nucmednet Chapter 784 Solved
Chapter 784 Solved
"Alright, now that the problem is solved, I'll be leaving. I'll leave the village affairs to you." With that, Zhang Hai quietly left the secret room.
Zhang Hai left Sunagakure silently and headed towards the familiar town. When he arrived, Bai and Yugao were already waiting for him there.
"teacher!"
"Teacher Zhang Hai!"
Bai and Xiyan immediately came to greet Zhang Hai when they saw him.
Zhang Hai nodded, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He took the intelligence scrolls handed to him by the two men and began to carefully examine them.
Haku's intelligence mainly concerned the movements of Iwagakure, while Yugao's intelligence was more detailed, including not only the internal situation of Konoha, but also some minor details about Sunagakure.
Zhang Hai was increasingly delighted as he read through the detailed intelligence report Xi Yan handed him. He nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with admiration. Xi Yan's intelligence gathering and refinement work was outstanding, even more comprehensive and in-depth than Bai's.
"Xi Yan, you did an excellent job on this mission!" Zhang Hai praised without reservation. Like Orochimaru, he never hesitated to praise outstanding individuals. He knew that appropriate praise could unleash a person's potential.
Upon hearing Zhang Hai's praise, Xi Yan couldn't help but show a shy smile.
She hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been on her mind.
“Teacher Zhang Hai, the intelligence I’ve gathered this time indicates that Sunagakure suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War, with a sharp decline in the number of ninjas. But why would they launch a war at this time? This is really puzzling to me.”
Hearing Xi Yan's question, Zhang Hai was even more pleased with her. Xi Yan not only possessed strong intelligence-gathering abilities, but her analytical and independent thinking skills also far surpassed those of ordinary people. He knew that nurturing such a student was his greatest achievement.
He then explained, "Because the Sand Village's attack was just a feint to draw Konoha's attention. The real main force is in the Stone Village."
Upon hearing this, Yugao was immediately taken aback. She had originally thought that Konoha would only face attacks from Sunagakure, but she hadn't expected that Iwagakure would also get involved.
"What?! Iwagakure?!" Yugao's face was filled with shock. "Doesn't that mean Konoha will face an attack from three ninja villages?!"
Zhang Hai's tone became heavy, and he nodded.
"Yes, that's the truth. And this battle will present Konoha with an unprecedented crisis."
He organized Bai and Xiyan's information, combined it into a scroll, and then handed it to Xiyan.
"Xiyan, the next task is very important. This time, you will need to complete it alone."
Yugao took the scroll, feeling its heavy weight in her hands, and her heart filled with solemnity. She knew that the importance of this information was enough to influence the course of the entire Ninja World War.
"Am I alone?" Xi Yan asked somewhat uncertainly. Although she was quite capable, she was still a little uneasy about such an important mission.
Seeing the lack of confidence in Xi Yan's eyes, Zhang Hai's tone was full of encouragement.
"Believe in yourself, Yugao. You are a student I taught, and I have confidence in you."
Zhang Hai's words were not casual remarks. It's important to understand that while Konan was nominally his student, Orochimaru had primarily trained her in ninjutsu. Yugao, on the other hand, was Zhang Hai's true student, whom he personally mentored. He poured his heart and soul into teaching her everything he knew. He believed in Yugao's potential and, more importantly, in his own teaching.
Hearing Zhang Hai's encouragement, Xi Yan took a deep breath, her eyes regaining their resolute light. She gripped the intelligence scroll tightly and solemnly replied, "Okay!"
Watching Yugao's departing figure, Zhang Hai's gaze became heavy and profound. In the information he gave to the Hokage, he not only provided a detailed account of the entire "Hurricane Operation" jointly launched by Sunagakure and Iwagakure, but also requested to stay in the area so that he could gather more accurate intelligence at any time.
He did not return to Konoha with Yugao because the plans for Sunagakure were complete, and he had more important matters to attend to. While Konoha's intelligence network was powerful, it still had many blind spots in places like the Land of Rain, a region plagued by constant warfare and isolated from information. And the Land of Rain was precisely the next, most important location in his future plans.
Zhang Hai turned around and looked at Bai beside him.
"You met with Xiao Nan?"
Haku nodded, a relieved smile in his eyes: "Yes, teacher. Konan is doing well in Amegakure; she seems to have found her place."
Hearing Bai's words, Zhang Hai felt a surge of indescribable bitterness. He asked with a wry smile, "If I go to Amegakure now, it might disrupt Konan's current life. What do you think Konan will think of me?"
Bai looked calmly at Zhang Hai, his eyes unwavering, his tone even yet firm: "Xiao Nan will definitely hate you."
Zhang Hai's smile grew even more bitter. He pressed on again, "So what about you? What will you do?"
Bai answered without hesitation, his voice filled with loyalty and determination: "I'll help you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai finally smiled. He knew that Bai's loyalty to him surpassed everything. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, a hint of amusement in his voice: "Looks like you're an accomplice too."
After saying that, Zhang Hai said no more and walked towards Amegakure without looking back. Bai didn't speak, but quietly followed behind him. She understood that Zhang Hai was not feeling well, and that his previous question was just due to emotional turmoil. If he really didn't care, he would have taken action directly and wouldn't have asked so many questions.
Amegakure remains the same desolate, dilapidated, and deserted place where it drizzles year-round.
The sky was always overcast, and fine rain fell like a curtain, shrouding the entire village in a hazy mist. The ground was muddy, and ruins were everywhere, remnants of the two battles between Kumogakure and Sunagakure. A damp and decaying smell filled the air, making it feel oppressive.
Looking at the desolate scene before him, Zhang Hai felt a complex mix of emotions. It was perfectly normal for someone growing up in such an environment to become extreme. The oppression of smaller nations by larger ones, the struggle of the weak for survival—this was commonplace in the ninja world. Without experiencing it firsthand, one could not truly understand that profound suffering.
As Zhang Hai continued his journey, he soon encountered the first group of Amegakure ninja. They wore the distinctive cloaks of Amegakure, masks on their faces, and watched each person entering the village with wary eyes.