After parting ways with Ryun that night, Asuka obediently went back to her room to sleep. However, shortly after falling asleep, she felt a cold hand press against her forehead.
She wanted to open her eyes to see who it was, but her consciousness abruptly faded away.
When she woke up again, she was back in her own room. The cold hand seemed like nothing more than a strange dream, yet she felt unusually exhausted from this sleep, as if her mental state had deteriorated significantly.
"I'm so hungry..."
Asuka rubbed her stomach and muttered softly. She went to the kitchen to grab some bread to ease her hunger, only to find that all the bread stored at room temperature had gone moldy and spoiled!
"Why is all the bread spoiled? And why does it seem like the other ingredients have gone bad too...?"
Unable to hold back her shock, Asuka exclaimed before walking out of the kitchen in frustration.
"Wait, wasn't my son supposed to leave for battle today? What time is it now? Has he already left???"
Her mind still foggy, Asuka only now remembered Ryun's departure and panicked.
The moment she thought of Ryun, a sharp pain suddenly flared in her chest.
The pain came in waves, throbbing intensely, as if someone had stabbed her heart. Even while sleeping, she had felt it—a persistent, piercing ache.
"What's wrong with me...?"
Asuka clutched her chest, kneeling on the floor as she endured the pain. Her condition immediately alarmed the nearby Anbu operatives.
Her safety was their top priority, and seeing her in distress, two Anbu members who had been hiding quickly revealed themselves.
"Are you alright? Do you need help...?" one of them asked.
"Who are you? Why did you suddenly break into my house?" Asuka demanded nervously.
"We're Anbu operatives... ordered by the Third Hokage to protect you," the Anbu replied, pointing to the Konoha forehead protector on his head.
Asuka was momentarily stunned but then frowned. "Why would the Hokage send people to protect me for no reason?"
The Anbu shook his head slightly and did not answer.
"Wait here, I'll go buy you some food..."
Since Asuka had just come from the kitchen, the Anbu assumed she was hungry and left without waiting for a response.
"Hey... you don't need to buy me food. And I'm fine now, I don't need protection. Please leave..."
Asuka tried to stop him, but the Anbu had already disappeared. She could only turn to the remaining operative.
These people were strange. Ordinary villagers rarely interacted with Anbu, and with it being dark outside, Asuka felt uneasy and wanted them gone.
The remaining Anbu remained silent, simply shaking his head before leaping onto the roof, showing no intention of leaving.
Soon, the Anbu who had gone to buy food returned, but Asuka, cautious, refused to eat what he brought.
Instead, she ate some sealed snacks with a long shelf life from her home before heading straight to the Hokage Building.
She wanted to know if Ryun had already left for battle and why the Third Hokage had sent Anbu to protect her.
Before Asuka even reached the Hokage Building, an Anbu operative had already reported her approach to Hiruzen.
"Koharu, go meet her in my place... Take her to see the boy and explain everything to her. As a mother, Asuka has the right to know," Hiruzen said with a sigh.
Hiding the truth would only delay the inevitable.
"Tch... You always push the troublesome tasks onto us," Koharu Utatane grumbled before leaving the Hokage's office.
Not long after she left, a Konoha ninja burst into the office in a panic.
"Hokage-sama, something terrible has happened!"
"All twelve members of the Kumo envoy have been killed, and their bodies were found within the Land of Fire!"
"What?!"
Hiruzen's expression twisted in shock as he shot up from his seat.
"Lead the way!"
Without even grabbing his hat, Hiruzen rushed out with his team toward the scene.
All of Konoha's efforts to avoid war might have been in vain...
Ryun's death might have been for nothing. The pain and humiliation the village had endured could have been pointless.
Asuka witnessed Hiruzen storming out of the Hokage Building with reddened eyes. She wanted to call out to him, but the group vanished in an instant using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Asuka, come with me..."
Koharu approached Asuka, gently taking her hand and leading her to a quiet room.
"Lady Koharu, you—"
Asuka recognized the Hokage's advisor, having visited the Hokage Building before.
"Asuka, listen carefully. I need to tell you something tragic..."
Koharu began explaining the events in a grave tone. She deliberately avoided mentioning Ryun's death first, fearing Asuka would be unable to process the rest.
At first, Asuka remained calm, but gradually, her emotions grew agitated.
Koharu repeatedly urged her to stay composed, but before she could even mention Ryun's death, Asuka seemed to lose control.
"Where is my son? What have you done with him? I want to see him!!!"
"Asuka, listen to me first. After I finish, I'll take you to him..."
Koharu lowered her head. As a woman, she understood Asuka's feelings. As a Konoha elder, she also bore guilt over Ryun's death—she had been one of those who pushed for it.
"Hurry up and tell me! I need to see my son!" Asuka shouted, her eyes red with fury.
When Koharu finally revealed Ryun's death, the overwhelming grief caused Asuka to collapse, unconscious.
"Poor child..."
Koharu picked her up from the floor, tears slipping from her own eyes.
Konoha had failed Ryun. And it had failed his mother.
Koharu carried Asuka to the room where Ryun lay, then stood silently, staring at the young boy inside the coffin.
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