He still remembered that time they wiped out the bandits, as if it were just yesterday. It was a night filled with rain and darkness, blood and corpses. Along the way, many souls had fallen by his blade. Having seen so much death, he had become numb to it.
Death seemed simple, life seemed fragile, but he was still alive.
After putting down the dumbbell, losing all interest in continuing, Ye Zi went back to his room to rest.
The next morning, Orochimaru had already left, though Ye Zi didn't know exactly when. Most likely, Orochimaru was already in the research lab at the Foundation (Root) by now.
Looking at the empty house, Ye Zi couldn't be bothered to make breakfast for himself and decided to go out to eat instead.
At that moment, an unfamiliar presence suddenly appeared.
Ye Zi remained calm and looked toward the source of the presence.
A figure materialized in front of him, kneeling on one knee with a fist resting on the ground. The person's head was slightly lowered. Dressed in a tight black outfit, the figure's body revealed enticing curves, making it clear that she was a woman.
"The leader requests your presence at one o'clock this afternoon," she said in a slightly raspy but magnetic voice from behind her mask.
"Alright," Ye Zi nodded slightly.
The masked woman nodded in return and disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
Ye Zi stayed in place for a while, then decided to head to where Guy usually trained, at a secluded training ground near the mountains.
"Teacher Ye Zi!" Guy exclaimed excitedly when he saw Ye Zi arrive, his eyes drawn to the basket Ye Zi was carrying.
Ye Zi gestured with his hand and casually sat down on the ground, placing the basket beside him.
Guy ran over energetically and plopped down in front of Ye Zi, grinning, "What delicious food did you bring me?"
"Do you eat anything other than meat?" Ye Zi asked with a faint smile.
Guy scratched his head in embarrassment and reached into the basket. The enticing smell of meat wafted out, causing his mouth to water.
"Don't mind if I do!" Guy exclaimed, grabbing a drumstick and biting into it eagerly.
As he watched Guy's messy eating, Ye Zi was reminded of his younger self.
No one knew just how much effort it took to escape from that place.
No one knew just how hard one had to work to finally eat something they considered the best food ever.
He still remembered the first time he ate a drumstick. Like a starving child, he and his sister devoured it without any manners, utterly satisfied.
"Teacher Ye Zi, aren't you eating?" Guy asked after devouring several drumsticks, noticing Ye Zi hadn't eaten.
"I've already eaten. I brought this for you," Ye Zi replied, shaking his head.
Guy smiled before diving back into his meal of drumsticks.
Ye Zi shifted his focus away from the past and began thinking about Danzo's summons.
The incident in the Land of Rain had likely become a thorn stuck in Danzo's throat—one that wouldn't be removed until dealt with.
Ye Zi had already mentally prepared himself for this. So, he speculated that the reason for the summons might be to send him on a mission, and it was unlikely to be a good one. However, he wasn't too concerned. At any time, he could leave the village if necessary. But for now, he had no intention of leaving before obtaining the village's forbidden scrolls.
In any case, he could only wait until one o'clock to see what Danzo wanted. If it was to assign him a near-suicidal mission, then Ye Zi would have to seriously consider leaving Konoha.
"There's also the issue with my body..." Ye Zi furrowed his brow slightly, knowing full well the problems with his own body. Over the years, the number of white hairs had surpassed the black ones. Although he hadn't shown signs of premature aging yet, it was only a matter of time if things continued as they were.
"I must resolve this physical issue first."
Orochimaru had mentioned addressing it within the next few days. But could he wait that long?
If Danzo's summons were to send him on an immediate mission, he would have one more reason to stay in Konoha—for the technology in Orochimaru's hands that could help him.
Ye Zi rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. It seemed like he was once again on a path where he had no control over his own destiny.
"Teacher Ye Zi, what are you thinking about?" Guy asked after finishing the last of the drumsticks.
"Nothing. I might be leaving for a few days, so keep up with your training. If you think you can increase the intensity, go ahead and do so," Ye Zi replied, glancing at the pile of bones on the ground.
Guy nodded vigorously, indicating he understood.
Ye Zi stood up and tossed his wallet to Guy.
Catching the wallet, Guy looked puzzled.
"Keep it," Ye Zi said.
Guy held the wallet for a moment before breaking into a big smile, saying, "Thank you, Teacher Ye Zi."
Ye Zi waved a hand as he walked away.
Watching his teacher's departing figure, Guy tightly gripped the wallet, then silently resumed his training.
After leaving the training ground, Ye Zi, seeing that it was still early, decided to stop by the Foundation's archives to kill time by browsing through some obscure scrolls.
He had already read most of the scrolls there. With his exceptional memory, he could recall most of what he had read, so there was little chance of forgetting anything. It was here that he had learned many different elemental jutsu. However, after a while, he changed his mindset, realizing that having too many jutsu was useless. Mastering a few powerful ones to perfection was more important.
For that reason, he rarely visited the archives anymore. But today, he felt the urge to return.
The Foundation primarily trained its members through hands-on experience, so the archives were rarely visited, making it very quiet.
Lighting a candle, Ye Zi sat in a corner, quietly reading scrolls until the appointed time neared.
At the same dark cross-shaped bridge as before, Danzo stood in the center, leaning on his cane. Upon sensing Ye Zi's arrival, he lifted his head slightly, his single eye calmly gazing toward the entrance where Ye Zi stood.
"There's a mission I need you to carry out," Danzo said, looking at Ye Zi's calm expression.
"What kind of mission?" Ye Zi replied.
Danzo spoke coolly, "Infiltrate Iwagakure and steal their defense maps and supply route plans."
Ye Zi's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. As he had expected, this mission was one with a high failure and death rate.
Iwagakure's location was a natural fortress in itself. Getting inside was already a major challenge. Defense maps and supply routes were critical information, no doubt heavily guarded. If he failed to steal them or got caught, escaping from such terrain, where Iwagakure shinobi had a natural advantage, would be nearly impossible.
This mission was far more difficult than anything he had faced before.
"How many people are going?" Knowing the rules of the Foundation all too well, Ye Zi didn't bother to argue about how absurd the mission was and instead asked how many would accompany him.
"One person," Danzo replied in a calm, indifferent tone.
One person?
Ye Zi instinctively lowered his head slightly, hiding the coldness in his eyes.
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Currently on Chapter 179 - Minato vs Iwagakure