Konoha, orphanage.
Yakushi Nono sat alone in her office. The scrolls Chiya had left behind were spread open on the desk.
Her fingertips lightly traced over the records about "Wood Style," and her brow furrowed slightly.
"Wood Style..."
As a former elite of Root, she naturally understood the significance of a Wood Style ninja to Konoha.
Thinking about this, her brow smoothed out.
A trace of pride appeared in her eyes.
"To think that the Wood Style ninja Root has been longing for all this time ended up being found by Chiya-kun!"
Nono murmured quietly, then closed the scroll and stood up to walk to the window.
Sunlight fell across her face, and a look of resolve settled there.
"Chiya-kun, do not worry. I will definitely raise Yamato into someone great!"
That afternoon.
Yamato stood in the open space behind the orphanage yard. Following Nono's guidance, he was trying to control the chakra inside his body.
He shut his eyes tight, formed the hand seals, and fine beads of sweat seeped out across his forehead.
"Focus your mind. Feel the flow of chakra..."
Nono guided him patiently in a soft voice.
Suddenly, a faint green light rose from Yamato's palms. A thin wooden branch pushed up through the ground and slowly grew.
"Director, I did it!"
Yamato opened his eyes and looked at his own palms in delighted surprise.
Nono patted him on the head.
"Keep at it, child!"
"Only by growing stronger can you protect the people around you..."
Yamato nodded, half understanding and half not.
"Yes, I will work hard to protect the director and my friends!"
Hearing this, Nono smiled broadly, but a complicated feeling flickered in the depths of her eyes.
'The power of Wood Style...'
'Is it a blessing or a curse?'
Even though the Wood Style in front of her still looked very weak, it was without a doubt the real thing.
The appearance of Wood Style carried more symbolic significance than practical significance.
After all, this was a power said to belong only to the First Hokage, the one called the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju!
The emergence of Wood Style would surely invigorate all of Konoha!
In the shadows, a pair of eyes was watching all of this.
On a treetop in the distance, a masked ANBU ninja lay in silent concealment.
His gaze locked onto Yamato, then he disappeared without a sound.
Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, listened to the ANBU's report and drew a deep breath from his pipe. His brow was tightly furrowed.
"Wood Style... to think it has reappeared in Konoha at a time like this."
He looked out the window, his gaze distant.
Though people outside often said he was the strongest Hokage in history, Hiruzen knew that was only a title for public image.
From a pure strength standpoint.
His true title, the one he had genuinely earned, was Professor of Ninjutsu.
In terms of raw power, he could not be called the strongest Hokage in history.
Hiruzen knew well how formidable Lord Hashirama Senju had been. That strength was already beyond the scope of an ordinary ninja, something an ordinary ninja like himself simply could not match.
If a second "Hashirama Senju" truly appeared, for Konoha.
That would be a good thing!
But if this second "Hashirama Senju" became someone belonging to the Uchiha...
He did not dare to think further.
He stood for a long while, then returned to his seat.
"Bring me the ninja registry!"
"Yes!"
The ANBU at the door disappeared in a flash.
A moment later the registry was placed on Hiruzen's desk.
Hiruzen opened it and flipped through page by page.
His pipe kept going the whole time, puffing steadily.
The room filled with smoke once again.
He got through roughly half of it before his gaze finally stopped on Minato Namikaze's file.
He sat in thought for a moment.
"Send someone to tell Jiraiya to come here!"
"Yes!"
...
The night was as dark as ink. The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a clear, cold light.
Uchiha clan district, the courtyard.
Chiya sat alone on the veranda, a cup of clear sake in his hand, his gaze deep as he looked up at the moon in the night sky.
Moonlight fell like water, shining on his face.
It traced the sharp lines of his features, and also reflected the trace of longing in his eyes.
He was thinking of Kaguya at that moment...
Chiya's fingertips lightly brushed the rim of the sake cup.
Through the Dragon Vein, he had gone to that unfamiliar world.
The first time he saw the silver-haired girl with white eyes standing in the moonlight, gazing quietly at him.
"My name is Kaguya. I am the guardian of the God Tree!"
"I come from..."
"I came into this world... to be buried along with it!"
"..."
The Kaguya of that time had only purity and loneliness in her eyes.
But over time, guided by Chiya, the two had walked side by side across barren lands as he helped her understand the emotions of this world...
And she had gradually gained more humanity.
Until the Dragon Vein's power was drained dry. When Chiya left, that delicate face covered in tears, the scene of their parting, still lingered before his eyes.
Chiya let out a sigh.
The memories receded like a tide, and his fingertips tightened slightly.
Chiya slowly raised his hand toward the direction of the moon and reached out with an empty grip, as if trying to touch a silhouette too far away to reach.
He remembered that in the original story, Kaguya seemed to have been sealed on the moon. He did not know if she was still there now.
"Kaguya..."
He murmured quietly, his voice so soft it nearly dissolved in the night wind.
After a long while.
Chiya finally lowered his hand, and his gaze gradually grew firm.
'Once I have the strength someday, I will break the seal myself and make her stand before me again.'
'This time, Chiya will not leave again.'
Thinking this, Chiya tipped his head back and drank the sake in one go. The liquid slid down his throat, and its burning warmth still could not compare to the fierce resolve kindling in his heart.
His urgency for power grew a few degrees stronger.
'Strength, strength...'
'It always comes down to strength!'
Just then.
Fugaku came over in a hurry and said quietly.
"Clan Head, the Hokage's Guard Unit passed by the orphanage today and seems to have already noticed Yamato."
The Hokage's Guard Unit, though it was ANBU, was different from the ANBU that Sakumo commanded. This unit reported directly to the Third Hokage.
The corners of Chiya's mouth curved up slightly.
"As expected."
Fugaku looked a little worried.
"If the Third gets involved..."
"It is fine."
Chiya smiled at him.
"The Third is not Danzo. He cares about appearances."
Cares about appearances?
Does caring about appearances mean he would not make a move?
Fugaku was taken aback.
"Do not worry. As long as I am still here in Konoha for one day, they will not be able to stir up any real trouble!"
Chiya's strength now was already a far cry from what it once was.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan would teach them how to behave.
Even something like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he could just meet it with a direct Cycle of Cause and Effect and be done with it.
Seeing the confidence on Chiya's face.
Uchiha Fugaku felt settled in his heart.
He knew his cousin was not someone who spoke empty words.
Since he had said something like this, he must have solid grounds for it.
"Yes!"
Fugaku turned to leave.
But Chiya suddenly called out and stopped him.
"Wait!"
Fugaku halted, and looked toward Chiya with a puzzled expression.
"I heard from Tsunade that Rinbi is close to giving birth. You need to pay more attention to things at home!"
Hearing this, a warmth came over Fugaku's heart.
"Yes, I will."
"Roughly when will it be? What did the doctor say?"
Fugaku thought for a moment.
"It should be within the next few days!"
Chiya was taken aback and looked at Fugaku with a strange expression.
'Fugaku is actually a workaholic...'
"Then go take care of your own matters. Stop worrying about village and clan business for now!"
"Yes!"
"Oh, right. Have you chosen a name for the child yet?"
"The doctor said it is a boy. So I thought of one. Itachi. Uchiha Itachi!"
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