Chapter 230 – Their Life and Death Have Nothing to Do with Me
"What a fascinating ability," Hatake Yusuke remarked as he slowly removed his eyepatch.
His brilliant blue pupils gleamed like fragments of the sky as they fixed upon Karin. From his gaze alone, it was clear—though the girl's chakra wasn't on the same scale as Naruto's or Kushina's, it still surpassed Uchiha Sasuke's at his current level.
It was quite the sight to behold. The Uchiha were renowned for their vast chakra reserves. If Sasuke hadn't been born with an unusually large chakra pool, he wouldn't have been able to perform the Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu as a mere Academy student. For his generation, his chakra was considered extraordinary.
But Karin's chakra… was even greater.
He's so handsome… Karin thought, her mind briefly dissolving into a daze.
Yusuke's features were almost unfairly perfect—sharp lines, pale lashes, and eyes that shone with an otherworldly azure glow. His presence was serene, confident, and effortlessly captivating. Karin swore she had never seen a man this beautiful in her life.
No! Sasuke is still the most handsome! But… he's just too charming… even Sasuke can't compete with that face… She bit her lip, torn by her own betrayal.
"If you devoted yourself to medical ninjutsu," Yusuke continued calmly, "your abilities could be extremely useful. How about coming back to Konoha with me? My wife is the greatest medical-nin in the entire shinobi world."
That voice… why does it sound so deep and warm? Karin's heart skipped a beat. Wait—did he just say his wife?!
Her cheeks flushed crimson. Damn it! Why does someone this perfect already have a wife?! This world is so cruel!
Meanwhile, Sasuke simply stared coldly at Yusuke, his eyes filled with suspicion.
"I'm not going anywhere," Karin said sharply, snapping back to reality. "I'm staying with Sasuke."
Even so, her heart twisted bitterly. He was too perfect—taller, stronger, more composed, and yes… more handsome. But he already belonged to someone else.
"Oh? What a pity," Yusuke replied lightly, his tone unbothered. "Following this boy might get you killed one day. He tends to throw himself into situations far beyond his control."
"Hmph, staying with you doesn't sound any safer," Karin shot back, folding her arms.
"Ah, that's different," Yusuke said with a faint grin. "I'm very strong."
"That's enough," Sasuke interrupted coldly. His Sharingan activated, three tomoe spinning within his eyes. "What exactly do you want from me?"
Yusuke laughed softly, unshaken. "My, my… little Sasuke, you've grown bold, haven't you?"
After defeating Orochimaru and Deidara, Sasuke's confidence had swelled. He believed he stood shoulder to shoulder with the legends—worthy of the Uchiha name.
But before he could even blink, Yusuke vanished.
Sasuke's pupils constricted. His mind screamed in disbelief. Where—?!
"Did you really think that killing Orochimaru makes you strong enough to stand before me, Uchiha Sasuke?" Yusuke's voice resonated from directly behind him.
Sasuke froze. The distance between them was gone—completely erased.
"So fast…" he whispered in shock.
"You're still naïve," Yusuke said, his tone dropping to a quiet reprimand. "Do you truly believe your strength has grown that much? Do you think geniuses of the previous era—those you call the 'old generation'—were people you could simply surpass? Let me tell you this—Kakashi, at your age, could have cut you down in a single strike. And Itachi…" Yusuke's gaze sharpened. "…was far stronger than you are now."
"That's impossible!" Sasuke snapped, anger flaring in his eyes.
"So stubborn," Yusuke sighed. "Do you know why I never trained Itachi personally? Because his natural talent already outshone yours. But it was the very blood of the Uchiha you pride yourself on that limited him. If not for that curse of hatred… he would have become something far greater."
"Don't you dare insult the Uchiha clan!" Sasuke shouted and lunged forward, his sword flashing.
Yusuke only shook his head, a trace of amusement in his expression. "Still so foolish. Are you sure you're even Itachi's little brother?"
In the shinobi world, there were few who dared raise their hand against Yusuke—and fewer still who would survive it.
Without a gesture, a chilling aura began to emanate from his body. The air warped, heavy and suffocating. Haoshoku Haki—the Conqueror's Will—burst forth in full force.
The invisible pressure slammed into Sasuke like a thunderclap, forcing him to his knees. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and his breath caught in his throat.
"Impossible…" Sasuke gasped, eyes wide.
The sensation was terrifyingly familiar. It was the same helpless paralysis he had felt during the Chūnin Exams, when Orochimaru's killing intent had reduced him to trembling fear.
But that was years ago. He was different now—stronger, sharper, deadlier. He had killed Orochimaru! So why… why couldn't he even move?!
"Pathetic," Yusuke said flatly. "You're not even strong enough to serve as my warm-up. You should hurry and get stronger. With your current power, you won't surpass the old generation… not even your peers. Toneri is leagues beyond you."
The oppressive aura intensified—and then, just as suddenly, Sasuke's eyes rolled back. He collapsed, unconscious.
"Take this foolish brat away," Yusuke said, his voice laced with disdain. "So weak, yet so arrogant. In the end, he won't even realize how he dies."
He kicked Sasuke's limp body lightly toward Karin. "He's all yours," he muttered.
The moment his words left his lips, Yusuke vanished from her sight—reappearing a heartbeat later beside Itachi.
Itachi's expression was grim, his crimson eyes clouded with quiet disapproval.
Yusuke chuckled softly. "What's with that look, Itachi? Something you want to say?"
"Yusuke-nii… don't you think that was a bit excessive?" Itachi's tone was calm, but there was clear irritation beneath it.
As an older brother who loved Sasuke more than anyone, watching his sibling humiliated like that gnawed at his heart.
"You saw it yourself," Yusuke replied coolly. "Orochimaru's vessel was deteriorating. When he reincarnated, his soul was already fractured—his mind far too fragile to resist genjutsu. That's the only reason Sasuke was able to kill him. It wasn't strength—it was opportunity. A child like that won't survive long."
"…I understand," Itachi said softly.
He knew Yusuke hadn't truly harmed Sasuke. The boy had only been crushed by the weight of Yusuke's will, not by physical force.
"What matters most," Yusuke continued, a faint smile touching his lips, "is Sasuke's potential. He may not be as gifted as you, but his growth rate… it's remarkable. In time, he might actually become interesting."
"Are you saying Sasuke could one day reach your level?" Itachi asked, incredulous.
"Ah, no," Yusuke said with a laugh, his smile widening. "No one will ever reach my level. No matter how strong he becomes, he will never be my equal. I am—" his voice softened, almost wistful, "—invincible."
Though his tone was light, a faint loneliness flickered behind his eyes.
"But perhaps," he added quietly, "he might entertain me for a while. The shinobi world has grown far too dull. There are no real challenges left."
"Yusuke-nii," Itachi said slowly, "I still don't understand you. You're not bloodthirsty, nor cruel. You don't care about village borders—you even help foreign shinobi at times. But… why?"
Yusuke's gaze turned to him, serene yet piercing.
"You're wondering," he said softly, "why I don't stop the wars when I clearly could? Why I don't save them all, even though I have the power to?"
Itachi nodded silently.
He knew the great storm of conflict was brewing—the shadow of Akatsuki loomed large, threatening to engulf every nation. Each of its members was an S-rank rogue ninja, a monster in their own right.
Yusuke could end it all in a day. If he chose to, the war would never happen. But he didn't.
"Exactly," Itachi said.
Yusuke turned his gaze toward the horizon. His expression grew distant, his eyes like a calm sea untouched by wind.
"The answer," he said at last, voice low and cold,
"is simple."
He smiled faintly—an empty, chilling smile.
"Their life and death… have nothing to do with me."
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