The following morning, just as the first pale light was beginning to touch the horizon, the doors of Konoha Hospital were quietly pushed open.
Chiya walked into the still and quiet hospital lobby, carrying the sleeping child in his arms, with three Uchiha clansmen following behind him.
The faint light of dawn spilled through the windows onto the floor, casting several long shadows.
Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from around the corner of the hallway.
Yakushi Nono was dressed in a nurse's uniform, her short golden hair neatly tucked behind her ears. She held a stack of patient files in her arms and was reading through them with her head lowered.
Her figure looked especially soft in the morning light, as if carrying a trace of purity untouched by the world.
"Chiya-kun?"
Nono looked up, and her gaze locked on to Chiya instantly.
She walked quickly toward him, her voice gentle but unable to hide her delight.
"What brings you here?"
Chiya gave a small smile and looked at her with a warm expression.
"Nono, the Security Force has been busy these past few days. Are things going smoothly for you here?"
Nono's cheeks flushed lightly, and her fingers instinctively tightened around the patient files.
Over these three days, she had thought countless times about going to find Chiya and properly thanking him for everything he had done for her, but she had always worried about disturbing him.
Now that they had run into each other unexpectedly at the hospital, her heart beat a little faster.
"Yes, I really like the atmosphere at Konoha Hospital!"
"And this is."
Her gaze fell on the child in Chiya's arms. Her brow furrowed slightly, and her professional instincts immediately told her something was wrong.
"The Security Force chased down a man in black who was stealing a child last night. We managed to rescue him, but the child's condition is not looking great."
Chiya explained.
"I was hoping you could examine him and check whether he has been injured or given any kind of drug."
Nono's expression turned serious at once.
She reached out and gently touched the child's forehead. She felt a slight fluctuation in body temperature and agreed without hesitation.
"Leave it to me. I will take him for an examination right now."
She turned and gave a few brief instructions to the medical ninja behind her, then took the child from Chiya's arms with careful, gentle hands.
The child's brow furrowed slightly, but he settled back into stillness in her arms very quickly.
"Chiya-kun, please wait with your group in the rest area for now. The examination may take some time."
Nono turned back to tell Chiya, with a faint look of apology in her eyes.
Chiya nodded.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Nono shook her head and showed a small smile.
"This is what I am here for."
With that, she carried the child and walked briskly toward the examination room. Her figure looked especially steady and resolute in the morning light.
"Have you contacted the child's parents?"
Chiya turned his gaze to the Uchiha standing behind him.
"Clan Head, we have already contacted them."
Chiya gave a nod, then looked at the clansman beside him.
"Go and tell the Security Force to compile a report on last night's events. I will be reporting to the Hokage in person shortly."
"Yes, Clan Head!"
That clansman accepted the order and left.
Not long after, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hospital hallway.
A middle-aged couple came rushing in, both of them looking frantic. The woman's eyes were red and swollen. The man had his fists clenched tight, and it was clear neither of them had slept the night before.
"Fuji?!"
The woman called out in a trembling voice, her gaze sweeping anxiously in every direction.
The moment she spotted the distinctive clothing and clan crest of the Uchiha, she rushed straight to Chiya.
"Sir, sir! We are Fuji's parents! How is Fuji right now?"
Fuji was the name of the child who had been taken the night before.
"Do not worry. The child is fine. He may just be a little shaken up. We brought him here today for a full checkup."
Chiya smiled gently, then looked at the two of them with a sincere expression.
"Last night everything happened too suddenly, and we were not certain whether there would be another incident. So we let the child rest at the Security Force for the second half of the night. I am sorry for worrying you both."
Hearing Chiya's words, the two of them were overwhelmed.
The woman's tears poured out instantly. She bent low in a deep bow, her voice breaking.
"As long as the child is safe, that is all that matters. We have to thank you, sir! Thank you for saving my child! If it were not for you, we truly would not have known what to do."
The man also bowed deeply, his voice low and sincere.
"The life-saving grace of the Uchiha is something our whole family will carry in our hearts forever."
Chiya raised his hand slightly in a gesture for them to rise, his tone steady but gentle.
"There is no need for this. Protecting the villagers is the duty of the Security Force."
His manner was neither arrogant nor overly humble. There was no haughty pride, and no deliberate effort to appear modest.
He responded with a natural sense of responsibility.
The medical staff nearby and the villagers who had come to the hospital all stopped and began to talk quietly among themselves.
"The Uchiha clan is really this responsible? Worthy of being Konoha's greatest clan!"
"I heard they gave chase through the whole night before they brought the child back. That must have been so dangerous."
"I always thought they were arrogant. I never expected them to be this dependable when it counts."
Chiya took in every word being said around him, and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly.
'This is exactly the effect I wanted.'
'Danzo, you had better not give up on your Wood Release plan. The more times you try something like this, the higher the Uchiha's reputation will climb.'
'When that time comes, who will be able to stop the Uchiha clan from moving forward?'
Under the respectful and admiring gazes of everyone around them, the Uchiha clansmen standing behind Chiya had their faces flushed red.
Being praised directly to their faces like this was something they had never experienced before.
The Uchiha Security Force had always been known for its sternness.
There was a certain prestige to it, yes, but it had also created an invisible sense of distance between them and others.
Now, as they looked at the feelings openly shown on the faces of the ninjas and civilians around them, something stirred inside them too.
They felt as though the work of the Security Force had truly been recognized.
For young Uchiha who were full of passion and whose hearts were sensitive, this was deeply moving.
'Protecting Konoha. It is all worth it.'
From around a far corner of the hospital, Yakushi Nono watched with a complex look in her eyes, fixed on Chiya, who stood out the most among everyone in the crowd.
"Chiya-kun."
Nono had just brought the child to the examination area and come back.
She had walked in at exactly the right moment to see Chiya speaking with Fuji's parents.
She had long been a skilled intelligence ninja, and had spent years living in a dark and closed-off world.
Now, watching what Chiya was doing, it was like looking at a beam of light.
"Tsunade-sama!"
Just then, voices came from outside.
One by one, the ninjas at the entrance stepped aside to make way.
Tsunade came striding in.
Her white coat traced the proud lines of her figure. The collar was open just slightly, and the delicate lines of her collarbone were faintly visible.
Her long golden hair was loosely tied back into a ponytail, swaying gently with each step she took.
Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, showing her pale forearms.
She held documents in her hand with her brow lightly furrowed. Every step she took carried a powerful presence.
When she happened to glance up and saw Chiya there, she paused for just a moment.
Chiya met her gaze and gave her a quiet, deliberate wink.
A visible flush spread across Tsunade's fair and delicate face.
In that moment, layered over her striking and mature presence, was a flash of girlish shyness.
Tsunade's charm rose up another level entirely.
Tsunade gave a light cough to cover the awkwardness on her face.
She glanced around at the people nearby, then walked quickly to stand in front of Chiya, doing her best to keep her tone cool and indifferent.
"Come to my office with me."