After a day of exhaustion, he should allow himself some time to recover.
"Ye Dou, where are you going?" Might Guy asked, confused.
"Home," Ye Dou replied without looking back.
Home? Isn't Konoha in the opposite direction?
Might Guy was stunned but quickly followed, sinking into the dense forest behind Ye Dou.
Along the way, Ye Dou didn't slow down. It was as if he belonged in the wild, instinctively navigating his surroundings. Occasionally, he would stop to clear away some weeds. Sometimes, he moved on empty-handed; other times, he reached into the undergrowth, pulling out small animals, swiftly ending their lives before carrying them away.
At times, he would leap onto tree branches, rummaging through bird nests for eggs. If he found any, he cracked the shells open and swallowed the yolk and egg whites raw. When he encountered a snake, he grabbed it with his bare hands, tore out its gallbladder, and swallowed it without hesitation. Such ruthless survival habits were far from what one would expect from a child.
Following Ye Dou's every move, Might Guy's face shifted through a series of complex emotions.
"Ye Dou, this is..."
"Traps can only catch small prey. Larger animals don't usually appear at the outskirts of the forest; they are deeper inside."
"I know these are traps," Guy said, visibly moved as he glanced at the carcasses in Ye Dou's hands. "You've been living off this?"
"No, only for the past year," Ye Dou replied while crouching beside another trap, brushing aside some weeds. "A ninja's body requires more nutrients than the average person, and Konoha's rations are far from enough."
"Ye Dou! Your youth burns with such spirit—I'm so touched!"
Before Ye Dou could finish, Might Guy abruptly cut in. The passionate man leaned in with tears streaming down his face, eyes shining with admiration.
At that moment, Might Guy's heart was in turmoil. Ye Dou's resilience amazed him. His struggle reminded him of his own youth, training endlessly despite being called a dropout.
The corners of Ye Dou's mouth twitched once… twice… three times. He finally snapped.
BAM!
With a single punch, Ye Dou sent Might Guy flying several meters away.
Yet in no time, Guy, now covered in grass and dirt, bounced right back, clinging to Ye Dou like a persistent shadow.
Veins bulged on Ye Dou's forehead as his patience ran thin. Pressing a hand against Guy's ridiculously optimistic face, he snarled, "Get lost, idiot!"
Perched on Ye Dou's shoulder, a small mongoose flicked its ears before letting out a sly grin.
"He may be a fool, but at least he's better than that brat you deal with every day, Ye Dou."
---
Later That Night
The forest had fallen silent. No insects chirped, no birds sang. Above, only the endless expanse of stars flickered in the night sky.
A small wooden hut stood alone in a clearing. It was simple, unadorned—just enough for shelter.
This was Ye Dou's new home after renting out the house his estranged parents had left behind.
Not far from the hut, Might Guy enthusiastically pulled a golden-brown roasted drumstick from a fire pit. Grinning, he extended it toward Ye Dou.
"Ye Dou, try this! It's my father's special recipe!"
Guy had refused to leave after learning about Ye Dou's living conditions. Instead, he insisted on staying, even offering to move in.
His reasoning was simple: he wanted to support this young man whom the village had cast aside.
Just as his own father, Duy, had never given up on him, he now sought to stand beside Ye Dou—to show him that he wasn't alone.
But, unsurprisingly, Ye Dou flatly rejected the offer.
No matter how trustworthy Might Guy was, Ye Dou would not allow anyone too close. He had secrets to keep.
As the night deepened, Guy eventually relented. After finishing his meal, he bid farewell and made his way back to the village.
Ye Dou gathered his belongings and walked toward the river, washing up before returning to his hut. Settling into a cross-legged position, he closed his eyes and began refining his chakra.
"Ye Dou, why didn't you accept his offer?"
The mongoose, still chewing on a leftover piece of pork intestine, asked between bites.
Ye Dou opened his eyes briefly, his voice calm but firm.
"If it were the younger Sarutobi Hiruzen, maybe I could have," he muttered, shaking his head. "But the man he is now... is not worthy of the title of Hokage."
In his prime, the Third Hokage had been a force to be reckoned with—strong enough to crush any opposition with sheer power. Back then, Ye Dou might have considered using Might Guy's influence to his advantage.
But now, Sarutobi was old. Weaker. His priority was no longer strength but maintaining the illusion of stability in Konoha.
On the other hand, the true power behind the scenes—Shimura Danzo—only grew more ambitious with age.
Ye Dou's existence was a problem. Everyone in Konoha knew his parents had been executed by the village.
As long as he remained weak, the higher-ups might tolerate his survival—like a dog they could control.
But a person with the potential to grow into a real threat? Someone possessing a power like the Gravity Fruit? Even the most short-sighted could recognize the danger.
Power invites suspicion.
And with Danzo whispering in Sarutobi's ear, it was only a matter of time before they decided Ye Dou was a risk that needed to be "managed"—for the so-called "stability of the village."
No amount of goodwill from Might Guy could change that.
The hatred for his parents' deaths could never be forgiven.
And Konoha had already chosen its side.
—