12dz Chapter 687 The Claws
Chapter 687 The Claws
He secretly rejoiced, finally able to escape Tsunade's clutches.
He turned and left the Hokage's office, his heart filled with anticipation. He imagined how thrilling and challenging this mission, "related to the village's future," would be. Perhaps it would be infiltrating an enemy country to gather intelligence, protecting a vital objective, or even searching for a legendary artifact…
Zhang Hai eagerly opened the file folder. But when he saw the task details on the file, his excited expression instantly froze.
The mission title clearly states: [Work with Lady Tsunade to improve Konoha Village's medical system].
The details of the mission left him speechless with despair: to assist Lady Tsunade in her research on medical ninjutsu, to help with the daily affairs of the medical department, and to serve as a mentor to medical ninja apprentices...
"What?! It's Lady Tsunade again?!" Zhang Hai was practically in despair. He finally understood what the Third Hokage's strange expression meant. He had gone through so much trouble, scheming to escape Tsunade's clutches, only to find himself personally sent back to the tiger's den by the Hokage!
He felt a profound sense of powerlessness. This was simply a cruel twist of fate! He could almost see himself spending a long time immersed in various potions and poisons, surrounded by bottles and jars. His heart felt as if a thousand crows were flying over it, leaving only endless helplessness and despair.
Zhang Hai wore a mask, but inwardly he was furiously cursing. He could even imagine the smug, "I knew it!" smile on Tsunade's face when she heard the news. He could almost hear Tsunade's signature line, "Hmph, you think you can run away?"
Just as Zhang Hai was lost in endless fantasies and complaints, a clear child's voice suddenly rang in his ears.
"Big brother, your smile is so wicked!"
Zhang Hai was jolted awake from his reverie. He looked in shock toward the direction from which the sound came. A little girl with pigtails was standing not far from him, looking up at him with her bright, curious eyes.
"I...I smiled evilly?" Zhang Hai was startled. He was clearly wearing a mask, and his expression underneath was completely hidden. How could this little girl know he was smiling? And even say that his smile was evil?
He subconsciously touched his mask to make sure it was intact and completely covered his face.
"Little sister, what are you talking about? I'm wearing a mask, how do you know I'm smiling?" Zhang Hai asked with some doubt and a hint of inquiry in his tone.
The little girl simply tilted her head and said innocently, "I just know it! Big brother, you're clearly laughing inside, and you're laughing really badly!"
Zhang Hai was even more shocked. This little girl could actually sense his emotions! Was this a coincidence, or did she possess some kind of special ability? He tried to hide his emotions and calm himself down. However, the little girl's eyes remained fixed on him, as if she could see through his mask and reach straight into his heart.
"Who...who are you?" Zhang Hai's tone became somewhat serious. This little girl seemed to be hiding some unknown secret.
The little girl simply blinked and said in a childish voice, "My name is..." She seemed to want to say her real name, but hesitated for a moment, and finally just smiled mysteriously, "I am who I am!"
Zhang Hai tried to probe the girl's abilities. He attempted to release a small amount of chakra, then quickly withdrew it, observing the girl's reaction. However, the girl's expression remained unchanged, as if she were completely unaware of the fluctuations in his chakra. He then tried to imagine various scenes in his mind—some happy, some angry, some helpless. He discovered that when he experienced strong emotional fluctuations, the girl's gaze would become more focused, as if she could "see" his inner thoughts.
Is this a kind of perception ability? Or a more advanced form of mind reading? Zhang Hai was filled with doubt.
To confirm further, Zhang Hai decided to use a special ninjutsu—the Spirit Transformation Technique. His figure blurred, his body instantly becoming transparent, and a phantom soul floated out from within him, hovering above his body. This was a special ability he possessed, allowing him to exist in the form of a soul, freed from the constraints of his physical body.
When Nohara Rin saw the suddenly appearing spirit, she was first taken aback, then burst out laughing. She stretched out her little hand, pointed at Zhang Hai's spirit, giggled, and even made a funny face at the spirit.
Zhang Hai's soul form also revealed a ghostly face. He was secretly amazed; this little girl could actually see his soul form! This meant that her perception abilities far surpassed those of ordinary people, and she could even directly see through the essence of the soul.
"Little sister, what's your name?" Zhang Hai's soul floated in front of Nohara Rin and asked gently.
When Nohara Rin heard Zhang Hai's spirit form speak, a hint of curiosity flashed in her eyes. She tilted her head and said in a childish voice, "My name is Nohara Rin."
“Nohara Rin…” Zhang Hai murmured the name in his heart. He carefully observed Nohara Rin’s soul and found it to be pure and powerful, as if it contained some kind of mysterious power. He suddenly realized that this little girl had enormous potential to learn the art of spirit transformation. The art of spirit transformation required an extremely high level of perception and control over the soul to master.
"Lin, can you see my soul?" Zhang Hai's soul asked.
Nohara Rin looked at Zhang Hai's soul form with a puzzled expression, then at Zhang Hai's physical body, and asked in confusion, "Soul? What's that? I can only see Big Brother's transparent body and you shining inside!" She pointed at Zhang Hai's soul form, then at Zhang Hai's physical body, seemingly unaware of what she was seeing.
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat. This meant that Nohara Rin wasn't actively trying to sense souls; rather, she was born with the ability to see their existence, and might even be unable to distinguish between the physical body and the soul. This talent was practically made for the art of spiritification!
"Lin, would you like to learn a really cool ninjutsu?" Zhang Hai's soul tempted. "If you learn this ninjutsu, you can become transparent like me, fly in the sky, and see many things that ordinary people can't see!"
Nohara Rin's eyes lit up instantly, and she jumped up excitedly, "I want to learn! I want to learn! Big brother, teach me quickly!"
Zhang Hai's soul returned to his physical body. He withdrew his spirit transformation technique, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath the mask. He knew he had unearthed another seed of limitless potential for the village.