Chapter 192 : Why Become A JōNin? Strength
Seeing Sakura get launched hundreds of meters away, Naruto suddenly leapt into the air and launched an attack on Riku from above.
A Shadow Clone appeared at his side.
The Shadow Clone brandished a kunai and hurled it toward Riku.
In an instant, more than a dozen shuriken and kunai streaked through the air, converging on Riku.
Just as the weapons were about to strike, Riku suddenly transformed into a bolt of lightning, flashing past them like a storm of thunderclaps.
"Rasengan!"
After the Shadow Clone unleashed the barrage, the real Naruto shot forward.
Clutching the Rasengan in one hand, he charged at Riku at high speed.
This was one of Naruto’s typical tactics—devastating against opponents lacking in physical prowess.
Seeing Naruto’s approach, Riku smiled faintly and said, "Clever... but that won’t work on me."
Naruto quickly closed in from above, thrusting the Rasengan down toward Riku.
Just as the swirling sphere of chakra was less than a meter from Riku’s face, Riku didn’t even form a single hand sign. A violent surge of lightning burst forth from him, erecting a radiant electric barrier in an instant.
"Boom!"
The Rasengan slammed into the lightning shield. The explosion rocked the area, and the shockwave shattered the ground for tens of meters in every direction.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the earth, spreading hundreds of meters outward.
Naruto had poured a tremendous amount of chakra into that Rasengan.
But the moment it touched Riku’s lightning shield, it was instantly dispersed by the overwhelming power of the Lightning Style.
Amid the destruction, the only untouched spot was where Riku stood.
He hadn’t even lifted a finger.
His lightning shield had activated reflexively, protecting him before Naruto could make contact.
The violent chakra backlash hurled Naruto dozens of meters away, where he crashed hard against a large stone.
Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were all stunned.
"Is that Riku’s Lightning Style: Thunder Net?"
In truth, this jutsu originated from Riku’s own variation of Lightning Style: Thunder Net.
Jiraiya was familiar with it—he had witnessed it before.
But even this weaker version was formidable. Naruto’s Rasengan hadn’t been able to dent it, let alone break through.
Naruto groaned as he got up, pain coursing through his body. The chakra shockwave had slammed him into the stone.
Even with his exceptional durability, he felt the impact.
But the outcome of the battle was already obvious—they were completely outmatched.
Riku hadn’t even gone on the offensive. He’d defeated both Naruto and Sakura using only his defensive jutsu and redirected force.
The gap between them was enormous—so vast that Naruto and Sakura could only feel despair.
Naruto wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Riku with a serious expression. "I thought... after three years of training, I might have closed the gap between us. But it’s the same as before. I couldn’t even touch you. If you wanted to kill me... I wouldn’t have stood a chance."
He hadn’t even tried using his more elaborate Shadow Clone combos—because he knew none of it would matter against Riku.
Sakura limped over, her body aching from the internal injuries she’d sustained.
She had always known Riku was strong—others had said so often enough. But she had only witnessed his true power once before, when he killed an elite jonin-level ninja with his bare hands during the Land of Waves mission.
But now that she’d fought him directly, she finally understood.
His strength wasn’t even in the same dimension as theirs.
Walking up to him, Sakura gave a strained smile. "If you’d really considered us enemies back there... I’d probably be dead."
Naruto joined her and nodded. "Yeah. If this had been a real fight, we wouldn’t have lasted a second."
"You activated that shield without even weaving a single hand sign. And honestly... I doubt even my Rasenshuriken could break through it."
Sakura blinked. "What’s a Rasenshuriken?"
She’d never heard of it before.
Only a handful of people knew about that jutsu—Naruto, Jiraiya, and Tsunade among them.
Naruto thought for a moment before replying, "It’s just like it sounds. Rasenshuriken is an advanced form of the Rasengan. It’s insanely powerful and incredibly difficult to master. It’s classified as an S-rank jutsu. The Rasengan can’t even compare."
"If I hit the ground with it, it could carve out a crater over a hundred meters wide."
"But the worst part isn’t the explosion—it’s what happens after. The jutsu splits into thousands of microscopic wind blades that attack the cells inside your body."
"Even someone with a strong body... would die after getting hit by it."
"But it’s dangerous to use. I still can’t control it. I’m working on it, but..."
He trailed off, then looked at Riku again. "Still, I feel like... even if I did master it, it wouldn’t break his shield."
The thought stung, but he was honest.
Sakura didn’t fully understand—but she could tell it was incredibly powerful.
After all, the jutsu had been developed by Riku himself. How could it be anything less?
Most of Riku’s custom jutsu were Lightning Style-based.
And many of them were S-rank—or even beyond S-rank.
But that didn’t mean his other elemental techniques were weak, either.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi walked over.
Jiraiya smiled at Riku. "Same result as three years ago. They still can’t draw out your real strength."
"But honestly, your power’s already surpassed most Kage."
Just Riku’s reaction speed and his Thunder Net defense were enough to make him nearly untouchable by ordinary shinobi.
Riku remained composed. He hadn’t released his full presence—and just by staying calm, he had given Naruto and Sakura enough face to let them come at him seriously.
Tsunade gave a small smile. "Alright, that’s enough. Test’s over."
"In the past three years, you and Sakura have made great progress. You’re both easily at jonin-level now."
"But Naruto, you still need to pass the Chūnin Exams. Right now, you’re the only Genin left in your class. Riku and Neji are already Jonin."
"You’d better take this seriously. If you fail again, you’ll be stuck as a Genin—and there are a lot of missions you won’t even be allowed to take."
Naruto grimaced. He understood the seriousness of the situation.
He couldn’t stay a Genin forever—he had to pass the Chūnin Exams this time.
Looking at Riku, he asked, "How did Riku become a Jonin?"
He understood how Neji had risen through the ranks, but Riku... he honestly had no idea.
Before anyone else could answer, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Why? You think he doesn’t deserve it?"
Naruto glanced at Riku’s calm, unreadable face, then remembered his strength.
Embarrassed, he muttered, "No... I just didn’t know why he was promoted. Was it just because of his strength?"
Tsunade nodded. "Exactly. What other reason does he need?"
"On top of that, he’s my personal bodyguard. He’s completed several S-rank missions and more than a dozen A-rank ones."
"With that kind of track record, being a Jonin is the least he deserves."
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