Chapter 308: Excited Shanks
The reason for becoming stronger...
There was a flicker of confusion in Uchiha Sasuke's eyes.
He didn't truly know why he was so obsessed with gaining power anymore. In the past, his motivation had been clear—revenge against Uchiha Itachi. For that alone, he would have sacrificed anything.
But after learning the truth, his hatred turned toward Konoha Village. To pursue that vengeance, he endured unimaginable hardship in a foreign world.
And now... what was his reason?
Defeat Naruto.
The confusion in his gaze slowly gave way to something firmer. Whatever the case, the first thing he needed to do was defeat Naruto. That guy was just too irritating.
"You look confused."
Ryosuke chuckled, glancing at him. "Maybe you don't even know why you want to become stronger?"
"No, I know."
Sasuke shook his head. "I want to defeat Naruto."
His tone was resolute, but—
"That's the answer you came up with after all this time?"
Ryosuke led him to the top of the city wall, overlooking the entire Hyuga clan territory. "That excuse is too hollow. It sounds like something made up on the spot."
"If you defeat Naruto now—or if he refuses to fight you—what's your goal then? Maybe you'll say 'defeat me' next."
"But even that isn't a real reason. It's just another goal."
He paused, his gaze steady.
"Goals and reasons are two different things."
"A goal is something you want to accomplish. A reason is why you want to accomplish it. Without a reason, your strength has no core—no anchor."
"In the past, revenge was your reason. That gave you power, clarity, and obsession. But now..."
"You've felt it, haven't you? Even with the energy system you've gained from that other world, your chakra progress over the years hasn't been anything exceptional."
"Compared to Naruto's growth, yours looks... ordinary. With that world's new system backing you, you shouldn't be falling behind."
"Maybe... it's because you don't know how to face the village Uchiha Itachi protected with his life. You don't know what your stance toward it should be."
Ryosuke couldn't fully see Sasuke's fate in the other world—but he could see his inner turmoil now.
And that was enough.
Sasuke was clearly lost.
Unlike before, when he single-mindedly chased vengeance against Itachi, his current hatred was scattered and his obsession weaker. Even the fire that once pushed him forward was dimmer now.
"The reason is important."
Ryosuke turned to him. "Take me, for example. If I claimed I'm getting stronger for the rise of the Hyuga clan—to lead my family to new heights—that would sound noble."
"But even I can't fully convince myself of that."
"I don't care about this clan that much—not enough to push myself day and night for their sake."
"So why do I become stronger?"
He gazed down at the city, then answered himself.
"Because I find joy in training... and excitement in battle. That's one reason."
"Also, the world is too dangerous now. If I don't grow stronger fast enough, I won't be able to protect the people I truly care about—Hinata and the others. That's another reason."
"Back during the Water Country War, I could've defeated Uchiha Madara. But I hesitated—because there were so few people I genuinely cared about."
"I don't have the capacity to protect everyone. Only a very small number can stir my emotions. And they become the driving force behind my growth."
"And beyond those? I have plenty of other reasons—my life experience, Boros's obsession... too many factors pushing me forward."
"All of it forms a solid foundation for why I continue getting stronger."
He turned his gaze back to Sasuke.
"So... what about you?"
Sasuke stood stunned beside him as Ryosuke added gently, "Strength alone isn't enough. Growth in mindset and willpower matters too."
Like Naruto, Sasuke had suffered through a painful childhood.
But compared to Naruto, Sasuke clearly had fewer emotional anchors. That much was evident from his actions during the destruction of Konoha.
He didn't come out of it with clarity—only conflict. The pressure in his heart hadn't been resolved.
Killing doesn't solve everything.
"...Why are you telling me this?"
Sasuke asked after a pause.
He didn't think his relationship with Ryosuke was close enough for the latter to offer guidance like this. If it were Naruto, sure. That would make sense.
"Just think of it as an investment."
Ryosuke replied casually. "I want to see how far your duel with Naruto can push both of you. If you get lost or stagnate now, you'll never catch up to him."
"And besides... you and I will be allies in the future, right? Consider this my attempt to gain your trust in preparation for our eventual cooperation."
"..."
Though he appreciated the words deep down, Sasuke still felt a surge of irritation at Ryosuke's slightly condescending tone.
He almost let out a snort—but when he remembered the man's overwhelming strength, he swallowed his pride and muttered, "Yeah."
Obediently, he followed Ryosuke down the city wall, heading toward the Hyuga clan's territory.
Though Sasuke's attire had modernized somewhat after his time in the other world, the Uchiha crest remained on his back.
That crest was all too familiar to the Hyuga.
Even with Ryosuke leading the way, many Hyuga clansmen cast wary glances at Sasuke as they passed.
"Don't worry, it's not your fault," Ryosuke explained. "There's currently another Uchiha visiting the clan—someone with a rather sensitive identity. Your timing just made things more complicated."
Sasuke hesitated. "Uchiha Madara?"
Ryosuke nodded. "Yeah."
Sasuke didn't respond but fell into deep thought.
When they arrived home, Hinata and her father were nowhere to be found.
Since the main wedding ceremony was going to be held in the Teigu World, they must have already gone ahead to prepare. That left Ryosuke temporarily in charge of matters in the Ninja World.
"Ryosuke, you looking for me?"
Before he could settle in the main hall, a staggering figure with red hair appeared at the door.
"Yeah."
Ryosuke nodded. "There's an Uchiha friend here who also mastered the space-time gate. On the other side of that gate is a world filled with monsters. From what I've heard, the description matches what you've just mentioned, so I thought of asking you to come and take a look."
He didn't beat around the bush—his words directly explained the reason for summoning Shanks.
"Monsters?"
Shanks' cheerful expression froze. His heart clenched as he turned sharply toward the pale-faced, sharp-eyed boy beside Ryosuke.
Sasuke immediately felt an overwhelming pressure crash down on him. In that moment, the red-haired middle-aged man seemed to grow as imposing as a Titan of light, exuding a fearsome aura that threatened to crush him.
He had just finished a multi-day battle and was still recovering. That sudden blast of pressure almost knocked him to the ground.
"Shanks, he's a guest."
Ryosuke's smile vanished. The next moment, his own aura surged forth, completely suppressing Shanks' Conqueror's Haki and easily dispersing it.
"Sorry, sorry," Shanks apologized with a sheepish grin. "I got a little excited... the thought of possibly going home rattled me."
He stepped back quickly and bowed lightly toward Sasuke.
"Hmph."
Sasuke's already pale complexion turned even paler. He snorted coldly, clearly not accepting the apology.
"Sorry, really sorry."
Shanks walked over awkwardly, sat beside him, and asked, "Brother, can you tell me more about that world you went to?"
"…Is he supposed to be one of my future partners?" Sasuke ignored the question and turned his cold gaze toward Ryosuke.
"Yes," Ryosuke nodded. "Shanks is currently affiliated with the Hyuga."
"I'm sure you've already realized that Mr. Shanks is from another world."
"For now, he's cooperating with us. He hopes to return home through our resources. As for a deeper alliance—fully joining our family—he's still hesitant."
That last line was clearly a reminder.
Shanks looked slightly embarrassed. He'd long known that Ryosuke could read minds, which was why he'd always been careful during their encounters. Even when they met, he kept his inner thoughts restrained.
But upon hearing there was hope of returning home, stray emotions had inevitably crept in.
To Shanks, joining the Hyuga was no different than boarding another pirate ship. And as one of the Four Emperors, that idea wasn't so easy to accept.
Yet Ryosuke didn't press the issue. He already knew what Shanks was thinking and never exposed it. He believed time—and Hyuga's steady rise—would eventually change the man's perspective.
"This is Uchiha Sasuke," Ryosuke introduced calmly. "He comes from the same clan as Uchiha Madara, who is also currently a guest of the Hyuga. You could say… he's Madara's descendant."
"Though young, don't underestimate him."
"He couldn't resist your Haki just now only because he's recently fought a prolonged battle and his body is still recovering."
"If Sasuke ends up forming a partnership with Hyuga in the future, I hope you won't let this little episode get in the way."
He turned to Sasuke.
"If you're still bothered, I can arrange a match between you two once you've recovered. Let your strength settle the score."
"But let me remind you—Shanks once fought Uchiha Madara. He lost, yes—but that doesn't mean he's weak. His improvement since then has been startling."
"His training system is completely different from yours and Naruto's. Without a direct clash, I can't say who's stronger. But I won't stop him from going all out against you."
Shanks' strength had improved immensely since his battle with Madara.
Even just now, when he unintentionally released his Haki toward Sasuke, the pressure he gave off was on a completely different level than before—at least twice as intense.
Whether he had other hidden trump cards or breakthroughs, Ryosuke didn't say. Nor did he intend to dig deeper.
"I don't need him to hold back," Sasuke said coldly, locking eyes with Shanks. "Let's duel—after some time."
Clearly, he hadn't forgotten the humiliation of being nearly flattened while injured.
"As you wish," Shanks replied with a slight nod, showing no intention of refusing.
"Alright, that's settled. But this duel happens after my wedding," Ryosuke interjected with a wave of his hand. "I don't want my ceremony disrupted because of your testosterone-fueled grudge match."
He turned to Sasuke again.
"Now, can we get to the point?"
At this moment, Sasuke, who had originally planned to cautiously probe Hyuga's stance, had already—unwittingly—fallen into the role of a partner. He didn't even realize the subtle shift in his mindset.
Nor was he aware of Ryosuke's deliberate guidance in the matter.
"About… four years ago," Sasuke began. "After the battle in the Land of Water, I was on my way to find Naruto, carrying the pair of Sharingan Itachi entrusted to me."
"But along the way, a space-time gate appeared. I was dragged in without warning…"
He had been pulled from this world during the Water Country War. After that, he spent two years trapped in a different world.
Sasuke breezed over that time quickly, avoiding specifics.
But Ryosuke understood. He had likely spent those two years lost—uncertain of what to do, aimless.
It wasn't until two years later that he began uncovering the strange powers of that world—aliens hiding within Earth, and humans with supernatural abilities.
"The monsters were exposed to the world a year ago," Sasuke said with a complicated expression. "And then... a giant of light named Tiga appeared."
"By then, I had already learned to use the Mangekyō fairly well. I could summon a chakra form—Susanoo."
"But even with that power, I struggled to fight the monsters and giants of light. I had to rely on illusions and other tricks just to throw them off."
"They were… terrifying. Impossible to understand. Monsters born for destruction."
"Some had strength rivaling Susanoo, thick armor-like hides, energy cannons like nuclear bombs, and strange abilities beyond imagination."
"And Tiga… the so-called 'giant of light' who protected Earth… was even more terrifying than the monsters."
"He had a vaguely human-like form, but powers that completely surpassed anything human."
"But in that world… I never encountered a navy, Devil Fruit users, or pirates like the ones you described."