Dinner First, a Bath First, or...

"It's okay. What happened has already happened. Whether we want to admit it or not, Obito sacrificed himself for us, for the village. He was a hero."

With the tear tracks still wet on her face, Nohara Rin broke into a bright smile and teased, "What about you? You must've learned some powerful ninjutsu by staying with one of the legendary Sannin. I'll be counting on you to protect me when the time comes, Red Bean."

"Wahaha! I, Lady Red Bean, learned some incredible ninjutsu from Lord Orochimaru. Protecting you is a piece of cake."

Just as Red Bean was about to sit down, she glanced at the ramen bowl beside her. Suspicion flashed through her eyes, and she instinctively took a deep sniff. The faint lingering fragrance of grass and trees immediately caught her attention.

"Hey, Rin, the guy who was sitting here just now... was that Uchiha Huayue?"

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

Bang!

Rin sprang up like a startled rabbit. She saw Red Bean gritting her teeth, her face filled with the utter helplessness of a dead fish.

"That guy... I don't know whether to call him a blockhead or an asshole. He looks at me like I'm an idiot and keeps brushing me off. I can't figure out what that bastard is thinking. Damn it!"

"Calm down, Red Bean, calm down..."

At that moment, Rin could not help recalling that gentle smile. Looking at Red Bean's worried face, she fell into thought.

"Was it really that obvious at a glance?"

As the story split in two, let us follow another thread.

Deep beneath Mountains' Graveyard, inside a hidden chamber sealed away by stone.

Obito, who was desperately rehabilitating himself, had eyes full of anticipation. Brimming with hope and dreams, he seemed unable to wait for the day he could return to the village.

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

The fighting spirit in his eyes had never faded. Obito actively worked the muscles that had begun to atrophy from lying in bed, but the strange old man's voice echoed by his ear once more.

"It's useless. Unless this chain of hatred is severed, even if you leave, everything will be futile. A ninja's hatred will not cease just because a war has ended. Accompanied by countless sacrifices, a new cycle in the chain of hatred will inevitably begin..."

Obito shook his head helplessly. That strange old man who called himself Uchiha Madara was saying things he could not understand again. Besides, he knew all the old men and women of the Uchiha Clan. The person before him was most likely a Konoha rogue ninja.

Though he could only survive because of the man, he would return to Konoha one day. He felt deeply guilty that he could not repay the debt of having his life saved, but only by returning to his companions could he truly feel at ease.

Neither his guilt nor his desire to leave could escape Uchiha Madara's eyes. Though his body was aged and he had twice approached death, those eyes that saw through darkness still shone brightly.

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

"Lord Madara, Uchiha Huayue has returned to Konoha. What should we do?"

Cough, cough, cough...

The aged body, the clouded and powerless eyes—Madara, like a candle flickering in the wind, remained silent for a long time. For a moment, there was no sound at all before he finally murmured in a low voice.

"They are merely eyes that have closed themselves off. There are occasionally brats like that, low-probability cases. But compared to my true eyes, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth. They are not worth even a fraction of mine."

"Unfortunately, more than a century of time and history have left me no choice but to cling to life. But this is only a temporary silence. When I awaken from my long slumber, that will be the moment all of this ends."

Growing agitated, Uchiha Madara began coughing. His frail, withered body could not support the seemingly insignificant ambition in his eyes—the ambition of reaching true peace.

"I will personally bring the age of ninja to an end!"

As his emotions surged, veins bulged across his thin, branch-like old arm. The hereditary... no, the Uchiha mad laughter that began with Madara himself rang out once again.

"Yes, Lord Madara. Aside from Uchiha Huayue, we also discovered the people this man values and cherishes most—Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi..."

Meanwhile, in Konoha, after even the last dango shop in the village had closed, Rin stared in worry at Red Bean, who had devoured over a hundred skewers of dango in every flavor while constantly drinking red bean soup. Rin was already too stunned to say a word.

"That bastard was dismissive of Lord Orochimaru, and that would've been one thing, but he was dismissive of me too. Doesn't he remember who his first friend was? Who took him skipping class when he was scolded by the teacher?"

Red Bean was still rambling on, while Rin looked utterly awkward and instinctively glanced up at the sky.

If I go home this late, I'll definitely get scolded. But Red Bean like this is a little...

"Um, Red Bean, it's getting late, and our class has a mission tomorrow. I'm really sorry, but I'll be leaving first."

Only when Rin ran around the corner without looking back did the stunned Red Bean come to her senses. She stomped her foot and shouted.

"You disloyal jerk! Is that how you treat your best friend?! Damn it, both of you are like this... Sigh, but what's the point of going home? There's no one there anyway..."

The moonlight was hazy, and the stars glittered brilliantly.

Before she knew it, Red Bean had wandered the streets without purpose. When she looked up again, she found Huayue's abandoned, untended home overgrown with weeds.

"This is..."

Standing before the door, Red Bean hesitated for a long time before slowly pushing it open. The somewhat old wooden door was not locked.

From the entrance, she could see all the way to the end. The dim candlelight in the living room filled her with curiosity.

He's still awake this late?

From the shadow behind the door, transparent ribbons hidden in the darkness silently drew near. Fear seized Red Bean's heart. She raised her right hand, and snakes shot out like sharp swords.

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

Nine Mask Svāhā: Celestial Maiden.

After a brief confrontation, Red Bean, bound up like a rice dumpling, was thrown onto the floor by Celestial Maiden. Just as she was about to use an escape technique to free herself, a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Honestly, I thought you were some Anbu or Police Force pest. I didn't expect it to be a little snake who likes red bean soup and dango. Even you should show some respect for other people's privacy."

"I've told you countless times—ring the doorbell before you come in."

"Quit nagging! You bastard, Huayue—you knew I was here ages ago, didn't you? Besides, I... that wasn't what I wanted to hear."

Anko argued her case, a faint disappointment flickering in her clear brown eyes. When she looked up, she saw his handsome face, carrying a teasing smile.

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

"Wait, what are you trying to do? No, I was wrong, don't—Aaaahhh!"