Konoha, Anbu.
In a specialized training room, Itachi and Shisui were locked in a duel, their weapons flashing in the dim light.
Numerous shuriken spun through the air, tracing elegant arcs before colliding with sharp clangs and bursts of sparks.
Itachi gripped his blade tightly and advanced toward Shisui.
Their blades met midair, gleaming briefly before separating.
The two swords clashed at an incredible speed, creating a cacophony of ringing steel and dancing sparks.
"Your strength is sufficient, but your angle is lacking," Shisui commented.
"At this moment, you shouldn't try a diagonal strike but instead block it head-on."
"Your attacks must be precise, any lapse is an opening for your opponent."
"Always hold back a fraction of your strength. Never go all out."
Shisui's voice occasionally interjected into the fight, while Itachi silently adjusted his movements based on his words.
"You're really impressive, Itachi…"
Noticing the refinement in Itachi's movements, Shisui smiled faintly. Spotting an opening, he disarmed Itachi with a swift strike, sending the blade flying.
"That's enough for now. Let's move on to taijutsu," Shisui said, sheathing his sword.
"Understood."
Suppressing his disappointment, Itachi immediately launched into an attack.
The sound of their bodies colliding echoed in the room for over three hours without pause.
In the end, Itachi was the first to stop, his stamina completely depleted. He stood bent over, panting heavily.
Shisui's breathing was uneven as well, but he fared slightly better than Itachi.
"That's enough for today," Shisui said between breaths.
"No, give me ten minutes to recover, and I can continue," Itachi insisted, gasping for air.
Shisui rubbed his nose out of habit and gave a wry smile. "Itachi, you need to balance training with rest."
"I'm fine," Itachi replied earnestly, trying to steady his breathing.
This isn't nearly enough…
The reports Ye Zi had left behind at Root were etched into his mind, intertwined with the battle he had witnessed that day.
Seeing Itachi's determination, Shisui sighed in resignation and agreed to continue.
....
Third Hokage's Residence.
Hiruzen sat cross-legged alone in the living room, a cup of freshly brewed tea before him.
Rising steam carried a faint fragrance through the room.
Hiruzen squinted slightly as he picked up the cup and took a sip, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Placing the cup gently on the table, he turned to gaze at the flowers and plants in the courtyard, murmuring, "The weather's quite nice."
The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted by a visitor.
"Lord Third Hokage," a well-dressed, handsome middle-aged man bowed respectfully from the hallway outside.
"Come in and sit," Hiruzen said with a slight smile, gesturing for the man to take a seat.
The man, Genya Yamanaka, a skilled member of the Yamanaka clan and head of Konoha's interrogation department, walked over and sat across from Hiruzen.
Hiruzen poured a fresh cup of tea and slid it toward Genya.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Genya said, holding the cup but not drinking. He stared silently at the tea within.
"Genya, it's rare for you to visit me. What's on your mind?" Hiruzen asked warmly.
After a moment's hesitation, Genya took a deep breath and said, "The village suffered greatly because of me. It's my fault."
Hiruzen was slightly taken aback. "Why would you say that?"
"If I had judged that Ye Zi met the criteria for immediate elimination during the interrogation, none of this would have happened," Genya said in a heavy tone.
Hiruzen fell silent for a moment, then replied firmly, "This isn't your fault."
"You know I withheld certain things in Ye Zi's interrogation report," Genya admitted with a sigh.
Hiruzen pursed his lips, his expression serious. "That's true, but I trusted your judgment. You don't need to blame yourself. Ye Zi becoming an enemy of the village is largely due to my own inaction."
Genya was visibly moved but also filled with guilt. He remained silent, unsure of what to say.
"What exactly did you conceal?" Hiruzen asked calmly, his deep gaze fixed on Genya.
After a brief pause, Genya said softly, "The scene I saw revealed that Ye Zi wasn't from the Land of Rain."
"What?" Hiruzen's eyebrows rose slightly.
Genya continued, "I knew that alone was enough to determine he should be dealt with, but I chose to hide it."
Hiruzen's expression darkened slightly. As Genya said, any inconsistency in identity would have been grounds for immediate action, especially in those turbulent times.
"But I also saw Ye Zi's anger, sorrow, frustration, calmness… and even contentment and happiness," Genya said, furrowing his brow. The images his genjutsu had drawn out were dominated by a burning cityscape, low buildings engulfed in flames and cries of despair echoing in the night.
Through this, he felt Ye Zi's layered emotions and confirmed he wasn't from the Land of Rain. Yet, despite the contradictions, Genya couldn't ignore the significance of these feelings.
"Why did you choose to conceal it?" Hiruzen asked, waiting for an answer.
Genya hesitated before saying, "Because of a blurred smile."
"A blurred smile?" Hiruzen was puzzled.
Genya sighed. "I don't know how to explain it. Although it was shrouded in shadow, the smile was filled with contentment, happiness, and purity."
"Ye Zi seemed to have someone very important to him, and that smile came from that connection. I thought, a child capable of such a smile shouldn't be eliminated."
"Someone important…" Hiruzen murmured, his brow furrowing further. He recalled that in the years following Ye Zi's interrogation, he had ordered people to monitor him closely. During that time, Ye Zi had never once mentioned family.
So, where did this family come from?
Hiruzen let out a sigh, unwilling to linger on the topic any further. He said, "At this point, there's no use dwelling on this. You don't need to blame yourself anymore."
Genya tightly pursed his lips, his expression filled with guilt. Ever since Konoha was attacked by Ye Zi, he had been haunted by this issue, unable to let it go.
He thought, If only I had dealt with Ye Zi back then, none of this would have happened.
A single thought, a single decision concerning Ye Zi's fate, had brought about significant consequences.
.....
The shinobi world appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents swirled beneath.
During this period, there were few disputes, and nothing major occurred, perhaps the most tranquil time in recent memory.
While things seemed uneventful on the surface, intelligence operatives were highly active in the shadows.
After the attack, Konoha refrained from taking overt action against the Hidden Rain Village, but intelligence-gathering operations never ceased.
With the exception of Iwagakure, all the major villages, while quietly developing, were engaged in a fierce competition of intelligence capabilities.
Jiraiya had also begun his investigations into Ye Zi and the Hidden Rain Village.
Despite the heightened activity, Ye Zi's base remained well-hidden. No matter how extensively the intelligence operatives worked, they failed to uncover its location.
Managing the connection between the outside world and the base was Fish, who handled all external matters. She excelled in her role, skillfully managing tasks such as procuring ninja tools and supplies without drawing attention.
The clones with Byakugan served as ideal sentries, standing watch around the base without need for food or water. They could immediately alert the base in case of an intrusion.
One day, Orochimaru brought Ye Zi some news: the results of the Cursed Seal experiments were complete.
Three months of meticulous research had finally borne fruit...
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Currently on Chapter 518 - Unyielding