CHAPTER 17

c17 - What a Vicious Brat!!

Obito felt a rare sense of gratitude toward Yuuji. For the first time in his life, he didn't find Yuuji as annoying as usual.

"Obito, you have to keep a closer eye on your grandmother. Don't let her run around unsupervised…"

Yuuji extended his arm, firmly supporting the frail old woman, his expression one of sincere concern. And he was sincere just not in the way it appeared.

He had no intention of letting this old woman succeed.

After all, when exactly had Obito's grandmother been swapped? Was this White Zetsu's doing, or was it actually Uchiha Madara himself?

Among the many techniques of the Rinnegan, the Shapeshifting Technique was a particularly troublesome one. It allowed a user to create an identical clone of themselves by sacrificing another living being, and while the clone only carried half of the original's chakra, it was still formidable.

Yuuji vividly recalled how Itachi had used this ability to battle Kakashi and Chiyo's team, and how Kisame's clone had engaged Might Guy's squad.

'If this is just White Zetsu, I can handle it,' Yuuji thought. 'But if it's really Uchiha Madara… even in his weakened state, he's still Madara.'

The risk was enormous. Unless Yuuji was willing to completely merge with Godzilla's essence, the odds were against him.

But Madara had already set his sights on Kazue. That was unacceptable.

Kazue belonged to him.

If he had to take a beating for revenge, so be it.

Right now, Madara was at his weakest, and that presented an opportunity.

Kazue and Guy soon caught up, eyeing Yuuji curiously. His demeanor was unusually… compassionate?

"How about this, Obito? We're all part of the same village, and we have a duty to help one another," Yuuji said, placing a firm hand on Obito's shoulder. "Our three-man team will take turns looking after your grandmother."

Obito's eyes widened. This… this was the first time anyone had shown such care for his family.

"No need," the old woman croaked. "It's too much trouble for you, children. I just had a little accident. As long as I have Obito"

"No, absolutely not." Yuuji's voice turned firm. "If we can't even take care of a helpless old woman, how can we call ourselves shinobi?! This is a matter of duty!"

He turned to Guy.

"Guy, you're up first. Stay with Grandma until 5:30 PM. You're not allowed to leave her side for even a second."

"Yes, Yuuji-san!" Guy's eyes burned with passion.

"You'll carry her if she wants to move. You'll watch her if she goes to the bathroom. You'll feed her. And if she wants to sleep, you'll sing her a lullaby."

"Understood!"

The flames of youth surged within Guy as he enthusiastically scooped up Obito's grandmother, cradling her as if she were a fragile treasure.

Obito was utterly stunned.

"This… this is too much…" he stammered, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Don't say another word, Obito," Yuuji interjected. "We're comrades. It's our duty to support one another."

Obito clenched his fists, his Sharingan flickering for a split second. "Yuuji… if you ever need my help, I swear on the name of Uchiha I'll be there for you!"

Yuuji nodded solemnly. Then, before the watching Uchiha clansmen, he turned and walked away, dragging a puzzled Kazue with him.

A hushed murmur spread through the crowd.

"Who's that boy? He's not even an Uchiha, yet he's taking care of one of our own…"

"That's Shiranui Yuuji. Kazue's teammate."

"Hmph. It's disgraceful for an outsider to do what we should have done first. We Uchiha must take responsibility!"

Within minutes, a full rotation schedule was created.

Twenty-four-hour care.

Shifts.

Obito's grandmother Madara was now the most well-attended old woman in all of Konoha.

Deep in the shadows, a hidden White Zetsu watched the spectacle, utterly baffled.

'What the hell just happened?!'

---

Yuuji and Kazue walked briskly away from Uchiha territory.

Kazue still looked bewildered.

"I don't understand what just happened," she muttered. "What's your goal, Yuuji? Are you playing the fool, or is there a deeper plan?"

"You talk too much," Yuuji cut her off. "While Guy is busy, you have something for me."

"Huh? You deliberately sent Guy away?"

"Of course. He'd just get in the way."

Kazue's face flushed slightly. "Here? Right now? Wouldn't it be better to go somewhere more private…?"

"No need. Right here is fine. I want to test it immediately."

"Eh…"

Kazue's heart pounded. Was Yuuji finally revealing his true feelings? Was there a deeper, hidden intent behind his actions?

"So, quickly" Yuuji interrupted her thoughts.

"Teach me the Shadow Clone Technique."

Kazue froze.

"...What?"

"I can't do anything about it. It's a B-rank jutsu. The Academy doesn't teach it, and I don't want to wait until I'm a Jonin to learn it."

Kazue's face darkened. Expectation turned to irritation.

With a sigh, she demonstrated the necessary hand seals. "This is the chakra flow pattern. Try it."

Yuuji wasted no time, forming the seals and successfully creating a clone.

As he examined it, his mind raced.

'With a sample of White Zetsu's cells… I can experiment.'

He clenched his fists.

If he succeeded in integrating Zetsu's properties, his potential would skyrocket.

---

Meanwhile, at Obito's house…

The clock struck 5:30 PM.

"Alright! My shift is over!" Guy exclaimed. "Grandma, you should get some rest."

Obito's grandmother—or rather, Madara—looked utterly drained. Her aged body trembled.

"Finally…" she rasped. "Good child, you should go train. You've worked hard…"

Finally!

This stubborn fool is finally leaving. Now, I just need to bide my time until Obito is alone. Then, under the cover of night, I'll feed him despair and—

Before she could complete the thought, a voice rang out.

"Obito's grandma! I'm here to change shifts!"

Yuuji strode in with a determined expression.

"I've barely mastered the Shadow Clone Technique, but from now on, I'll be assigning a clone to stay with you. Twenty-four hours a day."

A chill ran down Madara's spine.

"…Don't you need to train?"

"It's fine," Yuuji said cheerfully. "I have a lot of chakra. Taking care of my comrades is the greatest form of spiritual training. And I've also started studying medical ninjutsu! If anything happens, I'll save you instantly."

Madara felt a deep, soul-crushing despair.

This brat…

This brat is terrifying!

'If all of Konoha's shinobi are like this, then… this world is doomed.'