Chapter 157 – The Sky-Cleaving Strike That Shook the World
Shukaku couldn't comprehend it.
Why—why, as a being made entirely of sand—could he feel pain? Such a thing should have been impossible.
It was true that his chakra reserves weren't the largest among the Tailed Beasts—in fact, compared to the others, his was among the smallest.
But physically? His body was pure sand, limitless in regeneration. He wasn't flesh and blood like the rest. He could reshape himself endlessly.
"Unbelievable…" Shukaku snarled, rage boiling inside him.
He was a Tailed Beast—a majestic, immortal existence. Yet here he was, being tossed around and humiliated. And to make matters worse, the Kyūbi was here too.
"Still acting tough, huh?" Yusuke smirked, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Shut up, you damn human! Tailed Beast Ball!" Shukaku roared, gathering an immense sphere of condensed chakra between his jaws.
"What is that…?!" Naruto's eyes widened, frozen as a blinding sphere of black and violet light took shape.
By then, Sakura and Sasuke had joined him on a nearby ridge.
"That's a Tailed Beast Ball," Gamabunta said gravely. "A Tailed Beast's strongest attack. It fuses Yin and Yang chakra—destruction at its purest form. That thing can erase an entire country."
Sakura's face went pale. "Then… what about Yusuke-sensei? Will he be okay?"
Gamabunta snorted. "Relax. You don't have to worry about him. That man's power is on another level. Even the Kyūbi… is nothing but a pet to him."
He spoke from experience. He had witnessed it—the night Yusuke single-handedly beat the Nine-Tails into submission.
"The strongest in the world? That's impossible," Sasuke muttered in disbelief. "The Shinobi World is vast. No one can claim that title so easily."
Gamabunta glanced at him with a dry grin. "You're still a kid. Keep watching—you'll understand."
"For once, I actually agree with the toad," came a new voice.
Everyone turned. Kakashi had arrived with Might Guy beside him, both visibly winded from rushing through the battlefield.
"Niisan may act strange sometimes," Kakashi said, smiling faintly, "but there's no one stronger than him."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, relieved.
"So you're here too, huh?" Gamabunta said, giving him a side glance.
"By the way," Kakashi asked curiously, "did Naruto summon you?"
"Yeah," Gamabunta replied proudly. "I've already accepted him as my little brother."
Kakashi chuckled. "Impressive. You've grown, Naruto."
"Of course I have! I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" Naruto grinned, full of confidence.
"Oh?" Kakashi teased. "That's quite the dream. You know, the only man who's ever stood beside a Hokage… is my brother."
"Yusuke-sensei became Hokage?!" Sakura asked, stunned.
"Not quite," Kakashi replied with a smirk. "When the Third Hokage retired, the next one was my sister-in-law, Tsunade. So technically—Niisan is the Hokage's husband."
The entire group fell silent.
Even Guy blinked. "That… is one way to put it."
Sakura and Sasuke exchanged speechless glances.
"Figures," Sasuke muttered. "They really are brothers—same brain, same chaos."
"Kakashi-sensei! I don't care! I'll still become Hokage!" Naruto shouted, puffing up his chest.
While they spoke, Shukaku had already completed his attack.
The Tailed Beast Ball shot forward—an orb of annihilation racing straight toward Hatake Yusuke.
Yusuke raised one hand—and caught it.
With his bare palm.
"W–what?!" Shukaku's eyes bulged in disbelief.
"So this is your strongest attack?" Yusuke said flatly.
Then, with a casual flick, he tossed it back.
The orb shot upward, soaring into the sky and vanishing like a meteor into the clouds.
"Now it's my turn."
In a blink, Yusuke appeared beside Shukaku. He grabbed the beast's claw and slammed him into the ground.
The earth split open under the impact, mountains trembling from the force.
"Is that… really human strength?" whispered a stunned ninja from Sunagakure.
Even the shinobi of Konoha couldn't answer. Their faces were frozen in disbelief.
After hurling Shukaku across the plains, Yusuke brought his hands together. Light gathered between them, forming a sword of pure radiance—its edge so sharp the air itself split around it.
"Hey, Kakashi," Yusuke said calmly, waving a hand. "Pay attention. I'll only show this once."
He knew his younger brother would see—nothing escaped Kakashi's Tenseigan-enhanced perception.
"Armament Haki… activate," Yusuke murmured.
A dark, obsidian sheen spread across his arm—darker, denser than any normal Haki.
"Ittō-Ryū Secret Art: Heaven's Annihilation."
He swung.
The world froze.
A blinding flash of light split the heavens. The air howled. The wind shrieked. Space itself seemed to twist as the slash tore through the sky, extending far beyond sight.
The pressure wave that followed shattered the clouds, rending the atmosphere in two.
The ground cracked open for miles. Entire ridges collapsed from the shockwave.
"G–Gaara!" Temari screamed.
"Gaara…" Kankurō whispered, tears streaming down his face.
They knew—no one could survive a strike like that.
The shinobi of both villages stood silent, rooted in place. Even the aftershock from the blade was powerful enough to rival an S-rank jutsu.
"Look… the sky…" Sakura whispered, trembling.
Above them, the clouds were split in half—a clean, endless scar across the heavens.
"The… sky's been cut apart?" Sasuke murmured, his pupils shaking.
The slash was terrifying—something beyond human comprehension. It dwarfed even the legendary tales of battles between the Four Emperors of the Sea, who were said to split the skies with their clashes.
When the dust finally settled, what remained was a scar across the land—a deep, endless ravine stretching for miles.
Shukaku was still standing, but barely. His body was cracked and crumbling, his once-proud form reduced to a trembling husk.
He had felt it—the cold hand of death pressing against him. For a moment, he had been sure he would vanish completely.
But Yusuke had pulled the strike—diverting it at the last instant.
If he hadn't… Shukaku wouldn't even exist anymore.
The wounds he bore now were merely the side effects of surviving that storm of destruction.
"Did you see that, Kakashi?" Yusuke asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"Y–Yeah… I saw it…" Kakashi stammered, still trembling from the sheer pressure.
"Good." Yusuke nodded and turned back to the battered tanuki.
"Listen up, stupid raccoon. Go back to your host. I'll let you live—for now."
Yusuke smiled faintly.
Shukaku didn't need to be told twice. Practically shaking, he dissolved into chakra and retreated into Gaara's body, too terrified to stay even a second longer.
"Gaara!" Temari sprinted forward, catching her brother's collapsing form.
Gaara looked up weakly, meeting her eyes. He smiled—a small, peaceful smile—before losing consciousness.
"Thank goodness… he's still alive," Temari whispered, tears of relief spilling down her cheeks.
But then, gathering her resolve, she turned toward Yusuke. "Please… let Gaara and Kankurō go. Take my life instead."
"Huh?" Yusuke blinked, genuinely confused.
"Please," Temari repeated, kneeling. "Spare my brothers. Take me instead."
Yusuke tilted his head. "Eh? Who said anything about killing them?"
He looked at her, puzzled. "Come on, do I look like a villain to you? I'm handsome and charismatic, you know."
Temari froze, speechless.
Honestly, she couldn't be blamed. The man did look like a god descended to earth…
But he was also the same man who had slaughtered enemy forces without blinking, wiped out ANBU squads, and obliterated entire bases in war.
Her own mentor, Pakura, had once warned her:
If you ever meet Hatake Yusuke—pray that he's in a good mood.
He might look like a prince out of a fairytale…
But behind those calm blue eyes was a devil that even monsters feared.
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