Chapter 109 – Long Time No See
"Yusuke, have you ever been to Kumogakure before?" Choza asked while munching on the dango that Yusuke had brought. His tone was casual, just a friendly chat over snacks.
"Three years ago," Yusuke replied calmly. "I trained there for a while, but only around the outlying islands near the border."
"By the way, Asuma," Yusuke turned to the young man walking beside them. "Why haven't you made Chūnin yet? Even Kurenai's already been promoted."
He towered over Asuma, who barely reached his shoulder. Thanks to the enhancements granted by his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Yusuke's physique had surpassed that of most shinobi his age. He stood well over 185 cm tall now—there wasn't a single ninja in Konoha taller than him. Especially not Asuma.
"Ugh…" Asuma's cheeks flushed faintly red. Inside, he grumbled, It's all that old man's fault…
Yusuke could tell exactly what he was thinking. It was obvious. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage and Asuma's father, must've kept him away from the frontlines during the war, protecting him from danger. Instead of real missions, he was stuck with logistics support in the rear.
No wonder he'd end up abandoning the village someday to become the Fire Daimyō's bodyguard, Yusuke mused silently.
"Hmph, why're you calling me out like that?" Asuma huffed. "You and your brother are the weird ones! What's up with that eyepatch now? And how the hell did you spot me with it on?"
He had tried hiding earlier when he noticed Yusuke coming, hoping to avoid an awkward reunion. And yet, Yusuke recognized him instantly.
"Haha, don't overthink it," Yusuke grinned. "I just didn't want to blind everyone with how dazzlingly handsome I am."
And so, the two old friends fell into light conversation. Well… at least Yusuke thought it was friendly.
Asuma, on the other hand, felt like he was being stabbed with a kunai over and over again. His face alternated between red and pale, every word from Yusuke slicing right into his ego. But what could he say? He couldn't even win in a spar. The best he could do… was endure.
After a long day's journey, the Konoha delegation finally arrived at the gates of Kumogakure.
"Welcome, shinobi of the Leaf. Please follow me—I'll take you to your lodgings," said a beautiful blonde woman with a polite nod.
"Oh? Long time no see," Yusuke greeted casually when he recognized her.
"Hello, Hatake Jōnin. It's been a while," replied Samui, though her eyes held a flicker of surprise.
As the Raikage's personal secretary, Samui knew exactly who this man was. The Raikage might scoff at the threat he posed, but Samui wasn't so dismissive. She had witnessed his power firsthand during the Chūnin Exams—a lone shinobi standing proud in the center of the arena, dimming the brilliance of every other participant. A god of war among mere mortals.
"Hahaha, you're as cold as ever," Yusuke chuckled, brushing off her tone.
"Please follow me," Samui said curtly, turning on her heel to lead them to their accommodations.
"You've all come from far away," she said as they walked. "The Chūnin Exams will begin in three days. You're free to explore the village until then, but please don't disturb the peace. Now then, I'll take my leave."
And just like that, she vanished without another word.
"Asuma, unless you've got something important going on, come explore with me," Yusuke said, glancing over.
"Yeah, sure…" Asuma grumbled, clearly not thrilled but too tired to argue.
"Great. Let's go," Yusuke smiled lightly as they wandered aimlessly through the village.
Something bothered Yusuke, though. He couldn't sense Killer Bee's chakra anywhere.
As someone highly attuned to chakra—especially massive chakra like that of a Tailed Beast—he should've picked up on Gyūki's chakra like a blazing sun. But there was nothing. Instead, he could feel another powerful presence: the chakra of the Two-Tails, Matatabi.
"Hey, long time no see. You're from Sunagakure, right?" Yusuke said casually, waving toward a group of approaching shinobi.
Leading the group was none other than Chiyo—and among them, a familiar face: the Scorch Release user, Pakura.
The Suna shinobi froze in place.
Chiyo's eyes widened, her expression clearly uneasy.
"Hatake Yusuke…" Pakura muttered through clenched teeth.
She struggled to suppress the wave of anger boiling inside her. The man who had once defeated her… the one responsible for her village's fall… was now standing casually right in front of her. How could she not hate him?
"Hahaha, no need to be so tense," Yusuke smiled. "Please, enjoy your time in Kumogakure. I'm happy to be your unofficial tour guide."
Asuma, standing beside him, started to sweat profusely. Sure, he was brave, but this wasn't Konoha anymore.
Meanwhile, the Suna ninja were silently fuming. This isn't your village. Don't act like you own the place.
"Hatake Jōnin," a cold voice cut in from behind Yusuke. "That was a bit out of line."
It was Samui again, her voice sharp with disapproval.
Why does a man like this exist…? she thought, already exasperated.
"Eh? Wasn't I just helping you welcome our guests?" Yusuke blinked innocently.
"I'd prefer if you didn't interfere with my duties," Samui replied calmly.
"Welcome, shinobi of Sunagakure. I am Samui, Jōnin of Kumogakure," she added formally, giving them a proper greeting.
Yusuke sighed inwardly. She really won't ad-lib a single line, huh?
"Man, what a buzzkill. Anyway, Suna shinobi, I'll be off. Have fun~" Yusuke said with a lazy wave and strolled off, Asuma awkwardly tagging along.
"Oh, right," Yusuke turned back briefly. "Got any good food around here?"
Even though his eyes were covered by a cloth, he tilted his head politely toward Samui.
"Hatake Jōnin, please stop interfering with my duties," she replied, trying to keep a straight face.
"Jeez… so Kumogakure's hot, dry, and now totally boring too?" Yusuke muttered. "It's nothing like Konoha."
Asuma was now sweating bullets. He tugged on Yusuke's sleeve in panic.
"What?" Yusuke asked, glancing at him. "You think the same, don't you, Asuma?"
"I, uh…" Asuma looked like he wanted to vanish on the spot.
"Hey! Hold it right there!" a sharp voice called out behind them.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Join my Patreon here:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ Enjoy 70+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!
Thank you for your amazing support 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —