Hello! I hope you'll like this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own the OCs in this fic, the rest is Masashi Kishomoto's. Sorry for any spelling mistakes or any OCCness.
Character age:
Akane, Itachi: 22
Naruto, Sasuke: 16
Shisui: 25
Kakashi: 30
I tried to slap the hand away, but it grabbed mine instead.
"You can't sleep forever," Itachi's stern voice told me. I turned my head the other way, mumbling in my pillow.
Minato told me why I couldn't remember the mission, hence the vague mission report I gave Tsunade with Naru. It was...strange to think we traveled back in the past but I kind of did so…
I whined when Itachi removed the covers and glared at him through my hair.
"Why do you hate me so early in the morning?"
"It's eleven," he replied with a small frown, "and you got back a week ago."
"It's the desert."
"You're being lazy."
"Fine, I didn't want to say it but it's you." He merely scoffed.
"As if." He grabbed my arm and forced me to sit. "Come on Akane, the Hokage wants to see us." I was more awake suddenly and rose a brow at him. "I should have started with that I guess."
"Why? Is there something wrong?" I stood up, looking up at him. He sighed a little and poked me in the forehead.
"We'll know once we're there." I rubbed the back of my head, ruffling my hair.
"I'll get ready then." He grabbed my arm when I was about to walk past him. "Hum?" He looked at my back.
I was wearing his shirt, the Uchiha emblem displayed on my back.
"You like what you're seeing?" He smiled to himself.
"Maybe more than I should." He kissed my temple as he walked out of the room.
The hot sun of July was there and Konoha was more lively than ever. There were festivals after all during summer and spring, and I knew I would need to tag along Sasuke to one soon. Anyway, we were walking quietly in the street for the Hokage's office.
"Can we stop for lunch on the way back?" I asked Itachi, swallowing the rest of my toast.
"If you're paying."
"What a gentlemen." He just smirked and I shook my head. "Sure. I get to pick then."
I pursed my lips when we entered Tsunade-san's office. The atmosphere was heavy, Jiraya-san leaning against the wall on the side.
"Morning," I greeted them as Itachi shut the door behind us. "I guess it is important."
"Jiraya brought back some concerning news."
"The Akatsuki?" I asked in sync with Itachi. Tsunade-san looked at Jiraya-san, who sighed.
"Yes...and no." I frowned at him. "One of my informants told me Iwa and Ame have been...in contact recently." I blinked.
"What the…"
"I thought the Third Tsuchikage was very persistent on his no-alliance policy," Itachi spoke up.
"He is, he's a stubborn old geezer stuck in the past." Tsunade was tapping her nail against the desk. "Which is why this is worrying. I have already warned Suna as they are the closest and will send a message to the Mizukage in the afternoon." I gulped and looked down.
It never happened before. Jiraya-san...he should be dead by now, yet he was standing next to me. History...it was changing direction now, big time. I mean, I knew that Konoha being involved in Kiri's coup would have repercussions, like me training Sasuke but…
Oonoki wasn't prideful enough to ally himself with Ame and the Akatsuki? I mean...I knew Iwa employed them before but…
"Akane, how is Naruto's training going?"
"Huh? Good, good...Version Two is… almost there, he can't really control it for more than five seconds." He hummed in thoughts.
"Do you think he can handle Mount Myoboku now?" I blinked, Itachi inching closer to me.
"Sage training?" Jiraya-san just nodded at Itachi's question.
"I know he'll manage, but...well, thinking about it, he's frustrated with jinchuriki training, maybe learning something else would do him some good and boost his confidence. Yeah, it is the right time." Itachi shot me a look when I technically said Naru could do it.
"Well it settles it then! Tsunade, I'm going to take Naruto to Mount Myoboku!"
"I'll deal with the old geezers," she stated dully. "The less I talk to them the better I am but I can't escape it."
We left shortly after and I sighed once outside.
"Is Naruto really ready for that?" Itachi asked me once we were sitting in a restaurant.
"Trust me on that," I replied idly, twirling my spoon in my tea.
"You can't keep track of anything anymore." I blinked and raised surprised eyes to Itachi. He merely looked down in thoughts. "It was obvious." I sighed a little.
"Too much changed for History to totally repeat itself. I know somehow...the end might be similar but…" I took a deep breath. "We're in this together, right?" He smiled softly and nodded. "Then, if...you know...something pops up in your mind regarding my Ice Release, tell me, okay?"
"Sure, I love setting up impossible challenges for you." I rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled.
"By the way." He raised a brow. "I have to tag along Sasuke at the festival, do you have to have a date too? You had to years ago."
"Oh, that." He shrugged and swallowed his three dango in one go. "I'll find a way out of the chore. Are you going to be okay with my brother?"
"I went with him and Naruto back then but...he entered puberty since then."
I couldn't really escape it though.
"I just hope Naru will be here for it."
Naru left the next day, excited to do something else than dealing with 'the grumpy old man in his belly'. I had decided to look at the old timeline again, Itachi slapping the back of my head when he got home from the Uchiha Compound.
Except for mild references...it was now useless to refer myself to the old timeline.
I just rubbed my head without a glance for him. He sighed and put his hands on my eyes, pulling my head back and against his stomach.
"I swear Akane, you're the worst." I just grinned at him. He sighed and bent over, pecking my lips before going to the kitchen.
"I know, I know, I need to stop that. How was your day?" He shrugged. "'tachi?" He stopped making tea.
"They're as annoying as ever."
"I can't play the little spy anymore since I left the Police force, sorry."
"Don't apologize, you shouldn't even be in Uchiha business anyway." He finished his tea and joined me at the table. "The one good thing is…" He stopped himself, almost as if he caught himself saying something he shouldn't.
"What?" He shook his head. "Itachi, what's the good thing?" He glanced at me and clenched his jaw.
"Izumi...heard things and told me."
"What did she hear?"
"Just words about my father not doing a good work." I pursed my lips. "You're not mad?"
"I'm not the one who gets to see my ex-girlfriend at every family reunion." He deadpanned at me, not amused. "More seriously, I hear girls fawning over you all the time, I'm used to it. I know I'm the only one who made her way to your heart anyway." He scoffed.
"It's hard to ignore you with Sasuke crushing on you when he was a kid." I raised a brow. "Oh yes. He talked about you a lot."
"As if you didn't have a crush on me when we were five." He blushed. "Sasuke's the same by the way. Girls always talk about him. Seriously, they don't know half the personality behind the pretty face."
"So you think my brother is pretty huh."
"All Uchihas are, it's the genes. You're my number one though." He smirked to himself at that.
"I better be." I snickered.
"Overall, if Izumi moves on, it's good. Especially for her. As long as she doesn't let Manami influence her…"
"You mean the duel?" I nodded. "I knew it was not her."
"If some Uchihas take advantage of her feelings for you, it can go both ways really." He leaned his cheek in his hand, gazing thoughtfully at his tea. I stood up and walked to his side, hugging his head against my stomach.
He leaned into it.
In spite of everything, that he was leaning on others for such things...it was comforting.
"Hey, let's take a bath before or after dinner, okay?" He nodded.
"Was it like that?" I blinked and he raised his eyes to me, an arm around my thighs. "Before, when you were together?"
"What do you mean?" Itachi didn't really ask about before, instead he wanted to focus on us now without comparing himself with what I used to know I guess?
"The bubble."
"Oh." I smiled softly and nodded. "But I didn't have to deal with the real world back then unlike here."
"It's here though." He buried his face in my stomach once more, much like…
He was the same man at the core after all.
"And it's nice?"
"Soothing." I blushed at that.
"It's going to be okay with your clan Itachi." He groaned a little, not convinced. "You know why? Because if it doesn't, I'll make them pay personally for being as stupid as the Uzumakis were in their time." This made him chuckle.
"They already used Sakura to get to me though, I don't want them to target you."
"Meh, I'll use Sasuke as a shield." This made him laugh louder.
"Seriously, I get a break and you've got to go on...on...I don't even want to say it it's disgusting!"
"Four letters dobe: D.A.T.E." Naru glared at Sasuke, who scoffed. I sighed.
"The Uchiha Elders are going to watch you all night long?" Sakura asked me.
"Unfortunately. We've got to...how did they put it, present ourselves as respectable or something like that. It's a pain, really." Sakura leaned toward me.
"Is Itachi-san going with someone too then?" I froze and fought my blush.
"Sasuke we're leaving!" He looked at me and let me drag him away by the hand, Sakura smirking behind us. "Damn Sakura's evil," I muttered under my breath.
"No kidding." Once in the crowd, I let go of his hand.
"Sorry you have to be stuck with me tonight Sasuke." He shrugged.
"There is the worst company." I crossed my arm with his. "And I'm still your favorite Uchiha, right?"
"Well of course." He hummed.
"Can I tell nii-san and get a signed declaration from you?" I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever, I'm hungry. Get me something."
"You get me something."
"I'm the future bride, you should provide for me." He glared at me and looked at the stand.
"What do you want?" I grinned.
"Taiyaki!"
In spite of the situation, I enjoyed spending time with Sasuke. We went to a few stands, him showing he was better than me at the fishing one. Of course, there were people watching us. The Uchiha fan on the back of my yukata was making it heavier than it actually was.
"I was right when I said it was a target that fan," I muttered, biting in my treat. Sasuke had yakitori in his hand.
"Can't deny it." He put almost an entire skewer in his mouth.
"So, how have your missions been recently?" He shrugged.
"Confidential I'd say." ANBU then.
He seemed to be handling it quite well. Not that Sasuke was the kind of person to complain at each thing that was wrong in his life, and I didn't even know if anyone apart from Jiraya-san, Kakashi and I were aware he was in the ANBU.
But it was his choice, who knew or not.
"Sasuke-kun." I looked back, like Sasuke. Two Elders were coming our way. They nodded at me before focusing only on Sasuke. "A word please." Sasuke was close to sighing but just nodded.
"You don't mind, do you?" I shook my head.
"Go ahead, it seems important." I walked away.
I found myself on an empty path. I leaned against a tree and stared at the red paper lanterns. It was a nice night, it would have been better if I could have spent some of it with my actual boyfriend.
At least it no longer felt like I was babysitting.
I frowned when five individuals surrounded me out of sudden. I looked around. They all had hidden faces but were all shinobi. Yes, it was dark and I was alone, but it was in plain view.
Really, it was not thought-through.
It was not that complicated to get rid of them, but I wasn't used to fighting in a yukata. I landed badly and bruised my ankle, but nothing too serious. I just rubbed my ankle with a wince.
"Akane-san?" I stood up and looked at Izumi. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, why?"
"I just…" I looked around. They were all gone. "I thought I saw you fighting a second ago."
"It was nothing." She looked down at my ankle. "I twisted it. I'm clumsy." She didn't seem convinced. "Hey, do me a favor and tell Sasuke I went home Izumi, I'm feeling under the weather." I walked away normally without letting her talk.
Once out of sight I soundlessly moaned, leaning on a wall to lift my wounded ankle.
It hurt.
I teleported home and didn't waste time to make ice and put it on my ankle. I'd leave it for maybe fifteen minutes and change. It wasn't long though before I heard the front door being unlocked. Sasuke appeared shortly and shot my ankle a look, then my face.
"Don't know who they were, but nothing life-threatening. I doubt they were really serious anyway." He pursed his lips and walked around my bed.
"Is that my brother's jacket?" I blinked and looked at the black jacket in his hand.
"It must have been mixed up when I did my laundry," I replied smoothly. He mused over it and put it on the chair of my desk.
"Of course." He sat down on my bed. "It's stupid to attack you in plain sight." I shrugged.
"I'll think about the strategy later. I don't want my ankle to look like a potato." He poked my ankle. "Aouch?" He did it again. "Stop it!" I tried to kick him with my other foot.
He was thoughtful.
"Sasuke, I'm okay." He slightly furrowed his brows. "Come here." I stretched out my arm to him. He understood quickly and I closed my arms around his shoulders when his were around my waist, his chin on my shoulder. "Your brother and you will find a way to fix your clan and I'll be there to see it, don't worry, okay?" He nodded silently.
"This Manami is involved," he whispered to me. I sighed a little.
"I figured that much after Itachi's prescription fiasco and the whole Uchiha internal issues."
"Maybe you can talk to Shisui."
"Sasuke." We both raised our heads to my door. Itachi was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. "We talked about this."
"He might fall with her nii-san," Sasuke replied coldly, standing up. Itachi merely blinked at him.
"Itachi…" I whispered. He raised a finger at me.
"Go home Sasuke." He clicked his tongue and left, stomping next to his brother who just looked up.
Once the front door was shut, I frowned at Itachi. He just walked up to me and delicately took my ankle between his cold hands.
"It's not elevated enough," he whispered softly. He left the room and came back with another pillow and something to compress my ankle. "Does it hurt?"
"If I use it." He nodded absently. "So, how was your night apart from my little adventure?" He shrugged.
"Annoying." I tilted my head on the side. "It was annoying to see you and Sasuke together." I snickered quietly.
"I won't leave you for your brother 'tachi." He still frowned, taking care of my ankle. "Did he tell you what happened before coming?" He shook his head.
"Izumi did." I blinked.
"I see." I was sitting against the headboard of my bed. Itachi moved a little and buried his face in my chest. I smiled softly and started to run my fingers through his hair. "It's really not fair you've got hair like this."
"Jealous." I smiled.
"Hey Itachi, have you thought asking your mother for help?" He raised his head to me. "I mean...if there's someone who knows a lot about the situation...it's probably Mikoto-san, right?" He pursed his lips. "If it's about her husband, I don't think she'll like being kept in the dark."
"Hn." He straightened up and grabbed my chin gently.
I closed my eyes and put my hands on his shoulders when he kissed me slowly. His lips moved softly against mine, like his tongue and I felt myself blushing. It was slow yet I could feel the intensity behind it.
He broke the kiss and I was panting, out of breath. He smirked when he saw this, he was very smug about the state he could put me in, and kissed me on the forehead, then the cheek. I giggled when he started to kiss my neck.
"Itachi it tickles!" He continued and I hold onto his shoulders to keep myself from falling from my bed.
"That's what you get for hurting your ankle," he said simply, stopping his attack. I resumed my position without letting go of his shoulders. "I'm taking you to the hospital tomorrow."
"Let's see how it is tomorrow morning bef...alright then." He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. "Fighting in a yukata is not practical anyway…"
"I'm sure, but you're gorgeous in it." I blushed a bright red and he chuckled.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"As long as it works." I rolled my eyes at him and he poked my forehead.
"Sasuke saw your jacket by the way," I told him quietly, pointing at said jacket on my chair. Itachi pursed his lips. "I told him there must have been a mistake in the laundry."
"That's weak."
"He caught me off guard." He sighed.
"It can't be helped anyway." I pecked his nose. "I thought it was bad enough before to see you with Sasuke, but it's worst now." His thumb ran on my bottom lip. "I don't want to share with him."
"I hope so."
I knew he left the apartment in the middle of the night without making a noise. I sighed in my pillow and couldn't fall back asleep until I heard him come back an hour later. He went back to bed, trying not to wake me up and turned his back to me. I moved closer to him and put my arm around his waist, kissing the back of his neck.
He just crossed his fingers with mine and I fell back asleep.
"It doesn't grant anyone any wish, it just corrupts them," I assured Tsunade-san. I looked at Sasuke. "Why did you ask me to look for the Box of Ultimate Bliss by the way?"
"It's in Kusa, in the Blood Prison. It seems it's about to be used." I frowned. "I've consulted with the other village, we need to destroy it. Sasuke, you're one of the best in the ANBU but had loyalty issue, we're going to use it." He nodded silently.
I listened to the plan quietly, biting the inside of my cheek. Sasuke was good, but it was a lot on his own.
Of course, when he was accused of attempting to kill the Raikage a few days later, Naruto threw a fit and ended up being sent to prison as well. Then one morning, I woke up to Itachi dressed as a jounin.
"What's going on?" I asked him immediately.
"I'm sent as back-up for Naruto and Sasuke. Thanks for telling me my brother was part of the ANBU by the way." He was bitter about it.
"It wasn't my place to tell you that. But why?"
"Don't worry, I'm not going there alone. Tsunade-sama is going as well." I widened my eyes and he poked me. "Trust me Akane, I'll bring them both back in one piece." I lowered my head and nodded weakly.
"Sure, be careful though."
"Of course." He left swiftly. I sighed softly, burying my nose in the sheet.
If Itachi and Tsunade-san were both going…
I jumped on my feet and slapped my cheeks. If Itachi was sent, then maybe Kakashi was still in the village. I told him about Obito a month ago, and ever since he's been...isolating himself. I ran into Gai-san a week ago who told me he seemed depressed like he used to be before, which was not a good sign.
I was no better, I had been kind of avoiding him. Seeing him drinking himself to oblivion to forget his dead teammate was not dead and caused so much death throughout the years…
I had to face him at some point though.
I got ready quickly and went to his place. His chakra was there, not moving. I pounded on the door hard, Kakashi opening it angrily a minute later. He looked like he was just out of bed. We stared at each other and he ended up sighing, his anger vanishing from his eyes as he moved aside to let me in.
"It's awkward, I agree," I said, walking past him and removing my shoes.
Back when Mom moved in Konoha, Kakashi had a standard shinobi apartment. Now it was bigger, and more homey even if...well, it was Kakashi.
"Have you eaten already?" His stomach answered for him and I sighed. "Got it."
I knew his kitchen and his place pretty well with the amount of time I spent there. I managed to make some breakfast with what he had in his kitchen and glared at him to make him sit down.
Kakashi was prone to depression, I knew that better than anyone and he helped me so much in the past year, I couldn't not do the same.
I sat down in front of him, my crutches against the wall. My poor ankle still needed rest. Technically I could walk without crutches while being careful but...Itachi was forcing me to keep using them.
He looked at the miso soup, took a sip and sighed, looking away at his wall. I clenched my chopsticks so hard in my hand they almost snapped.
"Fuck you Hatake."
"You've barged in my place," he mumbled under his breath. Seeing him depressed was one thing, seeing him depressed without his mask was another.
Kakashi was...very handsome. Seeing this depressed look on his face…
"Did you know the Uchiha clan feels love more than anyone else?" He frowned and looked up at me. "They hide it very well though, the intensity of this love I mean. So when the object of this love is lost, it turns into intense hatred for most. It's called the Curse of Hatred. An even worst trauma awakens the Mangekyou and it is not uncommon for them to be entirely consumed by hatred."
"Itachi told me that already." I knew he helped Kakashi with his Mangekyou, it must have been why.
"Obito was in love with Rin and fell to it." I looked up at Kakashi, a painful knot in my stomach at the guilt in his eyes. "Rin sacrificed herself for Konoha Kakashi. Yeah, the way she did is awful, but it was not your fault. Obito decided to remain hidden from the Leaf after that, and it is not your fault."
"Then whose fault is it Akane?" he replied in a growl. "Kushina-san and sensei, Kiri, hell your shinobi career, whose fault is it!?"
"His fault only. It was his doing. You can blame yourself all you want, it won't change the fact you'll be the only one blaming you Bakakashi." He widened his eyes at the nickname. "I don't know if he's too far gone in this timeline, but as far as I know right now, Obito did die at Kannabi Bridge and the one inhabiting his body and doing all of these atrocious things, wanting the end of the world Rin died to protect is not...it's not Obito."
Rin was a medic-nin as well...Obito was fighting against everything she ever stood for, wasn't he?
"We're going to face him, already have. I can't have you freezing in front of him."
"I won't." I was not sure if I could believe him just like that.
"Your Mangekyou might be the key to defeat him." He hummed. I fought the urge to sigh. "Oji-chan, maybe it's your time to shine." He remained silent in my mind for a few seconds.
"Agree."
"What are you doing?" Kakashi asked me when a shadow clone popped into existence next to me.
"If I can't get through you, I need to ask someone who can." The Claw appeared and I touched my clone.
Kakashi's eyes went wide when my clone turned into Minato.
"Sen...sei?"
"I'll leave him to you oji-chan," I told him, standing up after swallowing my breakfast.
"Alright," he replied, staring back at his now adult student.
I sighed once outside and went back home. I put my crutches against my wall and took a deep breath.
Once everything I had regarding the Hiraishin spread on my table, I sat down and stretched out. Time to get to work.
I wrote down my Hiraishin formula. The Hiraishin worked in three main, yet dangerous, steps. Reverse summon, slip into another dimension for a split of a second and summon to the marker. In a way, it was like stitches in sewing. You had the thread, slip it behind the fabric, hidden from view, then pull the thread back out.
The chakra was the thread between me and the marker.
I pouted my lips, my pencil between my nose and my upper lip. What I had to do was decipher in my own formula the precise points where each step happened. You'd think coming up with my own formula, I would already know, but not really. I adapted Minato's formula, was inspired from it without looking at it in extreme details but…
I shut my eyes and opened them in front of Tobirama.
"You want my formula and the Yondaime's." I nodded.
"The formulas are different, but the purpose is the same so there must be the same points, it's a matter of finding them."
"True. Fine, I'm taking over for a few seconds and we'll tell the Yondaime to do the same once he's back."
"Thanks." Tobirama vanished for a few seconds, as he told me, and then I was back in my living-room. On the paper was his name, his formula underneath it.
Oji-chan did the same half an hour later, telling me Kakashi would be okay.
I wanted to check for myself, but Kakashi knocking on the window of my balcony, now dressed and waving at me, was enough to make me believe Minato.
"What brings you here?" I asked him, closing the window behind him. He went to the front door to put his shoes down and came back.
"I had a needed talk with my dead sensei." He sat down in front of me, shooting the papers on the table a look. "So, how can I help you?"
I just smiled, relieved.
He'd be okay.
Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks to Masaya Daiji for the review! I did think about posting on Ao3 but I'd need to rewrite the first Arc and I'm not motivated enough for now, so I think it won't be for a while.
Bye!