Chapter 193 : A Strong Enemy Appears Again, S-Rank Mission
Naruto hadn’t expected that in the three years since their last meeting, Riku had completed so many missions—several of them S-rank, and more than a dozen A-rank. Even for a Jōnin, that was impressive.
And Riku was also part of the Hokage’s personal guard. With that kind of power and responsibility, becoming a Jōnin was only natural.
Riku glanced at Naruto with a faint smile. "You should focus on passing the Chūnin Exams first. You and Sasuke both failed last time."
At the mention of Sasuke, Naruto’s expression darkened.
He had returned to the village not just because Jiraiya insisted—it had already been three years. Orochimaru would likely make his move against Sasuke soon, and they needed to investigate Sasuke’s whereabouts.
Jiraiya looked at Riku and said gravely, "We came back because Orochimaru is planning to go after Sasuke. It’s been three years. We don’t know what state Sasuke’s in."
Jiraiya understood Naruto’s emotions better than most. After all, the situation between Naruto and Sasuke was eerily similar to his own past with Orochimaru.
Riku didn’t particularly want to get involved. If he stepped in, he could likely bring Sasuke back—but Sasuke had chosen Orochimaru for a reason. He was seeking power, something Riku couldn’t offer him.
In that sense, staying with Orochimaru was best for Sasuke.
Back in the Hokage’s office, the group had stayed up through the night. Eventually, Jiraiya and Naruto left to rest. Kakashi and Sakura had their own responsibilities to attend to.
Only Tsunade and Riku remained.
Tsunade had slumped over the desk, taking a nap, while Riku continued flipping through documents. Staying up all night wasn’t an issue for him anymore—his body was nearing the level of the Six Paths, far surpassing even Hashirama Senju’s Sage Body.
By noon, Tsunade stirred, wiping away a line of drool and stretching out her stiff limbs. Just as she opened her mouth to call out to Riku, the door swung open and Shizune rushed in, clutching a folder in her hands.
Her expression was grim.
Riku looked up curiously as she hurried straight to Tsunade.
"Lady Tsunade, there’s an emergency!"
Tsunade quickly wiped the corner of her mouth, eyes sharpening. "What happened?"
Shizune handed her the report without a word.
Tsunade’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper as she read. "Why would they do this...? Are they insane?"
Riku glanced at her, confused. He hadn’t yet grasped the situation.
Tsunade silently handed him the folder.
As Riku scanned the contents, his expression turned just as grave. "They’re insane."
Shizune looked at the both of them nervously. "Lady Tsunade, what should we do? They’ve already killed hundreds. Several small ninja villages have lost all their shinobi."
Tsunade turned to Riku, clearly seeking his opinion.
"What do you think?"
Riku frowned. "I don’t know much about this Oni Clan. There isn’t much information in Konoha’s archives."
That wasn’t surprising. The Oni Clan was barely mentioned in the records of the shinobi world. What little there was had been vague or scattered.
But Tsunade knew a bit more—her former lover had possessed the bloodline of the Oni Clan.
"The Oni Clan is a mysterious group," she said slowly. "The ones I’ve heard of could kill from miles away using a unique jutsu called the Spirit Transformation Technique. It allows them to separate from their physical body and attack as spiritual entities. When cultivated to its peak, they can even permanently abandon their body and exist solely as spirit forms."
"It’s said they’ve existed since the era of the Sage of Six Paths. They nearly conquered the world using this technique... but they were ultimately destroyed by the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha’s Sharingan could see through their spirit forms, and their genjutsu countered the Oni Clan’s techniques directly."
"In the end, the Uchiha suppressed them. But it came at a heavy cost. Some members of the Oni Clan had completely shed their physical forms. I heard that it took dozens of elite Uchiha to destroy just one such enemy."
Riku processed her explanation. "So the Sharingan is the natural counter to their Spirit Transformation Technique?"
Tsunade nodded.
Now Riku understood why she had brought the report to him. He was one of the few remaining shinobi in the village with a Sharingan.
Currently, only Riku, Kakashi, Sasuke, Itachi, and Obito possessed Sharingan. Among them, only Riku and Kakashi were in Konoha.
But Kakashi had just returned from an intense mission and spent the previous day sparring with Naruto and Sakura. He needed rest.
"You want me to go handle it," Riku said, meeting Tsunade’s eyes.
She nodded again. "You’re the only one who can. They’ve already wiped out several small villages. If we let this continue, Konoha’s authority will be called into question."
Not every shinobi village belonged to the Five Great Nations. Each country had numerous minor ninja villages. Many of these had allied themselves with Konoha, even if they didn’t share its ideology.
The Oni Clan’s massacre of these villages was a direct provocation to Konoha.
They probably assumed that without the Uchiha Clan, Konoha lacked the power to fight back.
Riku stood up. "This should be classified as an S-rank mission."
"It is," Tsunade confirmed. "I’ll assign two more Jōnin to support you. The Oni Clan’s techniques are dangerous and unpredictable. You need to be cautious."
Riku didn’t actually need backup—but he wasn’t the type to work alone. He was a shinobi, after all.
Even the Legendary Sannin, despite having Jōnin-level strength in their youth, often worked in teams.
More people meant more options. Though he didn’t require the support, he didn’t object.
"Fine," Riku said. "Just make sure they don’t slow me down. But... does Konoha even have any spare Jōnin right now?"
He seriously doubted it. Most capable shinobi were already deployed or recovering.
Tsunade chuckled. "Don’t worry. I have my ways."
"Head to the village gate. I’ll contact them."
Riku had access to mission rosters and detailed records. He knew how stretched their forces were.
He sighed, amused. "You’re being awfully mysterious about this."
Tsunade only smiled and began flipping through files.
Riku gave her a look. "So you’re just picking someone on the spot? Alright, I’ll wait over there."
With that, he vanished in a flash of lightning, leaving behind only a breeze in the Hokage’s office.
---------------------
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early Chapters before anyone else! 🔥
https://www.patreon.com/UK21
Your Support is Truly Appreciated
--------