"Just what have you been teaching this kid Jiraiya? She has exhausted her chakra coils without them being fully healed. She's lucky enough that I caught her in time, otherwise she would be suffering serious damage."
Akihane came to with a pounding headache that echoed across her skull and made it hard to think. She was confused as she sensed the room she was in, wondering when she had left Genma's home and why she hadn't woke on her own bed.
Only a second passed before she remembered what had happened.
During her training she had pushed herself too hard and had collapsed. She must have woken up in Tsunade's room, since the woman was scolding Jiraiya next to her, which also meant she had been found by the Sannin.
Aki sighed as she opened her eyes to gaze at the ceiling. The half-hearted protest that Jiraiya had been trying to get out halted abruptly, the gaze of both Nin settling on the young Senju.
Akihane raised her eyes to view them both, her bangs hanging over the red orbs. Her head continued to pound as she took in her surroundings and prepared to escape either of the Sannin standing before her.
"Aki, how long have you been awake!?" Jiraiya called, his throat choking at the end so that he stumbled over his words. Akihane merely raised a brow at the man and pulled herself up into a sitting position.
Tsunade lunged forward to help her, careful to not aggravate the wounds along her side as she sat up.
"Are you an idiot? You need rest, so don't even think about getting out of that bed-" Tsunade began, earning another sigh from her fellow Senju.
The Uzumaki shifted and laid out her arms in a simple testing stretch before following with her others. She ignored the twinge that ran through her limbs as well as the glare that Tsunade sent her for pushing her warning aside.
"Are you going to make me? If not, step aside and please let me go." Akihane muttered while thinking of what she had to do that day.
Judging by the angle of the sun, it was nearly mid-day and she had already wasted a good portion of her time in bed. That fact did not bode well for the Uzumaki.
Tsunade stared her down, trying to understand the defiance that Akihane had just shown her. She couldn't grasp why Akihane refused to keep her own wellbeing in mind and pushed herself harder than what she could handle.
Akihane swung her legs over the side of the bed and took a test step, wobbling only slightly. The blonde settled her feet and reached out to grab the clothes laid next to her bed.
All the while, Tsunade and Jiraiya watched her in barely-concealed shock and annoyance. Neither of them wanted her to hurt herself, but they both felt out of place telling her to care for herself.
"I can't afford to wait around." Akihane told them as she pulled her shirt over her head.
Jiraiya had the curtesy to look away as his goddaughter stripped her dirty shirt off, his cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"Stop acting like a prude Ero-Sennin, I know you've seen women in worse stages of undress than this. Suck it up." Akihane deadpanned at her godfather.
Jiraiya turned to her in an effort to rebuke her statement.
"Gaki, what the hell is that supposed to-" His voice dropped and then faded as he took in her revealed stomach. Akihane was wearing bandages around her chest to keep her breasts out of her way while she changed, though her stomach was still exposed. The pale skin was slightly rounded and covering in black and dark grey lines.
The Eight Triagrams seal was easily recognized by both parties, while the second silvery seal was only recognized by one.
Tsunade had to suck in a breath as she gazed at the mark placed on Akihane's skin. She had not seen anything like it since her Grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, had sealed away the Kyuubi.
While traditionally the Uzumaki would use the Eight Triagrams seal, Mito hadn't been afforded the luxury of preparation before she had sealed the Kyuubi within her. Because of this, her sealing of the Bijuu was far more practical than logical. She had used the links of a seal that would form the strongest bond with her spiritual and physical energies in order to create the strongest barrier.
In essence, Mito had placed her own character into the seal that had kept the Kyuubi at bay.
"That one is from Yin." Akihane told them as she tugged her fishnet top over her head, her calm eyes scanning them carefully as she reached behind her for her jacket.
"Yin?" Tsunade questioned the girl gently, her voice breaking at the end.
"Uzumaki Yin, husband to Uzumaki Orama…I'm not certain if you knew him or not. He said he watched over you when you were younger, but he didn't reveal anything else." Akihane told Tsunade as she gathered her things. She was trying to get out of remaining in the room with the two Sannin as soon as possible, and she didn't care if she had to give up information in order to do so.
Akihane pulled her jacket over her back and walked toward the door, her eyes gazing straight ahead. She was going over the progress she had made with her father's technique, which wasn't much, so that she could figure out where she went wrong and start over again.
"Wait!" Tsunade called from behind her, drawing her attention back to the blond Kunoichi.
Tsunade stared at her, her eyes showing a bit of desperate emotion that normally egged Akihane the wrong way.
"Uzumaki Yin, he's the one that attacked Konoha with Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked her quietly, something hardening behind her honeysuckle orbs.
Akihane debated on giving the information up for a moment. While it wouldn't hurt to tell Tsunade, Aki didn't want to tell the woman anything. She was set on training, however, and she knew that Tsunade wouldn't just let her leave if she didn't provide any answers. It seemed like she would just tell the Senju anyways.
Akihane swore that she heard Hashirama snickering in her head as she answered the Sannin.
"Yeah. He helped stop it after Orochimaru nearly got me killed, but he did also start it." Akihane told the woman as she tugged up her hood.
Turning around, Aki opened the door and slipped out of the Hotel room without another word. She didn't hear a protest from either of the adults, nor did she sense either of the two Sannin coming after her, which left her to walk away before they changed their minds.
A grumbling sound sprouted from Akihane's stomach, guiding her eyes to the offending organ. She sighed and reached to grab her wallet from inside of her jacket. The pouch was nearly filled to the brim again, which meant that Jiraiya hadn't touched her savings at all. That was nice, she supposed.
The Uzumaki smiled gently and walked through the town, looking around for something simple to eat before she left to train again. Her body was still sore and she wasn't certain how damaged her chakra coils were or how much abuse they could take again, so she would take it slow. Contrary to popular belief, Akihane did know how to take care of herself. The fact of the matter was that Aki didn't have time, or just didn't see her wellbeing as anything important when compared to that of others.
That aspect of her personality often pissed off Sasuke and Hinata. Iruka also hated it, though to a lesser degree than her Uchiha and Hyuuga friends.
Sighing, Akihane stepped into a small Tea House. She walked toward the tables and waited for a waitress to stop by so she could order. As she waited, she watched the passersby.
Several of the merchants and travelers stopped inside of the building. They were all coming from famous towns not too far off from where Aki's group was staying. In fact, one of the towns happened to be their next target. They were heading toward Tanazuki Gai next, and once there Jiraiya would up his efforts to drag Tsunade back to Konoha in order for the woman to become Hokage.
"Oh my, what's someone as cute as you doing all alone?" A voice spoke up, drawing Akihane's attention to the white haired teen standing beside her table.
Her eyes scanned the male, taking in the relaxed posture of the boy despite the weapons littering his body. The boy's eyes were a lighter shade of blue than Aki was used to, while his complexion was lighter than most of customers in the Tea House. The boy was obviously trained, though he showed no headband to indicate if he was a Shinobi.
"Well, since no other tables are open, would you mind if I joined you, miss?" The boy grinned at her, displaying two charming rows of perfect teeth to Akihane.
Aki nodded warily, her eyes shifting from the boy to the waitress that still hadn't come to take her order.
By the feel of things, this Tea house had several Shinobi within it, their chakra levels higher than the average civilian. The boy that had sat opposite her booth was the same way, though he showed more refined networks than the others in the establishment.
"So, what's a fine Konoha Kunoichi like you doing out here? On a mission?" The boy suddenly spoke up, earning a raised from said Kunoichi.
Akihane tried not to ponder the boy's question too much, but she couldn't help it. Something about the boy set her off and left her wondering. There was something obviously…wrong with the boy. Maybe it was his appearance or his actions, but something really didn't seem right.
In fact, Akihane could have sworn she knew the boy.
"Ah, not going to say anything? That's fine, I suppose." The boy grinned at her as he turned to watch the Waitress deal with more customers.
"Seems like they are quite busy-" The boy began again, aiming to drag her into a conversation.
Akihane stood up slowly, but abruptly, and started walking toward the entrance.
"Sorry, I have to be somewhere." She spoke quickly to the boy, rushing from the Tea House without another thought.
As she did, the boy's eyes narrowed on her retreating back.
"Smart kid…" The Shinobi whispered, chuckling under his breath as Akihane slipped around a corner and vanished from view.
I~~~~I
"Shit." Akihane hissed as she stalked back toward the Hotel, trying not to think about the chill that had passed her spin when she had dug deeper into that Shinobi's chakra. She hadn't been sure at first, but upon closer inspection, Akihane's fears had been confirmed.
That boy was dangerous. His chakra was highly developed and the way he acted showed a professionalism that few ever mastered. Akihane had only ever seen Kakashi and her Jiji pull off such a refined technique like that boy had.
Something odd was going on, and Akihane did not want to be part of the mess when it shattered into pieces.
Akihane stalked up the steps of the Hotel, her eyes focusing on her hands as she tried not to think about how cold the boy's chakra had felt the moment she had prodded him even the tiniest bit more. Her fingers still felt slightly chilled from the ordeal.
"Ah, where do you think you are going, Miss?" The cold tone nearly stopped her in her tracks.
Akihane jerked, turning around sharply to meet the face of her stalker.
Just as she did, the white haired boy vanished.
Cold crept along her shoulders and Akihane struggled to breathe as light filtered into her vision. A sickly smell entered her nose as she stepped back, her knees nearly buckling under her weight.
"You never got to finish your meal…" The voice hissed in her ear, Akihane's body twisting sharply on reflex.
A fist slipped past her dulled defenses and buried in her gut, leaving her gasping over the fist as another arm tucked under her shoulders.
"There, there kid. Sleep tight, you'll need the rest for later." The Shinobi hummed as he folded her over his shoulder, the sweet smell only growing stronger.
"You really should be more wary of strangers. I thought you Kunoichi were better at this sort of thing?" The Shinobi lectured.
Just as he spoke Akihane's body popped and smoke descended onto the ground.
The Shinobi raised his hand and a curse formed on his lips just as a hand shot from the floor and dragged him down.
Akihane dropped into the kitchen of the Hotel she had been staying at, her eyes narrowed on the Shinobi now neck-deep in the ceiling. In a moment Aki was flashing through hand signs and preparing to end the fight before it began.
"Fire Style, Fire Dragon Jutsu!" She shouted as she drew on her chakra, summoning a large serpentine creature with a blow of her lips. Fire spilt over and condensed at her will, the gaping maw of the beast swallowing the Shinobi whole before the dragon combusted.
Akihane flashed through more hand signs and slammed her hand onto the ground, bringing up a pillar or earth in time to block a surge of water aimed at her head.
"Well, that was quite rude of you, Uzumaki-San." A voice called out, the smell of burnt flesh fading away as the body in the ceiling crumbled into earth.
The Shinobi that had attacked Akihane stood in front of her several feet away. His hands brushed his singed white bangs across his forehead, his glowing blue eyes piercing her as effectively as one of Genma's senbon.
Akihane stepped back, reaching into her pouches for several tags as she pulsed her chakra as a warning.
The Shinobi's eyes narrowed on her hands and his lips tilted into a frown as her chakra passed over him.
"Dissapointing…You won't even take the time to face me alone?" The Shinobi spoke in a chiding manner.
Akihane twisted on her heal and tossed a seal at the man, reaching into her kunai pouch to grab several of the blades before launching them at her opponent. The Uzumaki flipped backward and sent more weapons to her target. She aimed at non-lethal, but still vital, spots on the body.
The Shinobi dodged the tags, as was expected, and dashed toward her through the weapons.
"Neat, but parlor tricks only get you so far." The Shinobi told her.
Akihane bit her lip and shifted into a stance as the man wove expertly through the weapons.
Just who the hell was this guy?
The Uzumaki barely had a moment of reprieve before he was upon her. Several quick jabs targeted her chest and one targeted her neck. Akihane redirected two jabs to her forearm and blocked the others with quick motions. Her feet twisted and she pivoted multiple times while striking out warily.
Akihane gathered chakra as she worked, adding power to her blows as she fought. One jab nailed the Shinobi and sent him back. His feet skidded across the ground and he barely stopped several feet away from her, his hands outstretched from where he had blocked her kick.
The two met their gazes once more. Akihane felt something at the edge of her senses and tried to follow the nudge she was given.
"Akihane, something is up with this man. Be careful, and try to avoid his gaze." Tobirama spoke up in her head, allowing her to take in the information for barely a moment before she was once again focused on blocking blows.
Akihane grunted as the power behind the man's blows also increased, leaving her to power more chakra into her limbs.
She needed to get out of a taijutsu match. Perhaps she'd have better luck with Ninjutsu, but getting back into that fight would be hard.
Decision made, Aki reached for her side and tapped her hand to her pouch.
Smoke rose, causing the Shinobi to twist away from her. Michiki's blade, Memori-Hime, burst from it's confines. The blade sung for blood, it's tip barely grazing the man's chest before Akihane brought it back up to guard her front.
Akihane held the blade with a single hand, her other hand flashing through other handsigns before bringing her fingers up to cup her mouth.
"Water Style, Water Trumpet!" The girl shouted, a large spurt of water flying from her lips into her opponent.
Akihane stepped back, grunting when she hit the wall of the kitchen.
She had almost forgotten where they were. She needed to leave the area if she was going to use any of her more powerful Jutsu if she wanted to keep the bystanders from getting hurt.
"Pretty good, for a beginner." The Shinobi spoke, raising his hand as the blast of water neared him.
The room went dark, every pinprick of light suddenly gathering on a single point directly in front of him. The air grew cold and chills worked their way up Akihane's arms as the hairs rose at the back of her neck.
A harsh sound, louder than even a thunder clap, roared in her ears suddenly. Brilliant light, hotter than Sasuke's flames, pushed past her ear and pierced the wall behind her.
Light suddenly rushed back into the room, Akihane's vision blurring from the abrupt changes. Her balance felt off and she wanted to collapse.
Her vision focused enough for her to see her opponent's outstretched fingers, the middle and pointer fingers raised and smoking slightly.
Akihane glanced behind her, her breath rushing from her lungs as she took in the perfect hole in the wall. A cylinder with an approximately six centimeter diameter was taken out of the wall, smoke still rising from where her opponent's attack had fried the air around the wall.
The Uzumaki turned toward the man, her jaw slack and her shoulders slumped. The man had let his hand drop, his lips twitching up into a smirk as her winked at her.
The water that Akihane had sent at him earlier was left in small puddles on the ground, each pocket bubbling intensely from the direct contact with the concentrated light.
Just what the hell was this guy made of? What did this guy study and what Jutsu did he use?
Akihane had never seen anything like what the man had used. To draw light from the entire area and concentrate it into a single point, before releasing it without destabilizing the energy…That took skill and practice.
Akihane's back pressed further into the wall and she struggled to regain her breath.
The Shinobi could have killed her. He could have ended her without a thought, on a simple whim. It was a terrifying thing to realize.
"Naru!"
A shout echoed, Akihane's eyes shooting to the source.
In the damaged doorway of the Hotel Kitchen, unperturbed by the debris around the fighting Shinobi, stood a familiar boy.
The raven was glaring darkly at the man Akihane had nearly been killed by, murder in his gaze.
"You bastard…" The boy snarled, his eyes turning crimson as the three pinpricks within became deathly still.
"No, Sasuke-!" Akihane tried to reach for the boy, but he was already gone.
Lightning shone brightly from Sasuke's hand, the chirping of birds sounding in the air as the last Loyal Uchiha prepared to drive a Jutsu that Akihane had never seen before into her enemy's chest.
Akihane saw the man's smile and every moment, every instance that she had spent with Sasuke, flashed before her eyes.
All of the hidden smiles, the twitches of his lips and the fond gestures, the hair ruffles and the words of encouragement, simply disappeared in an instant.
Every argument that they had ever had, even those that Akihane wasn't proud of or the ones either party wanted to take back, would be reduced to nothing.
Akihane couldn't stop the tear that slipped down her cheek.
I~~~~I
Am I evil? Perhaps I am. Even if I am not, I have to admit this is one of the nastiest cliffhangers I've done. Thanks for reading anyways, and stay tuned for what happens next. Thank you all who reviewed and those that PMed me about the story, I enjoy hearing from all of you guys.
