Chapter 38: Hiruzen Rebuked

A B-rank ninjutsu plus 3,000 evil points was more than expected. Perhaps the system believed that bullying the small was excessive, so it gave such a generous reward.

"Kid, someone reported that you were harassing female classmates and peeking at women in the bath. Not very age-appropriate behavior, wouldn't you say?" Kisaragi looked down at Sarutobi Asuma, who was pinned beneath his foot.

The pain in Asuma's abdomen left him speechless, his eyes filled with fear.

"Sarutobi Asuma, harassing female classmates and peeking at women in the bath?" A classmate of Asuma's widened his eyes in shock.

"So he was harassing his classmates? This guy's been bothering Kurenai for a while now, it's really disgusting."

"I didn't expect that Sarutobi Asuma not only harassed Kurenai Yuhi but also went to the bathhouse to peek at women. What a scumbag."

A girl nearby looked at Asuma with contempt.

"We better be careful around him from now on. Don't let him take advantage of anyone."

With the pointing and whispering, Sarutobi Asuma's reputation was utterly ruined.

Kurenai Yuhi glanced at Asuma with disgust. At this time, she didn't have any positive feelings for him.

Honestly, Asuma wasn't handsome—he looked like an underdeveloped orangutan. Who would like him unless they were blind?

In the future, Kurenai Yuhi would become Sarutobi Asuma's lover, but that was likely because he pursued her relentlessly.

"Take him away. The Konoha Police won't let a perverted kid like this go unpunished," Kisaragi clapped his hands, and two Uchiha ninjas appeared behind him. They stepped forward and grabbed Sarutobi Asuma.

"Stop right there!"

An Anbu ninja wearing a mask jumped out from the shadows.

"I thought you might show yourself," Kisaragi said calmly. With a swift and ruthless kick, the Anbu ninja only had time to show a horrified expression before being knocked unconscious.

Kisaragi didn't even glance at the fallen Anbu Jōnin.

When he had arrived, Kisaragi had noticed the Anbu hiding in the dark. This ninja must have been sent by Sarutobi Hiruzen to protect his son. Clearly, Sarutobi Hiruzen still cared deeply for his youngest child.

"Lord Patriarch, do you want us to bring him in as well?" asked one of the Uchiha police, gesturing to the unconscious Anbu.

"No, just bring the kid," Kisaragi replied.

Before leaving, Kisaragi glanced at the little black-haired, red-eyed girl—Kurenai Yuhi. She was quite cute, but Kisaragi wasn't interested in little girls. If it were the grown-up Kurenai, then perhaps he might have been interested.

Back at the Konoha police headquarters, Kisaragi ordered his men to "entertain" Sarutobi Asuma, waiting patiently for Sarutobi Hiruzen to come knocking.

…

The Anbu ninja who had been knocked out near the Konoha Ninja Academy gate soon woke up with the help of the academy's teachers.

"Where's Asuma?" the Anbu ninja asked immediately upon regaining consciousness.

"He was taken away by the Konoha Guard," one of the teachers informed him.

Hearing that Sarutobi Asuma had been taken away, the Anbu ninja became anxious. However, he knew he couldn't simply go to the Konoha Guard and demand Asuma's release.

By now, everyone knew how arrogant Uchiha Kisaragi had become. No one expected him to show any respect.

The worried Anbu Jōnin rushed to report the situation to the Third Hokage.

After reaching the Hokage's office, he quickly informed Sarutobi Hiruzen of what had happened.

"Uchiha Kisaragi..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened. There was no doubt that Kisaragi had abducted Asuma just to provoke him.

He hadn't even settled the matter of his eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, with Kisaragi yet, and now Kisaragi had taken his youngest son too.

Sarutobi Hiruzen left the Hokage building immediately and headed to the Konoha Guard in person.

If Kisaragi didn't provide an explanation this time, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't let the matter rest. He wasn't eager to start a direct conflict with Kisaragi, but that didn't mean he was afraid to.

If it came to a fight, how could Uchiha Kisaragi, no matter how powerful he was within the Uchiha clan, be a match for the Third Hokage of Konoha Village?

"Lord Third Hokage, please follow me. The patriarch is expecting you," Uchiha Sota, who had been waiting outside the Konoha Guard, greeted Sarutobi Hiruzen as he arrived.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was grim. Kisaragi had clearly anticipated his arrival, further proving that this was all done on purpose.

"Lord Patriarch, the Third Hokage is here," Sota announced after leading Sarutobi Hiruzen to Kisaragi's office. After this, he left the two to talk.

"Lord Hokage, your parenting is a complete failure."

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could say anything, Kisaragi took the initiative and criticized him sharply.

"Your eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, attacked members of the Konoha police. Now your youngest son, while still young, has already learned to harass little girls and even peek at women in the bathhouse."

"Tell me, how did you manage to raise your children so poorly? Is it a genetic problem, something in the blood that makes them so twisted, or did you simply fail in educating them? You should think about that," Kisaragi continued.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was left stunned by the reprimand. What was going on? Wasn't he here to settle accounts with Kisaragi? How had the situation flipped so that he was now the one being lectured?

"What? You're not convinced by what I'm saying? Do you think that just because you're the Hokage, your sons can do whatever they please?" Kisaragi's voice was firm, as if he were a judge upholding the law without bias.

"The security of Konoha is my responsibility, and I won't allow scum like this to roam freely in the village. If he's already this much of a scoundrel as a child, I can only imagine the havoc he'll wreak when he's grown."

"Even if he is your son, the son of the Hokage, I will still serve justice and protect the people," Kisaragi declared with a righteous air.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's face grew darker by the second. Was Kisaragi ever going to stop? He was clearly going overboard.

"Kisaragi, stop pretending with your high-minded words. We both know what kind of person you really are. Enough of the act. Just release Asuma," Sarutobi Hiruzen growled.

When enraged, Sarutobi Hiruzen was quite terrifying. As the Third Hokage, his strength was no joke. Though his title as the "strongest Hokage" might have been exaggerated, he was undeniably powerful, having reached the peak of Kage-level strength.

His aura was oppressive, but Kisaragi wasn't fazed. If it came to a fight, Kisaragi knew Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be able to lay a finger on him. Should it escalate, Sarutobi Hiruzen's household might end up having a very unpleasant dinner tonight.