When Rengoku regained consciousness, he found himself already standing at the end of the space-time passage.
Just like last time, that familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar ninja world appeared before his eyes once again.
However, just as he was filled with joy and about to step into that world, he was mercilessly blocked outside by a layer of transparent film.
Rengoku slowly stretched out his hand and gently touched the thin membrane in front of him that looked fragile but was actually extremely tough.
In his mind, the power that Natsuki had handed to him when they parted surfaced involuntarily.
He subconsciously reached up and touched his eyes, immediately feeling an unusually active pupil power surging within his body.
"Could it be…"
Rengoku murmured to himself, as if he had realized something.
He stared intently at the ninja world that was so close yet unreachable, continuously sending a message to his eyes, the thought that he wanted to go home, that he wanted to go home.
As this strong desire was transmitted again and again, the already active pupil power seemed to be stimulated by something and grew even more turbulent and surging.
Gradually, Rengoku felt a slight stinging sensation coming from his eyes, but he endured the pain and did not stop conveying his wish to return home to the Sharingan.
Finally, at a certain moment, the pupil power in Rengoku's eyes suddenly trembled, and he unconsciously narrowed his eyes slightly.
In that instant, Rengoku's entire body quietly melted apart like a shadow, and in the blink of an eye he disappeared without a trace.
His whole body suddenly melted like a shadow.
Rengoku instantly crossed the space-time passage and the vast distance beyond it, teleporting back to the clone he had left in Konoha and completing the replacement.
This was the pupil technique he had just awakened.
Shadow Transfer!
At the very moment Rengoku arrived through the teleportation, he suddenly felt a warm and soft touch on his lips.
He abruptly opened his eyes, and the sight before him instantly stunned him. Karin had her eyes tightly closed and was gently kissing his lips.
Rengoku had completely not expected something like this to happen. Out of instinct, he pushed hard, trying to break free from the sudden kiss.
Karin didn't have time to react at all, and was abruptly shoved to the ground before she could even realize what was happening.
Falling onto the floor, Karin stared wide-eyed, her face filled with shock and disbelief.
She had originally been waiting with a heart full of joy for Rengoku to return, yet now she was treated like this, and an indescribable sense of grievance surged up inside her.
She silently stared at Rengoku, her eyes gradually reddening as tears began to swirl inside them.
Finally, Karin could no longer suppress the emotions in her heart. Her lips curled downward, and with a loud wail she burst into tears.
"Waaaah! Shishou!"
Her crying echoed in the air, as if telling the story of the endless longing and waiting she had endured over the past five years.
After pushing Karin away, Rengoku immediately realized that his action just now had been too rash and too rough.
Just as he was about to step forward to help Karin up and apologize to her, a surge of memory flooded into his mind like a raging tide.
These memories came from everything that clone had experienced over the past five years.
Although the clone had remained in a sleeping state the entire time, it could still receive various information from the outside world.
Especially Karin. She had come here almost every day, confiding her feelings to the clone and sharing her joys and sorrows.
Now, at the moment Rengoku returned to his body, all those memories rushed into his mind like floodwaters breaking through a dam.
Only then did Rengoku realize that he had been gone for a full five years.
During that long stretch of time, Karin had remained the same from beginning to end, silently waiting for him day after day. Even when facing a clone that never responded, she had never once given up.
Thinking of this, Rengoku's heart filled with guilt and self-reproach.
"Hoo!"
Rengoku let out a deep breath, as if trying to exhale the heavy longing in his heart along with it.
Longing was something that clearly had no physical weight, yet it could press heavily upon a person's heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.
When longing surged up like a raging tide, it could instantly drown every thought and emotion, trapping a person within it with no way to escape.
At that moment, Rengoku saw the tears falling from Karin's eyes, filled with grievance, and his heart clenched tightly. Without hesitation, he quickly walked to Karin's side, opened his arms, and pulled her firmly into his embrace.
"I'm sorry, Karin."
Rengoku spoke softly, his voice filled with guilt and tenderness.
Karin leaned quietly against her Shishou's broad chest, feeling the strength of his embrace. Yet her crying only became more miserable.
"Shishou… you actually pushed me..."
Karin sobbed, speaking in broken fragments as she poured out the grievance and pain in her heart.
"You once said… you promised… that when I grew up… I could become your bride… but now I've already grown up…"
At this point, Karin raised her head. Through tear-blurred eyes, she looked at Rengoku's familiar face and continued crying as she spoke,
"I really missed you… I thought about you every moment… but why… why did you push me away, Shishou?"
Tears poured out of Karin's eyes like a dam breaking, sliding down her delicate cheeks.
Like pearls from a broken string, one after another rolling down endlessly.
She had waited so many years for her Shishou, looking forward to his return with a heart full of joy. Yet the very first thing he did after coming back was to mercilessly shove her away.
At that moment, Karin felt as if her heart had shattered into countless pieces. The grievance and pain twisted together like countless arrows piercing her chest, making her heart ache so much that she could hardly breathe.
Even though her master was tightly holding her now, the pain in her heart still couldn't be soothed. Her emotions had completely lost control, and she simply could not stop crying.
Just then, something completely unexpected happened.
Rengoku suddenly reached out with both hands and carefully removed Karin's glasses.
Then he gently lowered his head and slowly pressed his lips against Karin's smooth forehead.
"Uh."
In an instant, Karin felt as if an electric current rushed through her entire body. The tears that had been covering her face froze in place, and even her sobbing stopped abruptly.
Her eyes widened as she stared in disbelief at Rengoku, who was right in front of her.
At the same time, two charming blushes quickly spread across her tear-streaked little face, like ripe apples, delicate and tempting.
This was the first time Rengoku had ever taken the initiative to kiss her.
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