Chapter 232 : Acting Captain Of Class Seven
Sakura glanced at Riku before leaving with Naruto.
Tsunade let out a sigh. "Honestly, whether it’s Naruto or Sakura, they just can’t stay calm when it comes to Sasuke."
Riku smiled slightly.
Tsunade looked up at him. "Technically, Sasuke was your teammate too. Don’t you feel anything?"
Leaning back in his chair, Riku answered calmly, "I do. But my perspective is different from Naruto’s and Sakura’s. I think Sasuke needs to figure out what he really wants. Sometimes, people only understand themselves after going through things. That’s when they realize what suits them and how they want to move forward."
"That’s why I support Sasuke’s decision to go to Orochimaru. If he hadn’t done that, he might never have figured it out."
Tsunade gave a soft smile. "I didn’t expect you to think that way. If this were the past, I would’ve strongly opposed it. But now..."
Riku looked at her. "Now?"
Tsunade only smiled and didn’t say more.
Even though she remained silent, Riku could tell that Tsunade agreed with many of his views—because they were his.
Even when she disagreed, she would still respect them.
Because Riku was different from anyone else to Tsunade.
Even if Nawaki and Dan were to return, it wouldn’t change her mind.
Riku stood up, walked to the windowsill, and leaned against it, gazing out over the village.
"There are a lot of things I don’t really want to do, but I think a colorful life has to include those things we’re forced to do. That’s what makes it worth remembering."
"Sasuke’s the same. His life is unlike anyone else’s. Once he’s experienced more out there, he’ll understand what it is he truly wants."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, smiling gently. "Is an imperfect life still worth remembering?"
Riku smiled. "I still hope for a smoother life. Even though I believe imperfections make life more meaningful, some flaws are just too hard to bear."
"Sakura’s chasing Sasuke because she loves him. And while I support Sasuke in leaving to find his own path, I didn’t stop anyone from bringing him back. That’s because of you—because of your beliefs."
Tsunade’s heart trembled. She turned to look at Riku, who remained leaning against the window, gazing out at the village.
She didn’t speak, but she was deeply moved.
After a long silence, she finally broke it with a smile. "Why are you so certain Sasuke is currently stronger than Naruto or Sakura?"
Riku chuckled. "Because their talents are fundamentally different. Sasuke left Konoha after realizing Naruto had already surpassed him—largely thanks to Jiraiya-sensei. With a Sannin as his teacher, Naruto’s strength grew rapidly."
"So naturally, Sasuke wanted to find a Sannin mentor of his own—to keep up with Naruto, and to defeat Itachi."
"More importantly, Orochimaru covets the Uchiha clan’s bloodline and Sasuke’s Sharingan."
"That means Orochimaru has conducted deep research into the Sharingan’s evolution."
"Other than the Sharingan, the Uchiha clan’s chakra reserves are only slightly above average."
"But once Sasuke learns to master his Sharingan, his power will skyrocket. Right now, Naruto isn’t a match for him—much less Sakura."
Tsunade nodded. "That does make sense."
Riku continued, "Actually, Sasuke’s talent far exceeds Naruto’s. Because of Kurama, Naruto can’t progress as smoothly. Right now, I believe Sasuke’s strength has surpassed the average Jōnin. Naruto, at best, is around the same level—and without Kurama’s chakra, he’d be even weaker."
This wasn’t a criticism—it was simply the truth.
Naruto wants to become stronger, but to do so, he must learn to wield Kurama’s power. That power originated from the Sage of Six Paths himself, when he divided the Ten Tails’ chakra.
The other tailed beasts are simply fragments of Kurama’s chakra.
So, unless Naruto masters the Nine Tails’ power, he’d need a strong body, a powerful Wood Style, and an insane natural talent like Hashirama Senju’s to compete.
Hashirama might have come across as a bit dim, but his mastery of ninjutsu was unparalleled.
Even without Wood Style, he would still be at Super Kage level—because beyond Wood Style, he had countless powerful jutsu.
And it’s worth remembering: Wood Style was his own creation. No one before or after him had developed it.
Of course, part of that was due to inheriting Asura’s chakra. Even Black Zetsu once said that Hashirama and Madara were the reincarnations of Asura and Indra’s strongest generation.
If Naruto can’t master Kurama’s chakra, he may never reach Hashirama’s level.
That was Riku’s assessment. The gap between Naruto and Sasuke was still enormous.
If they fought now, the result would be the same as over three years ago.
In the Battle at the Valley of the End, Naruto lost.
If he wants to stand against Sasuke, Naruto needs to master both Sage Mode and Kurama’s power.
But right now, he has neither. The gap between them is too great.
Tsunade nodded again, silently agreeing with Riku’s judgment.
After a while, Yamato entered the Hokage’s office, still wearing his ANBU mask.
He was now the captain of ANBU, its highest authority, having taken over after Kakashi left.
He was also an Elite Jōnin—one of the strongest in ANBU.
When Yamato walked in, the first person he saw was Riku.
Although he wanted to greet him, protocol prevented it.
"Yamato" was the name given to him by the Third Hokage. His original ANBU codename was "Tenzō." Later, Tsunade gave him the name Yamato when she appointed him as temporary leader of Team 7.
Both names were codenames: "Tenzō" in ANBU, and "Yamato" when working publicly.
Tsunade looked at Yamato. "I have a mission for you, but it can’t be carried out as ANBU. From now on, you’ll operate under the codename Yamato. Since Kakashi hasn’t recovered yet, you’ll act as the temporary captain of Team 7."
Yamato removed his mask and looked at Tsunade with determination. "It’s an honor to take Kakashi-senpai’s place."
He and Kakashi had a good relationship. Back in ANBU, Kakashi often scolded him, which led to some resentment—but it was only the frustration of a subordinate with a strict superior.
In truth, their bond was strong. That minor resentment never affected the respect between them.
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