Chapter 22: An Enemy Presence and Lurking Threats

Under the watchful eyes of his companions and the other diners in the restaurant, Ye Zi devoured the food on the table with the speed of a competitive eater. Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, he swiftly consumed the barbecue before him. Even the Akimichi clan, known for their hearty appetites, would likely feel embarrassed by his rapid eating pace.

In less than five minutes, the only thing left on the table were empty plates smeared with grease.

Yoru stared blankly at him, the piece of meat held by his chopsticks slipping from his grasp and falling onto the table with a soft thud. Kushina, on the other hand, had already filled her plate with a sufficient portion of meat earlier.

"I don't think that's enough." He said under his breath as he rubbed his stomach, still feeling a slight hunger. Though he wasn't fully satisfied, he decided not to order more barbecue, knowing that Yoru wasn't made of money.

After a sigh in his heart, he looked over at Kushina, who was slowly eating the barbecue on her plate.

Noticing his gaze, Kushina quickly pulled her plate back, eyeing him warily as she hummed, "Don't expect me to share."

"Tch."

He turned his head away, not surprised by her reaction.

At that moment, Yoru, having come back to his senses, picked up the piece of meat that had fallen on the table and quietly chewed it. During this brief moment of chewing, he calculated the amount of money left in his wallet, and with a pained expression, he forced a weak smile. "Uh, do you want more?"

His eyes lit up at the offer, but he shook his head, not wanting to further burden Yoru financially.

Seeing this, Yoru subtly breathed a sigh of relief. He wouldn't be so concerned if it were anyone else, but with Ye Zi's seemingly bottomless appetite, you could never know how much he could consume.

Although Ye Zi declined to eat more, Yoru, having only eaten two pieces of barbecue himself, didn't feel right about ordering more either. He sat there, staring blankly at the plate in front of him, which had only a small smear of grease left.

Suddenly, a pair of chopsticks holding a piece of barbecue reached into his plate, placing a piece of meat onto it.

Beixing Yoru turned his head to see Kushina, who was sitting inside the booth. She had divided half of her barbecue onto his plate.

"Kushina..." Yoru's face lit up with gratitude.

"Eat it quickly, before someone else tries to take it." Kushina said, glancing at Ye Zi. He, however, seemed indifferent, resting his chin on his hand as he looked out the window.

After finishing their meal, Yoru suggested taking a walk through the Sakura District, and Ye Zi and Kushina readily agreed.

It was the height of cherry blossom season, and the area filled with sakura trees was drawing in many villagers. Pink petals danced in the wind, and the air was filled with the distinctive fragrance of cherry blossoms.

As Kushina watched the petals swirling around, she remembered how, a year ago, in this very place, she realized that becoming the Hokage was not what she truly wanted.

Even now, the words of ridicule, often laced with malice, were never far from her vibrant red hair. Fortunately, the two companions beside her had never shown the slightest disdain for her hair—not even a hint.

Looking at Ye Zi, who wore a calm expression with his hands in his pockets, and Yoru, whose face lit up with joy every time he glanced her way, Kushina couldn't help but smile.

As evening approached, Yoru reluctantly said goodbye to Kushina and Ye Zi, heading off first.

Watching Yoru's silhouette stretch under the twilight, Ye Zi turned to Kushina and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"About what?" Kushina feigned ignorance.

"Nothing." Ye Zi shook his head, waving his hand as he turned and walked away.

After he disappeared around a corner, Kushina sighed softly. She knew that Yoru liked her, but she had no feelings for him. She wanted him to give up, but knowing Yoru's personality, she felt a bit helpless.

Shaking her head to rid herself of such troublesome thoughts, she began walking in the direction of her home.

Around the corner, Ye Zi leaned against a wall, slightly tilting his head as he watched Kushina's figure disappear into the distance. He was debating whether or not he should follow her secretly.

The auras he had sensed earlier were definitely from hostile individuals, and they seemed to be targeting Kushina. Although he didn't understand why anyone would target Kushina, who was merely a Genin, he felt that he should either inform her or follow her to protect her. But then he hesitated, considering the Konoha ninja presence he had sensed earlier, as well as the Anbu who were secretly monitoring him.

"Since there are already people protecting her, there's no point in me going." He thought, his decision slowly leaning toward not following her.

He took a step forward but found himself unable to take a second one.

"But... what if something goes wrong?"

Ye Zi's brow furrowed deeply as he stopped in his tracks. If this had been before, he would have simply ignored it. But why was he hesitating now? Could it be because Kushina resembled Rui a little?

Thinking of this, he shook his head in frustration. He knew it might indeed be because of Rui, but he didn't want to admit it. His ultimate goal was to leave here and return to Earth, so he didn't want to get involved with anyone in this world.

But... why couldn't he just turn away?

"Damn it."

After hesitating for a long time, he cursed silently under his breath and then hurried off in the direction of Kushina's home.

He could sense the presence of an Anbu still monitoring him, but he had no way to shake them off. Even if he had the ability, he couldn't afford to draw their attention, especially since he currently lacked the means to evade their surveillance.

Konoha Village was large, encircled by towering walls with the Hokage Rock on one side. Inside the walls, in addition to densely packed residential areas, there was also the Forest of Death. The vast village had both bustling areas and remote corners, and Kushina's temporary residence was in one of those secluded areas.

When he arrived at Kushina's home, he found several Konoha ninjas lying in pools of blood. His expression changed immediately. After quickly assessing the situation, a flash of regret crossed his eyes.

The Konoha ninjas were all dead, with multiple wounds on their bodies. The fatal injuries were slashes across their throats, and the blood still held a trace of warmth, indicating they hadn't been dead for long.

"Kushina..."

He glanced at the house. Not sensing Kushina's presence, a look of concern flickered across his face, and he immediately dashed towards the nearest wall.

He didn't have time to notify anyone else, and he was certain that the Anbu, upon seeing this scene, would abandon their surveillance of him and report to the Hokage instead.

Sure enough, as soon as he leapt over the wall and out of the village, he could no longer sense the Anbu's presence.

Outside the village, he felt like a headless fly, frantically searching in all directions. Lacking effective tracking methods, he had no way to determine which direction the enemy had taken Kushina, even though they had left not long ago.

As his heart sank, an uncontrollable rage simmered in his chest.

If only he hadn't hesitated for so long...

Ye Zi clenched his fists, his face darkening with anger, his eyes filled with a cold, murderous intent.

He suddenly thought of Rui, and his expression grew even more grim.

The feeling of being unable to protect someone was like having his heart ripped apart—it was unbearably painful.

If Orochimaru were here, he would surely be surprised. Although he had killed many people on missions, Orochimaru had never seen even a hint of murderous intent from him. But now...

Just as he was beginning to despair in his search, in the last rays of the setting sun, he spotted several strands of bright red hair.

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