Chapter 361: Unleashing the Search for Energy; The Warmth and Companionship of Family [HN]

After reaching a preliminary cooperation agreement with Black Zetsu, Chiya returned to Konoha with the two girls.

In the early hours of the morning, orders were issued one after another from the Hokage Office.

Under Chiya’s will, Konoha’s massive war machine began redirecting some of its resources toward searching for areas containing special forms of energy.

“Send out more sensory ninja squads. Focus on investigating the borders between the various countries, historical ruins, and areas where Natural Energy is unusually active. Any energy fluctuation that does not belong to the Chakra system, no matter how weak, must be recorded and reported.”

Chiya gave the order to Nara Shikaku and Namikaze Minato standing before him, his tone calm and steady.

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Shikaku calmly accepted the order and immediately began adjusting the mission priorities and personnel assignments in his mind.

Minato remained silent for a moment before adding, “Could we have members skilled in Sealing Jutsu and barrier techniques accompany the teams to ensure their safety during the investigation?”

“Yes.”

Chiya nodded.

“I won’t interfere with the specific process. I only want the results. If Iwagakure or Kumogakure secretly causes trouble, kill them directly!”

Everyone’s expressions became solemn upon hearing this.

“Yes!”

“…”

Chiya’s expression remained serious.

He had naturally thought of the Tailed Beasts.

They were one method of summoning Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

However, Uzumaki Kushina and Nii Yugito were also Jinchūriki.

For the sake of Kaguya, forcing Kushina and Yugito to lose their companions was not something Chiya wanted.

If he wanted to have the best of both worlds, there had to be another way.

After all, there were other forms of energy as well.

He just had to keep searching.

At the same time, a hidden force lurking in the shadows of the Shinobi World also began to move quietly.

Black Zetsu merged with the earth and relied on his instinctive perception of his mother Kaguya’s presence, along with the secret knowledge he had accumulated over a thousand years, to search forgotten corners of the world for locations that might contain enormous amounts of energy or have connections to other dimensions.

Black Zetsu’s search overlapped with Konoha’s objective to some extent, but their motivations were completely different.

Reports marking suspicious areas began quietly flowing into Konoha’s intelligence system through specially encrypted channels.

Time passed quickly.

After dealing with the necessary official duties that morning, the sunlight outside had already become bright.

Chiya closed the last scroll and rubbed his brow.

His mind involuntarily brought up Mirai’s energetic smile and Chimi’s quiet gaze.

For Tsunade and Mikoto, having these two daughters appear suddenly was an unexpected surprise.

For him, after the initial shock, an indescribable emotion had begun to grow in his heart.

They came from a future that had yet to arrive.

In that timeline, he seemed to have crossed into another world and was absent from their lives.

But here, they were alive and standing right before him, showing their dependence on him and their affection for him.

A strong urge to make up for something drove him to put down the seemingly endless work in front of him.

He stood up without disturbing anyone, and his figure quietly disappeared from the office.

At the Uchiha Clan’s private training ground, two graceful figures were sparring.

Mirai’s movements were swift and powerful, her fists cutting through the air as she combined the Monstrous Strength taught by Tsunade with the agility of the Uchiha style of taijutsu in a fairly disciplined manner.

Her high ponytail swung in the sunlight, full of youthful energy.

Chimi, meanwhile, seemed completely at ease.

She did not use that astonishing microscopic control ability.

Relying only on precise taijutsu and the predictive ability of the Sharingan, she easily deflected wave after wave of her sister’s fierce attacks, her black hair fluttering as she moved with an elegant posture.

Chiya appeared silently at the edge of the training ground and leaned against a wooden post as he quietly watched.

His gaze was gentle, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted slightly.

This was exactly how he had imagined his daughters growing up, strong, confident, and supporting one another.

“Wow! Chimi, that’s cheating! We agreed you wouldn’t use the Sharingan!”

Mirai made a fierce lunge, but her younger sister easily sidestepped it, and she shouted angrily.

Chimi stopped moving, the Sharingan in her eyes fading as a faint smile appeared on her face.

“Sister, enemies won’t follow the rules during a battle.”

“That still doesn’t count! Again!”

Mirai refused to accept it and raised her stance, preparing to charge forward again.

“Take a break.”

Chiya’s voice sounded at just the right moment.

The two girls turned around at the same time, and both revealed delighted expressions when they saw him.

“Father!”

Mirai was like a cheerful little bird as she rushed several steps toward Chiya, her eyes shining brightly.

“Why are you here? Are you done with your work?”

Chimi also walked over.

Unlike her sister, she was not as expressive, but there was still obvious warmth in her eyes.

“Father.”

Chiya reached out, instinctively wanting to ruffle Mirai’s hair.

His hand stopped halfway when he looked at the young woman before him who had already grown into a graceful girl.

Mirai, however, voluntarily lowered her head and rubbed the top of her head against his palm like a spoiled kitten.

Chiya’s heart softened.

He gently rubbed her hair before looking at Chimi and asking warmly, “How is your training going?”

“Sister has improved very quickly. Her control over her strength has become more precise.”

Chimi answered softly, not forgetting to say something good about her sister.

Mirai immediately puffed out her chest with an expression that clearly said, “Praise me.”

Chiya could not help laughing.

“Looks like your mother’s special training wasn’t wasted. But Chimi is right. Battles can change in an instant, so awareness and adaptability are equally important.”

He looked at Mirai.

“Your attacks are powerful enough, but sometimes you are too direct, which makes you easy to read. Try incorporating more feints and variations into your attacks.”

Then he looked at Chimi.

“Your observation and prediction are excellent, and your taijutsu foundation is also solid. But when facing overwhelming bursts of strength and speed, you sometimes need to respond more decisively, or use offense to defend.”

The few casual comments he made directly pointed out the subtle weaknesses the two girls currently had in their training.

Mirai and Chimi listened seriously, their eyes filled with thought and trust.

For them, receiving personal guidance from their father was something they had always been happy about.

“Father, could you train with us for a while?”

Mirai made the request expectantly, clasping her hands together.

“Just for a little while!”

Chimi also looked at Chiya with hope in her eyes.

Seeing the longing in his daughters’ eyes, how could Chiya refuse?

He took off his Hokage cloak, revealing the dark casual clothes underneath, and smiled slightly.

“All right.”

He did not use any Ninjutsu or ocular powers.

He simply sparred with his two daughters using taijutsu.

Against Mirai, he exchanged punches with her and guided her to feel the rhythm of generating and withdrawing her strength.

Against Chimi, he exchanged moves with her and allowed her to experience how to make the best judgment more quickly during high speed attacks and defenses.

Sunlight fell across the training ground, stretching the shadows of the three figures.

Sweat flew through the air, accompanied by Mirai’s clear shouts, the occasional muffled grunt when she was struck, and Chimi’s steady breathing.

Chiya moved among them, sometimes blocking and sometimes guiding, with endless patience.

The scene was warm and beautiful.

For Mirai and Chimi, who had traveled through time and space, this brief period of training seemed to fill part of the emptiness they had longed to fill.

For Chiya, it was also a rare moment of relaxation and enjoyment.

Watching his daughters improve little by little under his guidance gave him a sense of satisfaction no less than accomplishing an important strategic objective.

When the training ended, both girls were slightly sweaty.

Chiya looked at his two daughters, their faces flushed but their smiles bright, and his heart softened.

“That’s enough for today. Come on, let’s go home and eat.”

He took the Hokage cloak that Mirai eagerly handed to him, his tone gentle.

“Okay!”

Mirai cheered and naturally hooked one arm around Chiya’s.

Chimi quietly walked on his other side.

Although she did not hold his arm, she stayed very close to him.

When they returned to the residence, Mikoto had already prepared lunch.

The dining room was filled with the enticing aroma of food.

There was an amusingly symmetrical scene in the dining room.

Young Mirai was full of energy as she ran around the table, shouting, “I’m hungry! I’m hungry!”

Tsunade helplessly caught her with a smile and pressed her into a chair.

Young Chimi, meanwhile, quietly sat in the child seat beside Mikoto.

Her bright black eyes curiously examined the dishes covering the table, while her little hands rested properly on the table.

When Tsunade and Mikoto saw Chiya return with their two grown up daughters, both of them smiled.

“You’re back? How did the training go?”

Tsunade asked while tying a bib around little Mirai.

There was a hint of concern in her voice that was difficult to notice.

Although she had initially been overwhelmed by the appearance of these two future daughters, the feeling of being connected by blood could not be faked.

In just a few days, they had already become very close.

“Father taught us so much!”

Mirai excitedly shared what had happened.

At the same time, she naturally walked over to her younger self and teased the innocent little version of herself.

“Hey, little one, were you a good girl today?”

Little Mirai blinked her big eyes as she looked at the older girl who looked very much like her mother.

She began giggling happily.

Chimi walked over to Mikoto and little Chimi and said softly, “Mother, thank you for your hard work.”

Then she lowered her head and looked at her younger self sitting quietly in the child seat.

An extremely gentle light flashed through her eyes as she lightly stroked little Chimi’s hair.

Little Chimi looked up at her.

Perhaps sensing some strange connection, she reached out her little hand and grabbed one of Chimi’s fingers.

Mikoto watched the scene, her eyes becoming slightly moist.

Her heart was filled with immense happiness and a hint of emotion brought on by the strange distortion of time and space.

Chiya looked at the harmonious yet somewhat chaotic scene, and even his usually stern expression softened into a genuine smile.

“Let’s eat.”

He announced.

Lunch was exceptionally warm and lively.

Older Mirai was lively and kept talking about amusing things from the training ground, making everyone laugh.

She also did not forget to place some of her favorite dishes into the younger version of her own bowl.

Older Chimi did not talk much, but she would occasionally add a few words or carefully wipe away a grain of rice from little Chimi’s mouth.

Tsunade looked at her two daughters from different periods of time.

Then she looked at the steady and dependable Chiya beside her.

Her heart was filled with countless emotions, and she could not help reaching under the table and holding Chiya’s hand.

Mikoto did the same, her gentle gaze moving between the two Chimis and Chiya.

She felt that there could be nothing better than this peaceful life.

Chiya felt the warmth in his palm as he looked at his family gathered around the table.

Whether it was Tsunade and Mikoto from this timeline, the daughters who had come from the future, or the young Mirai and young Chimi, they made up his entire world at this moment.

Perhaps he carried the responsibility of protecting the entire Shinobi World and was searching for mysteries related to the origin of the world.

But these ordinary and warm moments spent with his family were the strongest motivation and ultimate destination behind everything he did.

“Father, this is delicious! Try some!”

Mirai placed a piece of grilled fish into Chiya’s bowl.

“Father, have some soup.”

Chimi gently pushed a bowl of miso soup toward him.

Little Mirai also copied them.

She used her spoon to scoop up a piece of food, but half of the potato fell off along the way.

Even so, she still tried her best to bring it over.

“Dad, eat!”

Little Chimi did not say anything, but she quietly watched him with those large eyes that looked remarkably similar to Mikoto’s.

Chiya accepted everything from them one by one, his heart filled with warmth.

“All right. Let’s eat together.”

Sunlight passed through the windows and fell across the dining table, illuminating every face filled with happiness.

The aroma of food and the laughter of his family intertwined into an ordinary yet touching family scene.

For Uchiha Chiya, the warmth and happiness of this moment were worth protecting, no matter what challenges or unknown futures he might face.