"Kakashi and Yamato betrayed us?!"
"The village is doomed?!"
The news hit Asuma Sarutobi like a physical blow, his mind blank. Behind him, Kurenai Yuhi and Might Guy were just as shocked.
Guy, who usually stayed quiet during these meetings, rushed past Asuma to stand before Tsunade.
"Impossible! I refuse to believe Kakashi and Yamato would betray us!"
"They were probably tricked! Or they're undercover, gathering intel!"
"They aren't the type of shinobi to abandon their comrades or turn their backs on Konoha!"
Kurenai nodded quickly, backing him up. "I agree with Guy. Kakashi doesn't seem like the type to betray us."
Asuma managed to regain his composure, his face grim. "Lady Tsunade, is this a misunderstanding? Did you actually see Kakashi and Yamato turn on us with your own eyes?"
"We saw it clearly!" Shizune stepped forward, seeing their disbelief. "It wasn't just us. Shinobi from the clans and Anbu saw everything too!"
"Kakashi and Yamato were standing right behind Menma!"
"We thought they were infiltrating to ambush him, but in the end... they left with him."
Afraid they still wouldn't believe her, Shizune motioned to a hidden Anbu guard in the shadows. "Tell them. Didn't you see Kakashi running away with those Akatsuki members?"
The Anbu guard nodded immediately. "Everything Lady Shizune said is true."
The confirmation made Guy stumble backward, his legs nearly giving out. "Kakashi... he really betrayed us."
"Could it be because of his father...?" Guy muttered.
That was the only possibility he could think of, a truth that Menma had exposed through one of his schemes.
Hearing Guy's muttering, Asuma's eyes dimmed. He glanced at Kurenai out of the corner of his eye and noticed she had subtly distanced herself from him.
Because of Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions, the Sarutobi Clan's reputation was in the gutter, which indirectly meant Asuma hadn't won Kurenai's heart yet.
Sighing, Asuma changed the subject. "Tsunade, what about the village annihilation you mentioned earlier?"
Hearing Asuma's question, Tsunade took a deep breath and picked up a document from her desk.
"This is the main reason I called you all here."
"Look at this. It's a 'pity' message from the former Fourth Hokage, now a high-ranking official in the Four-Star Village—Minato Namikaze."
"The Fourth Hokage?!"
Tsunade's words made everyone gasp again.
Minato, who had only appeared briefly two years ago, was back.
And he was a high-ranking official in the Four-Star Village.
The former hero of Konoha had become a vanguard fighting against it.
The irony was crushing.
But before the shock could settle, Asuma read the document, his face turning terrifyingly dark.
"What does it say?" Guy asked, leaning closer out of curiosity.
Asuma moved like lightning, crumpling the paper into a ball, then unleashing Wind Release Ninjutsu from his palm, shredding it to confetti.
Ignoring Guy's confusion, Asuma turned to Tsunade. "May I ask Lady Tsunade's opinion on this matter?"
"The enemy is powerful," Tsunade stated calmly. "Powerful enough to destroy a village with a single person."
"But I will live and die with Konoha. I will not surrender."
"I understand."
Not getting the answer he wanted, Asuma turned and left without looking back. He even eyed everyone in the room with suspicion.
"What did Asuma see?" Kurenai asked, confused by his sudden shift.
Tsunade didn't speak, simply producing another document and handing it to Kurenai.
"A letter of surrender?" Kurenai took the paper, her eyes immediately locking onto the title.
Her breath caught in her throat as she read the contents.
"One head of a Sarutobi Clan member is enough to accept one person's surrender."
"Kill ten Konoha villagers and cut off their ears as proof. That counts as one person."
"No limit on the number of victims."
"Ten days from now, any Hidden Leaf ninja or villager who hasn't surrendered will be killed without mercy."
"Anyone who escapes by the deadline will be executed."
"Anyone who falsifies documents will be executed."
"Anyone who resists will be executed."
Reading those absolute, merciless words, Kurenai felt a terrifying killing intent wash over her. Her back was drenched in sweat.
Beside her, Guy and the two Anbu were just as terrified.
The office fell into a deadly, oppressive silence.
Tsunade broke it.
"This is the revenge of Menma," she said, her voice heavy. "Revenge for the things done to him as a child."
"It's also an overt scheme designed to fracture Konoha from within—an irresistible trap."
"So, I won't give you any orders on what to do or not do."
"I have only one request: let's try to maintain some semblance of stability for the next ten days..."
---
The Sarutobi Clan Gathering Place
The once-magnificent buildings and mansions were gone.
All that remained were dense rows of tents, interspersed with guarding and patrolling shinobi.
Looking at the camp, Asuma found Hiruzen, his face grave.
"Father, I see you received the letter of surrender as well."
"Yes." Hiruzen sat in his wheelchair. The grim expression on his face softened slightly at the sight of his youngest son. He spoke directly, skipping any reminiscing. "Get ready. I've arranged an escort for you and the other clan members, including Konohamaru. We're getting you out of here."
"That brat Menma is cunning. He sent this surrender letter to almost every shinobi, and many villagers know about it."
"Konoha is no longer safe. Once Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and the others have secured an exit route, you move out immediately."
---