The following noon, the sun blazed high in the sky.
Uchiha Chiya stood at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant. After confirming he had the right place, he pushed open the door and walked in.
The inside of the restaurant was filled with the aroma of grilling meat.
There were not many customers, but the atmosphere was warm.
He chose a seat by the window, ordered a cup of green tea, and waited quietly for Tsunade's arrival.
Before long, Tsunade's figure appeared at the entrance.
She had changed into casual clothes today. A light green kimono set off her snow-white complexion.
Her golden hair was loosely tied behind her head.
The sharpness of the battlefield was gone. A gentler quality had taken its place.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Tsunade spotted Uchiha Chiya and then walked briskly to the table with a slight smile.
Chiya rose and pulled out the chair for her.
"I just arrived not long ago. Please sit."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Quite the gentleman."
Chiya smiled but did not reply, and simply poured her a cup of tea.
Tsunade took the cup. Her gaze rested on Chiya's face for a moment.
The Chiya in front of her moved with ease. His manner of speaking carried a maturity that went beyond his age. It made her somewhat curious.
"Are you always like this?"
Tsunade asked suddenly.
"Like what?"
Chiya asked back.
"Just... like an old man. Serious about everything."
Tsunade said, teasing him.
"Perhaps because I have been through a great deal. War forces people to grow up sooner than they should."
Hearing that, Tsunade's eyes dimmed slightly.
She lowered her head and took a small sip of tea, and said nothing more.
The server brought out grilled meat, sake, and side dishes. The heat from the charcoal gradually warmed the atmosphere at the table.
Chiya skillfully spread the meat slices across the grill. The fat sizzled and popped, and the aroma spread all around.
"Try some of this. The meat at this place is very fresh."
Chiya picked up a piece of grilled meat with his chopsticks and placed it in the dish in front of Tsunade.
Tsunade nodded, lifted the piece and put it in her mouth. The tender and fresh quality of the meat brightened her eyes.
"Quite good."
"I am glad you like it."
Chiya placed a few more pieces in her dish. The motion was as natural as a long-standing habit.
Tsunade watched what he was doing. A faint and unusual feeling stirred within her.
As the granddaughter of the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama Senju, and as a princess of the Land of Fire, she was respected by people everywhere she went.
But the feeling of being looked after so attentively like this was something she had rarely experienced.
"Do you... often take care of people this way?"
Tsunade could not help asking.
Chiya looked up at her. That nearly flawless face carried a trace of curiosity.
His complexion was fair as snow, with a healthy rosy glow, as smooth and unblemished as fine porcelain.
"I simply thought you could use a chance to relax properly. Everything that has happened recently must have worn you out."
Tsunade paused.
"Is it that obvious?"
"You hide it well, but the eyes do not lie."
Tsunade was quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"Nawaki... and the other comrades who have died in this war. It has been somewhat hard to breathe lately."
Chiya did not rush to offer comfort. Instead, he poured her a cup of sake.
"Sometimes a little to drink helps."
Tsunade took the cup and drained it in one go.
The burning warmth of the alcohol spread from her throat into her chest, as if it had temporarily washed away some of the heaviness inside her.
"Do you know?"
She set down the cup. Her voice was somewhat low.
"I keep thinking, if Nawaki's squad had a medical ninja at the time, perhaps he would not have..."
"There are no 'what ifs' in this world."
Chiya cut her off. His tone was gentle but firm.
"What we can do is make sure the same tragedy does not happen again."
Tsunade looked up and stared at him blankly. Her expression was complicated.
She had expected to hear something like "it is not your fault." She had not anticipated that Chiya's answer would be so direct and composed.
"You are right."
She drew a deep breath and worked to steady her emotions.
"So I must push the medical ninja training plan forward. I cannot let more people die for nothing."
Chiya nodded.
"The medical ninja training plan is something that must happen. I will support you with everything I have. Whatever you need, just say the word."
"Right, speaking of that, after you supported me at yesterday's meeting, did the clan give you trouble when you got back?"
Chiya shrugged.
"I was called in for a talk, but it was not a major problem. The Uchiha need to change. I simply took a step forward before anyone else did."
Tsunade looked at him and seemed to be thinking something over. She could not help feeling a degree of admiration.
"You are far more capable than I imagined."
"Likewise."
Chiya smiled.
"Even so, you are the first person I have seen slam a hand on the table in the middle of a meeting."
Tsunade was amused by his words and could not hold back a laugh.
"You little brat!"
The atmosphere between the two of them lightened considerably at once.
After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation gradually shifted to the current state of the war.
"Amegakure is coming at us with serious force this time. That old man Hanzo is no easy opponent."
Tsunade's brow furrowed slightly.
"Konoha is under a lot of pressure."
"Is it because of Hanzo?"
"Yes."
Chiya thought for a moment, recalling information about Hanzo from what he knew.
"Hanzo, praised as a demigod. He is a master of poison techniques, Water Release, and Fire Release. The most threatening and destructive of those are the first two."
Saying this, Chiya's expression turned fully serious.
"As long as Konoha can find a way to counter his poison and develop an antidote, Hanzo's threat will drop significantly. On top of that, supplying some targeted anti-poison masks, oxygen respirators, and similar medical equipment should help reduce casualties to some extent."
"Objectively speaking, that covers the main points. Hanzo's strength is genuinely not to be taken lightly, but Konoha is not without a chance of winning. The rest comes down to whether we can stand united and bring out our full strength."
"United?"
Tsunade let out a cold laugh.
"Right now, Konoha's internal conflicts are more troublesome than the enemies outside."
Chiya did not argue. He only said quietly.
"Precisely because of that, we need to work harder. You are of the Senju clan, and I am Uchiha. If the two of us can join hands, it might become a turning point that changes this war."
Tsunade looked steadily at him. A trace of an unusual feeling flickered in her eyes.
"You really are something else, Uchiha Chiya."
Chiya smiled slightly.
"I only do what I believe is right."
Their gazes met in the air. For a moment, neither spoke.
The scent of grilling meat and the warmth of the charcoal wrapped around them, as if the noise and trouble of the outside world had been shut away for the time being.
"Enough talking. Let us eat."
Uchiha Chiya calmly picked up the tongs and turned the meat on the grill again, placing the finished pieces into Tsunade's bowl.
"You eat too."
Tsunade was not one for fuss. She simply started eating.
The two of them ate for a full forty-some minutes.
"It is getting late. I have a mission tomorrow, so I should go."
Chiya rose from his seat.
"I will walk you."
Tsunade shook her head.
"No need. I can manage on my own."
Chiya did not press the matter. He simply nodded.
"Then I will see you tomorrow."
Tsunade turned to leave, then seemed to remember something.
She reached into the bag she had brought and pulled out the outer jacket Uchiha Chiya had given her the night before.
"Your jacket!"
She set it down beside Uchiha Chiya.
She left without delay. Her silhouette stretched long in the light of the setting sun.
Chiya watched her go, and only turned his gaze away after her figure disappeared around the corner of the street.
He sat back down at the table, poured himself a cup of sake, and drained it in one go.
He was fairly satisfied with the conversation today.
He could clearly see that Tsunade had let her guard down around him. The distance between them had closed considerably.
Chiya's gaze fell to the table.
Eating barbecue together was quite a significant thing. Exchanging cups and passing dishes back and forth, going at it together...
There is a saying that goes something like this.
There is nothing a barbecue meal cannot solve.
And if there is, then two meals will do it.
'The first step in intercepting Tsunade... I suppose that has been taken.'
A trace of amusement flickered in his eyes.
'Intercepting her is not yet done. I still have work to do.'