Chapter 47

The wind suddenly turned cold.

What swept over was no longer a gentle breeze carrying a faint fragrance, but several withered yellow leaves that had come from who knew where. They tumbled through the air, passing over the fragrant sweet bean jelly. With summer only halfway over, a late-autumn chill seeped into the air, reaching all the way into her heart.

It seemed that no matter how intently she watched or how much she hoped, that person would only press forward toward another direction without looking back.

This time, as she stared at his broad back, her heart turned utterly cold. He never joked around, and not a single word he said had ever contained the slightest falsehood. Thus, the reason that old man, who had still been so healthy a few days ago, had suddenly turned into a heap of earth today was that he had killed him.

Ye Zi kept his indifferent gaze fixed on the name engraved on the gravestone, sensing the instant shift in the girl's emotions behind him. His expression remained detached.

Kushina's lips moved several times, but in the end, she said nothing. She raised her head and stared at his head of black hair, trying her best as though she could see through to what he was thinking. She was not stupid. When she had first heard those words, she really had been frightened, but after thinking it over, she realized that the fact he could still stand here vaguely indicated a reason she was unwilling to understand.

The only reason Ye Zi would have killed that kind old man was that he had possessed a compelling reason to die. As for the deeper cause hidden behind that reason, she did not want to know.

"Why did you tell me this?" she asked through slightly clenched teeth, as if she had caught onto something.

A trace of helplessness flashed through Ye Zi's eyes. Even this apparently could not stop the stubborn girl behind him. Perhaps he had not been decisive enough, causing her to keep believing that he was still the same person.

People could never avoid moments when their heads grew hot. If he could turn back time, he would not have risked his life to save her that night. Since he had already thought this far, he should be ruthless, cold, and cut off all ties with her.

This relationship should never have begun in the first place...

In a cold tone, he said, "You visited him a few days ago, so I thought you should know why he was buried here today."

Kushina fell silent. She seemed to understand a little. She understood that the person before her was deliberately distancing himself from her, but she could not figure out why. All these changes had happened after that night.

That night, he had sat against a tree, covered in blood, his head hanging low and his breathing faint, as though he would leave this world forever the next moment. At that moment, he had entered her world. Yet it was also after that night that she sensed him moving farther away.

Why was this happening?

No matter how hard she thought, she could never understand. Ye Zi was not from this world. He did not belong here, and he wanted to leave and return to the place that belonged to him.

Ye Zi turned around, passed by the silent Kushina, and strode away. The grave beneath the willow behind him, and the three pieces of sweet bean jelly before it, represented his apology to the old man. After this, he would never set foot here again.

People's memories would exist in their minds forever. Even when they became so blurred that they could no longer be recognized, similar things could still call them back to the surface. During the time he had spent with the old man, memories that should have been somewhat hazy had suddenly become clear.

That was one important family member he had lost, while the second important family member was still waiting for him.

Ye Zi left. Kushina stood before the grave, her expression somewhat sorrowful. After a while, she clenched her fists and said firmly to herself, "Unless you tell me the reason yourself, I won't let go."

The sparks produced by constant friction in small areas eventually ignited into flames. The Stone ninja finally could not hold back any longer and revealed their sharp fangs, ambushing and wiping out a hundred-man Konoha squad stationed at the border. Such blatant conduct pushed both sides into the open. Once the bottom line had been touched, no excuse could serve any purpose. In response to the Stone ninja's invasion, Konoha faced them head-on.

The Third Hokage directly appointed Orochimaru as commander and Tsunade as his second, assembled a large army, and marched toward the Land of Earth.

After the previous war, every country had more or less recovered, and the new generation of talents had reached the point where they needed to be tempered. The conflict provoked by the Stone ninja this time was precisely the perfect whetstone for honing the new generation.

This battle was unavoidable. It was merely a matter of sooner or later, and many people could see that clearly.

Hiruzen stood atop the Hokage office building with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance toward the Land of Earth. His eyes were deep and unfathomable, while several Anbu operatives stood silently behind him.

"If conflict cannot be avoided, then we can only face it," he said in a lowered voice.

The several Anbu operatives remained silent, yet they agreed with the Third Hokage's simple statement.

Hiruzen suddenly sighed. A sharp glint filled his eyes as he slowly said, "War is certainly cruel, but it can always bring individuals to greatness. I have high hopes for them."

"After this conflict, their names will spread throughout the shinobi world. I dare make that assertion." Suddenly, a voice picked up the conversation. The speaker was a man with long white hair.

Hiruzen looked toward the newcomer and smiled faintly. "They resemble you all very much. Every time I look at them, I remember what you were like in the past."

That person was Jiraiya. He rubbed his head and chuckled. "The Little Pepper really does resemble Tsunade, and her aptitude is outstanding. That cold little brat also resembles Orochimaru; he's a genius just like Orochimaru. But Minato doesn't resemble me. He's a genius no worse than that little brat."

"Oh?" Hiruzen was somewhat surprised. Jiraiya, who had always thought highly of himself, was actually belittling himself like this.

Facing Hiruzen's astonished gaze, Jiraiya remained unmoved. He looked toward the Land of Earth and said seriously, "I'm absolutely certain that Minato's name will resound throughout the shinobi world. It will begin with this war..."

A faint smile touched the corners of Hiruzen's mouth. Even his weary eyes seemed to glimpse such a scene. Perhaps Minato's name really would resound throughout the shinobi world in the future—but the Little Pepper and Ye Zi certainly would as well.