Starting with Naruto, I'll become stronger through my own efforts.

Chapter 145 Asma's Self-Taming (Continuing to work hard today, 1/3 updated)

Shortly after Orochimaru left, a travel-worn ninja appeared in front of the gates of Konoha Village.

The ninja with a full beard looked sad and tired, but his appearance caused quite a stir.

Upon seeing him, the Konoha ninja guarding the gate, Izumo Kamui, instinctively exclaimed, "Asuma, you're back!"

The gatekeeper on the other side, Kotetsu, was also taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Asuma, you're not going to be the daimyo's guard anymore?"

Sarutobi Asuma's face darkened, and he retorted without thinking, "My Hokage father is dead, what use am I as a Daimyo's bodyguard?"

Asuma, born in Konoha 58, had not yet experienced many things, and his temperament was far from mature.

His next sentence not only offended the two gatekeepers of Konoha, but also offended all the Konoha ninjas.

"My father was the Third Hokage, and he was actually killed in Konoha Village. How exactly do the Konoha ninja protect their Hokage?"

Izumo and Kotetsu immediately turned grim and stopped talking to Sarutobi Asuma.

How do the Konoha ninja protect their Hokage?

This is an utterly ridiculous question. The original purpose of establishing the Hokage position was to protect Miyake Village.

Moreover, the Third Hokage had shortcomings in this regard, and was criticized by Konoha ninjas more than once.

Of all the Hokage, only the Second Hokage went to the battlefield as Hokage; the First, Third, Fourth, and the current Fifth Hokage did not.

However, everyone's situation is different.

When the First Hokage was alive, none of the ninja villages in the entire ninja world dared to start a war.

The Fourth and Fifth Hokage served for such short periods that they never faced the threat of war.

Only Hiruzen Sarutobi held the position of Hokage for a full 30 years, experiencing two Shinobi World Wars, yet he always stayed in Konoha Village and never went to the battlefield to fight for Konoha.

In addition, the First Hokage, Second Hokage, Fourth Hokage, and Fifth Hokage all won the hearts of the people in the battles to protect Konoha Village, and thus became Hokage.

The Third Hokage was the only one who won the favor of the Second Hokage and was appointed to the position in a time of crisis.

From this perspective, it's not wrong to say that the Third Hokage was protected by the ninjas of Konoha.

But is this the kind of glory that can be loudly proclaimed?

Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi is not a complete scoundrel; when Konoha becomes a battlefield, he will bravely stand up.

Whether it was the sneak attack from the Hidden Ninja Village or the great battle on the night of the Nine-Tails, the Third Hokage stood at the forefront of the Konoha ninjas, preserving his last bit of dignity.

However, the Third Hokage's final dignity was ruined by a thoughtless and foolish remark from Sarutobi Asuma.

Although Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu were only Chunin and didn't have any particularly outstanding reputations, they held high positions in Konoha Village and were both veteran Chunin who frequently participated in Jonin missions.

Looking back over time, these two gatekeeper Chunin were even more remarkable.

Konoha Village has faced so many major crises, including the Nine-Tails' Night, Nagato's attack on the village, and Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi.

The ninja world is doomed, and Kaguya Otsutsuki is resurrected.

Especially the last two disasters, which not only severely damaged Konoha Village, but also almost wiped out the entire ninja world, with so many famous ninjas dying tragically.

However, the duo of Izumo and Kotetsu survived unscathed, without encountering any danger whatsoever.

After the apocalyptic war ended, they returned safely to their beloved posts and continued to guard the gate happily and peacefully.

This is one of only two places that can rival Ichiraku-san from Ichiraku Ramen.

Their change in attitude implicitly signifies a change in the attitude of the Konoha ninja community.

Sarutobi Asuma, however, recklessly rushed into Konoha Village, ran all the way to the Hokage's residence, and was stopped at the gate.

He roared, "Get out of my way! Don't block my way home!"

Konoha Jonin Asada Masatsugu replied with a half-smile, "Young Master Asuma, this is not the home of your Sarutobi clan."

Sarutobi Asuma instantly flew into a rage: "What did you say? I was born here, I grew up here, if this isn't my home, then how can it be yours?"

Masao Asada replied dismissively, "Of course this is not my home, this is the Hokage's residence."

Asuma roared, "You're playing me! The Hokage's mansion is my home! My father is the Third Hokage!!"

Asada Masatsugu warned disdainfully, "Asuma, the Hokage's residence is a perk of the incumbent Hokage! The Third Hokage has been impeached and removed from office; he has no right to continue occupying this residence!"

"When the Fourth Hokage took office, the Third Hokage should have vacated the position, but your Sarutobi clan acted shamelessly and refused to vacate, forcing the Fourth Hokage to pay for another house out of his own pocket."

"The Fifth Hokage successfully impeached the Third Hokage, but Hiruzen Sarutobi, relying on his old age, still refused to leave, so the Fifth Hokage had to stay in his original house."

"Even though the Fifth Hokage prefers to live in his old house, that's no reason for your Sarutobi clan to occupy the Hokage's residence!"

"Now that even the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, is dead, and you're just a Chunin, how dare you still try to occupy the Hokage's residence?"

"roll!!"

Asada Masatake's merciless rebuke struck Sarutobi Asuma like a thunderbolt, causing him to tremble violently.

The attitude of Jonin Asada Masatake and the Chunin of Konoha behind him made Asuma realize that after the death of his father, the Third Hokage, he was no longer the son of the Third Hokage.

Without that identity he once looked down upon, Asuma was just a Konoha Chunin.

Although his strength had reached the level of Jonin, he was only a Chunin without going through the general promotion.

How could a Chunin loudly reprimand a Konoha Jonin?

Sarutobi Asuma asked in a low voice, "Asada Jonin, where did my family move to? And where is my nephew Konohamaru?"

Asada Masatsugu pointed to a large area across the road and said, "The ninjas of your Sarutobi clan are all there, and your home and nephew must be there too."

"However, it won't be long before the Sarutobi clan can no longer occupy such a large area."

"When the Third Hokage was in power, you took advantage of the village at all costs. Now that the Fifth Hokage has taken power, it's time to give back what you've taken for granted."

Sarutobi Asuma gritted his teeth, but ultimately did not draw his Flying Swallow and fight Asada Masatomo here.

The series of setbacks and heart-wrenching humiliations made Asma grow up in an instant.

Even when he was clearly at a disadvantage, he was able to swallow his anger and remain silent.

Upon entering the Sarutobi clan's territory, Sarutobi Asuma was quickly surrounded by elderly Sarutobi clan ninjas who all complained at once.

"Asuma, go and talk to the Hokage. Don't make us move. All my family's assets are here. How am I supposed to live if we move?"

Asuma recognized the old man; he was Asuma's tutor who had given him his first lessons in chakra and was a witness to Asuma's first chakra refinement.

In the past, Asma would have stood up for the old man without hesitation and gone to his father to protest.

But today, the Third Hokage is no longer here, and Asuma himself has been repeatedly ignored and ostracized by the Konoha ninjas. It's impossible for him not to think about things more.

He realized that the old man had two sons who were Chunin, and their strength and income were quite good.

However, their family earned very little money through ninja missions because they occupied 26 properties and shops within Sarutobi clan territory, misappropriating rental income that should have belonged to Konoha Village.

If they are forced to move and cannot produce the corresponding property certificate, their misappropriation of the property will inevitably be discovered.

The best-case scenario is losing most of the income, and the worst-case scenario is being pursued for rental income from the past ten or twenty years, plus huge fines.

The old man might even go to jail for it.

Just as Asuma had figured it out, he heard another middle-aged ninja pleading: "Cousin Asuma, the Fifth Hokage dismissed me from my post, and he dismissed hundreds of ninjas in the entire clan as well. The Third Hokage just passed away, his body is barely cold, and he dares to be so ruthless."

"Cousin Asuma, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Go and see the Daimyo, tell him about the major events that have happened in Konoha, and ask him to take charge for us and appoint a new Hokage!"

Asma chuckled.

Five years ago, he defied his father's wishes and refused to become the deputy head of the Dark Division. Instead, he ran away from home and became one of the twelve guardians of the daimyo.

At that time, he and his cousin both believed that the Daimyo was greater than the Hokage, and that the head of state of the Land of Fire was the one who could decide who would become the Hokage.

During his time as one of the Twelve Guardians, Asuma's relationship with the other ninjas was so-so, and his relationship with the ninjas of the Fire Temple was the worst, but he increasingly agreed with their idea that "the two guardians of the nation are a mistake".

Just a few days ago, Uchiha Homura arrived in the Land of Fire as an envoy of Konoha Village and announced in an extremely rude and arrogant manner that Lord Xia Zuo had become the Fifth Hokage.

He didn't even bother to listen to Da Ming's reply and left on his own.

The Fire Lord was trembling with rage, but he forced himself to suppress it and pretended nothing had happened.

Sarutobi Asuma then realized that, in the eyes of the Fifth Hokage, the so-called Fire Daimyo was merely a tool for external diplomacy and internal rule.

It was from Uchiha Homura's announcement that he learned his father had been dead for several days.

Such a major event, and the daimyo was completely unaware of it unless Konoha Village specifically notified him. What kind of jewel is he from the Land of Fire?

It turns out that the Land of Fire doesn't have two "Jades" (a symbol of power), but only one: the Hokage of Konoha Village.

Realizing this, and grieving over his father's death, Asuma finally broke free from the daimyo's control and returned to Konoha.

Then came a series of setbacks.

Every request his clansmen made of Sarutobi Asuma was one that he could not fulfill even if he tried his hardest.

Moreover, based on his common sense observations and experiences around the daimyo, the Sarutobi clan members indeed possess far too many resources, probably more than ten times the amount.

Moreover, in the mere five years he was away, the number of Sarutobi clan members had more than doubled.

This doesn't mean that all members of the Sarutobi clan are prolific ninjas; rather, it's because many nameless and commoner ninjas joined the Sarutobi clan and adopted the Sarutobi surname.

This made Sarutobi Asuma realize that the Sarutobi clan had become too arrogant, and in the process of growing stronger, they had swallowed too many resources, far exceeding their own strength.

It's time to lose weight.

Ignoring the chaotic demands of his clansmen, Sarutobi Asuma pushed them aside, found his new home, and found the neglected Sarutobi Konohamaru.

He picked up his nephew and left the Sarutobi clan's territory.

Unlike the Hyuga clan's territory and the Uchiha clan's old territory, the Sarutobi clan's territory expanded too quickly, and there was simply no time to build a unified perimeter.

Furthermore, the commercial streets that have been constantly encroached upon would lose much of their value if walls were added, so the Sarutobi clan has neither walls nor gates.

Just as Asuma stepped out of the alley from this bustling neighborhood, a female ninja appeared before him.

This ninja was tall and slender, with long black hair tied in a high ponytail, and her bright red three-tomoe Sharingan revealed her identity.

Uchiha Izumi said expressionlessly, "Sarutobi Asuma, Chunin, the Fifth Hokage wants to see you, and also—Sarutobi Konohamaru."

Asuma looked at the girl, who was more than ten years younger than him, and sensed a strength far greater than his own. He exclaimed, "Congratulations, Uchiha clan leader."

"After the tragic night of the massacre, the Uchiha clan was ultimately reborn from the ashes."

Asuma's attitude sent a positive signal, and the frost on Uchiha Izumi's face melted away.

She smiled gently: "Asuma, you are the rightful new head of the Sarutobi clan, so the Hokage wants to discuss with you how to deal with the Sarutobi clan. Please hurry."

Sarutobi Asuma didn't dare to delay. He carried his nephew and followed Uchiha Izumi to Xia Zuo's small courtyard.

As soon as he entered, Sarutobi Konohamaru exclaimed with delight, "Ah, it's Naruto-nii-san!"

Naruto, wearing a "mask," absorbed and isolated Ashura's chakra influence. Naruto immediately responded, "Ah, Konohamaru, you're here too!"

Then the two mischievous children chased each other into the room to "explore".

Hearing the "ping-pong" sound coming from the room, Xia Zuo's lips twitched as he glanced at Uchiha Izumi:

'

"Quan, go teach those two brats some manners."

"Tell them that if they break something, their own butts will break too!"

Uchiha Izumi entered the room with a smile, leaving only Xia Zuo and Sarutobi Asuma in the courtyard.

Sarutobi Asuma stood in the sunlight, staring intently at Shaza without blinking.

Xia Zuo sat under the shade of a tree, his eyes lowered as he pondered the application techniques of the Steel Release: Bloodline Limit.

After a few minutes of this standoff, Sarutobi Asuma slowly knelt on one knee and lowered his once proud head.

Using a trilled "r" sound he had learned from the daimyo's court, he earnestly pleaded, "Fifth Hokage, please take good care of the future of the Sarutobi clan!"

Sarutobi Asuma finally let go of his pride and dignity.

>