Chapter 45: Will You Always Be This Good to Me?

In the meeting room, the clan heads had already left, leaving behind Hiruzen, Danzo, and the two Hokage advisors.

"Hiruzen! What exactly are you planning?" Danzo began interrogating him.

"You were present the entire time, weren't you? We're handling the village's reconstruction," Hiruzen replied calmly.

Danzo, still scowling, directly asked, "What are you planning with the Uchiha clan?"

"That's correct," Hiruzen admitted bluntly. "Given the current situation, pushing the Uchiha any further would undoubtedly cause serious harm to Konoha."

Danzo couldn't argue. Hiruzen was speaking the truth.

"Koharu and I agree with Hiruzen's approach. Konoha can't handle any more disturbances right now. If there's a way to ease tensions with the Uchiha, we should take it," Homura Mitokado added, echoing Hiruzen's sentiments.

No one had anticipated an attack from the Hidden Mist Village.

"What did you mean by the land reassignment during the meeting? Are you really considering relocating the Uchiha again?" Danzo pressed.

"Why not? If it can quell their resentment at the root, wouldn't it be a win-win?" Hiruzen countered.

"A cowardly move!" Danzo roared. "Have you forgotten what the Second Hokage said? The Uchiha are a naturally cursed clan!"

"Do you really think you can peacefully coexist with them? Do you truly believe they'll be grateful to you?" Danzo sneered.

Hiruzen, maintaining his calm demeanor, responded, "Do you have a better solution?"

Danzo's breathing hitched as he regained composure, "A temporary appeasement, perhaps. But relocating them would only boost their power and influence. Hiruzen, don't delude yourself into thinking this will bring harmony. Sooner or later, the Uchiha will stab you in the back!"

"Danzo, are you really unaware of what happened last night?" Hiruzen asked.

Danzo frowned.

"In a few days, when public sentiment sets in, you'll realize that the Uchiha are no longer a group you can just handle as you please," Hiruzen said.

Danzo's expression darkened. After a pause, he let out a cold grunt, "I won't let the Uchiha rise unchecked!"

"And we need to thoroughly investigate this Mist Village attack. Hiruzen, you'd better prepare for a potential confrontation with the Mist."

In the Uchiha district, Fugaku stood at a high vantage point, surveying what was once his clan's home. Most of it was now reduced to ruins, with many homes lying in rubble.

The wind blew hard, rustling Fugaku's clothes as he stood there, lost in thought.

"Captain," a clan member approached, standing beside him. "This is the casualty report and the damage assessment of each household." The man handed a scroll to Fugaku.

Fugaku glanced at the scroll. "Casualties?"

The man lowered his head, his voice heavy. "The Hoshino family... their home was destroyed by a jutsu. They didn't make it out in time… Their bodies were found in the rubble."

"Hiroki's family was killed by Mist-nin."

"And… Izumi was also killed."

Fugaku's eyes flickered with emotion. "Have you seen Itachi?"

"…No. But other clan members said they saw him near Izumi's body for a while," the man replied.

Fugaku took the scroll but didn't look at it. His gaze wandered over the destroyed district below.

"Hachidai," he said softly.

"If we were to rebel, how many of our clan members do you think would die?"

Uchiha Hachidai was silent for a moment. "Probably… too many to count."

"Too many…" Fugaku sighed. "When you see these casualty reports and when you stand over the corpses of our kin, can you still be as resolute and cold-hearted as before?"

"A military coup is easy to talk about," Fugaku continued with a bitter smile. "But being the clan head comes with far too many burdens."

"Captain…" Hachidai looked at Fugaku, unsure of how to comfort him.

He could somewhat understand Fugaku's position. As the head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku had no choice but to navigate the desires of his people.

The rebellion wasn't something Fugaku had truly wanted, but he found himself unable to stop it.

"Hachidai, I now see another path," Fugaku said suddenly. "A path different from before. One that the clan may not agree with."

"Captain?" Hachidai asked, puzzled.

"I tried to negotiate with them before, but the village refused to make any concessions or changes," Fugaku explained. "But after last night's events, the Hokage has finally opened that door for me."

"You mean… the Hokage is extending an olive branch to us?" Hachidai asked, surprised.

"Perhaps it's more of an attempt to appease us, given how vulnerable Konoha is right now. They're wary of our power," Fugaku said.

"This is a rare opportunity. If we seize it, we can turn the page on everything that's happened."

"What should we do next?" Hachidai asked.

"Nothing," Fugaku replied with a shake of his head. "We just need to wait."

"Wait?"

"Wait until the villagers raise us to the status of heroes."

Hachidai thought for a moment and then nodded. "Understood. I'll arrange for people to spread the word."

Fugaku remained silent, his gaze fixed on the remains of his district.

The Uchiha will be reborn from these ashes…

As Ren left the Hokage's office, he bumped into Itachi.

"Looking for the Hokage?" Ren asked.

"I'm here for you," Itachi responded coldly, his eyes locked onto Ren.

There was no trace of kindness in Itachi's gaze.

"The plan went smoothly," Ren said casually. "Last night's events will allow the Uchiha to escape their current predicament. Soon, everything will be resolved."

"Izumi is dead," Itachi said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Ren's eyes flickered slightly. "Who is Izumi?"

Itachi's gaze turned even colder.

"Your friend?" Ren asked, still calm.

"She was killed by Mist-nin," Itachi said, his voice trembling as he tried to suppress his emotions.

"Is that so? What a pity," Ren replied indifferently.

Itachi finally snapped. He grabbed Ren by the collar, his face contorting with rage.

"Didn't you say you were going to save the Uchiha?!"

"I did. And I did save them," Ren said calmly, showing no fear as Itachi gripped his collar.

"Then why did Izumi have to die?!" Itachi growled.

"Was she the only one who died?" Ren asked, his tone cold. "Do you know how many people died last night?"

"Even your mother was injured. If I hadn't intervened, you'd be even more distraught right now."

"When you agreed to this plan, didn't you consider that people might die?"

Ren's expression remained indifferent, as if Itachi's outburst was nothing more than a trivial spectacle.

"I don't care about anyone else! I only wanted the Uchiha to be safe!" Itachi's voice was almost a scream.

"Nothing is ever that simple," Ren scoffed. "You knew that provoking the Mist-nin would result in casualties, yet you thought it was fine as long as other lives were sacrificed for the Uchiha."

"Why should you be exempt from tragedy?"

"You bastard!" Itachi's grip tightened, his anger boiling over.

"Yes, it was me," Ren said coldly. "I'm the one responsible for all of this."

"But are your hands clean?"

Itachi froze, his anger giving way to a moment of clarity.

"Is there any better outcome than this?" Ren asked calmly. "Did you think there would be no deaths in a coup? Wouldn't those who die then be people close to you?"

"Do you think fighting your comrades would be a more honorable way to die than fighting the Mist-nin?"

"Do you really believe the Uchiha rebellion would have succeeded?"

"…"

Itachi couldn't respond. His anger had turned to silence, and he found himself unable to utter a single word of accusation.

Because he, too, was one of the culprits.

"Itachi, you should be thanking me," Ren continued, his tone steady.

"Thank you?" Itachi stared coldly at him, the meaning behind his gaze clear.

"Do you even realize what the outcome would have been without me?" Ren asked calmly.

"…"

"Shisui would have been killed by the higher-ups, and his eyes would have been taken."

"Before his death, he would have entrusted everything to you. And then, what would you have done?"

"…"

No answer.

"Shisui valued the village above all else. He didn't want the Uchiha to bear the burden of shame. How would you have fulfilled his final wishes?"

"You would have tried to negotiate with the higher-ups, only to hear the same excuses—that the Uchiha brought this on themselves and were given every opportunity."

"You'd go to your father, only to find that he, too, was stubborn, walking a path toward destruction. Then you would realize just how narrow-minded the clan you once took pride in truly was."

"Village, family, friends… What would you have chosen?"

"You think reality is harsh now, but you've never experienced true hell."

Each of Ren's words hit Itachi like a heavy blow, striking directly at his heart. The hand gripping Ren's collar began to loosen, pale and trembling. Ren calmly pried Itachi's hand off, one finger at a time, before smoothing down his collar.

"Be grateful to me, Itachi. At the very least…"

"I've ensured that your parents, your brother, and your friends are still alive."

Ren gave Itachi one last glance before walking past him and leaving. Itachi stood there, motionless, his head bowed, his face shrouded in shadow.

…

That evening.

Ren returned home.

His house had been spared during the attack, so he didn't have to cram into the shelter tents with the others. However, the same couldn't be said for the house next door, where Tenten lived. The two-story building had collapsed entirely, reduced to rubble, awaiting reconstruction.

After taking a shower and changing out of his blood-soaked combat gear, Ren was just about to grab a bite to eat when a knock echoed through the door.

He opened it to find Asuma standing there, holding a bag.

"Hey, Ren," Asuma greeted with a smile. "Let's go visit Kurenai. You know she's injured, right? You were the one who saved her last night, weren't you?"

"Kurenai doesn't know it was you who saved her. She wants to thank you properly."

Asuma said this all in one breath, but Ren merely glanced at him indifferently.

"Not interested."

Bang!

The door slammed shut, leaving Asuma standing there, his smile frozen in place.

He stared at the closed door, a bit taken aback.

"What's with him? He wasn't this cold before…"

Muttering to himself, Asuma turned around and left, full of confusion.

Ren, inside, didn't give a second thought to Asuma's reaction. He pulled out a cup of instant noodles, preparing to make it his dinner for the night.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of knocking echoed again.

Ren frowned slightly, thinking that Asuma must be persistent.

He walked back to the door, opened it—and instead of Asuma, a small, lively girl with twin buns stood there.

"Ren-nii," Tenten said, looking up at him.

"Why are you here?" Ren asked.

"The shelter's too chaotic. I don't want to stay there," Tenten pouted.

"It's lively enough there. People are singing and dancing," Ren remarked, referring to the entertainment the people in the shelter had organized to lift their spirits.

"I don't like it," Tenten said, walking into the room without waiting for an invitation.

Ren closed the door.

"And the food there is terrible," Tenten complained, casually sitting on Ren's bed, completely at ease.

"The relief supplies from the Daimyo won't arrive until the day after tomorrow," Ren said, sitting down in a chair across from her.

"And you're going to be a ninja someday. What's a little discomfort? You probably don't even know the things I ate on the battlefield," Ren added.

"I don't want to know!" Tenten made a face.

"Does your mom know you're here?" Ren asked.

"Yeah, I told her I'd be staying with you tonight," Tenten replied, her gaze wandering around the room nonchalantly.

"…"

"Are you really going to eat instant noodles?" Tenten asked, seeing the cup in his hand.

"Mm-hmm."

"Make me some food," Tenten said, tugging at Ren's arm and pouting playfully.

"Too lazy to cook," Ren replied.

Tenten, annoyed, let go of his arm with a huff.

"Hmph! You're mean! Fine, I'm going to take a bath. Find me something to wear," she said, crossing her arms and turning her head away in mock anger.

"I don't have clothes for you. Just wear what you have on," Ren replied.

"They're dirty."

"Then don't wear anything."

"…"

Tenten's face turned bright red, and she sat there silently.

With a sigh, Ren got up and went to the closet, pulling out a shirt and some pants. He tossed them onto the bed.

"By the way, didn't you forget to return the clothes I lent you last time?" Ren asked suddenly.

"Did I? I… forgot," Tenten stammered, her tone betraying her nerves.

"Whatever. Go take your bath," Ren said.

"Okay…" Tenten quickly grabbed the clothes and hurried into the bathroom.

The sound of running water filled the room as Ren lay on his bed, staring out the window. The night sky outside was a deep navy, dotted with twinkling stars. Inside, the soft light from the room mixed with the constant flow of water, creating a strange balance of noise and tranquility, making the space feel like its own little world, isolated from the chaos outside.

After a while, the water stopped.

Tenten came out wearing Ren's oversized clothes, her hair still damp. She noticed an empty cup of noodles on the table, along with a plate holding a sandwich. The stove was also out, indicating that someone had used it recently.

She looked over at Ren, who was now lying on the bed, his eyes gazing out the window.

"There's milk in the fridge if you want some," Ren said.

A smile spread across Tenten's face as she climbed onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Ren's neck.

"Ren-nii, you're so good to me," she said.

Ren lifted her up with one hand and set her down on the floor.

"Go eat. Then get some sleep."

"Hehe."

Tenten rested her chin on her hands, lying at the edge of the bed, watching Ren quietly.

"Ren-nii."

"Hmm?"

"Will you always be this good to me?"

"Nope. You're out of here tomorrow."

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