Chapter 179 – The Art Duo
"What the hell are you mumbling about, Itachi? Just get lost already."
Hatake Yusuke spoke with clear irritation in his tone.
"…Yusuke-nii, well… I can't exactly get too involved in this one either."
Itachi scratched his head awkwardly.
"Yeah, yeah. Fine."
Yusuke gave a slight nod, lips curling into a thin smirk.
A faint silver light shimmered in his palm. Without warning, he threw a punch into thin air. The space around him shattered like a cracked mirror struck by force, jagged fissures spreading outward in every direction.
Itachi moved to dodge, but a powerful wave of vibration surged around him. The next instant—his body collapsed lifelessly.
The face that hit the ground wasn't Itachi's anymore—it had morphed into a stranger's.
Kakashi, who had only drawn half his sword, now stood awkwardly mid-movement, staring in disbelief.
Everyone around them froze.
They had expected a drawn-out battle, filled with tension and danger. Instead, Yusuke had ended it all in a single instant.
Chiyo narrowed her eyes. That technique… It was far too familiar.
It was the same power that had once nearly torn Sunagakure from the earth—a technique so terrifying it had felt like the end of the world.
Sakura and Naruto stared in stunned silence.
They'd seen this once before—when Yusuke nearly broke Kakashi's spine.
Now, looking at the devastated terrain around them, Naruto finally understood the kind of fear Tsunade and Kakashi once showed him.
"Alright, problem solved. Let's go find that panda kid. I gave my word to save him."
Yusuke waved his hand casually and turned.
The group shook off their shock and quickly moved forward.
Kakashi looked up at his older brother, floating effortlessly in mid-air.
His voice carried a hint of envy.
"Nii-san, think you could teach me how to float like that?"
"No."
Yusuke shut him down instantly.
The power of the Fuwa-Fuwa no Mi was absurdly convenient.
Flying cost no stamina and required no concentration—far easier than manipulating gravity with the Rinnegan.
"...I don't believe you," Kakashi muttered with a skeptical glance.
"You really are stubborn."
With a flick of his fingers, the sand below lifted and shaped itself into two comfortable chairs.
Yusuke dropped onto one and gestured with a nod.
"Hop on."
Kakashi's eyes lit up.
He climbed on without hesitation.
Naturally, Naruto tried to join as well—but Yusuke turned him down without a second thought.
This was still a mission.
If they were only concerned about the objective, Yusuke could have warped them all to the end point in seconds. But this journey was also a test.
As they flew through the desert sky, Yusuke tilted his head toward the sun and lazily conjured a parasol of sand. Then, with a snap of his fingers, a small table appeared.
He poured himself tea and invited Kakashi to join.
Soon after, Yusuke even pulled out a few sweets and popped one into his mouth with content.
The rest of the group watched silently, frustration building in their eyes.
'Are they… treating this like a vacation?'
Everyone thought the same thing.
Temari looked visibly anxious. These two didn't exactly radiate reliability right now.
But Chiyo remained calm. She understood the weight behind their names.
Both Hatake Yusuke and his younger brother Kakashi possessed power that far exceeded common standards.
The success rate of Kakashi's missions in Konoha spoke volumes already.
"Don't worry, little lady. I won't let the kid die.
In fact, I rather like that boy,"
Yusuke said with a small grin, turning to Temari.
It was a rare moment of warmth—a big brother reassuring the sibling of someone in danger.
Temari's cheeks turned slightly pink, eyes flickering toward him shyly.
"People you like usually don't end up too well…"
Kakashi whispered.
"…What did you just say?"
Yusuke raised an eyebrow.
"N-Nothing, Nii-san…"
Kakashi shrank back instantly.
To be fair, he wasn't wrong.
People Yusuke liked tended to have tragic fates.
Take Uchiha Itachi, for instance.
After some time, the group met up with Guy's team.
They finally reached a massive cave—inside, the process of extracting Shukaku's chakra was nearly complete.
Panicked, Naruto charged forward, slamming a Rasengan into the barrier sealing Gaara.
It didn't even leave a scratch.
Guy followed up with a mighty punch.
Still nothing.
"Let me try."
Kakashi drew his Ame-no-Habakiri.
He infused it with both Chakra and Armament Haki.
"Hatake Style: Annihilation."
A brilliant slash of purple light shot forward, striking the mountain's face…
and yet, the seal remained untouched.
"That's enough. Step aside,"
Yusuke said calmly.
Everyone instinctively moved behind him.
"Air Quake."
The silver light formed again in his palm.
He placed one hand on his shoulder, gathering strength—then threw a crushing punch into the cave wall.
The earth groaned beneath them.
The air trembled.
Dark clouds twisted above, and the sand itself began to sink.
"…This is terrifying,"
Sakura muttered in disbelief.
Everyone except Kakashi and Chiyo wore expressions of utter shock.
"Is this… really something a human can do?"
Neji's voice trembled.
In an instant, the cave collapsed.
Inside, the Gedo Statue roared and raised a barrier to defend against the shockwave—only to be shattered moments later.
"Such destructive power… What is he?"
Sasori of the Red Sand murmured from the shadows.
"He's here."
Kisame grinned, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Hahaha, be careful. That man has arrived," he added ominously.
"We'll leave this place to you.
Remember—don't face him head-on,"
ordered Pain's Deva Path.
"Itachi, who's the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki? And which one is Hatake Yusuke?"
asked Deidara.
"The loud one who bursts in screaming will be the Kyūbi's host.
The calm one wearing an eye cover—that's Hatake Yusuke,"
Itachi replied coolly.
Sure enough, Naruto kicked through the entrance, fury blazing in his eyes.
"Bastards!"
"…You nailed it, Itachi. That guy really is scary,"
Deidara chuckled.
"Sharp observation… I wouldn't want him as an enemy,"
Sasori agreed.
"Trying to act cool in front of me, huh?"
Yusuke's voice echoed casually as he strolled in, hands still in his pockets.
"Oh? So you're Hatake Yusuke? The one who defeated Uchiha Itachi?"
Deidara laughed, eyes wide with manic joy.
"If I beat you, I'll prove once and for all—true art is an explosion that lasts just a moment!"
"No, real art is eternal.
You piss me off, Deidara,"
Sasori growled, glaring at his partner.
"Haha, let's see who takes him down first!"
Deidara plunged his hand into his pouch, molding a swarm of clay birds and flinging them toward Yusuke.
They exploded mid-air in a flash of smoke and sparks.
But Yusuke waved both hands dismissively.
"…Tch.
Smells awful too,"
he muttered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
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