You're New Here, Aren't You?

Deep in the alley.

White Zetsu Afie hid around the corner, watching the ramen-haired youth rub his hands together and quickly approach. His pale face was filled with confusion.

Why wasn't he looking for shit? What was he doing here?

And why was he smiling so happily?

Yet the alley was deathly silent. No one answered Afie's questions.

After Agan left, it was the only White Zetsu remaining here.

However, just as Uchiha Chi reached the corner, Afie finally recalled Captain Agan's repeated instructions before leaving.

It absolutely could not attract attention.

With that in mind, White Zetsu Afie's features rapidly shifted. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a kind-faced old lady.

"Something doesn't feel right..."

Looking at its empty hands, Afie felt that something seemed to be missing, yet it could not remember what.

But there was no time to think. From the corner of its eye, it saw Uchiha Chi turn around the corner.

It hurriedly lowered its head to adjust its skin tone, then hunched over and smoothly fell to the ground, letting out a pained cry. "Ouch..."

Perhaps having heard its cry, the footsteps by its ear suddenly quickened.

Soon, Afie sensed someone arrive before it.

At the same time, the youth's concerned voice sounded above its head.

"Old lady, are you alright?"

Hearing that clear, springlike voice.

Afie, sprawled on the ground, secretly rejoiced. It knew it had successfully fooled him.

During the three days it had spent working in the clan grounds, it had practiced fake falls with Captain Agan no fewer than a thousand times. The entire routine flowed as smoothly as water; it was even more practiced and natural than taking a dump.

This youth had been fooled by it. He could not blame anyone but himself.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just took a fall. Hiss..."

Afie pretended to groan in pain as it pushed itself up and raised its head to look over.

In its expectations, whenever a kind youth saw an elderly person putting on a brave front, he would always take pity and step forward to help them up.

However, when it raised its head, it only saw Uchiha Chi looking at it with a gentle smile.

A man and a Zetsu suddenly found themselves staring at each other.

Frogs croaked from a distant pond. A few cold rays of moonlight filtered through the dark clouds, illuminating the mottled walls of the alley. Everything seemed frozen in place.

"...?" In the strange atmosphere, White Zetsu blinked blankly.

Th-this wasn't right, was it?

Why was this so different from the plan?

Why was this youth only smiling instead of helping it up?

Meanwhile, as Uchiha Chi stood to the side and watched Afie reveal a clear yet bewildered expression, a trace of confusion also flashed through his eyes.

"Strange. Why doesn't Agan seem annoyed at all this time?"

Could it be...

As if he had thought of something, a sharp gleam flashed in Uchiha Chi's eyes.

Agan's acting had improved again!

Damn it...

He clenched his fists slightly and glared angrily at the White Zetsu by his feet.

"How could this guy improve so quickly?!"

Seeing Uchiha Chi's increasingly sharp gaze, White Zetsu Afie felt somewhat at a loss.

He had completely lost track of the situation.

What exactly had happened? It had not even said anything yet!

In its slight panic.

Afie decided it should still follow the script Captain Agan had prepared for it.

After all, Captain Agan was a White Zetsu like it, and White Zetsu would definitely not deceive their own kind.

"Um... young clansman," Afie's old face revealed a benevolent smile as it looked at Uchiha Chi with crinkled eyes. "Could you help me up?"

In the script Captain Agan had given it, there was a note beside that line: A normal person would help upon hearing this.

However, Uchiha Chi did not move. He merely looked down at it from above and said coldly, "Didn't you say you were fine? Why don't you get up yourself?"

Afie opened its mouth. "Huh?"

Why was this wrong again? Didn't it say a normal person would help upon hearing that?

[Detected confusion from White Zetsu Afie!]

[Obtained 10 points, along with 2% Damage Increase!]

Hm?

Hearing the system's voice, Uchiha Chi raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze across the azure text that had appeared before him.

So it was not Agan?

Then that was fine. No wonder it had shown no reaction at all upon seeing him approach.

Come to think of it, wasn't Afie the White Zetsu that liked squatting on the ground to observe shit?

In his memories, it had even merged with Obito to form the right half of Obito's body.

Eh?

Now that he thought about it, it seemed to have some potential for cultivation...

With that thought, Uchiha Chi crouched down halfway, revealing a meaningful smile as he looked White Zetsu Afie up and down.

He stared until Afie's expression grew somewhat stiff, then lightly chuckled and patted Afie on the shoulder.

"Hey, you're new here?"

"Wha—"

Uchiha Chi's voice was soft, but to Afie's ears, it boomed like thunder.

Its pupils rapidly contracted as it felt a wave of suffocation.

Why!?

How did this ramen-haired guy know about them!?

[Detected shock from White Zetsu Afie!]

[Obtained 20 points, while Damage Increase rose by 4%!]

[The target's emotional fluctuation has exceeded the standard. The host has received an additional reward: Mayfly Technique!]

[Fuse the physical body with the earth to achieve high-speed movement, capable of cutting off all traces of one's presence!]

Uchiha Chi's eyes immediately lit up. This was good stuff.

With this ninjutsu, he could go wherever he wanted. It even came with the effect of concealing his presence, so he would not have to worry about being discovered at all. It was simply an essential technique for home and travel.

Uchiha Chi would call it the strongest escape technique!

Elsewhere.

Afie had already calmed down.

"What do you mean, new here?" A trace of surprise appeared on its wrinkled face. "This old lady has lived here since birth..."

Only then did Uchiha Chi recover from the excitement of his reward. Amused, he looked at White Zetsu Afie, who had begun acting again.

White Zetsu truly were natural actors. Perhaps that was precisely why their impersonation technique had become the hardest transformation technique to see through in the Ninja World.

But...

To Uchiha Chi, who already knew the answer, whatever Afie did was nothing more than clumsy acting.

Uchiha Chi shook his head. "You don't need to keep pretending."

"Pretending to be what..."

Afie wanted to say more, but Uchiha Chi suddenly reached out and poked its right arm.

The tensed muscles prevented his finger from advancing even the slightest bit.

"See?" Uchiha Chi squeezed Afie's stiff shoulder and smiled. "You're very nervous right now."

White Zetsu Afie instantly fell silent.

It slowly clenched its fists, its gaze flickering constantly.

"Since you already know, then..."

Just as it was about to say the rest, Uchiha Chi's cold voice rang out by its ear once more.

"Then get back to Root and tell your Lord Danzo to behave himself lately."

White Zetsu Afie was dumbfounded again.

It stared blankly at Uchiha Chi and voiced a question from the depths of its soul.

"Huh?"