The Worried Father

"Uchiha Yusuke has refused," Shisui said.

The Third Hokage stood up slowly from his chair upon hearing this, walked over to the kneeling Shisui, and sighed, "It seems that although his strength is impressive, he lacks the capacity to shoulder the heavy burden of the village's peace!"

Shisui urged anxiously, "Lord Third, I think Uchiha Yusuke just hasn't thought it through yet. If I just try again—"

The Third Hokage patted Shisui on the shoulder, "No need. I have a new mission for you now."

"Please, Lord Third, tell me," Shisui said.

"What do you think of Uchiha Yusuke's strength? Are you confident you can defeat him?" the Third Hokage asked.

Shisui thought for a moment and replied, "Uchiha Yusuke is very strong. I'm not sure about other aspects, but judging by the speed of his Body Flicker Technique, he is almost on par with me."

After a brief pause, Shisui continued, "However, I believe that when it comes to the application of the Body Flicker Technique, he is certainly not my match. Furthermore, I have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan; I believe Uchiha Yusuke should not be my opponent."

Although Uchiha Shisui was kind and friendly to others and appeared very humble, as a true genius, he was deeply proud in his heart.

The Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction, "Shisui, you are indeed a trustworthy subordinate. The new mission I am giving you is to challenge Uchiha Yusuke, defeat him, and become the number one genius of the Uchiha Clan—no, I should say the number one expert of the Uchiha Clan!"

"This... Lord Third, isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Shisui said, looking slightly hesitant.

Shisui was not a person who liked to stir up trouble, and he did not place much importance on such superficial fame.

The Third Hokage sighed, "Actually, this mission isn't for you to target Uchiha Yusuke, but to establish your prestige within the Uchiha Clan, so that you may become the spokesperson for the clan."

"As long as you have enough influence within the Uchiha Clan, you can better serve as a bridge between the village and your clan. This is a win-win situation. Moreover, I believe only you can shoulder this heavy responsibility!"

Upon hearing this, Shisui raised his head slightly, meeting the Third Hokage's gaze filled with trust and expectation. He couldn't help but feel moved, feeling as if the peace of the village and the future of the Uchiha Clan rested on his shoulders. He declared loudly, "Shisui understands! I will certainly complete this mission you have entrusted to me!"

Seeing Shisui accept the order, the Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction, "Of course, this mission doesn't require you to start immediately; you can take some time to prepare. During this period, I will arrange for people to build up momentum for you. Once you defeat him, all the glory will belong to you. Besides, the election for the Fourth Hokage is about to begin, and I don't want any extra trouble at this time."

"I understand," Shisui replied.

"Very well, if there is nothing else, you may withdraw," the Third Hokage said.

"Yes." Shisui stood up and prepared to leave. As he reached the door, the Third Hokage's instructions reached his ears.

"You can pay a visit to Danzo and see what suggestions he has. He should have some understanding of Uchiha Yusuke's strength."

"It's you again! How come you've disappeared for a while only to come and bother Master Orochimaru again!" Anko said with dissatisfaction upon seeing Yusuke appear before her.

"Is Lord Orochimaru not here?" Yusuke ignored Anko's little temper and sensed his surroundings, but he did not detect Orochimaru's presence.

"Hmph, Master Orochimaru is busy with the election for the Fourth Hokage; he has no time for you," Anko said, crossing her arms. Her small face then showed a look of indignation, "Everyone says the Fourth Hokage will definitely be that Yellow Flash. How could he possibly be better than Master Orochimaru?"

"Honestly, don't people realize what a great person Master Orochimaru is!"

Looking at Anko, whose cheeks were puffed up in anger, Yusuke shook his head with a smile and joked, "Since you aren't so satisfied with Lord Minato becoming the Fourth Hokage, why don't you try to list one of Lord Minato's flaws within a minute?"

Hearing Yusuke's words, Anko immediately racked her brain, only to find that she truly couldn't find any flaws in that Yellow Flash. Finally, she scratched her hair fiercely, "Ahhh!! Anyway, he's just not as good as Master Orochimaru!"

Watching the slightly frantic Anko, Yusuke found it quite amusing.

"Yusuke-kun, it seems you're in a good mood lately, chatting with Anko here." At this moment, a chilling voice rang out; it was Orochimaru, who had just returned to his hideout.

"Lord Orochimaru, you jest. I only just arrived, and seeing Anko here, I just chatted for a bit," Yusuke said.

Orochimaru opened the entrance to the secret chamber of the hideout and led Yusuke inside, while Anko was ordered to stand guard outside.

Watching the back of Yusuke as he followed Orochimaru into the chamber, Anko stuck out her tongue and made a fierce face.

At that moment, Yusuke suddenly turned his head and smiled slightly, leaving Anko's face frozen in an awkward expression.

"It's rare for you to come here specifically to wait for me. It seems you have something important to discuss," Orochimaru asked, his snake-like eyes fixed on Yusuke after the chamber door closed.

"Indeed. I have some thoughts regarding the curse seal you are researching," Yusuke said slowly.

"Oh?" Orochimaru's face showed curiosity, signaling for Yusuke to continue.

"I want to develop a new type of curse seal based on the one you previously created. This curse seal needs to be able to contain a massive amount of Yin Release Chakra and allow the host to draw upon it at any time," Yusuke said.

In truth, Yusuke felt a bit anxious. He had found the key to unlocking the Sharingan and increasing the power of his Zanpakuto—Yin Release.

However, to obtain this key and utilize it as quickly as possible, he needed the assistance of Orochimaru, who was proficient in the development of forbidden techniques.

Furthermore, the Fourth Hokage would soon take office, and after Orochimaru lost the election, he would soon defect, completing his transformation from a Konoha ninja to a rogue. By then, it would be very difficult to get his help in developing this curse seal.

"Didn't you look down on the curse seal technique before? Why have you changed your mind now?" Orochimaru laughed sinisterly.

"Your previous 'Heaven Curse Seal' had too many flaws, and I could see that you were hiding something within it," Yusuke said calmly.

The Heaven Curse Seal was a carrier seal used by Orochimaru for his 'Living Corpse Reincarnation', and it contained his hidden schemes.

Moreover, the original Heaven Curse Seal or Earth Curse Seal was based on natural energy extracted from Jugo's body, which could be considered a degraded version of 'Sage Mode', something Yusuke looked down upon.

"As expected of Yusuke-kun, you even discovered that. So, what is your purpose in researching a seal that can store Yin Release?" Orochimaru asked.

"I have found a way to awaken my Sharingan, which requires storing a large amount of Yin Release Chakra to make a breakthrough in one go." Yusuke paused here, looked into Orochimaru's eyes, and threw out a hidden bait: "Moreover, if this idea of mine is successfully completed, it will allow the host to store a massive amount of Yin Release Chakra, which will indirectly improve the host's soul—or rather, their mental strength—and consequently greatly enhance the host's resistance to genjutsu."

Although 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' was an unparalleled forbidden technique, it had a fatal flaw: every reincarnation greatly weakened the user's mental strength, thereby significantly reducing the user's resistance to genjutsu.

Although Orochimaru had not yet completed the development of 'Living Corpse Reincarnation', he must have already discovered this serious defect. Yusuke believed that with this temptation, Orochimaru would certainly not be able to refuse his proposal.

Orochimaru looked at Yusuke with an inquisitive gaze, pondering in his heart, "Does he have intelligence on the weakness of the 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' I am developing, or is it just a coincidence?"

After a moment of silence, Orochimaru said slowly, "I agree, but you will have to spend more time in my laboratory during this period."

Yusuke nodded, "No problem. I also hope this technique can be completed as soon as possible. Starting tomorrow, I will bring an assistant to help with our work."

"An assistant?" Orochimaru wore an expression of interest.

"Yes, his talent will surely surprise you!"

After making the agreement with Orochimaru, Yusuke prepared to return to his clan to arrange the training plans for Itachi and Izumi for the coming period. Kabuto would soon be following him to participate in the development of the Cursed Seal at Orochimaru's laboratory, so he would not be training with Itachi and Izumi for the time being.

Walking down the street, Yusuke was considering how to make the arrangements when he suddenly spotted a figure among the pedestrians ahead, wearing a ninja vest and a blue bandana.

"Got it, I'll ask them for help!" The corners of Yusuke's mouth curled up slightly as he quickened his pace toward his target.

Shiranui Genma had just finished drinking tea and chatting with friends, and was leisurely strolling through the streets of Konoha. Suddenly, he felt his left shoulder sink as a hand rested upon it.

"Genma, you look quite relaxed lately," Yusuke said with a smile.

Genma turned his head to see that it was Yusuke, and with the senbon he always kept in his mouth, he replied, "Yo, it's Yusuke. It's rare to run into you while out walking; aren't you always busy training or developing ninjutsu?"

"True, but I've taken on a few disciples recently, and I happen to have an important ninjutsu to develop, so I don't have time to arrange their training. I was hoping to ask you to step in for a while and guide my disciples in their ninjutsu practice," Yusuke laughed.

Although Genma was only a chunin at the moment, he was exceptionally skilled at chakra control and the use of ninjutsu.

In the Sha no Sho, Genma's ninjutsu stat reached a 9, which shows that his ability in that area was quite impressive.

Hearing Yusuke's words, Genma waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, no, I don't have the time for that. Spare me, please."

Genma had absolutely no interest in guiding others in their training. He would much rather spend that time wandering the streets.

Yusuke smiled, unbothered: "It's fine, since you're unwilling, I won't force you."

"However, Lord Orochimaru asked me today if I had heard any recent rumors about him, and I was just thinking about how to answer him. Since I heard you discussing Lord Orochimaru with a few people at the teahouse today, I happen to have an answer to give Lord Orochimaru."

Looking at the smiling Yusuke before him, Genma felt as though the other man's narrowed eyes were hiding a chilling, cold light.

Genma gave a bitter smile: "Yusuke, we're old comrades-in-arms, let's not do this."

Patting Genma on the shoulder, Yusuke said with a smile, "Starting tomorrow at noon, Izumi and my disciple Uchiha Itachi will be waiting for you at the training ground on the southernmost side of the Uchiha compound. Don't be late. I'll arrange for someone else to teach them taijutsu in the morning, so you can just focus on guiding their ninjutsu in the afternoon."

Watching Yusuke walk away, a bitter smile appeared on Genma's face.

"Truly, loose lips sink ships, loose lips sink ships."

Having settled things with Genma, Yusuke continued on toward the spot where Guy usually trained. For the person to guide Izumi and Itachi's taijutsu training, Yusuke had decided on Guy. He trusted that Guy, who was dedicated to taijutsu, would not disappoint him.

"Sigh~, I never thought I'd end up like a worried old father!"

As always, thank you all for your support.

The author is going out to have some fun today, so I will stay home tomorrow and add an extra chapter.

(●●)(●●)

Also, regarding Orochimaru's character avatar, the author really doesn't know why it hasn't passed review for so long; it was just a funny picture!!! Could the reviewer be a fan of Orochimaru??

Please provide the text you would like me to translate or revise. I am ready to process it according to your specific formatting and stylistic requirements.