Chapter 17 – Battle Against the White Fang
"Hokage-sama, the mission is complete," Black Hound reported with respect.
After a full day of travel, Hatake Yusuke and the others had finally returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.
For the sake of the report, only Black Hound went directly to the Hokage's office. The others went home to rest.
"And how did the kids perform this time?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked gently, puffing on his long pipe.
"They've all proven themselves worthy of being called shinobi," Black Hound replied. Though his tone carried a subtle hesitation.
Especially that boy—Yusuke. He didn't need years to surpass him.
If Yusuke heard that, he'd probably chuckle and say, "Surpass you? I could beat you right now, Elite Jōnin or not."
"What about that one boy?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes knowingly.
"That boy... in all my life, I've never seen anyone like him," Black Hound said, shaking his head slowly.
"Every time I think I've figured him out... he shows me something even more ridiculous."
"Oh?" Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Tell me more. What did he do this time?"
"The way he defeated a Jōnin during our mission… I thought it was some kind of Kekkei Genkai. It was powerful—too powerful. And he didn't even need hand seals," Black Hound explained, recalling the scenes from the battlefield.
"No hand seals, and it caused tremors in the air itself?" Hiruzen muttered, frowning.
As the so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, even he had never heard of a Kekkei Genkai like that. Could this be something newly awakened...?
"But that's not all," Black Hound continued.
"There's more?" Hiruzen's voice was laced with disbelief.
"The others with him mentioned something strange. They said... an invisible pressure exploded out of Yusuke's body. In an instant, all the weaker enemy shinobi just collapsed—completely unconscious, like they were hit by a mass Genjutsu. But the odd part... Yusuke showed no signs of fatigue at all."
"A Genjutsu that powerful... and no chakra drain?" Hiruzen muttered. "Even I can't do that..."
"…Thank you, Black Hound. You may go."
As Black Hound bowed and turned to leave, a shadow stirred from the corner of the room.
From the darkness, a man stepped forward.
"Sarutobi, that boy must be placed under ROOT."
The heavy, commanding voice belonged to none other than Danzō Shimura.
"He's hiding his true power. Clearly, he's not normal. Let me take him under my wing."
"Danzō," Hiruzen sighed, "How many times do I have to say this—leave that child alone. Don't forget who he is."
"…He's the son of the White Fang."
The moment that name was spoken, Danzō's pupils narrowed.
He fell silent, but for a split second—a murderous glint flickered in his eye.
— — —
"No Kakashi, no Dad... huh," Yusuke muttered as he stepped into the empty house.
He didn't bother to rest. Without missing a beat, he darted toward the woods where they usually trained.
He knew Kakashi wasn't on any missions.
Just as he suspected, at the training grounds, Kakashi was already sparring with a tall man with wild silver hair and a broken sword strapped to his back.
There was no need to ask who he was.
Hatake Sakumo. The White Fang of the Leaf.
"You've grown a lot, Kakashi," Sakumo said warmly, lowering his stance.
"By the way, when did you get back?" he added, turning his gaze toward the dense tree on the right.
"Just now," Yusuke replied, hopping down from the treetop. "The house was empty, so I figured you'd be here."
"Big brother, you're back!" Kakashi called out happily.
...Finally. No more having to eat Dad's cooking.
"Yeah," Yusuke chuckled, ruffling Kakashi's hair.
But Kakashi rolled his eyes and slapped his hand away.
Sakumo stared at Yusuke with narrowed eyes.
He's grown stronger... again, Sakumo thought.
Ordinary people wouldn't notice it. But someone like the White Fang—whose instincts were honed sharper than steel—could feel it immediately.
"How about a quick spar?" Sakumo suggested, casually.
"With pleasure," Yusuke replied, his eyes lighting up with anticipation.
He'd been wanting to test his new strength.
"Go all out, kid. If you don't fight like you're trying to kill me... you won't stand a chance," Sakumo said calmly.
Yusuke didn't answer. He just dropped into a ready stance, eyes locked on the White Fang.
Sakumo didn't move either.
But then... it started.
A suffocating pressure radiated from him.
It wasn't chakra—it was killing intent. Pure, sharp, and overwhelming. The air turned cold. The leaves stilled. Even Kakashi, who stood nearby, started to sweat.
Yusuke merely clicked his tongue.
Tch. What a cheap trick.
That kind of intimidation only worked on amateurs—on those who'd never seen real battle.
But Yusuke had Conqueror's Haki.
An innate force possessed only by those destined to stand above others.
A power that could crush the will of weaker opponents—without even touching them.
Unlike Observation or Armament Haki, this power couldn't be learned or inherited.
It was pure fate.
This boy... how the hell does he have such pressure? Sakumo thought, forcing himself to refocus.
He could feel it—Yusuke's spiritual force crashing against his own.
It slightly disrupted his chakra flow. Not enough to debilitate him, but just enough to notice.
Still, Sakumo was no rookie.
He adjusted his chakra, dispelling the effects of the Haki.
Yusuke didn't wait.
In an instant, he vanished from sight and reappeared beside Sakumo, fist flying toward his ribs.
Sakumo smiled faintly.
Fast. Faster than most Tokubetsu Jōnin, even.
But still not fast enough.
He sidestepped with ease.
Yusuke pressed forward. His fists now glowed with white energy. Sakumo dodged again, light on his feet—but—
BOOM! BOOM!
Shockwaves rippled through the forest as Yusuke's punches tore through thick tree trunks and cratered the ground.
Occasionally, his strikes clashed with Sakumo's blade, ringing out like bells in the deep woods.
Throughout the battle, Sakumo never once used his full strength.
But there was no denying it—
Yusuke's fighting style was brilliant.
His punches tore through the air like cannon blasts. Even his wild swings packed the force of B-rank jutsu.
And Sakumo?
He dodged them like a leaf in the wind. Twisting, spinning, hopping from one foothold to the next.
He looked more like a dancer than a warrior.
And he was enjoying it.
But Yusuke wasn't blind.
He could tell—
Sakumo was holding back.
That stung a bit.
This... was what it meant to face a true Kage-level ninja.
No matter how far he'd come, the gap between them was still vast.
Maybe... it's time I stopped holding back too.
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