Inside a cave far from the bounty station, the Ino–Shika–Chō trio sat in silence, having narrowly escaped their pursuers. The air around them was thick with grief, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating.
The three of them sat like statues, blankly staring into the flickering firelight. In their minds, images of the times they had spent with Asuma flashed again and again—moments of laughter, training, and warmth now painfully out of reach.
Choji and Ino were already sobbing uncontrollably, their tears falling like a broken dam. Their bodies trembled with sorrow, unable to contain the overwhelming grief.
Even Shikamaru—whose eyes usually held a sharp, calculating glint—now stared into the flames with a hollow, dazed look. Tears welled in his eyes, heat threatening to spill over.
But he clenched his jaw tightly, forcing back the sobs that clawed at his throat.
Because he knew—he had to stay calm. As the strategist of the team, he couldn't afford to lose control. Not now.
Only moments ago, their beloved teacher, Asuma, had fallen in battle. To ensure his students' escape, Asuma had chosen to stay behind and hold off the enemy. He had paid for that decision with his life. His body hadn't even been left behind—it had been taken by those two assassins.
Shikamaru wiped the corners of his eyes, voice trembling with suppressed rage.
"Our top priority now is to get Asuma-sensei's body back. We can't let them defile it."
Choji and Ino exchanged glances. They could see the same fire burning in each other's eyes.
"We have to avenge him," Choji said through clenched fists.
"Even if it costs us our lives," Ino added firmly.
Shikamaru took a deep breath, steadying his thoughts.
"We need a plan. Revenge can't be rushed—we'll only be walking into a trap if we act recklessly. First, we retrieve his body. That comes first."
"The enemy said they were taking Asuma-sensei's body to a bounty station. Once they're gone, we'll move in and take it back."
And just as Shikamaru had predicted, the immortal duo had already claimed their bounty and left the station.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio wasted no time. The moment they were ready, they headed to the nearest bounty station, observing it from afar.
Stealing a bounty target's body from one of these places wasn't going to be easy. Bounty stations had operated in the shinobi world for decades, and for good reason. They were backed, protected, and quietly sanctioned by the upper echelons of various hidden villages.
Sure, Konohagakure could lean on one bounty station, maybe force it to cooperate. But wiping them all out? Impossible.
And as Leaf shinobi, they couldn't just walk in and demand Asuma's body back using the authority of their village—at least, not without direct orders from the Hokage. Which meant one thing.
They'd have to fight for it.
Shikamaru observed the station's defenses. There were two guards posted at the entrance. Their exact level was unknown, but based on appearance, they were likely chunin.
It was nighttime, the perfect window to strike—defenses would be at their weakest. The two guards, though stationed at their posts, were already nodding off, and the rest of the station was probably fast asleep.
Shikamaru mulled it over for a moment and quickly formulated a plan.
"First, we take out the guards. Then Ino and I use the Transformation Jutsu to sneak inside."
Choji and Ino nodded immediately, no questions asked.
Under the cloak of night, three shadows moved like phantoms, approaching the entrance soundlessly.
There was no need for words—they were perfectly in sync. Shikamaru made the first move, casting his signature Shadow Possession Jutsu. Like a black serpent, his shadow stretched through the darkness, quickly ensnaring both dozing guards.
In the next instant, Ino performed her Mind Body Switch Jutsu, taking control of one of the captured guards.
The moment Ino's consciousness entered the body, Shikamaru released his hold on it. With practiced ease, Ino used the guard's body to approach the other and clamped a hand over his mouth.
Snap—a quiet crack echoed in the still air. The guard's neck had been broken cleanly. Ino was meticulous, gently lowering the corpse to the ground without a sound.
Then, without hesitation, she withdrew her consciousness from the body. She knew time was of the essence.
Before the possessed guard could regain control of his body, Choji moved in.
His massive hand—swollen from the Partial Expansion Jutsu—gripped the man's head like a vice. One brutal squeeze, and it was over.
The two guards were eliminated with cold precision—no noise, no mess.
With the entrance clear, Shikamaru and Ino transformed into the guards' likenesses and slipped into the bounty station, while Choji stayed behind to watch their backs.
Inside, a chill hung in the air. Rows and rows of large drawers lined the walls—each containing a corpse. The scent of cold metal and death was everywhere.
Ino's heart sank at the sight. So many bodies—how would they find Asuma-sensei?
Shikamaru caught her eye and gave a reassuring nod. Then he crept toward the front desk where the ledger was kept, scanning the records in silence.
There it was.
Asuma. Drawer #325. Bounty Paid: 35 million ryō.
Shikamaru's fists clenched, eyes burning with a mix of grief and fury.
They sold our teacher like he was some kind of object.
And worse—if only he'd been quicker, smarter... maybe Asuma wouldn't have had to die.
He pushed the guilt down and moved quietly to drawer #325. Ino watched anxiously as he took a deep breath and opened it.
There he was.
Asuma's body lay cold and still, battle wounds still visible on his face.
Shikamaru bit his lip, whispering, "Sensei... we're taking you home."
With painstaking care, he lifted Asuma's body into his arms, making sure not to make a single noise.
But just then—creak—the sound of a door opening echoed through the hall.
Someone was coming.
Yawning and scratching his head, the bounty station owner walked out from a back room, completely unaware of what was about to happen...
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I recommend that you check out my new fanfic "The Shimura Actually Has Ice Release". It's really good. In short, the protagonist is Danzo's son, so Danzo supports him, he has good mentors, bloodline limit and so on, I won't say much about his background, the fanfic will explain it in the first chapters. I would recommend to check it out, quite a nice fanfic, no system, no harem, no excessive power, I like his backstory, especially that he has support, so his power has backup, and the relationship with Danzo without much emotion, more like Danzo's dream of becoming a Hokage, transforming to make his son a Hokage.
Pls Drop some Power Stones
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (237 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)