Chapter 197: Shennong
"I'm heading out for a bit," Hatake Yusuke said with a warm smile, stepping forward without glancing back.
"This is bad. He's mad... Tsunade-neechan, please stop him! If you don't, Konoha might get flattened!" Kurenai exclaimed in a panic.
"If he's angry, of course I'd notice it. Don't worry, Kurenai. He won't harm Konoha... after all, you and I are still here," Tsunade replied as she gazed out the window.
She knew Hatake Yusuke well—perhaps only Kakashi knew him to the same degree.
If Yusuke's fury was because of Kurenai, then Tsunade was certain... he would never allow any harm to befall her.
Outside the Hokage's office, Hatake Yusuke stepped into the open and looked up at the sky where enemy shinobi soared with chakra-crafted wings. His expression remained still and unreadable.
He rose silently into the air. The moment the enemy spotted him, they aimed their weapons without hesitation.
"Wouldn't living in peace be better?" Yusuke said, his voice cold and calm.
A moment later, a transparent barrier shimmered into existence, surrounding all of Konoha. It was the manifestation of his Barrier-Barrier Fruit—a defense that no ordinary attack could breach.
Explosions rang out as the shinobi above launched their attacks, hurling missiles and chakra blasts down upon him.
But the attacks couldn't even scratch him. The barrier held firm, and even the strikes aimed directly at Yusuke halted mid-air, unable to reach him.
The shinobi below could only watch in awe as the figure stood in the sky—immovable, invincible.
Yusuke drifted higher, silent as the wind. Every projectile fired toward him paused, suspended in space as if time itself rejected their presence.
Panic began to ripple among the enemy.
"Monster! Retreat now!"
Several tried to flee. But Yusuke wasn't feeling merciful.
"Shinra Tensei."
With a whisper, a massive gravitational wave erupted from his position. The attackers were blasted away, crushed like flies under a divine force.
"Think you can run?" Yusuke's lips curled into a cold smirk as he locked onto the survivors.
"Laser Slice."
Dozens of fine beams of light traced out from his body, slicing through the air with precision.
One heartbeat later, those fleeing figures were diced cleanly, their lifeless bodies falling like broken puppets.
Then came another intruder—a stranger aboard a hovering aircraft.
He unleashed a massive energy blast toward the village, but it shattered harmlessly against the impenetrable barrier.
Yusuke raised a hand.
"Lion Roar: Sky Scroll."
A monstrous lion formed of roaring air burst forth, crashing into the aircraft. The explosion scattered the craft into dust across the sky.
Inside the Hokage's office, a shinobi arrived to deliver his report.
"Tsunade-sama, the damage has been assessed. Thanks to Hatake Yusuke-sama, there were no casualties. Only a few minor injuries."
"I see. You're dismissed," Tsunade said coolly, though her gaze remained fixed on the lone figure floating in the sky.
Kurenai chuckled beside her. "You've been watching him for years, Neechan. Still not bored yet?"
"Why, you little—mocking me like that?" Tsunade growled, stepping forward.
"Easy there. I'm pregnant, remember?" Kurenai smiled gently, rubbing her belly.
Tsunade returned to her chair, her face suddenly solemn.
"…Haaah."
"What's wrong, Neechan?" Kurenai asked, a bit puzzled—she hadn't seen what just happened.
"It's over," Tsunade said quietly. "It didn't even last a full minute. Dozens of enemy shinobi, wiped out completely."
"I see…" Kurenai's expression turned distant as she drifted into thought.
"You shouldn't wear that look. You're expecting," Tsunade added, trying to lift her mood.
"I've admired Yusuke since we were young. He's always been incredible. But now... it's beyond what I imagined. For some, that strength might be a blessing. But for him... maybe not."
"…Yeah." Tsunade nodded softly, understanding all too well.
Just then, Yusuke stepped back into the office.
"What's with those gloomy faces?" he said with a teasing smile, reaching out and pinching both of their cheeks.
"Let go…" Kurenai murmured softly, not resisting.
But Tsunade wasn't having it. She swatted his hand away.
"Still sulking? Don't worry, Tsunade. I'll find the ones responsible... and wipe them out," Yusuke said, his tone unusually serious.
His rage clearly hadn't subsided. He wasn't going to let the masterminds behind this attack go. If he had to, he would erase their very ashes.
"You don't have to go that far…" Tsunade said with concern.
She feared he might go overboard again. Last time, when Yusuke was experimenting with the Magma-Magma Fruit, his power accidentally altered the climate of an entire island.
What used to be a beautiful vacation spot turned into a disaster zone. Tsunade had been furious.
Yusuke tried to fix it with the Ice-Ice Fruit... but ended up creating a bizarre land where one half became a volcanic hellscape, the other a frozen tundra.
And if he ever used the Tremor-Tremor Fruit carelessly—one of the most dangerous Devil Fruits, capable of destroying the world—the result could be catastrophic.
Even a light punch could level everything. The damage was irreversible. Compared to magma, Tremor was on a whole different level.
"…Oh?" Yusuke paused, narrowing his eyes. With a flicker of Observation Haki, he sensed the presence of an unfamiliar old man nearby.
But he didn't act—yet.
Moments later, Naruto and Sakura entered the Hokage's office with a young boy and an elderly man.
They had come to request a mission.
The old man introduced himself as Shennong, and the boy was his student, Amaru. But Shennong's eyes lingered on Yusuke, filled with cautious tension.
He had seen Yusuke destroy everything just minutes ago. His plan—so carefully laid—was completely ruined by that man. But thankfully, he had already secured the scroll he came for.
"Tsunade-sama," Naruto said. "They're requesting a mission."
"Alright. Naruto, Sakura, Hinata—you'll take this one," Tsunade instructed.
The three quickly departed for a small village on the edge of the Land of Fire.
"So... it's finally starting, huh?" Yusuke murmured.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked.
"You've heard of Zero-Tails, haven't you?"
"Zero-Tails? Wasn't that a creature mentioned in the legacy scroll left by the Second Hokage?" Tsunade's brows furrowed.
"Yeah. It's strong, but it's no Tailed Beast. Not really. Its essence is different," Yusuke replied.
"Wait—Zero-Tails?! That means…!"
Tsunade instantly moved to act.
"Too late," Yusuke said quietly. "Shennong already has the scroll."
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