How Kurama Leads Naruto Astray

Hashirama froze for a moment, staring at Asuma in the distance. 

Madara, on the other hand, looked interested. "Instead of running away while we were talking, you chose to interrupt us. Should I call you confident or just plain stupid?" 

"Probably stupid." Asuma smiled as always. He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket as he spoke. "I never thought of myself as smart. I used to be too full of myself, thinking I was clever and talented. I looked down on my old man… and in the end, I paid the price for it." 

"So after that, I realized—I'm just an idiot. A fool with nothing to back it up, trapped in my own world, thinking too highly of myself." 

*Click—* The sound of a lighter flicking open. A small flame flickered, lighting the cigarette in Asuma's mouth. 

He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled. As the smoke blurred his vision, he let go of the hand clutching his chest. "Compared to the past Hokage, I guess I'm nothing special. Aside from my decent strength, there's not much else I can offer." 

True, compared to Hashirama and Madara, his strength wasn't all that impressive—but it was still something. After all, Asuma was an elite jonin. 

If his opponents weren't these two, maybe he wouldn't be in such a bad situation. 

"The heart that protects the village." 

That was what Hashirama said. He looked at Asuma seriously, his voice filled with conviction. 

"Strength doesn't matter. It's the desire to protect that makes you stronger. Even if your power is small, you can still push beyond your limits."

"You're not an idiot. You're a ninja worthy of respect," Hashirama said with absolute seriousness. 

Even though Asuma wasn't as strong as him, even though he was facing opponents on the level of himself and Madara, he didn't run, didn't back down, and didn't even flinch. That alone made him worthy of respect—not some fool. 

"Recognition from the First Hokage… I have to admit, that makes me a little happy," Asuma said, blowing out a ring of smoke as he readied his stance for battle once again. "Honestly, among the Jonin of Konoha, I'm not really that outstanding. Kakashi is far stronger than me." 

"Whether it's intelligence, strength, or battle instincts, he's ahead of me in every way. That's exactly why we sent him to deal with the toughest enemy—because we believe in him," Asuma said with a grin. "He's the only one who can do it." 

If there were a vote for the Sixth Hokage, Asuma wouldn't hesitate to choose Kakashi. And he was certain most people in Konoha would think the same. 

"Trusting your comrades, supporting your friends…" Hashirama murmured to himself. "Having ninjas like you in Konoha makes me truly happy." 

"That's why I can't run away," Asuma gripped his weapons tightly. "Even if it costs me my life, I have to stop you. Even if I die, I must make sure you don't interfere with Kakashi's battle." 

"In this fight, this is all I can do." 

Asuma smiled—not a dazzling, heroic smile, but an ordinary one. His face, weathered with age, didn't stand out as handsome, but in that moment, it carried a weight that even these legendary ninjas couldn't ignore. 

For a moment, Hashirama was at a loss for words. He just stood there, staring at this "Konoha ninja," his emotions surging uncontrollably. 

It felt as if something deep inside him was about to overflow—until, in the end, it simply turned into a single tear sliding down his cheek. 

He clenched his fists. The cursed energy inside him urged him to attack, to kill, but Hashirama fought against it with all his strength. 

"A ninja like you… I absolutely cannot allow myself to kill you!" 

 "Hmph." Madara scoffed, his tone carrying an unreadable emotion. 

"Madara!" 

Hashirama suddenly shouted, his eyes burning with determination. He locked his gaze onto Madara and declared, "If you make a move, I will stop you—even if it costs me my soul!" 

Madara frowned, clearly displeased with Hashirama's words. 

Before he could reply, Asuma's voice rang out from the distance. 

"First Hokage-sama!" 

Hashirama turned and saw Asuma's familiar smile. Weapons in hand, Asuma stood ready. 

"The battle isn't over yet." 

"You…" Hashirama found himself speechless once more, looking at Asuma with a mix of caution and deep shock. 

Asuma took one last drag from his cigarette before flicking it away. 

"You've already passed on. Konoha has grown under a new Hokage. The Fifth Hokage, Tsunade-sama, is an outstanding leader, so… you don't have to worry." 

His body felt so light… 

"I may die, but Konoha will live on. Even without you, we will keep moving forward." 

He had never felt this way before… 

"Believe in us. I will hold you back, and Kakashi will win." 

There was nothing left to fear… 

"Because I am not alone." 

A powerful surge of chakra burst from Asuma's body, sweeping outward like a raging storm. 

Hashirama stood frozen, staring at him—

his eyes filled with overwhelming emotion. 

Even without him, Konohagakure kept growing. Even without Tobirama, it kept moving forward. It may have gone through hard times and darkness, but what stood before Hashirama now was the future. 

A future full of hope and happiness. 

"This Konohagakure… isn't this the village we always dreamed of, Madara?" Hashirama's voice trembled with emotion, and tears rolled down his face. 

Madara closed his eyes, his tone no longer cold. "That's just a village clinging to its own hope. In this vast shinobi world, a single village can't bring about the peace we longed for." 

"It will come! The peace the whole shinobi world hopes for! It will come one day!" Hashirama shouted at Madara. 

"Don't be naive, Hashirama!" Madara shouted back, losing his composure for the first time in front of others. "Peace isn't something that can be achieved with beautiful dreams! This whole idea of a village was a mistake from the start! The shinobi world won't stop fighting just because one village is at peace!" 

Susano'o expanded, its armor peeling away as the giant figure rose from the ground. 

Madara turned his gaze toward Asuma, his Mangekyou glowing red. "I acknowledge you as a shinobi, and I acknowledge you as my enemy, but I will never accept your narrow-minded ideals or your unrealistic dreams… They will never change anything." 

The towering warrior stood firm. Even if it wasn't the full-body Susano'o, the fourth-stage form still had power far beyond what most shinobi could handle. 

Madara looked back at Hashirama, his expression deadly serious. "Hashirama, don't stop me. The only way to truly acknowledge him… is to kill him as an enemy." 

Hashirama's body, which had been ready to move, suddenly froze, his face filled with conflict. 

Even if he wanted to stop Madara… his body at this moment simply couldn't. 

Damn this ninjutsu! 

Inside the massive Susano'o, Madara didn't stand with his arms crossed. Instead, he stood there seriously, just as he had when facing Hashirama. He looked at Asuma, who was unleashing his chakra, and spoke in a solemn tone. 

"Tell me your name, young one. I will remember it." 

Asuma's chakra stormed around him, but compared to the giant warrior before him, it was like a mere gust of wind. 

Asuma didn't seem to care. He simply dropped his usual smile and looked at Uchiha Madara with the expression of a warrior facing his enemy. 

"My name is Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!" 

"Sarutobi Asuma…" Madara took a deep breath, his gaze deep and unreadable. "I will remember it." 

M.Ι. 

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