Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

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The so-called "Root" dark force training camp was not without reason. As a place dedicated to cultivating dark force operatives, its facilities exceeded Ye Zi's imagination. The rooms were filled with an array of professional and rigorous training programs, and numerous scrolls on taijutsu, ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and rare ninja tools were spread across dozens of rooms. Standing in the largest room, bathed in the murky yellow light, Ye Zi was overwhelmed as he looked at the scrolls exuding a strong scent of ink.

He had once harbored a thought when he saw Orochimaru summon thousands of snakes with summoning jutsu. This thought had been deeply buried in his heart, continually stirring but always well suppressed.

How did summoning jutsu bring such vast life forms from another space in an instant?

What mysteries lay hidden in those seemingly complex jutsu?

What does it take to cross the boundaries of time and space?

Could understanding every detail of that jutsu open a door?

Looking at the countless scrolls in the room, his eyes shone like the rising sun, filled with vitality at the break of dawn.

"Ninjutsu." Ye Zi's brows slowly lifted, his gaze focused brightly on the shelves dedicated to ninjutsu scrolls. He felt that many of his questions might be answered within these scrolls. The thought of possibly finding a way to return home ignited a fiery passion in his heart.

When his thoughts could no longer be contained, he was eager to start, casting aside the training tasks assigned by his superiors. He dove into the scrolls like a sponge, hoping to absorb all the knowledge contained within.

To outsiders, this overambitious approach might seem absurd. However, given Ye Zi's situation, it was understandable, though no one knew the true depth of his desires.

On his first day of training in "Root." He was absent.

Jōya, who was responsible for Ye Zi's daily training, searched angrily for a while before discovering him in the room with the scrolls. He arrived as quickly as possible and saw Ye Zi buried in the scrolls, his eyes burning with fury.

This was the first time someone had missed training since the establishment of "Root." and it was even more egregious as it was the person's first day. No instructor could tolerate such behavior, especially in "Root."

Jōya stormed over to Ye Zi, and even the sounds of his deliberate footsteps couldn't pull Ye Zi away from his immersion in the scrolls. Furious, he shouted at him, "Ye Zi!"

Hearing the angry shout, Ye Zi's body stiffened, and he slowly lifted his head to look at the enraged Jōya. His thoughts, previously absorbed in ninjutsu, cleared in an instant. He silently faced the wrathful Jōya, realizing he had clearly made a serious mistake, and prepared to endure the inevitable punishment.

Such a deathly silence usually frustrates and discomforts someone who wants to vent their anger, but for Jōya, this silence was precisely the best way to extinguish his rage. Nonetheless, it did not affect his subsequent decision.

"Today's training will be tripled. You have six hours before midnight. If you cannot complete it, you'll have to give up your code name."

Jōya coldly announced, then turned and left. He had come here seething with anger but only said a few brief sentences. Apart from his noticeably angry tone and slightly more pronounced breathing, he refrained from more extreme actions.

However, he was truly furious and intended to report this incident to Danzo. He believed that no matter how talented Ye Zi was, he could not become the kind of member "Root" needed because of his poor discipline, which was intolerable in an organization with such strict requirements.

After Jōya left, Ye Zi looked at the stacks of scrolls on the table and thought for a moment before meticulously returning each scroll to its original place. Despite the time constraints for the training, he prioritized putting the scrolls back, needing to remember which ones he had read. He had to review every scroll and commit every piece of knowledge to memory because understanding the details of summoning jutsu required a profound knowledge of ninjutsu.

If Jōya knew that Ye Zi was diligently returning the scrolls even with the limited time remaining, he might not know how to react.

Once all the scrolls were properly stored, he headed towards the specialized training room.

The originally set training volume was quite heavy, typically requiring at least six hours to complete. Now, with less than six hours remaining, he needed to complete three times the usual training volume.

The training in "Root" differed significantly from regular training, akin to the difference between adults and children. Generally, members selected for "Root" are younger with higher potential, and every member endures grueling training on their first day. Yet, none have ever backed down under such training volume.

The reason is simple: the instructors design training plans based on the members' limits.

"Root" continually supplies Konoha with dark force members largely due to its superior teaching resources compared to the ninja academy.

Jōya was well aware of Ye Zi's capabilities, so he set a six-hour training load, meaning Ye Zi had only six hours to complete it.

The reason for requiring Ye Zi to complete three times the training volume within six hours was because he had already decided to expel him from "Root."

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