12dz Chapter 639 Betrayal
Chapter 639 Betrayal
This hatred burned through the darkness like a flame, and corroded Zhang Hai's heart like poison. It made the darkness even deeper, and it made Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood even heavier.
Just then, from the depths of darkness, a faint yet incredibly resolute light suddenly flashed.
That was the light emanating from the White Fang Blade. The blade no longer bore the chakra that had previously belonged to Sakumo, but rather the metallic luster inherent in the blade itself, sharp to the extreme. It was like a solitary star, guiding the way in the boundless darkness.
As the light appeared, Zhang Hai's figure was gradually illuminated.
He remained kneeling before the tombstone, his figure appearing somewhat thin and fragile. The White Fang Blade was wedged diagonally at his side, its blade reflecting his pale face. He kept his head down, motionless, only his scattered black hair standing out starkly in the darkness.
The crimson Sharingan had vanished, replaced by a pair of dark eyes. However, two streams of bright red tears flowed from the corners of these eyes. The tears slid down her cheeks, leaving two shocking streaks on her pale skin.
Zhang Hai felt the chill of the blood and tears. He raised his hand and gently wiped the blood from the corner of his eye with his thumb. Looking at the blood on his fingertips, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Ha...shedding tears of blood? How ironic." He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, tinged with a self-deprecating weariness.
He knew someone was coming. That familiar, steady, and powerful chakra fluctuation, even suppressed in the darkness, was still clearly discernible. He didn't turn around, but simply spoke calmly.
"Lord Third Generation." His voice was devoid of any emotion, calm as if it had never experienced any turmoil, yet it carried a chilling stillness.
Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least Zhang Hai was still conscious and able to talk to him. This was better than the worst-case scenario he had imagined.
He slowly stepped forward and stopped a few steps away from Zhang Hai. He didn't go any closer, because he could feel that if he took another step closer, the sorrow and hatred would erode him even more intensely.
"Zhang Hai." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice carried a hint of affection and worry, "Don't let this darkness engulf you. Sakumo... Although he's gone, Konoha is still your home. There are still many people in the village who care about you, and many things worth protecting."
He tried to awaken the light deep within Zhang Hai's heart with warmth and hope, hoping that he could break free from this boundless despair.
However, Zhang Hai's reaction made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sink again.
"Home?" Zhang Hai slowly raised his head, his dark eyes empty and deep, devoid of any light. He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, a more mocking smile curving his lips. "My teacher is gone... what home do I have left?"
His voice was soft, yet it pierced Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart like a sharp blade.
"He gave everything for the village! But how did the village repay him?! It was gossip! It was betrayal! It was isolation! It drove him to the abyss of despair!" Zhang Hai's voice was still soft, but it contained an indescribable coldness and anger, like a cold wind that made Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart ache.
"The only home I know is where my teacher is. Now that he's dead, my home... is gone." He lowered his eyes and looked at the tombstone again, his eyes filled with endless sorrow.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer. He knew how much of a blow Sakumo's death had dealt to Zhang Hai, but he never expected that this blow would cause Zhang Hai to completely deny Konoha and everything he possessed.
"The village has never forgotten Sakumo's contributions!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, trying to correct Zhang Hai's prejudice. "Everything he did for the village deserves our remembrance and respect! His spirit and his will still exist in every corner of Konoha, and in the hearts of everyone influenced by him!"
He paused, his tone softening as he tried to touch the softest spot in Zhang Hai's heart: "Minato and Tsunade are both outside, they're both worried about you. Tsunade even begged me to bring you back safely no matter what. They're all waiting for you, they all care about you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped these words would bring Zhang Hai a glimmer of warmth, a touch of love from his comrades and family, to dispel the icy despair deep within him. He knew that in the face of extreme pain, words were utterly inadequate, but he had to try.
As the Third Hokage finished speaking, a brief silence fell once more in the darkness. Zhang Hai's body trembled slightly, and a flicker of fire seemed to flash in his empty, dark eyes.
"An indelible contribution?" He repeated the third generation's words softly, a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm in his tone.
Those four words, like a spark falling into dry tinder, instantly ignited the long-suppressed anger deep within him. His indelible contributions had brought him nothing but gossip, betrayal, and ultimately, suicide. To him, such "contributions" were nothing short of the coldest irony.
However, this anger was fleeting. Zhang Hai quickly suppressed it. He knew that arguing with the Third Generation at this moment was pointless. Words seemed so pale and powerless in the face of immense grief and profound despair. No matter how much the Third Generation said, he could not change the fact that his teacher was gone. All those past "righteous indignations," all those past "village supremacy," at this moment, became meaningless empty talk.
He lowered his head again, no longer looking at the third generation, and avoiding any eye contact with them.
Looking at Zhang Hai's lifeless expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. He knew that his words were so pale and powerless at this moment, unable to truly touch the deep pain in Zhang Hai's heart.
"I am deeply saddened by Sakumo's departure." The Third Generation's voice became low and hoarse, filled with unspeakable sorrow and regret. "I was unable to see him until the very last moment. I never expected... that he would choose such a way to end his life."
His gaze fell upon the cold tombstone, his eyes filled with reminiscence and guilt: "Back then, to save his comrades, he resolutely abandoned his mission. In the ninja world at that time, that was a betrayal of a promise, a betrayal of a belief... an act that would be condemned by the entire ninja world. But I know he was a man of noble character, not one to cling to life or fear death. However, the atmosphere in the village at that time... ultimately led him to his death."