The next morning, Chiya walked out of Nono's tent.
The early light was faint, and the air still carried a faint smell of blood.
He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the busy camp.
The night before, he had asked Nono about those children. Their names were all fine, but there had been no clue about "Kabuto." Still, he was not in a rush.
'Some things cannot be rushed.'
'In the original story, the name "Kabuto" was given by Yakushi Nono herself. To avoid causing a butterfly effect, Chiya had not told Nono about it, and had not brought up the topic at all.'
Just then, a sound of urgent footsteps came.
A medical ninja jogged quickly up to Chiya, expression tense.
"Chiya-dono, the Suna-nin are attacking Kikyojo again. The front line urgently needs support!"
Chiya nodded, his gaze turning toward the distance.
The Sharingan quietly activated. The distant battlefield reflected in its crimson pupils.
He could clearly see Konoha-nin rushing in that direction. The sounds of battle cries and clashing weapons could faintly be heard.
The brutal atmosphere of war hit him head-on.
"I'll head over now."
Chiya said in a low voice. His figure flashed and vanished from the spot like a dark shadow.
...
Kikyojo Front Line.
Chiya stood on a high piece of ground, looking down over the battlefield below.
The Suna-nin's assault was fierce. Their puppet forces were running rampant across the battlefield. Wind Style jutsu whipped up violent gusts, kicking sheets of sand and dust into the air.
Even so, Konoha's defensive line remained firm.
The Aburame Clan's insect swarms wound around the puppet masters' chakra strings, methodically cutting their puppets off from control.
The Sarutobi Clan's Fire Style ninja and regular Wind Style ninja worked in close coordination. Fire fed by wind formed a roaring sea of flames that pushed the Suna-nin back.
The medical ninja in the rear quickly detoxified and treated the wounded, keeping the fighting strength from dropping.
"Tsunade's formation is quite good."
Chiya murmured to himself, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes.
As the words left his mouth, his figure flashed and he plunged directly into the battlefield.
This time, he did not activate Susano'o. He did not use Fire Style. Armed only with a long blade, high-speed Body Flicker, and the perception of his three-tomoe Sharingan, he cut through the battlefield like a black bolt of lightning.
A flash of blade light swept past. One Suna puppet master had not even had time to react before he was already on the ground.
Chiya's movements were astonishingly fast. The Sharingan allowed him to predict every move the enemy made. Wherever his long blade passed, Suna-nin fell one after another.
His presence was like a sharp knife that tore straight through the Suna formation.
"It's Uchiha Chiya!"
Someone among the Suna-nin cried out in alarm, fear plain in their voice.
"Retreat! Fall back, now!"
The Suna commander saw the situation turning bad and immediately ordered a withdrawal.
Chiya's entry into the fight had completely broken the balance of the battlefield. The Suna-nin's morale collapsed in an instant.
Watching the Suna-nin recede like a tide, Chiya put away his long blade and swept his gaze across the battlefield.
The Konoha-nin were exhausted, but their eyes were full of the joy of victory.
At the same time, one look of awe after another fell on Uchiha Chiya.
Just then.
Chiya's gaze caught a familiar figure. Yakushi Nono.
She was crouching beside a heavily wounded Konoha-nin, both hands glowing with green chakra, treating him with focused concentration.
Chiya walked quietly to her side and did not interrupt.
Only when she finished treating him and the ninja was carried away by his comrades did Nono look up and give Chiya a tired smile.
"Chiya-kun."
Her voice was gentle, but it could not hide the exhaustion beneath it.
Chiya nodded and reached out to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
"Are you tired?"
Nono shook her head. She was just about to speak when a medical ninja came running over and whispered a few words in her ear.
Nono's expression became serious at once. She turned to Chiya and said.
"A few nearby villages were destroyed by the Suna-nin. I don't know if there are any survivors. I have to go check."
Chiya felt a stir in his heart and immediately said.
"I'll go with you."
The two of them went one after the other and arrived quickly.
The destroyed village was in complete ruin.
Houses had collapsed. Charred black beams lay scattered in piles. The air was thick with the smell of burning. Broken tools and bloodstains were scattered across the ground. Here and there, a few bodies that had not yet been buried could still be seen.
A flash of sorrow passed through Nono's eyes. She walked quickly into the ruins, carefully searching for any possible survivors.
Chiya followed behind her. The Sharingan scanned every corner.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a spot beneath a collapsed house. Something was different there.
"Over here!"
Chiya stepped forward quickly. With a single sweep of one hand, chakra condensed into a wind blade and flung the planks pressing down from above aside.
A thin, small figure was curled up in the corner, head covered in blood, already unconscious.
Nono immediately ran over and knelt beside the child.
She gently touched the child's forehead and said softly.
"Don't be afraid. It's alright now."
Her hands began to glow green again, and her medical ninjutsu slowly healed the child's wounds.
Not long after, the child's eyelids trembled faintly and slowly opened.
His gaze was blank, as if everything before him was unfamiliar.
"What is your name?"
Nono asked gently.
The child shook his head, his voice weak.
"I... I don't remember."
A flicker of pity passed through Nono's eyes. She said warmly.
"Then let's call you 'Kabuto.' How does that sound?"
The moment Chiya heard that name, his gaze locked onto the child instantly.
'Kabuto. I've finally found you.'
Chiya looked at the child's confused and innocent face. He knew this was not yet the time to bring up taking him as a disciple.
He walked over to the body of a fallen ninja nearby and removed the hat from his head.
He came back to where he had been standing and looked at the bandage Yakushi Nono had just wrapped around Kabuto's head.
Chiya handed the hat to him.
Kabuto stared at the hat. His eyes drifted, as if his mind had gone somewhere else.
Yakushi Nono felt even more pity for the child in front of her.
She took the hat from his hands and put it on him herself.
"There. Kabuto, from now on, we are your family!"
Hearing the word family, some light returned to his face.
His innocent eyes looked at Yakushi Nono, then turned to look at Uchiha Chiya.
"Yes."
It took him a long time to get that one word out.
Hearing him speak.
A flash of surprised delight crossed Yakushi Nono's eyes.
She had thought that this Kabuto in front of her, after being knocked around so badly, might have lost the ability to speak.
She had not expected he could still talk.
Looking at the obedient and dazed Kabuto before her.
Yakushi Nono felt a heaviness in her heart.
Such a good child, and yet war had torn him apart like this.
How pitiful.
Yakushi Nono gently placed her hand on Kabuto's shoulder and squeezed a warm smile onto her face.
She murmured softly.
"It's alright. We are family from now on. I will protect all of you. Things will be better from here on."
Kabuto's eyes still carried a trace of confusion.
Family...
Chiya noticed that Nono's eyes were glistening, her mood not quite right. He reached out and patted her shoulder.
Nono turned her head and, out of habit, buried herself in Chiya's arms.
The sound of quiet sobbing followed. Chiya felt a warm wetness spread across his chest.
So he tightened the arms holding her a little more.
"War really is cruel."
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