Chapter 225 — The Wrath of Hatake Yusuke
"Tsunade-baa-chan, what happened this time?" Naruto asked, his expression unusually grave. He could tell from the tension in Tsunade's face that something serious had happened.
Tsunade exhaled slowly, her gaze sharp as steel. "Uchiha Sasuke… has killed Orochimaru."
The room fell silent.
...Sasuke.
Sakura's thoughts froze. Her chest tightened painfully as the words echoed in her mind.
"Sasuke?!" Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief.
"As of this moment," Tsunade continued coldly, "Uchiha Sasuke has been officially classified as an S-rank rogue ninja. An arrest order has been issued."
"But—"
"Save it, Naruto," Shikamaru interjected calmly. "If Sasuke really killed Orochimaru, then he has to be captured. Otherwise, Konoha will face pressure and criticism from every hidden village across the shinobi world."
Naruto clenched his fists. Sakura lowered her head, her eyes filled with loss.
"So, what are your orders, Hokage-sama?" Shikamaru asked, his tone steady and professional.
"A Special Task Unit will be dispatched," Tsunade said. "Your mission is to locate Uchiha Sasuke's whereabouts."
"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, Sasuke's current strength might already be beyond our reach," Shikamaru warned.
"I'm aware of that," Tsunade replied. "You're only to gather intelligence for now. Once Kakashi completes his mission, I'll assign him to support your team."
"As you command. We'll move out this evening," said Shikamaru.
"Tsunade-sama, please let me come too," Sakura said suddenly, unable to stay silent any longer.
Tsunade hesitated. Sakura's strength had improved dramatically over the years, but Tsunade didn't want to risk her safety on such a volatile mission.
Before she could respond, a familiar, lazy voice echoed from the doorway.
"Let her go. You won't be able to stop her anyway."
Yusuke strolled in casually, hands in his pockets, his tone light but absolute.
"But—"
"It's fine," Yusuke said. "Let Toneri go with them as well. There's nothing to worry about."
Tsunade frowned slightly, but Yusuke continued before she could argue.
"Two years ago, Konoha didn't care much about Sasuke's betrayal. Two years later, that hasn't changed. He's still just a boy. Even if his power has grown a hundredfold, there's nothing to fear."
"Yusuke-sensei…" Shikamaru interjected, his voice low but steady. "Uchiha Sasuke is a Konoha defector, and we can't forget that Uchiha Itachi is part of Akatsuki."
"Young man," Yusuke said with a small smirk, "you think too much. Don't waste your time worrying about what other villages think."
He understood Shikamaru's concern—if Konoha didn't act, other nations could use the situation as a political excuse to attack.
But Yusuke didn't care.
What could they possibly do to him?
"Understood, Yusuke-sensei," Shikamaru replied quietly, bowing his head.
"Then it's settled," Tsunade said, regaining her composure. "Toneri, you'll accompany them."
"Understood," Toneri answered calmly.
The team dispersed to prepare, collecting supplies and finalizing formation details.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and glanced at Yusuke. "You're not interested in seeing it yourself? If Sasuke really killed Orochimaru, his next target will definitely be Itachi. That's your student too, isn't it?"
Yusuke's expression barely changed. "Uchiha Sasuke, huh? He's talented, sure… but compared to Itachi, he's still far behind. Even without the Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke wouldn't stand a chance. He never had one to begin with."
"You praise Itachi that highly?" Tsunade asked in surprise. "You've never even spoken that kindly about Toneri."
In her eyes, Toneri's current strength already surpassed Itachi's. Yet Yusuke never showered him with such direct admiration.
"He deserves it," Yusuke said simply. "In terms of pure talent, there are only a handful in the entire shinobi world who can match him. Even Kakashi and Toneri have a gap between them."
"Really now?" Tsunade asked, intrigued.
"The difference isn't strength—it's inheritance," Yusuke explained. "If Itachi wasn't limited by the curse of his bloodline, he'd be far stronger. Maybe even Minato-nii couldn't compare to him in raw talent."
Tsunade smirked. "Oh? Could he surpass you, then?"
"Of course not," Yusuke said instantly, smirking back.
But after a pause, he added thoughtfully, "If we were truly equal in every way… the result might be unpredictable."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You mean… you could actually lose?"
"I mean," Yusuke replied lightly, "I would win."
His voice was calm, but his eyes burned with quiet confidence. Even if Itachi outmatched him in certain aspects, Yusuke was certain—he would be the one standing in the end.
"So, where are you going now?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.
"You want to come along?" Yusuke grinned. "A duel between brothers—that kind of thing's always entertaining to watch."
"You're unbelievable," Tsunade muttered. "No, I'll pass. I'm exhausted."
"Your loss. But then again—" Yusuke chuckled. "You're the one who chose to be Hokage. Anyway, I'm heading out."
"Wait," Tsunade said quickly. "Sasuke hasn't even reached Itachi yet. What's the rush?"
"Please," Yusuke smirked. "A big fight's no fun without snacks. You can't just watch empty-handed, right?"
"…You're ridiculous."
"Then I'm coming too!" Tsunade suddenly said. "And while you're at it, buy me and Kurenai something sweet. Oh, and stop by the Daimyō's mansion for sake. That stingy old man barely gave me any last time."
Tsunade might've been Hokage, but she hated dealing with politics. Yusuke, however, was another story. He'd once barged into the Daimyō's palace, crushed the floor under his heel, and scared the man so badly he still trembled at the mention of his name.
Yusuke tilted his head. "Fine, but… is Kurenai coming too? That might not be wise."
Tsunade waved dismissively. "Don't worry. No one would dare touch her as long as you're around."
"Fair enough." Yusuke nodded, accepting her point. "Then I'll get ready."
He gave Tsunade the location he planned to go, and she immediately began preparing on her end.
— — —
Meanwhile, neither Uchiha Itachi nor Uchiha Sasuke had any idea that their long-awaited, fated duel—brother against brother—was about to have an unexpected audience.
But even if they had known, it wouldn't have mattered.
Together or apart, the Uchiha brothers couldn't even match Kakashi—let alone Yusuke.
Even Hatake Sakumo and Yūhi Shinku, though long retired and sustained by immortality rituals, still retained power on par with the Kage.
— — —
Yusuke's first stop: Kumogakure. His mission—snacks.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke-sama," said the shopkeeper, bowing nervously. "All the sweets today were purchased by Raikage-sama himself."
"…What?" Yusuke froze. His lollipop fell from his mouth. "That old man dared to take my sweets?"
He clenched his fists, rolling up his sleeves. "Unforgivable. Absolutely unforgivable!"
For him, a battle without sweets beforehand was like a concert without music. It simply couldn't happen.
"That's it! I'm furious now!" he growled, his killing intent flaring like a storm. "Raikage, you bastard—if I don't turn you into dust today, my name isn't Hatake Yusuke!"
The shopkeeper could only sigh helplessly, pitying the Raikage. Everyone in Kumogakure knew Yusuke's reputation. They didn't know his exact strength, but the fact that every Kage treated him with the reverence of a superior spoke volumes.
And now he was angry.
Yusuke's chakra flared violently, shaking the air around him. The killing intent spread like a suffocating wave.
Nearby shinobi froze in place, trembling uncontrollably. Civilians collapsed, some fainting on the spot.
The sky itself seemed to darken.
"Damn it…" Yusuke muttered, his eyes gleaming like lightning. "He's going to pay for stealing my sweets."
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