Naruto: Lost to Hinata on Purpose, and Now Everything's a Mess Chapter 71 71 : Kidnapping Sakura, Riku Takes Action

Since the afternoon, Kakashi's team of four had been training in the forest.

Watching Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura fall repeatedly and climb back to their feet, Kakashi shook his head.

Sigh... this is the difference. Riku only had to see it once to fully grasp it.

Now, even after several hours, the three of them still hadn't mastered it.

Sakura was doing slightly better—perhaps her chakra control was more refined.

Her progress had outpaced Sasuke and Naruto's, but there was still a significant gap between her and Riku.

After observing for a while and seeing that the sky was starting to darken, Kakashi finally said, "Alright, keep going. I'm heading back. You three return on your own later."

With that, he vanished.

Sasuke clenched his fists, having caught the disappointnt in Kakashi's eyes.

I have to learn this quickly. I must surpass Riku.

He no longer thought of Naruto as his rival—surpassing Naruto didn't matter anymore. If he couldn't surpass Riku, then beating Naruto ant nothing.

Sakura, already close to success, had also noticed Kakashi's disappointnt.

She thought silently, When Riku learned this, it must've been really fast. Otherwise, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't be so let down.

Maybe Riku's talent really is beyond comparison… even greater than Sasuke's.

It's scary to think that soone like him remained so diocre for six years at the Academy.

Sakura understood clearly: the disappointnt on Kakashi's face only existed because Riku's talent was overwhelmingly strong by contrast.

Even Sasuke couldn't match it.

Her curiosity toward Riku deepened.

For six years at the Academy, she had barely noticed him. She hadn't spoken a word to him in all that ti.

The two of them were like strangers. Who could've guessed that the seemingly average classmate was actually the strongest of them all?

It was hard to believe.

anwhile, on a mountain several hundred ters away, hidden and watching through a pair of binoculars, Haku observed the scene with his-enhanced eyes.

Kakashi finally left. If all three of them move together, I might not be able to take her. I'll wait until she's alone. If there's no opportunity… then I'll have to take her by force.

Haku wasn't entirely confident in his ability to handle all three alone. He believed he could defeat them, but it would take ti—ti he couldn't afford.

Back at the house, Riku sat on the porch, silently staring out at the sea.

Beside him sat Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter.

She was curious about Riku. Seeing him sitting there quietly, she had walked over to chat with him.

Though the conversation was mostly one-sided, Riku didn't ignore her. When Tsunami had heard her father say that Riku was strong, she hadn't believed it—he looked far too young.

How could soone so young possibly be as powerful as Tazuna claid?

Still, she enjoyed talking to him. Riku was easy to talk to.

When Kakashi returned, Riku looked over and smiled. "So, did they finally learn it?"

Kakashi sat beside him and let out a long sigh. "No. But that's normal. Not everyone can learn sothing instantly just from seeing it once."

Riku didn't comnt further.

Tsunami chuckled and said, "I should go make dinner. Riku-kun, is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Because he had been having a pleasant conversation with her earlier, Riku replied with a small smile, "Anything's fine. I'm not picky."

Tsunami left with a smile, and Kakashi chuckled. "What were you two talking about?"

Riku didn't hide it. "Mostly about her late husband. And a little about where I'm from."

Kakashi nodded. He actually felt so sympathy for Tsunami—she had finally remarried, only to lose her husband again.

"With the bridge repaired, this country will be much better off," Kakashi said. "Their family won't struggle as much anymore."

Riku didn't respond. He didn't seem particularly concerned.

As night fell, he and Kakashi were preparing to eat when Sasuke and Naruto suddenly burst through the door.

"Kakashi-sensei! Riku! Sakura's gone!" Naruto shouted.

Both Riku and Kakashi froze. Kakashi's brow furrowed. "When did she disappear?"

Sasuke answered, voice steady, "She was the first to master the tree-walking exercise, so she left the forest more than an hour before us. But we found this letter near a large tree on the way back."

Riku took the letter, scanned it quickly, and frowned. "Kidnapped?"

He handed the note to Kakashi.

Kakashi read it, his face darkening.

"They're demanding we kill Tazuna and offer his head in exchange for Sakura's life."

Tsunami, just stepping out of the kitchen with a tray of food, gasped in horror. The tray slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground.

Everyone turned to look.

Pale and trembling, Tsunami walked over to Riku and pleaded, "Riku, please… don't hurt my father…"

Among everyone here, Tsunami trusted Riku the most. After all, he was the one she'd talked with the most—he felt the most familiar to her.

Her son ran out from the back room and stood protectively in front of Tazuna. "I won't let you hurt Grandpa!"

Despite the tension, Riku remained calm.

Kakashi reassured them, "Don't worry. We won't do that. We're working on a way to bring Sakura back safely."

Riku looked back down at the letter. After a mont, he turned to Tsunami and said calmly, "Don't worry. Tazuna-san will be fine. This is just part of their plan."

Kakashi thought it over, and his expression shifted. "You an… they're trying to draw us away from Tazuna?"

Riku nodded slightly. "They know we won't actually kill him, but if even one of us leaves to 'negotiate' at the eting point in the letter, it weakens the protection around Tazuna. That's all they need."

"It's either or you, Kakashi-sensei. The mont either of us leaves, they'll make their move."

Kakashi agreed, his face grim. "You're right… but we still have to rescue Sakura."

Though they'd figured out the enemy's plan, there didn't seem to be an easy solution.

"I'll go," Riku offered.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. With your strength, you'll be able to protect Tazuna. Honestly, I probably wouldn't be able to defeat you even if we fought."

Riku was being realistic. He knew Zabuza's strength was roughly on par with Kakashi's. Even if Haku joined the battle, with Sasuke and Naruto there, they could at least hold Haku off for a while—enough ti for Riku to act.

Kakashi considered it and eventually nodded. "Alright. I agree with your plan. But be careful—don't fall into an ambush."

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