Uchiha Sasuke’s Collapse Chapter 036

Twilight descended, and the evening breeze from the bay, carrying the crisp scent of sea salt, swept across the red-brick warehouse square.

This historic complex of Meiji-era buildings had long since shed its daytime rust, transforming into a golden-red fairy-tale castle.

Hundreds of thousands of LED light beads, like stars fallen to earth, climbed along the textured red-brick walls, coalescing into amber halos within the arched window frames, and then flowing like honey towards the giant Christmas tree in the center of the square.

Atop the tree, the Bethlehem Star, shimmering with seven-colored brilliance, cast diamond-like light particles onto the gathered crowd—couples whispered on tiptoes beneath mistletoe wreaths adorned with crystal balls, children chased dancing light spots on the ground with cotton candy in hand, and white-haired old couples leaned against vintage gas lamps.

“It’s really beautiful,” Kiana said, gazing at the brilliantly lit scene.

“Yes,” Raiden Mei’s eyes were a little dazed. She gazed at the bustling crowd in the distance and said softly, “Actually, it’s more of a winter light festival than a Christmas light festival. Many scenic spots in Nagazora City usually start their dazzling light shows in early December. It’s just that people often come here to commemorate this meaningful time during Christmas.”

“Did Mei used to come here often?” Kiana turned to ask.

“Mm…” Mei nodded slightly. “Father was always very busy in the past and didn’t have much time to spend with me. Mother also left very early. For other children, Christmas meant eating pizza, chicken, and drinking cola with family, followed by Christmas cake. But for me, the most anticipated thing on this day was that Father would always make time to bring me to see the Christmas light display.”

“Ah—”

Kiana leaned back slightly, hugging the cola in her arms.

Mei’s nostalgic words couldn’t help but remind her of her own stinky old man.

“Sigh, I wonder where that old guy is enjoying himself now, abandoning me alone, what a jerk…” Kiana muttered, seeing Mei’s mood sinking lower and lower beside her, she immediately wanted to change the subject.

“By the way, poker face, don’t you spend Christmas with your parents?”

Sasuke, leaning against the gas lamp post, withdrew his gaze and glanced at Kiana, responding flatly, “They died many years ago.”

“Uh…”

Although Sasuke’s tone sounded as calm as ever, the answer not only struck Kiana like a bolt of lightning, but even Mei beside her stopped reminiscing about the past, looking at Sasuke with disbelief.

Even Kiana, who had always been unconvinced by Sasuke, suddenly felt a pang of regret. Although she had a big heart and was usually carefree, that didn’t mean she would thoughtlessly touch upon other people’s wounds.

She opened her mouth, looking at Sasuke’s perpetually cold and stern face, but didn’t know how to speak.

The atmosphere instantly froze.

Kiana had a guilty conscience, shrinking her head and continuously slurping the cola in her arms. A few gulps later, it was instantly empty, and an irritating sucking sound echoed.

“Um, I’ll go buy two more colas.” Mei quickly stood up.

“Hey, Mei, wait for me…”

Before Kiana could finish speaking, she only received a warning glance from Mei.

The white-haired dumpling immediately drooped her head.

After a long while, Kiana finally spoke in a muffled, hesitant voice, “Hey, poker face, um…”

Sasuke ignored her.

“Um… I’m sorry, I, I didn’t mean to bring that up…” Kiana said, though somewhat reluctantly, she frankly admitted her mistake.

And, strictly speaking, it couldn’t even be called Kiana’s mistake.

“You don’t need to apologize. Those people… I can barely remember them anymore.” Sasuke’s face was indifferent, as if he was talking about a group of irrelevant people.

“Oh… huh?” Kiana didn’t react for a moment.

“They’ve been dead for about ten years now, haven’t they? Do you remember anything before you were 7 years old?” Sasuke retorted.

“Uh…”

Kiana was momentarily speechless. Sasuke was right, she really didn’t remember.

To be precise, she had no memories before the age of eight.

But that was different. According to her stinky old man, she had no memories because she suffered a severe head injury in an accident.

However, she quickly realized a problem: Sasuke’s parents died before he was seven?

“Then, how did you get by all these years?”

Kiana suddenly felt a little curious, or rather, a sense of resonance.

She had never seen her mother since she could remember. Her old man, Siegfried, had only told her that her mother died when she was two, and she didn’t even know her name.

Later, her stinky old man disappeared when she was twelve. Since then, she had wandered for three years, eventually arriving in the Far East. The hardships she endured were probably only known to Kiana herself.

So, what had Sasuke, who had lost his family, experienced from the age of seven until now?

If what sustained her was her promise to her old man—to protect the people she loved most, no matter the cost.

What sustained him throughout his journey?

“As long as the hatred in your heart is strong enough, it can become the source of your power.”

Kiana understood Sasuke’s seemingly unrelated answer.

She froze in place, her face full of shock.

What sustained Sasuke’s continuous progress was hatred?

Why was it…

Kiana found it incomprehensible or unacceptable. From childhood, her old man Siegfried had taught her through example and words that warriors of the Kaslana family would spare no effort to protect others.

What sustained Kiana through countless difficulties and obstacles was merely such protection and love.

Fortunately, having lost her external brain, she regained her usual intelligence. Reason told her not to press further, otherwise, she might receive an even crueler answer and uncover deeper wounds in Sasuke.

“I’m back.” Mei held two cans of cola and a small cup of yogurt in her right hand.

She handed one cola to Kiana and the yogurt in her left hand to Sasuke.

“I don’t drink sweet things,” Sasuke replied flatly.

“I specifically asked for it, it’s not that sweet,” Mei blinked.

“…”

Sasuke finally didn’t refuse.

The spire of the distant landmark building lit up with an emerald crown, and the futuristic lightscape of the coastal area unfolded like a magnificent painting across the bay.

The Ferris wheel transformed into a rotating stellar ring, each cabin enveloped in the iridescent glow of a meteor’s tail. The glass-curtained office buildings shed their business solemnity, becoming vertical electronic canvases—at times holographic snowflakes drifted, at times roses of light bloomed. Couples leaning against the railing of the pier’s viewing promenade looked up to see their silhouettes projected onto the neon clouds two hundred meters high.