Chapter 205: Senju Drip, Uchiha Calm, and a Whole Village Watching

Chapter 205 - Senju Drip, Uchiha Calm, and a Whole Village Watching Outside the Hidden Leaf Village's Main Gates The air was still, filled with quiet anticipation. The shinobi lined up just beyond the gates weren't civilians or merchants, but survivors, agents of the Hidden Leaf who had infiltrated the Hidden Mist, and the team that had brought them home. They were arranged in a clean, intentional formation. At the forefront stood Ren, no longer dressed in his usual shinobi attire. Instead, he wore a deep blue yukata, its light inner lining just visible at the collar, layered over a form-fitting black combat underlayer. A light brown obi cinched the fabric at his waist, and over his shoulders flowed a pristine white hip-length haori, loose and symbolic. But the true statement lay in the bold emblem embroidered over his heart and emblazoned across his back. It was a pair of twin stylized vajras, mirrored and entwined. A symbol no one in the village could ignore. The Senju clan symbol. Just to Ren's left stood Itachi Uchiha, his usual ANBU gear replaced by the formal robes of the Uchiha clan. Calm and composed, Itachi's presence added a silent weight to the group, this wasn't just a returning mission team. This was going to cause a political storm in the village. It was a bit difficult for Ren to convince even though he had the confirmation to perform this show from both Yoru and Fugaku however once he informed Itachi that it might ease the tensions between the village and the Uchiha Clan he agreed. To Ren's right, slightly behind, was Utakata, still in his mist-style combat gear. His calm presence served as a counterbalance to Ren's more radiant energy. Next to Itachi was Kakashi Hatake, still in his ANBU gear. However even while covered his dog mask and unique hair were enough for any leaf shinobi to recognize him. Behind them stood the rescued shinobi agents, dressed in plain Leaf shinobi uniforms, as if returning from a standard field assignment. Nothing about their appearance suggested they had just survived one of the most dangerous extractions of the decade. Yugao and Hitoshi were just behind Ren while Noi and Tenzo were with the other agents, included in the visible formation to send a clear message that this was not a covert escape. This was a formal return. Four had already escorted the civilian agents through a side route and returned to inform Commander Yoru, while Jiraiya, whose participation had never been officially sanctioned, had long since slipped back into the village unnoticed. Ren adjusted the collar of his haori and rolled his shoulders. Then, with a soft breath, he removed his signature dark glasses and slipped them into his pocket. His light blue eyes, bare and reflective, scanned the group. A small smile tugged at his lips. "Alright, everyone," he said, his voice casual but clear. "No pressure. You don't need to do anything fancy. If you're nervous..." he raised a hand and nodded with exaggerated calm "just smile and nod. That's all. Smile and nod." There was a moment of quiet and Itachi raised a brow in dry amusement. Utakata gave a soft sigh, "They get it. Just walk." But Ren grinned. He smiled again and Nodded. Yugao smiled. Hitoshi nodded. And then a chain formed. The entire group, one by one, smiled and nodded, mimicking Ren's confident rhythm like synchronized dancers in a political theater. For a moment, even amidst all the recent bloodshed, they were smiling and nodding like everything is fine. Ren gave one final, satisfied glance around. Then he turned forward. He exchanged a short nod with Itachi at his side and with slow, composed steps, Ren Senju and Itachi Uchiha began walking toward the village gates. Their shadows stretched out behind them. The gates loomed ahead. And the entire Hidden Leaf was waiting. ~~~ Hidden Leaf Village's Main Gate A crowd had begun to gather near the front gates of the Hidden Leaf, something not seen in years outside of wartime. The news had spread like wildfire that Ren Takahashi, the Azure Dragon of the Leaf was returning after a mission so outrageous it had already reached the ears of every major village. The Leaf had retrieved over a hundred shinobi performing missions from the Mist under the nose of a growing civil war and had even survived a direct clash with Kisame Hoshigaki. It was a tale worthy of legend. But the gathering wasn't organized by the village administration. It had started quietly when an elderly war veteran with a single arm had come early, leaning on a cane. Then another joined him. Then more, old shinobi and civilians alike began gathering at the village gates. Within minutes, a growing line of gray-haired elders had formed a soft arc by the gates, waiting with quiet reverence. This scene was naturally seen by other civilians and shinobi so they too began to gather to understand why such old guys who would die any time would gather here. But then, from the other direction, another group began to gather. Clad in dark blues and blacks, with cold expressions and the Uchiha crest gleaming on their backs, a sizable group from the Uchiha clan arrived and stood across from the elders. However they didn't speak a word, they were just silently watching the gates. The Uchiha's didn't do anything but the tension in the air spiked instantly. Villagers who had arrived out of curiosity now slowed their steps, warily choosing which side of the road to stand on. The Uchiha Police Force had not endeared itself to the public. Arbitrary arrests, harsh enforcement, and rising arrogance had made them the center of growing unrest. Their sudden appearance here, in force, made many uneasy. The elders didn't react and neither did the Uchiha. But the split was clear. No one knew why such a group had gathered at the village gates however since there was no fight everything remained peaceful. ~ Above, on a nearby rooftop, two figures watched from the shadows. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood with arms behind his back, his expression unreadable as he gazed over the growing crowd. Beside him, leaning slightly forward with a faint scowl, stood Danzo Shimura. Danzo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "This entire display, a commotion over a single boy returning from a mission," he muttered. "You're letting them go too far, Sarutobi. Tame them while you still have the chance." Hiruzen didn't answer immediately. His eyes narrowed as he watched a few more villagers approach, civilians, not shinobi he noted, and especially those who had aged a lot. But their faces lit up when they saw the group of elders at the gates. Some of them remembered these guys from old times and some asked the others. Others had simply heard of Ren's deeds and had come to see the face of the boy who fought a monster. However Hiruzen knew who these guys were and what exactly their purpose for coming here was. Finally, Hiruzen turned to his old friend and asked, almost too softly, "Were you, in even the smallest way, involved in this mission?" Danzo's jaw tensed. "No," he answered, curtly. Hiruzen looked at him long and hard. He believed his friend of course so he spoke, "Then I won't interfere this time," the Hokage said quietly. "You'll handle everything on your own if something happened." Danzo's frown deepened. "Don't think you'll be safe, Sarutobi," he snapped. "You were the one who benefited most from the Senju's downfall. Now that they've returned, tell me, how much income have you lost since we gave back their holdings?" But Hiruzen didn't rise to the bait. His gaze remained on the gates, where the village's future was just beginning to arrive. "A wise shinobi knows when to advance and when to retreat," he murmured. "That was Sensei's first lesson to us. I hope you haven't forgotten it, Danzo." There was a pause before he added, "I've buried too many friends already. I don't want to lose another." With that, the Third Hokage vanished in a blur of wind and leaves. Danzo remained still, his lone eye narrowed as his gaze drifted back to the village gates. The great doors were beginning to open. With a sharp scoff, he turned and disappeared as well leaving behind a village unknowingly caught between the tremors of a brewing storm. ~~~ The moment the gates opened, the entire village seemed to fall silent. A procession emerged, slow, steady, and perfectly aligned. At the head of it walked two boys. No, calling them boys would be an insult, they were two shinobi. Their frames were small, but the air around them was unmistakably heavy, forged in battles and refined by trials. Ren Takahashi, dressed in the formal garments of the Senju clan, moved with a calm authority that belied his age. However Beside him walked Itachi Uchiha, clad in the formal robes of his clan. The stark whites and deep crimsons of the Uchiha colors marked his status clearly. The two walked side-by-side, a living paradox, heirs of clans whose legacy had once built the Hidden Leaf, and whose rivalry had almost destroyed it. Behind them came the others, Utakata, Kakashi, Yugao, Hitoshi, Noi, Tenzo, and the extracted agents. All walked in silence, heads held high. But no one was looking at them. All eyes were fixed on the two at the front. From the elderly crowd, a soft gasp broke the silence. One of the old women, eyes brimming with emotion, whispered as she clutched the arm of her husband, "He looks so much like, Princess Sayaka. And Lady Tobirama. How did we never see it?" Her husband's eyes were locked on Ren's figure, voice gravelly with regret. "It was our failure, my love. But no more, we failed to live up to the name of the great Senju however we will not die in regret knowing that the Senju clan has a heir. Across the semicircle of veterans, the realization spread like wildfire, faces softening, eyes wet. Many of them had lived through the era of glory, when Hashirama walked these streets, when Tobirama's gaze alone could silence a hall, when Princess Tsunade gambled on the streets as a kid and was 'escorted' back by Mito-Sama, the time when all of the leaf saw Princess Sayaka being carried by thousands of butterflies, And now, one of theirs had returned. Old Man Yoshido, his cane clicking with every step, walked forward from the crowd. His voice cut through the stunned silence. "We must welcome our heir." The others followed and Yoshido reached the center of the path, then slowly dropped to one knee. And then, like the bow of a great forest in the wind, every elder followed suit. Dozens of old shinobi and civilians knelt, fists clenched over their hearts, heads lowered. Then, in perfect unison, their voices rang out like a vow. "When the world forgot the strength of our name, fate preserved it in silence. The Senju heir has returned and the era of revival begins. Stand, Senju!Stand tall!" Almost at the same time, a voice answered from the other side of the road. It came from the Uchiha and together, they spoke, not in opposition, but in fierce declaration, like the decades old rivals they were." "Not from ashes, but from strength we return! The Uchiha heir has come home And with him, the storm awakens!" A hushed awe fell over the rest of the villagers. For the first time in a decade, the names Senju and Uchiha echoed in unison through the village streets. ~ To the side, villagers murmured among themselves, caught between disbelief and reverence. Some recognized Ren immediately. Others stared, stunned, as memories clicked into place, his resemblance to Sayaka Senju, his aura, the rumors of his feats. And then they looked at the elders kneeling, the very pillars of the old Senju Civilian lineage, and not one of them hesitated to acknowledge him. The Senju name has been growing fainter over the years and was only alive because of Princess Tsunade being alive, however almost everyone in the village knew that she had no intention of birthing a heir to the great clan, so with her death, the Royal Senju Bloodline would truly end. However, no one expected the child of Princess Sayaka would return with his true name after years of obscurity, this meant that the royal Senju bloodline continued in another person other than Tsunade. Everyone understood what this meant. The Senju had a new heir. The Senju had returned. And beside him, the Uchiha stood not in rebellion, but in unity. ~ In reality both Ren and Itachi were visibly uncomfortable. Neither of them had expected such a reception, nor did they quite know how to react. Ren especially felt the absurdity keenly. The elders on his side had one knee down, and the other already halfway into a grave. He was even more surprised to see old man Yoshido from his D-Rank missions to be the one leading the others to greet him. Even if Ren and Itachi felt uncomfortable they knew that they couldn't interrupt. This was a formal recognition, a rite older than either of their clans' grudges. To disrespect it would be to dishonor generations. The Senju's were doing it because their clan finally had a heir after so many years, and the Uchiha's were doing this to complete their duty as the rival of the Senju clan. Their clan heir has returned side by side with the Senju Heir which meant that they had to greet him in this grand manner if the Senju did so. However, the real reason for their greeting was that Fugaku had ordered them to do so. Ren and Itachi didn't stop, they continued to walk. Every step forward rang like a declaration. A new era had begun. ~ A few meters ahead, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood alone. He waited not as the Hokage, not as a ruler, but as a witness. For even he understood the magnitude of what was unfolding before him. The two heirs walked toward him, one from the Senju, one from the Uchiha. This scene reminded him of the time more than 50 years ago when their ancestors were establishing this village. Hiruzen's eyes softened as he thought, 'Would they be able to restore the village I ruined due to my weakness?' ~~~~~ {A bit of a rant but please read this, this is very important for the next few Chapters.} {I want to emphasis the fact that Hiruzen is a really, really complex character to write. He is the leader who carried Konoha through wars and made sure it never came out as a loser. When he stepped down thinking he'd have some rest and the later generations would handle the village he was forced to take up the position of a leader yet again, and that too under the situation where he just lost his wife. At the same time, Hiruzen is also a dark character, he allowed Danzo to live even while being fully aware of what his friend was doing, indirectly supporting him too because he knew he would also benefit. However the greatest reason to hate him comes from the fact that he neglected Naruto. Now I know, that us seeing things from third perspective we saw Hiruzen neglecting Naruto which undoubtedly filled us with anger however, even if Hiruzen is strong and understands many things, he is, after all a human, and Kurama inside Naruto did kill his wife, so from a completely human perspective it wouldn't be impossible for him to harbor some anger. This doesn't excuse anything else, however I just want to say, to me, Hiruzen felt the most HUMAN character in all of Naruto verse, so in the upcoming Chapters, if you see somethings you think are not like Hiruzen or something like that the, I apologize in advance. But I would stay completely true about my reasoning for Hiruzen even if some people don't like that.} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n } {You know what else} {280 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}