Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

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.........

The looming danger remained unknown.

The first battle to capture a tailed beast was about to unfold in this nameless valley.

This was the first step in a plan that could shake the entire ninja world, and it was Ye Zi who would take that first step.

After countless hours spent running on a path without any clear markers, today, they would finally take the first step on the right path.

Roshi, the Four-Tails Jinchūriki, had red hair tied in a small ponytail, a red beard, and black eyes.

After confirming his identity, Ye Zi slowly drew the sword named Chijin from the sheath at his waist. His other long sword, Eihō, had been given to Shin.

Whoosh!

Ye Zi's figure vanished from where he stood, like the blowing of a horn signaling the start of the assault. Shin and Kotoe turned into black shadows, spreading out to the left and right.

In the hot spring, Roshi's lower body was submerged in the water while his upper body was bare. His arms were stretched out, resting on the stone platform behind him, and his eyes were half-closed, with a folded white towel on his forehead. Although he appeared to be leisurely enjoying the hot spring, he remained on guard at all times.

This was the survival rule for rogue ninjas—they had to always be on alert for assassination squads from the ninja villages. This habit had kept Roshi alive, allowing him to avoid yet another ambush.

As Ye Zi silently appeared behind him, Roshi's half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and in an instant, molten lava surged across his entire body. The contact between the lava and the hot spring created a massive amount of steam that quickly filled the surroundings.

The crimson blade of Chijin didn't pause, cutting through the steam and hitting something solid.

Not flesh!

Ye Zi instantly deduced this as he locked his gaze on the thick steam. Quickly pulling back Chijin, he leaped backward, retreating some distance.

Almost as soon as he jumped away, several lava balls radiating intense heat shot out from the steam, hitting the spot where he had just stood. They exploded upon impact, creating large craters in the stone platform and sending fiery debris flying everywhere.

The first exchange ended with neither side gaining the upper hand, though the commotion scared the nearby monkeys, sending them fleeing in all directions.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The sound of water evaporating under the extreme heat filled the air as the steam thickened, but through the white mist, the red figure of Roshi could still be seen standing.

Ambushes were one of Ye Zi's specialties, but he wasn't surprised that it had failed—after all, Roshi was the Four-Tails Jinchūriki.

Quickly forming hand signs, Ye Zi used Wind Release to blow away the thick steam. At the same time, several more lava balls flew toward him, but Ye Zi, reacting even faster, used the Body Flicker Technique to avoid the second wave of attacks.

As the steam dissipated, the water in the hot spring had evaporated due to the intense heat. Roshi stood in the empty spring, his body covered in a high-temperature lava armor, wearing only a white loincloth.

The Lava Armor technique, which covered his entire body with molten lava, combined both offense and defense. It was this technique that had defended him against Ye Zi's attack with Chijin.

"Akatsuki?" Roshi quietly observed Ye Zi's attire and instantly identified him.

The Akatsuki was now known by all major villages as a rare mercenary organization, one that even took on tasks from the villages.

"Why are you attacking me? Were you hired by Iwagakure?" Roshi asked, his voice steady.

Ye Zi remained silent, feeling no obligation to answer the question.

Sizzle!

Lightning crackled as it surged over Ye Zi's body, and small arcs of lightning danced wildly around him.

"What powerful chakra..." Roshi's brow furrowed as he, a veteran Jinchūriki, recognized Ye Zi's overwhelming chakra. However, his Lava Armor was not something that Lightning Release could easily penetrate.

Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!

Ye Zi quickly formed hand signs.

"Hmm?" Roshi's expression changed abruptly.

The rocks beneath his feet began to tremble as thick wooden tendrils burst through the stone floor, coiling around him like vines and binding him tightly.

Chijin, now wrapped in lightning, gleamed ominously.

Seeing the opportunity, Ye Zi instantly closed the distance, thrusting Chijin toward Roshi. However, just as the wooden tendrils were about to hold him in place, they burned to ash, falling away as charred fragments.

Surprised at how quickly his Wood Release had been neutralized, Ye Zi narrowed his eyes but didn't hesitate. Chijin continued its course, and lightning condensed into sharp spears aimed at Roshi.

Meanwhile, the lava surrounding Roshi's body bubbled with intense heat. As Ye Zi's Lightning Release drew closer, Roshi calmly formed hand signs, apparently intending to endure the attack.

"A mistake in timing?"

The lightning spears and Chijin struck Roshi simultaneously, aiming for non-lethal areas since Ye Zi's goal was to capture him alive.

Sizzle!

The lightning spears shattered Roshi's Lava Armor, and Chijin, now even sharper with its lightning enhancement, pierced into Roshi's right chest.

Pain flashed across Roshi's face. He had underestimated the sharpness of Ye Zi's Lightning Release, which had easily broken through his prized Lava Armor. At that critical moment, Roshi finished his hand signs.

Lava Release: Scorching Stream Rock Technique!

Just as the tip of Chijin pierced his chest, Roshi's cheeks puffed out, and he expelled a torrent of high-temperature lava from his mouth toward Ye Zi.

Even before the lava reached him, the searing heat had already dried Ye Zi's skin. His heart raced as he swiftly withdrew his sword and kicked off the ground, transforming into a streak of lightning as he retreated.

The lava splashed down onto the ground, transforming the entire area into a flowing lava field.

Ye Zi managed to avoid the lava, but his cloak had been scorched into rags, his right cheek severely burned, and his once black hair was singed. If not for his goal of capturing Roshi alive, he could have finished him off with that single strike, and there would have been no chance for Roshi to counterattack.

Roshi, clutching his bleeding chest, felt a twinge of disappointment. Although the sword had pierced deeply, it hadn't hit any vital organs.

At that moment, Shin, his Sharingan glowing red, launched his attack.

Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!

Positioned on higher ground behind Roshi, Shin unleashed a massive surge of water, which rushed toward the Jinchūriki.

"More than one?" Roshi didn't even turn around, as Ye Zi, standing in front of him, was still a significant threat.

Shin's timing wasn't perfect, but it still created an opening for Ye Zi.

Using Wood Release, Ye Zi summoned several wooden planks, controlling them with just enough force to throw them ahead. These planks, spaced apart, fell onto the flowing lava one after another.

Spirit Transformation Technique!

Spiritual entities emerged from Ye Zi's shoulders.

Simultaneously, Ye Zi leaped onto the first wooden plank, using it as a foothold before jumping to the second. The first plank sank into the lava almost instantly and disintegrated.

By timing his jumps precisely, Ye Zi used the temporary planks to cross the lava, closing the distance to Roshi at high speed, undeterred by the molten landscape.

A pincer attack!

Roshi didn't hesitate. He immediately activated the first stage of his tailed beast transformation. Tailed beast chakra erupted from his body, forming a red chakra cloak that merged with the Lava Armor. A single chakra tail extended from his back.

The torrent of water hit first, engulfing Roshi entirely.

Sizzle!

The water and lava collided, producing a massive cloud of steam that filled the area and slowly rose into the sky.

With his vision obscured by the steam, Ye Zi didn't stop. He lunged into the cloud, relying on his Spirit Transformation Technique to pinpoint Roshi's location.

He aimed to use the technique to subdue Roshi and secure his capture, even if it meant taking a hit from the water.

"Missed..."

Despite following the position he had locked in his mind, Ye Zi didn't hit Roshi. At that moment, he was swept up by the massive surge of water.

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Currently on Chapter 302 - Mei Terumi