Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Memory searching, or thought reading, is a choice that is generally avoided during peacetime, but is quite common during war. In times of conflict, ninjas often resort to extracting information from targets' thoughts as it is one of the most useful methods for obtaining intelligence. However, only a few are skilled in this technique, and the Yamanaka clan of Konoha is among the best at it.

Typically, ninjas first employ torture methods, and if that fails, they use genjutsu to force the target to divulge information. If even genjutsu fails to break the target's will, the last resort is to directly invade the target's mind to read their thoughts and memories. This method often results in severe mental trauma, sometimes leading to amnesia or even making the target mentally incapacitated. Consequently, this method is rarely used unless absolutely necessary. During wartime, however, humanitarian concerns are often set aside, as even minor intelligence can have significant impacts. Thus, ninjas will use every means at their disposal to obtain information.

Ye Zi was just a child without chakra, and even Hiruzen, considering the interests of Konoha, would not immediately resort to the most extreme measures.

However, if genjutsu proved ineffective on Ye Zi, it would warrant further scrutiny regarding whether Ye Zi might be a spy from another village. After all, one characteristic of spies is their exceptional willpower, making them resistant to genjutsu. Some highly skilled spies can even provide false information while under hypnosis.

Ninjas are known for their swift execution of orders. Within three minutes of the decision, two Anbu operatives appeared in Ye Zi's temporary lodging using the Body Flicker Technique. At that moment, Ye Zi was focused on stuffing food into his mouth, completely unaware of the two silent intruders behind him.

"Ye… Zi?"

The Anbu on the left, wearing a gray fox mask, pronounced Ye Zi's name awkwardly.

Startled by the voice, Ye Zi spun around and saw two oddly dressed individuals.

They were dressed in tight black clothing, carrying a sword on their backs, and wore masks that completely obscured their faces.

"Who are you…?"

Before he could ask, the first Anbu interrupted him, "Come with us."

The strange attire and the impolite, somewhat indifferent tone made his expression tighten. Without hesitation, he grabbed a ceramic bowl and immediately ran towards the window. He had familiarized himself with the surroundings and planned two escape routes when he was brought to this room.

The Anbu were caught off guard by Ye Zi's drastic reaction. As they hesitated for a moment, he had already placed his hand on the window ledge, preparing to jump out.

The Anbu's skills were beyond Ye Zi's expectations. Before he could make his escape, one of them swiftly appeared behind him and knocked him unconscious with a precise blow, causing no harm. It was clear that this person had a good control over his strength, considering he was still a child and physically fragile.

As he felt a sharp pain in his neck and his consciousness slipped into darkness, he felt a chill in his heart. He had felt secure while eating, thinking this place was a safe spot to learn about this world. However, being knocked out shattered this newfound sense of security, and his view of Konoha was marred by this experience. His first and second impressions of the village were both extremely negative, making it difficult to amend his perception in the future.

If there were an alternate world, he might still regret the decisions made today…

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was the discomfort of his hands and feet being bound. Looking down, he saw that he was tied to a chair. He didn't panic or curse. From the moment he met Orochimaru and Tsunade, he understood that he was now at the mercy of others. It wouldn't be surprising if he was killed at any moment.

He knew panicking was useless, so he began to observe his surroundings. The large room was quite dark, with the only light coming from two white candles on the chair's armrests. The dim light was insufficient even to illuminate the walls of the room, leaving only the floor visible two meters away, beyond which was darkness.

Retracting his gaze from the environment, he exerted a bit of effort, but the bound hands did not budge.

"I'm really stupid…"

Ye Zi thought to himself. He had no choice when he encountered Orochimaru, and now it seemed like a matter of whether he would die sooner or later.

Years of experience had instilled in Ye Zi a deep-rooted wariness towards strangers and a habit of contemplating the worst possible outcomes. This was not merely a matter of precaution but a result of witnessing too much darkness…

At this moment, he imagined several grim scenarios, all leading to death, despite the different processes involved.

However…

He did not want to die. His eyes shifted slightly, his expression calm, while his mind raced with thoughts.

In an unknown room, tightly bound hands and feet, and insufficient lighting created numerous unfavorable conditions.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you."

Suddenly, a slightly gentle voice emerged from the darkness, accompanied by faint footsteps. A figure emerged from the shadows and slowly walked to within a meter of Ye Zi.

He was startled but maintained his calm demeanor. He looked up to scrutinize the newcomer, whose appearance he had seen before. The figure was a man with thin lips pressed into a straight line, a strong nose, and sharp eyebrows framing a pair of piercing eyes. He was a man of both impressive presence and appearance.

"Is this the child?"

Genya Yamanaka did not pay much attention to Ye Zi's scrutinizing gaze. Following the pre-established procedure, he aimed to open the target's heart with words, then use genjutsu to extract all relevant information, avoiding the use of family secret techniques as much as possible.

"You think I'll believe such childlike lies?"

Ye Zi dismissed the man's words with disdain.

Genya was slightly taken aback by his response. He looked closely at his eyes, seeing indifference, fear of death, and an unmasked sense of caution. This child…

He touched the forehead protector tied around his own forehead, smiled wryly, and said, "Whether you believe it or not doesn't matter. Facts will reveal everything."

He then fixed his gaze on Ye Zi's eyes, which were uncharacteristically mature for his age, and quickly formed hand seals.

Illusory Dream State.

Ye Zi watched in astonishment as Genya performed a series of hand seals. He realized that the gestures had been vividly imprinted in his mind, and before he could marvel at his own memory and vision, he saw Genya's eyes suddenly become swirling vortexes that rapidly expanded, pulling everything, including himself, into them.

Endless darkness engulfed everything, but in an instant, it was replaced by light.

Ye Zi opened his eyes to see his sister Rui sitting on a bed. His eyes were momentarily dazed.

"Brother, what's wrong with you?" Rui's pale and thin face showed a hint of concern, her large eyes full of questioning.

"Nothing…"

He shook his head slowly. The sunlight streaming through the window felt warm. He reached out to hold Ye Rui's cold hand, which felt extremely real. This wasn't a dream, it wasn't…

"Brother, why are you crying?"

"Ah?"

Ye Zi touched his cheek, feeling the dampness. He turned to look at the blue sky outside the window and laughed, "I got some sand in my eyes."

...

Seeing Ye Zi with lifeless eyes, Genya put down his hands and asked gently, "Where are you from?"

"…"

Ye Zi did not respond, remaining as motionless as a puppet.

Genya frowned. The genjutsu had undoubtedly worked, but he paused before asking, "What's your name?"

Still, there was no response…

Genya's frown deepened. He asked several more questions, gradually lowering the standards, but still received no answers.

"Could he be a spy…?"

Genya murmured to himself. Initially, he didn't believe it when he first saw Ye Zi, as his intense caution didn't seem typical of a spy. However, his behavior under the genjutsu made him reconsider his initial judgment.

After half an hour of fruitless questioning, he sighed.

"There's nothing more I can do."