Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

As leaves fall and wither, drifting back to where they belong, thin ice forms and floats on the surface of the water. Time never stops for anyone, and as it flows, everything changes.

Autumn passed into winter, and the last thin ice melted into the water. Spring arrived, and buds began to sprout again in the spring breeze, followed by the song of summer cicadas.

Year after year slips by when one doesn't pay attention, gone in the blink of an eye.

In Sunagakure, which had been severely damaged by the war, everything was now back on track. However, it had clearly become the weakest of the ninja villages. Under the policy of reduced funding by the major nations, Sunagakure was barely maintaining its expenses through the Fourth Kazekage's ability to extract gold from the sand.

Despite financial difficulties, Sunagakure, which always followed the path of elite training, remained committed to cultivating its ninja. Even in hard times, they refused to compromise in this area.

At the same time, the mastermind behind their suffering was always on their minds.

The unknown figure who had unleashed Shukaku was a thorn in the heart of Sunagakure, one that they longed to remove. The destruction and hellish scene of that night were deeply imprinted on the memories of those who had witnessed it.

The Akatsuki…

This mercenary organization, which had risen to prominence in recent years, had members with distinctive outfits. Based on gathered intelligence, it seemed that only Konoha's rogue ninja, Ye Zi, specialized in Lightning Release, which matched the abilities of the person who freed Shukaku.

Although there wasn't definitive evidence proving that Ye Zi was responsible for releasing Shukaku, it was highly likely that he was the culprit.

However, given the current state of Sunagakure, they still lacked the strength to seek revenge.

The night was as black as ink, and the yellow sand lay hidden in the darkness.

The flickering firelight was blown by the cold desert wind, which howled as it passed.

The Fourth Kazekage stood, gazing out into the distant darkness, his thoughts as deep as the desert itself. The recently concluded meeting had left him feeling a bit irritated.

Hatred had taken root and sprouted, but under the harsh conditions, they couldn't yet support the framework for revenge. All they could do was patiently wait.

Post-war recovery was something every village struggled with, and in the next conflict, their ability to raise and train ninja would determine their strength.

Iwagakure had also suffered heavy losses during the war. However, when Onoki learned that Ye Zi was still alive, he firmly rejected the opinions of many decision-makers.

Despite Iwagakure's need for recovery and its shortage of manpower, Onoki had stubbornly continued to send teams to gather information on the Akatsuki. During a recent meeting, the frustration that had been building among his advisors finally erupted.

"Tsuchikage-sama, the village is severely lacking in manpower, and we can't afford to waste any more resources on gathering intelligence about Ye Zi."

"We need to prioritize more important matters. I can't agree with your approach."

"Even if we need to vent our hatred, it has to be done in the right way. The village must come first."

The dissatisfaction that had been simmering finally boiled over into words, voiced by nearly everyone present.

Onoki, his arms crossed and his face dark, responded in a low voice, "It's only a small portion of our manpower. It won't affect much."

The others exchanged glances and continued raising concerns, emphasizing that the resources dedicated to gathering information on Ye Zi had brought no tangible benefits to the village in recent years.

They were unified in their goal: to force Onoki to abandon this seemingly fruitless pursuit.

But Onoki was as stubborn as ever. Even though everyone opposed him, he refused to change his mind. He didn't believe that the effort expended on this intelligence gathering was a significant drain on the village's resources.

Compared to potential benefits, this information, even during peaceful times, could be valuable. It could even be leveraged as a favor to Konoha, possibly allowing them to use Konoha's power to eliminate Ye Zi.

Smack!

Onoki slammed his hand on the conference table, controlling his strength to avoid breaking the table and embarrassing his advisors.

Nevertheless, the sudden action startled everyone.

"I won't rescind my order," Onoki said firmly as he glared around the room.

...…

Kumogakure had benefited the most from the recent war. Taking advantage of the momentum it had gained, the village developed rapidly. Even though its funding had been cut, it wasn't significantly affected.

More importantly, Kumogakure had taken notice of the Akatsuki's abilities.

Being able to hire the Akatsuki to complete missions at minimal cost was a win-win situation. The only payment required was money, and their well-trained ninja didn't have to risk their lives on dangerous missions.

In the Land of Lightning, at the Valley of Clouds and Lightning…

The Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee, stood on a stone platform, dancing wildly as his limbs flailed about, while nonsensical rap lyrics escaped his mouth.

Not far away, on the peak of the canyon, two figures stood watching him—both of similar appearance and build.

These two were the Third Raikage and A.

"Although Bee can control the Eight-Tails, it's better to keep him here for now as a precaution," A said, gazing at his younger brother, who was amusing himself down below, a hint of guilt in his expression.

The Third Raikage nodded slightly and looked at A, his voice deep, "The war may be over, but there are still some restless individuals. To avoid any potential danger, your decision was the right one."

A Jinchūriki was always a double-edged sword. Used properly, they were like a nuclear weapon. Mishandled, and they could bring disaster to their own village. They were also easily exploited by others.

Sunagakure had been a bloody example during the Third Shinobi War.

Sending a rampaging tailed beast into an enemy village had always been the most brutal and effective tactic.

Even though Killer Bee could control the Eight-Tails, in these peaceful times, keeping him in the gorge as a precaution made sense.

Ultimately, it was because the tailed beast inside Killer Bee was the Eight-Tails.

If it went berserk, even someone as powerful as the Third Raikage would have to give it his all to stop it.

The two watched Killer Bee for a while longer before turning to leave.

After they left, Killer Bee paused, looking toward the spot where they had stood.

"..."

After a moment, he resumed his rapping, his cheerful voice echoing through the gorge.

...…

Kirigakure, in the Land of Water.

Like Sunagakure, Kirigakure had also suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi War. Many of its top assassins had been killed by the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, leaving the village severely weakened.

In the peace that followed the war, many hardliners had grown dissatisfied with the village's leadership and had defected, further weakening Kirigakure.

As a result, the focus of discussions turned to how to restore the village's former strength.

In the meeting room, a young boy with silver hair and violet eyes sat at the head of the table, his arms crossed as he quietly observed those present.

This boy was the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, and also the Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails.

"Funding is key," one person repeatedly emphasized.

The war had claimed many of their best assassins, and with post-war financial cuts, they couldn't quickly train a new generation of elite assassins.

To generate revenue, they needed manpower. Without funding, there was no manpower. Without the support of the major nations, Kirigakure found itself in a precarious position.

If they couldn't resolve this issue, they would have to abandon military development.

Under the restrictions of the peace treaties, the major nations wouldn't prioritize military buildup for the next decade. However, the ninja villages knew how important it was.

Various suggestions were put forth by those present.

Yagura listened silently, knowing that without funding, every proposal was powerless.

He was also thinking hard about how to quickly restore the village's strength.

Should they secure funding first, or should they focus on training ninja under difficult conditions? Or perhaps, should they pursue both paths simultaneously?

...…

In Konoha, inside the Hokage's office.

The clean and tidy desk indicated that the pile of work had already been taken care of.

Minato sat in his chair, his arm extended over the desk. In his palm, a high-speed rotating sphere of chakra hovered.

This was the Rasengan, a technique he had spent considerable time developing. It was a jutsu that didn't require hand signs.

The idea behind developing this technique was to complement the Flying Thunder God Technique.

It was instant, powerful, and thus fit perfectly with the Flying Thunder God to enhance its effect.

Typically, when teleporting in battle, the first attack relied on speed and was usually limited to a kunai or other weak offensive techniques.

The Rasengan was designed for that purpose—a quick, devastating blow. The only drawback was that it required close combat, but that weakness was almost nullified when combined with the Flying Thunder God.

Minato watched the chakra sphere in his palm, deep in thought. Even in this state, he was able to maintain the Rasengan, a testament to his mastery of the technique.

Bang!

The door suddenly swung open.

"Minato, did you really agree to Kushina's request?" Jiraiya walked into the office.

Minato snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Jiraiya, who had barged in without knocking. He smiled wryly.

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Currently on Chapter 298 - Encounter a God