Coming to the top of the stairs, Shizune quickly opened the door to the Hokage's office, stepped inside and looked around the room at the group of three shinobi as she tried her best to put on a small, believable smile.
"Lady Tsunade will be with you all shortly. I apologize for the delay but we certainly didn't expect anyone else to arrive at the village so late and especially not you guys." She stated as she looked to the group, more specifically Tokuma, as he leaned up against the wall closest to the door she had just entered.
"Thank you Miss Shizune, but there is no need to apologize. It's late and if it wouldn't have been for the circumstances at hand, I would have suggested waiting until tomorrow, but I figured this would be best done tonight." He replied as he looked over at their captive who now a short-sleeved version of Konoha's blue shinobi uniform to change him out of the tattered clothing they originally found him in and help disguise his presence; his bandages once again wrapping from beneath his sleeves all the way down to his hands which, as a precaution, remained shackled behind his back as he sat quietly on a backless chair in front of Tsunade's desk, staring at the ground.
It had been two days since they subdued the boy from the Hidden Stone and started their journey back to Konoha, and although he had allowed Kisa to heal Akito enough so that he would not die from his injuries, he was still banged up and quite tired. This was intentionally done on Tokuma's suggestion to keep him from changing his mind and attacking the group despite Kisa's objection, though ultimately it was Akito who agreed to voluntarily remain in his weakened state, especially after hearing Tokuma's concern over the boy's curse mark.
"I understand. In all honesty it's what we get for trying to close up shop early for once." She replied as her eyes shifted over to Akito for a moment as the late afternoon sun bathed his bruised face before shifting on to Kisa who,much to her surprise, was standing against the wall across the room, although her eyes remained locked to him at all times in deep thought. Neither she nor Akito had said a single word since they arrived and while she understood the grave nature of what was happening she found the silence deafening.
"Would either of you like something to drink? Water, tea… maybe something alcoholic?" She questioned jokingly to liven the mood as Tokuma shook his head and Kisa looked up to her, formed a soft smile and did the same.
"No thank you, Shizune. I'm alright." She replied, bringing Shizune to bite the inside of her lip for a moment before turning her attention to Akito. She knew that offering a prisoner something like this was typically taboo, but being that this prisoner in specific was someone that had long been apart of Konoha's community, she thought it acceptable to ask.
"Akito?" She inquired, though just like the others the boy shook his head and declined, causing Kisa to bite her lip as she rubbed her arms uncomfortably.
"I'm alright." He replied somberly, though Kisa knew better than to believe that this was the truth. They had been marching non-stop for the past few days in order to make it back here before anyone else hunting Ibaraki could catch up to them with few stops, and with how injured and drained he had been she knew he was likely in need.
Ever since they first found Akito back in Kinzoku Town she had been keeping an eye on him to make sure he stayed safe, watching as he purposely kept himself secluded from the group, avoiding conversation and eye contact as much as he could, and even refusing to eat and drink when allowed.
She understood why; the things that he was accused of were severe and if not vindicated could result in serious trouble, not only for himself but for Iwa, but that didn't make her any less concerned and it certainly didn't keep her from secretly yearning to alleviate some of the fear and anxiety she saw in his eyes.
However, as much as she wanted to sit beside him and tell him it was going to be okay, she could not. Tokuma may have agreed to allowing her to take care of him and keep him calm, but deep inside she knew he was hesitant to do so and, even worse, was again questioning her loyalty, forcing her to stave off the almost overwhelming desire to talk to him as the friend he once was; to pick up where they had left off all those months ago, though if she was being honest with herself, she wasn't quite sure what there was left to pick up.
This was not the time to be worrying about where they stood with one another, but she couldn't seem to keep herself from doing just that. She had been stressing over what damage her unintentional attempt on his life would have on their relationship since way back when he was first taken from her, always leading her to hope and pray that he would forgive her, but now, with him right here beside her once again, it all felt too up to chance.
She had only been able to share a few exchanges of words with him over the past few days, all of which seemed to be rather neutral or friendly, and from the look on his face when he first saw that it was her he was fighting she knew he was concerned about her well being, but did that mean he didn't hate her after all? If so, what did he feel? Hurt? That would be just as bad as if he hated her; for her to know that she had caused him such hurt, or atleast, more than she already had by attempting to leave him behind.
Watching the brief exchange between the two, Shizune formed a small, discreet grin on her lips and crossed her arms. It seemed that the two still shared some sort of connection to one another even after everything that had happened, and to her that was quite amazing, even if they didn't quite see it.
"Well if you need anything please ask." She replied as she looked back at Kisa, gave her a reassuring smile and then turned her attention to Tokuma.
"So I know that Takao has gone to get Lady Tsunade, but where are the other two members of your team, Koji and Tamiko?" She questioned as Tokuma crossed his arms and shook his head.
"Tamiko had some business to attend too with her clan and as for Koji, well, I asked him to skip out on the briefing. Ever since we came across our guest here he's been… irritating." He replied as Kisa scowled. Koji hadn't just been irritating, he had been completely unbearable to the point where she had bumped heads with him more than once on their two day journey home, constantly threatening Akito in a way that reminded her of how Jun had treated him, and she didn't like it.
"Ah, well. Koji's always been hotheaded, you know that." She replied as she shifted her questions towards their journey north to Kinzoku Town, allowing Kisa an opportunity to move a bit closer to Akito without Tokuma's direct attention, though he continued to watch her occasionally regardless.
"You can have a drink if you need one, Akito. It's okay." She stated as she came to a stop in front of him and continued to nervously rubbed her arms with worry, but he again shook his head, lifting it up just enough to look at her through his hair as his lips formed an almost invisible smile.
"I'm alright, Kisa. I'm not a guest here anymore… I'm a prisoner. I attacked you, Tokuma and the others… I deserve to be." He stated as his eyes drifted solemnly down momentarily before darting back up with a renewed smile.
"But… thank you for watching out for me, even after what happened. Without you I... I don't think I would still be alive." He stated, again questioning her inner beliefs about how he felt towards her as her hand reached up and subconsciously grabbed his necklace. Did he really believe he deserved to be there?
Sure, he attacked them, but it was out of necessity more than anything. They followed him and tried to capture him by force without understanding what exactly he had gone through, similar to what had happened with Raigetsu months prior, leading her to believe he would have done the same thing in his shoes. Was this why he deserved to be in chains or was it something else?
"Akito… everything is going to be okay. You know that, right? Lady Tsunade is going to understand whatever it is that happened, just like I do. I know you better than to think you would just kill these people, there had to be a reason… and Tsunade will see that too." She said softly with concern in her voice, again bringing the boy's vision to connect with hers once again.
"I hope so." He replied as the two stared into one another's eyes for a moment before turning with the others towards the office door as it opened, allowing the Hokage, Takao and two other Konoha shinobi to enter the office without a single word.
Coming to a stop just short of the door as one of her two guards closed it, Tsunade's eyes immediately descended down onto the boy in the chair; their eyes locking to one another's briefly before he abruptly turned forward and looked back down at his feet in shame. Seeing this the Hokage continued forward towards the boy and made her way between him and the desk, standing there silently for a moment or two before speaking.
"Akito." She said in the hope that he would look at her, though after a few seconds of silence she spoke again, this time giving a more direct command as Takao made his way to Kisa's side. From this angle she could see what Takao had mentioned about the boy now being cursed as well, the mark for which stuck a tiny bit out from beneath both his hair and the collar on the shirt he was wearing.
"Look at me, Akito." The Hokage said in a stern yet soft tone, bringing him to slowly shake his head.
"I don't deserve to, Madam Hokage." He replied as Tsunade's eyes widened a bit in shock, both at his demeanor as well as the fact that he had addressed her as madam; a clear deviation from the appropriate yet lax way he had always addressed her in the past. He had always been humble, but this was not the Akito she had known all this time, and much like Kisa she didn't like it.
Looking to break him of this unusual behavior, the Hokage reached out to his face with her hand and gently took his chin with her hand, softly forcing his head up to look at her with little resistance, allowing her to gaze into his eyes without hindrance. The bruises across his face and the large one in particular around his left eye made it clear that he was hurt, but what she could see in his eyes was that the wounds ran much deeper than his skin.
Taking a deep yet quiet breath, the Hokage gently allowed his head to lower to a neutral position before turning and walking to her chair behind the desk, all while placing her hands behind her back in thought as she looked over at one of her guards.
"Unbind him." She instructed, instantly causing the shinobi to widen his eyes in surprise.
"Madam Hokage, I understand that this man is someone you know, but given the circumstances I'm not sure that is the best course of action. If something happens-" He began to protest as the Hokage stopped in her tracks and turned towards the shinobi objecting to her instruction with a slightly irritated stare.
"You may not understand Akito's history here in Konoha but I assure you he is no threat to the village, let alone to me. However, if you are afraid of someone like him, you can leave." She replied, prompting the shinobi to shake his head.
"N-No Madam Hokage, please forgive me." He stated as he quickly did as he was asked, moving to behind the boy and kneeling down to unchain him as Tsunade came to her chair. Sitting down and placing her hands together as Akito pulled his hands to his lap and rubbed the palm of his left hand, the mouth on which had sealed up due to the lack of chakra flow to it over the last few days.
"Thank you, Madam Hokage." The boy stated quietly as he finished rubbing his hand and looked back up to her sheepishly, causing her to laugh under her breath at his continued pleasantries.
"You know better than to call me that, Akito; trouble or not. Now, as for the reason you are here... Takao has informed me that you are the mysterious ninja known as Ibaraki. Is that true?" She questioned, to which Akito slowly nodded.
"Yes." The replied as the Hokage shifted her head to lean towards her opposite shoulder.
"Then you are already aware of the mess you created in Ame due to your actions, then. I have to warn you that several of the villages including Ame all believe this was the work of the Akatsuki." She stated as her eyes drifted to Tokuma and then to Kisa before returning to Akito.
"I know you well enough to believe that is not the case, but I need to hear it from your own mouth." She added as Akito looked up to her and shook his head.
"I'm not working for the Akatsuki… I promise. All of this, everything I've been doing for the past two months, has been in an effort to disrupt and hinder their growth... not to help them." He replied as the Hokage stared at him and let out a silent sigh as she did so. She could tell he was telling the truth and was quite relieved to hear it, but that didn't answer all of the many questions she had built up on her way over here from her apartment.
"So you're working against them? That's good to hear, though I'm surprised your grandfather would allow you to do so by yourself after everything that has happened." Tsunade replied as the boy looked down and nodded.
"He wasn't keen on the idea, but like many other villages we are stretched thin with trying to keep tabs on the Akatsuki's movement, leaving me with little choice." Akito added, again bringing the Hokage to nod as she this time pulled her hands to her mouth in thought.
"What exactly brought you to Ame in the first place? Given your history with the Hidden Rain I can't imagine going to that place was an easy decision, so I can only assume going there was absolutely necessary." She stated, bringing Kisa to turn back to Akito, knowing as well as Tsunade that for Akito to go there after what they had done to him his target must have been important, but just how important? Going into Ame, a village that traditionally did not play well with others, was dangerous enough, but going in with the intent of spying was another; especially when the Akatsuki was involved. On top of that, Ame was a place she knew he hated, so whoever he was following must have been of major significance.
"It wasn't. I was tracking a group of shinobi who Iwa's intelligence believed were working with, or at least attempting to work with, the Akatsuki. I picked up their trail up in the northernmost regions of the Land of Earth, almost into the Land of Iron, and followed them all the way to Ame."
"I entered the city through one of the main stormwater drain systems leading out of the city just as they had done, made my way to the street and blended in with the citizens around me, but when I neared the heart of the city they vanished and I was ambushed. At first it was just Ame shinobi, but after a short time one of the Akatsuki showed up and joined in." He stated as his eyes drifted to the floor in an attempt to recall everything that had happened.
"He was strong, and no matter what I did I couldn't get the upper hand. He had these strange eyes and was able to manipulate gravity; pulling and pushing me whenever he saw fit. He caught me off guard and pulled me into this strange chakra-based blade he had formed in his hands, stabbing me in the side and forcing me to retreat for my life. I got away, but I… I still don't know how." The boy added as all eyes in the room remained silently locked on him, each waiting to hear Tsunade's input as she pulled her hands to her mouth in thought.
"I'm not surprised that the Akatsuki has some sort of presence there as it's been long rumored that they were involved in starting the civil war that has been afflicting Ame for quite some time now. Do you have any evidence that they are working out of Ame as a home base?" She questioned in reply, to which Akito shook his head.
"I'm not sure. None of what I've seen would suggest that the Akatsuki was using Ame as anything other than a meeting location for, but that doesn't rule anything out." The boy replied as Tsunade again nodded in acknowledgement of what he was saying and took a deep breath from behind her hands.
"What about the damage done to Ame; the civilians that were killed and the damage done to the village. If you were truly there for no other reason than to track this group and to discover their connection to the Akatsuki, why cause such death and destruction? Was it just collateral damage, done purely to escape or did your anger get the best of you?" She questioned in a somewhat straightforward and cold manner, bringing his eyes to snap to hers before quickly looking down at the floor in shame.
"It… it wasn't on purpose. Any damage I caused was a result of the battle, and the things they said I did… I promise you I didn't." The boy replied, causing Tsunade to stare at him for a moment as she tapped her pointer fingers together.
"And this business as Ibaraki, I assume it is over now?" She asked next to which he nodded.
"I never gave that name to myself, but with everything that has happened I know that I can no longer track the Akatsuki as Ibaraki. As far as I'm concerned, the man named Ibaraki died at the hands of Konoha shinobi two days ago." He stated, though instead of being relieved she looked up at his neck, once again thinking about the curse mark that she could not see from this angle.
She desperately wanted to pry into the reason why he held such a dangerous thing on his neck, especially since it did not appear to have come from Orochimaru based on looks alone, but given the moment she felt it would be better off discussed later and instead prepared herself to ask the kindhearted boy she had come to know well an even more difficult yet sought after question.
"Was she there, Akito?" She questioned, causing Kisa's eyes to widen a bit as her mind immediately shifted to Akito's first partner; Clove. Could she really have been there, and if so, was she one of the ones that attacked him the streets? Although initially concerned, Kisa couldn't help but feel a tad bit jealous that he may have run into that vile woman again, causing her to grip the necklace she had been holding a bit tighter as Akito looked up to the desk in front of him before lowering his eyes and shaking his head.
"No… they haven't been there in a long, long time." He stated, leading Kisa to let out a small sigh of relief and Tsunade to nod as a silence fell over the group; the Hokage silently trying to decide her best course of action for nearly a minute before taking a deep breath and lowering her hands to the desk.
"So this is where you've been all this time, then." She stated with a hint of sarcasm as she replayed everything that he had just told her in her mind, trying to make sense of it all.
"It sure would have been nice of you to stop in and let us know you were alive. When Onoki took you back home you were in rough shape, riding the border between life and death. I tried several times to reach out to Iwa in order to get what I hoped would be good news, but for whatever reason my calls went unanswered. The least you could have done was stop by to show us you were alright." She complained, bringing Akito to turn his head away from the desk even further away in shame. He knew that they were likely worried, especially Kisa, but it wasn't as simple as just showing up to say hello. Nothing was simple anymore.
"I know, I'm… I'm sorry. I wanted to return, but things are more complicated than ever before, and I was asked to refrain from returning to Konoha... at least for the time being." He replied as Kisa held her breath, unable to shake the thought that she may be the reason things were complicated. Although he had been kind to her before his departure, she knew that the Tsuchikage was angry that she had put him in such a bad situation, and she couldn't help but feel that he was instructed not to return because of her. Could that really be?
Hearing his reply and understanding that things all over the world were certainly more complicated as he said, Tsunade nodded in satisfaction and sighed.
"I understand, and I believe what you've told me here today, but while I may have the final say on many things, this is one of those things that I do not. Clearing you of the crimes you are accused of and sealing the file on Ibaraki is a tall task, and as such I will need to present what you've told me to the the Village Council; a task that, as you already know, may take some time." She stated as Akito looked up at her through his hair and nodded before holding out his hands in front of him. To him this meant that he would be detained until that time and expected wholeheartedly to be restrained once more, though much to his surprise the Hokage shook her head.
"I don't think that will be necessary, nor will locking you in a cell." She replied as she stared at the boy for a moment before turning her attention to Kisa and Takao to her right; her hands raising up to her mouth in deep thought as she did so. Normally the situation would call for someone like him to be locked under the tightest of security, but given his affiliation to both Iwa and Konoha as well as her past connection to the boy she found herself hesitant to do just that, leading her to instead make a unique call.
"Given the circumstances I believe that leaving Akito under your watch is appropriate, wouldn't you agree? I mean, so long as you feel up to the task." She questioned, catching the two off guard though Kisa, who dreaded at the thought of having to watch Akito be locked behind a cell door, quickly stepped forward to accept the Hokage's subtle offer.
"Yes Lady Tsunade, we will keep an eye on him." The girl responded as Tsunade grinned.
"Good. He will be your responsibility, meaning that if he runs it will be you two, but something tells me that won't be an issue."
"I should be in contact within a few days to let you know what the Council has decided, but until then you are not to leave their side. Understood?" Tsunade then questioned as Akito stood up and bowed down in a humble manner, grateful for her kindness in this dark time.
"I understand. Thank you, Lady Tsunade." He replied as the boy looked over to Takao and then Kisa, exchanging a brief smile with the girl before turning back to the Hokage as she spoke out again.
"Akito, you may go with Takao back to their apartment. Kisa, if you wouldn't mind, I would like you to stay here for a minute or two longer, just so that I can get you and Tokuma's side of the story. Alright?" She asked as Kisa nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The girl replied as she again locked eyes to Akito, only to look at Takao as he grabbed Akito in a head lock and grew a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.
"Oh don't worry, if he tries to run, I'll break his legs!" He exclaimed as rustled Akito's hair, let him loose and turned towards the office door, leaving the somewhat frustrated boy to again look towards his friend with a small yet warm smile that disappeared as he turned around and followed Takao out of the office and down the stairs, leaving the girl standing still with a sigh of relief.
It seemed that Tsunade believed his story enough to avoid locking him jail, and that was a good sign, but what she never expected was for the Hokage to allow her to keep watch over him. Sure it was certainly better than letting him rot in a cell, but now there no avoiding what she had both longed for as well as feared; time with him at last.
Watching Kisa stare aimlessly at the door for a moment or two, Tsunade leaned forward on the desk and formed a smile.
"Well, I believe that congratulations are in order. You and your team managed to investigate and close the case successfully without much trouble, everyone came home safe and we can now scratch Ibaraki off of our wanted list." She stated as the two turned back towards the Hokage and Shizune, prompting Tokuma to cross his arms as he walked towards them.
"Everything went well and I'm very grateful for that. Things were a little rough when we first made it to Kinzoku Town since the people there weren't very keen on helping us, but we made due." He replied as the Hokage chuckled under her breath.
"The Kinzoku Town mining company has never really agreed with the way we conduct business here in Konoha so I'm not at all surprised to see that they were initially less than helpful, and even when they did so it was likely only due to the security threat Ibaraki had caused." She replied as she turned back to Kisa and turned her small smile into an almost mischievous grin, though she redirected her attention back to an apparently weary Tokuma.
"On that note, I look forward to hearing your full debriefing, but believe that it could wait until tomorrow morning. I can see that all of you are exhausted and are eager to enjoy some time off your feet, so as long as you don't have anything else to add you are free to go." She stated as Tokuma, who was still recovering from the rough impact he suffered at the hands of Ibaraki, nodded in agreement. He could see that he was not the only one who was tired and understood that this was also her way of stating that she wished to return home, although with how much time she had been spending at the office later he couldn't blame her.
"No Lady Tsunade, it can wait until tomorrow morning for sure. You already know the gist of what happened, and my report is not much different than what you've already been told." He replied as the Hokage's eyes narrowed on him with a nod.
"Excellent. You can stop by my office at any point tomorrow to tell me all about it, but, before you go, I do have a question." She stated as she looked to Kisa and then to the empty chair in front of her. She hadn't really thought about it a few minutes prior but in all essence she had just allowed the man Tokuma had strived to locate to wall free, without truly knowing his side of the story.
"Do you think my decision to let Akito go free for the time being was a mistake? I know I've already made the decision, but your team was the one who fought and captured him, so I feel it is only right to ask your opinion. If you think he is too dangerous to be roaming free, even under Kisa and Takao's watch, I will have him arrested again." She stated, causing Kisa to let out a short gasp under her breath; her eyes immediately shifting to Tokuma with worry as her heart beat faster in her chest. She understood asking for his opinion, but would she really go back on her word to allow him to be free?
Hearing the Hokage's question the Hyuga's eyes widened a bit in surprise that she would ask him this now, after she had already allowed the boy to be placed on a sort of supervised release at the hands of her friends. He had no intention of questioning her decision nor did he expect to be asked his opinion on the matter, so this came as quite the surprise that left him looking over at Kisa for a moment as he collected his thoughts for a second or two before finally speaking.
"He may have attacked us when we first encountered him, but given everything that was happening and the circumstances of his capture I can't exactly blame him. Since discovering that Kisa and Takao were amongst those after him he hasn't once resisted command nor has he given us trouble, and although I still have my reservations about his true intent in Ame, I do not believe Akito Himaku is dangerous. At least not to Konoha." He replied as he turned back to Tsunade in reassurance of her decision, bringing the Hokage to grin as she spotted Kisa exhale in relief to her side.
"That's what I was hoping to hear. I will see you tomorrow Tokuma, get some rest. You deserve it, as does the rest of your team." She stated, at which point Tokuma bowed, looked towards Kisa and again displayed the same controlled smile as he had the night day captured Akito, and then turned to exit the Hokage's office, leaving Kisa standing alone as she prepared to excuse herself as well.
However before she could do so, the Hokage sat back in her chair and cast her yet another sly, mischievous look and cleared her throat.
"Hiroshi, Sora; would you mind stepping out for a moment so that Shizune and I may speak to Miss Hakaru in private?" She asked aloud as both men bowed and exited as well, causing Kisa to worry. They wanted to speak to her in private? Was she in trouble or was this directly relevant to Akito, or could it be both?
Waiting for the door to close all the way behind the two men as they crept down the stairs, Kisa slowly stepped forward towards the smiling Hokage and swallowed nervously.
"Is something wrong, Lady Tsunade?" She asked as the Hokage, who could hold back her laugh no longer, lightly chuckled and shook her head.
"Oh, no, nothings wrong. In fact, it seems like it's quite the opposite, isn't it Shizune?" She asked as she looked over her shoulder to her assistant who harbored a small grin as well.
"It would appear so. The mission was a great success and atop that Akito has come back to us, even if it was in handcuffs. I certainly wasn't expecting that."
Hearing Shizune's reply, Tsunade beamed back to Kisa who now harbored a slight blush as the realization that this was all over Akito set in.
"Yes, it… it was a surprise. I knew something was up throughout the fight, but I never expected that it was him beneath the mask." She replied as Tsunade grinned wider.
"But it was a welcomed surprise, wasn't it? I'm sure you're happy to see him after all this time, eh?" The Hokage questioned, furthering the red color on her face as she subtly nodded and prepared to reply, but as she did so her mind got the better of her, prompting her to bite her lip as she constructed a more professional reply.
"It is nice to see him, but I'm just glad that the mission went well and that Ibaraki will no longer be a threat to anyone." She stated, though as she did so Tsunade shook her head with a laugh, not falling for Kisa's attempt to save face in the least bit.
"Please. Do you really think that Shizune and I are that naive?" She questioned much to the girl's dismay, forcing her to swallow what little bit of saliva had built up in her mouth before looking up to the Hokage and nodding in embarrassment.
"Y-Yes, Lady Tsunade, I'm… I'm glad he's safe." Kisa replied, bringing both women across from her to smile, though the Hokage's was far wider, and leading Shizune to shake her head.
"We don't mean to push you, we just know better. There's no need to lie to us about something like this, and certainly no reason to lie to yourself. You are allowed to have feelings, especially for someone like Akito. He's a good man and he cares about you." She stated as the sat back in her chair, placed her hands together and turned out towards the setting sun in the distance, allowing her grin to reel itself back in to normal levels in the process.
"Shizune's right. I didn't mean to embarrass you at all, I just… know what it is like to care for someone as deeply as you care for Akito." The Hokage added, much to the embarrassed girl's surprise. She had spent a great deal of time with the Hokage and Shizune over the past few months, and although the latter had briefly mentioned that Tsunade was at one time dating her uncle she had never heard the full story.
"You, Lady Tsunade? I don't necessarily take you as the kind of woman to date and had always just assumed that when you wanted a husband you would just… well… take one." Kisa replied jokingly, causing Tsunade to look at the girl as she let out a laugh under her breath and shook her head in amusement.
"Well, I'm not sure if I should be offended or not." She replied as she turned back to the window.
"For the most part you are correct. Now? No, I don't date. But there was a time where I once did, and I was lucky to find a great man in Shizune's uncle, Dan." She stated as Dan's happy yet painful memory passed through her mind. Much like Kisa was with Akito she too was fascinated by Dan, though her relationship was cut far shorter than she could have ever hoped, prompting her to look back towards the curious girl with a soft smile.
"There is a reason I am bringing this all up. You and Akito have something special between the two of you, something that only comes around once in a lifetime, and I don't want it to be taken from the two of you before you fully realize it exists. Life is too short to keep your feelings to yourself, especially if you know how he feels in return." Tsunade added, once again furthering Kisa's blush as she looked away out of embarrassment. Akito had only just returned and she was already pushing her to tell him how she felt? Didn't she understand what she had done to him? Did she really think he still felt the same?
"I… I don't know, Lady Tsunade. After what happened in March, I… I'm not sure he feels the same way anymore." Kisa admitted in response as Tsunade looked to her and shook her head.
"How many times have we had this conversation, Kisa?" She questioned as Kisa looked away. The answer to Tsunade's question was a lot; they've had this conversation many times over the past few months, but that didn't keep the thought of Akito hating her from leaving her mind. She was the reason he nearly died and the reason he was taken from Konoha in the first place. What if that was why all of this happened?
"I know, I know, but I… I nearly killed him. How could he ever forgive me for that? What if all of this, his involvement as Ibaraki and the curse… what if it was all because of me?" The girl asked in reply as Tsunade looked at her.
"Despite what people believe, I don't know all the answers to everything. There is a chance that this may be related to what happened back then, but that is something you will need to find out yourself." The Hokage stated as she watched Kisa's lips turn downward into a concerned frown and her hands tighten on the necklace around her neck, leading her to again smile as she let out a small, compassionate sigh.
"But I will tell you this… from the way he looked at you here in this office today, I still have a hard time believing he holds any other feelings besides those he had before the accident." Tsunade continued, bringing Kisa to bite the inside of her lip. Could that really, really be true? Was that why even after everything that had happened he continued to look at her with such soft, caring eyes? Was that why he still trusted her to keep him safe?
"There is one thing, though. I didn't want to bring this up while he was here, but not knowing the details regarding Akito's curse and where it came from make it dangerous. Based on what I've seen and been told, and in comparison to how you reacted when you first received Orochimaru's curse, it would appear that he's maintained significant control over whatever it is, but you of all people know just how dangerous these things can be." She warned as she again leaned back in her chair and placed her hands together in thought.
"So please keep him calm as well as you can, and if possible, find out what the deal is. Besides, even if this all was because of what happened in March, I can think of no better person to help fix him. Just do what comes naturally to you and I'm sure that it will all come back to you two." She added, bringing the girl to stare at her for a moment before nodding.
"I understand." She said softly as Tsunade's smile slowly grew. She knew that there was only one truly pertinent thing on Kisa's mind, and she had kept her from that one thing long enough.
"Good. Now get out of here."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
