vstars Chapter 620 Breakfast
Chapter 620 Breakfast
After breakfast, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably. Kurenai patted Zhang Hai on the shoulder and asked, "Are you taking Konan to the ninja academy today?"
Zhang Hai nodded and confirmed, "Yes, I got her identity badge ready yesterday, and she can enroll today."
Kurenai's eyes lit up, and she immediately volunteered, her tone tinged with excitement: "Then why don't I take Minami to school? I'm going back to school anyway, so I can show her around the new environment and her classmates!"
Zhang Hai was somewhat surprised. He had originally thought that Yuhi Hong would be shy about getting too close to him, but he hadn't expected her to take the initiative. Seeing Zhang Hai's stunned expression, Yuhi Hong glared at him and asked with displeasure, "What, are you afraid I'll get lost?"
After considering it for a moment, Zhang Hai felt that with Yuhi Hong taking Xiao Nan to school in the village, there wouldn't be any unexpected problems. Moreover, Yuhi Hong was considered a senior student at the school and could better help Xiao Nan adapt to the new environment. So he agreed and handed Xiao Nan's identification tag to Yuhi Hong.
Just then, Konan finished her breakfast and gently put down her bowl and chopsticks. Seeing this, Kurenai affectionately took Konan's hand, a sweet smile on her face, and said to Konan, "Come on, Konan! I'll take you to school and introduce you to your new classmates. You're so cute, you're sure to be popular!"
Xiao Nan was a little reserved. She glanced cautiously at Zhang Hai, seemingly seeking his approval. After receiving an encouraging look from Zhang Hai, a smile unconsciously appeared on Xiao Nan's face. She let Xi Ri Hong pull her along, heading towards the school.
Watching the two girls walk away hand in hand, Zhang Hai couldn't help but sigh. Children make friends so easily; they can open their hearts to each other in just a few words, as if there are no barriers between them. But adults, even after years of getting to know each other, may never truly know what the other is thinking; there's always an invisible barrier between them.
After his reflections, Zhang Hai composed himself. He donned his signature ANBU mask, concealing his youthful face, and his eyes deepened. He decided it was time to begin recruiting his own team. He already had his first choice in mind—Uchiha Mikoto, the first person he had ever met since coming into this world.
Zhang Hai thought to himself that there were still more than a decade before the Uchiha clan's annihilation. In that time, he needed to pull Mikoto out of her predicament as soon as possible, because she was the first person in the world who truly cared about him. That warm smile, that kind concern, remained vividly imprinted in his mind, even after so much time had passed. He even considered, if the opportunity arose in the future, simply letting her leave Konoha, this place of turmoil, and find a peaceful place to live out her life in tranquility. He knew the Uchiha clan's situation in Konoha was precarious, and he didn't want Mikoto to be dragged into the future tragedy.
Zhang Hai first returned to his original home. It was an ordinary house located on the edge of the Uchiha clan's territory. However, when he pushed open the door, the scene before him made his heart sink. The house was covered in thick dust and cobwebs, and even the roof had a large hole in it, clearly indicating that it had been uninhabited for a long time and was completely dilapidated. There was very little furniture and household items left in the house, as if it had been completely looted.
Zhang Hai didn't feel much about this. He glanced at it twice and continued walking. He knew that the Uchiha clan lived far from the center of Konoha, almost in a remote corner. This wasn't accidental; ever since the Second Hokage came to power, the Uchiha clan had been gradually marginalized, confined to settlements on the outskirts of the village. As the Second Hokage's designated successor, the Third Hokage naturally wouldn't change this policy.
The position of Konoha Police Force, while seemingly prestigious, actually confines the Uchiha clan to the periphery of the village, far from the center of power. It also forces them to shoulder most of the village's internal security responsibilities, potentially causing resentment among other villagers—making the position inherently undesirable. Moreover, since the Second Hokage's time, the Uchiha clan has had ANBU members stationed on its periphery, the meaning of which is self-evident—surveillance and prevention.
Therefore, Zhang Hai, also a member of the Anbu, appeared here without any sense of incongruity. He even spotted several Anbu members on the outskirts of the Uchiha clan's territory. However, he didn't disturb them, moving silently like a shadow. His purpose was purely to find someone; he didn't want to cause any disturbance, much less let the Uchiha clan discover his intentions. He wanted to find Mikoto and then extend an invitation to her.
After leaving the Third Hokage's office, Zhang Hai didn't rush to rest. Having completed the Second Shinobi World War, his strength was far greater than before. In particular, his long-term operations behind enemy lines had honed his infiltration skills to an unprecedented level. Combined with the extreme perception of his three-tomoe Sharingan, he could now move almost like a ghost through any heavily guarded area.
The Uchiha clan's territory was located in the southwest corner of Konoha Village, one of the most remote areas in the entire village. But Zhang Hai was very familiar with this place, after all, he came from here. Like a shadow, he quietly infiltrated the Uchiha clan's territory, avoiding all patrol routes and sensory ninjas.
Following the route he remembered, he quickly arrived at the small house where Uchiha Mikoto had once lived. However, he found the house empty, with only a thin layer of dust indicating habitation, and no everyday items. This led him to guess that Mikoto might no longer live there, or that she had joined the Uchiha Guard and needed to be stationed at the Guard's camp long-term.
Zhang Hai didn't give up. He carefully examined the books and notes in the room, hoping to find some clues. Finally, on a note filled with practice handwriting, he found a frequently appearing name: Uchiha Fugaku. The name seemed familiar to Zhang Hai; he felt like he had heard it somewhere before. He decided to go check with Fugaku. If Mikoto wasn't there, then he would have to go to the Uchiha-run security force.
Using his familiarity with the Uchiha clan's territory, he quickly located Fugaku's room after a search. However, it was empty as well. This further confirmed his suspicion that Mikoto and Fugaku were likely members of the guard unit and therefore did not live at home.
Left with no other choice, Zhang Hai quietly left the Uchiha clan's territory and headed to the location of the Konoha Guard. Unlike the relatively loosely managed Uchiha clan territory, the Guard's location was heavily guarded by a large number of Uchiha clan members, making the defenses much tighter and the security much more difficult, making infiltration virtually impossible.