Akihane woke to harsh voices outside her room. Sunlight poured through her windows while the fresh and heavy scent of morning dew filtered into the small space. A set of clothes were folded neatly on a chair by her bed, along with her scrolls, and surprisingly enough, two familiar blades.

At first, Naru sprang up and rushed to her prized weapons, but upon seeing that both were sheathed and bound at the hilt, she relaxed. No doubt whoever had gone through her things to get her clothes had discovered the weapons. Naru's fingers brushed over the surface of the blue handled blade. Goosebumps raised across her skin as the cool metal shocked the Kunoichi's nerve, causing her to shiver minutely. Naru could feel the power in the blade as she grasped it tightly in her right hand. Ever since Hiruzen had given her the blades Naur had studied them carefully, learning their secrets.

Both blades were tailored for two different people, however, seals decorated the handles of either in swirling or blocky print. The seals adjusted the compounds inside of the blades, causing them to switch to fit the chakra and physical stats of the wielder. Blood seals were burned into the blade's edge, keeping it sharp while also repelling impurities, cycling the blood of its targets back into itself to refine it.

Underneath all of the work was still the heart of the weapon, however, a single core that made Naru's pulse escalate while her mind cleared. The Uzumaki tightened her grasp on the blade while she drew in a deep breath. Her left hand drifted to the other blade, and as though on instinct, took hold of it. With both blades in her possession, Naru felt rather eager to fight. Calming herself, Naru scanned both blades once more, burning their images into her memory, before she rose upward. The voices outside had quieted upon her awakening. The action told Naru that she was dealing with some rather observant characters, which was only confirmed when her chakra pressed outside the walls and scanned the halls.

"I wonder why Jiji has someone so powerful arguing with him…"Quietly mused the Uzumaki. The girl grasped her clothes and pulled them to her chest with her blades as she set toward the bathroom attached to her suite. A faint smirk twisted over the Kunoichi's lips as she shut the door behind her in order to get ready for the day ahead of her.

I~~~~I

Hiruzen withheld a sigh as he stopped outside his granddaughter's door. His deep hazel eyes locked on the door that was no doubt protected with seals and the like.

Heavy footsteps sounded behind the Hokage, yet he paid them no mind. Instead, Hiruzen enjoyed the look on the follower's face when he grabbed the handle to the door. The sudden shock that nearly fried the man's fingers was rather amusing, even if the man turned sharply to him to yell.

"What the hell Sensei?! You didn't mention anything about her knowing shocking seals!" The white haired giant grouched at his Sensei, watching the amused twinkle only grow in Hiruzen's warm eyes.

"I did warn you she took after her mother Jiraya. Try not to piss her off too much." The Sandaime offered his student, withholding a smug smirk at his nicely conceived trick.

Hiruzen had known Jiraya long enough to know the Sannin would simply try to break into his granddaughter's room. Hiruzen also had known Naru long enough to know that she never went anywhere without warding her door properly. Ever since that one incident where Shisui had walked in on her while she was doing laundry, dressing in a sports bra and too-short shorts, Hiruzen had backed her up on that idea.

Now the un-harmful but very informative seals kept people away while providing a good laugh to those who knew what was going to happen to the victims. Hiruzen still got the chuckles over the last time Shisui had tried to barge into Naru's room and ended up sporting an Afro for an entire week. Naru hadn't let the poor boy live it down.

"Ugh, look I know you want me to check the Gaki's seal and all but I also need to go check on that Uchiha Brat. He's most likely easier to find and it won't be nearly as much trouble as this, so I'll do that first Sensei." Jiraya grunted at his superior, surprising the Ninja momentarily as he thought about the proposal before Hiruzen waved Jiraya off in the direction of the mess hall.

"Either way you'll see Naru so I don't see much harm in it. Just know that Sasuke-Kun…well he knows about Naru's unique situation so he will be on edge around you." Sarutobi told his student in a bland manner, puffing smoke from his pipe before glancing back to the closed door.

Jiraya glanced to the door as well, sighing before he turned on a brown sandal-clad heel and began his trek to find the Gaki's little boy toy. It was amusing that Naur had managed to wrap Fugaku's sons around her finger, even if only one was still there. The look on Fugaku's face if he could see Akihane and his youngest son then would no doubt be priceless.

I~~~~I

Akihane opened her room door to find Hiruzen standing outside. The Kunoichi smiled at her leader, stepping out while shutting the door gently behind her. She inclined her head to Hiruzen in respect, speaking to him quietly. "Good Morning Hokage-Jiji."

Hiruzen smiled gently, reaching forward to gently tug the girl into his embrace before he started off toward the cafeteria with her at his side. Akihane allowed the quick movements, hugging the man tightly for a moment before she withdrew and followed him. Silence descended on them, the hallways deserted.

It was still quite early in the morning if the rising sun and Akihane's clock were indeed correct, and so the Uzumaki deduced that those who had made it to the tower were either eating, in bed, or had been placed far from her room. It was shocking enough to find Sasuke's room down two halls from hers, while Hinata's was across from his. Sakura had a room halfway between them and Kakashi had the room across from Naru.

The two descended onto the main floor of the large building, ending up at the entrance to the mess hall. There were several teams seated and eating, most of the Konoha teams, while the Sand team took up a corner and the Iwa team took up another spot further away. Laughter could be heard from the table seating Teams Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten. Sasuke and Sakura were seated near Ino and Hinata, while Shikamaru and Choji sat across from them. At the head of the table, Shino was trying to avoid Kiba's erratically moving arms while also trying to eat.

Hiruzen chuckled from his spot beside Naru, causing the attention to be drawn toward them. Hinata and Sasuke launched toward Akihane before anyone could say anything, several other heads turning to watch. From their spot, the Iwagakure team had focused all their attention on the newest addition. The Jonin Sensei of the team looked rather put off once she spotted Hiruzen, having not expected an old man to be at the tower.

Only those from Konoha recognized their leader, as he had forgone his robes and was simply dressed in the black undergarments higher ranking shinobi wore.

"Naru, I'll have to talk later. It seems the person I wanted you to meet isn't here right now. Seeing as the Second Exam ends today I won't be able to reschedule this meeting, but do expect it to happen soon. For now, enjoy your time with your friends." Hiruzen commented idly, his eyes shifting in color for a second as he drew annoyance from Jiraya's behavior.

Akihane understood that Hiruzen was rather busy, and as such she gently and quickly hugged the man before he left. Hinata and Sasuke both did their respective farewells while the others simply awkwardly told the Hokage goodbye. Naru watched her grandfather figure leave while a weight settled in her heart. Her cerulean eyes glittered under the many fluorescent lights.

A quick shake of her head had Naru focused once more on her friends. She smiled at Hinata and Sakura, gently chuckling when she spotted Sasuke. The Uchiha wasted no time looking her over for injuries, his lips set in a frown. Sakura seemed surprised at her acknowledgment and barely managed to offer her own greeting.

Next were the members of the other teams. Team Nine had stood nearest to the foot of the table to avoid Kiba's gestures, and as such had only just managed to arrive near them. Tenten spoke up first, her eyes lighting up as she reached to grasp Naru's hands.

"Good morning, Akihane-San." Tenten greeted, earning a soft 'morning' in return from the Ivory haired teen. Once Naru was settled Tenten once again spoke up.

"So, how exactly do you know Hokage-Sama?" The weapon's mistress' voice dropped the more she spoke, her eyes flitting across the room to the Suna and Iwa Genin. Obviously, the girl didn't want to give up any information to their eavesdroppers, which relieved Naru somewhat.

"He took care of me when I was younger." Akihane offered her friend. She then gazed at Sasuke, shaking her head in exasperation once she noticed he still wasn't done with checking her over.

"I'm okay Sasuke-San. Genma-San already looked me over along with Hayate-San. Kakashi-Sensei also had a look and there isn't anything horrible to worry over." The Uzumaki stated with a hint of annoyance seeping through. She did not want Sasuke to become a damn mother hen over some simple wounds that would heal soon enough. Hinata was bad enough with her constant worry alongside Yugau, Genma, and Iruka. There was no way in hell that Naru needed the Uchiha to start at it as well.

Everyone seemed to relax at her words, though Shikamaru's eyes narrowed a bit when he heard the 'horrible' part of the sentence. The boy knew Naru hated to lie, and to word it in such a way meant there probably was something worth noting but it wasn't dangerous. He'd just have to wait and see if the Troublesome Uzumaki would mention it.

I~~~~I

Later on after the Rookie's and the elder Genin had gotten their fill of food, Akihane decided to spend the hours she had left in the gym. At first, the girl was alone while she pushed herself through katas with her new blades, but soon enough she had been joined by another party.

The company came in the form of a familiar Nara. Shikamaru was silent as he stepped into the room, walking toward the wall nearest to Akihane before leaning back against it. The brunette merely watched his comrade as she practiced, not daring to ask anything until she had finished completely.

Akihane pulled her right foot back to her left, her eyes hazy while sweat had begun to trickle over her cheeks. Her fingers lightly shook as the girl slid the two blades into the cloth sheaths, her hands running through her long ponytail. The long ivory locks slapped against Akihane's back, which drew a murmur of annoyance from the girl.

Shikamaru looked at the long hair while he silently wondered over a detail he had almost missed earlier.

The girl glanced at him, causing him to sigh whilst she drew her fingers away from the annoying strands. A quick twist of the girl's heels had her walking in Shikamaru's direction, leaving the Nara to watch with narrowed eyes. Once Naru reached him, she gazed upward and met his eyes, her own a pool of darkening lavender.

"What happened to your old Tanto?" Shikamaru questioned the Ivory female.

Akihane didn't reply for a few seconds as she leaned back against the wall beside him while her lashes cast shadows over her eyes and she breathed out heavily. Shikamaru studied her reaction, taking note of the soft distress lines forming on her forehead along with the slightly quickened pulse at her neck. The Uzumaki was nervous, even if she hid the fact very well under her cool composure.

"You remember that house you found me at on our first C-Rank?" Naru finally responded. Her question threw Shikamaru slightly, though he recovered quickly due to knowing how Akihane's mind worked. The girl would jump straight to her point with as few explanations as possible, which meant he sometimes had to improvise what she was saying. The swords had something to do with that odd house, which also meant that there was more to the whole story and that she was probably going to tell him.

The answers to Shikamaru's questions came in sequence as Naru began her explanation, the two Genin sinking down beside one another.

"As you know, the two graves read Namikaze Michiki and Senju Tobirama-"

And so the words came out and spilled over Akihane's lips like a water jutsu. Shikamaru paid rapt attention to all that was being said. No one else entered the room and whenever Naru paused to let Shikamaru take in the information there was only a deafening silence.

I~~~~I

Shikamaru and Akihane both walked toward the main hall together, having heard the loud intercom while they rested in the gym. The call had alerted all of the Genin that the Second Exam had ended and that they were all needed to meet with their teams in the large arena.

The hallways blurred into simple browns and whites as the two drew closer to the meeting place, both of them spotting their teams almost instantly. Akihane bid a silent farewell to her friend, taking off before he could dare to reply. Shikamaru only sighed, however, turning to face his own group of people with a lazy smile playing at his lips. The smile vanished as soon as he reached Choji and Ino, the three of them filling into their row.

Akihane stood in the same row as Shikamaru, if a few Nin further down. Sasuke and Sakura were ahead of her, Sakura standing between Naru and Sasuke. Akihane didn't seem to mind, her lips settled into something akin to a smirk. The smirk was one Shikamaru would be wary of if he didn't know the source of it.

"Alright, Maggots everyone listen up! The Third Hokage is about to tell you somethin'!" Mitarashi Anko shouted at all the Genin present. The woman stood next to the Third Hokage, who had changed from his normal shinobi attired into his Hokage robes. Behind the Hokage stood the Jonin Senseis, with Gai standing nearest to the middle on the left of the Hokage. He was followed by Kakashi, Asuma, and finally Kurenai. Opposite to those Senseis were the Iwa Jonin, the Sand Jonin, a Sound Jonin, and another Konoha Jonin.

The teachers gazed at their students, some with pride, others with blank expressions. Kakashi's was by far Akihane's favorite, since he was glancing over his book and slumped slightly forward with his right hand stuffed into his pocket. Kurenai was scowling at him from beside Asuma, looking ready to castrate the man.

"Thank you." Hiruzen's sudden words had Aki looking to him and her eyes glimpsed Hayate from where he stood awkwardly behind Anko.

"Now then…I'm going to tell all of you something." The man continued, his eyes roaming those that had passed. He paused as his gaze slid to meet her own before he spoke once more.

"I'm going to tell you the truth about these exams. Most villages tend to hide this from their Ninja, however, I have decided to tell you all. These exams that we have, ones that involve risking your lives for the reward of a greater title have a larger purpose than what most see."

Akihane knew after Hiruzen finished the beginning of his speech exactly what the man meant. She had heard this before from Genma and Raidou, as well as Iruka. Looking "underneath the underneath" was a specialty of hers what with her unending curiosity and her need to learn so much about politics and her family before she was thrust into the cutthroat environment.

"The Chunin Exams are an alternative to something far worse. They keep the peace and remove the need for unnecessary bloodshed. In truth, the Chunin Exams provide an even ground for all of the great villages, the ones reducing families to graves, to fight without other casualties." The Sandaime finished off. His voice had dropped low, his eyes closing as he took a puff of his pipe.

All around Akihane the other Genin had stiffened, their gazes shifting to one another before they either dropped to the ground, singled out their Sensei's, or met Hiruzen's closed eyes.

Akihane met Hayate's gaze, her eyes bright and bleeding. Her heart was on her sleeve as she took in everything that the Jonin conveyed to her in his eyes. It was only when the Hokage spoke again that they broke contact.

"With that said I wish all of you luck in the next part of these Exams. Hayate Gekko, I leave the rest in your hands." Hiruzen called out the Jonin, drawing him to the middle with the Hokage stepped back. From his position, Hayate took a glance at the silent ninja before he gently coughed into his hand. Shadows hung under his brown eyes, highlighted by his pale skin.

"Alright due to there being far more Genin than anticipated, we will be holding a preliminary round which will put you randomly against each other. Should any of you want out of this please say so now-" Hayate couldn't finish, a coughing fit interrupting him. From beside her, Naru heard one of the Iwa Genin, Yarui if she remembered correctly, whisper to the sensor of his team.

"They sure he should be proctoring us? He sounds near death…" Yarui's words cut into Naru's chest, anger swelling at her fists as she clenched them.

Her teeth ground down slightly, even as the cooling sensation she recognized at the mystery man's seal worked its way across her veins. Her eyes deepened into maroon as she glared at the boy, silencing him as he caught her gaze. His body seemed to freeze while his throat moved as he swallowed a lump.

No one raised their hands so they could walk away from the arena, though the Iwa shinobi seemed to second guess his words when he saw her glare, turning away with an embarrassed flush.

Naru twisted away from the Genin and she turned her gaze back at Hayate as he raised his right hand upward to point behind him at the large black screen resting on the wall.

"This with randomize the opponents and decide which order you will go in." As soon as Hayate had spoken, the screen began to flash through different names. Naru paused, watching them carefully as it switched several times.

Finally, it landed on two, one on top and the other at the bottom of the screen.

"Will Uchiha Sasuke and Kin Tsuchi please go to the middle of the Arena. Anyone else please head to the catwalk to observe the match." The Jonin shouted to the Genin, coughing into his hand once more while gesturing to the viewing area surrounding the arena.

Akihane filed alongside Sakura toward one set of stairs, followed closely by the other Rookies while the foreign teams and the oldest Konoha team all walked up the other side. It was only once all of the other Genin had settled with their Senseis at the top that Hayate stepped forward in front of the combatants.

Hayate seemed to access Sasuke before his lips twitched and he spoke loud enough for all of the viewers to hear.

"The match will be the first to fall unconscious or forfeit the match loses. Should I see fit to intervene then I will. If you do not comply with what I say then you will not pass. Am I understood?" Hayate looked to the two Genin for confirmation of his question. He ended up with two nods in return.

Hayate sighed and lifted his arm before her swiftly brought it down while shouting, "Hajime!"

I~~~~I

Sasuke moved far faster than Kin could, drawing several Kunai into his palms while also dropping low to avoid several Senbon the Kunoichi sent at him. His eyes narrowed and he tossed his weapons, rolling away from his spot to avoid the girl. As he did he pulled out several more kunai. The kunai weren't the normal ones that one usually possessed, but instead, they were something far different.

Kin tossed more weapons over Sasuke's head, the Uchiha pivoting quickly to dodge the blows while also tossing his weapons at her. As Sasuke had predicted the Kunoichi dodged the Kunai, not bothering to check the handles for tags. The kunai embedded into the wall in a triangle pattern, sealing the Kunoichi's fate.

Kin either didn't notice or didn't care about his latest move and instead, she sent even more of her weapons at Sasuke. The Uchiha was growing tired of the little farce so he pushed on his heel to launch his body forward. The Sound Nin yelled in surprise when he landed beside her. Sasuke quickly twisted his body so his elbow knocked her stomach in while she was still recovering from her shock. Sasuke's eyes darkened as he followed through with the elbow with an outstretched palm aimed forward. Chakra pulsed out from the center of the center of the palm and inevitably caused Kin to launch even farther across the arena.

From the stands Neji leaned in further, his eyes widening while he gazed at the bat6tle happening before him. The moved that the Uchiha had just pulled reminded Neji of something, and in all honesty if the move was what he believed it to be then someone would pay dearly.

It soon became obvious that Sasuke wasn't even close to done since his feet shifted while he pulled chakra up from his chest and pushed it out through his lips in a concentrated stream. Wordlessly the flames rushed toward the Kunoichi that had fallen to the ground. Kin looked upward at the flames while her eyes lit up from the blaze. It took only a moment before she was swallowed whole by the attack.

Hayate stepped forward in order to interfere, however, Sasuke raised his hand toward the Jonin. Sasuke's eyes twisted, turning from black to red. The blaze died as his hand made a sweeping gesture in front of his chest. Kin lay curled up at the base of the flames. There was a soft sizzling sound as the Kunoichi stared up at him in horror while her body shook in fear.

"W-What the hell a-are you-"

Kin tried to demand from the Uchiha. Her teeth had clenched as she gripped a single kunai in her burned hand. Sasuke only titled his head at the girl like she was a creature he couldn't yet understand while his Sharingan halted it's spinning so that all three tomo in both his eyes glared at his enemy.

"You hurt my team. You hunted us down like animals and swear loyalty to a man who nearly killed those I would die for. Then, to top it all off…you destroyed something that was precious to Sakura. She isn't the best Kunoichi, and she by far isn't the best person, but she didn't deserve the humiliation you put her through. She is my teammate…and those who target my teammates will find out what it means to anger a Shinobi of Konoha." Sasuke hissed out at Kin Tsuchi, speaking for the first time since he and his team had entered the tower. His eyes held hatred and a dark form of justice that had Kin choking on her own retort.

Akihane's eyes closed when she heard Sasuke's reply to Kin's demand. The Ivory Kunoichi's shoulders stiffened while she tried to breathe through her worry. Sasuke wouldn't let something as small as his anger toward the Sound Kunoichi's actions get to him. Akihane knew this deep down. Still, when you opened your eyes to find your best friend growing black markings under his shirt collar, you weren't thinking comforting thoughts. Besides her, Kakashi seemed to stiffen as well while Sakura's fingers tightened around the railing spanning the walkway in an expression of her worry.

The other Senseis shared glances, whilst Kin's sensei narrowed his eyes in glee as he looked at the boy radiating such anger.

Hinata stood between Kiba and Shino. She tilted her head before she shook it quite quickly afterward. The Hyuuga Heiress then glanced to the side and spotted Neji close to tumbling into the arena himself as he leaned over the railing with his Byakugan focused on the battle below. Hinata's lips twitched before she looked down at Sasuke once more. Her eyes slid across the three kunai he had left in the wall, the tags on them giving her a general idea of what Sasuke had planned. For once, the Hyuuga wholeheartedly approved of the Uchiha's plan. Of course, Sasuke looked up to Hinata when she smirked and caught her gaze with his own. The Heiress held the gaze before she nodded sharply at him.

The tiny action caused his shoulders drop slightly as though a weight was released from them. It was that moment Sasuke finally decided that he best give those around them a little show at the very least. A quick pulse of his chakra released the seals on his legs, chakra slicing through the weights pressing at his shins. The weights fell to the ground and Sasuke launched forward. As Sasuke shot toward his enemy the Kunoichi that opposed him decided to send her weapons at him. Kin scrambled to her feet to remove herself from his attack range. She backed away while her lips twisted into a dark scowl directed at the raven ninja. The girl looked behind Sasuke to the Senbon and kunai in the walls. Soon her eyes were twinkling to match her grin as she tugged on the wire she had spread over the room.

The Uchiha froze when the sound of bells ringing entered his head and caused his vision to double before it centered once more. Sharingan eyes narrowed on Kin as Sasuke took in her pose along with everything else. The bells rang again around him but this time he was prepared for their effects.

Kin was a sound shinobi and therefore it was only fitting that she worked with sound ninjutsu. Kin's choice of weapon meant that the effect would most likely lie in Sasuke's ability to hear. It was too bad Sakura had already shown him how to pile chakra at his ears to avoid the effects, and that he flimsy excuse for a Genjutsu was no match for his Sharingan. Had no one ever explained exactly what his clan was famous for to this girl? Or was Kin so confident in her abilities she thought to fool a fully matured Sharingan?

Sasuke closed his eyes and let out a sigh of agitation as he shot toward his opponent suddenly. His fist didn't take long to make contact with Kin's face and push the shocked Kunoichi right into the wall behind her. Sasuke's eyes lit with satisfaction as her back slammed into the handle of one of the kunai placed there by him earlier. Kin's wrists slammed against the handles of the other two kunai embedded into the wall. Once contact was completely established the tags on the three Kunai began to glow. Chakra was drawn from the Sound Kunoichi's body and it traveled into the seals wrapped around the handles of Sasuke's special weapons.

Kin looked sharply toward Sasuke as her mouth opened in protest. Sasuke scoffed at the girl and turned away as he lifted another kunai from his pouch with his right hand. This kunai was simple in design, but when Sasuke tossed it at Kin, lightning sparked around it in a show of nature manipulation. The blade slammed right above Kin's head, cutting into her singed scalp enough to draw blood. The lightning spread from the kunai down to the seals. The sparking volts alongside the cut caused the Kunoichi to call out sharply in pain. The girl's pain only increased when the lightning used her body as a conductor and reached the chakra in the kunai at the girl's back. The chakra inside of the lightning caused the shocking seal to activate.

The effect happened twice more once the lightning chakra reached the base of each Kunai. Sasuke's form had already started to tread towards the stairs as Kin's screams began to die out into low groans. From the sidelines, Hayate stared hard at Sasuke, before he sighed heavily and shouted toward the others in the arena.

"The winner is Uchiha Sasuke!"

I~~~~I

Sasuke barely made it up the steps before he found two pairs of arms wrapping around his torso. The action shocked him enough to make his eyes widen slightly. At first the Uchiha expected to see platinum blonde and pink but instead, he only saw ivory and sakura. Large green eyes looked up into his while a smile rose on pink lips. "S-Sasuke...I-I…"

Sakura stuttered as she tried and failed to thank him for finally accepting her and for fighting with her in mind. The girl didn't get much of a second chance since Sasuke's hand stretched out to press at her short locks and his palm ruffled her hair gently. Sasuke looked away from her before he sighed gently in response.

"Whatever." The boy muttered just loud enough for her to catch it.

Akihane chuckled from beside Sakura, reaching to tap Sasuke's cheek. The Uchiha turned sharply to the Uzumaki and found her smirking fondly at him. "Well done. Didn't think you'd use those tags. I mean they are yours, but you said only in dire situations so…"

The Ivory Kunoichi trailed off, leaving Sasuke to stare blankly at her. He rolled his eyes a bit before his other hand passed over her hair as well and he ruffled the long blonde locks. Sakura giggled at them both. She felt relieved despite Sasuke's attention once again being focused on her other teammate. After nearly dying and losing the other two, the Kunoichi felt she could deal with their quirky relationship.

All that was left was her spot to be filled in, and what with the battle Sasuke had just fought in on her behalf as well as Akihane, she figured that it already was.

I~~~~I

And there it is. I really did like writing this. At first I was gonna have Sasuke get all angsty, but in the end, I decided on good ol' protective and vengeful Sasuke. I already have the other matches figured out, though you could still suggest and I might be able to change some things.

Drabble- So, you're my Great Granddaughter.

It took a few seconds, but when his vision finally cleared he was met with an odd sight.

Ivory hair spilled over pale shoulders, red eyes blended with lavender gazing at him with worry.

"Don't get too close Aki. You have no idea how he'll react."

A voice off to the side spoke up, the form above him scoffing.

"I could handle it either way. We already handled Madara-San. Now could you be useful and tell Sasuke-San and Hinata-Hime that he's awake?"

Aki shot back at the other party, earning a grunt of annoyance.

"Troublesome woman…"

The man muttered under his breath, though retreating steps told Tobirama that the man had indeed left.

A second later when it registered, the man's phrase had Tobirama's head spinning, since he had only heard it from a certain clan he labeled as lazy geniuses.

"Can you see how many fingers I have up, Tobirama-San?"

Aki questioned him, drawing his attention to the three fingers held in front of his eyes.

Tobirama blinked, before opening to mouth to reply with-

"T-Three."

Aki seemed relieved, her body no longer tense as she moved to help him up.

Her features became clearer, showing her angled jawline and soft cheeks that were decorated with light scars.

Tobirama took the girl in, shocking himself when he noticed that the girl had just run her hand over the ground beside her, only to have a plant spring upward and bloom into her palm like an eager puppy.

Aki looked at him under her spiky bangs, which was short enough to barely brush her eyes, while the rest of her unruly spikes decorated her head down to her nape.

The headband wrapped around the girl's forehead had him swearing inwardly.

Aki paused, tilting her head a bit to the side before she huffed and reached up to touch the metal plate that covered her head.

"Oh, it seems I forgot to take that off."

Tobirama nearly choked as he stared at the Senju Headband the girl wore, along with the Uzumaki seal she sported going down her arm.

A boy walked up from behind Aki, his hand landing on her spikes as Tobirama looked up to meet his gaze.

Charcoal met maroon, the pale teen sighing.

"Akihane, if we want to keep him alive we need to move."

Akihane's lips twitched, the girl looking up to pout at the male that Tobirama felt was an Uchiha.

The male's right eye twitched and he opened his mouth to object, only for a call to be heard.

"Uchiha, get your hands off of Naru-Hime!"

Sasuke turned sharply and he yelled toward a lavender haired teenage that stalked toward them with furry present in her pale orbs straining under the effect of her Byakugan.

"You can't just order me around Hyuuga!"

Tobirama's head pounded as the two Ninja met in the middle of Akihane and her other group, the Ivory haired girl only smiling softly at her 'friends'.

"Oh, by the way, I'm your time traveling great granddaughter. Just thought you should know."

Akihane sprung on him so suddenly that he passed out rather soon after processing the information.

One thought filtered past his mind, however.

'If the girl is telling the truth…my granddaughter got Mokuton but Hashirama's grandchild didn't. Take that Ni-San!"