Note: Ye Zi's Thunder Fang alias will now be called Raiga (the japanese version of that), his blade is called Raiga too to match his alias as readers are already aware.
Iwagakure, located within steep mountains, is easy to defend and hard to attack, making it difficult for ordinary people to enter.
Ye Zi took the scroll containing the infiltration route and the location of the intelligence from Danzo's hand and got ready to set off, not through the main gate but through a secret passage used only by Root members to leave Konoha.
After walking some distance from the village, he turned back and silently gazed at a hidden corner of the village's walls. Stepping out here might mean a true departure—one without any lingering attachment.
Konoha had been an essential foundation for him since coming to this world, but it had never given him a sense of belonging, thanks to various experiences and impressions.
"Let's hope this isn't the last time."
He murmured quietly, his voice hovering over the dim grassland. Slowly, Ye Zi withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.
First, he had to ensure his safety while completing the mission. If it became impossible, he would abandon the task altogether. Afterward, he would have to decide whether to defect or return to Konoha and face the consequences of mission failure.
If possible, he didn't want to leave Konoha so soon, as he still needed to find an opportunity to obtain Konoha's forbidden scrolls.
What he didn't know was that one of the bargaining chips in the deal between Danzo and Orochimaru was to explore the forbidden scrolls. Danzo didn't even think Ye Zi was qualified to negotiate. To Danzo, Ye Zi was merely a tool, a sharp sword at best.
Thinking back, had Danzo not found Ye Zi useful, he would have had Ye Zi killed on the village road long ago.
But it was undeniable that over the years, Ye Zi had done too much for Konoha.
As the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi still had control over the village. When Ye Zi left Konoha through the secret passage as a Root member, Hiruzen immediately knew.
(Thunder Fang) Raiga...
This identity, barely known on the surface, was infamous in Root and the Anbu. His 100% mission completion rate alone was enough to astonish many, let alone the number of missions and the proportion of S-rank ones.
To the many Anbu members who walked in the shadows, skirting the edge of life and death, Raiga was either a terrifying junior or a fearsome senior.
No one could match his dazzling mission record. If it weren't for Ye Zi's unique physical condition, he would have crossed the threshold of death many times over.
Besides the identity of Raiga, Ye Zi was also a Konoha elite jonin. As a team leader, he had once mentored Ninashi and Kōri, who were now rising stars of the Uchiha clan. Currently, he was leading the Ninth Squad.
Living a dual life in both light and shadow was something Hiruzen and Danzo both acknowledged. In a way, Ye Zi's contributions to Konoha were comparable to the Sannin and White Fang. Like White Fang, Ye Zi was a mission efficiency expert, and in terms of age, Ye Zi surpassed him.
Despite being such a rare talent, he had suffered from unfair treatment from the village.
Hiruzen stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the scenery outside, his brow deeply furrowed.
"It's always been unfair."
He spoke to himself, to the two people sitting on the sofa, and to Danzo, who was retreating into the shadows.
"He's ultimately an outsider," Mitokado Homura said flatly, hitting the nail on the head. Koharu Utatane remained silent, but her expression conveyed agreement.
An outsider—this was the final verdict.
Konoha's Little White Fang, Root's Raiga—no matter how much he contributed, it wouldn't change the fact that he was an outsider.
An orphan brought back by Orochimaru from the war-torn Land of Rain, he may have been young then, but in the context of wartime, his values were already established.
Even though Ye Zi had once been harshly interrogated by the intelligence division, it didn't change his status. He was still an outsider, an orphan from the Land of Rain, a small country caught between several great nations.
Did he have family? How did they die? Which ninja village killed them? Perhaps it was Konoha?
Many questions were left unanswered. The interrogation at the time didn't yield much information—was it because he was too young? That wasn't an acceptable reason.
"Does an insignificant identity justify ignoring all his contributions over the years?" Hiruzen's brow remained furrowed. That year, Orochimaru had brought back a scrawny child, saying he would become a towering tree in the future. Now, Ye Zi had indeed grown into a towering tree, one that helped protect Konoha.
Watching Ye Zi grow step by step, even teetering on the brink of death multiple times, Hiruzen had long regarded him as an indispensable part of Konoha. However, others didn't share the same view, so despite his objections, he had no choice but to compromise.
"Of course not. We just need to suppress his fame. Konoha already has plenty of standout talents," Homura said calmly. Both he and Koharu had made a decision that differed from Hiruzen's view, and it aligned with Danzo's. So even though Hiruzen had reservations, he couldn't shield Ye Zi.
Indeed, Konoha's current core strength was formidable: the Sannin, who made a name for themselves during the Second Ninja War; the unpredictable Kato Dan; Konoha's White Fang, whose skill rivaled the Sannin; the new rising stars like Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina; Ye Zi; and the numerous new elite jonin, especially from the Uchiha clan.
In such a situation, there were enough people to create the hero effect. Therefore, someone like Ye Zi, an outsider, needed to have his fame suppressed.
Hiruzen understood Homura and Koharu's thinking but strongly disagreed with it. It reminded him of the rumors that followed White Fang's failed mission, which still filled him with resentment.
"I'm worried that something we don't want to happen might come to pass," Hiruzen sighed. It seemed he was truly growing old. It was time to consider the next Hokage. He had hoped Jiraiya would take the position soon, but Jiraiya wasn't interested in becoming Hokage and constantly pushed for Minato instead. And to be honest, Minato was indeed well-suited to be Hokage, though his age and experience were still lacking. Kato Dan was the first choice for the role.
Feeling the weight of age, Hiruzen realized he urgently needed someone to succeed him as the next Hokage. Kato Dan, with his exceptional abilities and his relationship with Tsunade, even potentially becoming her fiancé, seemed like a very fitting candidate. However, Jiraiya, for personal reasons—likely his feelings for Tsunade, who was now with Dan—strongly advocated for Minato, even going out of his way to pave the path for him. This was the only reason Hiruzen hadn't made a decision yet, giving Minato time to build up his qualifications.
Homura and Koharu, sensing Hiruzen's desire to step down, exchanged a glance. Homura reassured him, "Ye Zi is indeed outstanding, but he hasn't reached the level where special attention is necessary. Even if the scenario you fear occurs, with the current strength of the village, he won't be able to cause much of a stir."
At this point, Hiruzen didn't want to continue the discussion. It was impossible to change people's minds when they were already set in their beliefs.
Ultimately, in Homura and Koharu's eyes, Ye Zi's identity was like a thorn that couldn't be removed. Because of this, even if Ye Zi were far more exceptional than Minato, no matter how much he contributed to Konoha, he would never reach the level of Hokage, nor would he ever stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hokage.
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Currently on Chapter 182 - Minato's Brush with Death