Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

The wind suddenly grew cold...

What once was a breeze with a faint fragrance was now replaced by yellowing, withered leaves drifting through the air, brushing against the sweet-smelling yokan. Despite it being only mid-summer, there was a chill that felt like late autumn, chilling straight to the heart.

It seemed that no matter how one looked or hoped, that person would only resolutely head in another direction.

She looked at his broad back, feeling an extreme chill. He wouldn't be joking; every word he said was unblemished by falsehood. So, the reason the once healthy old man suddenly turned to dust today was that he had killed him.

Ye Zi's cold gaze remained fixed on the name on the tombstone, feeling the girl's sudden emotional shift behind him, his expression indifferent.

Kushina's lips moved as if she wanted to say something but ultimately fell silent. She looked up at his black hair, trying hard to see what was going through his mind. She wasn't foolish. She was indeed shocked when she first heard those words, but upon reflection, the fact that he could still stand here hinted at a reason she was reluctant to understand.

Ye Zi must have had a compelling reason to kill that kind old man, a reason with deeper implications she did not wish to uncover.

"Why tell me this?" She gritted her teeth, as if she had grasped something.

Ye Zi's eyes showed a hint of helplessness. Even so, it seemed that this couldn't stop the girl's stubbornness. Perhaps it was his own indecisiveness that led her to believe he was still the same person.

People can't avoid getting emotional. If time could be reversed, that night he wouldn't have risked his life to save her. Since he had this thought, he should have been heartless, indifferent, and had no further involvement.

This connection should never have been formed...

His tone was cold as he said, "You visited him a few days ago, so I thought it necessary to tell you why he is buried here today."

Kushina remained silent. It seemed she was beginning to understand that the person before her was intentionally distancing himself from her, but she couldn't comprehend the exact reason. All changes had occurred after that night.

That night, he sat under a tree, covered in blood, head lowered, his breath weak, as if he would leave this world forever the next moment. At that moment, he had entered her world, but it was also after that night that she felt him pulling away.

Why was this?

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't understand because Ye Zi didn't belong to this world; he was out of sync with it. He wanted to leave and return to where he belonged.

Ye Zi turned and walked past the silent Kushina, leaving with large strides. The grave under the willow tree, with the three pieces of yokan in front of it, was his apology to the old man. After this, he would not set foot here again.

A person's memory will always remain in their mind, even if it becomes too blurred to discern. Similar things will rekindle those memories. During the time spent with the old man, what should have been a blurred memory suddenly became clear.

He had lost an important relative, and another important person was still waiting for him.

Ye Zi left, and Kushina stood by the grave, her expression a mix of sadness. After a while, she clenched her fists and spoke resolutely to herself, "Unless you tell me the reason yourself, I won't let go."

---------------

Sparks from constant small friction eventually ignited flames. The Iwa-nin could no longer restrain themselves, revealing their sharp fangs, and launched a surprise attack, annihilating a hundred-man squad stationed at the border of Konoha. Such blatant actions pushed both sides into the open. Once the bottom line was crossed, no reasoning would be accepted. In response to Iwa-nin's invasion, Konoha took a front-line stance.

The Third Hokage immediately appointed Orochimaru as the leader, with Tsunade as his deputy, mobilizing the army to advance towards the Land of Earth.

Since the last great war, every nation had mostly recovered, and the new generation was now in need of tempering. The dispute instigated by Iwa-nin was a perfect sharpening stone for the new generation.

This war was inevitable; it was only a matter of time, and many understood this well.

Hiruzen stood on the top floor of the Hokage building, hands behind his back, gazing towards the Land of Earth, his eyes deep and thoughtful. Behind him stood several silent Anbu members.

"If the conflict is unavoidable, we can only face it." he said in a low voice.

The Anbu members remained silent but agreed with the Third Hokage's straightforward statement.

Hiruzen suddenly sighed, his eyes gleaming, and said slowly, "War is indeed cruel, but it always forges individuals. I have high hopes for them."

"After this conflict, their names will spread throughout the ninja world, I dare say." suddenly, a voice took over. The speaker was a man with long white hair.

Hiruzen looked at the newcomer and smiled faintly, saying, "They remind me of you. Every time I see them, I think of you in the past."

The person was Jiraiya. He scratched his head and chuckled, "Kushina is indeed very much like Tsunade, with outstanding talent. That cold kid is a lot like Orochimaru, they're both are geniuses. But Minato is not like me; he's a genius who matches up to that kid."

"Oh?" Hiruzen was a bit surprised that Jiraiya, who usually had a high opinion of himself, would be so modest.

Unperturbed by Hiruzen's surprise, Jiraiya looked towards the Land of Earth and said earnestly, "I'm certain that Minato's name will resonate throughout the ninja world, starting with this war…"

Hiruzen's lips curled into a faint smile, his weary eyes seeming to envision this scene. Perhaps Minato's name would indeed echo throughout the ninja world in the future, but Kushina and Ye Zi would certainly do the same.

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