Chapter 39: Twelve Guardian Ninja
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
"It's all the Third Hokage's fault! If he had told us Naruto was the Fourth Hokage's child earlier, how could we have treated him this way?"
Some parents thought bitterly about how they would pick up their children from the Ninja Academy, and every time they saw Naruto, they would say a few words. Worse, they often told their children to avoid him...
The guilt weighed heavily on them.
Under the guidance of some shills, many villagers quick to believe rumors blamed the Third Hokage for concealing Naruto's true identity.
Fu Yue, standing on the stage, saw the results with a flicker of satisfaction. This would greatly diminish the Third Hokage's prestige — beneficial to himself and harmless.
While the Hokage Ceremony unfolded in Konoha, the imperial family in the Land of Fire's capital received the news.
"What? Konoha has a new Hokage?"
The Lord Daimyo froze mid-wave of his fan.
Suddenly, a middle-aged nobleman burst into the hall without waiting for permission.
The Daimyo's eyes flashed with displeasure, ready to scold him, but the man hurriedly said, "My lord, something big has happened!"
The Daimyo blinked, took a breath, and demanded, "What is it? Speak quickly."
"There are rumors that the Uchiha Clan launched a coup, and their head, Uchiha Fugaku, assassinated the Third Hokage and claimed the title of Fifth Hokage," the nobleman reported.
Shock flickered across the Daimyo's face. How could Konoha hold a Hokage Ceremony without his consent? Was this new Hokage a rebel?
The Konoha Ninja nearby frowned. "My lord, you may eat anything but speak cautiously. The Third Hokage was incompetent — letting his disciple conduct human experiments and seize village property recklessly. Our clan leader corrected the chaos. Anyone with eyes can see Konoha's future is better with the old man gone."
The nobleman noticed the Uchiha emblem on the ninja's clothes and felt a chill. Speaking ill of the Uchiha in front of one was dangerous…
He quickly added, "Please don't misunderstand, brother. I only bring news."
The Daimyo scowled at the audacity of the Uchiha ninja.
Behind him stood the Guardian Ninja Twelve. Though they did not guard him day and night, they rotated shifts in groups.
Today, four of the Twelve protected the Daimyo: Raiga, Nanami, Saido, and Ayame.
The four were known collectively as the "Lightning Release Four," famed for their combined Ninjutsu, Lightning Release: Thunderbolt Wrath. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
Ayame, the only female among them, whispered, "This is bad. If Asuma finds out about this, he might rush back for revenge."
Raiga's eyes widened. "That can't happen! How could Asuma go against the Uchiha alone? They're the strongest noble clan in the ninja world."
"No, you keep guarding. I'll find Asuma and warn him not to act rashly." Ayame glanced at the Uchiha clan ninja standing below and said firmly.
"Alright, don't worry. We three will protect the Daimyo. Go quickly." Raiga and Saido nodded in agreement.
There was a strong bond among the Guardian Ninja Twelve. They cared deeply for each other. Knowing Asuma's personality, if he learned his father was dead, he would likely act on impulse.
Ayame nodded and disappeared with a Shunshin no Jutsu, rushing to find Asuma Sarutobi.
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At the Sarutobi residence, Ayame found Asuma soundly asleep.
Relieved, she breathed softly. Thankfully, he had been on duty last night and hadn't heard the news.
She decided to wake the others first to have enough people to stop Asuma if needed.
First, she went to Chiriku's room next door.
Chiriku, the abbot of the Fire Temple, held the highest bounty among the Twelve — thirty million ryo — and was widely respected for his strength, comparable to Asuma.
Without knocking, Ayame entered silently.
Chiriku, alert as always, sat up immediately and eyed her warily.
"Who is it?" he whispered.
Ayame showed her face. Chiriku relaxed but frowned. "Aren't you guarding the Daimyo? Why are you here?"
Ayame quickly explained the situation.
Chiriku sighed deeply. "Asuma's father is dead...?"
They all knew Asuma was the youngest son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"What happened?" Chiriku asked gravely.
Ayame replied, "The Uchiha Clan in Konoha staged a coup. Fugaku killed the Third Hokage and became the Fifth Hokage. There's even an Uchiha ninja in the palace now."
"Why?" Chiriku stood, concerned that the Uchiha might target the Daimyo next.
Ayame shook her head. "No need to worry — with Raiga, Nanami, and Saido here, the Daimyo is well protected."
Still uneasy, Chiriku muttered, "The Uchiha's Sharingan and genjutsu make them nearly unbeatable in one-on-one combat. He and the others are strong, but the Uchiha are another matter."
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