They searched through the wreckage carefully, pulling out what little could be salvaged—some clothes, a few utensils. Altogether, it fit into a single small bag.
As Renji sifted through the debris, his fingers brushed against something. He pulled it free and froze.
It was a family photo.
A man and a woman stood side by side, and between them, a boy of about ten smiled brightly at the camera. The man was slightly overweight, his thinning hair combed neatly, while the woman's kind eyes and gentle smile radiated warmth. And there, in the middle, was Renji himself—grinning wide, cheerful and carefree.
A jolt went through him.
'Wait… I haven't even looked at myself in a mirror since I got here! What a blunder!'
He studied the younger version of himself in the photo, piecing together how his current self must look. The features lined up almost perfectly with his past life.
'It's me… it's basically the same face I had before—except no glasses.'
His grip tightened on the photo.
'Could it be… I was put into an alternate version of myself?'
Teuchi glanced at the photo in Renji's hand, his eyes softening with memory. "Your father was a trader. He used to deal in goods from the Land of Fire, sometimes all the way to Sunagakure. Your mother… she was a kind woman, always looking after children. She volunteered often at the orphanage."
His voice grew heavier as he went on. "When the Third World War ended, your father was quick to restart his trading routes. I tried to dissuade him, but he was stubborn—said he had to provide for his family. Your mother went with him to help. But… apparently, bandits attacked their caravan. Neither of them made it back."
Renji listened intently, absorbing every word. But at that last part, his brow furrowed.
'A caravan? Wait… I thought they were traveling alone. But caravans usually have ninja escorts. Regular bandits wouldn't stand a chance—not even against a genin. So why did they die? Is there more to this story?'
His gaze dropped back to the photograph—his father's round face, his mother's gentle smile, the boy between them grinning without a care.
'Old Renji… I've taken over your life, even if it wasn't my choice. That means I'll take on your problems, too. Whether your family was just unlucky, or whether this was a cover-up… I'll find out. I swear it.'
As the vow formed in his heart, he felt a strange lightness wash over him. As though a weight he hadn't known was there had finally lifted.
'Was that… the lingering regret of the old Renji? Maybe now, he's finally at peace.'
Teuchi exhaled, pulling himself from his thoughts. "Alright. We've got everything we can. Let's head to the Hokage's office—we should hurry before they close."
Renji carefully tucked the photo in with the rest of the salvaged belongings, then followed alongside him.
The Hokage's office was bustling when they arrived. Teuchi handled the conversation with the official at the desk, beginning the compensation process for the destroyed home. Renji stood quietly at his side—until something flickered in his mind-space.
A distinct hairstyle, long black untamed hair, looking like a mane.
'Kurenai.'
His focus sharpened. He studied the energy signature in her hair, committing it to memory for future reference.
Moments later, the girl herself appeared, striding quickly toward the building. Without pause, she leapt to the top floor, vanishing through a window in a hurry.
Renji braced himself to lose her presence—he expected the barriers around the Hokage's office to sever his detection. But to his surprise… nothing changed. Her hair's energy remained clear in his mind, as though no seal or wall stood between them.
'Are there no barriers here? Or maybe barriers can't block my sense. If so, this is much more useful than I imagined!'
Renji focused, brushing his senses lightly across Kurenai's hair within his mind-space. The emotions that bled through struck him—shock, despair, sadness, anger.
'She must have just learned about her father…'
A sigh escaped him, heavy with pity.
'I should really think about doing something for her... Demonic Energy has emotional component to it… Maybe I can find a way to extract the negative feelings, ease her pain. I'll need to test it first.'
Before he could dwell further, her presence shot away—blurring into the distance at blinding speed. Within moments, she had vanished entirely beyond his range.
Renji sighed again, pulling himself back from his mind-space.
By then, Teuchi was wrapping up the discussion at the counter. He approached holding an official-looking document, his expression satisfied. "All done. With this certificate, we can hire a building team. They'll handle the repairs free of charge. If you want any modifications, they'll even try to meet them—so long as they're reasonable."
Renji accepted the paper carefully and tucked it into his bag. "Thank you, Teuchi-san. You've really helped me out."
Teuchi waved it off with a smile. "Don't worry about it. This is only natural. Now then… shall we go look for Ayame? She's probably at the park."
By the time they reached the park, Renji had already sensed Ayame's presence. Her hair shone in his mind-space, bubbling with emotions—satisfaction, pride, playfulness.
He smirked.
'So, she's been bragging about her new hairstyle, huh?'
From the entrance, the scene played out exactly as he expected. Ayame darted from group to group, parading her crown braid. The girls around her looked envious, a few parents sighed in exasperation, while others glanced over with curiosity. Ayame never lingered long—one victim left behind as she targeted the next.
Renji chuckled quietly. 'Got to hand it to her… she's still going strong after hours of this.'
Beside him, Teuchi groaned softly in embarrassment and strode forward. After a few words of gentle chiding for the benefit of the other parents, he scooped Ayame up in his arms.
The girl spotted Renji instantly, her eyes lighting up. "Renji! I had so much fun today! My friends were _so_ envious of my hair! Some of them used to make fun of me for not having a mom, but today—I got to get back at them!"
Her face glowed with unfiltered excitement.
Teuchi's eyes flickered with pain at her words, though he quickly masked it, nodding along to her triumph with a doting smile.
Renji watched her, a quiet ache in his chest.
'It must have been so hard without her mother. And yet… she's still this positive.'
He pushed the thought aside and grinned, joining in on her celebration as they walked home, agreeing with every detail as Ayame chattered about her victories of the day.