Chapter 293 : The Person Who Caused The Turmoil In The Ninja World

Although Yugito Nii hadn't died, she had been brutally tortured by Hidan—her body covered in wounds, blood soaking her clothes, and a metal spike still driven through the back of her hand.

Riku carried her into a nearby cave. Seeing the state she was in—her entire body stained red with blood—he frowned deeply.

"Damn bastard... he really didn't hold back."

Yugito was still alive, but barely clinging to life.

Even as Riku brought her in, she didn't respond—she hadn't even realized she'd been saved.

Without hesitation, Riku began using medical ninjutsu.

Stopping the bleeding was his first priority.

But the wounds were too numerous. After defeating her, Hidan had deliberately tortured her for a long time. She was severely injured—her body barely intact.

It was only because of the Jinchūriki's powerful life force that she had survived at all.

The chakra of the Two-Tails, Matatabi, inside Yugito was nearly exhausted—down to only a quarter of its full strength.

As Riku treated her, he also activated his Nine Tomoe Rinnegan.

Behind the protective barrier of his dojutsu, the Rinnegan unleashed a wave of pure vitality.

His hands radiated intense yang chakra.

Yang Release—the power of life.

Even someone like Might Guy, who had been reduced to a charred husk after opening the Eighth Gate, could be brought back from the brink with it.

Riku's yang chakra was even stronger than what the Sage of Six Paths had given Naruto.

If he hadn't arrived in time, Yugito would have died. But now, her life force was slowly recovering under his hands.

Riku also infused her body with both yin and yang chakra, replenishing not only her own vitality but that of Matatabi as well.

He guided natural energy from the environment into her body, reshaping Matatabi's chakra.

The reason was simple: if Matatabi couldn't be reformed, Yugito would remain in a dangerously weakened state.

It took Riku more than an hour to restore her yang energy.

Gradually, the chakra of the Two-Tails began to reform inside Yugito.

Natural energy continued to pour into her, transforming into usable chakra.

After over an hour, with Riku's help, Matatabi had fully recovered.

At the same time, Yugito's physical injuries had healed completely. Thanks to Matatabi's recovery, chakra surged through her body once more.

As a perfect Jinchūriki, Yugito had an exceptionally strong bond with her Tailed Beast.

The only reason people like Danzo thought there were only two perfect Jinchūriki—Killer Bee and the Fourth Mizukage—was due to outdated intelligence.

Yugito was a perfect Jinchūriki too.

When she finally regained consciousness, her chakra immediately linked with Matatabi's.

A massive wave of terrifying chakra erupted from her body.

The cave trembled under the pressure, as though it would collapse.

Riku stood silently, watching as Yugito's eyes snapped open and locked onto him.

Despite her state of undress—her clothing shredded from the earlier torture—she didn't say a word.

She simply stared at Riku with serious eyes.

Without speaking, Riku pulled out a white robe from a sealed scroll and draped it over her. The burst of chakra had destroyed her clothing completely.

Then, he stood up and said, "I'll wait for you at the entrance. I'll explain everything there."

Yugito said nothing, simply watching him go.

Outside, Riku stood at the cave's mouth with his hands in his pockets, staring at the sky.

"Just who the hell was that guy...?"

He no longer dwelled on Yugito. His thoughts were consumed by the man he had encountered—the one with a second pair of Rinnegan.

Riku was certain the man was from the Ōtsutsuki Clan. But which one, he didn't know.

Whoever it was, their appearance meant only one thing: danger. With the Fourth Great Ninja War looming, it was likely Riku would soon face more than one Ōtsutsuki.

And that would put enormous pressure on him.

He leaned against the rock face, deep in thought.

After a long time, Yugito finally stepped out of the cave.

She was wearing the robe Riku had given her, her blonde hair flowing freely. The loss against Hidan and Kakuzu had left her disheveled, but it added a softer air to her otherwise stoic presence.

Despite her usual cold demeanor, there was a trace of warmth in her gaze.

When she saw Riku, her expression changed slightly—just enough for a faint blush to rise to her cheeks.

"...Thank you."

She approached slowly. Although her memories were hazy, she could piece together what had happened.

Riku had saved her.

Her consciousness had been clear when Akatsuki began draining Matatabi. It was only after the extraction that she blacked out.

Riku glanced at her and replied calmly, "It's fine. I was just passing by. But Akatsuki still managed to take most of Matatabi's chakra. What they have now is more than enough."

Inside her, Matatabi looked at Riku with deep awe.

Its life had essentially been reshaped by him.

It didn't understand how he had done it—but it recognized the miracle.

In Matatabi's eyes, Riku was like a second Sage of Six Paths.

Matatabi conveyed all this to Yugito.

Still, Yugito wasn't entirely convinced. In her mind, Riku might be stronger than the Fourth Raikage, perhaps even Killer Bee, but not by much.

She assumed he had fought desperately to rescue her.

That's why, when she noticed her shredded clothing earlier, she hadn't blamed him. She knew it had been a life-or-death situation.

Had Riku intended to take advantage of her, he wouldn't have waited for her to recover.

As she looked at him now, something in her perception shifted.

Before, she had been suspicious of Riku—believing he was scheming against the Cloud.

But now, he had stood up to Akatsuki, dragged her from the jaws of death, and paid a heavy price to do it.

She couldn't help but feel grateful.

And she now believed—Riku hadn't had any ulterior motives.

Looking at him, she finally asked, "Are you here on a mission?"

Riku stepped away from the cave, eyes calm. "Yeah. It's an important one. But I can't tell you. If word got out, it could plunge the entire shinobi world into chaos."

Yugito was stunned by that.

Who in the world could cause that kind of turmoil?

She couldn't imagine what kind of mission Riku was on, or who could force someone of his caliber to take such precautions.

After all, Riku's power clearly surpassed even the Raikage.

And maybe—just maybe—even Killer Bee wasn't his match.

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