A year can feel both long and short. During this time, no major events occurred in the shinobi world, at least on the surface. Beneath this facade of peace, subtle yet profound changes were taking place, like the transformation of a faded, worn gate into something splendid and new.
This year could be aptly called the "Golden Era."
To name an entire era after a single year might sound exaggerated, but it was grounded in reality.
Why? Because during this year, an extraordinary number of shinobi experienced explosive growth in their abilities. These shinobi belonged to the younger generation and were among the most gifted individuals. The most remarkable growth was seen in Konoha.
Of course, the "Golden Era" phenomenon wasn't exclusive to Konoha. Other hidden villages also saw significant advancements among their younger elite. Similarly, the children under Ye Zi's guidance had grown into formidable shinobi who could no longer be overlooked.
All of this was influenced by the "butterfly effect" of Ye Zi's presence. His impact was particularly evident among the children at his base and the shinobi of Konoha.
A select few shinobi achieved in one year what would typically take five or even ten years, as though they had drawn upon their innate talent prematurely. Their progress was terrifyingly rapid.
Among the most notable young talents were Itachi, Kimimaro, and Jūgo, while slightly older individuals like Obito, Might Guy, and Kakashi led the way.
All these transformations and advancements were influenced by Ye Zi, an outsider to this world.
With less than half a month remaining before the set deadline, White Zetsu returned to the base after nearly a year away, bringing his findings with him.
First, he handed over information about the Hidden Mist Village to Nagato. Then he returned to the base to deliver all his intelligence to Ye Zi.
Upon arriving at the base, White Zetsu discovered that Ye Zi was away. He wasn't in a hurry and instead wandered quietly around the base, waiting for Ye Zi's return.
After nearly a year away, the base seemed to have undergone significant changes. White Zetsu was astonished to witness the strength displayed by the children training at the field. He couldn't understand how their abilities had advanced so dramatically in less than a year.
While White Zetsu openly displayed his surprise, Black Zetsu remained composed, though he too was secretly astonished.
"Hashirama cells, Sharingan, and even a touch of Ye Zi's chakra. That guy Ye Zi is truly something else," White Zetsu murmured from the shadows, observing the children's Sharingan with a faint glint in his eyes.
Black Zetsu stayed silent, his expression neutral. The fact that Ye Zi's forces were growing stronger only improved the likelihood of their plans succeeding. However, the fusion of Hashirama cells, Sharingan, and the curse mark into a unified system left even Black Zetsu impressed.
"These kids are down to fewer than seventy now. It seems quite a few have died. And only about half of them have Sharingan—oh, and all of them are three-tomoe Sharingan," White Zetsu commented.
"Hmm? There's even a kid from the Uzumaki clan," White Zetsu said, his gaze landing on a small girl with bright red hair, about six years old. Her exposed skin bore faint bite marks.
The girl, Karin Uzumaki, was one of the last surviving members of the Uzumaki clan, much like Kushina. Ye Zi had found her two months earlier during a mission in the Land of Grass.
After discovering her unique abilities, Ye Zi had decisively destroyed a Hidden Grass Village support camp.
At the time, Karin was being used as a healing tool for the village's wounded. The method? Biting her body to extract her chakra for healing, a process faster than medical ninjutsu. The bite marks were a testament to her suffering.
When Ye Zi found her, it was shortly after her mother's death. The Grass ninja, indifferent to Karin's young age, had forcibly used her as a healing tool, even though her effectiveness was inferior to her mother's.
Had Ye Zi not sensed her unique chakra and intervened, Karin would likely have been exploited to death within five years, just like her mother.
Ye Zi's arrival freed Karin after she had endured just over a dozen bites. In gratitude, she chose to follow him without hesitation.
This was why Karin was now at the base. However, as she had arrived late and her abilities were unique, Ye Zi had not subjected her to Hashirama cell implantation or given her a curse mark. Whether this was her luck or misfortune was debatable.
Black Zetsu also noticed the Uzumaki girl and sneered quietly, thinking to himself how ruthless Ye Zi must be to include someone so young. Even if she had some value, it was surely negligible.
White Zetsu, lacking Black Zetsu's depth of thought, merely noted that she was the youngest among the children and likely the weakest, not even at genin level yet.
After observing for a while, White Zetsu grew bored and wandered off, looking for ways to pass the time until Ye Zi returned.
Eventually, he found himself near Orochimaru's lab.
After lingering around the lab for a while, White Zetsu left without entering.
But he had noticed something surprising: even Orochimaru had undergone Hashirama cell implantation.
"Ye Zi is truly making full use of Hashirama cells. Even Madara would pale in comparison," White Zetsu mused silently, finding the situation increasingly intriguing.
A day later, Ye Zi returned to the base. White Zetsu immediately went to meet him.
In a quiet room, Ye Zi listened intently as White Zetsu reported the findings of his year-long mission.
Such a large volume of intelligence would typically be recorded on scrolls, but Ye Zi and White Zetsu were exceptions. One would narrate, and the other could commit everything to memory without needing scrolls.
The intelligence on the Hidden Mist Village previously given to Nagato, including the distribution of guards, details about its top shinobi, and information on the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, was now narrated by White Zetsu once more to Ye Zi.
Although the Hidden Mist Village intelligence wasn't particularly critical, since it had been collected, there was no harm in listening.
After finishing the Hidden Mist Village report, White Zetsu moved on to the Hidden Cloud Village intelligence, which was far more substantial. Of particular interest were the details about the abilities of the Hidden Cloud's elite shinobi, which Ye Zi was most eager to learn. In comparison, the village's guard distribution was of less concern to him.
White Zetsu began by reporting the guard distribution of the Hidden Cloud Village. The terrain was naturally defensible, but the Hidden Cloud took no chances with its defenses, ensuring they were tight and meticulously maintained, a veritable ironclad defense.
This defensive stance aligned with their obsession with the security of their Jinchūriki.
After listening to the general details of the Hidden Cloud Village's defenses, Ye Zi moved on to the intelligence regarding the abilities of their top shinobi, including the Third Raikage.
In the room, White Zetsu narrated in a calm voice while Ye Zi quietly listened, committing every detail to memory.
With less than half a month remaining until the Akatsuki's core members gathered, Ye Zi had one more task to complete, it was something related to the Sharingan.
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Currently on Chapter 527 - The Calm Before the Storm