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

Naruto, Sasuke: 17

Shisui: 26

Kakashi: 31

"Where is it?"

"In the park at the center of the village, for all to see." I bit my bottom lip.

"How far is it from where we are?" Kakashi inquired in a serious and firm tone.

"Maybe twenty minutes."

"Make it five." We were back in our usual gear, but I was uncomfortable.

It had clearly been touched and I despised people touching my stuff if I didn't know them. I ignored it though because it was too dire of a situation to be frustrated about this.

Kakashi and I followed the two shinobi through Iwa. I knew it was war, but it still seemed oddly quiet and...deserted. There was no time to stop on this. I had my teammate to save, and it was not my village.

We slowed down and walked up a sort of small cliff, hiding behind rock when we reached the park. It was mainly rocks, there was not much green for a park. But I recognized Dai, beaten and bruised and probably with some broken bones, hands and feet tied in his back. He was on his knees, dried blood on his face and a shinobi holding his head back by his hair.

Kakashi hold me back when I tried to intervene.

"They're going to kill him!" I hissed at him quietly.

"We can't intervene yet." I bit my bottom lip. I knew he was right when Kurotsuchi appeared in front of the small crowd but still…

She started to give a motivational speech. I mean, I was listening to it, but just...I couldn't tear my eyes off my friend, barely conscious.

"We need to stop this war! How can you let the village be associated with the Akatsuki, a group who has no remorse bringing the dead back to use them like puppets!?" she yelled at her grandfather, who was not letting anything show. "You're too stubborn and it will drive the village to its own destruction!" Oonoki pursed his lips.

Hum...maybe he was starting to regret his actions?

"Oh no." I followed Kakashi's eyes and widened mine.

There was a white bird flying above us. I squinted at the small things…shit, bombs, Deidara had just bombed us.

I blinked when blue sparks flew in the sky, touching most of the bombs. One slipped through and someone barely had the time to warn them that the big man with the Tsuchikage, Akatsuchi if I remembered well, had made a rock golem out of his mouth to protect everyone from the explosion.

We joined Kurotsuchi, Oonoki frowning at us.

"You'd go that far to prove me wrong?" he asked his granddaughter.

"I'm doing what you taught me to: act for the good of my people. Your decisions go against it. I mean look!" She pointed her finger at Deidara. Sasuke was after him.

Good, then he did his part I guess.

My eyes settled on the man holding Dai. He looked back and I glared. It seemed to work as his hold on the kunai weakened. However, in the blink of an eye, his body tensed and his clenched his hand around the blade.

It happened almost in slow motion. The kunai sliced Dai's throat and blood spurted from the wound. I yelled something even I didn't comprehend and rushed to his side, kicking the man in a nearby rock. I turned Dai around, who had fallen, and bit my bottom lip, putting a hand on is wound.

He was still conscious, his wide, scared eyes in my horrified and panicked ones.

"It's gonna be okay, it's…" I whispered frantically. "It's gonna be okay."

"Get him out of here Akane," Kakashi ordered me seriously, in front of us. I nodded and pulled a stasis seal from my pocket but he weakly shook his head.

"But…"

"Go!" I pulled his arm on my shoulder, then got up and, with my hand on his throat I ran, his feet dragging on the ground.

I had to see Mangetsu die, completely powerless...it couldn't happen again, it just couldn't!

I stopped deeper in the park and laid him down on the ground, pressing my other hand on the wound. I had no idea what else to do, I had no medical seals anymore, all used before we were caught and…

I blinked when a coffin appeared in front of us and Mangetsu got out of it. I felt Dai panicking and had to force to keep him down when Kabutowari was in his hands.

"Akane, you've got to…" I didn't listen to Tobirama, ignored Dai trying to get rid of my hands so that I'd be able to fight back and defend myself.

If I stopped the pressure then he'd die. If I didn't we'd both die. The only thing racing in my mind was how twisted all of this was. I just watched Mangetsu running toward us with the intent to kill.

I slouched over Dai, determinate to protect him to the end.

There was the sound of metal meeting metal above me. I blinked and looked up, seeing sandals, then legs, and a man.

"Suigetsu?" I mumbled in shock. He was gritting his teeth, his arms bigger than usual as he was matching his dead brother's strength. His sword was merely a couple of centimeters above my head.

"Karin!" Chains were wrapped around Dai and I and we were dragged away from the siblings.

Kubikiribocho was broken by Mangetsu, but Suigetsu dropped it quickly, pointing his fingers at his brother before shooting.

"Move." Karin pushed me away and rolled up her sleeve. She put her wrist in Dai's mouth and forced him to bite her. I couldn't even relax when a green chakra surrounded him that Karin gave me a seal. "To activate the blood." I widened my eyes and looked at it.

When did they even finish synthesizing Karin's Heal Bite?

I applied it to my skin quickly and stood up when I felt someone appearing in my back. I frowned, my eyes taking a harsher glint as I grabbed the branch that sprung from the ground and blew it up, making ice around Karin and Dai to protect them from the splinters. I turned around, facing Obito.

"You're really not going to stop, are you? Why are you even here?"

"A lot has happened since you got there. Jiraya's dead." I looked down. "He tried to infiltrate the Hidden Rain once you got her and was killed, too bad you weren't there to teleport him away. As Pain is taking care of Konoha as we're speaking, I can take care of things here."

So...was Konoha destroyed too?

Fuck.

I almost sighed when I felt the air warp behind me. I body flickered away just for Obito to catch my arms. I pursed my lips as he did his thing again, trying to find a marker. I blinked when I felt one and looked at Mangetsu.

It was…

I suddenly went through Obito as he became intangible, a blade grazing me. Someone grabbed me and quickly moved away.

"Shisui?" I mumbled at the panting Uchiha.

"Hey." He let go of me and took a step forward, his sharingan spinning in his eyes. "Stay on the defensive, Terumi needs some time." I gulped and nodded, going back to them as I let him and Obito started going at it.

It was impressive to watch. Shisui was somehow matching Obito's annoying Mangekyo. I looked at Suigetsu, still fighting his brother. Earlier, I felt...I focused and frowned.

I had a marker. On Mangetsu. Or more like inside. Back at the Resistance, I had experimented on markers in his chakra system as he could get rid of my markers with his weird body. The Edo Tensei...the body was not the same, it was a sacrifice, but the soul in it made the chakra the dead one's chakra.

Mangetsu was a reanimation, but his chakra system was the same as before, hence why I had a marker in him. I teleported to him when he was about to get Suigetsu and froze his bottom half, Suigetsu slicing him in half a second after.

"I had him you know."

"Reflex."

I looked up. There were still explosions in the sky, and white cubes as well as lightning. I turned around when other coffins came out of the ground, swordsmen appearing once more. I narrowed my eyes at the reanimated Zabuza, then Karin and Dai.

I made an ice clone that went to them to protect them as much as possible.

"How do you want to do it?" Suigetsu looked at the others, then his brother.

"Mangetsu told me you guys used to communicate in battles with your Hyouton."

"True."

"Then tell me if you need to come, I'll do the same but I want to deal with my brother." I nodded and grabbed Yagura's club when I saw him behind the swordsmen.

"Got it."

So we fought.

Again.

I took hits, but stayed on my feet. Shisui got hurt, bleeding from his side but he stayed on his feet. We didn't really have a choice anyway.

At some point, Obito decided to leave after trying to get me once more. Shisui's Susanoo quickly protected me. I looked around. The Edo Tensei fighters were disappearing. I pursed my lips.

"Karin."

"He'll make it," she replied, tired. I nodded and sprinted away, Shisui hot on my heels.

As we ran back to where Dai was wounded, I ignored the bodies littering the ground. The Tsuchikage was on the ground, some of his outfit burned, probably a courtesy from Deidara. Sasuke was slightly wounded but nothing too bad, Kakashi was next to him, tired.

However, I blinked at Gaara, Kazekage hat on in front of them. I exchanged a look with Shisui and we joined them quietly.

"That's enough, Tsuchikage." Kurotsuchi was on the side, on one knee, a hand on her arm.

"A young brat like you wouldn't understand the emergency I'm facing." He looked at all of us. "None of you brats would understand how dangerous an alliance between three countries is to my people."

"And you thought allying yourself with the Akatsuki would protect your village?"

"It would have been two birds one stone" Oh. He never really was with the Akatsuki or Ame then, he just thought he could deal with them once we would have weakened them enough. "Alliances never last, soon you'll see for yourself those you call allies turn against you and use what you shared to destroy you. I've seen it happen enough times in my life to know it's what is going to happen." He shot his granddaughter a disappointed look. "You'll see too, at your expense."

"Then, Tsuchikage, let me ask you something." He looked back at Gaara, who was calm. Even his voice was calm, not showing any hint of hostility.

I shot a quick look behind me and met Temari's eyes. She nodded confidently.

"When have you forsaken yourself?" It made Oonoki pull a face before looking at all of us. There were Suna, Kiri a Konoha against him, clearly wanting the same thing.

Gaara went to Kurotsuchi and stretched out his hand to her. She widened her eyes in shock and looked at it, then me. I nodded curtly and she took his hand, letting him pull her on her feet.

"When have you become deaf to the voice of your village?" he asked the old man once more, who had nothing to say. "Your implication in this war ends today Tsuchikage, willingly or not."

"Please," Kurotsuchi added, staring deep in her grandfather's eyes.

After long, long seconds that seemed like minutes, the wind blowing between us, he raised his hand.

"You've won," he finally conceded. "Spread the word among the village and to those outside as fast as possible Akatsuchi, we've officially lost this war, any hostility with Konoha, Suna or Kiri has to stop now."

"Right away Tsuchikage-sama!" Akatsuchi seemed over the moon almost.

I stumbled back, Temari catching me before I touched the ground.

"Am I dreaming or did he really say that?" I asked her under my breath.

"You really need to brush your teeth." I blew in her face. She looked disgusted. "Gross. But you're not dreaming."

"We...we won, right?" She nodded. "I'm gonna pass out."

"I'm surprised you're even standing."

"In the north of the park, there's Suigetsu, Dai and Karin. Send a medic there, Dai was badly wounded."

"Understood." Gaara walked back to us and looked at me up and down.

"Can I trust you with the rest?" I asked him. I saw Kakashi passing out, Sasuke catching him.

"Yes, you can let me handle the rest Akane."

"Good. Nice to see you Gaara by the way...great speech…" I passed out as well.

I only heard Temari's voice telling Shisui to give me some air and that she had this before I totally blacked out.

"Hey." Shisui looked up at me and I showed him the stew I had. "Mind some company?"

"Not at all." I sat down next to him and handed him the second bowl. "Thanks."

We left the Land of Earth once we received news the demise of the Tsuchikage traveled around and the war with them was over. Now we were near Ishigakure. The camp was not far away, we could hear them from where we were near the cliff. Shisui was sitting there, his legs dangling in the air.

I was still uncomfortable seeing him on cliffs, but we had a great view of the forest below.

"Should you be up?" I blinked.

"I'm good." I ate a spoon of my stew and stuck my tongue out when I burned it. Shisui laughed at me. "It's not funny!"

"It really is."

I slept for two whole days. Dai was conscious, alive and kicking, but apparently there had been some damage to his vocal chords. He had more of a rough voice now, and he didn't waste time using it to scare me when I'd look too guilty.

While we were cut off the world in foreign and enemy territory, a lot of things had happened though. Jiraya-san asked Tsunade-san to let him deal with Pain, he infiltrated Ame and was killed. Ultimately, I only delayed his death. He knew his chances of coming back were slim but...he still tried, because Nagato and Konan were his pupils once.

After that, when the news reached Konoha, Team Seven and Itachi were called back to Konoha where Naruto was told the news. He was shipped off to Myouboku to finalize Sage Mode.

Fights kept happening outside, but victory was in our favor. Pain decided to attack Konoha then, to finish this himself while Obito was playing with us. Now, with Itachi in Konoha, he had an opponent who wouldn't go down easily. I didn't have the details, but instead of the whole village being destroyed and erased from the map like before, there was no decimation. I mean, Konoha was in a bad shape, especially the south part of the village, but they wouldn't build up from scratch. Naruto still arrived and saved the day because senjutsu was the way to defeat the Rinnegan, so even Itachi had his limits. I mean, he defeated him before, but he couldn't just seal Nagato without his real body and Naruto was the one to find it.

But they both did great and Tsunade-san wasn't in a coma because of the amount of people she healed. Nagato was still dead apparently from bringing those he killed in Konoha back.

However, while Tsunade-san needed rest only, the amount of dead from these past six months was making up for it. It was March. We left Konoha seven months ago.

Konan went back to Ame and conceded defeat on behalf of the Hidden Rain a couple of days before Iwa did the same.

Also, apparently Iwa tried something against Killer B and the Raikage didn't like it much.

But for now...we won.

"Akane?"

"Sorry, I was in my thoughts. You were saying?"

"I'm glad you guys are all okay. I mean, when you exposed your plan of infiltrating the country...I wasn't quite happy about it, there were too many uncertainties but...it was successful in the end." I had a flashback of that pig touching. "Akane?"

"I'm fine, it's nothing. Yeah, it's a miracle we all got out of here...relatively fine." He pursed his lips.

"What's going to happen now? You're going back to Konoha?"

"For now yes, and then...I don't know."

"Can I ask you a very personal question?" I nodded and he took a deep breath. "Where do you see this relationship going?" I blinked.

"...What?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Where...where are you going with it?" I gulped.

"We're in love, it's…" I didn't miss the way he looked up, annoyed when I said that. "We'll figure it out as it comes."

"You both have important responsibilities, you can't…" he groaned in frustration. "You will have people who depend on you, you have to figure out how serious it is."

"It is serious," I replied more coldly. "And it's none of your business anyway."

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is because I'm still in love with you and if I had been single when I came back from my mission then you'd be with me now!" I parted my lips, staring at him, dumbfounded. He ran his hand on his face. "You're gonna be the Kage and he...he won't follow you to support you or anything, even if he wants to and…"

"Did the war...make you confused about your feelings?" He slowly shook his head. "...I thought you were over me."

"I thought so too, but clearly I'm not. You almost died in front of me and I just...I was so terrified of losing you forever and…" He sighed deeply. "I would stop if I could, I know it's not...that you're...man, he'd kill me if he knew."

He punched him when he discovered about my past, knowing Shisui developed feelings for me knowing it. I didn't want to think of what Itachi would do if he knew Shisui confessed to me while we were in a relationship.

Wait, when we were attacked...I did hear someone say they loved me but...I thought I was just hearing Itachi.

"You're not trying to make me doubt my relationship to have your way, are you?"

"No, of course not, I know it comes across like that but...in your memories I saw how heartbroken you both were each time he'd leave." I looked down at the stew on my lap. "I don't want to see that look on any of you, but with the direction it's taking...reality is going to catch up with you both Akane. I'm...it doesn't look like it, but I'm trying to protect you both I guess." I smiled faintly.

"Don't give him that speech or you'll have more than just a punch." He grimaced at the memory. "We need to talk, that much is obvious, but as long as I'm engaged to Sasuke, that's not the priority."

"Uzu-nee." I jumped on my feet at the voice and turned around.

"...Haku?"

It really was him. I gave Shisui my meal and ran to him, embracing him tightly. He returned it even more tightly.

"Infiltrating the Land of Earth and Iwa, really?" he whispered harshly in my ear. "Do you even…"

"I'm glad to see you alive too." I pulled him back and watched Shisui going back to camp. "But why are you here? With whom?"

"Itachi-san." I was stunned. "We're not...staying for long, we're just here to warn you."

"Warn us about what?" He pursed his lips and looked down.

"During a mission, Utakata-san was taken by the Akatsuki." My arms were limp by my side. "He was not alone, the whole squad was killed. Kimou-san was among them." I looked to the side. "It seems that when they were going back to Konoha, the team with Fuu was attacked as well. They got her too." I gulped with difficulty.

"You're looking for them I guess?" He nodded.

"You're all going back as soon as possible. We were ordered to tell you and the Kazekage." I sat down on the ground.

"I see." He stayed with me for maybe twenty minutes, just kneeling next to me, his hand on my knee. It was then Itachi's exhausted face appeared behind him. He exchanged a look with Haku and sat down in front of me when my cousin left. We exchanged a quick look, not needing a word to know what the other was thinking.

Slowly, he put his hand on my hair.

"My hair's greasy Itachi," I muttered.

"It's black," he retorted with a small disapproving frown.

"Wigs aren't all that good for long infiltrations." He pursed his lips.

"Hn." He looked around. "Is there anyone?"

"Watching us? Not that I can feel." He nodded and took my wrist.

In one quick move, he pulled me against him, his arms embracing me as his forehead was on my shoulder. He slouched on me a little, closing his legs between my calves and thighs as I hugged him.

He was taking quick, deep breaths, his hands not standing still as once it was somewhere it needed to go somewhere else. Finally, his fingers stopped on my pulse, Itachi sighing against me when he felt it pulsing.

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say anyway. We were done with a war and down two jinchuriki, most probably heading to another war and…

I froze when I felt Itachi's lips ghosting over my neck and I pushed him away. He blinked in surprise.

"Is everything okay?" he asked me quietly.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?"

"Lots of reasons," he whispered, putting a lock of my hair behind my ear.

Shisui confessed and I just...I jumped on my feet when his hand became more insistent, the memory of the shinobi from Iwa flashing in my mind.

"Is there anything more I should know?" He pursed his lips and stood up too.

"The Kazekage will give you the details, but I'm taking Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo with us, as well as Shisui."

"Sure, okay, you...whatever you need." I was about to leave when he took my hand.

He turned me around and tried to kiss me, but I turned my head, making him kiss my cheek instead. He moved back slowly, his face blank. He knew I was avoiding him.

"Bad breath," I mumbled quietly.

"Hn."

He let it go, probably because he knew the situation was not optimal for a lovers' quarrel but the look he sent me before they left said it all.

Once back in the village he would make me explain.

How was I supposed to tell him I...I cheated, didn't I? I kissed that man and cheated on him. It was war, sure but...he kissed me and touched me and...I cheated on Itachi. When he touched me I couldn't...I could only think of the fact I let someone else…

The next day, Sasuke, Kakashi and I were in front of Gaara, Kankuro and Temari.

"Suna can accommodate you until you are better," Gaara assured us.

"And it's closer than Konoha is," Temari added, looking at me. "It's not the best for you, but you could rest peacefully."

"Do you want to go to Suna or can you go to Konoha old man?" I asked Kakashi. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine enough to go home."

"Well you heard the ancestor," I told them, Kankuro snickering. I looked at Dai, still here as when Itachi saw his throat, he told him he would not come. "You'll be fine on your own?" He waved me off.

"Fine," he replied. I'd need to get used to his new hoarse voice. "I'm sure...there's work for me there." I looked at Gaara, who was looking at Dai.

"I'll entrust this idiot to you then, I'm sorry but the Mizukage cares about him alive so take care of him." He smirked a little.

"Understood."

The next morning we left. We had three, maybe four days in front of us because none of us wanted to run, so we were walking.

The first two days were fine, but once we entered the Land of Fire...well, Obito did say he was done talking. Him appearing behind me was nothing surprising. I body flickered away while Kakashi and Sasuke both were thrusting their electrified blade to Obito, who just turned intangible. Now, it was three against one, but the three of us were tired from a war whereas Obito was perfectly fine. Kakashi was struggling using his sharingan because he used it so much these past months. In spite of being an Uzumaki, I needed rest too and Sasuke...well, he was done with this shit.

It turned ugly real quick. Obito was here to kill. The only thing I wished was to know how different he was from the one from the war.

Was he too far gone?

Sasuke sent Amaterasu against the branches coming off the ground. I made ice to protect Kakashi from a vicious kick and went in, trading blows with him. I knew speed was the key to fight, to win against him so…

I used our previous fight to figure something out and pretended he had me. Once his hand was on my throat, I focused on any moisture around him. There was none around his fake arm and leg, but the rest was still very much human. I froze what I could of him and used his surprise and stabbed him the heart. He fell, limp.

However, he disappeared and there was a yell in my back. I spun around only to see Kakashi falling to the ground, bleeding profusely from his chest.

"Izanagi," I muttered between clenched teeth. Obito moved his finger from left to right.

"I taught you that move, pretend you're overwhelmed and deliver the finishing blow, you didn't think I wouldn't see through it, did you?" He stepped on Kakashi's back. "You still have much to learn Akane."

"Wh…" Lightning went through him and he moved away, enough for Sasuke to grab Kakashi and throw him on his shoulder.

I teleported to him, then to a marker I left at the beginning of the war, near the land of the Waterfalls. Sasuke put Kakashi down. I opened his flak jacket and lifted his shirt, gulping at the gash in his stomach.

I looked at the seal on my wrist. If it was to activate the blood…

"Kakashi, can you hear me?" he moaned, his eyes shut close in pain. I rolled up my sleeve and lowered his mask. I put my wrist at his lips. "I need you to bite me."

"Can you do that?" Sasuke asked me seriously.

"Just...Kakashi, please." I pushed his lips opened and put my wrist between his teeth.

His teeth pierced my skin with the little strength he still had. I bit the inside of my cheek. It was...so weird. A green glow surrounded him, the gash stopping bleeding but...it was so real. It wasn't even my blood he was taking, it was like his teeth knew where to stop to get my chakra vessels.

"Wait Kakashi, not ye…" I started telling him as he pushed my wrist away, but I felt dizzy. "Damn that's more than I thought it would be."

"Is he okay?"

"I think so. How did he even…"

"He froze. Obito used Izanagi and Kakashi saw it but froze." I cursed.

I took two blank paper tag and drew Hiraishin markers on them, but slightly different. I gave Sasuke one and put the other in Kakashi's pocket.

"If you activate it, it will send you to a marker in Konoha. It...it's should be the safest one."

"Wait Aka…" I jumped on my feet and turned around when I felt Obito.

He kicked me in the ribs, breaking one or two and sent me straight in a tree. I went through it, probably concussed as well. I spat some blood on the grass, the sound of Sasuke and Obito fighting like a background sound behind the ringing I was hearing.

There was Susanoo, black flames and Obito was in front of Sasuke. His hand went for his…

Shit, he was going for Sasuke's eyes!

I stood up with a grunt and teleported in front of Sasuke.

"Just where I wanted you." I barely had the time to blink that his fingers were in my left eye socket.

I screamed in pain when he gouged my eye out, throwing it on the ground before kicking Sasuke through me. I fell on my knee in front of him, my shaking hands on my bleeding eye socket.

"You...you tricked me…" I stuttered through the pain. It was throbbing.

"If you want to train someone, you don't protect them. I knew you would protect him though, and now...I got rid of that seal your father put on you." I pursed my lips as he grabbed my hair and lifted my head.

I met the red of his sharingan and passed out.

Sasuke watched Obito throwing Akane on his shoulder, in shock. He really thought he was going for his eyes, but then Akane jumped in and...he tore her eye out.

He was counting on her stepping in to protect him.

"Well, I finally got what I wanted." He briefly looked at Sasuke, then Kakashi. "Pathetic."

Sasuke took some shuriken and threw them at him, but he was already warping away. In a last attempt to stop them, he rushed to Obito, his hand stretched out, but he just fell on the ground.

"Fuck!" he yelled, hitting the ground with his fist.

His eyes found the lone eyeball a few meters away from him. Slowly, he walked to it and just stared before putting a stasis seal on it and sealing it. Then, he turned to Kakashi, still not looking well and put his arm on his shoulder.

He used the seal Akane gave him, landing in a room. It used the chakra he still had to the last drop. He had no idea it...required so much chakra, but he had Kakashi with him too so…

"Sasuke-san!?" he tilted his head back, charcoal eyes meeting milky white ones.

"Hinata?" Behind her was Neji.

"Hinata-sama, use your Byakugan to know how badly injured they are, I am going to get medics and Hiashi-sama," Neji told her immediately.

"Ok…"

Sasuke didn't hear the rest.

They were in the village, in the Hyuuga compound so...they should be fine…

He blacked out.

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks to mikan26 for the review!

WPUrchezem23, I know there is a lot of exposition in the first chapter, but when I started writing I didn't want to explain everything over the course of several chapters as there were other things to explain later on.

Bye!