Warmth grew from Naru's chest, her heart beating steadily as a familiar calm washed over her. No sounds were heard a quiet stretch of darkness covering Konohagakure in the wake of the early morning. Amidst the darkness the village was not asleep, shinobi creeping along the walls and roof tops of house to keep those residing in the village's boundaries safe.
It was reassuring to be in Konoha again, Akihane found.
She lay curled up against her overprotective brothers, having been 'kidnapped' upon their notification of her arrival. After the dinner from the other night the apartment was ambushed by Genma and Hayate, the two men dragging her away with a farewell sent to both Sasuke and Hinata. In the end Sasuke had waved them off to go study in his clan archives, while Hinata had taken off to visit her family and notify them of her return.
There had been many questions regarding her mission with the others, as well as what exactly Sasuke was to her and Hinata, before the two men begrudgingly agreed with her not to harass Sasuke, instead naming him a honorary brother as Genma tossed her over his shoulder and Shuinshined across the village.
Akihane had no say in the matter of her kidnapping, barely even getting a word in after her 'interrogation'. In the end she simply chose to accept what was happening with a gentle smile, figuring that if her brothers cared that much about her, enough to kidnap her in broad daylight without fear of someone noticing them, then she'd live with the abrupt choices.
It was only upon arriving at the compound and being set on her feet did Naru truly feel the brunt of the worry her family had been through in her absence, the tight hug coming from a certain brown haired Chunin keeping her close.
Genma and Hayate had joined in, leaving Akihane to gaze at them with a hint of regret, before she slowly hugged the men back. The Uzumaki let out a heavy sigh.
The night continued without a change in her brothers' overprotective nature. She had one at her side at all times, and when she fell asleep she did so smashed between Iruka and Genma, Aoba resting on the couch not too far away, Iwashi and Raidou missing from the group due to injuries and a mission respectively. Hayate took to his and Yugau's futton in their room, away from the dogpile of limbs in the den.
Naru had woken first, her eyes staring up at the ceiling as she thought over the past few weeks. Her two missions, Zabuza and Haku becoming part of Konoha with her clan acting as consultant, the ordeal with Wave, and also the house and the old women she had seen on the Temple Mission.
Lavender eyes slipped shut as Akihane blew out through her nose, pushing her bangs up for a moment before she was already making a decision.
She had woken up at around four in the morning, meaning that not even the other Nin were awake. Genma had a strict 'after five, unless on mission' rule when it came to sleeping. Akihane however, was used to waken at odd hours, even those in early morning.
The girl easily maneuvered around the limbs of the other nin still sleeping, smiling as she noticed Iruka grasp at the blanket covering Genma, the assassin gripping at her pillow. No doubt they both would be awake before she left the house, due to her absence.
Still, Akihane stepped over Genma, walking toward the guest room Hayate had given to her when she was much younger, a room she hardly ever used except for once a year during October.
Lately however, Naru found herself using the room quite a bit, whether it was to retrieve the spare sets of clothes or to sleep in, she found herself walking in and out of the doors with increasing frequency.
All in all, Akihane wagered she had spent two weeks alone at Hayate's large home over the past few months. There were numerous other rooms lining the halls, and out of all of them she had picked the room across from Genma's own.
The Gekko clan had once been numerous, but now Hayate and Yugau were the only living members. Yugau was only a member through her engagement to Hayate, leaving behind the swordsman with a very telling cough.
Sometimes it frightened Akihane to think of how clans seemed to die off easily inside Konoha's borders. First was the Senju, followed by minor clans, the Hatake's, Hayate's clan, Genma's clan, several civilian ones, the Uzumaki, and lastly the Uchiha Clan.
Their compounds had once stood tall with hundreds of members roaming them, and yet now they remained near or actually empty.
Such was the tragedy that Naru found herself wanting to reverse, but not knowing how.
Her right hand trailed across the walls as she went toward her room, trailing the shogi doors blocking access to empty rooms, across wooden walls acting as mere barriers between the empty sections. The House was designed like almost all other clan grounds, in a Japanese style. The old designs were very nice to have when you wanted to simply wander around or confuse enemies, and Akihane always appreciated aged structures more so that newer ones like her own apartment complex.
Her head shook to drag her thoughts from the history of the building and other clans, her eyes adjusting to the sight before her. She stopped at her own door, sliding open the old but functional panel.
She slipped inside of the chilled room, eyeing the bed made in the center, the dressers pushed against the walls, and the shelves she was beginning to fill with scrolls. Just like the scrolls at her home, there was only one earth scroll present, the others locked away in her office for further examination. Wind and water were the only other nature scrolls laid out, the rest for weapons and other styles of fighting.
A desk was placed at another corner with a window view to the outside, a shogi door beside it leading to the simple bathroom with a sink and toilet.
The blonde passed the other items, reaching down to open a drawer to grab a fishnet shirt, black cargo pants, socks, and other whites. She slipped into the bathroom to change, her hands swiping across the desk as she went to grab her jacket.
Several moments later the Uzumaki stepped out, her hair let down despite the cord tied around her wrist, her eyes glancing at the mirror resting above her desk as she pondered putting the locks up. She trailed the angled sides of her face and the soft cheeks, her bangs parted at the middle in curled spikes. Her headband was placed around her forehead, her dog tags resting at her neck. The black fishnet top poked out from under her jacket, her pants rubbing against her black-socked feet.
Shaking her head in order to not get distracted, Akihane turned and grabbed the Tanto residing on its stand inside it's sheathe. The small blade was hooked across the back of her fur lined jacket, the handle poking into her hood.
Akihane tugged her hair over the blade, turning toward the still open doors leading to the hall.
She paused when she saw Genma leaning up against the doorway, his hair let loose from his headband for once, his brown eyes assessing her daily-wear.
"I thought Hatake gave you the day off?"
The Tokujo commented idly, something seeping into his voice as he looked into her own maroon gaze.
Akihane turned away, afraid that if she saw the worry in the man's eyes she'd spill her thoughts before even getting to organize them for the Hokage.
"He did, I just want to get some training in and see a few people."
Genma's lips pursed as he gazed at his little sister, before he turned his head to look at the picture frame residing on Naru's desk.
It was the picture of her team, the one where Kakashi was ruffling Naru and Sakura's hair while they cast him looks, Naru's one of exasperation, Sakura's of annoyance. Sasuke was stuck in the middle, his lips twitching upward as his gaze settled on Naru's near-pouting face. Kakashi was giving the camera an eye-smile, his hair flopped over his covered eye.
"Just tell me when you can Imuto…I hate having to worry about you lying to me, even if it's just to avoid the subject."
Genma whispered gently, causing the Uzumaki to cast him a tired smile.
"Of course, Genma-Ni."
The Nin turned his gaze to the girl in shock, only to find a swirling vortex of wind as the Uzumaki vanished into thin air.
I~~~~I
The young Kunoichi knew how much Genma hated when she used Shuinshin to escape him, but as she tugged on her boots, the Uzumaki couldn't find it in herself to refute what she had done. Her cheeks were a little colored after giving the title she had feared for quite a while to one of her most important people, even if it was only to help him feel better.
After their debacle with Zabuza and Haku, however, Naru felt she mine as well not hide that she truly cares for the Jonin who had adopted her in all but law. She never knew when something like that mess of a mission would happen again. Perhaps she would even manage to surprise Raidou when she saw him next.
A smirk titled over the young girl's lips as she pushed her feet against the wooden floor, launching herself out of the door, right into the outside grounds. A second later she was shooting into the trees toward the Hokage Tower.
She needed to see Sarutobi before she was once again distracted. The women from the forest, the gravestones, as well as the truths she had discovered after finally replicating that could only be trusted once she had the truth from the Hokage. All of the information needed one piece, and that piece was the identities of her parents.
Naru's booted feet hit the tiled roof of a shop as she entered the village center, her feet kicking her further with chakra-enhanced jumps.
Wind rushed past her face as the blonde narrowed her gaze on the bright red building ahead of her, her direction changing as the street lights below her flickered to life.
She thought of that one team she had met, the one with the familiar feeling red head, before her mind drifted to the roof of the building she had landed on. For a moment, Akihane paused. She could feel those inside, the three sleeping nin from Iwa, along with their Jonin commander down the hall of 'The Hidden Kunai' inn.
Shaking her head, Naru spurred herself to action once more, continuing on her path to the Sarutobi Compound.
I~~~~I
Sarutobi Hiruzen had grown used to many things during his years as the Hokage. He had lived through all three Ninja Wars, had watched his wife birth him three children, and had even watched young Konohamaru be born. Hiruzen had watched his son drift away from him, witnessed his other son die and his daughter succumb to sickness.
The aged Hokage had dealt with Jonin, and was still dealing with said eccentric Nin, on a daily bases for decades. He had experienced far too much, talked to one too many, and seen only a small portion of the world and what it had to offer. He was the student of the Nidaime and Shodaime, the Sandaime of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
And yet, after all that Hiruzen had gone through, after all the oddities that had occurred in his life, he was still shocked with the appearance of a strangely vacant Uzumaki at his home at four in the morning.
There was determination, worry, and a hint of confusion in the young Uzumaki's gaze The mixed emotions left the Hokage with little options but to guess on what the girl wanted. With a hefty sigh, the aged Kage rose from his bed and sent a hand to signal the ANBU to leave him and his surrogate granddaughter alone.
"Good morning, Akihane. I can assume that this is about what you mentioned in your briefing for the Temple Mission a few weeks ago?"
Akihane did not comment, her gaze wavering for a moment, before the Hokage stopped right in front of the Kunoichi. Hiruzen smiled at the girl as he tugged her gently against his chest in a hug and resisted the urge to chuckle as the girl returned the grasp.
"Take your time Akihane. I will be here."
I~~~~I
It did take quite some time, as well as tea and a bit of coaxing for Naru to finally recall the woman she had met on her mission with Team Ten. She spoke of the woman whose chakra was faded at the edges, and yet by all means incredibly familiar and about the seal placed on the ground that Naru knew as a relative based blood seal, the way the woman had used her blood to activate it, releasing her from the prison. Akihane mentioned an old compound left in the middle of Fire Country, the back yard decorated beautifully around two grave markers. One bearing the name of a Konoha Founding Father, the other of a mystery woman Naru only knew as the old woman who had helped her out.
Hiruzen rose to his feet, standing straight and tall as he glanced back at her. Akihane breathed in deeply, her chakra being forced back under wraps. She winced at the amount of data she had taken in upon releasing her tight hold on her chakra, before her maroon eyes snapped open to meet the brown ones of her leader.
Hiruzen stared deep into her gaze, before he turned and marched toward his closet.
"I'm going to get dressed. Wait outside for me."
Naru offered a non-verbal jerk of her head, rising from the bed with a bow, before she was exiting the room with the door closing shut behind her,
Inside, Hiruzen took a deep breath, thinking about the etched scrawl of his Sensei's name across the surface of that grave, about the seals that Naru had drawn for him that had been etched on the woman's coffin in the ground, about the seal she had been stuck in before the house was revealed to her, and the elaborate chakra-work decorating the old house.
Sarutobi didn't know how he could not have known something like this, that he couldn't have guessed it. To think that Minato had been the grandchild of his teacher, that his father Senshi had been his Sensei's child.
Hiruzen leaned forward, his head pressing against the door to his closet, a heavy weight lifting from his shoulders as he took a shuddering breath.
Slowly, a smile spread over his lips.
He knew, without knowing how, but Hiruzen was certain that what Naru had discovered was true. Just in case he would take the location from the girl and go view it himself, but for now he'd simply have to do a DNA test between Akihane and Tobirama.
To think, this entire time, Hiruzen had been keeping the last of the Senju line alive, without even meaning to.
"For once…I didn't make a stupid decision…Oh Sensei…Why couldn't you have just come out and told me about Senshi? Maybe then…Oh well…Everything has already happened. For now, I will carry on doing what I have been. Thank you…for giving me Akihane, for giving me the chance to know such a wonderful child."
I~~~~I
Naru watched Hiruzen step out of his room in his robes, wearing his hat with a much more relaxed look settled over his features.
The Hokage gestured to Akihane, drawing her back to his side as he began his trek toward the Hokage tower.
Light spread over the village as the exited the compound at half till seven, the sunrise blanketing the two in warmth. The two of them continued toward the tower in silence, the ANBU officers once again trailing behind them after the previous two hours of them staying away.
Uzumaki and Sarutobi members both ascended the stairs, ignoring the glare of the secretary directed at Naru, feet padding silently right up to the doors to the Hokage office. Once again Sarutobi waved for his ANBU to remain outside, stepping into the office with Naru a pace behind.
The doors shut behind them both, Sarutobi releasing his chakra in a pulse to activate the privacy seals decorating the walls, much like the ones that he had used at his own house to keep unwanted ears from listening in.
Akihane paused to look over at her leader, watching the aged Shinobi walk toward the safe sealed at the back of his office, uncovering it behind a shelf and a hidden wall. The Uzumaki Heiress had seen the man removed the items before when offering her some of the possessions gifted by her parents, including the scarf her mother made her for her second birthday.
Hiruzen placed his palm against the seal printed on the surface and he pulsed his chakra in a certain pattern not even Naru could catch.
The Uzumaki watched the seal recede, the safe door opening.
Inside, a box lay at the front, the long package clear of dust and wrapped in black.
Hiruzen removed the box from the safe, along with another few scrolls. He gestured to his surprisingly clean desk, where Naru walked over. She sat down in one of the chairs, eyeing Hiruzen as he placed the scrolls across his desk before her, before gently leaving the black package in her lap.
The Sandaime pulled away, walking around the desk to stand, facing the awakening village he protected.
Naru looked down at the box on her lap, her eyes surveying the nearly hidden seals on the top. She traced the discolored lines, her chakra dropping into each design, removing the constraints tying the package together. She knew the seal work on the surface intimately, having studied it for years. The scrawling patterns, the tiny lettering forming swirls and twisting lines. The style of sealing was the very same as the one printed on her navel, the seal tying the Kyuubi to her.
Carefully Akihane lifted the lid from the box, her breath catching in her throat as he gaze settled on the blades resting inside. Both were pressed against their sheathes, the glimmering craftsman ship drawing Naru's eyes across the sharp edges.
Red and blue, silver and gold.
A diamond divided into nine other diamonds was used as the guard on them both, but when Naru took hold of the red one's handle, she witnessed the silver engraved Clan Symbol appear. Two crescents filled with two other smaller crescents branched off from a long thinning line that had another shorter line driven through the middle. The symbol printed itself at the base of the handle, the butt of the sword.
"J-Jiji…"
Naru called to the man, gaining his gaze. She lifted the blade up to him, showing him the symbol at the end.
A heavy and sharp breath left the man's lungs.
I~~~~I
Sasuke was silently freaking out.
He hadn't heard from Naru ever since she was taken by her brothers, whom she had then ditched at the un-kami-like hour of four in the morning.
The girl was nowhere to be found in the whole village, at least in every place that Sasuke had searched. His last location, one he admittedly should have tried before, was the Hokage Tower.
The sight of a rather remorse blonde had Sasuke speeding up, his legs pushing him toward the figure of his first friend.
Akihane had a sad smile on her lips, one that spoke of trying to hold back emotions that would tear her apart.
Red eyes gazed upward at the approaching raven haired male stopping in front of the Uzumaki.
Sasuke's black eyes met those of his Naru, of the rather quite Uzumaki who hadn't even greeted him yet.
The Uzumaki sighed, tilting her head to the side as she spoke to him.
"I sorry I worried you, Sasuke."
The breath stopped in Sasuke's throat at the loss of the suffix to his name, the normal distance vanishing between them as the blonde stepped forward, wrapping him in a hug.
Frozen, unable to move or reciprocate the gesture, Sasuke remained standing as Akihane tugged him to her, resting her forehead on his shoulder with a dry gasp.
She shook momentarily, Sasuke automatically reaching to steady her body as she gripped onto his shoulders.
The two of them ignored the looks sent their way from the villagers and Shinobi observing them, Sasuke's eyes softening as he finally reached to hug Akihane tightly.
His chin rested on her head of white hair, his eyes closing tightly as he wondered over what had caused Naru to make such a change, for her to feel the need to reassure him in order to reassure herself. What sort of truth had caused the young Uzumaki to freak out enough to avoid those she trusted, to seek out the Hokage and come out of the meeting shaken?
Sasuke did not know what had happened, but he did know that he would help Akihane no matter what the problem was.
I~~~~I
Two Konoha nin, Genin in rank, family in mind, and the best of friends in perception both sat on top of the head of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime.
Fingers trailed over scarred hands, Naru giving Sasuke the entirety of what she knew through the form of code that they had developed with Sakura.
With each new revelation Sasuke tightened his grip around his Naru's shoulders, his eyes shut tightly while his teeth ground on one another.
It was hard to think that the Yondaime was so much of a stupid idiot and had sealed the Kyuubi away inside of his very own daughter. There was also the fact that Naru was actually related to the damned Senju that his father always growled about under his breath. To think that the village that Naru continued to protect was actually ostracizing the very princess of their village. Naru was not only the surrogate granddaughter of the Sandaime, she was also the also the actual daughter of the Yondaime, the Great Granddaughter of the Nidaime, and the Great Grandniece of Hashirama Senju. Not only was Naru royalty to Konoha, but also she was a princess Uzushio based on her relation to Uzumaki Mito and her mother, Uzumaki Kushina.
Sasuke took a deep breath as Naru continued to literally lay down all she knew on his hands, her fingers tracing across the skin while tingling his nerves.
The breath brought forward Naru's calming scent, lavender and the ocean, the tension forcefully leaving Sasuke's arms.
Sasuke placed his nose against Akihane's temple, opening his eyes as he took in the rest of the story, images flashing across his mind as he thought about all that Naru must be feeling.
Too be honest, Sasuke really wanted to punch someone, or even something.
Preferably all those idiots who had either completely ignored Akihane or scorned her for saving them from all of their terrible deaths. Kakashi was a good start.
I~~~~I
And there it is. Of course Sarutobi will be seeking proof about the house, but he already knows that Naru wouldn't lie. Naru also knows about her heritage, as well as what an idiot Minato can be. Chunin Exams truly are next; I just forgot to put this part in so I had to modify the chapter layout slightly. Also I have no excuse for not updating sooner. I should put up three chapters today. I planned to several other times, but every time I either had to do volunteer or help out with the fam. I managed to get ahead really quickly though, so I should update at a normal rate.
Omake-Sasuke's Revenge.
Kakashi hadn't really known when it started.
First off, it wasn't very noticeable.
In the end, Asuma had been the one to ask him about his pink mask.
Then came Kurenai's question over his pink hair.
And finally, Akihane raising a brow and telling him plainly that he was wearing a pink vest.
Kakashi himself did not see the pink he apparently wore, and when he tried to see it he simply couldn't. Whenever he noticed the oddity it would vanish, but when he wasn't paying attention parts of his person became pink.
It happened to his hair during a Clan Head Meeting before he finally decided to do something about it.
Kakashi tried to put a Genjutsu on his hair, only to find it broken, strangely after every meeting with his cute little Genin.
Then he tried to cover it, only to find that more parts of his person had become pink.
After that Kakashi started hunting for the cause of the prank, first going to Akihane.
The girl, somewhat subdued since the day off he had given to Team Seven before they began training again, had flat out told him she had nothing to do with it.
Akihane had then smirked and told him she knew who did.
Being the Uzumaki that she was, Akihane did not reveal to Kakashi who was playing with him, so he resorted to teasing her at every end to try and get the info.
That was when the prank got much worse, glitter and feathers and gems added to the assortment of things others saw.
Kakashi had just about had enough, when Yugau had dropped by during a meeting he had with the Hokage, and asked him why he had Sasuke's Genjutsu tag on the back of his vest.
The Hokage had smirked at Kakashi, while the off-duty ANBU officer had smirked at him, answering his annoyed eyebrow twitch with an explanation.
"Akihane helped the little Uchiha develop the tag. It just needs chakra, and then it forms a rather convincing Genjutsu around someone, only they don't notice it."
The violet haired women tapped her chin as she raised a perfect brow at him.
"Didn't know he had completed it."
Kakashi was going to skin that Uchiha brat, Council or not, Akihane or not, LAST SHARINGAN OR NOT, ALIVE!
