Chapter 209 – Team 8
"Idiots…" Yusuke muttered, pressing a hand to his face in disbelief.
With the scale of that Thunderfall attack, even a blind man could've seen it. These kids' intelligence really was on par with Naruto's.
"Hatake Yusuke," Tsunade said, her voice heavy, "I need an explanation."
"Oh, right… maybe it was about to rain earlier," Yusuke said casually. "A few thunderclaps are normal, right?"
"Oh? So you think I'm stupid?" Tsunade shot him a glare sharp enough to pierce steel. "The sky was perfectly clear—and then dark clouds suddenly rolled in, lightning struck like the end of the world, and you expect me to believe that had nothing to do with you?"
"Well, you can't be certain it was me," Yusuke said smoothly. "Besides, look around—nothing's broken. If I'd really been fighting, at least a few trees would be gone. But right now? Everything's perfectly fine."
He paused, realizing his own words had cornered him. He began inching backward to escape.
"Exactly," Tsunade snapped, taking a step forward. "The fact that nothing is damaged makes it even more suspicious. You're telling me you unleashed something like that without leaving a single trace? Even the blood on those kids hasn't dried!"
Yusuke sighed. "All right, fine, I admit it—the thunder earlier was mine. But look, there's no actual damage, is there?"
"No damage? You idiot!" Tsunade's voice thundered louder than his jutsu. "That lightning storm looked like a natural disaster! Do you have any idea how terrified the civilians were? Half the market district nearly broke into a riot!"
"Eh, it couldn't have been that bad," Yusuke replied dismissively, waving a hand.
Meanwhile, his three students stood behind him, utterly speechless. The sheer power of that storm had nearly wiped them off the face of the earth. In a single moment, the entire training field had been obliterated—trees flattened, the ground charred black. If Yusuke hadn't shielded them at the last second, none of them would be standing now.
"Damn it, Yusuke!" Tsunade growled, rubbing her temples. "I've told you before—not to use wide-area jutsu like that inside the village!"
"Anyway," Yusuke said quickly, turning toward his students, "you three should go home first."
He waved a hand, and a shimmering portal appeared in midair. The three students glanced at one another before vanishing through it without a word.
Once they were gone, Yusuke flashed a charming smile and turned back to Tsunade. "I get it, Tsuna-chan, don't be mad. You know how it is—sometimes I can't fully control my power. It only looked dangerous, but it wasn't actually that strong."
He wasn't lying. Thunderfall had a massive range, but for any high-level shinobi, it was more flashy than deadly. Its true problem was that it scattered over too wide an area, making it spectacular but inefficient—unlike something like Volcanic Eruption, which focused its destruction into pure explosive force.
Visually, lightning was far more terrifying, but Yusuke hadn't even used a fraction of his real power.
"I'll handle calming down the villagers," Tsunade sighed. "I don't plan to punish you—it's not as if scaring people counts as a crime. But still, Yusuke… since I became Hokage, I've had to take my duties seriously. At least while I'm in this seat, I want to make this village a better place. That's my promise—to Grandpa and Grandpa Tobirama."
Yusuke chuckled softly. "Hahaha! That's my Tsuna—so dependable. Don't worry, I'll support you. No matter what happens, I'll always have your back."
"…Thank you, my husband," Tsunade said with a warm smile.
He grinned. "You sure you're not tired?"
"Tired? You just caused a thunderstorm over half the village," Tsunade replied dryly. "And you're not even sweating."
"I don't feel like I did anything today," Yusuke said lightly.
"Your strength… it's grown again, hasn't it?" Tsunade said, studying him closely. "That Lightning Release technique of yours was terrifying. I've never seen you use anything like it before."
"Oh, that?" Yusuke replied nonchalantly. "I just never had a reason to use it until now."
He had possessed the power of the Goro Goro no Mi for a long time, but he'd rarely drawn on it. Despite its fearsome potential—it was considered one of the strongest Logia fruits—he didn't particularly like it.
In terms of raw speed, the Pika Pika no Mi's light outclassed lightning. And for sheer destructive might, the Magu Magu no Mi's magma reigned supreme, its explosive power unmatched even among Logias.
The Goro Goro no Mi was still formidable, but Yusuke hadn't found anyone worthy enough to make him use it seriously. Against weaker foes, fruits like the Gura Gura no Mi or Magu Magu no Mi were far more efficient.
(In the shinobi world, lightning was common—powerful, yes, but ordinary.)
"How's the seal on your body?" Tsunade asked suddenly.
"Oh? It's starting to loosen," Yusuke said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal his forearm. A strange tadpole-shaped rune pulsed faintly on his skin.
"Just as I thought," Tsunade murmured, frowning.
"It's fine," Yusuke said easily. "When I get the chance, I'll ask Kushina to reinforce it—or maybe reseal it completely."
That seal wasn't placed on him by anyone else. Yusuke had asked Kushina to create it himself—to restrain half of his power.
Over the years, his body had only grown stronger, even without training. The combined influence of multiple Devil Fruits had pushed him beyond his own limits. At one point, even he struggled to contain it all, and sealing a portion of his strength became the only safe option.
"Don't look so gloomy," he said with a grin. "One day, someone strong enough to challenge me will appear. I'm actually looking forward to it."
Tsunade smiled faintly at his words, though deep down, she wasn't convinced. The world might never see another being like Hatake Yusuke again.
Perhaps… only a child born from him and Kurenai—or her—might someday rival his power. At least their blood carried hope.
Still… poor kid. Not even born yet, and their own mother was already volunteering them to fight their father someday.
Time passed quietly. More than a month slipped by. During that time, Yusuke took his three students on a series of missions. Each of them trained harder than ever—though their motivation wasn't exactly pure.
Every time they completed a mission, Yusuke ate like a bottomless pit. Their entire mission rewards disappeared into feeding him.
If not for Yusuke noticing their gloomy faces, he probably would've kept eating without remorse.
By now, the three of them were completely broke.
Only Hinata, the heiress of the Hyūga clan, still had money to her name. Her position as the future head of the main family made her untouchable—and once the elders learned her team leader was Hatake Yusuke, their pride nearly doubled overnight.
And now… their next mission had arrived.
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