Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

In the darkness beneath the earth, where the passage of time was indiscernible, and there was no difference between day and night.

Upon waking, the first sensation was the feeling of something pressing against his chest, followed by the warmth of a soft body.

From Ye Zi's perspective, all he could see was a head of emerald-green hair, it was Kotoe.

He hadn't drunk too much last night, so he remembered it clearly. He was the one who had pulled Kotoe to his side, and now, upon waking, he found she had somehow rolled onto him.

Poor Ye Zi, who had once again slept like a log last night, had no idea that Kotoe had taken advantage of him, sneaking a kiss on his lips.

To be able to sleep so defenselessly in Kotoe's presence indicated, in some way, the level of trust Ye Zi held for her.

Ye Zi shifted slightly, which startled Kotoe awake. She sleepily raised her head and looked at him, and the two gazed into each other's eyes.

Moments later, Kotoe's face flushed a rosy hue as she quickly got up, jumped off the bed, and turned her back to him.

After being held and kissed like that last night, she wondered if their relationship might progress further, but since Ye Zi hadn't made any declarations, she couldn't just assume it on her own.

Ye Zi looked at Kotoe's back, a slight awkwardness in his expression. Much of his impulsive behavior last night had been due to the effects of alcohol.

"That's why I don't like drinking," he thought to himself, ruffling his messy hair. They had touched, and they had kissed; although they hadn't gone all the way, there had still been an intimate connection.

However, he didn't have the luxury of time for romance right now… but he wouldn't reject Kotoe's feelings anymore.

He got out of bed and went over to place a hand on Kotoe's head, saying, "I'm hungry."

With that, he walked past her into the bathroom to freshen up.

Kotoe watched his back, touched the spot where his hand had rested, smiled foolishly, and instead of going straight to the kitchen, she ran into the bathroom.

"What are you doing in here?" Ye Zi raised an eyebrow.

Kotoe rolled her eyes and said, "Shouldn't I wash up before heading to the kitchen?"

With that, she squeezed past him, taking the toothbrush with toothpaste already applied from his hand.

Ye Zi's face darkened slightly as he watched her casually brush her teeth, unable to do anything but stand by and watch since he only had that one toothbrush.

In one night, an indescribable change had formed between them.

Afterward, they ate the improved meal Kotoe had prepared, and Ye Zi, as usual, went to the training ground, where he spent four hours training. Afterward, he visited the lab to greet Nanako, only for Orochimaru to unexpectedly show up.

The first thing Orochimaru did was toss him a scroll.

"What's this?" Ye Zi asked, catching the scroll.

"The formula for the Impure World Reincarnation," Orochimaru replied.

"It's already been improved?" Ye Zi was a bit surprised; it seemed fast for such a forbidden technique to be perfected.

Orochimaru shook his head, saying calmly, "Not completely. What's left is to strengthen the binding power, which doesn't relate to the formula but to the caster's skill. With your capabilities, there shouldn't be any deficiencies in using it."

Some of the flaws of Impure World Reincarnation had already been improved by Orochimaru, but the binding power was the key part of the technique, determined by the caster's abilities.

Of course, there was another method, which involved using special kunai to erase the consciousness of those reincarnated forcibly, though that would weaken their power significantly.

According to Orochimaru, there were two ways to enhance the binding power: incorporating Hashirama cells or utilizing unknown Sage Chakra.

Since Ye Zi had a good amount of Hashirama cells in his body, Orochimaru believed he should have no issues with binding power while using Impure World Reincarnation, unlike last time, when Dan Kato's reincarnation resisted.

Hashirama cells could enhance techniques—did that apply to Impure World Reincarnation as well?

Ye Zi put away the scroll and asked, "Does the corpse used for Impure World Reincarnation affect the power of the resurrected person?"

"Yes." Orochimaru replied with a cold smile, "A clone of Hashirama cells is the best material, and that has already been tested."

At present, Orochimaru hadn't perfected the Impure World Reincarnation himself, but he wasn't in a rush; his goal was Sage Mode. Although he had only glimpsed it so far, he had established a summoning contract with the Ryuchi Cave, so he could go there anytime.

Before that, he was more interested in exploring the history recorded in various texts, hoping he might find a way to strengthen his Cursed Seal.

Hearing this, a glimmer of excitement appeared in Ye Zi's eyes. With Hashirama cell clones being practically endless, Impure World Reincarnation would eliminate the manpower issue.

From now on, whenever he encountered a formidable opponent, he could kill them, ensuring he had enough flesh to use later. This could be one of his future assets. So far, he had collected flesh samples from Jinchuriki, and obtaining such materials wasn't difficult; he could just have White Zetsu infiltrate the graveyards of the various shinobi villages.

The grave-digging job was his to handle.

With this thought, he planned to master the Impure World Reincarnation technique soon.

"Ye Zi, I'm leaving tomorrow," Orochimaru suddenly said, noticing Ye Zi in thought.

Ye Zi snapped out of his reverie, his expression changing slightly as he wondered if Orochimaru intended to sever their collaboration. As he was about to ask, Orochimaru continued, noting Ye Zi's expression, "Don't misunderstand, it's just for some business that requires me to go elsewhere."

"Oh?" Ye Zi's tension eased slightly. Orochimaru's abilities were too valuable to lose; there was likely no one else in the entire shinobi world who had similar skills.

"If you're interested in the Six Paths, you could join me," Orochimaru said with a sly grin.

"I'm afraid not." While Ye Zi was intrigued by the idea, he was currently a member of the Akatsuki and had obligations, especially now that the plan to collect the Tailed Beasts had just begun.

"Because of Akatsuki?" Orochimaru gave him a knowing look. He had his own intelligence network and knew of Akatsuki's ongoing Tailed Beast hunt.

Ye Zi nodded slightly without replying.

"Heh." Orochimaru smirked and remarked, "Capturing the Tailed Beasts won't be easy. At the very least, you're going to face some tough times."

Ye Zi glanced at him, replying calmly, "You seem to know a lot."

"There are always ways to find out," Orochimaru replied indifferently.

"Let's hear it," Ye Zi said, expressionless.

Orochimaru explained, "Two days ago, Sand sent representatives to Konoha. Given the timing, it's likely related to Akatsuki's Tailed Beast capture efforts—or perhaps they're targeting you directly."

"…" Ye Zi fell silent. Two days ago? But he hadn't received any updates from Nagato. Suddenly, he realized a flaw in relying on White Zetsu, realizing it was best to control information channels directly instead of waiting to be informed.

The Sand's intentions were clear, they intended to ally with Konoha. Their goal was also clear: targeting Akatsuki.

While just one village like the Sand wouldn't be much of a threat, things would be different with Konoha's support.

And… the Mist, which had lost its Mizukage, wouldn't remain passive either—things he had been unaware of until now.

"It looks like I can't leave White Zetsu's main body out there. With him by my side, I'd have access to first-hand intelligence."

He had initially intended to wait and see, but he hadn't anticipated the Sand would shamelessly seek out Konoha. If their alliance was established, then, aside from Sand and Mist, he'd have to contend with Konoha as well before even acting against them.

This was certainly not good news for the Akatsuki.

Seeing Ye Zi's silence, Orochimaru remarked calmly, "If you want to know more details, come with me to the Land of Fire tomorrow."

"Have you planted hidden pieces within Konoha?" Ye Zi looked at Orochimaru, who responded with a cold smile, saying nothing, which was as good as confirmation.

"No need," Ye Zi replied. "Go wherever you want, but don't forget the main objective."

"Of course," Orochimaru said expressionlessly.

Ye Zi turned and left; he needed to head to the Land of Rain as soon as possible.

There were two things he needed to handle. First, he had to locate Zetsu and ensure he stayed by his side. The second task was to confirm Nagato's plans, as Nagato held control over their communication, so Ye Zi would have to go to the Land of Rain himself.

Watching Ye Zi's hurried departure, Orochimaru's lips curled slightly. More important than the Six Paths information? Although only mentioned in passing, it was clear that collecting the Tailed Beasts took precedence over everything else.

"Hehe."

With a low, raspy laugh, Orochimaru turned to leave, preparing for his departure the next day.

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