Chapter 209: Konoha’s Rogue Ninja

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The black cloak with red clouds, the wooden mask, the strange appearance, the invasion of Konoha to steal forbidden scrolls, Dan Kato's death, the intelligence scrolls left behind, traces of Wood Release, and the lightning-user responsible for releasing Shukaku, who caused great losses for the Sand Village—these all pointed to one person: Ye Zi, the one who had saved Kushina.

With the clues currently available, they could only confirm the existence of an organization, but its number of members remained unknown.

"The masked person must be Ye Zi," Tsunade said, her expression calm and unreadable. "The one Dan chased that night was also wearing a mask, though they didn't use Lightning Release."

Everyone present remained silent.

They all understood Tsunade's implication: Dan's death might have been caused by Ye Zi.

But what was the motive?

Whether it was joining this mysterious organization or killing Dan, they couldn't think of any reasonable explanation or motive.

Could it really be due to the rumors that had never been silenced?

"Sensei…" Kushina bit her lip, lowering her head. She, too, had thought of this possibility when she recognized Ye Zi, but she refused to believe it. The Ye Zi who saved her couldn't have killed Dan. Perhaps it was another member of the organization.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, seeing Tsunade's calm expression, spoke, "Tsunade, it's not certain that Ye Zi was responsible for Dan's death. The traces of Wood Release at the scene—it's impossible for Ye Zi to use Wood Release, that much is certain."

"Even if he didn't do it, he's involved," Tsunade said, biting her thumb. Her calm gaze flashed with a dangerous glint. "I don't care why he's still alive or why he didn't return to the village. I don't care why he joined this unknown organization. All I want to know is… who killed Dan. I'm not sure if it was Ye Zi, but he definitely knows who did it. So, I'll find him and ask him—even if I have to break all his limbs!"

Hearing Tsunade's firm words, Kushina remained silent, her heart pounding. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. It was the reason she had hesitated to speak up before.

"Tsunade, calm down," Jiraiya urged.

"I am calm," Tsunade replied, glancing at Jiraiya. Apart from her thumb-biting, her expression and gaze were indeed as calm as she claimed.

Seeing her like this, Jiraiya was momentarily taken aback, a chill rising in his heart. There was no doubt—she was serious.

"We don't have enough information, but it's clear this organization has malicious intent," Hiruzen thought to himself, sighing inwardly. He deeply regretted Dan's death but sincerely hoped Ye Zi wasn't involved.

"I'll go gather information," Jiraiya suddenly volunteered.

Minato looked at him and said, "It's dangerous without knowing more about them."

"I'm Jiraiya, one of the Sannin," Jiraiya replied nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Tsunade coldly suggested, "Since we've confirmed Ye Zi was the one who released Shukaku, we should pass this information to the Sand Village and let them track him down."

Everyone was stunned by Tsunade's suggestion. The Sand Village harbored deep hatred for the one responsible for Shukaku's release. If they learned Ye Zi was involved, he would surely face the full wrath of the entire Sand Village.

"That's not wise," Hiruzen said, looking at Tsunade. "We're in a sensitive period after the war. Sending this information to the Sand Village could provoke suspicion. Remember, Ye Zi is from Konoha."

"I agree, it's not appropriate," Minato added.

Ye Zi's Konoha origins were undeniable. Although the Iwa Village had declared Ye Zi dead, the fact that he was alive now made that report a misjudgment. The Sand Village had already suspected Konoha of releasing Shukaku. Given Konoha's motives, it was hard to avoid suspicion, especially since the one responsible was Ye Zi, a former Konoha ninja.

The Sand Village couldn't know this—at least not yet.

It was clear that Tsunade had already placed Ye Zi in the enemy camp. For her, Dan's death and Ye Zi's involvement with the organization were inseparable.

"There's no doubt Ye Zi is still alive, so he qualifies as a rogue ninja. How should I handle this? Should I consider Kushina's feelings? But as Hokage, I can't be swayed by personal emotions," Minato thought to himself.

Tsunade slowly lowered her thumb, her eyes burning with barely contained fury.

"We need more information. I'll go gather it," Jiraiya volunteered again, hoping to prevent Tsunade from getting involved and possibly putting herself in danger.

"Indeed," Hiruzen nodded slowly, then turned to Minato, waiting for him to make a decision. Although Hiruzen had already retired, the fact that Ye Zi was involved gave him a reason to remain involved. He still felt a lingering sense of guilt when it came to Ye Zi.

"Ye Zi is already a rogue ninja, isn't he?" Tsunade said, her tone filled with a hint of anger.

The room fell into silence. Indeed, Ye Zi could already be classified as a rogue ninja.

"Yes," Minato nodded.

Kushina lowered her head, biting her lip. This wasn't how she had imagined things would unfold. She had hoped they would find Ye Zi and ask him the truth, not condemn him like this.

"In that case, let's—" Tsunade was about to suggest officially declaring Ye Zi a rogue ninja when Kushina interrupted.

"In the end… isn't it because the village mistreated Ye Zi?"

Kushina suddenly raised her head, her voice shaking with suppressed emotions. "What caused all the scars on Ye Zi's body? How many contributions has he made to the village? Why, when he endured endless rumors, did the village do nothing? Not even to explain or defend him?"

At this point, tears began to well in her eyes.

"And he saved me!"

"Kushina…" Minato looked at her, his eyes lowering with sadness.

Hiruzen and Jiraiya closed their eyes in silence. They couldn't refute what Kushina had said. If Ye Zi had any reason to abandon the village, it was likely because of this.

Hiruzen sighed deeply. Ye Zi's misfortune was largely due to his own inaction.

Tsunade looked at her student. She didn't want to target Ye Zi so harshly, but the thought of Dan's death and Ye Zi's involvement made her unable to control her anger.

"He must have his reasons for not returning to the village," Kushina insisted. "I'm sure of it. Ye Zi wouldn't have participated in Dan's murder, especially not after saving me."

But reality could be cruel.

"Please don't treat him as a rogue ninja. Let me bring him back first!"

Tsunade averted her gaze, biting her lip in frustration. Torn between her pride in Kushina and her desire for vengeance for Dan, her emotions were becoming increasingly agitated.

Minato, seeing Kushina's determination, didn't want to reject her request. However, he knew that as Hokage, he couldn't let his personal feelings guide his decisions.

"Even though Ye Zi saved you, the fact remains that he hasn't returned to the village. He's met the criteria for being declared a rogue ninja, and I believe that's a decision he's already made," Minato said seriously.

Kushina slowly lowered her head, the fragile hope she had clung to seeming to shatter before her eyes.

Meanwhile, at the Root headquarters…

Orochimaru walked through the dimly lit corridor, heading toward his laboratory. His serpent-like eyes glimmered with a mysterious light in the darkness.

"What kind of consequences will my decisions from that time lead to now?" Orochimaru suddenly stopped and stared coldly into the shadows.

"Tsunade, you must be regretting it by now, don't you?"

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