Chapter 255 What Was Forgotten
Minato Namikaze, facing her rage, lowered his eyes. He didn't know what to say, or what he could say.
Words seem pale and powerless in the face of death.
He had never seen Takeuchi Mirei cry, not even when she was badly injured or betrayed by her closest ANBU members.
But she cried.
And she cried her heart out, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances and pain she had endured over the years.
"Give me back my daughter!"
"Give me back my daughter!!!"
Her screams, laced with sobs, echoed again and again in the corridor.
The chilling, piercing tone was like needles pricking Minato Namikaze's skin, causing a dull ache all over his body that he could not alleviate.
In her excitement, short strands of Takeuchi Mirei's hair brushed against her face, with a few sticking to the sides, making her look both disheveled and vulnerable.
A moment later, her sticky hair flew backward again as she struggled and screamed.
"My daughter! My... daughter..."
Her lover's arms, which were holding her body, became her only support. Takeuchi Mirei's head drooped limply, and her sharp black hair finally went limp, falling in front of her and trembling slightly.
Her sharp screams gradually subsided, replaced by long sobs.
The human impulse to express itself at this moment makes Takeuchi Mirei seem less like the person she used to be known as a weapon of war.
The somber hues filled everyone, and beneath the extreme oppression surged only endless regret.
Minato Namikaze stood frozen in place, his clenched palms bleeding slightly from the force of his grip.
Shortly after, Takeuchi Mirei collapsed due to emotional distress. Fortunately, she was already at the hospital, and the other two immediately called for a doctor.
After everything calmed down, Minato Namikaze walked to the door of Kushina's hospital room.
He paused as he gripped the doorknob.
The harsh corridor lights shone on him, turning his few exposed skins a deathly pale color.
The heart-wrenching voice of Takeuchi Mirei questioning him echoed incessantly in his ears, amplifying all his self-blame and regret countless times, crushing them, and kneading them into his body.
Although Kazutani explained that Takeuchi Mirei must have called out the wrong name for her daughter, the intense and tragic emotions she expressed were undeniable.
Minato Namikaze wiped his face deeply, trying his best not to let the feeling of suffocation overwhelm him. Only after he felt he had returned to normal did he press the doorknob and push the door open to go inside.
"I had to go out for a bit, sorry I'm only just getting back."
He gently closed the door and smiled apologetically, but unfortunately, Kushina, who was lying on the side of the bed, didn't see it.
The room was somewhat dim.
The curtains along the wall were all drawn tight, leaving only a narrow gap wide enough to see the gray sky outside, which had somehow become filled with moisture and was beginning to rain.
Feeling him sit down by the bed, Kushina still didn't turn around, keeping her eyes fixed on the cradle.
Following her gaze to the sleeping child, Minato Namikaze softened his expression and gently reassured her, "Everything is alright now. We will protect Naruto."
As if the word "protection" had touched a hidden and tense nerve, Kushina suddenly spoke.
"Watergate..."
"Um?"
"I always feel like I've forgotten something, something very important... but... but I can't remember..." Her bewildered words gradually turned into sobs.
For a moment, only her silent sobs filled the room.
After a long while, Minato Namikaze responded wearily and listlessly.
"Me too."
...
The truth about the replacement of the Dark Guard's identity had to be concealed, and in the end, only the code name Huan Chen was engraved on the memorial stone.
It's like adding an insignificant stroke to a monument full of heroic sacrifices; this place is rarely visited, even though it's now etched with new sorrow.
Aside from a young man with a cold and aloof demeanor, who often stood in front of the monument for hours on end.
Kakashi Hatake stood with his back straight, gazing silently at the cold, hard stone before him, his eyes fixed on the two characters engraved with "Phantom Dust".
Huan Chen, the captain of his dark squad, died in the line of duty during a special mission.
He should have been in this position, but for some reason, he always felt that the person he came to mourn day and night was not his captain.
If not, then who should it be?
Kakashi Hatake asked himself this question, like a stubborn guy throwing a stone into the sea in an attempt to get a response.
He had been standing there for a long time, and his plain black sleeves were covered with a lot of cold air. The most obvious change that the Dark Guard had brought to him was an unconcealable sense of killing intent and ferocity.
He used to hide his true feelings, but gradually he couldn't remember why he had to.
After taking one last deep look at the memorial stone, Kakashi Hatake turned and left.
The streets are bustling day after day.
Playful children, chatting friends, and happy diners...
The people who passed by him all had relaxed expressions on their faces, making Kakashi Hatake, with his cold demeanor, seem out of place. However, he clearly had no intention of softening his expression.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Kakashi Hatake looked up and realized he had unknowingly wandered into Uchiha territory.
Recently, relations between the Uchiha and Konoha have become much more harmonious. Uchiha territory, which used to be frequented only by members of their own clan, is now seeing more Konoha villagers coming to visit.
Therefore, Kakashi Hatake, who chose to enter Uchiha territory after much deliberation, is not particularly outstanding.
Compared to his previous absent-mindedness, Kakashi Hatake's attitude changed drastically as he walked down the Uchiha Street, taking an unusually focused look at the surrounding scenery.
He remembered that he used to come here from time to time...
Almost instinctively, Kakashi Hatake walked for a while and came to a quaint and grand house. Two lonely lanterns hung above the white and brown wooden door, their inner flames extinguished and swaying in the wind.
He noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and took a few steps toward the right wall, where a wooden nameplate with some signs of age hung.
It says on it—
[Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke]
Kakashi Hatake was taken aback when he saw that there were no more words after that.
I can't quite describe the feeling; it's an overwhelming sense of disappointment, yet also something I expected.
He was unable to understand his own heart.
The sound of the door being pushed open rang in his ears. Kakashi Hatake, filled with uncertain expectations, turned his head almost instantly and saw Itachi Uchiha with a surprised expression.
"Kakashi-nii-san, who are you looking for?"
"……No."
Kakashi Hatake's fine eyelashes trembled slightly. After greeting him, he hurriedly left as if trying to escape.
Left bewildered, Itachi Uchiha watched him leave. His tall, slender figure inexplicably exuded loneliness and solitude, making Itachi unable to look away for a long time.
Thinking he might just be passing by, Itachi Uchiha stopped thinking about it, closed the door, and headed to school.
******
The list of recipients of gratitude as of July 5, 2024:
grateful--
Don't lie to me, Chuuya the bastard mackerel's love letter.
≧ω≦～ Give this a like if you like it!
Yuushi, Ayu is really good, flowers sent by Xianyu Zhuli.
Healing Unicorn Amidst Electric Sparks, Teacher A's Update Kick, Three Good Squirrels, Uzumaki Rasengan, Lin Lao Ji, Ama Linzing, osaknana, Twilight Snow and Rain, Mu Wangfu Who Loves Black Rice Fried Rice, Yang Rubing (True or False), User 34476817, Ayu is Really C, Opening the Window to Swear, Jin Xiula from Nanning, A Lian Who Likes Alicia, ★★●, Kite Mast ^ Gifted with Love x3
I like the giant scaled tarantula, Acial, and these are two love-fueled gifts from Zhuli on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace app).
Deer Bell, Piano Lacquer Maker, Mist Purple Cloud, Saury Doesn't Like Fish, Fusang Qin, One Bite at a Time, Luo Ke is Pigeon Kea, Tsuki Jia, Xiao Xingxing who loves ginger-fried ducklings, It's Xiao Yu, not Xiao Yu, the plain and unremarkable Chu Xuanji, User 26695591, User 31574145, Li Qingrong who loves smoked duck breast, Yu & Jiu Ci's gift of love-powered electricity.
Thank you for the gifts! The author is so touched! (Young Itachi peeks out to express his gratitude (ノ＞＜)ノ)
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