Chapter 125: The Return

Time, the one resource even the most powerful shinobi could not command, had flowed onward like an unstoppable river. Seasons had turned, years had passed. The memories of past struggles had softened at the edges, but the foundations laid then were now ready to bear weight.

Three years. In the grand scheme of the shinobi world, it was but a blink. The great villages maintained their fragile peace, a tense calm built on treaties and mutual deterrence. Yet, beneath the surface, currents of change were stirring. An organization known only as Akatsuki, once a shadowy rumor, had become a tangible threat. Their operatives, cloaked in black clouds, were sighted with increasing frequency, their motives as inscrutable as their identities. Only a few, like the Toad Sage Jiraiya, understood the true, terrifying scale of their ambition.

On a road leading toward the Land of Sound, four figures moved with a purpose that set them apart from ordinary travelers.

At their head was Ren Uchiha. The three years had honed his features, stripping away the last vestiges of adolescence and leaving behind a sharp, commanding presence. His black hair was slightly longer, his eyes holding a deeper, more calculating calm. A simple chokutō was strapped to his waist.

To his left walked Suigetsu, still grinning with feral energy, but his movements were now more controlled, more lethal. The Kubikiribōchō was slung across his back, the massive sword looking less like a burden and more like a natural extension of his body.

On Ren's right was Jūgo. His large frame seemed more at peace, the constant tension in his shoulders eased. A simple, gentle smile rested on his face, a stark contrast to the monster that lurked within. The curse mark was nowhere to be seen.

And finally, there was Karin. Her vibrant red hair was tied back practically, her glasses glinting in the sun. She walked with a new confidence, her sensory abilities having been refined to a razor's edge over their long journey.

This was "Hebi," reunited and forged in the fires of constant training and real-world conflict. A year within the distorted time-flow of Ren's Origin Space, followed by two years of traveling the continents, had transformed them. They were no longer a collection of rogue assets; they were a cohesive unit.

Their travels had not been a vacation. Ren had registered them with a notorious underground guild, and they had spent the last two years hunting the most dangerous game: A-rank and S-rank missing-nin with hefty bounties. Each mission was a trial by combat, sharpening their skills and their cohesion. The news that had finally drawn them back—the abduction of the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, by two Akatsuki members—signaled that the world's quiet period was over.

"Hey, Boss," Suigetsu began, his voice breaking the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps. "Are we sure about going back to the snake's pit? Things were going pretty well for us out here. Orochimaru gives me the creeps."

"Your concerns are noted," Ren replied without turning his head, his tone flat. "And irrelevant. I have a plan."

Suigetsu snorted but fell silent. Karin seized the opportunity to needle him. "What's the matter, Suigetsu? Scared? If you're that frightened, you can always wait outside the village like a good little dog."

"Who's scared, Four-Eyes?" Suigetsu shot back, rising to the bait instantly. "I'm just being practical. Unlike some people, who I bet are just itching to get back because a certain brooding Uchiha is waiting there."

Karin's face flushed a brilliant scarlet. "W-What?! That's—that's ridiculous! Don't talk nonsense!" she sputtered, her composure vanishing.

"Yare, yare… hit a nerve, did I?" Suigetsu teased, leaning into her personal space with a triumphant grin. Follow current novels on N()velFire.net

*WHAM!*

Karin's fist, fueled by embarrassment and rage, connected with Suigetsu's head. It exploded into a splash of water, which quickly reformed, leaving him unharmed but laughing.

Jūgo, walking calmly behind them, watched the familiar exchange with a soft, genuine smile. The constant bickering had become a comforting background noise to their travels.

"Enough," Ren's voice cut through their squabble, sharp and final. "The village is just ahead. Orochimaru will already know we are coming."

Suigetsu and Karin immediately stopped, their professional demeanors snapping back into place. In the distance, the grim, fortified entrance to Otogakure came into view, carved into the side of a mountain like a wound. It was unchanged—a testament to Orochimaru's static, subterranean ambitions.

"It's been a long time," Karin murmured, adjusting her glasses as she surveyed the familiar, unwelcoming sight. "It hasn't changed a bit."

At the village gates, the Sound guards spotted their approach. A murmur of recognition and alarm passed through them.

"Look! Is that… Lord Sasuke?"

"No, fool! Lord Sasuke hasn't left the village. That's… Lord Ren! The one who left three years ago!"

"Lord Orochimaru's decree—Lord Ren holds authority equal to his own within these walls! Alert Lord Sasuke at once!"

One of the guards turned and sprinted into the shadowy depths of the village to deliver the news. The others stood at uneasy attention as the four members of Hebi approached the gates, their return marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of something far more consequential.

The game was about to change.

♤♤♤♤♤

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