vstars Chapter 598 Going to Death
Chapter 598 Going to Death
They had long been prepared to die.
One of them even gave a weak laugh after hearing it, his voice carrying a hint of relief and satisfaction: "Captain, that's a good technique! We can take a few enemies with us before we leave, not a bad deal!"
Zhang Hai kept his eyes tightly shut, as if unwilling to witness what was about to happen. He suppressed the excruciating pain in his heart and finally released them all. Those figures, like kites with broken strings, plummeted from the sky.
"Farewell..." he sighed softly, the sound barely audible, yet carrying an overwhelming sorrow.
After saying this, Zhang Hai couldn't bear to see the fate of the others. He manipulated the eagle puppet, and like an arrow released from a bow, it quickly rushed into the sky, far away from that bloody battlefield.
When he opened his eyes again, his Sharingan, which originally had two tomoe, now had an extra tomoe, becoming a three-tomoe Sharingan. It was unknown when, under that extreme pain and resolute pressure, the Sharingan had silently undergone a transformation.
In the distance, from the direction of the Iwagakure village's logistics base, a violent explosion resounded like thunder, so piercing it seemed to tear the air apart. The shockwave was even felt by Zhang Hai high in the sky. Amidst the immense roar, several faint voices, filled with defiance and pride, echoed in the wind, like a final, poignant farewell:
"Where leaves dance, fire lives on!"
Thus, this secret service detachment, which had been operating deep behind enemy lines for over half a month, successfully destroyed a large number of important logistical outposts of Iwagakure, inflicting devastating damage on the village. Of this detachment, only Zhang Hai survived.
When the massive explosion and towering flames attracted the attention of the Iwagakure leadership, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, a short but incredibly strong ninja, flew to the supply depot almost instantly. However, when he saw the devastation before him, a surge of rage erupted from his heart like magma. The once impregnable supply base was now a scene of utter ruin, billowing smoke and littered with charred corpses.
"Damn it!" The Tsuchikage roared, his voice filled with boundless rage and heartache. He immediately spotted the enormous figure in the center, still in its tailed beast form, but which had ceased its destructive rampage.
"Damn the Five-Tails!" The Tsuchikage roared in fury. He formed hand seals, and several cubes, gleaming with blinding light, appeared out of thin air, slamming down on the massive tailed beast with a destructive aura. That was Dust Release! The Kekkei Tota, capable of disintegrating everything!
Struck by the sudden attack, the stunned Five-Tails Jinchuriki let out a painful roar. His massive chakra body rapidly shrank like a deflated balloon, eventually dissipating his tailed beast transformation and reverting to a tall man wearing a red mask and red armor. He staggered a few steps, looking blankly at the carnage around him, his mind reeling from fragmented memories of his rampage, utterly bewildered. He didn't even understand why he was there, or why he had caused such devastation.
Seeing his dazed expression, the Tsuchikage's anger was even more uncontrollable. He couldn't help but curse loudly, using extremely offensive language, wishing he could kill this Jinchuriki who had brought such great losses to his village immediately.
Alone in the dim sky, Zhang Hai piloted his eagle puppet, flying at incredible speed towards Konoha Village. Yet, his heart was empty; he didn't know where to go. Logically, he had exceeded expectations. Iwagakure's logistics had been completely destroyed, depriving them of the resources for a prolonged war. Victory for Konoha over Iwagakure was imminent, and the Second Shinobi World War was drawing to a close. But Zhang Hai felt no joy whatsoever.
He recalled his teammates who, in their final moments, resolutely leaped from the eagle, sacrificing their lives to buy him time. He recalled their words, "I have no regrets in dying," and "Where the leaves dance, the fire will never die." He began to understand why some would risk their lives for the village, why those ninjas could face death so calmly. Even he, who had always considered himself cold-blooded and out of place in this world, was moved; how much more so those who had grown up in the village, considered it their home, fought alongside their comrades, and forged deep bonds.
Finally, Zhang Hai embarked on his journey back to the village. He wanted to report back to the Third Hokage and then return to his teacher, White Fang. At this moment, he was filled with confusion. He didn't know which path to take in the future, nor did he know if his initial ideal of "unifying the ninja world and retiring gracefully" still held any meaning.
Upon returning to the village, Zhang Hai went straight to the Hokage's office. He recounted in detail the battles of the past two weeks to the Third Hokage. By now, he had calmed down, his voice even and devoid of any emotion, as if he were explaining information unrelated to himself. He didn't omit any details of the battles, including the sacrifices of his team members and how they detonated the Five-Tails Jinchuriki to destroy the Iwagakure village's logistics base.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, listened quietly, his face expressionless, but his eyes gleaming with complex emotions. From Zhang Hai's calm narration, he sensed a maturity and ruthlessness beyond his years, as well as the sorrow and helplessness hidden beneath the calm.
After a long silence, the Third Hokage spoke slowly, his voice heavy with emotion: "I'm sorry... that you, a child like me, had to go to the battlefield and endure pain that you shouldn't have to bear at your age. This is actually the responsibility of us adults. Please forgive me."
Zhang Hai's eyes remained unwavering as he calmly replied, "It is the responsibility of this world, and has nothing to do with the Hokage." He knew that war was the norm in the world, and although the Hokage was the highest decision-maker, he was merely struggling to survive in the torrent of history.
The Third Hokage's gaze deepened, filled with anticipation. He looked at Zhang Hai and slowly said, "Yes, the world's conflicts have never ceased. All we can do is rise up and fight back to protect our homeland. Zhang Hai... I see the future of Konoha in you. I believe that you will grow into a towering tree of Konoha and become a pillar of strength to protect the village."
The Third Hokage's words stunned Zhang Hai. He remained speechless for a long time. To be honest, he had never intended to live in Konoha forever. His initial plan was simply to use Konoha as a platform to grow rapidly, acquire enough power, and then build his own independent force to better control his own destiny.