Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Self-introduction and stating one's dreams have always been a tradition in Konoha.

"I'm Kushina Uzumaki. I love salty ramen, dislike bitter food and tomatoes, and my future dream is…"

Kushina looked up slightly, speaking earnestly, "I want to become the first female Hokage of Konoha."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at this and gave a slight nod, signaling for the next person.

Yoru took a brief glance at Ye Zi, who was looking away, hesitated, and then said softly, "I'm Kitasei Yoru. I like rainy days, dislike sweet things, and my future dream is to become a man of great stature."

Orochimaru frowned slightly at Yoru's weak demeanor, then turned his gaze to Ye Zi, who, sensing the look, slowly turned his head and met Orochimaru's eyes.

"I'm Ye Zi. I enjoy eating, and there's nothing I particularly dislike."

Ye Zi's eyes lowered as he said indifferently, "My dream is to find a way back."

The other three were stunned by his dream. A way back?

Kushina asked with confusion, "What kind of dream is that?"

Yoru also looked puzzled.

Ye Zi glanced at Kushina but did not offer any explanation.

Orochimaru fixed a deep, calm stare on Ye Zi but did not press the issue. He took out three small silver bells from his pocket and said, "Find a way to take these bells from me. You can use any means necessary. If you don't get the bells before sunset, you'll be sent back to the ninja school for re-training. If you don't want to go back, you must give your all to grab the bells."

Hearing this, Ye Zi and the others were taken aback. They had thought that graduating from the ninja school meant they would become genin, but now they realized they had to pass an additional test from their team leader.

Such matters were not mentioned by Orochimaru before, and no matter what, returning to the ninja school was not an option. That would only waste another three years.

The expressions of the three changed. Orochimaru observed their reactions with a cold smile, stepped back a few paces, and said calmly, "The deadline is by sunset. The exam starts now."

As the last word fell, the three immediately used their fastest speed to disappear from sight, hiding in their pre-decided locations.

One of the key points of ninja school training was to quickly find a hiding spot and use techniques like the substitution jutsu and other strategies effectively.

After they disappeared, Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed forward, seemingly unaware of their movements. In reality, he had already assessed their hiding spots as soon as they moved, given their relatively inexperienced speed and body techniques.

Ye Zi hid in a low, dense bush at a distance, tightly gripping a kunai, keeping his gaze focused as much as possible on Orochimaru's lower body.

Observing the legs could help predict movements, and avoiding looking directly at Orochimaru's face reduced the chances of being detected.

"How can I take the bells?" Ye Zi pondered strategies while keeping a close watch on Orochimaru.

Yoru and Kushina had chosen spots in the trees, where looking down from above could also reduce the risk of being spotted.

Kushina was thinking about how to grab the bells from Orochimaru, while Yoru was contemplating how to secretly communicate with Ye Zi and Kushina. He believed that the best way to obtain the bells was to work together.

As the three were actively thinking, Orochimaru made a surprising move. He slowly lifted his arm, and Ye Zi's gaze inevitably followed the bell in Orochimaru's hand.

Then…

They saw Orochimaru expressionlessly tilt his head back, open his mouth, and toss the bell inside. With a gulping sound, they could see the movement in his throat, confirming that the bell had indeed been swallowed.

"Damn it!"

Seeing this, Ye Zi couldn't help but curse softly, revealing his position. He reluctantly jumped out from his hiding place.

Yoru stared at Orochimaru's throat, his thoughts frayed and confused. He was deeply unsettled.

Kushina looked at Ye Zi who had jumped out, then turned to the unmoved Orochimaru, covering her forehead in frustration.

How could they retrieve a bell that was swallowed? Did they have to kill him and then cut open his stomach?

Ye Zi, emerging from his hiding spot, looked at Orochimaru with a mix of astonishment and irritation. After three years of interaction, this was the first time he discovered such a bizarre aspect of Orochimaru.

Facing Ye Zi's incredulous gaze, Orochimaru remained unperturbed and said in a raspy voice, "Restraining me, cutting open my stomach, or even killing me is permissible. The only thing you need to focus on is taking the bells. You don't need to worry about anything else."

The calm voice conveyed a harsh reality.

This was merely a test. Why did it need to go to such extremes?

Neither Yoru nor Kushina understood, and neither did Ye Zi, but since Orochimaru had said so, Ye Zi had no hesitation.

Moreover, he didn't believe he had the ability to kill Orochimaru. The only thing he could do was try every possible method with all his effort. He couldn't afford to give up, nor was he allowed to.

He raised his kunai and charged straight at Orochimaru.

"Head-on?" Orochimaru silently observed Ye Zi's charge and took out a kunai of his own.

Ye Zi's free hand quickly drew several shuriken from his pouch, and he threw the kunai and shuriken at Orochimaru.

The shuriken spun rapidly in the air, tracing three different arcs toward the same direction, while the kunai flew straight.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

Orochimaru wielded his kunai to accurately deflect the shuriken and the kunai, with no wasted movements.

Taking advantage of the moment when Orochimaru's attention was diverted by the shuriken, Ye Zi completed a hand seal. At a distance of over a meter from Orochimaru, His figure suddenly turned into a puff of white smoke.

Whoosh!

As the white smoke dissipated, a handful of black sand surged toward Orochimaru. At the same time, Ye Zi, holding another kunai, had positioned himself not far behind Orochimaru, staring intently.

"Sand!? That must be…" Orochimaru leapt into the air to avoid the oncoming sand. As he did, he noticed Ye Zi throwing a kunai from behind, catching it effortlessly with his hand and landing smoothly.

After landing, Orochimaru checked his hand and noticed a small cut on his index finger, with a few droplets of blood oozing out.

"That was undoubtedly a substitution jutsu. Normally, the substitute would be a living thing or an object, but using sand… The intent wasn't just to avoid damage. If not careful, sand getting into one's eyes could be quite troublesome."

Orochimaru looked at the disappointed Ye Zi and was somewhat speechless. The use of substitution jutsu by Ye Zi was not worth much praise; if anything, it was rather basic.

Using substitution jutsu in this way reflected Ye Zi's limited range of jutsu, and indeed, the ninja school only taught a few basic techniques, none of which were offensive.