Public and Private Matters

"Ran away?"

"A rebellious kid really is trouble!"

Yoroi felt relieved after hearing from Kurenai that Asuma Sarutobi had merely run away and was not injured during the Mist ninjas' pursuit.

Why?

Because if Asuma had been injured while being chased by the Mist ninjas, some of the responsibility would have fallen on Yoroi. Despite Asuma disobeying Yoroi's orders and leaving the medical unit's camp on his own, as the team leader, Yoroi had a duty to ensure Asuma's safety.

In short, if something happened to Asuma during the mission, others would easily blame Yoroi.

Especially with the ever-watchful Uchiha clan, who might use the incident to drive a wedge between the Nara clan and the Third Hokage.

However, since Asuma had escaped the Konoha camp due to negligence within the camp, it had nothing to do with Yoroi.

If the sky fell, wouldn't those in power be there to hold it up?

Moreover, Yoroi didn't believe anyone in Konoha would dare to stir up trouble between the Fourth Hokage and the Third Hokage.

Therefore, Asuma's escape was no big deal to Yoroi.

After all, in the original storyline, Asuma was bound to run away due to his issues with the Third Hokage. Whether he ran away sooner or later didn't matter; Asuma wouldn't die, and the Third Hokage wouldn't blame Yoroi. Yoroi could just adopt a "not my problem" attitude.

However, since Kurenai, their former team leader, was worried about Asuma, Yoroi had to be patient and comfort her. Fortunately, Kurenai had already developed a bias against Asuma during the mission, feeling that he was a bit too reckless.

Aside from worrying about him as a teammate, Kurenai didn't say much more to Yoroi and secretly held a low opinion of Asuma.

Compared to Yoroi, Asuma seemed like a bad example.

Not following orders, and not adhering to rules, it seemed like he had no redeeming qualities apart from his status as a "noble."

In contrast, Yoroi, despite his young age, was an Anbu member who had made significant contributions to Konoha.

If Yoroi were older, Kurenai might even have developed some feelings for him.

After discussing Asuma briefly, Yoroi and Kurenai started talking about what had happened while he was unconscious.

During his week-long unconsciousness, Yoroi gradually learned about the recent developments in the war between Konoha and the Mist from Kurenai.

First and foremost was the situation with the Konoha medical unit that Yoroi had originally belonged to.

On the day Yoroi returned to the Konoha camp with Kakashi, Kakashi reported the situation to the Fourth Hokage.

Who is the Fourth Hokage?

Although he usually appeared friendly and approachable, on the battlefield, he was a feared "god of death"!

Upon hearing that the Mist dared to surround the Konoha medical unit and disrupt the rear, the Fourth Hokage ordered several ninja units to eliminate the Mist encirclement within three days, successfully freeing the Konoha medical unit.

The captain of the medical unit was shocked to hear that Yoroi and his team were responsible for their rescue. Even the medical unit captain hadn't placed much hope in Yoroi, sending out several other squads for help.

Who would have thought that all those squads perished in the Mist's encirclement while only Yoroi's team completed the mission?

Secondly, an important recent event was the Mist's covert operation to infiltrate the Land of Fire.

This was the mission Kakashi had to undertake.

After bringing Yoroi back to the Konoha camp, Kakashi completed his task while the Fourth Hokage was rescuing the Konoha medical unit.

However, when Kurenai mentioned that Kakashi had been feeling down since completing the mission, Yoroi's heart skipped a beat.

Yoroi, familiar with the original storyline, suspected that Kakashi might have received news about Rin, leading to his current mood.

Combining this with the third piece of news from Kurenai—that the Fourth Hokage planned to split forces, with one group facing the Mist head-on and another returning to the Land of Fire to deal with the Mist infiltrators—Yoroi's already heavy heart sank even further.

But in front of Kurenai, Yoroi maintained a cheerful demeanor, continuing their conversation. Only after Kurenai left to avoid disturbing Yoroi's recovery did his expression turn grim as he thought:

"The tragic events of the original story are about to begin!"

"Given Kurenai's information, it seems Minato-sensei will soon order an attack on the Mist while secretly sending Kakashi to rescue Rin. Under Madara's manipulations, even if Minato-sensei wins on the surface, the seeds planted in the shadows will lead Minato-sensei, Kakashi, and even 'dead' Obito Uchiha down the original tragic path because of Rin!"

With this realization, Yoroi's eyes filled with determination.

Looking at his injured arm, he sighed deeply, thinking, "Damn it, if only I weren't injured!"

"If I weren't injured, I could join Kakashi's mission and use my foreknowledge to change the original tragic outcome!"

"And Kakashi, I told you about the Mizukage being suspicious; why didn't you report it to Minato-sensei?"

"Forget it! Since there's still time, I'll have to take a risky move!"

"Whether it's for Minato-sensei, Kakashi, 'dead' Obito Uchiha, or 'doomed' Rin, I have to take this risk!"

As his resolve solidified, Yoroi realized that his interactions with the Fourth Hokage, Kakashi, and others, despite his initial plans, had formed deep bonds. Even though he didn't have the best relationship with Kakashi, Yoroi didn't want him to suffer in the future, so he decided to take a bold step.

But as Yoroi struggled to get up and speak with the Fourth Hokage, a stern voice echoed, causing him to freeze.

"Yoroi, lie down!"

"You're injured and need to rest, understand?"

Recognizing the familiar voice, Yoroi quickly lay back down.

The person speaking was none other than Yoroi's uncle, the head of the Nara clan, Shikaku Nara!

Ignoring others was possible, but how could he ignore Shikaku's words?

So, despite the urgency, Yoroi obediently lay down, only asking after a moment of silence:

"Uncle Shikaku, why are you here?"

"Hmph, why? If I hadn't come, you'd be dead already!"

Seeing Yoroi's severe injuries, Shikaku's eyes softened with concern, warming Yoroi's heart.

But Shikaku clearly had important matters to discuss, so despite his concern, he maintained a serious expression and said:

"Yoroi, I came here primarily to check on you."

"But also, I have both public and private matters to discuss. Which do you want to hear first?"