Disclaimer: I own the OCs in this fic, the rest is Masashi Kishomoto's. Sorry for any spelling mistakes.

Character age:

Akane, Itachi: 18

Naruto, Sasuke: 13

Shisui: 22

Kakashi: 27

"So that's Konoha?" senpai wondered next to me.

"Wait to see how it is inside." I looked above my shoulder. "Itachi?"

"I'm fine," he replied tiredly, a few meters behind us. Even if he was healed and didn't need a crutch anymore, on this trip he still had been slower than I was used to. He refused to make more breaks, which was what old Itachi would do in his condition. It was still new to him, the more we were getting close to Konoha must have made him realize what was waiting for him and he was not really looking forward to it.

Still, we were just meters away from the gates. I could spot people speaking, probably a team leaving on a mission. We both stopped and waited for Itachi to walk in front of us, to show we were not coming without a good reason. His forehead protectors and usual Uchiha look could not be overlooked at. It was strange to see him wearing his headband by the way, he had not touched it once during his stay in Kiri.

We gave our papers to the guards and after a few minutes of talking about administrative stuff, they let us go.

"We need to notify the Hokage of our presence," senpai told me. I nodded and turned to Itachi.

"I believe you still remember the way to your place?" He seemed genuinely surprised for a second and quickly covered it by his usual blankness.

"I thought you were coming with me." It was my turn to be surprised. I looked back and forth between the two men for a minute.

"I can handle it on my own Akane," senpai informed me in his ever smooth and calm voice. "We see the building from there."

"Yeah, but still." I made a clone. "I'd feel better that way." My clone gave me a thumbs-up and left with senpai. "Did I give myself a thumbs-up?" I caught up with Itachi, who had started to leave when I made a clone. "Please wait for me my fair maiden!" That made him stop and deadpan at me.

"Really?" Did I finally reach the peak of his indifference? I stroke his ponytail between two of my fingers, lifting it up to let it fall graciously in his back.

"What can I say, I'm jealous of your hair like I'm jealous of Haku's. One day I might just put you in a pink yukata to see who wears it better."

"He's a good kid, don't traumatize him." I smiled softly.

"He is, isn't he? I was kinda worried I wouldn't be able to teach him anything, he's a genius and makes me think of you often. I'm glad he left his suicidal tendencies behind him."

"Shisui told me the same thing once."

"What?"

"He was scared he wouldn't be able to teach me anything because of my skills." I hummed in understanding as we were getting closer to the Uchiha compound.

"I see." I took a lock of my hair between my fingers. It was dry. "Maybe I'll let my hair grow back, I won't be as overworked as before now."

"You should," he approved and I raised a brow. He cared about my hair now? "It's not it doesn't suit you, but long hair looks better on you I think."

"Oh, thanks. And it's not as if I couldn't fight with long hair. Sensei does it, Aunty Kushina did it, heck Haku and you do it."

"Can we stop talking about my hair?" I snorted. "Should I just cut it of..."

"No!" I interrupted him as I could see the Uchiha fan above the gates of the compound. Itachi smirked, still looking ahead of him. "Don't do that to your fans! You...heartless...man!"

"You're running out of insults? That's new." I turned my head away, refusing to look at him. People were looking at us and greeting Itachi back. I had never really paid attention to how he was treated here but...they all liked him.

It was a good sight.

We exited the commercial street of the compound to take a less used one, leading to Itachi's house. By now, Itachi was walking faster, but I didn't follow with his speed. I stopped completely and leaned my back against the wall when he was inside and I heard Mikoto-san's voice, and Shisui's, and then more and more.

I smiled fondly and debated on whether or not I should stay to say 'hi'. When I heard a girl's voice, probably Izumi, I decided to leave quietly. I wasn't a big fan of the Uchiha compound, I always felt uncomfortable around here.

Plus, I stuck by Itachi when he was in Kiri because he needed someone.

He was home now. He had his family, his friends, his girlfriend, his comrades to care for him. He didn't need me.

I still had a decision to take though, concerning our friendship. We talked things through and we were on good terms but…

Deep down, my reaction toward Obito's offer still haunted me. I wrote about it in my rapport to sensei and would talk about it to Tsunade-san, but that was it. I just…

I kind of was doubting my own beliefs and it scared me.

If, one day I, because of some reasons, was changing sides, I didn't want anyone to feel guilty about putting me out of my misery. I knew...Itachi would, could be the man of the situation if it came to it.

He was fine now, I didn't want...him to care too much about me.

Once I was out of the compound, I heard a voice calling me. I turned around to see Shisui running toward me.

"Hey," I greeted him casually. He stopped in front of me and flashed me a huge grin, taking me in his arms and lifting me from the ground. I screamed in surprise and hugged him back for stability.

"You're fine now!" he cried out, delighted by the fact I was out of the hospital. I started to tap his arm multiple times. I couldn't get oxygen anymore.

"I won't be for long Shisui..." He looked at me with wonder and put me back on the ground in panic. I took a deep breath, my face probably going back to its original color.

"Sorry, but when Itachi called you but nobody saw you I left in a hurry to catch up with you. Why did you leave without saying 'hi I'm alive too'?"

"I didn't want to intrude." He smacked me weakly on the head.

"You wouldn't have idiot."

"You're all with your family, I would have," I countered, rubbing the sore spot. I had a flash in my mind of senpai being home. "And I should go back to mine, senpai is with us. Sensei made me take a sabbatical leave of at least a month and it was last month, I'll be around for a little while so see you."

"Sure but..." He sighed as I turned my heels, ready to go. "Be sure to come back, Mikoto-san will thank you."

"For what?" He raised a brow, looking at me funny.

"Her sons?"

"I followed orders," I replied with a shrug. I waved at him from above my shoulder, leaving for good.

What was not my surprise to be met with a letter from my cousin but not my actual cousin when I got home.

"He left with Jiraya-san already!?"

"When we came back and told him Itachi and you were awake and out of danger, he told Jiraya-san he could leave with an easy mind." I pouted slightly, reading his messy handwriting telling me he would come back much stronger. Mom turned to senpai, who was staring intensively at Fubuki's picture. "You don't mind taking Naruto's bed while you're both here?"

"No."

"How long are you here by the way?" Mom asked me, her smile not leaving her lips. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I'm on a sabbatical leave on sensei's orders and she told me I would take a break in Konoha too. Maybe a month maximum but I don't want to leave Haku on his own for too long, we're in the middle of moving."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, my old place was half destroyed, there is no kitchen anymore and my bedroom is missing a wall and a chunk of the floor so...we need bigger anyway. I don't know where Karin will live yet, she has been staying with Dai and Suigetsu at his place, but she made it clear she was sick of the two."

"So you'll stop avoiding Suigetsu then?" senpai asked, looking at us with harsh eyes. "You'll stop hiding behind Itachi's back?" I glared at him.

"I'm not talking about it."

I opened my eyes and sat up in my bed. I was still sleepy and the sun wasn't even out yet or I would see it through the curtains. My room had not changed in the past years, and it felt good and nostalgic to be back here.

Still, someone was knocking at my window. I turned the light on and read six past seven on my alarm clock. With an angry grumble, I opened my curtains.

It was Sasuke.

It was Sasuke, knocking at my window. I opened it with a sigh.

"Someone better has died during the night." He raised a brow and shook his head. "I'm giving you five seconds before I push you brat."

"Train me," he demanded in all seriousness. I stared at him with a poker face and without a word, closed the curtains, my window, turned the light off and went back to sleep, muffled in my warm quilt.

Not now.

Two hours later, I woke up and put on my blue robe and went to the kitchen. A sleepy smile found its way on my lips when I smelled breakfast.

The sleepy smile disappeared when I spotted the Uchiha fan on someone's back and I smacked him on the head.

"Your dad is a cop, you do know harassment is a crime, don't you?" I said 'hi' to Mom and senpai and sat next to Sasuke, who was eating as if he had not eaten at his place. "Didn't you have breakfast?"

"I came here early this morning, what do you think?" Sasuke gave tit for tat, his miso soup in his hand.

"You left a note to your mother I hope?" Mom asked him sternly, giving him a pointed look. He nodded quickly. Mom smiled sweetly at him. "Good, we don't want Mikoto's hair to turn white from all the stress she's had for the past few months, do we?"

"No we don't," Sasuke answered with me in sync. Their eyes turned to me, even senpai who was quietly eating.

"What, I don't want to upset her!"

"What are you going to do today?"

"I have to see the Hokage, and Kakashi. Senpai..."

"Don't worry for me, I'll find something to do."

"Sleeping somewhere?" He shrugged. I looked at Sasuke when I felt him staring. "What?"

"Train me."

"Nope. Ask Itachi or Shisui, or Kakashi. Mom, do you think you'd check the seal on my eye? I want to know what it does exactly."

"Sure, we'll do that at the hospital."

I wasn't surprised Sasuke followed me to the Hokage's office, asking me to train him. I was surprised to see Kakashi leaving her office though.

"Hey," he greeted me with surprise. "I didn't know you were there."

"I arrived yesterday afternoon with senpai and Itachi. Is Tsunade-san..."

"At the hospital."

"She's seeing nii-san." I spun around, dumbfounded.

"You knew!? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Train me." I growled and rolled my eyes. Grabbing Kakashi by the hand, I left for the hospital, Sasuke still jogging behind us to keep up.

Even if I had wanted to train him, I wouldn't stay in Konoha long enough for him to get anything from it. And I didn't want to train anyone period, I wanted to sleep all day! If it wasn't for sensei and the delicate case she entrusted me give to Tsunade-san, I would still be in bed, or in the couch. When we arrived at the hospital, Sakura walked right past us. Her lovely sensei stopped her on her way.

"Kakashi-sensei? Oh, Sasuke-kun, and Akane-san you're better!" I grinned at her.

"Yup. Tsunade-san is available?"

"She is examining Itachi-san for now and will proceed to a lot of tests, she won't be available until noon I'm afraid." I threw my head back with an exasperated groan. Seriously…

"You have time to train me then." I shot Sasuke a glare and, saying 'goodbye' to Sakura, left, Kakashi's hand still in mine. Sasuke followed, as expected.

"You want her to train you? I could, I'm your sensei," Kakashi reminded him, pointing at himself with his finger.

"I want her to train me." The jounin lowered his head to sulk.

"My feelings Sasuke."

We went to the Training Ground Three and I sat on one of the wooden pillar. I made a clone.

"I don't want a clone!" Sasuke hissed at me in annoyance.

"That's all you're getting, I have to talk to Kakashi and you can't hear it."

"What's so important?"

"It's private Sasuke, now follow my clone!" He clicked his tongue, and with one last annoyed glare, he ran after her.

"What could require my input?" I jumped down and searched through my pouch and take a scroll out of it. I opened it and unsealed the first item, a metallic gray box. I handed it to him. "What is it?"

"Take a look Kakashi," I whispered quietly. His eye became serious and he took the box, opening it immediately. He widened his eye in shock and his hands started shaking. "As the alliance should be officiated soon, sensei wanted to officially apologized for what Kiri tried to do with Rin, which led to her death. Sensei told me to give the personal effects we have collected to her family, but I don't know them so I thought I would give them to you."

"Her parents passed away during the Kyuubi attack. That's..."

"Normal, we shouldn't have kept it for so long to begin with." I bowed to him. "I know I have the official apology on me, but I deeply apologized for what my village did Kakashi. The Sandaime became illogical in his decision making at the beginning of the war."

There was a heavy silence for at least five minutes, where I didn't straightened up. Then, Kakashi sighed and made me stand up straight. When he hugged me with one arm, I was shocked but hugged him back.

"Thank you," he thanked me in a muffled whisper. I sighed in relief, my heart slowly finding his regular rhythm back. I tried to say something, but patted him on the back.

"That's disgusting, you made me leave to flirt with an old man?" a snarky voice asked next to us. I rolled my eyes and Kakashi let go of me.

"That aspect of my life concerns only me."

"But it's not like that," Kakashi continued, putting the box away. "I don't want to lose." Sasuke widened his eyes in shock and I looked at them with confusion.

"Lose what?"

"Well, when we came back..."

"Hey, they're not supposed to know!" Sasuke yelled at him. 'they'? Now I had a bad feeling.

"We bet on your love life." I choked on my own spit. "Naruto and I bet on Shisui-kun, Sasuke and Sakura both bet on Itachi."

"Wh..." Sasuke launched himself at his sensei. "Since when Itachi and I are a shipping?" Please don't let the old Temari shipping me with old Kou situation happen again.

"Forever," Sasuke told me, tackled to the ground by Kakashi.

"But, by the lack of reaction on Shisui-kun, I'm guessing Naruto and I will get money." I blushed out of sudden. They started to bicker, Sasuke claiming that Itachi and I were 'meant to be together and it was obvious'.

"You win if there is an official relationship, right?" They stopped and looked at me. After a nod, I smirked. "May I enter the bet then?"

"Wha..." Sasuke started but I raised my hand to stop him.

"I bet on none of them! Boom, I don't get in a relationship with any of them!"

"That's not the rule!" Sasuke refused sharply. I scratched my cheek with a smirk.

"Well...I don't care. I have the power to make all of you lose and I'm getting money out of it." Kakashi looked at me as if to tell me being greedy wasn't a good thing, and I stuck my tongue at him. "Why didn't you bet on your sensei's love life by the way? He's closer to the age of 'settling down' no?"

"We can't bet on something non-existent." I almost saw an imaginary rock fall on Kakashi as he let go of Sasuke, who got up immediately.

"And I was planning on paying ramen to the three of us, now I'm reconsidering it." We both looked at him, exchanged a knowing look, and attacked him as one man.

At some point, Sasuke and Kakashi left me out of their spar, so I laid down in the grass and looked at the blooming trees and the sun in the sky. In a few years, it would be shit again with the Akatsuki, but for now...for now I would enjoy the relative peace and quiet I missed since I went back to Kiri.

And, to be honest, the ramen was as delicious as I remembered them to be. Kakashi paying for us made them even better.

"An official apology concerning Nohara Rin," Tsunade-san repeated quietly, reading the letter sensei gave me.

"There is also a file that concerns her physiology, they must have tested her before sealing the Sanbi inside of her," I added, sliding a thin file on her desk. I added Yagura's journal and two files sensei managed to give me after negotiating with the Elders for a while. "This is the report we have concerning the aftermath where the entire platoon was decimated and where only Kakashi was found alive. Konoha took him and Rin's body before Kiri arrived on the scene, but we performed an autopsy on each of the bodies, you'll understand the result with no problem. The other file is...not that interesting in term of what it's saying. It's more what it implies."

"What it implies you say?" Tsunade-san said with a quirked brow. Her eyes scanned the file quickly and she frowned quietly. "I see, that Akira..."

"...was on the right track to control the Sanbi that was sealed inside of him. Our bijuu have always had a jinchuriki. With the state of Kiri at the time, and no village would do that anyway, it was an illogical decision to trade a perfect 'weapon' if I may put it like that, for a human time bomb they were not even sure would reach its target. I mean...the official goal is just plain stupid, but the Elders of Kiri have kept that hidden from everyone."

"I see, this would prove that Rin was just a way to reach someone else, here that guy." I nodded as I took a deep breath.

"Yeah. And...Yagura's diary, you should read it. Especially these last few years, when I left Konoha. The link between my seal and a jinchuriki's seal weakened the genjutsu and this was proof to us he was being controlled. It was proof he...was fighting it too," I finished in a quieter voice. She read the pages in utter silence. "I can't leave you the originals but sensei told me you could make copies. Especially the diary...it has an emotional value to us."

"Of course, I understand. That Kiri is sharing this is already a lot."

"We want justice Tsunade-san, just like you want it for Minato's and Kushina's death."

"I'll do the copies myself then, and bring Kakashi later on to ask him about the mission. Was there anything else?"

"Yeah, what's that joke you pulled?" I asked her, showing her the crumpled paper. "Right after the sealing too?" Tsunade-san leaned her cheek in her hand with an annoyed look on her face.

"I know how it looks, but these old geezers that are the Advisers thought it would be a strategic moment to offer you this." I snorted and crossed my arms over my chest.

"They didn't want me in Konoha when I was living in it and now I'm valuable they want me under their orders. As if I would become their dog." She sighed.

"I don't agree with their method either. It's a 'no' then?" I nodded.

"If, for some very very important reasons I were to be transferred here, it would be my decision only and done by the rules as a real transfer, and not by pretending my past in Kiri did not happen like it would appear on my file. I'm sorry."

"Don't, Jiraya told me beforehand you turned down Sarutobi-sensei too. Before you leave, I'm warning you. Fugaku will probably asks for your services, and so will I, for Itachi's case." I raised my brows.

"What for?"

"I'll let him tell you. You can leave now."

I did without further ado. I went to buy some flowers and greeted Inoichi-san, and went to the cemetery and Memorial Stone. I stopped a little bit longer on Rin's grave.

I would discover what exactly happened, how Madara did it.

After I left the cemetery, the sun was barely starting to set. Craving something sweet, I bought myself a taiyaki, savoring the taste of the red bean paste on my tongue. The small things could really make your day.

"Akane-san!" I stopped among the civilians minding their own business in a busy street and turned my head with wonder. I blinked multiple times at the brown haired-girl coming my way. She had a beauty mark under her right eye, which was the same dark brown than the other one.

Well yes dummy, except for you and Kakashi, people usually have the same color in both eyes. It wasn't that common to have different-colored eyes.

"Yes...oh, I know, you're Izumi!" I congratulated myself in my head when she nodded. "What can I do for you?" She seemed taken back by my friendliness and I bit in my treat. It was so good! You bet Itachi would develop a sweet tooth, Konoha's sugary treats were the best.

"Can we talk? In private?" I tilted my head on the side, my auburn lock falling in my left eye.

"Hum...sure? I mea..." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me behind her. I kept bandaging my left arm from the tip of my fingers to my shoulder, but my sleeve was covering it.

So we found ourselves sitting on one of the many benches leading to the gates of the village. I finished my food, made a ball with the paper and threw it in the trash can. I sighed in defeat when in landed next to it and got up to throw it away.

"So...it's uncomfortable to just sit here in silence when we don't know each other. What do you want?" She raised her head in the blink of an eye as if she just remembered something very important. She took a deep breath and turned her eyes to me, determination burning in them.

"I...I've been in love with Itachi-kun ever since we were children Akane-san," she started and I fought the urge to sweat drop. The hell…? "I really do and I thank you not leaving him alone in Kiri but...but he...he went after you and..."

"Huh...Izumi, if you're worried about me, please don't, I don't see Itachi that way. And anyway, he used to ask me advice about girls when we were fifteen for you so..." She flushed at that.

"He...he did?"

"He's not the best at human interactions," I reminded her flatly. "In case you haven't noticed yet."

"I know that! I know it all too well but...I just...I want to understand what's going on in his head, I want him to let me do it like he let you and Shisui-san do it." She was feeling excluded then. How...familiar.

"Itachi's the kind of guy to be concerned about everything, I'm sure he's aware some of it is futile but he still does and doesn't want to bother you with it. You've been in a relationship for what, almost four years now? Just try to talk to him, he won't..."

"Relationship?" she repeated, stunned eyes staring at me. I raised a brow.

"Well yeah, Itachi and you." She parted her lips to say something the voice of the subject of our conversation interrupted us. He was alone, walking over to us with his hands in his pockets and staring at us in surprise, in particular in Izumi. Gosh, I didn't want to be included in a lovers spat, especially Itachi's. "Yo."

"You could have said 'hello' yesterday, or just that you were leaving," he reprimanded me and I grinned nervously.

"There was enough people already, I didn't want to intrude on your family reunion." His gaze clearly made me understand he was still upset about it. I stood up. "Sorry, I'll come by soon, apparently your dad has work for me. Bye guys!" I quickly left them together.

Phewwwwww!

It was getting cringy!

"Senpai I need a hug!" I whined when I got home. He wasn't there, nor was Mom. Shisui was, however, and flashed me a toothy grin as he opened his arms wide open. I stared at him for a second and shrugged, accepting. "Good enough compensation I guess." I smiled in his shoulder as he closed his arms around me.

"I wanted to see you but Utakata and Akiko-san were leaving for the cemetery, she told me I could wait," he explained to me and I could just picture the grin stuck on his face.

"Can we just hang out like before? I just left Izumi and Itachi alone and it was the absolute cringe." He pulled me back, surprise on his face.

"Izumi and Itachi?" I nodded.

"I found that weird too when she wanted to talk to me, and then Itachi arrived so I fled for my life." I went in the kitchen and pushed him toward the couch.

"What did she tell you?"

"Honestly, I'm not really sure where she was getting at," I answered as I started to make tea. "She feels excluded by Itachi unlike you and I, that I understood." He didn't say anything and turned the TV on. I went back with tea and things to eat. "Weird."

"Yeah...weird is the word..." he mumbled. "So, what's up?"

"I was fired from the ANBU and sensei placed me on a sabbatical leave."

"That's for the best."

"Agree."

We just hung out, and it felt good. It had been years since we had been able to do that and I had missed it terribly.

The day had started well. I woke up at nine on top form, took a bath and pampered myself. I brunched alone, Mom working and senpai doing his own thing. I was about to work on some fuinjutsu, something I had not done for a while now, when someone rang the bell.

What was not my surprise to find myself in front of Mikoto-san.

"Great, I finally get a hold on you Akane-chan! You're ready to head out too, come with me."

"What bu..." She almost put my shoes on my feet for me and her arm was crossed with mine, my feet taking me away from the comfort of home. "Mikoto-san?" She hummed happily and I admitted my defeat.

"You'll help me with the groceries." I sweat dropped. What in the what? Grocery shopping? How...how did that have anything to do with me!?

Let me tell you, grocery shopping with a housewife and mother of two boys who put her in a lot of stress was tiring. Even if what she bought was mouthwatering, I failed to see how it had anything to do with me.

In the end, I walked with her to her home and helped her put the groceries away.

"Huh...Mikoto-san?" She hummed, showing she was listening. "Why...did you make me go grocery shopping with you?"

"Oh, well you see," she started happily, "Itachi came back and when he said that you were with him, I was happy, because I was worried for you too since the Chuunin Exams and thought I could thank you for Sasuke and then Itachi. But...what a surprise, you left without saying anything to us!" She cut violently a slice of the chocolate cake she bought and I winced in fear. She was friends with Aunty Kushina, there was a reason. She turned away and placed a tray with two cup of tea and two slices of cake on the table I was sitting at. She sat in front of me and gave me a cup of tea with a sigh. "Really, with all you've done for Sasuke, thinking you would have been intruding is silly." I smiled apologetically at her.

"Sorry then, I should have said 'hi' before leaving. But I haven't done that much for Sasuke you know, I wasn't there that much at the Resistance." Mikoto-san smiled, looking at her tea.

"Still, he came back changed and apologized for worrying me. He's grown and more mature toward the shinobi world."

"I'm glad I could help then, Uchiha children aren't that easy to raise." She looked at me in wonder. "I mean, I've babysat Sasuke enough to know that raising him and Itachi was probably hard."

"It was indeed," she agreed, a calculating look in her eyes. "I also wanted to thank you for supporting Itachi in Kiri, he won't admit it but such news takes a toll even on the best of us, and knowing he had a friend with him reassured me." I lowered my gaze as I used my fork to cut a piece of my cake. "If you think you're the reason he is sick and will have to go through such a long treatment, you're wrong. Long ago, you ended up in the hospital for protecting Sasuke and Naruto. In a way, I'm sure it was his way to pay you back for this, and that in no way he holds you responsible for his health."

"I guess so...he said the same."

"Of course. However...it must have been hard on you to learn about his sickness."

"Yeah...my brother..."

"I don't mean your brother." I raised a brow. "I'm married to Fugaku, he tells me what's important concerning our children. Them killing each other is important." I widened my eyes in shock.

"You...you know about..."

"Your condition? Yes, I don't care that much though as I can see my boys grow up together. Fugaku only knows what would have happened to the clan and our children, but I am a mother, I see more than him regarding the reason. You've always cared a lot for Sasuke, it's because you must have cared a lot about the one you knew." My throat was dry but I knew the tea wouldn't do anything about it. I nodded. "And if you were close to him, it's because you were close to Itachi?" I nodded once again. "Extremely close?"

"It was in another life Mikoto-san, it hardly matters anymore," I managed to whisper in a hoarse voice. Her eyes grew soft at the blatant and raw emotion in my voice.

"It does, the reason why you were avoiding him when you moved here is a lot more understandable. It frustrated him a lot you know, not knowing why you were acting so cold to him." I bit the inside of my cheek. Why was she reminding me that? Was there a hidden message? 'Don't hurt my son ever again?' "Tell me Akane, I know you've lived in a timeline where Itachi died young but...did he really leave you alone?" I froze under her knowing look. "I knew it. Don't worry, it will stay between you and I." I bit my bottom lip and my hands clenched my cup hard.

"Since when..." No, it didn't matter. It didn't matter at all. "I miss them."

"Twins?" I nodded sadly.

"He...he never knew, I discovered the pregnancy the same day that his death. It...my water broke the first time I saw his brother and...I miss them, I miss everything I had built once I was able to look into the future. I miss all of them. Now it's...sometimes, it still feels surreal to see you or Fugaku-san breathing and talking, you're people I never thought I would know one day. It's nice to see people still alive and with a future ahead of them, but..." Pictures of Shisui and Itachi, each on their wedding days, flashed in my mind. I couldn't help but picture the first one crying tears of blood and the other dying in front of his brother as a pariah a second after. "It's hard too. On some days it's harder than others."

"Akane, can I ask you how old you are?"

"I'm...almost forty-three." Her features morphed into surprise.

"You're older than me, I'm not forty-one yet."

"I tend to forget how old I am supposed to be mentally or physically. It doesn't really seem relevant anymore."

"It's understandable. Tell me...would you talk about them? I'm...curious." I blinked and furrowed my brows. Mom told me it could do me some good, and mothers always know better.

"I...I guess I could. Maybe I should."

I did, in a trembling voice and with a painful lump in my voice, but I did.

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought about this chapter! Thanks to NguyetMieu and kankananime123 for the reviews! And well, I've mentioned before Itachi had the bad habit of stalking Akane when they were five because he was curious about her.

Bye!