Konoha was a massive village. On its outermost fringes lay a dense forest valley, situated near what would later be known as the infamous Forest of Death.
Within this valley was a cave, a facility Minato had ordered the Anbu to construct in secret not long ago. This was the place chosen for Kushina's delivery.
At the entrance of the valley cave stood a torii gate. Affixed to the center of the gate was a "Seal" tag, representing a localized protective barrier. Three elite Anbu members stood guard nearby.
The silhouette of Obito appeared slowly on a branch deep within the forest. Clad in his black robe and mask, he observed the scene.
"Anbu guards... they weren't here before. It seems Kushina-ne—no, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is already in labor. But the number of guards is surprisingly small," Obito whispered to himself.
Indeed, there were very few. For a Jinchuriki giving birth, only three Anbu were stationed outside.
In reality, this was a logical choice. Overwhelming the area with guards would be a beacon to others that something significant was happening. A task that was meant to be handled safely and covertly could easily spiral out of control if it drew unnecessary attention.
In the eyes of Minato and Hiruzen, the information regarding Kushina's delivery had been perfectly kept. To this day, only a handful of people knew. Thus, minimal involvement was the best way to avoid attracting the wrong eyes.
Even Utatane Koharu had already finished her part and departed.
Currently, there were three Anbu outside the cave. Inside, there was only Minato, Biwako, and one medical ninja attending to Kushina. Normally, with the Hokage, with Minato, present, that was more than enough.
Hiruzen, Kakashi, and others privy to the secret were all carrying on as usual, maintaining a perfect facade. They went home when they were supposed to; they visited the Memorial Stone to mourn as they always did. Everything remained routine.
Because of this, no one in Konoha sensed anything was amiss. Except, of course, for those who had long harbored ulterior motives: Obito and Diarmuid.
"Well, it saves me some trouble," Obito sneered.
…
Meanwhile, at the home of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen sat cross-legged on the veranda, watching the light drizzle and sipping tea. His gaze remained fixed on a distant wall as if there were a pattern in the stone worth studying, but in reality, he was looking in the direction of Kushina's delivery site.
"Old man, if you're that worried, why not just go take a look?" A youth roughly the same age as Kakashi stood behind Hiruzen, speaking with an air of amused interest.
Before Hiruzen could respond, another man, slightly older than Kakashi's generation, delivered a swift hand-chop to the youth's head. He said with a smile, "Asuma, don't be so disrespectful."
"Tch..." Asuma pouted rebelliously but didn't push it further.
The man was his elder brother, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Captain of the Konoha Anbu.
Shinnosuke was a man of gentle temperament but immense strength. He was exceptionally low-profile, so much so that even people within Konoha often forgot the Third Hokage had a formidable son in the Anbu.
Growing up, he never used the status or power of the Sarutobi clan to do anything that would bring shame to the family name. In the eyes of the elite clans, he was the model for all noble scions. Hiruzen had always considered Shinnosuke his pride. If things went as expected, Shinnosuke would one day lead the Sarutobi clan.
In fact, under Shinnosuke's future guidance, the Sarutobi clan would become quite understated, much like the Senju clan, seeking a transition where only a fraction of the family remained active shinobi.
In stark contrast to Shinnosuke, Sarutobi Asuma was a complete "prodigal son." Being the youngest, he had been pampered and spoiled by Hiruzen and Biwako to an absurd degree. While he wasn't a villain, he had indulged in every bit of reckless behavior typical of a wealthy brat. His reputation in Konoha was, quite frankly, poor.
However, over the last two years, he seemed to have matured slightly, ceasing his more troublesome antics. Because he was a rogue and not a malicious person, his social standing was decent despite his bad reputation.
As Hiruzen's offspring, Asuma possessed incredible natural talent. Having trained under a master like the "Professor" himself, his strength was among the top of the younger generation.
Yet even the prestigious Sarutobi house had its own skeletons. The relationship between Asuma and Hiruzen had fractured long ago, far from the closeness of his childhood. There were many reasons, perhaps because Hiruzen, as the Third Hokage, had lost his temper multiple times over his son's delinquency. Or perhaps because Asuma's unconventional, free-spirited nature clashed too violently with Hiruzen's steady, traditional ideology. The rift was deep.
"In half a month, I'm heading to the Fire Temple," Asuma suddenly announced.
Hiruzen, who had been silently watching the wall, finally showed a flicker of emotion. He took a sip of tea and said in a heavy voice, "What are you going to the Fire Temple for? To become a monk? What, did you have a fight with that girl from the Yuhi family? If you ask me, a brat like you should stop bothering her."
"Hmph." Asuma snorted but didn't refute him, looking very much like he truly had argued with his childhood friend.
The girl from the Yuhi family was, of course, Yuhi Kurenai.
"I'm not as pathetic as you think. I'm just going to clear my head. My friends there invited me over; said they had things to discuss with me," Asuma said.
"You've only been a Jonin for a few days, and you're already planning to skip work? When will you ever act like a child of the Sarutobi clan?" Hiruzen said, clearly irritated.
"Yeah, yeah. I don't act like a Sarutobi. Sorry about that," Asuma replied calmly. "That's all..."
With that, Asuma turned to leave. Even though his trip to the Fire Temple was two weeks away, he likely didn't intend to return to the Sarutobi manor in the meantime. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and bit down on it, but before he could light it, he heard his brother's voice.
"Asuma." Shinnosuke called out with a smile.
Asuma scratched his head and looked back.
"Be careful on the road. Also, you're still young, it's best not to copy others by smoking," Shinnosuke said gently.
While his relationship with Hiruzen was strained, Asuma was on good terms with his elder brother. One could even say that Shinnosuke was the only one in the house who could actually manage him.
Asuma sighed, put away the cigarette, and muttered, "Fine." He walked away, this time without looking back.
Once Asuma was gone, Hiruzen let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly. "If he were even half as sensible as you, I might live a few years longer."
Shinnosuke shook his head. "No, Asuma will definitely become a better ninja than I am."
"Why do you say that?" Hiruzen asked, looking at his eldest son.
Shinnosuke rubbed his chin and chuckled. "Intuition, I suppose. Besides, what older brother doesn't want his younger brother to surpass him?"
"You..." Hiruzen looked at Shinnosuke with a mix of frustration and affection. "If you hadn't coddled him so much over the years..."
"I have taught him the proper principles of life, Father. Look, Asuma might be a bit wild, but his character isn't bad, is it? Sometimes... I even envy him," Shinnosuke continued.
"Envy him for what? Envy him for being a bad boy?" Hiruzen grunted.
"Isn't it obvious? What man doesn't want to be a bit of a rebel in his youth?" Shinnosuke said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His words made Hiruzen pause. He seemed struck by a sudden realization, a memory of his own past. After a long silence, Hiruzen sighed. "Is that so? You've worked hard all these years, Shinnosuke."
Shinnosuke was briefly taken aback, then resumed his smile. "It's nothing. I am the eldest son of the Sarutobi family, after all."
He fell silent, and Hiruzen followed suit. They sat together in the quiet. Shinnosuke looked at the moon through the rain and thought to himself: Asuma, this is all your brother can do for you. Fly freely... the sky is where you belong.
What could Shinnosuke do for Asuma? Help him cause trouble? Help him upset their father? No. Only by making himself increasingly excellent, the perfect heir the clan could pin its hopes on, could the shackles of the prestigious clan be loosened for Asuma. Only then could his younger brother spread his wings.
However, the rebellious teenage Asuma was not yet able to appreciate this quiet concern from his brother. If Diarmuid were here, he would surely want to introduce Shinnosuke to Itachi; the two clearly had a lot in common.
Suddenly, Shinnosuke's expression changed. He pulled back his sleeve to reveal three Cursed Seal markings on his arm. They were fading.
"This is bad. Something has happened. The subordinates I assigned to protect the Fourth Hokage and Kushina-sama have lost their life signs!" Shinnosuke said, his face contorted with shock and anger.
Hiruzen snapped his head toward his son. "Go notify the Jonin squads and the Anbu to mobilize! Arrange for the rest of the village to begin evacuation preparations!"
"Yes!" Shinnosuke shouted, vanishing in a blur.
Though Hiruzen's face was heavy with rage, he did not panic. He rose and headed straight for his bedroom. He was angry, but he hadn't lost his mind. Minato was at that site, the Fourth Hokage of their village!
His duty now wasn't to rush to the front lines immediately, but to take responsibility for all of Konoha. Since Minato was on the front, Hiruzen had to secure the village.
Opening his bedroom door, Hiruzen walked to the wall where a set of dark-green heavy-plated armor hung. This style of armor was rarely used anymore. Only the older generation, those who had lived through the Warring States period or the founding of the village, still favored this ancient, functional gear born for war.
"I truly hoped the day would never come where I'd need you again, old friend," Hiruzen whispered. His eyes flashed with resolve as he took down the armor and began to strap it on.
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