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

Character age:

Akane, Itachi: 21 / 20

Naruto, Sasuke: 15

Shisui: 24

Kakashi: 29

"So, opinions?"

"Well, it's obvious," oji-chan said, pacing in front of me and the Nidaime. "It seems like this seal is even more similar to a jinchuriki's than we thought. You didn't sense A coming but I did and in that moment, I took control. I controlled your body and used the Hiraishin to put you in a safer spot."

"I know that a bijuu can take control of the body of the jinchuriki to at least talk, I've seen old Naruto and Kurama do it, but us?"

"The Claw," Tobirama said as if it answered all questions.

"You can't possess me!"

"Maybe...maybe not, who knows. The more it progresses, the more we feel a connection with the outside world. You should go to Uzushio, find information on how to summon us and see if you can start trying."

"If a war is coming with Madara back from the dead, we'll be needed. Especially my brother."

"Who's still sleeping," I added with a frustrated sigh. "I'll check Okuni-san's files too, I haven't read through it all with everything that's going on." They shared a look. "What? If it's about my stupid plan, sensei lectured me already."

"Yes but...we talked and...we thought it would be good if you see Inoichi once you're in Konoha." I narrowed my eyes at me.

"I don't need a shrink!"

"Better that than having you losing your sanity little by little Akane." I looked at Tobirama with wide eyes. He never used my name before, and his posture, with his arms crossed, indicated he was more than serious. "Umiko...the Claw was slowly turning her into...she was numb to any kind of dangers." I chuckled hollowly.

"Come on, I didn't notice the injuries but they were nothing major! I heal fast anyway, what's the point of avoiding non-lethal attacks?"

"The simple fact you're saying this proves there is something wrong." I glared at Tobirama. "You may be a Yurei, but I'm the only one who has witnessed one for years and how it impacted her."

"You were a spectator, so you have no right to talk."

"Akane, please," Minato pleaded, grabbing my shoulders firmly, "you're...you're less and less yourself in fights. One day you will think you can walk off a mortal wound and die if you keep this up."

"Well guess what, it doesn't matter!" I replied, slapping his hands away before taking a step back. "I have a fucking duty to do, a job! You can't understand!"

"Your job was to keep that Shisui to kill himself, that and only that was your job," Tobirama stated coldly. "You're the one who keeps convincing yourself it's not enough because of your own regrets." I flailed around.

"That's my job, fixing my regrets! Regrets are the only reason why my soul was sent back when I didn't even want to!" I rolled my eyes. "It...I don't wanna talk about it, so keep your mouth shut if you want to talk about a shrink."

I took a deep breath once I was back in the real world, the fresh air there was at the mountain I was on filling my nostrils and lungs. There were only two things I could see from there: the sea in the distance and white clouds as the mountain was so high its peak was way above the clouds.

"Uzumaki, B's ready." I turned to Yugito.

"Coming." I followed her in silence, my eyes on the road.

I had been given a confidentiality seal in the shape of a cloud, placed just above the one for the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans. I would start by examining B-san's seal and improve it if possible, then I would do the same to Yugito. Apparently, she wanted to see what I would do to B and judge my performance to decide if she wanted to have me look at her seal.

Clever woman she was. Too bad she had the Two-Tails inside of her. Who knew how long she would last.

B-san's seal was pretty good, I had to admit. Not as strong as Naruto's or Haku's, but strong nonetheless. Anyway, B-san could work perfectly well with his bijuu, so it was an advantage against the Akatsuki.

"Alright, by tomorrow I should have some prototypes of seal to strengthen yours," I said after an intensive hour of examining his seal.

"It doesn't make it unbreakable then," Yugito suddenly said in a clear voice. I looked up at her.

"No, no seal is unbreakable."

"You're just giving us more time, but your father is a part of this Akatsuki."

"How do you know that?"

"We keep tracks, to cover our backs!" B exclaimed.

"For all we know he could break what you're doing easily, or you could be working with him." I didn't even feel the usual anger I felt when my father was mentioned. It was just...exhausting. I got up and dusted my pants.

"Think what you want, it won't keep me from doing my job. If you'll excuse I have work to do for tomorrow."

I left without further ado.

"Any news Tsunade-san?" The Hokage raised her eyes from the papers scattered on her desk.

"They're most probably in Kumo now. The Raikage accepted to receive them."

"Kumo?" Akiko repeated in a whisper.

"Yeah...Kumo." She dropped the paper in her hand on the others on her desk before grabbing a cup. "I've received a letter from the Mizukage, concerning your daughter."

"Is she alright?"

"Define 'alright'." Akiko frowned, which in turn made the Hokage sigh. "From what I've read, Akane has always shown a great distress handling the pressure of being a kunoichi. Her condition now made it even worse and the Mizukage wants to make sure there is at least one person who could… 'handle' her. Preferably someone who would be keeping a close eye on her right when she steps foot in the village in a few months. It seems like the mission she is on and the distance with Kiri made her take a highly dangerous and inconsiderate decision in the Land of Lightning."

"Well...I mean Kakashi-kun is the only one who would do."

"The only one? Really?"

"Yes. She...Akane is prideful, she became prideful like any shinobi from the Hidden Mist. Showing weakness even to your close ones is a proof of deficiency. They're...extremely good at hiding their true self, she's no exception. But Kakashi-kun can bring her true emotions to the surface." Tsunade opened a bottle of sake, a second cup next to hers. She poured the alcohol in them.

"Because of Fubuki?"

"Yes, but not only that," Akiko replied, taking a cup. "He...he was the only figure of authority who was still living before. He...he was still alive. She rarely talks about this before but it wouldn't surprise me if she heavily relied on him at some point in her past."

"So it would make it easier for her to talk. I was thinking about making him her referent jounin anyway, this confirms my choice." They both drank their cups in one go. "Anyway, the Mizukage is worried for her mental health. Akane has worked a lot to improve the psychological aftercare of shinobi in the Hidden Mist. Ironically, it seems like it taught her how to avoid it too."

"I don't think she's doing it on purpose, you know like me how hard it is to forget what you have been taught when young, especially depending on the methods used." There was a short silence.

"She never had therapy for the treatment she received from the Fourth Mizukage between the age of eleven and the age of thirteen, no matter the time period," Tsunade muttered, grabbing a pen. "It's no wonder Kiri is worried about her mental health. I'll have Inoichi have a session with her when she arrives, I'll pretend it is a mandatory step or something."

"Thank you Tsunade-san." The latter sighed.

"Don't thank me, you know it doesn't come from the good of heart. She's too important by now to have a total breakdown. She knows too much, and is too efficient. I can't let her become self-destructive to the point of no return or not being able to even look at a kunai."

"I know that," Akiko said in a morose voice, "but if she can have therapy, no matter the reason, it's all that matters. Naruto, Kakashi-kun and I will keep a close eye on her too, I'll have a word about it with Naruto once he's back. I don't think he will refuse, he...he is quite mad about her decision in Kiri and will do everything he can to prevent it from happening again."

"Naruto is quite something. Well, you're free to go, I'll make some arrangement and summon Kakashi about this matter."

"Goodbye Tsunade-san."

On this note, the Uzumaki woman left the Hokage in her office.

The only thing worse than a shinobi in a mental breakdown was a powerful traumatized one in a mental breakdown. In that case, they were unpredictable...and hard to stop before it was too late.

"For God sake," I swore, dropping the burning paper on the ground before stomping on it. "Another failure."

"It's long."

"I can't risk to mess up his seal, can I?" I replied to Yugito in frustration. It only grew at her amused smirk.

"Of course not." She was having too much fun at my expense. It had been two weeks already! Of course, some of my attempts showed some good, but I was having troubling making all of it work together and with B-san's chakra and with the Hachibi's chakra.

"Stronger control to stabilize the seals between themselves," Sasuke stated, writing it in a notebook. I had asked him to come assist me a week ago, after a week mostly spent on my own. He accepted right away.

"I guess it will be all for today, sorry it's taking this long. Your seal is better I expected it to be." He rapped something I didn't even bother to listen as I caught a kunai mid-air. I frowned at the blonde kunoichi. "What are you doing?"

"I'm no expert, but frustration rarely gives anything good. I want a spar."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"With me?"

"Who else? I'm talking to you!" I stared blankly at her.

"Of course you are."

"Do it." I shot Sasuke a quizzical look. "You need it, and she's right anyway." I rolled my eyes.

"First blood?"

"Taijutsu and weapons only." I nodded and went for my club, but stopped my hands an inch from it. I grabbed it and gave it to Sasuke before unsealing Nuibari. "You are a Swordsman too then."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Yo, a kunoichi brawl! I'll judge to say who's the winner!" Sasuke casually walked next to him. "Uchiha's eyes will be my back-up eyes!" I pursed my lips.

"Body-flicker?" I asked Yugito. She thought about it for a second and nodded curtly.

"No fuinjutsu, it means no Hiraishin either." I smirked slightly.

"Sure." I jumped back, like her. B-san counted from three to zero and we launched at each other, fast, viciously.

I blocked her kunai with my sword. Quickly, she let go of her weapon, grabbed my blade and yanked it down, throwing her foot at me. I avoided by an inch only, her now long claw-like nails shining under a sun beam.

She threw Nuibari away.

"Okay..." Not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting this.

I braced myself when her finger nails grew longer too, and she ran straight at me. I grabbed regular kunais in each of my hands and blocked each of her attacks. There was strength in them, no doubt about it, but it was more the accuracy that was dangerous here.

Kunoichi and shinobi were made differently. Where a man had brute and raw strength, a woman had agility and speed to compensate. Raw power was useless if one didn't know where to aim it, to use it.

If you knew where to strike, you didn't have to strike half as hard than someone who just attack.

All of this to say: she knew that too.

She knew that too much for my taste. I was losing strands of hair at half of her attacks.

"Here!" I exclaimed when I finally had the chance to body-flicker to my sword. Her claws clawed a rock, five deep clean cuts in it. Yugito turned to me with a frown.

"Not a lot of people use the body-flicker technique like that."

"Yeah I know, to my knowledge only Shisui does," I said casually. Her and B-san were taken back. Right, Shisui did have a reputation. I wasn't close to his level though.

"It won't help you much though."

Our weapons clashed once again. I was about to use Nuibari and its string like Mangetsu taught me when I felt something hot running down my cheek. At Yugito's smug smile, I grunted.

I wiped the blood from the cut on my cheek. She had used the small opening she had between me getting ready to strike and actually striking to cut my cheek. Nothing major, just enough to win the spar.

"Guess I lose," I stated plainly, putting Nuibari away.

"Yugito wins!" B-san declared.

"It was good," she admitted. I raised a brow at her panting. "I'm even more tired than you."

"I can see that." However, I felt lighter thanks to the spar. Almost more focused, it helped me evacuate some...things.

The silence was broken by my rumbling stomach. I felt my cheeks flushing in shame as I patted my poor empty stomach.

We ended up in a restaurant with everyone looking at us, but for some reasons, I didn't care that much. I was relaxing for the first time in a long time.

Breath in.

Breath out.

Breath in. Don't let the Shinigami influence you.

Breath out. Walk on that straight line without falling to your loss.

Breath in. Finally catch a glimpse of a bright blue light in the darkness.

Breath out. Try to feel it.

I stretched out my hand. My fingers grazed and warmed up. I lost my focus on my balance to focus more on the warmth and fell.

I broke my trance right away. I almost fell backward but used my hands to keep me still. I was sitting crossed-legs on the floor of the room but still. You know this weird feeling when you're sleeping, you dream you fall and wake up with a start? It was roughly the same thing when I had to break the trance when I felt myself falling to the Shinigami, just in even more real. For instance, I felt the cold that came with it, unlike in your sleep.

Still, I failed. I was pretty sure it was Hashirama's soul I was seeing, but I failed at waking him up.

And where was Sasuke? He said he was going out to train but it was this morning! It was the evening now!

I bit my thumb and summoned Uma.

"Find Sasuke and make sure he didn't get into troubles."

He left and I got up, stretching out my limbs. My back cracked, like my neck, indicating I had been in the same position for way too long.

"Damn am I hungry," I muttered to myself. I put on my shoes and left to go in town.

I was used to the looks I would sometime receive, but as the Raikage had clearly let me stay, nobody dared uttering a word.

I walked through crowded streets, looking for a restaurant I was in the mood for. So far, none made my mouth water. I was in Kumo, they were known for their beef, I wanted a big old juicy beefsteak! I would take some potatoes on the side I think, no rice or anything.

"Uzumaki?" I looked up. Darui was in front of me, hands in his pockets and a surprise gaze on me.

"Darui-san...I'm hungry." Almost as if to confirm this, my stomach made itself known. I didn't even blush of shame, I kept staring at him dead in the eyes. "I want beef. And potatoes. Please. I'm done with B-san's seal, half of the job will be done tomorrow, feed me."

"Follow me then." Turns out, what I was desperately looking for was just a few meters away. It looked fancy though, I couldn't help but notice the rich and colorful decoration as I followed Darui. "A table for two please."

"You don't have to stay with me you know." He shot me a lazy look above his shoulder.

"I was coming here." My mouth formed an 'o' and I followed him to a table. "And anyway, you wouldn't have had a table if I wasn't with you. This place is very popular in the village and whole country."

"But the right-hand man of the Raikage can get a table easily..." I trailed off, already reading the menu. "Everything sounds delicious."

"It's because it is." He was proud of his village, this had never changed. He was better with no mustache too, not gonna lie.

Once we ordered, I tried to ignore the smell of others' dishes to, when it was my turn to eat, I would fully enjoy the taste.

"I have a question I really have to ask you, it's been bugging me since you first step foot in the country."

"I'll answer as well as I can."

"It's nothing related to shinobi work, or villages." This got my attention, and I stopped staring at the doors of the kitchen. "C, do you really flirt with him or do you enjoy taunting him?"

"The second one." C was cute, but really...not my type. Frankly, I didn't really have a type, and no 'Uchiha' did not count, but C was not it. "Guys like him who are, I wouldn't say stuck up, but so focused on their jobs, are the funniest to annoy." Senpai wasn't that focused on his job, I just loved getting under his skin. "If they're cute, I can't resist to fake flirting with them to trigger reactions."

"That's what I thought too." I chuckled.

"I'll let you know one thing: I'm planning of having someone like that in each village one day. I still have two to go, C was too easy to notice."

"Yeah...I see what you mean." We exchanged a look and laughed when the waiter brought the meal.

"Well, enjoy!"

I actually had a great evening with him. He walked me back to the inn and I went to my room with a smile on my face.

What was not my surprise to see a birthday cake on the desk.

"What?"

"It's your birthday." I turned around. Sasuke left the bathroom door opened, a towel around his neck and hair damped. "Happy birthday, whatever age you are." I remained silent and it made him look unsure. "Your birthday is April 27th, isn't it?"

"Yes but...I just forgot about it." I watched him lighting up the candle. "I don't even know how old I am. I died at almost thirty-seven but when I arrived here, my birthday had already happened. I guess I should just say I was thirty-seven huh..."

"Which makes you forty-five." I smiled with nostalgia.

"Yeah...yeah I guess I'm forty-five. I still look youthful so who cares?" I blew the candle.

"You made a wish?" I smirked at him.

"Not telling you." I just wished for everything to end well for everyone. I took the gift he was handing to me. "You didn't have to." He shrugged, going on his bed.

"You've given me gifts for my fourteenth and fifteenth birthdays."

I opened the box and blinked. What…

I pulled his gift and placed the box on the desk. It was a silver key chain, from which three stones were dangling.

"The navy blue one is a hawk's eye, the cyan with some orange and dark blue is a labradorite and the black one with orange triangles is a chiastolite."

"I'm guessing they have a purpose?"

"Yeah, mainly protection." I ran a finger on one of the perfectly polished stone.

"Thanks, I need it, don't I?" He scoffed.

"Yeah you do."

"You're adorable Sasuke, thanks." He blushed furiously.

"I...I'm not adorable!" I grinned.

"Yes you are!"

"I'll throw the cake in your face!"

"Nooo! I want my dessert!"

Yeah.

Truly adorable.

It was June by now. I had a talk with Yugito and Matatabi, who was pretty cool. Among other things, I was working on improving her seal, different from B's so it was more work for me, back on training with Sasuke when I had the time and hanging out with Darui every once in a while, enough for me to call me by my first name.

"I'll take some Hayashi Rice today!" I gave the menu back to the waiter, like Darui. "So, what do we talk about tonight? The weather? Being exploited by your Kage as if we didn't have a life? Wait, I'm not anymore."

"How about the fact we're being watched?" I raised a brow and followed his finger. The mane of raven hair in a booth made me snort in disdain.

"The nerve he has." He did ask me, with insistence, where I was going. Just like last time, and the one before that. "Sorry, his age catches up with him in the most annoying tim...huh? B-san?" Darui perked up at that and shot a look above his shoulder. There was no Yugito in sight, but B-san, who was trying to hide behind the plants of his booth, even if he was everything but discreet. He wasn't alone though, there was another boy with whitish blond hair and another person with red hair...Fuck it was Karui!

"Man...I'm sorry about them, it's embarrassing." I leaned my cheek in my opened hand.

"Actually, it's normal. Even if I'm not here as a kunoichi from the Mist, we are still from different villages on not so friendly terms. Maybe they're scared I'll suddenly murder you." I snickered and he sighed.

"More like the Boss asked them to follow me to spy on us." I pouted.

"And C is not there."

"Don't speak too fast." I raised my brows and grinned at the man who stomped next to our table, who leaned loudly on our table.

"What's wrong with you Darui!? You do know who she is, don't you!?"

"Yeah, so? You need to chill." He widened his eyes and pointed at me.

"Chill!? She...she's so obscene!"

"Totally Jiraya-san's books fault," I defended myself.

"She's an enemy!"

"It's not as if I had chosen where I was born." The waiter came with our dishes as C continued rambling on what an awful person I was. I took a spoonful of my meal, blew on it because I was just that considerate, got up and put it in C's opened mouth. I liked annoying him but he was being the annoying one right now. "Here, who's a good boy? It's C-kun, isn't it?" Darui hid his laughter by couching behind his closed fist as the Raikage's aide was blushing furiously.

"You...You..." he stuttered, walking away. I grinned.

"Me? I just took your breath away, didn't I?" He blushed even more and left in the blink of an eye. I sat back down and laughed as quietly as I could. "It never gets old to creep people out." No wonder Kakashi loved trolling his students, and people in general.

Heh…

I may be a bad influence on Sasuke, but his sensei definitely was a bad influence on me. Or I was exposed to Obito when I was too young.

Huh…

Didn't he promise me to make me a princess or some shit the day he'd become the Hokage?

He made me something, but it was far from a princess.

"Are you sure of that Tsunade-sama?"

"Something to say Kakashi?" The jounin hesitated between taking his book and saying what he was thinking casually or showing he was actually concerned about her choice. Well, he opted for the latter, Tsunade would notice he wasn't really reading anyway.

"I understand why Akiko-san would want me to keep an eye on Akane, I'd do it anyway but...I think we can all agree I'm not that mentally stable either. If what you gave me is true then..."

"Being in charge of Team Seven helped though."

"Yeah, but that team isn't really a team. Naruto is away with Jiraya-sama for training and went into a war zone and against the Sanbi, Sasuke defected to Orochimaru and wanted to get out of his own village because he couldn't identify himself in it and Sakura is under your care and now a chuunin. I haven't seen any of my students for more than two years, and one of them is still in the village."

"Your point Hatake?" Tsunade asked him curtly.

"My point is, even if I can potentially handle her..." Kakashi showed the file Tsunade gave him, where the word 'insubordination' was in bold letters, "problem with authority, I might not be able to deal with her instability. She was fired from the Kiri ANBU for insubordination. I mean..."

"And who apart you could possibly be her jounin referent? If I'm correct, the other two who could, maybe, do the job are or in rehabilitation, or away of the village. I doubt she would just listen to them anyway."

"Sure but...what if we both go down in the end?" Tsunade frowned.

"For God sake Hatake, get a grip of yourself! You've known the girl for most of her life, you're in charge of her for her stay in Konoha period!"

Kakashi bowed and left.

Truth be told, Tsunade was fully aware of what Kakashi was so afraid. She knew him, knew his background. It was a risky choice, to put these two as a team.

She didn't have any other choice. Akiko knew her daughter, and said daughter was fired from the ANBU for not respecting orders.

Tsunade could not let that happen.

Now, she could only hope Kakashi wouldn't let his old demons take over because he was seeing himself in Akane.

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!

Bye!