Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

The sensation of nearing death is like the oxygen in your chest being suddenly squeezed out, giving rise to a visceral fear and gradually stealing away your sense of touch. In the progressively darkening space, you experience the tragic loss bit by bit. That experience is enough for one lifetime… but Ye Zi had endured it twice.

Not far from the ninja hospital stood a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. A faint floral fragrance drifted in from afar, through the window, brushing against his nose.

The morning sun was warm but not glaring, falling on his pale face but failing to penetrate his pitch-black eyes.

"The choice made back then was wrong." Ye Zi murmured to himself, gazing out the window, attempting to calm his inner turmoil.

How many times can one experience the brink of death? How many times can one survive it?

Emerging from the darkness, listening to the familiar voice fading away, feeling the deepening fear, and wandering through the endless blackness for an unknown amount of time, he finally found the lone glimmer of light, like a drowning person breaking free from the water's grip, struggling to open his mouth and greedily inhale air.

He once thought he was going to die, but he survived, and thus began to regret.

In that dark corridor, the beloved voice was behind him, but the light was ahead.

If he died, everything would be lost.

He slowly clenched his fists, a faint coldness settling in his dark eyes. He was never someone who willingly sacrificed for others, except for those closest to him…

But why, that night, did he step forward and nearly die?

Creak!

The door opened suddenly.

A girl with deep red hair entered carrying a basket of fruit, accompanied by two others—Minato and Yoru.

At the sound, Ye Zi's icy gaze slowly softened. He turned his head and quietly watched the newcomers.

Kushina walked over and placed the fruit basket on the table. Seeing his pale face, she asked with concern, "Do the wounds still hurt?"

"Almost healed." Ye Zi replied, avoiding Kushina's concerned gaze, his voice calm.

Yoru then approached, looking at Ye Zi's pale face and said, "You really scared me. Even if you wanted to train, there was no need to go to such a dangerous place."

He had rushed to the hospital as soon as he learned of his injury, only to find him in a coma, wrapped like a mummy.

Ye Zi gave a faint smile, not responding. When he woke up yesterday, Orochimaru had already provided a brief explanation. He could guess some things about the kidnapping of Kushina. What was certain was that everything involved was quite complex, too complex for him to touch even slightly.

The official explanation for the enemy ninja's intrusion and Kushina's kidnapping was that Ye Zi had been overly confident, training in the Death Forest and getting seriously injured. Thankfully, it was discovered in time, and his life was spared.

The real reason was completely concealed. Ye Zi thought that if he had died, he might have died in vain, unnoticed.

But it didn't matter to him anymore. After this brush with death, he understood many things: the people in this world had no bonds with him. He did not belong here…

Minato stood quietly by the bedside, the sunlight streaming in through the window making his golden hair even more dazzling. He looked at Ye Zi with a faint admiration in his deep blue eyes.

He was usually gentle and avoided conflict, always confident in his own abilities. But since Ye Zi appeared, he realized that competing with others wasn't always a bad thing, especially when the person in question surpassed him.

Kushina picked up a red apple and smiled at Ye Zi, asking, "Would you like an apple?"

Yoru's expression turned peculiar at the sight. Kushina's demeanor seemed out of place.

Minato, who usually paid attention to Kushina, noticed her warm words and smile, as if something strange had been discovered. His expression was similarly odd.

Kushina didn't notice their reactions and, if she had, she might have accidentally crushed the apple in her hand.

In the past, Ye Zi would have unreservedly pointed out Kushina's pretentious behavior and described her personality and corresponding scenarios in plain language.

But now…

A hint of coldness flickered in Ye Zi's eyes as he glanced at the bright red apple and refused in a perfectly measured tone, "I'm not hungry, thank you."

Kushina's hand holding the apple trembled imperceptibly. She stared at Ye Zi's unchanged expression and slightly frowned. That "thank you" seemed to make her realize something.

But she didn't dwell on it. She dropped the apple and said irritably, "If you don't want it, then don't. I was even thinking of peeling it for you."

Ye Zi smiled faintly and turned his gaze back to the blue sky outside the window. Despite the similar appearance, their personalities were worlds apart. Once was enough for risking his life in such a foolish manner.

Yoru looked at the calm Ye Zi and then at the slightly angry Kushina, unsure of what to say. He vaguely sensed something was off; the usual atmosphere seemed different.

"If there's nothing else, I'd like some quiet." Ye Zi said, feeling uncomfortable for some reason and thus indicating that it was time for them to leave.

"Oh? Oh!" Yoru was momentarily stunned but then looked at Kushina. She furrowed her brows slightly and after a moment said, "Rest well."

She then turned and walked out. Yoru watched her leave, then said to Ye Zi, "Ye Zi, take care and get well soon. I'll treat you to barbecue later."

Ye Zi continued to stare out the window and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Yoru followed Kushina out, and Minato, noticing something amiss, politely bade Ye Zi farewell before leaving the room.

Soon, he was alone in the room.

"The only one you can rely on is yourself."

"Kushina, wait for me!" Yoru called out as he left the hospital, waving.

Reluctantly, Kushina had to slow her pace and wait for Minato and Yoru to catch up.

Minato observed Kushina's unusual behavior with curiosity. A team that had been together for over a year shouldn't be like this, especially since he had risked his life to save Kushina. Why did the atmosphere seem so strange earlier?

"Kushina, don't you think he is is acting strange?" Yoru glanced at Minato, then, without hesitation, voiced his opinion.

"Who knows?" Kushina's eyes revealed a hint of disappointment. She waved her hand irritably and replied impatiently.

She had noticed his indifference, a coldness that seemed to be a remnant of their initial meeting, well-hidden behind his calm face.

Why?

She was puzzled, and the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.

Having spent over a year with him, Yoru was not oblivious. His sensitivity matched Kushina's, and he too sensed the coldness that had been resolved over time.

"What exactly happened?" Seeing Kushina didn't want to dwell on the topic, Yoru decided to remain silent, pondering what could have transpired in the past few days.

Minato, an outsider in this matter, found it difficult to piece everything together. He looked at Kushina and gave her a gentle smile.

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