Chapter 327: Where You Are, You Are One of a Kind; Seeing You Makes All This Hard Work Meaningful [HN]

By evening, Chiya finally finished the day’s affairs and rubbed his slightly aching temples.

Konan seemed to be upset.

She had said she would come a little later, but after looking at the clock, Chiya realized that she still had not arrived.

He closed the scroll and prepared to go see Mikoto.

As soon as he walked out of the Hokage Building, he saw a slender figure leaning against a streetlamp not far away, seemingly waiting for someone.

It was Yūhi Kurenai.

She had changed out of her shinobi uniform and was wearing a simple dark purple outfit.

She looked less sharp and more like a gentle young woman.

When she saw Chiya come out, she immediately straightened and walked toward him with a bright smile.

“Hokage sama!”

“Kurenai? How long have you been here?”

Chiya looked at her.

“Not long.”

Kurenai’s voice became much softer.

“I was waiting for you!~”

Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she looked directly at Chiya.

Suddenly remembering something, she took a beautifully wrapped box from behind her and held it out to him.

“This is Konoha’s most famous three colored dango. They just released a matcha flavor. I heard… I heard you like sweets.”

As she spoke, her cheeks became even redder, but she boldly held the box out in front of Chiya.

Chiya looked at the box of dango, then at Kurenai’s expectant eyes, and did not know how to respond for a moment.

‘This girl’s approach really is aggressive.’

Just then, a white paper crane silently descended from above and landed precisely on Chiya’s outstretched hand.

He had originally intended to take the dango.

The paper crane trembled slightly in his palm before unfolding on its own.

The neat handwriting on it belonged to Konan.

“Chiya nii, by the Naka River. I want to discuss the arrangements for children from the Land of Rain studying in Konoha with you in person. Konan.”

“…”

She had chosen this exact time to come.

Kurenai also saw the note, and the smile on her face froze for a moment.

But she quickly smiled again and directly stuffed the box of dango into Chiya’s arms.

“Hokage sama, take the dango! No matter how busy you are, remember to eat! I’m going to train first!”

Before Chiya could react, she turned around and quickly left.

Chiya looked at the box of dango that had suddenly appeared in his arms, then at the note in his palm inviting him to meet her, and could not help rubbing his forehead with a bitter smile.

The battlefield between these two seemed to be more persistent and unavoidable than he had expected.

He sighed.

He carefully put away the box of dango, then his figure flashed and disappeared from the spot.

A moment later, he appeared beside the Naka River.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the river golden red.

Konan stood alone by the riverbank, the evening breeze blowing through her blue purple hair and clothes.

Her back looked somewhat lonely.

Hearing the movement behind her, she turned around.

When she saw Chiya, a hint of barely noticeable happiness flashed through her eyes.

“You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

Chiya walked to her side and stood beside her, watching the flowing river together with her.

“What happened with the arrangements for the children studying here?”

Konan did not answer immediately.

After a moment of silence, she softly asked, “That Jonin, Yūhi Kurenai… She seems to really like you.”

Chiya rubbed his nose, feeling somewhat awkward.

“Kurenai is an excellent and very determined shinobi…”

“I’m not a child anymore, Chiya nii.”

Konan interrupted him and turned her head, her icy blue eyes seriously looking at him.

“I know that someone as outstanding as you will never lack people who admire you. I also have no right to demand anything from you.”

Her voice was calm, but there was a trace of indescribable vulnerability within it.

“I just… just hope that I am still that special person. I don’t need you to stay by my side all the time, and I don’t need you to publicly acknowledge anything. I only hope that, in your heart, that little corner occupied by paper cranes will not be covered by someone else’s light.”

Her words were honest and humble, making Chiya’s heart tighten slightly.

He remembered that day at the barbecue restaurant.

He remembered how she had asked for nothing except to remain special to him.

Chiya reached out and gently took her slightly cool hand.

Konan’s body trembled slightly, but she did not pull away.

“Konan.”

Chiya looked into her eyes, his tone solemn.

“Where you are, you are one of a kind. No one can take your place.”

Konan gazed at him for a long time.

At last, a faint yet genuine smile appeared on her face, like ice and snow beginning to melt.

She tightened her grip on Chiya’s hand and gently leaned against his shoulder.

“Mm.”

The two of them said nothing more.

They simply leaned against each other quietly and watched the waters of the Naka River carry the glow of the setting sun into the distance.

Warmth and tranquility once again enveloped them, temporarily driving away the disturbances of the outside world and those complicated emotional currents.

For Konan, knowing that she held a special place in his heart and having this brief moment alone with him was enough.

For Chiya, handling these complicated yet sincere emotions perhaps required even more wisdom and patience than governing an entire village.

There was still a long road ahead, but at least at this moment, the sunset beside the Naka River belonged to the two of them.

Konan leaned against Chiya’s shoulder, feeling this rare tranquility and sense of security.

After a long while, she moved slightly and raised her head.

Her voice had returned to its usual calmness, but there was a faint trace of tenderness within it.

“Chiya nii, it’s getting late. You should go keep Mikoto nee company.”

She was always like this, so considerate that it made one’s heart ache.

She had only just gathered the courage to confirm his feelings, yet the first thing she did was urge him to go accompany another woman who was about to give birth.

That restraint and thoughtfulness filled Chiya’s heart with complicated affection and pity.

Chiya lowered his head and looked at her.

He saw the calmness she was desperately maintaining in her icy blue eyes, as well as the faint reluctance hidden deep within them.

He said nothing more.

He simply stretched out his arm and gently pulled her into his embrace.

This embrace was different from their previous quiet closeness.

It carried a clear strength meant to comfort her, warm and steady.

Konan’s body stiffened slightly at first, but she soon relaxed completely.

She gently rested her cheek against his chest and listened to his strong and steady heartbeat, as though she wanted to carve this moment of warmth firmly into her heart.

“Take good care of yourself.”

Chiya spoke softly beside her ear and gently patted her back.

Konan nodded lightly in his arms.

Only then did Chiya slowly release her.

He gave her a gentle smile and turned to leave.

But just as he took his first step, a slightly cool hand with a faint tremble suddenly grabbed his arm from behind.

Chiya stopped and turned back in confusion.

Konan raised her head slightly.

Two obvious blushes had appeared on her cool face and spread all the way to her ears.

It seemed as though she had used all her strength to say what she wanted.

Her icy blue eyes were filled with nervousness, shyness, and a determination that seemed ready to risk everything.

She avoided Chiya’s gaze.

Her voice was so soft that the wind almost carried it away, yet it still clearly reached his ears.

“Tonight… tonight, come find me at my place.”

The words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples through Chiya’s heart.

He instantly understood what Konan meant.

This was not an ordinary invitation.

It was a promise that she was entrusting herself completely to him.

In this era, for a woman like Konan, who was proud and independent at heart, such a decision carried enormous weight.

Chiya looked at her nervous expression, almost as though she had forgotten how to move properly.

The way she tried to remain calm while even her fingertips trembled slightly filled his heart with indescribable tenderness.

He did not answer immediately.

Instead, he raised his hand and gently stroked her soft, smooth blue purple hair.

His movements were slow and gentle, filled with endless reassurance.

His fingertips passed through her hair, and he felt the slight tremble of her body.

He watched her lowered eyelashes and spoke in a deep and certain voice filled with reassuring strength.

“All right. I’ll definitely come.”

Those words were like a promise.

They instantly calmed all the anxiety and uneasiness in Konan’s heart.

Her tense shoulders relaxed, and the hand gripping Chiya’s arm slowly loosened.

Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his sleeve, leaving behind a faint ticklish sensation.

She still did not dare raise her head to look at him.

She only softly replied, “Mm.”

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s, yet it contained all of her trust and anticipation.

Seeing this rare girlish side of Konan, the curve of Chiya’s lips became even gentler.

He did not stay any longer.

After giving her a reassuring look, he turned around.

With several leaps, his figure disappeared into the deepening dusk and headed toward the Uchiha Clan compound.

Only after Chiya’s figure had completely disappeared did Konan slowly raise her head and look in the direction he had left.

She gently let out a breath.

She raised her hand and brushed her fingertips over the hair he had just touched.

It seemed as though the warmth of his palm still remained there.

Her cheeks were still burning, and her heart was beating rapidly.

But the solid feeling that everything had finally been settled, along with her secret anticipation for the night, gradually replaced her earlier panic.

She turned around and faced the shimmering Naka River.

The evening breeze brushed against her heated cheeks.

It also stirred the little boat in her heart that had finally decided to sail toward its one and only harbor.

Today was an extremely special day, and one she looked forward to very much!~

When Chiya arrived at Mikoto’s residence, Uchiha Sosuke was carrying a bowl of warm medicinal soup out of the kitchen.

When he saw Chiya, he merely nodded silently and left the space to the two of them.

Mikoto was half reclining on a soft couch, holding a tiny baby outfit that she was sewing.

The stitches were fine and gentle.

When she saw Chiya enter, a warm smile immediately bloomed across her face, and she put down what she was working on.

“Chiya nii, you’re here.”

“Yeah. How are you feeling today? Is the little one bothering you?”

Chiya naturally sat beside her and placed his hand over her swollen abdomen, feeling the vitality of the life growing inside.

“Very good.”

Mikoto placed her hand over the back of his and smiled with curved eyes.

“It only moves occasionally, as if it’s greeting me.”

Her gaze fell on Chiya’s face.

She keenly noticed a trace of gentleness between his brows that had not completely faded, something different from his usual busy expression.

But she asked nothing.

She simply said gently, “Work must be very busy, right? You don’t have to rush over every day. Grandpa and Miss Shizune are taking care of me, and Kushina and the others will come over after they finish their own work. I’m doing very well.”

Her thoughtfulness softened Chiya’s heart.

He put an arm around Mikoto’s shoulders and let her lean against him.

He gently rested his chin against the top of her head and breathed in the faint fragrance of her hair.

“I wanted to come see you.”

Chiya spoke softly.

“When I see you two, I feel that all this hard work is meaningful.”

Mikoto nestled into his embrace and contentedly closed her eyes.

A peaceful and tranquil atmosphere filled the room.

It seemed completely different from the secret and stirring promise they had made beside the Naka River.

As Chiya held Mikoto, he could not help thinking of Konan.

‘Is that cool and lonely girl preparing for their night with nervousness and anticipation right now?’

He had promised that he would go.

He absolutely would not betray that precious trust and reliance she had placed in him.

He gently tightened his arms and held Mikoto a little closer.

Whether it was the tenderness beside him or the promise waiting for him that night…

They were both precious things he had to protect with all his heart.

As the night deepened, the lights of Konoha gradually came on one after another.

After taking care of Mikoto, Chiya left the room.

With a single flash, he disappeared from the spot.

Within the shadows, Chiya quickly headed toward Konan’s room.