The last light of dusk fell across the corridor of Uchiha territory.
Chiya stood in the courtyard, holding a scroll sealed with the Hokage's fire crest, his brow furrowed slightly.
"A meeting invitation?"
He murmured to himself, a flicker of puzzlement in his eyes.
The village had been quiet lately. No outside threats, no internal disputes. For the Third to suddenly summon representatives from every major clan, what could it be about?
While he was still thinking it over, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard.
"Clan Head."
Uchiha Fugaku walked in quickly, his black hair tied back, his expression composed.
Since becoming a Hokage advisor, his bearing had grown even more measured, but the sharpness in his eyes had not dulled in the slightest.
"Fugaku, you came at the right time."
Chiya held up the scroll.
"Do you know what this meeting is about?"
Fugaku gave a slight nod.
"That is exactly what I came to talk about."
"Sunagakure sent an envoy. They want their ninja who were captured during the war returned to them."
"Returned?"
Chiya raised an eyebrow.
"And how exactly are they planning to ask for that?"
Fugaku shook his head.
"That part is unclear. But the Third's general idea seems to be to simply release them."
Chiya's eyes went cold in an instant.
"So we win the war, and we are still supposed to lower our heads like a defeated nation?"
Fugaku said nothing, but the chill in his eyes made his position clear.
Chiya tucked the scroll away and said evenly.
"Sounds like tonight's meeting is not going to be a quiet one."
Night fell. The meeting room in the Hokage Building was brightly lit.
When Chiya arrived with Mikoto, the heads of the major clans had already begun filing in.
Hyuga Sakusei stood with a stern expression, an elite ninja at his side.
Representatives from the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, and other clans spotted Chiya and came forward one after another to greet him.
Then Hatake Sakumo came in, pushing open the door with an elite ninja in tow.
Compared to the others, Sakumo's manner toward Chiya carried a noticeably warmer familiarity.
Tsunade had come as well.
She sat near the front, her golden hair gleaming brilliantly under the lights.
She caught Chiya's heated gaze and shot him a look.
Her eyes then swept over Mikoto at his side, and a trace of displeasure flashed through them.
Mikoto noticed Tsunade's expression and sensed the coolness in it. She shifted instinctively a little closer to Chiya.
Chiya gave her hand a quiet squeeze and offered her a reassuring look.
He was just about to walk over and greet Tsunade when the meeting room door opened again.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked in, accompanied by Homura, Koharu, and Fugaku.
The room went still immediately.
"Everyone, thank you for waiting."
The Third Hokage settled into the head seat. Smoke drifted up lazily from his pipe, obscuring the lower half of his face and making his expression difficult to read.
"The reason I have gathered you all today is to discuss the matter of the Sunagakure prisoners."
He came straight to the point, his voice steady.
"Sunagakure has sent an envoy expressing a desire for us to return the ninja they lost as prisoners of war."
Silence settled over the room, but Chiya could feel the undercurrent moving beneath the surface.
The Third continued.
"After initial discussions, I believe that as a great nation, Konoha should demonstrate generosity and release these prisoners to promote peace between our two nations."
The words had barely landed.
"Hokage, I object."
Hyuga Sakusei stepped forward.
His chest rose and fell visibly. He was clearly far from calm.
"Sunagakure slaughtered our Konoha-nin during the war. Now that they have lost, they expect to walk away with their prisoners at no cost? Where is there any logic in that in the ninja world?"
His voice rang out firmly. The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.
Homura adjusted his glasses and said in a flat tone.
"Hyuga Clan Head, the war is over. Continuing to hold the prisoners will only inflame tensions."
"Inflame tensions?"
Hyuga Sakusei let out a cold laugh.
"Did Sunagakure give any thought to inflaming tensions when they launched a surprise attack on our borders?"
He looked around the room, raising his voice.
"Everyone, have you forgotten the comrades who died at the hands of Suna-nin?"
Those words cut like a blade, striking deep into many hearts in the room.
Some in attendance furrowed their brows. Others tightened their fists. Even the usually composed members of the Aburame Clan could not help looking up and listening closely.
Chiya leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly on the table, his gaze drifting across the Third.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face remained unreadable, but the flame in his pipe flickered faintly.
Koharu, seeing how things were heading, quickly moved to smooth things over.
"Hyuga Clan Head, we understand how you feel. But Konoha needs time to recover right now. This is not the moment to invite further conflict."
"Recover?"
Hyuga Sakusei laughed out of sheer frustration.
"Will Sunagakure give up on revenge just because we need time to recover? They will only see it as weakness."
The atmosphere in the room grew tighter.
Chiya spoke then.
"The Hyuga Clan Head is right."
His voice was not loud, but every gaze in the room swung toward him.
"War is not something to take lightly. The victor should rightfully receive the spoils."
Chiya rose slowly. His handsome face carried an unusual coldness.
"If Sunagakure wants their people back, fine."
"But they will have to pay a price."
Chiya's words landed like a stone dropping into still water, sending ripples in every direction.
Members of the various clans exchanged glances. Quite a few nodded slightly, clearly in agreement.
The Third's gaze passed through the smoke and settled on Chiya for a long moment.
"Uchiha Clan Head Chiya, what price do you believe Sunagakure should pay?"
The corner of Chiya's mouth curved slightly.
"Simple."
"First, Sunagakure must issue a public apology and formally acknowledge their wrongdoing in starting the war."
"Second, they must compensate Konoha for its losses during the war, including both material goods and payments to the families of the fallen."
"Third."
He paused, and his gaze swept across the room.
"They must cede three border mining sites as reparations for their defeat."
The room erupted.
Cede the mining sites?
That would directly cut into Sunagakure's resource base.
Homura's expression shifted sharply.
"That is impossible. Sunagakure will never agree to that."
Chiya let out a cold laugh.
"Advisor Homura, you are not a Suna-nin. How would you know Sunagakure will not agree?"
Homura's face changed at that.
"Clan Head Chiya, please do not make jokes."
"Make jokes? Handing Sunagakure's captured ninja back unconditionally with open arms, now that is the real joke."
"Clan Head Chiya!!"
Homura slammed a hand on the table.
"Advisor Homura, do not get worked up. Let me finish."
Uchiha Chiya paid the outburst no mind.
His gaze swept calmly across the room.
"If they cannot agree to the terms, then we keep their ninja right where they are until they do."
Homura shot to his feet in agitation.
"That will only enrage Sunagakure and trigger a new war."
"There you go again, Advisor Homura."
Chiya shrugged, and his expression turned serious.
"A new war?"
His eyes sharpened suddenly.
"If Sunagakure dares to start another one, then we fight them again."
"We fight until they no longer have any ambitions left to entertain."
His voice broke across the room like a thunderclap, leaving it ringing.
Tsunade looked at Chiya's profile, and the displeasure in her eyes gradually gave way to something else entirely.
Mikoto gripped the hem of her sleeve tightly, her eyes full of admiration.
The Third was silent for a long while, then finally let out a sigh.
"Everyone, let us vote."
"Those in favor of releasing the prisoners unconditionally, raise your hand."
Homura and Koharu raised their hands immediately. No one else moved.
"Those in favor of the proposal put forward by Clan Head Uchiha and Clan Head Hyuga, raise your hand."
Tsunade raised her hand first. Then the Nara, the Akimichi, the Yamanaka.
Finally, even Aburame Shibi slowly lifted his arm.
The Third looked at the sight before him, and something complicated crossed his eyes.
"Very well. We will proceed according to Clan Head Uchiha's proposal and renegotiate with Sunagakure."
He stood, his voice quiet and heavy.
"Dismissed."
After the meeting ended, the clan heads began making their way out one by one.
Chiya had barely stepped out of the Hokage Building when Tsunade moved to block his path.
"Well, well, Uchiha Clan Head. Quite the showing tonight."
She stood with her arms folded, her expression somewhere between amusement and something harder to name.
Chiya looked her over.
"What, does Lady Tsunade have some objection?"
Tsunade let out a light sound through her nose.
"No objection. But."
Her gaze shifted to Mikoto walking behind Chiya, and there was clear intent in the look.
"Some people certainly know how to pick their moments to stand out."
Mikoto's face went red and she lowered her head, not daring to say a word.
Chiya sighed quietly.
"Tsunade, do not pick on the young ones."
Tsunade snorted.
"Who is picking on her? I am just curious when you started caring so much about your clan's younger members."
Chiya smiled and leaned in close to her ear.
"If you want to know, you can come by my room tonight and I will tell you everything."
Tsunade's face went scarlet in an instant. She drove a fist into his chest.
"You had better watch yourself."
Chiya dodged with a laugh and walked off with Mikoto.
At a distance, Fugaku watched the exchange, a look of quiet thought settling in his eyes.
And at the window of the Hokage's office above, Hiruzen Sarutobi drew silently on his pipe. Smoke drifted around him in slow coils.
His gaze rested on Chiya's direction. His expression was unreadable.