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Venturing alone deep into the heart of Iwagakure was already a situation of near-certain death, not to mention the task of stealing Iwagakure's classified information. Such a mission was inherently unreasonable, but here in the Root, no matter how unreasonable it seemed, it would be deemed rational.
Orochimaru didn't linger on the topic. He likely had a certain understanding of Ye Zi, knowing that such missions often ended in failure.
That said, since joining the Root, Ye Zi had never failed a mission. His high efficiency in completing missions rivaled that of Konoha's White Fang. Even White Fang had failed at times.
A talent like him would be cherished in any village, yet here he was being treated this way.
Orochimaru believed that Ye Zi could grow into a towering tree—yes, he had that potential. But perhaps this towering tree would not remain in Konoha.
It seemed that Orochimaru had an inkling. Looking at Ye Zi, he calmly said, "Don't die."
This was a phrase he had seemingly told Ye Zi many times before.
Ye Zi nodded slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Of course, I won't die that easily."
Orochimaru let out a hoarse, cold chuckle and bent down to continue tidying up.
"I'm leaving." Ye Zi bid him farewell and was ready to depart.
Orochimaru didn't respond.
Ye Zi didn't mind and left the laboratory without further ado.
Tomorrow, he would depart for the Land of Earth, and he didn't know how long he'd be gone. Therefore, he needed to say goodbye to a few people.
He found Kotoe and Kurenai, who were sparring in the training field.
Kotoe wasn't using her specialty, senbon, and was instead sparring directly with Kurenai using taijutsu. Surprisingly, their match was lively, clearly because Kotoe was deliberately controlling her strength. Otherwise, with Kurenai's physical condition, she would have been overwhelmed after a few exchanges.
Ye Zi watched from the side. In just a few days, Kurenai's taijutsu had significantly improved, a good trend. It seemed pairing her with Kotoe for sparring had been the right choice.
After nearly a hundred exchanges, Kotoe found an opening and subdued Kurenai, marking the end of the sparring session.
"Whew," Kurenai groaned, shaking her sore arms in frustration. Her breathing was labored from the physical exertion, whereas Kotoe's breathing remained calm and even, highlighting the difference in stamina between the two.
"Ye Zi."
Kotoe noticed Ye Zi, her eyes lighting up as she walked over quickly.
Kurenai, hearing Kotoe's voice, looked up and couldn't help but pout.
Ye Zi looked at Kotoe and said, "I'll be leaving for a while starting tomorrow."
Kotoe paused and asked, "By yourself? Isn't there only two days left of your vacation?"
Kurenai, who had walked over, stood quietly nearby, listening.
"There's an important matter, a mission for the Ninth Squad. The Third Hokage will arrange things afterward, and you may need to lead the team," Ye Zi couldn't explain to her exactly what he was going to do.
"I understand." Kotoe nodded.
Ye Zi suddenly looked at Kurenai, whose brow furrowed, and she instinctively averted her gaze, saying irritably, "What are you looking at?"
Ye Zi immediately looked away and turned back to Kotonoha.
Feeling ignored, Kurenai's anger flared up but quickly dissipated with a low snort.
"While I'm gone, take care of them," Ye Zi said flatly.
Kotoe's eyes showed a flicker of surprise, but she nodded, saying, "You can count on me."
"I'm counting on you." Ye Zi turned and left.
Kotoe watched him go, sighing softly.
Because of that final request, Kurenai's earlier anger faded as quickly as it had come.
"Sometimes I really envy you guys," Kotoe suddenly said.
"Huh?" Kurenai looked at Kotoe, puzzled.
Kotoe smiled at Kurenai and then changed the subject, "Shall we continue?"
Kurenai rubbed her still-sore arms and nodded firmly.
She needed to get stronger—she needed to change the way that jerk saw her.
...
After leaving the training field, Ye Zi thought for a moment and decided to say goodbye to many people he knew. Not for any particular reason, just because there was a lingering thought in his heart: he might leave Konoha for good. Before that happened, it would be better to say his farewells. It might even be his final goodbye.
He first bid farewell to Dan, then to Minato, and finally to Ninashi and Kōri Uchiha, who had become prominent members of the Uchiha clan.
After making his rounds, he finally went to the village's medical department.
With Tsunade's strong advocacy, medical ninjas had found their place, and Konoha had invested considerable resources in this area. The white-themed building was not small, serving as both a hospital and the medical department.
Ye Zi entered the hospital, stated his purpose, and was led to Tsunade's private room.
Seeing Ye Zi, both Tsunade and Kushina were surprised—this was probably Ye Zi's first time here.
"What's the matter?" Like Orochimaru, Tsunade didn't like being disturbed when focused on something, so her tone was somewhat harsh.
Sensing the tone, Kushina gave Ye Zi an apologetic glance.
Ye Zi didn't mind and directly stated his purpose.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, annoyed, "You've been out on missions before, why didn't you say goodbye then?"
Though Ye Zi didn't specify it was a mission, Tsunade had guessed as much.
Ye Zi found Tsunade's complaint rather unexpected; it didn't align with the image he had of her.
Tsunade didn't think much of Ye Zi's special visit, but Kushina sensed something was off—something didn't add up.
Why would Ye Zi inform her before leaving for a mission?
This feeling...
Perhaps it was a girl's tendency to overthink, but Kushina couldn't help but think of the possibility that Ye Zi was saying farewell—not just for a mission, but to leave for good.
Kushina's expression suddenly turned anxious. She pleaded with Tsunade, "Sensei, may I leave for a moment?"
Tsunade gave her a look, then reluctantly nodded, "Don't be too long."
"Got it." Kushina smiled, walked past Tsunade, grabbed Ye Zi's hand, and dragged him out of the room.
Tsunade watched them leave and sighed, "Ah, youth... wait, that sounds like something the old man would say! I'm still young!"
...
Ye Zi let Kushina lead him without resisting.
In the hospital, many people who saw this scene were wide-eyed. It seemed some medical ninjas even heard their hearts breaking.
Why... why would Kushina be so close to that monster?
Kushina ignored the stares and led Ye Zi up to the rooftop.
"Are you leaving the village?" Kushina stared intently at Ye Zi, confident he understood what she meant.
Ye Zi hadn't expected Kushina to ask such a question and responded only with silence.
"Answer me," Kushina's voice trembled slightly.
Ye Zi quietly pulled his hand away and explained, "I'm going on a mission outside the village. It's dangerous, and I might not come back."
"Take me with you," Kushina blurted out without thinking.
Ye Zi's expression instantly turned strange. His gaze at Kushina slowly shifted to one of disbelief, as if he were looking at an idiot.
Kushina quickly realized how foolish her words sounded, her face reddening with embarrassment.
"I-I didn't mean it," she turned away, avoiding Ye Zi's gaze, wishing she could dig a hole and hide.
"Yeah," Ye Zi rubbed his eyelid.
"Ye Zi... earlier you mentioned your dream was to find a way to return—what did you mean by that?"
Perhaps in an attempt to change the subject, Kushina suddenly remembered this, blurting it out.
Ye Zi's eyes flickered, and a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Kid, how many times do I have to tell you? That girl has vast energy within her. If you devour her, you might gain enough power to open the portal. Even if the energy isn't enough, it will make you stronger. Stop hesitating, trust me," Shokui's voice dripped with greed.
Ye Zi ignored Shokui and looked at Kushina's back, calmly saying, "Someday, you'll know. And when that day comes, maybe..."
Ye Zi paused and didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear.
Kushina spun around suddenly, but the space before her was empty.
"Jerk, can't you ever finish your sentences properly?"
Kushina clenched her fists tightly, her eyes practically burning with frustration.
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Currently on Chapter 182 - Minato's Brush with Death