"Co in."
There were rarely knocks at the door of Hagoromo's hospital room.
Whether it was dical-nin or Kushina, people usually just walked straight in.
No one respected his right to privacy.
"Oh, it's Asuma."
The one who pushed the door open was Sarutobi Asuma.
"Hey, hey—why do you look so openly disgusted once you realize it's ?"
In truth, Hagoromo didn't know many people. Even fewer ca to visit him while he was injured.
But among those he could call friends, Asuma was certainly one of them.
"Can I say it's because you look like you aged too fast and have way too much facial hair?"
Hagoromo answered with complete sincerity.
If you were going to dislike soone, you should at least give a reason—unlike those people who hid behind lines like 'You're a good person, but…'.
Poor Sarutobi Asuma.
Young at heart, yet prematurely weathered.
"…You really haven't changed. Completely ruthless," Asuma sighed.
"It's genetic, alright? Genetic. An irresistible force."
That, at least, proved he truly was the Third Hokage's son. For Hiruzen, Biwako, and Asuma himself, that was arguably a good thing. Hagoromo supposed he shouldn't be too harsh.
"Minato-senpai's wedding is today, right? You really are unlucky. Fine—on that basis, I'll forgive your personal attack."
"He's not the Fourth Hokage yet, is he?" Hagoromo pointed out.
"Besides, do I really look like soone who can move freely right now? Honestly, I kind of wanted to—"
"Wanted to what?"
"…Nothing. Where are Kurenai and Yamashiro? Not in Konoha?"
He had wanted to see what Kushina looked like on her wedding day.
"Yamashiro's still at the front," Asuma replied.
"Kurenai should be back soon. The pressure on the front lines has eased—there's no need to maintain such a large force anymore."
Hagoromo nodded.
If those two were in Konoha and hadn't shown up, that would've been strange.
"Want to go out for a bit?" Asuma suggested.
"Going out is a no-go. The dical-nin won't allow much activity," Hagoromo said.
"But… the rooftop should be fine. Just to get so air."
"That works."
"Works my ass—why are you standing there? Give a hand."
Did he really expect Hagoromo, in this state, to spring up with a clean kip-up?
"Alright, alright. Just say it next ti."
Asuma seed off today.
Preoccupied.
Careful and slow, Asuma helped Hagoromo up and supported him all the way to the rooftop. Once there, Hagoromo imdiately sat down on a long bench, while Asuma leaned against the railing and looked into the distance.
From here, Konoha looked as peaceful as ever.
"Nice weather today. No one's really been visiting you lately, huh? Including Kushina-senpai?"
That wasn't entirely true. Hagoromo had seen Kushina just yesterday morning. She'd specifically co to tell him she wouldn't be visiting today—to prove she wasn't the kind of teacher who forgot her student after getting married.
Lady, today is your wedding. Who would co visit?
"Stop changing the subject," Hagoromo said flatly.
"If you have sothing to say, say it. Relationship counseling? Kurenai's problem?"
"Relationship counseling?" Asuma scoffed.
"Do I really look like soone with that kind of trouble? If anything, you look like the type who'd need advice."
"Cough!"
The unintentional truth, spoken without awareness, struck dead center.
What Asuma ant was that Hagoromo's face made him easy to misunderstand—so romantic problems seed likely.
"If it's not about Kurenai, then what is it?"
"…You really think my world revolves entirely around Kurenai?"
"Not unreasonable."
"…It's not that," Asuma said at last.
"I was promoted to jōnin not long ago."
"Congratulations," Hagoromo replied.
"That was bound to happen sooner or later. Is that what's bothering you?"
"That's not the point. The point is—soon, I'll be leaving Konoha."
"Leaving? Mission-related, or—"
Hagoromo paused, then added dryly,
"—because the Hokage's son becoming a missing-nin would be… bad optics."
"Mission," Asuma said quickly.
"A long-term assignnt to protect the Fire Daimyō. I'll be gone for five years. Maybe ten."
"…Why?" Hagoromo frowned.
"Was this assigned by the Hokage?"
Ten years? That was practically a legendary mission duration.
Asuma was the Hokage's son—sending him away for that long was borderline exile.
"Not exactly," Asuma replied.
"I requested it."
Hagoromo: "..."
"…So it is a relationship problem?"
Asuma ignored that.
"If I had to explain it… it's probably my conflict with the Third Hokage. Compared to my brother, I've never really satisfied him. Even now, as a jōnin, that feeling hasn't gone away."
"Being in Konoha… makes uncomfortable."
"So," Hagoromo said quietly,
"running away?"
He'd sohow been roped into a full-on family counseling session.
Because he could step outside the situation, Hagoromo could more or less imagine the source of the conflict—the Will of Fire, ideals, responsibility.
What the Hokage wanted from Asuma wasn't raw strength, but mindset and values.
But at Asuma's age, that kind of expectation was hard to grasp. He understood it only as not being strong enough.
That was normal.
Soone who could think like a Hokage at seven years old was an anomaly—just like Hagoromo himself.
"Running away… yeah. I guess you could call it that."
"Asuma," Hagoromo said slowly,
"everyone is forced to do aningless things in life. That's unavoidable—just like your beard."
"That doesn't determine the value of your life."
"But choosing to do sothing aningless on your own initiative?"
"That's just being stupid."
"…This would be more convincing if you left my beard out of it," Asuma muttered.
"So tell —what's aningful to you?"
"To ?" Hagoromo thought for a mont.
"Probably… protecting what I want to protect."
He shouldn't have added probably.
"And what is that?" Asuma asked.
"…I haven't found it yet."
Hadn't he?
"You sound exactly like my old man," Asuma said with a snort.
"Profound, but empty. Might as well have said nothing."
"Of course it's not easy to find," Hagoromo replied calmly.
"That's why it's important. No one can answer that for you."
"But one thing's certain—protecting the Daimyō? That has no aning at all."
"Not even a little."
"Five or ten years is a long ti. You should think carefully."
Hagoromo's words were cold.
But honest.
To him, the Daimyō ant nothing. Absolutely nothing.
"I'll think about it," Asuma said after a long silence.
In truth, there was nothing left to think about.
Having accepted the mission, and fueled by youthful stubbornness, he was going to leave Konoha regardless.
"By the way," Asuma said, changing the topic,
"missing your teacher's wedding just to chat with —pretty pitiful, Hagoromo."
"But weddings or not, it's the thought that counts."
"The thought?" Hagoromo blinked.
"Wedding gifts," Asuma said.
"Don't tell you didn't prepare one."
"…What?"
What the hell—there's that too?!
A person's resolve can be easy to change.
Or impossible.
A few days later, Asuma ca to say goodbye.
The Hokage's son left Konoha.
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