Chapter 74 : Scarier Than Kage-Level
Kakashi had already been injured by the time Riku arrived, but he hadn’t suffered any fatal wounds. Seeing Riku return, he let out a visible sigh of relief.
"You’re finally back."
Riku appeared beside Kakashi and turned to face Zabuza with calm eyes.
"I let you go last time. I didn’t expect you’d have the guts to come back."
He narrowed his eyes.
"And this time, you even resorted to kidnapping one of ours. How low can you get?"
Zabuza looked at Riku and let out a cold laugh. "You’re fast, brat. I set up so many traps and still couldn’t blow you to bits. But your teammate... I’m afraid there’s nothing left but ashes."
Just as the words left his mouth, Sakura stepped out from the corridor behind the house, glaring out at Zabuza, who stood on the surface of the sea.
"You’re the one who should be ashes!"
Zabuza’s expression froze the moment he saw her.
"Impossible... How are you still alive? That trap should’ve killed you—even Kakashi wouldn’t have survived it."
Riku replied calmly, "Your trap was clever, I’ll give you that. But clever doesn’t mean flawless."
"Anyway, enough talk. Time to die."
Zabuza gripped his massive blade, the Executioner’s Blade, while Haku stood beside him, visibly tense.
Riku moved. His hands blurred through seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
Zabuza’s eyes widened. Riku had completed the jutsu with only three hand seals.
His own version of the Water Dragon Jutsu required dozens.
A towering dragon of water erupted from the surface beside Riku, letting out a fierce roar as it hurtled toward Zabuza.
Zabuza responded instantly, rushing through his own hand seals.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
He summoned his own dragon to counter Riku’s.
Both dragons surged forward and collided in midair.
But the clash lasted only an instant—Zabuza’s water dragon was torn apart the moment it met Riku’s. The superior technique continued its charge, bearing down on its targets.
Reacting quickly, Haku threw his hands into seals.
"Ice Style: Ice Wall!"
A solid wall of ice surged up between them and the approaching water dragon.
"Boom!"
The impact shattered the ice wall, spraying shards and water in all directions. The force of the blast sent ripples across the entire bay.
Zabuza’s frown deepened. "Why the hell is his Water Style so much stronger than mine?"
Kakashi chuckled from behind Riku. "Riku’s Water Style is in a league of its own. And not just Water Style—his other jutsu are far beyond ordinary shinobi."
Seeing that the two were still standing, Riku calmly began another set of hand signs.
"Water Style: Spiral Water Bullet. Wind Style: Tornado."
"Combined Style: Vortex Water Bullet!"
"Boom!"
A high-pressure jet of spiraling water shot forward, reinforced by slicing wind currents. Countless wind blades surrounded the stream, intensifying its rotation.
In mere seconds, a massive spiraling column of water and wind had formed—a devastating vortex roaring with elemental fury.
Zabuza’s instincts screamed at him. "No... This technique can’t be taken head-on. It’s too powerful!"
The sheer force of the jutsu sent a chill down Kakashi’s spine.
Since when did he master a technique like this? Kakashi thought.
This isn’t just A-rank—it’s easily S-rank. To merge Water and Wind Styles so perfectly... it’s unreal.
"Boom!"
The vortex ripped across the water, crossing dozens of meters in an instant. Zabuza and Haku were consumed in the blast.
The column struck the sea, instantly throwing up waves more than ten meters high.
A small tsunami rolled outward from the impact zone.
Everyone watching was frozen—Kakashi, Sakura in the porch of Tazuna’s house, even Naruto and Sasuke lying further down the shore. No one could take their eyes off it.
It was terrifying.
S-rank. Without a doubt, this jutsu had reached S-rank power.
Even more terrifying was how unaffected Riku seemed after releasing it. He stood there, calm as ever, not the least bit strained.
As the waves finally began to settle, Riku looked toward the impact zone and spoke with a faint smile.
"I didn’t expect that to kill you. You’re more resilient than I thought."
About thirty meters away, Zabuza stood—barely—supported by a bloodied Haku.
Both were drenched and heavily wounded, but they’d managed to survive by using the Body Flicker Technique just in time.
The water had allowed them to execute the Water Body Flicker more effectively, but the injuries they’d sustained were severe.
They stared at Riku with something close to terror.
"You’re no ordinary Jonin," Zabuza muttered. "Hell, not even most Kage-level shinobi are as terrifying as you."
Riku’s expression didn’t change. "That’s because your world is too small."
Even among Kage-levels, there were vast differences in strength.
But Riku didn’t feel like wasting more words. He’d given them a chance last time.
This time, he wouldn’t.
"I warned you before. You didn’t listen. Now, you die."
Zabuza tightened his grip on the Executioner’s Blade and stood upright, swaying slightly. He stared at Riku, unflinching.
"Come on. I won’t beg. Even if this is the end."
Riku scoffed. "Beg? You give yourself too much credit."
His eyes shifted—he activated the Sharingan, though it remained unnoticed.
No hand seals.
"Chidori."
Lightning crackled around his arm. Riku no longer needed seals for most of his jutsu.
Sensing imminent death, Zabuza held his blade with both hands, trying to brace himself.
If I can survive just one more hit...
But Riku vanished.
Before Zabuza could even blink, pain erupted through his chest.
He looked down.
Riku’s bloodstained hand had pierced through his chest, lightning crackling violently across his body.
Blood poured from the wound.
Zabuza was frozen, stunned.
The Chidori’s power was too overwhelming. His life force was extinguished in an instant.
Riku calmly withdrew his hand, lightning still arcing across his fingers.
Zabuza’s body slumped forward and fell into the sea with a splash—lifeless—before slowly sinking beneath the waves.
Riku turned his gaze toward Haku, who was charging at him in desperation.
"To be honest, I really don’t want to kill you," Riku said, emotionless. "I admire your Ice Style. But with him gone, you’ll probably choose to die too."
He knew how much Haku had meant to Zabuza. With Zabuza dead, Haku would likely follow.
Riku raised a single finger.
"Let me help you, then."
A bolt of blue-white lightning shot from his fingertip, piercing straight through Haku’s chest.
Haku froze.
His body fell to the surface of the water with a soft splash.
As his vision dimmed, he called out weakly,
"Zabuza...sama..."
But his life force was already fading.
Riku’s Chidori had pierced his heart.
There was no chance of survival.
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