Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

Shiro's words threw the entire room into silence.

Only then did they remember that during the three-thousand-bomb crisis, Uchiha had come to them for help—and in return, owed them a favor.

At the time, Uchiha had said that as long as the request was within his capabilities, he would help them fulfill it.

In truth, none of them had taken those words seriously. With Uchiha's strength, even if he hadn't offered such a condition, there was nothing they could've done to stop him anyway.

"Do you think that guy would actually keep his promise? I heard Aka's on good terms with him... You think he might know Uchiha's real identity?" Oren voiced his doubts.

The moment he said it, the others cast strange looks in his direction.

That's when Oren realized he had said something he shouldn't have.

In Nin-Village, there was one unspoken law: Zhao Anmen could never be doubted—not even in thought.

As the founder of Nin-Village, Zhao Anmen held an unshakable authority. He was the spiritual core of their entire organization. As long as he existed, Nin-Village would never fall.

This belief had been instilled in them since the day they joined the village, long before they had earned the title of "Shadow."

"You'd best not speculate about Aka and Uchiha. For all we know, the reason Uchiha didn't retaliate against us may have been because Aka intervened behind the scenes," Kuro said. As the second most respected among the Shadows, Kuro had the final say when Zhao Anmen was absent.

Chairo, further down in seniority, said nothing. He no longer cared about the relationship between Zhao Anmen and Uchiha. Right now, his focus was simply on survival—and Ether was the key to that.

So, all he wanted was more Ether. But without Zhao Anmen's permission, he didn't dare make too big a move.

"Let's end today's operation here. When we get back, distribute the Ether evenly. As for the remaining members who haven't left the organization... if there's still a chance, train them well. Their loyalty is something we can count on."

With that, Kuro and the other Shadows worked together to haul the intercepted Ether back to their base.

...

Elsewhere, Zhong Yan remained unaware of Nin-Village's predicament. A few days after Jane's visit, he went to the Victoria Housekeeping estate to visit his daughter—and check in on Ellen.

His arrival quickly caught the attention of the estate's maids, who immediately notified Rina and Lycaon. In their eyes, only Rina and Lycaon were qualified to receive Zhong Yan.

As for the other maids... they simply weren't high-class enough—except Corin.

The moment they were informed, Lycaon and Rina rushed into the estate and intercepted Zhong Yan as he was heading toward Ellen's room.

"Welcome, Mr. Zhong Yan," Lycaon said with a gentlemanly gesture.

Rina also stepped forward. She held her skirt by both sides and performed a half-curtsey. "You should have notified us in advance. Our Mistress specifically instructed us to treat you as Victoria Housekeeping's most honored guest."

Zhong Yan couldn't help but twitch at the excessive enthusiasm. He rubbed his forehead and said, "You really don't have to go that far. Just be normal. I'm not used to being treated like a noble."

Never having been raised like a young master, Zhong Yan always felt awkward when treated with such formality—even though it wasn't the first time.

"If you don't like this kind of welcome, we can switch to another," Lycaon replied—either completely missing the point or willfully ignoring it.

By contrast, Rina didn't seem to overthink it.

The two escorted Zhong Yan to Ellen's room. After dropping him off at the door, they thoughtfully excused themselves.

Zhong Yan knocked.

A moment later, a slightly impatient voice responded from inside. "Who is it? It's not time for formula yet, right?"

The door creaked open. Ellen, still in her shark pajamas, rubbed her bleary eyes and peeked out.

At first, she assumed it was Lycaon or Rina and didn't seem to care—until she recognized Zhong Yan's face.

"You... What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. He had just visited two days ago. Why was he back so soon?

Zhong Yan smiled and pushed the door open, gently nudging her aside and stepping in. As he entered, he casually closed the door behind him.

"Had some free time. Can't I stop by to see you and little Xi?" he said, scooping Ellen into his arms and tossing her onto the bed before diving in himself.

Ellen's face flushed at his sudden move, her tail swaying wildly—clearly betraying the storm of emotions within her.

"W-What are you doing?! The baby's right there!" she cried, hurriedly pointing to the crib where Zhong Xi slept.

Zhong Xi had just finished a bottle of formula and was now fast asleep.

In her sleep, she instinctively curled her tail around herself, hugging it while occasionally gnawing at the tip.

If she already had teeth, she probably would've bitten herself by now.

Reminded of the baby's presence, Zhong Yan sighed and gave up on his more impulsive thoughts. He got up and walked to the crib.

"They say daughters are a father's little sweetheart... I wonder if that'll be true for Xi. I'd better watch out for any blond boys," he muttered, gazing fondly at his sleeping daughter.

He suddenly imagined her growing up and getting married. The thought was unbearable.

Maybe I should just find a live-in son-in-law... That way, she won't be 'given away' to anyone.

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Ellen asked, noticing Zhong Yan spacing out. She walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

Without thinking, Zhong Yan replied, "I was just wondering if I should find a son-in-law to live with us in the future. I don't really want to give Xi awa—OW! Are you trying to kill me?!"

When he turned around, he found Ellen glaring at him, her face dark with exasperation.

"What the hell are you even thinking?!"