Naruto: The Scourge

That night.

When Ye Zi regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a pile of burning campfires with two people sitting beside them.

His stomach was very hungry, weak from exhaustion, and every part of his body ached.

Also... had the rain stopped?

That was good news; he could no longer tolerate the feeling of his body soaked in moisture.

Actually, the rain hadn't stopped; they had left the Land of Rain and reached the border of the Land of Fire.

"Give me something to eat."

Ye Zi turned his head to look at the man who had used snakes to bind him, speaking without courtesy. The fact that he was still alive meant the other person didn't want him dead, so he dared to ask for food.

From the moment Ye Zi opened his eyes, Orochimaru had noticed. Hearing Ye Zi directly demand food, he gave a faint smile and casually tossed a few biscuits in front of him.

Ye Zi stared at the biscuits that had fallen not far from his eyes. He reached out with difficulty, picked one up, and put it in his mouth without biting down.

His mouth and throat were very dry; to swallow the biscuit, he had to try and produce some saliva to soften it before swallowing.

Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru. She knew that given Ye Zi's condition, even producing a bit of saliva would be difficult, so swallowing the biscuit would be extremely painful.

After a pause, she stood up and walked to Ye Zi. With a slightly wary look from him, she crouched down and brought a corner of a large leaf to his mouth.

Ye Zi's eyes flickered, understanding her intention, and he opened his mouth slightly. Cool water trickled into his mouth from the corner of the leaf, like nectar, instantly refreshing him.

After casting a grateful look at Tsunade, Ye Zi swallowed the softened biscuit and closed his eyes, satisfied.

One biscuit, a little water.

So precious, it could be called the source of life.

"Thank you."

If Tsunade hadn't handed him the water, it might have taken a long time to swallow that biscuit.

Tsunade nodded slightly and placed the leaf aside. There wasn't much water left in the leaf, but it was enough for Ye Zi to finish the remaining biscuit.

Ye Zi, enduring the pain, sat up and adjusted to a more comfortable position. He dipped the remaining two biscuits in the water in the leaf, waiting for them to soften before silently picking them up and eating them.

Clap.

The quiet night was only interrupted by the soft crackling of the campfire.

They were in a forest, full of dangers, but for powerful beings like Orochimaru and Tsunade, it was not much of a concern. If they were in a foreign country, they would need to stay more vigilant, but within the Land of Fire, as long as necessary precautions were in place, it was sufficient.

"Where are you taking me?" Ye Zi asked after satisfying his hunger.

Orochimaru responded coldly, "To Konoha Village."

"Konoha Village?" Ye Zi frowned, responding calmly, "Is that where human traffickers deal with their goods?"

"Human traffickers?" Tsunade shot Ye Zi a look, her eyes carrying a hint of anger but saying nothing. On the contrary, she felt a slight pang of sadness at how Ye Zi could so coldly compare himself to merchandise.

In an era of war... there were countless more painful scenes than this.

Orochimaru coldly replied, "Konoha Village is our village." His words denied Ye Zi's speculation.

Ye Zi's brow remained furrowed as he continued, "Then why are you taking me back to your village? I don't believe that a starving child like me has any value to you."

Orochimaru glanced at him with interest, a faint smile appearing on his pale, indifferent face.

"Indeed, if you had no value, you would have already become a pile of rotten flesh."

The cold words made Ye Zi's heart shiver. Then he heard Orochimaru say, "So, you need to find a way to prove your worth, or you won't have the means to survive. Remember, without me, you would have become a corpse in a few days."

Ye Zi sneered at this, thinking that if he hadn't met that little yellow dog, he might not have had the confidence to survive. But with that dog, he was confident he could keep going.

However, he didn't know the circumstances of the place he had been before.

In an era of war, safe places were rare...

For powerless civilians, safe places were even scarcer.

Orochimaru was right, but it was something Ye Zi couldn't comprehend, as he knew nothing about this world.

Tsunade listened to their conversation and rubbed her forehead. Looking at Ye Zi, who was as thin as a twig, she estimated he was no older than six, yet his maturity was astonishing. Was this really just the child of an ordinary family?

And... his body clearly showed signs of malnutrition, but he still possessed an undeniable toughness. If he were an ordinary person, the past two days of traveling would have been enough to kill him, but Ye Zi was still alive.

Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru, who was staring at the campfire. Had he refused to tend to Ye Zi's wounds because he had already seen this quality?

"Sister, what's your name?"

Realizing she knew nothing about the two of them, Ye Zi decided to try to get close to Tsunade, who seemed the more approachable of the two.

Tsunade snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, saying, "Before asking for someone's name, it's basic etiquette to introduce yourself first."

"…"

Ye Zi was speechless, thinking, You two tied me up without a word and now talk about etiquette?

"My name is Ye Zi. You can call me Leaf," he said.

"Leaf? That's a strange name," Tsunade said, raising her eyebrows in curiosity. "You didn't come up with that name yourself, did you?"

"Mm."

Tsunade had said it casually, not expecting it to be true.

This child...

Tsunade sighed quietly to herself. "My name is Senju Tsunade."

Your name is probably stranger...

Ye Zi's eyelids twitched, and he then looked at Orochimaru.

Tsunade followed his gaze and added, "His name is Orochimaru."

Ye Zi nodded in understanding and then fell silent.

"Is your body not hurting anymore?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.

"Huh? It's not that painful anymore."

Hearing this, Ye Zi realized that the pain that had spread throughout his body had subsided significantly, enough that he could speak normally with Tsunade.

"Heh heh…"

Orochimaru looked at Ye Zi, his eyes glinting.

At this time, Orochimaru had not yet considered researching the Rebirth Technique; he was only genuinely interested in Ye Zi's physical traits.

From the first time he saw Ye Zi, he noticed that, despite his fragile body, it contained strong vitality. Although that vitality was only apparent in his small heart, it was extraordinary.

But despite its uniqueness, for Orochimaru, any target worth eliminating would be eliminated. Ye Zi's actions at the end were what earned him the right to continue living.

"Let me take a look."

Hearing this, Tsunade, too, was surprised. Without hesitation, she pulled open his clothes and placed a hand on his chest. Her palm glowed with a faint green light.

"Cell activity…"

Feeling the sudden surge of active cells within the frail body, Tsunade was momentarily stunned.

Maybe...

She had underestimated Ye Zi's physical attributes from the start.

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