Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

A series of images came together as information in Ye Zi's mind, gradually being processed.

The scenes observed from the White Zetsu clone's perspective weren't comprehensive; there were gaps, likely due to the caution taken to avoid detection by Nagato and Konan.

Still, it was enough to reveal much, allowing Ye Zi to understand the existence of the Six Paths of Pain. Seeing Yahiko among them led him to conclude that each of the Six Paths was a puppet.

From this battle, it appeared that the abilities of the Six Paths of Pain originated from Nagato himself, distributed among each puppet—different from shadow clones, yet with their own advantages.

The Shinra Tensei at the end of the fight left Ye Zi feeling immense pressure, making the sight of Nagato reviving the puppets afterward seem inconsequential.

Ye Zi slowly opened his eyes, his astonishment evident in his expression.

Although he had already recognized the difference in their strength, White Zetsu's memories had widened this gap further.

Instinctively clenching his fists, Ye Zi's mind focused solely on finding ways to become stronger.

Nagato was an obstacle he had to overcome, and he needed the power to do so before that day arrived.

So… what options were there for becoming stronger?

With his current abilities—Wood Release, Lightning Release, and Spirit Transformation Jutsu—could he truly match Nagato?

Setting aside Wood Release and Lightning Release, Spirit Transformation Jutsu would likely be countered by Nagato, making it unsuitable for direct combat.

This was the advantage of knowing one's opponent's abilities; if Ye Zi had been unaware of this detail, using Spirit Transformation Jutsu against Nagato might have led to his swift defeat.

As for the White Zetsu clones and Edo Tensei, only Edo Tensei could be effective. Using Edo Tensei to resurrect Yahiko, for instance, might destabilize Nagato emotionally.

But it wasn't enough… there was an intuitive sense that even with these methods, he wouldn't be able to win against Nagato.

Ye Zi sat in his room, his gaze fixed on a spot as he pondered.

After a while, he recalled Orochimaru's parting words and his current whereabouts.

Perhaps… if he truly wanted to grow stronger, he could only rely on Orochimaru's abilities.

Ye Zi lay down on his bed, closed his eyes, and quickly drifted into sleep.

Time passed, and a month went by in the blink of an eye.

Apart from his usual routine of teaching the children and training, Ye Zi used his time to perform Edo Tensei on all the materials he had gathered, completing a tedious task.

However, just as he was about to take a breather, White Zetsu returned with DNA samples from several powerful individuals…

And so, Ye Zi resumed preparing for Edo Tensei. This time, each resurrected ninja was a legendary figure in the history of the shinobi world.

Thanks to White Zetsu's abilities, Ye Zi had access to a vast array of DNA samples. These Edo Tensei summons would be his future assets in countering the major shinobi villages.

Besides preparing for Edo Tensei, Ye Zi had White Zetsu continue tracking Orochimaru. He needed to stay informed of Orochimaru's movements so he could find him immediately after capturing the Five-Tails.

Previously, Orochimaru had invited him to join him and hinted that it was related to the Six Paths. At the time, Ye Zi's urgency to execute his plans made him abandon the idea.

But now, as long as he succeeded in capturing the Five-Tails Jinchūriki and the plan paused, he would have ample time to follow Orochimaru.

For the first time, Ye Zi found himself fully in agreement with Nagato's decision; some things could only be pursued gradually.

Just as Nagato didn't rush to capture all the tailed beasts, Ye Zi knew he also had to be patient. He needed both the tailed beasts and the Rinnegan, but without sufficient strength, it was best to wait.

Currently, Ye Zi was at a loss for how to strengthen himself quickly. Orochimaru, however, seemed to be traveling in search of something, and Ye Zi hoped to find a breakthrough through him.

In any case, he couldn't become complacent… he had to grow as strong as possible to secure his future.

Each day at the hideout, Ye Zi set aside three hours to train the children.

Kimimaro got along well with the others, and his incredible talent allowed him to become one of the top ten strongest among them within just over a month.

With his Shikotsumyaku kekkei genkai, he demonstrated impressive power that surprised even Ye Zi.

Kimimaro was still young, yet he already showed signs of becoming a formidable force. Given enough time, reaching Kage level seemed entirely feasible.

A naturally talented person wasn't intimidating; it was the truly gifted who also worked tirelessly that posed a real threat.

Minato was like this, as was Ye Zi, and Kimimaro followed the same path.

To make himself useful, Kimimaro had trained relentlessly since coming to the hideout, which allowed him to reach a top-ten level of strength in such a short time.

His progress was driven by motivation, whether for someone or something, and it fueled his growth.

Ye Zi was pleased with Kimimaro's development. At this rate, Kimimaro might become an asset in the future.

After teaching the children each day, Ye Zi used the remaining time to rest and perform Edo Tensei on the DNA samples White Zetsu collected.

Occasionally, he would check on Nanako in the lab, reminding her to rest, or gather everyone for a meal, or spar with Yanye and Jin to help them strengthen their abilities.

But most of his time went toward Edo Tensei.

It wasn't as simple as resurrecting legendary shinobi; Ye Zi spent time linking each resurrected individual to their specific abilities for greater control.

Though the shinobi world seemed calm on the surface, there were underlying tensions.

With Nagato shouldering the conflicts, Ye Zi could quietly expand his own power.

Several days later, White Zetsu brought news of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki's departure from Iwa Village.

White Zetsu quickly relayed this information to Nagato, who used the Astral Projection Jutsu to summon Ye Zi alone.

"The time has come; the Five-Tails Jinchūriki has left Iwa Village. This is the perfect opportunity to act." Nagato looked at Ye Zi's projected form.

Ye Zi's projection nodded. "Understood. I'll depart immediately."

"Go," Nagato said, ending the projection.

Back at the Earth Country hideout, Ye Zi returned to himself and immediately began preparations, notifying Yanye and Jin.

There was some delay in transmitting the information, and half a day had passed since they learned of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki's departure. In that time, the Jinchūriki could have covered a considerable distance.

However, with White Zetsu tracking him, there was no need to worry about losing his trail.

According to the intel, the Five-Tails Jinchūriki was heading toward either Takigakure or the Iron Country.

The necessary preparations weren't complicated and were soon completed. Ye Zi spoke briefly with Nanako and then left the hideout with Yanye and Jin in pursuit of the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.

Once this mission was complete, he could go find Orochimaru…

At this moment, Ye Zi felt confident in his ability to capture the Five-Tails Jinchūriki.

In fact, when he previously infiltrated Iwa Village, he had encountered the Five-Tails Jinchūriki and had a fair understanding of his abilities.

He believed… capturing the Five-Tails Jinchūriki wouldn't be difficult.

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Currently on Chapter 405 - The Dead Still Have Secrets To Tell