That afternoon, at two thirty.
Chiya stood outside the door of the Hokage's office.
He knocked gently, and from inside came Hiruzen Sarutobi's low voice.
"Come in."
He pushed the door open. Chiya saw Hiruzen standing by the window with his back turned, smoke rising slowly from his pipe and drifting around him.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat heavy.
"Hokage-sama."
Chiya gave a slight nod.
Hiruzen turned around, a trace of weariness and complicated emotion on his face.
He pointed at the chair across from him.
"Have a seat, Chiya."
Chiya sat down and looked at Hiruzen with a calm expression, waiting for him to speak.
"About Lady Mito, Tsunade... should have already told you."
Hiruzen's voice was a little hoarse, and a flash of pained sympathy crossed his eyes.
"She has given so much for the village over the years, and yet now..."
Chiya nodded.
"Tsunade-sama did mention it. Lady Mito's situation."
Hiruzen took a slow, deep breath.
"Chiya, the reason I wanted to see you this time is to ask whether you can use the power of the Sharingan to temporarily suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra. To allow Lady Mito a little more time to rest, and give the new Nine-Tails jinchuriki some time to prepare."
His tone carried sincerity, even a hint of pleading.
Chiya raised an eyebrow slightly. This was the first time he had seen Hiruzen set aside his usual bearing like this.
Though how much of it was real and how much was performance was hard to say.
As a veteran political figure of Konoha, Chiya was inclined to believe there was at least some genuine feeling in it.
He would not dare hope for more than that.
"Hokage-sama, I understand what you mean."
Chiya's voice was calm.
"However, the power of the Nine-Tails is no small matter. I can only do my best."
Hiruzen nodded.
"I understand that clearly. But right now in the village, you are the only one who can do this."
He paused, his gaze looking directly at Chiya.
"You are the Uchiha's genjutsu prodigy. You have had a unique understanding of genjutsu since you were young. In genjutsu, I believe you stand at the very top of all of Konoha."
"If you can succeed, the village can consider allowing one member of the Uchiha Clan to take up the position of advisor."
A glint of amusement flashed through Chiya's eyes.
Advisor?
That was an interesting proposal.
Although he knew this was nothing more than a temporary measure on Hiruzen's part.
For the Uchiha Clan, this was undeniably an opportunity to step closer to the center of power.
"Hokage-sama, the position of advisor is not something that can be given away so casually."
Chiya smiled faintly.
"Are you certain the others will agree?"
Hiruzen was quiet for a moment, then spoke slowly.
"I will handle that. As long as you can succeed."
Chiya looked at Hiruzen and weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
This was something he had already intended to do.
Controlling the Nine-Tails and keeping it inside Mito's body.
Delaying the time before it transferred into Kushina's body was also an indirect form of protection for Kushina.
Now that Hiruzen had taken the initiative to offer the Uchiha a place in the upper ranks, the terms were clearly sufficient.
"Very well. I agree."
Chiya stood up, his tone firm.
A trace of relieved satisfaction appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"Thank you, Chiya."
Chiya gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
As he reached the doorway, his gaze shifted slightly.
His eyes swept across the shadow in the corner of the room, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and then he pushed the door open and left.
Inside the office, a figure slowly stepped out from the shadow Chiya had just glanced at.
It was Danzo.
His expression was dark, his gaze cold.
"Hiruzen, have you truly decided to do this?"
Danzo's voice was low, carrying a suppressed fury.
Hiruzen let out a sigh.
"Danzo, this is the best option available right now."
Danzo gave a cold laugh.
"The best option? Letting the Uchiha into the upper ranks? You are raising a tiger that will bite back!"
Hiruzen shook his head.
"Danzo, the Uchiha are also members of the village. If they truly treat Konoha as their home, what harm is there in letting them into the center of power? Keeping them shut out will only sharpen the conflict."
Danzo stared at Hiruzen, his tone laced with scorn.
"Have you forgotten our teacher's warning? Have you forgotten the Uchiha's internal strife thirty years ago? The Uchiha Clan is evil by nature. Their Sharingan brings nothing but disaster."
Hiruzen's gaze turned sharp.
"Danzo, times change. The Uchiha have settled down now. You have seen how their clan head Chiya has conducted himself. He has great ability and is not the kind of person you imagine him to be."
Danzo was silent for a moment, thinking of the research reports on the Uchiha Sharingan that their teacher had left behind.
The Uchiha, settling down peacefully?
They were a clan evil by nature.
As long as they could gain love, and the moment that love was lost, they would turn extreme.
Danzo could not agree that the Uchiha would ever truly settle down.
An extreme Uchiha who had gained power, how could such a person possibly remain peaceful?
"The Uchiha's prestige keeps growing. Now they have a chance to enter the upper ranks. Do you think they will be satisfied with that? Hiruzen, you are feeding their ambition."
Hiruzen took a long draw of smoke and slowly breathed it out.
"I will use the Anbu to keep them in check. The other clans are watching as well. As long as we maintain balance, the village will not fall into chaos."
Seeing that Hiruzen's mind was firmly made up, Danzo did not waste any more words this time.
"Hiruzen, I hope your decision is the right one."
With that, he turned and left.
His cane struck the ground heavily, producing a dull, thudding sound.
Hiruzen watched Danzo's departing figure, a trace of weariness and worry crossing his eyes.
It was not as though he was unaware of the Uchiha's potential threat.
But what Konoha needed right now was stability, not internal conflict.
"Perhaps I really am getting old..."
He murmured quietly, his gaze drifting to the Hokage Rock outside the window, and he fell into deep thought.
Chiya left the Hokage Building.
Walking through the streets of Konoha, a faint smile rested at the corner of his mouth.
The position of advisor?
While it was a tempting piece of bait, he was not naive enough to think Hiruzen would easily make good on that promise.
However, that did not stop him from making use of this opportunity.
"Clan head!"
A clear, bright voice rang out.
Chiya turned and saw Mikoto trotting over, her face full of delight.
"Mikoto, what are you doing here?"
Chiya smiled faintly.
Around others it was "clan head." When it was just the two of them it was Chiya-nii.
Mikoto was getting better and better at reading the situation.
Meeting Chiya's gaze, her cheeks turned slightly pink.
Uchiha Mikoto (grown up).
"I heard you went to the Hokage's office, so I thought I would come and wait for you."
Chiya ruffled her hair.
"Come on, walk with me for a bit."
The two walked side by side through the streets, the last light of the setting sun falling over them and stretching long shadows behind them.
"Clan head, what did the Hokage want from you?"
Mikoto asked carefully.
"Some matters concerning the village. By the way, Mikoto, how do you think the Uchiha Clan's standing in the village is right now?"
Mikoto paused, then thought it over seriously.
"It has gotten much better than before, but it still feels like... there is still some distance between us and the rest."
Chiya nodded.
"Yes. Distance. But perhaps things will change soon."
Mikoto blinked, seeming not to fully understand what he meant, but she did not ask further.
Uchiha Mikoto.
Just then, a commotion came from somewhere in the distance.
Chiya looked up and saw a group of villagers gathered together, apparently in the middle of some argument.
"Let's go take a look."
Chiya walked over with Mikoto.
In the middle of the crowd, a member of the Uchiha security force was mediating a dispute.
It turned out two villagers had gotten into an argument over a market stall.
"Everyone calm down. According to the village's rules, the stalls are shared on a rotating schedule..."
The security force member explained patiently.
Chiya stood to one side and watched quietly.
The reputation of the Uchiha security force among the villagers had certainly improved quite a bit, but it was still far from enough.
"Chiya-nii, should we step in?"
Mikoto asked quietly.
Chiya shook his head.
"No need. Let them handle it themselves."
Before long, the dispute was settled and the watching villagers dispersed.
The security force member wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around, and immediately spotted Chiya. He stiffened and bowed respectfully.
"Clan head!"
Chiya smiled.
"Well done."
The Uchiha member's face lit up with joy.
"Thank you, clan head!"
After they left, Mikoto said quietly.
"Everyone is working so hard now."
Chiya nodded.
"That is right. Everyone is making an effort. So we cannot stop either."
His gaze drifted toward the distant Hokage Rock, a deep and quiet look passing through his eyes.
"Oh right, Chiya-nii, grandfather said that when I saw you today, I should ask you to come by the house."
Chiya's interest was piqued.
That old man, why was he suddenly looking for him?
Could it be that at the end of his life he wanted to entrust Mikoto to his care through her...
'Your granddaughter, I will raise her. Do not worry.'
Chiya shook his head to clear away those scattered thoughts.
"Alright. Mikoto, I will head over right now."