Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Facing his former prodigy student, now a pillar of strength, Hiruzen could not assert himself. After all, even he did not support handing over Ye Zi.

The threats from Iwa to Konoha to surrender Ye Zi were largely bluster, as wars were never so recklessly pursued. Yet, most of Konoha's high-ranking officials were unwilling to take the risk.

Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru's serious expression and said with increasing gravity, "I will do my utmost to negotiate."

Orochimaru silently observed Hiruzen . From the moment he said he would try, Orochimaru had not believed there was any room for negotiation. He could not understand when Konoha's upper echelons had become so spineless, or rather, when the strongest Konoha had become so weak.

He said nothing more, his disappointment in Hiruzen was palpable. He nodded and turned away without a word.

Hiruzen watched him leave and sighed. No matter how well-spoken he was, whether or not Ye Zi was handed over remained in the hands of the higher-ups. Unless he took a hard stance against them, was it worth it?

Hiruzen thought it was not worth it. Therefore, he would only make his best effort without giving a definitive response to Orochimaru.

Ye Zi was not worth such an effort for him, as he had never seen a sense of belonging in him.

Hiruzen could allow Ye Zi to grow and hoped that one day he could become a cornerstone of Konoha. But regrettably, to this day, he had yet to see his identification and sense of belonging to Konoha.

That night, after dinner, Orochimaru stopped Ye Zi from clearing the table and said after Ye Zi sat back down, "You must have heard some rumors."

Ye Zi nodded, understanding what Orochimaru referred to. He responded indifferently, "Isn't that request quite ridiculous?"

"It is ridiculous." Orochimaru agreed, then fell silent, staring at the greasy empty plates on the table.

Orochimaru's sudden silence made Ye Zi realize that the ridiculous request might actually be accepted.

"Even you can't do anything about it?" Ye Zi looked at Orochimaru. He wasn't afraid of being handed over by Konoha, but he didn't want to leave Konoha so soon.

Indeed, Ye Zi had no sense of belonging to Konoha. This much was apparent from the reports Hiruzen continually sent.

Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly as he said in a hoarse voice, "I will find a way."

Ye Zi smiled nonchalantly, not wanting to make things difficult for Orochimaru, and said, "It must be a difficult task. The world is vast, and there's always a place for me. It doesn't have to be in Konoha."

Things are often relative. Hiruzen hoped Ye Zi would develop a sense of belonging to Konoha and become a protector in the future. But he did not know that Ye Zi had long been aware of the Anbu watching him from the shadows. How could one develop a sense of belonging under such circumstances?

"You can only stay in Konoha." Orochimaru said with finality.

Ye Zi fell silent upon hearing this. After a moment, he replied calmly, "I am no longer the powerless child I once was."

Orochimaru said, "You're not strong enough to disregard the assassination teams sent by other ninja villages. If you insist on leaving, it is better to die in Konoha than at the hands of others."

His expression changed slightly. He looked at Orochimaru, his tone heavy. "Orochimaru, are you serious?"

Orochimaru met his gaze, his expression impassive and his snake-like eyes cold, saying nothing.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned chilly.

Ye Zi suddenly sneered and said, "I didn't expect the biggest obstacle to leaving would be you. You didn't kill me before, and don't think you can kill me now."

Orochimaru only stared at him coldly. After a long while, he said, "I will find a way."

"You have no way." Ye Zi, expressionless, stood up and began clearing the table.

Orochimaru watched him silently. Indeed, he had no way to influence Konoha's higher-ups' decision. Despite his illustrious achievements and status as one of Konoha's Three Ninjas, he had no say in Konoha's decisions.

After Ye Zi finished clearing the table, he went directly to his room. Orochimaru remained alone in the living room until the moonlight streamed in through the courtyard. Only then did he turn to look at the silver light falling into the courtyard. After a long time, he slowly stood up and walked toward the room.

At that moment, he had already decided: if there truly was no way, he would kill Ye Zi.

As he said, it was better for Ye Zi to die at the hands of Konoha than by someone else's hand. At least, his body would still hold considerable research value.

All along, he never believed that Ye Zi could survive outside Konoha.

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