On this day, an unusual pair appeared on the bustling streets of Konoha.
One of them was a towering woman, standing an astonishing two meters and sixty centimeters tall, with long white hair and horns curving from her head. The other was a slender, pitch-black figure who seemed to blend into the shadows.
They were none other than Yamato and Black Zetsu.
To everyone's surprise, the infamous, ancient schemer Black Zetsu had actually struck up a peculiar friendship with the straightforward and hearty Yamato. Since then, the two were often seen together, sharing stories of their respective worlds, a pairing that baffled anyone who knew either of them.
"Let me tell you," Yamato said with her usual blunt cheer, "besides Father, the Uchiha clan are all tsundere! Especially Madara, it's unbelievable!"
Black Zetsu tilted its head. "Actually, you don't need to exclude your Master. He's not much better. For example, he clearly favors you most among his disciples, but he never admits it."
"...Is there a possibility that Father never thought of it that way?"
"Little Black, do you want me to stop playing with you?"
"Sorry, pretend I didn't say anything."
The thousand-year-old Black Zetsu, who had spent ages weaving manipulations across history, now found itself bickering like a child with a woman in her twenties. Despite the oddity of it, the two were genuinely enjoying themselves.
But in the middle of their lively conversation, Yamato's size worked against her. Distracted, she accidentally bumped into someone walking past.
The impact knocked the stranger to the ground, though Yamato herself barely felt it.
A spiky blond head immediately darted over. Naruto crouched down, helping the fallen boy.
"Sasuke, are you okay?"
Sasuke brushed off Naruto's hand and stood with practiced composure. He patted the dust from his clothes and said flatly, "I'm fine."
When he finally looked up at Yamato, however, his expression betrayed surprise and suspicion.
She was simply too tall. Even in the Naruto world, where shinobi often stood above average height, Sasuke's 1.8-meter frame was considered tall. Yet just now, when they had collided, his head had struck only her abdomen.
And beyond height, her physique radiated a pressure like a mountain.
Naruto, standing nearby, whistled in awe. "So tall! Who is she? I've never seen her around before."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his gaze lingering on the horns rising from Yamato's head. With her pale hair and unnatural aura, the thought immediately crossed his mind—was she from the Ōtsutsuki clan?
Fortunately, he recognized the shadowy form of Black Zetsu standing beside her. Otherwise, his sword would have already been drawn.
Yamato scratched her head apologetically. Though Sasuke hadn't been paying attention either, he had ended up on the ground, making her the one at fault.
But Sasuke wasn't concerned with apologies. His pride as a Uchiha stirred, and his sharp eyes moved from Yamato to Black Zetsu.
"Black Zetsu," he said coolly, "who is this woman?"
Black Zetsu refused to play into his airs. If Madara himself had asked, it might have listened, but Sasuke, a junior, hadn't earned that respect. Ignoring him, Zetsu turned to Yamato.
"Yamato, this is Uchiha Sasuke. He's currently the youngest among the Uchiha."
"Uchiha? Then he's from the same clan as Master?" Yamato asked with interest.
Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Master? Who is your Master?"
"Of course, Uchiha Chiga."
The name struck Sasuke like lightning. His eyes widened. "Uchiha Chiga-sama is your Master!?"
A bitter memory stirred. Sasuke had once begged to become Chiga's disciple, even going so far as to kneel, yet he had been refused. Instead, Madara had taken him in. Though Madara's strength was unquestionable, the shadow of Chiga's name loomed far larger. Compared to Chiga, even Madara's brilliance dimmed.
And now, to learn that this woman before him was Chiga's disciple left Sasuke silently burning with envy.
Yamato gave him a puzzled look, but before anything more could be said, Black Zetsu tugged at her sleeve, ready to leave.
But Sasuke's voice rang out sharply. "Stop."
Naruto flinched. He had seen this tone before and braced himself for one of Sasuke's outbursts.
Sasuke lifted his head. His eyes glowed crimson—the Three Tomoe Sharingan.
Black Zetsu smirked inwardly. "As expected of the Uchiha… that sudden madness runs in the bloodline."
Yamato leaned closer curiously, studying his eyes. "Huh? Your eyes are different from Master's. His Rinnegan had twelve tomoe!"
Her words hit Sasuke like another blade. Once, having the Three Tomoe Sharingan was enough to be considered a prodigy. But now, surrounded by the likes of Madara, Kakashi, and even Chiga, all with their Mangekyo and beyond, Sasuke's eyes felt like a relic of the past.
He clenched his fists, determination surging.
"Fight me," he declared. "I want to see the strength of a disciple recognized by Chiga-sama."
The moment she heard Chiga's name, Yamato's heart leapt with joy. A smile spread across her face, and she hefted her kanabo club onto her shoulder.
"Alright! I accept your challenge. I also want to test the strength of my Master's clan."
Sasuke's expression hardened. "This place isn't suitable. Follow me."
"Fine by me!"
Without another word, Sasuke turned and walked off. Yamato followed eagerly, her massive presence drawing stares.
Left behind, Naruto scratched his head, uncertain. He looked at Black Zetsu. "Shouldn't we follow them?"
"Of course. If something happens, someone has to intervene."
"That's true," Naruto muttered, worry growing. "Sasuke looks serious. What if he goes too far?"
Black Zetsu nearly laughed aloud. "Idiot. You should be worried Yamato doesn't accidentally kill Sasuke."
Naruto blinked. "Wait, her name is Yamato? Like Captain Yamato? And did you just say she's really strong?"
"Naturally. Did you forget she's Chiga's disciple?"
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Chiga… you mean that Chiga-sama!?"
"Of course," Black Zetsu replied casually.
Naruto staggered, nearly tripping over his own feet. His disbelief painted plainly across his face. But before he could ask further, Black Zetsu melted into the ground, chasing after Sasuke and Yamato.
Realizing he was about to be left behind, Naruto shouted, "Hey! Wait for me!" before rushing after them.
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