Her heart pounded in her chest, the steady thrum wild and uncontrolled. Her entire body ached, and as she looked up at the sky, Akihane just wanted to remain on the ground, watching the clouds pass by without a care in the world. She wanted to be back at Shikamaru's side, sitting in silence as the world moved on around them.

Instead, she was lying in a destroyed field at the bottom of a crater she had created herself. She had just finished off the last of Itachi's clones, though not without repercussions. Three clones all at less than half-power had left her both drained and hurting. Akihane ached from her fingers to her toes. Her chakra was depleted and her eyes burned not only with shame but also with suppressed sadness.

She had lived her life constantly asking why Itachi had decided to kill his family. She had wondered about how Shisui had really died and why, and Akihane had also lived with the knowledge that she would never quite be what others saw.

Itachi's words only confirmed her beliefs.

Her eyes slipped shut and the Uzumaki tried not to think about the chilling feeling she had gotten when Itachi had told her he would be dragging her to the organization he was a part of so that the Kyuubi could be ripped out of her belly.

She shuddered, her seal contracting as she tried to withhold the tears that started trailing her cheeks.

She had only survived the battle thanks to the two Kage within her, their teaching pushing her, while their instruction helped her to keep her head straight in the fight.

"Akihane…" Tobirama whispered softly to her, his tone edged with worry and pain.

Akihane's chest ached. She wanted to sleep, she wanted to be done with it all.

She wanted to rest.

I~~~~I
She hadn't thought about her home in a long time. For years she had run from the truth, evading the horrors that had clung to her in the form of nightmares. She had struggled to rid herself of the past and pave a new future for her and her apprentice.

Tsunade had been running for a long time. She had forgotten what Konoha looked like, forgotten the faces that lined the streets and even the smell of smoke that permeated the Hokage's office due to Hiruzen's bad habit.

Despite that, Konoha never stopped trying to find her. She had run into several other Nin, had come across comrades she didn't know the names of, but who knew her. She had run into Jiraiya a time or two, though she avoided the other members of her team. There had been those traveling that knew of her, and those that found out soon after meeting her.

Konoha just wouldn't let her go. Its grip was harsh and demanding, it's hands digging wounds into her soul with each tightening gesture.

"Tsunade-Sama!" Shizune called to her, the one reminder she allowed herself to have of Konoha.

They had been passing through a small village on their way to a gambling house when a sudden influx of chakra had occurred not too far ahead. Against Tsunade's better judgment, because those battles were no longer her business, Shizune had dragged her to the scene.

By the time they had arrived, the battle had nearly been finished. In fact, there was only one person left over. The survivor was passed out inside a large crater, one akin to those Tsunade tended to create with her own abilities, and she was covered in wounds.

The wounds didn't bleed, though it was obvious that damage had been dealt with the young girl.

A cursory view of the child(and it pained Tsunade that she was so young) revealed just what village she belonged to, leaving a heavy feeling in Tsunade's chest.

"Tsunade-Sama, she's not breathing well!" Shizune called from her spot beside the kunoichi.

Tsunade didn't want to get involved. Konoha had long since lost her support. That village was cursed and it had taken her family one by one without remorse.

She couldn't exactly leave a kid to die either.

Pushing at the emotions kindling in her chest and the pain that grew in her heart, Tsunade dropped down into the crater with her apprentice, reaching out to lay a glowing hand on the girl's chest.

Immediately, she stiffened.

The girl's injuries were severe. Several cracked and one broken rib that had punctured her lung. There was damage to the girl's immune system, and signs of lightning and nerve damage stretched over her right side.

The girl shouldn't have even been breathing after the beating she had just endured, and yet her heart continued to beat.

Muttering under her breath about the unanimous stupidity of all Konoha Shinobi, Tsunade allowed her chakra to flow into the child and correct the damage that had been done. She looked at the girl and took in her appearance. White hair, lightly colored skin with no blemishes, healthy hands and nails covered in plated gloves. Scrolls and several different pouches armed the girl, showcasing her prowess in not only bukijutsu but also in fuinjutsu.

No one had that many modified storage seals on their person without having at least three years' worth of self-study under their belts.

The ribs mended and Tsunade turned the girl on her side to drain the fluid from the girl's lungs out onto the ground with a pulse of her chakra.

Shizune seemed to calm when she noticed her master working, her eyes glancing at the girl as her breathing began to even out and her pale complexion turned a healthier shade.

"We can't leave her here," Shizune spoke up, looking to her master as the woman laid the girl on her back again.

"We can't exactly take her, Shizune. She probably has a team. She won't die anytime soon, so-" Tsunade tried to refute her apprentice's offer, only to meet the harsh black orbs that her student sported.

Shame brewed beneath her skin as Tsunade registered the disappointment sprouting in those normally loving orbs. She hated when Shizune realized just how selfish she was. She never wanted to disappoint the girl, even though it was hard not to with her personality and aversion to any Konoha Nin.

"Fine. Only until the girl wakes though. I don't want to deal with Konoha right now."

Shizune perked up, thanking her before she reached to gently lift the Konoha Kunoichi up onto her shoulder, careful not to aggravate the girl's injuries. Tsunade rose to her feet with her apprentice, trying not to allow herself to be overwhelmed.

The girl's white hair set her on edge. She only knew two clans to have a history of lightly colored hair, and both of them were down to one known member.

Had Hatake had a kid? Or had Hiruzen hidden someone related to her from her? Was the girl a Senju, or did her coloring attribute to something different? Tsunade didn't know.

She had thought she was looking at a ghost when she had first given the girl a once-over, the child's features reminiscent of her late great-uncle.

Now, watching Shizune carry the kid, Tsunade felt she needed to investigate this matter a little closer. Perhaps the kid had just been unlucky and cursed with the eyes and hair of her uncle, as with all other albino's, but Tsunade wasn't sure it was that simple. The loss of pigment in the genes of children was something that hardly ever occurred, and when it did, it brought about severe consequences to that person. Sometimes the problems were simple, physical or not, but other times they were a lot worse. Her Uncle had struggled with his thoughts and the expression of his beliefs often because his mind didn't function the same way others did, all due to his genetic makeup.

Tsunade shook her head, marching alongside her apprentice away from the battlefield. If the Kunoichi had a team, she did not doubt they would come looking for her.

I~~~~I

Akihane's throat felt sore. Her chest burned and her limbs felt heavier than the rocks Kakashi had made her team hall across the village.

Her eyes slowly opened, her innate sensing abilities registering her surroundings before she took them in fully.

She was inside a hotel room, but it wasn't her own. Haku and Jiraiya were not nearby, and two unknown signatures prickled at her senses from behind the doors of her current room.

What had happened after she had fought Itachi? She remembered feeling so heavy and tired, but nothing else. Had she been dreaming? Had she passed out or had the entire thing been a lie?

"Finally awake Gaki?" A voice called from the door, the chakra of the figure burning brightly as Akihane turned her head to the intruder.

She had blond hair, a dull bust, flawless skin. Her eyes were a bright honeysuckle that rang with annoyance, and a sense of strength and confidence that decorated the air around the woman.

The woman was familiar, but Akihane could not place where she had seen her. Her head was still pounding and the room was quite hazy when she didn't focus. She could feel the other signature in what was probably the hallway to the hotel, and then there were several villagers dotting the area. The woman had bright green chakra, which tended to be common, though it felt off to Akihane. Her chakra felt a lot like Yamato's did, though his chakra was more of a muted orange with earthy hints of brown within.

Yugau also had green chakra, but her's still wasn't quite like this women. In fact, Akihane would go as far as to say that whatever the woman used her chakra for, she specialized in it. The chakra was warm but firm and not easily moved. She was strong-willed for sure, though Akihane wasn't certain that her will extended far beyond physical bravado.

"Oi, answer me." The woman stepped next to her bed, her eyes glaring at Akihane shook her head to clear away the haze.

She felt a little angry at herself for being so spaced out. Had her battle with Itachi really messed her up that much? She didn't know…

"Sorry…" Akihane muttered, coughing as her throat felt scratched.

She was shocked to find a glass of water stretched under her bowed head, and with a soft thank you drank it up.

After she had drunk half the glass, Akihane turned to set the glass down on the desk beside the bed, her eyes focusing more with each passing second.

"Alright Gaki, who are you and where is your team? I'll take you to them and you can deny my presence as a way to repay me for stitching you up." The woman spoke up, watching as Akihane turned her head toward her.

The woman stilled when Akihane's eyes met hers, confusion playing out within them as Akihane's lips twisted down.

"Even? Heal me? What happened Healer-San?" Akihane questioned, growing more confused at the stiffening of the woman's shoulders.

"And my name is Uzumaki Akihane, not gaki."

Tsunade remained frozen, gazing into her eyes.

Akihane blinked, glancing off to the glass of water still sitting on the desk.

The glass had been hit by the room's light at just the right angle, providing her with her reflection. Her eyes were maroon, just as they tended to be, and she wasn't wearing her headband. Her hair was down, cascading around her face in delicate but shaggy-looking spikes.

She looked far too much like her grandfather.

"Tobirama." The woman muttered the name like a curse, drawing Akihane's attention back to her.

Everything snapped into focus, the familiar note of chakra dawning on Akihane just as she took in the woman's attire and appearance.

The chakra was that of a medic in, unyielding but easy to mold with practice, warm and comforting while also precise and deadly. The woman was dressed in a gambler's cloak, and she had a telling tattoo printed between her eyes.

Coupled with the recognition factor and the fact that Akihane was alive and not dead or captured, she could only come to one conclusion.

"W-Wait!" A call directed the two kunoichi's attention to the door, the unfamiliar signature outside being gently pushed to the side while another, far more familiar, signature stepped in front of the door.

"Oho! Sorry about that, but I really must be collecting my student that you seem to have taken!" Jiraiya's voice rang just before the door slammed open.

Akihane sighed heavily and hung her head as the Gama Sennin stomped into the room, proclaiming his decision to 'rescue' Akihane without thoroughly assessing the situation.

"Ero-Sennin, read the atmosphere." Akihane snarled under her breath, drawing the man's gaze to the narrowed-eyed party glaring at him from Akihane's bedside.

Jiraiya stiffened mid-lung, his back hunched over to reveal the heads of Haku and another raven poking in through the damaged door. A sheepish look crossed Jiraiya's face as killing intent radiated from not only the blond woman but also Akihane.

"H-Hime…" Jiraiya greeted with a gulp, his eyes closing as he resigned himself to his fate.

"Jiraiya." Senju Tsunade snarled after his greeting, stepping forward menacingly.

A whimper left the man's lips, and Akihane barely noticed the raven beside Haku covering the kid's eyes as Tsunade ripped into her godfather.

I~~~~I

Akihane leaned on Haku's shoulder as Tsunade stood above a kneeling Jiraiya. Shizune, Tsunade's raven-haired assistant, was bent over her checking her injuries. The raven seemed familiar with the turn of events, something that had Akihane's heart going for the young lady. The Uzumaki knew as well as anyone who knew Jiraiya even a bit that he was eccentric to the max.

"Ero-Sennin, if you are done groveling, we should probably move on to business," Akihane called at Shizune cleared her.

Haku raised his head from where he had angled it to observe Shizune's abilities more clearly.

Jiraiya looked up from his spot under Tsunade, the growing bruises on his face suddenly vanishing as though they had never been there. The comic event only darkened Akihane's mood further, resulting in her glare going icy.

"Woah, Gaki, calm yourself!" Jiraiya stood, waving his hands in front of his face to ward of her anger.

"Look, how about we start with how you got messed up and what happened after Haku saw you get…taken." Jiraiya tried, his tone hardening as he turned serious. He seemed to be observing her closely as he mentioned the previous events that had led to Tsunade stepping in.

Akihane stiffened and her eyes dropped to her lap, her hands clenching beneath her gaze as a shiver fell over her body.

She had been weak.

Itachi could have easily taken her out, she knew he could have…and yet he had played with her. She had thought she was playing him, but in the end, those last word he gave her before the last clone had dispelled remained in her head.

"Itachi took me. We fought. I wasn't strong enough to beat him. There's nothing more to say." She settled on, raising her gaze to Jiraiya's.

Her eyes burned with the shame she felt for her failure, but she showed nothing. She bit back her emotions and concealed them behind a mask just as she had always done.

Jiraiya frowned at her, and Tsunade gave her another look over after hearing what had happened.

"You survived a fight with the Clan Slayer?" Tsunade spoke in disbelief.

Akihane smiled bitterly at the woman, too tired to exercise her normal respect.

"He let me survive a fight with his clones. I would have been destroyed if it had really been him." Akihane sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on Haku's shoulder as she wished for sleep.

She was still tired.

"Well…" Jiraiya tried to speak, his voice trailing off.

"How about we get something to eat." Haku broke the tension in the room, his worried gaze settling on Akihane's head.

"Akihane-San hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday. We need to get something into her system. It will also be easier to talk if we are well fed." The ice-user informed them, reaching to grab a hold of Akihane's hand.

The Uzumaki offered him a squeeze as she pulled away and made to rise.

Tsunade watched the exchange with blatant interest, her lips twisting slightly before she looked at her teammate.

"Fine. I could do with some Sake." She admitted, earning an incredulous stare from her apprentice.

"Tsunade-Sama! They are kids! The can't go into a bar-" Shizune tried to oppose the idea, only to be silenced by Akihane's tired tone.

"Sorry, Shizune-San, but we are Ninja. Old enough to kill, old enough to drink." Akihane yawned slightly, glancing at Jiraiya with a challenging glare.

The man frowned, but even he couldn't deny her use of the phrase. As far as he knew, Akihane had already had her first drink and her first kill. He also wasn't exactly the patron saint of values.

Tsunade let out a sharp laugh.

"I like you Gaki, a good head on your shoulders." The woman admitted, offering a sharp smirk to Akihane.

The albino hummed and returned the grin with a grim smile as she and Haku exited the room. Tsunade followed with a sputtering and still-protesting Shizune, leaving Jiraiya to stare after them for a moment.

The Sannin shook his head and picked up his pace, falling in line with his teammate.

He looked at Akihane as she walked, taking in the way she still leaned on Haku and how her sleepy eyes squinted slightly in the evening night.

If one were to add three red lines to her face, one on each cheek and the last on the chin…Then Akihane would be the spitting image of Tsunade's uncle.

Tsunade would kill him, and possibly the elders and maybe even re-kill Minato, once she found out that Tobirama had a kid.

I~~~~I

Well, that's that. I didn't expect this chapter to go in quite this direction, but it did. I'm happy with it though since it still works out the way I had planned. This time, Jiraiya and Naru won't be alone when they are pitted against Akatsuki. Next chapter should have the Akatsuki interference, possibly Orochimaru, and most definitely Tsunade's reaction to being asked to be Hokage and to her relative. Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!