strictlysupreme Chapter 651 No need
Chapter 651 No need
Her tone was earnest, hoping to help Zhang Hai out of his predicament.
However, upon hearing this, Zhang Hai shook his head without hesitation.
“No need, Aunt Mikoto.” Zhang Hai’s voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness. “I don’t want my family to get involved in my affairs. I don’t want to be associated with the Uchiha family in any way.”
A flicker of disgust crossed his eyes. He had a deep understanding of the Uchiha clan's fanaticism and darkness. He knew that if he were released on bail as an Uchiha, he would be forced into the clan's internal power struggles, and might even become a tool of the clan. This was absolutely not what he wanted.
More importantly, he had another, deeper concern.
“Moreover…” Zhang Hai’s voice turned low, “My current condition is not suitable for returning to the clan. If I were to enter the clan… I’m afraid it would only hasten the demise of the Uchiha clan.”
He wasn't exaggerating. His Mangekyou Sharingan, his spiritual power, and his thirst for power and revenge all destined him to be incompatible with the traditional path of the Uchiha clan. Once he became a member of the clan, he would likely become yet another excuse for the village's higher-ups to target the Uchiha, and might even trigger a conflict earlier than that of Madara Uchiha's time.
Looking at Zhang Hai's resolute eyes, Mikoto felt a pang of helplessness. She knew Zhang Hai's personality; once he made a decision, it was difficult to change his mind.
Seeing that Mikoto remained silent, Zhang Hai's heart stirred, and a pitiful expression immediately appeared on his face. He lowered his head, and his voice became somewhat low and hoarse.
“Aunt Mikoto… I really don’t want to accept the family’s help. I’ve been locked up here for more than half a year. I… I don’t want to jump from one cage to another.” He deliberately pretended to be tormented and exhausted.
Seeing Zhang Hai's pitiful state, Mikoto's maternal instincts were rekindled. She looked at Zhang Hai with pity, her eyes filled with worry.
“But… if you stay locked up here, how will you reintegrate into the village after you get out?” Mikoto’s voice carried a hint of worry. “You’ve been gone for so long, what will the village think of you…”
Zhang Hai looked up and calmly gazed at Mikoto.
“I was originally a member of the Dark Guard,” Zhang Hai said calmly, with a hint of self-deprecation in his tone. “I’m used to living in the shadows, used to hiding my identity. Integrating into the village… isn’t that important to me.”
He knew he had embarked on a path of no return. Integrate into the village? That was nothing but a pipe dream.
Looking into Zhang Hai's eyes, which seemed to have seen through the world, Mikoto felt a pang of heartache. She suddenly remembered Zhang Hai as a child, so independent and precocious, always keeping all his worries hidden in his heart.
She didn't try to persuade her further, but simply sighed softly.
“Since you don’t want to go back to the family, I won’t force you,” Mikoto said softly. She glanced around the small, damp cell, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes. “It’s too dirty here… let me clean it up for you.”
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and began cleaning the cell. First, she carefully wiped the cold stone bed, then neatly folded Zhang Hai's clothes. She even took out a clean towel and a small pot of hot water from her bundle and handed them to Zhang Hai.
"You've gotten yourself so dirty..." Mikoto complained softly as she cleaned, her voice full of concern. "Let me help you wash up. You used to be so clean when you were little."
Zhang Hai took the towel and hot water, watching Meiqin's busy figure, a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart. This feeling of being gently cared for made him feel somewhat uncomfortable, yet he couldn't refuse it.
After cleaning the room, Mikoto carefully wiped Zhang Hai's face. Looking at Zhang Hai's face, which appeared even more handsome after being wiped with hot water, a hint of admiration flashed in her eyes.
“Zhang Haijun, you’re so handsome.” Mikoto’s voice carried a hint of amusement, as if she had returned to Zhang Haijun’s childhood self. “When you grow up, Auntie will definitely help you find a good girl.”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai froze, a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face.
"Ahem... Aunt Mikoto, I don't have that kind of intention." Zhang Hai quickly interrupted Mikoto, his tone tinged with helplessness, "After all... not everyone is as beautiful as Aunt Mikoto."
His words carried a hint of ingratiation, an attempt to change the subject.
Upon hearing Zhang Hai's compliment, Mikoto's face blossomed into a gentle smile. That smile, like the warm spring sun, instantly dispelled the chill of the cell. She looked at Zhang Hai's feigned seriousness, a hint of doting in her eyes.
"You...you're still as sweet-talking as you were when you were little." Mikoto smiled gently, as if she could see the cuteness and intelligence in Zhang Hai that he had when he was a child.
With the arrival of Uchiha Mikoto, the once cold and desolate cell was now filled with laughter and joy. Zhang Hai seemed to have returned to his childhood, to that carefree age when he could act spoiled as he pleased. He spoke wittily, vividly recounting some of the amusing incidents in the cell after embellishing them artistically, making Mikoto cover her mouth and chuckle.
He skillfully avoided all sensitive topics about his "crimes" and "experiences," simply recounting harmless "prison life" in a light and humorous tone. Mikoto was happy to play along, occasionally scolding him playfully, only to be amused by him and smile gently.
However, this warmth and joy did not last long.
Deeper inside the torture chamber, in a corner of the surveillance footage, Fugaku Uchiha was taking in everything through his three-tomoe Sharingan.
He looked at Mikoto's gentle smile in the video, at Zhang Hai's silver hair being carefully combed by Mikoto, and at the harmonious and intimate interaction between the two... An unnamed anger, like a venomous snake, quietly grew in his heart.
Jealousy. Extreme jealousy.
He had never seen Mikoto smile at him so gently and naturally. The genuine joy and ease he felt from her were something he had never experienced before. Especially when he saw Mikoto straightening Zhang Hai's clothes and even personally washing and grooming him, the jealousy in his heart burned like a raging fire.
"Who...who is that guy?!" A dangerous glint flashed in Fugaku's eyes. He stared intently at Zhang Hai on the surveillance screen, trying to find any clue in his face.
He turned his head sharply and looked at the secret guards beside him who were responsible for guarding the torture chamber.
"Tell me, who is this prisoner being held in the heavy prison?!" Fugaku's voice was deep and oppressive, his three-tomoe Sharingan radiating a cold chakra fluctuation.