Chapter 305

Tsunade had gathered all the available shinobi who weren't currently assigned to missions.

On the rooftop of the Hokage building, she stood before a group of over a dozen shinobi.

They were all Chūnin or Jōnin—and among them stood only one elite: Kakashi Hatake.

Riku and Shizune stood silently behind Tsunade.

Looking over the group, Tsunade spoke in a grave voice. "The attackers who struck Konoha earlier belonged to the Sky Ninja Village—Kūronin—thought to have been wiped out by Konoha during the last Great Ninja War. This time, they likely sent only a small unit."

"For the safety of Konoha, we must locate their base and destroy it."

Her gaze turned to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, you'll lead the mission. Find the Sky Ninja's base and eliminate the threat."

Kakashi gave a serious nod. "Understood, Lady Hokage."

Behind him, the Chūnin present glanced at Riku with admiration and awe.

If Riku hadn't stepped in during the assault, Konoha's losses would have been far more devastating.

But then again, only Riku in the entire shinobi world could have pulled off what he did.

Among the Chūnin present, Sakura, Ino, Sai, Chōji, and Neji all stared at Riku, eyes filled with both respect and a touch of disbelief.

They had trained in the same era—some in the same class.

Neji, Lee, and Tenten were only one class ahead of Riku, but the gap between them now felt insurmountable.

Even Sakura, who trained under Tsunade and had gained considerable strength, knew just how far Riku had surpassed them all.

He wasn't just powerful—he was in a different league altogether.

After all, Riku had defeated Urashiki Ōtsutsuki, who possessed the Rinnegan, in a one-sided battle.

That alone was enough to prove how terrifying his power truly was.

They all knew what had happened to Jiraiya when he faced Urashiki.

He hadn't stood a chance.

If Riku hadn't been there during that battle, both Tsunade and Sakura would have ended up far worse than Jiraiya.

Riku had saved them both—effortlessly.

It was clear now: his strength went far beyond the traditional definition of a Kage-level shinobi.

In fact, he had already surpassed the realm of any known Kage.

Some speculated he was on par with the Sage of Six Paths himself.

But even that might not be accurate.

If the Sage were in his Ten Tails Jinchūriki form, perhaps he could rival Riku—but in his ordinary state?

He wouldn't even come close.

Among his peers, Sakura might be one of the only ones who truly understood the depth of Riku's power.

Kakashi had also witnessed Riku's Lightning Style technique during the battle.

To be honest, just seeing it was overwhelming.

The level of complexity in that jutsu had definitely reached—or even surpassed—S-rank difficulty.

The chakra requirement alone was immense, and the precision needed to control it was unfathomable.

So much so that even Tsunade, known for her exceptional chakra control, might not be able to perform it.

As for Kakashi—he knew his limits.

He lacked both the chakra reserves and the control precision necessary to even attempt such a technique.

Once Tsunade had finished assigning the mission, the assembled shinobi left, following Kakashi's lead to track down the Sky Ninja's hidden base.

Meanwhile, far from the village, within the forests surrounding Konoha, an old man watched silently from the shadows.

His gaze was fixed on Riku, who stood atop the Hokage building.

His expression was grim.

"This one… he's even more powerful than the rumors claimed," the man muttered.

"He actually unleashed a technique of that scale... But it doesn't matter. Once the weapon is activated, destroying Konoha will be easy. Even he won't be able to stop it."

The man was Shen, the leader of the Sky Ninja.

A once-forgotten relic of war, he had returned with vengeance in his heart.

His body possessed extraordinary regenerative capabilities and enhanced physical strength—enough to open the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates.

Of course, he referred only to his physical condition. That didn't mean he had mastered the Eight Gates Technique.

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