12dz Chapter 504 Variables?
Chapter 504 Variables?
A variable powerful enough to shake the foundations of the village?
The darkness lasted only a few seconds before receding like the tide, and moonlight once again bathed the woodland.
Zhang Hai took a light breath, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of freshly mowed lawn.
He knew that although he had successfully activated the ninjutsu, he would need a lot more time and practice to perfectly control the darkness.
In the instant he cast the spell, his extraordinary thief's instincts caught a very subtle sense of being watched, as if an eye was observing everything from a distant high place.
This set off alarm bells in his mind; he could no longer take the risk.
He decisively rolled up the huge scroll again and closed it up.
He said to the still-shocked Minato, "I've seen what I want. Now, we have to send it back quietly." He put the Book of Seals back on his back, his tone leaving no room for argument, "You have to help me, Minato. You keep watch outside for me." Minato was stunned. He felt as if a block of ice had been pressed against his back, and a chill ran straight to the top of his head.
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.
Things had completely spiraled out of his control. From a hero who stopped a theft, to an accomplice who stole forbidden techniques, he was now even expected to become an accomplice in returning the stolen goods?
But when he thought of the Flying Thunder God Technique that he had just learned, he lost all grounds for rebuttal.
He could only nod with difficulty.
As the night deepened, two small figures once again moved like ghosts among the eaves of Konoha.
Zhang Hai, accompanied by a nervous-looking Minato, quietly returned to the Third Hokage's residence.
Shuimen was positioned in a corner of the courtyard wall, nervously watching the surrounding movements; any slight disturbance made his heart pound.
Zhang Hai, on the other hand, slipped into the study with practiced ease, a faint taste of copper rust emanating from his mouth.
He carefully placed the heavy Book of Seals back into the hidden compartment, restored the mechanism to its original state, and the scroll with the character "忍" (endure) on the wall fell down again, covering up all traces.
He let out a long sigh of relief and was just about to turn and leave when an old yet calm voice suddenly rang out behind him and the ANBU ninja at the door, as if that person had always been standing there.
"Have you finished watching? Two future geniuses."
When Zhang Hai and Shui Men returned to the grove, the night was as deep as impenetrable ink.
The Third Hokage's figure was like a dream, as if he had never appeared at all.
The two walked in silence for a while, the air filled with a faint smell, similar to the smell of leather after it had been soaked in rain, with a hint of mildew.
At the fork in the road, Zhang Hai stopped. He looked at the blond boy beside him and said solemnly, "Thank you for today." He paused, then added, "See you at school tomorrow." Minato's azure eyes shone brightly in the moonlight. He nodded emphatically, "Yes, see you tomorrow." At that moment, he felt a strange, inexplicable connection between himself and this mysterious companion named Uchiha Zhang Hai.
Zhang Hai turned and left, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
He certainly understood where this feeling came from.
Shared secrets, shared adventures, and especially doing things together that shouldn't have been done, are the quickest ways to bridge the gap between two strangers, creating the illusion that "we are on the same side."
He needs Watergate, not as an enemy, but as an ally he can leverage in the future.
His plan was never a simple theft, but a meticulously planned "investment."
He could feel a slight, sticky, almost imperceptible sensation on his back, as if he were being stuck in a spiderweb.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly, and the classrooms of the ninja academy were filled with the noise of children.
As Zhang Hai entered the classroom, he immediately saw Minato Namikaze sitting by the window.
He walked straight over and sat down very naturally in the empty seat next to Minato, as if they had been deskmates for a long time.
"Good morning, Minato," he greeted casually.
Minato looked up in surprise, and seeing it was Zhang Hai, a gentle smile appeared on his face. "Good morning." Zhang Hai nodded inwardly. Cultivating a good relationship with the future Fourth Hokage from a young age was the right move. ...
He seemed to hear a distant and indistinct sound of children singing a hymn, solemn yet somewhat eerie.
The classroom was still noisy before the school bell rang.
Just then, Minato Namikaze suddenly stood up from his seat. He clenched his fists, his expression serious, and said loudly in an almost oath-like tone, "My dream is to one day gain the recognition of everyone in the village and become a great Hokage!" His voice was particularly loud in the noisy classroom, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
On the podium, a girl with fiery red hair was about to introduce herself. Startled by Minato's sudden action, she looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, instantly plunging the entire classroom into an awkward silence.
Zhang Hai almost burst out laughing. He nudged Shuimen, who had just sat down and whose cheeks were flushed, with his elbow and teased in a low voice, "What, you've taken a fancy to that redhead? Why are you in such a hurry to show off in front of her?"
Minato became even more embarrassed by what he said, but he couldn't help but steal a glance at the girl on the podium and whispered in rebuttal, "I just... and besides, don't you think she's cute? Her dream is the same as mine..."
The teacher on the podium cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. He pointed to the red-haired girl and introduced her: "This is the new transfer student, Kushina Uzumaki. Everyone should get along well from now on." Kushina Uzumaki.
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the red-haired girl, who was glaring at him angrily because of Minato's earlier actions, her long, fiery red hair like burning flames.
It turns out it was her, the wife of the future Fourth Hokage, the second Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, and Naruto Uzumaki's mother.
The gears of fate seemed to be turning at a steady pace, following a path he knew well.
Perhaps it was because Zhang Hai's gaze was too direct, but Kushina Uzumaki keenly noticed it.
Her bright, energetic eyes glared at him, meeting Zhang Hai's gaze in mid-air.
She frowned, her face revealing undisguised disgust.
She stretched out her finger and pointed it forcefully at Zhang Hai, a gesture that lasted for about half a second.
"What are you looking at, short-haired guy! If you look again, I'll pluck all your hair out, because the hair of the Uchiha is proof of the village's strength, so your hair must be ugly!" These words stunned Zhang Hai. He subconsciously touched his not-so-short hair, completely baffled by the other person's logic.