Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

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Is killing really that difficult? When the question takes root and grows, one might feel lost and disoriented. Is there guilt that comes with the loss of a precious life?

No.

Whether the blood spurting from a body is hot or cold doesn't matter.

Whether the cries of despair erupting from their mouth are tragic or not doesn't concern you.

What does it matter if the dying eyes reveal hatred towards you?

Is life really precious? The only life that's precious is your own…

With these thoughts, Ye Zi followed Orochimaru, like a robot devoid of emotions, constantly executing tasks. As the blood on his hands grew redder, he became stronger and stronger.

Blood and fire have always been catalysts for rapid growth, both physically and mentally.

Kushina and Yoru noticed this change. Although the bond formed during a year of fighting side by side was stronger than during their time in the Ninja Academy, they could still feel that their teammate, who was always at the forefront, seemed to be distancing himself from them.

A year later, as cherry blossoms fluttered in the air.

On that day, the three students who graduated from the Ninja Academy became Genin. After a year of shedding their naivety in the midst of bloodshed, they could officially be called ninjas.

Even during their rest time outside of missions, Ye Zi never stopped training. His strict self-discipline, combined with his innate talent, made him grow at a pace that constantly drew Orochimaru's attention. As a result, the higher-ups in the Hokage office intensified their surveillance of him

Rather than just watching, it was more like monitoring…

Several months ago, as Ye Zi grew stronger, he had already sensed the surveillance. Although the Anbu worked diligently to hide and monitor him, he still managed to detect them. He thought this was a sign of his growing strength, but in reality, with his current abilities, detecting the hidden Anbu was impossible.

Not showing any sign of noticing the surveillance, he did not question Orochimaru about it, as if he were unaware of the Anbu monitoring him. He continued with his daily routine, albeit with a slight sense of unease as he gradually integrated into Konoha Village.

One day, after training from dawn until noon, his stomach could no longer tolerate the hunger. He quickly freshened up and went out, planning to solve his hunger problem.

Orochimaru was out on business, and since he had a steady income from missions, he rarely cooked for himself and usually ate at restaurants.

It was midday, and the streets were not crowded. He walked along, contemplating what to eat.

"Ye Zi!"

A familiar voice suddenly called out from behind. He stopped, turned around, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Accustomed to his personality, Yoru didn't think much of it. He walked up to him, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and said quietly, "Um… Ye Zi, I'd like to invite you and… Kushina for a meal."

"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at Yoru seriously. Yoru's mouth twitched slightly as he thought about his appetite, doubting whether he had enough money. However, to have Kushina join them, he nodded reluctantly.

Given the offer of a free meal, he had no reason to refuse and nodded, saying, "I'm actually quite hungry. How about having barbecue?"

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the most renowned barbecue restaurant, which, as expected, had a high price.

Yoru's heart skipped a beat when he heard "barbecue" and followed Ye Zi's gaze to the expensive restaurant. His face twitched slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Uh, um, I… don't think I have enough money."

With his gaze moving away from the expensive barbecue place, Ye Zi turned around and said calmly, "Then let's go somewhere else. First, let's call Kushina."

Upon hearing his words, Yoru was overjoyed. He wasn't stingy but genuinely didn't have enough money. Ye Zi's intervention was a relief, and he was eager to call Kushina.

"Without the courage to invite her directly, how could you hope for her to notice you? Even after a year together, you still can't see this point clearly."

Ye Zi, walking ahead, shook his head slightly. He knew Yoru was interested in Kushina and would often drag him along as an excuse to invite Kushina. In reality, Yoru's character made it impossible for Kushina to be interested in him.

He felt a bit sorry for Yoru but had no interest in playing matchmaker or explaining this directly. He believed that if Yoru truly recognized this and made an effort to change for Kushina, he might have a chance.

Arriving at Kushina's doorstep, Yoru, as usual, stood to one side, pushing Ye Zi to the front and leaving the task of knocking on the door to him.

"Seriously…"

Ye Zi looked at Yoru standing aside and shook his head in exasperation. Just as he was about to call out to Kushina, he suddenly frowned, sensing several unusual presences.

"Not from Konoha, so who…"

In an instant, his thoughts raced. However, upon detecting several more concealed Konoha presences, he relaxed and called out several times toward the house.

Inside the house, Kushina was momentarily stunned by his voice. She told her uncle and aunt and came to the door, opening it to find Ye Zi standing there alone.

"What's up?" She asked curtly, as she had been preparing to eat.

Hearing the question, he replied, "We're having barbecue for lunch today."

Kushina's eyes showed surprise, and she asked the crucial question with a smirk, "Are you treating us?"

He raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Is that possible?"

"I thought so. You're such a tightwad!" Kushina patted her forehead and said with resignation, "Where's Yoru?"

"Um, I'm here." Yoru popped up from the side, smiling at Kushina.

Seeing this, Kushina rolled her eyes, went back inside to say goodbye to her uncle and aunt, and then joined Ye Zi and Yoru on the street.

"Where are we going for barbecue?"

As they walked, Ye Zi asked Yoru, although his eyes were still on the direction of the most expensive barbecue restaurant.

Yoru's heart skipped a beat. He quickly pointed to a moderately priced barbecue restaurant nearby and said, "How about this place? The food is quite good."

"Okay."

Ye Zi reluctantly withdrew his gaze.

Watching this, Kushina shook her head and said, "I'm asking, Ye Zi, when will you treat us to a meal?"

Facing such a question from a female, he promptly gave Kushina a blunt answer, "No money."

Kushina gave him a dark look as they headed toward the barbecue restaurant.

In fact, he was financially strapped. He needed to eat a large amount of food daily, and his mission rewards barely covered this expense. His entire income went into food, and he hadn't even bought a new piece of clothing, wearing only Orochimaru's old clothes.

If Kushina and Yoru paid more attention, they would notice this issue.

Once inside the barbecue restaurant, with a mindset of not wasting food, he ordered twenty servings of barbecue!

Yoru and Kushina, accustomed to his big appetite, were not surprised. Even the waiter taking the order was used to it, as his reputation as a big eater was well-known throughout the streets.

And was twenty servings enough?

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