Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

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

2 Power Stones left to go

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"Three days, huh..."

A nearly powerless groan escaped Ye Zi, an unusual display of weakness.

"What time is it?" Ye Zi asked again.

Being in an underground base with no windows, it was impossible to tell the time outside.

"It's 7 a.m.," Kotoe replied, observing Ye Zi with a look of concern that replaced her earlier confusion.

Hearing this, Ye Zi patted his face. The sticky, sweaty feeling all over his body was uncomfortable, but the lingering shadow of his nightmare was even worse. After sleeping for three days, his stomach growled in protest.

Gurgle...

An untimely rumble from his stomach made the atmosphere a bit awkward.

Kotoe noticed and looked at the tray on the bedside table, which held a large bowl of rice, a plate of simple vegetables, and a dish of stir-fried meat.

Following her gaze, Ye Zi saw the food on the tray and couldn't help but swallow. He was starving.

"I made this last night, but it's cold now. Let me heat it up for you," Kotoe said as she stood up, ready to take the tray.

She had cooked the meal herself the night before, thinking that Ye Zi might wake up soon after sleeping for so long. She had waited by his bedside all night, but Ye Zi remained asleep, so she hadn't left. She spent the night sitting by his side, resting her chin in her hand, watching him sleep, counting the minutes until morning without realizing it.

It was the first time she had seen this side of Ye Zi—so peaceful and quiet, like a child. She hadn't wanted to leave.

During missions, Kotoe had never seen Ye Zi sleep like this. When Ye Zi was on watch, she could sleep soundly, but when it was her turn to stand guard, Ye Zi would only fall into a light sleep, waking up instantly if anyone came within ten meters of him.

What had started as a beautiful scene had been ruined by a nightmare... and that name he had called out.

Ye Zi noticed Kotoe's words and saw the surprise in her eyes. He reached out and grabbed her arm as she reached for the tray. Her body stiffened momentarily but quickly relaxed.

Sensing her brief discomfort, Ye Zi immediately let go and said, "No need to bother. I'll eat it as is."

"If it's cold, it won't taste good," Kotoe protested weakly. This was the first time she had cooked for Ye Zi, and she didn't want it to be ruined by being cold. If it were Kushina, she would have insisted more firmly.

"It's fine."

Ye Zi was starving and didn't care about the taste—he just wanted to fill his stomach.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he picked up the chopsticks and was about to dig in when Kotoe stopped him. "Wait."

His chopsticks froze in mid-air. Ye Zi turned to her, confused. "What is it?"

"Well..." Kotoe hesitated, her voice becoming shy and halting. "Wouldn't it be better to brush your teeth first?"

With that, an awkward silence fell between them.

Ye Zi held his chopsticks in mid-air for about ten seconds, quietly thinking, before slowly lowering them under Kotoe's gaze.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you heat the food up?" he said.

"Huh?" Kotoe was momentarily stunned, then smiled happily. "It's no trouble. I'll heat it right away."

She grabbed the tray and hurried out of the room.

While she heated the food, Ye Zi rubbed his temples and got up to wash.

The thought that Kotoe had spent the entire night, or even longer, watching him sleep made him feel a little uneasy.

As he brushed his teeth, he thought about Kotoe's bright, happy smile from earlier.

"Happy... over something so simple," he muttered under his breath, his words muffled by the toothbrush and foam.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Ye Zi's brushing slowed for a moment and then stopped altogether, his mouth still full of foam.

His eyelids drooped slightly, as if the oppressive shadow from his nightmare had finally begun to lift a little.

After a moment of silence, he resumed brushing.

Once he had finished washing up, Ye Zi, still hungry, sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Kotoe to return.

A short while later, she came back with a tray of steaming, fragrant food.

The smell alone made Ye Zi feel even hungrier.

Kotoe set the tray on the bedside table and smiled. "Go ahead, eat."

Ye Zi nodded slightly, grabbed the bowl of rice with one hand and the chopsticks with the other. He took a large bite of rice, followed by several pieces of meat, which he quickly chewed before slowing down.

It was really salty... even saltier than salted fish. How did she manage this?

Ye Zi struggled to swallow the meat and then picked up some vegetables.

Still salty...

As he ate the overly salty food, Ye Zi couldn't help but recall the meals Kushina used to cook. They had been incredibly salty, too.

How could someone have such a lack of talent in cooking?

"How is it? Is it good?" Kotoe asked expectantly, unable to tell if there was anything wrong with the food since Ye Zi's expression hadn't changed.

Ye Zi glanced at her silently for a moment before asking, "How much salt did you use?"

"Huh?" Kotoe blinked, then said uncertainly, "About a spoonful, I think."

"Are you sure?" Ye Zi looked skeptical.

Kotoe thought for a moment, then nodded firmly, holding her thumb and forefinger close together. "Just a little bit shy of a full spoon."

Ye Zi frowned. "Then why is it so salty?"

Kotoe blinked again, looking sheepish. "I'm not sure. Does it taste bad?"

"It's so salty, how could it taste good?" Ye Zi sighed, but still picked up another piece of meat and ate it with his rice. He was too hungry to care.

Hearing Ye Zi say the food tasted bad made Kotoe feel a bit dejected, but seeing him continue eating made her smile again.

After a few more bites, Ye Zi noticed the salt crystals at the bottom of the dish. How much salt did she actually use?

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. He stopped eating and asked, "What kind of spoon did you use to add the salt?"

"The ladle," Kotoe answered, not realizing the problem.

"The ladle!?" Ye Zi's mind immediately conjured an image of a ladle full of salt. His face darkened as he turned back to his meal and kept eating.

She's good at mixing poisons, so she should have a good sense of measurements, right?

How can someone like Kotoe, who can create all sorts of poisons from plants, be this bad at cooking? Is she messing with me on purpose?

"Is something wrong?" Kotoe asked timidly.

"Nothing." Ye Zi buried his head in his food.

After the struggle of finishing every bite, not leaving a single grain of rice, Ye Zi set his bowl and chopsticks down. Despite having eaten everything, he felt only about two-thirds full.

Seeing that Ye Zi had finished all the food, Kotoe beamed with joy.

Ye Zi rubbed his stomach, still feeling hungry.

Noticing this, Kotoe jumped up from her chair and volunteered, "You're still hungry, right? I'll cook a bit more. I'll do better this time, I promise!"

"No, I'm full," Ye Zi quickly said, dropping his hand from his stomach.

Kotoe gave him a suspicious glance.

"Alright, go clean up and head out," Ye Zi said, despite still being hungry. He didn't want to eat another overly salty meal.

"Okay."

After a moment of hesitation, Kotoe obediently gathered the dishes and left the room.

Once she was gone, Ye Zi stood up, thinking about how to fill his stomach.

What he didn't realize was that the dark shadow weighing down on his heart had quietly disappeared.

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Currently on Chapter 312 - Provoking The Leaf Shinobi