The morning sun spread across the streets of Sunagakure, but it could not dispel the shadow left hanging over the village from the night before.
Chiya and Minato walked side by side along the stone-paved road. The ninjas moving around them wore grave expressions, and a tense feeling filled the air.
"Last night's commotion was truly something."
Minato said in a lowered voice, his deep blue eyes scanning the surroundings with caution.
"Senior, I heard it was Kiri-nin who attacked the Kazekage Building."
The corner of Chiya's mouth curved into a faint smile. He went along with what Minato said, his gaze drifting toward the building being repaired at the street corner.
"Yes. It seems Kirigakure's hostility toward Sunagakure runs deeper than anyone imagined."
Minato's gaze settled on Chiya walking ahead of him.
He was turning something over in his mind.
He remembered that Chiya had said the night before that he still wanted to cause some trouble for Sunagakure. And then, that very night, the attack by the Kiri-nin just happened to occur.
The coincidence was a little too deliberate.
A trace of awe rose in Minato's heart right after that thought.
'If this was truly Chiya's doing, then his methods and strength are far beyond anything I imagined.'
When the two reached the village entrance, they happened to run into Pakura.
The Scorch Style ninja was in high spirits, directing the patrol squad to tighten security. Her distinctively smooth and fair back stood out even in Sunagakure.
When she turned and saw Chiya, a complicated emotion flashed through her eyes.
Chiya smiled slightly. Taking advantage of a moment when no one nearby was paying attention, he raised a hand to cover one eye and block everyone else's line of sight.
His crimson Sharingan opened and closed in an instant. Through the narrow gap, it met Pakura's gaze directly.
Pakura's expression immediately went distant.
"Do not be nervous. It is only a brief farewell."
Chiya's voice sounded gently in the genjutsu space.
In the illusion, Pakura stood in a sea of flowers. Chiya's silhouette appeared and faded around her.
He reached out and lightly touched her cheek.
"You have now become a hero of Sunagakure. But you must stay alert for the high command offering you grand promises and missions to act as an envoy to other villages."
'What does that mean?'
Pakura paused.
"A hero..."
Pakura murmured, looking into Chiya's eyes.
'Wait. Those eyes feel somewhat familiar.'
Her mind suddenly flashed to the look in the Kiri-nin's eyes just before he died last night...
That look had been far too calm. It even carried a trace of... satisfaction.
It was so similar to the look in Chiya's eyes right now.
"Wait!"
Pakura snapped awake.
She understood all at once.
"Was that Kiri-nin you..."
The genjutsu lifted at exactly that moment.
Pakura blinked and came back to reality.
She found that Chiya and Minato had already walked to the village gate and were showing their passes to the guards.
She wanted to go after them and get a clear answer, but stopped herself.
'Some things are perhaps better left without an answer.'
"Take care."
"And I will be careful too."
Pakura said quietly.
She watched the backs of the two figures disappear into the distant desert.
...
After leaving Sunagakure, Chiya and Minato walked under the blazing sun for about half an hour before finally stopping to rest at a small oasis.
By the clear spring water, Minato could no longer hold back.
"Senior Chiya, may I ask you something?"
Chiya was crouching at the water's edge washing his face. He heard this and looked up at the bright, golden-haired young man.
"Go ahead."
Minato's expression was unusually serious.
"What does Senior think is the meaning of being a ninja?"
The question caught Chiya a little off guard.
Orochimaru had once asked him something similar.
He dried the water from his face and thought for a moment before answering.
"Protection."
"Protection?"
"Yes. Protecting the ones you love, protecting your clan, protecting your village."
Chiya's voice was calm, but carried an unshakeable certainty.
A curious light flickered in Minato's eyes.
"Why protection? With Senior's strength, you could easily pursue something more..."
"More grand?"
Chiya gave a light laugh and casually picked up a pebble and tossed it into the spring. He watched the ripples spread out in rings.
"Minato, what do you think is the foundation of the shinobi world?"
Minato was caught off guard by the sudden question.
He thought for a moment and offered a tentative answer.
"Strength? Ninjutsu?"
"People."
Chiya said without hesitation.
"Individual people form families. Families form clans. Clans unite to form villages. Without people, ninjutsu is meaningless. Without people, what use is even the greatest power?"
Minato's eyes went wide.
Chiya continued.
"We as individuals come together to form clans and build villages, all for the purpose of better protecting the home we share. Every one of us is a part of a family."
Minato came back to himself, then fell into thought again.
After a long while, he raised his head. A resolute light shone in his eyes.
"Senior Chiya, your way of thinking... is remarkable. I always believed protecting the village was the highest ideal, but you have shown me something more fundamental."
Chiya clapped Minato on the shoulder.
"Do not make what I said sound too noble. I am just a selfish person who wants to protect everything he cares about."
"No. That is absolutely not selfish."
Minato said earnestly.
"On the contrary, a person who can hold that as their ideal is the most selfless kind."
In that moment, the image Minato held of Chiya in his heart grew much more solid and real.
After resting, they continued on their way.
The desert gradually gave way to greenery. In the distance, the border of the Land of Fire was already visible.
"Come to think of it."
Minato suddenly asked.
"Does Senior know that female ninja from just now?"
Chiya's pace did not slow.
"Pakura? Yes, I know her. She once helped Sara and her people travel from the Land of Wind to take root in the Land of Fire."
"She is a pure ninja."
"Pure?"
"Yes. She stays out of power struggles and fights only to protect the village. Someone like that is not exactly what the high command of Sunagakure wants to see."
Chiya's voice carried a trace of feeling.
"Everyone wants subordinates who are both powerful and obedient. If someone is only powerful without that obedience, it means nothing to them."
Chiya smiled.
"Do you know what happened with Hatake Sakumo before?"
Minato was taken aback.
"What?"
Chiya looked at his completely puzzled face and figured he did not know.
He shook his head.
"Never mind. It is all old history now."
Minato did not press further.
He gave a nod of acknowledgment, but quietly filed that name away in his mind.
Hatake Sakumo.
"But remember this. True protection requires not just strength but also wisdom. Sometimes, changing something matters more than defeating any number of enemies."
Minato nodded as understanding began to dawn on him.
He could vaguely sense that there was a deeper meaning behind Chiya's words, but could not quite put into words what it was.
By the time the sun set in the west, the two had finally returned to Konoha.
The familiar streets came into view. Chiya breathed in deeply.
'Home.'
Minato looked at the expression in Chiya's eyes as he gazed at the village and suddenly understood something.
What was held in that gaze, was it not the most pure form of the will to protect?
"Senior Chiya!"
Minato said solemnly.
"Thank you for your guidance today. I will remember it."
Chiya waved his hand.
"Do not be so serious. Come on. Ramen is on me at Ichiraku."
The two figures blended into the busy streets of Konoha.
Behind them, the setting sun dyed the entire village a warm shade of golden red.
This was Konoha. Their shared home.
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