Chapter 141 – Orochimaru
To Gaara, Pakura was more than just a teacher—she was the only person who had ever felt like family. She was the one who didn't fear him, the one who never looked at him as a monster. Because of that, in Sunagakure, Pakura was the only person Gaara truly listened to.
"Pakura-sensei, who was that man? His tone was… incredibly arrogant," Temari asked, curiosity laced with unease.
"That's because he has the power to back it up," Pakura replied coldly. "The reason I told you to reject the Kazekage's previous order… is because of him." Her eyes darkened, filled with both fear and hatred.
"Sensei, is he really that strong?" Kankurō asked, frowning beneath his face paint.
"Yes. That man could wipe Sunagakure off the map if he wished," Pakura said, her tone heavy. "The village we live in now isn't even the original Sunagakure. The first one… was destroyed by him."
Her words struck them like thunder. Even the ever-confident Kankurō fell silent.
Inside Gaara's mind, a low, rumbling voice echoed, filled with irritation.
"Kid, take my advice—don't ever make that man your enemy."
The raccoon-like beast within him opened its golden eyes, glowing with a mix of fear and caution.
"Ah…" Gaara gripped his head, a flicker of pain flashing through his expression.
"What's wrong, Gaara?" Pakura asked, watching her student's unusual reaction.
"…It's nothing," he replied curtly.
But inside, his mind boiled with a quiet, murderous thought. "Shut up. I'll kill him… no matter what."
"Hahaha! You've got to be kidding me!" Shukaku's voice roared in laughter. "With your strength? If you're so eager to die, fine, but don't drag me with you! Just seeing that man once was more than enough—I never want to face him again!"
Gaara's brows twitched. "He's… that strong?"
Since childhood, Gaara had been the one others feared. He knew Shukaku's terrifying power better than anyone. For a creature like him to show such fear—it could only mean one thing.
"Listen carefully," Shukaku said, his tone dead serious. "Even if all of Sunagakure's forces fought together, with me at full power, we still wouldn't be able to touch the hem of that man's clothes."
Shukaku was one of the Tailed Beasts who had suffered most under Hatake Yusuke's hands—second only to Kurama. Yusuke had once ripped one of his arms clean off.
But worse than pain was the terror Yusuke had imprinted in his very soul. He was the only human Shukaku knew who could truly erase a Tailed Beast—end its existence completely.
For the first time, the beast of sand had felt what it meant to die.
He also knew, through whispers from Kurama and Matatabi, just how vast Yusuke's power truly was.
Even Shukaku, who often boasted of his strength, admitted that Kurama—the Nine-Tails—was the strongest of them all. The Nine-Tails alone could take on three or four Tailed Beasts at once.
Yet, even Kurama trembled before Hatake Yusuke. That fact alone spoke louder than any legend.
"Enough talk," Pakura said sharply, pulling them back to focus. "Go rest. Tomorrow, you'll be facing Konoha's genin."
"Yes, Sensei," Kankurō answered immediately.
Temari, however, seemed distracted.
"What's wrong with you?" Kankurō asked, noticing her distant gaze.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just thinking," she replied, though in her heart, another thought lingered. A man so powerful he could terrify even Pakura-sensei… and that handsome too? Is Konoha really full of men like that?
— — —
"Yusuke-sensei, why are those people from Sunagakure here?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Oh, that's because the Chūnin Exams are about to begin," Yusuke replied with an easy smile.
"The Chūnin Exams?"
"That's right. I'll let your other sensei explain the details. I've got something else to take care of," Yusuke said casually. He glanced toward Toneri. "You stay here until Kakashi arrives. Tell him to handle your registration."
With that, his body flickered—and he vanished without a trace.
Sakura puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance. "Seriously, Yusuke-sensei? So irresponsible… But, well, he is so handsome. I wonder what Kakashi-sensei actually looks like under that mask…"
"I don't know either," Naruto said. "Even when he eats, he never takes it off. Uncle Yusuke's the only one who's seen his face—and even he won't tell us!"
"Right? The two of them together are impossible—one hides behind a mask, the other behind sunglasses!" Sakura sighed dramatically. "But, well… Yusuke-sensei really looks like a god."
Then realizing what she'd said, she turned frantically. "Ah! Sasuke-kun, don't get the wrong idea, okay?!"
"Not interested," Sasuke replied curtly before walking away.
Toneri's presence, Gaara's arrival, and the power he'd witnessed today had stirred something inside him. He wasn't strong enough yet.
He clenched his fists. He had to train—harder than ever.
— — —
Meanwhile, Yusuke had arrived at a secluded chamber deep within Sunagakure's administrative compound—the residence of the Fourth Kazekage.
"Hatake Jōnin… to what do we owe this visit?" asked the Third Kazekage cautiously. Even after all these years, the sight of the man before him still filled him with unease.
"Oh? Don't tell me you've forgotten our agreement with the Fourth Kazekage?" Yusuke asked lightly, though his tone carried a subtle edge.
"Hmm… it seems I have. Care to remind me?"
"Of course." Yusuke's gaze sharpened. "You remember Edo Tensei, don't you?"
A flicker of surprise crossed the Kazekage's face before he quickly regained composure. "As expected of you, Yusuke-kun."
"Snake-ojisan," Yusuke turned to the pale figure standing beside the Kazekage, "you've perfected Edo Tensei, haven't you?"
A sly grin spread across Orochimaru's face. "As expected, nothing escapes your eyes."
"Good. Hand over the technique to me," Yusuke said calmly. "Oh—and you must also have cells from the First and Second Hokage, right?"
"I can give you the technique," Orochimaru replied smoothly, "but those cells… I can't hand them over so easily."
"Relax," Yusuke said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm not interested in their bodies. I just want to test how strong they truly were."
"I've already experimented with them," Orochimaru said. "Restoring their full power is… difficult. And I have no intention of letting that happen."
"I want you to unleash the First Hokage's full potential," Yusuke said simply.
"Yusuke-kun…" Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed. "You do realize the First Hokage was called the God of Shinobi for a reason. His power is beyond control."
Yusuke smiled faintly. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you. And honestly… I don't think Hashirama Senju could kill you even if he tried."
He knew Hashirama's nature—and he knew Orochimaru's resilience better than anyone.
"I trust your power, Yusuke-kun," Orochimaru said slowly. "But that man was no ordinary shinobi."
Yusuke chuckled softly. "Relax. I'm invincible."
He removed his sunglasses, and his sky-blue eyes gleamed with radiant clarity. The air around him seemed to still, the sheer pressure of his presence enough to make Orochimaru's breath hitch.
"Your eyes…" Orochimaru muttered, squinting slightly. "Those aren't Rinnegan."
"They're called the Six Eyes," Yusuke replied with a quiet smile.
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