Hello! I hope you'll like this chapter!

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: 22, 21

Naruto, Sasuke: 16

Shisui: 25

Kakashi: 30

It was raining, as always. Ame, the Hidden Rain, was still dark, gloomy, and rain kept pouring down the sky as if it was mourning.

"It almost reminds me of Kiri."

"The rain Ushio-san?" Kisame replied

"The overall depressing atmosphere." He looked up at the tower in front of them. "Anyway, I need to have a word with Leader-sama." Kisame turned around and went in the village.

Ushio entered the tower. Years ago, he woke up from a long slumber to find himself in front of the Rinnegan, a paper woman and a man calling himself Uchiha Madara. He couldn't care less about their plan of bringing peace to the world, how could gathering the bijuus bring peace seriously?

He cared about knowing he had been sleeping, sealed in that cursed tower for eight years. He cared to know that his wife and daughter were now in Konoha and that Yagura, his old friend, had turned into a tyrant and dragged Akane in Kiri to serve there. He cared about knowing about the Kyuubi attack and the passing of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

Ushio unconsciously grabbed his right shoulder. Minato had used a rasengan right there and sometimes, it still stung, as if to remind him of what happened on that day.

A sigh escaped his lips. He killed his son by trying to get his daughter back. It was absolutely ridiculous how everyone was ignorant of their own story in this world. A part of him was sure Akane was probably sick of it too.

Ushio had been hailed as a brilliant shinobi the moment chains appeared from his hand at the age of five. Kiri never was a perfect place, but his parents loved it. Yet, when the Sandaime started to act strangely and his father, a proud member of the important Yuki clan, spoke up, he was publicly executed. His mother was too for trying to help her husband and he watched, powerless with his wife, as his village killed his parents. Kiri had already participated in the coalition to destroy Uzushio and now it had also killed his parents.

Uzushio. It seemed so far away now. The lively island, people not hiding their emotions, the calm blue sea around with unique sea life, colorful buildings. There were artificial whirlpools around as defense, and several seals all around the village to protect it, from regular, simple trap to seals sending people straight in their worst nightmares and sealing them inside.

The Uzumaki clan was famous and feared. How else would you describe a clan which, through chakra, made a pact with a deity present even before there was chakra on Earth? All of this to...improve, expand, more and more. Yuureis were personification of those.

Those getting Claws, those succeeding in that, were simply just sacrificed.

His poor daughter.

The Uzumaki clan had secrets, Yuureis being the dirtiest one. However, one of those secrets was one particular stone tablet 'stolen' from the Uchihas. A Yuurei, long ago, had seen it and thought it smart to recreate it once he was sent back for studying. He had not deciphered all of it when he saw it, but he protected it as much as he could. The Uzumaki clan no longer officially existed, but their secrets would remain secret, especially from the Akatsuki.

Especially from Zetsu. That one was weird and with their ability to appear anywhere and record anything, it was better if Ushio did his best to keep things from them. He didn't miss the way they almost flinched when he mentioned the Uzumaki clan's founder original last name.

Otsutsuki.

The Eien Hansen was created by that very man as well, along three other weapons, now broken. Someone from the Uzumaki clan, with a strong vitality, was required to activate it, kind of like Nagato was connected to control Pain. Having witnessed so much blood shed, in his village, in Uzushio and then after, Ushio thought he could use that weapon to gather all of the chakra of the human race and stop conflicts. Of course, using his baby girl as a sacrifice was breaking his heart, but it was one sacrifice to save many more lives.

He didn't see anything else.

Killing his son was not planned.

Now however, he needed to finish this. If he used the Eien Hansen, then it would also destroy the bijuus not sealed yet. Then, Obito's Eye of the Moon Plan would never happen.

He was still a kid. Obito sure grew stronger, smarter, but ultimately, he was still a kid. Rin's death was sad, of course, she had been a kid used as a pawn and whose death traumatized not one, but two boys. However, the Sandaime Mizukage doing that was strange, senseless. He saw how Obito controlled Yagura in the dark and Ushio would not be surprised if the Sandaime had been controlled as well. It would...explain a lot.

And how convenient was it that Obito arrived just in time to witness Kakashi kill Rin and have his entire life shattered like that? What were the chances he would come just in time to see that?

There was something wrong.

Ushio had been shocked to see it was Obito. Obito didn't tell him right away but it was not hard to guess. After Kiri, he went to him to ask him how he survived being crushed by a boulder. The Uchiha told him then, told him his plan and about Rin. He would have laughed at how ironic it was for the Yellow Flash to never being on time for his students.

But if he could finish what he had started and stop the Akatsuki as well, it would be two birds one stone. Akane...probably didn't have that much time left before her mind started to crumble for good. Before she passed away in the tower, he'd offer her his soul so that she could rest this time.

He deserved not to have any rest anyway, and Akane wouldn't go for her mother or cousin.

"Leader-sama," Ushio greeted Pain, standing next to Konan. "Where's the buffoon?"

"He should arrive soon with Sasori," Konan told him.

"Do you have a mission for me or can I wait for him?"

"You can wait," Pain told him.

Another Uzumaki who struggled to survive.

It was sad.

This world was sad.

In a way, Ame was a beautiful reflection of the world, eternally mourning the loss of its children.

Now he had to tell Obito he would make his move. That guy had a weird obsession with getting Akane on his side. Long ago, the Uchiha and her were close. She was closer to him than to Kakashi, damn she basically idolized the kid, believing him when he'd say he'd be the Hokage.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the reason why with how twisted Obito's mind had become.

I spent my time in bed. I had not seen or heard from Itachi for a week and I felt like my boyfriend had broken up with me. Although...there was tiny bit of that.

"Hey depression," Kakashi said at my window. I shot him a look and buried my face in my pillow.

"Go away."

"I was sent to check up on you and this is how you thank me? That's hurtful." I growled. "Move."

"No." He yanked on my foot and I was on the floor.

"Who knew Itachi had such power over you?" I blushed against the floor but didn't move. I heard him sigh. "You know, I came here just so that you're presentable."

"What for?"

"Uchiha Mikoto." I raised my head.

"The hell?"

"Put some clothes on and splash water on your face." He opened my closet and threw clothes at me.

Indeed, ten minutes later, I was opening my front door to face Uchiha Mikoto. She entered without waiting for me to greet her. I shut the door.

"Turn around." I did and she looked at me up and down. "Hatake-kun came?" I nodded and she sighed. "You have bags under your eyes. You're pale, when was the last time you went outside or ate something?"

"Mom brought stew the other day." She sighed. "Mikoto-san, why are you here?"

"Because my oldest hasn't left his room for a week, so I thought maybe it was the same for you." I averted my eyes. "I was right apparently."

"He kn…"

"I know. He's angry right now." I looked down. "Not at you directly though." I raised a brow at her. "He's angry I knew before him, like Fugaku and like Sasuke." She shot me a pointed look when she said her other son's name and I looked away. "Well, I don't think I should tell you exactly how he feels, just that...he's feeling a lot and is dealing with it at the moment."

"I'm sorry…" She looked at me funny.

"What for? Telling him the truth or for loving him even if he had become a deadly-sick criminal?" She cupped my cheek, a motherly smile on her face. "If anything, I'm glad he had someone to go back to."

"You're welcome then…" I whispered back.

"How are you Akane? Now that he knows?"

"I'm fin…" Her eyes turned darker and I gulped. "I'm terrified. I know he needs time but…" I hugged myself. "What if he wants nothing to do with me?" Her gaze softened, reminding me of Itachi.

"You fell in love with him again," she murmured. I nodded.

"I didn't mean to but…" She shook her head.

"Do not apologize for your feelings. I'd rather have you being engaged to Itachi than Sasuke." I blushed. "Sakura-chan would be a better match for Sasuke, he looks at her with googly eyes when he thinks nobody is watching." I smiled a little.

Oh Sasuke…

"Akane, I know it may be hard right now but try not to be sad, Itachi will come back."

"How do you know that?"

"Mother instinct, of course! He's always had a soft spot for you after all, even when you were royally ignoring him." I blushed furiously as she left.

Later that day, it was Shisui who came. I widened my eyes at his forming black eye.

"The hell happened to you!?" I shrieked, pulling him inside.

"You told Itachi, didn't you?" I nodded and he pointed at his eye. In one or two days, it would be black. For now it was already quite swollen and red. "He punched me." I looked at him, stunned. "He came to my place and asked me if Manami was there. I said 'no' and he punched me." I took his hand and brought him to the kitchen.

I took some water from the sink and turned it into ice cubes, putting them in a cloth. I tied it and gave it to Shisui.

"It's very practical," he said, putting the ice on his eye. He hissed. "I didn't remember him having such a right hook."

"Did he say anything or just punched you?"

"He started by punching me. Then he said I shouldn't have tried to steal something from him." I gaped a little. The fuck?

Shisui lowered his hand, his eyes serious.

"Something happened between you two?" I blushed and looked away, nodding. He sighed.

I glanced at him. He was staring at the kitchen counter, thoughtful.

"Don't look at me like that idiot, it's not as if I wasn't expecting this to happen one day. I mean, moving in together? Itachi had more balls with you than I ever had." I blinked. "You were so focused on not feelings anything toward him you completely turned a blind eye on how he was feeling about you, didn't you?" I looked away.

"You're not...mad?"

"Hey, I'm in a relationship. I moved on, it wouldn't really be proper of me to be mad at you for having feelings for a man, would it?" He put down the ice and took my arms, turning me toward him. "If anything, I want you to be happy too. If it's with Itachi, then so be it."

Yet I couldn't help but think his girlfriend was not the right one.

I bit my tongue, keeping my thoughts to myself.

"By the way, I came to a conclusion!" I raised a brow. "I'm having the transplant. In my right eye." I widened my eyes. "We ran tests and such. I won't have all the abilities of the Eternal Mangekyou in both eyes but I'll still have some. It depends on people. I could use the Susanoo like I am now with no pain or huge chakra loss, or I could use the full Susanoo with the entire body but with pain and chakra loss."

"The first one seems more like a win." He nodded.

"Agree, let's hope it's what I end up with. And Taiga could control matter? That's interesting."

"Clearly you never had you spine almost shattered because of it." He winced. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Sasuke and Itachi will also have the transplant."

"Good. That's...good."

I was summoned by Tsunade-san. When I arrived, Jiraya-san was there as well. Both of them had grim faces. It made me shudder.

"There has been...movements around the Eien Hansen," Jiraya-san announced. I shut my eyes.

It was not as if I wasn't expecting this.

"The Mizukage sent shinobi around it on a reckon mission, but if it is Ushio, then you will have to go there," Tsunade-san continued.

"I know." They shared a look.

"I will put you back on active duty during the week, please quit from the Police Force. As you're an honorary shinobi of Konoha, I can't have you be on active duty and working at one of the village infrastructure full-time at the same time." I nodded.

"Of course, I will let Fugaku-san know." I should get ready, in case I did not come back. I looked at Jiraya-san. "Can I ask you what you are planning?" He pointed at himself.

"Me? Nothing big. Sure, I'm still careful of the Akatsuki moves, but movements around the Eien Hansen is the first thing there is in months. I think I'll stay around and focus on Naruto and Fū for a while." I nodded.

"He made a lot of progress." I even managed to teach him the Wild Water Wave Technique, in spite of him not being a natural at Suiton. Sure, it wasn't very controlled, but he would mix it with his Wind Sphere or Rasenshuriken and bam, super powerful combination.

Naru had a big love for combination jutsu. Uzumakis usually showed their creativity through Fuinjutsu, but in Naru's case, his past as a pranker and now using different elements made him curious about how much he could do. He'd drag Gamakichi with him too.

I was very proud, Mom as well. I mean, old Naruto was very powerful, but Naru was not solely focused on the Rasengan or Shadow Clones jutsu now and it was awesome to see him trying, get interested in what could work together and be so happy and proud of himself when he'd succeed.

"I think he might be ready for the Mount Myōboku soon." I tilted my head, Tsunade-san looking at him.

"Sage Mode." Jiraya-san nodded.

"I heard Sasuke and Itachi would swap eyes, so his rival will have a huge power boost. I might as well make sure he doesn't fall behind." I chuckled.

"Let's hope he doesn't turn into a frog." Jiraya-san burst into laughter.

"Fukasaku-sama will hit him before he's completely lost!" He walked to the window and slipped a leg outside. "Now ladies, if you'll excuse me, I have...research to do. Bye!" He jumped on the roof of the building in front of us.

Tsunade-san sighed.

"I am going to write my will, in case," I told her. She frowned. "Would you be the executor of my will? I'll write one for Kiri as well, sensei will...take care of it, I'm sure."

"Don't you want Akiko to do it?" I shook my head.

"I need someone who'll be listened to." She stared at me and ended up nodding.

"Of course." I smiled.

"Thank you. I will see you later then." I teleported to oji-chan rock face and sat down there.

I sighed deeply.

It would be soon huh...if Dad was really around that place, then he'd find a way to get me in particular. He would want to finish whatever he had started back then. I looked at my hands. I knew he needed a sacrifice to start the whole thing, but I had no idea if he had done anything else. While I remembered what happened inside vividly, how I got there was blurry. I think I lost a doll on the way.

A few years back, oji-chan implied I didn't know everything, that I was only four at the time. I had not taken it in a good way but...he was right.

I barely remembered the way to that place, maybe he told me important things I couldn't remember?

I wish I could look into my own memories now. There must be something about Dad.

I barely remembered what kind of father he had been. When I'd think about a fatherly figure, it would be Minato coming up to mind. Yagura as well in a weird, twisted way, but never Dad. I think he used to talk about the stars to Fubuki and I as we'd watch them at night.

I should…

I should get ready to say 'goodbye'.

I jumped on my feet. No matter what Itachi would decide, I unfortunately didn't have the time to wait for him. I had to focus on other things.

"Open it."

"Nee-chan, it was your birthday a week ago, you shouldn't have given us gifts." Sasuke was staring at the box in his hand while Naruto had an embarrassed look on his face. I smiled at them.

"That's fine. I was planning on giving these to you when you'd get promoted...you know, one day maybe." They glared. Oh, genin. Well, Sasuke was in the ANBU, but...he was also a genin. "However, I figured that even if you don't have the rank, the skills are here. Now open them, I didn't get frustrated doing these for nothing!" They shared a look and opened the boxes.

"'Ikigai'?" Sasuke wondered, pulling the gift from the box. "Wait, is that ice? It's not cold."

"I put a seal on them to keep them from melting but also being freezing."

"You're into ice sculptures nee-chan?" I shrugged.

"Onii-chan was better than me, Haku is as well. The Yuki clan used to do it a lot to train their Ice Release." The kanji for 'Ikigai' were made in ice and were connected. Sasuke was holding his with a dark blue string, Naruto had an orange one. "You know that 'Ikigai' is basically about a reason for being right?" They nodded. "I thought it would be a nice thing to remind you when missions and shinobi life got too hard, that's why I was planning to give them to you as chuunin."

They looked at the gifts more seriously now they knew the meaning behind them.

"I know it's not something that can save you in a fight but…" I had Naruto in my arms.

"Thanks nee-chan, I love you." I hugged him back, surprised by the seriousness in his tone.

"I love you too Naru."

"What made you decide to give them to us?" Sasuke asked me. I shrugged as Naruto released me.

"I'm going back on active duty." They raised their brows. "I was pulled out of it because I didn't...I had lost my reason of being I guess, but now I'm going back in, I wanted to make sure you wouldn't go through the same thing I did." I smiled nervously. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah it does. You'll be okay though nee-chan?" I grinned.

"If Tsunade-san thinks I'm ready, then I'm sure it means I'm ready! I had time to think things through these past six months." I took a deep breath. "I'll be fine."

"I'll ask Granny to send me on a mission with yo…"

"Naru, no. We're still both targets, and honestly I can't promise I won't do something stupid to protect your sorry ass." He pursed his lips, worry obvious on his face. I stood up and dusted myself off. "Anyway, I'll leave you two to your training. Don't kill each other, okay?" I left them as they told me goodbye.

I wanted all the Hyuugas free from the Bird Cage Seal before I had that mission. I...having Neji and Hinata with me would be useful I think, so I couldn't put the seal on them at the moment. I should tell them though.

I hit my closed fist in my open palm in a street.

Akane, you can do this!

"Nii-san." Itachi looked at the door of his childhood bedroom. Sasuke was standing there with a stern face.

He didn't have a lot of interactions with his family since he read Akane's diaries. Reading them had been a tough pill to swallow, knowing his family knew about it before him was even harder.

He resented his father for pushing an engagement on Akane when she was desperate to make sure him and Shisui would live their lives. She…

A primal, possessive part of him, a part he was ashamed of because of how controlling and uncaring it could be, kept whispering to him that Akane had always been his in the end, that her coldness at first was a result of loving him and being hurt by him. That same part resented his father for giving what was his to someone else.

That same part resented his brother for taking her away from him.

"What?" His voice was colder than intended, but Sasuke seemed too preoccupied to care.

"I know Akane and you haven't really spoken to each other." Itachi turned his face toward his window, opposite to Sasuke. "But I thought you might want to know she's going back on active duty." This got his attention.

"I see." Was she ready for that?

Actually, how had she been period? It had been a few weeks already. His mother told him she visited her and that she seemed down, but he didn't have the courage to go and see her. Knowing her and how utterly terrified she was when she gave him those diaries, he was sure she was thinking he hated her or didn't want anything to do with her anymore.

"Was that all?" Sasuke gazed at him, his eyes unreadable.

"I get it's hard to digest, but don't let her imagining the worst for a long time or she will get ideas stuck in her head." On this note, Sasuke shut the door behind him.

As if he didn't know that already.

Reading through her diaries and her thoughts had been difficult but needed. Everything made sense, the way she had always acted around him made sense. Sadly, her lack of faith in him also made sense.

Itachi gritted his teeth. He was angry and felt guilty. He felt guilty for things he had never done but still replicated on a smaller scales. He could not imagine the kind of guilt and pain this other version of him was feeling for purposely taking and taking from Akane before leaving her alone.

He sighed. He always knew she seemed much older than she looked and he was right. Seeing her acting with this other Itachi...she was so different, more childish even, maybe more naive as well, but most of all she was...so empty without the other Itachi. She had no one, didn't care about anything or anyone apart from him.

For years, he had been paying for the way this other Itachi acted selfishly. Sure, he was in love with her, but he kept coming. She kept letting him in. The way her eyes would sparkle at his sight...he only caught glimpse of it in the past few months.

In the end, she was trying to protect herself from being left behind again.

In the end, if she relied more on Sasuke or Kakashi, it wasn't because she cared more about them, it was because they never died before and they were more reliable to her in a way.

More reliable than him. Yet, she...were the twins his children as well?

Her saying she didn't care about not having children made more sense as well. Why would she when she raised twins on her own once? This aspect of her life had been fulfilled, even if there was no one to truly share it with.

Did his other self, once he passed, saw her raising twins?

Itachi put his arm on his eyes. Back then, he was so frustrated for being utterly ignored by the girl Sasuke had a childish crush on, the same girl he used to have a crush on when he was five. He thought she hated him, but it was the opposite, wasn't it? She was struggling to differentiate the two Itachis she knew and needed to work this out on her own.

He smiled faintly.

It...made him happy, to know his crush became more. Even if he had died, Akane had loved him with all her heart.

He wanted Akane to love him like that as well, have that spark in her eyes when he was there and smile lovingly at him. He wanted her to do that freely without thinking what she was doing was wrong.

At first, he wondered if she truly saw him for him and not just a replacement, but that thought quickly disappeared. She had never told him because she didn't want him to see her differently, to think he had some kind of debt to her. He knew her enough to know that, although her feelings for this other Itachi had been the foundation of her...basically being his and Sasuke's guardian angel in a way, they had built a friendship of their own, then more. She shared things with the other Itachi, but they also had their fare share of experience that made them closer.

He knew that. He knew that even if the other one would always be in the back of her head, pushing her to make sure he'd live a long and happy life, she also saw him for himself.

She made sure he wouldn't turn into that person after all.

He hoped she knew this as well.

He really hoped she knew this as well, or he would make sure she'd understand it.

He sighed softly. She probably felt lonely in the apartment by herself. He always felt lonely when she was away.

He knew why the other Itachi kept coming back and was drawn to her. She was a reminder of Shisui, of who he was, and he needed that to not completely lose it and pursue his mission. Akane had been his way to remember how he was, to have a connection to his past.

To him, she wasn't that. He was still in Konoha, still the heir and Sasuke wasn't trying to kill him to avenge the clan. Instead, he never ceased to have expectations piled up on him, as an Uchiha or a Konoha shinobi. From the moment she arrived in Konoha, she had been a breath of fresh air.

She didn't care about him being an Uchiha or Konoha, if anything she had been sad about it. Becoming friends with her had allowed him to be himself more.

After Kiri, he knew what he was seeing. He was tied by his clan and village, he had them in his priorities. Akane never knew her clans, slaughtered by her own village, and for the longest time had no loyalty toward it. She was part of the rebellion overthrowing the system.

In a way...he was finding this fascinating, not having anyone telling you how to act. She could be herself. So when her engagement became official and the Uchiha clan started telling her what was proper or not, when it came out of her own mouth, he couldn't accept it.

He'd make sure she would remain herself. He'd make sure that when she was struggling like she had been in the past, he'd pull her back up.

He would protect her. She had done too much for them, for Konoha, for him to let her down again.

He blushed suddenly, remembering the night they had spent together. If only he could face her and tell her that now...tell her that he loved her as she was and that he was old enough to decide who he wanted to be with. He licked his lips unconsciously.

She had completely consumed him that night. She was so responsive to his touch, to his kiss, so lost in pleasure all thanks to him. He never had those kind of reactions with Izumi, hence why he was so surprised to see Akane in such a state. He had never felt so drawn to Izumi either.

He couldn't get enough of Akane's reactions, moans and pleas for more and when she would moan his name…

Itachi growled, feeling heat pooling down between his legs.

She always had had her own opinions, she was strong and independent like that. He loved that about her. So seeing her so responsive and submissive to him in bed when she could be so dominant sometimes with him in everyday life was a massive turn-on.

He agreed with his more primal part.

There was no way anyone but him would see her like that, or touch her, or kiss her.

It was all for him.

Hell, it had always been for him and his eyes only, he just never knew it.

It was obvious after making love to her that she felt the same way, she just...kept herself from thinking about him this way to give him a future.

A future.

If there were to be a war soon, and he'd burn anyone to ashes if they dared cutting Sasuke's arm off, then he wanted to be with someone he loved rather than thinking about giving an heir. Children came with someone you loved, he never saw it the other way around. So what if she couldn't have or want any? He didn't care. Nor did he care she technically was older, ultimately she had merged with the one he would have fallen in love with as well, so it didn't matter.

He cared about how she wrote her mental state would go bad one day again, how she would not live another decade. He wanted to be there.

He wanted her for as long as he could like she had wanted him before for as long as she could. He knew the facts now. It didn't change. If anything, he wanted her more and protect her, make sure she wasn't trying to do everything on her own.

He would tell her that.

Once he had gathered to courage to.

He would have the surgery first.

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks to Visual Bliss for the reviews.

Bye!