Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

There's something terrifying about people who are driven mad. They fear neither death nor pain, charging forward relentlessly.

With Ye Zi's Wood Clone assisting him, Sasori felt little pressure in the battle.

Currently, Sasori appeared as a slender young woman, looking frail and delicate. However, the Taketori clan cared little about appearances or perceived weakness; they attacked fiercely, aiming for the kill.

Pale bone spikes blossomed like flowers, their eerie beauty intensified as they became soaked in blood.

One by one, the Kaguya clan members fell, their faces frozen in exhilarated grimaces even in death.

Ye Zi's true self watched the nearly finished battle, stepping through the blood-soaked ground and silently observing the field of bodies.

Their dull, wide-open eyes stared up at him with twisted grins, as if mocking him even in death.

Bodies were strewn across the area, with dense bones littering the ground, their remarkable hardness apparent.

Not every Kaguya clan member could awaken their kekkei genkai, and among those who did, not everyone could harness it to its fullest potential.

Even with the kekkei genkai, strength varied between individuals.

Sasori and Ye Zi's clone had spared the ten strongest members of the Kaguya clan.

Had the Kaguya clan chosen to retreat when things turned against them, Ye Zi and Sasori wouldn't have bothered to chase them down. However, driven by an innate warrior's spirit, even when they recognized the power of their enemies, the Kaguya members fought to the death.

The result was the near extermination of the Kaguya clan, with only the ten strongest left alive to be turned into human puppets.

"It's over," Sasori said, glancing down at the ten unconscious men at his feet. With Ye Zi's help, the fight had been easy—just like when they had killed the White Fang together. Having someone to rely on felt surprisingly comforting at times.

After the battle, Ye Zi released his Wood Clone, absorbing the memories of the fight.

Unlike merely watching, having the memories directly implanted in his mind gave Ye Zi a clearer understanding of the Kaguya clan's strength.

The answer? Not much of a challenge.

"So, the Kaguya clan's kekkei genkai only lets them freely manipulate their bones?" Ye Zi asked, raising his blade and slicing off a limb from a nearby corpse. This time, he hadn't enhanced the blade's sharpness with Lightning Release, yet he easily severed the arm.

As he suspected, the density of the bones depended on the individual's skill level, meaning the bone's hardness could be adjusted.

With such variability, the strength of this ability depended entirely on the user.

Still, even in such a large clan, not one member could give Ye Zi any pressure.

Sasori's eyes gleamed as he administered paralyzing poison needles to each of the ten Kaguya survivors. Calmly, he said, "When the work is done, I'll let you see the finished product."

"I'll look forward to it."

Ye Zi nodded, then glanced toward a small, unassuming hill at the edge of the village. The hill had been hollowed out for unknown purposes, and he sensed a faint chakra presence inside, belonging to someone young.

After a moment's thought, he decided to investigate, making his way toward the hill.

Noticing Ye Zi's movement, Sasori didn't interfere, instead focusing on sealing the puppet materials into a scroll. This wasn't the best place for puppet-making; he'd need a more suitable location and many supplies.

Upon closer inspection, Ye Zi saw that the side of the hill facing the village had been smoothed, with several small square windows carved into it.

There was no door—just a rough, gaping hole. Ye Zi paused at the entrance before stepping inside.

The layout inside was simple. At the end of the corridor was a rough stone staircase leading upward, with wooden-barred cells lining both sides of the hallway.

A few torches hung from the walls, casting faint light into the dim corners. The main source of light came from the openings above.

This place was clearly a prison, likely used by the Kaguya clan to detain outsiders.

Glancing into one cell on the right, Ye Zi saw a pale skeleton gripping the bars, frozen in a desperate pose.

To still cling to the bars in such a way at death… the person must have starved to death.

The Kaguya clan had truly left this corpse to decay into bones without a second thought.

Shaking his head slightly, Ye Zi continued deeper, following his sensory instincts toward the single remaining presence in the hill.

Clink… clink…

As he drew near, he heard a faint tapping sound, like nails scratching against stone.

Ye Zi approached the cell from which the noise was coming. The sound stopped after a moment, leaving only silence.

The wooden bars separated two worlds—light and darkness.

On one side was Ye Zi, and on the other, a child with dull, lifeless eyes.

The light from above was blocked by Ye Zi's broad figure, preventing the child from clearly seeing him.

Even so, the child discerned that the figure outside wasn't a member of his clan, which was why he had stopped his movements.

Though the child couldn't see out, Ye Zi could see him clearly.

"A child of the Kaguya clan…" Ye Zi noted, watching the small, huddled figure clutching a bone spike in his tiny hands.

The child's white hair fell beside his face, down to his shoulders, with two red marks on his forehead. His large eyes looked lifeless and somewhat hopeless.

He was thin and looked to be only five or six, wearing a tattered, rough cloth. Seeming to sense Ye Zi's gaze, he looked up.

In his eyes was a lost, hopeless expression, as if unsure of his future.

Why had the Kaguya clan imprisoned one of their own?

Based on his chakra, he possessed a remarkable amount for his age.

Wondering about this, Ye Zi waved his hand, slicing through the chains with a hand infused with Lightning Release chakra.

Clang…

The chains fell to the floor with a crisp sound.

Ye Zi opened the wooden door, bent down, and looked at the child. "What's your name?"

The child hugged his knees, looked up blankly at Ye Zi, and, after a moment of silence, replied, "Kimimaro."

"Why were you locked up here?"

"I don't know…"

"Then, let me tell you something unfortunate. The Kaguya clan… you're the only one left."

Kimimaro was silent for a moment, then replied indifferently, "Oh."

Seeing Kimimaro's indifferent response, Ye Zi stepped aside, allowing bright light to fall onto Kimimaro and into his dull eyes.

The sudden light was blinding, and Kimimaro raised an arm to shield himself. After a moment of adjustment, he lowered it and looked at the open door.

"You're free to leave." As Kimimaro stared at the freedom beyond the door, Ye Zi calmly watched him.

"Leave?"

Kimimaro whispered to himself, slowly standing up. He turned to look at Ye Zi and asked, "Can I really leave?"

Ye Zi nodded. "You're free now."

Kimimaro gazed at him, his once-dull eyes seeming to reflect the light from outside, brightening slightly.

"Then… may I follow you?"

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