Chapter 289 – Yusuke and Mito
"Brat, what are you actually trying to do?"
Hatake Sakumo stared at the figure walking toward him and spoke to Yusuke.
"Father, I have my own considerations. Just leave this place to Naruto and the others. Nothing will happen," Yusuke said calmly.
"Are you sure? That man is the Second Sage of Six Paths," Sakumo said.
"Relax, Father. As long as I'm here, nothing unexpected will happen. There's an enormous potential sleeping inside Naruto, and that potential can only be awakened when he's pushed to face an opponent like this," Yusuke replied.
"Is that really so?" Sakumo asked, still a little confused.
"Of course. Besides, Kakashi can't stay trapped like this forever. After this battle is over, I'll step in," Yusuke said.
"…Alright. I won't say much more about it. But Yusuke, this concerns the future of the ninja world," Sakumo said seriously.
"Father, don't worry too much about things that haven't even happened yet. Whether it's Konoha or the ninja world as a whole, none of that can be decided by a single person. The future holds endless possibilities. Even I myself look incredibly small when standing before it," Yusuke said.
"Hah… maybe I really am getting old. Too bound by the past," Sakumo said, naturally understanding what Yusuke was trying to convey.
"No matter how much the ninja world changes, it won't change just because of one person's will. At most, a person can only change those around them. So what the ninja world becomes depends on their resolve, not on someone deciding that everything will work out just by declaring their will," Yusuke said calmly.
"Yeah… it seems I've taken too many things for granted," Sakumo admitted.
Yusuke looked at Sakumo and didn't say anything more. After that, his figure slowly faded from everyone's sight. In the next moment, he arrived at a secluded location, a place where he could oversee the entire battlefield.
"Now that you're free from control, why not go help them?" Yusuke said with a faint smile as he looked at the figures fighting desperately on the battlefield.
"It's nothing. I just feel that even if I went, I wouldn't be of much help anyway," a gentle female voice replied.
"That's true. After all, you really are quite weak," Yusuke said with a thin smile, still not turning around.
"Has no one ever told you how annoying your personality is?" the woman said, black lines practically appearing on her face as she slowly walked up beside Yusuke and looked toward the battlefield. Her gaze landed on Tsunade, and a flash of memories passed through her eyes.
"Seems like no one ever has. Besides, I'm handsome, aren't I? No matter how bad my personality is, people will forgive me," Yusuke said confidently.
"And your skin is incredibly thick, too," the woman added dryly.
"By the way, do you really not want to meet Senju Hashirama and Tsunade, even just for a moment?" Yusuke asked.
"Oh? You really are shameless. No matter what, Hashirama is Tsunade's grandfather. As her husband, shouldn't you show him at least some respect? Besides, you're also a ninja of Konoha, and he's the First Hokage," the woman said, giving Yusuke a meaningful look.
"Respect? That depends on the person. Aside from his strength, which does impress me a little, there's really nothing else about him that deserves my respect," Yusuke said as he looked at the seemingly simple and innocent figure of the First Hokage.
"Hahaha, you really are interesting, young man. To be honest, even after all these years, I never found any particular merit in him either," the woman said with a laugh.
Yusuke didn't respond, simply waiting for her to answer his earlier question.
"It's better if I don't meet them. Just watching from here is enough. I'm no longer part of this world. If he saw me, it would only add to the burden in his heart," the woman said softly.
"What about Nawaki? Have you seen him already?" Yusuke asked.
"I have. Thank you," the woman replied.
At this point, there was no longer any need to question her identity. She was Uzumaki Mito, the wife of Senju Hashirama and Tsunade's grandmother.
"It's nothing. That's a wound in Tsunade's heart that will never truly heal. I just don't want my wife to be sad," Yusuke said as he looked at Tsunade leading the battle in the distance, his eyes filled with deep affection.
"With you by Tsunade's side, I feel very at ease," Uzumaki Mito said as she looked at the man before her.
Although their meeting was brief, Mito clearly understood how shocking it was to see such an expression appear on this man's face.
In her eyes, this man who acted however he pleased and treated the world like a game—despite appearing gentle and sometimes even foolish—still carried an unmistakable indifference.
But that indifference wasn't directed at individuals. It was directed at the world itself. To him, everything seemed so fragile, fragile like ants. And yet, who would have thought that he also possessed such a tender side?
"Hahaha, don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will ever be able to hurt Tsunade. She's the person I will protect, even if I have to sacrifice my own life," Yusuke said, a softness never seen before filling his eyes.
"Hahaha, truly unexpected. To think Hatake Yusuke could say something like that," Uzumaki Mito said, laughing.
"Is something wrong?" Yusuke asked curiously as he looked at her. He hadn't expected this woman—so rational and almost expressionless—to react like this.
"You really are a man who's too straightforward. It seems they still don't truly understand you," Uzumaki Mito said happily.
"That makes it sound like you know me very well," Yusuke said with a helpless shrug.
"Of course I do. The name Hatake Yusuke doesn't even require classified information. Just asking any random ninja would be enough. And besides, over the past few days, I've spent quite a bit of effort investigating you," Mito said.
"They? What do you mean by that?" Yusuke asked with a dismissive tone.
"In that case, let me tell you. Hatake Yusuke, son of Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha. A hero who rose during the Second Great Ninja War and became the key to its victory. He has two sons: the eldest, Hatake Yusuke, and the youngest, Hatake Kakashi," Mito said.
"Tch, does something like that really need investigating?" Yusuke muttered.
"There's more. Hatake Yusuke was already called a prodigy of Konoha from the moment he was born. In less than a month, he could walk on the ground and even hold simple conversations. He cherished his younger brother deeply—one could even say he was an excessively doting older brother," Uzumaki Mito said, pausing briefly.
"Tch, what kind of information is that? It's completely inaccurate. And besides, isn't it natural for an older brother to care about his own younger brother?" Yusuke said, looking slightly flustered for the first time.
"When many children hadn't even developed awareness yet, you were already taking care of your younger brother. Later, you and your brother entered the Konoha Ninja Academy together. Although your personality was lazy, your extraordinary talent placed you at the very top among your peers. Even without training, you were not inferior to your younger brother Kakashi, who was called a genius. You both graduated early, and from that point on began training seriously. Your strength gradually pulled far ahead of your peers, and in a very short time, you even surpassed veteran shinobi who were known as seasoned experts. Moreover, Hatake Yusuke wasn't just gifted as a ninja—you also excelled in many other fields. Your younger brother once even described you as a perfect man in every way, except for your personality. However, after that incident happened, from that moment on, you no longer held any feelings toward Konoha."
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