The Thirty-Seventh Chapter

Bei Xingye's death was like a tiny, insignificant pebble dropped into a lake; the ripples it caused were faint and quickly faded.

Bei Xingye's parents, upon receiving the news of his death, wept uncontrollably. They clung to each other, stumbling their way home, a home where hope no longer resided.

Once, they had been proud of their son, a ninja. Now, despite their grief, they still felt pride. But sorrow would always overshadow their pride. Even a substantial compensation fee couldn't mend the persistent sadness that would linger for years to come.

Kushina watched Bei Xingye's parents walking hand-in-hand from a distance. She seemed to have much to say, but in the end, she could only watch them from afar.

Ye Zi leaned against a wall not far from her, his head turned to watch the retreating figures. His expression was calm. He felt regret for Bei Xingye's death, but he wouldn't be sad because of it.

Kushina turned her head and met Ye Zi's gaze, which was eerily tranquil. Immediately, she looked at him as if he were a stranger and said, "You've really changed."

Meeting Kushina's eyes, Ye Zi felt an inexplicable sense of agitation. Yet, his expression remained calm, as if Bei Xingye's death were merely a harmless joke.

"This is me," he replied concisely and powerfully.

Kushina bit her lip and said mournfully, "If this is you, then why did you save me?"

Ye Zi's thoughts faltered. He wondered why himself. Was it because of their similar appearances?

He didn't want to answer that way, so he chose not to answer at all. Facing Kushina's gaze, which sought to understand, the agitation in his heart intensified.

"It was just a whim. Something like that won't happen again."

"This is you?" Kushina felt as though she had touched a true part of Ye Zi. Even just a glimpse revealed a chilling indifference and selfishness. Yet, recalling the bloody path they had cut through that night, and the will to survive displayed by the one who charged ahead, her thoughts became muddled.

She shook her head, unwilling to dwell on it further, and turned to leave.

Ye Zi watched her retreating back, saying nothing.

At this moment, the team had truly fallen apart.

With Bei Xingye's death and Kushina's withdrawal to train under Tsunade.

She had started learning medical ninjutsu because of Ye Zi, but she had never used it for him. Now, she might never have the chance, yet she continued her studies with Tsunade.

She possessed precise chakra control and natural talent in this area.

With Bei Xingye dead and Kushina gone, Orochimaru's squad could no longer be called a squad.

The failure of this mission didn't leave any blemishes on the records of Orochimaru or Ye Zi, because while the mission had failed internally, it was officially considered complete.

The team had disintegrated, but there were no thoughts of reforming it. Neither the Third Hokage nor Orochimaru had any such intentions. There were many reasons, the biggest being the pressure.

That night, two young Stone ninja died. Regrettably, these two boys were direct descendants of Stone ninja high-ranking officials. Consequently, some within the Stone ninja village were enraged and demanded an explanation, regardless of shame, with a clear target in mind.

The fuse for war was thus inexplicably lit. Because any reason could serve as a catalyst for war, no reason was truly needed.

That day, someone from Konoha died silently, remembered only by a few. Another person, however, gained renown. Perhaps it was greatly exaggerated, but the blade wielded that night truly left a deep impression on many, and would later strike fear into the hearts of many.

Konoha's Little White Fang.

This was a reputation that emerged from the Stone ninja village. It sounded childish and somewhat amusing, but those who knew what Ye Zi had done didn't find it funny. This young swordsman had once single-handedly killed the Cloud ninja Jiu Xiao. Anyone who knew Jiu Xiao knew his swordsmanship was formidable.

Konoha's Little White Fang. People could infer a few things from this name.

First, Little White Fang used a sword.

Second, Little White Fang's sword was fast.

Therefore, Ye Zi was placed on a priority watchlist by other ninja villages.

A young man, one who might potentially grow into Konoha's second White Fang, was someone no one wanted to see develop peacefully.

The Stone ninja's target was Ye Zi. They shamelessly and explicitly stated that they would cease their offensive stance only if Ye Zi was handed over.

Compared to this troublesome matter, no one gave any thought to reforming the team.

Death during a mission was a common occurrence. Jiu Xiao, who had shone brightly during the Second Great Ninja War, dying at Ye Zi's hands was a matter of bad luck. The Cloud ninja, despite knowing Jiu Xiao had died at Ye Zi's hands, could do nothing. After all, in the end, it was because Jiu Xiao wasn't strong enough.

Similarly, Daiyan and Dick dying at Ye Zi's hands in a head-on clash was also due to their lack of strength. It could only be blamed on their weakness.

However, the Stone ninja's actions in this matter were as if their faces were covered by a layer of hard rock, terrifyingly thick, bordering on shameless.

They demanded Konoha hand over Ye Zi because Daiyan and Dick, who had died, carried distinguished surnames.

What a ridiculous and shameless demand. Tragically, Konoha, having only recently recovered, did not wish to plunge into war so soon. Therefore, facing the Stone ninja's shameless threat, the conservative faction felt that handing over Ye Zi was the best choice, even if it meant losing face.

"This is a decision they made after weighing the pros and cons," Hiruzen said, tapping his index finger lightly on the table as he looked at the grim-faced Orochimaru before him.

Yes, even if Ye Zi had killed Jiu Xiao, even if Ye Zi might become the second White Fang in the future, that was the future, not the present.

"I don't care what those old fossils think. I just want to know what you think."

Perhaps learning of the decision had ignited a long-dormant anger, as Orochimaru omitted any honorifics and addressed Hiruzen directly as "you."

Hiruzen stopped tapping his finger, a hint of weariness flashing in his eyes. Sometimes, the inability to act on one's own will was fully realized in the position of Hokage. Under pressure from the higher-ups, he couldn't make a crucial decision based on his own judgment. It required a majority vote, and he was just one person. After a moment of silence, he said, "I can't guarantee there's room for negotiation, but I will try again."

"Heh heh." Orochimaru let out a cold, unpleasant laugh. Once those old guys made a decision, how could there be room for negotiation? If there truly was room for negotiation...

Hiruzen paused, suddenly seeing a very serious expression on Orochimaru's face. It seemed that, no matter what, he was determined to protect Ye Zi.