False

Perhaps it was a habit. The old man always waited until the last rays of the setting sun vanished below the horizon before preparing dinner.

He refused Ye Zi's help. Only after slowly lighting the firewood did he begin washing the rice and vegetables. He used the vegetable-washing water to rinse the rice, passing the water over it only once. Holding the vegetables and rice in his hands, the old man weighed them for a moment, his expression very serious, as though estimating portions for two people.

Ye Zi calmly watched the old man's movements and figure, remembering how, after they had finished clearing the weeds for him, the old man had invited them here, poured them cups of hot tea, and then taken out a piece of yokan from the cabinet. He had carefully divided it into four impossibly even portions. That had been Ika-ya's yokan—and the only piece he had at the time.

At this thought, Ye Zi's straight eyebrows slowly lifted. He did not consider what connection the old man's behavior might have with a spy. He had simply remembered the past. Back then, there had been an old man who looked very much like the one before him.

Night fell. The solitary house standing beside the fields sent wisps of smoke into the air. After a long while, the smoke stopped rising, and the table inside the house held a few more things: two bowls of rice, a plate of greens, and a dish of sour radishes scooped from a crock. That was a meal—a simple meal.

Accustomed to eating large portions, Ye Zi finished a bowl of rice in two or three mouthfuls with two pieces of sour radish, then tactfully said, "I'm full."

The old man glanced at the empty bowl, which did not even have a grain of rice left in it, and smiled. He then slowly began eating.

Ye Zi stood up, carried the bowls and chopsticks to the stove, washed them clean, and put them away. He washed the pot as well. After that, he went into the courtyard and silently looked up at the moon. His original goal had been to investigate the old man, but after seeing that familiar back, he no longer felt like doing anything.

He gazed silently at the moon, thinking of Kimura Takuya inside the house, then of the old man in his memories. Finally, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes, which reflected the moonlight.

The old man inside the house was quite advanced in age. His movements were slow, but steady—so steady that they did not tremble in the slightest.

Ye Zi silently withdrew his gaze from the moon, turned, and walked back inside. The old man had only eaten half his meal, but Ye Zi naturally bid him farewell.

The old man gave him a kindly smile, and Ye Zi waved goodbye.

When Ye Zi returned to the residence, Orochimaru was sitting alone in the corridor.

Ye Zi sat down beside him. Following his gaze, he looked at the flowers and plants in the courtyard and listened to the insects chirping in the bushes.

Orochimaru glanced at him and asked, "Where did you go?"

Ye Zi responded, "A mission."

Orochimaru nodded, then suddenly said, "I joined Root too."

Ye Zi's eyes widened instantly. He stared at him in shock and said incredulously, "How could you have joined Root?"

Many people wanted to know the answer to this question, but few knew it. Even the Third Hokage did not know why Orochimaru had joined Root.

Hearing the disbelief in his voice, a hint of mockery appeared at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth. Naturally, he would not tell Ye Zi the reason. He merely said lightly, "Root can provide many conveniences."

Ye Zi agreed with that statement, but he knew it was not the reason Orochimaru had joined Root. There had to be a more crucial motive behind it. However, since Orochimaru was unwilling to speak, Ye Zi would not continue questioning him.

Over the next few days, Ye Zi visited Kimura Takuya's house frequently. When the old man asked why, he replied sincerely, "You resemble my late grandfather."

This was not a lie, but the sincere truth. So even though the old man had lived for so long, he did not doubt Ye Zi's words.

After spending some time with the old man, Ye Zi preliminarily confirmed that Kimura Takuya was unlike ordinary elderly people. First, he was very healthy. Second, he was very strong. Finally, he had no Chakra.

He wrote some of his conclusions in a report and submitted it to his superiors. The higher-ups then sent someone over. That person was from the Yamanaka clan—and someone Ye Zi knew.

"Yamanaka Genya." In a secluded patch of forest, Ye Zi looked at the newcomer with an indifferent expression.

Yamanaka Genya carefully studied Ye Zi and smiled. People said that seeing something once was worth hearing about it a hundred times. Now that he saw Ye Zi's powerful, well-built body, it was hard to connect him with the emaciated child he had first known. After so many years, that somewhat unusual child had grown stronger—strong enough to stand on his own.

"Long time no see." Although he knew they should get straight to the point, Yamanaka Genya still could not help going off-topic.

Ye Zi was not displeased. In a certain sense, this man had helped him. Besides, he very much wanted to know what Yamanaka Genya had seen in his memories that day. As his strength grew, finding out had become an increasingly urgent matter.

"Yes." But not now. That was Ye Zi's response, bringing the greeting to an end.

Yamanaka Genya gave a faintly bitter smile, then became serious. "Once it's confirmed, leave the rest to me."

Ye Zi nodded silently. It seemed the village placed great importance on the task of purging spies. Even personnel directly under the Hokage had joined in. Normally, matters conducted in the shadows like this were handled by Root.

Actually, purging spies did not need to be so troublesome. Once they had identified the suspects, they only needed to follow the principle of killing the wrong people rather than letting anyone go, and everything would become much simpler. However, this was Konoha. These matters were not carried out in darkness, but in the shadows, which made things very troublesome.

Several days later, Ye Zi came to the old man's house again. This time, he did not arrive near dusk, but at the moment the smoke from the house stopped rising.

When he entered the house, the old man was slowly chewing his grains of rice. If the remaining time in his life had become precious, then this was truly a waste.

The moon was very round and bright that night. Its light passed through the doors and windows and shone into the house.

When the old man saw Ye Zi enter, he was somewhat surprised. He swallowed his rice, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and asked, "Have you eaten?"

Ye Zi sat down in front of him. He did not answer the old man, but said, "I lied to you. I don't have a grandfather, and I never had parents."

Astonishment appeared in the old man's clear eyes. He looked at Ye Zi in confusion, but Ye Zi did not look at him. He merely stared at the shabby dishes on the table and said calmly, "I'm an orphan. I had a younger sister who was three years younger than me. We were adopted by an orphanage. When I was six, I carried my sister and escaped from the orphanage. Just as we were about to collapse from hunger, I met a very thin old man. He... looked very much like you."

Kimura Takuya released the chopsticks he had been gripping and quietly looked at Ye Zi. His face, worn smooth by time, was filled with concern. He said, "Child, what's wrong?"

Ye Zi suddenly raised his head and looked at him. His eyes were somewhat cold as he said, "You resemble him, but you aren't him. He was genuine, while you're somewhat false. Perhaps you've grown tired, to the point that your life looks somewhat perfunctory. That's not how a twilight-aged but still healthy old man should be."

As soon as he said this, the concern on Kimura Takuya's face receded like a tide, leaving him expressionless. A look of understanding appeared in his aged eyes. He sighed softly and said, "I am indeed tired of this monotonous life. So, do you think you can learn anything from me?"

"I think I can. You have no Chakra." Ye Zi spoke indifferently.

Kimura Takuya hurriedly touched his chest. This sudden movement did not cause Ye Zi to react at all. He continued calmly watching the old man.

Touching the formula written on his chest through his clothes, Kimura Takuya said with some emotion, "That's right. I have no Chakra." As he spoke, he lowered his hand and suddenly looked dispirited.

"I'm sorry," Ye Zi suddenly apologized.

Astonishment involuntarily appeared on Kimura Takuya's expressionless face. Then he smiled faintly and said calmly, "Even in the dead of night, I faithfully play the part of an old man, despite knowing that there's no one else around. Recently, I've begun to feel very dissatisfied with my current life, so I want to leave. But that's only something I can think about. I know very well that I can only die in Konoha in the end, so I've already chosen a place. It isn't far away, beneath that willow tree near my fields. If you can, bury me there."

"All right." Ye Zi readily agreed.

"Thank you. Also, I owe you an apology as well. You may be disappointed, but even someone from the Yamanaka clan can't learn anything from me." Kimura Takuya smiled.

Ye Zi said indifferently, "That has nothing to do with me."

At this, Kimura Takuya immediately smiled even more happily, a striking contrast to his earlier expressionlessness. Then he slowly said to Ye Zi, "Never look down on people without Chakra."

"I won't." Ye Zi's gaze narrowed slightly.

Kimura Takuya nodded, restrained his smile, and turned to look toward the doorway. Yamanaka Genya was standing there.

"Goodbye, interesting boy."

Ye Zi remained silent as he watched Kimura Takuya being led away by Yamanaka Genya.

Several days later, Ye Zi buried Kimura Takuya's body beneath that willow tree. With his back to the small lake and his face toward the fertile fields, he placed a plate before the gravestone. On it were three pieces of yokan.

Suddenly, a breeze blew from behind, carrying a faint fragrance. A familiar yet sorrowful voice sounded behind him: "Grandfather Kimura still looked so healthy a while ago."

Without turning around, Ye Zi knew who had come. He looked at the name carved into the gravestone. That name was nothing more than a false code name. He could not help letting out a cold laugh.

"He could have lived for several more years, but I killed him."

Kushina's expression slowly changed. She stared at Ye Zi's back in shock.