Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess

Riku walked slowly to Naruto’s side and gently pulled him behind him.

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Riku, what are you doing?"

Riku’s eyes locked onto Uchiha Itachi. The two were the same height—both standing at 175 centimeters. In just over a month, Riku had grown another two centimeters.

Looking straight at Itachi, Riku spoke calmly. "Uchiha Itachi. That woman standing next to Lord Jiraiya... she’s under a genjutsu, isn’t she?"

Itachi was a little surprised. Riku had actually noticed the genjutsu he’d cast. If Jiraiya had seen through it, that wouldn’t be surprising—but this boy?

From what Itachi had gauged, Riku’s strength was at most Jonin-level. Yet he had seen through his technique?

Still, Itachi didn’t want to hurt Riku if he could avoid it. He decided to engage in conversation instead.

"I didn’t expect you to notice."

Beside him, Kisame Hoshigaki grinned, Samehada slung lazily over his back. "This kid’s pretty sharp. I didn’t think he’d have this kind of perception. Looks like your village’s got quite a few geniuses, huh, Itachi?"

He tilted his head, studying Riku. "What is he, thirteen? That kind of strength at his age’s rare."

Itachi’s expression didn’t change. "Hand over Naruto. I’ll make your death painless."

Of course, that was a bluff. He had no intention of killing Riku. He just needed to stall until Jiraiya arrived.

Riku, however, remained calm. "What you really want... is the Nine Tails inside Naruto, isn’t it?"

Kisame chuckled. "So you actually know our goal, huh?"

Back in Konoha, Kakashi had already deduced they were members of the Akatsuki. It was likely Jiraiya had passed that intel on.

And as if summoned by thought, Jiraiya appeared, leading the woman who’d been trapped under the genjutsu.

"Heh. I didn’t expect to run into Uchiha Itachi here," Jiraiya said, his tone relaxed but his expression sharp.

Kisame immediately tensed. He dropped Samehada from his back, gripping the hilt, eyes wary.

Itachi remained perfectly composed as he turned to face him. "Lord Jiraiya."

He didn’t know Jiraiya personally, but he was well aware of the man’s reputation—and strength.

Jiraiya, on the other hand, knew nothing of Itachi’s role as a double agent for Konoha. As far as he was concerned, Itachi was a rogue ninja armed with the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Behind Riku, Naruto finally understood why these people had come.

"They’re after me... or more specifically, the Nine Tails inside me."

He placed a hand on his stomach, frowning.

"So it’s the demon fox... the one sealed in my body? That’s what they want?"

He remembered the years of hatred from the villagers. Their cold eyes, the muttered curses.

"If they could just take this damn fox out of me... maybe things would be better. Maybe they’d stop hating me."

But before that dark thought could settle, Riku—without turning—spoke calmly. "If they take the Nine Tails out of you, Naruto... you’ll die. But I doubt they care about that."

Naruto froze. His blood went cold.

"I’ll... die?"

Suddenly, he no longer wanted the fox gone.

Both Itachi and Kisame glanced at Riku. Even Jiraiya gave him a brief, thoughtful look.

He understood what Riku was doing—he wanted Naruto to face the reality of what the Akatsuki wanted from him. To understand just how serious the consequences were.

Kisame raised Samehada and pointed it at Riku. "Kid, we didn’t finish our fight last time. Let’s see if you can really stop us now."

But Riku didn’t move. He stood firm in the doorway, meeting Kisame’s gaze. "Your opponent is Lord Jiraiya. Not me. I’m just a Genin."

Jiraiya blinked in surprise, then sighed in disbelief. "Seriously, Riku? You’re just gonna pass the buck like that?"

Riku looked over his shoulder, unfazed. "Isn’t that the truth?"

Jiraiya’s mouth twitched. This kid’s as sly as Kakashi.

Kakashi always acted polite and distant, but he had a black-hearted streak when it counted. Riku reminded Jiraiya of that—sharp, clever, and just a little too calm under pressure.

And while Jiraiya was confident he could hold his own against both Itachi and Kisame, he knew Itachi’s Sharingan made things unpredictable. He wasn’t sure he could win without cost.

But Riku wasn’t being entirely serious.

He turned back to Itachi, his expression tinged with curiosity. "I’ve always wanted to see just how powerful the Mangekyō Sharingan really is."

Itachi was momentarily speechless. He had no desire to waste precious chakra on Riku. His Mangekyō was already running low on stamina.

Kisame grunted and raised Samehada. "You’re fighting me, brat."

Riku didn’t even flinch. "Sorry, but I’m not interested in you."

Kisame’s eyes narrowed. Riku’s words weren’t cocky—they were dismissive. As if Kisame wasn’t worth his time.

"You don’t know what I’m capable of," Kisame snapped. "Do you think I was going all out back in Konoha?"

Meanwhile, Itachi silently approached Jiraiya, ignoring Riku completely. He didn’t view the boy as a threat.

He trusted Kisame could handle Riku—or at the very least, keep him busy. Killing him wasn’t the goal.

Watching Itachi leave, Riku chuckled softly. "Looks like I miscalculated."

He wasn’t surprised. If they truly understood what he was capable of, he’d have to reevaluate just how much he’d revealed.

But Kisame wasn’t having any of it. He stepped forward, Samehada crackling with chakra. "I’ve had enough of your mouth. I’ll show you what I can really do."

Riku turned slightly. "Naruto—stay back. These two aren’t people you can deal with. They’re beyond Jonin level."

Naruto had been about to rush in, but Riku’s words froze him in place. He glanced at Kisame’s overwhelming presence and realized—he was right. This wasn’t a fight he could help in.

If anything, he’d only get in the way.

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