*The Valley of the End.*
A colossal waterfall thundered down, its mist swirling between two towering statues standing sentinel on either side.
Atop the head of the right statue, a sky-blue umbrella stood out like a sore thumb. Beneath it sat a small square table and two chairs, where a bespectacled young man lounged, casually sipping from a cup of freshly brewed black tea.
After a tentative sip, his brow furrowed slightly, and he set the cup down without hesitation.
The tea was good.
But, well… it just wasn't his thing.
Compared to tea, he'd much rather have an ice-cold cola or Sprite—something with a little more fizz.
"Seems I still have a ways to go before I can match the real Aizen," Yuto sighed, chuckling to himself. "At the very least, I can't say I'm a fan of tea."
"It's not tea you dislike—just black tea," Kushina corrected, her tone dripping with implication. "You seem perfectly happy with green tea and milk tea."
Yuto blinked. "Wait, does this world even have milk tea?"
"Oh, it does," Kushina said, grinning mischievously. "Lady Tsunade is literally milk tea. And our dear Mikoto? Pure green tea!"
"Are you calling me names now?" Mikoto huffed. "Then what kind of tea would you be?"
"Me? I'm apple tea—sweet and adorable!" Kushina declared proudly.
"Tomato tea."
"Go die. You're the tomato!"
"Hey, your precious student's here."
"And your darling son is right behind him, in case you missed that."
As the two matriarchs bickered inside the Spirit Pearl, two figures approached—Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Itachi.
Obito's masked face twisted into a cold smirk as he took in the scene. "Kid, you've got quite the setup here."
"Good afternoon, 'Madara-senpai,' Itachi-senpai," Yuto greeted with a polite smile. "No Zetsu today?"
"So you know about Zetsu, huh? Seems Pain and Konan have been very chatty with you," Obito mused, his voice low. "Impressive. You've only known them for a few days, and they're already treating you like a trusted ally."
"I suppose I'm just good at making friends," Yuto said modestly. "In fact, I'd love to be your friend too."
"Friend?"
Obito scoffed, slipping into his best Madara impression. "You think you are worthy? Brat, I didn't come here to waste time on small talk. Give me your answer—will you submit, or do I have to erase you?"
"My, my, I never took the legendary Uchiha Madara for the impatient type," Yuto remarked, downing his tea in one gulp. "Color me surprised."
Obito's eye narrowed. "Kill him."
Itachi didn't move.
But the water below exploded as a shark-faced man burst forth, his massive sword already swinging down toward Yuto's head.
*CLANG!*
A blade intercepted the strike, the metallic ring echoing through the valley.
Standing between Yuto and the attacker was a girl clad in a black-and-white maid outfit, her expression blank as she effortlessly held back the shark-man's weapon.
"…What?"
"That's—"
Both Obito and Itachi froze. They knew this girl.
She was around thirteen or fourteen, with long black hair and bangs covering one eye. A single tear mole marked her right cheek.
"Izumi!" Itachi's voice cracked as he called out her name.
Uchiha Izumi.
His childhood… 'something'.
"Edo Tensei? Is this the Reanimation Jutsu?"
But—aside from the questionable maid outfit—why did she look exactly like she had when she was alive?
"Huh? An acquaintance of yours, Itachi-san?" Kisame Hoshigaki tilted his head, momentarily distracted.
Which was all the opening Izumi needed.
*THUD!*
Her foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward with a spray of blood. He skidded across the top of Hashirama's statue, carving a neat parting into the stone hair before finally stopping.
"Cough—Damn, that hurt," Kisame groaned, forcing himself up despite his caved-in ribs. "That little lady packs a punch. You sure she's human, Itachi-san?"
Izumi didn't spare him a glance. Calmly, she sheathed her sword and stepped back, standing dutifully behind Yuto like a loyal guard dog.
"Now, now, Kisame-san, that's not very polite," Yuto chided lightly. "Izumi-chan might get upset."
"You know my name too?" Kisame's brows shot up.
"You seem to underestimate Root's intelligence network," Yuto said, smiling. "Kisame Hoshigaki, the man who murdered his superior, Fuguki Suikazan, and claimed the sword Samehada as his own—the newest member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Obito's face darkened beneath his mask. "You're one to talk about politeness, you little necromancer. That girl's will is long gone, isn't it? She's just your puppet now."
"Ah, so now you care about morality, 'Madara-senpai'?" Yuto's lips curled into a mocking smirk. "Tell me, who exactly was it that killed her in the first place? I believe you and Itachi-senpai know the answer better than anyone."
Obito fell silent.
Itachi's expression was unreadable, his gaze locked onto the girl in the maid outfit—now wearing a collar, standing obediently behind Yuto like a pet.
Memories of their past together flashed through his mind.
And for the first time in years, Itachi felt something twist in his chest.
'This… hurts.'
He'd come here expecting to watch the masked man make a fool of himself.
'Turns out, the real clown was me.'
He wanted to demand Yuto release her.
But he couldn't.
Not with Sasuke's life hanging in the balance.
"Tsk tsk tsk. I bet Izumi's so done with Itachi right now," Kushina mused.
"No," Mikoto said softly. "When you stop expecting anything, there's no disappointment left to feel."
"So," Yuto clapped his hands together cheerfully, "are we continuing this fight, or would you gentlemen prefer some tea?"
He snapped his fingers.
A dark void opened behind him, and out stepped another figure—a girl in an identical maid outfit, a teapot in her hands.
"Rin."
Obito's voice cracked.
His mask slipped.
His everything shattered.
But Rin didn't even glance at him.
"'Madara-senpai' knows Rin-chan too?" Yuto feigned surprise. "How interesting! Oh, and just so you know—I was the one who dressed her up. Cute, isn't she?"
"HAYASHI YUTO!!"
Obito snapped.
His Sharingan blazed crimson.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Yuto tilted his head, his glasses glinting coldly.
"Empty threats only make you look weak."
*SHING!*
Obito lunged, chains whipping out to bind Yuto—only for the boy to vanish in a puff of smoke.
*SLASH!*
A blade flashed.
Obito's body froze.
His mask split cleanly in half, clattering to the ground as a deep gash split him from shoulder to waist.
Behind him, Yuto flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it.
"…How?" Obito choked out, collapsing to his knees.
His vision blurred.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
He was supposed to be the one in control.
But now?
Now he was just another pawn on the board.
And Hayashi Yuto?
He was already pouring himself another cup of tea.
_____
_______
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
For every 10 Power Stones I'll drop 1 Bonus Chapter as Thank-You
Every 10 Power Stones =1 Bonus Chapter
[email protected]/Raven_scroll (30+ Advance Chapters)