Naruto: Echoes of a Distant Home

The last rays of the setting sun glistened over the sea, and the salty sea breeze gently stirred Sasori's black hair. Though he wore a loose black robe, his slender figure was still visible. As he turned, Ye Zi instinctively averted his gaze, and the reason lay in Sasori's face.

Delicate brows, large amber-orange eyes, a finely-shaped nose, and a small mouth—a beautiful, feminine face, strikingly so. Despite having traveled together for days, Ye Zi, who had seen much of the world, still found it hard to adjust to this appearance.

Ye Zi knew Sasori's true face, he was a delicate-looking young man. But looking at this beautiful woman's face now, he couldn't help but picture the grotesque face of Hiruko, the puppet armor he was used to seeing Sasori wear. Hiruko… that was the appearance he usually associated with Sasori. But now, with Sasori looking like a beautiful woman, the two images clashed in Ye Zi's mind.

"For now, I haven't found a suitable living body, so this shell is the best quality one I have for the journey," Sasori said calmly. Since this was a female puppet body, his voice was also more feminine—clear and gentle.

Even though he was using a female body, Sasori didn't feel the discomfort Ye Zi did. For a puppet, gender was irrelevant; the important factors were mechanisms, durability, and quality.

"The bodies of the Kaguya clan are exceptionally durable. You should find a suitable shell among them," Ye Zi replied, rubbing his forehead. He sat down nearby, tossed some firewood into a shallow pit, and ignited it with a Fire Release.

They were in a place he and Sasori had visited before; the pit was one they had used previously, though it was barely recognizable.

Sasori sat down across from Ye Zi, separated by the blazing campfire, just like before, with their positions and the firewood as they had been in the past.

Whenever Ye Zi lifted his eyes, he saw Sasori's beautiful face lit by the firelight, and a heaviness settled in his chest, as he couldn't help but picture Hiruko's ugly face in his mind.

Avoiding Sasori's gaze, Ye Zi took out a storage scroll and summoned a wild boar leg, large enough to match Sasori's current form. He placed it over the fire to roast, his dinner for the evening. Sasori, being a human puppet, didn't require food.

Looking at the wild boar leg, Ye Zi asked, "Sasori, your core can replace your heart, right?"

Sasori silently watched the flames and, hearing Ye Zi's question, nodded.

After a moment's pause, Ye Zi commented, somewhat incongruously, "Without food and drink, life must be missing a lot of enjoyment."

"That sort of thing is irrelevant," Sasori replied indifferently.

Ye Zi glanced at him. "You gave up what it means to be human—your body and humanity—for the power to accomplish something. Now that you've accomplished it, you could at least reclaim the body you abandoned."

Hearing this, Sasori let out a low, melodious laugh and said coldly, "You're actually saying that? Are you pitying me?"

"Not at all." Ye Zi watched the small sparks that occasionally burst from the fire. "If anything… I suppose I'm a bit envious of you."

"Envious?" Sasori raised a brow, confused.

"You've reached the finish line. But I… I'm still far from it." Ye Zi sprinkled seasoning over the wild boar leg, carefully controlling the amount, and flipped it.

Sasori was silent for a while, then spoke calmly, "Finish line? You seem to misunderstand. Killing the White Fang to avenge my parents was just a minor goal."

Sasori lifted his slender arm, gently pressing his long fingers against the spot where his core was located. "My real finish line lies here."

The place he touched was his core, which acted as both his heart and his 'soul.'

If this was Sasori's true goal, only he knew what he really sought.

Ye Zi looked at Sasori's gesture, unable to grasp what he meant, but he decided not to pry further. "I misunderstood then. Forget what I said about reclaiming what you gave up."

Sasori stared into the fire and replied, "What I discarded was gone the moment I let go. There's no chance to reclaim it."

"Is that so…"

Ye Zi lifted the large roasted leg, checking if it was fully cooked. Seeing it still needed more time, he put it back.

One who cannot let go of anything cannot change anything.

To change a fact, what is discarded cannot be easily reclaimed. If it could be easily reclaimed, then it wasn't something worth sacrificing to change that fact.

"Sasori, the helplessness of people often comes from weakness, doesn't it?" Ye Zi remarked.

Sasori gave him an odd look, finding Ye Zi's words unusual tonight. "The weak cannot change anything, so of course, they are helpless."

"That's why, after all this time, this impoverished country is still the same," Ye Zi said.

"And what does that have to do with us?" Sasori replied indifferently.

"It's just a bit thought-provoking. Tomorrow, take me somewhere," Ye Zi said suddenly.

"Where?" Sasori asked.

"The place where you stole a boat last time."

"And what are you going there for?" Sasori was puzzled.

"Nothing much. Just in the mood."

"As you wish."

That night, after finishing his meal, Ye Zi set up alert traps around the area and went to sleep.

At dawn, as the first light broke, both Ye Zi and Sasori opened their eyes.

While the Land of Waves was clear the previous day, it was now shrouded in thick fog, showing how changeable the weather was.

Following Ye Zi's request, Sasori led him to the place where he had previously taken a boat, a simple pier.

When they arrived, they found the small wooden hut beside the pier in ruins.

Getting closer, the fog didn't obscure things as much. Sasori pointed to the pile of rubble and briefly explained.

"How tragic," Ye Zi commented lightly. "This country struggles to change its fate, while I could change everything with a flick of my fingers."

"This is your idea of being in the mood?" Sasori glanced at him sideways.

"Not really. It's just that seeing such poverty reminds me of a few things."

Ye Zi raised his hand, letting his chakra flow as wooden pillars sprouted from his palm, twisting and forming into sturdy wooden boats of good quality.

Sasori watched this silently.

Ye Zi then turned and walked away, having easily created several boats with Wood Release.

Sasori followed, and their figures melted into the thick fog, disappearing from sight.

"A few boats alone won't change anything," Sasori said indifferently as they walked.

Ye Zi replied calmly, "I could give them a bridge, but I won't. In the end, people must rely on themselves."

"How dull," Sasori scoffed.

Ye Zi didn't respond. To him, creating sturdy boats with Wood Release was a simple gesture, but to the people of this impoverished country, it was a significant gift.

They walked side by side toward another coastline.

The sun rose slowly, illuminating the land and thinning the dense fog.

From the usually deserted pier came a shout of surprise.

People soon gathered, shocked to see the large wooden boats floating offshore.

For the Land of Waves, where boats were rare, these vessels were invaluable.

An experienced sailor jumped onto one of the boats and inspected it, only to grow even more amazed.

The boat was solid, crafted as a single piece without joints, and exceptionally sturdy.

"This… is a miracle?" the man muttered in awe.

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