Chapter 158 : Becoming The Leader JōNin
Riku raised his head and looked at Tsunade, slightly curious. "What mission?"
For Tsunade to summon him in person, it was definitely not a trivial task.
Tsunade sighed. "In the Land of Water, a group of rogue ninja has surfaced. They’re all former Konoha shinobi and are planning to assassinate the daimyo of the Water Country."
"Due to rising tensions and mutual distrust between the Land of Water and Kirigakure, the daimyo has entrusted Konoha with eliminating the threat."
Riku paused. "Then just send some ninja to deal with it?"
Tsunade sat across from him, looking a little helpless. "There are about a dozen of them, including one confirmed Jōnin. Taking them out requires at least one Jōnin to lead the operation."
"But all of Konoha’s available Jōnin are currently out on missions. We’ve got a major backlog of assignments right now."
"You’re the only one we can spare."
Riku nodded. "Understood."
As a Special Jōnin assigned to guard the Hokage, Riku typically didn’t go on many missions. Tsunade had specifically made him part of her security detail. Technically, he wasn’t obligated to accept missions.
But Konoha was seriously short-handed. The damage from the previous Konoha Crush had been devastating—half of Konoha’s shinobi forces were lost. Though most were Genin and Chūnin, the blow to the village’s overall strength was severe.
Ever since the Nine-Tails’ attack, Konoha had been on a gradual decline.
That attack alone had killed many high-ranking shinobi, including several Jōnin. Then came the Uchiha massacre, further depleting Konoha’s strength. The Uchiha clan had boasted more than a dozen Jōnin and Special Jōnin on its own.
Then came the Konoha Crush, wiping out another large portion of the ninja population.
All of it left the village in its weakest state in history.
If Tsunade hadn’t returned to take up the mantle of Fifth Hokage, Konoha might have been overrun by neighboring villages.
Her reputation as one of the Legendary Sannin was the only thing keeping potential enemies at bay.
To handle the huge backlog of missions, every capable Jōnin had been dispatched. Even Kakashi had taken on three or four S-rank missions in the past few months alone.
And S-rank missions weren’t something Jōnin usually did more than once or twice a year.
Kakashi didn’t even have time for Team 7 anymore.
It wasn’t just his team, either. The teams led by Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy were also functioning without their Jōnin instructors.
Now, Genin squads were combining and completing C- or D-rank missions on their own.
All available Jōnin had been sent to handle B- and A-rank assignments, while elite Jōnin like Kakashi were being run into the ground, forced to handle back-to-back S-rank operations.
This kind of situation only happened during times of war.
Konoha had reached a critical point.
Even Chūnin were being pulled into missions usually meant for higher-ranked shinobi.
So when Riku accepted without hesitation, Tsunade smiled. "Good. I’ll assign three Genin to accompany you. They’re outnumbered, but I believe with your strength, you’ll be able to eliminate the rogue ninja."
Although the rebel group in the Land of Water included Chūnin and even a Jōnin, Tsunade trusted that Riku could handle them.
The three Genin weren’t meant to assist—rather, they were being placed under Riku’s leadership to gain experience and training.
Riku didn’t particularly need help, but he understood what Tsunade was doing and didn’t object.
They teleported to the Hokage’s office via the Flying Thunder God Technique.
The moment they appeared, Riku saw Hinata, Ino, and Shino standing and waiting.
The sudden appearance of Tsunade and Riku caught all three off guard.
"Lady Hokage!" they greeted in unison.
Seeing Riku, Hinata immediately brightened and jumped forward, clinging to his arm. "Riku!"
Her voice was so loud that Riku frowned slightly. Tsunade, expressionless, betrayed a flicker of irritation in the twitch of her brow.
Riku gently peeled Hinata off his arm with a smile. "So, you three are my team this time."
Hinata flushed, looking down. "Riku-sensei... I heard you became a Jōnin."
"Just a Special Jōnin," he said with a chuckle.
"But because we’re short on Jōnin right now, I’ll be leading you on this mission."
"It’s an A-rank assignment."
Ordinarily, Genin wouldn’t be included in an A-rank mission. But with Riku leading, Tsunade was confident in their safety.
Ino, Hinata, and Shino exchanged glances. Ino frowned. "An A-rank? That’s going to be tough."
Unlike Naruto, they had a good sense of how dangerous higher-rank missions could be.
After Tsunade finished briefing them, she looked at the trio seriously. "Although you’re all from the same class, Riku’s strength and experience far surpass yours. You’ll follow his command during this mission."
Hinata and Ino smiled and nodded. "Understood."
Shino gave a silent, but firm nod.
Shino was different from the others. Quiet, but strong. His strength was definitely at Chūnin level now, and his temperament was calm and measured.
He never stood out much, but that didn’t mean he lacked ability.
Fortunately, none of the three were reckless like Naruto or Sasuke. Hinata and Ino both knew how powerful Riku was and respected his leadership.
Shino, ever logical, had no objections. He knew only Riku and Shikamaru had passed the last Chūnin Exams. And Riku had been promoted immediately afterward to Special Jōnin—clear proof of how the higher-ups viewed his capabilities.
Shino also remembered the oppressive chakra Riku had released during the exams. His kikaichū insects had responded with fear—that alone told him Riku had Jōnin-level strength even back then.
He had no issue accepting Riku as their team leader.
With the mission orders in hand, Riku led the three out of Konoha.
Back in the Hokage’s office, Tsunade watched them from the window as they walked toward the village gates. She frowned slightly.
"If you complete this mission and a few more S-ranks... I can promote you to full Jōnin."
"Riku... you’re destined to become a great shinobi—just like my grandfather. I hope your achievements will silence those who still doubt you."
Tsunade wouldn’t promote him just because she liked or believed in him. But she knew that with Riku’s strength, it was only a matter of time before he completed enough missions to meet the requirements.
And the reason she had selected Hinata, Ino, and Shino wasn’t just to give them experience.
It was also to build stronger ties between Riku and the Hyuga, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans.
That kind of political connection would be vital for a shinobi like Riku, born outside the noble clans.
Before becoming Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze had often teamed up with shinobi from the Aburame, Akimichi, and other major clans.
The Third Hokage had deliberately arranged those missions—to help Minato forge bonds with Konoha’s power players.
And now, Tsunade was doing the same for Riku.
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