Chapter 102 The Alteration of Memories
Realizing that something was wrong with her memories, Tsunade ran through the crowd, trying to find those who were connected to Haruko.
Kushina: "Haruko-neechan? I don't know this person... The only Jonin I've known since I came to this village is you, Tsunade-neechan."
Minato Namikaze: "Kushina and I have never met anyone with black hair who also wears a flower hair clip before."
Kushina and Minato Namikaze exchanged bewildered glances, watching Tsunade's pale-faced figure run away.
Sakumo Hatake: "This person shouldn't be on the list of Jonin. Is she really a Jonin?"
Seeing Tsunade, a fellow Jonin he wasn't usually familiar with, run away, Sakumo Hatake scratched his head and turned to catch Kakashi Hatake.
Sarutobi Biwako: "Tsunade, what are you talking about? The Third Hokage never had any brothers or sisters."
Hiruzen Sarutobi: "Haru...ko? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before, but where...?"
Seeing his student's unusual emotions, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, wondering what was going on.
After asking around, Tsunade had asked everyone connected to Haruko, but they all spoke in unfamiliar tones.
Tsunade walked home step by step, and after opening the door with her last bit of strength, she collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, when Kato Dan went out to look for her, Nawaki was still at home. As soon as he saw her return and about to fall, he rushed over and caught her.
The fluctuating volume of Nawaki's panicked words made Tsunade feel as if she were experiencing severe tinnitus.
Haruko... Haruko...
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When Orochimaru opened his eyes the next day, he realized something was wrong. There was a clear gap in his memory space, and if he hadn't been so perceptive, the gap would have been slowly expanding.
What is it? What have I forgotten?
Orochimaru sat on the edge of the bed with a furrowed brow, his gaze suddenly focusing on the laboratory.
He remembered that he had applied for the recycling of the laboratory yesterday, and he probably wouldn't be using this place anymore, but... why?
His research had been going on for a long time, so why did he suddenly give up?
And... this bed, what kind of idiot would think of putting a bed in a laboratory? It must be that brat Mitarashi Anko.
Orochimaru dismissively attributed all the mistakes to others, then got up and wandered around the laboratory for a week.
Life...reincarnation...resurrection...
Life is fragile, so he wants to prolong his life...
The reason is dead, so he must be resurrected...
Haruko is resurrected!
Orochimaru's eyes widened suddenly. He was jolted back against the lab table by the sudden shock of memories and frantically grabbed the edge of the table.
It's Haruko! He actually forgot about her!
This was very strange. After Orochimaru went to the cemetery and parted ways with Tsunade and the others, he felt that all of this was too deliberate.
It was as if fate had erased her entire existence.
destiny……
"Wait for me in the future... Orochimaru..."
Orochimaru suddenly remembered the words she had whispered in his ear before she died, and he clenched his right fist and kept hitting his forehead.
Why can't I remember any more of her?!
He raced against time to write down every possible thing that could cause her to lose her memory, and then crossed them out one by one through his own experience.
I can't find it... I can't find it...
The reason for her lost memories cannot be found...
Orochimaru gripped his pen tightly and stabbed at the paper covered with dense writing, leaving it full of scratches, yet he couldn't find a single cause.
No... I must remember...
If she's waiting for me in the future, I must see her!
Orochimaru's dark golden snake eyes narrowed sharply. He opened the drawer, took out a laboratory knife, and slashed it at his forearm, which was covered by his clothes, as if he felt no pain at all.
Sunny, Child.
Dark red blood kept gushing from the thin wound, sliding down his arm and dripping onto the clean white floor.
Orochimaru, however, gave a strange smile and stared intently at the words on his forearm.
I need to remember...
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"Xiao Nan, whose tombstone is this?"
As Yahiko passed through the center of the headquarters, he was surprised to find an unmarked monument standing there. He touched his chin and wondered why there was no name engraved on the monument.
Hearing his words, Xiao Nan rushed over, somewhat puzzled. "What tombstone?"
"This is it. Do you know whose tombstone it is?" Yahiko asked, staring intently at the tombstone.
Konan examined it carefully, then shook her head. "I don't know. Could it have been built by Nagato?"
"What?" Nagato's weak voice came through.
Xiao Nan turned around and saw him walking slowly towards her. She quickly went up to help him and said disapprovingly, "I told you you need to rest now. The injury on your back is too serious. It's so bloody and mangled that it probably won't heal in less than a month."
Yahiko nodded, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. "You have to listen to Konan. She really doesn't take care of her body at all. How... how could she use that ninjutsu?"
Speaking of the day they were tricked and trapped by Hanzo the Salamander, Yahiko clenched his hands. If Jiraiya hadn't seen Konan's letter in time and rushed over, the three of them would probably have been dead.
To save Yahiko, who was willing to die, Nagato even sacrificed his own life to revive him, thus giving Yahiko a new lease on life.
This matter has always been a knot in Yahiko's heart. If he hadn't so easily believed Hanzo of the Salamander, they would never have encountered these things, and Nagato would not have suffered a bloody injury on his back from summoning the Demonic Elephant of the Outer Path.
Konan noticed his emotions, freed one hand to pat Yahiko's shoulder, smiled slightly at him, and gestured for him not to blame himself.
Feeling their concern, Nagato felt inexplicably fortunate, but then she remembered the topic from earlier.
What were you talking about just now?
Yahiko pointed to the nameless tombstone behind him, "Did you build this tombstone? Why is there no name on it?"
Nagato squinted, the nameless monument giving him a feeling that was both familiar and strange, and in the end, he shook his head, unable to remember anything.
"Could it be someone in the organization?" Xiao Nan guessed.
"Impossible, right? No matter how they build it, it's impossible to build it all the way to the central government," Yahiko retorted.
Indeed, while they valued their comrades and deeply mourned the fallen members, none of them were so important that they would build their headquarters in the center, unless... it was the death of one of the three of them.
So, who is the one who can rival the three of them...?
Yahiko hesitated and said, "Should we tear it down? It was probably built by some reckless guy in the organization."
His suggestion was met with silence from the other two, for some reason, all three of them were reluctant to see the monument disappear.
"Keep it; it looks nice just sitting there."
Xiao Nan forced out an excuse, and the next second she received the unwavering support of the other two.
After they left, Xiao Nan hesitated for a while, but decided to follow her heart. She slowly walked over and sat down next to the nameless monument. Surrounded by feelings of peace and loneliness, she picked many purple flowers and placed them in front of the monument.
She took one last, deep look; the nameless monument bore witness to the departure of the last person.
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