The first sign that I was recovering was that I could walk the following day again. Progress! So, of course, I wanted to take a look around, so I got up and hobbled towards the door.
"Slowly," Minato said, walking with me, acting like an annoying nurse.
"I am going slowly." Which was, of course, true, compared to our usual speed.
"You're already ahead of us," Genta added when we exited the house and reached the road leading deeper into the village.
"Then try to keep up," I said with a grin, and then I almost fell down the stairs, catching my balance at the last moment.
Luckily, my chakra was returning steadily, even if I still had nowhere near my normal reserves. I could feel it moving through my body, but it was still at a snail's pace. As for my eyes, they were another matter. I had been forbidden from activating the Sharingan. Sensei had even threatened to seal my eyelids shut if I tried, and I believed him.
"Renjiro!"
Huh? That call was unfamiliar... Who was it? It was like Kushina, but aged up about... fifty years, and a pack of cigarettes every day. I immediately froze, because I didn't recognize the one who had called for me. When I finally turned, I watched as an elderly woman had spotted me from across the road and walked towards me, completely abandoning whatever she was doing before. I felt threatened all of a sudden, and when the old woman reached me, I couldn't escape anymore. Because I was so slow, she grabbed both of my hands, which felt surprisingly firm, and began to shake them vigorously.
"You are awake!"
"Yes, ma'am," I answered without knowing what to actually say. The fuck was going on?! Who is she?!
"Look at you!" She squeezed my fingers as she continued, "You scared everyone half to death!"
"I'm... sorry?" I asked, feeling lost, and neither Minato nor Genta was any help.
"Don't apologize!" She laughed and immediately slapped my shoulder. Ow! "Thank you." She added next, and I just stared at her blankly. Shouldn't I be saying that? Huh? Eh?! "My grandchildren were on the second transport... They reached the Land of Fire safe and sound," she continued. "Both of them, and my daughter too."
I swallowed, because one person was missing from that list... But I said nothing. It was best not to bring it up, not now... And now, when I think about it, the fact she remained behind means she was part of the fighting. If so, at her age, she probably was someone with ample power over sealing jutsus... Then suddenly hugged me while I was thinking, making me freeze. When she finally stepped away, there were tears in her eyes, and she wiped them in a hurry, not wanting to bring down the mood.
"Don't you dare die after all this, boy."
"I'll try."
"Stay true to that!" She warned me, making me flinch and almost salute.
"Yes, ma'am."
Of course, she gave Minato the same treatment afterward, making him look like he wanted to disappear. Hehehe, perfect! Suffer!
"I will hear a lot about you, I guess, Mister Yellow Flash," she said with a laugh as Minato's eye twitched, and I was about to giggle when she looked at me and called me his Black Thunder. Why am I his? That felt weird! Staaaahp!
Then she walked away laughing, and I waited until she was gone.
"Don't." Minato and I said at the same time, agreeing not to speak about it ever again.
Being on the same page, nodding at the same time, we continued walking, but we only made it about twenty meters when someone else stopped us. This time, a middle-aged man with burns running along one side of his neck approached me. I recognized him vaguely from the barrier terrace, as he had been one of the people feeding chakra into the Uzumaki's protective dome.
"My brother fought on the beach," he said, and I immediately braced myself, but... Phew... Good news! "He survived." My shoulders relaxed at once, and I watched as the man smiled a little. "Lost two fingers, though."
"Ouch."
"It's alright." He waved a hand, shaking ours the next moment. "Thank you. Both of you."
Then another person came. And another. And another. And... It became ridiculous. I couldn't walk ten steps without somebody approaching, wanting to talk, shake my hands, or hug me. When we were surrounded, a few simply called out thanks from across the road, while one man slapped me on the back hard enough that I almost needed hospitalization again. I... I just wanted to take some fresh air! Please, I can't take it!
Haaah... The strangest part was that nobody seemed afraid of me, yet I had been expecting some of that. I mean... This is where I should be now branded as dangerous or something, no? People had watched me create a giant burning sphere, killing dozens upon dozens. If someone did that back on Earth, the reasonable response would have been to call every military organization on the planet and demand my beheading.
Instead, I was given free food, because someone shoved two steamed buns into my hands, out of nowhere. Every time someone thanked me, the cringe around the title they used mattered a little less, but being called the Savior of the Whirlpool was still awful.
Then, suddenly, the red hairs thinned around us, and I noticed that multiple Konoha shinobi were coming down the opposite road, wearing ANBU masks and their grey uniforms. At first, I thought nothing of it, but... Then I noticed the man walking in the middle of the group, and the food fell out of my mouth.
"No fucking way."
"Hm?" Minato flinched, following where I was looking.
When he did, the limping man's one visible eye slowly opened as he took everything in, noticing us just then. What. The. Fuck are you doing here, Danzō Shimura? Just seeing him made my stomach drop, taking away all my appetite. Out of every goddamn person I expected to see walking around Uzushiogakure, he was somewhere below Madara and just barely above fucking Kaguya.
"What the hell...?" I repeated, barely moving my lips.
"You know him?" Genta asked, looking between us.
"Unfortunately," I answered quietly, just as his one eye settled on me.
"No, we don't. Not personally." Minato answered, raising a brow, not getting why I was reacting like this, but being on edge nonetheless.
After whispering something to the ANBU around him, he changed course and began to walk toward us. Oh, lovely... Absolutely fucking lovely. Right when I can't use my Sharingan? And when Jiraiya was nowhere nearby? Okay, relax, Renji. Public street, hundreds of Uzumaki, so Danzō wasn't going to pull me into a sewer to show me how a balloon may float down there.
"Renjiro Uchiha." He said, in that usual, grating voice I remembered.
"Danzō-sama," I answered appropriately while giving him a polite bow.
"Danzō-sama." Minato bowed too, copying me, while Genta's eyebrows rose slightly as he gave the man a simple nod.
"You know of me..." He said simply, making me want to curse, but I kept my face placid.
"I am an Uchiha. Of course I do." I said simply, which made him fall silent for a moment before continuing to speak to me.
"You have recovered quickly.
"I'm hard to keep down," I answered with a smile.
"Hm." His eye moved over me while he gave a noise of assent that, for some reason, made my skin crawl. Stop looking, old man; I'm not ending up in your hands. "You performed exceptionally during the battle."
"Thank you."
"Your actions will be recorded." He continued without acknowledging my words, "I'm afraid it will be handled just like your essay described in your previous examination." Great? So you read it? Should I applaud or something? Stop. Behave, Renji. Behave! While I was holding back, Danzō's gaze shifted toward the harbor. "Even if Uzushiogakure owes much to you."
"To all of us," I corrected him automatically. "Minato was up there too, Jiraiya-sensei and the Uzumaki were holding the beaches, the barrier teams—"
"I am aware." He interrupted me, making me close my mouth and twitch an eye. I glanced past him so my annoyance wouldn't show, and began looking over the masked shinobi he was walking with. Although I was low on energy, it wasn't hard spotting more in hiding all around us, which was probably intentional on their part.
"What are you doing here?" I asked suddenly, and Minato went very still; after all, I was very blunt, and my tone was accusatory. Even Genta slowly turned his head toward me, surprised, but Danzō showed no reaction.
"I am here on behalf of Konoha."
"That doesn't really answer it." I pushed on, earning a nudge from Minato.
"Renji."
"..." Danzō tapped his cane once against the stone, turning towards me, visibly surprised that I was daring to question him. Our ranks were way too out of balance for me to accuse him of anything. Yet... he answered me. "The relocation of an entire shinobi clan is not equivalent to moving civilians after a natural disaster."
"No shit."
Minato elbowed me again, making me sway, yet Danzō ignored my wording.
"There are security concerns that must be addressed." He said, only looking at me, "Personnel records to verify everyone. The transfer of restricted techniques, the Uzumakis' military archives, the dismantling of defensive seals... Not to mention, my people are in charge of the prisoners captured during the battle. Is that enough, young Uchiha?" He asked as he paused.
"So Hiruzen-sama sent you?" I asked, and I noticed how his visible eye sharpened a lot.
"The Hokage is aware of my presence."
You sneaky old bastard... So you weren't ordered to do anything, but you still came, hm? I smiled at that, nodding.
"Right."
"Suspicion is healthy in a shinobi," he said eventually, his eye returning to its normal state, meaning it looked closed. "But suspicion without restraint becomes paranoia... Be careful of that." I almost laughed, because Danzō Shimura, the man whose picture is right beside the word 'paranoia' in the dictionary, had just warned me about it. Was irony a chakra nature? Because this guy had mastered it. "Your Fire Release."
"Yes?" I asked, already smiling, as he continued.
"The reports describe something unlike conventional Uchiha techniques."
"And?" I shrugged. "It was the same I used in the finals, only amped up to its maximum. You all have the basis, or at least, Sensei has it and has shared it with people who need to know about it. The Hokage didn't tell you about it? How... weird." I couldn't help myself from speaking like that, but he didn't even flinch.
"An impressive achievement," Danzō continued after a short pause.
"Thanks."
"Do not become careless with it. Once everyone learns who created it, they will investigate you. Although we will try to keep it under wraps as much as possible, it won't be for long until your name spreads. Then... we may have to meet much more than you think is necessary."
"..." The street suddenly felt colder... Are you trying to say that I will see your face more and more? Wonderful.
"The same applies to your technique." He said, this time, turning towards Minato.
"..."
"Recover while you are able. War rarely provides a second opportunity." He spoke a bit more lightly after that, and then he began walking again, while his escorts followed without a word.
I watched him go, and nobody spoke until they wholly disappeared. Genta was about to say something, but I raised a hand to wait for another minute, making sure we were alone. When Minato nodded, I finally spoke up, almost spitting.
"I hate him."
"That man looked dangerous," Genta blinked, crossing his arms, "Who is he to draw this much anger out of you?"
"Someone your clan has to be careful about," I warned him honestly, making his expression turn much more serious.
"Renji has distrusted Danzō-sama for years." Minato began explaining, only making Genta even more curious.
"Why?"
"Because he's shady as fuck." I snorted.
"..." Minato sighed because he agreed, but would have said more diplomatically. "Renji."
"What? Look at him!" I moaned as I rubbed my face. "Genta, I don't have proof that I can show you, and that's the problem. But I, and all my Clan, don't trust him. Sensei doesn't trust him either."
"Jiraiya?"
"He's never directly told us everything, but..." Minato corrected, "Yes."
Genta looked back toward the corner where Danzō disappeared, this time wholly believing us.
"Why would someone your people don't trust be allowed to handle this relocation?" He asked.
"Excellent fucking question." I chortled, but then Minato quickly added.
"Hiruzen-sama trusts him."
"Tricky..." Genta muttered, pursing his lips while I started pacing.
Danzō wasn't here because he wanted to help Uzumaki families find houses, fuck no, I'm not buying that. The Uzumaki clan was about to move into Konoha carrying perhaps the greatest collection of sealing knowledge left in the world. There has to be something there he wants... Hm... Ancient barriers? Suppression seals? Oh... maybe some Jinchūriki knowledge? Maybe things I didn't even know existed.
"We need to talk to the Hokage," I said suddenly.
"Huh?" Genta stared at me just as weirdly as Minato. "Hiruzen-sama is currently meeting with Ashina-sama, the Uzumaki council, Konoha's logistics commanders, the medical corps, the naval commanders, and probably half the people responsible for moving the clan. You can't just walk into there."
"I know," I muttered, making Minato glance at me.
"Then you know we're not getting an audience, not now."
"I saved the village," I said firmly, gazing directly at Genta. "Take us there... I will bear the burden of interrupting, but... I'm not going to let a one-eyed freak ruin all we achieved here!"