Chapter 278 : Who Is The Girl That Riku Likes?
She had always been proud, so even when she discovered the truth, she didn't tell her father.
Originally, she wanted to talk to Riku, but over the past three years, she hadn't seen him often.
Aside from their encounter after the Sunagakure Chūnin Exams, they had hardly crossed paths. And even when they did, it was in the Hokage's office—far from a place she dared speak openly to him.
When Ino dragged Riku into the barbecue restaurant, Asuma glanced over and greeted him with a smile. "You're here too."
Riku, now part of the Hokage Guard and a Jōnin like Asuma, technically held a more prestigious position. But in terms of seniority, Asuma still stood above him.
Riku smiled and took a seat. "Looks like you've spent a lot today, Asuma-sensei."
Asuma gave a helpless chuckle. Barbecue wasn't cheap—but as an Elite Jōnin, he wasn't exactly strapped for cash.
Though he belonged to the Sarutobi clan—one of Konoha's great clans, equal in influence to the Hyūga—Asuma never relied on his family. He prided himself on his independence and had the strength and ability to back it up.
All the money he spent, he earned himself through missions.
Still, after one big barbecue session, he'd burned through the reward from a D-rank mission.
But for an Elite Jōnin, even eating like this every day wasn't too hard to manage.
Of course, most of their income went into buying ninja tools and combat gear.
So, while high-ranking ninja earned more, they also spent more.
That said, no ninja was truly poor—not even a Genin.
The reward from a single D-rank mission was enough to cover a Genin's basic living expenses for several months. Of course, if they needed ninja tools, that was another story.
For example, a single explosive tag cost several thousand ryō.
As for the 600 billion explosive tags Konan supposedly used? The claim that Kakuzu had bought them all with his own money was laughable.
Forget affording them—there weren't even that many in the entire ninja world.
Explosive tags were advanced ninja tools.
Even Genin typically carried at least one in their standard ninja tool pouches.
So while a single D-rank mission's pay might go far for a civilian, it wasn't nearly enough for a shinobi's needs.
That's why every time Asuma treated Shikamaru and the others to barbecue, he was definitely spending more than a little of his own savings.
Truthfully, Kakashi was wealthier than Asuma.
He was just... stingy.
It was hard enough getting him to buy a bowl of ramen—let alone something expensive.
Of course, his spending mostly went toward ninja tools and his collection of "literature."
Meanwhile, in the past three years, Riku had saved a small fortune—hundreds of millions of ryō.
It wasn't all from mission rewards; much of it came from items confiscated or looted during missions.
And ever since Tsunade and Riku became close, she had stopped gambling altogether.
So Riku hadn't needed to spend much. Living with the Senju clan meant all his expenses were covered.
Some whispered that he was mooching, but Riku didn't care.
The Senju didn't mind either—after all, a bit of money meant nothing to them. What they really wanted was for Riku to stay with them.
Everyone knew he was the strongest ninja in Konoha—possibly the next Hokage.
It didn't hurt to stay in his good graces.
Despite their decline, the Senju clan still owned a great deal of property in Konoha—much of it clustered together.
They were no less influential than the Hyūga, but lacked powerful shinobi.
Tsunade was currently the strongest among them.
That was why Riku's arrival at the restaurant stirred a bit of unease in Sora.
He didn't know why, but the moment he saw Riku, he felt a surge of dislike.
And when he realized this was the legendary Riku—the same one feared across the ninja world—that dislike turned to resentment.
His expression soured.
Riku, of course, paid it no mind. As long as Sora didn't cause trouble, he couldn't care less what the guy thought of him.
Ino made Riku sit beside her, which annoyed Sakura a little.
The barbecue feast lasted more than two hours.
Ino busied herself grilling meat for Riku the entire time—his plate was constantly piled high.
If he hadn't stopped her, she would've served him the entire table's worth.
When the meal ended and Riku left the restaurant, he headed straight toward the Senju compound. But as he turned a corner, he found Sakura standing there, as if waiting for him.
He looked at her and smiled. "Sakura, what are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be heading home?"
Sakura lowered her head, hesitating. Then she looked up at him and asked, "What… what's your relationship with Ino?"
She spoke while kicking at the ground, clearly nervous.
Riku tilted his head, slightly confused, but quickly caught on. With a calm smile, he answered, "We're friends. Classmates. Why?"
Sakura visibly relaxed.
She leaned against the wall and asked, "Do you… do you like anyone?"
Riku raised an eyebrow. Ah, he thought. So that's where this is going.
Still, he answered honestly, "Yeah. I do."
Sakura froze. "You… do?"
He nodded. "Is that strange?"
Panicked, Sakura quickly waved her hands. "N-No, not at all! Um… can you tell me who it is?"
Riku shook his head, chuckling. "I can't."
Sakura's heart sank, though she tried not to show it.
"Is it Ino?"
"No."
"…Hinata?"
Still smiling, Riku replied, "Nope."
Sakura frowned and tried to think. "Then… who? Could it be someone outside the village? I mean, you've been traveling a lot the past few years and met girls from other villages…"
"Someone from Kumogakure? Or maybe Sunagakure?"
No matter how she guessed, she never once thought of Tsunade.
Riku watched her wrack her brain and smiled gently. "You should go home. I'm heading back too."
Sakura wanted to say something—anything—but knowing he already liked someone, she stopped herself.
She leaned against the wall, watching Riku's back as he walked away, frowning slightly as she looked up at the moon.
Her feelings were complicated.
Retrieving Sasuke had once been her deepest conviction, her goal as a teammate.
But when it came to Riku… her feelings had changed.
What was once simple admiration had slowly turned into something deeper.
She liked him.
But now, knowing he liked someone else, she couldn't help but feel bitter.
It's not Ino. Not Hinata. So who could it be?
Who else is there?
In this village, Riku's closest bonds during the Academy days had been with Ino and Hinata.
If it wasn't either of them… then who?
She couldn't figure it out—never even considered Tsunade.
And so, leaning quietly against the wall beneath the moonlight, Sakura felt a lingering ache in her chest.
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