The following morning was different from what the Genin were used to. Shikamaru was strangely up first, dressed and talking with Jirocho about the day ahead. They had a map laid out on a table in front of them and they were going over plans. Next to them sat Idate.

Idate had apparently been planning to go to another dock further along the island to give himself a better start with the boat. The wind currents had already changed this morning and a storm was on the horizon.

After being given the details, Shikamaru was planning for how they would get there and secure their area.

"I believe sending two of us ahead would be best. It would offer the best cover and preparation just in case the enemy has hired more ninja. Based on what we know they are going to buy out every option they have." Shikamaru spoke and looked up.

Akihane and Sasuke stood to the side, catching his eye as he pondered their options.

"Akihane, you and Sasuke should head out to this spot. Make sure we won't have trouble getting on that boat. If we do…You can handle it." Shikamaru ordered.

Sasuke nodded sharply and Akihane pondered the thought as she confirmed the order.

"We'll leave now then." She spoke up, bowing to Shikamaru and Jirocho, before she turned and left.

Sasuke followed her, the door sliding shut behind them.

Shikamaru turned back to the map, taking note as Sakura sat beside him.

"So, if we go this way…we'll most likely end up on this side of the island, correct?" Sakura asked, pointing to an edge to Inagi Island, their target.

Shikamaru took note of the currents mapped out and nodded.

"It sounds like it. Idate, is their anything else we need to know?" Shikamaru asked the boy.

Straightening up, Idate shook his head.

"That's all I know, or all I have planned so far. After hitting the island, it should be a straight shot. So long as you guys can keep up." Idate spoke, the challenge in his eyes drawing a glare from Sakura, though she instead turned to discuss more with Shikamaru.

Honestly, it was an improvement from before Shikamaru noted. Sakura was never this readily accepting of chiding or challenges. It showed in her reactions to Ino. It seemed that working with Team Gai had been good for the Kunoichi.

I~~~~I

Akihane could feel the tension between her and Sasuke.

They were en route to the other dock on the island, and the entire time had been tense silence.

She glanced over her shoulder at Sasuke, watching as the boy met her gaze. He quickened his pace and she had to push a bit more chakra into her legs to keep up. She looked ahead again, her chest tightening.

Sakura's words rang in her mind.

Sasuke, he had and always would be incredibly important to her. The real question Sakura was asking her was why she put that distance between them.

It came easily, talking to and about Sasuke in a formal sense, establishing a distance between them. She had been doing it for a long time.

When had she first started though? She didn't refer to Sasuke that way in the Academy. She hadn't when the massacre happened…or had she?

Thinking back to that time, Akihane remembered the chaos.

Taking a deep breath, she thought further. About the day Shisui died, about how she had nearly torn herself apart. How, in the wake of his death, she lost all the support she had known. A boy, one only a few years older than her, had ended her entire world.

She had looked up to Itachi, maybe not in the same way Sasuke did, but she had. Shisui was her support, but she saw how Itachi was his foundation. They worked incredibly well together and knew each other so deeply that when the rumors hit her that Itachi may have killed Shisui…

She hadn't wanted to believe them.

Shisui may have been her older brother but he was also Itachi's closest friend. They were brothers in all but blood.

Looking back at Sasuke, Akihane saw the resemblance. The shape of their face, the way their smirked…their skills as well.

She didn't distance herself from him because she thought he was Itachi. No… He wasn't like Itachi.

Sasuke was a lot like Shisui.

The thought burned in her head, twisting, and morphing her views. Akihane halted as she felt the weight of the thought crash in on her.

Sasuke was a lot like Shisui, he was always there for her after the massacre. On the days she couldn't pick herself up he was there to do it for her. He always urged her to keep her hair long because he thought she looked good with it long.

He had been the one to tell her about the Uzumaki ties to sealing.

Taking a deep breath, Akihane looked ahead. Sasuke had stopped a branch away. He was looking at her, and she saw the worry in his eyes. She also saw the anger, the pain.

"I'm sorry." She said, gently, her voice threatening to break.

She couldn't fall apart here or allow her emotions to get the better of her. Now wasn't the time. They were on a mission, they had things to do and a job to finish.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, or the mild twitch that was equivalent.

"I'm sorry Sasuke." She said and offered him a tired but truthful smile, her lips quivering as she reigned herself in.

She then looked ahead, gathered herself, and readied to keep going.

She paused, however, and looked back to Sasuke. She met his eyes.

"When we finish this mission…lets talk." She said and then she was gone, running ahead.

She didn't see Sasuke watching her go, but she felt his gaze on her.

She felt his pulse of chakra and then he was beside her. They continued like that for some time, matching each other's pace as they sailed through the trees. There was only silence and the rushing of wind passing them by.

They stayed like that for some time, traveling until they reached the end of their route. They dropped out of the edge of the forest and landed below on a sand beach, looking over the almost empty shore.

There were several docks and a boat shack across the way.

Akihane took another deep breath and allowed her chakra to stretch out around her. Sasuke stiffened beside her, but she passed across him without feeling for his chakra and instead checked on their surroundings.

There was a mild haze over the water, and with a single hand motion Sasuke was already activating his Sharingan.

They both peered at the edge and he gestured to her that it was a Genjutsu.

Mild, not much of anything, but a warning none-the-less.

She feels the pulses of chakra in the water next, and its enough to hop back beside Sasuke and drag him further away from the shore.

A torrent of water breaks the surface, and three yellow-gowned figures step out of the water.

Akihane takes note of their headbands and feels a sort of vindication. Sasuke settles into a stance beside her and the burning gaze of his Sharingan prickles the hair on the back of her neck. She feels nothing but trust, however, knowing he will watch her back.

The three genin gazed at them, all three wearing respirator masks. The looked mildly familiar, and after a moment Akihane pegged them as one of the other teams in the Chunin Exams. They hadn't been in the preliminary matches though, which meant they had been taken out in the Forest of Death.

"Konoha huh? Guess we get to pay you tree huggers back." The one at the front stated. He seemed to be the leader of the three.

Akihane gestured to Sasuke behind her, signing that he should follow her lead.

She saw him nod only slightly behind her, and then she grabbed her Kunai.

"I doubt you'll live to do anything to us." She spoke, and her kunai launched at the three to separate them. As she predicted two went right and the other, the leader, went to the left.

Akihane shot toward the leader as she flashed through hand signs. She summoned a fireball as Sasuke took to the other two.

The fireball was met with a large wave, causing steam to rise around them. She fueled the steam with more chakra to thicken it and hide her signature, taking up a large amount of the beach with the mist. She had learned the technique from Haku, a beginning version of the "Hidden Mist" technique. It was incredibly useful in these situations.

Her actions disoriented her enemy, playing a part in the fluctuation of chakra in the shinobi's body.

She felt it flicker and decided to capitalize on the confusion.

Akihane smirked and summoned multiple clones, surrounding her target from where she sensed him. Her movements were swift as she surrounded the shinobi, listening to his footsteps as she tied his chakra to her senses.

Her hands drifted to her weapon's pouches as she produced kunai from all her clones. They circled, concealing themselves in the mist without a problem.

There was a shock across the beach. Then a burst of heat that could only be from Sasuke. He had engaged his two enemies as well.

Akihane waited as she circled her opponent and made him squirm. She heard another blast and then a cry. Sasuke's chakra was strong as it faced the two weaker signatures, barreling over them with a show of strength and skill.

His battle ended abruptly as two flashes of chakra pulsed outside the mist, signaling that Sasuke had just used two of her binding scrolls. There was a puff outside of her mist cloud that signaled he had successfully bound the Shinobi.

Akihane smirked and took that as her que. She rushed forward, her clones following as they dashed around the shinobi, disorienting the Ame Shinobi as he tried to strike out.

She was playing with the shinobi, sure, but she found a part of her enjoyed it, especially when she was able to slice across his arm and shove him to the ground.

Her clone darted around him with winding movements, all fluid and purposeful. She kept a close eye on her chakra as she laid it into the ground under her feet.

Finally, she created a pulse of chakra in the sealing lines that she had drawn in the ground with each passing movement and the array became noticeable. The genin cried out, but he did so too late. The seal had already activated, and even as he tried to escape, he was stuck in place.

A burst of light flashed and then Akihane was gazing at the bound form of her enemy.

Looking at Sasuke across the beach, Akihane felt her chakra buzz with excitement.

Sasuke nodded to her with a smirk and he grabbed the two shinobi in his care, gesturing to the boat house. Understanding what he wanted, Akihane hauled her capture over her shoulder and walked over to join him.

The race was going to start soon if it hadn't already. Idate and the others would be on them in a few minutes, and they couldn't wait. But, for now, they would gather a little bit of intel from these shinobi. It was sad how quickly they had fallen, but Akihane understood that her team was often a bit overkill in these situations.

Akihane had no doubt that Sakura could have handled that entire team on her own.

Looking out at the water as she dropped the body beside Sasuke, Akihane noticed that the Genjutsu in place had yet to vanish.

More than likely the other shinobi that had placed it was still there, but she didn't sense him. They might have left after Sasuke and her had wiped out their allies. They might also try to interrupt their little interrogation, so Sasuke would have to move quickly.

"I'm going to set up a barrier. How about you see what our friends have for us?" Akihane offered before she started up on her barrier seal, drawing it up quickly.

Sasuke nodded and turned to the first one, his frightened gaze meeting Sasuke's Sharingan. He let out a whimper before he was lost. His teammates tried to move and were paralyzed by the seals, watching as Sasuke stole what he needed from their teammate.

Akihane kept her senses alert, spreading her range out to the forest. She felt the flicker of Shikamaru's Chakra and the haze of Sakura's. They were on their way, surrounding Idate as they made their way over.

That was good. It also meant that the unknown shinobi Akihane still couldn't sense might show himself soon.

Sasuke hummed and she watched as he let the first shinobi drop before he turned to the next one.

They tried to cry out, but the last one watched as his leader was dragged under the influence of the Sharingan before he too was dragged into its prowess.

Akihane kept her eyes glued on their surroundings, waiting for the tell-tale pulse that Shikamaru would send their way. Either that or the faint trace of an unwanted party.

Shikarmaru's chakra flared as the last nin fell from Sasuke's grasp.

The Chunin turned to Akihane and nodded as the other three in their party descended on the vacant beach.

Shikamaru took one look at the ninja that were left inside of the hut and then nodded to Sasuke.

"They are working with Aoi. Other than that, I only divulged that they were hired by the other side to stall us here and keep us from winning." Sasuke told Shikamaru.

Shikamaru nodded and turned to Sakura and Idate as they came to a stop.

"Get the boat ready and be prepared to sail- "He started, but froze as Akihane turned toward the forest, shifting into a protective stance in front of Idate.

"We have company!" She shouted at them.

Shikamaru cursed and rushed with Sakura and Idate to get the boat ready while Sasuke took to Akihane's side.

"Get Idate out of here, we will handle this one!" Sasuke told them, ignoring the sharp glance Shikamaru directed his way.

It had been the initial plan anyways, for Akihane and Sasuke to act as the deterrents. Shikamaru and Sakura were merely supposed to guide Idate and stop anyone that managed to get through.

"Sasuke!" Akihane shouted, and the two drew their tags in unison as a rain of senbon hailed down on them. They stabbed them into the ground and a barrier flickered around them. They gazed up at the senbon that bounced off their barrier while their teammates got the boat in the water behind them.

A chuckle sounded above them as Akihane and Sasuke remained on edge. Sasuke drew his tanto and Akihane drew her single katana. They were prepared for the next onslaught.

The others set sail as the barrier flickered out, leaving the white haired kunoichi standing next to her teammate as they gazed at the forest past the beach.

"Well, I'm mighty impressed. Idate managed to get someone competent." The voice spoke as a figure walked out of the trees.

His green hair was covered with a straw hat, but underneath Naru could see his headband. A sign of his switched allegiance, one that showed just how despicable the man was.

"Guess I get to have some fun with you two before I mess with Idate then." The man spoke, his hat falling as he reached behind his back for an umbrella.

Akihane narrowed her eyes as she recognized the man.

"Rakusho Aoi…Well you just made hunting you down a lot easier." Akihane spoke up as she settled into her stance.

Sasuke grimaced.

Well, this was going to be a fun bout. Akihane would have to keep her cool if they wanted to do this right.

Sasuke had a bad feeling that he would end up regretting not dragging Akihane from that beach the moment that Aoi showed his face.

He didn't get another opportunity to think about it though. Instead, he was dragged into battle with his teammate as she lunged for Aoi.

Senbon crashed down on them, and they wove around the needles, dodging or deflecting them with the ease that came with working with Genma for years. The two danced together and Sasuke dashed into Aoi's guard to get in the first hit.

The man was surprised, but he still raised his kunai to block the strike directed at his mid-section.

The clanging of blades sounded and the two Chunin danced around the former Konoha nin. He was being overwhelmed by them and seemed to recognize that as he refocused his efforts on separating the two.

Senbon stuck between them, and they dove apart before winding back together. Akihane followed his strikes with her own as they pushed Aoi to his limits.

Aoi narrowed his eyes as he realized that the two were gaining the upper hand on him. He needed a way to separate them and to get them off his tail.

He backed up, putting several feet between him and them for a moment as he pinpointed what would be the best way to get around these two.

His eyes narrowed as they surged forward, and he gritted his teeth as he raised his hands and formed hand signs.

"Water Style- "He began, watching as the Uchiha's eyes went wide and he grabbed his comrade and shoved her out of the way.

Ah, there it was, his out.

"Water Shockwave!" He shouted, sending a torrent of water from behind him in the ocean hurtling toward them.

The white-haired girl stepped up and help her hands into a single sign, the water splitting as she slammed her hands down.

"Earth Style, Mud Wall!" She called.

Aoi whistled in appreciation, recognizing the talent that the girl had. He wondered just how much the two knew and decided it was in his best interest to test them, thoroughly.

He flashed through more hand signs as a grin lit up his features and he swarmed the area with water, the ground rising as the sand split. The surface of the beach became even more uneven under his abilities.

The two split to avoid the parting wave. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and then settled on flashing through hand signs of his own.

The white-haired girl dashed toward him as she spawned to clones on either side of her. She held her blade and sliced toward Aoi.

The air parted and Aoi dived out of the way as the crashing gale sliced into the water behind him.

His eyes were wide, and he licked his lips as he grinned, his chakra dancing as he readied more senbon.

The two engaged as Sasuke backed up Akihane. They worked together, Akihane's clones offering more challenge to the Chunin they faced.

The Chunin was quick on his feet and shifted the water beneath them as they fought. He kept them from finding steady footing and relished in how he pushed them harder.

Sasuke landed behind the man and shot a pulsing gale of wind at the Chunin, forcing him to form a water wall to avoid being cut in half.

Akihane rushed from behind him and Sasuke offered her his hands, giving her a boost up and over the water wall.

She spun; her legs trailed with wind chakra as she crashed down on the other side.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and readied his kunai, prepared to jump in to help the moment the water cleared.

Instead, he was greeted to the sight of Akihane standing above Aoi with her blade at his throat.

"Sasuke, can you get him in a Genjutsu?" She asked as she eyed the Chunin darkly.

Sasuke let out a heavy breath and nodded, walking toward them.

His eyes shifted, and only once he had the Sharingan activated did he notice the surge of chakra beneath the ninja.

"Akihane, move!" Sasuke shouted, but he was too late.

Lightning danced along the water's surface and Akihane screamed as the shocks traveled up her legs, through the water glistening on her skin and all the way up to her chest.

She spasmed and Sasuke felt his own chakra flare as he tossed a kunai at the smirking Aoi.

The man batted his blade away with his left arm as he shot up, revealing the weapon clutched in his left hand.

"Well, hasn't this been fun." Aoi spoke with a smirk, his eyes narrowing on Sasuke as Akihane spasmed in front of him. The lightning around her warped and shifted with her screams.

"Akihane!" Sasuke shouted and moved to intercept the two when the shocks got stronger and Akihane let out a blood chilling cry. Blood began to sizzle and pool at her ears and Sasuke felt his body go rigged.

When he stilled Aoi released Akihane, dropping her into the shallow water below him. He stood on the surface of the water, clicking his tongue as he aimed the hilt of his hidden weapon down at the spasming form of his captive.

"Well, now that I have your attention…How about we reconsider our circumstances?" Aoi spoke to Sasuke. He knew exactly what to do if the Uchiha tried to get any closer to them.

He would use this little kunoichi until she was nothing more than a shell of her former self, torture her in front of her teammate until he was broken himself. It wouldn't be hard with the girl now shuddering below him.

Sasuke snarled at him, his eyes burning with hatred. His Sharingan spun wildly, and he wanted nothing more than to tear the man in front of him into pieces. Akihane's screams echoed in his mind, and he was reminded of Itachi.

Never again he reminded himself.

Now he just had to ensure he kept that promise to himself.

I~~~~I

Shikamaru stood on the tip of the boat next to Idate, waiting for any sign at all his fellow Chunin.

Sakura was looking over their supplies. She looked to be avoiding gazing back at where her team was. Shikamaru knew the feeling.

Idate was stubbornly gazing ahead, ready to bolt from the boat at moment's notice so he could complete the race.

The three genin that had confronted Sasuke and Akihane earlier were nothing compared to a nuke nin that had managed to get the drop on Morino Ibiki. The man was nothing like Orochimaru of course, or even Ibiki himself…But Shikamaru worried.

It didn't take a genius to see the way that Akihane had grown distant from her team and how the girl was trying and failing to hide her problems with her teammates.

Sasuke and Akihane had always been close, but now Shikamaru saw a slice in their bond, a bloc formed between them that neither of them was addressing.

Sighing, Shikamaru looked down at his hands. Both Chunin were more troublesome than he preferred. They couldn't be easy to deal with and had to make more problems for him instead.

He muttered a curse and stood up, looking out over to the beach they had left.

He needed to push aside these thoughts, but he was worried. He needed to know his team was all right.

He should have put Akihane with Sakura or stayed himself instead of sitting here and waiting-

There was brilliant flash of light and Shikamaru felt his blood run cold. It pulsed through the thin layer of fog that hid the beach from sight.

Something wasn't right. He should have stayed.

I~~~~I

Sasuke met Aoi's gaze, and in that moment the man was drawn into his Genjutsu.

Sasuke dashed, sliding next to Akihane, and scooping her up.

Aoi regained himself and turned sharply to Sasuke, the feeling of ice and fire all at once crashing down on Sasuke even as he dove for the water.

He heard the shouts of Aoi get drowned out as he shoved a respirator over Akihane's mouth, even as she whimpered in pain and spasmed against him.

The Uchiha held her close as they went deeper and deeper, sinking into the depths and away from Aoi's sight.

Biting onto is thumb, Sasuke forced himself to think past the pain as he flashed the hand signs for summoning, slamming his hand into the water.

Then, reaching around them Sasuke pulled on the wind chakra he knew and blew a gale bullet below them.

They shot upward, rocketing out of the water half a mile away from the beach. He felt the air chilling him, cutting into his skin like ice before a claw came down, catching his outstretched arm.

Sasuke sputtered, holding tightly to the large talon as he clutched the shivering Akihane closer to his side.

Glancing up, Sasuke relaxed when he saw the shining feathers of the crow summon, he had managed to bring forth.

His skin was chilled, Akihane was hurt…but they had made it out alive.

"Mari, take us to Shikamaru." Sasuke ordered the crow, earning a soft squawk before the crow was soaring across the ocean and toward Inagi Island.

Sasuke looked down at the white-haired girl in his gasp and his gaze darkened as he felt each quiver in her body, the tremors failing to subside. She was cold and the blood from her ears was still pooling.

Sasuke clutched her tighter to him, trying to offer what little heat he could for her body as he tried not to drift off.

He had made a stupid move, hadn't planned ahead and it had resulted in Akihane taking a hard hit. He had never heard her in so much pain before.

Aoi would die for hurting her like that.

As soon as Sasuke made sure that Akihane was okay. That was the only way that he would leave her at this moment.

Even with those thoughts, Sasuke's vision began to blur.

He shuddered and tried to focus, even as a boat came into view.

Mari started to descend, and the last thing that Sasuke saw was Sakura calling out to him as he hit the ship.

I~~~~I

Shikamaru huffed, placing another log on the fire next to where Idate slept.

Across the way Sakura was sitting next to Akihane and Sasuke, placing rags on both of their heads as she tried to help both. Sasuke slept fitfully, waking up in feverish bursts begging to know where Akihane was.

Akihane went through lapses of tremors. She had spiraling white marks along her skin, dancing and fading with time. They twisted across her face and marred what Shikamaru had always found joy in.

Shikamaru had to calm his rage at the sight of his friends in this state. He had thought the two would be okay, that Aoi wouldn't be able to handle to of the most promising Chunin, especially together.

He had been wrong, and it had cost all of them.

Now he was stuck wondering what their next move would be and what they were going to do in the morning when Idate had to continue. Neither Sasuke nor Akihane were in any state to fight.

Akihane whimpered softly in her sleep, her body shifting as she was wracked with more tremors.

Lightning tremors Sakura had told him in horror when she had first looked over the girl.

Aoi had used the Blade of the Thunder God on Akihane, had tortured her to the point where the girl's eardrums had ruptured.

Sakura took a deep breath and her hands lit up in a green hue over the girl's head, calming her as her cries quieted. Sakura let her go and Shikamaru could see the weight of her teammates on her.

The kunoichi was looking down at her teammates with grim determination now, and she started to look over Sasuke again.

"He should be okay, if exhausted…but something isn't right." The girl muttered as she looked over the boy again. She started to list off symptoms and then her eyes widened.

"Poison!" She suddenly called out and Shikamaru watched as she reached into her pouch to pull out two vials. Briefly he remembered Sakura being handed four of the vials when they had left the village by Tsunade.

Now the girl set to work and stuck Sasuke with the antidote before moving onto Akihane.

Here she paused, going over the symptoms again before she also stuck Akihane.

"I wish Shizune was here." Sakura muttered, changing out the rags on her teammates as she took out some herbs and began to grind them together into a paste. Akihane was the first to get the salve, one that Shikamaru recognized as burn salve.

"Well, I'm glad we have you." Shikamaru told her firmly, reaching out to pat her shoulder.

Sakura glanced back at him, shock rising in her eyes before she nodded firmly.

For the moment, Shikamaru trusted her to handle the care of the two troublesome Chunin.

Right now, he needed to rest. Tomorrow he would more than likely be the only one moving on.

I~~~~I

Sasuke opened his eyes to the chirping of birds and the waves crashing outside.

He sat up, wincing as his body ached. Memories rushed back into place, and he turned sharply.

Akihane was settled next to him, bundled in blankets and with a rag slipping down her head.

The skin he could see was red and marked with sharp burns.

"She'll be okay. She's already started to heal at an incredible rate." A voice said from his side and Sasuke turned to see a sheepish and tired looking Sakura.

Behind the girl were two sleeping figures. One had Shikamaru's telltale hair and the other Sasuke pegged for Idate.

He relaxed a bit, feeling the ache in his body a little more acutely as he felt the cold stone at his back.

Sakura reached out, gently turning him around, so she was at his back. A familiar green glow swept over him and Sasuke sucked in a breath as he felt Sakura's cool hands along his skin.

Her chakra danced and worked through him, healing him as best as it could in his state.

"You have to get better you know…You can't keep scaring us like that." Sakura murmured quietly, but Sasuke heard the break in her voice.

He slumped, sighing heavily as he glanced at Akihane.

His fist clenched as he though back to the beach, to how he stood there as Akihane had screamed.

Even now he wasn't helping her. He was just…there.

How much longer did he have to deal with being too weak to make a difference? How much longer would he watch as everyone else sailed past him?

Sakura gripped his shoulders and Sasuke flinched out of his thoughts, glancing back at the Kunoichi.

She was giving him a knowing glare, her chakra fading away.

He let out another heavy sigh and nodded to her.

He couldn't wallow in those thoughts, especially not now.

"I'll go with Shikamaru, but only if you stay with Akihane." Sasuke told Sakura.

Sakura raised a brow at him, before she nodded.

"I had figured that would happen." Shikamaru spoke up, and Sasuke turned sharply as the male sat up.

They met each other's eyes, and this time Sasuke looked away first.

He looked back down at Akihane.

His hands shook, never releasing themselves from the fist.

He would ensure that Aoi paid dearly for hurting Akihane.

I~~~~I

Idate could feel the tension blanketing the air around him as he ran. The steps spanned out in front of him as he raced to the finish.

They couldn't fail now, not after all that had happened.

Sakura had stayed behind with Akihane, but from what Idate saw he wasn't hopeful.

His mind flashed back to the burning building where his brother shouted at him to go, to leave.

He shook his head and pushed himself to go faster, feeling the pace of his Shinobi guards increase with him.

The Nara, Shikamaru, was pacing them at the start. Now though they had fell in line with Idate to get themselves to the finish line faster.

Sasuke was the one having trouble keeping pace, and even then, it was only a stutter in his steps that even alerted Idate to the trouble that the male was having. Likely he was still recovering from his bout with Aoi's poison, though Idate was impressed the boy had done that well.

Aoi was formidable when it came to his poisons. Idate knew about that very intimately.

Shaking his head, the boy landed at the top of the steps and rushed to where the ceremonial orbs were located.

Sasuke stood next to him as he picked it up. Shikamaru took up his side again and the three rushed past the stunned figures of the opposing family.

Idate kept his eyes focused on the steps ahead of him, knowing that he needed to do this. Not only for his master, but now for the Konoha-Nin who had helped him as well.

I~~~~I

Akihane felt like her skin was burning.

She laid in the grass of her mind scape, the figures of both the Nidaime and the Shodaime speaking to her. They sounded hazy, and their figures blurred in an out of her sight.

Akihane closed her eyes, wanting to sleep, to just rest as her head pounded and the burning grew against her skin.

"Gaki!" A rumbling roar broke her out of the trance, her eyes shooting open wide.

She sputtered, shoving back the two figures beside her as her limbs ached. Light danced across her vision and panicked breaths left Akihane as she reached for her chakra.

The grass beneath her grew, shuddering as roots surfaced and lashed out, red flowers blooming against her skin.

A haze settled over her and Akihane blinked as she felt the burning of her skin recede.

Her gaze lifted and she met the narrowed eyes of the Kyuubi gazing into her soul.

Akihane reached out and the Kyuubi drifting his tails across her hands, allowing her to hold onto him to ground herself. His chakra surrounded her and made her aching body relax.

She remembered now, the aching in her limbs caused by that flash of white-hot pain in her body. The lightning that had raced along her chakra pathways and burned her from the inside out. She still felt the pain, the ice, and the stinging.

She shuddered, leaning into the Kyuubi's painless embrace.

'Akihane.' Tobirama spoke up, dragging her attention to the Kage.

He looked worried where he was knelt next to her, his hand reaching out.

She saw a flash of something in his eyes. Anger, hatred…regret.

She knew that look, had seen it every time someone in the village caused her harm from Sarutobi himself.

Akihane shook her head, wincing as it pounded.

"Gaki, you need to go back." The Kyuubi spoke, drawing her attention to the towering Bijuu.

Akihane met his gaze and nodded through her haze, piecing together what had happened.

"Y-yes. I need to- "She started but froze as she caught sight of her reflection in the large eyes of the Kyuubi.

Her skin was littered with crawling marks, with lightning scars.

She had never seen damage like this on herself. She had never imagined that she could be damaged this badly.

She winced at the sight, turned her gaze down.

"H-how?" She asked instead.

Hashirama's hands ghosted over her skin, and she flinched, up until she felt his chakra.

Warm, but not in the same way her skin burned, but in the way the sun made you feel.

Hashirama's chakra danced along her skin and lit up in a green hue as the blossoms and roots next to them responded. Nature chakra hummed like a beacon and left Naru speechless as she watched Hashirama heal her wounds.

The Hokage glanced up at her and smiled sheepishly, a touch of sadness in his eyes.

"I guess…I guess I can help out this way." He offered. He then looked down and focused, his chakra spreading across her entire body as it sucked her in and ghosted her wounds. They shimmered and healed, the scars and pain fading as the nature chakra danced along her skin.

Akihane felt the nature chakra as it seeped into her skin, her eyes shining and her own chakra melding with it. The Kyuubi let out a chuff from above her, even as her vision of Hashirama began to fade.

Akihane shot awake in her bed, startling an already surprised Sakura.

Sakura watched as the girl who had just been surrounded in green light gasped, breathing in gulps of air to quell her own panic.

The green chakra around Akihane receded, leaving behind faint trails of lightning on her skin. The marks were healed, scarred over, and left against her skin.

Sakura could feel shocked rising in her throat as Akihane turned to her, the wild look in the kunoichi's eyes fading away.

"S-Sakura?" The kunoichi asked, catching her breath.

Sakura nodded, reaching forward as she snapped out of her shock. She placed a hand over Akihane's arm and used her sensory jutsu to detect the status of Akihane's skin.

Instead of what she saw before, of the lightning having seeped into the girl's chakra pathways and lit a trail of burns all along her body…There was nothing.

The only proof of Akihane's previous state were the scars that were hardly there on her skin, the spidery marks that Sakura had seen so easily before.

Sakura eyed Akihane in shock, wondering just how the girl had managed to heal herself to this extent.

Akihane didn't really look like she knew either, since she was looking over her body in shock and wonder.

"What-…What happened?!" Sakura demanded to know, her voice choking.

Akihane met her gaze, and as she did Sakura knew the girl wasn't sure, didn't know how she had been healed either.

They stared at each other in silence for some time, wondering what had just occurred.

I~~~~I

Sasuke cursed as he blocked a strike from Aoi and pushed the man back. Behind him Shikamaru was weaving his shadows to grab Aoi and halt the man in his tracks.

Idate had taken off the moment that Aoi had showed up, trusting Sasuke and Shikamaru to handle the rest.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on Aoi as the man chuckled, holding out the Blade of the Thunder God. He seemed to enjoy taunting Sasuke with it, going as far as to remind him of their earlier encounter.

"So, how is that kunoichi doing? I wish I had just kept up with it, seeing how long she would have lasted. It's a pity really." Aoi told him with a smirk.

Shikamaru stiffened behind him and Sasuke had to force his rage under control as his Sharingan spun dangerously. This time Aoi was not stupid enough to meet his gaze head on.

Instead, the man taunted and pushed to two of them back. He was staying out of Shikamaru's range and forcing Sasuke to either take him on directly or be peppered in senbon.

"I bet I could get more than a few screams from her if I fought her again…" Aoi spoke, shifting so the blade he held was now in front of him.

"I bet she would beg me for more if I had my way with her- "He began, but it was enough for Sasuke to see red.

Akihane was his everything, and this piece of crap had crossed far too many lines.

"Sasuke-!" Shikamaru shouted in warning, but Sasuke was already appearing underneath a shocked Aoi as his Sharingan spun.

He sliced out with his tanto and fire burst from his lips, spilling over onto Aoi's arm as the Chunin screamed.

Sasuke dove under the Blade of the Thunder God, his expression murderous as he went for Aoi's head.

Shikamaru dashed ahead and Sasuke felt something grab and drag him down, in time to avoid a strike from Aoi. Lightning crackled above him, and the shadows let go of Sasuke, reaching for Aoi instead.

Wisely the enemy nin backed off, leaving Sasuke to rise.

Shikamaru tried to call out again, but Sasuke was already flashing through hand signs.

Lightning crackled around him, the sound of chirping birds rushing into his ears as he lunged again for Aoi.

The man brought up his sword to block and the two of them slammed into each other.

The blade held under the fierce speed and strength of Sasuke's Chidori, the lightning mixing together as it sparked around them. Sasuke met Aoi's gaze, giving him what he needed as Aoi faltered again.

The blade hissed, and Sasuke saw it as it cracked.

Perfect.

Sasuke glanced back at Shikamaru and nodded, the furious leader narrowing his eyes before shadowy tendrils wrapped around Sasuke and dragged him back.

Aoi stumbled back and left himself open as Sasuke flashed through hand signs.

Trails of silvery wire danced across Aoi's vision, and he cursed as fire spread along the wire, Sasuke calling out.

"Phoenix Fire Jutsu!" He shouted.

Aoi rushed to bring his arms up in defense, slicing through the fire with his cracked blade.

Sasuke focused on the point he had seen, sending out a silent apology to Akihane before he gestured to Shikamaru.

Shikamaru huffed but nodded, noticing exactly what the Uchiha had done. They knew exactly what they needed to do now.

They pushed forward together and Shikamaru drew several katana as he fell into Sasuke's shadow.

Sasuke pressed forward again and Aoi prepared himself as he laughed at the two, charging the blade again.

Sasuke ducked, fading to the right as Aoi's taunts came to a halt. He sputtered and turned to block Sasuke, leaving himself open to his shadow.

Shikamaru struck, his kunai snapping against the man's wrist. Aoi grunted in pain as blood dripped from his wound.

Sasuke wove behind the man, dropping a tag behind him.

Aoi didn't notice and instead struck Shikamaru with a kick to his chest, sending the boy back while he struck Sasuke with the Blade of the Thunder God.

Unable to block the blade this time, Sasuke felt it as the lightning raced along his skin full force.

He screamed, feeling his skin tear and burn, exactly as Akihane's had.

He closed his eyes, even as he hit the ground next to Aoi.

"Hah, pathetic! Is that all you can manage, Uchiha? It's no wonder your clan died the way they did. You are a disgrace to the Uchiha name." Aoi scoffed at him, earning a weak glare from Sasuke as he pushed himself up.

Lightning raced again as Aoi struck him, making Sasuke scream again.

His skin burned and he felt his head spin.

The lightning stopped again and Aoi laughed once more.

"Even the girl handled more than you could. She at least held out until I used the full power." Aoi scoffed.

"Hey asshat, maybe you should pay attention instead of mocking your enemies."

Shikamaru called from a few feet away.

The boy was pushing himself to his feet, his hair failing around his face as he glared darkly at the man.

Aoi turned to the Nara, growling as he aimed his blade at him.

"Or you should learn to stay down- "He began, cut off by a surged of chakra around him.

Holding onto a thread of Ninja wire, Shikamaru glared at the man.

"No, I think I got it right the first time." He said sharply, tendrils rising around the man. Tags glinted at the end of each of the tendrils, and Sasuke pushed chakra into the tag underneath him.

"Seven Trigrams…Heavenly Judgment." Sasuke hissed out with Shikamaru, and Aoi let out a cry as lightning crashed down from the skies onto him.

The clouds above them, previously barely threatening a downpour, began to cascade water over them all.

Aoi held up the Blade of the Thunder God over his head, trying to stop the onslaught.,

Sasuke scoffed as the crack he had placed fractured, sending pieces of the blade raining down on Aoi.

Sasuke felt bitter satisfaction at the fear on the man's face as the crackle of lightning overwhelmed his screams.

Sasuke's limbs gave out as the tags burnt through his chakra. He collapsed against the ground as Aoi's body hit the floor, the smell of toasted flesh wafting past his nose.

Sasuke turned his head away, feeling no remorse.

The man had suffered, just as Akihane had.

That was all that mattered.

Sasuke took a deep breath and forced himself to get up, pushing his body to its limits.

He looked up and was met with an outstretched hand from Shikamaru, the Chunin barely standing himself.

Sasuke scoffed but took the hand, the two brought to stand side by side as they looked over Aoi's corpse.

Shikamaru hummed, his chakra rising once more to wrap around the man's body.

Sasuke reached out, blowing through his fingers as fire lit up the man, burning what was left.

He didn't deserve to be buried, he deserved to be forgotten as he was. Nothing more than trash.

Sasuke straightened and looked out over the bridge that Idate had crossed, sighing when he saw the kid still running.

He was leaps and bounds ahead of the other runner. Sasuke knew the kid would make it.

Turning he walked toward the leftovers of Aoi, pausing to lean down and pick up the shattered hilt of the Blade of the Thunder God. He hadn't though that he would be the one to destroy it, yet here it was.

Sasuke held the pieces in his hands and let loose a sigh. He had at least wanted to save the blade for Akihane to reclaim.

Thinking about the girl made him flash back to the white-hot pain of the lightning coursing through him, to her screams as it had danced along her skin.

Sasuke felt sick, his head pounding as the need to throw up increased. He had let Akihane go through that. He had let her get hurt like that.

Just how weak was he?

"We need to see the race through." Shikamaru spoke up, guiding Sasuke back to the present.

Sasuke nodded, and despite the aching in his limbs, rose to match Shikamaru's pace after Idate.

They pushed themselves, shooting across the pathway after the boy they had fought to get to the finish.

They might as well watch him destroy the other clan.

Ahead of them they could see the end of the steps were Idate raced. The boy lept across the finish line, cutting through the hopes of the previous rulers of the land of tea.

Behind him was the enemy runner, the runner who was now watching his world shatter as Idate crossed the finish line before he could.

Sasuke felt a sick sense of satisfaction, growing from the pit of his stomach as Idate cheered and rushed to his master.

The boy turned, and upon seeing the two of them looked relieved.

Sasuke nodded to him, glad that the boy had finished what he started. Now, now Sasuke could face Akihane. At least in terms of this mission.

"Sasuke!" A shout rang, and even though it made his head pound, Sasuke turned to the source of the noise.

He knew that voice, knew that surge of chakra rushing into him-

He felt, hitting the ground on his back hard as white locks fell across his face. The smell of blood and pine hit his nose and Sasuke was rushed back to when he held Akihane to his chest tightly.

Sasuke looked up, meeting the frantic red eyes that searched over his figure, the worried expression that he hardly ever saw lightning up Akihane's face. She was gazing at him like she would never see him again.

His breath was sucked from his lungs as tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she tugged him into a tight hug.

"I-I'm so sorry- "She whispered, her arms tightening around him as he forced himself to sit up.

She was in his lap, her hair tickling his nose as his mind raced. She wasn't supposed to be up, she was supposed to be resting with Sakura-

And yet here she was, worried and crying over him as she held him like she never wanted to let him go.

Feeling his shock fade away, Sasuke pulled Akihane closed to him, breathing in her scent, and ensuring she was there, that she was safe.

The ache of the lightning faded away, the warmth of Akihane's chakra healing his wounds inside and out.

He didn't notice the chakra that glowed across his wounds, the natural energy that funneled from Akihane into him.

Instead, he was too focused on holding Akihane as close as she was holding him, never wanting to let go of the girl either.

The world melted away, the cheering of the Wasabi Clan turning into white noise as he was left with only Akihane.

Maybe it wasn't good for him to be so obsessed with her, for one person to change his life so much and to influence his actions to such a degree, but Sasuke couldn't care. He just never wanted to lose this girl, the one who he held wrapped around his heart. He never wanted to lose his greatest treasure or see her in that much pain even again.

Sasuke breathed Akihane in again, and the world came rushing back into focus.

He was frozen as he opened his eyes to meet Akihane's stare, her tears fading against her skin.

He was shocked when he saw the faded marks on her skin, the once angry and red blemishes now hardly visible.

"H-How?" He asked, shock running through him.

He looked up at Sakura, in time to get the shake of the head from the medic in training.

Sasuke looked back down at Akihane, and then shook his head.

He'd wonder about that later. Right now, he just wanted to focus on the girl nestled into his lap.

Sasuke didn't notice the traded glances between his other two teammates. Shikamaru and Sakura shared worried looks, glancing down at the girl that had yet to let go of the Uchiha.

They had both seen the full extent of damage Akihane had. For her to be healed this quickly, even with the Kyuubi…something was up. They needed to know what.

I~~~~I

Sasuke blinked open his eyes, warmth surrounding him.

White locks clouded his vision, and he huffed a laugh, looking down at the bundle of Uzumaki currently nestled against him.

He leaned down to kiss the girl's forehead, his body relaxing as he realized that the girl was safe. He had never expected for them to crash once they got back to the Wasabi compound, but their job was over, and they were exhausted. Sakura and Shikamaru had taken up the other mats in the room, but Akihane had refused to leave his side. Sasuke hadn't complained, and now, he was only glad to have had her close.

He could still see her as she screamed, hear her voice breaking and his own anger as blood washed across her skin-

Sasuke shook his head, forcing the images away as he sat up.

Akihane was still asleep against his side, and she curled up against him as he sat up.

He frowned and surveyed her for more marks, surprising himself when he found none.

The girl's spidery scars were even fading into nothing, and only his persistent searching had enabled him to find them.

Sasuke paused as he looked over the rest of Akihane to make sure she was okay.

She had no marks, no injuries. In fact, she almost looked to be in better health than when they arrived.

Sasuke wondered what had happened, but since he didn't know the answer, he would just have to wait for the girl to wake up so he could ask her.

In the meantime, he needed to get dressed and find Shikamaru. Despite being injured he still had a duty.

Sasuke stood up, untangling himself from Akihane and walking across the room to grab a change of clothes. He stepped out into the bathroom to get changed, before exiting and heading outside.

He was met with bright skies and a high sun, meaning it was near noon.

Spotting Shikamaru wasn't hard with the Chunin currently walking around with the Wasabi Clan head. Sakura stood next to him, looking more than a little tired but still better than the last time Sasuke had seen her.

Sasuke walked to them, stopping to bow to the Clan head while Shikamaru nodded to him.

"It's good to see you up." Jirocho told Sasuke.

The Uchiha nodded at the man. "It's good to be back up." He replied.

Shikamaru and Sakura shared a glance, one that Sasuke did not miss this time, before Shikamaru sighed and inclined his head.

"We were discussing heading back. Hokage-Sama has sent a boat our way to collect the other Ame Ninja and to ensure a smooth transition of power, per the order of the Fire Daimyo. We are to stay put until then." Shikamaru told him.

Sasuke nodded and sighed, glancing back to the house where Akihane rested.

"I'm guessing that's also to give us time to heal up." He spoke.

Shikamaru nodded to him and then turned to Jirocho.

"Are we all good now Jirocho-Dono?" He asked the man.

The man nodded, sighing heavily.

"I have to return to clan head duties now, so I'll leave to three to finish things on your end. I also instructed to workers of the house to leave you some food from the feast, just so you don't have to stress yourselves too much with public appearances." Jirocho informed them and bowed before he turned and left them on their own.

Sasuke turned toward Shikamaru and Sakura, raising a brow at the two.

"So how about you two explain that look you gave earlier. What happened to Akihane's wounds?" He asked.

Sakura sighed and the three filed back into the house as she informed him of what she had witnessed.

"As I was watching over Akihane she descended into another bout of tremors. This one was worse than the last few and she lashed out with her chakra. Strangely though…not long after she calmed down on her own and green chakra enveloped her. It came from around her and it funneled into her wounds. As far as I could tell it healed from the deep tissue throughout her body and out against her skin. She was thoroughly taken care of and I'm not sure how it happened."

Sakura finished, leaving off with a sigh that showed how frustrated she was with not understanding what had happened.

Somehow, some way, Akihane had healed herself in a way that only Tsunade could manage. Even Sasuke understood how…unlikely the whole situation seemed to be. Sakura wouldn't lie though.

"There is also the fact that when she met us at the shrine at the end of the race…when she got to us that same chakra went through us both and healed us." Shikamaru informed Sasuke.

Sasuke froze, looking back at the Nara as he pondered that thought.

Now that he was paying attention, he noticed his body wasn't sore anymore and that the burning from the lightning wasn't there anymore. If anything, Sakura looked the worst out of all of them and that was simply from healing them and looking after them for several days in a row.

Sasuke pondered this as he stepped back into their shared room.

He froze though when he saw Akihane had gotten up.

Now she was sitting on their bedding, her legs crossed in meditative stance.

Sasuke stepped inside and walked over to the girl, reaching out to shake her out of it.

As he did, he felt a surge of chakra, a green haze settling over him.

Warmth rushed across his limbs, along with power. Enough power to stop him short and make his breath catch in his throat.

Akihane's eyes opened, and almost abruptly, the chakra vanished. She gazed up at him and he swore her eyes were more than red, fading into a gold even. He blinked and the color was normal, leaving the girl to smile gently at him.

"Hey…Sasuke." She spoke, and he felt his cheeks heat as he registered what she had just said.

Sasuke. No honorifics…just Sasuke.

He had waited so long-And yet she had done it before. Back before they had run into Aoi or the other Ame Nin. She had told him that they would talk about them, about what was going on.

Now, looking at her, he figured he could wait just a little longer if it meant being able to talk to her without prying ears.

She seemed to recognize that as she glanced behind him at Shikamaru and Sakura, nodding to them both before she rose, standing up.

It was then that Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up for another reason.

Dressed as she was in nothing but her undergarments and shorts…well Sasuke couldn't help but feel flustered as he gazed at the amount of skin that Akihane had on display.

Until he remembered the other male in the room. That made his embarrassment get backed up with fury, up until he felt a hand on his back and was shoved, rather unceremoniously out of the room by Sakura.

Shikamaru stood beside him, the boy's face nearly as red as Sasuke's as they heard Sakura scold Akihane and order the girl to get dressed.

Shikamaru spared a glance at Sasuke and the two sobered up, Sasuke feeling murderous at the thought of the other boy seeing Akihane like that.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" The Nara hissed at him as he registered the glare, the two exchanging heated looks.

"You saw her too!" He bit at the Uchiha, and Sasuke felt himself fidget.

Groaning, Sasuke turned sharply and marched off, needing to go drown himself in the water or at least beat that image out of his skull. Maybe he could drag Shikamaru down with him in the meantime.

I~~~~I

Well, hello there, it hasn't been a year at all…totally. Yes well, I managed to finally get off my butt and start writing again. College with Covid has been rough but I finally feel like I can settle enough to get back into these stories. I'm not going to promise regular updates but hopefully it won't be as bad as waiting for this one. Thanks for reading!