Chapter 263 : What’s Wrong With Being Shorter?

The powerful strength Riku displayed at that moment left Sai, who was seeing him for the first time, completely shaken.

Even Kurama could be persuaded. As for how Riku managed it, Sai didn’t even need to think—he was sure Riku had done it through sheer force and will.

He’d already heard the rumors: Riku had subdued Naruto in his fully transformed state in Sunagakure and managed to reseal Kurama back into Naruto’s body.

And now, after accompanying Naruto to find Sasuke, Sai had witnessed firsthand how terrifying Naruto’s power became when he lost control—despite only manifesting five tails at the time.

If five tails could be that overwhelming, how much more devastating would full transformation into the Nine-Tails be?

And yet, under Riku’s pressure, even Kurama—powerful enough to be considered a natural disaster—had agreed to cooperate with Naruto.

Even after the seal was broken, Kurama didn’t go on a rampage. That kind of control, that kind of influence, was proof enough of Riku’s reputation.

Tsunade looked at Naruto and said, "During this time, follow the training plan Riku gave you. I want you to be able to endure the chakra of the full Nine-Tails—and even the Sixteen-Tails—sooner rather than later."

Naruto nodded and looked earnestly at Tsunade and Riku. "Granny Tsunade, Riku—I’ll train hard. I’ll definitely master Kurama’s power."

Tsunade nodded approvingly, and with that, Naruto and Yamato exited the office.

Only Tsunade and Riku remained in the Hokage’s room.

Tsunade turned to him, her curiosity piqued. "How did you convince the Nine-Tails?"

Riku leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, and replied with a casual smile, "The first time? I beat it into submission. The second time, I used the Akatsuki’s tail beast collection as a threat. The thing they’re using is called the Gedo Statue. It can only be summoned by someone with the Rinnegan."

"The Gedo Statue’s main purpose is to erase a tailed beast’s consciousness and reduce it to pure chakra. Kurama fears that fate. He knows the Akatsuki will come for him, and if that happens, he’ll lose himself entirely. So naturally, he agreed to help Naruto strengthen himself quickly."

"The best way to do that is for Naruto to fully master Kurama’s chakra."

"It’s not that Kurama is incapable of communication. People just kept him locked away and treated him like a monster."

"In the past, both Lady Mito and Kushina could suppress Kurama through sheer force. But Naruto can’t. If he can’t earn Kurama’s approval, there’s no way he’ll ever use Kurama’s chakra safely."

Tsunade nodded thoughtfully. She remembered how Mito Uzumaki and Kushina Uzumaki had always kept Kurama at arm’s length. There had never been an attempt to truly communicate with him. They were users of his chakra—but not partners.

Because of that, the farthest they had ever reached was the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. But true harmony—Kurama Mode—remained out of reach.

The power gap between those two states was enormous.

Looking at Riku, Tsunade sighed softly. "Good thing I made you my bodyguard. If you’d just been wandering around the village, I doubt any of this would’ve happened."

Riku smiled. "What can I say?"

Tsunade didn’t fully trust Riku’s nature. He wasn’t the type to help unless it directly benefited him—or at the very least, didn’t inconvenience him. Yet here he was, helping Naruto communicate with the Nine-Tails.

Her gaze turned serious again. "What do you think the Akatsuki’s goal is? Why are they collecting the tailed beasts?"

Riku thought for a moment. "I’m not sure. Maybe they’re trying to create a powerful weapon. After all, the tailed beasts are the most destructive forces in the ninja world. If they gather them all, they’ll hold the ultimate weapon. That would give them a massive advantage in any war."

"That’s probably it."

Tsunade considered his answer. It didn’t quite satisfy her, but it was as logical a reason as any. Still, could there be another motive?

Even Tsunade couldn’t figure it out. ANBU was already scouring the world for intel on the Akatsuki, but each member was terrifyingly strong. ANBU had been unable to find anything substantial.

The situation across the ninja world was deteriorating. The tailed beasts in every village had become targets. If the Akatsuki continued, war was inevitable.

The world had enjoyed over a decade of peace, and no one wanted that peace shattered.

Tsunade stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the calm village. "I really don’t know how long this peace will last."

Riku walked over and stood beside her, leaning casually against the window frame. His voice was low but resolute. "I won’t let Konoha fall."

Tsunade turned to look at him. His calm expression made her smile faintly.

She reached out and placed her hand over his where it rested on the windowsill.

The warmth of his touch soothed her.

Lately, the pressure on her had been immense. Crises were erupting across the shinobi world—each one more serious than the last.

And many involved the Jinchūriki. If anything went wrong, the blame would fall squarely on her shoulders.

She’d once claimed she didn’t want to be Hokage—because the two people she’d cared about most had died in pursuit of that very title.

But now that she held the position, she had to carry the burden of the entire village.

And without Riku, she truly didn’t know how she would’ve handled it all.

Whether it was the Oni Clan, Naruto’s uncontrolled Kurama transformations, or monstrous threats—if not for Riku, who in Konoha could have solved these problems?

He had helped her through every one of them. Officially, he was her bodyguard, but in truth, he was doing the Hokage’s work.

Whenever Konoha faced someone of Kage-level or beyond, Riku was the only one who could deal with them. No one else had the power to stand against such threats.

Feeling her hand on his, Riku glanced at her and smiled. "Feeling overwhelmed?"

Tsunade laughed. "Absolutely. But thanks to you, it’s like half the weight’s been lifted."

Riku chuckled. "Well, I am taller than you. If the sky’s falling, I’ve got the reach to hold it up."

Riku now stood at 1.8 meters, tall and broad-shouldered.

Tsunade, at around 1.63 meters, barely reached his shoulder.

She could tell he was teasing. "Are you saying I’m short again?"

Riku grinned.

But as he looked at her face—and her figure—her height hardly seemed to matter.

Because of Riku, Tsunade wasn’t afraid of the challenges Konoha might face. What worried her was what would happen once Akatsuki completed their collection of tailed beasts.

If that happened, it would undoubtedly ignite another Great Ninja War.

And that was the last thing Konoha needed right now.

Though the village had regained much of its strength—and Riku’s presence ensured their defenses were unmatched—a war would inevitably drain them.

And that, more than anything, was what Tsunade feared.

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