Jiraiya's long white hair swayed slightly, a habitual lazy smile on his face.

He waved his hand casually, his tone relaxed.

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned around, saw his disciple, and nodded slightly.

"Jiraiya."

Jiraiya crossed his arms, tilted his head, and asked,

"How is it? Did the sealing go smoothly?"

Jiraiya was outside the barrier, so he wasn't clear about what was happening inside.

Jiraiya had already arrived in Konoha yesterday for his 'research' trip.

After Hiruzen found out, he called him over.

Outside the barrier, as the final safeguard, if the Nine-Tails couldn't be controlled, Jiraiya was to lead the villagers to evacuate.

Hiruzen didn't answer immediately, but remained silent for a moment, then said,

"Let's go, we'll talk in the Hokage's Office."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, understanding.

Since his sensei could still be so calm, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.

The two walked in silence, through the streets of Konoha, finally arriving at the Hokage's Office.

Hiruzen walked to the window, gazing at the portraits of past Hokage hanging on the wall, his eyes deep.

"The Nine-Tails's sealing is complete."

He spoke slowly, his voice low.

Jiraiya leaned against the table, his hands in his sleeves, and smiled.

"Isn't that good for the village? Lady Mito has been tormented by the Nine-Tails for so long; she can finally rest."

"Yes..."

Hiruzen sighed.

"But this sealing almost went wrong."

Jiraiya's smile slightly faded.

"Oh?"

"The Nine-Tails's resistance was more intense than expected, and the sealing jutsu nearly collapsed."

Hiruzen turned around, his gaze solemn.

"If Uchiha Chiye hadn't stepped in, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"Uchiha Chiye?"

Jiraiya frowned.

"He participated in the sealing?"

"Yes."

Hiruzen nodded.

"His Sharingan suppressed the Nine-Tails's Chakra, allowing the sealing to be completed successfully."

Jiraiya was silent for a moment, then grinned.

"Isn't that great then? With his help, the village has one less risk."

Hiruzen looked at him deeply, his tone complex.

"Jiraiya, don't you think...

Uchiha Chiye's power has already surpassed our control?"

Jiraiya's smile gradually faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness.

"Sensei, are you worried about the Uchiha?"

"Not just Uchiha Chiye personally, but the entire Uchiha clan."

Hiruzen said in a deep voice.

"Their prestige is growing higher and higher, even affecting the balance of power in the village.

If this continues..."

Jiraiya sighed, interrupting him.

"Sensei, I only know one thing: Uchiha Chiye, and the Uchiha clan, have not done anything to harm the village to this day."

Hiruzen was startled.

Jiraiya looked him directly in the eyes, his tone firm.

"If they truly wanted to harm the village, they wouldn't have helped seal the Nine-Tails today.

On the contrary, they could have stood by and watched, or even done something amidst the chaos."

Hiruzen was silent for a long time.

He had naturally thought about this.

Hiruzen let out a long sigh, finally slowly closing his eyes.

"...Perhaps, you are right."

Jiraiya shrugged, a cynical smile returning to his face.

"Since things are resolved, I'll be going now; I still need to gather material!"

"Wait, Jiraiya."

Hiruzen suddenly called out to him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you... truly think the Uchiha are not a problem?"

Jiraiya stopped, looked back at him, his tone light yet profound.

"Sensei, instead of suspecting them, perhaps you should consider why the Uchiha have come to this point today."

Clearly, Jiraiya also felt that his sensei and the others' treatment of the Uchiha clan was somewhat biased.

After Jiraiya finished speaking,

He waved his hand and pushed the door open, leaving.

In the Hokage's Office, only Hiruzen remained.

He slowly walked to the portraits of the past Hokage, his gaze lingering on the face of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

"Lord Hashirama... if it were you, what would you do?"

He murmured softly.

...

Uchiha Clan Compound.

Qianye pushed open the door to his home.

"Chiye Ge!"

Uchiha Mikoto heard the movement and immediately ran out from the kitchen.

The warm indoor light shone on her face, carrying unconcealed worry.

"How is it? Is Kushina... alright?"

Qianye smiled slightly, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"Don't worry, the sealing went very smoothly."

Mikoto's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and she let out a long sigh.

"That's great..."

Then, seeing only Qianye had returned, she couldn't help but look outside.

"Then she's now...?"

"She was taken away by Tsunade's Medical Team.

The sealing consumed a lot of her mental energy, so she's probably already home resting by now."

Upon hearing this, Mikoto's tense heart finally relaxed.

Then, she took Qianye's hand and led him to the living room.

"Let's eat first, you must be tired."

As soon as Qianye sat down, his gaze fell upon the food on the table.

A steaming bowl of noodles, and next to it, a small, exquisite cake.

He was momentarily stunned.

"This is...?"

Mikoto stood nearby, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, her eyes filled with a gentle smile.

"Happy Birthday, Chiye Ge."

Qianye froze, then chuckled.

"I even forgot it was my birthday."

Mikoto softly hummed.

"I knew you'd forget, so I specially prepared it."

Qianye looked at her, a warmth welling up in his heart.

He reached out and pulled her to sit beside him.

"Thank you, Mikoto."

Mikoto said softly,

"Hurry and eat, the noodles will get cold."

Qianye picked up his chopsticks, took some noodles, and amidst the rising steam, her gaze was gentle.

"Let's eat together, Mikoto!~"

Qianye, without a word, brought the noodles he had picked up to Mikoto's mouth.

Because it was Qianye's birthday, she had intended to refuse.

But meeting Qianye's gaze, the words of refusal were swallowed, and she opened her mouth.

She ate the noodles.

"Chiye Ge, today is your birthday, I'll just have this one bite, you have to eat all the rest, okay!"

Mikoto was afraid Qianye would keep making her eat.

Then she picked up her own chopsticks and personally fed Qianye.

Qianye ate the noodles Mikoto brought to his mouth, while gazing at her.

At this moment, Mikoto had fully matured.

An oval face complemented by delicate features, her skin like snow.

Her brows and eyes carried the Uchiha clan's unique cool elegance.

Mikoto, now smiling broadly, exuded an inherent gentle grace, tenderness, and consideration.

Her raven-black, long, smooth hair cascaded over her shoulders, adding a touch of classical beauty.

This was the long, straight black hair he had personally nurtured!

Qianye couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, unable to tear his gaze away for a moment.

"Mikoto!~"

"Hmm?"

"Stay tonight!"

Upon hearing this, Mikoto's fair face visibly flushed.

The hand holding the chopsticks even trembled slightly.

"Chiye Ge!~ You always say things like that!~"

But seeing the seriousness on Qianye's face, Mikoto was startled.

Could it be that this time...

Chiye Ge wasn't joking?

Mikoto's breathing quickened slightly, her hands momentarily at a loss, clearly nervous.

"Chiye Ge."

"If you can finish both the longevity noodles and the cake, then... I'll stay!~"

Qianye looked at the small amount of noodles left and the small, exquisite cake, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Mikoto, I'm full. What if I can't eat anymore now?"

Mikoto didn't even think, looking directly at Qianye.

"I can help you eat!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, seeing the smile on Qianye's face, Mikoto immediately realized.

A blush had spread from her face, already reaching behind her ears.

"Chiye Ge, how could you... be so naughty!"

Mikoto covered her face and left the living room, heading to the kitchen.

Qianye watched Mikoto's shy demeanor, then put down his chopsticks.

He walked towards the kitchen.

At this point, what was the point of eating?!

He definitely had to eat something else!!