strictlysupreme Chapter 623 Ninja
Chapter 623 Ninja
He spent most of his time fighting on the front lines, alone, and knew very little about the ninjas within Konoha, especially the promising young generation. He didn't even know where to begin looking. But he soon realized he was in a dead end—he had a ready-made teacher, Hatake Sakumo, to consult; there was no need to waste time thinking about it here.
Acting on his thoughts is Zhang Hai's consistent style. He left the guard post and headed straight for Hatake Sakumo's location.
Although the war is over, Hatake Sakumo remains extremely busy. He currently resides in Konoha's interrogation department, where a large number of enemy village ninjas captured during the war are imprisoned. As the victors, these prisoners are important spoils of war, and Hatake Sakumo's mission is to steal intelligence from them about various countries in preparation for potential future wars.
When Zhang Hai arrived at the interrogation department, he saw an Iwa ninja tied to a chair, his eyes lifeless, clearly having undergone a round of brutal torture. His body was covered in wounds, but he seemed to have suffered even more severe mental trauma. At that moment, a tall, blond man next to him swiftly formed hand seals, performing the Yamanaka clan's secret technique—"Mind Transfer Technique."
The bound Iwa ninja let out a terrified groan, his body stiffened abruptly, and he lost consciousness, his head drooping limply. A short while later, the blond man opened his eyes, a hint of weariness in them. He walked to a table, picked up a pen, and quickly scribbled something on a scroll. After finishing, he closed the scroll, his movements practiced and efficient.
Zhang Hai observed the entire process and understood. This man was likely a member of the Yamanaka clan, specifically the "Ino" from the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio—Yamano Inoichi. This ninjutsu was perfect for intelligence gathering, allowing him to directly read the target's memories and thoughts with extremely high efficiency. Zhang Hai also learned that due to the large number of prisoners and limited chakra, Hatake Sakumo would only hand over valuable prisoners to Yamanaka Inoichi for interrogation; those without value were not under his jurisdiction. Giving his disciple a prisoner as a summoning object yesterday was merely a small favor to him.
After the interrogation of the prisoner was completed, Yamanaka Inoichi left the torture chamber. Hatake Sakumo turned around, looking at Zhang Hai who had suddenly appeared, a hint of disdain in his eyes, but his tone was somewhat helpless: "What, you're here again?"
Zhang Hai chuckled beneath the mask. He knew that although Hatake Sakumo complained, he still cared about him. He explained, "Teacher, as you know, although I'm the captain of the Dark Division now, I don't have a single member under my command. That's why I came here specifically to ask you for advice and see if you have any good candidates to recommend to me."
Sakumo Hatake immediately understood Zhang Hai's plan: he wanted him to recommend candidates. After a moment of contemplation, he said seriously, "Do you know? The tests for the Anbu are very rigorous, especially now that the Anbu members have been streamlined, it's even harder to get in. In this peaceful time, the village doesn't need so many Anbu members. Instead of searching for team members everywhere, you should use this peaceful period to improve yourself and become stronger."
Zhang Hai sighed, somewhat helplessly, and said, "I know that, but I don't know where to start for the time being." He pondered his training. Swordsmanship is a long-term accumulation process, and he practices every day without daring to slack off in the slightest; he has mastered most of the practical ninjutsu, and has even developed some on his own; his genjutsu is also continuously improving with the aid of his Sharingan; he even occasionally practices puppetry to maintain his skills. As for medical ninjutsu, he dares not approach Tsunade now, otherwise he would definitely be conscripted into her labor force. What he lacks most right now is a special ability that can truly help him improve his strength, or that can compensate for his weaknesses.
"How can you wield a knife if your mind is not at peace?"
Hatake Sakumo's calloused fingers struck Zhang Hai's head without mercy. The force was neither too strong nor too weak, but enough to make Zhang Hai's head, which was used to all kinds of training, sway slightly.
"Ouch!" Zhang Hai immediately clutched his head, letting out a reflexive cry of pain, his voice tinged with feigned grievance. He secretly glanced at Hatake Sakumo, only to see that although his teacher's face held reproach, his eyes held a deep sense of helplessness.
"Look at you, where has your mind been these past few days?" Hatake Sakumo's voice carried a hint of exasperation. "Only by focusing intently on swordsmanship practice can you grasp its essence. If you could always concentrate, why would you be worrying about these trivial matters?"
Zhang Hai lowered his hand, looking utterly obedient, head bowed like a schoolchild who had made a mistake. He knew the teacher was doing this for his own good. But it was just his nature; he was full of curiosity about the unknown, and it was understandable that he would occasionally daydream. Seeing that the teacher's tone had softened, he began to play the victim.
“Teacher, I’m just thinking about how to improve faster and make a greater contribution to the village…” he said in a low voice, with a hint of flattery, “This disciple is dull-witted, unlike you, Teacher, who is naturally gifted, so I need to think more and try more…”
Seeing his expression, Hatake Sakumo finally sighed helplessly. He knew his disciple too well; seemingly slick, he was actually pure-hearted and had an almost obsessive desire to become stronger. He knew that while criticism was necessary, genuine help was what would truly help Zhang Hai grow.
He slowly unsheathed the simple, yet gleaming, short sword from his waist and handed it to Zhang Hai.
“Go.” Sakumo Hatake’s voice carried a hint of meaning. “Go to the Third Hokage and report that you have a person codenamed ‘Shadow.’ Tell him that I sent you. I believe you can learn a lot from him.”
Zhang Hai took the short sword; it felt heavy in his hand, carrying the unique chakra aura of Hatake Sakumo. He looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.
"Shadow?" He repeated the unfamiliar code name, his brow furrowing slightly. In his understanding, the number of people in Konoha who could truly teach him and from whom he had benefited immensely was very limited. First was the Third Hokage, the unfathomable ninja expert; then his teacher, Hatake Sakumo, the renowned "White Fang of Konoha"; then the legendary "Sannin," and the so-called "genjutsu genius," Kurenai Yuhi. All of these people were among the strongest at the pinnacle of the ninja world. But who was this "Shadow"?
He had never heard of this name before, and he never expected that, in addition to these well-known experts, Konoha would be hiding such a master in secret!
A surge of intense excitement welled up inside him; he felt he had made the right choice in coming to see the teacher!