Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

A line was drawn, clear and stark, the color of blood. Years of steadfastness had finally lifted the veil, only to be mercilessly torn apart.

What she'd hoped for, what she'd believed in, received a response that was equally as harsh.

The scene she had dreaded most unfolded before her, on a stage without a single spotlight.

"Ye Zi…"

She called his name, engraved so deeply within her heart.

"Ye Zi!"

The first call was laced with uncontrollable emotion, so complex it trembled in her voice, carrying a reckless impulse to discard everything. The second, a voice of reason that held back the urge, reaching out desperately as if trying to catch something, only to be mocked by empty air.

Finally, with her third call, she understood that her determination had been nothing but naïve foolishness, just as Ye Zi had always said—it truly was something that could never go back.

"The first time I saw you, you were sitting by the window in class, gazing outside, detached from everyone else. At that time, you seemed like just another cold-hearted kid who liked to act aloof."

Each word carried a weight, spilling from Kushina's heart, bit by bit.

It was as if now, she finally had to say it all.

The Mist ninja didn't care about Kushina's words; they had no patience for what they thought were pointless sentiments.

They struck without hesitation, attacking Obito and Kakashi, who stood between them and their goal.

But in a flash, golden chains shot forth from Kushina like streaks of lightning, passing by Obito and Kakashi to entangle Ao and the others.

"What?!"

Ao, Kisame, and Mei tensed, realizing too late that they were already ensnared by Kushina's chains.

The golden chains wound around the Mist ninja, coiling around them like serpents, leaving their struggles futile.

With the threats neutralized, Kushina didn't even turn to acknowledge them but kept her gaze steady on Ye Zi.

Seeing her sudden display of power that easily restrained the Mist ninja, Obito and Kakashi were momentarily stunned.

Ye Zi's eyes flickered. The speed of her chains had been faster than he remembered.

Yes, everyone kept moving forward. As he grew stronger, others did as well.

"You always seemed so distant, like you didn't care about anything or anyone. Honestly, I hated it."

"Yet somehow, we ended up in the same group…"

"Your tone, your attitude, it was always so cold. I really, really hated it."

"But once I got closer, I realized you were just a kid pretending to be distant."

"You would smile without realizing it, and show subtle kindness to others."

"But why… why did you risk your life to save me that day? Why did you have to find your way into my heart like that?"

Her voice rose from gentle to urgent, then cracked with emotion. Her clear eyes clouded with unshed tears.

Ye Zi felt a slight tremor in his heart, his gaze shifting from Kushina to the unconscious Kotoba.

"Why did you… intentionally push me away?"

Tears slipped down her cheeks, catching on her chin and forming a crystalline droplet that finally fell to the ground, soaking into the earth.

Ye Zi's eyes wavered, but in his heart, he scoffed bitterly.

So, she had finally shattered all of his defenses?

Words he wanted to say were halted in their tracks.

He had chased that figure, that look directed at something unknown, that inexplicable answer, and that heart, flickering like a distant light.

Images flooded his mind, memories clear and sharp as ever.

A blood-stained figure that had endured every hardship without collapsing. A cold, unyielding presence by a gravesite, delivering harsh truths with intentional detachment. A lone figure in the rain, with an unreadable gaze, keeping everyone at a distance.

He recalled him standing, back against the world's gossip, isolated in a crowd, something that left an ache in the heart.

And each time he felt close to reaching him, there remained an impossible distance he could never bridge.

"You're so sly."

When news came of his death, every breath was an agony, and the relentless rumors only worsened it.

She had felt then, at his lonely grave, how unworthy he was of such a fate. She had hated believing he'd simply disappeared.

Then, he had vanished…

Only to suddenly reappear.

Once more, he had saved her, just like on that first night.

"Recklessly bursting into my life, only to leave so resolutely."

There were so many things she wanted to say, but it was too late now. As she made her decision, everything she wanted to say was locked back into her heart once more.

Her mind lingered on the final scene that had forever etched him into her soul.

That was when she truly understood her own heart.

She had so many words, so many things she had wanted to say to turn everything into the scene she'd longed for.

But… he had gone too far, to a place where her efforts could never reach him.

So, she would let those words sink deep within her, buried alongside everything else.

"I love you. So very, very much."

Rubbing her eyes furiously with her sleeve, Kushina wiped away the tears over and over, as if willing them never to fall.

"But from now on, you're my enemy, aren't you?"

"So I'll stop loving you."

It began with reckless hope and ended as freely as a passing joke.

But this was her truth, sent out to him, her heart laid bare.

As her emotional turmoil settled, Kushina turned her gaze toward Ye Zi and said, "You're holding Rin as a bargaining chip to get me to heal her, aren't you?"

Despite the palpable hostility, Kushina could sense Ye Zi's real intentions.

Ye Zi's trembling heart stilled. He let out a low chuckle that faded as quickly as it had come.

"Good." His voice was flat, drained of emotion, as he replied, "That's right."

Looking directly at her, Ye Zi's gaze was cold as he stated, "Heal Kotoe, and I'll let your people go."

Kushina took a deep breath, her red-rimmed eyes no longer spilling tears.

"Alright. I'll hold you to that."

Looking at the critically injured Kotoe, she recalled that night when their paths had briefly crossed, and Kotoba had spoken those words to her.

"You move forward without hesitation, while I'm the one who stands still."

That was the difference…

She had only ever spoken words, never managed to accomplish anything.

She lowered her eyes briefly before lifting them once more.

"Kushina-sensei."

Obito and Kakashi's voices wavered with concern.

"Rin will be alright. All of you are precious to me, so I promise to protect you."

Turning back, she offered Obito and Kakashi a gentle smile, her red-rimmed eyes adding a touch of vulnerability to the expression.

Important or unimportant.

Those who could be sacrificed, and those who could not.

In the end, the scale would always tip toward what weighed most heavily on the heart.

Seeing her smile, Obito and Kakashi fell silent, biting their lips.

It was as if they, too, sensed the resolve in their teacher's heart.

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Currently on Chapter 329 - Tragic News