vstars Chapter 525 Envelope
Chapter 525 Envelope
He pulled a thick envelope from his pocket and tossed it to Zhang Hai. "This is your reward for the last mission. Don't practice today, go and rest and relax. Because, missions like this will be very frequent in the future."
Zhang Hai, clutching his hefty reward, strolled through the streets of Konoha in the early morning.
Perhaps due to the shadow of war, the atmosphere on the street was somewhat somber, with most pedestrians hurrying along and their faces bearing lingering worries.
He looked around, trying to find a decent-looking breakfast shop to treat his stomach, which had been empty after a long night.
.
Just as he turned a corner, he brushed past a middle-aged man who looked quite ordinary.
The man was dressed in a simple gray kimono, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a kind smile on his face. He looked like an ordinary person who could be found anywhere, struggling to make a living.
But, just as the two brushed past each other, Zhang Hai's heart skipped a beat.
He sensed something extremely subtle, yet incredibly familiar, emanating from that man…
...
The atmosphere of being with someone in the same boat.
That aura wasn't the killing intent of a ninja, nor the everyday warmth of an ordinary person, but a unique kind of "nothingness" formed after being tempered and refined to the extreme, compressing one's own presence to the extreme.
He was certain that this seemingly ordinary man before him was a top-tier hidden master, a…
...
A notorious thief just like him.
An interesting idea took shape in his mind.
He turned around, quickly caught up with him, and greeted him, "Good morning, sir." The man was taken aback by his sudden greeting. He turned around, a puzzled yet kind smile on his face. "Ah, good morning, young man. What can I do for you?" "Well," Zhang Hai scratched his head, a slightly embarrassed smile on his face, "I haven't been in Konoha long and I'm not very familiar with the area yet. Excuse me, are there any good breakfast places around here?" He paused, then added, "If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you to breakfast together, as a way of... thanking you for giving me directions."
The man's face still wore that kind and friendly smile.
He stretched out his hand and pointed to a small shop at the end of the street. "Look, that shop's rice balls are really good. It's been around for decades." He smiled and shook his head, politely declining Zhang Hai's invitation. "Thank you for your kindness, but I have work to do, so I won't bother you any longer." After saying that, he turned to leave.
"No way!" Zhang Hai immediately chased after him, blocking his way. "You've helped me so much, I really need to thank you properly! How about this, you go ahead and do your work, I'll buy you breakfast and deliver it to your workplace, okay?" As he spoke, he stared intently into the man's eyes with a seemingly innocent yet actually inquisitive gaze.
The man's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Looking at the boy in front of him, who was smiling broadly but was as persistent as a leech, alarm bells rang in his mind.
He began to wonder if his identity had been exposed. He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing something, a gesture that lasted about half a second.
The two entered a fairly clean-looking noodle shop, filled with a rich aroma of bone broth and soy sauce.
They each ordered a steaming bowl of udon noodles and sat facing each other.
Zhang Hai picked up a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks, put it in his mouth, and then exclaimed sincerely, "Mmm, so delicious! These noodles are chewy and springy, and the broth is incredibly flavorful..."
After finishing his noodles, he paid the bill before the other man could.
"Uncle, this meal is on me." Zhang Hai wiped his mouth, looked at the man opposite him, and gave him an innocent smile. "However, I still owe you a favor. What should I do?" He scratched his head, feigning distress. "How about this, you do me a small favor, and that will be to repay the favor, okay?"...
"Oh? What kind of help?" The man's smile remained kind and friendly, but a hint of wariness crept into his eyes.
"I'd like to ask you to steal something for me," Zhang Hai said casually, as if he were remarking, "The weather's nice today."
The man's smile froze instantly.
“Young man, what do you mean by that? I’m just an ordinary…” “Alright, uncle.” Zhang Hai interrupted him, his smile fading, his eyes becoming sharp and deep, like two bottomless ancient wells. “We’re all in the same line of work, so let’s stop acting. Your disguise is indeed very clever, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. But, that unique aura of a 'thief' that you possess cannot be concealed no matter what.”
The man's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He looked at the young boy in front of him, who seemed to see through everything, and his heart was filled with turmoil.
He was confident that his disguise was flawless; he had been lurking in Konoha for so many years without ever being discovered by anyone.
Where exactly did he slip up?
.
"Who...who are you?" His voice became hoarse and dry.
“Who I am is not important,” Zhang Hai said calmly. “What is important is that I know who you are and what your purpose is in infiltrating Konoha. I advise you not to act rashly. Because here, you have no chance of winning.”
The man fell silent; he knew the other person was telling the truth.
To oppose a Konoha ninja of unfathomable depths in the heart of Konoha is tantamount to suicide.
He took a deep breath and slumped back in his chair, tacitly acknowledging his identity.
"What do you want?" He gave up resisting. "It's simple." A sly smile curled at the corner of Zhang Hai's mouth.
He remained silent for a moment, seemingly admiring the complex expression on the other person's face, which shifted from shock and resentment to despair. This action lasted for about half a second.
He leaned forward, close to the man's ear, and whispered his purpose in a devilish voice that only the two of them could hear.
"I need you. Use all your abilities and connections to help me... steal the Book of Seals again." "Because only the most precious things are worth stealing twice, so we must devise a perfect plan, because only a perfect plan can do justice to the value of the Book of Seals."
The man's pupils dilated to their maximum size the instant he heard those words.
Looking at the boy in front of him who was smiling like a devil, he had only one thought in his mind.
madman!
That brat is a complete madman!