My little brother is so cute. When he grows up, will he marry my sister?
"Goodbye, Mr. Zabuza!"
"Take care!"
With the guidance of a local like Zabuza Momochi, the journey was smooth and without incident. Uchiha Yi crossed the sea and successfully set foot in the Land of Water. The commissioned task had come to an end.
Before leaving, Uchiha Yi cast Zabuza a meaningful smile and waved farewell.
"This brat..."
In the past, if Zabuza had encountered someone so suspicious, he would have captured and interrogated them without hesitation. He would never allow an unknown variable to threaten Kirigakure.
But times had changed. There was something he needed to do something that could not tolerate disruption.
Until then, he wanted no unforeseen variables.
In fact, bringing along someone suspicious like Uchiha Yi might even serve as a smokescreen, drawing attention away while he prepared to make his move.
"The Bloody Mist..."
"Heh... hehehe..."
Staring at the land he once loved, Zabuza let out a hollow, almost deranged sneer.
Back when he was still in the academy, he had sworn to change the village's Bloody Mist policies.
So in the year of his graduation, he slaughtered every classmate with his own hands, leaving himself as the sole survivor creating an unprecedented gap in the graduating class.
The higher-ups of the Hidden Mist were shocked and furious.
Families of the slain children demanded his execution.
Others argued he had merely followed the village's brutal system.
The division nearly tore the village apart.
Forced to act, the leadership abolished the Bloody Mist graduation ritual.
Soon after, the Third Mizukage stepped down, and Yagura Karatachi, the perfect Jinchūriki of the Three-Tails, ascended as the Fourth Mizukage.
The era of the Bloody Mist seemed to end.
That childlike leader small in stature yet overwhelming in power won the faith of the people with strength, decisiveness, and vision. Many believed he would restore the Hidden Mist's glory.
But now...
What was that man doing?
Why had the village returned to a nightmare where people slaughtered each other again?
Why?!
"It's unforgivable..."
"You betrayed everyone's expectations."
"If that's the case... then I'll end it myself."
There was no point thinking further.
The only answer was simple.
Kill the Fourth Mizukage.
Restore the village.
The Land of Water was neither vast nor small, but lately the chaos in the Hidden Mist had spread throughout the nation.
Refugees wandered everywhere pale, gaunt, wrapped in rags. Their eyes carried no hope.
Occasionally, rogue shinobi could be seen extorting civilians, stealing what little they had left. Order had collapsed into silent anarchy.
Uchiha Yi had no intention of playing savior. He simply avoided trouble and moved on.
Kindness required strength. Without power, righteousness was nothing but self-destruction.
"Hey, brat. Running the moment you see us... hiding something?"
Despite keeping a low profile, Uchiha Yi still attracted unwanted attention. A group of shinobi blocked his path, sneering maliciously.
"...Sigh."
Sometimes he truly couldn't understand it.
Why were people so weak, yet so arrogant?
No self-awareness whatsoever.
Whatever. Better to erase them quietly.
Just as he considered dragging them somewhere secluded
"Stop!"
A clear, sharp voice rang out.
Turning around, he saw a beautiful kunoichi approaching. She had long reddish-brown curls and wore a blue combat kimono that accentuated her elegant yet deadly aura.
"N-No way Lady Terumi Mei!"
The rogue shinobi immediately recognized her. Their faces drained of color.
They turned and fled without hesitation, already planning to abandon the village and become missing-nin if they survived.
"Scum..."
For Terumi Mei, bullying civilians was absolutely unforgivable.
The village was already drowning in chaos those who deepened it crossed her bottom line.
Do not be fooled by her beauty.
Behind that charming smile was lethal resolve.
"Boil Release: Skilled Mist Technique."
Before the fleeing shinobi could escape, a cloud of highly corrosive mist swallowed them whole.
Moments later, nothing remained but dissolving remains that melted into the ground.
After dealing with them, Terumi Mei walked toward Uchiha Yi. She bent slightly, placing a hand on his head with surprising gentleness.
"Are you alright, little brother? Did they scare you?"
"No! Big sister was amazing!"
Even as he spoke, Uchiha Yi felt a strange embarrassment. Complimenting someone in such a childish tone was not exactly dignified.
"My, you're adorable. When you grow up... will you marry your big sister?"
Uchiha Yi was around thirteen, yet his small frame and delicate features made him look seven or eight. His youthful face was dangerously disarming.
Terumi Mei couldn't resist. She pinched his cheeks playfully, teasing him with a wicked smile.
Uchiha Yi fell silent.
Other transmigrators became tall, handsome prodigies.
Meanwhile, he had been cursed with eternal cuteness.
Life was unfair.
Still... being cute had its perks.
After all, wasn't this beautiful woman already joking about marrying him?
"Then... it's a promise."
"When I grow up, I'll marry big sister."
If someone was offering themselves, why refuse?
"Hahaha! Then I'll be waiting!"
Terumi Mei burst into laughter, her earlier melancholy easing slightly.
"Cough... Lady Mei, we should go."
A young swordsman with blue hair and rectangular glasses stepped forward awkwardly. It was Chōjūrō, still inexperienced but already loyal.
"Oh? Right."
She shot him a mildly annoyed glance before turning back to Uchiha Yi.
"What's your name, little brother?"
Uchiha Yi paused for half a second then smiled.
"Sōkōhi."
A fake name.
"I see. I'm Terumi Mei, a kunoichi of the Hidden Mist."
She ruffled his hair again.
"I have to go now. Stay safe, alright?"
"Goodbye, big sister!"
Uchiha Yi waved as she left, eyes glinting faintly.
He wondered what expression she would make when she discovered his true identity.
Would she still keep her promise?
If she dared break it...
He wouldn't say a word about the consequences.
After all
He wasn't just an Uchiha.
And the fate intertwined with him wasn't simple either.
Far away, deep within the silent corridors of his consciousness, a voice echoed once more.