Chapter 36 – The Roaring Sea
"Hatake Yusuke, just tell me... how much for you to sell it to me?" Mei Terumi asked, her tone firm and impatient.
"Why should I sell it to you?" Yusuke rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.
"Y-You're a man! Why are you buying a necklace for women?!" Mei barked, frustrated and losing her composure.
"That's a funny way of thinking. Are men not allowed to wear necklaces? And what's wrong with giving one as a gift?" Yusuke sighed, already tired of this conversation.
"Hmph! Just name your price!" Mei pushed.
"It's not for sale. No matter how much you offer, I'm not selling it," Yusuke replied flatly.
"I'll pay triple!"
"You're seriously annoying. I already said it's not for sale! Even if you offer a hundred times more, I still wouldn't sell it!" His voice grew sharper.
"You bastard!" Mei snapped, teeth clenched. As the pride of Kirigakure, she couldn't believe she was being treated this way.
Without sparing her another glance, Yusuke paid for the necklace and turned to leave. Unfortunately, that brief encounter had completely ruined his mood.
"...Why are you following me?" Yusuke asked, shooting a glance over his shoulder.
"Hmph! Who's following you? I just happen to be walking in the same direction," Mei replied curtly.
After a few moments of awkward silence, it became clear—they were indeed heading the same way.
Yusuke began to piece it together. If Mei Terumi was here, in the city where Kirigakure's Daimyō resided, then she was likely appointed as a personal guard for Kafu by the Mizukage himself.
"Yusuke, you're back," Minato greeted as he noticed him return.
"Minato-nii, you've been training, haven't you?" Yusuke said, noticing the dirt and sweat covering Minato's body.
"Yeah. Not all of us are as gifted as you," Minato replied with a soft smile.
"That's not exactly true, Minato-nii. I'm not a genius. I just train harder than anyone else—away from the eyes of others. Don't let the word 'genius' erase all my hard work," Yusuke said, voice calm but steady.
"I... I've been too narrow-minded," Minato admitted, nodding.
"Haha, no need to feel bad, Minato-nii. But just because I work hard doesn't mean you can ignore my talent either," Yusuke chuckled.
Minato was silent for a moment... then laughed along with him.
"Well then, I'll head to my room first," Yusuke said and left the common area.
Ever since running into Mei Terumi, Yusuke had been wary. His presence here was bound to attract attention.
With his talent, it was natural for any nation to want to keep tabs on him. But he wasn't worried. Even if the Mizukage personally made a move, it wouldn't be easy to stop him at full power.
— — —
Elsewhere, in the Daimyō's residence...
"Lord Mizukage, we've received a report from the Jōnin guard: Hatake Yusuke has also been spotted in the Land of Water," a shinobi reported.
"What's the Konoha team's formation this time?" the Third Mizukage asked.
"They've dispatched two elite Jōnin. Among the elite, they're some of the strongest."
(For reference: There is no official 'quasi-Kage' or 'Kage-tier' designation within the formal ranking system.)
"What's your take, Murakami?" Mizukage turned to one of his advisors.
"I suggest dispatching the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"No. They're too conspicuous. If anything happens, Konoha won't stay silent," the Mizukage rejected immediately.
"Then let me go. I'll handle this quietly," Murakami offered.
"Very well. Take two elite Jōnin with you. I want this mission completed so cleanly that it's as if nothing ever happened."
"Understood, Lord Mizukage. I'll depart at once," Murakami bowed and left the room.
Hōzuki Murakami was one of Kirigakure's top assets. He had power on par with a Kage, and as the head of the Hōzuki Clan, he held a position comparable to Shimura Danzō in Konoha.
— — —
The next day, Yusuke and his companions prepared to return to Konoha.
Kirigakure had arranged a small boat for their departure.
"Report! Chakra waves detected from Konoha shinobi!" shouted a scout from the border. A group of masked shinobi stood at the ready.
"All units, prepare. Masks on!"
"Yes, sir!"
Moments later, a small boat appeared in the distance.
"Attack!"
The masked shinobi launched into action.
"I've got this," Minato said calmly, leaping onto the water's surface to intercept them.
Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.
Minato formed hand seals with lightning speed. His ambush was so sudden the enemy had no time to react. More than ten shinobi dropped instantly.
Water Release: Water Surge!
A shinobi from the enemy side retaliated with a large-scale water jutsu.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
A blast of wind from the Konoha side collided with the incoming wave, neutralizing it. At the same time, Minato dashed into their ranks, swift as a flicker of light.
His mastery of the Body Flicker Technique allowed him to overwhelm his enemies one by one. Though not quite as fast as Flying Thunder God, to ordinary shinobi, his attacks were already beyond reaction speed.
"Tch... What a joke. We shouldn't have wasted money on these losers," a mocking voice echoed.
Three more masked shinobi stepped forward—they were clearly different from the rest.
"So you finally show yourselves," Yusuke muttered, not intimidated in the slightest. If anything, he looked excited.
"Kato-san, Minato-nii… looks like we each get one," he said calmly.
Both men exchanged a glance. They knew Yusuke well—he was the type who truly enjoyed a good fight.
Before anyone could respond, Yusuke's body turned into particles of light and shot toward the strongest enemy.
"What the hell—?" Hōzuki Murakami narrowed his eyes. That light... had turned into Yusuke.
When their eyes met, Murakami knew immediately—this boy was the real threat.
"You brat… Die!"
Water Release: Water Whip!
A long lash of water cracked through the air toward Yusuke.
But—
"What?!"
Murakami was stunned. The whip passed right through Yusuke as if his body were intangible.
Laser Beam.
A sharp flash erupted.
Murakami, with Kage-level reflexes, barely dodged. A massive explosion ripped across the water's surface.
He gritted his teeth. That attack... its destructive power was absurd. And—no hand signs?
'He cast it without hand seals…?' Murakami thought, a rare sense of unease creeping in.
Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!
Another attack surged forward.
"Pathetic," Yusuke muttered with a slight grin.
Sea Quake.
A deafening rumble split the ocean.
The sea cracked and heaved, surging upward into massive waves, swallowing everything in its path like a natural disaster.
Tsunamis from all directions crashed toward Murakami, painting a scene of apocalyptic terror.
Minato and the others had to abandon their own fights, caught in the overwhelming aftershock. What they once thought was just 'strong'... now they witnessed Yusuke's true might.
In their hearts, a doubt surfaced—Could even Hiruzen Sarutobi do something like this?
"It's... like the end of the world..."
"Shit! I can't block this—Hydrification Technique!" Murakami quickly activated his clan's signature jutsu and transformed into liquid.
The sea calmed.
Murakami reformed.
Watching his opponent's liquid form, Yusuke wondered if Armament Haki could pierce through it. Even without Haki, his Lightning Release had pushed Murakami to the edge.
"Well then… let's give it a try."
Yusuke's voice echoed—calm, confident, and deadly.
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