Chapter 15

As Yusuke prepared to walk into Sarutobi's mansion, he noticed a wrinkled old woman watching him with a resentful gaze. She was the wife of Hiruzen, the mother of Sarutobi Shinnosuke.It was Sarutobi Biwako.

Yusuke smiled brightly and strode into the mansion. His laugh startled Hiruzen Sarutobi, causing him to nearly have a heart attack. It was clear that Yusuke's smile conveyed a provocative message:

What can you do about me?"

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I was just so busy, sorry I'm late," Yusuke said as he entered the office hall. Unlike ordinary Konoha ninjas, he didn't kneel before the four elders. Instead, he sat cross-legged directly on the tatami mat.

This bold action alone caused Shimura Danzo, who was accustomed to holding high positions, to glance disdainfully at Yusuke, the three members frowned fiercely.

"Yusuke, tell me why you seriously injured Sarutobi Shinnosuke and many other ANBU who came to inform you," Koharu scolded coldly.

Yusuke smiled lightly. "To be honest, I don't have other hobbies, so I like to beat people."

"What did you say?!" Koharu stared at Yusuke with narrowed eyes. It wasn't that he was hard of hearing, but something was clearly wrong with his ears.

"I'm the one who hates explaining things the most, and I'm not the captain of the Anbu anyway, so... so."

Yusuke reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out an object, and threw it in front of the Konoha elders. He sneered, "This time, I'll get rid of my ninja identity."

The faces of Hiruzen Sarutobi and the elders changed instantly. They hadn't expected Yusuke to make such a move. The position of the captain of the Anbu was now vacant, and Yusuke no longer cared about his identity as a Konoha ninja.

"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're strong!" Homura Mitokado shouted angrily, unable to tolerate Yusuke's calm demeanor and obvious contempt.

"I've simply had enough," Yusuke calmly replied. "Times have changed."

"What did you say?!" Homura Mitokado was incredulous.

Yusuke smiled warmly. "I'm sorry, but I can really do whatever I want because I'm strong."

"What the hell is going on with you?" Danzo interjected, his concern evident. "Half a month ago, you were just a ninja, but in such a short time, you've gained the power to repel the Nine-Tails. There must be some insider information involved, right?"

Danzo, now in his fifties, knew well that his own strength was limited to the primary level of the Kage tier and that he couldn't advance further. Yusuke's sudden surge in power gave him hope. If Yusuke, a mere Jonin-level shinobi, could break through to the peak of the Kage level so quickly, perhaps there was a secret art or medicine involved. If he could obtain the same means, maybe he could ascend to the super Kage level and even challenge someone like Madara Uchiha.

"Lord Danzo, there are geniuses in this world. If a genius wants to break through, it's not something mediocrity can understand," Yusuke replied with a grin.

Danzo's expression darkened. "What do you mean by that? Are you insulting us for being mediocre?"

In just two minutes, Yusuke had scolded three of the four elders. The three members were left speechless, unable to call upon the Anbu to take him down. With White Fang dead, the strongest Kage beneath them was now merely the upper ninja elite, whom Yusuke could easily destroy with a flick of his hand.

Yusuke's audacity stemmed mainly from the success of last night's plan. Konoha was now crippled and could no longer withstand any blows. While Konoha's internal conflicts had always been intense, the village's overall situation had been relatively stable. At that time, even if Hyuga Hiashi's brother, Hyuga Hizashi, had been handed over to the Hidden Cloud Village, it would have been easier to exterminate the Uchiha clan without shaking the foundation of Konoha.

But things were different now. After last night's Nine-Tails incident, Konoha's foundation was damaged. Other villages were still eyeing each other warily, and if Konoha remained embroiled in internal strife, it would spiral out of control. Moreover, Yusuke was unlike White Fang or Minato Namikaze—he had no loyalty to Konoha. For his own interests, thousands had died the previous night, and Yusuke didn't care.

However, there was still a sense of belonging. After all, Konoha was the most fertile land in the entire ninja world, and Yusuke had declared he would never defect. But something seemed off. Why would someone want to leave such a good place?

"Hokage-sama, are you alright? If you're okay, I'll go first," Yusuke offered, noticing that Hiruzen Sarutobi had remained silent for a long time. He got up and left, deciding to return the forehead protector.

"This matter is Shinnosuke's fault," Hiruzen finally spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Shimura Danzo, Koharu, and Homura were utterly shocked.