Night fell over the bustling heart of New Eridu. The city's dazzling lights and lively crowds painted a picture of prosperity that made passersby stop and stare. But who could know that beneath this veneer of peace, dark currents continued to stir?
Ever since the unification of New Eridu and Old Eridu, many criminals had begun to crawl out from the shadows.
Most of them had previously worked as Hollow Raiders or Proxies. With the gradual disappearance of Hollows, they lost their old means of income—and began targeting the newborn city out of spite.
Some of the more dangerous among them even wiped out an entire elite squad of the Public Security Bureau. When that was reported on the news, the public was utterly shocked.
Following extensive deliberation among the eight Council members, a consensus was reached: they would deploy higher-level armed forces to crush these criminals decisively.
And so, an unending war began.
Perhaps realizing they couldn't match the city's military might, the criminals started targeting innocent civilians instead.
That move sparked public outrage—and caught the attention of awakened individuals, like those from the Nin-Village.
Since their reformation, under the leadership of Zhao Anmen, they had become one of New Eridu's most revered hero organizations—purely because they acted without seeking gain, driven only by idealism.
No matter the cost, no matter the risk, they responded to every call. Had they not once been fugitives, their popularity might have rivaled even Uchiha's.
Speaking of Uchiha...
Zhong Yan was now over thirty, beginning to step into middle age. He had already achieved his dream years ago—owning that central city island that so many people spent their lives chasing in vain.
His three children had all turned eighteen and graduated from school a few years earlier. Now, each of them had entered the workforce.
Without exception, all three awakened the Sharingan. Under Zhong Yan's guidance, they had become low-tier versions of Uchiha.
All three had mastered Lightning Release, Fire Release, and the Sharingan, and their talents were nothing to scoff at. When limited to their base Sharingan, not even Zhong Yan himself could best them in combat.
He felt deeply gratified—and had begun preparing for retirement.
It was time for the Uchiha name to pass on to his children. He made no strict demands of them; whatever they chose to do with the name was up to them.
There was only one rule: never reveal their faces or identities. And unless absolutely necessary, never use Uchiha power publicly.
Under this condition, the three became the most powerful hidden forces in New Eridu.
...
"Brother! That guy's headed toward Ninth Street!" Zhong Xi shouted urgently in the control room of the Public Security Bureau, staring at the monitor.
Two years earlier, she'd joined the Bureau at Zhao Anmen's recommendation. Her lively personality and exceptional capabilities—plus support from a high-ranking official—had fast-tracked her promotion to deputy director of her district.
Her rise was shockingly swift—even Zhu Yuan, the current director, hadn't climbed the ranks that quickly.
Now, she was acting as Uchiha's support, helping track a fugitive who had just fled into Ninth Street.
Her access to the control room—and her ability to remain undetected—came not only from her authority but also from a USB stick plugged into the main console.
That USB, containing a program that isolated the control room from the Bureau's central system, had been created by her brother, Zhong Lan.
Zhong Lan had joined a prestigious New Eridu research institute through his own hard work. There, his brilliance had led to numerous innovative inventions.
The USB stick was one of them—though it was far too sensitive to be made public.
"Ninth Street? Isn't that where Dad used to live? Lan, can you switch to the Ninth Street camera feeds?" Zhong Ling asked from a nearby district.
He now wore a long purple robe and a distinct white mask—mirroring the persona their father once adopted.
Under the siblings' joint efforts, the Uchiha identity had transformed from savior of New Eridu to righteous enforcer of justice.
Wherever crime was reported, Uchiha would appear—striking swiftly, leaving no room for escape, and always handing criminals over to the authorities before vanishing without a trace.
This mysterious hero had become an icon of New Eridu.
To the three siblings, raised with higher education and strong values, it was only natural.
With great power comes great responsibility.
"Already synced it to your HUD, Sister," Zhong Lan replied from his lab, syncing the Ninth Street surveillance to Zhong Ling's visor.
His gear could display countless video feeds simultaneously. Thanks to his Sharingan, Zhong Ling could process it all with ease.
Relying on childhood memories, he quickly deduced the fugitive's escape route.
Then, he raised his hand.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of white smoke, three identical clones appeared beside him.
"Block off his escape routes," he ordered.
The clones immediately scattered in different directions while Zhong Ling's true body pressed on down the main path.
...
"Damn it, damn it! Why am I so unlucky?! It was just a simple robbery—how the hell did that guy end up chasing me?!" the fugitive muttered while fleeing through Ninth Street, clutching stolen Denny.
Seeing that Zhong Ling hadn't caught up yet, he dove into an alley and hid behind a trash bin, panting hard.
He'd run like hell. If that wasn't enough to shake off Uchiha, then he'd just accept defeat.
Still, it seemed his effort paid off. Staring at the fat stack of cash, he thought to himself—this one score could last him the next ten years.
"Shit... one day I'll make that bastard pay!" he growled, standing up.
But just as he turned—
He saw Zhong Ling standing silently behind him.
"You—"
He spun to flee, only to crash into another identical figure—another Zhong Ling standing in front of him.
Two Uchiha. The sight was deeply unsettling.
"What the hell are you?!" he yelled, panic rising.
Realizing escape was impossible, he drew a pistol, pointed it at Zhong Ling, and snarled, "You want to kill me? Fine—but I'll take a few teeth with me!"
He pulled the trigger.
Gunshots rang out—then everything snapped back.
Same alley. Same setting. Only now, his gun was gone—confiscated by Zhong Ling.
"Reflect on your crimes in prison," Zhong Ling said coldly.
Activating his Sharingan, he cast a genjutsu, immobilizing the man.
He reported the capture to Zhong Xi, who sent officers to collect the criminal.
Zhong Ling, meanwhile, had already vanished from the scene.
...
"These three are almost too competent. Honestly, they might be better than their father," Zhao Anmen mused at a Council meeting after hearing the news.
Years ago, he had rescued the siblings from a Hollow—and learned the truth about Uchiha's identity.
But instead of using it against them, he kept their secret and forged a quiet alliance.
Zhong Xi, inspired by that event, became an officer. Zhao helped guide her rise; without him, she would never have advanced so quickly.
"I just hope peaceful days like this can last..." Zhao Anmen sighed, staring at the mountain of files on his desk.
Since becoming a councilor, he'd passed the Public Security Bureau leadership to Zhu Yuan—but he still handled countless unresolved cases himself.
His phone buzzed.
A call from the Nin-Village.
Since their reformation, Zhao had funded them entirely. As a councilor, this was a minor burden—and he was proud of their growth.
It was infinitely better than their former lives in hiding.
...
"Leave it to our big bro! That guy was terrified after he got caught," Zhong Xi laughed while reading the post-operation report.
She sat across from Zhong Ling and Zhong Lan at the Victoria Household estate, enjoying a late-night meal together.
Since they'd all moved out, they rarely returned home. But this place still felt like one of the few they belonged to.
"I heard criminal groups are getting bolder lately. When will we finally wipe them out..." Zhong Lan said, worried.
Zhong Ling reached over and patted his head. "Relax. If the sky falls, your big brother will hold it up. Besides, we still have Dad. Don't forget—he might be retired, but none of us can compare to him."
The three shared deep love and respect for their father. Zhong Yan, in turn, adored his children.
In this peaceful timeline, none of them had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. Their strength was modest, but they were spared the torment that came with it.
As long as Zhong Yan lived, everything would be fine.
"I heard Dad hasn't been feeling well. Let's visit tomorrow," Zhong Xi suddenly suggested.
"Well, he does have three wives... it's no surprise he's worn out," Zhong Ling joked. Zhong Lan couldn't help but laugh.
But he didn't object. He nodded. "Yeah, let's go. I've finished that humanoid body for Brother Pei—perfect timing to bring it back."
Pei, their family AI assistant, was still in use—but its outdated hardware couldn't keep up. They'd replaced its body six or seven times already.
To solve this, Zhong Lan used his expertise to create a humanoid body for it.
The idea had been inspired by Qing Yi, the Public Security Bureau's deputy director. Years ago, she had worked as Zhu Yuan's partner—and was even more knowledgeable.
Her robotic body allowed her to store vast amounts of data, giving her unparalleled strategic ability.
Zhong Lan's goal was to recreate Pei in her image—vastly improving its function and utility.
Whether it would work remained to be seen. It was, after all, his first attempt.
"Finish your snack and go to bed. Even heroes need rest. Don't be like Dad and wreck your health," Zhong Ling teased, downing the rest of his drink.
They finished their meal and headed to their rooms.
Just before sleep, Zhong Ling remembered something.
During a mission, someone had once asked them—why do all this? Why risk so much, for no personal gain?
Their answer had been—
"Because we are Uchiha."