Chapter 76
Chinano was explaining the effects of the Red Eyes, while Gaara discreetly listened in, using his sand to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Beyond the village, the wind howled, rustling the leaves as they clashed against each other. Amidst the natural sounds, machines roared in the distance, and the gate guard swung his sword in practice—perhaps to remind himself that he was still alive.
"The excitement belongs to them... but not to me."
"I don't share the joys or sorrows of human beings. To me, they're just noisy."
The Silent Clone sighed, tearing his gaze away from the village behind him. His mission was clear—he was to infiltrate Konoha as an undercover agent.
But first, there was an important question to answer...
"Which way is Konoha?"
The Silent Clone thought for a moment, considering whether to ask Zixu. However, since he only retained critical memories rather than syncing with the original, he found it unnecessary. If Zixu's memory was like a 1-terabyte archive, a normal clone would receive a complete copy. But he was different. Initially, he could retain about 100 megabytes of useful data, but over time, he became more indifferent, choosing only essential memories. Eventually, he only retained directory references rather than the actual files.
And now, that selective memory had left him lost.
He wasn't about to tell the original, though. He knew if Zixu found out, he'd probably exploit it somehow.
"This should be the right way..." The Silent Clone made a decision at the crossroads of life, uncertain if it was correct but pressing forward nonetheless.