Chapter 297

Although Sasuke was already capable of this level of power, it was still something that only the Rinnegan should be able to achieve.

Relying solely on one’s own Lightning Style shouldn’t be nearly powerful enough to counter the Shinra Tensei of the Rinnegan—let alone the true Shinra Tensei of the Ōtsutsuki clan.

Ōtsutsuki Urashiki was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Riku to withstand his assault using only standard Lightning Style chakra.

But that only made him all the more cautious.

"This guy... is seriously troublesome."

The instant the thunder net dissipated, Riku’s eyes narrowed sharply.

In a blink, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and appeared behind Urashiki at a speed that nearly rivaled Flying Raijin.

Shhk—!

Riku’s blade pierced straight through Urashiki’s body—but the moment the blade made contact, Urashiki dissolved into a flurry of paper cranes and vanished before Riku’s eyes.

Simultaneously, Urashiki reappeared behind Riku. As his Rinnegan flared, the space around them began to distort and compress.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What kind of technique is that...?"

"He’s warping space and time around Riku," he muttered.

Urashiki smiled coldly. "You’re not of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline."

But Riku, unfazed, smiled back. "Of course I’m not. That’s why I’m stronger than you."

Suddenly, arcs of purple-gold lightning erupted across Riku’s body.

Zzt!

The compressed space around him fractured violently.

Crack—!

Nine serpentine bolts of golden-purple lightning burst from his form. Coiling above his head, they shot outward, ripping through space itself.

Wherever the thunder serpents passed, the twisted time-space stabilized.

Ōtsutsuki Urashiki and Sasuke stared in disbelief.

"H-he shattered compressed space-time? What kind of jutsu is that?"

Sasuke was especially stunned. He had thought himself close to Riku’s level since the Fourth Great Ninja War.

But apparently, Riku still had abilities he’d never even shown before.

As Shinrai and Tsukiko watched the nine serpents tear through space, they both felt an unfamiliar stirring in their blood.

Jiraiya and Tsunade stood completely frozen.

"What kind of jutsu... can even rip through space and time like that?" Jiraiya muttered.

They were starting to realize they knew very little about Riku’s full strength.

Even Tsunade, despite knowing he possessed the Rinnegan, had no true grasp of his power—and that realization filled her with unease.

Boruto, watching Riku calmly dominate an Ōtsutsuki, was overwhelmed with admiration.

His strength... his calm... his overwhelming control—it was beyond what Boruto had imagined.

Sakura, too, looked on, realizing the chasm between Riku and the rest of their generation. A gap that could never be crossed.

Urashiki finally seemed to comprehend Riku’s overwhelming strength. He immediately pulled back dozens of meters, breaking off the close-quarters fight.

His Rinnegan shifted—its color turning a brilliant gold.

Narrowing his eyes, Urashiki unleashed a massive torrent of chakra. It shaped itself into dozens of sharp, glowing blades that streaked through the air toward Riku like a storm of divine retribution.

Wherever the blades struck, the earth was carved apart like paper.

Riku could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from each one.

Turning sharply, he pressed his palms together.

"Sage Art: Electric Pulse Wave."

In the next instant, Riku entered Sage Mode. Golden lightning began to crackle violently around him.

BOOM—!

The golden arcs exploded from his body, shredding the air itself into fractured light.

The force of Riku’s chakra split the sky, and the immense pressure shattered the ground beneath him.

Just as Urashiki’s golden Rinnegan technique surged forward, countless beams of golden lightning gathered around Riku and condensed into a radiant pillar.

BOOM—!

The golden bolt fired with thunderous force.

Everything in its path turned to ash.

The storm of chakra blades shattered under the lightning like twigs beneath a falling tree. The beam streaked forward at blinding speed.

Urashiki’s golden Rinnegan flared, quickly shifting back to blue—Time Reversal activated. His body slipped slightly out of alignment, just barely avoiding a direct hit.

But even with that, the front of his body still disintegrated from the impact.

Fortunately, he had used Time Reversal to substitute a puppet in his place before the attack hit fully.

The golden beam pierced the sky—obliterating several massive meteorites above them, reducing them to dust.

This Lightning Style technique wasn’t just powerful—it was monstrous.

Everyone was speechless.

This wasn’t a power that a human should be able to wield.

Even Sasuke was stunned. He had once absorbed a tailed beast-level chakra attack, and this felt comparable.

But this—this wasn’t even Riku using his Rinnegan.

This was just Riku in Sage Mode. And that terrified Sasuke more than anything.

"At this point... he’s probably stronger than Madara was at his peak," Sasuke thought, referring to Six Paths Madara.

Riku might not be on par with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya... but he was getting close.

It was undeniable—Riku’s strength was utterly overwhelming.

And though the Fourth Great Ninja War had not yet begun, Riku already possessed the power to change its outcome singlehandedly.

Shinrai and Tsukiko watched, stunned. It was clear now—Riku was far more powerful than any account in Konoha’s historical records had ever suggested.

Jiraiya, too, was shaken. Riku had instantly entered Sage Mode and unleashed a Lightning Style technique far beyond human capability.

"This isn’t something mortals should be able to do," Jiraiya whispered.

Only the Ōtsutsuki could push Riku this far.

There were virtually no other enemies in the ninja world who could force Riku to activate Sage Mode at all.

And even though their clash had felt long and drawn out, the actual combat between Riku and Urashiki had lasted only a few seconds.

Tsunade was the first to react. Her fists clenched as she charged forward.

Sakura followed immediately after her.

Shinrai and Tsukiko activated their newly awakened Three Tomoe Sharingan and surged into battle using their incomplete Susanoo forms.

They had just unlocked the Sharingan’s third tomoe, and already, their Susanoo—a radiant form they named Dawn—fired a gleaming chakra arrow.

THOOM—!

The arrow shot through the air.

Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, however, had already adapted.

He could deal with this level of attack easily now.

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