"True Illusion—"
Fixing his gaze on the sleeping Sarutobi Asuma, Uchiha Fugaku's right eye spun, activating his True Illusion.
Ordinarily, casting True Illusion required direct eye contact with the target.But ever since his eyes evolved into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the technique had undergone a transformation—it no longer required such contact.
Simply looking in the target's general direction, even through walls or obstacles, was enough to trigger it.This broadened activation made True Illusion even harder to detect.
Even when used on a seasoned jōnin, Fugaku could guarantee no outward disturbance.
Buzz—
As the illusion took hold, both Fugaku and Asuma found themselves inside the space of True Illusion.
Clap, clap, clap!Fugaku walked slowly toward Asuma.
"Who…?"
Not yet fully asleep, Asuma bolted upright, reaching beneath his pillow for his twin chakra blades.
Bang—
But before he could ready himself, Fugaku's kick sent him crashing backward, smashing through the wooden door and tumbling into the corridor beyond.
Groaning, Asuma rolled to his feet, pain coursing through his body.
Clap, clap, clap!Fugaku emerged through the splintered doorway, his footsteps unhurried. Moonlight bathed the corridor, revealing his face in ghostly detail.
"Y–You're… Uchiha Fugaku! "
Asuma's expression twisted with shock.He had expected Fugaku to target the daimyō—never himself.
"You… your goal isn't the daimyō, but me? "
"I owe the Third Hokage quite a debt from my journey here," Fugaku replied with a cold smile. "Since I've arrived at the daimyō's residence, it's only fitting to repay his beloved son in kind. Consider it a courtesy."
The words sent an icy chill down Asuma's spine.
"Uchiha Fugaku, think this through. If you dare harm me, there will be no place for you in Konoha—or the entire Land of Fire! And this disturbance—surely it's been noticed. My comrades will be here any second."
It was a bluff. Asuma knew he was no match for Fugaku, not with his Mangekyō Sharingan awakened. His only chance was to make Fugaku hesitate.
"You'll be disappointed," Fugaku said, his voice like steel. "No one's coming. And no one will know it was me who killed you."
A knot of dread coiled in Asuma's chest. "What… what do you mean? "
"Think about it. So much time has passed—yet no alarms, no footsteps rushing here. Doesn't that strike you as odd? " Fugaku's smirk widened.
Cold sweat trickled down Asuma's temple. "What… what did you do? "
"The dead don't need answers. Now… time to send you on your way."
The smile vanished. Fugaku's killing intent filled the space.
"Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning! "
Refusing to die quietly, Asuma launched his counterattack—a massive cloud of superheated ash belched from his mouth, engulfing Fugaku.The technique blinded him, seared him with blistering heat, and finally erupted in a roaring explosion, flames consuming everything.
"…Did I hit him? "
Asuma stared at the inferno, stunned. Had Fugaku—wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan—truly failed to evade his jutsu? Could the intel have been wrong?
Whoosh—
A massive black skeletal hand burst from the flames, seizing him like an insect.
Fugaku emerged, cloaked in his jet-black Susanoo, untouched by the fire licking its surface.
"Ah—!"
Pain contorted Asuma's face as the colossal hand threatened to crush him. Fugaku wasted no time.
The skeletal hand lifted Asuma close, and with a swift motion—
Shhh—
A kunai slit his throat.
Asuma's lifeless body crumpled, and with it, the world of True Illusion dissolved.The wrecked hallway and the damage—all of it vanished.
They were back in the bedroom.Only now, Asuma lay dead, blood pooling from a vicious wound across his neck.
"Better take the body with me," Fugaku muttered.
He sealed Asuma's corpse into a storage scroll, then disappeared with the Mayfly Technique.
Caution was necessary—Akatsuki might already have him in their sights.If they were to recover the body and hand it over to Orochimaru for Impure World Reincarnation, it would become a liability—something Fugaku could not allow.
The following morning
"Asuma? Still not up? "
Jiriku rapped on Asuma's door, puzzled. It was almost time for the night shift to hand over, yet Asuma hadn't stirred.
Locked from the inside… and is that—blood?
Jiriku's expression darkened. Channeling chakra into his palm, he slammed the door open and hurried inside.
No, Asuma.But on the tatami floor—a dark, dried smear of blood.
"What happened here? "
The noise drew Higashi and Nishi, who stared at the bloodstain in horror.
"Asuma might have been attacked… Look! " Jiriku pointed.
"So much blood—could he already be dead? Someone must've infiltrated the residence last night, killed Asuma, and taken his body," Higashi muttered, disbelief etched across his face.
"Impossible," Nishi objected. "We didn't hear a sound. Even an elite assassin would struggle to take down Asuma—let alone a Kage-level shinobi—without a fight."
"Unbelievable or not," Higashi said grimly, "the truth is clear. Someone got in, struck Asuma, and left without a trace. Judging by the blood loss… he likely didn't survive."
A shiver ran down her spine.Whoever could silently kill Asuma… could just as easily kill her.