"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.

Tsunade knew what Orochimaru wanted before he even opened his mouth to ask. She wasn't blind, she could see how his arms were doing. Akihane had told her what her foolish Sensei had done.

"Tsuna-Hime…It's been awhile." Orochimaru spoke, walking up to her with a mocking smile. She knew if he could use his arms, then Orochimaru would have them opened wide for her. She would never have taken the hug.

At one time, she had looked to the man for guidance, at one time she had trusted Orochimaru with her life and her secrets.

Of course, that had been a very, very long time ago.

Watching him now, as he slithered to her and danced around her, Tsunade felt only resentment and wariness to the man who had once been her brother.

"What did you want Orochimaru? I'm not healing your arms. I'm not an idiot." She spoke up, halting Orochimaru in his stride. The Sannin only chuckled at her and waved his hand.

The snake met her gaze as he spoke. "Of course not, I know you wouldn't help me out…Without something for you in return. I have a proposition for you." He spoke up, watching as Tsunade narrowed her eyes on him.

The two remained silent for a moment, before Orochimaru continued. He ran his fingers down the silk of a kimono on the bed, Akihane's if Tsunade was correct.

"I would like to give you something you have wanted for a long time. The chance you never got." Orochimaru continued, his eyes narrowing as he pulled the fabric to the side, revealing a set of seals that Akihane had been working on.

"How would you like to see your lover and your little brother again?" Orochimaru asked.

Tsunade's head snapped up to look at Orochimaru, to watch him in shock as he pulled up the seals and met her eyes again.

"I could do it. I could bring them back to you. You could have your family again." He said smoothly, taking another step toward her.

Tsunade felt her breath catch in her throat. She steadied herself on the desk behind her as her thoughts ran rampant.

Akihane had told her about Orochimaru, about his revival of the first two Kage, her Uncles. She knew that Orochimaru could do it, didn't even need to question his abilities. At the same time…Tsunade also knew about what would happen if she let Orochimaru go.

If she freed him from his seals, healed his arms and gave him the ability to use Jutsu again, then Konoha would be in danger.

Then again, since when had she cared about Konoha? It had been so long since she had even set her eyes on the cursed place, let alone protected it. She wasn't a spy like Jiraiya, she never bothered with any of it.

And yet…Akihane, Jiraiya, all those people in the village. Could Tsunade truly aide the man that had nearly killed the girl she had grown to care for, even in the slightest capacity? The girl who she had made a bet with, the daughter of that damned Namikaze? The one who was related to her, if distantly, through her grandmother Uzumaki Mito?

Tsunade didn't know what to do.

"I know it's hard to decide, so I will leave you to think about it. Tonight, if you choose to side with me, then I will bring the two sacrifices and you can see Dan and your little brother again." Orochimaru spoke up, cutting into her thoughts as he smiled at her again.

His smile was dangerous, he was dangerous. And yet…Tsunade wanted to follow him, wanted to take his offer.

Orochimaru knew exactly what she was thinking as he walked back into the shadows.

"I await your answer Hime." He called after himself, disappearing into the darkness.

Tsuande slumped over and slid to the floor, her head in her hands as her entire body shook.

She didn't know what to do.

I~~~~I

Akihane groaned as she laid back in the grass. Around her were craters, destruction of the finest order. Jiraiya had left a while ago to get some food while she rested and thought about the Uzumaki Life Seal.

She felt her forehead, the thrum of chakra under her fingertips surprising her.

Jiraiya had told her what he knew about it, and how she could store some of her chakra in it over the course of a few years. She could access the chakra at any time by either syphoning or breaking the seal. Syphoning would only take a small amount, while breaking it would release all she had.

It was complex, and yet amazingly simple and elegant. Her fingers wove along her skin, trailing each rune and the matrixes that were smaller than the head of a needle.

Her eyes slipped shut and she continued to follow the trails as they worked down her face, across her shoulders, to her chest.

Her eyes opened to her mindscape as she hit the seal on her stomach, two large red eyes staring her down.

Unlike every other time that Akihane had been in her mindscape, she had appeared not in front of a cage, but rather in front of an elegant forest of winding branches and spiraling trees. Hashirama and Tobirama were sat either side of the Kyuubi, all three arguing over something trivial.

Akihane walked forward, a smile on her lips. It was slow progress, but at least now the Kyuubi didn't snarl at them every time they walked into the new cage. Hashirama had helped her modify her mindscape again, changing the "cage" that the Kyuubi was stuck in into a forest not unlike the Forest of Death. It was one step in a long road to changing things with the fox, but it was something.

"You worms cannot hope to comprehend my might or my abilities!" The fox snarled out as he rose up on his legs as edged his giant maw closer to Hashirama's face.

Hashirama let lose a sharp and boisterous chuckle as he rose to meet the fox's challenge.

"Oh ho? Why don't you show me then, great Kyuubi!" Hashirama shouted at the fox.

Tobirama let out a sigh and turned to look at Akihane as she approached, taking in her acceptance over the situation. He two was changing, just like his brother. They were opening up, having realized that they wouldn't be able to hide themselves from someone they could never leave.

Akihane enjoyed the bickering at times, enjoyed how the Kyuubi smacked Hashirama with his paw and the two engaged in a glorified wrestling match.

She stopped beside her Grandfather, turning to look at him. He had a smile on his normally scowling features, watching as his brother tackled the Bijuu to the ground with a mighty laugh.

"I wish we could have had this before the First Ninja War. The world needed peace, and we gave it bloodshed." Tobirama spoke softly.

Akihane paused as she thought about what Tobirama had just said.

Peace, at its finest aspect, was simply a lie. Peace wasn't a true thing; it was the absence of many things.

Even now, the peace that Konoha had was only because of their might, the fear they instilled in others. Kiri wasn't in peace right now, they were suffering more than any, and Suna wasn't that far off. Peace was imaginary, a pipe dream.

And yet, it sounded wonderful. Akihane would love to go to Iwa and not worry about hatred, to go across the nations and discover everything about them without needing to watch her back. She wanted that, the absence of war, of fear, the absence of hatred.

She understood the cycle of hatred. Jiraiya had taught it to her very clearly on their first few days.

Hatred breeds more hatred, those that had killed to protect now being killed to avenge. The cycle would continue until it could no longer be stopped. Jiraiya didn't want that to happen, but even he understood that some things weren't possible.

That didn't change the fact that Jiraiya's goal, his dream, was to see the Ninja world at Peace.

Akihane understood that. She wanted it as well.

"There are many things wrong with this world, that much is true. Even so, we must learn, evolve, and overcome our faults Tobirama-Jiji." Akihane told the man, earning a wistful smile.

"I suppose that is why we have the newer generations." Tobirama answered her back. They both stood together, watching as a being of hatred and life co-existed with a being of energy and power. The two stood for more than just pieces of souls now, they stood for what Akihane wanted to happen, for the future.

"Oi, Kyuubi-San, I want to ask you for some help." Akihane shouted, earning her surprised looks from all three parties as she stepped forward.

"I wanted to ask you how the Bijuu were created." She said, and the look that the Kyuubi gave her sealed her fate.

To stop hatred, you had to understand why it was there in the first place.

I~~~~I

Jiraiya walked to the training grounds to find Akihane laying out on the grass. The girl was surrounded in blooming flowers, her eyes closed with a concentrated look donning her face. Her forehead glowed gently with the jewel of the Uzumaki, chakra funneling into the seal.

Normally Jiraiya would be worried, but with Akihane he had learned to just accept that nothing would ever be normal around her. He would just have to live with the fact he would never understand his Goddaughter completely.

The girl opened her eyes as he approached, the glowing halting as she looked up at him blankly.

He had also grown used to her emotionless expressions, even when they happened at the most inopportune times.

He held out his hand, one popsicle with two sticks between the two of them.

"Here, I couldn't find much right now other than sweets, so I figured we would share." Jiraiya offered her with a grin.

Surprisingly, Akihane offered him a gentle but shocked smile as she took the other end of the popsicle. She broke it from his own, and the two took their treats and began to eat.

It was as they ate that Akihane remembered what the Kyuubi had told her. About the Sage of Six Paths, about his brothers, and about hatred. The being understood hatred, more than he told her. Akihane had the feeling that the Kyuubi had felt more hatred in its long life than anyone else. He had such an understanding of human nature that she worried for him.

The Bijuu knew all too well that war was the way of Shinobi, that the cycle of hatred could never truly end unless both sides chose to give it up.

"Jiraiya…If you could. Would you stop being a shinobi?"

Akihane spoke up, drawing the attention of the Sanin.

Jiraiya turned to her, his eyes softening as he sighed.

"Where'd this come from Aki?" He asked back, only to earn an exasperated glare.

"Just answer the question Ero-Sennin." She snapped back, earning a boisterous laugh.

Jiraiya took a moment to look away, at the setting sun over the town that was lit with brilliant lanterns. The colors bounced around and Akihane stilled as she realized that Jiraiya had never looked so peaceful or relaxed.

Jiraiya glanced back at her with a sharp smile, one that showed off the charms that she knew many women fell for. "If I had the choice, I'd stay in a cottage by the ocean and write. If I could…I wouldn't be a Shinobi."

Akihane nodded, looking up above her at the leaves falling down.

"I don't think I would be a Shinobi if I had a choice either." She told him truthfully.

Jiraiya let out a soft sigh and stood up as he finished his popsicle, before offering her a hand up. Akihane met his gaze and took his hand. She was shocked when he gripped her hand tightly, his features becoming more serious.

"Then make sure it happens. Because whenever that is…Whenever that time comes, I will be there to see you do it." He told her.

"But until then, I'll teach you all you need to know to start on that journey. So, from now on, you are my student, got it?" Jiraiya told her sharply.

Akihane nodded and was even more shocked when she was dragged into a tight hug by the Sannin.

She relaxed as he pulled away, leaving her to wonder if he had even hugged her at all.

"Come on, let's go bug Hime." He said, grinning over his shoulder as he ruffled her hair and walked away.

Akihane shook her head and followed her godfather. He was a character, that was for sure.

Maybe though, just maybe, Akihane could learn to see the man as family after all.

I~~~~I

Tsunade had made her choice. She didn't like it, but it was her decision. She had promised Akihane, she had told her she would go…but after this she might not.

Before leaving her room, Tsunade made sure that her apprentice was still knocked out. Shizune had tried to stop her, and while Tsunade praised her student's dedication to her own wellbeing, she had to stop her from getting herself killed. So, she put her to sleep.

Now Tsunade just had to wait for morning. And what better way to do that than to drink what might be her last drink for a long time.

She slammed down a shot to ask for another when a white haired figure sat beside her.

Tsuande glanced to the side, not at all surprised to see Jiraiya sitting next to her. The man was good, she'd give him that, but he was never able to hide from her.

"You should be watching after the Gaki." She told him.

Jiraiya chuckled and waved off her words.

"Akihane can handle herself, she takes after her mother in that respect. She also has the Uchiha and Hyuuga keeping her in line. They were not happy when they found out that she had sent a clone with them. It was hilarious watching her get reprimanded, reminded me of Kushina with Mikoto and Inoichi's wife." Jiraiya told Tsunade as he ordered a shot of Sake.

Tsunade sipped on her own drink, swirling the glass as she contemplated his words.

"They remind you of more than them, don't they? They…They remind me of the past." Jiraiya spoke up, his voice turning soft.

Tsunade stopped and then took a deep breath. "You saw it too then? How close they are, the way they defer to each other…The three of them are like us. How we used to be."

The two Sannin stared off as they both downed their drinks.

They both knew what that meant, and they feared for the shinobi. Yes, they were strong, but bonds like those were dangerous. It showed in how badly the first Sannin had ended. One a Nuke-Nin, two drinking their lives away in a bar on the outskirts of a town.

Yeah, they were a mess. A mess that those kids didn't deserve.

Tsunade set her cup down as she looked over to Jiraiya. He was looking down at his hands, a haunted look playing over his features. Tsunade knew that look. She had seen it on her own face many times. It was the look of regrets, of seeing blood all over your hands and eyes staring at you from the abyss.

"Are you going to take Orochimaru's offer?" Jiraiya asked, and Tsunade had to stop herself from breaking her Sake cup in shock as he eyes whipped up to meet Jiraiya's.

"How did you-"

She started, but Jiraiya scoffed and cut her off.

"I left a clone. I knew that Orochimaru would go to you. You are the only person who can help him right now." Jiraiya told her sharply.

Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek and looked down in shame as he teammate's eyes bore into her.

"Don't. For your own sake if not for anyone else's. His promises…bringing the dead back isn't good Tsunade. It should never be an option." He told her and it took all of her power not to snap at him.

"What he did…You weren't there, but I was Tsunade. He brought back the Kages and tried to bring back Minato. He twisted their memory into something terrible, forced them to try to kill their student and end their village." Jiraiya snarled, his gaze hard as he reiterated all of his feelings over the matter to his friend, to his teammate.

"Tsunade, understand this, Orochimaru will not rest. He is not to be trusted, he is twisted and torn apart. Right now, everything that he is promising you is a lie." He told her.

The emotions that played across Tsunade's face were gone in seconds, and the next she was standing up.

"It's my choice Jiraiya." She said coldly, and Jiraiya stood up sharply, only to feel his head pound and the world spin.

He saw Tsunade smile sadly at him as he fell, thinking about the drink he had taken first, one that he hadn't used chakra to detect from.

She had drugged him.

Tsunade watched as Jiraiya fell. She caught her teammate and sighed, hauling the oaf up against her, slinging his arm over her shoulder as she jumped away from the bar, leaving money for their tab.

She had to get the oaf into bed before morning so that she could go and meet Orochimaru beside the temple. She was careful as she slipped into their shared hotel room, making sure not to wake the other ninja in the residence as she set Jiraiya on his bed.

She snuck out before morning struck and made her way to the meeting spot, careful about being seen or looking like she was in a hurry. She had a mission, a job to fulfill, and she would do it.

It was only a hour later that Tsunade stood at the meeting spot, watching as Orochimaru smirked across the way from her.

He thought he was getting his way.

And, well Tsunade supposed he was. Just, not in the way that he expected.

She walked toward Orochimaru, her hands beginning to glow as she neared the man who had been her teammate for so long.

Orochimaru smiled at her as she drew closer, his eyes watching her closely in anticipation.

She couldn't go back now. Never again really. She took a deep breath as she felt her chakra turn poisonous, as she prepared to damage Orochimaru in a way he couldn't return from.

Orochimaru's smirk twisted, and in an instant she realized too late the blade that he had summoned, poised at her stomach.

Her eyes went wide as she met her teammate's smirk. Her hands were shaking as she watched the blade draw closer, her world going in slow motion.

"You are far too troublesome."

Her world blurred, and Tsunade was shocked to find white across her vision. A clang sounded, and next came a sharp cry as blood sprayed across the figure before her.

Akihane stood, her blade outstretched as she let loose a cry of anger and shot toward Orochimaru with such ferocity that Tsunade didn't register the blood across her vision for a moment.

Laying on the ground was an arm, one that had been bandaged and holding Tsunade's demise, the Grass Sword.

Her breath left her and she collapsed, swatting away the offending appendage and weapon in disgust as her entire body dissolved into shudders.

More clashing and ferious cries could be heard, and for once, Tsuande wasn't focused on the blood on the battlefield.

Instead, she was watching as the girl she had nearly broke a promise to, as the daughter of Kage fought against the man who had nearly killed her.

Tsunade felt a hand on her back and turned to see Aki's friend Haku.

Two blurs rushed out and Tsuande turned again to watch as the Hyuuga girl and the Uchiha descended upon Orochimaru and their Uzumaki, aiding her in her fight against the weakened Sannin.

Let it be known that even though they were strong, even though they bit when knocked down, not even a Sannin could last forever against the force of three Chunnin who knew how to watch each others backs.

The three were a long way from ending Orochimaru, they had a long way to go before they'd measure up to him even at this state, but they were going to go down trying.

Tsunade shook, only this time it was with unshed tears.

"You are an idiot." Tsunade heard, and then the three Shinobi who had saved her were back at her side, away from the Snake Sannin that was surrounded in a plume of smoke.

Tsunade looked up to see Jiraiya, to watch as he shook his head in exasperation at her and looked to his goddaughter.

"Oi, Akihane, can you summon up the Boss for me? Seems my chakra is a little screwy because of a certain Hime." The Sannin said, and Tsunade felt a rush of hot embarrassment as the oaf walked over to his student.

Akihane merely nodded sharply and slammed her hand down on to the ground.

She had never thought that the girl would sign the Toad summoning Contract, but then again, Tsunade supposed it was only right.

It was a family tradition after all.

A large plume of smoke shot into the air, and with it came the enormous figure of the Toad Boss. Tsunade let out a heavy breath as she watched Jiraiya rise up with his student, the two standing on top of the giant summon.

"Here." A cloth was shoved in her face, and Tsunade was surprised to see the Uchiha crouched beside her with the offering. His gaze was sharp, harsh, but Tsunade saw parts of his moth Mikoto in the way he watched her.

"Sasuke-San." The Hyuuga spoke next, and Tsunade was thrown for a loop as the girl scolded her friend with a sharp glare. The two shared sharp looks, and for once, Tsunade was at a loss for words.

"You get used to it." Haku told her with a smile, taking the cloth to help Tsunade clean up the blood that was making her shake.

Looking up to watch as Akihane and Jiraiya drove back the one armed Orochimaru, Tsuande couldn't help but figure she would have to.

I~~~~I

So I kinda rushed the Orochimau encounter, and I apologize for that. I just, well it's been so long since I remembered what I wanted to do with this story and I just wanted to refresh myself. I would expect a rewrite at some point, especially with schools in my area called off for the year with the mess going on right now.

Alright, take it easy and stay safe in doors! I'll try to get some more updates out soon.