Chapter 10

Koharu gritted her teeth and said, "Yusuke, as a member of Konoha, you don't think about Konoha's future and try to let go of the Nine-Tails. What's your intention?"

Hearing this old woman's words, Yusuke laughed inwardly. Did they think he was a pushover like Hatake Sakumo?

Yusuke had dealt with plenty of demonic keyboard warriors in his previous life.

"You misunderstand. I just wanted to give the opportunity to the elders. After all, you haven't made any contributions since you ascended to your position. Isn't this a great opportunity for you?"

Yusuke's sarcastic remark was a pointed critique of their lack of merit while occupying their positions of power.

Homura, Koharu, and the others were visibly enraged. It was clear that Yusuke was pointing out their ineffectiveness and criticizing their leadership.

"Hmph!"

At this moment, the Nine-Tails, which loomed like a mountain above everyone, let out a cold snort and turned toward the Konoha Gate.

It was evident that the Nine-Tails agreed with Yusuke's proposal and chose to leave. Despite its strength, it saw that Tsunade, who was using Katsuyu to treat the wounded, was a descendant of Senju Hashirama. Coupled with Yusuke's display of power, it decided that confronting them further would be too troublesome.

Seeing the Nine-Tails preparing to leave, the faces of the Sarutobi and the others changed. With the Second Shinobi World War ongoing and the village in ruins, losing the Nine-Tails was a critical blow.

"Ha ah~ Lord Third Hokage, if you wish to chase after it, you should be aware that fighting the Nine-Tails has left me quite exhausted. I'll be heading home now," Yusuke said, yawning as he walked toward his house.

Whether his house had been destroyed by the tailed beast's attack remained to be seen.

"Are you going to do nothing, boy!?" Danzo snapped angrily. The loss of the Nine-Tails was a serious issue, and Danzo was infuriated by Yusuke's defiance.

"What needs to be done now is to stabilize the village and prepare for future conflicts. Capturing the Nine-Tails will be a challenge we can address later," Sarutobi said after a moment of thought.

Konoha had lost two-thirds of its land and over fifteen hundred ninjas. Reclaiming the title of "the strongest village in the ninja world" seemed impossible. Sarutobi recognized that capturing the Nine-Tails would require significant resources and even then might not succeed. With the ongoing war, it was more prudent to focus on rebuilding and ensuring the village's survival.

Homura and Koharu nodded in agreement, understanding Sarutobi's decision.

Danzo remained silent, clearly disturbed by the grim situation and Yusuke's defiance. He vowed silently to find a way to address this in the future.

"Everyone, begin the reconstruction of Konoha," Sarutobi commanded, turning to the remaining Konoha ninjas.

The surviving ninjas raised their arms in cheer, grateful for their survival.

As civilians began returning to the village, they found most of their homes destroyed by the Nine-Tails. Until new homes could be built, spaces like the ninja school and training grounds were made available for those who lost their homes.

"Luckily, Dad, our home is still standing," Kurenai said to her father, as they surveyed their relatively intact house.

"Yes," Shinku Yuhi replied, though he sighed as he looked at the devastation around them. "I don't know if Konoha can survive this catastrophe."

"By the way, Dad, I heard that Yusuke chased away the Nine-Tails two days ago. Is it true?"

Kurenai recalled the rumors she'd heard on her way back to Konoha.

"Uh, yes," Shinku said, recalling the incredible sight of Yusuke fighting the Nine-Tails. The boy's strength was reminiscent of the legendary White Fang.

Shinku was also shocked by Yusuke's audacity in openly challenging Danzo, who was second only to the Hokage in power.

"Yo~ Shinku, Kurenai, what are you guys doing~?"

At this moment, a voice that Shinku Yuhi did not want to hear interrupted their conversation.