Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

Konoha – Root.

A cross-shaped bridge extended into the darkness, the void below pitch black.

Danzō stood at the center of the bridge, as he always did.

Before him, three ninjas wearing ANBU masks knelt, their low postures revealing no hint of gender.

In Danzō's hand was the final intelligence transmitted by Ryō, it was a small piece of paper.

The paper was no larger than a palm, but it contained a surprising amount of information.

"The Five-Tails Jinchūriki… Gathering Tailed Beasts… What exactly is Amegakure's goal? To seal Tailed Beasts into humans and create Jinchūriki requires extensive knowledge and advanced techniques. Amegakure shouldn't have that capability yet."

"Then… does this have something to do with the one possessing the Rinnegan? The Tailed Beasts and the Rinnegan, there must be a connection between the two. But the intel remains insufficient…"

"We can't afford to wait any longer."

Danzō's single, narrow eye gazed into the empty darkness, as though searching for a hidden glimmer of light.

The method to control Wood Release might lie within the stronghold and Orochimaru's involvement couldn't be ignored either.

"Have Squads One, Four, and Five prepare. Their mission is to pinpoint the exact location of the stronghold and launch an attack. Ensure Ye Zi is not in the base when you strike. Retrieve all documents, nothing must be left behind."

Danzō looked down at his subordinates.

"Understood." The three Root members took the order and disappeared.

As he watched them leave, a dangerous glint flashed in Danzō's eye.

Regardless of Amegakure's purpose, he would obtain the method to control Wood Release first.

From start to finish, Danzō felt no regret over losing Ryō, despite the considerable effort he had spent recruiting him.

For Danzō, a ninja's value was determined by their death. How they died proved their worth, and Ryō had demonstrated his.

Danzō had no regrets, Ryō's death was meaningful.

Now, he sent out his squads, unaware that Ye Zi had already prepared a trap for him at the old base.

At the old base, Ye Zi had set up numerous traps. While most of them might not be effective against Root members, the final trap was the real key.

Once the enemy ventured deep enough into the stronghold and triggered the trap, Ye Zi's modifications would cause the main support points to collapse, bringing the entire structure down and burying everyone alive.

Uncertain of the plan's success, Ye Zi left the traps in place before departing the Land of Earth and returning to the new stronghold in the Land of Stone.

Thanks to everyone's collective effort, the new stronghold was quickly completed. It now featured proper training rooms and living quarters, and Nanako's lab was also fully set up.

With all equipment transferred intact and research materials carefully organized, Nanako began preparations for her experiment to transplant the Byakugan.

The clones were numerous, but with only three Byakugan available, the experiment had to ensure the eyes were not damaged.

Leaving this matter to Nanako, Ye Zi learned through White Zetsu about Orochimaru's current whereabouts and contemplated whether to go meet him immediately.

Since the new stronghold was already operational, there was no point in staying. With this in mind, Ye Zi decided to depart the next day to seek out Orochimaru.

Before leaving, he wanted Kotoe and Shin to sign a contract with Ryūchi Cave, ensuring easier communication in the future.

Ye Zi summoned Kotoe and Shin, producing the ancient contract scroll for Ryūchi Cave.

Seeing the aged scroll in Ye Zi's hands, both Kotoe and Shin's eyes lit up with excitement.

Ye Zi unrolled the scroll and explained the contract-signing process. After listening carefully, both of them bit their fingers, staining the tips with blood before pressing their prints into the blank spaces on the scroll and writing down their names.

The Summoning Contract was successfully signed.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. You two will stay here and focus on training the children," Ye Zi said as he stored the scroll away.

"Huh?" Kotoe looked stunned and immediately protested, "Can't I come with you?"

"No." Ye Zi shook his head firmly.

Kotoe's expression turned to one of disappointment.

Ye Zi added coldly, "Use this time to improve the children's combat experience as much as possible."

Rather than taking Kotoe and Shin along, it was more practical to leave them behind to train the children. With the summoning beasts now available, they could stay in constant contact if necessary.

Though reluctant, Kotoe had no choice but to accept.

Shin, on the other hand, was unbothered. Staying in the base meant he could not only teach the children but also focus on improving his own strength.

After issuing all necessary instructions, Ye Zi left the base to search for Orochimaru.

According to White Zetsu's intel, Orochimaru was currently wandering in the Land of Lightning, though his purpose there remained unknown.

At the same time…

Jiraiya and Tsunade traveled together, wandering aimlessly across the various countries.

Under Jiraiya's guidance, Minato surpassed him in mastering Sage Mode. During his training at Mount Myōboku, Minato achieved perfect Sage Mode without needing the help of the Two Great Toad Sages, unlike Jiraiya.

This once again made Jiraiya marvel at Minato's talent. As the saying goes, "Comparison only makes you miserable."

Jiraiya had spent considerable time to achieve even a rough mastery of Sage Mode, yet Minato had achieved it perfectly in a much shorter time. Even Fukasaku was amazed at this accomplishment.

Everything Jiraiya could entrust to Minato had been passed on, and everything Tsunade needed to pass on to Kushina was also thoroughly completed.

Thus, Jiraiya accompanied Tsunade as she left Konoha with the goal of finding Ye Zi and avenging Dan Katō.

The two of them had already been traveling for some time.

With Jiraiya by her side, Tsunade didn't bring Shizune along as a burden, leaving her in the village to train under Kushina.

Lacking reliable intelligence support and a clear direction, the two would stop for extended periods at various locations. While searching for Ye Zi, Jiraiya also hadn't given up on finding Orochimaru.

Nightfall.

A campfire crackled within the forest.

Tsunade and Jiraiya sat on a fallen, decaying log, silently staring at the fire.

So far, they had found nothing, no traces of Orochimaru, and certainly no clues about Ye Zi's whereabouts.

"Ribbit!"

The quiet forest was suddenly broken by the sound of a frog's croak.

Turning toward the source of the sound, it wasn't a frog but a small yellow toad, holding a tiny scroll in its mouth.

"Hmm? It might be a message from Minato."

Jiraiya extended his hand, and the little toad hopped over, tossed the scroll to Jiraiya, and then leapt away.

Tsunade's gaze shifted from the fire to the scroll in Jiraiya's hands.

Jiraiya unrolled the scroll and began reading its contents.

After a moment, he finished and put the scroll away, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"What does Minato's letter say?" Tsunade asked.

"Nothing too important, just some daily matters," Jiraiya replied with a smile.

The scroll was indeed a letter from Minato. It assured that everything in Konoha was fine and mentioned that he and Kushina had officially taken on a few disciples.

Hearing this, Tsunade looked a little disappointed. She had hoped it was intel from Konoha's network regarding Ye Zi's movements.

"Minato and Kushina have taken on disciples," Jiraiya suddenly added.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Who did Kushina take as a disciple?"

"That little girl named Rin," Jiraiya replied with a grin.

"Oh, that one..." Tsunade vaguely remembered Rin, who had previously been Kushina's student.

"Minato, on the other hand, took Kakashi and Obito as his disciples. They're teachers now. It makes me feel like I've grown old," Jiraiya said with a wry smile.

There was a difference between disciples and students, disciples were personally mentored, while students were simply taught.

Tsunade smiled faintly but said nothing, her gaze returning to the flickering flames of the campfire.

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Currently on Chapter 412 - Team Nine Meets Again...