Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

For every 30 POWER STONES there will be an extra chapter!

16 Power Stones to Go!!

Kotoe was officially a Jonin on loan to Konoha from the Grass Village. She had been working in Konoha for years, carrying out missions, with most of her rewards being sent back to the Grass Village. Her presence symbolized the strong relationship between Konoha and the Grass Village. However, with her appearance now, that bond between the two villages was severed completely.

The senbon needles held between her slender fingers were coated in poison made from a toxic plant. If they pierced the skin and drew blood without immediate treatment, the victim would die from poisoning.

The five Konoha shinobi who had just fallen were victims of Kotoe's senbon.

The reason she was here was that she had sensed the disturbance and came to investigate. Upon seeing Ye Zi, she didn't hesitate to ambush the Konoha Jonin and then joined Ye Zi's side.

By making this choice, she had effectively torn apart the alliance between Konoha and the Grass Village.

However, she had no regrets.

"Kotoe! How dare you do this!" one of the Konoha Jonin shouted, seething with rage. Kotoe, a shinobi from the allied Grass Village, had committed treason. The motives behind her actions remained unclear, but there was no doubt that she would now be branded a rogue ninja.

In response to the Jonin's words, Kotoe calmly threw a green senbon directly at his abdomen.

Clang!

The Jonin blocked the needle with his kunai, his face growing even more furious.

Meanwhile, the lightning surging around Ye Zi's body began to recede as he suppressed his chakra output. He looked coldly at the gathered Konoha shinobi, as if standing there had drawn a line in the sand.

Ye Zi's earlier actions had undoubtedly left a deep impression on the Konoha ninjas. If there was any hope of defeating him, it lay in Kushina's ability to restrain him with her golden chains.

After it became clear that Kotoe had sided against Konoha, the remaining Konoha shinobi didn't waste any more time. In order to create an opening for Kushina, they scattered, unleashing a flurry of elemental jutsu toward Ye Zi like flowers scattered in the wind.

"Step back," Ye Zi said to Kotoe, before drawing his sword, Chijin, and reigniting his Lightning Prison technique. The lightning around him flared up again, forming bolts about the size of a thumb, crackling around him as his body vanished, leaving only a trace of lightning in the air.

Kotoe heard his instruction and immediately retreated to a safe distance. The jutsu from the Konoha shinobi missed its mark.

In an instant, Ye Zi reappeared in front of one of the Konoha ninjas. The shinobi stared in terror as Ye Zi drove his blade through his heart.

Killing one shinobi in a flash, Ye Zi pushed off the ground with such force that he shattered the tree trunk beneath his feet. He shot toward his next target like a bolt of lightning, leaving Kushina's golden chains striking empty air once again.

Ye Zi's speed was simply too fast. Without anyone to create an opening for her, Kushina found it nearly impossible to trap him.

Within seconds, the forest was filled with the crackling of lightning, and another body fell.

With every kill, Kushina's heart grew heavier.

The more Ye Zi displayed his intent to kill, the more it solidified the reality of their enmity.

As Kushina's chains continued to miss their target, frustration built within her. Despite the efforts of her comrades to create opportunities, Ye Zi's terrifying speed rendered them useless, only adding more bodies to the growing count of Konoha casualties.

However, it was precisely because of the threat posed by Kushina's chains that Ye Zi couldn't find the time to use his Spirit Transformation technique to absorb the chakra of the fallen shinobi. As a result, his already limited chakra reserves were quickly depleting.

In a short span of time, over a dozen bodies littered the forest floor, all felled by a single blow.

Ye Zi withdrew from the fray, his lightning gradually receding. His chakra was nearly spent, but he had bought enough time. It was time to leave.

Had it not been for Kushina's presence, he could have wiped out all of the Konoha shinobi. But unfortunately, this time, Kushina was part of the mission.

"Let's go," Ye Zi called out to Kotoe, who was hiding in the shadows, waiting to assist him. He was ready to turn and leave.

The Konoha shinobi, having witnessed Ye Zi's overwhelming strength, had no desire to pursue him.

Fighting an opponent of this caliber, with such terrifying speed, seemed impossible. Only the Fourth Hokage, with his Flying Thunder God technique, might stand a chance.

Kakashi's gaze lingered on Ye Zi's departing figure. Tonight, he had gained a direct understanding of Ye Zi's power, but he wouldn't be discouraged.

"Next time, I won't be this weak!"

The Konoha shinobi had given up.

This opponent was far too powerful, and they saw no chance of victory.

Resigned to their defeat, the Konoha shinobi could only watch as Ye Zi walked away. None dared to move.

As Ye Zi turned, he cast a glance at Kushina, who stood in sorrowful silence. He quickly looked away and began to leave, with Kotoe by his side.

Just as they prepared to make their escape, the expression of sadness on Kushina's face vanished, replaced by a calm, emotionless look. Her eyes, now deep and unreadable, reflected no emotion, like a still pond.

Suddenly, she sprang into action, chasing after Ye Zi at an incredible speed. Her movements startled the Konoha shinobi, who watched in shock as she pursued him.

Sensing the movement behind him, Ye Zi glanced back to see Kushina, her face still devoid of emotion, catching up to him. Behind her trailed nine golden chains, flowing like a radiant tail through the forest.

Ye Zi frowned and came to a stop on a tree branch, turning to face Kushina.

As she neared, Kushina's face remained calm, and her golden chains continued to trail behind her. Then, without warning, the chains disappeared.

Ye Zi's frown deepened in confusion.

Without a word, Kushina raised her arm and threw a punch at his face. She didn't use any of the monstrous strength she had learned from Tsunade—this punch was purely a physical attack, a simple strike filled with raw force. To Ye Zi, it was full of openings.

Not understanding what she was thinking, Ye Zi easily caught her fist in his hand.

From a distance, Kotoe silently backed away. She wouldn't make a move unless Ye Zi ordered it. Otherwise, she would have already sent a few poisoned senbon flying.

Seeing that Ye Zi had only blocked her punch and hadn't delivered a fatal blow, a glimmer of hope appeared in Kushina's heart, like the first light of dawn breaking through the darkness.

"I've caught you!"

Ignoring the fact that Ye Zi had grabbed her punch, Kushina suddenly twisted her body with a burst of strength. With a sickening crack, her right arm bent at a ninety-degree angle, breaking the bone and tearing through the skin, leaving it exposed and bleeding. She then closed the distance between them and grabbed Ye Zi's collar with her uninjured left hand.

There were no golden chains, no powerful sealing techniques, and not a single flinch at the sight of her broken arm. Gripping his collar tightly, Kushina simply said, "I've caught you."

Watching this unfold, Kotoe prepared her senbon but refrained from attacking.

Allowing Kushina to hold onto his collar, Ye Zi remained expressionless. His gaze shifted to her right arm, now bent and bleeding. A flicker of weariness passed through his eyes. He could vaguely sense what was going through her mind, and it frustrated him. It was like a tangled mess of threads that he couldn't unravel.

Humans, after all, aren't machines. No matter how much one tries to be indifferent to everything, it's impossible to fully succeed.

Kushina, her grip firm on Ye Zi's collar, stared at him with eyes full of hope. "You could have killed me just now, but you didn't."

Ye Zi stared at her, his expression calm. He had no intention of explaining why he hadn't struck her down, though it seemed Kushina had already drawn her own conclusions.

"Come back, Ye Zi, I'm begging you!" she pleaded.

The woman who had always been so strong and defiant now showed a rare moment of vulnerability. Her delicate, beautiful face was softened by the faint sheen of tears forming in her eyes.

In response, Ye Zi slowly placed his hand over hers, gently pressing down on the hand that was gripping his collar.

The Konoha shinobi, including Kakashi, stood frozen in disbelief as they watched the scene unfold. They couldn't see Kushina's expression, but the sight of her arm bent at such an unnatural angle was clear for all to see.

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Currently on Chapter 289 - 'I'll Have No Regrets, Even If I Die'