Sarutobi Hiruzen stood at his office window, gazing over the bustling village of Konoha. His mind replayed the report he had just received from Shisui and the others.
A flying slash... at that age.
It reminded him of someone.
Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang.
Sakumo had been a legend, a man whose swordsmanship rivaled that of Konoha's greatest shinobi. Even the
Three Sannin
had once stood in his shadow. But after his death, that strength had been lost. Konoha's military power had suffered, and while they were still the strongest of the Great Nations, the
gaps in their forces were beginning to show
.
Tensions were rising again. The effects of the
Second Shinobi War
hadn't settled, and the world was already preparing for another conflict. Kumo had grown more aggressive, while
Kirigakure
, which had remained neutral, had begun to stir. Konoha's position, once untouchable, was now at risk.
And then there was
Youyu
.
A boy with no formal training, no disciplined upbringing, yet somehow capable of casually wielding
a level of swordsmanship that should have taken years to master.
If he could be properly guided, then perhaps—
Hiruzen sighed.
Or perhaps he'd end up
cutting down an ally by accident.
Either way, Youyu was a factor that could no longer be ignored.
Youyu stepped out of the bath, rubbing his damp hair with a towel. "Man, today was exhausting," he muttered.
After Kakashi ran off, the test had been quietly
canceled.
The official reason? The test was to assess courage.
The real reason?
No one had the courage to fight Youyu.
Not even without weapons.
Even Tanaka had given up pretending.
With a satisfied stretch, Youyu flopped onto his couch, reaching for a bottle of sake. "I drank a lot today," he mused. "Almost executed Kakashi as a spy, but hey—no harm, no foul."
Besides, he had
gained something valuable
in return.
The ability to hear the 'Breath of All Things'.
A swordsman's true foundation. The ability to sense the
life
in all things, even inanimate objects. Through this, a blade could cut through
anything.
With a grin, Youyu tightened his grip on
Qiushui
, his treasured sword. It felt
different
now, as if the blade itself had recognized his growth.
Feeling motivated, he stood up and started
swinging.
Each movement felt
smoother
, each cut
cleaner
.
The more he practiced, the more his perception of the world sharpened.
Then, after
ten minutes
, he
got bored.
"Yeah, no. This sucks," he grumbled, tossing Qiushui aside before grabbing a fresh bottle of sake and sinking back onto the couch.
Ding! Kendo comprehension +1.
Ding! Physique +1.
Ding! Kendo comprehension +1.
Youyu smirked, taking a deep sip. "See?
This
is how you train," he chuckled, before closing his eyes and drifting into
a deep, drunken sleep.
The next day, the ninja school returned to its usual routine, but one thing had changed—
Youyu's reputation had soared once again.
Kakashi had always been the golden prodigy, the genius son of the
Hatake clan
. He had graduated early, become a Chūnin, and completed
dangerous missions
outside the village.
But none of that mattered.
Because
he had lost to Youyu. Twice.
The entire class was buzzing.
"He's a Chūnin now," one student said. "He's probably way stronger than before."
"Yeah, but did you
see
what Youyu did?" another argued. "He cut a tree in half
without even touching it.
"
"It doesn't matter! Kakashi's been on real missions!"
"And Youyu's been drinking," someone muttered. "And somehow,
that
made him stronger."
Silence.
Because no one could
argue with that logic.
Even Asuma, who had briefly regained his confidence,
gave up again.
He had considered challenging Youyu, but after seeing
Kakashi get obliterated in one move
, he decided his life was too valuable.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room,
Obito Uchiha sat fuming.
His humiliation from being
stripped down in front of everyone
still burned in his mind. His fists clenched, his Sharingan itching to awaken.
One day... I'll wipe that stupid grin off your face.
Oblivious to everything around him, Youyu took another sip of sake.
Life was
good.
Author's Notes:
Word Count:
1,583
This Chapter really reinforced Youyu's ridiculous abilities while keeping things humorous.
The idea of everyone in Konoha
slowly realizing
that drinking somehow makes him stronger is still my favorite part.
Hiruzen
wants
to use him as a weapon, but he's also aware that he's
too dangerous to control.
Kakashi
continues to take L's.
Obito is about one bad day away from awakening his Sharingan
out of sheer spite.