Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

As Kushina was chased by the lower-ranked ninja, Ye Zi remained expressionless. He had no intention of intervening; his initial act of stepping in had been driven by past memories and impulsive thoughts. Since then, he had ignored the bullying against Kushina, and the boys who targeted her had repeatedly faced setbacks. This time, they had even enlisted the help of a lower-ranked ninja, but it was none of his concern… To protect oneself, ultimately, one must rely on oneself.

After a brief glance in the direction of the pursuers, he continued walking, heading in the opposite direction from where Kushina had fled.

Minato, hidden in the trees, observed Ye Zi's departure with a thoughtful expression. Over the past six months, he seemed to have gained some understanding of him, even though they had exchanged only a few words.

"What kind of person are you…" Minato wondered as he redirected his focus, leaping to another tree trunk and making his way toward Kushina's fleeing direction. By the time he arrived, he saw Matsushita grabbing Kushina's hair, while Kushina, enduring the pain, walked forward frenziedly, her vivid red hair stretching and tearing under Matsushita's grip.

"I… I also hate this hair, but it's still a part of my body!" Kushina shouted through clenched teeth, glaring at Matsushita, who looked slightly dazed as he stared at the torn strands of hair in his hand.

Minato, hidden in the trees, silently watched this scene. This was the strength that belonged to this girl, different from Ye Zi's strength…

So… where does my strength come from?

...

Back at his house, Ye Zi still had not seen Orochimaru. After staying in the village for seven or eight months, he had seen Orochimaru fewer than twenty times. Each time he tried to discuss chakra with him, Orochimaru's tired appearance would make him retreat.

With great power comes great responsibility, and with it, more burdens. As a student of the Hokage and one of the Legendary Three, Orochimaru seemed to be endlessly executing tasks since the end of the Second Great Ninja War.

This man's gaze was fixed on the position of Hokage, and he worked tirelessly towards that goal.

The large house seemed empty and cold due to its size, but it was the only place where Orochimaru could truly rest. In such a state of exhaustion, he found it difficult to speak up.

After returning to the house, he changed into casual clothes and then prepared a simple meal, eating it alone.

The meal was simple but ample.

Soon, Ye Zi had devoured the entire meal. After cleaning up, he grabbed his ninja tools and went outside to practice. The old tree was still there, now serving as a target.

Thud!

He threw a shuriken with ease, hitting the bullseye.

One, two, three…

He practiced for over an hour, not missing the bullseye once. This was the result of his intensive practice over the past six months. His accuracy was excellent, though his strength was not yet as powerful as an adult's, leading to a slight deficiency in speed. However, this was not a significant issue, as his physical strength would naturally increase as he grew.

After practicing throwing shurikens, he began his routine physical training.

Push-ups, sit-ups, lifting stone dumbbells…

He forced himself to perform any exercise that could enhance his physical abilities. After each session, he needed to eat another meal to help his tired body recover, though mental fatigue could not be alleviated by food.

After finishing his routine physical training, he took a shower to wash away the sweat and then prepared another meal. This was his daily routine, a continuous cycle, with no end in sight.

Six months was neither long nor short…

Yet in this half-year, he constantly thought about the world on the other side and forced himself to forget the passage of time. He continually reminded himself that while half a year had passed here, only a few minutes would have passed on the other side.

Patience is key, and he understood this principle well.

After preparing another meal, he lifted his tired arm and ate with large bites. After consuming half of his meal, the soreness in his body gradually diminished.

He couldn't fully understand his body's peculiarities, but this didn't stop him from utilizing them. It was this very peculiarity that allowed him to persist step by step.

At most… the energy from the meal was insufficient to eliminate all the soreness but reduced it by about sixty to seventy percent, allowing him to sleep soundly later.

Click…

As Ye Zi was eating, a faint sound came from the entrance.

"Hm?"

He paused, lifting his head slightly, and murmured, "Is Orochimaru back?"

He put down his chopsticks and walked to the entrance, where he saw Orochimaru changing his shoes.

"You're back." he said, looking at Orochimaru's back.

Orochimaru nodded, finished changing his shoes, and, noticing the aroma coming from the dining room, asked suddenly, "Is there any food left?"

"There's a bit left. If that's not enough, I can make more." Ye Zi offered.

Orochimaru glanced at him and said "No need."

He then walked directly toward the dining room.

Ye Zi did not follow Orochimaru but instead went to the kitchen to get a set of chopsticks and a bowl. When he reached the dining room, Orochimaru was already sitting at the table, without changing his clothes.

He filled a bowl with rice and brought it to Orochimaru, who took it and began eating slowly.

Since there was little food left, he finished his own bowl of rice and did not pick up his chopsticks again.

Orochimaru cast a subtle glance at Ye Zi while eating, who had already shifted his gaze to him when Orochimaru ate the last grain of rice.

"Orochimaru, teach me how to control chakra."

That night, he could no longer hold back and requested Orochimaru to teach him how to gather chakra.

"The academy will teach you." Orochimaru replied flatly, his voice as hoarse as ever.

"I want to learn now." He insisted.

A flicker of surprise passed through Orochimaru's eyes. He was well aware of Ye Zi's performance at the academy and his daily rigorous training. He could sense his strong desire to control chakra, but he had previously restrained himself. The sudden request suggested there was a reason behind it.

But he didn't care to know the reason.

"You have already gathered chakra in your body." Orochimaru said calmly, looking at Ye Zi.