Chapter 67: The Murderer Uchiha Itachi, Sarutobi Hiruzen Furious  

Two Sarutobi Chunin approached Sasuke instantly, weapons in hand, looking at him warily.

Sasuke, expressionless, said, "Don't be nervous, I'm just here to deliver a message."

With that, he pulled out a summoning scroll and revealed Sarutobi Asuma's body.

When the two Chunin saw Asuma's lifeless body, their eyes widened in shock. How could they not recognize him?

In an instant, they understood that the man before them was the murderer who killed Sarutobi Asuma.

They exchanged a glance, preparing to take Sasuke down and deliver him to Sarutobi Hiruzen. However, before they could act, Sasuke ensnared them in a powerful genjutsu. Their intent to attack had been too obvious. As the genjutsu ended, the two Chunin collapsed to the ground, exhausted, their eyes filled with terror. Something had clearly terrified them.

Seeing their expressions, Sasuke smirked. It seemed the illusion he had developed, 'Tsukuyomi Heaven', was quite effective. The technique was straightforward and brutal, making the enemy experience unimaginable pain.

"There's no need for further violence," Sasuke said coldly. "I'm here to deliver a message to Sarutobi Hiruzen. I, Uchiha Itachi, killed Sarutobi Asuma. And you'd better be careful not to harbor any ill intentions towards Sasuke!"

"What?! You're Uchiha Itachi?!" 

"The S-rank missing-nin who massacred his own clan?!"

The two Chunin were stunned. If they had known this was Uchiha Itachi, they would never have dared to confront him.

Sasuke said nothing more, giving them a cold stare that silenced them instantly. Then, he turned and disappeared into the shadows.

It was only long after Sasuke had left that the two Chunin managed to regain their composure. Although they knew it had been an illusion, the mental damage was severe.

"Let's take Sarutobi Asuma's body to the Hokage and see what he decides," one of the Chunin suggested.

"That's our only option," the other agreed.

''Hokage's Office''

At that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen was staring intently at something, occasionally laughing to himself.

'Knock, knock, knock!'

An urgent knock sounded at the door.

"Hokage-sama, I have an important report!"

Startled, Hiruzen quickly put away his crystal ball, worried that someone might discover what he was using it for. He composed himself and said seriously, "Ahem, come in."

The two Chunin entered, immediately dropping to the floor in a bow. "Please forgive us, Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen found their behavior strange but maintained a neutral expression. "What happened?"

The Chunin then recounted everything Uchiha Itachi had done when he came to the Sarutobi compound.

Upon hearing the news, Sarutobi Hiruzen's fury erupted.

"Uchiha Itachi! How dare you... How dare you kill my son!!!"

His voice was filled with hatred for Uchiha Itachi. He knew he was no longer young and had no means to father another child. What Itachi had done was an attempt to end his bloodline!

How dare he act so brazenly! Did he not care about Uchiha Sasuke's safety?

Sarutobi Hiruzen then asked if Uchiha Itachi had said anything else.

"He said, 'Be careful not to have any bad thoughts about Uchiha Sasuke.'"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was perplexed. Bad thoughts about Uchiha Sasuke? When had he ever harbored such thoughts?

He ordered the Anbu to investigate what had happened to Sarutobi Asuma that day.

After several hours, an Anbu operative appeared before Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Hokage-sama, according to our investigation, the incident may be related to a woman that Uchiha Sasuke is involved with."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was further puzzled. Why would Asuma compete with Uchiha Sasuke over a woman?

"Who is this woman?"

He had a suspicion but needed confirmation.

"That woman is Yuhi Kurenai."

'Her?' That was exactly what Hiruzen had suspected.

But why would Uchiha Sasuke be with Yuhi Kurenai?

He asked, "Did you find out why Uchiha Sasuke and Yuhi Kurenai are involved?"

"It's like this: Last night, someone saw Yuhi Kurenai drinking at an izakaya. She was accompanied by a handsome man. The two eventually left together. Based on descriptions, the man bore a striking resemblance to Uchiha Sasuke, though he appeared older."

Hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen was even more confused. A man who looked like Sasuke was seen with Yuhi Kurenai, and then they left together. But isn't Sasuke just a child? How could there be a man who resembles Sasuke so closely? Could it be a transformation technique?

The Anbu continued, "There's one more thing: This morning, Asuma went to see Yuhi Kurenai. After that, no one saw Asuma again."

So, Asuma must have encountered the man who looked like Sasuke at Kurenai's house. No, that man 'was' Sasuke. After all, Uchiha Itachi wouldn't kill Asuma for no reason.

Sasuke must have mastered a secret technique that allows rapid physical growth. If Konoha's children could also use this technique, they would have an enormous advantage over other ninja villages!

The thought of this potential power even eased the pain of Asuma's death slightly. However, after acquiring this technique, Uchiha Itachi would be eliminated.

Uchiha Sasuke would then be used to revive the Uchiha clan under the Sarutobi lineage. The Sharingan would become exclusive to the Sarutobi clan!

The thought made Sarutobi Hiruzen laugh out loud, puzzling the Anbu operative.

Why would the Hokage laugh after the death of his son?

Noticing his subordinate's confusion, Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly adopted a sorrowful expression.

"Go and bury Asuma. He gave his life to prevent Uchiha Itachi from causing more harm to Konoha. He is a hero of the village."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

The Anbu operative moved to lift Asuma's body. Suddenly, a red glow began to emanate from Asuma's corpse.

For some reason, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a deep sense of foreboding.

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