Akihane didn't know what to think. On one hand, both of her friends had saved her, risking their lives in the process, from an S-Rank Shinobi that had survived in a one-on-one battle with Shikaku. On the other hand, her friends had nearly died trying to save her from an S-Rank Shinobi. Naruto wanted to strangle and hug her friends to death, preferably when they next woke up and she was no longer on bed rest.
Tsunade hadn't been happy when she had discovered the amount of damage on not only Akihane but also her friends. Hinata had been poisoned by a foreign chakra more refined than even Tsunade's, while Sasuke had undergone similar treatment. Hinata's exposure hadn't been as badly received as Sasuke's though, for some reason. Sasuke still had trouble moving his arm whenever he was able to break free from his dreams long enough.
Akihane hadn't had the heart to talk with him. She was furious and afraid, and she didn't know what to do.
"Akihane-Chan?" A voice spoke from below, garnering the blonde's attention. She gazed down at the sleepy form of Haku gazing up at her. She had taken to the roof of their inn to think before the sun had even risen, and she hadn't expected any visitors until day broke at the least.
"Hello, Haku-San." Akihane greeted the boy, laying back against the tiled roof as she gazed up at the stars once more. Her chakra thrummed around her, bound for the moment to let her think. She sighed and allowed it to spread so she wouldn't be surprised again. A moment after she did Haku had climbed up onto the roof with her. He quietly laid beside her, offering a form of silent comfort as she looked out across the skies of Fire Country.
"I…I miss being a child some times. I miss not knowing just how cruel the world was and wondering if I will see my loved ones again." Akihane finally murmured, hugging her legs tightly as she closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees. She trembled beside Haku, letting out the dormant emotions she had held back.
"I-I nearly lost them both Haku…" Her voice came out high pitched with fear crawling across each word.
Haku sighed heavily and reached over to rub her shoulder, offering more comfort. He still did not speak and continued to look ahead. He had a pondering look in his eyes as he wondered what he could do. The two had only been friends for so long, and it was surprising enough that Akihane had chosen to open up to him. Even so, he doubted the girl felt comfortable around her godfather yet or that she would turn to the sources of her anguish, which left him as the closest person to her currently.
"As Shinobi, we accept that risk. We go and we fight, knowing that this might be goodbye, that this might be the day when all our skill and luck cannot save us. Those at home know this too. Our friends, our family, they have all accepting what being a Shinobi means for their loved ones, even if it hurts." Haku spoke, his voice drifting out as he smiled brokenly. He glanced down to Akihane, finding her glancing at him through her hands.
"You knew the risk, but you have yet to let go of your fear on the matter. That's fine, but don't let it rule you. You know loss better than most, and sometimes that may blindside you into thinking you can handle it. You are broken Akihane, but that's fine. You may lose more of yourself along the way, because what is a path without obstacles in our lives, but that doesn't mean you won't be yourself. You just have to press on, to push aside that fear or use it to your benefit, because nothing can change the inevitable." Haku finished, tugging the Uzumaki closer to his side as he smiled sadly down at her.
Akihane didn't need his white lies, she didn't need reassuring smiles and whispers of "it'll be alright." She needed the truth, cold and factual because that was how she functioned. Haku would give it to her, he had no qualms with breaking someone so he could help build them back up. Here and now, with the twisted Uzumaki and the stars mockingly shining on them, Haku only wanted to benefit Akihane.
"Thank you," Akihane said, closing her eyes as she smiled up at him. She straightened and then relaxed, laying her head against his shoulder. She seemed oddly okay with the contact, but Haku didn't mention it and instead held her close.
"Anytime Aki." He murmured, allowing her to fall asleep on his shoulder as he kept watch over the Inn.
I~~~~I
The next day found them traveling across Fire Country to Konoha. Tsunade had inevitably decided to go with them after the mess of events that had occurred the past few days, though she still had yet to get over her phobia. She had started teaching Akihane and Hinata some medical techniques, and Sasuke had even listened in to learn a few things where he needed to.
Haku smiled and picked up a few things as they walked, making sure to annoy Sasuke as much as possible by sticking to Akihane's side and showing her how to use basic Healing Jutsu when Tsunade's explanations weren't enough. The Uchiha retaliated by dragging the Uzumaki into several games of tag along the way, though Tsunade and Jiraiya often stopped the games whenever they neared another town. They were only a day out from Konoha now and everyone decided it was best to stay in a town nearby. They all were tired from traveling and they also weren't quite healed enough to make the trip without difficulties.
"This would go quicker if you just sat still Gaki." Tsunade scolded as she scanned over Naruto's injuries and made sure she didn't have any internal troubles. The Sanin had already checked on Hinata and Sasuke, and she was taking her time on the Uzumaki. The Uzumaki was starting to fidget, not familiar enough with Tsunade to relax so with the woman so close to her. She was tense and ready to spring, something that made it hard for Tsunade to get a read on her.
"Odd, you seem to be completely healed," Tsunade muttered under her breath, earning a soft sigh from Akihane.
"It's my condition. I heal faster than other people do." She explained in a gentle murmur, looking away. She had yet to fully explain the Kyuubi to Haku or Tsunade, so there wasn't much she could say other than the fact that he gave her supernatural healing.
Tsunade paused, glancing down at her stomach where she had no doubt seen the seal earlier. Akihane shook her head at the woman, letting her know not to mention it. Tsunade seemed to understand and pulled away, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
"Alright then Gaki, you're free to go." She said, ignoring the shock that spread over Akihane's features at the gesture of affection.
Sasuke walked over to sit beside Akihane. Tsunade paused as she watched the two, taking in how Sasuke pulled Akihane close and glared at anyone who came close. He was very protective of the Uzumaki. It was quite cute in a way how the boy acted like an older brother to the girl.
If he planned to keep her safe, he'd have to get a lot stronger. She was rather beautiful and even more powerful to boot. Tsunade only wondered how long it would take before the boy finally enlisted the help of others to keep the Uzumaki safe.
"Akihane, would you like to go see the festival with me?" A voice spoke up, and Tsunade was given the not-so-rare sight of the Uchiha going rigid as his least favorite male came over and offered his hand to the Uzumaki.
Haku stood before Akihane with his outstretched hand and waited for her to answer as he smiled gently. He was looking at her and even gave her a wink when she raised a brow at him. Sasuke tensed when Akihane reached over to take the boy's hand. "Sure, Hinata and Sasuke can come too, right?" She asked, and Tsunade nearly slapped her hand to her face when she heard her.
The girl knew that the boys were trying to posture, she wasn't that blind, right? Tsunade wasn't sure, but if the girl did indeed know that the boys were actually trying to fight one another for her hand, then why invite Hinata…
Tsunade's thoughts trailed off as Hinata appeared from behind Akihane and took hold of the girl's shoulders. "That's a wonderful idea Akihane-Hime." The Hyuuga said with a dangerously sweet smile.
Ahh, it made sense now. Tsunade could see it, in the way the girls lined up with each other and the way Akihane looked to the younger girl. It was obvious now, that while Sasuke was the Pillar, Hinata was the foundation.
Haku seemed to be fine with this as he nodded and gestured for the group of kids to follow him out the door and to the city.
Feeling a bit like her old Sensei, Tsunade huffed and called out.
"Oi, Gaki, be careful. We still don't know if they will strike again." Tsunade warned Akihane, and the girl nodded in her direction as they left.
They were going to be fine, she could feel it.
Her on the other hand…
"You can come out now," Tsunade stated shortly, turning her head to the side. She came face to face with a man who she hadn't seen in over a decade.
Orochimaru smiled sharply at her, and she could tell from just that alone that the snake was in dire need of her help, and he knew exactly how to get it.
I~~~~I
Akihane took in the bright lights and the laughing of her companions with an easy sort of grace. She left herself to their whims, allowed them to tug her this way and that as they explored the city in full celebration mode.
It was nice to relax like this every once in a while, even if she had to deal with Sasuke and Haku's posturing. Hinata was a fine barrier for both of them, and the way she handled their passive-aggressive actions was quite amusing to Akihane.
Actually, Akihane would pay to see both of the boys tell Hinata no and watch the aftermath. Her Hyuuga friend was terrifying in that sense, especially when it came to Akihane's health and happiness.
"Oh, look, they have Takiyaki," Hinata spoke up, directing Akihane to a food stand as the girl asked for several servings of the chicken dish. Akihane chuckled and humored the girl by trying some.
Behind her, she failed to notice not only Sasuke but also Haku narrowing their eyes on the Hyuuga counterpart. Sasuke especially was confused, because he had never had to fight Hinata for Akihane's attention this much.
It almost seemed like Hinata had…settled on what she wanted. She was firm in her resolve. Sasuke wasn't sure if he liked it.
Haku, on the other hand, just wasn't sure about this side of Hinata in general. He had observed the girl quite a bit and was used to her switched from pleasant to pleasantly dangerous, but never like this.
It was both amusing and a little bit of a hindrance.
The two girls did not seem to notice, or comment, on the state of their male counterparts and continued on their way. It was fine, all of them supposed since Akihane had finally been dragged out of training for once.
Or at least, they assumed that they had taken Akihane from training. In truth, she had just pulled the wool over their eyes.
I~~~~I
Akihane stood in the middle of the field with Jiraiya beside her. He was watching as the vortex in her palm sped up. It condensed, the shape of a ball forming in her fingertips as the water the came with it built up into something deadly.
"Water Style, Vortex Rasengan!" Akihane shouted and launched forward, her hand slamming into the ground with the mass of chakra
Torrents of water shot around her and she jumped back as the vortex began to grow. The Rasengan ate away and the water chakra, the effect a dangerous typhoon that decimated the forest clearing they were in.
Akihane had finally managed to do the Rasengan, but only with the help of her Mokuton Sensei, Kame-San. He had given her the idea of adding Water Style- Whirlpool into the mix of Rasengan, and after telling her the detailed instructions, she had finally nailed the jutsu.
Or, at least she had managed this version. No matter what she did she couldn't get the rotation right without adding something to it. Akihane suspected that it had something to do with her chakra state, but both Hashirama and Tobirama were confused as to why she couldn't do it either.
Theoretically, she should have gotten the incomplete Rasengan before the complete version, but her chakra didn't want to do anything by halves.
"Well, …that was amazing Gaki." Jiraiya congratulated, his eyes wide as he stared at the destruction. He had seen a lot of Jutsu in his time, and this one was one of the most dangerous. If Akihane was able to add other elements, or worse, mix elements together and put them into the Rasengan…she would have an extremely powerful technique on her hands.
Akihane nodded at her godfather as she stood up, stretching out her limbs. Now, all she had to do is show Tsunade. She had been given a week, and despite the interruptions, she had completed the task on the last day she had been given.
She wasn't going to be giving up anything to that grouchy baa-san. In fact… Akihane had to pause and grab onto her dog tags. She pulled out Shisui's, one she had never taken off for more than a few minutes ever since it had been given to her. A small grin spread over her lips as she felt something warm settle inside of her chest.
'You are doing good Akihane. I think you should take a break for a few minutes thought. We both know it is not wise to continually stress your chakra. How about you practice the exercises that Hashirama gave you?' The calm voice of Tobirama echoed and Akihane had to agree with the man as she sat down.
Jiraiya took a moment to look her over before he too sat down. He was curious, she could tell, but she left no tells as she closed her eyes and settled her hands on her knees, the palms facing up. Water chakra formed in one of them, earth in the other.
She focused on melding the two, only treating them like they were two separate entities binding themselves together. The effect was obvious.
Her hands clasped together and she spoke low, directing her chakra.
Jiraiya had to shift to the side as four pillars started to climb around the girl, circling her as the faces on them sent shivers down Jiraiya's spine. A tingling sensation pressed against him and the man had to take in a sharp breath when he recognized what the pillars did.
Greenish hued charka was funneling into the pillars, circling and dancing around Akihane as she calmly took it in.
She was gathering nature chakra, not by taking it in, but rather by creating a force that attracted it to her. It was genius, and it was terrifying. Akihane was too young to be diving into this art, she was only fourteen years old after all.
Jiraiya opened his mouth to tell her to stop, but he couldn't when he noticed the blue diamond forming on the girl's forehead. The diamond was a four-pointed star with four other diamonds hanging off of each point.
This was Tsunade's technique, the Uzumaki lifeforce jutsu. Seeing it now, when Jiraiya knew that Akihane had no way of placing the concentrated chakra on herself, the Gama Sennin felt something sharp in his chest.
"Akihane."
He called to her, her eyes opening slowly to meet his. The orbs were red, more so than they had ever been. As it was, they had slowly stopped turning violet after the invasion, and only now did Jiraiya link that to her use of such powerful chakra.
"You…" He paused, trying to figure out how to word his thoughts. Instead, he reached and grabbed a mirror from his pouch and held it out to the girl. He was crouched in front of her as she took it, her eyes widening as she stared at the stars on her head.
Slowly, as the chakra humming around the totems dissipated, the tattoo did as well, fading into her skin.
Akihane met his gaze, the two of them coming to the same conclusion.
"Yin…" Akihane said softly, her eyes widening just a fraction. He had given her something after all.
I~~~~~I
Yin huffed as he launched backward. His flip nearly landed him in a ditch, but he was quick to launch up and latch onto a branch. Yin hauled himself up and onto it as a blast of light destroyed the path he had been trekking moments before.
There was another flash of light and Yin cursed, weaving through hand signs as he channeled chakra into bright blue seals.
The seals spread out in the air in front of him, and as the stretch of light struck it, the seals sucked it in. Almost like a black hole the seals greedily ate at the chakra infused light, plunging the area into darkness.
"It isn't wise to give your enemy your weapon." Yin hollered, a slightly teasing tone blanketing his words. He was enjoying this little bout, even if it had him on edge.
In front of Yin, covered by the disappearing darkness was a white-haired male. The male chuckled as he walked forward, holding on to his bleeding right arm.
The man had put up a nice fight against Yin, but he hadn't done enough damage to stop Yin from hurting him. Upon realizing that Yin's potent chakra burned the male, Yin has set to work in surrounding the man.
The white-haired enemy nin raised a hand in surrender, humming softly as his cunning blue eyes met Yin's.
"You are really good at this. When Pein told me to come and get you, I wasn't expecting you to put up such a fight. He doesn't really trust me with these things, see." The man said, and Yin had to fight another laugh.
"Oh, so you figured you would just waltz in here and hit me once, then drag me to this leader of yours? Was that it?" Yin asked the newcomer.
The newcomer only smiled sheepishly.
"Would you fault me if I told you yes?" He asked and it made Yin stop to access the man.
He had an edge to him, one that left Yin uneasy. More than that though, his chakra was entirely unbalanced. The man did not have yin and yang chakra affinities, but rather, only one. Normally this would tear apart a human body. In this case, however, it was almost as if the man didn't have that secondary chakra at all.
Both strange, peculiar, and terrifying. For someone to mess with chakra so readily and destroy the natural order of things, it was dangerous. Yin recognized that danger more than anyone.
"So tell me…" Yin started off, watching the man with calculating eyes.
"Who are you?" He asked, gazing at the black cloak with red clouds the man wore. He knew that symbol, from back when Orochimaru was part of Akatsuki. It was also the symbol that Itachi wore now.
The man tilted his head and chuckled before he replied. "My name is Shiro Omega. I prefer Shiro, but you know….I'm a member of Akatsuki."
Yin paused and dropped from his branch, hitting the ground quietly as he moved forward.
Shiro grinned at him, reaching out his injured arm. The arm had healed, leaving only the trails of blood in the injury's wake.
Yin was startled, but also intrigued as he came within arm's reach of the man.
"I came to ask you if you would join Akatsuki." Shiro offered, his eyes twinkling dangerously.
Yin felt a pull as he looked into the man's eyes, seeing the danger that they held, the blood that Shiro's hands had spilled mirrored in his ice blue orbs. It was obvious this man was dangerous, but so was Yin.
"I'm listening," Yin spoke up, leaning back on a tree as Shiro's hand fell to his side.
The man grinned as though he was the cat that caught the canary.
I~~~~I
Edit- Realized that like an idiot, I forgot that Kabuto had been captured. Rewrote that part so it should be updated to the current state, but please let me know if I missed anything else.
It had been a while, huh? I had never intended for this chapter to take this long, but some things happen. I hope you guys enjoy this and I will be working on the next one as soon as this one is published.Edit-Realized that like an idiot, I forgot that Kabuto had been captured. Rewrote that part so it should be updated to the current state, but please let me know if I missed anything else.
