Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 66 66 : Murderous? Childish

Kakashi looked at Naruto and said, "We're going to send you back for treatnt."

"Those Mist Shinobi earlier had poison on their weapons."

Naruto had been injured by a Chūnin from Kirigakure, and Kakashi planned to use that as an excuse to return to the village.

Seeing Naruto's blank expression, Sakura believed him to be poisoned as well. She nodded and said, "You're right. Naruto should go back and receive treatnt."

At that mont, Naruto seed to suddenly realize sothing. He pulled out a kunai and stabbed it into his arm. Blood gushed out imdiately.

"I'm fine, Kakashi-sensei!" he shouted. "Next ti, I'll definitely do better than anyone else!"

Kakashi was both surprised and relieved by Naruto's determination. At least he recognized that his performance had fallen short this ti.

Kakashi quipped, "If you keep bleeding like that, there won't be a 'next ti.' You'll just die here."

Naruto looked down and saw his hand soaked in blood. Panic overtook him.

"Ahh! Kakashi-sensei! Stop the bleeding! I don't want to die! I don't want to die—!"

Naruto's bravado crumbled the mont he saw the blood, completely forgetting what he'd said just monts ago.

Riku shook his head. "You really can't judge people by their appearances. This guy is actually going to save the world in the future?"

Kakashi walked over, intending to bandage Naruto's wound, but paused as he noticed sothing strange—Naruto's wound was healing rapidly.

He frowned. "Is it the power of the Nine-Tails?"

"This regenerative ability… it's incredible."

Even Kakashi was taken aback by Naruto's resilience.

After bandaging him, the group continued on their way.

This ti, Naruto was unusually alert, scanning the surroundings constantly. He was desperate to prove that he wasn't a coward.

anwhile, Sasuke kept stealing glances at Riku.

Sakura was doing the sa. The two of them couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't know nearly enough about Riku.

He hadn't even participated in the previous battle, yet he had detected the ambush at the exact sa ti as Kakashi, and had used the Body Replacent Technique to evade just as swiftly.

That level of awareness and precision… it was already leagues above them.

Riku, for his part, walked calmly beside Kakashi.

He seed to have no connection to the rest of Team 7. There was no camaraderie between him and Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura.

The group didn't run into any danger along the way.

One day later, they finally arrived in the Land of Waves.

The Land of Waves was a small island nation, but the environnt was beautiful and serene.

As they approached a river, Tazuna smiled and said, "Just one more village, and we'll reach my ho."

Riku narrowed his eyes and glanced toward the forest, then turned to look at Kakashi.

Kakashi's gaze followed Riku's, scanning the treeline—but he didn't notice anything unusual.

Just then, Naruto hurled two kunai toward a bush and shouted, "Enemy!"

When he ran over to check, however, he discovered it was only a scorpion.

Sakura scolded him, "Naruto, look what you've done—you nearly killed that rabbit!"

Naruto hung his head, embarrassed. He had just wanted to prove that he wasn't scared.

But as the two were distracted—one speaking, the other looking down—Riku suddenly dashed forward and shoved their heads down.

A massive blade flew out from the forest and slamd into the ground exactly where Sakura and Naruto had been standing.

Had Riku not intervened, they would have been sliced clean in half.

Naruto stood up, ready to complain to Riku—only to be silenced when he saw the giant blade embedded in a tree in front of him.

Sakura also lifted her head, realizing in that mont that Riku had just saved her life.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't even seen Riku move.

It stirred a deep sense of urgency in him.

"His strength… it must be beyond mine. But he's the sa age as …"

Naruto raised his kunai, pointing it at the man now standing atop the massive blade.

Riku lowered his hands, which had been holding Naruto and Sakura down, and turned his gaze upward.

"Momochi Zabuza. Elite Jōnin of the Hidden Mist. Wielder of the Executioner's Blade—one of the Seven Ninja Swordsn of the Mist."

Zabuza looked surprised. "Oh? You actually know who I am, kid. Not bad."

Riku had introduced Zabuza out loud deliberately—so Sakura and Naruto would understand the kind of enemy they were facing. It was a warning: Don't be reckless.

Sure enough, Naruto—who had just been about to charge—froze when he heard that Zabuza was an Elite Jōnin. His grip on his kunai tightened, but he didn't move.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "Protect Tazuna ."

Sasuke nodded, pulled out a kunai, and stood beside the bridge builder.

Kakashi stepped forward to stand beside Riku. "Zabuza… what are you doing here?"

Still standing on the Executioner's Blade embedded in the tree, Zabuza smirked. "Hatake Kakashi… you don't know? You think I ca here just for a stroll?"

Kakashi frowned. "Sakura, Naruto—leave him to . Go protect Mr.Tazuna ."

Naruto looked at Riku, then turned to Kakashi. "But I want to fight with you!"

Kakashi's tone hardened. "Naruto, you're not his opponent. Even I can't guarantee I can beat him. Your mission is to protect Tazuna . Do it."

Naruto hesitated, clearly wanting to argue further, but Sakura grabbed his arm and pulled him away.

By now, she had started to piece things together—Riku was far stronger than the three of them. Otherwise, Kakashi wouldn't let him stand on the front lines.

Though clearly frustrated, Naruto followed Sakura to Tazuna side.

Seeing Naruto's sulky expression, Tazuna chuckled. "Kid, that one's built different. You're not on the sa level."

Even a civilian like Tazuna could see that Riku stood apart.

If he could see it, then Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke were even more aware.

All three watched Riku now standing beside Kakashi, their curiosity and confusion growing.

Sasuke especially wanted to know—just how powerful was Riku?

Kakashi looked back at Zabuza. "You're the ninja hired by Gato, aren't you? The one Tazuna ntioned?"

Zabuza grinned. "Kakashi, you already know the answer. Why ask?"

He leapt down from his perch and landed with a heavy thud. "Hand over Tazuna now, and I'll spare your lives."

The Seven Ninja Swordsn of the Mist—none of them were ordinary shinobi.

Every single one of them was at least Elite Jōnin level.

Zabuza was no exception.

Riku snorted. "He's full of himself."

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "Tch. Kids should learn to stay quiet when adults are talking. Kakashi, your brat has no manners."

"You want to teach him so?"

He released a wave of killing intent aid directly at Riku.

But the mont it reached him, Riku's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Childish."

In an instant, the terrifying aura around Riku burst outward—obliterating Zabuza's killing intent from within.

The sheer pressure of his chakra cracked the ground beneath him, spiderwebbing across several ters like shattered glass.

Zabuza involuntarily trembled.

His eyes widened in fear as he stared at Riku.

"What… what the hell are you?!"

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