Daily Life

Does killing someone really take that much effort? As the question takes root and sprouts, perhaps one would feel lost and bewildered. When a precious life slips through one's hands, does guilt follow?

No.

It doesn't matter if the blood that splattered from that body was hot or cold.

So what if the wails that erupted from that mouth were filled with despair?

What does the lingering gaze in those eyes, filled with hatred, have to do with me?

Is life precious? Only one's own life is precious...

With such thoughts, Ye Zi followed Orochimaru, like a robot devoid of emotion, relentlessly carrying out missions, making the blood on his hands ever more vibrant while growing stronger.

Blood and fire have always been catalysts for rapid growth, both physically and mentally.

Kushina and Bei Xingye noticed this. Although their bond, forged through long periods of fighting side-by-side, was deeper than during their Ninja Academy days, they could still sense that their comrade, who always charged to the front, seemed to be creating distance between them.

One year later, it was the season of cherry blossoms.

On that day, three students who had graduated from the Ninja Academy became Genin. After a year, they had shed their immaturity amidst bloodshed and could officially be called ninja.

Even during their rest time outside of missions, Ye Zi never stopped training. It was this strict self-discipline, combined with his innate talent, that made his growth rate impress Orochimaru at every moment. The consequence of this was that the higher-ups in Konohagakure began to pay closer attention to Ye Zi.

It was less of an observation and more of a surveillance...

Several months prior, the increasingly powerful Ye Zi had already detected the surveillance. Although the Anbu did not underestimate Ye Zi and concealed themselves to the best of their ability while monitoring him, Ye Zi still noticed them. Even Ye Zi himself believed this was proof of his own growing strength, unaware that with his current abilities, detecting hidden Anbu operatives was impossible.

Upon discovering the Anbu, Ye Zi remained unfazed and did not question Orochimaru about it, acting as if he hadn't noticed their surveillance. He continued his life as usual, but as he gradually integrated into Konohagakure, a slight rift began to form.

On this day, after training from dawn until noon, Ye Zi could no longer bear the hunger in his stomach. After a simple wash, he went out to find something to eat.

Orochimaru was out on business, and since Ye Zi started earning income from missions, he rarely cooked for himself, usually opting to eat at a restaurant.

It was noon, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street. Ye Zi walked along, thinking about what to eat.

"Ye Zi!"

A familiar shout came from behind him. Ye Zi stopped, turned to face the owner of the voice, and nodded slightly in greeting.

Used to Ye Zi's personality, Bei Xingye didn't mind. He walked up to Ye Zi, scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, and said in a low voice, "Um... Ye Zi, I'd like to treat you and... Kushina to a meal."

"Are you sure?" Ye Zi raised an eyebrow and looked at Bei Xingye seriously. The latter's mouth twitched slightly. Thinking of Ye Zi's appetite, he doubted if the money in his wallet would be enough, but to have Kushina join them, he painfully nodded.

With a free meal ticket delivered to his doorstep, Ye Zi had no reason to refuse. He nodded, "I'm hungry anyway. How about yakiniku?"

As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards the most renowned yakiniku restaurant, which, as expected of its fame, came with a very high price tag.

Bei Xingye's heart skipped a beat upon hearing "yakiniku." Following Ye Zi's gaze to the most expensive yakiniku restaurant, his face twitched slightly. He hastily said, "Uh, uh, I... I don't think I have enough money."

Ye Zi shifted his gaze away from the yakiniku restaurant, turned around, and said calmly, "Then let's find another place. Let's go get Kushina first."

Hearing Ye Zi say this, Bei Xingye was overjoyed. He wasn't stingy, he just genuinely didn't have enough money. Fortunately, Ye Zi had broken the ice, otherwise, he wouldn't have known what to do. Moreover, getting Kushina to join them was his most urgent thought.

If he lacks the courage to even invite her directly, how will Kushina ever notice him? Even after a year together, he can't see this clearly.

Ye Zi, walking ahead, shook his head slightly. He knew Bei Xingye had feelings for Kushina. When they weren't on missions, he would always use Ye Zi as an excuse to invite Kushina, or more accurately, to bring Ye Zi along to bolster his courage in inviting Kushina.

With Bei Xingye's personality, how could Kushina possibly fall for him?

Knowing this well, Ye Zi could only feel pity for Bei Xingye. He had no intention of playing matchmaker for them, nor did he explicitly point this out to Bei Xingye. In his opinion, if Bei Xingye could realize this on his own and change for Kushina, then he would be worthy of pursuing her.

Arriving at Kushina's doorstep, Bei Xingye, as usual, stood to one side and pushed Ye Zi towards the door, assigning the task of calling Kushina to Ye Zi.

"Really..."

Ye Zi looked at Bei Xingye, who was shrinking to the side, and shook his head speechlessly. Raising his head slightly, just as he was about to call out for Kushina, his brows suddenly furrowed. He faintly sensed several unusual auras.

Not from Konoha, so it must be...

In an instant, Ye Zi's mind raced. However, upon detecting several hidden Konoha signatures deeper in the shadows, he relaxed his brows and called out to the house several times.

Hearing Ye Zi's calls from inside, Kushina was taken aback. After informing her aunt and uncle who were staying with her, she went to the door. Upon opening it, she saw Ye Zi standing alone at the entrance.

"What do you want?" she asked without any pleasantries, knowing she was about to eat.

Hearing her question, Ye Zi replied calmly, "We're having yakiniku for lunch today."

A flicker of surprise appeared in Kushina's eyes, and a slight smile curved her lips. She directly asked the most crucial question, "Are you treating?"

Ye Zi raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Do you think so?"

"I figured. You cheapskate!" Kushina patted her forehead, exasperated. "Where's Bei Xingye?"

"Uh, I'm here." Bei Xingye poked his upper body out from the side and smiled at Kushina.

Seeing this, Kushina rolled her eyes, turned back into the house to inform her aunt and uncle, and then followed Ye Zi and Bei Xingye out onto the street.

"Which yakiniku restaurant are we going to?"

Walking on the street, Ye Zi asked Bei Xingye, though his eyes were already drifting towards the most expensive yakiniku place.

Bei Xingye's heart leaped at this. He quickly pointed to a yakiniku restaurant not far away, which had a decent reputation for both taste and price. "Let's go here. The food is really good."

"Fine."

Ye Zi retracted his gaze with a hint of disappointment.

Kushina, watching from the side, shook her head and said, "Ye Zi, when are you going to treat us to a meal?"

Ye Zi, faced with such words from the opposite sex, simply turned his back on Kushina and stated even more bluntly, "No money."

This caused Kushina to stare with a darkened expression as Ye Zi walked towards the barbecue restaurant.

In reality, Ye Zi's finances were indeed tight. One had to consider that he needed to consume a large amount of food daily. Mission rewards alone could barely cover his expenses. It could be said that all his earnings were spent on food, and he hadn't even bought a new set of clothes. The clothes he wore were all old ones that belonged to Orochimaru.

If Kushina and Bei Xingye had been a little more observant, they would have noticed this problem.

Upon entering the barbecue restaurant, and with the principle of not wasting anything in mind, Ye Zi directly ordered twenty servings of barbecue!

Bei Xingye and Kushina, already accustomed to this, weren't overly surprised. Even the waiter taking the order felt the same, as Ye Zi's reputation as a big eater had spread throughout the streets and alleys.

Moreover, would these twenty servings be enough?