Chapter 27: Remnants of the Ninja Village, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Everyone's Joy in Killing

Chapter 27: Remnants of the Ninja Village, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Everyone's Joy in Killing

"What! Teacher Asuma killed Grandpa Sarutobi?"

Naruto was shocked by the boy with sunglasses and shouted loudly.

Even Sakura, Yamato, and Sai beside him changed their expressions.

"Sarutobi-sama was killed by Asuma? How is that possible?"

The four of them seemed unable to accept this reality.

"What's going on? You seem to respect that brat, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and even call him Grandpa? Who are you people?"

Sarutobi Astor's expression gradually turned serious, and he was filled with hostility.

Even the other children around them, who had been watching with curiosity, slowly began to look unfriendly.

"This..."

Seeing this, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai were startled and wanted to explain.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Sai, these four have been living in the deep mountains since the era of the Ninja Village, so they are unaware of the current society. Everyone, please don't bully them.

As for why they call him Grandpa, it's because during the Ninja Village era, the population was scarce, so the Kage would usually try to gain the support of the villagers by appearing more approachable and allowing people to address them familiarly."

Iruka offered a gentle explanation.

"Hmph! So that's how it is! I thought they were remnants from the Ninja Village era, which would have been a perfect opportunity to get rid of them!"

Sarutobi Astor's expression gradually relaxed as he spoke, but his tone remained disdainful.

"How can you say that? How could Teacher Asuma kill Grandpa Sarutobi? He was his father..."

Naruto muttered, sounding dazed.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the remnant of the Ninja Village, led a group of ninjas to prevent the unification of the Empire and liberate everyone! He was so selfish and only cared about his own power, letting people go hungry! He didn't allow everyone to live a better life!

My grandfather did the right thing by severing ties with him and joining the Empire! How dare you make it sound like he did something wrong?

I believe anyone in his position would have made the same decision as my grandfather! That was a heroic act! Don't you understand, you brat?"

Sarutobi Astor glared at Naruto, causing his face to pale.

"That's right! Sarutobi Hiruzen, that remnant of the Ninja Village, deserved to die!"

The other children chimed in.

"But... but..." Naruto continued to mutter, wanting to say something.

"No buts! I just hate that I wasn't born in my grandfather's era; otherwise, I would have killed Sarutobi Hiruzen myself!

His existence is an insult to the Sarutobi name! He is a disgrace to our clan!"

Sarutobi Astor said through gritted teeth.

"... ..."

"Alright, Naruto, let it go now."

Iruka patted Uzumaki Naruto on the shoulder, signaling him to stop talking.

Naruto lifted his head and glanced at all the children, seeing their united front against him, and finally lowered his head helplessly.

"New classmates, you've seen how things are. Now, let's do some self-introductions, and then we'll proceed with our daily training."

Iruka changed the subject.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!"

"Let's start with Takaya Takami."

"I'm Takaya Takami, nine years old this year. I like pretty girls in stockings, but I hate it when ugly people wear them. My dream is to become a powerful person and make all the women in the world wear stockings that I make!"

"My name is..."

One by one, the children introduced themselves.

The Team 7 members listened listlessly.

It wasn't until everything was over that Iruka led the group out of the classroom and towards a nearby open area.

Once everyone was assembled, Iruka shouted, "Today's lesson is simple: running, push-ups, sit-ups... Now, everyone, turn left! March!"

"Yes!" The group of children roared with enthusiasm and began to run.

The Konoha 11, still reeling from the news of Asuma killing the Third Hokage, followed with heavy hearts.

Iruka furrowed his brow at their dejected state and slowly made his way over to them. "These are two completely different worlds, and your experiences will differ greatly. We don't need to link them together. Cheer up! If you continue like this, it will be difficult for you to master the Six Styles."

"But..." Naruto wanted to say more.

Yamato interrupted, "No more talk, Naruto. Iruka-sensei is right. We don't need to connect the two worlds. Our main priority now is to master the Six Styles of the martial arts, or we won't be able to do anything when we face challenges in the future."

"Come on, Naruto. Only with strength can we bring about change," Sakura encouraged. "Let's all work hard together!"

Naruto took a deep breath, steeling himself.

Iruka nodded slightly, then added, "It's good that you understand. Now, pay attention to your classmates."

"Observe our classmates?" The Konoha 11 turned to look at the other children around them.

After a moment of observation, they noticed that these kids were running while circulating their chakra.

"Do you want us to learn from them and circulate our chakra while running?" Sakura asked.

"That's right, Sakura. Now, you need to use your chakra to imitate their circulation. That's how you'll effectively strengthen yourselves and become more accustomed to the effects of chakra," Iruka explained, nodding.

"We understand!" The Konoha 11 nodded and began their first formal training session.

As they ran, they tried to circulate their chakra simultaneously.

The group soon found themselves becoming more easily fatigued.

After just over ten minutes, Sakura, Yamato, and Sai were already breathing heavily.

Naruto was faring slightly better, but he, too, began to pant.

In contrast, most of the other children maintained their pace with ease, except for a small minority.

Sarutobi Astor, however, was in peak condition, and he turned to flash the Konoha 11 a disdainful, mocking smile.

It was as if he were taunting them, a group of adults, for being inferior to him, a child!

"You despicable brat! I won't lose to you!" Naruto roared and began to speed up, racing against Sarutobi Astor.

Half an hour later, Naruto lay on the ground, gasping for air.

Sarutobi Astor stood beside him, slightly out of breath himself, and sneered, "Well, well, mountain man. Not only are you uneducated, but you're also weak. You're so much older than me, yet I outperform you. And you three," he said, turning to Sakura, Yamato, and Sai, "are equally useless. If I were you, I would have become a farming ninja by now. At least then, I could make some meager contribution to the Empire."

"You... you despicable brat..." Naruto huffed and puffed, seething with anger.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end