Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Through storm and waves, Ye Zi and his two companions reached the central island of the Land of Water. After a brief four-hour rest, they lay in ambush along the Mizukage's route.

Hidden in the trees, the three of them silently watched the direction from which their target would come.

"This time, we have to make it count."

This was the shared resolve of Kotoe and Shin. Their plan was straightforward: Kotoe and Shin would distract the secondary targets, giving Ye Zi the opportunity to capture the main one.

At Kirigakure, the morning mist had lifted, revealing the village's buildings, sunlight dispelling the lingering dampness. At the main gate, a group of shinobi stood ready to escort the Mizukage, Yagura, on his journey.

"Wishing you a safe journey." The heavily tattooed shinobi, Shiton, stood at the gate, flanked by about a dozen shinobi in Kirigakure attire.

The Mizukage, carrying his peculiar staff-like weapon, nodded slightly. "I'll be back with good news soon. Until then, I leave the village in your hands."

This mission to meet the daimyō was crucial, and though it might present an opportunity for rebels to act, Yagura had confidence in the defenses left behind.

"Yes, sir!" the shinobi around him replied in unison.

Yagura glanced at his ten Anbu bodyguards, each distinct in stature but unified in their attire and masks. Even with the masks, certain features revealed their identities: Mei Terumi, with her tied-back hair and subtle curves; Ao, with his distinctive hair; and Kisame Hoshigaki, with his own unique look.

These shinobi had been handpicked by Shiton to ensure maximum protection.

"All right, let's move out."

With that, Yagura began the journey, the Anbu parting to allow him through. Mei Terumi, from behind her mask, cast a glance of admiration. She dreamed of becoming Kirigakure's first female Mizukage one day.

Kisame followed silently, his face expressionless behind his mask, while Ao briefly touched the eye covered by his eyepatch. "With this eye, I'll guide Mizukage-sama down the right path," he muttered.

Driven by a shared loyalty to the village, the group moved forward, leaping through the trees toward the daimyō's residence. The journey required them to cross a lake and then pass through a dense forest.

Given this, Ye Zi chose the forest as their ambush point. They couldn't afford to risk an attack on open ground, so the forest was their best chance.

With limited information on the escort team's size, assigning Kotoe and Shin to handle the distractions was a risk, but Ye Zi had no other option.

This was his second attempt to capture a jinchūriki, and he knew the Fourth Mizukage could control the Tailed Beast within him, making him a formidable opponent. The addition of guards would only complicate things.

Ye Zi looked to the sky and, estimating their speed, judged that it was almost time. He extended his sensing range.

If the enemy had a sensor as well, then hiding was pointless. With his sensory skills, he could determine the exact number of enemies.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Eleven… which means Kotoe and Shin will have to handle ten shinobi on their own. I'll rely on them to keep the guards occupied."

He signaled to Kotoe and Shin, conveying the number of enemies, to which they responded in acknowledgment.

"Ten shinobi… so five each," Kotoe murmured, her expression serious. Using her newly developed Wood Release techniques, she hoped she could at least hold them off.

"I can do this," Shin muttered, clenching his fists. With his Sharingan, he was determined to support Ye Zi's plan. He placed a hand over his eyes, thinking, "I won't bring shame to these eyes again."

The three of them waited in tense silence.

Meanwhile, Yagura's group, leaping through the trees, was closing in on the ambush.

"There's something ahead," said Ao, their sensor, immediately alerting the group.

Upon his warning, the team quickly assumed a defensive formation, aligning themselves in positions to protect the Mizukage.

"An ambush?" Yagura asked, his expression calm. With the recent unrest in the village, he was not surprised.

"Yes," Ao confirmed, removing his mask. He was unaccustomed to it, especially now that he relied on his special eye. The mask only hindered his vision.

Taking off the mask revealed Ao's face and the black eyepatch covering his transplanted Byakugan. Upon activating it, the area around his eye pulsed, much like when the Hyuga Clan used their Byakugan.

"There are three of them, 800 meters ahead. One at twelve o'clock, one at nine, and one at three," Ao reported.

After a closer look, Ao frowned. "One of them has an enormous amount of chakra—be cautious."

"Hm?" Initially thinking the ambushers were rogue shinobi from Kirigakure, Yagura was now less certain.

Ye Zi, realizing they had been detected, decided there was no point in staying hidden.

"We've been spotted. Let's go," he called out, stepping from his hiding spot.

Kotoe and Shin followed suit.

The two groups stood at a distance of 800 meters, facing off in tense silence until Ye Zi made the first move forward.

The three closed the gap by leaping through the trees.

As the Mizukage's team saw their attackers approaching, Yagura readied his weapon—a strange staff with a hooked end and green floral decorations.

The other Anbu members, each wielding their preferred weapons, prepared for the fight ahead.

With Ao's sensory skills on their side, the ambush had lost much of its advantage. Both sides, now fully aware of each other, advanced for the inevitable clash.

"Konoha's rogue ninja, Ye Zi!"

Recognizing the lead attacker, Yagura's expression grew serious.

Ye Zi also took in Yagura's presence, along with his nine masked Anbu guards and the unmasked Ao.

"So that's a Byakugan," Ye Zi muttered, easily recognizing Ao's eye.

"Ye Zi! You killed Fuguki Suikazan and took Samehada, didn't you?" Yagura asked, his voice impassive. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were symbols of Kirigakure's strength, and he intended to rebuild their ranks.

Drawing his sword, Chijin, Ye Zi replied coolly, "Who knows?"

Samehada was the living sword, but it had already been devoured by Shokui, absorbed into his power. Shokui hadn't gained that much benefits from it, maybe if Shokui hadn't begun adapting to chakra earlier it might of yielded larger benefits.

Kotoe readied her green senbon, and Shin held his spear-like weapon, Eihō.

The fight was about to ignite.

How they divided the battle would determine the mission's success.

....

At the same time…

In one of the main passageways leading to Sunagakure, bodies lay scattered on the ground.

"Zetsu's intel isn't always reliable, he had us waiting here forever," grumbled Kakuzu, stepping over corpses as he and Kyuuroku advanced.

According to the intel, Chiyo and Ebizō were supposed to have left the village the previous day, but for some unknown reason, they'd been delayed. Now, Kakuzu and Kyuuroku were finally making their move.

With help from a contact Sasori had placed within the village, they passed through one of Sunagakure's defenses with ease.

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Currently on Chapter 319 - Ye Zi vs Sakumo Hatake