"I didn't want to upset my loved ones, but I couldn't carry this alone."
― Julie Flygare, Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir

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After the serious talk, the atmosphere gets a little clearer. It's good—better. It's not as serious, and it allows Ren to relax a little. They have about two more hours before the kids are unleashed from school and unto the world, and Tsume and Hana are both free for the moment, too. Ren seizes the occasion.

"I want to do something with the Uchiha compound," she tells Tsume over the tea. She's not very fond of tea in general, but the iced matcha she is nursing is high quality and it shows.

"What exactly?" Tsume asks.

"I'm not sure, that's the problem. The point is, the Uchiha are all dead, and the compound is a big plot of in-village land that's, well. Sasuke and I have been ignoring it for years and it's just there. Collecting dust, and generating loss. I know the Massacre was tragic and all but—we gotta move on, you know? Do something with it. We can't just leave it there."

"Have you asked Sasuke about it?" Tsume asks, and Ren shrugs.

"Whenever I try to talk to him about it, he just tells me he doesn't care and that I can do whatever I want, so I figured I'd draft an idea and then throw it at him," she says. "He tends to get a bit defensive about it, too. I get the impression that he'd be happy if I just bulldozed the place and sold it all."

"There's a lot of artifacts still in the compound, though," Tsume says. "Would you sell them too, or keep them?"

"No idea, for now I'm keeping them in a spider-infested warehouse on-site, and I have no idea," Ren bemoans, hiding her face in her hands. "Precious family heirlooms, history and all, but they're mostly just very good weapons and it's such a shame they're not in circulation and I just—UGH. Tsume-san, do you think I'd be here asking for help if I knew what to do on my own?"

"Fair point."

"Well, what did you want to ask about then?"

"Well, what do I do with the compound?"

"You need to be more specific, I'm afraid," Hana says. "Can't help you in such a broad sense."

"Ughhh. I don't know, should I sell the land, rent it? Make it into a park, some public space? I want something that generates profit. A bit of land for me if I ever want an actual house rather than my cozy apartment, maybe cordon off the shrine, but the rest is free real estate really."

"Well there's definitely an idea," Tsume says thoughtfully. "There are many merchants who are unable to settle in Konoha because of the lack of space, and the Uchiha Compound is in a pretty nice spot. If you play it right, you could even end up creating a second shopping hub in the village."

"Ugh, sometimes I forget that you're a clan head," Hana complains. "But then you do something actually responsible and I have to stop and reconsider for a moment."

Ren splutters. "Just what kind of irresponsible idiot am I in your eyes?!"

"The kind that throws themselves head-first into danger with a devil-may-care attitude about the consequences," Hana snaps back. "Which, honestly, you could cut back on. Save me some stress."

"I can't control the bullshit that gets thrown at me. Also, not what we were talking about," Ren says and coughs into her hand, as embarrassment tints her cheeks pink. She knows she should be more careful, and Hana knows she knows, judging by her smug-yet-exasperated look and Ren would like to steer the conversation back on track, thank you very much. "But we're not talking about me. I need ideas as to what I could do with the compound. Do I just bulldoze it all and then rent out the plots? Do I actually build things? Do I sell the houses? It's been in the village as long as the village has existed. Is it a historical site, or do I just do whatever?"

"It's your land now, do whatever you want with it," Tsume says with a shrug, still amused at Ren's and Hana's antics. "In the end, what happens to the compound is your call, and your elders. But you have no elders—the only two Uchiha left are you and Sasuke, since Itachi's opinion hardly matters anymore. But, here's the thing; I'm hardly someone to ask for planning advice, between the three of us, I struggle with the planning part. You should ask Shikaku or Chōza if you can get a hold of them, especially Chōza, he's been actively expanding the Akimichi restaurant businesses. But I remember Uchiha having an actual small shopping district on the compound, you could start there. Renovate the place instead of bulldozing and rebuilding, and see where it takes you?"

Ren nods, wishing she had a map of the compound on hand. There isn't even one in her flat—she'd have to go into the compound for that, something she hasn't done in years. She's a bit scared to see how the place had fared over the years, but she also figures that, since it has stayed empty for a couple of years now, it could stay like that for a few more months, until the mess with Danzō is more or less resolved.

She finishes her drink, chattering about this and that with Tsume and Hana, and then goes off her own way. She considers going to Genma, but he's probably still asleep—or so Ren hopes, at least, he had looked like he needed it—and she instead decides to wait for the kids to be out of school and spend some time with them, since that's less than two hours away. She could bother Genma late in the night instead, when everyone else is asleep and she has time to explain what would soon be happening.

It felt like a while since she had properly sat down and helped Naruto and Sasuke with their homework, and spent time with together with them, just the three of them (And cats. And spiders. And Kurama, now, too. But pets count as family, so it's fine.)

She goes shopping in the time she has left, then goes about making dinner. Today's menu is Chinese hotpot, so it's more about making the broth and preparing the ingredients, only a few of which needs to be pre-cooked—Ren has so much time that she ends up making noodles by hand. Shinobi reflexes and knife-handling skills are a really great help in the kitchen.

It's messy, but fun, and Ren considers bullying Kurama into doing the dishes, but the fucker turns himself into a real fox and refuses to budge into anything with hands that Ren knows he could have.

She would bully the ancient demon into doing some chores eventually, though, because he is neither a child nor a pet, and ancient chakra construct or no, Ren does not tolerate freeloading.

---

"You're leaving again?" Naruto complains when she puts them to bed. "But you just came home!"

"Hn," Sasuke says, and it's all the agreement he needs to give.

"Sorry kidlets, but there's something I need to do. I promise you, though, that once I'm back I'll be staying much longer."

"Really?!" Naruto jumps up on his top bunk, almost hitting his head on the ceiling. Sasuke hisses, and kicks the mattress above him.

"Be careful, idiot," the younger Uchiha says in a harsh tone, but both Naruto and Ren know he's more worried than annoyed. Sasuke has been practicing his dignifiedly annoyed face for a few years now, and it annoys him to no end that to Ren and Naruto his emotions and moods still read like an open book. "But will you really be staying? No surprise missions?"

"No."

"But you're one of the village's best hunters," Sasuke says. "That's what Hana says."

"Best that are not in ANBU," Ren agrees. "But I will actually be taking an official leave from long term and long distance missions. We need to finally do something with the Uchiha District, you know?"

Sasuke perks up for a moment before forcing disinterest in his face. The district is a Ghost Town and it weighs heavier on him than it does on Ren.

"But why?" Naruto asks.

"Because it's sitting there collecting dust, and it's a good chunk of land in the middle of the village," Kurama says from somewhere on Naruto's bed where Ren can't see.

"Yeah, I've been thinking of renovating it and renting it to merchants and other tenants. So far it's just sitting there, while it could be generating money," Ren shrugs.

"Do whatever you want with it, I don't care," Sasuke says petulantly.

"You sure?"

"That place is full of bad and stupid memories, even before—you know. Before Itachi killed everyone. If you can make it into something else, we can make new memories there."

"I will probably trash the shrines," Ren says.

"Good. Everyone they were important to is dead."

Not everyone, Ren thinks but doesn't say. But everyone who could've lodged a complaint is, so isn't it the same anyway?

"I don't really care about that business stuff," Naruto huffs, and Ren smiles.

"Even if I rent a whole building to Teuchi, so that he can have the actual restaurant that he's always wanted?" she asks cheekily, and he gasps.

"Really?" Naruto all but yells. "He's been wantin' one for forever, but there's never a good place!"

"Indoor voice, idiot," Sasuke hisses, hiding under his blankets. Ren just laughs.

"I would," she says. "And that's why I'll be staying. Doing business is difficult and frustrating, but it'll keep me in the village."

"Will you train us?" Naruto asks, and Sasuke looks at her with a glint in his eye that very loudly proclaims that since Naruto reminded him of it, he will be pestering Ren about it. "Like, I mean, actually train us. Academy don't do nothin' much really. Just the basic stuff and Sasuke and me know the basic stuff."

"Sure, but no jutsu without supervision. Yes, Sasuke, I do mean you specifically."

"Hn," he Uchihas at her.

"Aa," she Uchihas back.

"Hey, hey, is it weird that I can understand you two?" Naruto asks.

"Yes," Kurama grumbles.

---

Deidara and Torune aren't in the apartment when Ren visits this time, but there's a significantly more alive-looking Genma in the kitchen, though he looks like he only woke up sometime in the past hour, and didn't have much will to move just yet. Given the state he was in the day before, it's very understandable.

She watches for a moment as he stands in front of the open fridge, staring at its contents with an offended look on his face. Ren is willing to bet that Deidara and Torune had eaten whatever she'd left in the fridge on her last visit.

"Need help with that?" she asks in amusement, and Genma sighs dramatically.

"Nah I'll just do a stir-fry again," he says. "Coffee?"

"Sure."

He makes his food in peace while Ren sips her coffee, and they keep the mood light but Ren has no illusions that he knows it's serious. She's nonetheless grateful for it.

"I'm going to expose Danzō," Ren says, barely above a whisper. Genma freezes, mouth open and his food forgotten as he stares at her incredulously.

"What."

"I have all the clan heads on high alert, the kids will be left with the Inuzuka, and if we're lucky, he'll be dead by this time next week," she says casually. "Figured I'd tell you."

"Who else knows?" he sighs, putting the chopsticks away and smothering his face in his hands.

"Clan heads only," Ren says. "And whoever they told. But… Yeah."

"Do you have any solid proof?"

"Yes. Enough to get them investigating. Enough for the old fart to sack him—that is, if he has a fucking spine."

Genma looks almost hopeful at that, for reasons unknown to Ren. Most likely he just crossed lines with Danzō, or ROOT, or it was an open secret nobody is willing to act on, especially without proof.

"That I could learn from the briefing," Genma says. "That's not all, is it."

"I already shared it with Tsume, but—Danzō is absolutely the type of person to take the eyes of the Uchiha that died. And use them. Because, um, the sharingan has this ridiculous ability, where you sacrifice one eye and avoid certain death."

"What. That's—That's not good at all. Are you sure he's done it?"

"No, but to check I'd have to open the caskets, see if there are bodies in there at all, and not everyone had eyes, and he'd figure it out, and just—Just, it's entirely too possible that he did it, so be careful. And make sure the others are, too. I don't know who'll be going, Kakashi probably, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, all the strong jounin, just… Please, be careful. All of you. Because I'll be leaving for Joren Falls, and I'll be there, and safe, and you'll be here and dealing with this fucker, and if any of you die because you're solving my problems—"

"Danzō isn't your problem," Genma says decisively, putting his hands on Ren's shoulders from across the table. "That's just selfish. He's not only your problem. He hasn't hurt just you. You don't have to shoulder all of the problems he's caused, because he's been causing problems for everyone, long before you were even born. It's not just your duty to get rid of him. You gave us justification to go after him, where Lord Hokage had given up in his softness and in the name of an old friendship. That's enough. That's more than anyone else was able to do."

"I literally stumbled into it, though."

"Even luck is a skill of sorts. And you survived, didn't you?"

"That was luck, too—If Kakuzu hadn't showed up, I'd be dead. That fucker was jounin-level, and I'm not, and just—Ugh. I wanted to be the one to kill Danzō."

"Wanting all the glory is selfish, too."

"I mean, yeah. But I wanted the satisfaction anyway. I'm not nearly strong enough, though, and I realized I've been slacking off on training."

"Have you?"

"Well, I've been taking a lot of missions instead, secure money for me and the kids. I could've potentially been a Jounin next year if I really pushed myself, and yet here I am, barely a Tokujō and all I have to my name is spiders—"

"Ren," Genma says, snapping her out of her musings. "I know you want to be the best at everything all the time, but it just doesn't work like that."

"I know," she huffs petulantly. "Doesn't make any difference because whenever bullshit like that happens, and I'm unable to do anything, it feels like a personal failing. I hate that. I brought this up, I endangered everyone, and now I can't even fight with them. All I can do is run and hide and for fuck's sake if he does anything to Sasuke or Naruto or Sakura or anyone else, I'll—"

"Ren," Genma chides her again. "They will be fine. You did the best you could do—the Inuzuka will take care of them, and they aren't defenseless either."

"I still worry."

"I know. But trust us, okay?"

Ren takes a deep breath. She'd made this resolve before, already. She had best keep to it.

She doesn't have to shoulder the world alone. It won't burn for it.

"Yeah. I do. I am. Don't die, or I'll be mad."

"I won't. I'll get you Danzō's head, how about that?"

"No need to go that far, but I appreciate the thought."

"Trust me, Ren," Genma chuckles. "You're not the only person that has him on their shitlist."

She knows, always has logically known that. But now, she thinks, she finally understands what that means.

"Yeah, I imagine he's pissed off more than just me."

It gets better after that, somewhat more relaxed. They just sit in the kitchen and talk about everything and nothing, about the daily things, and the little things, and everything else. It's nice.