Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 50 50 : Bloody Ninjutsu

"There aren't many Jōnin in the Land of Grass, and they need to defend against foreign threats. It's impossible for them to spare more Jōnin to deal with this issue, so the daimyo of the Land of Grass has entrusted Konoha with resolving it."

Riku nodded. "But it won't be easy. Those blood-enhanced ninja are far stronger than others of the sa rank. It's not unusual for a Chūnin to kill a Jōnin."

"They also seem to have a technique that burns their own chakra to boost it dramatically for about ten minutes. During that window, an ordinary Chūnin can have Jōnin-level chakra, and a Jōnin could temporarily reach Kage-level reserves."

"So yeah, they're tough to handle."

Yugao was stunned for a mont. "They definitely have that ability. Our squad lost three comrades—all of them Chūnin. We only managed to injure one of theirs, and I'm not even sure if he died."

"He suddenly used so kind of jutsu, and his strength skyrocketed. We couldn't stop him at all."

She lowered her eyes. "The wound on my body... he gave it to with a kunai."

Riku smiled as he continued treating her. "Then he's probably dead. That jutsu burns chakra, but in truth, it's burning life force. Even soone like the First Hokage wouldn't survive it."

This jutsu consud not just chakra—it consud vitality.

While these enemies had far greater vitality from absorbing blood, once that life force was burned out, the body couldn't sustain the power, no matter how massive the chakra.

Death beca inevitable.

Even soone as legendary as the First Hokage wouldn't survive such a cost. And because of his overwhelming life force, the backlash might be even worse—restoring that kind of vitality would be nearly impossible. Not even the Rinne Rebirth or Yang Release could save him.

It was even more devastating than opening all Eight Gates and burning oneself to ash.

Because this technique could burn away even the soul.

Yugao didn't know much about the First Hokage, but she understood one thing: Riku was saying the enemy who killed her comrades was already dead.

She sighed. "It's my fault. They all died to protect ."

After ten minutes, Riku finally finished treating her injuries. He helped Yugao with her clothing and smiled. "Honestly, they made the right choice. You're stronger than they were, so you had a better chance of surviving."

As he adjusted her Jōnin vest, he crouched down in front of her. "So, Sister Yugao, you don't have to bla yourself so much."

Yugao clenched the corners of her vest. "But is there really no way to deal with ninja like that?"

Riku chuckled. "There is. Just kill them. Their strength increases, sure, but they're not gods. They still bleed. They can still die."

"A blade to the neck will do the trick."

Yugao frowned. "But according to you, they've got three Jōnin and five Chūnin. If they all use that jutsu to burn their chakra, Konoha would have to send soone like Kakashi to stop them."

Her voice grew tighter. She wanted vengeance. Badly.

Riku smiled. "True, but I don't think they're going to expand their operations."

Yugao looked at him curiously. "Why not?"

As much as she hoped he was right, she wanted to understand.

Riku laughed. "Because theoretically, to jump from Jōnin to Kage-level, they'd need the blood of an entire country. At least a million people."

"Even if they could get that much blood, the process of collecting it, storing it, and using it effectively? It's impossible."

"They'll probably disappear soon. If you want to eliminate them, you'll have to act fast."

"When those five Chūnin are promoted to Jōnin, they'll likely go underground."

"Eight Jōnin," he said, his voice darkening, "would be a powerful force anywhere."

"Even though their lifespan will be shortened by that technique, the actual power gain is real."

"If they manage to turn all five of those Chūnin into Jōnin, wiping them out will beco extrely difficult."

To deal with that kind of power, a village would have to deploy at least eight Jōnin—a number that even the Five Great Nations would struggle to gather on short notice.

Jōnin were elite forces. The backbone of a village's military might.

But the cost of the power-up was steep. Just evolving from Chūnin to Jōnin required the blood of ten thousand people. No ordinary shinobi would ever consider it.

The jutsu had originally been created by dical ninja to save lives.

No one imagined it would be turned into sothing so monstrous.

Yugao's expression turned grim. She couldn't let a force like that vanish—not without consequences. Not without justice for her fallen comrades.

She reached out, gripping Riku's hand tightly. "Riku, is there anything you can do to stop them?"

Riku gave a wry smile. "Didn't I just say? Kill them. And they won't live long anyway."

"When a Chūnin uses that jutsu to ascend to Jōnin, they lose over thirty years of their lifespan."

"Normally, soone promoted from Chūnin to Jōnin might only live another ten or twenty years."

Yugao's face darkened. "Twenty years? That's too good for them. Being a shinobi is already a short-lived profession. Letting them walk free for another decade or two? Unacceptable."

She rose to her feet. Though her injuries still stung, they wouldn't stop her from fighting.

Riku noticed her pale face and shook his head. He took out a soldier pill and slipped it into her mouth.

This particular soldier pill was his own custom blend—small, great-tasting, and with minor healing properties.

As he slipped it past her lips, his fingers briefly brushed against them, making Yugao flinch with embarrassnt.

Riku didn't react. They had been together for six years now—he was used to her presence.

"Don't be in such a rush. The village will make a decision soon. You're an ANBU captain, rember? Let things play out."

"Didn't you just say the mission was upgraded to S-rank? Konoha's bound to send stronger shinobi."

"So don't worry. Your teammates will be avenged."

At this point, Riku and Yugao stood at almost the sa height—Riku at 170 cm, Yugao just a hair shorter at 169.

They looked each other in the eye without tilting their heads.

Yugao's gaze lingered. "I want to report what you just told to the village. If I go in blind, more people might die."

Riku didn't object.

"Before you do, check with the director of Konoha Hospital. He should know sothing about that technique. Just don't ntion I was the one who told you."

Yugao smiled. "Got it. I know how your mind works. Don't worry—I won't say a word."