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

Itachi was staring at the picture. Akane had bought a nice place and Karin and Suigetsu made sure it would be taken care of. They had been fighting when they arrived. Now, he was staring at the picture taken before the Resistance launched their attack on Kiri, probably before any Konoha shinobi came. Sasuke was at the center, Akane's left arm around his neck to keep him from moving from the irritated pout on his face. Akane was smirking at the camera, her teammates' arms around her shoulders. Seeing faces of people who died that night…

It seemed like it was just yesterday he was running from the Fourth Mizukage with Akane, but also an eternity ago. So much had happened, yet it was still intimately connected.

The picture next to this one was from a much younger Akane, with Mangetsu, Dai and Suigetsu, the Fifth Mizukage behind them smiling.

In the bookcase he recognized books he had read when he was in the hospital back then. Kiri had changed as well. It had been rebuilt and improved, having a direct connection with the sea now. Most of all, there were seals around the village to filtrate the heavy mist.

"You're more quiet than usual." He looked above his shoulder to see his senpai, his hands on his hips. Yamato's eyes found the pictures. "A lot has changed since then."

"Yes." He followed Yamato's finger. It was another picture. Akane, whose hair reached her shoulders, was hugging Haku and Sasuke, Karin between them. Itachi smiled to himself a little.

Seeing Sasuke with a Kiri hitai-ate was strange.

"Anyway, dinner is almost ready." He nodded and turned around.

It had been decided Naruto and Sasuke would sleep in Akane's room, the boys glaring at each other about respecting boundaries. Sakura would go in Haku's room on her own, Sai and Yamato would go to the spare room. Him and Kakashi would be in the living-room.

The diner was quiet and they all went to bed, minus Yamato who stayed in the living-room. Kakashi arrived shortly after, a pile of files under his arm. He dropped them on the coffee table.

"Is there food? I'm starving." Yamato pointed at the kitchen while Itachi opened a file. When Kakashi came back, he was patting his stomach. "I feel better." He sat down around the coffee table. "Mizukage-sama allowed us to use any information Kiri has about Ushio, Kisame and unfortunately, Akane as well."

"Uzumaki Ushio. Strengths: taijutsu, fuinjutsu, suiton, fuuton. Can use fuinjutsu in an offensive way. Knowledgeable about a lot of fuinjutsu taught to the Uzumaki clan in Uzushio," Yamato read.

"Like the chains he used in Kiri?" Itachi asked Kakashi, who nodded.

"They're Adamantine Chains, a secret fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki clan. Uzumaki Kushina was able to use it and could block something as big as a bijuu."

"Akane's summons used that on the Sanbi," Itachi stated quietly, reading through Kisame's file.

"Ushio's information continue," the wood user said. "Hiraishin user. Can make a marker big enough to cover an area. Mind seals. In spite of not having an Ice Release, he is part of the Yuki clan and therefore has a very strong affinity with water and wind techniques."

"Overall, apart from the fuinjutsu specialty, Ushio's and Akane's styles are similar. The Fourth Mizukage was Ushio's partner on most missions, even under mind control he taught her what she would naturally be good at," Kakashi said, leaning on his hands.

"Kakashi-senpai, you've known him for a long time, haven't you?" Yamato asked the man. "So you have seen him fight before."

"I did." He blinked and removed his forehead protector with a sigh. "Minato-sensei struggled against him. Sure, he couldn't really fight to his full potential with Akane, Fubuki and I around, or in that Tower, but Ushio-san couldn't either. I remember them working on seals together, hence why he knows the Hiraishin as well." Kakashi opened Akane's file, pictures of her at different ages and her progress appearing. "Ushio-san even trained us sometimes back then. Jiraya-sama struggled in Kiri and I'm not that surprised by it."

"How so?" Kakashi sighed at Itachi's question and looked at him.

"Did Akane tell you about Fubuki's nickname?" The Uchiha nodded.

"Fubuki of the Explosive Snow. He would use the same technique as Akane's, her Blizzard Breath, and incorporate explosive seals in it."

"It seems way too complicated for a child," Yamato pointed out.

"Yet he could, Fubuki was gifted. More so than I am. He survived the old graduation exam when he was three, and awakened his kekkai genkai. He didn't get it from nowhere either. Ushio-san doesn't have the Yuki clan's Ice Release, but he still uses his two clans to their full advantages."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he can turn any of his water-base jutsu into Adamantine Chains. I haven't witnessed many Uzumakis using them, but the way he does is frightening." Kakashi put down Akane's file describing her progress as a genin. "And both him and Kisame are from Kiri, meaning they knew each other even before the Akatsuki. They're in their element."

"You're not very optimistic," Itachi pointed out with a frown.

"The Mizukage asked me if she would see her student back and I couldn't answer her, no matter how much I wanted to say 'yes'," Kakashi whispered almost softly. He closed his eyes. "It really came to the worst."

There was a moment of silence when Itachi took Akane's file, reading reports about her progress after she joined Kiri. It was astonishing, but remembering what she had told him about these years, he couldn't help the wave of sadness and anger washing over him. Akane was talented, but these kind of results in such a short period of time only proved she had been exploited until she couldn't move, probably to the brink of death a few times, and that her wish for freedom had been the only thing keeping her alive.

They both had bad memories starting their eleventh years, him in the ANBU, her in Kiri.

"Should we start planning?" the Uchiha asked. Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, it will be for the best if we had a few strategies planed already. We have a meeting with the Mizukage in the morning. I'm sure Shikamaru will come up with a few things on his own."

"Then we need to know Ushio's target," Yamato stated sternly. "Target who's pretty obvious."

"Naruto," Itachi said.

"Naruto," Kakashi confirmed.

The next day, they were in the Mizukage's office, along with the three other Konoha shinobi.

"I've already told Hatake-san yesterday, but thanks for coming," Mei thanked them, Dai standing behind her, his hands in his back.

"We're gonna get nee-chan back, of course we came dattebayo!" The Mizukage smile gently at him.

"With such determination, I'm sure you'll succeed Naruto." She pursed her lips. "However, you are also Ushio's target. I consulted my men yesterday night. Ushio is using Akane as an offensive tool, but also a defensive one as she's one of us."

"We figured that much as well," Kakashi said firmly. He looked at Shikamaru. "We met up at the hospital before coming here to suggest a strategy. Shikamaru." The Mizukage looked at him in interest.

"Nara Shikaku's son?" Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head with a tired look on his face.

"That's me." His arm fell by his side and his face turned serious. "Our strategy might seem a little crazy at first, but we all think it might be the only one that will work." Mei raised her brows. "We need to play along." The Mizukage shot Sasuke a look, who nodded at her. Her emerald eyes looked back at Shikamaru in interest.

"I'm listening Nara-san."

"That's very easy dear," Ushio told him, patting Akane's cheek without getting any response. "The target calls her nee-chan, I lure him inside, a seal here and there and you've got the Kyuubi on a silver platter. Bonus point for me for using Akane in front of him."

"I see," he replied in his regular voice. Not that he used it much anyway.

"So you know, hold the others back when Naruto is tricked into coming to me."

"And after?"

"Well you get your bijuu, it's all that matters, isn't it?"

"Of course."

He went on a tree branch and sat down on it, waiting. Akane would die and then...he would get the Kyuubi, it was all that truly mattered. Ushio was right on this one.

That day, he was there. He was on the very same branch, watching Kushina and Akiko desperately trying to get in. Then, Kakashi came out of it, holding a traumatized and bloodied Akane in his arms. Minato followed, Fubuki in his arms. It was logical of Akiko to break down at the sight of her son.

But really, what did they expect? Minato never was there when he was most needed, Kakashi couldn't protect anyone, of course one of the kids would die on their watch. True, he hadn't expected Ushio do such things, but there was no way Kakashi and Minato could have saved everyone.

He knew that better than anyone.

Then, at his utter surprise, Akiko left her own daughter to Kushina and Minato in Konoha. What kind of mother would leave her traumatized child to go deal with her loss elsewhere with Tsunade? Akane needed her mom.

At that time, he would often spy on what was happening in Konoha. He would often be in the cemetery near Rin's grave, so of course he'd see Kakashi wallowing in self-pity in front of Rin's grave, but there would also be Kushina, placing flowers for her and Fubuki with sadness on her face. Minato came rarely because he was too busy as the Hokage to spare the people he failed some time.

Of course, he would also see Akane crying on her brother's grave, telling him she felt lonely and wanted her mom. She would also go on Rin's grave, putting flowers and patting her name, asking the older girl to take care of her brother up there even if she wished she could take care of her too.

He thought about kidnapping her more than once. It seemed like no one was willing to give her the care she actually needed, so he might as well do it and show her the world as it was. In dire need of saving. The first time she met Shisui, she told him his hitai-ate would kill the boy like it killed him after all.

That kid always looked at him in admiration, something he would brag about. She would follow him around each time he'd stop by with his team and as he didn't have any sibling, he'd enjoy that. She believed in him and in his dream with big eyes full of innocence. Rin would then smile, kneel next to her and tell her she was right in believing in him and that he'd need support. Seeing that, he promised Akane he'd make her a princess the day he'd be Hokage.

Obito smiled bitterly behind his mask.

It was for that very reason he wanted her on his side. Sure, she had potential and would make everything faster, but more than that, he wanted to show her she had been right in believing in him. He'd save the world from itself. He was fighting for a noble cause and the people who died in the process were unfortunate but necessary sacrifices.

She didn't seem to understand, but once he'd take her away from Konoha, he'd explain to her and she would join him. He had been clumsy in Kiri, she had been through a lot, exceeding his expectations, of course she wouldn't follow him. He had to play the right cards. If the little girl who looked at him in awe and believed in him joined his side, then it'd prove he was right in his actions.

And if she didn't join him...no, Akane had seen the world, the cruelty of it, of course she'd join him. Once all the bijuus together and Juubi back, he'd use the Infinite Tsukuyomi on her first, as a gift.

Now it was useless. She was gonna die. He would not help her. Akane had become a necessary sacrifice as well. She was right. When they spoke, she said he wouldn't stop her because she was the only one who could defeat Ushio. That man had become a hindrance that needed to be removed. He used to think he would be a good addition, but his true motives were never really clear, he was too unpredictable.

He had to be removed, and if Akane died in the process, then so be it. He had other pawns.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a mop of silver hair leading a group. Obito sneered under his mask.

"You're already too late Kakashi," he hissed under his breath. "You always are."

The plan.

The seven Konoha shinobi were going back to the Eien Hansen, Hinata having been added to the group. They would divide in four teams, each of them having a doujutsu user in order to localize the seals as chakra was circulating in them. Therefore, Kakashi was with Yamato, Sasuke with Sai, Naruto with Hinata and Sakura with Itachi. The Uchihas's eyes had been checked before leaving as Sasuke's had had an issue. Too much use and the optic nerves could suffer irreversible damage.

The four teams would spread to each seal to deactivate them. With the Tower's entrance sealed, Ushio could pull Akane back as he wished and it would make the fight too long. They needed to push forward and play along, create as much trouble as possible to make him come out of hiding.

Once out, the two elite Kiri squad, Neji and Shikamaru in them would join the fight. Neji still had some minor chakra burn and Shikamaru being away and observing would give him the opportunity to plan for anything. They would also keep Kisame busy.

Once out, Akane needed to be neutralized and for this, Kakashi, Sasuke and Hinata had been chosen. The rest would deal with Ushio, Yamato and Itachi leading them.

Hopefully, putting Naruto in the attack team would convince Ushio his plan to lure Naruto to him with Akane would work.

"Alright," Kakashi said once they reached the south pillar. "Yamato and I will take care of this one. Hinata and Naruto, the east. Itachi, Sakura, north. It leaves the west to you two, Sasuke, Sai. Everybody remembers the plan?" They nodded. "Then go. Don't forget there are traps in the seals, be ready for anything." They all left. The two shinobi looked down, Kakashi's sharigan spinning. He knelt. "Yamato, be ready."

"Yes." Kakashi made hand signs. Sasuke had told him and Itachi how to fully use their sharingan to break a seal.

He had to focus to see the small difference in the chakra flow within the seal. When he did, he gathered chakra in his fingers to break it.

"The defense system makes replica of the people in the area," Sai's voice informed them through their radio as Kakashi just broke the seal.

"Ah, like what Gai's team had to deal with on the Gaara Retrieval Mission," Kakashi said with a sigh as two form emerged from the ground. His eyes looked at them as they turned into himself and Yamato. "It has Kushina-san written all over it."

At the north pillar, Itachi lowered his hand as he and Sakura could see that indeed, the fight a few days before had damaged the scenery.

"Shikamaru here. We crossed path with Hoshigaki Kisame and the other team met Akasuna no Sasori." Itachi frowned. It wasn't planned. "Except for Itachi-san and Sakura, everyone is fighting off the seals' defense."

"I'm afraid we're in a fight as well Shikamaru," Sakura stated, looking toward the Tower.

At first sight, everything was calmed around it. However, Akane's head poked out of it, followed by her whole body that crossed an invisible wall.

Most likely there was a hidden genjutsu hiding the real tower from sight.

"We're going to engage Akane," Sakura continued as the kunoichi removed the forehead protector around her neck. She tied it over her right eye, leaving the left one visible.

The only eye he could use the Sharingan on had a seal protecting it and its owner from genjutsu.

Great.

"I'll take care of her, try to find more about about where she came from."

"Bu…"

"Sakura, it's an order." He clenched his fists by his side. "Please." She pursed her lips.

"Alright." She jumped out of the way just as a kunai landed at Itachi's feet.

Akane's foot met one of Susanoo's rib and blew it up. As it put distance between them, Itachi thought about a plan. He trained with Akane often, any water jutsu he'd throw at her, she would return them at him. Genjutsu was useless. It left him with taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, ninjutsu and Susanoo. However, he doubted he could use the full potential of his Susanoo so soon after getting his brother's eyes.

In front of him, Akane probably had not had real rest since her father put her under his influence and her leg and arm were wounded because of him. Basically, even if she was an Uzumaki and had more stamina and chakra than him, her body might stop following her movements at some point. Also, it was unlikely she'd use her summons and Adamantine Chains as her summons would not obey her if she was under her father's influence.

The good thing was it would be an interesting fight at least.

"Katon: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson." He set the shuriken he threw on fire, leaving an explosive clone behind as a decoy while she extinguished them.

She dodged them and ran to his clone while he was already changing his still flying shuriken trajectory. Akane looked above her shoulders at the shuriken going to her while his clone engaged her with a kunai. His clone blew up, the shuriken engulfed in smoke.

When the smoke disappeared, Akane was intact, surrounded by a crumbling dome of ice.

Her Ice Release would be an issue. He wasn't that worried about direct attack, it was more the indirect attack that worried him. She could very well lower the temperature and this would be an issue. She could handle the cold but he couldn't. That, and if he didn't die of hypothermia, then she could turn the water inside his body in ice once the temperature was low enough.

He was impressed when she told him that, before she ranted about it not killing Hidan, and also a little bit scared.

He suddenly remembered why he didn't want to seriously face Akane.

People hailed him as a genius but she wasn't that far off either. Natural talent and decades worth of experience. Basically, apart from his own personal feelings, he'd rather have her on his side.

"Suiton: Big Waterfall Technique," she stated, now on the lake behind him. He raised two fingers as he spun around.

"Katon: Great Fireball Technique." The fire and water crashed against one another, canceling each other.

He dodged a punch, throwing one as well. They traded blows quickly, his sharingan following her movements. She raised her leg, his eyes seeing chakra gathered there, indicating she was planing on using a seal. Quickly, he grabbed her ankle and raised her leg, making her lose her balance on the lake. He elbowed her in the sternum, making her gasp and a few drops of blood ran down her lips.

Still, she leaned on her hand and kicked him in the stomach with her other foot. He let go of her and removed his jacket before jumping back.

His jacket blew up.

"Suiton: Water Shockwave." Akane raised her left hand, the water of the lake following her movement, towering them by several meters.

The moment he saw the water changing shape, he used his Amaterasu. He couldn't allow her to soak him or his body would grow colder. It would also give her the opportunity to freeze him and trap him.

She raised two fingers on her raised hand.

"Hyōton: Freezing Technique."

He now had hundreds of ice spikes aimed at him. Her two fingers bent toward him, the spikes flying toward him. He used his Susanoo, the armor coming quickly. While the Yata mirror was canceling the ones touching it, the Susanoo itself was receiving the rest of the spikes, inside of which he could see black flames. He frowned and focused on them, intensifying them.

They melted the ice from the inside.

He widened his eyes when he noticed Akane missing.

"Huh," he heard in his back. He spun around in time to see a water clone disappearing and Akane appearing in an hiraishin. She grabbed the back of his head and made him meet her knee.

He heard his nose breaking. He used Amaterasu again and jumped away from Susanoo and looked at her, who had dodged his fire by teleporting on the ground. They had stayed on the lake.

He had been careless. The regular Susanoo, the one with the regular Mangekyou, did not protect from attack coming from below. She made a water clone and used it as an Hiraishin marker to get close to him. He thought back at the impressive display of power just before.

Only an Uzumaki would use this much chakra as a distraction.

Itachi wiped his nose in pain, blood and mucus mixing together before feeling a dull pain behind his eyes. Had he already used them too much? He ran back to solid ground, leaving a crow clone behind that was quickly destroyed by a water dragon.

Itachi widened his eyes when he saw Akane. Her right hand was keeping her left one down, left hand that was shaking. The fact her face did not show anything made the sight highly disturbing, but what was happening was clear.

Her left arm had become the Shinigami Claw, meaning that anything related to her seal would first impact her left arm. She had four souls inside of that seal, the four previous Hokage.

It meant someone was trying to gain control from inside.

He took a kunai and went back at her. She turned around and made ice under her foot to slip on purpose and dodge him. She turned around on her back and grabbed his ankle. Then, she trapped his waist between her legs and threw him above her. He winced at the impact and rolled on the side when he saw her right above him, her hand opened and close to his face. He kicked her away, knelt on the ground and watched her getting back up. They were back to hand-to-hand combat, but somehow, she seemed slower.

Why wasn't she using any of her weapons by the way?

He ducked, losing a few hair to her kunai.

He kicked the side of her left thigh and she winced. When she used her High Wind Technique, it destroyed the trees in front of her as his hand had firmly grabbed her shoulder to lean on it and slip behind her.

Here, there was an opening.

He started to plunge his kunai toward her neck as she turned around to face him. He met her eyes, ready to fulfill the promise he made to her. She didn't want to threaten anyone, so it was better if…

"Here." Itachi raised his head in surprise. After therapy, Akane and him somehow ended up in the park while kids were leaving. He sat down on a swing and she jumped on one.

None of them talked until she jumped down and showed him the plastic bag she had. He accepted it and looked up at her in curiosity at the sight of dango.

"I thought you weren't a big fan of them."

"I'm not but you are." He just stared, not knowing how to respond. She just shrugged at his silent question. "You've been more and more gloomy after therapy, I thought you were at a tough moment in your sessions."

"...thanks." She nodded at him with a smile and jumped back on the swing.

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he ate his treat. It had not even been a month since they became friend yet she noticed this. Was he transparent to her or was she perceptive?

No, it was none of those. She was going through the same thing as him, knew how hard it was at times.

She just...got it. She understood him on this.

He chuckled to himself and she stopped swinging, raising a brow at him.

"Something funny?"

"Nothing." She was back at swinging, her auburn hair following each of her movement.

He loved the color of her hair.

If he had known the girl who would ignore up until a month ago would try to cheer him up and just be his silent companion when traumas were too much, he wouldn't have believed it. Somehow, being here in that park, with Akane next to him, the silence broken by the sound of her swing was soothing the aching scars. If he had gone home he would have spent a couple of hours in his room on his own.

Here, even if they were not talking, he wasn't alone and it was making this easier in a way. He didn't know her traumas, but he knew they didn't need to talk about it to understand that the other needed silence but also someone to be there.

He truly was glad they were friends now, and could only hope they would remain as such for a long time.

He didn't have that feeling of understanding with anyone else. It was quiet, peaceful and just...there. It was natural, instinctive.

When they went home, they started talking once they exited the park after an hour spent in a blissful silence.

"Can you do Fuinjutsu?"

"Not that much, why?" She grinned.

"Good, then I'm totally turning Sasuke into a Fuinjutsu bad ass!" She pointed a finger at him. "You're going down." He raised a brow and she pursed her lips. "In a few years, but you're going down."

"I'll be waiting then," he replied with a small smile. They stopped in front of her house.

"Thanks for walking me home, get home safely." He nodded. "Bye!" She ran back inside and he left, his hands in his pockets.

A soft smile was on his lips.

He had never felt he could show he was vulnerable, this vulnerable, to anyone, not even Shisui.

It felt good to stop pretending for once.

Her eyes were completely empty and his kunai stopped an inch before her neck. Itachi gulped.

He loved her. He always had and having her blood on his hands…He gritted his teeth. In another life, a life she had lived, the only person he could not kill was Sasuke, but he could kill his parents. She was expecting him to do the same with her because of that.

But he couldn't.

The thought of never seeing her again, hearing her again or just share anything with her and to be responsible for this was making him sick to the stomach.

He couldn't kill her. He couldn't fulfill his promise after all, he couldn't kill her.

She saw that too.

She saw that, grabbed his hand and redirected the kunai in his chest. Blood dripped from his mouth and soaked his shirt.

He had a kunai in his chest because he couldn't kill the woman he loved so deeply. A few drops of his blood touched her cheek and she widened her eyes in horror.

"Itachi?" she whispered in horror.

"You're...so annoying to...to fight against…" he stuttered, fighting the blood coming up his throat.

"Itachi-san!" Sakura screamed, running toward him.

Akane jumped back and grabbed her head, her legs shaking. She shot him a tearful look before running away. He stretched out his hand to her, trying to move past Sakura who was reporting the situation.

"Stay down!" the medic ordered him harshly. "Sasuke and Sai are done, they're coming." Her hand glowed green on his wound. "I'm going to do a minor surgery, I need seals to make the zone ster…"

He barely heard his brother when the world faded to black.

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

Bye!