Chiya returned home and rubbed his temples with tired hands.
This mission had come suddenly. He needed to sort through his thoughts carefully.
He walked into the bathroom. Warm steam immediately rushed toward his face.
He removed his clothes and slowly lowered himself into the bathtub. The warm water wrapped around his body, and his tightened nerves finally began to loosen.
'This mission is probably not going to be simple.'
Chiya closed his eyes and sank into thought. His fingers tapped lightly against the edge of the tub, producing a clear sound.
'Seven towns along the border of the Land of Fire. Children disappearing at the same time. The method is professional. The movements are fast. This is clearly an organized operation.'
'Danzo is definitely the biggest suspect. But I cannot rule out spies from other ninja villages taking advantage of the chaos.'
Chiya knew that his greatest advantage in any future operation was knowing the story's plot.
But at the same time.
He would not trust that knowledge too much.
After all, with his arrival, this world had already begun to change.
Chiya let out a long breath, opened his eyes, and looked up at the ceiling through the warm haze of steam.
'Twenty elites should be enough to handle most situations. But I still need to be fully prepared.'
"To avoid losing people, for now I can only look for solutions through equipment.
Equipment problems are not too hard to solve. Spend the money and buy what is needed.
The Uchiha have been accumulating for so many years. Right now we may not have much else, but we have plenty of money."
While he was still thinking, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside.
Chiya's brow creased slightly. He recognized those footsteps.
But he had not expected anyone to visit at this hour.
"Chiya-nii, are you back?"
Mikoto's gentle voice came from outside the door.
"I made some food. Since you have a mission tomorrow, I thought I would..."
Before Chiya could respond, the voice came closer.
His eyelid twitched.
Because it was still early, Chiya had not yet gone to bed. He had not locked the door, only pushed it shut.
On top of that, he was now clan head. At this hour of the evening, almost no one would come by unless something urgent had happened.
The door was pushed open softly.
Mikoto heard no response, so she set the food down.
She noticed a bowl and chopsticks by the sink near the bathroom and walked over to wash them.
When she happened to glance toward the bathroom.
She spotted Chiya in the bathtub across the room. Her entire body froze in place at that moment.
Time seemed to stop.
Mikoto's eyes went wide. Her cheeks turned red at a visible speed.
Her gaze drifted without thinking to Chiya's bare upper body. His firm chest still had drops of water clinging to it. His wet black hair pressed against the side of his neck, and through the steam he looked strikingly... compelling.
"S, sorry!"
Mikoto snapped back to herself and spun around sharply. The bowl and chopsticks she had been about to wash nearly slipped from her hands.
Her ears were red enough to bleed. Her voice came out as thin as a mosquito's hum.
"I did not know Chiya-nii was bathing."
Chiya was entirely calm. He only raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Mikoto, why did you come by this late?"
"I... I heard you have a mission tomorrow."
Mikoto set the bowl and chopsticks into the sink and quickly turned her back, her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightly. She spoke in a small, nervous voice.
"I just wanted to bring you something to eat."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was almost gone.
Chiya watched her bright red ear tips and her slightly trembling back. He found it a little amusing.
He reached over and grabbed a towel, wrapped it around his waist, and stood up from the tub.
The splash of water made Mikoto flinch again.
"Alright, you can turn around."
After a moment, Mikoto carefully turned back.
She found Chiya fully dressed. A small wave of relief passed through her, though some part of her felt a trace of reluctance.
But when she looked up and met Chiya's smiling eyes, her heartbeat, which had just settled, sped up again without her control.
"Chiya-nii, this is the food..."
Mikoto quickly lowered her head and stepped into the living room, lifting the box toward Chiya to hide the flush on her face.
The food looked very carefully prepared.
Chiya walked over.
He took the box from her hands and leaned in close on purpose to smell it.
"Mm. It smells good."
Mikoto's face went even redder. She looked down, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes again restlessly.
"It, it is a dish I learned recently."
Chiya looked at her shy and timid expression, then reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Thank you, Mikoto."
The familiar gesture made the warmth on Mikoto's face shoot up instantly. Without meaning to, her mind drifted back to the scene she had just witnessed.
Her breathing grew a little unsteady.
She snuck a glance upward, and came face to face with Chiya's face, close enough to feel his presence.
The steam from the bath still drifted around him, making everything about him look softer than usual.
"Chiya-nii..."
Mikoto's voice trembled slightly.
"This mission... is it dangerous?"
Chiya paused for a moment.
"What, that worried about me?"
Mikoto did not deny it. She only gave a small nod, her eyes full of concern.
"I heard from Grandfather... there are many children who went missing. Whoever is behind it must be very capable."
Chiya looked at her tense expression.
He dropped the teasing look from his face.
He placed both hands on Mikoto's shoulders and looked at her with a steady gaze.
"Mikoto, don't worry. I will be careful."
"Fugaku and the others are coming too. Nothing will happen."
Mikoto bit her lower lip, then suddenly pulled a small charm from inside her clothes.
"This... take it with you."
Chiya took the charm. The Uchiha clan crest was embroidered on it. The stitching was fine and even. It was clearly something that had taken a long time to make.
"I made it myself."
Mikoto explained in a quiet voice.
"They say it brings protection."
Chiya held the charm in his palm and felt the warmth that still lingered in it.
He looked at the gentle girl in front of him and reached out to lightly touch her hair.
"Mikoto."
He called her name softly.
"When I come back, make me another meal."
Mikoto's eyes lit up at once. She nodded hard.
"Yes! I will make one every day!"
Watching her serious expression, Chiya could not hold back a laugh.
"That is not necessary. I do not want you to wear yourself out."
The two shared a smile, and the heavy atmosphere that had settled in the room was gone completely.
The night wind drifted in through the window, carrying a thin coolness.
Mikoto suddenly realized how late it had gotten. She stood up in a hurry.
"I, I should head back! Chiya-nii, get some rest early!"
Chiya nodded.
"I will walk you out."
"No need!"
Mikoto waved her hands repeatedly.
"Grandfather... he is waiting outside on the street!"
"Grandfather?"
Chiya paused.
'This old man is that afraid I will steal his granddaughter away.'
'Is this really necessary? Who exactly do you think you are guarding against?'
Chiya muttered that inside.
Mikoto walked quickly toward the door, but stopped just before it.
She looked back at Chiya once.
"Chiya-nii, please... stay safe."
Chiya gave a firm nod.
"I will."
He watched Mikoto's figure disappear into the distance, then looked down at the charm in his hand. The corner of his mouth lifted without him noticing.
'Old man, what does it matter how closely you watch.'
'Mikoto will be mine sooner or later. By then I will be in front of your face every single day.'
Chiya carefully tucked the charm away and turned toward the living room.
He needed to rest and conserve his strength. The departure was tomorrow.
But at this moment, what filled his mind was not the mission plan. It was Mikoto's eyes, full of worry yet warm and gentle.
'Such a silly girl.'
He murmured to himself, and a trace of tenderness passed through his eyes.