Chapter 46: 46.Long Lost Memories 2
As the two children grew older, their bodies matured, and their control over the Sharingan became more adept.
Uchiha Igaku gradually shifted his focus to research, and he barely interacted with the two children anymore.
"You're sneaking candy again? Aren't you afraid of getting cavities? I'm going to tell Grandpa Haru!"
The girl warned as she watched the boy sneak a piece of candy from his bag and stuff it into his mouth.
But before she could finish speaking, the boy swiftly shoved another piece of candy into her mouth. Tasting the sweetness, the girl felt the warmth of his hand on her lips, and her cheeks flushed red, as if filled with blood.
"We're family, so you can't rat me out," the boy said, hearing her threat to tell on him.
Reluctantly, he offered her some of his stash to win her over.
The girl had been his childhood friend, someone he had always seen as a little sister.
"Family..." The girl, now flustered, could only grasp onto that word.
Her mind went blank, and overwhelmed with embarrassment, she fainted on the spot.
"Hey, hey, why aren't you saying anything?" Uchiha Gin, puzzled by the girl's silence, took his hand away from her lips and was shocked to find her unconscious again.
Lately, every time the girl talked with him, she'd blush and faint, especially when he got close to her.
At first, this scared him, and he'd rush to call for help.
But after it happened enough times, no one paid attention anymore. The women in the research facility even started pointing at them with knowing smiles, leaving Uchiha Gin utterly confused.
"She's just like a little sister to me..."
Before he could go call for help, the door to the room opened.
Uchiha Igaku, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, entered with a cold expression. Unlike his usual kind demeanor, he now seemed distant.
Seeing the unconscious girl, he frowned and instructed his men to take her away.
Confused by Uchiha Igaku's sudden visit, especially since they'd already conducted an experiment on the girl that morning, Uchiha Gin stepped forward to stop him.
But Igaku shoved him aside.
Stunned by his grandfather's uncharacteristic behavior, Gin jumped up and snarled, "Hey, hey, hey! Where are you taking her?"
Uchiha Igaku turned his head stiffly, his black, lifeless eyes coldly fixating on Gin as if trying to determine something.
"There's a new experiment. You'll be called in later," Igaku said emotionlessly, his voice devoid of any warmth, like a soulless machine.
"Grandfather?" Gin called out, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
The cold gaze Uchiha Igaku gave him felt like that of a stranger—more like inspecting an object than looking at his grandson. This sent a chill down Gin's spine.
For a brief moment, a flicker of life appeared in Igaku's eyes at the sound of the word "grandfather."
But it was quickly swallowed by darkness. Without another word, he and his men left with the girl, leaving a stunned Uchiha Gin behind.
Snapping out of his daze, Gin quickly bolted out of the room. Ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him, he sprinted toward Uchiha Haru's office.
"What? You said Grandpa Haru was sent out to gather clan records?"
Gasping for breath, Gin stared at the empty office in disbelief, turning to the guard who blocked his entry.
"Yes, Elder Haru left yesterday. He said this trip might take several days," the guard replied truthfully. He dared not anger Gin, the nephew of the Uchiha clan leader, knowing the boy was someone not to be trifled with.
"Alright..."
With no one else to turn to, Gin thought of another person who might help. He dashed toward the office of Elder Hiro from the security department.
"What a coincidence, Elder Hiro left yesterday as well. He went to the dungeon to find some experimental subjects and probably won't be back today," someone from the security department informed him.
Both elders, usually always present, had conveniently been sent away. How could this be a coincidence?
A sense of dread welled up inside Gin. He decided to seek out his uncle, but just as he reached the research facility's entrance, the guards stopped him.
"Sorry, starting today, you're not allowed to leave until further notice," the guard said firmly.
Staring at the unfamiliar guards, the ominous feeling in Gin's heart grew stronger. Both elders had been sent away, the guards were replaced, and now he was being barred from leaving.
Worried about the girl's safety, Gin decided to confront Uchiha Igaku directly and get some answers.
Meanwhile, inside the laboratory, the unconscious girl slowly woke up. She found herself tied to a bed, with several strange men standing around her. Terrified, she struggled, but the restraints only left red marks on her wrists and ankles.
"Who are you? What do you want from me?" she demanded, glaring at the men.
"A 'weapon' must have the resolve of a 'weapon,'" one of the men said coldly.
"Weapon? I have a name! I'm Uchiha Hikari!" she snapped back, confused by the term. She tried to summon chakra to break free.
"Don't waste your energy. This is your fate," another man stepped forward, reaching a large black hand toward her head.
In an instant, a searing pain shot through her skull, and a flood of agonizing memories surged into her mind.
The loneliness after her parents' death, the torment of being imprisoned and studied after awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the despair of being abandoned in a dark dungeon—all of it washed over her like a tidal wave of sorrow.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Her piercing screams echoed through the room as her mind teetered on the brink of collapse under the weight of these negative memories. Just before she lost consciousness, she saw countless hands reaching out to smother her.
"A 'weapon' doesn't need a weak name! You shall live on as a nameless 'weapon,'" one of the men declared, rejecting the name she had shouted.
Darkness swallowed her vision.
As the girl passed out, the figures around her dissolved into pools of black, slithering toward a single point.
From afar, Uchiha Igaku watched everything unfold with an expressionless face. His vacant eyes remained indifferent, as though he hadn't witnessed the eerie scene at all.
The black shadows crawled toward him, merging into his silhouette on the floor.
With the shadows now a part of him, Uchiha Igaku seemed to come to life, a glimmer of light returning to his eyes.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The sound of frantic knocking echoed through the laboratory door. Outside, Uchiha Gin stood anxiously, his eyes glowing red with impatience. When there was no response, his Sharingan flared to life, the tomoe spinning rapidly.
Just as the black shadows fused together, the door swung open, revealing the stern face of Uchiha Igaku, who coldly regarded the boy on the brink of eruption.
"What's the rush? Your turn is coming soon."
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