Chapter 115 : Entering Sage Mode For More Than An Hour?
Jiraiya still didn’t know why the Akatsuki was collecting Tailed Beasts—
But whatever the reason, it couldn’t be good.
Just then, Naruto appeared at the door carrying a large, overstuffed bag.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and muttered, "You... what the hell are you doing with so much stuff on your back?"
Naruto grinned. "These are all my favorite things! Since I’m going on a long trip, I’ve gotta bring everything I love."
Riku gave a small smile. "You really don’t need to carry that much."
Naruto paused when he noticed Riku and blinked in surprise. "Ah! Riku? What are you doing here?"
Jiraiya frowned. "He’s coming with us. Now get rid of all the junk you don’t need. Just bring the essentials. You think you can haul all that around for days?"
Naruto looked at his backpack and reluctantly tried to sling it onto his back.
But the way he struggled with it just made everyone feel exhausted for him.
Riku stood behind him and said flatly, "You should really empty that pack. If you try to walk with that thing, you’ll regret it before noon."
Naruto glanced at the backpack again and, though clearly unwilling, had no choice but to start unloading it.
Watching him, Riku sighed quietly.
Jiraiya, too, had a vein popping on his forehead.
Though, in all fairness, he wasn’t much different from Naruto when he was younger...
Still, he had to admit—he had been more reliable than Naruto.
Once Naruto finished sorting through his things, the three of them finally set off together.
Along the road, Naruto was full of energy and excitement, chatting and running ahead.
Riku, in contrast, was quiet and calm—but in truth, it felt good to be outside the Hidden Leaf again, just walking the world.
Naruto darted forward as usual, while Riku and Jiraiya walked behind at a more relaxed pace.
Jiraiya gave Riku a sideways glance and grinned. "So... you went to Ryūchi Cave to study Sage Mode. Did it work out?"
He was clearly hoping for a positive answer. If Riku had truly learned Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave, his strength would skyrocket—maybe even rivaling Jiraiya’s own.
Jiraiya considered himself one of the top-tier ninja in the world.
And Riku was only twelve.
If Riku had already reached that level, it would mean he had already surpassed the Fourth Hokage.
Jiraiya couldn’t help comparing Riku to Minato—they were just so similar.
Their personalities might differ, but the rest? Practically identical.
Both highly gifted.
Both came from civilian backgrounds.
Both were handsome and carried a composed, quiet demeanor.
The main difference was that the Fourth Hokage had dreamed of becoming Hokage from a young age—while Riku’s ambitions clearly lay elsewhere.
In that sense, Riku’s personality was actually closer to Kakashi’s.
But Jiraiya’s interest in Riku ran deeper than mere comparisons.
Riku had also mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique—just like Minato.
If he had also succeeded in learning Sage Mode, then without a doubt, he would surpass the Fourth Hokage.
Minato had indeed learned Sage Mode, but he couldn’t maintain it long—his chakra reserves weren’t sufficient.
So it held little practical value in actual combat.
But if Riku could maintain Sage Mode for longer periods—
Even if his overall power was the same as Minato’s, he’d already surpassed him.
After a thoughtful pause, Riku nodded. "Yeah."
Hearing this, a gleam flashed in Jiraiya’s eyes. He tried to contain his excitement.
Though not technically his student, Riku was part of his lineage—
Kakashi’s student.
Minato’s student.
Jiraiya’s student.
It was a clear generational line.
There was a difference between "students" and "disciples," and Jiraiya felt that clearly.
Kakashi didn’t treat Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura as his disciples.
They were his subordinates—his students.
But Riku was different. Kakashi had taken Riku on as a true disciple.
Jiraiya could feel that distinction just from the way Kakashi spoke about him.
It was precisely because Naruto wasn’t Kakashi’s disciple that Jiraiya later chose to take Naruto under his own wing.
To Kakashi, Naruto had been entrusted to him by the Third Hokage—for surveillance.
Because Naruto was the Jinchūriki.
Now, knowing that Riku had mastered Sage Mode, Jiraiya couldn’t help asking the next question.
"Can you maintain it for long?"
Riku paused. He hadn’t really intended to explain in detail, but since Jiraiya was pressing... there was no real reason to hide it.
"Probably more than an hour," he said calmly.
In truth, Riku could remain in Sage Mode for over a full day—
If he really pushed it, even three days.
He had stamina on par with the First Hokage.
So "an hour" was just a conservative estimate.
Jiraiya was stunned. "An hour? You can really hold it that long? That’s insane. You know, the Fourth Hokage also mastered Sage Mode, but he could only stay in it for two minutes."
Riku shrugged, unfazed. "Two minutes is actually plenty. With the Flying Thunder God Technique, that’s more than enough time for the Fourth Hokage to finish a battle."
He understood the distinction well.
For most ninja, two minutes might not be much.
But for someone like Minato, whose style centered around speed and teleportation, it was more than sufficient.
Still, even the Flying Thunder God Technique had limits.
Against someone like Uchiha Madara, even the Second Hokage’s teleportation couldn’t make a difference.
The moment he appeared, Madara would already have caught him.
That technique only worked if the user had fast reflexes and immediate striking capability.
Without both, it was nearly useless.
In the end, the Flying Thunder God Technique was only as effective as the person using it.
Jiraiya shook his head and chuckled. "No... Even with his fighting style, Minato’s Sage Mode just wasn’t practical. It didn’t last long enough to really matter."
"But you—if you can maintain it for over an hour? That’s another level entirely."
"Even I can’t hold Sage Mode that long."
Riku didn’t react. He wasn’t surprised.
Jiraiya’s Sage Mode was far from perfect—
But he wielded it skillfully regardless.
Looking at Riku, Jiraiya’s smile deepened. If Kakashi hadn’t already taken him in as a disciple, Jiraiya would’ve jumped at the chance.
Riku spoke evenly. "So... what ninjutsu do you want to teach me?"
Jiraiya grinned. "You ever hear of a technique created by the Fourth Hokage? One designed to pair with the Flying Thunder God?"
Of course Riku knew.
But he shouldn’t—yet.
So he shook his head.
Jiraiya’s eyes lit up. "It’s called the Rasengan. A chakra sphere technique with no hand seals. You can activate it instantly—it’s perfect to pair with Flying Thunder God."
"It’s an A-rank technique. Very powerful."
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