Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

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Hiruzen's efforts ultimately proved futile; the will of Konoha's higher-ups was not easily swayed. However, Orochimaru did not give up easily. He even tried to persuade the higher-ups of Konoha, but this time, they took a very firm stance.

After several days of fruitless effort, Orochimaru's gaze grew increasingly cold. He did not hide his emotional fluctuations in front of Ye Zi, as if to show him that his attempts at finding a solution were destined to be in vain. Thus, he was mentally preparing to take action.

By doing so, Orochimaru signaled to Ye Zi that the decision to act or not was now in his hands.

Since the death of his parents in his youth, Orochimaru's blood had gradually turned cold. It was not until he became accustomed to life and death that his blood truly chilled. When he met Ye Zi, and a new person occupied his once-empty home, his cold blood began to warm slightly, even though his demeanor and eyes remained as indifferent as ever.

There are always so many things in the world that one cannot change...

Such as the fire that a strong person casually ignites.

Such as the injustice that one's body is born with.

Such as the icy rain and cold wind that one sees when they open their eyes again.

Such as being brought here with no resistance and finally being discarded casually.

That night, with no wind or clouds, the moon was full and bright.

Ye Zi, dressed in combat attire and equipped with various tools for the mission, prepared a lavish meal.

The meal was rich, but the dishes were primarily made with eggs, filling the entire table.

This was because Orochimaru liked eggs.

After preparing the meal, he sat quietly, gazing at the lush courtyard.

Once, the courtyard had only a solitary old tree, which was where he had initially trained. When he was dissatisfied with training in the courtyard, he moved to Konoha's dedicated training grounds, and the courtyard gradually began to grow plants and flowers. Now, it had become a well-appointed courtyard with flowers and grass.

After sitting silently for a while, he straightened up when he heard movement at the entrance, facing forward.

The food on the table was still steaming, as he had timed the preparation carefully.

Orochimaru, returning, did not change into casual clothes but instead arrived in standard ninja attire and slowly sat across from Ye Zi at the table.

The two of them looked at each other in silence. After a moment, Orochimaru was the first to pick up his chopsticks, and Ye Zi followed suit.

The only sounds at the table were the clinking of chopsticks on ceramic bowls and the chewing of food.

Traditionally, they ate in silence—before, now, and likely in the future as well.

Whether it was one person or two...

Half an hour later, there was nothing left on the table. This was usual, as he often ate more than Orochimaru and ate faster. But by the time the last dish was finished, it was exactly when both were full.

"I should leave now."

Ye Zi looked at the remnants on the table in silence for a moment before speaking slowly.

Orochimaru looked at a small piece of golden-yellow egg skin left on the edge of an empty plate and said coldly, "I gave you a chance."

The implication was that he had already informed Ye Zi, but he had not seized the opportunity and instead stayed to prepare a meal for him.

"Mm." Ye Zi calmly nodded. Ignoring Orochimaru's stern expression, he slowly stood up. As he reached the hallway, he suddenly stopped and said, "I won't clean up this time."

With that, he walked down the stone steps to the courtyard, glanced at the familiar courtyard, then turned to silently look at the side profile of Orochimaru before climbing over the wall and heading towards the gate of Konoha.

Forced to come to this place called Konoha, he was determined to leave through the main gate.

Throughout it all, Orochimaru merely watched the small piece of egg skin on the empty plate in silence. A few days ago, he had said he would kill Ye Zi. But once the time came, he found he could not bring himself to act.

Thinking about how the house would be left empty once he was gone, a strange sense of melancholy arose in his heart.

-----

"Hiruzen's student Orochimaru? He's not even worth a fraction of that position." The cold-eyed man muttered to himself.

------

The night was still young, and Konoha's streets were brightly lit, giving a hint of prosperity.

Ye Zi, disregarding the surprised looks of others, ran swiftly through the streets. He reached the gate of Konoha without obstruction, and after carefully sensing his surroundings, he noticed that no ninja were stationed around the gate.

Despite his confusion, he did not stop. He dashed out of the gate and followed the straight road extending from the gate, with trees on either side speeding past him.

Squeak...

Just after leaving Konoha, he suddenly skidded to a stop, his heels scraping a rough mark on the ground. He stood still, staring at a person ahead on the road.

Under the bright moonlight, the person's face was clearly illuminated. Disheveled black hair was held back by a forehead protector, and the expressionless face bore a distinct "X" scar on the chin. The moonlight could not shield the cold light in his eyes.

The person was Danzo Shimura, the head of "Root." Ye Zi did not recognize him, but his cold gaze moved from Danzo's face to his red-themed combat attire, finally resting on the red hilt of a knife visible over Danzo's shoulder. Ye Zi quietly drew his Lightning Fang.

His eyes scanned the trees on either side of the road, finally focusing on Danzo. He slowly tightened his grip on the knife's hilt.

He sensed a faint but palpable murderous intent in the air. Whether it was the person in front or the several others hiding in the trees, each one was undoubtedly responsible for many deaths. The hidden figures in the trees had perfect concealment techniques, with their almost insect-like breathing barely perceptible. The murderous intent they emitted, however, was the most noticeable part of their concealment, suggesting it was intentionally revealed.

Danzo, seeing Ye Zi's focus shift to his hidden subordinates, slightly softened his stern expression and said, "Very perceptive."

Ye Zi looked at him in silence.

"You want to escape?" Danzo asked.

Ye Zi remained silent but assumed an offensive stance.

Danzo, seemingly ignoring Ye Zi's raised arm, continued, "No one can escape Konoha under my watch. I give you two choices: die here or join 'Root.'"

"'Root'?" Ye Zi, who had been silent, finally spoke.

Danzo calmly explained, "'Root' is the root of Konoha. You can understand it as a special unit that trains Anbu."

"Why?" Ye Zi asked.

Danzo replied with a cold smile, "You have enough ability to make me take you seriously. The Third cannot protect you, and neither can Orochimaru, but I can."

This man from Root saw potential in Ye Zi. Unlike the current White Fang of Konoha, who could not be recruited, Ye Zi was still in a phase of rapid growth.

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