Taking out his bingo book, Jun flipped through the pages until he reached a particular individual... Memorizing his face, he placed the book back in his pouch and walked out of the room.
Ambling through the corridors of the household, Jun soon reached the entrance. As he was putting on his sandals, the door suddenly opened up.
"Oh! Jun-Sama! Good morning!" Surprised to see him, Mio quickly put the groceries to the side and slightly bowed. Smiling, Jun rose, reaching for the door behind her.
"Good morning, Mio-san. I'm leaving on a mission, please let my little brother know once he wakes up."
"It shall be done. Stay safe, Jun-sama." Bowing again, the maid waited for Jun to depart before continuing her duties.
Nodding his head, Jun walked out and slid the door shut behind him. Facing the street, he looked up at the dark, morning sky before flickering away soundlessly.
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In an unknown location, near the land of waterfalls.
"Ngh..."
Opening his eyes, Ren suddenly regained consciousness. Looking up, he noted the unfamiliar ceiling above him.
"What happened?" At his own words, Ren suddenly recalled his fight against Kushimaru. Scared, he gazed down at his arm, only to realize that it was replaced.
"What...? How?" Raising his new arm, Ren couldn't help but squint at how weak it was. There was almost no strength in it whatsoever, making it difficult for him to lift.
'What's with the pale color...' The contrast between his normal skin tone and the arm's was prominent, being white as snow. Confused, he looked around.
"Where... Where am I?"
"Somewhere between life and death... Child of Uchiha."
Suddenly, a deep voice resounded from behind him. Turning around in fright, Ren noticed an old man with long, white hair. His eyes were purple, with multiple dark circles around his pupils.
He sat on a chair that was carved into a large tree and had a scythe by his side.
"You... Who are you?" Even his father didn't have such white hair. Seeing the old man, Ren got a bad feeling. "Are you the one that replaced my arm?"
Hearing Ren's words, the old man closed his eyes. "You can thank me later... You see, I intend to make you pay me back in full..."
As his words trailed off, he watched Ren retreating a little.
"Wh-what do you want...?" His voice full of nervousness, Ren looked around to see if there were any means of escape. 'I don't know where the hell I am, but I need to get back to the village...!'
As Ren nervously looked around, the old man seemed to read the boy's mind and spoke in a frigid tone.
"What use would going back have...? With that arm, your career as a ninja is over. In this world, things don't always go how you want them to..."
"...!" the man's words made Ren's spirit plummet as he felt an uncomfortable feeling all over his body. It was true... He was now a cripple. Looking at his weak arm, he didn't even know if it would help him in any way.
"Neither of us can get out of here... Not with these bodies." As the old man's words trailed off, Ren took another look at him. His back was connected to the large tree through long, wire-like extensions.
"Who are you...?"
"I am... the ghost of the Uchiha..."
With a dark expression, his purple, ominous eyes seemed to stare right into Ren's soul.
"... Madara Uchiha."
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Special thanks to Frozoka Swaggins, God Erebos, and Daniil!
Don't forget to drop some stones!
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