Chapter 244
Not to mention Karui and Omoi—neither of them had the strength to deal with this fire dragon.
At that moment, Riku’s hands began moving rapidly through hand signs.
Seeing that Riku had finally made his move, Samui let out a breath of relief. "He’s acting... that means he’s confident he can counter this jutsu."
That was something she’d learned from fighting alongside Riku in the past.
Whenever Riku acted, it meant he was sure of the outcome.
Sure enough, Riku finished forming his seals with both hands and shouted, "Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave! Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The moment the jutsu activated, a massive torrent of water came crashing down from the sky like a waterfall—dozens of meters tall—slamming into the ground with incredible force.
At the same time, the wind chakra stirred the water violently, transforming it into a roaring water dragon.
The massive torrent surged forward, reshaped by the wind, forming a huge dragon that opened its gaping maw and collided head-on with the fire dragon.
"Boom—!"
The two dragons clashed violently, creating a shockwave of chakra that rippled across the battlefield for hundreds of meters.
Shion stared at Riku’s back in stunned awe. "Is this Lord Riku’s power? It’s incredible..."
After the clash, a giant crater was left in the ground. Water from the jutsu had filled the pit, now muddy and full of debris. The fire dragon had been completely extinguished.
Yugao clutched Shion protectively—she couldn’t stand on the water without chakra control.
The four enemy shinobi nearby were frozen in disbelief.
"He actually blocked our combined ninjutsu?! That’s impossible!"
Their combined technique had clearly reached S-rank.
Even most Jōnin, maybe even Kage-level shinobi, would have struggled to stop it. But Riku had countered with his own combined ninjutsu—powerful enough to completely neutralize theirs.
It was terrifying.
Riku turned his gaze toward the four enemies surrounding him.
"It was you who released the demon."
The four ninjas exchanged glances, their expressions hardening.
"Kill him!"
With that, all four lunged at Riku.
He quickly glanced toward Samui, Neji, and Lee. As soon as they caught his look, the three immediately rushed toward one of the enemy shinobi.
Riku then turned to Yugao. "Sister Yugao, take Her Highness and get out of here."
Yugao nodded. With her katana strapped to her back, she grabbed Shion and took off at full speed.
Riku focused on one of the charging enemies.
"Dealing with you is a waste of my time."
The moment he finished speaking, he vanished.
"Lightning Style: Thunderclap Flash!"
"Splurt—!"
As the enemy approached, Riku suddenly reappeared right in front of him. By the time the ninja realized what had happened, Riku’s hand was already piercing through his chest.
Blood poured out.
At that moment, the two Kumo shinobi—Samui and Yugito—had just finished off another enemy nearby. Turning, they witnessed Riku’s kill firsthand.
Stunned, Yugito whispered, "That had to be space–time ninjutsu... He not only knows terrifying Lightning Style techniques, he can use space–time ninjutsu? And his speed—he’s even faster than the Fourth Raikage."
As Riku withdrew his hand, a surge of lightning chakra blasted outward, scattering the blood clean from his body.
Even his chakra control was overwhelming.
Having dispatched one enemy, Riku didn’t even glance at the remaining three. He simply turned and began walking toward the palace gates.
As he passed the two Kumo kunoichi, he said coldly, "What are you standing around for? Go protect Her Highness."
The two jolted slightly in surprise before quickly turning and running after him.
Several minutes later, they caught up with Yugao and Shion.
Seeing Riku approach, Yugao let out a sigh of relief. She had been tense the entire time, worried another powerful enemy might ambush them.
After all, her strength was only that of a Special Jōnin. While she could hold her own against regular Jōnin, the shinobi they’d faced earlier were anything but ordinary.
Their combined ninjutsu had far surpassed what a normal Jōnin could perform.
Shion, who had been quietly anxious, also relaxed upon seeing Riku.
"Lord Riku... I’m so glad you’re alright."
Riku gave a brief nod.
He turned toward the horizon—and saw the capital of the Land of Demons. Smoke and ash billowed upward from beyond the trees.
His expression darkened. "Looks like the ghost army has already reached the capital. Your Highness, once we reach the Land of Marshes, you must seal the demon immediately. If not, the world may truly fall."
Shion shrank back, timid. "But... I don’t know if I can—"
Before she could finish, Riku looked her dead in the eye.
"Your Highness, only you can do this. Don’t worry—I will protect you no matter what. Just focus on the seal. Leave everything else to me."
Shion stared at him for a moment... then finally nodded.
At that point, Yugao picked her up and carried her on her back—Shion wasn’t a ninja and had no way to keep up on foot.
The two Kumo kunoichi—Samui and Wooden Golem—continued to glance at Riku. They had witnessed his strength firsthand. It was terrifying.
His speed, his ninjutsu... he had surpassed even the Fourth Raikage.
Maybe Samui hadn’t been exaggerating when she spoke of Riku’s strength. Maybe he truly could suppress a Tailed Beast.
But if that were true... what had he meant by all the things he’d said to them the night before?
Yugito kept staring at Riku. He noticed and turned his head slightly.
"...What is it?"
The three of them moved swiftly through the forest.
Their speed was blinding. The ghost army had already destroyed several minor nations and now entered the territory of the Land of Fire.
If the demon wasn’t sealed soon, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Tsunade had already mobilized Konoha’s forces—working with the daimyo of the Land of Fire, they had stationed troops at the borders to resist the incoming threat.
But if the demon remained unsealed, it was only a matter of time before the Land of Fire fell.
The ghost army couldn’t be killed. They were animated stone golems with no life force.
Break one, and another would rise from the earth.
Their physical durability was immense. Normal weapons had no effect.
This was the same legion that had nearly destroyed the world once before. They were no mere legend.
Riku knew—he had to seal the demon now. If not, the world might truly be beyond saving.
Yugito looked at him and said, "I’ll help with the sealing. With your power, I believe we can do it."
Riku’s strength had convinced her.
Among shinobi, power speaks loudest.
And Riku had spoken clearly.
---------------------
Join my Patreon and get access to 50+ early Chapters before anyone else! 🔥
/UK21
Your Support is Truly Appreciated
--------