Uchiha in Zenless Zone Zero

On the desolate land, cold winds swept yellow dust across the barren ground. In front of the gravestones, the two locked eyes. The girl seemed momentarily frozen, and only after a long pause did she flusteredly pull her cloak back on.

"You… how could you be so rude?" she exclaimed, clearly upset by Zhong Yan's earlier action.

Zhong Yan, however, remained indifferent. He simply said, "Your physical condition must be terrible right now. I'd say it won't be long before that energy tears your body apart from the inside."

"When that happens, even if you don't want to hurt anyone, the resulting explosion from your uncontrolled power will claim countless lives. So… are you planning to just die like that, or do you want to at least try to fight it?"

At these words, the girl hesitated. Yet she remained wary of him, replying in a calm tone, "If it comes to that, I'll go somewhere uninhabited. Even if I die, I'll make sure no one else gets hurt."

"And what if I told you I can help you?"

The air seemed to freeze. The girl turned to look at the stranger before her, disbelief in her eyes. Her tone was skeptical. "Do you even know what you're saying? I've tried for years. Nothing has worked. No method has ever helped me control this energy. You think you can…"

"If you've tried so many times already, why not try once more? After all, you're already a dying woman… am I wrong?"

Zhong Yan's words struck at the heart of her fears.

She hadn't said yes, not because she didn't want to be saved, but because she still didn't trust him. After all, who would believe a total stranger so easily?

But, as Zhong Yan had said, she was dying. So why not try?

She bit her lip, then took off her hood. Her deep eyes locked onto his.

"Don't lie to me," she said.

Seeing her final decision, Zhong Yan stepped forward. He revealed his Sharingan beneath the mask and cast a genjutsu.

The moment the illusion activated, the girl's vision spun wildly. In Zhong Yan's eyes, he could see the chaotic energy inside her gradually stabilizing.

That was the root of her weakening condition.

The energy resided in her, but she had no control over it. Over time, it spiraled further out of balance, threatening to destroy her from within.

But the Sharingan's genjutsu could disrupt the flow of internal energy, calming it down—at least temporarily. What had plagued her for years was, to Zhong Yan, a trivial fix.

As her blurred vision cleared, the girl gasped for air, feeling an unfamiliar force flowing through her. The uncontrollable power that had haunted her was forcibly brought under control.

"What… what did you do to me?" Her voice trembled. The red cracks on her face had not faded, which made her think Zhong Yan had failed to help her.

But Zhong Yan didn't explain much. He simply said, "Feel your body. It should be in much better shape now."

She paused—and then realized: the raging energy inside her was indeed under control.

A surge of joy spread across her face. She smiled brightly, momentarily forgetting that Zhong Yan was still right in front of her.

When she came to her senses, she was slightly embarrassed, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Now, are you ready to talk?" Zhong Yan asked, unfazed by her reaction. After all, he was only here to recruit a new member for Akatsuki.

"What exactly do you want from me?" she asked warily. "Let me be clear—if it involves hurting others, I won't do it."

"Nothing like that. I just want you to become my subordinate. Help me deal with some minor problems… and eliminate some evildoers along the way," Zhong Yan replied.

By "evildoers," he of course meant the Exaltists. He had no intention of stopping until they were all wiped out.

"If you're willing, give me your hand. I'll take you to meet the others."

He held out his hand. The girl hesitated, then, after a moment of silence, reached out and took it.

In the next instant, Kamui activated, and a space vortex swallowed them both.

Moments later, they appeared in the Kamui dimension.

There, Airi and Chi were already waiting. Zhong Yan had brought them earlier, saying he was welcoming a new comrade.

"Introduce yourselves. If all goes well, the three of you will be teammates from now on," Zhong Yan said, waving at Airi and Chi. They immediately stepped forward.

The lively Airi rushed up to the girl, looking her over and exclaiming, "Wow, sis, you're so pretty! Hey… why aren't you wearing shoes? There's sand everywhere—it's filthy! Hey, you over there, go get water and a towel—and shoes, too!"

"Where am I supposed to find water, a towel, and shoes in this place?" Chi rubbed his forehead with a sigh. Ever since they'd become friends, Airi had gotten much bolder in how she spoke to him.

Still, he didn't mind. To him, the feeling of genuine friendship was what mattered most.

After all… he had only recently lost his closest companion.

"It's okay, really. I'm used to it. I'll wash up later," the girl said quietly, clearly a bit overwhelmed by Airi's enthusiasm. But she didn't resist—just stood there watching silently.

Like Chi, she was someone who had long lacked companionship. And Airi's lively nature might be just what they needed to step out of their personal darkness.

After that, the three of them introduced themselves.

And finally, Zhong Yan learned the girl's name—

Ying.