Chapter 156: Two Years Later

°°° The night when the Demon of the Hidden Mist was supposed to be born…Never happened.

Zabuza Momochi never became his generation's executioner.Not yet.

In the original timeline, the Mizukage had banned the bloody exams following Zabuza's massacre.But this time, he did not forbid them immediately.

A small butterfly effect caused by the appearance of a single boy.°°°

- - -

The wind whispered through the branches, lifting humid gusts that made the air dense, filled with the earthy scent of wet leaves.

The forest pulsed with life.

An orchestra of rustling leaves, fluttering wings, and branches snapping under heavy footsteps.

A silhouette darted among the trees.

Shinji's movements were fluid, calculated, invisible even to the forest itself.His legs bent and stretched with lethal precision, as if he'd spent years running on this terrain.He vaulted over a fallen trunk, barely touching it, propelling himself forward.

Every muscle fiber in his body had been honed by years of training.

Behind him was chaos.

Six hooded figures chased with clumsy fury, their bulky bodies too slow to catch their prey.

Yet they remained dangerous.

Predators of the Road

Bandits.Scum.Worthless filth.

Dirty, poorly armed, yet fierce.They had blocked the trade route through the forest, robbing merchants, looting supplies, and killing anyone who resisted.

A nuisance for civilians.But for Shinji and his team?Just another hunt.

"Catch him!"One bandit roared, his heavy breath steaming, face twisted in rage."Leave him alive! I want to slit his throat myself!"

Shinji allowed himself a slight smirk.He didn't slow down.He didn't look back.

A large, muscular bandit lunged forward, axe raised high above his head.A brutal strike aimed at Shinji's skull.

The blade cut through the air, moonlight dancing on worn metal.

Shinji waited calmly, until the very last second.Then—

A sharp stomp on the ground with his right foot, a sudden twist of his torso.

The weapon passed through empty space.

The bandit stumbled forward, off balance.

"Too slow."

Shinji buried his elbow deep into the man's stomach with deadly accuracy.Air exploded from his lungs as the bandit folded like an old sack of rice.

But Shinji didn't pause.He surged forward.

His goal wasn't a fight.He was leading them exactly where he wanted.

A quick glance at tree roots, at markings carved into trunks.

Just a few more meters.Just a few more steps.

There.

Shinji accelerated, narrowly evading another bandit's dirty fingers grasping at his clothes.Too late.

With a final leap, he bounced off another fallen trunk, landing elegantly on a branch.

Behind him, the bandits lacked the same grace.

The first foot hit the ground.

SHNICK!

A metallic snap.Chains tightened.

"What—?!"

An instant later, chains tightened around the bandits' legs, violently pulling them upwards like animals caught in hunting snares.Their screams filled the forest, iron biting into bone.

Some fought desperately, others flailed helplessly, their breaths choked by fear.

Shinji landed lightly, brushing dust from his shoulder.

He surveyed his prey, then turned toward the shadowed branches.A slight smile.

"Well done."

From within the thick foliage, a shadow moved with almost unnatural elegance.No sound.No disturbed wings.Only absolute silence.

Then—

A perfect leap.

Fluid, controlled, as though carried by the wind itself.

She landed next to Shinji.

Kurara.

She had changed.

Her short hair had grown, now tied high in a ponytail, swaying gently with each movement.Childhood softness had given way to sharper, mature features.Her once-innocent eyes now gleamed with absolute control.

No hesitation.Only precision.

Her uniform fitted tighter, emphasizing her growing femininity, optimized for speed and agility.Bands wrapped her wrists and forearms, ready to cushion impacts and facilitate precise movements.

The kusarigama coiled around her right arm swung gently.She had triggered the trap.She had orchestrated every detail of the capture.

Yet, she was not satisfied.

Kurara calmly studied the trapped bandits, her face impassive.

Shinji tilted his head, offering a half-smile."You're becoming a machine."

Kurara crossed her arms, letting the kusarigama rest on her shoulder."We conserved chakra. Better than direct combat."

Shinji raised his hands as if conceding the point."Could I argue otherwise?"

But before they could relax—

A metallic scraping noise.

Chains tightened, metal grating harshly against bark.

The prisoners hadn't yet accepted defeat.

One bandit pulled out a hidden kunai, frantically attempting to saw the chains. Another reached toward his pouch, a smoke bomb awaiting activation.The third, strongest, twisted violently, trying to break free by brute force alone.

Shinji noticed their movements immediately.

But Kurara was faster.

Without a word, she dashed forward.A sharp, precise strike.

The kusarigama whistled through the air, wrapping tightly around the wrist of the bandit holding the smoke bomb.One tug.The cylinder dropped harmlessly onto the ground.

The bandit's face paled.

But the second captive, the one with the kunai, was already prepared to strike.

SHING!

A bone blade sliced through the air, precisely striking the bandit's wrist, forcing him to drop his weapon into the mud, followed by a groan of pain.

Everyone turned to the source of the attack.

An imposing shadow slowly approached.

Heavy footsteps.An aura of authority.

And when he fully emerged from the forest shadows—It was Shin.

From the darkness of the forest, a powerful presence emerged.

Each step measured, deliberate.

He was no longer the boy from two years earlier.

He had grown taller, broader, his shoulders imposing, commanding instant respect.His black, fitted uniform was strategically reinforced, blending protection and agility.On his collar shone the proud emblem of the Kaguya Clan, a heritage of ruthless warriors.

But the most striking change was in his eyes.No longer just cold, but disciplined.Absolute calm.Silent confidence.

Shin's gaze traveled over the trapped bandits without emotion.

The tension changed.The wind quieted.

For a brief moment, there was absolute silence.

Then, he spoke.

"You have two choices."

His voice, low and controlled, carried a chilling weight that sent shivers through the prisoners.

"Speak now. Or speak after I break some bones."

The bandits paled instantly, glancing nervously between Shin and his companions.

One tried to muster courage, teeth clenched."We...we haven't done anything wrong!"

Shin stared.A heavy silence fell.

Then—A nearly imperceptible movement.A step forward.His hand shot out like lightning.

The prisoner had no time to react.

Shin gripped his throat, lifting him slightly off the ground.The man's eyes widened, breath rasping.

"I told you to speak," Shin's tone was flat, devoid of threat or anger, yet terrifying precisely because of that.

"Not to lie."

Shinji observed, smiling slightly."Always the same, Shin."

Shin released his grip, letting the bandit collapse into the mud, coughing violently.

Kurara spun her kusarigama impatiently."So? Where do we begin?"

The prisoners paled. They quickly started talking, frightened words pouring out.

"We didn't mean—""We were paid to block the road!""We didn't want to kill anyone!"

Finally, they were listening.

But suddenly—A cold voice interrupted.

"Enough."

Everyone turned abruptly.

From the shadows emerged a figure with calm authority.Long, pale hair, brown eyes, elegant posture.

Suiren.

Their master.

The bandits froze instantly, her presence alone a death sentence.

At her feet lay the bandit leader, bound by a rope of water, his face bruised, droplets rolling down his cheeks as if his wounds still bled.

Suiren paused in front of her students, calmly surveying the captured men.A faint smile spread across her lips.

"Excellent work."

[ Hi there! Ito-kun is back! :) For this volume, you'll notice a different narrative style—more cinematic and employing various writing techniques. As we progress, you'll increasingly see this new style come to life! :)

Thanks everyone for all your comment and your cheering, i really appreciated that! Because of your affectionate support, i'll post two more chapters later :)

Thanks specially to the ones that continued gifting powerstones during this week, like

WertyTribola, lucky_luckyyy, Daoistw1ikGm, Stefano_Uboldi, Madhav_Parashar, LordLukas, Sami_Alfoheday, DARILLIS, Gabriel_Augusto_2205, Terminator123, Ana_Clara_7470, Gobstulous, Zayah, Miguel_024, Lucas33981, Daoist9zTScb, Tubinho_Feliz, Jayroy_63.

Sorry if i forgot someone, and Enjoy! ^.^

 Sincerely Thanks and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :)