12dz Chapter 511 It’s just the beginning
Chapter 511 It’s just the beginning
The so-called free choice is just a pretense; their real purpose is to keep us under their noses for long-term observation.
Having figured this out, Zhang Hai calmed down. Since he couldn't avoid it, he could only face it.
He raised his head, meeting Orochimaru's amused gaze, and asked in a calm tone, "Lord Orochimaru, what is your test?" As he spoke, a faint, strange taste, like a mixture of metal and lemon, lingered on his tongue.
Orochimaru grinned, revealing a chilling smile.
“It’s very simple.” He held up a finger and shook it gently. “If you can hold out for thirty seconds in the hands of this little snake, you’ve passed.” As soon as he finished speaking, he bit his thumb, drew blood, and slammed his hand on the ground!
"Spirit Summoning Technique!" "Boom!" Accompanied by a huge cloud of smoke, a colossal python, as large as a small mountain, appeared out of thin air on the playground. Its cold, vertical yellow pupils stared intently at Zhang Hai, who looked like an ant. ...
Zhang Hai subconsciously took a step back, but he quickly regained his composure.
He carefully observed the giant python and discovered that although it was enormous, it did not have the iconic "reverse" character on its forehead.
If it's not Mandalas, then things are much easier. ...He breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained perfectly masked by terror. ...
He could almost hear a faint, buzzing sound, like electricity, ringing in his ears.
The giant python seemed to have received a command from its master. It opened its blood-red maw and pounced on Zhang Hai like a black lightning bolt.
Amidst everyone's gasps of alarm, Zhang Hai seemed to be frozen in fear, standing motionless as the enormous snake's mouth swallowed him whole.
"Is that all you've got?" Orochimaru looked at the scene with a hint of disappointment on his face.
But the next second, his expression changed. Because the "Zhang Hai" that had been swallowed by the giant snake suddenly turned into a thick wooden stake with a "bang".
Substitution!
Just as the giant snake paused slightly, stunned by swallowing the wooden stake, Zhang Hai's figure appeared above its head.
The giant snake immediately sensed his location by temperature, and its thick tail, like a whip, swept towards him with a whistling sound.
Zhang Hai performed a graceful somersault in mid-air, avoiding the fatal blow, while simultaneously forming hand seals!
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" A huge fireball erupted from his mouth and slammed solidly into the giant snake's tail.
"Hiss—!" The giant snake let out a painful hiss; its tail was charred black and emitted a foul stench.
In pain, it became even more ferocious, twisting its body wildly, trying to shake the little bug off its head.
Zhang Hai originally wanted to press his advantage and use the swordsmanship taught by Bai Ya to completely eliminate this beast, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
Now is not the time to reveal his full strength. He pushed off the snake's head with his toes, using the momentum to leap high backward and land steadily on the edge of the assessment area, abandoning the pursuit.
Orochimaru looked at his injured summoned beast, showing no sign of heartache. Instead, he stuck out his long tongue and licked his dry lips, his golden vertical pupils gleaming with increasing interest.
He could feel a rough, sandpaper-like sensation coming from his fingertips.
He slowly began to clap his hands, a gesture that lasted for about half a second.
“Interesting, very interesting.” He said in a hoarse yet excited tone, “A mere genin was able to injure my summoning beast. The Uchiha bloodline is indeed extraordinary, so your Sharingan must have been awakened, because only by awakening the Sharingan can such a powerful fire jutsu be released.”
Zhang Hai ignored his flawed logic and simply stood there quietly, waiting for him to continue.
He knew that this so-called "assessment" had probably only just begun.
Orochimaru's eyes, like those of a venomous snake, had completely locked onto him, as if he had discovered an invaluable experimental subject worthy of careful study.
Orochimaru released the summoning jutsu, and the injured giant python vanished in a puff of white smoke.
He walked slowly to Zhang Hai, his golden, vertical pupils gleaming with undisguised admiration and scrutiny.
"Your on-the-spot reaction and use of ninjutsu were both quite good." His voice was hoarse and magnetic. "In fact, you haven't even used your full strength, have you?" As he spoke, a faint chemical smell, similar to a mixture of hospital disinfectant and formaldehyde, filled the air.
"The Third Hokage sent me." Orochimaru suddenly changed the subject, revealing his purpose directly, "He hopes I can take you as my disciple." He stretched out his finger and gently tapped his temple, as if recalling something.
He could feel a slight, ticklish sensation on the back of his neck, like a mosquito bite.
He paused for half a second before continuing, "However, after testing you, I now have developed a strong interest in you personally." "So," he announced, "from today onwards, I am your teacher."
Zhang Hai's heart sank; the thing he least wanted to happen had still happened.
He almost instinctively refused, "I'm sorry, Lord Orochimaru, I already have a teacher." "Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, a playful expression on his face. "Who is it? Tell me. However, it doesn't matter, because I am the strongest ninja in Konoha, so you can have two teachers. A strong student should have more teachers."
Zhang Hai took a deep breath. He knew that this was the only chance he could get rid of this trouble.
He raised his head, meeting Orochimaru's scrutinizing gaze, and said, word by word, "My teacher is the White Fang of Konoha, Lord Hatake Sakumo." "White Fang?" Orochimaru's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal, but a hint of suspicion appeared deep in his eyes.
He was well aware of Hatake Sakumo's rule that he never accepted apprentices.
“Words are no proof.” He bit his finger again and summoned a slightly smaller blue snake. “Since that’s the case, I’ll kindly give you a ride as encouragement for passing the test.”
Zhang Hai knew this was the final test. Without hesitation, he leaped up and landed steadily on the back of the large blue snake.
"Well then, thank you very much, Lord Orochimaru." After he finished speaking, he gestured to Orochimaru that they could set off.
Upon receiving the command, the blue serpent darted off like an arrow towards a certain direction of the village.