nucmednet Chapter 821 Let's go, hurry back to the village, I'll treat you to a drink!
Chapter 821 Let's go, hurry back to the village, I'll treat you to a drink!
Upon hearing this, "Hunter" suddenly realized and then revealed an envious expression: "Yeah, I wish I could go home and see my son too. You're really lucky, kid." He patted Zhang Hai on the shoulder, "Let's go, hurry back to the village, I'll treat you to a drink!"
Zhang Hai secretly breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed his explanation had worked. He nodded and walked with "Hunter" towards Iwagakure Village.
The two had barely entered the village and hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath when they saw a group of Iwagakure ninjas hurrying towards them. Leading them was none other than Iwagakure's supreme leader—the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.
"'Hunter,' 'Hunter,' you've finally returned." Onoki's voice carried a hint of authority, but there seemed to be a trace of anxiety in his tone.
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat; he knew the following conversation was crucial. He exchanged a glance with "Hunter," then respectfully bowed to Onoki.
"Lord Tsuchikage."
Onoki glanced at the two of them and said in a deep voice, "Come with me, I have something important to tell you."
Onoki led the Instant Killer and "Hunter" to a spacious operations room. The walls of the operations room were covered with maps, marking the battle areas between Konoha and Iwagakure.
"The Demolition Squad is the village's trump card," Onoki said in a deep voice, his back to the two men. "During World War II, the Demolition Squad made outstanding contributions. It was only because of the existence of the two Jinchuriki that your brilliance was overshadowed. Now that the two Jinchuriki have left the village, the Demolition Squad's destructive power has once again become apparent. Therefore, I value you all the more."
"Hunter" and Zhang Hai, disguised as an Instant Killer, bowed their heads respectfully and remained silent. They knew that the Earth Shadow's words were both praise and encouragement.
Onoki turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the two of them: "No need to be so formal. I'll ask you directly, what's the situation on the battlefield with Konoha?"
"Hunter" immediately stepped forward and reported, "Lord Tsuchikage, the situation is not good. We are at a stalemate with the Konoha forces, and in small-scale skirmishes, we Iwagakure are losing more than we are winning." He paused, his tone tinged with resentment, "Each squad in Konoha is equipped with medical ninjas, and these medical ninjas can also use poison, causing huge losses to our demolition squad."
Upon hearing this, Onoki frowned, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed, "Konoha... truly deserves to be called the strongest ninja village. Its war potential is immense, and it produces countless geniuses." He looked at the map on the wall, his gaze hardening. "However, the ninjas of Iwagakure possess the 'Will of Stone,' and will never lose to Konoha's 'Will of Fire'! As long as our faith remains unshaken, Iwagakure will not be defeated!"
Zhang Hai, disguised as an Instant Killer, asked at the opportune moment, "Lord Tsuchikage, since the battle is at a stalemate, will recalling the demolition unit at this time affect the situation on the front lines?"
Onoki smiled confidently: "You're overthinking it. Konoha has already been invaded by Sunagakure, and its strength has been weakened. It won't dare to launch a rash attack in the short term. Therefore, not only the demolition team, but also a group of ninjas will be returning to the village one after another."
A glint of light flashed in "Hunter's" eyes as he guessed, "Lord Tsuchikage, does this mean... that the Hidden Cloud Village is making a new move?" He then added, "I heard that the Hidden Cloud Village is currently at war with the Hidden Leaf Village."
Onoki gave "Kari" a meaningful look, and instead of answering directly, he said, "The situation is still unclear, but it is feasible to make arrangements in advance." He paused, his tone carrying a deeper meaning, "If the news is true, this will be an opportunity for Iwagakure."
Zhang Hai was startled. Onoki's words gave him a deeper understanding of Iwagakure's strategic intentions. It seemed that this mission was more complicated than he had imagined.
After bidding farewell to the Earth Shadow, both the Instant Killer and "Hunter" returned to their respective homes. Zhang Hai, disguised as the Instant Killer, returned to his house and, upon entering, saw a blond boy playing with white clay on the floor. The boy was intently shaping the clay into various small animals, making "hmm" sounds as he did so.
A complex emotion welled up in Zhang Hai's heart. This child... was the future artist, Deidara. At this moment, he was only about three years old, innocent and carefree, completely unaware of the world of ninjas.
Just as Zhang Hai was marveling at Deidara's appearance, he suddenly felt a strong mental resistance emanating from the Instant Killer's body. As if a suppressed beast had awakened, a powerful chakra surge instantly swept across the Instant Killer's entire body.
"Damn it!" Zhang Hai cursed inwardly. Although his "Toad Shadow Manipulation Technique" was powerful, the prolonged control, coupled with the strong will of the Instant Killer's body, finally caused the technique to begin to fail.
Zhang Hai immediately released the "Toad Shadow Manipulation Technique," his body instantly separating from the assassin's shadow. Without hesitation, he activated his Sharingan, his blood-red pupils appearing eerily sinister in the darkness. Under the Sharingan's influence, the assassin's body instantly stiffened, once again under Zhang Hai's control.
At the same time, Zhang Hai cast an illusion on young Deidara. The little Deidara's hands, which were playing with clay, paused, a look of confusion appearing in his eyes. Then his body went limp, and he fell into a deep sleep.
After subduing the Instant Killer and Deidara, Zhang Hai dared not be careless in the slightest. He activated the Spirit Transformation Technique again, extracting his dark soul from his body and sending it into the Instant Killer's mental world.
The Instant Killer's mental world was shrouded in darkness, filled with oppression and despair. The moment Zhang Hai's soul entered, he saw the Instant Killer's soul form. It was a phantom exactly like the Instant Killer's original body, kneeling on the ground, its body trembling slightly.
"What...what do you want?" The killer's voice was filled with fear and pleading. "I know...I'm no match for you. But please...don't hurt my child!"
Zhang Hai looked into the despair in the eyes of the Instant Killer, but felt no emotion whatsoever. He knew the Instant Killer was an explosive ninja who would give his life for the village, but when facing his own child, he showed the most primal paternal love.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt your child." Zhang Hai's voice was low and calm. "We have no personal grudges between us, only rivalries between ninja villages. Family members should not be harmed; that's my bottom line."
Upon hearing this, the assassin trembled violently, then looked up, his eyes filled with unbelievable joy. He had thought that his and his child's fate were in the other party's hands, but he never expected Zhang Hai to make such a promise.
"Thank you... thank you!" the Instant Killer said excitedly, his voice filled with deep gratitude.
Zhang Hai said nothing more. He knew that he had now gained the trust of the Instant Killer, and only then could he better complete his mission. He needed to infiltrate the Instant Killer's body and gather more intelligence.