As the sun sank in the west, Homura Mitokado dragged his tired body home.
He took off his wooden sandals and was just about to sit down and rest for a moment when a low voice suddenly came from the inner room.
"Homura, you are back."
Homura's whole body went rigid. He snapped his head up and looked toward the inner room.
The person who should have been under house arrest was sitting inside his study.
Half of his face was hidden in the darkness, and his lone eye gleamed with a cold light.
"Danzo?!"
Homura's face filled with shock.
"How are you here? Were you not placed under house arrest?"
Homura lowered his voice and stepped forward quickly.
"The Anbu will come to check on your whereabouts at any time. You actually dared to."
Danzo let out a cold laugh, his voice hoarse.
"A few Anbu are not enough to stop me."
Homura's brow furrowed tightly. He asked with caution.
"What is your purpose in coming to find me?"
Danzo wasted no words and went straight to the point.
"I have a laboratory. It was originally within the Land of Fire, but a while back, due to interference from the Uchiha Clan and Hatake Sakumo, it had to be relocated to the Land of Rain."
He paused, his gaze sharp.
"The people inside that laboratory are the most elite members of Root."
Homura felt even more puzzled.
"Why are you telling me all this?"
Danzo fixed his eyes on him and spoke slowly.
"I need your help."
"What kind of help?"
Danzo reached into his chest and pulled out a scroll, holding it out in front of Homura.
"Deliver this scroll to the laboratory in the Land of Rain and hand it to the person in charge."
Homura did not reach out to take it. He said in a heavy voice.
"Danzo, given your current situation, it is not appropriate for you to get involved in these matters anymore. Hiruzen has explicitly forbidden you from taking part in Root and village affairs."
A cold, grim light flickered in Danzo's lone eye.
"Homura, have you forgotten our original purpose? All of this is for the stability of Konoha."
Homura was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
"Your methods are too extreme. They have already stirred discontent within the village. I cannot help you."
Danzo let out a cold snort.
"Extreme? The Uchiha Clan's influence in the village grows stronger by the day. Hatake Sakumo has openly defied the Hokage. If we keep letting this go on, Konoha will sooner or later be destroyed by their hands."
Homura's brow creased slightly. The prejudice against the Uchiha that sat in his heart was drawn out by Danzo's words.
He did hold a bias against the Uchiha, but Danzo's methods.
There were times he could not bring himself to agree with them either.
He hesitated for a moment and asked.
"What is in the scroll?"
Danzo said plainly.
"Some contingency measures left behind for the experiment. With this, the experiment should be able to hold on for a while longer. Once the experiment succeeds, it will certainly have a bearing on Konoha's future."
Homura stared at Danzo, trying to read something from his expression, but Danzo's face remained cold and unreadable.
In the end, Homura let out a sigh and reached out to take the scroll.
"Just this once."
The corner of Danzo's mouth lifted slightly.
"Rest assured. I will not let you help for nothing."
With that, his figure gradually blurred and dissolved into a puff of smoke, vanishing from where he stood.
Homura stared at the scroll in his hand, his feelings a complicated tangle.
He thought back on everything Danzo had done for Konoha over the years and could not help but feel a faint sense of regret.
The Danzo of old had been one of Konoha's most steadfast guardians.
Even he had thought Danzo was someone who acted with great boldness, someone who would have surely made Konoha even greater in the years to come.
He never expected that after only a few years, a man who had stood as a proud and unyielding guardian of Konoha would end up reduced to this.
If even Danzo had fallen to such a state, would he himself end up the same way one day?
Homura was startled by the thought that had suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Could today's Danzo be tomorrow's him?
Homura's breathing grew slightly rapid.
After a long moment, he finally let out a slow breath and settled himself.
"Perhaps the times have really changed."
Homura murmured in a low, deflated voice, his expression hollow.
The fingers gripping the scroll tightened slightly. Then he tucked it into his chest.
"Danzo, I know you are doing this for Konoha's future too. Do not worry. I will definitely deliver it for you."
Uchiha Training Grounds.
The last rays of the setting sun spread across the surface of the lake, scattering golden ripples of light.
Chiya stood at the edge of the lake with his arms folded, watching Uchiha Mikoto form seals and use Fire Style.
"Fire Style, Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
Mikoto's Sharingan flickered faintly. After forming the seals she opened her mouth and breathed out flames.
The flames instantly gathered in front of her, took the shape of a fire dragon, and shot precisely toward the spot in the center of the lake that Chiya had pointed out to her.
The blazing fire dragon collided with the lake water, churning the surface, sending massive clouds of steam rising into the air.
Chiya nodded from the side and said with approval.
"Not bad. Much more practiced than last time."
Mikoto dropped her stance, and a delighted smile spread across her face.
"It is because Chiya-nii teaches so well."
Chiya walked over and gently ruffled her hair.
This little girl was getting better and better. He had only given her a casual bit of guidance.
Mikoto's cheeks flushed slightly. She said softly.
"I did not want to disappoint Chiya-nii, so I kept working hard."
Chiya felt a warmth in his heart. He took her hand and walked with her to sit by the edge of the lake.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning close together, gazing out at the lake surface still rippling with waves.
"Mikoto, do you have a dream?"
Chiya asked suddenly.
Mikoto paused for a moment and turned to look at Chiya.
The soft light of the setting sun fell across her face, and her expression was so gentle it seemed like it could melt anything.
She said quietly.
"My world is very small. Sometimes, there is only room for Chiya-nii in it."
"So staying by Chiya-nii's side is my dream."
Chiya was briefly stunned, then broke into a smile.
He reached out and put his arm around Mikoto's shoulders, saying in a gentle voice.
"My world is very small too. It just happens to have enough room for you."
'My world is small. Each one can only hold one person.'
'But I have so many worlds.'
Chiya could not help thinking that to himself.
Mikoto's face turned completely red in an instant, her eyes shining with a glow of happiness.
She leaned her head against Chiya's shoulder and murmured softly.
"Chiya-nii, no matter what happens from now on, I will always stay by your side."
Chiya made a quiet sound of acknowledgment, his gaze drifting toward the distant sky.
The sun was slowly sinking in the west, and night was about to fall.
He knew the road ahead might be full of challenges, but with Mikoto, with all of them at his side, he did not feel alone.
"Oh, right."
Mikoto suddenly remembered something and lifted her head.
"Kushina has been studying sealing techniques under Lady Mito lately, so she will not be coming to find us for the next few days."
Chiya nodded.
"The Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques are truly formidable. If she can grasp their essence, she will certainly become an outstanding ninja in the future."
Mikoto smiled softly.
"That is true. Kushina has a lively personality, but she is very serious when she trains."
"So I have to work hard too."
As she said it, Mikoto clenched her small fist, a look of determination settling on her face.
Chiya reached over and pinched her cheek with fond indulgence.
"I believe in Mikoto. You will definitely become a very skilled ninja one day."
Hearing those words, Mikoto's eyes curved into a smile as she looked at Chiya, her face full of happiness.
The breeze drifted softly over the lakeshore, carrying away the weariness of the day and leaving behind quiet warmth.
After the two had sat together for a while, Chiya stood up.
"Let's go, Mikoto. Time to head home."
"Eh? Chiya-nii is going home at this hour. Is there a mission tonight?"
"Of course. The business from this afternoon's office visit still has not had its follow-up. Let's go home and continue."
"The office follow-up?!"
Mikoto recalled what had happened in the afternoon. Once it clicked, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Chiya-nii, you are making fun of Mikoto again. If you keep this up, when you get hungry tonight, I will not cook noodles for you."
"..."