Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 33 33 : Hyuuga Hiashi Invites

After Riku learned the Chidori, Kakashi didn't go on to teach him all the thousands of jutsu he knew.

Most of them weren't very practical.

Over the next year, Kakashi taught Riku five different types of ninjutsu—each with more than five variations. The weakest were C-rank techniques, and the strongest was the A-rank Chidori.

In fact, A-rank jutsu were already considered part of the forbidden technique category.

Chidori itself was one of them.

After mastering the ninjutsu Kakashi had taught him, Riku's strength had stabilized at Jonin level.

He was only eight years old.

Despite his strength, his school grades were still diocre at best.

Aside from Kakashi and Yugao Uzuki, no one knew that Riku's abilities had already reached the level of a Jonin. Not even Ino or Hinata—they only knew he was far stronger than their other classmates.

That day, Riku returned to the Academy as usual.

Kakashi had a mission, so Riku had nothing else to do.

After class ended, Ino stretched and sighed in relief. "Finally, class is over. Iruka-sensei's lectures are like lullabies. I could fall asleep sitting up."

Hinata remained silent, not lowering her head like usual.

She turned to Riku and softly said, "Riku-kun... um, my father wants to see you today."

Riku, who had been packing his books, froze slightly.

"Why would he want to see ?"

He was a little confused.

Ino, overhearing this, frowned. "Yeah, Hinata, why does your father want to see Riku?"

She sounded annoyed.

Hinata blushed faintly but didn't seem as shy as she used to be.

"I don't know," she said gently. "He just said... he wanted to see you."

She looked at Riku seriously.

Riku let out a breath. "Alright. I'll go with you after class."

The head of the Hyuga Clan wanted to et him—he couldn't exactly say no.

Even if he didn't understand why.

Suddenly, Ino raised her hand. "I'm coming too!"

Hinata didn't respond imdiately, but Riku looked at her, frowning. "Why are you coming?"

Ino stared at him with determination. "To protect you! Who knows why Hinata's dad wants to see you."

Hinata looked embarrassed.

She really didn't know what her father was planning.

Riku sighed. "You make it sound like I need protection from the Hyuga Clan."

Ino puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "Still! I want to go with you!"

Once Ino was set on sothing, there was no reasoning with her.

Riku shook his head. "Hinata, did your father say to et alone?"

Hinata nodded. "Yes."

Riku thought for a mont. "Just bring Ino with you. She's your friend, right?"

Before Hinata could respond, Ino grinned. "Exactly! We're friends, Hinata! I've never been to your house before—I want to see what the famous Hyuga Clan is like."

Hinata thought about it, then nodded. "Okay."

As the three walked out the school gate together, Riku suddenly sensed sothing was off.

There was a faint trace of blood in the air.

He narrowed his eyes.

"What's going on?"

Focusing his chakra, Riku sensed that the sll was coming from the Uchiha compound.

His expression darkened.

"Wait... today's the day the Uchiha Clan is massacred, isn't it?"

Ino and Hinata walked beside him, chatting and laughing, but Riku's thoughts were elsewhere.

At this point, no one else had noticed what was happening. Only Riku, thanks to his refined sensory abilities, could detect the blood in the air.

"Should I take this chance to go to the Uchiha compound?"

He didn't feel any particular sympathy for the Uchiha. He had no connection to them.

But the opportunity was hard to ignore. The Sharingan. Their jutsu. Their scrolls.

His thoughts swirled. Originally, he had planned to follow Hinata and Ino to the Hyuga compound. But now...

"No. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Obito must be the ones carrying out the massacre. It'll likely be finished in a few hours. I have ti."

"There's no benefit in going there now. The clan still has hundreds of ninja. I'd be discovered for sure."

"I'll wait until it's over."

Riku made up his mind—he'd go to the Uchiha compound later that night.

Having cald down, he followed Hinata and Ino toward the Hyuga estate.

Inside the Hyuga Clan's training hall, a dozen clan elders were seated in silence.

Beside Hyuga Hiashi sat a young Hanabi, too young to understand what was happening.

When Hinata arrived with Riku and Ino, a servant quickly led them into the hall.

The mont they stepped inside, Riku felt several Byakugan users turn their gaze on him.

He paused. "What's with this lineup?"

Hinata hadn't expected such a serious gathering either. Worried for Riku, she quietly moved to stand at his side.

Even Ino, usually loud and confident, stepped back behind Riku, clearly intimidated.

Riku frowned. "Hinata, what is your father doing?"

"I don't know," she said, shaking her head nervously.

Riku exhaled slowly.

It felt like a setup.

Still, he had no reason to be afraid.

With his current strength, he could defend himself.

He walked calmly toward Hyuga Hiashi and gave a small bow. "Patriarch Hyuga."

He didn't call him "Uncle," because from the looks of things, this wasn't a family visit.

Besides, Kakashi wasn't in the village. If sothing happened, he'd have to rely on himself.

Ino was visibly nervous. As an eight-year-old from the Yamanaka Clan, she had no way of comparing to the prestige of the Hyuga.

Hyuga Hiashi knelt down and gestured politely. "Sit."

The dozen elders behind him all wore stern expressions, making Riku feel uneasy.

Hanabi, seated beside Hiashi, stared curiously at Riku.

"Who is he?" she wondered. At only three years old, she didn't understand what was going on.

Riku took a seat opposite Hiashi, with Hinata and Ino kneeling beside him.

Hiashi spoke directly. "Your na is Riku, correct?"

Riku nodded.

Hinata sat quietly beside him, visibly nervous.

Ino, too, kept glancing around the room, unsure what this eting was about.