Chapter 95 : Just Take A Look
After hearing what Riku said, Sasuke frowned and, after a long silence, asked, "This is a new kind of power? Wasn’t it just that Orochimaru poisoned me?"
Sasuke had always felt that Orochimaru harbored sinister intentions.
But Riku chuckled and replied, "He didn’t give you the Curse Mark to kill you. It was to test your abilities. If you can’t even endure the pain of the Curse Mark, you’ll lose his interest."
"You know what Orochimaru wants—it’s the Uchiha bloodline that runs through your veins."
"So this Curse Mark is not only a trial, but also a form of power he’s granted you. It used to carry a trace of his soul’s influence, but now that part is gone."
"Honestly, I think it’s better if you learn to control it. That power can significantly boost your strength."
Sasuke considered his words, then looked at Riku and said, "I will."
He’d been agonizing over how to gain more power—then Orochimaru handed him the Curse Mark.
Seeing that Sasuke had accepted this, Riku spoke calmly, "Then, Kakashi-sensei, I’ll take my leave. I’ve got a month off—I plan to rest well."
With that, he vanished in a flash of lightning.
Kakashi sighed helplessly. "This exam really isn’t a challenge for Riku..."
Just as he was about to leave, Sasuke turned to him and said, "Kakashi... teach me a jutsu. I want to learn something powerful enough to defeat Gaara."
Gaara was Sasuke’s next opponent.
Apart from Riku, Gaara was without question the strongest competitor in the Chūnin Exams.
Right now, Sasuke had no hope of beating him.
That’s why he wanted to learn a technique capable of winning that fight.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke. He belonged to the Uchiha clan—and Kakashi’s own Sharingan had come from that clan.
Kakashi nodded. "I’ll teach you a technique. But it’s not easy. It requires intense training—harder than anything you’ve done before. Can you handle it?"
Sasuke hadn’t expected him to agree. But for him, no matter how difficult, he had to try.
This Chūnin Exam had shown him exactly where he stood. Compared to the real elites, he was nothing.
Neji, Lee, Gaara... and as for Riku—Riku wasn’t even in the same league.
Riku was an anomaly.
Sasuke felt that no matter how many jutsu he learned, he’d never be able to catch up to Riku.
In fact, he wasn’t even sure Riku was human.
In Sasuke’s mental hierarchy of power, Riku occupied a category all his own.
But for the others, Sasuke believed he could close the gap—maybe even surpass them through sheer effort.
"I can handle it," Sasuke said with resolve.
Kakashi smiled wryly and replied, "Honestly, I’m not sure what qualifies as ’harsh’ anymore. When I first created this jutsu, it was grueling. It won’t be easy for you, but with your talent, you should be able to learn it within a month."
"When Riku saw me use this jutsu, he mastered it just by watching—but he’s... special. Based on what I know of your abilities, it’ll take about a month. That’s because this jutsu demands incredible speed, stamina, and taijutsu."
"The reason I want to teach it to you is because you have the Sharingan. The jutsu requires exceptional dynamic vision and reflexes, which makes the Sharingan ideal."
Sasuke frowned as he listened.
"Riku mastered it at a glance... that guy really is a monster."
"Kakashi, are you talking about the Lightning Style technique you used against Zabuza in the Land of Waves?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, but not the full version. I’ll teach you the foundational technique—Chidori. It’s an A-rank Lightning Release jutsu. The one I used on Zabuza is Raikiri, an S-rank variation, but Chidori is the base."
"As long as you master Chidori, you’ll be able to develop derivative techniques from it on your own—even something similar to Raikiri."
"Back then, Riku only learned Chidori. Now he’s already created several Lightning Release jutsu that even I don’t fully understand."
"Against an opponent like Gaara, Chidori should serve you well."
Sasuke, unlike Naruto, understood the true value of Chidori. He knew just how rare and precious an A-rank Lightning Style jutsu was.
The Uchiha clan specialized mostly in Fire Release jutsu, most of which were C or B-rank. A-rank jutsu were rare.
Even Itachi had only unlocked the S-rank genjutsu Tsukuyomi after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Most Jōnin typically relied on B-rank techniques. A-rank ones were extremely rare, usually reserved for Elite Jōnin.
In the shinobi world, A-rank jutsu were already considered bordering on Forbidden Techniques. S-rank were advanced Hidden Techniques, reserved for the most elite.
Very few even among Elite Jōnin could use S-rank jutsu. Kakashi, for example, only had one—Raikiri.
That alone was already impressive.
So for Sasuke to have the chance to learn an A-rank jutsu while still a Genin—it was incredible.
Of course, none of this meant much to Riku.
By the age of eight, Riku had already mastered Chidori and had created several S-rank techniques derived from it—techniques even Kakashi couldn’t fully grasp.
Take Riku’s Extinction Jutsu from earlier, for instance—that was undoubtedly S-rank.
Sasuke muttered coldly, "That guy’s not even human... I’m done comparing myself to him. Kakashi, no matter how hard it is, I want to learn Chidori."
Kakashi nodded. "Alright. But the training will be intense, and there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed. You should be prepared for that."
He wasn’t sure Sasuke would make it. Based on talent alone, he believed Sasuke could learn Chidori.
But the reality was—Chidori was a brutal technique to master. Even with the Sharingan, it couldn’t simply be copied.
So Kakashi set out to begin training Sasuke in Chidori.
Naruto, meanwhile, had originally wanted to train under Kakashi too.
But with Kakashi fully focused on Sasuke, that wasn’t an option.
So Naruto reluctantly ended up with Ebisu as his instructor.
Although he wasn’t thrilled, at least someone was helping him train—and Ebisu was a Special Jōnin, which counted for something.
As for Riku—he remained home, meditating in silence.
He had no plans to go out.
But just because he wasn’t looking for anyone... didn’t mean no one was looking for him.
The day after he started resting at home, Anko came to visit.
Standing in the small courtyard of Riku’s house, she glanced around with a satisfied smile. "You’ve set up your place pretty well."
A bolt of lightning flashed from the second floor—and Riku appeared in front of her.
He frowned slightly and asked, "Miss Anko... what brings you here today?"
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