The Sandaime looked down at the Nidaime and Shodaime Hokage's as well as his student, his shoulders squared as he prepared to attack.

"You have been allowed to cause havoc for long enough Orochimaru!"

The God of Shinobi shot toward his student in a blur, staff in hand and mind settled on a single outcome.

Orochimaru's head on a platter.

I~~~~I

Akihane watched as Hiruzen dropped down upon his student, the reanimated corpses of his Senseis casting glances between him and her before landing firmly on him.

She relaxed slightly, her limbs shaking still as her breathing refused to even out.

Hiruzen had given her enough time to go grab Raidou and Genma at the least before she was missed, so she'd just have to do that.

She slipped down the large branch and landed several feet lower. She then tested her chakra on her feet, nearly slipping twice and even building up too much chakra once, causing her to fall and her reflexes were all that kept her from getting injured.

By the fifth drop Hiruzen had nailed Orochimaru across the face and sent him into the towering earth barrier he had used to shield himself earlier.

Akihane took note of the Shodaime and Nidaime as they both descended upon their student. Her teeth ground down as she struggled not to growl over the ordeal.

Two more blows, one that connected, and Hiruzen was downed. The man was old, too old to be dealing with these men all at once, Adamantine Staff or not. In fact, his staff was kicked away by Orochimaru as the man walked toward the Hokage. He stood above him with a smirk, ready to taunt the downed Shinobi about his failures.

Whatever it was that caused her enemies to monologue stupidly for precious minutes that helped her strike against him, Akihane wanted it to continue.

She gripped several shuriken and sent them toward the Shodaime and Nidaime, flashing through the hand signs Sasuke had taught her repeatedly during training until she had them and the chakra flow necessary memorized.

"Fire Style, Phoenix Fire Jutsu!" She shouted, drawing in breath before letting loose a torrent of small flames to engulf the shuriken.

The Jutsu wasn't nearly as powerful as Sasuke's, her skill in Fire Jutsu rather nonexistent next to the Uchiha's own prowess.

Even so, she had succeeded in her attempt and that meant something.

The weapons rained down on the two former Hokage, Akihane's fingers shifting through several more hand signs. Two clones popped into existence around her, both wielding simple kunai. They shot toward the founders while Akihane launched down at Orochimaru.

She wouldn't be able to manage anymore Mokuton, had barely enough chakra to withstand one more bout of that anyways. She needed something strong and quick, something that would set Orochimaru at a disadvantage and help Hiruzen gain the upper hand again.

Orochimaru turned toward her with a sneer of distaste.

"Why don't you step aside and let the adults play, brat?!"

Her fingers landed on a single sign and her sprained wrist drew back to grab the handle of her blade.

One chance, one moment and she would offer her grandfather what he needed.

The clones met their opponents, exploding in powerful waves of chakra after the flaming shuriken pinned them to the sidelines.

She dropped down, her feet shifting into a stance without warning as she drew her blade and channeled wind chakra along the metal. The metal sung to her as she brought it down on Orochimaru's forearm.

The man brought up the Grass Blade he cherished enough to stuff it down his throat, the slick blade hitting her own full on.

A crack sounded and Akihane's eyes widened as Tobirama's katana wavered, the surface showing spider web fractures before it started to cave in.

One chance, even if it meant the destruction of something she cherished deeply, all to protect a man who never gave up on her and always sought her success.

The blade shattered under Orochimaru's next blow, the Sannin's lips twisting into a satisfied smirk even as Akihane forced her chakra to extend, the wind chakra turning a vibrant blue that danced across the space her blade had been moments before. Unhindered by a physical form the wind went straight across Orochimaru's blade and dug into his arm, the chakra compounding and cutting through the flesh without a moments notice.

Akihane felt his Kusinagi blade slice into her shoulder, but she pressed on, slicing cleanly through the Sannin's cloth covered arm.

His eyes flew wide as she quickly dove to the side, her head swimming while blood fell across her jacket and the tiled roof. She swept into a crouch and dropped the shattered hilt of her katana, mourning it's loss for only a moment before she desummoned the artifact.

Her gaze swept up to Orochimaru's and she spit on the ground while leveling him with her darkest stare.

"That's for Jiji you bastard." Her lips curled into a feral grin and her pupils slit again, her body unconsciously drawing on the remnants of the Kyuubi's chakra as her reserves depleted further. She wouldn't be able to fight much longer. Two or three more jutsu at most, then she'd be in the realm of Chakra Exhaustion. Her limbs shook even more, the blood on her shoulders splattering against the tiles more as she struggled to grip the wound.

"Y-You…" Orochimaru spoke up as he looked toward her, his snake-like gaze doing nothing but sending a small shiver down Akihane's spine. A heavy presence, the same from the Forest of Death, fell over her and drew the air from her lungs.

She was choking on the man's hate, on his wrath over her actions. Her smile didn't waver.

"Kill her. Tear her apart!" Orochimaru ordered, his eyes narrowed on her without a second thought. His arm had fallen below him, the bone sticking out clearly from where he gripped his grievous wound.

It seemed like he was done being nice. Akihane took a moment to think of her brothers, of Sasuke and Hinata and her team. She thought about the moments she spent with Shisui and the friends she made along the way, of the kinda Haku Hinata befriended and the stubborn Zabuza that knew about her relative.

She had regrets, but she didn't fear death. She didn't fear the end or the faces of her lost loved ones.

"Akihane!"

A shout broke out, drawing her gaze back to her grandfather just as he activated explosive tags, her own in fact, that he had placed on the reanimations. They dropped before they could attack her, leaving Orochimaru to seethe in fury at them both while Enma's arm shot from his staff-form and nailed Orochimaru's neck.

"Akihane, run!" Hiruzen shouted at her, his voice clearly holding an order.

She nodded shakily, standing unsteadily before twisting to look at the towering forest. She needed to find Genma and Raidou quickly.

Her legs pushed and she shot into the undergrowth, the sound of Hiruzen's shouts drowning in the massive tangle of branches and undergrowth.

She let out a pulse of chakra while gripping her injured shoulder, searching for either of her brothers' pulses.

"There." She turned sharply upon feeling the warm signatures, heading in their direction. As she did so, she also removed her jacket from her person, tugging out bandages from her pouches while tying the ripped fabric around her waist. She dropped down a few meters from her target and wrapped the gauze awkwardly around her shoulder. Her vision was starting to swim as she pulled the bandage with her teeth, bracing her back against one of the large roots. She stopped for a moment to make sure she wasn't bleeding throat the bandage, despite the fact it was already pink, before she turned to head toward Genma's chakra.

Honed reflexes forced her to drop down as wood burst into chunks and flew above her head in a deadly rain. Chakra thrummed behind her in steady pulses, the two signatures frighteningly familiar.

She twisted and rolled away from two more branches sprouting, landing on a branch before jumping away once more. She couldn't rest a single moment, branches twisting around to try and grab her while a swift and merciless Tobirama tried to strike her down.

Her head hurt and she gasped when a root caught her foot and sent her down.

Hashirama stepped forth, his hands raising to form signs as branches rushed toward her. Several bound her limbs in place, two piecing her uninjured arm in order to keep her down.

"Water Style, Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Tobirama called out, the Water dragon forming from the air itself, raising upward to strike her down.

She grunted and tried to move, her earlier thoughts running rampant.

Hiruzen wasn't here to be her savior. She was alone in this wooded battlefield and she was seriously going to die.

Her teeth ground down and she reached down with her injured arm, gripping onto her tag she had saved for later.

"Might as well drag you down with me." She hissed, her eyes deadly calm as she pumped chakra into the seal attached to a kunai, tossing it at the branches and water directly in front of her.

I~~~~I

Yin gazed at the forest grown at the top of the Arena's main box, his chakra seeping over the surface as he catalouged the signatures inside. Tobirama and Hashirama, both reanimated and forced to fight at Orochimaru's side. Akihane was in there too, along with the three Nin she kept with her, and of course the main two, Hiruzen and Orochimaru.

The aged Uzumaki wanted to sigh as he felt two of the shinobi go down and the third one weaken.

His body stiffened when Akihane's signature fluctuated, his heart hammering in his rib cage as he thought about Orochimaru's plan.

"He better not have-" Yin hissed as he poured more chakra into his sensory abilities, channeling it around a single signature.

The girl's heart was slowing and her lungs wouldn't take in air. Fingers infused with wind chakra were drawing all of the air from her throat while she struggled to remove them.

Had Orochimaru forgotten their deal? Had he decided that Akihane's life was worth his own and Yin's madness?

The Uzumaki was furious, even when Akihane's chakra pushed and summoned something to free her from Tobirama's clutches. She had too many close calls this day, each one getting her closer to death than the last one. At some point her luck and the people willing to put everything on the line to save her would end, and then Yin would fail again.

Never again…

He echoed the thought a million times, reminding him of his purpose and of everything he had given up or lost to ensure that Orama's dying wish was completed.

He stepped forward, ignoring the downed figures of Jiraiya and Kakashi behind him. He gathered chakra and willed his body forward.

A smoother and quicker transition than the normal Shuinshin, his body standing next to his downed enemies one moment, before it stood next to the flickering purple barrier the next.

His gaze settled on the barrier's surface, on the cracking appearance of it due to the force of Hashirama and Tobirama's Jutsu. They were declared some of the strongest shinobi to exist for a reason, and no junior seal practitioners such as Orochimaru's Sound Four could truly match that power.

Yin reached and placed a hand on the barrier, the surface hissing despite the fact that his hand remained unharmed. To the side he heard a call from one of Orochimaru's henchmen, a red headed girl by the name of Tayuya. The girl was trying to ward him from the barrier, despite her knowledge of Yin creating the barrier.

The barrier was used during the Uzushio Trials for up and coming officers in the guard. Yin's own apprentice had helped him improved the design and plan out its uses and execution.

Yin pushed through the fragmented barrier without trouble, slipping past it without a single injury. He stepped onto the roof away from the fighting.

His eyes scanned and he paused upon seeing Akihane drop beside her grandfather and start channeling chakra. Orochimaru had ordered his reanimations to capture her at all costs, causing annoyance to flood Yin's body. The man had to have not cared before, and yet now he was worried about killing her? Orochimaru needed a priority check, preferably in the form of seals and a good punch in the face from Yin as the man reminded him exactly how mortal Orochimaru was.

His eyes settled on Akihane in time to witness her hidden ability.

He felt his jaw go slack when she performed Hashirama's signature Jutsu, even though her reserves dropped dangerously low. The branches still performed and dealt damage on her attackers, rendering all who gazed upon the battle in shock.

Senshi hadn't been able to use Mokuton despite his greatest attempts. He had stated that his Uncle's line were probably the only ones with the ability. Such a thing might have been true had Tsunade, her brother, or her father displayed the same ability, and yet no one had possessed it. Minato also showed no signs, along with Orama. Neither displayed the coveted Kekai Genkai, and yet…And yet Akihane knelt before her leader after showing her ability proudly. She displayed a prowess no one had seen in nearly a century.

Yin fell back on his heels and watched as the next few events unfolded, as Akihane took hold of her shaking form and tried to get to her guardians and prove herself useful. The girl was near collapsing and she still pushed on, still tried her hardest to aid those that didn't appreciate her work.

He didn't understand her. He couldn't understand how someone could stand to be ignored for so long and fight for those that scorned them. He couldn't begin to grasp the concept of protecting those that tarnished the wishes of your parents and their heroes.

Yin wasn't certain how Akihane could continuously push past the abuse and become a better person because of it. Yin had been driven to the brink of insanity from the curses thrown his way. He had crumbled after the deaths of his children and wife, had destroyed countless lives after Uzushio's destruction to fill the void in his heart.

After Senshi died Yin had marched onto the battlefield and taken out an entire battalion of men in retaliation, his hatred only simmering down to passing anger when he had finished off the last Shinobi and faked his own death.

The girl was special and far too kind for the world around her.

She was also down, preparing to die at the hands of her enemy. Yin took a deep breath and channeled chakra, watching as Hiruzen gave her a moment to escape despite the fact they both knew it wouldn't last long.

Akihane had wounded Orochimaru and marked herself as someone deserving of death in the man's eyes, leaving Yin to scramble and push the pieces back into place once more before the entire thing fell apart.

Not this time…

He surged forward again, entering Hashirama's domain while walking toward the sole signature of his sole purpose in life.

Never again.

I~~~~I

"Seven Trigrams, Heavenly Barrier Seal!"

Akihane's eyes widened when a cloaked body dropped down and placed a barrier over not just their head, but hers as well.

The figure was easily recognized as one Uzumaki Yin, though his purpose in the ordeal was both confusing and unknown.

The man stared at the explosive force that activated outside of the barrier, wood and natural debris slamming against the surface.

The barrier did not crack, remaining whole amidst the onslaught.

"You really like explosions." The man commented idly, still refusing to face her as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

His hair was kept up in a tight ponytail at the top of his head, the red dark like the afternoon sky. His yukata was slightly singed and looked to have seen better days, though he had no obvious wounds. Scratches marred his dark skin, not many deep enough to draw blood. His sandals were blackened with ash and the bandages he had on his legs were now gone. They had no doubt been torn during battle and left who knows where.

Akihane tried to speak, to do anything at all, but found that her body had finally called it quits.

She had been running offof adrenaline for quite some time and after that last attack, after her release of a dangerous seal that Genma made her swear to never use without a really good reason, she was done.

Exhaustion crept along her limbs and she tried to blink away spots, only to find she couldn't lift the lids of her eyes after the second time.

Her body ached and her shoulder throbbed while her wrist stung in resentment for the treatment it had been dealt earlier.

A hand dropped down to her shoulder and she tried to push or shrug it off, only to find she barely had enough strength to think of the action, let alone actually perform it.

"Relax." Yin spoke calmly, warm chakra thrumming under his fingertips as he worked his healing chakra over her wound. The bandage had been left askew after Akihane had been tossed around like a ragdoll, the wound beneath slightly healed but still dripping blood on occasion.

Yin followed the line of the wound, slowly stitching the skin back together by duplicating her cells with chakra.

His other hand gripped her other shoulder to steady her, the large hand hanging over the back of her smaller form.

"There." He spoke, finishing with a sharp pulse to seal the tender skin completely. He then removed the bandage and fished for one of his own in silence.

Akihane felt the pain ease and let out a heavy sigh of relief while trying not to cry.

Yin found one of his bandages and started to wrap the tender skin, careful not to jostle the Kunoichi before he moved on to the rest of her body.

His fingers moved to her chest and he mended the ribs and healed her lungs, working his way up to her throat where he healed her esophagus and the bruising around her neck. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he settled his hand on her forehead, checking for any damage in her head. He found minor swelling and signs of concussion, healing both before moving on.

He stopped at her wrist and started to heal that wound as well.

Akihane slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the man so tenderly caring for her wounds, even the small and unimportant ones.

"W-Why…" She barely managed, her voice less raspy but still tired sounding.

Yin looked up at her as he let her hand drop to her lap. His fingers reached over to her blade, Michiki's. He ghosted his fingers along the handle and let loose a wary breath.

"I told you that I can't afford to have someone close die again. You may not know me, but I do know you. I watched you grow up and it killed me inside to watch you deal with their hatred in stride. I witnessed your reaction to Shisui's death and I watched over you when your guards couldn't. I've traveled the world making sure to quell any rumors regarding your existence or your heritage, killing off those foolish enough to believe they could take you and use you for their own purposes."

Yin held her gaze, his mismatched eyes glinting softly in the dimmed lighting.

"A lot has been sacrificed for your survival Akihane…all because I could never break a promise I gave the woman I loved."

Yin murmured, reaching over to brush Akihane's messy hair out of her fact and wipe some grime from her features. She was a mess and knew it, but that didn't stop the fact that this man had turned so suddenly in an effort to protect her.

"I learned upon Senshi's death that I couldn't prevent those I swore to protect from dying by staying at their side. I learned to step aside and go with the enemy to stop them the moment they tried to harm my precious people." He continued, pulling away to look behind them at the reforming Tobirama and Hashirama.

The water and branches had quelled the explosive damage a lot, keeping the blast sequestered to their small area.

"G-Genma…Raidou…" Akihane remembered as she tried to push herself up.

Yin gently shoved her back, sighing heavily. "They are fine. I can still sense them. Hiruzen and the other one are okay as well."

The elder Uzumaki failed to mention that Sarutobi's chakra was fluctuating and that the man was preparing a rather large Jutsu that would leave him at the Shinigami's door.

Instead, Yin allowed his barrier to drop. He faced the former Hokage and raised his hand to channel chakra.

Unlike with Kurotsuchi or even with Akihane earlier, Yin poured more chakra and control into these binds. His chakra expanded in the air a built up a barrier between them larger than his own body. The glowing blue script started to shimmer by the time her had finished, Yin's hand clenching into a fist.

The seals collapsed around his arm and he darted forward, slamming that arm into Hashirama's stomach in a blur of movement. The seals started to expand around the man, just before Yin turned and kicked Tobirama in his side.

Another seal formed along Tobirama's side, this one simpler than before but no less dangerous.

A good ton weighed down on them both, chakra binding, sealing, and syphoning seals working across Hashirama's body while the gravity seals on both Tobirama and he pushed them to their knees.

Yin flashed through hand signs and slammed his fist down before Tobirama, more seals spreading outward in living tendrils of blue. They crawled along the man's skin and worked their way up his limbs, binding him in the same manner as his brother.

The two were struggling to keep their bodies off of the floor, each suffering from the extremely forceful gravity seals in place. Yin went through several more hand signs, calling up a good amount of chakra before chains sprouted from the ground below the men and wrapped around their limbs. They both fell to the ground with harsh thuds as the chains tightened along them, a circle about them turning from blue to violet.

"W-What are you g-going to do?"

Akihane questioned behind him, her voice still soft.

Yin paused as he stared at the two men effectively subdued, wondering exactly what his plan was. He had to seal their souls away, though he didn't exactly have anything stable to seal them into. He needed to ensure that Orochimaru never got a hold of them again, and that meant using something more than a tile below them of one of his weapons.

"I'm going to seal them away. I just need to find a vessel before I do. It has to be strong and inconspicuous enough that Orochimaru won't have access to their souls again." Yin told her.

He looked around, trying to find something to use. Tobirama's blades migh have been good, though Michiki's would only hold one and if the blade shattered, the souls would be released. He could seal them into a scroll, but that was less secure than the weapon idea. There was also himself, though he had no guarantee how their chakra would react with his or if his body could adjust to hold them.

"Use me."

Yin froze, turning slowly to look at the girl now sitting up, hand on her outstretched leg while she stared defiantely at him.

"I already hold the Kyuubi, so I know it's possible. Seal them like my father sealed the Kyuubi. Orochimaru wouldn't be able to get to them, nor would he think about you placing them in a human vessel." She argued, stubbornly refusing to back down despite his incredulous stare.

As much as Yin wanted to disagree, he could see the pros to the whole thing. Akihane had the Kyuubi within her, as well as his own seal regulating the control the beast had over her. Her chakra was at its lowest point right now, meaning that when she healed it would meld better with the two souls than if he sealed it in someone with full reserves. There was also the fact her chakra was already used to mixing with the chakra of not only her Bijuu but also her friends in combination attacks, and those seals of hers.

The only real objection to her idea was the fact that Yin didn't want to. He hated the thought of Jinchuuriki, had voiced that opinion to Mito-Sama enough times for everyone in the clan to understand. He hated the thought of anyone's will, Chakra Beast or human, being robbed simply because of an emotion such as fear. Akihane had been scorned for protecting those around her form the Kyuubi's wrath, and the Kyuubi was hated for defending itself from mans' hate. To seal any being inside of another was horrendous…and yet he still planned to seal the souls away anyways.

"Please…" She whispered softly, glancing over to the struggling Hokage.

"I don't want to see that look on Jiji's face ever again. They aren't puppets and they don't deserve this. Please, if it can save them from being used against all they fought for, seal them inside of me."

Akihane pleaded with him, her eyes softening and taking on a lavender hue.

Covered in blood with healing bruises dotting her neck and torso, burn marks racing over her arm and scars tracing her features, Akihane looked nothing like the proud girl he had come to see in the Exams. She looked like a child, like someone who had been dealt a wrong hand and was so close to breaking because of it.

She had strength, but only so much. Yin had grown jealous of her kindness and her ability to understand, all without looking at the damage underneath. Just because someone smiled did not mean they never shed tears, just because someone brushed off insults and curses did not mean they didn't have cracks lining their heart.

Yin looked back at the Nidaime and Shodaime, sparing an extra moment to level a stare on Tobirama in particular. He hated the man, hated the decisions he forced upon Orama and Senshi. He hated the fact that the man didn't seem to understand just what effect he had and how badly he screwed up.

He hated that he was so much like Yin it hurt.

"Very well." Yin intoned.

He turned and walked toward Akihane, reaching to haul her up. She winced but warily leaned into him, allowing him to guide her trembling form in front of the two Hokage.

"After this is done…It can't be undone. They'll be with you till you die."

Yin told her in a last ditch effort to get her to stop this.

She nodded in acceptance and said nothing more.

He took a shaky breath and settled her down on the ground, kicking away branches in order to let her lay down. Her eyes closed and she let out a soft sigh as she laid back against the ruined tiles.

Yin paused to take in her features again, looking back at the two Kage.

Hashirama was still staring blankly at him, while Tobirama…Tobirama was gazing at him with recognition.

Yin froze in place as the man relaxed and stopped struggling. His body went limp as though the puppet strings had been cut, leaving him in control once more.

His chakra surrounded Tobirama, feeling for the control kunai no doubt lodged in the man's head. Instead, Yin only found the shattered pieces of a seal that had been tearing itself in two.

"H-How…?" Yin questioned the man, settling a hand beside Akihane's arm as he did so.

Tobirama glanced toward Akihane, expression unreadable.

"Her attacks. Every time her chakra hit me it severed the seal a little more. I was able to break the link after the last attack, but it took a while to gain control afterwards."

Yin blinked and looked down at Akihane, the girl's brow furrowing as she struggled to pay attention. Her head twisted to the side and she opened her eyes to gaze at her Great Grandfather.

Tobirama met her gaze evenly once more.

Akihane let out a pained laugh and smiled sadly at the man as she spoke up. "I-I just did what I t-tried with Kurotsuchi's bindings…I-I directed my chakra to the links i-inside of the seal and severed them."

Yin pondered the girls words as he gathered his chakra, staring down at the girl in confusion and wonder.

He hadn't heard of breaking seals in such a way. Most people overpowered seals with chakra in order to destroy them, or they did the reverse and drained them of power completely. Yin was one to overpower seals like most Uzumaki since the control needed to do what Akihane did was simply unheard of. In fact, Yin wasn't certain where the younger Uzumaki had learned such a technique from. When it came to sealing scrolls they only mentioned the easiest methods, such as overloading. Jiraiya was definitely one to overload a seal, and Kakashi didn't have enough knowledge of seals to be able to do such a thing. Kushina couldn't channel chakra directly to something without barreling through everything else, so she was out. Minato was much simpler and fine-tuned compared to his wife, though Yin doubted the man ever had to work with deconstructing seals, and even if he did, one couldn't learn those things from writing alone.

Akihane had to have felt the seal and sensed the parts that were the most crucial and fragile in the construction, narrowing onto each before knocking them out all at once. In addition, since no one around her could have taught such a thing to the girl…Akihane had to have taught herself.

Yin grew more and more surprised with the child every day.

Shaking his head, Yin focused on his chakra and started to build up the necessary amount to seal not only Tobirama, but Hashirama as well.

Tobirama was gazing at Akihane in astonishment, his face mirroring Yin's feelings over the girl's revelation.

Yin placed the hand at Akihane's side on her stomach, pulsing his chakra through her momentarily.

He noticed that she had pushed a blockade of chakra against his own seal, and he shook his head with a chuckle. 'Konoha's Most Unpredictable Kunoichi indeed.' He thought in amusement, slowly chipping at the blocks to allow his seal to settle once more. The girl below him let out a soft gasp as the seal spread chakra across her body, searching for injuries and mending what Yin missed earlier. It was no wonder the girl was having such a hard time with the seal if she was the careful type. The seal kept back large amounts of chakra in order to keep back the Kyuubi's influence, which meant the carefully dispersed amounts in her chakra system would still flow correctly.

He adjusted the seal slightly, allowing it to let her use her chakra more freely while also tightening the seal holding the Kyuubi.

"There. Don't fight the seal so much Akihane, it's only there to make sure you can control your chakra better. Of course it'll lash out should the Kyuubi attack…but it wasn't intended to hinder you."

Yin lightly scolded the girl, laughing a bit as he felt her ire through his chakra. She was annoyed with him. Adorable.

His eyes opened and he faced Tobirama, the man looking resigned to what was about to happen. Hashirama was still struggling, though he barely managed against the Adamantine Chains covering his form.

More chains appeared, extending from Yin's back in a slow dance to encircle the brothers in their grasp. Tobirama watched them with cool indifference, having witnessed the Uzumaki Bloodline in his many battles alongside the clan.

Akihane was watching well-hidden awe. She had no doubt heard of her mother's prowess with the chains, one that was famed even in her own clan. Kushina's ability to use the Adamantine Chains was greater than many of the Uzumaki before her even at a young age. It was actually the reason why she was chosen as the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi in the first place.

"I met your mother when she was younger, you know. You two are a lot alike, Uzumaki stubbornness and all. She had a fierce temper and a stronger love." Yin commented as the chains began to glow. He flashed through hand signs quickly, avoiding the eyes of his charge.

"She left just before Uzushio fell. I told her to live a happy life and to not wither away like me. She then proceeded to try and beat me over the head to promise her I would as well."

Yin let out a sad laugh and smile gently. He wanted to cry and laugh some more, wanted to scream in anger and in grief.

He decided to finish his current job instead, halting above Akihane with a raised palm.

"Four Trigrams, Heavenly Adamantine Seal." He spoke, slamming his palm down on Akihane's chest, right above her heart.

The girl let out a startled and pained gasp, her eyes rolling back into her head.

The chains surrounding Hashirama and Tobirama condensed, the chakra rolling off of them causing the area to hum. A shattering sound could be heard as Hashirama's seal was overwhelmed and he was given his free will once more.

Yin released the other seals and his chains dragged out the chakra-dense forms from the corpses holding them inside.

In a flash of light the chains pushed the chakra-entities deep within the seal appearing over Akihane's heart. Yin held his position right up until the light flattened and everything was plunged into blackness.

Akihane's body fell to the ground with a thud, heavy and erratic breaths leaving her lips as her eyes slipped shut and she groaned.

"W-Way to hit me w-with an earth bullet…" She hissed into the ground.

Yin felt back on his legs and tried not to grow overwhelmed. Creating small gravity seals wasn't much of a problem, but sealing away living entities tended to require more chakra than normal.

He glanced to the girl struggling to catch herself, her body still wracked with tremors.

He shook his head and reached over, tugging the girl up against him as he stood. He had to steady himself against a branch, but managed to hold onto Akihane as he turned to Orochimaru's battle.

Something familiar tugged at him from their area, something that chilled him to his very bones.

Yin had figured Hiruzen would resort to such measures, though he hadn't thought the man would use them so early on. Perhaps Akihane's endangerment pushed him into using the Reaper Death Seal sooner than he planned.

No matter, Yin just needed to get there before the Shinigami stole Hiruzen's soul.

I~~~~I

Hiruzen gazed at his student as the Shinigami severed the Sannin's connection to his arms; including the one Akihane had cut off earlier. It never hurt to be too thorough, and since Orochimaru was so focused on immortality he never though what would happen if he lost the ability to mold chakra.

While it was true that one could wordlessly use Jutsu, some even managing to not use the full line of seals, they still needed to focus their chakra properly. Akihane had gotten to the point where she only needed one seal for her Shadow Clones and only needed a focus for multiple Wind and Water Jutsu, but she still molded chakra with her hands and funneled it out to do her bidding.

Not even Orochimaru could get around such a weakness.

The Shinigami's hand pushed against his back, slipping through his body before clenching around his soul. A gasp left his lips as he felt a sharp and burning pain in his chest.

"Y-You foolish old man…you'll die too!" Orochimaru shouted at him, glaring with a deeply rooted hatred at Hiruzen as the man's soul was tugged by the Shinigami.

"If it keeps you from harming those important to me…Then I would die a thousand times over!" Hiruzen shouted at his former student.

He still felt a lingering sadness edged with detachment for the boy. He would forever remember the sad child who had lost his parents and then his mentor, the boy who had looked at him and sworn to become Hokage.

Closing his eyes the God of Shinobi prepared to breathe his last as the Shinigami withdrew from Orochimaru and started to withdraw from him as well.

"Ah, just in time." A voice spoke up, shocking Hiruzen enough to have his eyes snap open and his head twist toward the newcomer.

His eyes met the gaze of Uzumaki Yin, the man's mismatched eyes twinkling with an unknown emotion. Resting in his grasp was Akihane, her head tilted against his arm while her tried gaze settled on Hiruzen. She seemed to understand what was going on, if the tear tracts running down the side of her face were any indication.

"Y-Yin." Orochimaru spoke up, his eyes darkening as he opened his mouth to demand the man's help.

As he did so, the Kusanagi blade that Orochimaru had discarded earlier beside the Monkey King Enma's downed form vibrated, standing up with the intent to pierce Hiruzen's chest.

Yin waved his hand, violet chains bursting forth to grab the blade and hold it down.

Orochimaru's words halted and he stared in surprise at Yin as the man's lips twisted and his grip on Akihane tightened.

"You ordered them to kill her." Yin informed Orochimaru, a steel hidden in his tone that hadn't been present before.

Orochimaru paled at the realization, staring at Yin as though he wished to take back his angered words.

Yin hummed under his breath and knelt down to place Akihane against an upturned part of the roof, checking over her still shaking body as she tilted her head toward Hiruzen again.

Accepting that Akihane was good without him now, the Uzumaki rose and fell back on his heels while casting a deadly smile, one that held no happiness for the situation or love for his former partner. He trotted toward Hiruzen, his mistmatched eyes flashing toward the Shinigami as he stopped directly in front of his old friend.

"Shinigami-Sama, I want to make a deal. In exchange for this man's delayed death, I will give you another soul in return."

Yin called to the figure behind Hiruzen.

Akihane lifted her hazy gaze to the Shinigami. She blinked a few times, but the image before her never vanished.

Yin had mentioned that as an Uzumaki she was entitled to several insane benefits, one being the continued relations of the Uzumaki Clan and the Shinigami. The Uzumaki had long since formed contracts with the being and sacrificed many of their kills to it, resulting in a tenuous truce between them. It was the reason why Kushina had been able to help Minato create the Reaper Death Seal in the first place.

They couldn't quite order the Shinigami around or bring the dead back to life, but they could strike deals such as the one that Yin was currently making.

The Shinigami's mouth opened, deep and twisting words breaking through her soul as the demonic mask seemed to smile.

"You would offer up your soul for this man's?" The Shinigami questioned, drawing looks from those viewing them.

"Yes. Though only when I die since he will still belong to you in three days' time, but I will offer it to you nonetheless." Yin spoke while still smiling, his eyes haunted and his skin pale.

Hiruzen stuttered before him, his hoarse tone breaking the silence for a moment. "Y-Yin, n-no! I-I've accepted this and brought it on myself…You don't need to do that!"

Yin looked down at Hiruzen, quirking a brow at the Leader before looking back up at the Shinigami.

"Two souls for the price of three days. Do you agree?"

The Shinigami's grin grew impossibly wider, it's blade-wielding arm stretching through Hiruzen to touch Yin's head.

"I accept. When you die…you belong not to fate, but to me."

Chakra flared, building up around Yin before it twisted and formed a seal across his exposed chest. There, resting above the part of his body that kept him alive, was the kanji for 'death'.

The Shinigami removed its hand from Sarutobi's stomach, releasing his soul while pulling Orochimaru's connection to his arms with it. A deep and blood curling laugh descended as the being vanished back from whence it was summoned.

Hiruzen fell forward against Yin, the man's hand grasping at his old friends' shoulder.

"Don't worry Hiruzen, I'll be alright. Just make your last days as good as they can be for me in turn."

Yin whispered. He gently let Hiruzen down, settling him beside his granddaughter.

Akihane was gazing at Yin in a forlorn way, one that seemed to accept just what he had done. She didn't even know him and she was already feeling sad for his situation. Yin was right before.

"You are too kind for this world Akihane." He spoke to her as he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Chakra surged and the girl closed her eyes as she felt it. Tin rose to his feet and turned to Orochimaru.

The man was kneeling on the ground, gazing at Yin in betrayal. As he did, the barrier surrounding them swiftly dropped. From the corners of the roof the Sound Four rushed forward and landed beside their leader.

"Orochimaru-Sama!" They called, two reaching to pull the man up while the other two turned to Yin.

Yin waved a hand at them, gesturing for them to leave.

"He's been punished enough I believe." Yin told them, ignoring their death glares before they vanished with swift movements. Two chakra signatures were close to arriving from within Hashirama's Jutsu, another dropping down in front of Yin.

The man was named Iwashi if Yin remembered correctly. He looked worse for wear and barely payed Yin any attention.

"They'll be good for now if you get them to a hospital." Yin told him, glancing back to Hiruzen. He offered the man an incline of his head before he slowly was consumed by swirling flames.

Hiruzen closed his tired eyes and avoided looking at his old friend as he vanished.

He could only think about his actions, about Yin's fate and how the man had condemned himself to live and die without Orama. He wouldn't be able to go to the pure lands and his soul would reside instead with the Shinigami.

Hiruzen once more owed the man more than Yin knew, once for saving his best friend, and now for giving him time to say his goodbyes.

"I'll make it worth it Yin."

He spoke to the air, turning to watch Iwashi descend on Akihane's sleeping form while two blurs shot from the forest and landed by him.

He knew what to do.

I~~~~I

That's a wrap. I'm surprised with how well these chapters are coming along. I had expected them to take me forever, but having two weeks off seems to have kicked my butt into gear. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!

Drabble-Yin's Past

Akihane hadn't expected Yin's arrival, nor his complacency.

The Uzumaki was strangely talkative and had a heavy burden placed on his heart.

He spoke to her as they worked through Hashirama's creation, detailing his life.

He told her about Orama being banished and how Hiruzen and he smuggled her to Uzushio.

He told her how they became friends and soon married, enjoying their time.

"She was wounded shortly after we married. The attacker damaged her and weakened her to the point where she had to retire as a ninja."

Yin paused before he continued to recall hid past, a haunted look in his eyes.

"Our first daughter died soon after she was born and left Orama too fragile for much of anything. Our next daughter killed her, though she survived…"

"At that point I was distraught and did not wish to raised someone who reminded me of all I lost, so I asked the clan to take care of her and made my way to Uzushio."

From there he detailed his life in the war.

Yin left no details out, taking his time to describe Senshi and Akira in detail.

He went out of his way to describe the death of his best friend and his defection.

From there he brushed over where he wandered and why up until he met up with Uchiha Itachi.

"I promised that boy to take care of your Uchiha so long as he made sure to keep you safe in return."

That information slipped in with many other pieces over the night Itachi killed off the Uchiha Clan.

Itachi's insistence that she forgive him, his manipulation of Sasuke's mind, his hope for Sasuke to end him…

Itachi may not be innocent of the bloodshed, but he was no villain, which also meant that Yin wasn't either.