They arrived back at Konoha to the normally bustling streets thriving with workers and Shinobi. Everyone was doing their part to help rebuild, and it astounded Tsunade.

Konoha had always been a place of wonder, whether from its sights, its Shinobi, or it's civilians. The entirety was awe-inspiring.

What was even more shocking though, was the number of people who were running around the Hokage's office like chickens with their heads cut off. Or more accurately, Shinobi who didn't know how to handle paperwork.

Everything halted when Akihane entered, and in a display of grace that left Tsunade surprised, the flurry was set down and all six heads knelt in front of the girl, or at least, as far as Tsunade was concerned, the stand in Hokage.

Two figures stood outside the kneeling Shinobi, their heads instead inclined to the kunoichi.

Akihane waved her arm, causing the throng to rise up.

Tsunade took in the six men alongside Shikaku and Inoichi. Three of them were members of Minato's personal guard if Tsunade was not mistaken. Namiashi Raidou, Tatami Iwashi, Shiranui Genma, and the rest were a little more surprising. A Chunin with brown hair and a scar across his nose, another Chunin with black spiky hair and a bandage over his nose, and finally the last Chunin with brown hair that covered half his face as well a headband bandana.

If she was correct, which she knew she was, the last two were a renowned Chunin duo named Izumo and Kotetsu. They were worth quite a bit in the Bingo books.

"Aki, your back!" One of the guards spoke up, rushing over to the kunoichi to hoist her into a hug.

The girl let out a light laugh, showing how used to the gesture she was, before the rest of the six piled on to her.

Shikaku and Inoichi walked to her, bowing low as they neared.

"It's good to see you again Tsunade-Hime. I'm glad you decided to come back." Shikaku spoke, and from the look he gave her, Tsunade knew he was surprised she had indeed returned to Konoha.

Looking at Akihane, Tsunade let out a heavy sigh.

"I lost a bet." She said truthfully, but even she knew that wasn't the only reason that she had come back.

The Uchiha, Sasuke if she wasn't mistaken, and the Hyuuga, Hinata, had joined in on Akihane's little group. The three were telling the guards what had happened, and Tsunade saw what she had before. The buzzing energy, love, and adoration. This may have been generations after her, but these Shinobi were like the Sannin before Orochimaru was twisted into a monster.

"Alright Gaki, its time you show me what you've done and what I'm getting myself into," Tsunade called out, and as she did, Akihane straightened. Her playful demeanor vanished and was replaced by a Kunoichi.

"Alright. There's a lot to explain, but first, let's start with what happened while I was gone." Akihane spoke.

She turned to the eldest, Raidou, and the man nodded sharply and straightened.

"So far everything has gone as planned. The different sections of paperwork have been organized into the groups you delegated. Tazuna arrived just two days ago with Wave workers and they are now making progress. The Daimyo's help also arrived just a day ago."

Raidou started. Akihane nodded and walked toward the desk, rifling through the paperwork as Raidou turned to face her desk along with the others.

Shikaku took the next step forward and offered the girl a folder, which she graciously took.

The girl skimmed the file and looked up to Shikaku.

"So far the Academy students have thrived doing the D-Ranks we re-regulated. From there we have assigned Genin, especially those with seniority, into positions around the village. The Chunin are being regulated on the borders and inside the village, with the Daimyo posting some of his guards outside as well. The Monks of the Fire Temple also sent their reply. They stated they would offer any help we needed, including supplies for the border guard." Shikaku finished.

Akihane nodded and sorted the papers, looking to Inoichi next.

"We have successfully detained the rest of the outlying Shinobi and have gained new intelligence that I have filed for you. We also did as you asked regarding the Jinchuuriki Gaara. Suna has accepted our aid and we will start funneling some of the missions we can't handle their way, working alongside the recommendations of the Daimyo."

Genma stepped forward next, garnering everyone's attention.

"Funds have been re-delegated to the proper areas and those without homes have been given residence in the Uchiha Compound as per Sasuke's request. The other Clan Compounds have also opened their gates to those who need it. The meals you instructed the younger Academy students to make for the workers have paid off as well and right now are being distributed. With the current rate, we expect normal classes to start up in two weeks. Businesses are already opening back up and with our rate of rebuilding, we should have finished in about double that time." Genma reported.

Akihane nodded. She then turned to the other members in the room.

"Sasuke-San, Hinata-Hime, Haku-San, Izumo, Kotetsu, and Iruka. You are all dismissed."

Akihane said sharply, and the mentioned Shinobi nodded and filed out of the room. Once they were gone, Akihane turned to the side. She flared her chakra and a blur landed beside her.

The ANBU that had appeared rose as Akihane cleared her throat.

"Jiraiya, seal the room please."

Akihane said sharply.

As she did, Jiraiya let his chakra surge through the floors and activate the privacy wards. Tsunade could almost feel the fury of her teammate when several chakra signatures that weren't their group's vanished. Her anger was stalled by Akihane turning to the man beside her with a gentle smile.

"Kame, you may report on Yugau's progress," Akihane stated.

The ANBU started speaking immediately after.

"Jonin Yugau arrived with Zabuza in Kiri this morning. She stated that the leader of the Rebellion would be interested in your proposal. She stated she would await the new Hokage to go over the guidelines for a new Alliance."

Akihane nodded and dismissed the ANBU. He vanished quickly, which left Tsunade alone with the stand-in and her Shinobi.

Akihane sat down at the desk, relaxing for the moment. She seemed to be pondering her thoughts as Tsunade walked over.

"This sounds good, but what about the Hospitals?" Tsunade asked her since the absence of them hadn't gone unnoticed by her.

Akihane grimaced as she turned to Shikaku.

The Nara sighed heavily as he stepped between Tsunade and Akihane.

"We have been trying to fix the situation. A lot of the nurses and doctors are high-class Shinobi. With the influx of injured and the oddly structured system, we haven't been able to find a good solution. For now, we have been regulating civilian doctors to lighter cases, as well as drawing out retired Kunoichi who have past medical training. The Academy students who have gone through their third-year classes are also acting as assistants around the Shinobi Hospital, learning on the fly." Shikaku reported, and though it was more than Tsunade expected, she knew it wasn't what Konoha needed.

"Very well, let's go and rectify that then. Gaki, come on." Tsunade called and turned toward the exit. Akihane followed her soon after, Shizune taking to her side. Shiranui joined them alongside Shikaku and Inoichi, but the others remained behind.

As they walked, Tsunade took the moment to look over Akihane, taking in her stance and how strong the girl had become, even in a week.

They walked inside of the hospital as a group, with Tsunade and Akihane leading the charge. The staff hardly paused as they rushed around, leaving the Shinobi to watch.

Akihane looked at the bustle, at the Genin helping out Academy students, at the struggling Shinobi and overrun doctors.

Taking a deep breath Akihane released her chakra, the surge of warmth spreading across the hundreds of Shinobi and civilians alike.

Tsunade turned to watch the girl closely, several Shinobi around them stilling as they turned to her.

Taking a deep breath Akihane gently lowered the exposure and the Shinobi returned to their normal duties, but the effect was already there. The rush had slowed as the tense atmosphere dissipated around them.

"There are only three critical cases. The shinobi are running low on Chakra, but they are operating in shifts. I think meeting the head of medical affairs would be the best Tsunade-Hime." Akihane told her as she let out a shaky breath.

The girl's sensory abilities surprised her, especially since they tended to be hard on her. Her range and her sensitivity were higher than almost any other that Tsunade had encountered, bar her granduncle.

Shiranui let his hand grip the girl's shoulder as she breathed in before she started to direct Tsunade to the head Medical Ninja's room.

Once they arrived, Akihane entered with a flare of her chakra.

Inside they found two women, older and with multiple stacks of paperwork. They rose their heads, and Akihane nodded to Inuzuka Kana and an older Nara woman. Tsunade did not recognize the woman at first, but then she realized that this lady was the grand matriarch of the Nara clan and Shikaku's great grandmother.

They all bowed, the harsh eyes of the eldest Nara casting over them all. They settled on Tsunade, and her lips slipped into a tight frown.

"So you returned." She spoke, the rest of the members rising.

Kana took a step to the side as she viewed Tsunade with a sharp gaze.

"For good. Akihane is turning the hat to me." Tsunade told her, earning a nod.

"I see. I expect you'll be taking my spot too then?" The Nara asked. Tsunade nodded in confirmation.

The Old Bat smirked and laughed sharply.

"Very well!" She called out and stalked toward Tsunade. She stood just under the kunoichi's height, but the two had always been similar in age, though not in skill.

"Then get to work." The Nara ordered, turning to Kana.

"I leave you to inform the Hime about what has occurred. I shall go and spread the word to the staff and ensure smooth transitioning." The woman said. She paused as she neared Shikaku.

The man tensed, rightfully so, as the lady barked at him.

"Come with me Shikaku!"

Akihane hid a smile as the esteemed Jonin Commander nodded. Then, the Nara turned to her.

Akihane straightened under the woman's gaze, meeting her eyes head-on.

The lady gained a soft smile and patted Akihane's head.

"It's good to see you doing well Naru. You should come for dinner with Shikamaru again, I enjoyed your company." She said pleasantly, leaving soon after.

Akihane relaxed once the foreboding woman left with Shikaku.

Tsunade hummed and turned to Kana, earning herself a grin.

"I'm surprised she is alive," Tsunade said.

Kana barked out a laugh as she guided Tsunade to the desk.

"Well, the Shinigami tried, but she pulled his ear until he relented to another ten years." She said.

The two women shared smirks, leaving the rest of them to sigh.

"I shall leave you to it Tsunade-Hime. I must go oversee the last of the paperwork to sign over the Hokage Title to you and finish my preparations. If you want to you can come and see me afterward and I will brief you further on what has happened." Akihane told her, turning to leave.

Their tag-alongs followed, leaving Tsunade to watch the girl disappear out the door.

I~~~~I

Akihane sat down at her desk, laying down the last of her work.

The mess of people had evened out, with Genma and Raidou helping her out on the couch while Inoichi and Ibiki were now working on the paperwork to sign over designation to Tsunade.

Akihane took a moment to look over the structured system she had written down with the help of the two Kage in her head.

She went over the branches and delegations, from the top position being the Hokage. Below that were the Commanders of the different divisions, then the Corps, and finally the Councils. She also delegated the Policing duties to the Civilian Council, laying down ground rules for their permissions and power allowances. There were also several powers that removed War-Powers from the Civilians, as it should have been long ago. Clan Heir subjects were no longer the focus of the Civilian Council, but rather Clan Representatives. The Civilian limitations on trading and negotiating with merchants had also been limited to prevent underhanded deals and double selling of goods to Konoha.

Along with that, Akihane had also finalized the paper-work for the other Chunin to be announced by Tsunade after she took the hat. As per her Jiji's notes, Nara Shikamaru, Hyuuga Hinata, and Uchiha Sasuke would be promoted to Chunin. Also per his instruction, Uchiha Sasuke would be delegated to Anko to be trained by T&I, while Hinata would be apprenticed to Naru Shimura, the Grand Matriarch.

Akihane herself would be placed under Jiraiya's care to learn the ways of a spymaster and to forge alliances with other countries under his hand.

Team Seven would still act together and have missions, but Sakura would have to start her specialty training with Kakashi while they were apart.

It all worked out in their favor really.

"Akihane." A familiar and rather bored tone spoke.

Looking up, Akihane was a little surprised to see Tenzo staring down at her. He looked a little out of place in the room, especially wearing his normal Jonin Attire.

Akihane smiled at the man.

"It's already time then?" She asked, earning herself a nod.

Standing up, Akihane gestured to Ibiki and Inoichi.

"I leave the office in your hands, Ibiki-San, Inoichi-San," Akihane told the two as she followed Tenzo out of the room. They both nodded and watched her leave.

They stepped out and when the door shut behind them the two vanished in a shuinshin.

They reappeared on Sarutobi Compound on their training grounds. The seals around the property sparked to life, cutting off outside eyes so that the two could practice in peace.

Taking a deep breath Akihane settled into a stance and launched at Tenzo, the two dissolving into a warm-up spar as they normally did.

Akihane had only had the chance to get two days of training in with the Mokuton user before she left, but it had been enough. Tenzo was amazing at what he did and was a good teacher when it came to learning what she needed to.

The way that Hashirama had explained it to her, the way Tenzo trained himself in Mokuton was reminiscent of the way that Hashirama trained himself.

Today was going to be a sensing day, allowing Akihane to learn how to handle her sensory overload a little bit at a time.

Jiraiya would be joining them soon enough since he was interested in whether or not her sensing abilities extended to a certain type of chakra he used.

Akihane had told him about her run-in during the exams with the fleshy walls generated from a seal. He had revealed that the trap happened to be a part of his summoning contract. He had told her that the toads used Nature Chakra, so much that it consumed them, so she would more than likely sense that. It was very odd though since not even Tobirama had been able to sense nature chakra so potently.

Hashirama told her it was likely because of Mokuton that she could do such a thing. He also mentioned that having such a high chakra capacity along with Mokuton was likely the reason for her sensitivity to chakra.

Akihane raised her arm to block a heavy blow form Tenzo, grunting as her weight shifted so she wasn't thrown to the side.

Tenzo paused and pulled back, nodding to her to let her know they were done.

Akihane rose to her full height, wincing as she felt the pain in her arm recede.

As she rose she heard a bark, turning in time to watch a small puppy collide with her leg.

Akihane let out a laugh as she watched the ninja hound stare up at her with bright eyes. Yuki was an excitable dog, and after being left with Kakashi while she was out, Akihane could understand the wolf's happiness.

She scooped up the ball of fluff, placing him on her forehead as he wiggled. Finally, the pup calmed down, laying against her white hair. He looked almost identical to her wild spikes, blending in were it not for his bright blue eyes.

If he was here though, then that meant that Kakashi was as well.

Looking up, Akihane met the eye of her Sensei as he walked across the field to join them. Though the elder had been reluctant to allow Kakashi in on the secret of Yamato teaching Akihane Mokuton, Kakashi had been the one to suggest Yamato to Utatane.

He had rescued the boy when he was young from one of Orochimaru's labs. Well, technically he met him there and then the boy went to Danzo before Kakashi dragged him out of Root, but that was beside the point.

"Yo Aki-Hime," Kakashi called out with an eye smile, earning himself a raised brow from his student.

The Jonin turned to his fellow Jonin, earning an exasperated sigh.

"Taichou, what do you want? I'm in the middle of training Akihane-" Yamato started, only to earn himself a wider smile as Kakashi's arm slung over his shoulder. Akihane was surprised to see Kakashi's signature book missing, probably because he knew she'd burn it the first chance she got and wondered what his motivations were.

She tilted her head to the side, Yuki snuggled and gripped to her head with chakra.

Kakashi only smiled at Yamato infuriatingly.

"Well now that she has the time, I thought we could go do some errands. We have to meet with Tsume to discuss your bond with Yuki, and then we have to go to the Black Smith and get that blade reforged. There are some other minor things to deal with too, but I think it's important enough to warrant taking her off your hands for a bit, or you could tag along, I don't mind." Kakashi said.

Akihane paused, having almost forgotten about the other gifts she was given. She hadn't reforged her broken blade, only used the other one. She also hadn't talked to Inuzuka Tsume with all that was happening.

Looking up to be met with bright and excited blue eyes, Akihane had to admit she needed to get on forging and teaching Yuki how to be a Ninja Hound. While Kakashi would certainly help, seeing as he had a pack of his own, she would have to do a lot of the work.

"I guess we best go then," Akihane spoke up, looking over at her two Sensei. Kakashi pulled Yamato with him as he let out a humming sound of agreement. Yamato sighed in acceptance, following along as the teachers and the student started walking out of their barrier toward the city.

I~~~~I

Akihane had to halt her surprise as she walked into the Inuzuka compound. Dogs littered the area, Ninja hounds anyways. They varied in size, and some puppies even surrounded the open compound. It was away from the city, away from the harsh smells and loud noises. Akihane could understand the distance, as even for her with her sensitivity to chakra it could be too much being in her home. Especially now that she was allowing her sensory abilities to flourish and spread. So far she could reach out to the gates of Konoha, but even that was an overload if she kept it on all the time.

Tsume waited for them at the top of a hill near the inner gates of the compound, both Kiba and his older sister Inuzuka Hana waiting with her.

"About time Gaki, I thought you would never show up." Tsume laughed out, and by her large grin, Akihane knew the woman was only teasing her. Akihane smiled in response, closing her eyes in a faint smile.

"I thought I'd give you time to repair." She joked, missing the shocked look on Kiba's face.

Spending time with Haku had been good for her, as well as learning a few things from Hinata on how to use sarcasm and the twisting of words to her advantage. It was fun to twist things around so they meant something different each time, and Akihane loved it.

Tsume's grin turned feral as she let her arm settle around Akihane's shoulder and pulled her toward the main grounds of the compound. Kakashi and Yamato filed in behind her while the Inuzuka siblings took to their sides.

"So, I hear that you brought back Tsunade-Hime." Tsume let out as they journeyed into the center of the compound.

Akihane let out a hum of confirmation, gently pulling away as Tsume started toward the edge where there was a temple-like structure.

She went inside, coming out with several scrolls.

"That's quite impressive, especially with the added battle with one of the Sannin," Tsume told her as she tossed the scrolls in her direction. Akihane caught the scrolls wordlessly, opening them up to skim the contents before tucking them away.

"Not really." She finally spoke up.

"I had Ero-Sennin there, along with Sasuke-San, Shizune-San, Hinata-Hime, and Haku-San. They helped me. Without them…I wouldn't have stood a chance against Orochimaru." Akihane told Tsume firmly.

Tsume paused as she met Akihane's gaze before she chuckled and shook her head.

"Impressive, none the less." She finished before she switched topics and began telling Akihane the basics on the bond she would forge with Yuki and how to properly maintain the bond.

Akihane paid rapt attention, hardly bothering to glance to the others as she and Yuki listening to every word Tsume granted them.

I~~~~I

Tsunade was reluctantly impressed.

Not really with Konoha's hospital per-say, but with the rest of Akihane's structure. While it was true that Hana and the Nara Matriarch had done well with what they had, the Hospital was in desperate need of a restructure from the ground up.

Now the rest of Konoha…well had she been here a week or so prior it would have been a mess. Now though, Akihane and her assistants had done a great job. Based on the reports and the notes Akihane and Shikaku had left, along with the daily logs from the commanders and Ibiki, it was obvious the girl had made a positive impact on the state of affairs in Konoha.

In a little over a week, the girl had fixed over a decade of trashy politics and corruption. Of course, it helped that because of the militaristic situation and the lack of knowledge on the Civilian Council's part to her participation, no one could fight her temporary rulings.

Now then, with Tsunade taking power, she could make a lot of the rulings permanent.

It was a little too well planned in the Senju's opinion, especially considering just how smart her Sensei was.

Leaning back in her chair as Tsunade read the scroll that her Sensei had left her after his death and the notes that Akihane left, Tsunade had to hold back a bitter laugh.

That man was far too cunning. It was no wonder her grandfather and granduncle chose Hiruzen as their student. He was good.

"Following the arrangement of the Genin, Chunin, Jonin, and ANBU commanders as the newly reassigned mission commanders for the respective mission ranks of C, C and B, B and A, and A through SS, the cleanse of unnecessary paperwork has not only abated, but now mission confusion and the mistaken ranking of missions happens less frequently-"

Akihane's idea to divide the mission priorities aligned closely with Hiruzen's plans. Reading over Hiruzen's ideas again, Tsunade could only continue to compare the two.

"The future application of paperwork would be better worked with a steady distribution of mission assignments to the ranks they commonly are assigned to. This would decrease the workload and open up more time for important matters without pushing an important issue to the side."

It was almost exactly alike.

"Namiashi." Tsunade barked, earning the man's attention. He was planning with Shiranui on who they could recruit to manage a police force that would be civilian-based, possibly with Genin involved.

The brunette walked over to her and raised a quiet brow. "Yes, Tsunade-Sama?" The Jonin asked.

"Tell me what you think of this," Tsunade told him and offered him the two papers. Namiashi seemed to realize exactly what he was looking at before he finished the second paper.

"It's Sandaime-Sama's plan. He and Akihane went over the pros and cons of it many times. We also discussed with her as her Proxi's how she could beneficially change the system. You will find that a lot of what Akihane implemented was already discussed at length with many parties. Some of it though, particularly this new plan for the civilian-genin police force was simply her idea." Namiashi spoke up.

Tsunade paused and frowned when she heard the Proxi comment. They were probably talking about the girl's Uzumaki Heiress ship, which was something she had almost forgotten to address.

"That does align with all that I have seen. Now, about Akihane being the Uzumaki Head-" Tsunade started, only to be promptly cut off by Shiranui across the room.

"She already claimed it in front of the council, Tsunade-Sama. This also means that by extension, she claimed her other clan's heading as well." He told her, and his eyes flashed as though to challenge her on removing Akihane's rule.

Tsunade raised a brow and smirked at the man, enjoying the fact that he wasn't afraid of her. She liked a man with balls.

"No, I was going to ask what Sensei did to protect it. I see he did enough…Now, what was this about other clans? I'm guessing her fathers of course, but what others does she have access to?" Tsunade asked promptly.

The two turned to each other, and Tsunade was about to snap at them when Genma nodded. With a flicker of seals, a barrier activated in the room.

Raising a brow, Tsunade looked between the two men questioningly.

"Akihane has claims to three clans. The Uzumaki Clan, the Namikaze, and the Senju." Namiashi spoke up finally.

Tsunade nearly exploded from her seat. That place…that clan, it was hers. Had always been.

However, she stopped herself as she sat back down.

She hadn't been in the village. She had heard tidbits, had recognized Akihane's coloring and her sensing abilities. Somehow the girl was related to the Senju, to her Great Uncle specifically. While the girl hadn't revealed much after Tsunade had offended her, Tsunade had gathered that much from both Jiraiya and Akihane's subtle hints.

Hiruzen had likely given Akihane the new standing head position to keep her safe, to give her more leverage if something happened. With everything going on, Tsunade respected that. She didn't deserve the title while she was running from her village anyways. It hurt to admit, but Tsunade saw what she did, saw the effect of her actions. She was hurt, yes, but she was hardly the only one.

Gritting her teeth Tsunade took a deep breath.

"What…What else should I know?" She asked softly.

In response, the two took deep breaths before they settled into a long explanation.

Tsunade was more than impressed by the end of it.

She was downright surprised.

I~~~~I

Akihane stepped into Tenten's father's shop around the time the sun was setting. He was closing up for the night, but the man greeted her warmly and offered her a spot in the back so she could give him her specifics for her blade.

It was interesting to work with the man, especially when he was fiddling with the delicate nature of the sealed blades. It would have to be a joint project, one that Akihane could work with him on and slowly but surely build the base into a blade.

The metal also had to be chakra conductive, which meant that it would cost a lot.

Akihane didn't mind spending the money though, wanting badly to be able to fix one of the last parts of her heritage.

While she was there Akihane also asked to have a few new Kunai made, specifically ones like her fathers. The composition was odd though, the weight different from normal kunai due to their purpose.

It only took a moment for Tenten's father to recognize the blades, but if his sad smile was anything to go by, he didn't have a problem with the extra order. He even told her not to worry about the cost of the composition. He knew how to make them after all.

Akihane was surprised, but it helped to know that more people knew her parents than just those who had known about her status as acting Hokage. It almost brought tears to her eyes, but the focus on recreating Bukihime was far more important to her.

The whole process would take several weeks, so in the meantime, Akihane had to complete another errand.

Never had she thought she would be standing in front of her parent's home and not want to go in.

Kakashi stood beside her, along with Jiraiya and Yamato, but it…it didn't feel right.

Akihane placed a hand on the door, the seal warming in welcome as it slowly peeled away.

Akihane held back a choked sob that turned into a tired laugh, one bitter and rich with pain.

Old wounds ache even after they heal, and new wounds burn with raw power, but old wounds that never really close are always the worst.

Looking at the house she was supposed to grow up in, and the home her parents should still be in, Akihane knew that this was an old, deep, and festering wound.

Kakashi's hand found her shoulder and Jiraiya nudged her forward while keeping to her side.

Akihane took a deep and tired breath as she walked inside. The house was clean, or at least moderately. There was dust, there was staleness to the air that almost made Akihane choke on her tears, but it was better than she thought. Likely the same seals that Tobirama had used to preserve his home were here.

Akihane felt the two Hokage as well, felt them as they offered her silent support.

It helped her take the next few steps into the kitchen connected to a dining area.

The table was set for dinner, though no food was present. A glass of water lay right next to a scroll opened to a familiar seal. It was a seal Akihane saw on her stomach every morning.

Choking, Akihane had to stop herself as she stepped forward, reaching for the paper.

Kakashi guided her away and she knew Jiraiya tucked the scroll away as they entered the living room.

Naruto saw the scrolls, walked beside the shelves much like her own. She paced the carpet that was worn and frayed and loved. Her eyes roved the souvenirs and the different objects oddly dotting shelves. She brushed her hands along pictures, wiping away dust to reveal a happy couple, a familiar team, and a loving mother.

Akihane choked again, feeling her emotions build up.

Yamato was at her side, quiet but still supportive. He gently took the frame away and guided her to the hall.

Akihane stepped into the hall, almost not wanting to continue. They passed a bathroom, a staircase leading down, a bedroom for a guest, her parent's room, and then they came to a stop at the entrance to another room.

Akihane stumbled as she gazed inside. Her eyes teared up as she saw the crib, the walls painted a light purple and the stuffed frogs near the crib. She saw the walls lined with storybooks and pictures, saw the banners that said: "It's a girl!" Mockingly and she hit the floor.

Akihane crumpled and felt Yamato drop beside her as her vision blurred to the point where all the soft collars and loving touches to the room were a haze. She cried and her shoulders shook as sobs began to wrack her.

Strong arms pulled her into a tight hug, the smell of dogs and aspen making her cling to Kakashi. He hummed softly, combing a hand through her hair in a gentle manner that she never expected.

Akihane couldn't focus on that though over the roar of all the thoughts in her head, over the missed opportunities and what could have been. Over her idiot of a father and her strong-willed mother, over two proud, young, and happy shinobi who deserved the world and were taken from her before she had a chance to know them.

Akihane wept for what was, for what could have been, wept for her parents and all the missed moments, for the friends who didn't get to say goodbye and for the sacrifices that they had to make. She hated, for even a moment, that the Kyuubi took them away.

The thought was instantly replaced with hating that the Kyuubi had to be sealed away, that he had no choice, that he was forced to fight and that her parents were forced to protect.

Tobirama and Hashirama were silent the whole time, as was the Kyuubi.

No one said a word outside of Kakashi as he spoke loving words that he knew her parents would have loved for her to hear.

I~~~~I

So I may have cried just a little bit. This was a way to wrap up a few loose ends again, but it also furthers the next stage of the story. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to the Aoi segment and the Thunder God blade next. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you are all safe and healthy!

Drabble- The Past

Madara never got his brother's fixation with women. Sure, they could be pretty, could be strong and handle him when not many could, but he never understood the need to watch them, to want them or long for them.

Looking at this girl though, the one called Akihane who dropped into his life and saved Izuna from dying at the hand of a crazed priest, he could understand the want.

Akihane was a twisted ball of so many things that both angered and excited him.

The kunoichi was strong, stronger than most of the Uchiha and even some Senju. She had air to her not many did, one that made you want to trust and follow her. She was cunning, though she hid it behind a blank face that hid her true intentions.

And she was constantly surrounded by her annoying parade of followers. First the Mock-Uchiha, the one who looked a little too-much like Izuna to make Madara comfortable. Then there was the Hyuuga, the one who glared at him in a way that made his heart feel like it was dipped in ice. She was a woman who could murder you with an innocent smile and no one would believe anything other than her innocence.

Then, the last annoying piece was the Nara.

The boy was lazy, yes, except for when it came to protecting the girl.

Shikamaru didn't stand for any sort of Madara's attention on his Akihane, on the girl who transfixed so many. He wouldn't stand for Madara even getting close to the girl.

It only made Madara want to see what Akihane would do more, made him want to push her and then see how she responded. Madara wanted to test the waters, wanted to pick at Akihane's head.

She was too interesting not to want to, too unobtainable to not warrant his interest.

I~~~~I