"You're coming with me to go get lunch," Sasuke spoke firmly.
Akihane sighed, glancing up at her friend from the depleting stacks of paperwork she had been dealing with for several days.
She had woken early to get a headstart on the paperwork and the rebuilding of the village. Plans had already been made and people were starting to rebuild while they waited for a reply from Tazuna. Yesterday evening Chiriku had replied to her missive and had sent a dozen monks to help out. As for the Daimyo, the man had managed to gather a larger force of merchants willing to aide Konoha. Some of them had already arrived, while others were on their way.
Breathing deeply, Akihane looked her friend in the eye and spoke gently. "Sasuke, I can't just leave."
The Uchiha gave her a look that spoke volumes. It was somewhere between 'the hell you can't', and 'has that ever stopped you?'.
Annoyance and slight exasperation crept along the surface of the Uzumaki's thoughts as Sasuke stared her down. The stubborn Uchiha was insistent that she 'take a break'. Akihane didn't understand why he felt this way. She was doing fine and did not require interference when she had a job to do.
"I'm not leaving until you agree," Sasuke warned her.
Akihane sighed her reply. "Then I guess you are going to be here until later on tonight."
Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes at her.
Akihane refused to play the game and instead lowered he gaze so she could file more papers.
Standing in a semi-circle around the two arguing Shinobi, the Hokage Guard Platoon all traded glances. Each of them had come in with Akihane, and all of them had witnessed the events prior to the broken staring contest.
It was true that no one was happy with the arrangement that Akihane had to agree to, but no one had tried to contest it so openly yet.
Uchiha Sasuke had been the first to try and drag Akihane from the Hokage's office. While unsuccessful, his actions had made the others think.
A bitter grunt sounded and the esteemed Uchiha walked over to Akihane's desk. He reached out and with one quick motion, caught the Chunin Kunoichi's wrist in his grasp.
"Aki, you have been at this for days now. Give it a rest." The Uchiha pleaded softly with the girl.
Akihane paused, her eyes softening as they lifted to meet Sasuke's again. She then opened her mouth to gently refute the boy.
To her surprise, Sasuke cut her off.
"Aki, please." He murmured quietly, his eyes shading over with the worry he kept hidden. His grip shifted from her wrist so that he grasped her palm.
Akihane's heart pounded in her ears as she listened to the soft plea. She hardly ever heard Sasuke speak do gently. She was at a loss for how to react.
The three others in the room looked away, their thoughts centered on how private the spectacle had turned with only two words.
Sasuke's gaze did not leave and he gently squeezed Akihane's hand in an effort to make her speak.
Once again the Uzumaki tried to open her mouth to talk to her teammate.
As she did so, a loud knock echoed at the door to the office.
Akihane shook herself, looking away from Sasuke. She cleared her throat before calling out, "Come in."
The door opened, Sasuke faltering before releasing his friend. He took a stance next to the desk.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the door where Jiraiya now stood.
The Sannin stepped inside, tailed by Kakashi and by Zabuza. Jiraiya tossed a scroll toward Akihane as he stepped in front of the desk.
Akihane grabbed the article, raising a brow at those who had entered the office. Zabuza looked a little put out upon seeing her in the Hokage's chair, while Kakashi's lone eye narrowed on her.
"A reply from Wave. There was also a report but I handed it off to Shikaku." Jiraiya informed her.
Aki nodded and carefully unsealed the scroll. Her eyes scanned the contents, a gentle sigh of relief leaving her lips as she finished.
"Tazuna-San is coming with some of the builders. He says he should arrive by the end of the week." The Uzumaki said.
Setting the scroll aside, Aki looked to her sensei and the tag-along they had brought with them.
"What was it that you needed?" Akihane questioned them.
She had clasped her hands together and her shoulders were straight. Despite her familiarity with the men she still showed her power. For such a small child to have a presence like she did mean many things. The most prominent happened to be that the older generation wasn't going to walk all over the younger. They were in a new era, one that had only just begun.
Zabuza stepped back to allow Kakashi to speak first, the Jonin silently replacing his book in his back pocket. His lone eye rested solely on his Uzumaki Student as he spoke.
"How about Zabuza goes first, Hmm?" Kakashi commented idly, earning a dark glare from the Nuke Nin.
"Of course you would do that, Hatake. Alright Gaki, I'll make this quick. As of this morning, the Kiri Rebellion has invited me back into the fold and has spoken of joining forces with Konoha. They have also agreed to trade information and want to know when they can be expected to come here to negotiate everything." Zabuza informed her.
Akihane paused as she stared at her charge, folding her hands around each other while she pondered the situation. She knew what Zabuza was asking her beneath the formalities. He had requested to leave and bring the Kiri Rebellion's Representatives there. He wanted her permission to leave the village.
Taking a moment to ponder her options, Aki turned her head in Sasuke's direction.
Sasuke met her gaze evenly, a silent conversation passing between the two. A few moments later, Sasuke was smirking and Aki was smiling up at Zabuza. She raised her eyes to meet the Nin's before she informed him of her decision.
"Very well. As for standing Hokage, I hereby give you permission to gather your things and seek out the Rebellion in an effort to gain an alliance with them. You will be granted one Shinobi from Konoha to accompany you, and you will not be allowed to take Yuki Haku with you."
Zabuza's lips twisted under his bandages to form a frown as Akihane forbid him from taking Haku, though he seemed to understand that 'running' with the boy would only lead to trouble.
"Alright." He agreed.
Akihane nodded and raised her hand. In a blur of black, an ANBU officer dropped down beside her. Akihane ignored the shocked looks of those around her as the ANBU officer bowed to her. She didn't want to deal with their questions on how she was so respected by the ANBU. Half of the more esteemed members never even bowed to the Konoha Elders, let alone some new Chunin gifted with the Hokage's position for the time being.
"Please go get Jonin Yugau for me. I have a mission for her." Akihane told the officer.
Inclining his head silently, the ANBU vanished in a silent shuinshin.
The Uzumaki looked back up at her audience, raising a hand to gesture for Kakashi to speak. Zabuza's time was up, apparently.
Kakashi regained control of himself, smiling at Aki as he mock-saluted her.
"Well Aki-Hime, Team Seven decided to make an intervention. Since Sasuke was taking so long to retrieve one of my cute little students, I decided to come fetch you myself." Kakashi stepped forward until he was leaning over Aki's desk, his face unbearably close to her own.
Akihane had to refrain from punching the man in the face. He understood her need for personal space well, and yet he was choosing to violate it all over this silly intervention that her, admittedly, caring comrades had staged. She still did not understand their reasoning. She was doing great right now and did not need them to interfere.
"I know, you probably think that you're okay and we are only in the way right now, but let me tell you…" Kakashi whispered to her, his eye meeting hers in a standstill.
"Sometimes you only know that you are falling apart after you are in pieces, Aki. So come on, join us for lunch. We can catch up with everything and you can put aside your paperwork for a little bit more time." He told her.
Time slowed between the two, almost like it had when Aki had been staring her friend down earlier. The main difference was that Sasuke's wilted look now had Kakashi's commanding and worried one added to it.
"I-I can't-" Akihane tried to make an excuse, tried to come up with a way to get out of whatever her team had planned. Instead, she only succeeded in proving her Sensei and friend's points.
"Yes, you can," Kakashi told her, just before he reached over the desk and grabbed her by her shoulders. His movements were far too fast for Akihane to counter, leaving her to land against his back unceremoniously while Sasuke crossed his arms behind her.
"K-Kakashi-Sensei!" The Albino shouted at her Sensei in exasperation and annoyance, her arms trying to reach around and tug her body from her prison. The attempts were futile and left Akihane wiggling on her Sensei's shoulder in a rather humoring manner. Sasuke only smirked at her and followed his Sensei as the man marched right past the immobile Zabuza and the dumbstruck but accepting Guard Platoon.
"Dammit, Sensei put me down!" Akihane shouted at the man, continuing to fail at an escape attempt even as Sasuke broke off from his slow pace behind his Sensei to question her brothers.
The door to the office closed behind them, leaving Kakashi to cart his unwilling charge down the stairwell even as she cursed at him silently.
"I can't just indulge myself, I have a job you know!" Aki snarled at her Sensei, continuing to struggle. Kakashi lazily nodded and brushed the subject off as he made his way out of the Hokage Tower.
"As your superior officer, because no matter your current title you are still my student, I order you to stop this and think for a moment about how self-destructive you are being before deciding whether or not to try and escape again. You need a break Aki, and we are offering it to you. If not as friends, then as worried allies caring for their stubborn leader." Kakashi briskly informed his student.
Akihane froze at his words, her struggles ceasing as she tried to work around what the man had just said. To her utter bafflement, she could not come up with a logical argument against Kakashi's claim.
Relaxing in his grip, the Uzumaki chose to go along with what her team had planned. Even though he did not agree with what Kakashi or Sasuke were doing, she felt she owed them her cooperation. They truly cared for her, in their own roundabout manner.
Kakashi seemed to be pleased by the turn of events. His grip suddenly shifted and Akihane let out a low yelp as her position was switched. From being manhandled over the Jonin's shoulder to be carried bridal style all in the span of two seconds. Unwillingly, Akihane felt a blush spread across her cheeks as she clutched Kakashi's vest.
"K-Kakashi-Sensei!" She hissed at him, struggling to not strangle the idiot Jonin. Kakashi only gave her an eye smile in response. He then launched to the tiled roof of a nearby building and began to hop across.
Silence filled the air around them as they moved. Aki looked over the village and tried not to wallow in the darker emotions plaguing her. All around them, villagers were rebuilding. Shinobi and Civilians alike were working on houses and shops in order to recreate their home. Konoha was falling together like an intricate puzzle, yet, Akihane did not feel like a proper piece. She felt like she belonged to another puzzle, another picture. She was the red in a sea of blue, that lone cloud in a clear sky.
"I miss him you know," Akihane spoke softly. Her voice was swallowed by the wind, her word ceasing to exist as they left her lips.
Kakashi tightened his grip on her limbs, a show of reassurance and protective instinct.
"You will. You'll have moments where you will see him and hear him but he won't be there. There will be times when you turn expecting his smiling face or his gentle eyes but only get empty air." Kakashi intoned.
A quick glance up at her Sensei drew a shocked gasp from Akihane's lips. She could see the pain expressed in Kakashi's eyes, the normally hidden emotions let out for only a moment. He had grief weighing down on his shoulders and an unfathomable wound in his heart. His soul was twisted and torn into pieces before being roughly stitched back together like a worn sweater. Never in her entire time with the man had Akihane ever seen her Sensei look so human.
"In time you won't do it as much, but the thought will linger. You may find a way to cope, but sometimes you never quite move on. Even when you don't know them well or when you know them too much…It can be hard and confusing to get over the death of a loved one."
Kakashi stopped suddenly, tugging Akihane close to him as the two stood alone on a rooftop.
Akihane clutched at her Sensei's vest again, drawing her arms further around the man's waist in shock while she pondered his every word. She took a deep breath and pressed her face into the fabric of the man's top as she struggled with her emotions. Even as she tried, however, tears started to fall.
While the beginning of her struggling had been in anger, now her stillness bordered on grieving. She hadn't stopped to cry since Hiruzen had died, even though she had known she should. There was far too much to be done before she could ever hope to do much about herself.
The Uzumaki was a mess and she knew it.
So, given the motivational words, the opportunity, and the offered shoulder to cry on, Akihane would choose to finally take care of herself. Kakashi shifted his grip and tugged her close as she buried her face and began to weep. From stable and soft tears to uncontrollable sobs, Akihane wept against her Sensei and struggled to pick up the pieces she had just allowed to break off.
I~~~~I
Sasuke was worried. Kakashi was supposed to arrive with Akihane ten minutes ago, and yet he still hadn't. The Jonin did not send forward any form of incentive or information regarding what had happened and why he was late, so Sasuke continued to worry.
"Sasuke?" A soft voice questioned, earning the young Uchiha's attention.
Sasuke's head snapped so he was looking straight ahead. He nearly fell as relief flooded him. His week knees forced him to grab ahold of a nearby wall, while the tension he had released made his shoulders slump.
Akihane was walking toward him. She stood beside their Sensei, wrapped tightly under the Jonin's arm. Her eyes were slightly red and her skin looked flushed, though her posture seemed to be more relaxed than it had been before. A weight had been lifted from her, one she had held ever since Hiruzen had been told he would still die.
Sasuke wanted to cry in relief as he met his friend near the door to their meeting place. He reached forward and encased the young albino in a tight hug, his face settling into her soft white hair as he tried to imprint the entirety of her in his mind.
"Please don't try and deal with this all alone," Sasuke told her, pulling back to gaze directly into Akihane's eyes.
Standing next to her he proved to be a good head taller, serving to force Akihane to look up at him. The girl blinked slowly, taking his words into count slowly before she offered him a smile. The smile told him all he needed to know and let him release her enough to twist around and hold the kunoichi by her waist. Aki shook her head at the boy in exasperated silence, leaning into the shinobi's embrace.
At Akihane's side, Kakashi hid a smile in his mask. He looked between the teens and slipped his arm away from Akihane so Sasuke could clutch the girl to his side possessively.
"So what did you decided to do in order to get me out of my 'cave'?" Akihane suddenly questioned the two males.
The party of three stepped into the restaurant that Sasuke had waited at, Kakashi and Sasuke leading the way to a table at the back.
"Simple Aki-Hime, we decided to throw you an early birthday-party," Kakashi told her.
Akihane nearly stumbled as she heard this. She glanced at the two men in an effort to discern whether or not they were telling the truth. She seemed to have gathered enough physical evidence that they were speaking truthfully, and decided to question them about it.
"My birthday? W-Why?"
Kakashi laughed at the girl and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Because we care, Aki-hime."
He answered, Sasuke rolling his eyes beside their Sensei while reaching out to drag Aki to his side.
"You deserve to celebrate your birth. Even if there are pain and suffering associated with the day, you still came out of it. Your parents would want you to be happy on your birthday. They'd want you to be surrounded by loved ones and friends." Sasuke spoke softly, clenching his arm at her side to reassure himself that Aki was there.
Akihane sighed and leaned against the Uchiha, basking in the warmth he provided while choosing to go along with what they had planned.
"Alright. Surprise me then."
Sasuke offered her a sideways grin that pulled at his cheeks, his hair falling across his obsidian gaze. Akihane was struck by how his pale skin only accented the dark eyes and turned them into an endless void.
"I'll do my best." He whispered softly, his grin shifting into a smirk.
Akihane caught her breath as they rounded the corner and arrived at their reserved table. All of the Rookie Nine and even Team Gai were present. The Former Hokage Guard Platoon had sent clones their way, and Jiraiya had appeared with a flushed Iruka and a smirking Anko.
Shaking her head, Akihane waved at those present and inclined her head to the Sensei of each team.
"So, since Naru is here how about we start eating!" Kiba hollered, earning sighs of amusement around the room.
"Yes, I haven't eaten all day," Akihane admitted, her gaze drifting. Kiba, Akamaru, Choji, Shino, Shikamaru, Neji, and Lee were all on one side of the booth, while the Sensei's and other nin took the back of the booth. The genin kunoichi were all huddled together on the other side. Sakura was talking pleasantly with Ino and Tenten, while Hinata added her own two cents to the mix every now and then.
Hinata met her gaze and beckoned her over. The girls made room and Akihane gently pulled herself from Sasuke's grip so she could go sit with Hinata.
Unbeknownst to her, Hinata smirked challengingly at Sasuke over her shoulder.
Sasuke glared at the Hyuuga until Kakashi pushed him into the booth and sat down after him.
Akihane was immediately dragged into a conversation about the medical arts the moment she had settled into her seat, Ino and Sakura both staring at her with hungry gazes.
Feeling a little confused over the topic and what was wanted from her, Aki asked them to repeat it. As expected, the two asked the question again.
"When you are healing a blade wound, is it better to heal it as the blade exits or after?" Ino asked her.
In response, Akihane had to ponder a bit. She raised her hand to her chin while thinking things over. She had treated several blade wounds, most of them from her training with Hayate or Yugau, and each time Yugau always had varying methods.
"It depends on the wound. When it comes to a clean cut you can get away with both, though it's best to do the pullout and then heal just in case you nicked an artery or something. When you have a serrated blade you want to heal as you pull out and be careful where you pull it out from. If the blade is an irregular shape you also go with this method so you don't miss anything. When you are able to trace the path of the blade you are less likely to miss injuries caused by it." The Uzumaki answered them.
Ino and Sakura nodded, turning back to each other to argue about a certain wound and which method was better. Akihane turned to Hinata and Tenten while attempting to tune out the two girls. Two sympathetic looks met her gaze and both the Kunoichi reached out to pat Akihane's hand.
"They were arguing about how to treat a scythe wound. Sakura though healing it as you pulled it out was best, while Ino figured the second option was better." Hinata informed her. This earned a nod of acceptance from the ivory teen.
"I'm glad that they are getting along," Akihane said softly.
Tenten scoffed good-naturedly as she reached for her drink. "I don't know which version I prefer more. At least they aren't fangirling over the Uchiha. I can't stand that."
Hinata giggled behind her hand.
"Sasuke-san does have a lot of admirers. They don't like Aki or me too much. Something about us corrupting their Prince." Hinata intoned with a semi-serious tone before bursting into giggles again.
Akihane laughed with the girl, reaching over to grab herself a glass of water.
"Oh yes, like how the 'Uzumaki Witch' is poisoning him?" Tenten joined in.
"Or how Sasuke will never be pure again?" Aki offered.
Hinata hid her face from view behind her hand, the sleeve of her kimono acting as a barrier. Her laughter had increased in volume a bit, her eyes trailing over the table to meet Sasuke's.
Sasuke was conversing with Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Shino. His eyes would occasionally drift over the table to the giggling girls.
Hinata caught the boy's gaze and she spoke up.
"Or how Sasuke-san could not possibly love such 'unfit' kunoichi like us. It's very…ironic." The Heiress sipped at her water with Aki while Tenten continued to laugh.
"So how is it being friends with the Uchiha 'Prince'? I mean Neji isn't that bad…well anymore." Tenten chuckled and trailed off while looking expectantly at her fellow Kunoichi. Sakura and Ino seemed to have heard and they both decided to look over at the girls in order to hear some 'juicy' info on their crush.
Akihane was the first to speak. She set her glass down and leaned forward on her elbows. She placed them on top of the table and rested her head on her folded hands in a mockery of her friend's frequent pose. "For one Sasuke likes tomatoes. He ends up happy when we cook them. You should've seen his face when I planted them in my garden last summer."
Hinata nodded in agreement, raising two fingers as she took over. "He also hogs the blankets. I would know since we've been forced to share the living room before when Naru-chan's experiments went wrong. Naru-Chan and I had to huddle because Sasuke-san took all of our blankets."
Tenten started laughing, while Ino smirked and Sakura looked surprised. Hinata hummed contentedly and smirked into her water. Akihane, meanwhile, smirked and continued from where Hinata left off. "He also hates when I use sealing abilities while playing Ninja Tag. After I created a tracking seal he started limiting what we could use in the game." The Uzumaki informed them.
Ino glanced over at Sasuke over the rim of her tea and grinned wider.
"So what about during training. Do you guys get any…juicy shots?" The Yamanaka questioned them. Her eyebrows did an odd wiggle that left Akihane smiling and Hinata leaning in as well. The Heiresses shared looks before Akihane reached over for a napkin and grabbed a pen from her pocket. She then handed the articles to Hinata, who set to work drawing.
"We have had a few moments. I tend to stick with water against Hinata-Hime and Sasuke, which means we normally bring changes of clothes with us. Recently I accidentally set fire to Sasuke's shirt and he had to remove it, though I'm not sure how much more I could give you about the situation without being creepy." Akihane told Ino, pulling back from the table as trays of food were placed between the hungry Shinobi and the bright grill on the table.
Hinata finished her sketch and handed the napkin to Ino. The Yamanaka barely suppressed a whistle as she looked over the detailed sketch of Sasuke during Taijutsu training. Hinata calmly set her cup down and reached for some food to add to her plate, ignoring the reproachful looks she was getting from the other girls.
"What happened to the shy Hinata anyways?" Ino questioned while pocketing her new prize, her eyes scanning the aftermentioned Hyuuga as she grabbed her food. Akihane hid a smirk behind her hand and grabbed her own food, while Sakura and Tenten turned their attention to the two heiresses.
Hinata set her plate down and calmly answered Ino's question. "She was never really there. Sure, I was embarrassed and I stuttered…I still have trouble with adults now, but I was never weak. Other's took my appearance for granted and said a meek child could never be strong. I allowed them to keep their beliefs because it aided me in the long run."
Hinata took a moment to gaze at her plate, her reflection marred by the slight cracks in the porcelain and by the scratches that had long since settled into the surface. A perfect representation of herself, the girl figured. For all her bravado and her showing the past few weeks, she was still only a child with a touchy past who needed to heal. She was scared, but within time she would be smooth again.
"Hinata-Hime has a power to her not many have. She had the ability to shove herself behind everything else and do anything in her power to protect those precious to her. She has given more than we could imagine, but that's just who she is. Hinata-Hime is Hinata-Hime, nothing new or different there." Akihane followed up as she quietly dug into her food.
Hinata smiled at her friend and the kunoichi all lapsed into silence in order to eat their food.
I~~~~I
"Gift time!" Kakashi called out, reaching to drag his wayward blonde student to him by her shoulders. He gently shoved her into the seat in front of him so that those around him could start presenting their gifts.
Akihane scowled at the man with murder in her eyes. The promise of death did little to waver Kakashi's bright eyes mile and instead seemed to make it grow brighter. Akihane stopped trying to fry her sensei and turned instead to receive the gifts her friends did not have to get her but went through the trouble of grabbing anyways.
The first one was from both Sakura and Ino. It was wrapped elegantly in silver paper and adorned with a blue bow. Akihane took her time so as not to rip the paper, opening the gift several moments later. Sitting on her lap was a set of cosmetic weapons such as senbon combs and thick needles meant to hold up a bun. Ribbons were laced with toxins and woven with chakra fabric to create strong weapons.
Akihane smiled and thanked the two, holding the gift close for a moment before accepting the next from Shino. Shino gifted her with an elaborate glass-flower dip pen along with several inks made from the nectar and petals of plants his Clan cultivated for their colonies.
Choji gave her a set of recipes and some cooking supplies, while Kurenai and Asuma joint-gifted her some sealing paper and ninja wire. Hinata came in with some more scrolls that Akihane had to be encouraged to set down, while Gai and Lee both gave her training weights. A stubborn and rather disgruntled Neji gifted her new Kunai, and Tenten came in with a custom order for her father's blacksmith.
"I saw that your blade shattered and figured we could help you patch it up," Tenten told her when Akihane grew confused over the gift. The Kunoichi winked at Akihane, leaving the albino both happy and relieved.
After them came Sasuke, who surprisingly was gifting with Shikamaru. The two boys refrained from looking at one another as they handed her a small wooden box as big as her lap, sealed with a blood triagram.
Akihane pondered the gift before she bit her thumb and placed it on the seal. As expected the box opened, though the contents were not expected. Kunai laid inside, each inscribed with seals. A scythe lay at the top along with several scrolls and two picture frames. A set of keys was left in the pictures.
Akihane looked up at her two friends, her eyes watering against her wishes as Shikamaru glanced away with a flushed face.
"The Sandaime asked us to go through your parents' things to figure out what you would get. The rest is at their house if you want it, but for now, this is what we figured you'd-" Shikamaru did not get to finish.
Akihane launched forward. In a rare display of emotion, she tackled both the silent Uchiha and the flustered Nara to the floor and held them both in a grateful embrace. No words were exchanged and both Shinobi awkwardly wrapped their arms around the Uzumaki as she tightened her grip on them. Those around quietly looked away in an effort to give them some privacy. The moment lasted a little longer than what was expected, though none of the three minded too much.
After a few minutes, Akihane disentangled herself from the shinobi and settled back on her seat, the two boys stepping back to allow a happy Kakashi to set his gift down on Akihane's lap. Akihane raised a brow when she noticed the package was moving in her lap, though Kakashi only urged her to open it when she questioned him about it.
Taking a breath Akihane prepared herself and pulled the elegant ribbon, freeing the top of the box. Without warning the lid popped off and a furry body landed on Akihane's chest.
Akihane caught the object on reflex. She looked down at the newcomer and nearly laughed when she noticed that the gift happened to be a very happy and fluffy pillow of a puppy.
"You got me a dog?" Aki asked her Sensei.
Kakashi nodded happily. "His name is Yuki. He's full wolf and bread to track. You said you wanted to start your own pack, so I thought I'd help you out."
Akihane blinked and then looked down at the wolf pup. Her eyes softened and she allowed the pup to nuzzle her face and lick her cheek. "Thanks, Kashi'-Sensei."
Kiba smirked and popped up beside the Sensei.
"Don't forget about me! My Sis and I put a care package together for Yuki. She also said if you want to bring him over so she could show you how the bonds work then you could." Kiba offered, handing over his own bag. The gift consisted of guides and supplies needed for taking care of a puppy, and some extra add-ins for Ninja Hounds that only most Inuzuka's were ever able to get.
Akihane took the package and set it with the rest of her gifts. She allowed the pup to climb onto her head much like Akamaru did for Kiba, though she made sure he didn't fall by using chakra.
"Thanks, everyone…This all means a lot to me." Akihane told them, smiling gently at everyone.
"Woah Gaki, hold up, you still have my gift, and those of your brothers." Jiraiya cut in, earning a surprised look from Akihane.
Pushing aside the faint hurt over Akihane's surprise that he got her a gift, Jiraiya pulled out three scrolls with detailed markings and seals imprinted on the surfaces of them. Jiraiya smirked and Akihane read the titles several times before she shook her head in exasperation. "Of course you'd do this. Thank you." Akihane told them as she realized what the scrolls were.
The very first detailed recreations and markings of not only the Rasengan but also the Hirashin, Mokuton, and the usage of nature chakra in the beginning stages. Her brothers and godfather had written their knowledge of her father's techniques to the best of their ability so that she could learn them. It was sweet of them.
"Also, Gaki, I wanted to let you know that I managed to free up your schedule for the next two weeks. It took me some arguing, but I have you booked for a trip." Jiraiya suddenly boasted, earning a surprised gaze from his goddaughter
Akihane blinked up at him in shock until he smirked. "You see, we're going to be finding the next Hokage."
I~~~~I
Somehow I managed to finally get this finished. Lately, I haven't felt like writing a lot, though I did end up doing so tonight. I also got a laptop! A friend of mine helped me get it, so now I'll hopefully be able to publish more frequently since I can type up a chapter almost anywhere. One bad thing though is the fact that I started Tennis practice and can't always post chapters on time. I apologize for any late updates! Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!
Omake-Perhaps Another Time
He didn't know quite what to make of it.
Once upon a time, he might have chosen to ignore it.
Now, he could not or he would lose his mind.
Akihane deserved better than this, deserver more happiness than he could ever bring.
But that did not mean that Sasuke could just sit idly by while that stupid mutt ruined his afternoon with Akihane.
The mutt, Yuki, was bothering him.
For the past hour that Mutt had clung to his Akihane like the mangy thing owned her, something Sasuke would forever protest and deny.
The mutt knew it was bothering him too.
It tended to smirk at him whenever their gazes met.
Akihane did not notice anything, which left Sasuke to pose as damaged control.
Perhaps he would have ignored it had it been at any other time.
Perhaps, Sasuke would have let the mutt cuddle his Uzumaki had the circumstances been different.
Another time then, if the mutt lasted that long.
