Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

In a barren wasteland outside of New Eridu—

The wind swept across the desolate ground, lifting clouds of dust that stung the eyes.

Before two solitary gravestones, a cloaked girl slowly placed a bouquet of freshly bought flowers at their base.

Then she pulled back her hood, revealing the breathtaking face hidden beneath the cloak.

Several faint cracks lined her cheeks—unnerving to look at, but she paid them no mind. She simply stood there, silently facing the consequences of her past. These two gravestones were a constant reminder of her sins.

"The energy in my body is more stable than before... but I still haven't found a way to control it completely," she murmured, placing her hand gently over her chest. Within the few centimeters between her skin and her ribs, a wildly violent energy coursed—yet strangely, it flowed with calm stability.

Just months ago, that same energy had been so volatile it nearly killed her.

Had Zhong Yan not stepped in to stabilize it, she would've already been a corpse by now.

Back to the present—just as she finished paying her respects and was about to leave, a vortex of space suddenly swirled open behind her.

Zhong Yan emerged from within. At the moment, he appeared as Uchiha, arriving in his role as the leader to check in on one of his subordinates.

"Have you been settling in okay?" Zhong Yan asked softly. As the most recent member to join the organization, he was particularly concerned about Ying's mental state. Airi claimed she had experience in that regard, but Zhong Yan felt it necessary to check for himself.

Ying was a little surprised by his concern. She looked at him, then nodded. "It's been nice. The two of them are great—especially Airi. She often takes me around the outer ring for fun."

Ying genuinely liked Airi, even if her enthusiasm could sometimes be overwhelming. Thankfully, Chi often stepped in to give Ying a break just when she needed it.

In short, Ying really appreciated her current life. She had new friends—and more importantly, the problem she couldn't resolve before had now been dealt with.

"By the way... I've been wondering. What exactly are the enemies we're fighting? Why do those two react with such hatred whenever the name 'Exaltists' comes up? Are they really... that despicable?"

Zhong Yan was silent for a moment before replying. "They were once human. For reasons unknown, they forcibly modified their bodies into Ethereals—and they want to spread that technology across all of New Eridu."

"To achieve that, they captured many people with Ether compatibility and used them as test subjects. Every successful experiment was then subjected to brainwashing... Except for Airi, no one has ever escaped it."

"On a large scale, they're a threat to the world. On a personal level, they're a threat to Airi, Chi... and to the people around you. That's why they must be eliminated, no matter the cost—even if I have to pay that cost myself."

As he spoke, Zhong Yan's fist clenched involuntarily.

He had seen firsthand what the Exaltists could do. Chi's four closest friends—after being "successfully" transformed and brainwashed—became complete puppets. In the end, Chi had to be the one to put them down.

Back then, Zhong Yan had wondered if that would eventually happen to him too.

And if it did... he'd probably lose his mind entirely.

"I haven't met them directly yet, but from what you've said... yeah, they deserve to die," Ying nodded.

She didn't care much about the mission itself—but if they posed a threat to Airi and Chi, she would never tolerate it.

More importantly, Zhong Yan had helped her suppress the dangerous power within her. That alone was enough for her to follow his orders without question.

"I can feel it. The final battle with them isn't far off. You'd better be prepared—sacrifices may happen. Who knows... maybe the one who gets sacrificed will be me."

With that, Zhong Yan activated Kamui and vanished.

"Sacrifice..." Ying repeated softly, her chest tightening for reasons she couldn't explain.

It was as if something terrifying had just been foreshadowed.

...

Time passed much faster than expected.

Before Zhong Yan knew it, his third child entered the world to the sound of cries from the delivery room.

Belle had given birth to a boy. Just as Zhong Ling had inherited Anby's silver-gray hair, this child had inherited Belle's purple hair.

As for his name, Wise carefully selected one: Zhong Lan.

The name had no deep meaning. Wise had once read a novel with a main character by the same name—and in the book, that protagonist ended up saving the world.

Maybe that's why Wise liked it so much.

The birth of a third child undeniably added more weight to Zhong Yan's shoulders—but he didn't mind. Each of his children had someone to care for them.

The Cunning Hares practically raised Zhong Ling as a team. Zhong Xi, of course, was well cared for by the maids of Victoria Housekeeping.

And Zhong Lan had Wise—a meticulous uncle who needed no help.

Not long after, on the day of Zhong Lan's one-month celebration, Zhong Yan insisted that all three children and their mothers attend a banquet prepared at Victoria Housekeeping.

Only seven people attended: the three children, their mothers, and Zhong Yan.

No one else—not even the Mistress of Victoria Housekeeping—was present.

It was, undeniably, a private family gathering.

And the reason Zhong Yan had arranged it was simple: he wanted to see how the three mothers really felt.

Could they truly accept sharing one man?