The night was as dark as ink. The streets of Konoha were covered by a thin layer of mist.
The glow of the street lamps spread through the fog, appearing especially hazy.
Uchiha Chiya and Tsunade walked side by side along the quiet street. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the empty alley.
Tsunade had her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze went straight ahead. Her golden hair floated faintly in the night breeze.
"About what happened just now, thank you."
Tsunade suddenly spoke. Her voice was a few degrees softer than it had been at the meeting.
Chiya glanced at her from the side.
"I only said what was true. The importance of medical ninja is beyond question."
Tsunade stopped walking. She turned to face Chiya. Her bright brown eyes flickered with a complicated light in the darkness of night.
"But honestly, I did not expect anyone from the Uchiha clan to stand up and support me."
Chiya shrugged, his tone indifferent.
"The Uchiha are also members of Konoha, are they not? Besides, I only did what I thought was right."
Tsunade stared at him for a few seconds, then let out a light laugh.
"You are a bit different from other Uchiha."
"Perhaps."
Chiya tilted his head up toward the night sky. His voice was low.
"People who have experienced loss tend to understand the value of what they have."
Tsunade paused slightly. A ripple passed through the emotion in her eyes.
"You... have also lost someone?"
Chiya was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"A few days ago, on a mission to Amegakure. His name is on this war's casualty list..."
Tsunade's expression gradually softened. She let out a quiet sigh.
"War... is truly something to despise."
Chiya looked at Tsunade.
"So I understand your feelings very well."
Hearing that, Tsunade's fist closed instinctively, but it quickly loosened again.
She worked to keep her voice steady.
"He was still so young. He could have survived..."
Chiya knew Tsunade was speaking about her brother Nawaki. He did not respond.
He stood quietly at her side, letting the night breeze pass over the hems of their clothes.
Sometimes, silent company carries more weight than any words.
After a moment, Tsunade seemed to have steadied her emotions.
She turned her head toward Chiya. The faint trace of a smile formed at the corner of her mouth.
"Even so, running into you today has put me somewhat at ease."
Chiya smiled along with her.
"If I could put you at ease, it is my honor."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"You smooth-talking little brat. You should address me as Lady Tsunade!"
"Little brat? I am not so little."
Chiya said with a smile.
"And as for age, you are not that much older than me, are you?"
Tsunade let out a soft snort but did not argue back.
The two continued walking forward. The atmosphere between them was considerably lighter than before.
"It is late. Let me walk you home."
"Hmm? Is that alright?"
Tsunade was briefly taken aback. She thought about the location of the Senju clan grounds relative to the Uchiha clan grounds.
They were not exactly on the way.
"Never mind then. It is so late, making you go out of your way..."
"It is fine. I wanted to walk around a bit anyway."
The two strolled forward. The night breeze passed over them, carrying a touch of coolness.
Chiya removed his outer jacket and draped it lightly over Tsunade's shoulders.
Tsunade was briefly startled, but she did not refuse it.
"Thank you."
She said quietly.
Along the way, neither of them spoke again. Even so, the atmosphere was not awkward.
It was only when they arrived before the Senju clan residence that Tsunade stopped walking.
"We are here."
She turned around.
"Thank you for walking me home."
Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then said suddenly.
"If you are free tomorrow at noon, I will be waiting for you at the barbecue restaurant."
Chiya was briefly startled. This was...
Tsunade noticed Chiya looking directly at her. Her gaze shifted slightly.
"It is simply a meal. I am treating you."
Chiya nodded.
"Alright. It is settled."
Tsunade waved her hand, turned, and walked into the residence.
Chiya watched her figure disappear, then turned and left.
However, he had only taken a few steps when several dark figures in the shadows vanished in an instant.
Uchiha Chiya could naturally sense them.
Even so, he paid no attention and walked in wide strides toward the clan grounds.
He had just arrived at the clan grounds.
"Uchiha Chiya."
A low voice came from the shadows.
Chiya stopped walking, turned slowly, and saw Uchiha Yashiro standing not far away. His gaze was sharp as a blade.
"Senior Yashiro. You have been waiting a while, I imagine."
Chiya's tone was even.
Uchiha Yashiro looked at him coldly.
"The clan has business with you. Come with me."
Chiya narrowed his eyes and was silent for a moment.
"I will trouble you to lead the way, Senior."
He did not refuse.
He followed Uchiha Yashiro through the deep corridor. The lanterns on both sides were stirred by the night breeze, casting uneven patches of light and shadow.
Deep within the estate, a spacious tatami room came into view.
He pushed open the door and walked in. A sharp and oppressive air struck him head-on.
Inside the tatami room, the lights were bright.
More than ten sharp gazes snapped toward Chiya all at once, as if to pierce through him.
On both sides sat various elders of the clan. Every face was written with displeasure.
"Uchiha Chiya. Do you know your offense?"
A white-haired elder struck first, his voice cold as a blade.
Chiya's expression did not change. He bowed slightly.
"I am not aware of where Chiya has offended the elders."
"Insolence!"
Another elder slapped the table and rose to his feet, glaring at Uchiha Chiya.
"You openly supported the Senju clan's proposal at today's meeting. Where does that leave the position of our Uchiha clan? Have you forgotten the grievances between us and the Senju clan?"
Chiya raised his head. His gaze swept calmly over everyone present.
"Grievances? I would ask the elders, what is the greatest threat Konoha faces today?"
"The enemy outside, of course!"
Someone scoffed coldly.
"Correct."
"The Second Shinobi World War has already broken out. Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Amegakure all watch with hungry eyes. If something goes wrong in Konoha, we will be surrounded on all sides. If we are still caught up in old grievances, are we not digging our own graves?"
"Absurd!"
An elder cut in sharply.
"The Senju clan has always pushed us Uchiha aside. What you did today will only chill the hearts of our clanspeople!"
Chiya was neither submissive nor aggressive.
"Chill their hearts? Then I would ask the elders, what is the standing of the Uchiha clan within Konoha? Have we ever truly been brought into the core of the village? Are we not always treated as outsiders to be guarded against?"
At those words, everyone fell briefly silent.
Chiya pressed on.
"When the First Hokage founded Konoha, he said, 'The village is our shared home.' Yet today, our Uchiha clan is being pushed further and further to the edges. Why? I believe it is precisely because of our own stubbornness and isolation."
"Are you blaming the clanspeople?"
Uchiha Fugaku, who was standing to the side, spoke up in challenge.
Chiya looked toward him and spread his hands slightly.
"Cousin Fugaku, I am not placing blame. I am hoping the clan can see reality clearly. With war at the front, Konoha needs unity. Take the First Shinobi World War. How did our old rivals the Senju clan face that war?
Their clanspeople fought bravely on the front lines. Who knows how many of them died. And our Uchiha, we served as the security force guarding the village, kept away from the worst of the war.
Now our clan's numbers are several times that of the Senju, or even more than ten times. Tsunade's medical ninja proposal is, furthermore, something that could determine whether all of Konoha wins this war.
If it succeeds, it will not only save countless ninja lives but also raise the overall strength of Konoha and its standing in the ninja world. In recent years, does our Uchiha clan have a single achievement worth showing?
If we can use this opportunity to contribute to Konoha, to ease our relationship with the Senju through this, and perhaps even reach a cooperation with them, our standing in the village in the future will certainly be different."
"Cooperation? With the Senju?"
An elder laughed coldly.
"You are far too naive."
Chiya shook his head.
"The naive ones are those who cling to old assumptions. Have the elders ever considered that if the Uchiha clan were to lead the establishment of the medical system, and even earn great merit in the war as the Senju clan has, then the position of Hokage, could our Uchiha not also compete for it?"
The words "position of Hokage" struck every person in the room like a heavy hammer.
The room fell instantly silent.
Chiya pressed his advantage while the moment was right.
"In Konoha's current leadership, the Third Hokage governs with caution. His partner Danzo is consumed by ambition. And those Hokage advisors, all deeply shaped by the Second Hokage's teachings, are on guard against us Uchiha.
This is precisely why the Uchiha have always been shut out from the center of power. If our Uchiha continue to see themselves as superior, keep to the clan alone, and keep their eyes off the village, then over time, the Uchiha and Konoha will eventually end up on opposing sides.
The clan's future will reach a dead end. Rather than waiting passively, it is better to act first. My support for Tsunade today was precisely to show the village the breadth of mind and foresight of the Uchiha."
His voice grew more and more impassioned.
"Elders, the times have already changed. The grievances of the past should not become the chains that bind us. The glory of the Uchiha clan should not rest only on the reputation of the Sharingan. It must also be shown through our contributions to the village.
Elders, you always speak of the Senju, the Senju. Why not, on this matter, compete with the Senju to see who contributes more? Can it be that our Uchiha are somehow less capable of contributing to the village than the Senju clan?"
When the words fell, the tatami room went completely silent.
Shock flashed through Uchiha Fugaku's eyes. He had never imagined his own cousin held such a deep understanding of things.
The elders looked at one another. For the moment, none of them could argue back.
Uchiha Fugaku looked at Chiya with a complicated gaze.
"What you said... is not without reason. But this matter is of great importance. It must be considered carefully."
Chiya smiled slightly and bowed.
"Everything Chiya has done is for the future of the clan."
An elder let out a cold snort, but his tone was no longer as hard as before.
"Hmph. Let us hope you are not using clever words for your own selfish gain."
Chiya replied without hesitation.
"If the elders do not believe me, you are welcome to watch and wait. Time will prove everything."
The meeting ended at last in a silence that spread through the room.
When Chiya left, he could feel the complicated gazes of his clanspeople behind him.
He knew that today's debate was only the beginning. The true challenges were still ahead.
He walked out of the estate. The night breeze brushed his face.
Chiya let out a long breath.
He raised his head toward the star-filled sky. A confident curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
Having lived within the Uchiha clan all these years, how could he not know what most of the clanspeople were thinking?
The Uchiha of today were not the Uchiha who were suspected and watched after Konoha suffered the Nine-Tails incident.
Everything could still be changed.
'The future of the Uchiha... once I have the strength, I will rewrite it myself.'