Chapter 211 – Completely Unworthy
Yusuke stood with his arms crossed, silently watching Asuma, who lay motionless on the bed. He took a slow step forward—then suddenly swung his leg, kicking Asuma's body off the mattress.
Asuma coughed violently as he crashed to the floor, jerking awake from what felt like a deep slumber.
"Ugh… Where am I?" Asuma muttered in confusion, blinking rapidly as his gaze darted around the unfamiliar room—his body still sprawled awkwardly after the sudden kick.
"Oh? Finally awake, are you?" Yusuke said with a faint smirk, his sharp eyes fixed on Asuma.
"Yusuke? I—wait, wasn't I dead? Don't tell me… you too—" Asuma stopped himself mid-sentence, shaking his head hard. "No, that can't be. There's no way anyone could defeat you. That means… I'm still alive," he concluded quickly.
Yusuke just stared at him blankly, seemingly unsure how to react to Asuma's dramatic self-talk.
"Well, since you're awake, get up and leave," Yusuke said curtly.
"What about Shikamaru and the others? Are they safe?" Asuma asked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. But as he tried to light it, he realized his lighter was missing.
"Oh, them? They all thought you were dead. They've already gone back to Konoha. I imagine… they're preparing for your funeral right about now," Yusuke replied casually, his tone completely indifferent.
"What did you just say? Then where am I? I need to get back immediately!" Asuma exclaimed, panic rising in his voice.
He couldn't even bear the thought of what might happen if his parents heard about his death.
"This place is my personal dimensional space," Yusuke said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he raised his hand and opened a shimmering dimensional gate in front of them. "All right. I'll send you out."
"Wait, one question—how's Shikamaru doing?" Asuma asked, his tone calmer now but heavy with worry. He knew that boy must've been deeply shaken by his supposed death.
"He's fine," Yusuke replied. "Your 'death' hit him hard… but that pain gave him purpose. Because of it, he found something worth protecting."
"Is that so? That kid… he's finally found something to fight for," Asuma said softly, a relieved smile forming on his lips.
Among his three students, Shikamaru had always been the one he placed the most hope—and the most worry—on.
Brilliant, meticulous, and flawless in executing missions, yet utterly lacking in motivation. A genius with no drive to live.
"You've placed a lot of expectations on him, haven't you?" Yusuke remarked.
"Of course. He has a remarkable tactical mind, and his Ninjutsu talent is rare. The only problem is his laziness… but I'm sure he's changed," Asuma said with conviction.
"That kid's impressive," Yusuke replied, nodding slightly.
A moment later, the two stepped through the dimensional gate and reappeared in Konoha. After that, Yusuke stayed out of Asuma's affairs entirely.
He hadn't told anyone that he'd revived Asuma. He wanted Shikamaru to experience the pain of loss—something necessary for his growth.
Yusuke saw great potential in the young man. And besides, he was known for being cunning and calculating by nature.
Meanwhile, Tsunade had issued a new mission—targeting two Akatsuki members rumored to be immortal.
Team Kakashi was mobilized to assist, and Shikamaru's team set out on their path of vengeance.
Their search for the two Akatsuki was swift and precise. After thorough investigation, they located Hidan and Kakuzu. With the plan laid out, the battle began.
Shikamaru's strategy was brilliant and almost flawless… yet he still underestimated the sheer power of Hidan and Kakuzu.
Both enemies were monstrously strong. Three squads were involved in the operation: Team 7 led by Kakashi, Shikamaru's team, and Yusuke's team.
However, neither Kakashi nor Yusuke joined the fight directly—this was a test for their students.
"Well, Nii-san… I didn't think you'd actually take a team of your own," Kakashi remarked with a rare grin.
"No other choice," Yusuke replied lazily. "But teaching's not so bad. It's… entertaining enough, I suppose."
"Hah… Nii-san, please, talk to Tsunade-nee for me. I really don't want to be Hokage. I still have training to finish," Kakashi said earnestly.
He never forgot his ultimate goal—to surpass his older brother. Even if it seemed impossible, he refused to stop chasing that shadow.
"If I could convince her, do you think I'd be stuck here teaching like this?" Yusuke replied dryly, his tone suggesting zero hope.
"But Tsunade-nee listens to you! How could she corner her own family like that?" Kakashi protested.
"Well… there's not much I can do either," Yusuke said with a faint sigh. "The number of people capable of becoming Hokage is limited. Power alone already disqualifies most. Add intelligence, strategic vision, and leadership… and the list shrinks even further."
He paused before continuing. "Besides, your lineage makes you a natural candidate. You're the direct student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato. Your sister-in-law is the current Hokage. You're part of the main succession line. Even if Tsunade doesn't care about lineage like the elders do, the position of Hokage isn't something that can be handed to just anyone. It's a responsibility inherited from her grandfather's will."
"I get what you're saying, Nii-san… but still…" Kakashi's voice wavered with uncertainty.
"There's no room for debate. Tell me, who else in Konoha could possibly take the role if not you?" Yusuke asked, his calm gaze piercing straight through Kakashi.
Kakashi fell silent. Despite Konoha being hailed as the Village of Geniuses, the number of people strong enough to reach the Kage level was painfully small.
Many clan heads were talented, yes—but most barely reached Jōnin class.
Three Great Shinobi Wars had already claimed countless prodigies, while others defected or vanished. Even Jiraiya had refused the Hokage position—too preoccupied with his "research" on adult literature.
Then there was Might Guy, whose Eight Inner Gates could rival the power of a High-Tier Kage… but the image of Guy as Hokage was enough to make Kakashi abandon that thought immediately.
Anyone else? Even among the elite Jōnin, very few remained.
Kakashi could only let out a long, weary sigh.
"Relax. It's not like you'll hold the title forever. Once Naruto grows up, you can pass it to him. Besides, being Hokage isn't as hard as it looks. Just establish a few new departments, assign good people to run them, and things will run smoothly," Yusuke suggested, offering surprisingly practical advice.
Kakashi's eyes suddenly lit up. That was… actually a good idea.
"But still," Yusuke added, "you should start gathering a circle of trusted allies. You'll need them to make everything work."
"Got it, Nii-san," Kakashi replied, sounding much more determined this time.
Meanwhile, out on the battlefield, the fight had reached its breaking point. Konoha's forces were clearly being pushed back.
If not for Naruto's explosive burst of power and the combined wits of Shino and Shikamaru, they might have been completely wiped out.
"Naruto's chakra is running low. He's struggling to suppress the Nine-Tails' power," Kakashi said worriedly.
"Calm down," Yusuke replied coolly. "Most of the Nine-Tails' power is sealed tightly. If he can't even control the chakra leaking out of that seal, that's just pathetic. Imagine owning a mountain of treasure but being too weak to use it—what a waste."
His tone was indifferent, almost dismissive, as his eyes followed the distant clash of fire and lightning exploding across the horizon.
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