Chapter 238 : Teammate, Uzuki Yugao
There are no ninja in the Land of Demons—only shrine maidens and samurai.
Because of this, the shrine maidens of the Land of Demons have never developed the kind of mobility-focused fighting style that shinobi like Hanzo are known for.
Their duty is to guard the altar that seals the demon spirit.
Once the spirit is unsealed, it cannot be resealed. Preventing its rebirth is their only option.
That said, not every generation of shrine maidens has the opportunity—or misfortune—to confront the spirit.
After all, not everyone is capable of releasing it.
Riku looked at Tsunade and asked, "What’s the situation with the Land of Demons?"
Tsunade sighed. "They’ve requested our help. They want us to send someone to protect Her Highness, the Miko. The Land of Demons has also reached out to several other hidden villages for support."
Riku froze for a moment. That wasn’t how he remembered it.
Didn’t they only ask Konoha for help last time?
"Why would they reach out to all five great nations?" he asked, puzzled.
Tsunade offered a weary smile. "Every village has its own agenda. So far, only the Hidden Cloud has responded. They’ve already dispatched support to the Land of Demons."
Riku thought about it and finally understood why the other great nations hadn’t moved.
The Land of Demons bordered the Land of Fire—it was Konoha’s backyard. The other great nations had no direct stake in the outcome.
Riku sighed internally. Even now, during a crisis, the great powers were still playing political games.
"But Hidden Cloud responded?" he asked. "That’s unexpected."
After all, the Hidden Cloud was the farthest from the Land of Demons geographically.
Tsunade’s mind drifted to the Fourth Raikage, the man who once outmuscled her in an arm-wrestling match.
"I’ll admit," she said, "that guy’s decision surprised me."
Riku gave a wry smile. "No wonder there’s so little internal conflict in the Hidden Cloud. That village seems more united than most."
Though the Fourth Raikage looked like a brute, he was actually quite cunning—strong yet thoughtful, able to rally the entire village around him.
Even after losing to Minato Namikaze, he didn’t see it as shameful. In fact, he documented the entire fight in the Hidden Cloud’s military archives.
It wasn’t by chance that the Hidden Cloud had become one of the strongest of the five great shinobi villages.
Riku chuckled. "Well, Konoha definitely has to step in. This is right in our backyard."
Tsunade looked up at him. "I’m assigning you to protect Her Highness, the Miko. I’ll personally lead a force to the Fire Country border to stop the Ghost Army."
The Ghost Army had already ravaged several small nations. Tsunade had no choice but to prepare for both offense and defense.
Riku nodded. "I can handle it alone."
But Tsunade shook her head. "No. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to go alone. Her Highness is a young woman, and you’re a man. I’ll be assigning a team. You’ll lead as a Jōnin."
With Kakashi still recovering in the hospital and Yamato accompanying Naruto on a mission, Tsunade was left with limited options.
She herself had to lead troops to the border of the Land of Fire to hold off the Ghost Army.
Riku gave a strained smile. "My strength is enough. One person is more than capable."
"And since when do shinobi care about gender?" he added with a shrug.
Tsunade ignored him. "Fox, come in."
At her call, a masked ANBU appeared in front of them.
She wore the fox mask typical of ANBU, her presence silent but firm.
Riku grinned wryly. "Sister Yugao... don’t tell me it’s you and me again?"
Yugao Uzuki didn’t respond. She didn’t even remove her mask.
Tsunade continued, "Yugao, Neji, and Rock Lee will accompany you."
What she didn’t mention was that Konoha was stretched so thin that these were the only shinobi available for the mission.
Riku thought for a moment and nodded. "All right."
Since he’d become Tsunade’s personal guard, he and Yugao had barely seen each other.
In truth, they hadn’t been able to.
They used to chat frequently, but now Riku spent most of his time living in the Senju compound or the Hokage’s office. They hardly crossed paths anymore.
Tsunade scribbled something onto a scroll, sealed it, and handed it to Riku.
"Take this to Neji and Rock Lee. Your mission is to escort Her Highness the Miko and help her seal the demon spirit. This is a vital task. Her safety could determine the fate of the world."
Riku’s expression grew more serious.
Tsunade added, "This is an S-rank mission. I believe in your abilities, Riku. But you must come back safely."
He gave a confident smile. "Don’t worry, Lady Hokage. I will."
With the scroll in hand, Riku and Yugao turned and left.
Tsunade rested her chin in her hands, brow furrowed. She muttered quietly, "Riku, the fate of the world is riding on you."
She believed in Riku’s strength, but she also knew just how terrifying this demon spirit was.
It had once taken the combined effort of all five great nations to merely suppress it. If not for the power of the shrine maiden, the world might have been destroyed long ago.
But Riku wasn’t worried about the spirit.
Sure, ordinary ninjutsu didn’t seem effective against it, but the shrine maiden’s techniques could harm it. That meant their power operated on a different principle—one that might overlap with Riku’s own.
Besides, this monster wasn’t native to the shinobi world. It was an Otherworld being.
If the shrine maiden’s jutsu could affect it, Riku figured his techniques might as well.
After rendezvousing with Rock Lee and Neji, the group of four set out immediately.
As they traveled, Riku looked over at Yugao and smiled. "Sister Yugao, it’s been a while. You’re looking even more beautiful."
Yugao was quiet. She had been for some time now—ever since the death of team.
She still hadn’t recovered from the loss.
After Riku became a special Jōnin and Tsunade’s personal guard, he hadn’t spoken much with her. She had withdrawn into herself for years.
Though they moved quickly, shinobi often spoke during missions—it was normal.
After a long silence, Yugao finally looked at him. "It really has been a while. Three years."
Hearing this, Riku knew she was quietly blaming him.
He gave a rueful smile. "I’ve been training hard all these years. You know how it is."
"But don’t worry, Sister Yugao. I’ll make sure you’re safe this time."
To Riku, Yugao was one of the most important women in his life.
Not as a lover—but as a sister.
From age eight to twelve, she’d cared for him like family. For those four years, she was his rock.
Yugao didn’t show it, but Riku’s words brought her comfort.
Still, she answered coolly, "You should take care of yourself first."
Riku smiled again. "I still love seeing you smile, Sister Yugao."
From either side of them, Neji and Rock Lee leapt across the treetops, listening to the exchange. Eventually, Neji groaned.
"Can you two tone it down a bit? Riku, you’re being kind of gross."
Riku shot him an exaggerated glare.
What would Neji know?
He was just trying to make Yugao smile.
Riku knew full well how broken she’d been after Gai’s death.
During those three painful years, she had come looking for Riku many times—but he hadn’t been around.
He felt guilty about that.
Back when he was weaker, Yugao had gone out of her way to bring him information, resources, and guidance.
She was important to him.
And when she was suffering the most... he hadn’t been there.
That guilt still lingered in his heart.
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