Chapter 122: The Hawk Takes Flight

The harsh sunlight of the badlands beat down on the five figures standing outside the grim entrance to the northern stronghold. The air, once thick with the stench of confinement, was now filled with a different kind of tension—the anticipation of a new beginning. Ren surveyed the group he had assembled: Sasuke, a pillar of silent intensity; Suigetsu, still grinning with manic energy; Karin, adjusting her glasses with a skeptical frown; and Jūgo, who stood slightly apart, his posture hunched, as if trying to make himself smaller.

"Good," Ren began, his voice cutting through the dry wind. "The team is assembled. Now, you will hear my purpose."

Suigetsu let out a low chuckle. "Alright, Boss! Lay it on us. You went through all this trouble. Don't tell me you just want to start your own hidden village? Or maybe..." he grinned wider, "you're planning to take on the entire ninja world and stuff it in your pocket?"

He laughed, but when no one else joined in, his chuckle died in his throat. Sasuke, Karin, and even Jūgo were staring at him with varying degrees of incredulity.

"What?" Suigetsu muttered, embarrassed. "It was a joke!"

A slow, unnerving smile spread across Ren's face. "Is it?" he asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp. "What if I said you guessed correctly? What if my goal is, indeed, to bring the entire shinobi world to heel?"

A stunned silence fell over the group.

*Eh?*

Suigetsu's jaw went slack. Karin's eyes widened behind her lenses. Jūgo flinched. Even Sasuke's impassive mask cracked for a second, his brow furrowing slightly.

"B-Boss," Suigetsu stammered, forcing another laugh. "Come on, now. You're just playing along with my joke, right? That's... that's impossible!"

"But I am not joking," Ren stated, his voice dropping all pretense of humor. It became flat, serious, and utterly chilling.

"This... you can't be serious!" Karin was the first to find her voice, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "That's insane! How could that possibly work?"

"Which is precisely why I need your unique talents," Ren replied, his gaze sweeping over them. "But let me be clear. This is not a forced conscription. If this ambition is too grand, if you find the goal ludicrous, you are free to leave. Now. I will not stop you." His eyes settled on Karin. "Karin. You said you came along because our path was 'convenient.' What is your decision now?"

Karin flushed, her gaze darting toward Sasuke for a fleeting moment before she looked away. "I... well, my other business isn't that urgent... I suppose..."

Suigetsu, recovering some of his bravado, nudged her with his elbow. "Oh, just be honest, Four-Eyes! You're sticking around because you want to be near a certain someone, right? Don't think I haven't noticed."

Karin's face turned a brilliant scarlet. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she shrieked, her composure shattering. "Who's spreading such lies?!" In a flash of rage, she swung a fist at Suigetsu's head.

*SPLAT.*

His head exploded into a splash of water, droplets arcing through the air. A moment later, the water coalesced, reforming his features, a smug look on his now-solid face.

"Suigetsu," Ren's voice was a whip-crack of authority. "Enough. I said we would cooperate. Do not provoke her again."

"Right, right, sorry," Suigetsu said, not sounding sorry at all. "But my point stands. Me? I'm staying. I want to see this through. I want to collect all the swords of the Seven Ninjamester, and I want to see what kind of partner this Uchiha Itachi really is. It sounds... interesting."

"Tch. Collecting swords. How juvenile," Karin sniffed, pushing her glasses up her nose, having regained some control.

Ren ignored their bickering and turned to the quietest member. "Jūgo. And you?"

Jūgo looked at the ground, then at Sasuke. "Kimimaro... said Sasuke was like his own rebirth. He protected him with his life. I... I want to see what kind of ninja he is. I will follow Sasuke."

A cold smile of satisfaction touched Ren's lips. It was all falling into place, just as he knew it would. "Then it's settled. From this day forward, we are a single unit. We will not be mere companions. We are a weapon. And this weapon shall be known as... Hebi." The word 'Snake' hung in the air, a deliberate choice linking them to their origin, yet promising a new kind of venom. "Our ultimate purpose is to stand at the absolute pinnacle of this world."

He let that declaration sink in before continuing. "But that peak is distant. Our first step, the foundation of our power, will be to gather the chakra of the Tailed Beasts."

This elicited another sharp intake of breath from Karin, but Ren pressed on. "However, with the exception of Sasuke, your current strength is pathetic. You are not yet worthy to stand beside me in this endeavor. Too weak. So, for the next three years, you will have no mission other than to grow stronger. I will provide the means. Whether you become strong enough to be of use after that time... that will be up to your own resolve."

"Who are you to judge us so condescendingly?" Karin snapped, her pride stung. "Giving orders like you're some kind of—"

"Yeah, Boss, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Suigetsu cut in. "We're not exactly pushovers."

Ren's expression darkened. A cruel smirk twisted his features. "Oh? You disagree? You think I am wrong about your weakness?"

He did not move, but the air around him changed. An overwhelming wave of killing intent and pure, crushing pressure erupted from his body, slamming into the four of them like a physical force.

Sasuke grunted, his knees buckling slightly, his Sharingan flaring to life instinctively as he fought to remain standing. Jūgo let out a guttural cry as the curse mark spontaneously crawled across his skin, his body hardening in a defensive response to the sheer terror of the aura. Suigetsu and Karin fared the worst. Suigetsu cried out, dropping to one knee, the Kubikiribōchō clattering to the ground as he used it to prop himself up, his body drenched in a cold sweat. Karin gasped, collapsing entirely, her glasses askew as she clawed at her throat, struggling to draw breath under the immense spiritual weight. Her face turned a frightening shade of purple.

"B-Boss...!" Suigetsu managed to choke out.

With a dismissive snort, Ren released the pressure. It vanished as suddenly as it had appeared. The four of them sagged in relief, gasping for air. Jūgo's curse mark receded, leaving him trembling. Suigetsu and Karin remained on the ground, their bodies shaking uncontrollably.

"What's the matter?" Ren asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Couldn't handle a little pressure? Where is all that confidence now?"

Suigetsu looked up, his face pale. "O-Okay, Boss... I get it. I was wrong." Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on NoveI(F)ire.net

"At your current level," Ren said coldly, "I could extinguish all of you without lifting a finger. Remember that. Now, get up. I have your initial orders."

The newly formed team "Hebi" looked at their leader, their earlier defiance completely extinguished, replaced by a healthy, bone-deep fear and a dawning understanding of the monstrous power they had sworn to follow.

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