Chapter 144 – Ōdama Rasengan
"Well now," said the restaurant owner with a wry smile, wiping his hands on a towel. "You know this is just a small business. I can't afford to pay someone of your caliber, but I did just get a premium cut of meat. If you don't mind, consider it your lucky day."
"Haha, sounds good. Thanks, Boss," Yusuke replied casually, settling back into his seat.
"Then it's settled. This one's on the house—but everything else still goes on your tab." The owner grinned and gestured for the waiters to shut the restaurant doors.
"So, Asuma," Yusuke said, glancing at him with a faint smirk. "Dinner tonight?"
Tsunade caught the look and turned toward Asuma. "Well? What do you say?"
"Of course, Tsunade-nee," Asuma replied eagerly. "My treat. Consider it a welcome party for your return to the village."
Tsunade smiled radiantly. She didn't say a word, but Asuma failed to realize just what kind of disaster he'd just invited upon himself.
Moments later, the waiters returned with trays upon trays of sizzling meat. The aroma filled the room, rich and intoxicating. Then they brought out more. And more.
Asuma's face slowly drained of color.
"Tsu… Tsunade-nee? Don't you think this is a bit too much? If there's leftovers, the boss'll fine me, right?" he asked, nervously swallowing.
"Relax," Yusuke said confidently. "There won't be leftovers."
Across the table, Chōji's eyes were practically glowing at the sight of the feast.
Half an hour later, the table was piled high with empty plates. Yusuke was still eating calmly, moving chopsticks faster than humanly possible.
Asuma's stomach was already bulging, but since he was footing the bill, he forced himself to keep eating out of sheer pride. Even Chōji—the bottomless pit of the Akimichi clan—had given up long ago.
"Boss, another round," Yusuke said nonchalantly.
Everyone turned to him in disbelief. The amount he'd eaten could have fed an entire platoon of shinobi. Tsunade and Kurenai, however, remained unfazed—they'd seen this before.
"Incredible…" Chōji muttered, eyes wide with awe.
Even for an Akimichi, seeing someone eat more than him was a soul-shaking experience.
Asuma, meanwhile, was quietly mourning his wallet.
An hour later, Yusuke finally set down his chopsticks. "Thanks for the meal, Asuma. I'm stuffed."
"Y-Yeah… n-no problem," Asuma replied weakly, looking like a man who'd lost all hope.
"Well then, we'll be going. Take care, kids," Yusuke said, waving casually as he left with Tsunade and Kurenai.
"I've decided," Chōji said suddenly, eyes blazing. "I'm going to train under Yusuke-sensei!"
Everyone stared at him in shock, but none of them had the heart to crush his enthusiasm.
— — —
Later that night, Shikamaru returned home—only to find his father being scolded by his mother.
He sighed and covered his face. Typical.
"Oh, Shikamaru, you're home," Shikaku said quickly, desperate to change the subject. "So, how'd your Chūnin Exam go?"
"It went fine," Shikamaru replied lazily.
"That's good. Pass or fail, doesn't matter much. Being a Chūnin's just more work anyway," Shikaku said, yawning.
"Idiot! Is that how you encourage your son?!" his wife snapped immediately.
"I'll do my best, Mom," Shikamaru said quickly, then turned to his father. "Hey, Dad. There's something I wanted to ask you."
"Oh? You, curious about someone? That's rare," Shikaku said, raising an eyebrow.
"Hatake Yusuke."
At that, Shikaku's relaxed expression hardened. "Him, huh…"
"What is it, Dad?" Shikamaru asked, sensing the change in tone.
"Listen carefully," Shikaku said gravely. "In this village, you can offend almost anyone—even the Hokage—and get away with it. But never offend that man. Understand?"
Shikamaru blinked. "Is he really that strong?"
"He's not just strong," Shikaku said quietly. "He's invincible. There isn't a single person alive who can defeat him."
Shikamaru thought back to Asuma's nervous behavior earlier. The pieces started to fit together. Yusuke wasn't just strong—he was on a completely different level, something far beyond what Shikamaru could yet comprehend.
— — —
Elsewhere...
"Uncle Yusuke, you called me?" Naruto asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"You already know how weak you are right now, don't you?" Yusuke said bluntly.
"W-Wait, Uncle Yusuke, I—" Naruto began, but Yusuke cut him off immediately.
"Don't try to talk your way out of it. That match with Kiba Inuzuka? Pure luck. Some say luck is a kind of strength, but to someone truly powerful, it's just a polite excuse for weakness."
Naruto winced. "I… understand, Uncle."
The Chūnin Exams had been a series of humbling lessons for him. Rock Lee's determination, Sasuke's injuries, Sakura's courage, Orochimaru's terrifying power—each moment had burned itself into his heart.
"Good," Yusuke said, his tone softening slightly. "That look in your eyes—that's what I want to see. Now, I'll teach you a technique that doesn't need hand signs. Considering how terrible you are at them, it's probably your only hope."
"Even if that's true, it still hurts hearing it from you…" Naruto grumbled.
"Focus," Yusuke said flatly. He raised his hand. "Watch closely—Rasengan."
A sphere of spinning blue chakra formed in his palm. With a gentle motion, he pressed it against a tree trunk. The tree exploded into splinters instantly.
"Awesome! I wanna learn that! Teach me, Uncle Yusuke!" Naruto shouted, eyes sparkling.
"This jutsu was created by the Fourth Hokage," Yusuke explained calmly. "It's classified as an A-rank technique, but its potential goes far beyond that."
"Potential? What do you mean?" Naruto tilted his head.
"From this foundation, you can evolve it into an S-rank technique—like Kakashi's Chidori," Yusuke said, rubbing his temples.
Naruto stared blankly, clearly lost.
Yusuke sighed. How did Minato and Kushina—two geniuses—end up with this kid?
"Come with me," Yusuke said, grabbing Naruto by the collar. In an instant, the world blurred, and they reappeared far outside the village.
Naruto blinked in confusion. "Wh—when did we—?!"
"Watch carefully," Yusuke said, lifting Naruto with one arm. "Ōdama Rasengan."
A massive amount of chakra surged in his palm, forming a pitch-black sphere wrapped in swirling light. He tossed it lightly to the ground.
The explosion that followed shook the heavens. A violent shockwave tore through the forest, obliterating everything in a radius of several kilometers. The earth itself seemed to ripple outward as if pushed by an invisible force.
Naruto's jaw dropped. He couldn't even speak.
Back in Konoha, the shock was felt by everyone.
"That chakra…" Kakashi said, glancing up from his book with a sigh. "Nii-san again. Guess he's bored."
"That idiot!" Tsunade snapped, slamming her desk. "Does he think the laws of nature don't apply to him?!"
Shizune just sighed, shaking her head. Even though the explosion hadn't reached the village, the shockwave had rattled the Hokage building itself.
— — —
Back at the blast site...
"So, you get it now?" Yusuke asked, looking down at Naruto, who was still trembling from what he'd just witnessed.
"Y-Yeah! I totally get it!" Naruto said quickly, nodding like crazy.
Of course, he didn't understand at all—but with that look in Yusuke's eyes, he wasn't about to say otherwise.
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