Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

Chapter 624 Seeking a Breakthrough

He had only wanted some advice on breaking through his current bottleneck, but unexpectedly, Hatake Sakumo directly pointed him to a path leading to a higher realm. It seems that his path of cultivation has a much wider world to explore.

"Yes, teacher!" Zhang Hai replied confidently, carefully putting away the short sword, and then excitedly ran towards the Hokage's office.

Outside the Hokage's office, the guarding ninjas, seeing it was Zhang Hai, did not stop him. Zhang Hai took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Please come in." The Third Hokage's voice, tinged with the weight of time, came from inside the door.

Zhang Hai pushed open the door and entered, only to see the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting behind his desk, a pipe beside him emitting wisps of smoke, his gaze through his glasses carrying a hint of wisdom and scrutiny.

"Lord Hokage, I am Zhang Hai, a disciple of Hatake Sakumo." Zhang Hai bowed respectfully and then presented the short sword in his hand. "My master asked me to bring this sword to find someone, whose code name is 'Shadow'."

The Third Hokage's gaze fell on the short sword in Zhang Hai's hand, and his previously calm expression suddenly froze. He did not immediately take the sword, nor did he answer Zhang Hai's question; he simply stared intently at the simple yet imbued short sword with the aura of Hatake Sakumo.

The office fell eerily quiet, save for the burning leaves in the pipe and the occasional birdsong from outside the window. It was a heavy, unsettling silence, a stark contrast to Zhang Hai's earlier excitement. He keenly sensed something was amiss; this reaction was completely unexpected.

"Lord Hokage, is this person... not in the village right now?" Zhang Hai asked tentatively, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible doubt and unease. He even began to wonder if he had misheard his teacher's code name.

The Third Hokage finally shifted his gaze from the sword back to Zhang Hai's face. Those weathered eyes now appeared unusually serious, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.

"Your teacher... really sent you to find him?" The Third Hokage didn't answer Zhang Hai's question directly, but instead asked a question in return, his tone carrying a hint of confirmation.

Zhang Hai nodded without hesitation and replied, "Yes! The teacher gave the order himself and even gave me his knife."

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage took a light puff of his pipe, thick smoke swirling around him and obscuring most of his face. He murmured to himself, as if pondering something: "Wouldn't it... be a little too early..."

Although the words were spoken in a very low voice, they clearly reached Zhang Hai's ears. Too early? What does that mean? Could there be some hidden meaning in this "Shadow's" teachings?

Zhang Hai's doubts deepened, but his desire to become stronger grew stronger as well. He knew that since even Hatake Sakumo believed he could learn something from this person, then this person was no ordinary individual.

"Lord Hokage," Zhang Hai asked directly, his tone firm, "Do you have any concerns? Please speak freely; this disciple can bear them."

Seeing Zhang Hai's persistence, the Third Hokage's gaze lingered on him for a moment, as if weighing something. In the end, he decided to tell him the truth.

"Since you insist on this..." The Third Hokage's voice became heavy, each word carefully chosen. "'Shadow,' as the name suggests, he was once Konoha's top swordsmanship master, proficient in all Konoha-style sword techniques. Even... even your teacher, Hatake Sakumo, once consulted him on swordsmanship issues."

Zhang Hai's pupils constricted sharply. Hatake Sakumo had actually sought his guidance? This was utterly beyond his imagination! Hatake Sakumo's swordsmanship was renowned throughout the ninja world; he was known as the "White Fang of Konoha," and his swordsmanship was already at its pinnacle. Now, he was being told that someone else could teach Hatake Sakumo? Just what level of strength had this "Shadow" reached?!

His excitement was reignited, and he stared intently at the Third Hokage, waiting for him to continue.

"However..." The Third Hokage's voice trailed off, a heavy tone creeping into it. "His teaching method... was very unique. You could say it was all-encompassing, with no way to stop it."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Hai pressed.

The Third Hokage took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if recalling a painful memory. "He once taught his child swordsmanship. The child was exceptionally talented, but during the teaching process, 'Shadow' accidentally and severely injured his child, almost killing him. Fortunately, Tsunade arrived in time and pulled the child back from the brink of death. Even so, the child suffered permanent damage and has not yet fully recovered."

Silence fell over the office once again.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai finally understood the Third Hokage's concerns. It turned out he was worried about being injured by the "Shadow's" powerful swordsmanship during his training. Most ninjas, hearing such a story, would probably have already given up, but Zhang Hai was different.

Far from backing down, he felt a surge of excitement. The stronger his swordsmanship, the more dangerous it was, which meant he could learn even more! In his eyes, this potential risk was merely a necessary step on the path to a higher level.

"Please rest assured, Hokage-sama." Zhang Hai's voice was firm and powerful, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "I have confidence in my abilities!"

This confidence was not unfounded. It was forged in countless brutal battles, brushing shoulders with death and crawling through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Each victory, each narrow escape, was like a forging fire, making his will and body even more resilient. He believed that no matter how powerful the opponent or how dangerous the challenge, he could persevere.

The Third Hokage, seeing the undisguised confidence in Zhang Hai's eyes and the sharpness honed in blood and fire, was undeniably moved. He sighed, and his worries eased somewhat.

“Alright,” he finally relented. “I’ll let him know. You need to be mentally prepared, be extremely careful when you’re learning, and make sure you’re within your limits. His swordsmanship is indeed not something an ordinary person can withstand.”

Hearing that the Third Hokage had finally agreed, Zhang Hai breathed a sigh of relief and was overjoyed. He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, saying, "Thank you, Hokage! Please inform him that I will be waiting for him at the training grounds in Konoha Forest. From now on, I will be waiting there."

"Okay, I understand." The Third Hokage nodded, his eyes filled with a mixture of expectation and worry.

After bidding farewell to the Third Hokage, Zhang Hai left the office with light steps.