Chapter 149 : Riku’s Medical Ninjutsu Is Second Only To Tsunade
Jiraiya waved his hands with a grin. "Of course I don’t have any objections."
"But how did you manage to convince her to let you become a Hokage guard? What did you offer her in return?"
Riku smiled. "Do I dare refuse? Lady Tsunade taught me so many medical ninjutsu. This is a great opportunity for me—I don’t have to go out on dangerous missions like before."
Jiraiya suddenly understood. He looked at Riku and laughed. "So that’s what you’re thinking, huh? But being a Hokage guard carries serious responsibility."
Still, Jiraiya was genuinely pleased that Tsunade had managed to bring Riku on board.
Riku nodded.
Jiraiya continued, "Now that we’re back, we should greet the village elders first."
This time, they’d used the Flying Thunder God Technique to appear in the village so suddenly.
If they didn’t check in with the village leadership immediately, there could be misunderstandings.
With that, the group made their way to the Hokage Building.
Along the way, some of the older shinobi who spotted Jiraiya and Tsunade thought they were seeing things. But after confirming it was really them, they were elated.
"It’s really those two legends. This is great—Konoha has a worthy Fifth Hokage at last."
These seasoned ninjas were well aware of the prestige these two held.
The title of Sannin still echoed loudly throughout the entire shinobi world.
Konoha had just suffered catastrophic damage and lost nearly half its shinobi. The village’s strength had dropped to an all-time low. They desperately needed someone like a Sannin to step into the role of Hokage—someone powerful enough to keep other villages from trying anything.
News of Jiraiya and Tsunade’s return spread like wildfire. Within hours, the entire village knew.
The clan heads of Konoha’s major families left their homes one after another, heading straight to the Hokage Building.
The Konoha Crush had affected every clan. Even the Hyuga Clan, known for their strength and security, had taken heavy losses.
But these clan leaders understood that with Tsunade and Jiraiya back, Konoha would stabilize.
After all, the Sannin’s reputation still commanded respect and fear across the ninja world.
As they walked, Naruto occasionally looked to both sides of the road, curiously listening to the murmurs of the surrounding ninjas—voices filled with admiration.
Seeing Naruto’s puzzled expression, Riku explained, "Now you understand what it means to be one of the Sannin. In the eyes of Konoha’s shinobi, as long as even two of the Sannin return, they no longer need to fear outside threats. That’s the kind of aura they carry."
"Do you think ’Sannin’ is just a title? It’s a name built on countless accomplishments."
"If you want to become Hokage someday, you’ll have to prove—through your strength—that you can bring the village peace of mind. Only then will your presence alone be enough to reassure everyone."
Naruto was stunned by everything happening around him. But after hearing Riku’s words, he nodded firmly. "Yeah. I’ll definitely prove myself with my strength, so I can protect the people and make them feel safe."
For the first time, Naruto felt real pressure—but with it came stronger motivation.
Being Hokage wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage Building.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu had already received word of Tsunade’s return and were waiting inside the Hokage’s office.
Though both were often stubborn and politically driven, they shared the same principles as the Third Hokage on important matters. Even though they had supported Kakashi—who lacked sufficient experience—as a potential Hokage, they had firmly opposed Danzo’s candidacy.
As the group entered the Hokage office, they saw Homura and Koharu already standing inside.
"Tsunade. Jiraiya. You’ve returned."
Tsunade didn’t care much for them and simply nodded with a serious expression.
Jiraiya didn’t like them either.
"I’ve brought Tsunade back. You handle the rest from here."
The elders weren’t bothered by Tsunade and Jiraiya’s cold attitudes—this was nothing new. They were used to the animosity.
They knew full well that even if Tsunade and Jiraiya didn’t respect them, they wouldn’t actively undermine them either.
But if Danzo had become Hokage, the village would have quickly fallen into darkness, and their political influence would’ve vanished overnight.
When the two elders noticed Naruto and Riku, they paused for a moment.
They had seen Naruto before, but it was their first time meeting Riku. Until now, they’d only heard about him from the Third Hokage.
Apparently, Hiruzen had valued Riku greatly—and had even considered grooming him to be the Sixth Hokage.
If Hiruzen were still alive, he likely would’ve done exactly that. But everything had happened so suddenly. The Third Hokage had died in battle.
After one lingering look at Riku, the two elders immediately began organizing messengers to notify both the village and the daimyo.
Although the Fire Daimyo rarely intervened in village affairs, it was protocol to keep him informed.
Soon, the entire village knew—Tsunade would become the Fifth Hokage.
All the ninja were aware of the news.
Some of the younger shinobi were still unsure who Tsunade really was.
But after a brief conversation with the elders, Tsunade left with Shizune—and brought Riku and Naruto along with her.
The four of them arrived at Konoha Hospital.
Inside, both Kakashi and Sasuke remained unconscious.
It was a clear display of the devastating power of Itachi’s Tsukuyomi. Even after more than a month, they still hadn’t awakened.
At Kakashi’s bedside, Tsunade looked at Riku. "Give it a try."
Riku blinked. "I don’t think I’m ready for this yet."
Tsunade replied calmly, "But I think you are."
After a brief pause, Riku stepped forward and began to examine Kakashi. Then, he activated his chakra and began treatment.
Truthfully, Riku’s medical ninjutsu was already approaching Tsunade’s level. In the entire ninja world, he was second only to her.
He had just been modest earlier—he absolutely had the ability to heal Kakashi.
Within about ten minutes, Riku completed the treatment.
Kakashi opened his eyes and immediately saw Tsunade.
He sat up abruptly and greeted her with respect. "Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade crossed her arms and sighed. "I always thought you were a genius. What happened? Letting an Uchiha put you in this condition..."
Kakashi had no way to argue. He simply lowered his head. "I’m sorry."
Then he noticed Riku standing beside her. "Riku?"
Kakashi was puzzled. What was Riku doing here with Tsunade? Did they know each other?
Seeing his confusion, Riku explained, "Naruto, Lord Jiraiya, and I went out to find Lady Tsunade and bring her back to Konoha to serve as the Fifth Hokage. While we were at it, we wanted her to treat you."
Before he could finish, Tsunade added, "It was Riku who healed you. His medical ninjutsu is now second only to mine."
"As his teacher, you should’ve realized that by now."
Kakashi looked at Riku and smiled. "So you finally received guidance from Lady Tsunade."
He’d always known that Riku had aspired to learn medical ninjutsu from her.
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