vstars Chapter 506 Taste Buds
Chapter 506 Taste Buds
He could feel a spicy, ginger-like taste spreading through his mouth, stimulating his taste buds.
“If you chase after her now, what are you going to say? That you watched the whole thing from the sidelines? That will only make her hate you more.”
“But she looks very sad.” Minato’s azure eyes were filled with worry and self-blame.
He looked in the direction where Kushina had disappeared, as if he could still see her torn, uneven red hair.
"Then let her suffer." Zhang Hai released her hand, his tone still calm. "She just needs time to adapt to everything here. Once she gets used to it, she'll be fine. Some wounds can only be licked by oneself." As he spoke, a faint, bitter taste, similar to burnt feathers, rose on the tip of his tongue.
Shuimen fell silent, realizing he was completely unable to refute Zhang Hai's words.
He turned his head and looked earnestly at the Uchiha boy who was even younger than himself, his eyes revealing genuine admiration for the first time.
“Zhang Hai, you know so much.” He paused for half a second, then said in an extremely solemn tone, “From now on, I will try my best to learn from you.” “No.” Zhang Hai refused almost immediately. He took a step back, widening the distance between the two of them. “I don’t know anything. I just want to be a nobody, to live a peaceful life in the corner. That’s enough.”
"Then let's train hard together!" Minato misunderstood him. He stepped forward, his face regaining that unique, sunny fighting spirit. "As long as we become strong enough, we'll definitely survive!" He could almost hear the distant, clear, and melodious sound of wind chimes. ...
Looking at his hopeful face, Zhang Hai felt an indescribable sadness welling up in his heart.
Live well?
He thought of the boy's short but brilliant life ahead, and of his fate of sacrificing himself to protect the village.
He didn't say anything more, but sighed silently in his heart, hoping that everything would really be as you wish.
After that day, Zhang Hai's life at the ninja academy entered a peculiar balance.
He was like a thirsty sponge, frantically absorbing all the knowledge about ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and even history and tactics from the textbook.
At the same time, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, he carefully concealed his talent, which far surpassed that of his peers, maintaining an average to above-average academic record, neither attracting attention nor being looked down upon.
He could always feel a wet leaf stuck to the sole of his shoe, no matter how he walked, he couldn't shake it off.
After school, the grove of trees behind the school became his and Minato's regular secret training ground.
The two started with basic physical combat training, and then progressed to exchanging and cooperating on various ninjutsu techniques.
Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique became increasingly proficient, his figure flickering and moving as fast as a flash of light;
Zhang Hai's Dark Arts became increasingly proficient, and that area that stripped away all light became the best training ground for Minato's reflexes.
They progressed together through repeated interactions, and their tacit understanding transcended ordinary classmate relationships.
One year later, at dusk, the setting sun painted the entire forest a magnificent orange-red.
In a clearing in the woods, two figures were engaged in a dazzling and fierce battle.
Golden flashes intertwined and collided with deep darkness, while the sharp whistling of kunai pierced the air and the muffled thuds of fists and feet clashing filled the air.
Zhang Hai performed a backflip, dodging Shui Men's lightning-fast kick, and landed steadily on the ground.
The moment Minato landed, he appeared behind him, a specially made kunai gleaming with cold light pressed against his throat.
But at the same time, an equally cold wooden kunai was also pressed against Minato's lower back. ...
The two faced off, their breathing becoming rapid; their strength was now evenly matched.
Zhang Hai tasted a sweet, cloying flavor, almost like licorice candy.
He stared at the water gate so close at hand, then suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a strange undertone.
"Minato, we'll be graduating soon. What are you planning to do after graduation?"
The tense standoff lasted less than three seconds before both men simultaneously removed their weapons from each other's vitals, exchanged a smile, and then, without thinking, lay back, letting their bodies crash heavily onto the soft, leaf-strewn ground.
The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light on them.
Zhang Hai took a deep breath. The air was filled with the unique, slightly fishy smell of decaying soil and plants, along with a faint, musty odor, similar to that of old books.
He turned his head to look at Minato, who was also panting heavily beside him, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
“Hey,” Zhang Hai nudged Shui Men with his elbow, “Are you going to peek at your future little wife later?” As he spoke, a faint taste, as if freshly painted, lingered on his tongue.
"Over the past year, you've been going to their training ground more often than you've gone home." Minato blushed at his words and quickly sat up, stammering an explanation: "I... I just went to training! Tomorrow is the graduation exam, I need to be fully prepared!"
"It's just a graduation exam, is there any need to be so nervous?" Zhang Hai remained lazily lying on the ground, his hands behind his head, gazing at the sky fragmented by the treetops.
He could almost feel a cold, metallic wire gently wrapping around his ankle, bringing a slight tingling sensation.
"I plan to go out and wander around to relax."
Minato looked at him with some confusion; this question had been on his mind for a long time.
He hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help speaking up.
He picked up a small pebble from beside him, tossed it in his hand, and held the action for about half a second.
“Zhang Hai, I’ve never understood. Your strength is clearly so great, why do you always deliberately hide it? When we were assigned to our graduation groups, with your abilities, you could have…” “Could have what? Be assigned to an elite Jonin and then sent on the most dangerous missions?” Zhang Hai interrupted him, his tone completely calm. “I’m not interested in that. It’s the same wherever I am.” After saying that, he leaped up from the ground, dusted himself off, turned and left, leaving behind only a dashing silhouette.
Minato watched the direction he left in and sighed silently. He didn't understand Zhang Hai's thoughts, but he respected his choice.
But Zhang Hai had his own plans in mind.
What he wanted was to follow a Chunin teacher of average strength and steady personality, take on some D-rank or C-rank security missions, and "develop" peacefully in the village, rather than being pushed to the forefront of war.