Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 64 64 : Riku Actually Completed An S-Rank Mission! !

It was only because he was being dragged along by Sakura and Sasuke.

Sakura said exasperatedly, "Naruto, don't ss around. He's the client—what are you trying to do?"

Truthfully, Sakura didn't want to be assigned to protect so drunk old man, and Sasuke felt the sa way.

But Riku didn't care.

Kakashi reluctantly accepted the mission.

The group—Kakashi, Riku, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and their client, Tazuna—set off together.

Although Naruto was sowhat dissatisfied with the mission, it still ant leaving the village, and this would be his first ti going on a mission outside of Konoha.

So he packed thoroughly.

At the village gate, Riku looked completely unprepared.

Tazuna eyed him curiously. "Hey, kid, why are there four of you in this team? Aren't ninja squads supposed to be in groups of three?"

Riku gave a faint smile. "A four-person team is rare, but not unheard of. I guess we're just special."

Kakashi chuckled. "This year, there was one extra student during team assignnts."

In truth, Kakashi was just being casual.

Usually, the extra student would be sent back to the Academy for further training.

But this year was different.

Tazuna seed especially interested in Riku. He had a feeling this boy wasn't ordinary.

"They all went back to pack, but you didn't bring anything. You must be confident—are you that strong?"

Riku just smiled, offering no response.

The old man was too inquisitive, and Riku had no desire to answer.

At that mont, Kakashi laughed and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna. Even if you're unsure about the kids' strength, you can trust mine."

Tazuna didn't actually know who Kakashi was.

After all, he ca from a small island nation—it was technically a "country," but more like a remote village.

Riku added, "My teacher, Kakashi, is a well-known Jōnin in the ninja world. So you really don't have to worry. And this mission is only ranked C—Genin can handle it."

"For this mission, we have Kakashi-sensei as team leader. Having a Jōnin on a C-rank mission is actually rare. Normally, a Chūnin would lead a squad like this."

Although Riku spoke bluntly, Tazuna understood clearly.

He knew what the mission truly entailed.

And seeing Kakashi made him feel more at ease—at least a Jōnin would be enough to face any ninja Gato might send.

Soon, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke returned with travel bags slung over their shoulders.

All three glanced at Riku and Kakashi, confused that they were carrying nothing.

Naruto asked curiously, "Kakashi-sensei, Riku—why didn't you bring anything?"

Kakashi sighed.

He explained patiently, "We have storage scrolls. All our supplies are sealed in them. No need to carry bulky gear."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded in understanding, but Naruto was clearly still puzzled.

"Storage scrolls?" he asked, cocking his head.

Before he could go on, Sakura interjected, "A storage scroll lets you seal items inside—tools, supplies, whatever. It's really convenient. But they're also really expensive."

Naruto nodded slowly, only half understanding.

But soon, sothing else dawned on him. "Wait—if they're expensive, how does Riku have one?"

It was one thing for Kakashi, a Jōnin, to own a storage scroll. But why did Riku—a Genin—have one too?

Sakura and Sasuke shared a curious glance.

Sasuke ca from a wealthy clan, but even he didn't buy storage scrolls freely. A single scroll could cost over a million ryō. Even among Jōnin, not everyone owned one.

Riku was just a Genin from a civilian background—how could he possibly afford one?

But Riku said nothing.

Though Sakura and Sasuke were intrigued, they chose not to ask.

Seeing that Riku didn't want to explain, Kakashi stepped in. "It was a reward from the Third Hokage after his last mission. Didn't the Third ntion it in the Hokage's office earlier? Riku earned it—he bought that jutsu with his life."

"He was given that scroll as a reward for completing an S-rank mission more than three months ago."

As Kakashi finished, Sasuke's expression darkened. "He completed an S-rank mission? At his age? That's ridiculous—he's just a Genin."

Sakura and Naruto were stunned.

"S-rank?" Naruto blurted. "Are you kidding?"

Even Tazuna was shocked. He never expected that the Genin standing before him had completed an S-rank mission.

That alone proved Riku's strength.

Kakashi continued, "During that mission, Riku nearly died. So he earned that jutsu as a reward. Make sense now?"

This was common knowledge to higher-ups, but as Genin, Naruto and the others had never heard of it.

Naruto stared at Riku in disbelief. The quiet guy who barely talked during missions—he had gone through sothing like that?

Co to think of it, whenever they were assigned missions, Riku always used Shadow Clones.

That explained why he rarely interacted with Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura—his real body wasn't with them.

Sasuke, anwhile, burned with curiosity. He wanted to know just how strong Riku was now.

Kakashi didn't elaborate further, and the group continued on their journey.

The three Genin couldn't help but keep glancing at Riku from ti to ti.

He seed more mysterious than ever.

Especially Sasuke—he was desperate to gauge Riku's true strength.

But Riku didn't care about their stares.

He walked beside Kakashi, chatting and laughing as though nothing was unusual.

Eventually, the group entered a dense forest. They were nearing the Land of Waves.

As they passed by two puddles, Riku's lips curved into a faint smirk.

Kakashi gave Riku a subtle glance.

Riku understood imdiately. "So Kakashi wants to test the team's ntal readiness. Feels like I'm watching a live-action movie up close."

It was true.

Still, Riku didn't intend to act.

He kept up the façade of ignorance.

Just a few steps past the puddles, two Kirigakure Chūnin leapt from the water, swinging a massive chain scythe toward Kakashi and Riku—aiming to slice them in half.

Originally, Riku had been walking in front. But he'd intentionally slowed down to walk behind, so both attackers would strike him and Kakashi.

The sudden ambush stunned Naruto and Sakura.

They had no idea what was happening.

The two Kirigakure ninja didn't hesitate—after seemingly cutting through Kakashi and Riku, they charged straight for Tazuna.

Sakura froze at first but quickly regained her composure. She pulled out a kunai and moved to block the attackers.

Sasuke reacted just as fast, flinging a kunai at the chain connecting the two enemies.

Clang!

The kunai pinned the chain to a nearby tree.

Sasuke and Sakura fought hard to protect Tazuna, while Naruto stood frozen in fear.

He couldn't move.

Seeing Riku and Kakashi "cut in half" had drained the strength from his limbs.

He muttered to himself, trembling, "Kakashi-sensei is dead… Riku is dead… They were… They were cut in half…"

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