He was running through the jungle, jumping off the top of the trees he was passing trying to gain the speed he needed for his plan to work. His name was Sarutobi Asuma and he was just one of the Daimyo of Fire Country's bodyguards.

He was the only one left.

It had been a trap right from the start, the shinobi from Wind Country were waiting for them while they had been lounging around on their way to the Fire Nation's capital and they had, literally, destroyed them all. It was more than a bloodbath.

The death toll sat at close to 20 civilians and 6 other shinobi, Asuma was lucky to even be alive. The amount of traps that went off all at once was phenomenal, shuriken and kunai flew in from every direction and it was just luck that the Sarutobi had stopped to light up a cigarette that he was alive. Asuma, an elite ninja no less, still had no chance as wave upon wave of deadly projectiles littered the area with blood and bodies.

So here he was, running for his life on his way back to Konohagakure, his home town. It was one of the five main ninja villages in the region. He had grown up there; being taught to kill from the ripe old age of 12 right up until that point.

His speed, although impressive, was nothing compared to those that were chasing him. He could see up ahead the area that he, as an ANBU officer, used to patrol. He knew it was only a matter of time before either he died or others came to his rescue. Refusing to give in to those following him, he stopped abruptly and turned around, willing himself to ready his chakra for one big attack to try wipe out any resistance he might face.

As his opponents zoomed into view he felt an extremely welcome presence come up behind him, Sharingan no Kakashi. His former ANBU captain and a man he would trust in any situation.

"Wind Release: Great Wind Breakthrough" the Sarutobi shouted as he unleashed his chakra at his followers, and Kakashi aided him by adding some sort of fireball jutsu to the mix quadrupling the damage the attack did. The Wind Nation assassins were caught off guard and the attack ripped through the masses like a tsunami would a village.

The effects were devastating, Asuma could smell the flesh as it burned and he heard screams for help coming from the throats of those caught in the edges of the blaze.

"Kakashi-san. My god am I glad I saw you just then," the Sarutobi practically wheezed. "I was sure I was a goner!"

"Maa, no need to worry Sarutobi-chan" replied the legend amongst shinobi, Asuma being too tired to even think of a comeback from the dig at him. "I'm just glad I got here in time."

Without any words that needed to be said the two Jounins collected the survivors for a session with Ibiki, the resident interrogation expert of Konoha.

"So what actually happened here?" enquired Kakashi. "It looks as though you've been running for hours."

"We were ambushed," Asuma replied, not needing to explain you 'we' was. "It was a slaughtering, the others are all dead. How the fuck did they know where we were going to be?"

"That's what Ibiki is for ne? Now listen, I want you to go see the Hokage and then even if he doesn't say to go home and get some sleep I can see you need it and that's what I expect you to do, got it?"

The less experienced of the two just nodded his head, not really thinking that the explanation he could give to his village's leader would be enough for now he went along with the plan and Kakashi, being the superb ninja he is, teleported them inside the safety of the village walls.

Signalling his thanks to his former captain, Sarutobi Asuma made his way begrudgingly up the stairs of the Hokage tower towards the very man he left the village to get away from- his father Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was more commonly known as the Sandaime Hokage.

"Asuma-kun! What brings you back to the village?" Enquired the aging Hokage, joy evident in his eyes. Maybe this conversation wouldn't go as badly as Asuma thought.

"Hokage-sama, I am here at the moment on official business, something horrible has happened…"

A/N

Yo, sup guys. So it's been a while since i wrote anything, i was actually on exchange so I have a good-ish excuse. Let me know what you thought, what I could have done better and what definitely needed improving. I thought this up at 3 o'clock in the morning so don't bite my head off :D

Thanks and I'll see you next chapter I guess!