Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

In a corner of the large training hall, where a single wooden door stood open, Kotoe and Shin shivered as if a cold presence were watching them.

"Hehe."

A low, chilling chuckle reached their ears, making them turn abruptly to find Orochimaru standing in the doorway, gazing deeply at Ye Zi training the children, his lips curled into a crooked smile.

"Lord Orochimaru," they greeted him, realizing the source of the eerie sensation.

Orochimaru glanced briefly at Kotoe and Shin before his gaze returned to Ye Zi, remarking, "Birds of a feather, aren't they?"

"What?" Kotoe asked, puzzled.

Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely but offered no explanation, turning away to leave. He had merely stopped to observe when he'd noticed the scene through the open door.

When Orochimaru was gone, Kotoe looked confused, while Shin sighed in relief. Orochimaru's presence still made him tense, a lingering fear from unresolved past experiences.

Walking through the smooth wooden hallways lit dimly by spaced lamps, Orochimaru wore an intrigued expression. Ye Zi had been spending considerable time training these children, an effort Orochimaru knew was purposeful but hadn't given much thought to before now.

The scene had stirred old memories of the first time he'd met Ye Zi, skinny as a twig, during the war in the Rain Country. His first instinct had been to kill him, thinking it would be kinder to end such a miserable life. But Ye Zi's unexpected resilience had piqued his curiosity, and he had taken him back to Konoha.

For years, he'd watched Ye Zi's growth from a distance. Unexpectedly, Orochimaru stopped, turned, and headed toward the kitchen. Although he rarely drank, he suddenly felt like having a drink.

Inside the training hall, the four-hour session had ended, and despite the children's pleas, Ye Zi turned to leave. Their dedication reminded him of a young Guy, all determined to gain strength and control their fates. Ye Zi had also sensed Kotoe and Shin had watching him for nearly the whole session and even noticed Orochimaru's brief appearance.

Reaching the door, he commented dryly, "You are just wasting time meaninglessly here."

Leaving the pair behind him stunned, he walked through the door into the hall. Back in the training ground, the children continued their training, pairing off for practice sparring rather than taking a break.

"Slacking off, huh?" Shin said, sighing as he went to oversee their training.

Watching him go, Kotoe smiled, thinking that time spent near Ye Zi was far from a waste.

"Ye Zi is probably hungry by now. This time, I'll definitely get it right!" She pumped her fists and eagerly headed to the kitchen.

Ye Zi was on his way to his room when he stopped at an intersection, hearing soft footsteps and a faint slithering noise nearby. His senses confirmed it was Orochimaru… and snakes?

He stood still by the right-hand corner until Orochimaru appeared, carrying a large sake jar. Noticing Ye Zi, Orochimaru turned, regarding him with a crooked smile.

Behind him, the slithering grew louder as a dozen thick pythons emerged from the hallway, each one balancing trays of food and more sake jars.

"You're going to drink all that? And eat all of it too?" Ye Zi asked, looking skeptically at Orochimaru. He knew Orochimaru hardly drank, let alone consumed such large quantities.

"Isn't that why you're here?" Orochimaru replied smoothly, chuckling in his raspy voice as he turned, leading his snake entourage into his quarters.

Ye Zi followed, realizing he was indeed hungry. Orochimaru's table was too small for the enormous platters, so Ye Zi sighed and used wood style to create a larger table to hold the feast. Sitting down, he glanced at the infamous wall of eggs he'd once created for Orochimaru, asking, "Didn't you say you'd tear that down?"

Pouring sake into their cups, Orochimaru replied, "Ugly as it is, it doesn't get in the way."

"It's really because it looks like eggs," Ye Zi muttered, pouring himself some sake. "Neither of us likes drinking, but it's hard to get drunk."

Orochimaru laughed darkly, "Courtesy of… Root."

Ye Zi twirled his cup slowly, his thoughts briefly flickering to his years in Root. "So you brought all this sake here?"

Enduring countless rounds of drinking during Root training was just another skill they had to master. Neither Ye Zi nor Orochimaru had developed a taste for it, but the tolerance remained.

"I was just in the mood," Orochimaru said, lifting his cup and downing it smoothly.

Raising an eyebrow, Ye Zi followed suit. "Feels like it's been a while since we've done this." Pouring another round, he filled both cups.

Orochimaru gazed quietly at his cup, a rare look of introspection crossing his face. "Things have changed, haven't they?"

After a pause, Ye Zi replied, "Yes."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Kotoe stared in shock at the mountain of eggshells on the floor.

"Where are the eggs?"

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Currently on Chapter 338 - Kimimaro