Chapter 398: A Loss that was Unbearable

Minato's sudden appearance, along with the massive Rasengan, created a swift and unrelenting assault that enveloped Ye Zi in a lethal crisis.

The scene unfolded before the eyes of everyone present. The pale blue glow of the Giant Rasengan resembled the cold gleam of the Grim Reaper's gaze as it bore down on Ye Zi.

But Ye Zi would not simply resign himself to death. Enduring the searing pain, he forced himself to rise. No matter how severe the impact, he never let go of his blade. Every movement he made was in preparation to counter the imminent mortal danger.

With eyes as sharp as Minato's, Ye Zi clearly tracked Minato's movements and immediately prepared to react.

However, just as he forced himself to stand and found a chance to evade, the accumulated injuries from the battle surged forth all at once.

His legs wouldn't move...

The pale blue light of the Rasengan reflected on Ye Zi's face, now stricken with fear.

In the split second before death closed in, when perhaps only one second remained, a figure appeared before him with impossible speed, shielding him.

"Ko...toe...?"

Green hair fluttered into Ye Zi's line of sight, and his pupils contracted sharply. His mind hadn't even registered the identity of the figure before the Giant Rasengan slammed into it.

Seeing Kotoe shield Ye Zi, Minato's expression shifted in shock.

Kotoe stood resolutely in front of Ye Zi, blocking the Rasengan head-on. From her hands, two green brambles shot out, bypassing the Rasengan to wrap around Minato's arm. The brambles' venomous thorns sank deep into his flesh.

Pain radiated from his arm, and Minato frowned, withdrawing his control over the Giant Rasengan and teleporting away using the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Ye Zi, I…"

Kotoe's words were swallowed by the deafening explosion of the Rasengan. Her consciousness faded into darkness.

Her fragile body, seemingly delicate in this moment, was flung back by the remaining force, colliding with Ye Zi. The two were sent flying together before landing heavily on the ground after the momentum dissipated.

Watching this unfold, Orochimaru's face darkened considerably. Transforming his lower body into a snake, he slithered rapidly toward Ye Zi and Kotoe.

Kushina, Jiraiya, and Tsunade silently observed the scene.

In the ever-shifting roles of protector and protected, one would inevitably suffer.

Minato reappeared at one of his kunai's markers. His right arm was covered in puncture wounds from the poisonous brambles, and the venom was rapidly spreading through his bloodstream, reaching his internal organs.

Frowning slightly, Minato teleported to Jiraiya and Tsunade's side.

He hadn't expected Kotoe to intervene, let alone make it in time. Even more surprising was the venomous brambles she unleashed, successfully poisoning him.

As Minato appeared, Jiraiya immediately tossed him an antidote.

Minato caught it, removed the cap, and drank it straight from the bottle. Once the poison was neutralized, he could teleport to Ye Zi again using the Flying Thunder God marker he had left behind.

Though Kotoe had taken the brunt of the Rasengan's energy, Ye Zi still endured a significant portion of the impact.

At that moment, Ye Zi's vision blurred, and his consciousness wavered as though it might sink into darkness at any second. Yet, one truth remained clear, unshrouded by his hazy senses.

"Kotoe…?"

With great effort, Ye Zi raised his trembling eyelids. His blurry vision could only make out a faint streak of green.

Strength drained from his body, and waves of excruciating pain coursed through him. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to sit up, reaching out to cradle Kotoe's frail and silent form. The moment he touched her body, his own froze.

Her heartbeat... was fading.

Through his blurred vision, he could barely see Kotoe's closed eyes and the life ebbing from her body. Ye Zi's breathing grew rapid and uneven.

"Ye Zi…"

Kotoe's lips moved weakly, emitting a faint, barely audible sound. Her closed eyes slowly opened just enough to see Ye Zi.

Thankfully... I stopped it.

Her fleeting thoughts brimmed with relief.

Lacking the strength to think about anything else, she moved her lips slightly.

"Ye Zi… I…" Kotoe whispered, extending her delicate finger to touch Ye Zi's cheek. Her chest rose and fell slowly, the rhythm visibly slowing.

"I... love... you…"

Knowing her end was near, she wanted to at least convey her feelings to Ye Zi in words.

But the words spoken with all her remaining strength were cruelly lost in Ye Zi's soundless world.

What did you say…?

With his hearing gone, Ye Zi couldn't hear Kotoe's faint voice.

Weakened by his injuries, his blurred eyes could only see her lips move but couldn't discern the words.

He couldn't see. He couldn't hear.

"Kotoe…" In his panic, Ye Zi reached out to grab the hand resting on his cheek but grasped only air.

Kotoe's half-open eyes silently closed. The hand that had touched his cheek fell limply.

"Huh?"

Ye Zi froze.

In his arms, Kotoe's lips curled into a faint smile, serene and unwavering.

Do we only realize what's truly important when it's lost?

A searing pain tore through Ye Zi's chest. He remained stunned, his lowered eyelids slowly lifting to reveal bloodshot eyes.

"Ah!"

A heart-wrenching cry echoed as Ye Zi's grief erupted.

Suddenly, Ye Zi threw his head back and let out a roar filled with anger and sorrow, a cry that echoed across the vast plains.

The overwhelming grief gripped his heart like an iron fist, squeezing it mercilessly.

Images of Kotoe flashed rapidly through his mind, each one fueling the crushing pain in his chest.

Ye Zi's battered face twisted with anguish, his blood-filled eyes bursting past their limits as blood trickled from his tear ducts.

The already blurred world before his eyes turned entirely crimson, and his right eye began to change.

The once jet-black iris became a blood-red hue, as though stained by the blood streaming from his eyes. Around the crimson pupil, a single black tomoe appeared, followed by a second, and then a third.

Three tomoe spun slowly around the blood-red iris.

Immersed in his grief, Ye Zi didn't notice the transformation. His vision, now completely crimson, was gradually swallowed by darkness.

His faint consciousness finally succumbed to the void as his body collapsed backward to the ground. The blood-red eye, still open, slowly closed.

Orochimaru arrived just in time to see the Sharingan in Ye Zi's right eye before it closed. His brow furrowed slightly, but he had no time to dwell on it.

He quickly examined both Ye Zi and Kotoe. The latter's vital signs were almost nonexistent.

"..."

Without hesitation, Orochimaru picked up Ye Zi's blade, Blood, and severed Ye Zi's right arm. He then cauterized the wound with fire to stop the bleeding.

Summoning a snake, he had it carry Ye Zi's severed arm in the opposite direction.

With meticulous precision and foresight, Orochimaru made the necessary preparations before hoisting Ye Zi's unconscious body and heading toward the shoreline without hesitation.

As for Kotoe... there was nothing more he could do.

Meanwhile, Minato, now free of the poison, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport to the marker he had left on Ye Zi's right arm. He arrived just in time to witness Orochimaru's actions. Despite being closest to this marker, Minato decided to pursue it.

And then... another explosion greeted him.

Orochimaru had once again planted explosive tags inside the summoned snake. This time, the explosion caused Minato minor injuries but, more importantly, bought Orochimaru precious time to escape.

From afar, Minato saw Orochimaru carrying Ye Zi as he disappeared into the forest. Minato didn't want to give up and prepared to chase after them.

At that moment, Kushina appeared beside Kotoha in a flash. She didn't ask Minato to stop pursuing them but instead began treating Kotoe, whose condition was critical.

Minato watched this scene in silence for a moment before departing again in pursuit of Orochimaru and Ye Zi.

He was the Hokage... Nothing more, nothing less.

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