newbobooks What was discovered in Chapter 576?
What was discovered in Chapter 576?
After a few rounds of drinks, although Zhang Hai was drinking tea, the middle-aged man finally couldn't help but ask, "Young friends, judging from your appearance, you don't seem to be here to visit relatives, do you? What brings you to our Sunagakure Village?"
Zhang Hai put down his cup, his eyes gleaming. "I came to Sunagakure naturally to see the puppeteers here. If I could meet a skilled one and learn from him for a while, that would be even better." His tone was sincere, carrying a hint of longing for puppetry.
The middle-aged man paused for a moment, then, as if suddenly realizing something, a somewhat exaggerated expression of surprise appeared on his face. "Oh, little one, have you already figured it out?"
Zhang Hai, puzzled, tilted his head and asked, "What did you find?"
The middle-aged man appeared extremely proud. He patted his chest and loudly proclaimed, "A skilled puppeteer is standing right in front of you!"
Looking at the middle-aged man's proud demeanor, Zhang Hai did indeed have something in mind. He noticed that the man's hands were slightly different in color and texture from the rest of his body, faintly revealing a metallic sheen. Moreover, his fingers were incredibly dexterous; even just holding a cup, his fingers displayed extraordinary flexibility. These were clearly modified hands, specifically designed for manipulating puppets. Nevertheless, Zhang Hai politely stated, "If possible, I hope to learn from Lady Chiyo."
Upon hearing Zhang Hai's words, the middle-aged man's pride vanished instantly. He snorted, his tone somewhat resentful: "You want to learn from my sister? She won't teach you."
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat; it turned out that this middle-aged man was actually Chiyo's younger brother. He finally understood why the shopkeeper had paused upon seeing this person.
Ebizo, the middle-aged man, revealed a mysterious smile with a hint of pride, saying, "Moreover, I can also make puppets! The wooden ox puppet you used when you entered the village was made by me!"
Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat. He instantly realized that Ebizo had actually been following them all the way into the village, without even him, a sensory ninja, or Kakuzu beside him, noticing. This was enough to show that Ebizo's strength was extraordinary, especially his exceptional ability to conceal his presence. Although Zhang Hai had no recollection of Ebizo himself and wasn't sure if his puppetry skills were truly comparable to Chiyo's, the fact that he could create puppets capable of deceiving the Sunagakure guards made Zhang Hai's mind race.
"Then I'm willing to learn from you!" Zhang Hai asked bluntly, "But what are the requirements?"
Ebizo looked very happy, a smug smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together and said with a grin, "Hehe, the conditions are easy to agree on. But are you sure you want to learn? To get started with puppetry, it takes at least a year. To master it, it takes years of practice, and even longer. You might have to stay in Sunagakure for quite a while."
Upon hearing that learning puppetry would take so long, Kakuzu immediately formed his own thoughts. If Zhang Hai really agreed, he would leave right away. He didn't want to spend a year in the remote and impoverished Sunagakure village for something as meaningless as puppetry in his eyes.
Zhang Hai was aware of this as well. He didn't agree immediately, but considered it for a moment before replying, "This... does it really take this long? I need to discuss it with my uncle." He deliberately glanced at Kakuzu, giving Kakuzu a chance to refuse.
Ebizo didn't rush him. He smiled and returned to his seat to continue enjoying his meal. "It's alright, you can discuss it slowly. Once you've reached an agreement, you can come find me anytime." His tone was full of confidence, as if he was certain that Zhang Hai would agree.
Zhang Hai and Kakuzu had lost their appetite. The delicacies on the table now seemed like tasteless chewing wax to them. Soon, Zhang Hai called the waiter to settle the bill, paid for the lavish meal, and then left with Kakuzu.
Shortly after leaving the restaurant, Kakuzu spoke first, his voice as deep and direct as ever: "Are you really planning to stay in Sunagakure for a year?" His green eyes swept over Zhang Hai, carrying a hint of warning. "Don't forget, the situation between countries is complicated right now. Once your identity is exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Zhang Hai suddenly laughed, a sly smile like shimmering waves in the sunlight. "Oh, Uncle, are you worried about me?" he teased, his tone light.
Kakuzu's face darkened, and he replied in an unfriendly tone, "I have no interest in joking." His voice was icy, clearly unaccustomed to such playful banter.
Knowing Kakuzu's temperament, Zhang Hai stopped teasing him. He sighed sadly and joked, "Hey, Uncle, we're about to part ways, let's lighten the mood with a joke." As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Kakuzu.
Kakuzu did not take it immediately, but asked warily, "What is this?"
Zhang Hai explained, "I estimate I'll be staying in Sunagakure for a while. The scroll contains intelligence I've gathered from various countries, as well as some of my personal speculations. I hope you can help deliver it to Konoha's White Fang." He paused, then added, "This isn't a mercenary mission; I'll pay you extra."
Kakuzu silently observed Zhang Hai for a while. His steady eyes seemed to be weighing something, and finally, he reached out and took the scroll. "The bounty for delivering intelligence will be very high." Although his voice remained cold, it revealed a hint of relenting.
Zhang Hai was overjoyed to see that Jiao Du had agreed. He smiled brightly and replied, "Any problem that can be solved with money is easy to solve. Just name a number, Uncle."
In the end, Kakuzu quoted a relatively low price, a stark contrast to his usual practice of charging exorbitant sums. He said nothing more, simply walking slowly towards the outskirts of Sunagakure. Zhang Hai followed him, seeing Kakuzu off.
Reaching the village entrance, Kakuzu stopped. He turned to look at Zhang Hai, his tone inexplicably tinged with a barely perceptible reluctance. "Kid, this parting probably means we'll never see each other again." He thought to himself, this kid was the only person he'd spent so much time with and who was still alive, and whom he didn't want to kill. This peculiar emotion surprised even himself.
Zhang Hai's smile remained bright as he waved to Kakuzu: "Uncle, we'll meet again. I hope that next time we meet, you'll seriously consider my suggestion from last time."