Eat First, Bathe First, or...

"It's fine. What's done is done. Whether we want to admit it or not, Obito sacrificed himself for us, for the village. He is a hero."

With her tear tracks still fresh, a brilliant smile appeared on her face. Nohara Rin chuckled and teased, "What about you? You've been following one of the legendary Sannin, so you must have learned some powerful ninjutsu. You'll have to protect me when the time comes, Anko."

"Wahahaha! I, the great Anko, have learned some incredible ninjutsu from Master Orochimaru. Protecting you is a piece of cake!"

Just as she was about to sit down, Anko glanced at the ramen bowl to the side. A flash of suspicion crossed her eyes, and she instinctively sniffed the air. A faint, lingering scent of fresh grass and trees immediately caught her attention.

"Hey, Rin, the guy who was sitting in this seat just now... could it have been Uchiha Hanazuki?"

"Yes. I wanted to ask Hanazuki about Obito, so I..."

Bang!

Rin jumped like a startled rabbit, only to see Anko gritting her teeth, her expression filled with the listless frustration of a dried-up fish.

"That guy—I don't know whether to call him a blockhead or a jerk. He looked at me like I was an idiot and kept brushing me off. I can't understand what that bastard is thinking. Damn it!"

"Calm down, Anko, calm down..."

At that moment, the memory of that gentle, smiling face surfaced in her mind. Rin looked at Anko's face, which was etched with her inner turmoil, and fell into deep thought.

Can you tell just by looking at him?

Two flowers bloom, each representing a different branch.

Deep beneath the Graveyard of Mountains, inside a secret chamber sealed off by rock.

Obito, who was desperately undergoing rehabilitation, had eyes filled with anticipation. He was brimming with hope and daydreams, as if he couldn't wait for the moment he would return to the village.

Just wait! The Sharingan only unleashes its true power when the pair is complete. As long as Kakashi and I join forces, we can protect the village, protect everyone, and protect Rin. You have to wait for me, Kakashi!

The fighting spirit in his eyes never faded. Obito actively exercised his muscles, which had begun to atrophy from lying in bed, but the voice of that strange old man echoed in his ears once again.

"It is useless. Unless you sever this chain of hatred, even if you manage to leave, everything will be in vain. A ninja's hatred does not cease with the end of a war. Accompanied by countless sacrifices, a new cycle of hatred is destined to repeat..."

Obito shook his head helplessly. This strange old man who called himself Uchiha Madara was spouting nonsense again. Besides, he knew all the old men and women of the Uchiha Clan, and this guy was likely just a rogue ninja from Konoha.

Although he relied on him to stay alive, he would return to Konoha sooner or later. Even though he felt guilty for being unable to repay the man for saving his life, only by returning to his comrades could he find peace of mind.

The guilt and the longing to leave could not escape Uchiha Madara's eyes. Despite his aged body and having walked toward death twice, those eyes that saw through the darkness remained bright.

At midnight, when all was silent, a new White Zetsu emerged from the ground.

"Lord Madara, Uchiha Hanazuki has returned to Konoha Village. What shall we do?"

Cough, cough, cough...

With his aged body and cloudy, listless eyes, Madara, who was like a candle in the wind, remained silent for a long time. After a while, he muttered in a low voice.

"It is merely a pair of self-sealing eyes. Although such small fry with low potential appear occasionally, the difference between them and my true eyes is as vast as heaven and earth. They are not even half as good as mine."

"It is a pity that a hundred years of time and history have forced me to linger on in this state. But this is only a temporary silence. When I awaken from my long slumber, that will be the moment when all of this comes to an end."

As he spoke with agitation, Uchiha Madara fell into a fit of coughing. His decrepit, elderly frame could not support the insignificant ambition he held for true peace.

"The era of ninjas—I shall end it with my own hands!"

As he spoke, veins bulged from his withered, branch-like arms, and the ancestral... no, the Uchiha maniacal laughter that began with Madara erupted once more.

"Yes, Lord Madara. In addition to Uchiha Hanazuki, we have also tracked down the child and the rival he values and cherishes most: Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi..."

Meanwhile, inside Konoha, after the last dango shop in the village had closed for the night, Rin watched with a look of worry as Anko devoured over a hundred skewers of various dango, washing them down with endless bowls of red bean soup. She was too shocked to speak.

"That jerk, brushing off Master Orochimaru is one thing, but to brush me off like that? He doesn't even think about who his first friend was, or who used to take him out to skip class when he got scolded by the teacher."

Anko continued to ramble on, but Rin felt awkward and instinctively looked up at the sky.

If I go home this late, I'll definitely get scolded. But with Anko like this, it's a bit...

"Um, Anko, it's getting late. We have a mission tomorrow. I'm so sorry, but I have to go."

It wasn't until Rin ran around the corner without looking back that the dazed Anko finally reacted, stamping her feet and shouting.

"You disloyal brat! Is this how you treat your best friend?! Jerk, both of you are the same... Sigh, what's the point of going home anyway? There's no one there..."

The moonlight was hazy, and the stars were brilliant.

Without realizing it, the aimless Anko wandered the streets. When she looked up again, she found herself in front of the abandoned Hanazuki residence, which was overgrown with weeds.

"This is..."

Standing before the door, Anko hesitated for a long time before slowly pushing it open. The slightly dilapidated wooden door was unlocked.

Looking down the hallway from the entrance, the dim candlelight in the living room piqued her curiosity.

It's so late, is that guy still awake?

From the shadows behind the door, transparent ribbons hidden in the dark approached silently. Her heart filled with sudden terror, and Anko raised her right hand, sending snakes flying out like sharp blades.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

"Nine-Faced Svaha: Celestial Maiden."

After a brief standoff, Anko, who had been bound up like a rice dumpling, was tossed onto the floor by the Celestial Maiden. Just as she prepared to use the Rope Escape Technique to break free, a familiar voice interrupted her actions.

"Good grief. I thought it was some bug from the Anbu or the Police Force. I didn't expect it to be a little snake who loves red bean soup and dango. Even if it is you, you should at least respect someone's personal privacy."

"How many times have I told you? Ring the doorbell when you come in."

"Stop nagging! You bastard Hua Yue, you knew I was here the whole time, didn't you? Besides, that... that's not what I wanted to hear."

Anko argued her case, her clear brown eyes tinged with a faint sense of disappointment. As she looked up, she was met with that handsome face, currently wearing a smile that held a hint of teasing.

"Is that so? Then, welcome back, Anko. Would you like to eat first, take a bath first, or perhaps..."

"Wait, what are you doing? No, I was wrong, don't—ahhhhhhh!"