...
The world before his eyes was nothing but an empty white void.
In a haze, Zhong Ling's consciousness gradually came to.
Then, faintly, he heard someone calling out to him.
"Brother... Brother... Brother!"
The voice grew clearer with each repetition. In the next second, Zhong Ling's eyes flew open and he jolted awake.
A girl's face—exquisitely featured and strikingly beautiful—entered his field of vision.
As the perspective drew back, he realized he was lying in a bed, and the girl before him had likely been guarding him for a long time, her face full of worry, afraid he wouldn't return.
"Xi?" He rubbed his groggy head, and the memories slowly began to return. Zhong Ling finally remembered—he had come back from the past.
And the girl in front of him was the grown-up Zhong Xi.
Thinking of this, he quickly asked, "Father... did Father come back?! I successfully changed the past, so logically..."
Before he could finish, Zhong Ling closed his mouth.
Because aside from the worry on Zhong Xi's face, he also saw a trace of disappointment.
That said it all.
The plan to change the past and thus influence the future had failed.
Zhong Ling had, in truth, anticipated this outcome. But when the reality stood before him, it was still hard to accept.
"Right... Lan, what about him? His eyes..." Zhong Ling suddenly remembered Zhong Lan.
His Mangekyō ability allowed him to send people to the past or future, but only once. After using it, the eyes would go blind permanently, and not even a transplant could restore sight.
The stronger the Dōjutsu, the heavier the price.
"Lan was taken home by Mama Belle. She said she was waiting for good news from us..." Zhong Xi's voice trailed off, unable to keep speaking.
What good news? In the end, Zhong Lan had sacrificed his vision for nothing.
"Is there really no way to bring him back..." Zhong Ling felt himself sink. He had given everything to change the past, only to find that the changes made no difference to his future.
"This isn't your fault, Brother. Please don't blame yourself. Dad did it all for us." Seeing his dejection, Zhong Xi quickly stepped forward to comfort him.
After that, the two fell into a long silence.
"Let's leave it at that for now. Later, let's go see Lan. Mama Belle must be feeling awful too, she needs someone to be there for her." With that, Zhong Ling staggered down from the bed and left the room without looking back.
...
After leaving, Zhong Ling walked along a still-under-construction street. In the disaster, New Eridu had been nearly wiped out. People had no choice but to rebuild their homes from the ground up—an effort that would take a great deal of time and energy.
Belobog Heavy Industries, a construction company, had made major contributions to New Eridu's reconstruction, even earning direct praise from the mayor.
That CEO, often teased for his short height, was now the city's rising star—so popular that he nearly rivaled the former Uchiha in fame.
On a side note, ever since Zhong Yan's death, the Uchiha name hadn't been seen in public for a while.
Rumors flew. Many believed that the Uchiha perished in the disaster, and people called him a hero, hoping for his return.
Back in the present, Zhong Ling stopped in his tracks as he walked down the street. He looked up and saw a hamburger shop still in operation not far away.
After New Eridu's destruction, fast-food places like this had become rare.
Remembering what Anby said to him before he returned from the past, Zhong Ling walked into the hamburger shop almost without hesitation and bought a bag of burgers.
Then, carrying them, he returned home.
Back when Zhong Yan was still alive, he, his two younger brothers, Anby, Ellen, and Belle had all lived together. Zhong Yan had fulfilled his dream—buying a small island and a large villa in the city center.
But during the disaster, the Exaltists' army destroyed their island. Now, they were living in an ordinary apartment, and the three siblings had been separated.
Back home, seeing the empty living room, Zhong Ling sighed. Then he walked toward the master bedroom and gently knocked on the door.
"Mom, I bought something for you. Can I come in?"
After that sentence, there was silence.
Only after a long pause came an extremely faint voice.
"Mm."
As soon as he heard that response, Zhong Ling opened the door and entered.
Inside, Anby was sitting on the bed, staring out the window, expressionless.
Compared to her youthful twenties, she was now nearly forty. Not only had her appearance and aura changed greatly, but she also exuded the grace of a mature woman.
It was just a pity—the only one who could appreciate that grace was no longer here.
"Mom, I brought you some hamburgers." Zhong Ling walked to the bedside and handed the food to Anby.
She looked at the burgers and lifted her head slightly, her gaze dazed.
She still remembered—many years ago, on the rooftop they often visited together, she had asked Zhong Yan a question.
If she were to be killed by the Ethereal inside the Hollow, would he grieve?
Zhong Yan had given a definite answer then, and it had given Anby a great sense of comfort.
She just never imagined that the one who promised to stay alive... would be the one to leave first.
"Leave them there." Anby pointed to the bedside cabinet after coming back to her senses.
Zhong Ling didn't say much. He set the burgers down, then turned and left the room.
Before leaving, he reminded Anby several times to eat them. She hadn't eaten in a long time.
Afterward, Zhong Ling returned to his own room.
He turned on the TV to check the latest news, only to see a report on a terrorist attack within New Eridu.
Those people claimed to be the saviors of the world, trying to destroy the ruined city and seek out a new place to rebuild civilization.
They were lunatics—their destructiveness rivaled that of the Exaltists, though their abilities weren't quite as terrifying.
Still, these terrorists were proving incredibly difficult for the Public Security Bureau to handle.
Now that Zhong Yan was gone, there might not be anyone left to stop them.
Watching the broadcast, Zhong Ling seemed deep in thought. Then he walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a purple robe and a white mask.
These were things Zhong Yan had left behind—symbols of the Uchiha legacy.
From today onward, the new generation of Uchiha would once again appear before the world.
And carrying that name, he would not allow Zhong Yan's efforts to be in vain.