Chapter 137 – Exposed
"Idiot! Stop it right now!"
A woman's furious voice cut through the freezing air like a thunderclap. Everyone turned toward the source, and there she was—a blonde woman with a striking figure, radiating both beauty and authority.
She charged forward and threw a punch straight at the man cloaked in black. But the impact—normally strong enough to shatter mountains—did absolutely nothing. The man didn't even flinch.
"T-Tsunade-nee?" Kakashi's eyes widened in shock.
"Are you insane?! Were you trying to destroy this entire area? Do you want to repeat that incident again?!" Tsunade ignored him completely, glaring daggers at the man before her.
"Wait… don't tell me… that guy is—Nii-san?" Kakashi froze, disbelief spreading across his face.
The moment those words left his mouth, the battle halted. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Toneri all looked at Kakashi in stunned silence.
"I told you, that was an accident," Yusuke said, his voice relaxed and a little playful. "I wasn't used to controlling it back then. But now…" He pulled back his hood and shrugged off the black cloak. "…I've got it under control."
"Hey there, Kakashi. Long time no see," Yusuke greeted casually with a grin.
The three young ninja froze where they stood.
The man before them was tall—around one meter ninety, even taller than Kakashi. His snow-white hair was even brighter than Kakashi's, and he wore a sleek black high-collared outfit that accentuated his lean but powerful frame.
What stood out most, however, was the pure white blindfold covering his eyes. Even with it, his presence was overwhelming—and his face was strikingly handsome.
"Nii-san! Are you trying to kill me?!" Kakashi snapped, his usual calm demeanor breaking as anger flared across his face.
"Now, now. Don't be so harsh," Yusuke said lightly. "It's been ages since I last saw you. I just wanted to see how much you've grown."
"Hmph." Kakashi crossed his arms, still fuming.
"By the way, Toneri," Yusuke turned to his student with a grin, "so you finally met Kakashi, huh? What do you think? How's your sensei's masterpiece?"
Toneri smiled politely. "Yes, Sensei. The drawing you gave me was… very accurate. I recognized him the moment I saw him."
"Excellent!" Yusuke laughed, clearly proud of himself.
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched. "...You call that a masterpiece?"
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Forget your ridiculous drawings. Look around you." She gestured at the frozen landscape surrounding them. "Don't tell me you've permanently altered the weather here again?"
"Ah, that?" Yusuke waved dismissively. "Relax, it'll only last for a month or so."
Kakashi's team stared at him in disbelief.
He changed the climate… for a month?
Even for shinobi used to witnessing the impossible, the sheer absurdity of that power left them speechless.
Naruto, usually the first to speak, could only stare in awe.
"Nii-san, are you coming back to Konoha?" Kakashi finally asked.
"Yeah. I've traveled enough. Time to go home," Yusuke said with a smile.
As they began walking, Yusuke's gaze shifted toward Naruto.
"So… this kid. He's Minato's son, right? Naruto, was it?"
Naruto blinked. "Yusuke-sensei… you know me?" he asked innocently, still unaware of everything that had just happened.
"Of course. I even held you when you were a baby," Yusuke said, smiling warmly.
Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He clearly couldn't remember.
"Technically speaking," Yusuke continued, "that makes me your uncle. I was your father's best friend."
"Nii-san…" Kakashi sighed quietly. He wanted to stop him from saying more, but knowing his brother's personality—and power—he decided it was pointless.
"You knew my dad?" Naruto's eyes lit up, but then… his expression fell. "But… I'm the Nine-Tails' host. The monster that everyone hates."
"The Nine-Tails, huh?" Yusuke's smile faded. He turned sharply toward Kakashi. "Explain."
"Nii-san, listen—"
"I told you to protect him, didn't I?" Yusuke's tone dropped, icy and sharp.
"I know… I failed you," Kakashi admitted, guilt heavy in his voice.
Yusuke sighed deeply. "Forget it. It's not entirely your fault. You can't control people's tongues."
Then, turning to Naruto, he crouched slightly and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Naruto. Listen to me carefully. You're not the Nine-Tails. I'll tell you everything about your parents soon. Whatever Konoha did to you… I'll make sure they pay for it."
"N-No, Yusuke-sensei—"
"Call me Uncle," Yusuke interrupted.
"U-Uh… Uncle?" Naruto said awkwardly.
"Good," Yusuke smiled faintly. "From now on, I'll be your family. So is Kakashi. If you ever need anything—anything at all—just come to me."
Naruto's chest tightened. "But… Uncle, please don't hurt Konoha. The village has been good to me. Grandpa Hokage has always been kind."
"Hmph. Kindness is easy when it's convenient," Yusuke muttered under his breath but chose not to argue further.
His gaze shifted again, this time toward Sasuke. "That boy's from the Uchiha clan, isn't he?"
"Yeah," Kakashi replied quietly. "He's Itachi's younger brother."
The moment the name Itachi was spoken, Sasuke's entire aura changed—dark, sharp, filled with rage.
"Oh? So you're the little brother," Yusuke said casually, folding his arms. "Well then, hello, Sasuke. Funny enough, I'm something like your brother's half-mentor."
"Don't say that name in front of me!" Sasuke snapped, fury burning in his eyes.
"Oh? Angry, are we?" Yusuke tilted his head slightly, staring down at him without a hint of intimidation.
"What's going on here, Kakashi?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already had an idea.
Kakashi hesitated. "It's… a long story."
Yusuke raised a brow. "Two years apart and you've gotten this awkward?" he teased, reaching out to ruffle Kakashi's hair.
"Nii-san, I'm not a kid anymore…" Kakashi grumbled, brushing his hand away.
"You'll always be my little brother," Yusuke said with a grin. "Now talk."
Kakashi sighed. "Uchiha Itachi massacred his entire clan—left only Sasuke alive. He's now classified as an S-rank rogue ninja."
"What?!" Yusuke's cheerful expression vanished, replaced by pure anger. "That damned brat… so he chose that path after all."
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "Itachi… did what?"
Sasuke clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
"Sasuke…" Sakura whispered, worried.
"I'm fine," Sasuke said coldly. "I'll kill him."
Yusuke turned to Kakashi, his tone hardening. "With your power, stopping that boy shouldn't have been difficult."
"I wasn't in the village when it happened," Kakashi replied, regret in his voice. "By the time I returned, it was already over."
Yusuke closed his eyes for a moment. "…I see."
When he looked at Sasuke again, his tone was calm but firm. "Listen, kid. If you plan to kill Itachi, that won't be easy. Keep training. With your strength now, you're not even on par with the Itachi from when he was eight."
Those words hit Sasuke like a slap.
But Yusuke wasn't mocking him—he was simply stating the truth. Uchiha Itachi was a once-in-a-generation genius, a prodigy whose natural talent far outstripped even Sasuke's.
And for the first time in a long while, everyone fell silent before the calm, terrifying presence of the man known as Hatake Yusuke.
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