Ch-159 Upcoming Dangers!!

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"Do you remember almost four years ago when Jiryoku was seriously injured? Some ninjas tried to assassinate him at night in the Konoha hospital, even though the fact that Jiryoku was being treated in Konoha was known to very few individuals. Among these people, Asuma was also present. The news of Jiryoku being treated in Konoha was leaked to Koharu and Homura, leading to the attempted assassination of Jiryoku. So, do you know who released the news of Jiryoku's presence in Konoha?" asked Inoichi.

For a smart person like Shikamaru, the answer to this question was not a mystery, and he said, "You mean to say Asuma-sensei was the one who leaked the location of Jiryoku."

"Correct," replied Shikaku.

"But why didn't you tell us this before?" asked Ino.

"Because Jiryoku didn't want to hurt your feelings. He knew that if you knew about it, you would definitely resent Asuma and be sad. When we mentioned that you all should know the truth, he simply said, 'For him, Asuma is an ant not worth his attention, so just let him live. Besides, Asuma's life is not long; he will die in the coming few years,'" Shikaku explained.

"Do you mean he already knew that Asuma-sensei would die in the upcoming future?... Yes, why am I surprised? Jiryoku also has the ability to see the future, so this isn't surprising," Shikamaru initially questioned, but then he remembered past events and corrected himself, providing his own answer.

"Is this matter known to everyone? And are we the only ones who are unaware of this fact?" asked Choji.

"No, that's not the case. This information was known by the Hokage and a few other core Elite Jonins. However, Jiryoku is not affiliated with Konoha, so the Hokage decided not to pursue this matter any further. Even if she wanted to pursue Asuma for leaking the news about Jiryoku's location, there was no basis for her to do so. After all, Jiryoku was a traitor. Additionally, there was another reason; why should Konoha lose an Elite Jonin for someone who is a traitor from their village?" replied Choza.

After saying this, Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza remained silent, giving Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji time to digest the news.

After a few minutes, Shikaku said, "So, what do you guys think?"

"At the very least, we know the reason why Jiryoku didn't care about the death of Asuma-Sensei. And of course, I am not going to hate Asuma-Sensei just because he tried to plot against Jiryoku. That is their conflict, and if Jiryoku is my best friend, then Asuma-Sensei is someone who has taught me many things and has always taken care of all three of us," said Shikamaru.

"I also agree," said Ino and Choji simultaneously.

Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza felt relieved after seeing the reaction of Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji because they thought that maybe all three of them feel resentful towards Asuma, which may affect their behaviour towards Kurenai.

"One thing is quite concerning, and we seem to be overlooking it," remarked Inoichi.

"What are you talking about?" inquired Choza, confusion evident in his expression.

"Do you remember the first time Jiryoku spoke to Ino about his ambitions to protect his loved ones from imminent threats, not only in this world but also from other worlds? Initially, I dismissed it, thinking he was just talking big like young people do to impress their loved ones. However, Jiryoku has been dropping hints repeatedly that there is indeed a tangible danger beyond this world," explained Inoichi.

"You are absolutely right. Jiryoku must be aware of something unknown to the rest of us. And judging by his current strength, he doesn't seem too confident in fending off the danger from beyond our world," observed Shukaku.

"It seems that this is the primary reason for Jiryoku to manipulate Akatsuki as pawns," Shikamaru remarked.

"Do you think we should inform Lady Hokage about this?" asked Choza.

"No, there is no point in informing Hokage-Sama. What are we going to say? That Jiryoku is feeling this way, so we should just start preparing ourselves? Even if we say this, she will never listen to us. After all, Akatsuki has become a significant threat that cannot be ignored by the major villages, especially the major countries. They fear that someone like Hanzo will appear again in the Rain Country, so at any cost, they want to eradicate Akatsuki," replied Shikaku.

After understanding everything, Shikamaru stood up and said, "I will first go and pay my condolences to Asuma-Sensei. After that, we will all go to the Jokan mansion where Jiryoku is currently residing. We were somewhat rude towards Jiryoku, so we should meet him in person and apologize to him directly."

"Yes, we need to talk to Jiryoku in person, or else he will be angry with me," said Ino.

After saying this, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji went to Asuma's grave with flowers in their hands.

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