Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

From the day I became a ninja, battle became my essence. For my nation, my village, my family, my comrades… Along this path, my hands, my entire body, have been soaked in blood that will never fade. There's no right or wrong in it, nor do I need to consider it. This is the mission.

Death… It's a term, an experience, that became routine in war and mission life.

Along a path paved with blood and corpses, I've seen countless faces with expressions etched into them at the moment before death, vivid at first, then blurring over time as new memories replaced them. Some faces have faded, while many have turned into a hazy blur. Despite their fading forms, each expression shared a common theme in the end: fear—a fear of leaving this world, a fear of dying.

I've killed countless people… it's natural that my end would come in kind.

So long as I remain a ninja, so long as I fight for my village… it's only a matter of time before that fate catches up with me.

So, this is my time, right? But I don't feel afraid. It's not because I've been numbed by seeing so many faces of dying enemies; it's because… I've already accepted it, the resolve of sacrifice and duty.

Kakashi, it seems I won't be there to see you grow up, get married, or have kids… but I hope I've fulfilled my duty as your father. Right, Kakashi?

The blurry faces of countless people I'd seen in my past split open, giving way to light, and within that light, I could see the figure of a familiar woman faintly appearing.

"It's time to find you… Just wait a little longer, only a little. Let me exhaust the last of my strength."

With a deep growl, he slashed through the roots and chains binding his body, putting everything he had left into this final strike aimed at Sasori!

From afar, Ye Zi's eyes narrowed in shock, completely unprepared for Sakumo's sudden movement.

"Sasori…"

He could only watch helplessly as it unfolded.

"How can he move… after being poisoned?!"

Faced with this final strike, Sasori didn't despair; rather, he was stunned that Sakumo could still move, and he had already begun to prepare an escape.

Sakumo's final blade struck Sasori, and a brilliant light blossomed forth, encasing Sasori's body within a glowing cocoon. Wind and lightning surged, tearing Sasori's form into countless fragments, all held within that radiant sphere.

Sakumo's final blow expended every last ounce of his energy.

For the first time since the battle began, his cold expression softened, his eyelids drooping as darkness crept into his vision. In that final moment, he saw an image of Kakashi, holding a short blade and turning with a bright, excited smile.

I've reached my end… The rest is up to you.

Boom!

The sphere of wind and lightning burst open, scattering countless tiny fragments like a shower of metal confetti across the battlefield, each one glinting as it spun through the air, like a flurry of butterflies.

Sakumo's sword arm fell limp, and his bloodied body slumped forward into the swirling fragments.

And with that, one of Konoha's great warriors: Sakumo Hatake, ended his glorious life.

At that moment, a tree root snaked up, wrapping around his legs and slowly climbing to support his body, preventing him from falling completely.

Ye Zi walked forward, catching one of the fragments in his hand, clenching it as he approached Sakumo's body.

As he stood over him, the scattering fragments fell to the ground.

"A mutual end?"

Ye Zi looked at Sakumo's closed eyes, his face conflicted. Slowly, he opened his fist and let the fragment fall to the ground.

That final strike was Sakumo's way of showing his unwavering resolve.

To protect Konoha, he went this far. Even though we stand on different sides, our resolve and efforts are the same. You… you all fight for the village, while I…

"I'm not dead yet." A voice rang out nearby.

Ye Zi's thoughts were interrupted, and he looked over to see a heavily damaged puppet staggering upright.

The puppet had lost an arm and a leg, but its torso was mostly intact. Compared to the debris of other puppets scattered around, this one was in relatively good shape.

"If I hadn't acted quickly, White Fang would have dragged me to hell with him." Sasori's voice held an unmistakable hint of fear as he manipulated his crippled puppet to hop over to Ye Zi.

Ye Zi examined the puppet, glancing at the round core inscribed with "Scorpion," and understood.

Noticing Ye Zi's look, Sasori coldly glanced at Sakumo's body. "Yes, at the last moment, my core detached just in time, or I would've been torn to pieces."

"Good that you survived. Can you still fight?" Ye Zi asked.

"No." Sasori shook his head slightly. Given his current state and chakra, he had no strength left to battle.

This meant that even in his dying moments, Sakumo managed to eliminate one of Akatsuki's strongest fighters, lightening the burden on Konoha's forces.

Sasori looked at Sakumo and said coldly, "Though it's hardly a fair victory, in the end, I've won."

Ye Zi silently observed, aware that with Sasori's nature, Sakumo's body would eventually become a human puppet.

Deep down, Ye Zi disapproved of this idea. But knowing he would likely resurrect Sakumo as an Edo Tensei to use in battle, he couldn't deny that he shared in the same hypocrisy.

"It's a pity… I can't turn him into a human puppet. The poison was supposed to paralyze him without killing him. I never thought he'd still…" With no expressions to show, Sasori's remaining puppet conveyed a complex mixture of frustration and respect.

How ironic, Sasori thought, to feel a strange admiration for the man who killed his parents… This is the line that divides puppets from humans.

"Ye Zi, I'm drained and can't assist in the battle further," Sasori said as he turned to hop over to the remains of the Third Kazekage puppet. If he could save any puppet, it would be this one, which he had worked so hard to create.

After gathering the Kazekage puppet's remnants, he found his ring, Gyoku, which had miraculously survived intact.

He turned to Ye Zi and said, "I'll find somewhere safe to restore my body now."

"Understood," Ye Zi replied with a nod.

"The rest is up to you," Sasori said, turning to leave.

Watching him go, Ye Zi asked in a strange tone, "You're not taking White Fang's body to make a puppet?"

Sasori halted, answering coldly, "After this fight, I see now that sheer numbers are meaningless. What matters is quality, and White Fang no longer has the qualities needed for a true human puppet. Even if I made him into one, it would be nothing more than an ordinary puppet."

"I don't need those anymore."

With that, Sasori departed. The memory of Sakumo so easily destroying the mass of puppets during their fight was etched deeply into his mind. He finally understood that a puppet master's strength wasn't in quantity.

From now on, he'd only craft human puppets from powerful ninja.

Ye Zi watched him leave, his gaze filled with complex emotions. Is it that he doesn't need it? Or that he doesn't want to? It doesn't matter; now, I need to go and assist the others.

As he turned toward the battlefield where his Wood Clone fought, his expression suddenly changed. In the distance, the trees were growing wildly, expanding at a frantic pace.

"Deep Forest Emergence… They used it."

...

Back in Konoha Village

On a quiet street in the residential area, five young ninjas walked side by side. Among them were Team 7's Kakashi, Obito, and Rin, and former Team 9 members Guy and Kurenai.

The five of them walked in a line toward the shopping district because Guy had just completed an S-rank mission and earned a sizable reward. He decided to treat everyone to some barbecue.

Of course, nobody would turn down free barbecue.

Obito had his hands behind his head, constantly trying to make conversation with Rin, while Kakashi walked with his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed and ignoring Obito's endless chatter.

Rin and Obito chatted, with Kurenai occasionally joining in. As for Guy, he was walking on his hands, not for training but simply because he could, keeping pace with the others.

Then, as if a powerful yet gentle hand reached toward Kakashi's back, he felt a soft push.

Walking at a steady pace, Kakashi's body suddenly tilted forward, making him take several steps ahead of the group.

His lazy expression turned to one of confusion.

Kakashi's sudden movement surprised the others, who stopped and looked at him, equally baffled.

Guy immediately flipped to his feet, landing next to Kakashi. He placed a firm hand on Kakashi's shoulder, flashing a big smile with his trademark gleaming white teeth.

"Kakashi, you're already that eager to get to the barbecue I promised? I'm so touched! Don't worry; once we're there, eat as much as you want!"

Obito pointed at Kakashi and teased, "Kakashi, I've never seen you this excited to eat before! Is it just because it's free? I didn't think you were that kind of guy."

Kakashi ignored them, his brows furrowing slightly. After a moment, he relaxed, giving Obito a sidelong glance, sighed in mild annoyance, and then slowly looked up at the sky.

A gentle breeze stirred, sweeping a few green leaves through his line of sight, their vibrant green flitting across his vision.

Seeing Kakashi's exasperated sigh, a vein popped on Obito's forehead in frustration.

Rin watched Kakashi quietly as he gazed up at the sky, a hint of worry in her eyes...

Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI

Currently on Chapter 377 - Exploring the Lightning Release