Chapter 18: The Overburdened Father
"Yusuke-senpai refused," Shisui reported.
Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage slowly rose from his seat, walked over to the kneeling Shisui, and sighed. "It seems that although he's strong, he lacks the resolve to shoulder the burden of maintaining peace in the village."
Shisui quickly responded, "Lord Third, I believe Yusuke-senpai just hasn't fully thought it through yet. If I could talk to him again—"
The Third Hokage gently patted Shisui on the shoulder. "No need. I have a new mission for you."
"Please give your orders," said Shisui.
"What's your honest assessment of Uchiha Yusuke's strength? Do you believe you can defeat him?" the Third asked.
Shisui thought for a moment before answering, "Yusuke-senpai is incredibly powerful. I can't speak for all his abilities, but in terms of sheer speed with the Body Flicker Technique, he's nearly on par with me."
He paused, then continued, "However, when it comes to mastery and application, I believe I surpass him. Moreover, I've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. I'm confident that he wouldn't be a match for me now."
Despite his usual humility and warmth, Shisui was a true genius—and inwardly, he knew it.
The Third Hokage nodded in satisfaction. "Shisui, you truly are a reliable subordinate. Your mission is to challenge and defeat Uchiha Yusuke. Prove yourself as the greatest prodigy of the Uchiha—no, the strongest member of the entire clan."
"Lord Third… isn't this a bit much?" Shisui hesitated. He wasn't the type to pick fights, nor did he care much for fame or recognition.
The Third sighed. "This isn't just about challenging Yusuke. It's about establishing your authority within the Uchiha. You'll become a bridge between the village and your clan. It's a win-win. And honestly, I believe only you can bear this responsibility."
Shisui looked up, meeting the Hokage's trusting, hopeful gaze. Emotion surged within him. He felt the weight of both the village's peace and the future of the Uchiha falling on his shoulders. "Understood, I will carry out this mission to the best of my ability!"
"This task won't begin immediately," the Third added. "Take your time to prepare. I'll arrange for some publicity to build anticipation. Once you defeat him, all the glory will be yours. With the Fourth Hokage election looming, I don't want any unnecessary turmoil."
"I understand," Shisui replied.
"That's all. You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir." Shisui stood and turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, the Third added,
"You should visit Danzo. He might have some insight into Yusuke's abilities."
—
"Again, you? Haven't seen you in a while, and now you're here to bother Lord Orochimaru?" Anko huffed when Yusuke appeared before her.
"Is Lord Orochimaru not here?" Yusuke ignored her attitude and scanned the surroundings. He couldn't sense Orochimaru's chakra nearby.
"Hmph. Lord Orochimaru is busy with the Hokage election. He has no time for you," Anko said, arms crossed. Then, fuming, she added, "Everyone thinks the Fourth will definitely be that Yellow Flash—but Lord Orochimaru is way better!"
"Don't they see how amazing Lord Orochimaru is?!"
Watching her puffed-up cheeks, Yusuke chuckled and teased, "If you're so against Lord Minato becoming Hokage, why don't you try listing one of his flaws in under a minute?"
Anko furrowed her brows and tried her hardest, but couldn't come up with anything. Frustrated, she clawed at her hair. "Ugh! Whatever! He's just not as good as Lord Orochimaru!"
Yusuke found her flustered state rather amusing.
"Yusuke-kun, you seem to be in a good mood lately—chatting so leisurely with Anko," a chilling voice interrupted. It was Orochimaru, returning to his hideout.
"Lord Orochimaru, you jest. I just arrived and happened to run into Anko," Yusuke replied calmly.
Orochimaru opened the entrance to his underground lab and led Yusuke inside. Anko was left to stand guard outside.
As she watched Yusuke disappear into the shadows, Anko stuck out her tongue and made a silly face. Just then, Yusuke turned back and flashed a small smile, freezing her expression in awkward embarrassment.
—
"It's rare for you to come here and wait for me. You must have something important to discuss," Orochimaru said, his serpent-like eyes narrowing once the door closed behind them.
"You're right. It's about the cursed seals you've been researching—I have an idea," Yusuke said.
Orochimaru raised a brow in curiosity. "Go on."
"I want to use your current cursed seal research as a foundation to develop a new type of seal. One that can store a massive amount of Yin Release chakra and allow the host to draw from it freely," Yusuke explained.
Though he remained calm on the outside, Yusuke was actually feeling quite anxious. He had discovered that Yin Release was the key to unlocking his Sharingan and enhancing his Zanpakutō's power. But to utilize it fully, he needed Orochimaru's expertise in forbidden jutsu.
Time was running short—Minato would soon become Hokage, and once Orochimaru's election bid failed, his defection would follow. After that, it would be nearly impossible to get his help.
"I thought you looked down on the cursed seal technique. What changed your mind?" Orochimaru asked with a sinister smile.
"Your previous 'Heavenly Cursed Seal' had too many flaws," Yusuke replied evenly. "And I noticed you hid something inside it."
The original seals—Heaven and Earth—were developed from natural energy extracted from Jūgo. They were essentially degraded versions of Sage Mode. To Yusuke, they were subpar, and more importantly, he knew Orochimaru had embedded secret mechanisms within them for his own use.
"Impressive as always, Yusuke-kun. So what's your goal with this new seal capable of storing Yin chakra?"
"I found a method to awaken my Sharingan, but it requires a large reserve of Yin Release. If I can gather and control enough, I can achieve a breakthrough," Yusuke said, pausing before making his final play. "Moreover, if successful, the seal could enhance the host's spirit and mental resilience—particularly their resistance to genjutsu."
Orochimaru's signature forbidden technique, Living Corpse Reincarnation, had a critical flaw: each transfer drastically weakened his spiritual strength, leaving him vulnerable to genjutsu. Though he hadn't perfected it yet, Yusuke was confident Orochimaru had already noticed the problem.
With this bait, Yusuke was sure Orochimaru wouldn't be able to resist.
---
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Yusuke with a hint of suspicion.
"Does he know the weakness in the 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' technique I've been developing… or was that just a coincidence?"
After a moment of silence, Orochimaru finally spoke, his voice calm yet layered with interest.
"Very well. I accept. But during this period, you'll have to spend a lot more time in my lab."
Yusuke nodded without hesitation. "No problem. I want to see this technique completed as soon as possible too. Starting tomorrow, I'll bring an assistant along to help with the research."
"An assistant?" Orochimaru raised an intrigued brow.
"Yeah," Yusuke replied with a slight grin. "His talents will definitely surprise you."
After finalizing the agreement, Yusuke set out for the Uchiha compound to arrange a new training schedule for Itachi and Izumi. Kabuto would be occupied assisting him in Orochimaru's lab with the cursed seal development and wouldn't be available for training sessions for the time being.
As he walked through the village streets, deep in thought over how to rearrange everyone's schedule, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd ahead—a man wearing a flak jacket and a blue headband.
"Perfect. I'll ask him." A sly smile tugged at Yusuke's lips as he quickened his pace.
Genma Shiranui had just finished tea and conversation with some friends and was strolling leisurely through Konoha's streets when he felt a sudden weight on his left shoulder.
"Genma," came a familiar voice, cheerful and teasing, "you're looking pretty relaxed these days."
Turning around, Genma saw it was Yusuke. The senbon he habitually held between his teeth bobbed as he spoke.
"Well, well, Yusuke. Fancy seeing you out and about. I thought you were always buried in training or holed up working on your jutsu."
"I usually am," Yusuke admitted, "but I've taken on a few students recently. With a major jutsu project underway, I won't have time to oversee their training. So I was hoping you could step in for a while—help guide them in their ninjutsu practice."
While Genma was only a Chūnin, his chakra control and proficiency in ninjutsu were top-notch. In the Data Book, his ninjutsu stat was a solid 9, highlighting his considerable skill.
Hearing Yusuke's request, Genma immediately waved his hands in protest.
"No, no, no—count me out. I don't have the time or the patience. You'd be doing both them and me a favor if you asked someone else."
Genma had absolutely no interest in teaching. If anything, he'd much rather be wandering the streets, taking it easy.
But Yusuke just laughed, unfazed. "It's fine. If you're not willing, I won't force you."
He paused for effect, then added casually, "Although… just today, Lord Orochimaru asked me whether I'd heard any recent rumors about him. I wasn't sure how to answer. But then, I remembered hearing a few people discussing him at a teahouse earlier… including you."
Genma froze. Yusuke was still smiling, but behind those squinted eyes, Genma could almost feel a chill.
With a wry smile, Genma sighed. "Yusuke… we've been comrades for years. Don't do this to me."
Patting Genma's shoulder, Yusuke kept smiling. "Tomorrow at noon, Izumi and my student, Uchiha Itachi, will be waiting for you at the southernmost training ground in the Uchiha district. I'll have someone else handle their taijutsu training in the morning—your job is to focus on ninjutsu in the afternoon. Just show up."
As Yusuke walked away, Genma stood there with a bitter smile tugging at his lips.
"Damn it… should've kept my mouth shut."
Having secured Genma's reluctant help, Yusuke made his way toward the usual training spot where Might Guy could often be found. He had already decided that Guy was the perfect choice to guide Izumi and Itachi in taijutsu. With his fierce dedication to physical training, Yusuke trusted that Guy wouldn't disappoint.
"Man… I really have turned into a worrywart of a dad, haven't I?"