eurekapd Chapter 826 For One Man?
Chapter 826 For One Man?
"For a man?" Master Yuan laughed angrily, then sighed heavily. "That 'Uub,' isn't that the Uchiha boy she couldn't forget during the assessment a few years ago? What a tragic fate!"
Genji closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples. Mei Terumi was a genius rarely seen in Kirigakure in a hundred years, possessing two bloodline limits, and Genji regarded her as the future successor to the Mizukage, carefully nurturing her. But while this girl was usually clever and quick-witted, she was frighteningly stubborn when it came to matters of the heart.
"Is it too late to catch up now?" Master Yuan asked in a deep voice.
Ao gave a bitter laugh: "I'm afraid... it's too late. Since she disguised herself as an ANBU member and infiltrated the logistics of the accompanying team or the advance team, she should have already set sail. With the vast ocean and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist being so elusive, there's no way to catch her."
A brief silence fell over the secret room.
After a long while, Master Yuan slowly opened his eyes. The anger in his eyes subsided somewhat, replaced by deep worry.
"Alright. That girl's strength has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years. Although she is a bit impulsive, as long as she doesn't encounter those top old monsters in the ninja world, she should be able to protect herself. Besides, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are with us this time, so her safety is guaranteed."
Yuan Shi walked to the window and looked at the endless thick fog outside, as if he could see that stubborn red-haired girl running towards the unknown distance.
"That 'Uub'... is Uchiha Akira. This person is unfathomable. He has such skills at such a young age, he is definitely not someone to be underestimated. If Mei Terumi really encounters him, I don't know whether it will be a blessing or a curse."
"Master Yuan, then we need to send someone..."
“No need.” Master Yuan waved his hand, his voice becoming old and weary. “This is her own choice, and also her destined tribulation. This sea cannot confine her; this war may be the price she pays for growing up. Our primary task now is to ensure the smooth advance of the main force. As for Mei Terumi… I hope she can learn what it means to cut her losses before she suffers a crushing defeat.”
The defeat of Iwagakure greatly reduced the pressure on the Konoha front lines, and even the bloody smell in the air seemed to have faded a bit.
Zhang Hai sat inside the tent, holding an urgent intelligence report that had just arrived from the village, a playful smirk playing on his lips.
The intelligence was simple: the Third Hokage had issued a special order, commanding Uchiha Shisui to immediately return to Konoha from the front lines to take charge of the village's security and defense.
On the surface, this appears to be a way of giving the Uchiha genius a prominent position, since security work is crucial to the village's safety. However, in Zhang Hai's eyes, it is clearly an extremely shrewd political maneuver.
Previously, in order to preserve the family's strength, Fugaku forcibly kept Shisui by his side and refused some of the higher-ups' requests. Now that the battle has eased slightly, the Third Hokage immediately launched a counterattack.
"It both reprimanded Fugaku for his disobedience and demonstrated the authority of 'I can transfer your people whenever I want'; and it didn't forcibly throw Shisui into the most dangerous meat grinder to die, but instead gave him the honorary title of 'protecting the village,' silencing the Uchiha radicals."
Zhang Hai casually lit the intelligence report on the candle flame and watched it turn to ashes.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi is truly a cunning old fox. His method of cutting flesh with a soft knife is far superior to Danzo's barking dog."
Suddenly, a strange spatial fluctuation rippled out of the tent without warning.
Without any sign of hand seals, a pale blue beam of light fell from nowhere, followed by a scroll with a special mark that landed with a "thud" on the table in front of Zhang Hai.
"A divine gift?"
Zhang Hai's eyes narrowed. This space-time ninjutsu, unique to Kumogakure, could usually only teleport inanimate objects and was extremely resource-intensive, rarely used for anything other than strategic-level supplies. The only person capable of delivering something to him in this way was that woman—Mabui.
However, the wax seal mark on the scroll is a red scorpion.
“Scorpion of the Red Sand…” Zhang Hai raised an eyebrow and reached out to break the seal.
Unrolling the scroll, densely packed characters came into view. But the very first line made Zhang Hai pause slightly.
“You said before that those seven knives were in your way and that you wanted to break them. I remember.”
A strange feeling welled up in Zhang Hai's heart. It was just a casual complaint he made back then, or even some arrogant joke. He never expected that the guy who turned him into a puppet would remember it all this time, and even use such a precious transmission channel for it.
After quickly skimming through the text, Zhang Hai's expression gradually turned serious.
This is not just intelligence; it is proof that a "zero" organization has taken shape.
In his letter, Sasori mentioned that the intelligence network of the "Zero" organization, which he led, had been basically established. The ninjas from various countries who had been "found" on the battlefield and carefully "trained" by Sasori had been secretly sent back to their respective ninja villages. On the surface, everything seemed normal to them, but in reality, they had already become the eyes and ears of the "Zero" organization.
This intelligence came from a high-level pawn in Kirigakure.
"The entire Hidden Mist Village has entered a state of high alert, with supplies being frequently mobilized. Most importantly, those seven monsters—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—have secretly left the village, and their whereabouts are unknown."
Zhang Hai closed the scroll, his scarlet Sharingan slowly rotating in the dim tent.
At this critical juncture, Kirigakure has made a major move, deploying its top combat forces in full force. If they intend to intervene in the war, who will be their target?
Iwagakure had just been crippled, and Kumogakure was dead and its ninja were returning to defend. All that remained was Konoha, which appeared to have just recovered, but was actually vulnerable from behind.
"Taking advantage of someone's misfortune...that's very much in line with the style of those bloodthirsty lunatics."
Zhang Hai stood up, walked to the map hanging on the wall, and fixed his gaze on the eastern border of the Land of Fire.
A long-forgotten memory resurfaced. It was a few years ago, when he hadn't fully matured, and he had a fierce battle with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Although rumors circulated that he had used his exquisite swordsmanship to force back the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, humiliating them, only Zhang Hai himself knew that the battle was extremely dangerous for him. Facing seven elite Jonin who worked together seamlessly and possessed special ninja swords, he was exhausted of chakra, severely injured, and barely managed to escape by using the terrain in a disheveled state.
That was the closest he had ever come to death since his rebirth, and it was also a humiliating experience that he considered a "defeat".
“The grudge of that stab, and the debt of chasing me for three days and three nights back then…” Zhang Hai’s finger lightly traced the Konoha icon on the map, and the killing intent in his eyes instantly boiled, as if it were real. “Since you have come to my door to seek death, then don’t blame me for burying you and your swords together.”
Without any hesitation, he ignited flames at his fingertips, burning the precious scroll sent by the scorpion to ashes, then turned and strode out of the tent.