12dz Chapter 808 Shaking Head
Chapter 808 Shaking Head
Shinku gave a wry smile and shook her head: "Of course Tsunade wouldn't know. Researching Wood Release requires the First Hokage's cells. If Tsunade knew about this, she would be extremely angry. She hates this kind of forbidden experimentation using human bodies the most."
Zhang Hai lamented the "darkness" of this behavior, believing that the Third Hokage, though outwardly righteous, was not much different from Orochimaru in private. After all, Orochimaru was his student, and he had been influenced by him to some extent.
"Did you ever try to dissuade the Hokage?" Zhang Hai asked.
Shinku sighed, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "I tried to dissuade them, but the allure of Wood Release is just too great. Once Konoha masters Wood Release, they will be able to dominate future wars, and may even be able to quell the chaos like the First Hokage. Therefore, I cannot judge whether this experiment is good or bad."
Zhang Hai was not optimistic about this, knowing full well the extreme difficulty of experimenting with Wood Release. Even Orochimaru himself faced numerous difficulties in his research, let alone Danzo. Unless Tsunade and Orochimaru joined forces, there might be a sliver of hope for success, but that was virtually impossible.
After concluding their discussion about the Wood Release experiment, Zhang Hai began treating Zhen Hong's body. He skillfully used medical ninjutsu, his green chakra enveloping Zhen Hong's wounds and accelerating their healing. He then busied himself preparing medicine and food for Zhen Hong, working tirelessly until nightfall.
Watching Zhang Hai's busy figure, Zhen Hong grew increasingly fond of and accepting of him. He was also well aware that his daughter, Hong, had fallen deeply in love with Zhang Hai, and he felt gratified about it. However, Zhen Hong found it somewhat strange, as it was getting late and Hong had not yet returned.
Zhang Hai served the food and, seeing Zhen Hong's puzzled look, explained, "Hong went to the training ground to practice. She may have been inspired by this battle and realized her own shortcomings. I think this is a good thing."
Zhenhong tasted the dishes prepared by Zhang Hai and nodded in praise repeatedly.
"Mmm, it tastes really good!" he exclaimed.
After taking a few bites, Zhenhong got up and took a bottle of wine from the room. He poured himself a glass and drank it all in one gulp. Then, he poured a glass for Zhang Hai and invited him to drink and enjoy the food together.
Seeing the wine Zhenhong took out, Zhang Hai was reminded of the cheap wine Zhenhong had given him in prison last time, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He asked with some disdain, "It's not the same as last time, is it?"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Hong immediately glared and said with displeasure, "Nonsense! This is my treasured possession, even Hong doesn't know about it!" Just as he was about to clink glasses with Zhang Hai, he suddenly felt a chilling murderous aura coming from behind him.
"Dad!"
Behind Shinku came the sound of Kurenai Yuhi gritting her teeth, her gaze shooting towards Shinku like a sharp sword.
"You actually hid alcohol behind my back?! And you're even corrupting Yoru?! Have you been having too much of a leisurely time lately?!" Kurenai questioned, her voice filled with anger and dissatisfaction.
Zhen Hong was so startled that his hand trembled, and he almost dropped his wine glass. He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes darting around, trying to brush it off.
With Zhang Hai's help, Yuhi Hong finally agreed to let the two drink, but she emphasized, "This is a one-time exception!"
After several rounds of drinks, at Zhen Hong's enthusiastic invitation, Zhang Hai stayed overnight at Zhen Hong's house. Although Zhen Hong tacitly accepted the relationship between Zhang Hai and Yuhi Kurenai, she did not allow them to share a room and arranged for Zhang Hai to stay in a separate room.
Zhang Hai himself also believed that Xi Ri Hong was still too young and only suitable for kissing and hugging; taking it any further was too early.
As dawn broke, Zhang Hai returned home. Bai seemed to have expected his return, showing no surprise whatsoever, and had already changed into his ANBU uniform, clearly preparing to go out on a mission.
"Were you injured during the defense of Konoha?" Zhang Hai asked with concern. Ever since Bai nearly lost her life on the battlefield last time, Zhang Hai had always asked her to hide herself during every major battle and avoid drawing attention to herself.
Bai shook his head and said softly, "I'm not injured. I helped Xiyan from the shadows, so I didn't engage in direct combat."
Zhang Hai expressed his admiration for this and reiterated that Bai should do this, especially when he was not around, to ensure his own safety.
Zhang Hai was somewhat worried. Although Bai was highly talented and strong, he lacked combat awareness, which prevented him from fully utilizing his strength. Therefore, he was always uneasy about him.
He decided to take Bai and Xiyan to the training ground for special training during this time to make up for their lack of combat awareness.
Inside the secret training grounds, Zhang Hai and Xi Yan were sparring with swords. Since completing her intelligence escort mission, Xi Yan had made significant progress, her swordsmanship and concealment techniques now quite impressive. Her blade flashed with a chilling light, thrusting straight at Zhang Hai with perfect speed and angle.
"That was a good cut," Zhang Hai exclaimed.
Zhang Hai countered with a swift strike, his blade striking Xi Yan's wrist and knocking her ninja sword to the ground.
"Your swordsmanship has improved greatly. You still need to practice for a long time. Once you make a breakthrough on the battlefield, I will teach you new swordsmanship techniques," Zhang Hai instructed, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Zhang Hai was very satisfied with Xi Yan's progress. He believed that Xi Yan had an exceptional talent for swordsmanship and that in the future, she could develop a completely different path of swordsmanship from his own. He hoped that Xi Yan could surpass him and become a true master of swordsmanship.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir!" Xi Yan bowed respectfully to Zhang Hai, her eyes filled with gratitude. Her emotions had been shut down due to the Root organization's closed training, but with the help of Zhang Hai and her teammates, she gradually rediscovered her own feelings and cherished this kindness. Now, the only thing she couldn't let go of was her hatred for Orochimaru.
Zhang Hai nodded, then turned to look at Bai. He knew that although Bai was highly talented, her fighting style had always been a problem for him.
"Bai, I've discovered that our previous approach to training you in Ice Release might have contained some misconceptions," Zhang Hai said in a deep voice. He recalled the team's experience fighting Killer Bee last time. While Ice Release wasn't weak in direct attacks, its effectiveness was greatly reduced when facing enemies of the level of a Tailed Beast Jinchuriki.
“Ice Release is better suited for support than for solely pursuing offensive power.” Zhang Hai decided to overturn the combat system he had previously devised for Bai. He believed that with himself and Xi Yan fighting head-on, it would be more effective for Bai to use Ice Release from the rear to slow down and wear down the enemy. In particular, the freezing effect of Ice Release was superior to the paralysis of Lightning Release and could not be countered, effectively restricting the enemy's movements.
Under Zhang Hai's guidance, Bai focused on improving her control over Ice Release techniques. She quickly grasped the new approach and completed a brand new secret technique.
Ice Release: Absolute Zero!