After sending Obito into the Ninja Academy, Chiya turned and left.
Cherry blossoms drifted through the school grounds, and the newly enrolled children played in small groups, the air filled with the energy of youth.
He had just walked out of the school gate when the corner of his eye caught a small figure standing alone under a cherry blossom tree outside the school, isolated and completely out of place with the surrounding liveliness.
It was a little girl of about four or five years old, dressed in a delicate kimono. Her long black hair fell over her slender shoulders, adorned with a few small cherry blossom hair ornaments.
Her skin was fair and pale, her cheeks still carried the roundness of a young child, and her pair of large red eyes looked like clear, transparent rubies. At this moment, however, those eyes were full of unease and grievance.
She kept rising up on her tiptoes to look around, her small hands clutching tightly at the hem of her clothes, as if waiting for someone.
Chiya frowned slightly and walked over, asking gently.
"Little one, why are you here all by yourself?"
The girl heard his voice and timidly raised her head.
She paused when she saw Chiya.
The man in front of her was tall and lean, with a handsome face. His black hair shifted slightly at his forehead, and his deep eyes carried a warm and gentle smile.
She instinctively took half a step back, but still answered in a small voice.
"I... I am waiting for my dad."
"Your dad told you to wait here for him?"
Chiya crouched down, bringing his eyes level with hers, his voice growing even softer.
The girl nodded, her eyes turning slightly red around the edges.
"Dad dropped me off just now, but then said he had an urgent mission, so he told me to wait here. He said he would be right back...
But the enrollment ceremony has already started, and he still has not..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, carrying a faint trace of a sob.
Chiya looked at her on the verge of tears and asked gently.
"What is your father's name? I will see if I can find him for you."
"My father's name is Yūhi Shinku. My name is Yūhi Kurenai..."
She answered quietly.
A flicker of surprise passed through Chiya's eyes.
Yūhi Shinku was an elite jonin of Konoha, skilled in genjutsu, and had performed notably in the Second Shinobi World War.
Not long ago, he had been transferred into Hatake Sakumo's ANBU division and was now an important combat force within ANBU.
He had not expected that his daughter, Yūhi Kurenai, would nearly miss her enrollment because of her father's sudden mission.
Chiya smiled faintly.
"Kurenai, your dad may have had an urgent matter come up suddenly. How about I take you inside to register first?"
Kurenai blinked her large eyes, a little hesitant.
"But... Dad said to wait for him..."
"If you are late, you might miss the class placement, you know."
Chiya deliberately showed a look of concern.
"And if your dad knows you enrolled smoothly, he will definitely be even happier."
"Kurenai, you would not want something to go wrong during class placement, right?"
Kurenai pressed her lips together, as if thinking it over.
She sneaked a glance up at Chiya, her face flushing slightly, and finally gave a small nod.
"...Okay."
"Thank you, big brother!"
Chiya straightened up and began walking at a slow pace.
"Then let's go. I will take you inside."
Kurenai hesitated for a moment, then took small, quick steps to catch up.
Chiya led Kurenai into the school, and the children around them looked over with curious eyes.
Kurenai was a little shy. She lowered her head, and her feet unconsciously drifted a little closer to Chiya's side.
"Don't be nervous."
Chiya noticed her unease and reassured her softly.
"Enrollment is simple. Just fill out a form and pick up your student ID."
Kurenai nodded and asked in a quiet voice.
"Big brother... are you a ninja too?"
"Yes."
"A ninja?!"
Kurenai's eyes went wide with surprise, then she lowered her head again with a little embarrassment.
"S, sorry, I did not know just now..."
Chiya laughed.
"What is there to apologize for?"
Kurenai's face turned a little red. She said nothing more, but kept stealing glances at Chiya.
They arrived at the right place quickly. Chiya took Kurenai to handle the enrollment paperwork.
A teacher who had just come over to handle registration saw that it was Chiya himself bringing Kurenai in, and her attitude was especially warm.
"Clan Head Chiya! I am Arashi, a teacher at the Ninja Academy. And this is?"
"This is Kurenai, the daughter of Jonin Yūhi Shinku. Her father had a sudden matter come up, and I happened to run into her, so I brought her over."
The teacher immediately understood and smiled at Kurenai.
"I see. Welcome to the Academy, Kurenai!"
Kurenai gave a polite bow.
"Thank you, Sensei."
The paperwork had just been finished when a sound of hurried footsteps came from the school gate.
"Kurenai!"
A tall man came striding over quickly. He was wearing ANBU attire, clearly having rushed straight here after just completing a mission.
His gaze swept anxiously around, and only when he saw Kurenai standing safely beside Chiya did he let out a breath of relief.
"Dad!"
Kurenai's eyes lit up and she ran over immediately.
Yūhi Shinku crouched down and pulled his daughter into his arms, his voice full of guilt.
"I am sorry. The mission ran over. Dad came late..."
Kurenai shook her head and said softly.
"It is okay. This big brother already brought me inside."
Only then did Yūhi Shinku notice Chiya standing nearby, a flash of surprise passing through his eyes.
He stood up and gave a respectful bow.
"Clan Head Chiya, thank you for looking after my daughter."
Chiya waved it off and smiled.
"It was nothing at all. Kurenai is very well-behaved, and the enrollment went smoothly."
Yūhi Shinku nodded gratefully, then looked down at Kurenai.
"Kurenai, quickly thank Clan Head Chiya."
Kurenai gave a proper bow.
"Thank you, Clan Head Chiya."
Chiya smiled warmly.
"Go on. Study hard."
Kurenai gave a serious nod and walked with her father toward the classroom.
Just before leaving, she looked back at Chiya one more time, a sweet smile spreading across her face.
Chiya smiled back at her.
He felt a quiet sense of wonder in his heart.
No wonder in his past life some people had called her the most beautiful woman in Konoha.
She was the classic example of someone who was beautiful from childhood all the way to the very end.
After leaving the school, Chiya headed straight back to the Uchiha clan grounds.
He had just reached the entrance of his home when he saw Uchiha Tekkai standing outside the door, clearly having waited for some time.
"Clan Head."
Tekkai bowed respectfully.
Chiya nodded.
"Come in."
The two went inside. After Chiya sat down, Tekkai gave his report.
"Clan Head, Masaki's nephew was born today."
"Oh?"
"Masaki's older brother has a child now?"
"Yes. A boy. They named him..."
Tekkai paused, then carefully spoke the name.
"Uchiha Shisui."
Uchiha Shisui!
Chiya's gaze sharpened and he stood up abruptly.
Uchiha Shisui!
The future genius of the Uchiha Clan.
He had not expected him to be born at this time.
Chiya took a deep breath and pressed down the waves rising in his heart, asking in a steady voice.
"Are the child and mother both safe?"
Tekkai nodded.
"Both mother and child are safe. Masaki said that when the child reaches one month old, he would like to ask the Clan Head to bestow a blessing."
The corner of Chiya's mouth curved upward.
"Of course. This is the future of our Uchiha, after all."
He walked to the window and gazed out at the sky in the distance, his thoughts churning.
Uchiha Shisui. His talent was exceptional.
With proper cultivation, he would become Chiya's right hand.
He was different from Obito.
Obito had been raised by his grandmother from a young age, which left him lacking in family bonds and in need of richer emotional connections.
Shisui, on the other hand, would grow up in a complete family from the beginning. There was no need for that.
In the original story, he had shown maturity and understanding from a very young age.
If that was the case, should he consider beginning to cultivate Shisui from an early age?
[Task triggered: Take Uchiha Shisui as a disciple.
Reward: One random special constitution, including constitution-type Kekkei Genkai.]
The long-absent notification chime sounded suddenly.
That reward!
It made Chiya's heart stir deeply.
A special constitution!
Take the Senju Clan, the Uchiha's "old rivals." They had a special chakra affinity constitution.
Their clan could control their own chakra better and more finely, and their conversion rate was also higher than that of others.
The powerful chakra bursts that Hashirama and Tobirama produced were abilities that came from combining strong physical constitution with chakra usage.
In the original story, the powerful air pressure generated after a chakra burst could shatter walls with ease.
The special constitution of the Uzumaki Clan stood out more in the areas of vitality and physical adaptability.
And of course, there was the added unique advantage of their sealing jutsu.
Otherwise, the Uzumaki Clan would not have become Konoha's jinchuriki hosts.
And then there was Nagato.
Although he was of Uzumaki blood, his situation was somewhat special.
Nagato, who had been chosen by the Sage of Six Paths as the vessel for the Rinnegan, was not only of Uzumaki lineage but also a descendant of the Senju Clan.
Setting aside those two clans, the constitutions of other clans all had their own unique qualities as well.
Take the Hōzuki Clan for instance.
Although the Hydrification Technique was not a Kekkei Genkai, it was still a secret technique built upon a special physical constitution.
And that was not even touching on the constitution-type Kekkei Genkai...
Chiya's expression grew focused and he turned around immediately.
"Send word right away. I will head over to see them shortly!"
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