Chapter 44: After Dawn

Clang!

Ren casually tossed his somewhat dulled short blade onto the rooftop beside him and let out a long breath. As he turned around, the first rays of dawn broke through the eastern sky.

The fires in Konoha were dying down, leaving behind only faint trails of smoke that drifted lazily over the ruins. Shadows darted back and forth, carrying the bodies of fallen Mist ninja. After a long night, the attack had finally come to an end.

Konoha's ninja had shifted into full counterattack mode once the majority of the villagers had been evacuated to the shelters. Within the hour, the invading forces crumbled, their strongholds outside the village wiped out by morning.

Yet, the village was in shambles, with nearly half of Konoha lying in ruins. Most of the villagers had lost their homes.

Ren sat atop a mostly intact rooftop, taking a brief moment to rest.

"Help us out! The Hokage ordered us to start building shelters on the cliffs beneath the Hokage Monument!" a passing ninja called out to Ren as they rushed by.

Ren ignored the plea, his fingers brushing the back of his waist until they found his flame-patterned mask. He held it up for a few moments, staring at it, before casually tossing it away.

"Why'd you throw that away?"

A voice suddenly spoke beside him. A figure landed lightly next to Ren—Kakashi.

"Senpai, do you plan to stay in the ANBU forever?" Ren asked, his voice calm.

Kakashi seemed surprised by the question. He hesitated for a moment, lost in thought, as if he had never truly considered it.

"Masks like these don't protect anyone," Ren remarked before standing and disappearing in an instant.

Kakashi was left standing alone, his gaze drifting to the discarded mask lying among the ruins. He stared at it, momentarily lost in thought.

"Captain."

The sudden voice snapped Kakashi out of his reverie.

"Yamato, huh."

"The Hokage has summoned us. We need to get going."

"Oh... right."

After calming the villagers, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, returned to the meeting room in the Hokage Tower. He had summoned the heads of Konoha's prominent clans for an emergency gathering.

The leaders of the Hyuga, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans—all major families in Konoha—were present, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, the Hokage's advisors. Danzo Shimura was also in attendance.

Sarutobi sat at the head of the table, his eyes scanning the faces of those gathered in the room.

"Has the Uchiha clan head not arrived yet?"

There was no response. The clan leaders present remained indifferent, not particularly concerned.

Danzo let out a heavy snort.

Before long, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said Sarutobi.

As the door opened, an overwhelming smell of blood filled the room.

Everyone turned to look at the entrance. Uchiha Fugaku walked in, his entire body covered in blood, his clothes torn in numerous places. It was hard to tell whether the blood was his or from others, but the leader of the Uchiha clan appeared in a disheveled and battered state, completely out of place compared to the rest of the room's attendees.

"Apologies," Fugaku said, his voice steady. "The moment I heard the Hokage's summons, I rushed over. I didn't have time to change."

The other clan heads exchanged glances. Hiashi Hyuga and Shikaku Nara observed Fugaku thoughtfully.

Sarutobi looked deeply at Fugaku. "No need to apologize. In fact, I should be thanking you, Fugaku."

"I've heard that last night, the Uchiha clan was on the front lines of the rescue efforts and fought valiantly against the enemy. Many villagers have already told me that they owe their lives to your clan."

Fugaku responded, "It's what any Konoha ninja should do."

The other clan heads were visibly surprised, their gazes shifting between Fugaku and Sarutobi. When their eyes landed on Danzo, they found his expression dark and silent.

Fugaku took his seat, and Sarutobi cleared his throat.

"Our village has suffered a great calamity, and as Hokage, I bear an undeniable responsibility for it. If any of you have grievances, feel free to voice them."

"Hokage-sama, there is no need for that," Shikaku Nara said, speaking up. "No one wanted this to happen. The real culprit here is the Hidden Mist Village. In times like these, Konoha must remain united."

"Shikaku is right," Hiashi Hyuga added in agreement.

The rest of the clan leaders voiced their support.

Sarutobi nodded. "We'll put the matter of the Mist Village aside for now. The reason I've called all of you here is to discuss the rebuilding of the village."

The clan heads were momentarily taken aback, and Fugaku's gaze flickered with interest.

Rebuilding the village was an inevitable necessity. Originally, it would simply involve restoring the buildings as they were, but the fact that the Hokage had specifically summoned them to discuss this issue implied deeper intentions.

The last time such a meeting had been called was after the Nine-Tails attack seven years ago.

And it was during that time that the Uchiha were forced to relocate to the outskirts of Konoha.

"The village has been severely damaged, with nearly half the structures destroyed. Each of your clan's territories has also suffered varying degrees of damage," Sarutobi continued. "There will be a lot of planning involved, and rebuilding will take time. While we wait for construction crews, if any of you have ideas for your clan's land or any adjustments you'd like to make, feel free to raise them. I'll consider them accordingly."

Adjustments? What adjustments could they possibly make? Any adjustments they had wanted to make were already denied by the village long ago.

Hiashi Hyuga thought carefully for a moment, his eyes flickering toward the opposite side of the room where Fugaku sat quietly, not uttering a word.

On the cliffs beneath the Hokage Monument, a temporary settlement had been established with tents for the villagers to stay in.

Ninja were distributing supplies to the villagers, who were lined up in long queues.

However, there weren't enough tents, leaving many people huddled together on the open ground. The atmosphere in the makeshift camp was heavy, with some people crying and others grieving over lost family members.

"There are so many people here," Sasuke muttered, looking at the long lines in front of him with frustration.

He had come with his mother, Mikoto, to get checked at the medical tents. Mikoto had sustained an injury during the previous night's battle, and her abdomen was still sore from a heavy blow.

"There's nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to wait," Mikoto said softly, ruffling Sasuke's hair with a smile.

Ahead, the medical personnel and ninja were overwhelmed by the sheer number of injured people.

"Excuse me, are you from the Uchiha clan?" a man in the line noticed the emblem on Mikoto's clothing and asked.

Mikoto blinked in surprise, then nodded.

Immediately, the man's face lit up, and he called out loudly to the others in the line.

"Everyone, make way! There's an Uchiha here who needs medical attention!"

Mikoto was momentarily stunned, and what shocked her even more was that the people in line, after glancing at her and Sasuke, actually stepped aside to let them through.

The Uchiha were well-known in Konoha, but their reputation was often less than favorable. Mikoto was well aware that many villagers held negative feelings toward the Uchiha.

Yet, now, she found herself being treated with respect and gratitude.

"The Uchiha really saved us last night."

"Yeah, our whole family was saved by them."

"Same with us."

"I saw an Uchiha ninja take down several enemies."

"…"

Murmurs of conversation buzzed around them, and Mikoto couldn't help but feel a shift in the way the villagers were talking about her clan.

"Mom?" Sasuke tugged at Mikoto's sleeve, bringing her back to reality.

Mikoto wanted to refuse the preferential treatment, but seeing the sincerity in the eyes of the villagers, she decided to quietly accept it.

"Let's go," she said, gently pulling Sasuke forward.

"Your rib is only slightly fractured. It'll heal soon," the medical ninja said kindly after examining Mikoto's injuries.

"Thank you," Mikoto replied, though her mind was elsewhere. Thoughts of Fugaku and the possibility of a new future for the Uchiha clan swirled in her head.

"Your injuries are serious and will require consistent treatment," the medical personnel informed Kurenai, who was sitting on a hospital bed. "Fortunately, they were treated in time, so they won't get worse."

Kurenai let out a sigh of relief, thanking the medic.

She touched the bandages wrapped around her body, her expression complicated.

"The hospital has been damaged, so there are no private rooms. You'll need to share this tent with other patients," the medic warned her.

"I don't mind," Kurenai responded with a gentle smile.

"Nai!"

A familiar voice called out from behind her. Kurenai turned to see two familiar figures—Anko and Asuma—rushing toward her.

"Nai!" Asuma asked anxiously, not even stopping to catch his breath. "Are you alright? Where are you hurt? Is it serious? Do you feel any pain? Medic, is she badly injured?"

"Asuma!" Kurenai scolded, shaking her head. "Calm down. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"I... I was just worried about you," Asuma admitted, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Anko smirked from the side. "Looks like you two are flirting."

Asuma flushed with embarrassment.

"Stop with the jokes," Kurenai said calmly, brushing off Anko's comment.

"What happened?" Anko asked, turning serious.

"I was hit by a water-style jutsu during the battle last night," Kurenai explained.

"What?!" Asuma exclaimed, but he quickly quieted down when Kurenai shot him a warning glance.

"The injury is a bit severe, but it just needs time to heal," Kurenai said, her tone light, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Well, at least you made it through," Anko reassured her.

"Yeah, Nai. Just focus on resting and let us know if you need anything," Asuma added.

"Hey, whose jacket is that?" Anko suddenly asked, noticing the men's jacket draped over Kurenai's thin nightgown.

A flash of panic crossed Kurenai's eyes as she quickly answered, "I found it in the chaos last night. I have no idea who it belongs to."

"Ah, I see," Anko and Asuma didn't suspect anything further. Last night had been chaotic, after all.

"By the way, I noticed something strange today," Anko said, changing the subject. "I've been hearing a lot of villagers talking about the Uchiha. They're saying the Uchiha were the heroes last night."

"Maybe they played a big role in the battle," Kurenai mused. The Uchiha's involvement didn't seem to concern her directly—it was just something people were gossiping about.

Asuma, however, seemed thoughtful, noticing the same whispers among the villagers.

"It's so strange," Anko laughed. "Not long ago, people couldn't stand the Uchiha, and now, overnight, they've become the village's saviors. How unpredictable life can be."

As the three continued to chat, they were interrupted by the sound of children's voices from a distance.

"Sister! Sister, there she is!"

The group turned to see a young boy and girl running toward them excitedly, followed closely by their parents.

"It's them," Kurenai smiled warmly as the children approached her bed.

"Sister, are you alright?" the children asked, their faces filled with concern.

"I'm fine. Did you find your parents?" Kurenai asked, gently patting the children's heads.

"Yes!" The children turned and waved enthusiastically at their parents, who approached with gratitude, showering Kurenai with thanks. They asked for her name and address, promising to repay her for saving their children.

Anko and Asuma pieced together what had happened. Kurenai had saved these children last night at great personal cost, resulting in her injuries.

"Sister, where's that brother?" the little girl suddenly asked.

"Brother?" Kurenai paused, her eyes darting toward Anko and Asuma.

"He's not here. He has other things to take care of," Kurenai replied with a soft smile.

"What brother?" Anko asked curiously.

"Oh, last night an ANBU helped us fight off the enemies," Kurenai answered casually. "I wanted to thank him, but I don't know who he is. If I find him, I'll thank him properly, but if not, that's fine too."

"Sister, I asked the brother his name," the little girl said excitedly. "He said his name was Ren!"

"Ren?" Anko and Asuma both froze.

"Ah, he was wearing a mask. I didn't recognize him," Kurenai quickly added.

"But, sister, the brother—" the little girl began, but Kurenai suddenly groaned in pain, cutting her off.

"Nai, what's wrong? Lie down!" Asuma rushed to her side in a panic. "I'll get a doctor!"

"No, no, it's fine," Kurenai stopped him. "I just sat up for too long. I'll be fine if I lie down for a bit."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Asuma asked, still worried.

"Don't bother the medical staff; they're really busy with all the patients right now," Kurenai said softly.

"Alright, if you say so..."

"And you two don't need to stay here with me," Kurenai continued, speaking to Anko and Asuma. "They're still expanding the shelters, right? There's a lot of work that needs to be done. Go help out. I'll be fine here, and if anything happens, I'll call the medical ninjas right away."

Asuma hesitated, but Kurenai had a point, so he eventually nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll head out for now, but we'll come back to see you again soon," Asuma said, flashing a smile. "I can't believe it was Ren who saved you. What a coincidence. I'll ask him to stop by too."

"...Yeah... sure," Kurenai responded with a forced smile.

"Goodbye, sister!"

"See you, sister!"

"Goodbye," Kurenai replied, watching as everyone left.

Before leaving, Anko casually glanced at the men's jacket draped over Kurenai.

"I'll throw this man's jacket away for you. You can wear mine for now, and I'll bring you some toiletries and clothes later," Anko suggested.

"…No… it's fine," Kurenai replied, turning her gaze away. Her hand instinctively clutched the black jacket, refusing the offer. "I just... think it would be a waste to throw it away. I'll try to find the owner where I found it. You can just bring the other stuff."

Anko shrugged. "Alright, whatever you want."

"I'll be back soon, and I'll bring Yugao with me next time to visit you."

"Okay…" Kurenai responded quietly as Anko left as well.

The tent, which served as a makeshift ward, was filled with patients and the constant buzz of people moving around. Lying on her bed, Kurenai seemed to tune out the noise around her. Her gaze was fixed on the tent ceiling as she drifted off into her own thoughts.

He's going to visit... will he really come...?

Her fingers gently brushed the bandages wrapped below her chest, trembling slightly.

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