Nanfeng's words were so shocking that when he said them, Sasuke's mind couldn't keep up.
What did he mean, his body was about to collapse? Was the guy dying? How could someone who was dying train him?
"Reanimation Jutsu was created by Orochimaru in his pursuit of immortality. It had a profound effect on the soul, but by changing bodies, he could achieve a form of immortality. The process had to be repeated every three years. According to Zabuza and the others' information, Orochimaru seems to have been gravely wounded in a fight with your brother some time ago and defected from the Akatsuki Organization. Since then, his desire for the Sharingan has grown much stronger."
Nanfeng spoke, once again congratulating himself on having saved Zabuza and Yuki Haku back then. Otherwise, with so much information, it would've been hard to come up with a believable excuse.
The Konoha Hospital? The ninjas there couldn't possibly know all these secrets. If he told them that, neither Naruto nor Sasuke would believe him—not even Nanfeng himself, all right?
That said, Zabuza and Yuki Haku really had taken almost all of Gato's money. Compared with their big boss, Nanfeng, they were living quite comfortably. Looking at his own empty wallet, Nanfeng couldn't help feeling a little put out.
Maybe he should use Flying Thunder God to go visit them sometime and ask for some spending money. He couldn't let his life get too miserable. Besides, Hinata had a huge appetite—without money, how could he afford to feed her?
Ahem, he'd gone off track. Nanfeng's gaze began to wander, and he quickly coughed to bring himself back to the conversation.
"So Otogakure's goal in taking part in the Chunin Ninja Exams is to get my body?" Sasuke asked, his expression turning a little queasy. Even by the standards of creeps, Orochimaru's behavior was pretty twisted.
"That's more or less it. He really is a good teacher, and his value doesn't stop there. His knowledge is his greatest treasure. If anyone in the ninja world understands Ninjutsu on a profound level, one is the Second Hokage, a Hokage who created nothing but forbidden techniques, and the other is Orochimaru. His research in these fields is beyond anything we can imagine."
"If you can grasp some of his insights, they'll help you as you continue training in Ninjutsu and even develop new techniques for your own style. But for now, you should keep working with Kakashi on his Raikiri. You still haven't mastered it completely, have you?" Nanfeng glanced at Sasuke as casually as he could.
He clearly remembered what happened the first time Sasuke used Raikiri after activating his cells with Lightning Chakra. He'd eaten dirt so spectacularly, it was almost textbook!
"Ahem, I'm almost there. Naruto still hasn't figured out the Rasengan, has he?" Sasuke said awkwardly.
"That's because he has to use most of his chakra to suppress the Nine-Tails. He can't help it. And I'm not exactly a qualified teacher, either. My own Rasengan is only half-baked, so I can't teach Naruto. What's your excuse?" Nanfeng shot back without mercy.
Sasuke stammered, then started going on about ninja training and how it was tied to talent. He changed the subject again, this time talking about the pride of the Uchiha Clan, making Nanfeng and Naruto burst out laughing. The whole room was filled with cheerful laughter.
"That's all for today. This is all the information I can get for now. I hope you'll all be involved in what comes next, so we can build the world we dream of. We're idealists, but our ideals are grounded in reality. Remember..."
"Don't become someone who lives only in an ideal world. Learn to accept the darkness. Ninjas who are too idealistic are like the Akatsuki Organization. If you're willing, I can take you to sign up right now." Nanfeng spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously.
Naruto and Sasuke nodded. They weren't stupid; they understood what he meant.
"Let's eat, let's eat! How did my mutton get so overcooked?" Nanfeng said no more. He shook his head in dismay at the slightly overdone meat, ate it, then put another plate of mutton on to cook. The mood was warm and friendly. They had no idea that the next time they shared such a peaceful moment would be years later.
In the days after their conversation, the three of them worked hard. Of course, Nanfeng also made time to visit Hinata. When her team returned from a mission, he even brought gifts to welcome them back. At Kurenai Yuhi's knowing smile, Hinata's face flushed scarlet, and she grabbed Nanfeng and hurried away.
"Young people have it so good," Kurenai Yuhi said with a smile as she watched them leave. She wondered when that blockhead Asuma would finally catch on.
Apart from his cozy moments with Hinata, Nanfeng spent the rest of his time training. Seeing how hard he worked, Hinata joined them during her breaks. In just a few days, she grew much closer to them, making Inuzuka Kiba a little jealous.
"Hey, who's Hinata's teammate here?" Inuzuka Kiba asked as he ate barbecue and looked at Team 7.
"We're all classmates. When we have time, we can train together. It's livelier with more people, and sharing our experiences can give us new ideas, right?" Nanfeng said cheerfully, placing some grilled meat in Hinata's bowl.
"Then remember to tell us next time. And tell Naruto to stop farting! Last time, that guy nearly killed me with the stink!" Inuzuka Kiba complained. He and Naruto got along pretty well now.
They were all kids. The grudges from before had long since faded. But was that really true?
After eating their fill and saying goodbye to Hinata and the others, Nanfeng walked along by himself. The warm afternoon sun made him feel a little drowsy. He was good at balancing work and rest. What should he do next? Forget it—he'd go home and take a nap.
With that in mind, Nanfeng turned around to head home, but on the way, he spotted something unusual.
Konohamaru was being held by an unfamiliar ninja with a face covered in paint. Judging by their Forehead Protectors, they seemed to be from Sunagakure. So the Chunin Ninja Exams were finally about to begin?
"Put me down!" Konohamaru kicked his short legs and struggled, but his efforts had no effect on Kankuro.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're ninjas from Sunagakure, here to take part in the Chunin Ninja Exams. But that doesn't give you the right to lay hands on a child from our village while you're in Konoha. And this lovely lady must be the princess of the Land of Wind. The child you're holding is the Third Hokage's grandson. Are you trying to start a war between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind? Or has Sunagakure grown so confident in its strength that you think you can bully another village's leader's grandson whenever you please?"
Nanfeng looked at Kankuro and the others, his tone calm.
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