Chapter 59 : You Deserve It If You Want Me To Die
A stared coldly at Riku and Yugao, who stood tens of meters away.
Frowning, he growled, "This bastard... he really won’t let me leave. It’s all because of you. B is dead... and I’m still stuck here—all because of you. You’re going to die here today."
"Even if I die, I’ll take you down with me."
"I’ve worked for more than thirty years... and this is how it ends? The world really is unfair... this is how I go?"
A’s fury was palpable. B was dead, and yet he still had no chance to leave this place.
As long as Riku lived, A couldn’t leave.
"Damn you... damn all of Konoha. Just die already!"
"Restraints... release."
BOOM—
A finally released the limiters on his chakra. A berserk torrent of energy erupted from his body like a raging flood.
In an instant, his chakra surged to the peak of a Kage-level shinobi.
Everything within tens of meters around him shattered beneath the pressure of his sheer power.
The ground cracked and sank several meters.
The violent chakra made Guy’s hair stand on end.
Now that A had unleashed his full power, he was even more terrifying than B or C.
His eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, and the surrounding air roared with turbulence.
From tens of meters away, Riku furrowed his brows. "What an overwhelming chakra..."
Yugao, standing beside him, unsheathed her blade, ready to join the fight.
But Riku raised a hand, stopping her. "Don’t. It’s useless. Even now, I’m no match for him."
Yugao froze, stunned. It was the first time she’d ever heard Riku speak with such solemnity.
Kakashi and Yamato appeared at Riku’s side. Having heard his assessment, they shared his grim expression.
"His chakra levels are off the charts," Kakashi said. "They’re even greater than the average Kage."
"His physical abilities have increased dramatically too," Yamato added.
Though Yamato had recovered, he knew he didn’t stand a chance against A.
"Even the Third Hokage might not be able to stop him now. He’s too strong. Even if it only lasts ten minutes... that’s more than enough time to kill all of us."
"And Guy... he’s reaching his limit," Yamato added, glancing toward Guy.
Guy’s body was cracking under the pressure. If he didn’t stop using the Eight Inner Gates soon, he’d suffer irreversible damage. At this stage, he still couldn’t fully unlock all the gates.
Kakashi turned to Riku. "Do you have a plan?"
He knew Riku well. Though Riku looked serious, he didn’t appear panicked—so he must have something up his sleeve.
Yugao and Yamato both looked at Riku with the same question in their eyes.
Riku gave a faint smile. "Kakashi-sensei... haven’t you always wanted to know what Kekkei Genkai I fused with?"
Kakashi and Yamato both looked shocked. "You think your fused Kekkei Genkai can turn this around?"
Riku nodded. "Probably."
In truth, Riku wasn’t entirely sure his Wood Style could defeat A. If it failed, he’d be forced to reveal the Sharingan.
But Riku would rather expose his Wood Style than the Sharingan—because Wood Style is a chakra-based Kekkei Genkai, while the Sharingan is a dojutsu-based one tied to organs.
Wood Style could theoretically be recreated by combining chakra natures. While the process was difficult—practically impossible without Hashirama cells—it was still plausible.
But the Sharingan was different. It couldn’t be replicated or explained away.
As they spoke, A had completely ignited the chakra within him.
He now moved like a killing machine, focused solely on one goal:
Kill Riku.
BOOM—
With the smallest motion, the air around A exploded in vibration.
Riku took a deep breath. "Yamato-sensei... let’s go."
Yamato froze momentarily.
But Kakashi instantly understood.
He clenched his fists, excitement rising in his chest.
He knew exactly what it meant when Riku said those words.
Wood Style.
Yamato and Yugao still didn’t fully grasp the implication, but Yamato ran alongside Riku anyway.
As they ran, Riku lowered his right hand.
Without forming seals, he activated Chidori.
"Chidori."
CRACKLE—
Lightning screamed in his palm.
Running beside him, Yamato formed seals rapidly. "Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence!"
Instantly, trees surged from the ground, sprouting a dense forest across the ravaged battlefield.
Riku continued his charge.
A flash of red flickered in his eyes.
In an instant, he vanished from Yamato’s side.
A, moving with inhuman speed, responded immediately.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Two blurs collided tens of meters ahead.
The sheer force of their clash obliterated everything within several hundred meters. Rock splinters blasted through the air. Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the ground.
Even the air itself seemed to fracture.
Kakashi, Yugao, and Yamato stood stunned, witnessing the overwhelming aftermath.
Yamato’s trees couldn’t even keep up with their speed—he had planned to assist Riku but found himself entirely outpaced.
It was the first time Kakashi had seen Riku unleash such devastating power.
Standing next to Yugao, Kakashi muttered seriously, "At this point, Riku’s strength is on par with the Third Hokage... and he’s only twelve. If he’s really mastered Wood Style... that’s terrifying."
He couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of monster Riku would become in the future.
Yugao looked shocked. "Riku... has mastered Wood Style?"
She hadn’t heard Riku’s earlier words.
Kakashi nodded. "Why else would he ask Yamato for backup? It has to be Wood Style."
As Kakashi spoke, a bolt of lightning split the sky.
Riku and A disengaged, separating after their massive clash.
A had taken no visible damage—but Riku’s clothes were torn.
His body remained unscathed.
A mighty chakra surged from Riku, even greater than A’s.
But unlike A’s, his chakra was calm—steady.
Chakra carried spiritual energy. A’s chakra was volatile, fueled by rage.
Riku’s was more refined, more stable—despite being larger in volume, it wasn’t as wild.
After they separated, A burst into laughter. "You’re strong, brat. You’ve got more chakra than I do... but you’re still going to die today. If I die... I’m taking you with me."
A’s voice trembled with emotion.
His chakra was so intense it fractured the air around him.
Riku narrowed his eyes. Though uninjured, he’d been slightly overpowered during their exchange.
He frowned. "You think you can kill me? Keep dreaming."