Chapter 69 – Manifestation of Fire
Yusuke soared through the sky, a streak of speed cutting across the wind as he made his way toward Hanzo's last known location. His eyes burned with the thrill of battle. Ever since he had merged with the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit, his strength had grown exponentially. And now, he finally had the chance to test it against a worthy opponent—someone who needed to be taught a lesson.
"Hanzo," Yusuke called out, his voice calm yet chilling. "Come out."
A shadow stirred in the distance. From the veil of mist and trees, a figure emerged.
"So it's just a kid…" Hanzo muttered, narrowing his eyes at the sight of Yusuke hovering midair.
"You're right. I'm that 'kid' you're talking about. But you've made a serious mistake—you insulted the honor of Konoha. Do you have any idea what that means?"
Hanzo smirked. "And what would the 'consequence' be?"
"Your death," Yusuke said bluntly.
Hanzo chuckled. "You really think a brat like you can kill me?"
"Why don't you find out?" Yusuke replied, already raising his fist.
"Fire Fist."
A massive fist made of roaring flames surged forward, tearing through the air straight at Hanzo.
"Tch… Arrogant little— Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Hanzo weaved hand seals in an instant, unleashing a fierce torrent of water to clash against the approaching fire.
'That's a large-scale Water Release technique… This guy's no joke,' Yusuke thought, eyes narrowing.
"Divine Fire: Unknown Flame."
Yusuke pressed his palms together. From the contact point, two searing spheres of white-hot fire formed—each shaped like a blazing spear. Without delay, he launched them straight at Hanzo.
'No hand seals? What sort of technique is that…?' Hanzo wondered, startled.
He quickly flickered out of the line of fire, using the Body Flicker Technique just in time to dodge the attack.
"Got out of that, huh?" Yusuke muttered. "Then let's see you handle this— Flame Wall!"
He targeted a portion of the field, and suddenly, a massive wall of fire erupted, cutting off Hanzo's path. It wasn't just a barrier—it was a trap, burning brighter with each passing second, limiting Hanzo's movement.
"Let's see you escape this, Hanzo."
Without warning, multiple glowing green fireballs burst forth from Yusuke's side.
Will-o'-the-Wisp.
The flames homed in on Hanzo from all directions. The moment they struck, Hanzo's body went up in flames—only to vanish and be replaced by a charred log.
"Substitution Technique, huh…" Yusuke muttered, raising his guard.
A whisper of movement behind him. Hanzo appeared out of nowhere, scythe slashing down.
But it was too late.
The weapon passed cleanly through Yusuke's body—without leaving a single wound.
"What…?!"
Hanzo stumbled backward in horror, his instincts screaming at him to flee.
'What is this power…?' Cold sweat beaded his forehead. This boy… he's even more terrifying than facing Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
"This power… it's born from the desire to protect someone. For a certain little brother who always needs saving…" Yusuke murmured softly, his voice strangely warm.
"Fire Gun."
He raised his hand, fingers formed into a pistol shape, and unleashed rapid shots of concentrated fireballs. Hanzo could barely react, forced to block with his scythe as the shots grazed his body.
"Mirror Flame."
A tidal wave of flames erupted from behind Yusuke, blotting out the sky as it bore down upon Hanzo with terrifying force.
"Iaido Slash!"
Hanzo swung his scythe in a flash of motion, cutting through the air with precision—but it wasn't enough. The wave of fire was too vast. Even Sakumo, the White Fang, would have struggled to cut something of this scale. And Hanzo was no Sakumo.
The fire swallowed the battlefield. Hanzo's silhouette flickered within the inferno—then dissolved into smoke.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave!"
A towering wave crashed through the burning field, attempting to suppress the fire. But the flames, hotter than any conventional Fire Release, boiled the water into steam in seconds. The technique barely made a dent.
"Shadow Clone," Yusuke noted, seeing no remains. "He's getting cautious."
'What kind of Fire Release is this…? That heat is monstrous,' Hanzo thought bitterly. Worse, his poison mist was completely ineffective. Yusuke's flames incinerated any trace of it before it could take form.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
Hanzo unleashed another grand-scale jutsu, sending a spiraling waterfall crashing down over the field to drown the fire.
'This technique rivals what Hoshigaki Kisame will be capable of in the future,' Yusuke observed calmly. While the Flame-Flame Fruit's heat surpassed ordinary Fire Release, he was still mostly replicating Ace's techniques. His own mastery of the flame was still shallow, even if his base strength far surpassed Ace's. After all, Yusuke's chakra, control, and combat foundation were leagues ahead—but his creativity was still catching up.
'Guess I'll use that technique now…'
On the other side, Hanzo was beginning to reconsider his options. The boy's jutsu required no hand signs. His speed was unnerving. One mistake, and death would be instant.
"Flame of All Creation."
Yusuke began condensing flames around him. The fire spiraled inward, gathering at his palms. It compressed, swirled, and exploded outward with a focused blast.
"Water Release: Exploding Wave Crash!"
Hanzo summoned a massive wall of water to intercept the attack.
Flame and water collided midair, exploding into steam that engulfed the battlefield in blinding fog.
When the smoke cleared, both elements had vanished—neither side victorious.
"He escaped, huh…? I'll let him go this time," Yusuke muttered. He hadn't used his Tremor-Tremor Fruit ability yet. Besides, he had the distinct feeling that Uchiha Madara was watching nearby.
Without wasting another moment, Yusuke turned into a flash of light and disappeared from the scene.
— — —
"Relax, Kakashi. Even Minato-sensei said it—Yusuke is incredibly strong," Rin said, trying to calm the tension.
"Don't be stupid, Kakashi! You just have to trust this genius—Yusuke won't lose!" Obito shouted confidently.
"Idiot."
"Why, you—want to fight?!"
"You really think you could beat me?" Kakashi replied coolly.
"Just wait till I unlock my Sharingan!"
Their arguing, as usual, brought some levity back. Even Kakashi looked a little less worried now.
— — —
Yusuke reappeared at the outpost soon after. He spotted the trio still bickering as usual.
"What are you all yelling about?" he asked with a grin.
"Big Brother! You're back!" Kakashi exclaimed with visible relief.
"Haha, where's Minato-nii?"
"Minato-sensei is with Lord Shikajin," Kakashi replied.
"Got it." Yusuke turned and walked off toward the command room. The others quickly followed behind.
"Minato-nii, I'm back," he announced upon arrival.
"How did it go?" Minato asked.
"Hanzo got away," Yusuke replied plainly.
The other shinobi nearby looked utterly shocked. Only Minato remained calm—because he knew Yusuke's true power. With that strange fire and unmatched speed, defeating Hanzo should've been easy.
"I'm surprised he slipped away from you," Minato said, tilting his head.
"I could've caught him if I used all my trump cards. But it wasn't worth the risk. If Hanzo chose to go all out and drag me into a battle to the death, I wouldn't have gained anything."
"Fair point. We're approaching full-scale war. You need to keep your powers in reserve—or you'll just become everyone's target," Minato nodded.
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I'm gonna nap," Yusuke said, yawning.
"Wait. Actually, there is one thing," Minato stopped him. "Tomorrow, I want you to train my three students. I've been assigned to a new mission, and I think your experience with fire-style techniques could really help Obito."
"No problem," Yusuke replied casually. It wasn't a big deal for him.
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