Chapter 254 You Will Always Be Free
After all, the commotion last night was too great. Not only was there a loud noise outside the village, but countless ninjas were also dispatched to guard Konoha. All of this showed that this matter could not be covered up so easily.
People were filled with anxiety.
Most of the complaints stemmed from fear of the Nine-Tails' appearance, while a smaller portion were due to unavoidable criticism of the Uchiha clan.
Seemingly to prevent the situation from escalating, the higher-ups then released information about a series of investigations conducted by the Uchiha clan during the period when they discovered the disappearance of their members, in order to officially vindicate the Uchiha clan.
There were far fewer people gossiping on the streets, but the Uchiha clan was definitely the most affected.
For years, they had harbored resentment towards Konoha. When the new Hokage issued reforms, they were only happy that the Uchiha had gained a voice in the upper echelons.
This timely and resolute clarification statement from Konoha made them truly realize that Konoha genuinely intended to unite the Uchiha.
Some people are discussing the future relationship between Konoha and the Uchiha clan, some are terrified of the Nine-Tails' seal, and some are cursing the masked man for his despicable behavior.
As for the sacrifice of a member of the secret service, they would feel regret, but that would be all.
After all, no one knew that member of the secret service.
However, after hearing the news of her sacrifice, Takeuchi Mirei was overwhelmed with helplessness.
Huan Chen is dead.
In other words, Haruko Uchiha, who replaced her, is dead...
Haruko is dead, her daughter is dead...
Ignoring her lover's earlier panic, Takeuchi Mirei, her pregnant belly prominent, rushed to the hospital, dodging people who tried to block her way, and went straight to the Hokage's ward.
Hearing the commotion outside, Minato Namikaze, having calmed his wife down, left the ward to see what was going on.
As soon as he opened the door, his collar was grabbed without any politeness, and in front of him was his furious friend, Takeuchi Mirei.
"Where's Haruko? I'm asking you, where is Haruko?!"
Minato Namikaze froze, his mind wandering as he gazed into her familiar, furious eyes, unable to recall where he had ever seen similar beautiful eyes before.
His absent-minded attitude was clearly adding fuel to the fire for Takeuchi Mirei.
Takeuchi Mirei released her grip on his collar and then punched Namikaze Minato in the face, catching him completely off guard.
Forced to lean back, Minato Namikaze steadied himself against the wall, a burning pain shooting through his cheeks.
Seeing that she was about to be surrounded by the Anbu, Minato Namikaze quickly reached out and shouted to them, "Don't do it!"
After receiving his instructions, the secret service put away their weapons and only stopped Takeuchi Mirei.
Hayashi Ichitani, who had caught up later, hurriedly squeezed into their midst, shielding his lover in his arms. A kind smile of apology graced his broad face as he repeatedly apologized to the Hokage.
With his shoulder pulled back, Takeuchi Mirei's arrogance was barely suppressed, but her eyes remained incredibly gloomy.
"I'm asking you, where is Haruko!"
Upon hearing her question again, a hint of doubt appeared in Minato Namikaze's usually calm eyes, and he hesitated before asking, "Haruko...who is she?"
"Who...you!"
At the height of her anger, Takeuchi Mirei didn't immediately grasp the message behind his question until she realized the genuine bewilderment in his eyes, leaving her speechless.
She froze on the spot, as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water from head to toe.
Looking around at the people around her, she saw that they all looked puzzled. Even Hayashi Ichitani asked her in a low voice with concern what was wrong.
Mirei Takeuchi opened her mouth, the absurdity of the possibility leaving her unable to process what she was thinking.
Minato Namikaze, who had been punched for no reason, straightened his expression and waved to the unrelated people around him, signaling them to leave.
The narrow, quiet corridor was now empty except for the three of them. Dark clouds piled up outside the window, blocking out all light.
Minato Namikaze asked softly, "The Haruko you mentioned, is she the one who impersonated Genchen in your place?"
"That's right!"
Mirei Takeuchi nodded vigorously, her eyes fixed on him, as if hoping to hear the answer she wanted from him.
Having confirmed who she was looking for, Minato Namikaze lowered his eyelashes, his handsome face appearing sorrowful against the backdrop of the gray sky.
"When the Nine-Tails struggled, it tried to hurt Kushina, but she... blocked the attack for us and bravely sacrificed herself."
As the word "sacrifice" fell, the entire corridor was once again swallowed by deathly silence.
Recalling the scene, Minato Namikaze clenched his fists. That hero resolutely stood in front of them, resisting the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Ball with his own body. In the end, he didn't even leave behind a corpse, but was scattered with the flying dust.
His words confirmed the truth once again, and Takeuchi Mirei's body went limp, murmuring a rebuttal: "How could that be..."
“She said she hoped to sacrifice herself as Huan Chen.” Minato Namikaze couldn’t bear to see her so distraught and turned his head away. “I guess she might want to set you free.”
Many years ago, because of their equally outstanding talents, Minato Namikaze was assigned to carry out missions with Mirei Takeuchi, who was in the Dark Side.
It wasn't until the two of them became more familiar with each other that Minato Namikaze learned about her thoughts on the Anbu.
Mirei Takeuchi always wanted to escape the life of the Dark Side, not simply to leave the Dark Side, but to escape the endless assassinations and betrayals.
But she didn't know where she could go, what she could do, or what kind of life she could lead after leaving the Dark Division.
If the higher-ups find out about her unauthorized impersonation of a member of the secret service or having someone else impersonate her, Takeuchi Mirei will certainly not escape punishment or even bear criminal responsibility.
But now, with Genchen dead, Takeuchi Mirei is free.
free?
Takeuchi Mirei looked up at him with a start, her gaze unfocused, like a plate of broken black ink.
"You will always be free."
So that's what she meant back then...
A bittersweet and inexplicable sense of regret filled Takeuchi Mirei's heart, even overflowing from her eyes and turning into hot tears that fell to the ground.
She seemed unaware that she was crying, her wet, broken eyes staring blankly ahead.
Hayashi Ichitani, who was standing nearby, noticed the glistening tears in her eyes. His heart tightened, and his usually resolute and righteous face was instantly filled with anxiety.
He put one arm around her and took out a handkerchief with the other to wipe her tears.
Even though they were talking about someone he didn't know, seeing his usually tough and cold lover showing fear, Hayashi Ichitani was certain that the person was someone very important to Takeuchi Mirei, perhaps even more important than him.
Sensing his anxious yet cautious movements, Takeuchi Mirei's thoughts gradually returned, and she heard a slightly hoarse voice squeezed out of her throat.
Where is her...body?
This question made Minato Namikaze even more silent. After a long while, he finally opened his lips and gave a brief and straightforward reply.
"……No."
"What's the meaning?"
Seeing that he had nothing more to say, Takeuchi Mirei's tone became sharp, like a coward who knew the answer but still dared not accept it.
Her emotions intensified again, and she struggled frantically within the constraints of the morning valley.
"What did you say?!"
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