. Your presence here is needed more than ever."

"As for Tsunade... she's no longer the reckless girl she once was. We should trust her. Trust her decisions, and believe she knows what she's doing."

Jiraiya looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

He didn't argue.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Jiraiya took his leave.

After all, Hiruzen was the Hokage. There were countless matters awaiting his attention.

As Jiraiya stepped out of the room, the expression on his face darkened.

Worry weighed on him heavily.

He noticed something unusual.

Tsunade hadn't returned. He wanted to go to the Hidden Mist Village to look for her, but the Third Hokage refused.

Although what the Third said wasn't completely unreasonable, his approach didn't sit right with Jiraiya.

What kind of person is Tsunade? Impulsive. Short-tempered.

She's the type who acts first and asks questions later—quick to trust, quick to anger. But to believe that she would be left alone, ignored, with just a few vague words tossed her way?

Jiraiya didn't buy it.

And with the village currently short-staffed, wouldn't it be better if she came back?

If he could bring Tsunade home, Konoha would regain one of its Sannin.

All of this left Jiraiya with a knot in his chest.

His teacher—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage—was deliberately keeping him away from Tsunade.

And the fact that Tsunade hadn't returned yet?

That might have something to do with Sarutobi Hiruzen himself.

"Is there something going on between the teacher and Tsunade?" Jiraiya muttered to himself.

He felt increasingly uneasy.

"No. I have to see her for myself and get to the bottom of this!"

…

Elsewhere, after Jiraiya had left, Sarutobi Hiruzen went about his duties as usual, reviewing one matter after another.

As the sky began to darken, he suddenly ordered, "Bring Asuma to me."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

An ANBU agent appeared in the room silently, received the order, and vanished just as quickly.

Soon, Asuma entered the room.

"Hokage-sama!" he said, saluting.

"Come, sit down," Sarutobi Hiruzen gestured. "There's no one else around now. Treat this like home. You can call me Father."

Asuma hesitated only a second before stepping forward and taking a seat.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled warmly. "You must've had a rough time on your last mission."

"It wasn't too bad," Asuma replied, his tone subdued. "But I failed your expectations…"

He couldn't help but feel ashamed.

He had been told where Tsunade was—and he still failed to bring her back.

"It's fine."

"Everyone grows step by step."

"Even I didn't handle things perfectly at the beginning," the Third said with a chuckle.

Looking his son in the eyes, he added, "You must remember—temporary failure means nothing. What matters is that no matter how hard you fall, you always find the courage to stand back up."

"You're my son. I believe, one day, you'll follow the same path I did."

"Follow... your path?" Asuma's voice was low, but a warm feeling surged through his chest. He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen and said with determination, "I will."

The old man smiled. "That's my son."

Asuma relaxed slightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. They talked a bit longer, casually, father and son.

Then, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone shifted slightly.

"Asuma… Earlier today, when you reported your mission, you said everything went normally." He narrowed his eyes slightly. "But you're hiding something, aren't you?"

Asuma's body tensed. "No… nothing like that."

Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled softly. "They say a father knows his son best. Did you really think you could fool me?"

He had already sensed something was off during the report, but with others present, it wasn't the right time to dig deeper.

Now was different.

"I'm telling the truth," Asuma said, forcing himself to remain calm.

He thought back to what Kakashi had told him—to the promise he'd made.

What Uchiha Haru told him… could not be spoken.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen's suspicion only deepened.

His gaze sharpened. "Asuma… I'm not just the Hokage. I'm your father. Is there anything you can't tell me?"

"I know Uchiha Haru is young, but he's cunning. I'm afraid he's tricked you with his words."

"Right now, if you refuse to tell me the truth, you're helping him work against me."

"Do you want to stand with Uchiha Haru, or with your father?"

"I…" Asuma's inner conflict twisted in his chest. "But I promised not to tell."

So there was something to hide.

"I see," Hiruzen said coldly. "Who did you promise? Uchiha Haru? Of course he doesn't want you to talk—because he knows that once you tell me, all his lies will be exposed."

Still, Asuma said nothing.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face hardened. "You've really disappointed me."

"Father, I…"

Asuma's shoulders slumped. Under the pressure, he could no longer resist the weight pressing down on his conscience.

"…Alright. I'll tell you."

He exhaled deeply, his voice carrying both guilt and resignation.

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