Chapter 27: Facing JōNin For The First Time
After sending Hinata and Ino home, Riku rested.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard footsteps trampling across his roof.
The sound made him spring up immediately.
After a moment’s thought, he used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared in his yard.
Under the moonlight, a masked ANBU operative was engaged in a high-speed chase after another ninja.
"So it’s ANBU, huh..."
Riku narrowed his eyes.
"If it’s ANBU, that means they’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done."
With that thought, Riku suddenly felt the urge to follow them.
He hesitated. But while he stood there deliberating, the two figures began to disappear into the darkness.
Without another thought, Riku flickered out of his courtyard.
The ANBU had already chased their target into the forest near the back mountain of Konoha.
From where he was, Riku could see the movement of the leaves just a few hundred meters ahead. Konoha had no barrier over this area, so there was nothing to keep him from moving freely.
Hidden behind a large tree, Riku watched the ANBU clash with the rogue ninja.
He didn’t take his eyes off them for even a second.
"This swordsmanship... If I hadn’t followed, I would’ve never seen it in my life."
The way the ANBU moved—so precise, so subtle—it made Riku’s eyes widen in awe.
"But it’s a pity... The ANBU operative seems to be too weak to fully bring out the potential of that sword style. What a waste. He’s going to lose."
The fight continued for about five minutes. In that time, Riku had learned a lot just by watching.
Then—
Boom—
The ANBU was no match. He was kicked hard into a tree next to Riku’s hiding spot and collapsed, unable to stand.
Riku glanced down at him, and at that moment, the ANBU’s eyes locked onto his.
Riku frowned.
But the next second, he turned without hesitation and started running back toward the village, completely ignoring the fallen ANBU.
Just as he was about to vanish into the night, the rogue ninja suddenly appeared in front of him, lunging with a short sword aimed at his heart.
Riku’s eyes narrowed. "This guy... He’s being hunted by ANBU. Why the hell is he trying to kill me? Is he insane?"
In this situation, Riku thought any rational ninja would’ve used the opportunity to escape Konoha—not waste time trying to kill a kid.
But faced with the attack, Riku didn’t dare let his guard down. The power this guy had displayed just moments ago was easily on the level of a Jōnin.
In an instant, Riku used the Body Flicker Technique.
He vanished into an afterimage, dodging to the side.
Clang—
The short sword stabbed into the tree trunk where he’d just stood.
The rogue ninja’s eyes widened. "This kid..."
He hadn’t expected a child to dodge his strike.
Off to the side, Riku landed and quickly formed hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Whoosh—
A massive fireball, nearly five meters in diameter, roared toward the rogue ninja.
"Damn it... This brat isn’t simple."
But the man was a Jōnin—he wasn’t going to get caught by something like that.
He used the Body Flicker Technique and darted to the side, evading the fireball with ease.
The Fireball Jutsu missed him but incinerated several large trees in the distance, turning them to ash.
Riku frowned. "Just as I thought... Killing a Jōnin at my current level is going to be really hard."
The rogue ninja steadied himself and looked at Riku seriously.
"Kid... You’re young, but to be able to use Fire Style at this level... Impressive."
Riku glared at him. He wanted to snap, "You’re the one being hunted—why are you so hellbent on fighting me what kind of plothole is this?" But he didn’t say a word.
Instead, he stayed alert, studying the man’s every movement.
The rogue ninja watched him in turn, then narrowed his eyes. "So... You know about me. That means you can’t be allowed to live."
Riku froze.
What the hell do I know? Isn’t this guy just being chased by ANBU?
Either he’s a spy or a traitor—that’s it. I don’t know anything else.
"I—"
Just as Riku opened his mouth to say he didn’t know anything, the man charged again.
"This guy’s insane."
Riku had no doubt now.
They had no grudge, no conflict. He didn’t know anything important. So why did this guy want to kill him?
The man’s punch came fast, aimed at Riku’s neck.
Riku twisted to the side, narrowly dodging—and countered with a kick to the stomach.
Boom—
The kick sent the man flying several meters, crashing into a tree.
"You little brat... You dare resist?"
Unlike the opponents Riku had faced before, this guy wasn’t down for the count. He groaned from the impact but got back up quickly.
Riku tensed. "He took that kick like it was nothing. Jōnin-level for sure."
This wasn’t going to be easy.
"If this drags on, I’m going to lose. We’re about even in taijutsu, but who knows what other techniques this guy’s hiding. I have to stay sharp."
He considered running—but against a Jōnin, especially as a six-year-old kid, he had no window of opportunity.
He was stuck. He’d have to fight.
"You’re the one being hunted," Riku snapped. "Why the hell are you trying to kill me too? Are you completely insane?"
The rogue ninja sneered. "You know too much. You’re a threat. That’s reason enough."
Riku wanted to scream, "I don’t know anything!"
But he didn’t get the chance.
The man lunged again.
Riku braced himself and fought back.
They exchanged taijutsu blows and ninja tools for several minutes. Riku struggled, but he held his own.
The rogue ninja was increasingly shocked. Despite his age, this kid was withstanding every attack.
"No... If I don’t kill him now, he’s going to be a serious problem in the future."
His hands flew into a rapid sequence of hand signs.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter Jutsu!"
Riku’s eyes widened.
"Damn! Wind Cutter... That’ll slice right through Earth Style. I can’t block that!"
Earth techniques could counter Water or Fire, but not Wind, which was meant for piercing.
"I’ve got no choice but to fight fire with fire..."
He quickly formed his own hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Both finished their seals almost at the same time.
Fwip—
Boom—
The rogue ninja released two large wind blades, each several meters wide. At the same moment, Riku launched a Great Fireball over six meters in diameter.
The techniques collided in mid-air.
The Great Fireball wavered slightly under the impact, but the wind blades were eventually devoured by the flames.
The fire roared forward, unrelenting.