So, although Danzo was seething with rage, he ultimately didn't dare vent it on Riku at this moment. Instead, with a grim face, he glared at the Third and said coldly, "Hiruzen, you'll regret this! Hmph!"
With that, he turned sharply and stormed out of the Hokage's office.
As he passed by Riku, the old man cast a vicious glare at him.
Riku pretended to be startled, stepping aside in mock fear, and even grabbed onto Tsunade's hand for protection.
Tsunade: "....."
This acting... was truly lifelike!
There wasn't a single flaw in it—it was natural, seamless. He was a born actor.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Seeing Danzo's departing figure, Hiruzen couldn't hold back anymore and shouted after him.
Danzo paused mid-step at the words.
Then, with even heavier, angrier steps, he stormed away faster than before.
Just from the force of his footsteps, it was easy to tell how furious and aggrieved he felt.
Frankly, Hiruzen really nailed it.
Even Riku couldn't help wanting to give him a thumbs-up.
This was psychological warfare at its finest. The old man never missed a chance to disgust Danzo!
"Ahem!"
Once Danzo had walked far enough, the Third retracted his gaze and coughed awkwardly to ease the mood. He then turned to Riku with an apologetic smile and said, "Sorry you had to see that."
"Don't take Danzo's words to heart, Riku. That's just the kind of person he is—he's jealous, that's all."
"Come, let's sit and talk…"
What followed was nearly half an hour of idle chatting. Only when Tsunade finally lost patience did the Third reluctantly let them go.
"Alright then! Let's leave it here for today!"
"Riku, make sure to come by more often. Grandpa Hokage is always happy to have you visit."
Through this conversation, the Third became even more certain—Riku deeply believed in the Will of Fire, admired him, and truly loved the village.
A worthy successor!
That was more than enough for Hiruzen.
He would invite Riku over often in the future to slowly guide and influence him, molding him into the perfect follower.
In his mind, manipulating a five-year-old was child's play.
"Mmhmm!"
Riku nodded repeatedly, though in his heart, he was already feeling incredibly speechless.
This old guy doesn't even try to hide it anymore!
Does he really think I'm some innocent, naive little kid who doesn't know a thing?
Still, fooling the Third was something he needed to do for now.
It wasn't yet the time for him to confront or cut ties with the man.
"Alright, let's go!"
Tsunade, long fed up, bid Hiruzen a quick goodbye and dragged Riku out of the Hokage's office.
Watching them leave, Hiruzen just shook his head helplessly, though he didn't take it to heart.
Soon, Tsunade brought Riku to her office at Konoha Hospital.
She pointed to a large bookshelf filled with medical texts and said, "Alright, your job is to finish reading and comprehending everything on this shelf."
"If you have any questions, ask me anytime."
"Once you're done, we'll move on to the next stage of training."
"Of course, in the meantime, I'll also bring you along for a few small surgeries to help you gain practical experience in treating injuries and illnesses. Got it?"
As for teaching medical ninjutsu—well, Riku had already mastered Shōsen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Technique), Chiyu Jutsu (Healing Technique), and several others. There was no rush to teach him more.
What he truly needed now was more medical knowledge and theory.
"Alright!"
That was exactly what Riku wanted.
What he truly needed was access to these books!
As for healing people or further learning medical ninjutsu?
That could wait.
[I wish to know the consequences of revealing part of my comprehension talent to Tsunade.]
The next moment, a stream of information surged into Riku's mind.
The feedback from the Wish Talent confirmed it was safe—Tsunade could be trusted.
Riku was instantly relieved.
Immediately, he pulled out a book he hadn't read before from the shelf and sat on the nearby couch, flipping through it at an incredible speed.
The pages were nearly turning into a blur.
Tsunade's eye twitched uncontrollably. After watching him for a few seconds and realizing he had no intention of slowing down, she couldn't help but speak up.
"You always read like this? Are you sure you're actually absorbing anything? You really think this will work?"
This is absurd!
"Of course it works," Riku replied casually, not slowing down one bit. "I have a photographic memory and accelerated learning ability."
"My comprehension is also above average."
"This pace is the one I've tested and found most effective for me."
"Otherwise, how do you think I managed to finish reading and understanding the many scrolls and books stored in my clan's compound in just over a month?"
"Sure, a lot of scrolls were lost over time, but there were still quite a few left."
"Huh?"
Tsunade blinked in disbelief. "Are you serious? You really remember and understood everything? Let me test you."
With that, she grabbed the book from his hands and flipped back to pages he'd already read. She asked several specific questions from the earlier chapters.
As expected, Riku answered every question perfectly, showing not only that he remembered the content, but also had a solid understanding of the concepts.
"Haaah!!"
Tsunade couldn't help but gasp.
She looked at Riku like he was some kind of monster. "Looks like both the old man and I seriously underestimated you."
"I knew you were a genius… but I didn't expect you to be a freaking monster!"
"Since you've got this kind of talent, then go ahead and keep studying at your own pace."
"But—"
Her expression turned serious.
"Don't tell the Third about this talent of yours. Best if you don't tell your classmates either."
"And when you're reading here, be careful not to let passersby notice your unusual speed."
"If Hiruzen finds out… his attitude toward you might not stay as kind as today's."
"He hates anything that's out of his control."
"And your talent clearly falls into that category."
"Got it?"
This kind of monstrous comprehension... Tsunade felt even her grandfather paled in comparison.
And comprehension like this didn't just apply to medical knowledge—it was even more terrifying when applied to learning jutsus and improving combat strength.
She could already imagine: with a few years of growth, Riku might reach an absolutely terrifying level of power.
He could even surpass her grandfather, maybe even her grand-uncle.
This was a truly exceptional seedling—and her own student. She didn't want him to die prematurely because of jealousy or politics.
Of course, she was also doing this for the sake of the village.
Even though she'd only known Riku for two days, Tsunade had already roughly figured out what kind of person he was.
High IQ, high EQ, terrifying talent, and most importantly—loyal and grateful.
As long as she guided him down the right path, he would grow into one of Konoha's future pillars and lead the village to new heights.
But if his talent was exposed early on and he became a target of suppression, persecution, or even elimination by the likes of the Third or Danzo...
Then things could spiral out of control.
Worst case? The destruction of Konoha.
Of course, with the strength of the Uchiha Clan, even if his talent were exposed, Tsunade didn't think the Third would dare take immediate action against Riku.
At most, Riku would be forced to remain hidden within the Uchiha compound, silently cultivating until the day came to strike back.
But that wasn't the path Tsunade wanted for him.
She was determined to help Riku grow safely, and ensure he reached his full potential—for his sake, and for the village's.
(End of Chapter)
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