Chapter 249 : Questioning
After sealing the demon, Riku, Yugito, and Yugao brought Shion back to the capital of the Land of Demons.
But when they arrived, the capital had already been devastated by the ghost army.
Countless lives were lost.
Only scattered bags and belongings littered the streets of the ruined city.
Still, the capital hadn’t fallen entirely—there were a few garrison forces holding the line outside the shrine.
When Samui and the others, who had been trapped inside, saw Riku return with Shion, they immediately rushed out.
They already knew—the demon had been sealed.
Samui walked up to him. "I didn’t expect it... but you actually pulled it off."
Riku noticed that Samui’s uniform was disheveled, her body bearing the marks of relentless combat. She had clearly been fighting for days without rest.
Though the ghost army lacked individual strength, their regenerative nature made them nearly impossible to eliminate entirely. No matter how many were destroyed, they reformed again and again.
For two full days, she and Neji had been locked in a grueling battle. There hadn’t even been time to change clothes, let alone recover.
Riku smiled. "I didn’t expect you to be able to hold out for two days."
Samui was striking as always, her cold demeanor contrasting with the subtle concern in her voice. Despite her expression, her tone betrayed her worry for him.
Riku knew her personality well and didn’t say much more.
Samui glanced at Shion, puzzled. Somehow, Shion wasn’t even injured.
It didn’t make sense.
Even if she hadn’t paid with her life to seal the demon, she should have sustained some injury.
This was a monster from the Otherworld—something capable of destroying the entire world.
Riku understood what she was thinking and said, "Yugito can explain the details to you later. But we completed the mission. It’s time to return to the village."
"By the way, how are my two teammates doing?"
Though Samui still seemed confused, she didn’t press further. "They’re alive. Just a little banged up."
Riku nodded and walked into the shrine. Although the main building had been wrecked during the battle, a few of the side halls still stood.
Inside, Neji and Lee lay unconscious, their bodies covered in blood.
Neji’s once-white robes were now stained black with dried blood.
Riku and Yugao approached them.
As Riku neared, both Neji and Lee stirred and sat up.
"Did we succeed?" Neji asked weakly.
Riku nodded. "Yeah. It’s over. But your injuries are serious. Lie back—I’ll treat you."
Lee and Neji were visibly relieved. For two days, they had fought with everything they had to protect the civilians.
Hundreds of refugees had taken shelter in the shrine. If it weren’t for that, the two of them might’ve abandoned the defense long ago.
Riku took more than ten minutes to stabilize their conditions.
He sighed, a little exasperated. "These aren’t just minor injuries. If I hadn’t come in time, the two of you might have died here."
He couldn’t believe what Samui had said earlier about their wounds being ’slight.’
Now that he saw them up close, the truth was clear—Neji and Lee had been on the brink of death.
Behind him, Yugao watched Riku silently, a small smile playing on her lips.
Seeing how far he’d come filled her with pride.
Once the two were stabilized, Riku gathered the group to prepare for departure. Their mission in the Land of Demons was complete.
As for rebuilding the country—that wasn’t his responsibility.
Even if it was just a small nation, the Land of Demons hadn’t been completely annihilated. They’d manage to rebuild on their own.
As they were leaving, Riku found Yugito and Samui standing with two shinobi.
Before he left, he took a moment to warn them—especially about Hidan.
Despite her pride and aloofness, Yugito had been nearly ambushed by him before. His jutsu was terrifying.
As long as he got a drop of your blood, even a Kage-level ninja could be rendered helpless.
At parting, Riku looked at the two Cloud ninja and turned to Yugito. "What I told you earlier—remember it well. Don’t underestimate Akatsuki."
"If you let your guard down, you’ll die."
Yugito was struck by the seriousness in Riku’s tone and felt a strange weight in her chest. "Got it," she said quietly.
Her personality made it difficult for her to express emotion, but she felt the gravity of his words.
Riku then looked at Samui, smiling faintly. "Until next time."
With that, he turned and left.
Samui’s expression remained stoic, but her gaze lingered on his retreating figure.
Yugito noticed. "He’s gone. Why are you still staring?" she asked calmly.
Samui turned to her. "What did he say to you earlier? What do you know?"
Yugito leaned against a tree, thought for a moment, then relayed what Riku had said to her.
She had the feeling Samui understood Riku more than anyone here, and she wanted to hear her thoughts.
After listening, Samui was stunned. "Is Akatsuki really that powerful? If that’s true, their strength rivals or even exceeds that of a major shinobi village."
"Just from what Riku said, they have at least six Kage-level members. And some of their members haven’t even revealed themselves yet. That’s terrifying."
"They’re also targeting the Tailed Beasts... If they bring those onto the battlefield, the consequences for the shinobi world could be catastrophic."
Samui’s face darkened with concern.
She didn’t doubt the truth of what Riku had said.
But Yugito frowned. "Do you really believe him? Don’t you think it’s strange? Why would he tell me all this?"
"I don’t believe someone would share this kind of intel without a reason."
Although Yugito trusted Riku, she couldn’t figure out his motive.
Why warn her? What was he trying to gain?
Ninjas never act without a reason.
Samui thought for a moment, then replied, "Maybe he respects you. That guy thinks differently from most people. No one really knows what’s going on in his head, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the information he gave you."
Yugito sighed. "Why do you trust him so much? Is it like I guessed... do you like him?"
Samui froze, then frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about? He’s from Konoha, and I’m from the Hidden Cloud. You think that’s possible?"
"I just have a feeling. And I understand him a bit. He has no reason to lie to you."
"If anything, by warning you about Akatsuki’s strength, he’s probably just trying to help. Maybe he thinks they’re a real threat to you."
"Especially that technique he mentioned—if someone gets your blood, they can kill you instantly. That kind of jutsu is nearly impossible to defend against."
"It’s far too easy to fall victim to it."
"So I think... Riku just didn’t want you to die needlessly."
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