Konoha Military Police Headquarters, evening.
Inside the Military Police headquarters in the Uchiha clan district, members of the force were busy handling their daily affairs.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out at the entrance.
"Is that Hatake Sakumo?!"
"The head of the ANBU came personally?"
"..."
Everyone murmured in surprise, their gazes turning toward that silver-haired, cold figure.
Sakumo's expression was agitated. He walked quickly through the hall, heading straight for Chiya's office.
Inside the office.
Chiya was going through a recent report on the clan's training results.
Hearing a knock at the door, he looked up and saw Sakumo push the door open and enter.
"Sakumo, a rare visitor."
Chiya smiled slightly and set down the scroll in his hand.
Sakumo skipped the pleasantries and handed over a piece of intelligence directly.
"The ninjas at Sunagakure's border have suddenly pulled back by more than half. They have shifted from an offensive posture back to a defensive one. The frontline reconnaissance unit has confirmed this."
Chiya took the report and scanned it. The corners of his mouth rose ever so slightly.
'It looks like Sasori has already made his move.'
But he showed nothing of this. He only said calmly.
"It seems Sunagakure has run into some internal problems."
Sakumo frowned.
"Why do you think they suddenly withdrew? By all logic, Sunagakure has been probing our defensive lines recently and was looking to start a war. Suddenly retreating like this is not normal. Could there be some hidden scheme behind it?"
Chiya shook his head, his tone steady.
"Perhaps it is an internal adjustment, perhaps a shortage of resources. But either way..."
He raised his eyes, his gaze deep.
"This is only a brief window to breathe. We must not let our guard down."
Sakumo stared at Chiya and keenly sensed that the other person seemed to know something.
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You are right. I will have the ANBU keep up their training intensity."
Chiya smiled with satisfaction.
"War can break out at any time. Relaxing now means giving the enemy an opening. The whole shinobi world is far from stable right now."
"Mikoto, bring some tea for Captain Sakumo!"
Chiya called out toward the outer room.
A moment later, Mikoto came in carrying two cups of hot tea.
Sakumo accepted his cup politely. He was well aware of the relationship between the Uchiha Mikoto standing before him and Chiya.
Naturally, he would not be careless.
After Mikoto left.
Sakumo sat down. He lifted his teacup, his gaze thoughtful, his brow slightly furrowed.
"The Hyuga Clan has been making too much noise lately. They keep emphasizing in high-level meetings how important their Byakugan is to the battlefield, and have even volunteered to take charge of border reconnaissance."
Chiya gave a light laugh. A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
"Is that not a good thing?"
Sakumo was taken aback.
"Good?"
"Of course."
Chiya leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed.
"The situation across the shinobi world is complicated right now. A war could come tomorrow for all we know. The Hyuga Clan's Byakugan can give us a great advantage. Since they are so eager to show off, then let them show off."
He paused.
"The front line needs 'eyes' most of all. Having them there can prevent many surprise attacks from the enemy. And the Hyuga's Byakugan is perfect for 'watching' the enemy's movements on our behalf."
Sakumo immediately understood what Chiya meant. The corners of his mouth rose slightly.
"You mean... let them take point at the front?"
Chiya shook his head.
"Their Byakugan has a massive advantage in reconnaissance, and that advantage can only be used at the front lines. Since they are so eager, then let them take on some of the more dangerous assignments."
He said with a meaningful tone.
"However, on the battlefield, the most 'dazzling' targets are also the ones the enemy strikes first. After all, opportunity and danger come together. If you want to gain great prestige, you must have the courage to commit fully."
A look of understanding flashed across Sakumo's face.
"It seems the Hyuga Clan is about to become even more 'glorious' this time."
The two exchanged a glance and smiled.
After chatting a while longer, Sakumo stood and took his leave.
Just before he turned to go, he looked back at Chiya and suddenly asked.
"Chiya, do you know something about what is going on in Sunagakure?"
Chiya's expression did not change.
"I only see a little further than most people."
Sakumo looked at him for a long moment and asked nothing more.
He turned and left.
Outside the office.
Chiya handed the intelligence over to Uchiha Mikoto.
Uchiha Mikoto opened it. Her eyes went wide when she saw the contents.
She looked up, caught a glimpse of Sakumo's departing figure, and then quietly asked Chiya.
"Chiya-nii, does Suna's withdrawal have a deeper reason behind it?"
Chiya looked at Uchiha Mikoto with mild surprise.
This little secretary of his had developed a sharp political sense.
"Yes. Sunagakure... is about to descend into chaos very soon."
"Mikoto, I need to step out for a bit. Handle anything that comes up while I am gone!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Mikoto replied obediently.
"Yes, Chiya-nii!"
Looking at Uchiha Mikoto, Chiya reached out and ruffled her hair.
Then he disappeared from the Military Police headquarters in a flash.
Watching the direction Chiya had gone, Uchiha Mikoto's eyes flickered.
'That is the direction of Konoha's orphanage. Is he going to see Nono-nee?'
...
Konoha Orphanage, dusk.
The last light of the setting sun spread across the red brick walls of the orphanage. Chiya's figure appeared at the entrance.
One member of the Uchiha Military Police and one ANBU ninja stood guard here. When they saw Chiya arrive, they immediately stood at attention and bowed respectfully.
"Clan Head!"
"Lord Chiya!"
Chiya gave a slight nod, his gaze passing over both of them, and said plainly.
"Good work."
He then walked straight into the orphanage, moving through the corridors with easy familiarity, and came to the door of the director's office.
Inside the office.
Yakushi Nono was bent over organizing the children's files. Hearing a knock at the door, she looked up.
When she saw who it was, those gentle eyes of hers instantly brightened, and the corners of her mouth curved up on their own.
"Chiya!"
She stepped forward quickly to meet him. Chiya naturally pulled her into his arms and leaned down to speak softly in her ear.
"I missed you."
Nono's cheeks flushed lightly. She gave his shoulder a soft pat.
"You took so long to come. I thought you had forgotten about me."
Chiya laughed quietly.
"How could I? Things have just been very busy lately."
The two shared a tender moment before Nono pulled him to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.
"Go ahead and tell me. Besides coming to see me, what else brought you here this time?"
She blinked at him with a knowing look.
Chiya did not beat around the bush and asked directly.
"That child, how is he doing?"
Nono paused slightly, then let out a playful pout.
"I knew it. I knew this visit of yours had a purpose."
Chiya smiled without saying a word and pinched her cheek.
Nono shot Chiya a look and pushed his hand away.
"Come on, I will take you to see him."
Nono brought Chiya to the orphanage dining hall.
Then she pointed at a boy quietly eating alone in the corner.
"That is him."
Chiya's gaze settled on Yamato.
Brown hair, a thin frame, a somewhat blank look in his eyes.
But his manner was well-behaved, and compared to the other children, he was exceptionally quiet.
Yamato.
Chiya observed him for a moment and said quietly.
"How is his physical condition?"
Nono let out a sigh.
"He was a bit weak when he first arrived, but he has recovered quite a bit now. Only..."
She paused and lowered her voice.
"He seems a little unusual. Occasionally, he will cause saplings to grow without meaning to."
A trace of satisfaction passed through Chiya's eyes.
'As expected. The Wood Style potential is still there.'
Chiya took out several scrolls from his coat and handed them to Nono.
"These are basic chakra control training methods, along with a few scrolls covering the fundamentals of Wood Style theory. Hand them to him when the time comes!"
Nono took the scrolls, her brow creasing slightly.
"Wood Style scrolls? Only you could get your hands on something like this. But what do these Wood Style scrolls mean, does this child actually have Wood Style?"
Yakushi Nono's eyes went wide.
Chiya nodded.
"Yes. He is a child that Orochimaru cultivated using Hashirama's cells. He is the only survivor among all those children."
As for how the Wood Style scrolls had been obtained, Chiya did not tell her.
After all, those had been exchanged with Lady Tsunade at the cost of his own kidneys.
Absolutely top secret.
"You want to raise him?"
"He has Wood Style. In the future, he may become an important fighting force for Konoha."
Nono looked at him for a long moment and finally let out a sigh.
"I understand. I will raise him the way you want."
Chiya reached out and gently touched her cheek.
"Thank you for the trouble."
Nono held his hand and said softly.
"As long as you come to see me often, what trouble is this?"
Chiya laughed quietly and leaned down to press a light kiss to her cheek.
"I will, do not worry."
"Oh, right. He does not have a name yet..."
"A name? Then let's call him Yamato."
"Yamato?"
Yakushi Nono murmured.
"It is getting late. I will head back for now. I will come by tonight, so remember to leave the door unlocked for me!"
By the time he left the orphanage, the setting sun had fully sunk below the horizon.
Chiya stood at the entrance and looked back at the orphanage. A confident smile curved the corners of his mouth.
"Whether it is Yamato, or Uchiha Shisui...
These are all talented people belonging to Konoha. Since I have such good conditions to work with, talent must be valued!
I, Chiya, will build a Konoha at the absolute peak of its power!"
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