The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains and spread into the room.
Chiya slowly opened his eyes. Mikoto had already left his side, and a faint smell of food drifted through the air.
He stretched lazily, got up and dressed, then walked out of the bedroom.
Thinking back on how he and Tsunade had spent most of the night up on the Hokage Rock in the wind, Chiya felt a twinge of regret.
'Of all the places to go in the middle of the night, it had to be the Hokage Rock.'
'That place, standing on top of three giant faces in the dead of night, looking down from above, it is gloomy and unsettling, and honestly just creepy.'
By the time they were done and he got back, dawn was almost breaking.
Fortunately Mikoto was still sleeping quietly.
She had not noticed him slipping away.
Mikoto was just carrying breakfast to the table. When she saw him come out, she smiled warmly.
"Chiya-nii, breakfast is ready."
Chiya walked over and sat down at the table. Looking at the neatly prepared dishes, he could not help but say with appreciation.
"Mikoto, your cooking keeps getting better."
Mikoto's cheeks flushed faintly, and she said softly.
"Eat up. You still have the Guard Corps to get to afterward."
The two finished breakfast in comfortable quiet, then headed out together toward the Uchiha Guard Corps headquarters.
Along the way, Mikoto briefed Chiya on various recent Guard Corps matters. As he listened to her clear and organized account, Chiya quietly nodded to himself.
Mikoto had a gentle nature, but when it came to management she was not the least bit sloppy, and was even more thorough than he had been in the beginning.
Chiya could not help but feel a quiet sense of admiration.
'My little secretary has truly grown into someone who can hold things together on her own.'
When they arrived at headquarters, Chiya buried himself in his office, where two years' worth of files and records were stacked high on the desk.
He picked one up at random and began reading through it carefully.
These files recorded the movements of Konoha's major clans, mission performance, and security incidents within the village.
Chiya's gaze moved quickly through the text, picking out key information.
"The Hyūga Clan has been quite active lately."
Chiya murmured to himself.
The files showed that over the past half year, the Hyūga Clan had completed numerous high-difficulty missions.
Especially during border clashes, their Byakugan reconnaissance capabilities had proven invaluable, providing early warnings of enemy ninja infiltrations on multiple occasions and sparing Konoha from considerable losses.
On top of that, the Hyūga Clan had also taken the initiative to join village security patrols, and their cooperation with the Uchiha Guard Corps had become tighter than before.
"Looks like the Hyūga are trying to gain more influence within the village."
Chiya smiled faintly and did not think much of it.
The Hyūga being active was a good thing for Konoha as a whole.
As long as they did not cross any lines, he was happy to see it.
Time passed quickly.
By the time Chiya set down the last file, the sunlight outside the window had already grown sharp and bright.
He rubbed his somewhat stiff neck, only then realizing that the entire morning had gone by.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Come in."
The door was pushed open gently.
The person who entered wore a grave expression.
"Clan Head!"
Chiya heard the familiar voice, and surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Fugaku, what brings you here?"
'Fugaku, should he not be working at the Hokage Building at this hour?'
"Intelligence came in from the border outpost this morning."
After closing the door, Fugaku dropped his voice very low.
"Suna's Puppet Corps is massing at the border of the Land of Rivers."
Chiya unrolled the scroll and read through it.
The hurried writing on the scroll recorded unsettling intelligence. Suna's elite Jonin units were being frequently repositioned, border patrols had tripled in frequency, and there were even reports of the Third Kazekage being spotted at the front lines.
"Looks like they are about to make their move."
Chiya's fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
Uchiha Fugaku's face remained grave.
"Clan Head, if it truly comes to fighting, should we enter the war?"
Hearing that, Chiya looked at him with a meaningful expression.
"Are you asking whether the Uchiha should enter the war?"
Uchiha Fugaku went quiet, his brow furrowing deeper.
This was war, not children playing house.
Life only comes once, and where the clan was concerned, a decision like this would naturally not be made lightly.
"This war has not truly begun yet."
Chiya's voice came again.
"Has not truly begun?"
Uchiha Fugaku was somewhat puzzled. What did that mean?
The intelligence had already arrived on the desk.
Troops were massing. Provocation from the Land of Wind was likely coming any day now. How could it not have truly begun?
But looking at the certainty on Chiya's face.
Fugaku felt steadied inside. 'Could it be that the Clan Head already has a plan in mind?'
"Understood."
Fugaku asked nothing more, turned, and left.
Chiya rose, walked to the window, and looked down at the streets of Konoha below.
'The Kazekage appearing at the front lines himself.'
'This man wants to start a war to redirect internal problems.'
'Too bad for him. He probably does not have many days left.'
Just then.
Mikoto walked in carrying a bento box, and said gently.
"Chiya-nii, it is time for lunch."
Chiya only then noticed the emptiness in his stomach. He turned around and stepped forward to take the bento with a smile.
"You worked hard, Mikoto."
He opened the bento box. Inside was a carefully prepared meal, appealing in color, fragrance, and taste.
Chiya picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and put it in his mouth, and could not hold back his appreciation.
"This is really good!"
Mikoto sat beside him, hands folded on her lap, anticipation in her eyes.
"As long as it suits nii's taste."
Chiya looked at her gentle expression, and something stirred in his chest. He set down his chopsticks and said earnestly.
"Mikoto, thank you for taking over the Guard Corps these past few months. Things have been even more organized than when I was running it. I mean that."
Hearing the praise, a soft blush rose on Mikoto's cheeks, and she smiled a small smile.
"It is what I should be doing, Chiya-nii."
Her smile was as gentle as a spring breeze, and it eased the weight in Chiya's heart as well.
He was just about to say something more when the office door was knocked on again.
"Come in."
Chiya said.
A ninja from the Uchiha Clan pushed the door open and bowed respectfully.
"Clan Head, someone from the ANBU is here. They say Captain Hatake Sakumo is waiting for you at the barbecue restaurant."
Chiya raised an eyebrow.
"Hatake Sakumo?"
He turned to look at Mikoto with a slight note of apology in his expression.
"Sorry, it looks like lunch will have to wait."
Mikoto shook her head and said warmly.
"It is fine. I will take the bento back. I can heat it up again tonight."
Chiya reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling.
"Alright. Wait for me to come back, and we will eat together tonight."
With that, he got up and left.
He made his way toward the barbecue restaurant inside the village.
Konoha's streets were as lively as ever. Villagers came and went, and children played and chased each other along the roadside.
There was not even the faintest smell of approaching war.
Chiya moved through the crowd and soon arrived at the familiar barbecue restaurant.
He pushed open the door and a rich aroma of grilling meat washed over him.
His gaze swept through the restaurant and quickly fixed on a white-haired figure in the corner.
Hatake Sakumo was seated by the window, dressed in standard ANBU black ninja attire. His white hair was especially striking in the sunlight.
His face wore a serious expression, and his gaze was sharp as a blade, as if he was ready to deal with anything at any moment.
Chiya walked over and greeted him with a smile.
"Sakumo."
Hatake Sakumo looked up and saw Chiya. His serious expression eased slightly. He stood and said.
"Chiya, sorry to interrupt."
Chiya waved his hand.
"Not at all. If you call for me, how could I not come?"
The two exchanged a few polite words, then sat down.
A server brought out the grill and fresh slices of meat. Hatake Sakumo did not move his chopsticks right away, but got straight to the point.
"Chiya, the situation at the border is not looking good."
His voice was kept very low, and his expression was grave.
Chiya placed a slice of meat on the grill. Over the sizzling sound, he asked casually.
"What specifically is going on?"
Hatake Sakumo said in a low voice.
"Suna has been moving ninja around frequently lately, seemingly planning something. On top of that, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have also appeared in the border area. Our people have already had several small-scale clashes with them."
Chiya's hand paused for just a moment, and a sharp light flickered in his eyes.
"Looks like war is not far off."
Hatake Sakumo nodded.
"The Third sent me to inform you. We need to start preparing in advance."
Chiya suddenly smiled.
A bright, open smile in the sunlight.
"Preparing? We started long ago.
War was always going to come sooner or later. To be honest, I have been waiting for this day."
Hatake Sakumo looked at Chiya and relaxed considerably.
"The Uchiha have been training intensively since the Second War ended.
I did not expect that back then you were already thinking this far ahead."
"You are one to talk."
Since the ANBU were reorganized, Chiya knew that the ANBU had also been running intensive training drills every afternoon.
They had made their preparations as well.
The two shared a look and smiled.
The aroma of grilling meat drifted through the air, while the dark clouds of war quietly gathered over the ninja world above.
After a few rounds of drinks, Hatake Sakumo suddenly turned serious and looked at Chiya, asking in a low voice.
"Chiya, have you ever thought about... becoming Hokage?"
---
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