Chapter 217 – The Past That Cannot Be Changed
"There's no need."
A calm, low voice broke the silence behind Hatake Yusuke. A familiar figure appeared—Asuma Sarutobi—standing casually with a cigarette tucked between his lips, shaking his head as though amused by the confusion before him.
"Ah… Asuma-sensei?" Ino's voice trembled, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Choji's snack slipped from his hands and fell to the ground, forgotten. Shikamaru's eyes went wide in shock, his usual composure shattering.
"Hey," Asuma said with a gentle smile. "I heard everything. You've all grown so much… especially you, Shikamaru. Have you found your 'diamond' yet?"
"B-but… you were—" Choji stammered, unable to finish the sentence.
"I didn't die," Asuma said simply. "Yusuke saved me."
Shikamaru froze as the pieces clicked together. Back then, in the heat of the fight, his mind had been consumed by rage and grief. He hadn't stopped to analyze what really happened. He just assumed the worst—that Asuma had been killed when the blade pierced his chest. He never considered Yusuke or Kakashi might have intervened.
After all, those two had been Asuma's comrades since youth. If Asuma had truly died, even men as hardened as them would have shown at least some trace of sorrow. But back then, neither of them looked the least bit mournful.
"Yeah," Asuma continued. "When Hidan's curse struck, Yusuke redirected the trajectory of the spear slightly—it missed my heart. If he hadn't done that, I really would've died."
There was gratitude in his voice—deep and genuine.
"Thank goodness… Asuma-sensei…" Choji's voice cracked. Tears welled in his eyes and began to fall freely down his cheeks.
"Hey, hey. Don't cry, Choji. You're a shinobi, remember? You've got to stay strong," Asuma said softly, placing a hand on his student's shoulder. "I already know everything that happened. I know how you all fought. As your sensei… I'm proud of you."
His gaze swept over his students, filled with a mix of pride and emotion.
In that moment, he understood—these kids were his true "diamond." The legacy he had been searching for all along.
"Asuma-sensei!" The three of them lunged forward, wrapping their arms around him in a tight, tearful embrace.
"Haaah… so boring," Yusuke muttered from behind them, looking utterly unimpressed by the touching reunion. His expression was one of mild disappointment, as though the scene didn't live up to the drama he'd expected.
Asuma's cheerful face darkened immediately. No matter how many years passed, he would never understand Yusuke's personality.
Shikamaru could only sigh. Typical Yusuke. He was starting to think keeping a safe distance from the man might be the wisest choice—dealing with him was too much of a headache.
"Boring indeed," Tsunade chimed in, sounding equally uninterested. "Not what I was expecting either. Alright, enough crying. If you're done here, get going already."
She waved them off and bent back over her paperwork.
Asuma's face twitched. These two… will they ever act normal?
Still, the students didn't care. They left the Hokage's office together, smiling through their tears, their hearts lighter than they'd been in days.
— — —
"By the way, Yusuke," Tsunade said once the room was quiet again. "Toneri just sent me a message. His father's looking for you."
"Oh?" Yusuke arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "Looking for me, huh? Sounds interesting. It's been a while since I saw that brat Toneri. Want to come with me?"
"No," Tsunade replied flatly. "I don't feel comfortable around them."
It was understandable. Tsunade, as a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths through the Senju line, carried diluted Ōtsutsuki blood—mortal, human. Every time she visited the moon, the pressure from that divine lineage made her physically uneasy.
"Alright then, I'll go alone," Yusuke said, nodding. "Oh, and tell that kid to return to Earth. With his power right now, there are things I need to discuss with him."
"Fine. Just make sure you drag him back if you have to," Tsunade said with a smirk.
"Of course. Don't worry—I'll handle it." Yusuke's lips curved into a thin smile.
"Then go," Tsunade said, waving a hand.
Yusuke raised his hand and tore open a shimmering dimensional gate. Without hesitation, he stepped through—and in an instant, his figure vanished from the Hokage's office.
— — —
The surface of the moon stretched endlessly beneath a pale silver glow.
Yusuke emerged silently from the rift in space, his cloak fluttering in the vacuum stillness.
The moment he appeared, a surge of killing intent filled the air.
"Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
A storm of divine energy screamed toward him, the shockwaves powerful enough to pulverize a mountain. Yusuke lifted his right hand lazily from beneath his cloak and unleashed a wave of repulsive force that shattered the oncoming attack like fragile glass. The green chakra sphere that followed was absorbed effortlessly into his palm.
"What's this, brat? Trying to kill your master?" Yusuke said with a teasing tone, his golden eyes narrowing as he looked at Toneri—who stood before him, his body surrounded by a luminous green aura.
"Sensei! You came!" Toneri blurted out, bowing slightly. "I sensed a spatial fluctuation and reacted instinctively. I didn't realize it was you!"
"You reckless kid," Yusuke sighed. "You activated the moon's barrier field—of course I'd notice and come here. Did you think I wouldn't use my power?"
"My apologies," Toneri said quickly, lowering his head respectfully.
Yusuke's tone shifted, his voice steady and serious. "Now then, tell me what's going on."
Toneri hesitated only for a moment before answering. "They've contacted my father. The main family… they want us to return. And…" He clenched his fists. "They've ordered us to destroy the Earth—and find another member of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
"Oh?" Yusuke asked, his gaze sharpening. "Another Ōtsutsuki? Who?"
"He called himself Urashiki," Toneri said gravely.
"Ah, him," Yusuke murmured, sounding more amused than surprised. "Don't worry about it."
"S-sensei… you know him?" Toneri asked, startled.
Yusuke didn't answer. Instead, he reached up and slowly removed the blindfold over his eyes.
Two golden Rinnegan gleamed beneath.
"Time Reversal — Ryūgū."
The moment he spoke, Toneri froze completely. His consciousness remained active, but his body was locked in the previous second—as though reality itself had halted just for him.
"Release."
With a single word, time flowed again. Toneri gasped, stumbling slightly as the pressure vanished.
"Sensei, that technique just now…" he muttered, stunned. It felt similar to the Time-Space Freeze Yusuke had once used—but somehow, it was purer, more absolute.
"That was Urashiki's dōjutsu," Yusuke explained calmly.
Toneri's eyes widened. "Then… Sensei, you killed him?"
"Not exactly," Yusuke replied, his voice light. "I killed his version from the future."
"The… future?" Toneri repeated, his face pale.
"Yes. The Ōtsutsuki clan possesses a sacred relic that can transcend time. Urashiki came from the future—alongside Naruto's child."
"...Naruto's child," Toneri murmured, though that part hardly interested him. His mind was already spinning.
"If such a weapon can cross through time," he said slowly, "then… couldn't someone go back and—kill you as a child? Wouldn't that change everything?"
Cold sweat trickled down his back just imagining it.
Yusuke's expression turned flat. "What kind of idiotic thoughts are you having, you brat? Have you learned nothing from me?"
Toneri immediately bowed his head. "Forgive me…"
"Listen carefully," Yusuke said, his tone low and absolute. "Time is the highest law of any world. No being—not gods, not demons, not even the false deities who call themselves divine—can defile its order."
The air itself seemed to tremble as he spoke, each word echoing with authority that transcended reason.
"I understand, Sensei," Toneri said quietly. "It's just… hard to accept. It sounds impossible."
"Remember this well," Yusuke said, his voice softening slightly. "The past cannot be changed. But the future… can still be rewritten."
"The past… and the future…" Toneri repeated under his breath, lost in thought.
His eyes reflected the distant glow of the Earth far below, and in that silent space, those words echoed endlessly in his heart.
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