Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Unseen changes unfolded in various places.

Boom...

A worn, old, earth-colored coffin sank into the ground as Ye Zi sealed it into the summoning space. When the coffin fully disappeared, the ground remained untouched because it had slipped gradually into the summoning dimension.

"The thirty-first…"

Ye Zi withdrew his hand. This latest reincarnated soul was the thirty-first to be summoned, among the bodies he had collected over the past half year—not including the powerful DNA samples he had White Zetsu gather.

White Zetsu hadn't returned yet, following Ye Zi's order to collect as much DNA as possible from powerful shinobi. Once he returned, Ye Zi expected to amass nearly a hundred potential Edo Tensei subjects.

With almost fifty summonable bodies on hand, Ye Zi had so far reincarnated thirty-one.

He was still unsure of the limit he could control or if soul strength would impact the number of summons he could manage.

But these weren't pressing issues. For now, he would reincarnate the necessary souls and later determine how many he could control, replacing the weaker ones as needed.

In the spacious room, the corner housed several pale, lifeless bodies—about twenty in all. These were cloned bodies infused with Hashirama cells, created for Edo Tensei summoning.

Ye Zi extended his hand toward one of the clones, and a wooden pillar sprouted from his palm, wrapping around the body and pulling it toward him. He dropped it before him, ready to proceed with the next soul's reincarnation.

Unrolling the next scroll, he saw the name written on it: Sakumo Hatake.

"It's his turn…" Ye Zi looked at the name with a slight, complex expression.

After a moment of silence, he began the process for Edo Tensei.

Using the scroll, he summoned the summoning jutsu circle, then brought out a sealed scroll containing Sakumo's DNA and summoned a piece of his blood-soaked tissue.

Despite his inner respect for Sakumo, it didn't dampen his willingness to summon him.

With everything prepared, Ye Zi weaved the necessary hand seals. In the center of the circle, a faint white light began to glow as paper-like fragments floated around, circling the Hashirama clone's body.

The paper fragments gradually covered the body, which started transforming into Sakumo Hatake's form.

Next...

Ye Zi refrained from immediately awakening Sakumo's soul. Instead, he summoned a scroll containing a collection of weapons, including those Madara had left him and others he had collected over time.

Inside, he had kept Sakumo's blade, White Fang.

After locating its stored position, he summoned White Fang, closed the scroll, and then took out a marked kunai with a sealing talisman to suppress Sakumo's personality, embedding it in Sakumo's head.

Each Edo Tensei summon involved facing the resurrected ninja's inevitable resentment.

Ye Zi was somewhat irritated by this, thinking there must be a way to avoid it.

Once the kunai was in place, Sakumo's once-empty eyes gained a flicker of awareness. They remained dim, yet a hint of consciousness returned.

Upon regaining awareness, Sakumo blinked at Ye Zi standing before him, examining his own hands without a hint of shock.

"This is Tobirama's Edo Tensei, isn't it…"

Looking at the faint cracks on his hands and the seemingly endless chakra within him, Sakumo said calmly.

"You know of this technique?" For once, Ye Zi was the one surprised, as Sakumo showed no surprise.

Sakumo looked up, meeting Ye Zi's gaze. "Yes, it's recorded in the Forbidden Scrolls. Though it's an unethical jutsu, it has immense potential in warfare. However, its flaws were so prominent that the village never utilized it in battle."

"It seems… you perfected this technique."

Sakumo was one of the few aware of Edo Tensei's existence. Despite its inhumane nature, he recognized its incredible effectiveness in war.

Unfortunately, the technique was incomplete, and its drawbacks kept it from use, or else the village would have suffered far fewer casualties.

To his surprise, Ye Zi not only accessed the technique but also managed to improve it—a feat he hadn't expected.

He didn't know it was Orochimaru who had refined the jutsu.

"You're quite calm," Ye Zi noted indifferently, offering no further explanation.

"Maintaining calm is a basic skill for a shinobi," Sakumo replied, his gaze fixed on Ye Zi and the White Fang sword in his hands. "Since I regained consciousness, I've tried to break free, but it's futile."

Sakumo had tested his ability to resist control without showing it, admitting his failure with a calm demeanor.

"The control of this jutsu is absolute; don't waste your time," Ye Zi remarked as he tossed White Fang toward Sakumo. This weapon would later be stored alongside him in the coffin.

Sakumo caught White Fang with a neutral expression. Then, in a swift, unexpected motion, he unsheathed the blade.

With only a few steps separating them, Ye Zi showed no reaction to the move, standing unperturbed.

"It's impossible. Despite my intent to strike, my body won't respond," Sakumo admitted, maintaining his stance with his blade drawn.

Ye Zi chuckled. "Though I've granted you some freedom, this technique would be worthless if it allowed you to attack me."

"True… but killing you would benefit the village," Sakumo said, sheathing his blade.

"Unfortunately, you couldn't do it in life, so it's impossible now," Ye Zi replied coldly.

Sakumo fell silent for a moment, then sighed lightly. "That choice was a complete failure—I should have done everything to eliminate you."

Ye Zi didn't respond with anger; he merely said, "Let me inform you of a disappointing truth: your final strike before death failed."

"I see," Sakumo gave a faint, bitter smile. "How disappointing."

While Sakumo hadn't killed Sasori, his final act had saved the remaining Konoha shinobi.

Ye Zi had no intention of sharing this fact with him.

"Our conversation ends here. The next time we meet, it won't be this easy for you," Ye Zi said as he prepared to suppress Sakumo's consciousness and seal him in the coffin to be stored in the summoning space.

Since Sakumo was someone he respected, Ye Zi had indulged in this brief exchange.

"Wait." Sakumo's vacant eyes were unreadable, but his gaze conveyed seriousness.

Ye Zi paused, looking at Sakumo coldly.

"If one day you attack Konoha, let me be the one to face Kakashi," Sakumo said earnestly, already anticipating the worst—that Ye Zi's Edo Tensei army might one day be used against his village.

"You want to kill your own son?" Ye Zi asked, surprised.

"No. Because he can stop me," Sakumo replied.

Ye Zi fell silent, remembering the young Kakashi. While capable, he was still far from Sakumo's level.

After a moment, he said coldly, "As your enemy, do you think I'd honor such a request?"

"You will," Sakumo replied with quiet conviction.

It was a firm, almost blind belief in his son's potential. He believed that someday, Kakashi would surpass him and, if that day came, would be strong enough to stop him.

Unlike many other resurrected souls filled with anger, Sakumo's response was calm, even hopeful at the prospect of seeing his son's growth firsthand.

In his mind, he envisioned not killing Kakashi but being stopped by him.

Ignoring Sakumo's certainty, Ye Zi formed a hand seal, and a coffin appeared, sealing Sakumo within before "sinking" into the summoning space.

"The thirty-second… About twenty more to go. Best finish this quickly," Ye Zi muttered, watching the sealing circle fade from the ground.

Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI

Currently on Chapter 397 - Minato's Dominance