Clone
There was, she thought, a certain beauty to the Shadow Clone jutsu that she wasn't certain Naruto fully appreciated. Oh, to be sure, he had advanced it to levels she couldn't dream of, and his usage of it was so constant as to be almost reflexive. There were undoubtedly depths to the jutsu that she hadn't even scratched the surface of, which he knew better than anyone.
Yet, as she watched Hisana - the real, original, Hisana, pout and walk away... this heady feeling wasn't something he felt, she thought.
Nothing could hurt her - so long as Hisana Prime was intact, her memories and experiences would be preserved, no matter what happened. And, she considered (her smile growing wider), she didn't have to worry about bullshit chakra gods or evil organizations or whatever - she'd long have dissipated by then. No, she had some paperwork and administrative duties, and some sealing practice, and that was it. And if something did ambush the real Hisana... well, she was tough. She'd just trust herself to handle it.
She'd felt this rush of euphoria from her own shadow clones' memories in the past before, and found it mildly annoying at the time. Now, though, experiencing it from the other end, in the moment? This was, perhaps not freedom, but a tiny, tantalizing glimpse of the existence she could have had, if the future was not so mind-numbingly vast and terrifyingly imminent. As it was... Hisana would not, could not, let that future sweep her up in its tide without preparing for it, and her clone could only look at her with pity for having to face it.
And then, with an air of deep satisfaction at the privilege, she let her mind drift away from the future to more pleasant things, like the tenancy reports from her district, as she made her way down the moderately busy streets. A few of the civilians turned to wave at her as she went by, which she returned - even stopping to chat for a bit with old lady Nanako when she greeted her. She felt loose, and giddy, despite the cloudy sky above. Some interaction with the new residents would be good for maintaining relations with the new Uchiha clan once it got established, she rationalized, and a few extra memories of casual conversation from her would do Hisana some good.
Still, even her good mood had its limits, and after a few minutes, she politely excused herself, and continued towards the office of the accountant she'd hired to keep track of the details she couldn't, along with his own assistants. It was a stately building, one of the new constructions that maintained some of the old Uchiha stylings while letting the residents of the district feel like they were living somewhere other than a mass grave.
Shiro wasn't the first, her original selection (more a volunteer, for the aid the Uchiha had given him in times past) having retired a few years ago, but he'd come highly recommended from both his predecessor and the Hokage. Hisana still half-suspected him of reporting to Danzo, and personally checked a random portion of his reports for accuracy from time to time, but at this point, it was more on principle than anything else.
The man looked up as she quietly knocked beside his door, and dipped his head into a respectful bow. "A pleasure to see you once again, Uchiha-sama." She'd requested a less stiff form of address a few times, but he'd hear nothing of it - she was the Lady Uchiha, and to hear him say it, to treat her any less formally than any other clan head would be an insult to her station.
Neither of her original sets of memories had prepared her for this sort of responsibility, but she was the one in the best position to make the new Uchiha clan actually mean something, someday. Sasuke had been... well, flatly incapable, and while she could have simply handed control over the whole thing to the Hokage... being a recognized, active clan head, even of a clan as drastically diminished as the Uchiha, would open doors to her and Sasuke that would otherwise remain closed. So Hisana had once again buckled down, and forced herself to learn the skills that were needed.
She'd originally been amused when she realized that the old Police Force had ruthlessly exploited the Sharingan for paperwork organization, which had lasted right up until she had to do serious bookkeeping of her own. Now, she was just consistently amazed that people without perfect photographic memories were able to keep this sort of thing going at all - the copy eyes just made it so much easier. Shiro was, of course, still better at it then her - memorizing documents only did so much to make up for decades of honed mental skill - but then, that was why she'd hired him in the first place.
She kept smiling, as he expertly flipped through his files to the Uchiha accounts - with her mood as positive as it was, it was impossible to be anything other than content with letting him demonstrate his area of expertise. "Mmm. Most payments are in order, three are left outstanding, I'll note those down for you." Three? A bit above average, but nothing too concerning. Hisana (or another shadow clone, knowing herself) would speak with those tenants later. She nodded for him to continue. "No new news from the administration, but it's been two months since-"
"Since the last groundskeeping sweep, right. It didn't look bad at all on the way in, we've had decent weather. Pencil that in for, hmm, starting the 20th, then? I'll release the funds for the D-Ranks." He flipped through a few more pages, then presented her with the forms to sign, and she let out a deep breath as she slowly began to unwind. Just a few hours paperwork, and maybe sketching out a few fuinjutsu ideas if she had the time? Pure bliss.
AN: Yes, this is a hideously unhealthy coping mechanism, why do you ask?
