Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

The path ahead led in two very different directions.

A kekkei genkai symbolizes power, and those who possess it rarely lead ordinary lives. However, this is not an absolute rule; even those with power have the right to choose a peaceful life if they desire.

On the snowy mountain path, two sets of small footprints trailed off in opposite directions, soon to be covered by the ever-falling snow.

One led to a warm, happy family living in a remote mountain corner where the kekkei genkai wasn't a source of fear but a tool to make life easier.

The other led to a life following Ye Zi into the blood-soaked ninja world, where one would use their abilities to gain what they desired.

The snowfall intensified, with the wind growing colder, quickly covering any trace of their steps.

Ye Zi and his companions found a cave and decided to rest there.

Inside the cave, a fire crackled, roasting a leg of wild boar.

Most of the food Ye Zi had stocked was wild game, primarily wild boar legs he had gathered while passing through a boar-rich area, where he had stayed for a while to hunt.

Kimimaro watched the boar meat intently, his skinny frame suggesting that he rarely had the chance to eat such things.

Ye Zi took out some seasonings and expertly sprinkled them over the boar leg, turning it slowly, filling the cave with an aroma that made Kimimaro's hunger even more acute.

"It'll be ready soon," Ye Zi said, glancing at Kimimaro. This child from the Kaguya clan was a surprising find, with remarkable talent shown in his ability to shape his bones into a flower.

Given time, Kimimaro would undoubtedly earn a place among the strong, but Ye Zi doubted he could wait long enough for Kimimaro to fully mature.

Even though he knew Kimimaro might not bring him any immediate benefit, Ye Zi would still bring him back to the base, where one more child wouldn't make much difference.

Kimimaro nodded eagerly, his eyes fixed on the juicy boar meat.

At the back of the cave, separated by a wood wall created with Wood Release, Sasori worked on crafting his human puppets. Though Ye Zi could tolerate the sight of the process, he preferred not to, especially while eating.

Thanks to Ye Zi's Wood Release, Sasori had plenty of materials for creating puppet mechanisms without needing to spend time gathering them. This allowed him to start crafting the puppet bodies immediately.

Mechanical parts could be added after completing the main body.

This was why Sasori had chosen to maintain a partnership with Ye Zi; as a teammate, Ye Zi was someone Sasori could rely on in every aspect, not just in battle.

Inside the cave, it was warm and cozy, but outside, the bitter cold continued to intensify.

It might be a while before Sasori completed his puppets and they could leave this place.

Meanwhile, Akatsuki's members were all focused on recovery.

The Sand and Mist villages, having suffered significant losses, decided to act cautiously and avoided further direct confrontations with Akatsuki, opting instead for other strategies.

The villages needed to rebuild and knew it would take time to return to their former strength. Recognizing that eliminating Amegakure wouldn't be easy, they were prepared to wait.

The fact that Akatsuki had anticipated and intercepted their moves suggested that its intelligence capabilities were strong.

Unlike the smaller shinobi villages that were easy to crush, Amegakure was proving to be a formidable opponent.

Openly, neither the Sand nor the Mist villages dared to act rashly; they knew they had fallen behind the other major villages.

In secret, they established intelligence networks targeting Akatsuki, striving to gather even minor information about the organization and Amegakure's movements.

While they couldn't strike directly at Amegakure, they wouldn't hesitate to target any scattered Rain teams that ventured out, taking any chance to weaken the village.

As for the Rock and Cloud villages, they watched the conflict with interest. Both hoped Amegakure would go further, ideally attacking the Sand, Mist, or even the Leaf village, which would only benefit them.

For the time being, both villages saw this as an opportunity. In fact, Cloud had even established a behind-the-scenes alliance with Akatsuki, believing that aiding the organization to pressure other villages would work in their favor.

In the Rock village, however, although Onoki harbored a personal grudge against Ye Zi, there was no reason for a broader conflict with Akatsuki. Like Cloud, they were content to let things escalate further and would not pass up a chance to fan the flames if it presented itself.

The Sand and Mist villages, though furious, knew better than to act out of anger alone, especially after witnessing Amegakure's strength. Their hatred simmered, waiting for the right moment to erupt.

The Sand village, despite losing its jinchuriki, felt a certain relief that the tormentor who had caused so much pain in the village had been taken away. Still, they were left with resentment over how easily their defenses had been breached.

As for the Mist village, their hatred ran even deeper. Unlike the Sand, which struggled to control its jinchuriki, the Mist had lost both its Mizukage and a valuable fighter capable of controlling a jinchuriki.

The Leaf village, on the other hand, strengthened its alliance with the Sand and began quietly expanding its intelligence network toward Amegakure.

Danzo, head of the Leaf's Hawk faction, coveted Amegakure's ability to control Wood Release. With one subordinator already using Wood Release, he believed that acquiring more users would help him gain control over the Nine-Tails and support his ambition to become Hokage.

Even Minato's moderate faction wanted to obtain the method of Wood Release, though it preferred a quieter approach.

For now, no overt action would be taken, but the covert intelligence gathering would be relentless.

The current situation depended on Akatsuki not attacking the Rock or Cloud villages.

As long as they remained unaffected, the Sand, Mist, and Leaf villages were unlikely to act on their own grudges, but Nagato's next target was likely one of the jinchuriki: the Five-Tails, Six-Tails, or Seven-Tails.

The order didn't matter much, but given the current state of affairs, the Seven-Tails seemed the easiest target.

Their next move would rely on the intelligence they gathered, guiding them toward the next step. If they targeted the Five-Tails, it would almost certainly provoke hostility from the Rock village.

Nagato wouldn't hesitate to proceed if he felt confident, but if not, he wouldn't mind waiting to strengthen his position further.

Nagato had the final say in the group, and only Ye Zi's opinion held any weight as a dissenting voice.

But now, Nagato no longer cared about Ye Zi's perspective…

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Currently on Chapter 395 - Three-Way Standoff