Chapter 47

The wind suddenly turned cold…

What rolled in was no longer a gentle breeze carrying a faint, fresh scent, but several withered yellow leaves from an unknown source, tumbling in mid-air past the sweet-smelling yokan. In the middle of summer, it brought an autumnal chill that pierced the heart.

It seemed that no matter how she looked, no matter how she hoped, that person would only move forward resolutely in another direction.

This time, watching his broad back, her heart grew cold to the extreme. He never joked, and not a single word he spoke was ever false. Therefore, the old man who had been so healthy just a few days ago had suddenly turned to dust today because he had killed the old man.

Ye Zi's indifferent gaze remained fixed on the names on the monument, sensing the girl's momentary emotional shift behind him with a detached expression.

Kushina's lips moved several times, but in the end, she remained silent. She looked up at his black hair, trying hard to see through what he was thinking. She wasn't stupid. When she first heard those words, she was indeed shocked, but then she thought, since he could still stand here, it vaguely indicated a reason she didn't want to understand.

The only reason Ye Zi killed the kind old grandfather was a hard necessity, and she didn't want to know the deeper implications of that reason.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, biting her lip slightly, as if she had grasped something.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Ye Zi's eyes. Even so, it seemed he couldn't stop the girl's stubbornness behind him. Perhaps he wasn't firm enough, leading the girl to always think he was still the same person.

People couldn't avoid moments of impulsiveness. If time could turn back, he wouldn't have risked his life to save her that night. Since he thought this way, he should be heartless, indifferent, and have no further connection.

This relationship shouldn't have happened in the first place…

He said in a cold tone, "You visited him a few days ago, so I thought it necessary to tell you why he is buried here today."

Kushina fell silent. She seemed to be starting to understand that the person in front of her was deliberately distancing himself from her, but she couldn't figure out the reason. All the changes had happened after that night.

That night, he sat under a tree, covered in blood, his head bowed, his breath weak, as if he would leave the world forever the next second. At that moment, he entered her world, but it was precisely after that night that she noticed him pulling away.

Why was this?

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't understand. Ye Zi was not from this world; he was incompatible with it. He wanted to leave and return to his own place.

Ye Zi turned and walked past the silent Kushina, striding away. The grave under the willow tree behind him, the three yokan in front of the tombstone, were his apologies to the old man. He would not set foot here again.

A person's memories would always exist in their mind. Even if they became so blurry that they were unrecognizable, they would be reawakened by similar things. The time spent with the old man had made memories that should have been somewhat vague suddenly become clear.

He had lost one important family member, and the second important family member was still waiting for him.

Ye Zi left. Kushina stood before the tomb, her expression somewhat sad. After a while, she clenched her fist and said to herself with determination, "Unless you tell me the reason yourself, I won't let go."

The sparks generated by constant friction in small areas eventually ignited a flame. The Stone ninja could no longer hold back, revealing their sharp fangs and ambushing and annihilating a Konoha detachment of a hundred men stationed at the border. Such a blatant act pushed both sides into the open. Once a bottom line was crossed, no reason mattered. In response to the Stone ninja's invasion, Konoha met them head-on.

The Third Hokage directly ordered Orochimaru to lead the main force, with Tsunade as his second-in-command, and assembled a large army to march into the Land of Earth.

Since the last great war, each country had recovered considerably, and the new generation of talents was ready for tempering. The dispute initiated by the Stone ninja was the perfect whetstone for honing the new generation.

This war was inevitable; it was only a matter of time. Many people saw this very clearly.

Hiruzen stood on the top floor of the Hokage's office building, hands behind his back, gazing in the direction of the Land of Earth with deep eyes. Several silent Anbu members stood behind him.

"If the dispute cannot be avoided, then we must face it," he said in a low voice.

The Anbu members remained silent but agreed with the Third Hokage's simple statement.

Hiruzen suddenly sighed, his eyes gleaming. He said slowly, "War is cruel, but it always creates individuals. I have expectations for them."

"After this dispute, their names will spread throughout the ninja world. I dare to assert this," a voice suddenly interjected. The speaker was a man with long white hair.

Hiruzen looked at the newcomer and smiled faintly. "They are very much like you. Every time I look at them, I am reminded of your past selves."

That person was Jiraiya. He scratched his head and chuckled, "Little Chili is indeed very much like Tsunade, and her talent is outstanding. That cold kid is also very much like Orochimaru, a genius like Orochimaru. But Minato is not like me; he is a genius no less than that kid."

"Oh?" Hiruzen was a little surprised. Jiraiya, who had always been proud of himself, was now belittling himself.

Meeting Hiruzen's surprised gaze, Jiraiya remained unfazed. He looked in the direction of the Land of Earth and said seriously, "I am absolutely certain that Minato's name will resound throughout the ninja world, starting with this war…"

A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen's lips. His tired eyes seemed to see this scene. Perhaps Minato's name would indeed resound throughout the ninja world in the future, but Little Chili and Ye Zi certainly would too.