The Twenty-Ninth Chapter

Great changes are always hidden amidst many small ones.

During the few missions carried out after rejoining the team, Kushina and Bei Xingye truly noticed, from vague to clear, from closeness to a subtle distance, that their teammate Ye Zi had begun to exude a subtle aura of exclusion.

During the rest days after missions, Ye Zi used training as an excuse and no longer went out to eat with Kushina and Bei Xingye. Their opportunities to be together seemed limited only to when they were on missions.

Orochimaru also noticed this phenomenon, but he had no intention of changing it. Even though Ye Zi was distancing himself from others, he never slacked off when it came to carrying out missions. Furthermore, in Orochimaru's eyes, even if this team fell apart, Ye Zi was the most likely one to survive.

Even if the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki died, as long as Ye Zi lived, it would be fine.

A man like a snake, a heart as cold as a snake, and a detached value system. This was Orochimaru.

This day, the sky was overcast. From morning until afternoon, the dark clouds, like fermenting dough, slowly expanded, turning pitch black, pressing down on the earth with a heavy aura, as if a downpour would fall at any second.

The thick, rolling dark clouds blocked out the sunlight, and the gloomy sky cast a somber mood. Almost no pedestrians could be seen on the street, but Ye Zi seemed oblivious, engaging in tedious, large-scale physical training in a relatively secluded training ground.

Pat...

Large raindrops suddenly fell, splattering on Ye Zi's slightly upturned forehead, bursting into crystalline water droplets. Then, more large raindrops pattered down from the sky, instantly drawing a blurred curtain of rain between heaven and earth.

Rumble...

As the sky darkened, lightning snaked through the thick cloud masses, occasionally tearing through the sky.

The rain instantly became a downpour, pressing down on his shoulders with a slight weight. The raindrops hitting his exposed skin even felt a bit stinging.

For the Land of Fire, which enjoyed a favorable climate, a rainstorm like this, brewing for half a day, was a rare sight, occurring perhaps once in several years.

In such rain, Ye Zi, enduring the downpour, continuously lifted a massive stone dumbbell, creating splashes of water mist in mid-air.

The heavy rain, accompanied by cold moisture, slowly seeped into his skin. Ye Zi frowned slightly but still had no intention of leaving.

This young man, who had faced death several times, was becoming increasingly reckless.

The rain, already heavy, showed signs of intensifying further. Almost everyone in Konohagakure took shelter indoors, watching the rare downpour. They stared out their windows at the heavy rain, their ears filled with the sound of it, unaware that in this deluge, a young man was still training under the oppressive weight of the rain.

Feeling the dumbbell grow heavier and his body temperature gradually drop, Ye Zi gritted his teeth slightly, dropped the dumbbell, and turned to head back to his courtyard to continue.

In the hazy mist of the rain, he saw a person.

I've only written a little bit, I have to go to work now.

I'll update tonight if I have the energy.