As Ye Zi's name spread, it brought more trouble than benefits. Even the black market had started issuing bounty missions for him.
Each ninja village was working diligently to improve their information on Ye Zi. Within Konoha, many Jonin were unaware of Ye Zi's other identity in Root—Lightning Fang (Raiga).
However, the other ninja villages had obtained this information. Considering Ye Zi's dual identities and his terrifying speed in completing many high-difficulty missions, their wariness towards him reached unprecedented heights.
Konoha had its legendary Three Sannin, and the fearsome White Fang. Now, it had a Little White Fang as well, which seemed almost inhuman.
They couldn't touch Konoha's White Fang, but perhaps the Little White Fang could be dealt with sooner rather than later?
Thus, the black market began offering bounties on Ye Zi. The hidden orders from various ninja villages now included: if you encounter the young White Fang, eliminate him at any cost.
Of course, Ye Zi himself was unaware of this. He continued his routine of resting only four hours a day, with the rest of his time devoted to training and completing missions, like a tireless machine.
Danzo was very pleased with this.
The higher-ups in Konoha were also very pleased.
Although Ye Zi did not have the same fame as the Three Ninjas or the White Fang, he created value comparable to theirs. Such talent was universally appreciated, so they had no intention of clarifying any misunderstandings about him.
A man-eating monster?
That would make a great rumor.
They wouldn't suppress, clarify, or even fan the flames; they simply needed the existence of this rumor.
Ye Zi's sole focus was to return to Earth. He paid no attention to these matters. Otherwise, an ordinary person under such pressure would surely rebel.
Orochimaru's research was progressing rapidly. Danzo couldn't leave everything to Orochimaru alone as he wouldn't be at ease. Thus, Nanako also became part of the research team, and Ye Zi's unique physique was included as a research topic.
They discovered that Ye Zi's physical traits were strikingly similar to the First Hokage's cellular characteristics. Based on this, Nanako was very enthusiastic. She even approached Ye Zi directly, wanting to take some of his cells for research to see if they matched with those of the First Hokage.
Despite his aversion to the request, Ye Zi agreed.
Nanako left joyfully with Ye Zi's blood sample. Her main reason for joining the research team was not just to monitor Orochimaru for Danzo, but to assist Ye Zi. She wanted to understand Ye Zi's physical traits and research ways to maximize them, even eliminating side effects. This was her goal in joining the research team.
Danzo was unaware of Nanako's true intentions. As she was part of the family system, he trusted her, not realizing that she was more inclined towards Ye Zi than her own family.
Sometimes, in that fleeting second of first meeting, some things are destined. It wasn't quite love at first sight, but there were deep reasons.
That youth suddenly appeared in her view and became unforgettable. On the eve of the war, the resolute voice under the moonlight was not a joke; it was a very serious declaration.
She wanted to help him, and thus, her entire future was dedicated to assisting him.
Ye Zi's gaze was always fixed on the distant horizon, leaving him no time to notice anything else.
As a result, he was unaware of Nanako's true feelings and remained skeptical, maintaining a cold attitude towards her.
This year, Konoha had just ended its war with the Rock Ninja Village, while other ninja villages began to plunder and annex resources from surrounding small nations.
Rejuvenation was only temporary. Once the factions were clearly defined, everyone wanted to grow stronger. Plundering and annexing resources from neighboring countries was just the first step. After the Second Great Ninja War, the Third Great Ninja War was inevitable.
No matter the reason, a great war was only a matter of time and required no justification.
Konoha, located in the most fertile region, didn't need to annex neighboring small countries like other ninja villages. However, being in the center, it was surrounded by enemies on all sides. Therefore, Konoha needed to strengthen its village as quickly as possible.
After Ye Zi completed an S-rank mission that took nearly a month, he returned home and encountered Orochimaru, which was rare.
This task was particularly challenging and time-consuming, as it involved destroying a stronghold rather than assassinating a target. Lacking large-scale destructive power, it took him almost a month to clear the entire stronghold.
After completing the mission, he realized the potential of summoning beasts. Since he happened to meet Orochimaru at home that day, he brought up the request.
Orochimaru pondered for a moment. In a sense, Ye Zi was not his direct student but exceeded the expectations of one. So, allowing Ye Zi to sign a contract was not a problem for him.
"You can search for a summoning beast that suits you. Alternatively, you can contract with the Ten Thousand Snakes, but the snake clan may not be suitable for you. If you are determined to sign a contract, I will not stop you."
Ye Zi had some knowledge about summoning beasts but had never been introduced to them in-depth. He looked at Orochimaru and asked, "Where should I search for a summoning beast?"
Orochimaru replied, "Besides the traditional method, there's also a more adventurous approach known as Reverse Summoning Technique."
"Reverse Summoning Technique?" Ye Zi raised an eyebrow.
"Reverse Summoning Technique is an inverse technique. While summoning technique calls forth contracted summoning beasts, Reverse Summoning Technique teleports you to the world of the summoning beasts. Until a contract is signed, no one knows where you will be summoned, so it carries certain risks."
Ye Zi's eyes wavered. Though he knew about summoning techniques, he had no idea that it was possible to be summoned into the world of summoning beasts. What kind of principle was this? Was it related to time and space?
Ye Zi pondered in silence.
Orochimaru remained quiet as well. He bit his finger, summoning a bundle of scrolls, and said, "This is a contract scroll for the Dragon Cave clan. You can either sign a contract with them or use Reverse Summoning Technique to find a suitable summoning beast in an unknown place. The choice is yours."
Even though Ye Zi was not Orochimaru's direct disciple, the outside world generally considered him as such, and Orochimaru had never denied this.
Perhaps, since the young boy moved into his home, the usually cold residence had experienced subtle changes. This was the first change since the loss of his parents, and Orochimaru didn't mind it.
Ye Zi looked at the scroll, hesitated, and thought that while he had seen the Ten Thousand Snakes, other summoning beasts in their clan were probably not inferior. However, he was curious about the world of summoning beasts, as it involved space-time techniques.
"I want to see it first," he said to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru nodded slightly and put away the scroll.
"Follow me."
With that, he turned and walked away...
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