The story in under rewrite. It wasn't anything that I had set out to complete originally, just a writing project for fun. However, I reread it recently and was inspired to clean it up and continue with the adventure. I think the plot is unique enough to warrant more to the story.

Disclaimer…I don't own any of the Naruto characters.

(8 years ago)

The sun warmed the peaceful village of Konoha with painted skies and sparse clouds. A hawk flew overhead with his wings spread out, stretching over the breeze that carried him gracefully over the busy streets, watching students who were heading from all over the village to the academy. Some girls were giggling softly at a couple boys while the boys stayed oblivious and chatted animatedly to each other about new jutsus they had just learned.

The hawk blinked and tilted its head when something caught its attention. Only a few blocks from the academy, a young girl was sprinting towards the Hokage tower where she started to jump and leap up the side of the wall. The hawk dove to get a closer look and soared past her where she glanced back at the sound of flapping wings. Sable locks waved gently in the wind below her shoulders, being stirred only slightly by the push of air from its wingtips.

She stared at the passing hawk with steel grey eyes before smiling and continuing up the tower. The young 16-year-old chunin stayed focus in her stealth up the wall while hiding every ounce of chakra in her being. It wasn't hard for her to do since she had a knack for chakra control and used it in times like that to practice masking her signature. A trick she was becoming scarily good at.

Soon after, she slowed to a stop and made a final leap onto some rafters right outside the Third Hokage's office. With a wicked grin in place, she snuck carefully to the windowsill and peered inside, letting her eyes take in every crease and fold of the room, only lingering on the different occupants. It was a group of three who stood before the desk of the Third. Clearly, she had stopped by at a bad time, but that never turned her away visiting her favorite person before. Opting to wait and see what was being discussed, she kept herself hidden and listened intently.

The three shinobi were dressed in Anbu gear, but their masks hung in their hands as they discussed the mission. The tallest of the three wore similar Anbu clothing, but the style was off from the usual uniform. This grey armor had shoulder spaulders instead of simple straps and the mask was not of an animal, but plain human shape. Not to mention the normal black shirt on the shinobi was replaced by a deeper green fabric.

"The scroll was retrieved without any problems," the strangely dressed man explained. "Hatake and Riku were very successful in tricking the enemy and protected the scroll with ease. I can see why they're Captains of respective teams."

Sarutobi mulled over the compliment and looked over each man in front of him. On the left was Mizuno with deep brown hair that was a few inches short from touching the spaulders of his foreign uniform. He stood the tallest of the three with the shortest man in the middle who had matching chestnut locks. The last man had snow white hair that stood in an odd angle, and a black mask covering half of his face.

After glancing at the men in front of him, Sarutobi offered a smile of approval, clearly pleased to hear the praise from the Grass country-nin, Mizuno, just how well Konoha's Hatake and Riku did. Any positive experience from neighboring shinobi always offered future transactional bridges between the villages.

Rubbing his chin in thought, he slowly drawled out, "I see, that is good to hear… It brings me pride to hear our shinobis' skills exceed expectations on assignments."

"Indeed."

The young girl couldn't keep herself from peering over the sill to get a closer look at the three. It wasn't every day that one saw the faces of the Anbu operatives. But only one man seemed to attract her attention; tall, lean built and gravity defying hair. She couldn't make out his face seeing as his mask covered it though he still looked to be in his late teen's. Curiosity filled her, but she still didn't make a move or sound, though the urge to go in was tempting her. Sarutobi had told the girl countless times not to interrupt a meeting and she was keeping better of it. Or trying to, at least. He may have also mentioned her habit of eaves dropping...

Suddenly, the white-haired man looked over to her, sensing that she was lurking. A single black eye met with wide grey and each stared at each other before the girl finally ducked under the windowsill. How was it that he saw her? Sarutobi never sensed her and neither had anyone else in the room…. but he had. Would he tell on her now? Would he give away her hiding spot to the others and get her in trouble?

She waited in anticipation for the voices to stop at the mention of unwanted ears nearby, but no interruption came. Minutes ticked by and, before she knew it, the meeting was over.

The girl peeked over the edge of the sill and glanced around the room making sure that it was empty of people except for Sarutobi. Once satisfied, and relieved that she wasn't told on, she swung her legs over, shocking the Hokage who had returned to signing papers and caused the pen to sprawl awkwardly off the page.

"Surprise!" she cheered happily and plopped herself down on the chair in front of his desk, clearly please that she scared him once again.

"Akane," the elder Hokage sighed and wiped off the ink on the table with the sleeve of his shirt. "What have I told you about using the door?"

"But where's the fun in that?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "It feels more ninja-ish if I use the window."

Keeping the fact that "ninja-ish" was not a word to himself, Sarutobi chuckled and started signing papers once again, not bothered that the girl sat watching him. She was always around him in her free time instead of at home. But that was to be expected.

Her father, a native Cloud shinobi who changed citizenship to Konoha, was called back to a personal matter in his country. Not that he provided much of a home for the girl when he was around. Sarutobi often wondered why her father never found someone else to take over guardianship of Akane, since it was clear the man never cared for his daughter. But that wasn't the reason for her becoming Sarutobi's self-designated shadow.

It was a few years prior that Akane and her father arrived to Konoha. Being raised in a renowned shinobi village and having excellent chakra control, Akane was soon allowed entry into the academy-after her father finished probation of his citizenship, of course. Her team took to her quickly and her new sensei had tried to do his best in ignoring the lack of parental treatment sent her way. After months of looking the other way, the captain of the team ended up confronting Akane's father, which luckily only resulted in hurled insults rather than fists and jutsus. When word got back to Sarutobi, he couldn't help but take her in and let her have her own apartment. Since then, she had been grateful and appreciative, always coming by to keep him company whenever he had paperwork to tend to.

"So, when can I take the Jonin exams?"

Sarutobi looked up from his paper and frowned. "We've been through this before. Don't rush into it."

"But I want to join the ranks…I don't want to stay a chunin forever. My teammates are already training for it…" she added bitterly, feeling like an outcast. She was aware she was whining. It was justified, though.

Sarutobi gave her a sympathetic look. He didn't want to hold her back, but he felt it would be for the best. And it pained him to know that her class from the academy was already starting to branch off without her being able to follow. It wasn't her fault. Her talent and skill were top level and if her father had prioritized her training over his own selfish needs, she would have graduated at the top of her class. But there was something to her that just wasn't normal... And the thought of what would happen if she lost control while on a mission, with the responsibility of a team under her, was too upsetting to consider. It was a risk they didn't know the outcome of.

Scratch that…they did know. He remembered it clearly, still shocked that she could possess such a power. Akane had been taking her chunin exams when her two teammates were separated from her after an attack from an opposing team. She had been alone for half the day and entire night but when her teammates found her in the morning….

He sighed to himself thinking about the scene.

There was so much bloodshed and the team that had attacked them were beyond dead. Organs had burst, blood seeped through nearly every pore from their bodies and a look of complete terror on every remaining face. Akane was huddled against a nearby tree, clearly in shock at what happened. Dry blood crusted to her cheeks and lips, running down her neck and clothes to her blood-stained hands. The stench was putrid and burned his nose…even now he could recall the cast of metallic that weighed the air with a sickening dampness.

Whenever they tried to ask what had happened, she would swear that she didn't know. All that she knew was they were going to kill her and she soon after blacked out. Morino, Ibiki and Yamanaka, Inoichi both took turns in the debriefing of what took place, and the results were disheartening.

Deception wasn't at play. In the end, she truly did not know what had happened.

"Perhaps it was another team that had helped her," Asuma had pondered, but Sarutobi shook his head.

Her chakra was all over the corpses. It was obvious that she lost control over something…. dark.

Since then, her sensei had told him that he had no desire having her in his care. It wasn't because he feared her. The responsibility of what could happen on a mission was a heavy burden. He felt she was unpredictable and that he wouldn't allow her to take any more exams until there was some way to contain her power. But that was the problem. Her power lay dormant unless she was distressed. It wasn't a bloodline, seeing as her father was the third in his family line to become a shinobi and her mother, a citizen, was in a brothel all the way in Cloud Country. They had no way of sealing it off unless they knew what it was. As such, it only left the option for her staying as a chunin until she could learn to prevent another mishap.

"You know I have the skill level to pass, and I've been working to keep my emotions in check," she pleaded, determined to show that he could trust her. Out of everyone from the village, he seemed to be the only one that had some faith in her abilities.

"Why don't we wait for another year and then we'll discuss it…" he reasoned.

"But…" she paused and frowned while looking at her hands in disappointment. She knew that he was only thinking of her safety. "One more year?"

He nodded curtly. "Yes. Just one more year."

Reluctantly, she sighed. "Alright, I guess. It's not like everyone will pass this year anyway, right?"

"I wouldn't expect more than three," he smiled reassuringly.

This made Akane feel better.

Sarutobi looked to the clock on his desk and his smile fell slightly. Akane knew that look.

"You have a meeting?" It came out as a question, but it was only stating the obvious.

"Unfortunately. It will be with Danzo and the Konoha Council Elders…"

"I really don't like them," she pouted and crossed her arms.

"Yes, I know. They can be a little…. needy and picky, but they are looking out for Konoha's interest, though sometimes I feel like they do more damage than good."

Akane pulled a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

Realizing that he said too much, he smiled politely and motioned with his hand that she had to go.

"I'll be in the meeting for the rest of the day, but I'll see you tomorrow," he beckoned as he stood up and straightened the last of his papers.

"Alright," she said grudgingly and walked to the window before disappearing.

Sarutobi smiled at the now vacant window and shook his head before a knock on the door turned his attention. There was no trace of a smile left as he walked to the door.


Akane walked down the path through the many training grounds. She really wasn't paying attention to the strange stares that a few random shinobi tossed her way. She was used to it, by now.

The sound of metal against metal turned her attention and she looked over to see her team training with another. A smile curled her lips, and she jogged over to them.

"Hey guys!" she waved.

Four pairs of eyes looked to her.

"Hey, Akane. What are you doing?" asked the teammate closest to her. His headband was placed over his choppy blond locks as a bandana and tied in the back.

"Nothing. Just wandering around." She looked to the other team and furrowed her brows. "Where's Kyo?"

"Kyo got sick on the last mission so he's staying at home today," one of the others from the second team explained.

"Oh, I hope he feels better."

"Do you want to train with us?" her teammate asked. "It'd be an uneven number, but we can manage."

"No, it's fine," she smiled with a wave of her hand. "I'll just watch if that's alright." She didn't wait for an answer and walked to a shady tree before taking a seat with her legs crossed.

The four guys shrugged and continued fighting with each other while Akane studied every move, flip, twist, and toss that they threw. It was amazing how agile they were, but she couldn't help to mentally check off openings that they left for the opponent. It was always a relief to meet with her friends when she had time. Training with them could turn a bad day into nothing but a memory. They never treated her differently after the exams which she was grateful for, despite her sensei turning her away from the team. She understood his reasonings, though it never eased the pain of rejection.

After another two hours of the team taking a break and rejoining the spar, they ended their training with a mix of grimaces and breathless smiles.

"We're going to get some food! You wanna join?" her blond teammate asked.

Akane, who ended up taking a nap in the shade, popped her head up and offered a sheepish smile. "No, go ahead. I'll see you guys later."

"Sure! Don't fall asleep in the training grounds again, or someone will definitely think you're homeless," he snickered with a friendly wave.

Akane only rolled her eyes but waved back none the less.

The evening sun was dying low and casting shadows across the ground. She hardly realized it was as late as it was, then again she supposed that watching her friends had kept her distracted for most of the day. Deciding to head home for the evening, she couldn't help but curse her nap. The chunin was feeling a little too energetic to be going back to a quiet apartment.

By the time she was out of the training grounds, she made a decision to pay a visit to Sarutobi. Of course, he said to come back tomorrow, but she knew he would be stressed after the meeting, and she wanted to cheer him up. Besides, he wouldn't mind.

Once she made her way to the towering Hokage building, Akane debated on using the door or the window. Opting for Sarutobi's least favorite choice, she started her ascend up the wall, only making it a quarter of the way before being intercepted by a lone ANBU.

Not expecting to be stopped in mid run, Akane slid a couple feet down the wall until she regained control of her chakra at her feet. The man before her stood motionless as he watched her nearly fall and rested one hand on his hip, just above his kunai pouch.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked through the mask of a bear.

Furrowing her brows, Akane looked to the railings where the Hokage's office was, then back to the statue-like man before her.

"I was just going to meet with the Hokage."

"Is it an emergency?"

"Well, no. I was-"

"Then it can wait for another time. Go home."

"But I wanted to stop by-"

"He's preoccupied." The shinobi glowered down at her, as he stood unmoving in her path. The clouds blew through the dark sky behind him, creating an ominous pit in her stomach. "Go home, kunoichi."

Realizing that Sarutobi was likely in an important meeting if ANBU were watching for eavesdroppers, she conceded. Bidding the shinobi a good night, she returned to her apartment, now more curious than tired.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x


The next day, Akane tried to meet with the Hokage only to find he was in meetings or out of his office throughout the day. Even talking to one of the secretaries hinted further that something was off when he had to cancel appointments with citizens. It wasn't like him to do that unless there was something wrong.

Not wanting to cause any trouble or get in the way, Akane opted to meet with her team and train, followed by a hearty dinner. Anything to keep her from fussing over the possibilities of what had Sarutobi absent. It both unnerved her and ate at her curiosity to find out what was so serious.

After eating with Kyo, who was thankfully feeling better, and her flaxen-haired teammate, Ayumu, she decided to return a scroll to the library before they closed. After dropping it off at the front desk, and being teased for having a scroll longer than two days by the receptionist, Akane wandered the shelves for a new book with useful lessons. After the Chuunin exams, her trainings with her sensei become mere weekly meetings when the team wasn't away on missions. Just enough to keep her involved and progressing, but not enough for her liking.

She tried to remind herself regularly that it was just a safety precaution. If the events of that exam didn't scare her so much, she may have harbored some jealously or anger at being left on the sidelines. But fear was putting it mildly.

It terrified her to not know what happened and what she did after she blacked out. Kyo tried for months to help her research other possibilities for the cause, however the results were the same.

It was unexplainable.

If only she hadn't blacked out and knew if it was a jutsu or something else. But how could she perform a jutsu she didn't know?

"If you want, I can allow you access to some of the more advanced literature," the head librarian offered from the entry of the aisle, pulling Akane from her darkening thoughts.

Blinking the last of her distraction away, Akane looked at the row of books before her and then to the librarian who smiled kindly.

"Uh, sure. I'd like that."

Following the librarian to another corner of the building, her eyes wandered the different rows with description of what each held, printed on labels at the ends.

"I just figured you're going through those other books and scrolls so quickly; you may want to read one with a little more sustenance. I assume you're putting the knowledge to practice rather than just reading?"

"Yes, or at least I try. The genjutsu sections are what I tend to be slower at learning than the ninjutsus. And, of course, tiajutsu is better learned with a more experienced opponent to practice against."

"Well, perhaps you should start learning some higher level ninjutus to keep it challenging." Turning to a room Akane had never been in, the librarian stepped to the side to allow her entry. "In here you will find more advanced B-ranked lessons, but depending on which ones you practice, I would advise having someone supervise the more arduous techniques. It could be dangerous to the user or those in the vicinity if used incorrectly."

Akane's eyes widened as she took in the different titles of the books and scrolls inside the room. "Whoa! Can I check out more than one?"

The older woman chuckled softly. "I will let you check out two at a time, but I have to approve of them first."

Already, Akane pulled two books that caught her attention and offered them to the librarian for approval. The woman took the books and read the backs, one after the other, before opening the contents. The first book didn't meet her approval. After a shake of her head, she set it to Akane's hand to be returned.

"Too advanced for you at the moment. Not many in there that you could do on your own for practice."

A little disheartened, Akane nodded and set the book into its proper place.

The head librarian was a retired kunoichi who had prolific successful missions under her belt. Every now and then, she would show Akane a valuable lesson or offer guidance on how to perfect a jutsu she was struggling with. The elder's opinion was always appreciated.

"How about this one?" Akane offered, pointing to a red leathered spine.

"I knew that would catch your eye. Pull it out and let me see."

Akane obeyed and offered the book to the librarian who repeated her process. Once satisfied, she handed the book to Akane.

"There's your two books. Do you have any questions before I sign you out?"

Feeling elated to have a new challenge, Akane shook her head, holding the books close to her chest. "Nope! I'm sure I'll figure it out!"

"Remember what I said. Have a Jonin supervise you for the practice section of the elemental jutsus."

"I promise!"

Convinced that the young girl would heed her warning, she led the way to the desk to sign out the copies with Akane already opening one of the books to look at the diagrams.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x


The sun had died long ago and buried behind the mountains, but it went unnoticed to Akane who lay sprawled on her bed, tucked under the window. It was late now; almost reaching into the early hours of morning with a full moon climbing higher into the vast achromatic sky, laying a thin layer of light across the otherwise dark village.

Still fully dressed, bored, and with a kunai in hand, Akane tossed her weapon into the air, catching it before it could impale her. Again, she repeated the process, adding more twists, and alternating between catching the blade between fingers or the handle in her grip. Lying open next to her was one of the borrowed books, opened to page 48, and a notepad with hastily written jottings about different techniques.

The mundane routine of her days was starting to blend together.

If she wasn't visiting Sarutobi, she was training with her team. If her team was on a mission, Sarutobi would offer a new jutsu for her to learn or a small, single person task to keep her busy. Taking up self-training was the only thing that truly changed between days for her. But the book work was always dry. As much as she wanted to learn new lessons, reading was her least favorite way to go about it. But what other option did she have?

Catching the blade before it could reach her shoulder, she changed it up and began to spin it between her fingers, watching as the moonlight caught the edge of the blade. Around and around it spun, harboring a glow and releasing it. The pattern was almost hypnotic as she lay facing the ceiling. Perhaps, it would calm her restless energy enough to allow her some sleep. Nimble fingers twisting the blade at a steady pace, still watching the light shine against the sharpened edge.

Just then, as she was beginning to unwind, her expected sliver of moonlight disappeared. A broken pattern. It happened so quick that she wasn't sure if she imagined it. By the next spin, it returned, only to, once again, be interrupted the following twist.

Shadows.

Alert, Akane sat up in bed, turning her attention to the window just in time to see the last person jump from the neighboring building's roof top. The shinobi, no doubt, cast a shadow upon her window before disappearing from view. If Akane hadn't been playing with her kunai in the dark, her eyes wouldn't have been adjusted enough for her to recognize the uniform of ANBU.

What was going on?

The amount of secret activity the last couple days was becoming too much for her. Was there danger in the village? An enemy lurking amongst the civilians? It had to be some threat for all the strange behavior she had noticed.

Whatever the reason, she knew pondering on it would only lead her down the path of her imagination rather than to the truth.

What if something was happening to Sarutobi? Something like another assassination attempt?

Eyes widening, Akane pulled herself from her bed and placed her kunia back into her pouch. Grabbing a coat, she made sure she had everything before heading out to find the Hokage, hoping she wasn't making a bad decision. Then again, dealing with Sarutobi's frustrations with her was better than finding out there was trouble, and she did nothing but go to sleep.


When Akane left her apartment, she debated on going to the tower or follow the ANBU. Only knowing the general direction the elite group was heading, she opted to check the tower, where she hoped the Hokage was located. It didn't take her too long to reach the tower, and even less to scale the side of the wall. Especially, with no interruptions from other shinobi. Coming to a stop on the balcony, the curtains were pulled across the window with only a sliver of a view inside visible.

Leaning her face against the glass, she peered inside with one eye, checking the contents of the room for any sign of occupancy. The lights were shut off, the desk left clear and undisturbed, and the couch empty.

Pulling away from the window, Akane frowned. Was the Hokage at his home? Surely, he wouldn't be if his ANBU were gathering at one end of the village.

Turning to scan the sleeping community below her, the girl pondered on what to do next. It made sense to check where the elite group was heading. She didn't know their destination when they passed her apartment, but she could figure it out. If she ran around that end of the village enough, she would have to stumble across something, eventually.

Pulling her sable locks back to a low bun, Akane was about to follow her half-baked plan-until she considered what she would do once she got there. Interfering with business that wasn't hers was one thing when it was a simple meeting that Sarutobi was in. Doing so in covert ops was another level that would definitely find her in trouble, regardless of good intentions.

Maybe rushing in to follow ANBU wasn't the brightest plan... It wasn't like the Hokage would be on the front lines of an ANBU ops anyway, right?

Gloved hands gripped the railing as she battled with what to do next. Going to her apartment wasn't an option. There was no possibility of sleep when she wanted answers.

Ha... Answers? Just because I follow the Hokage around doesn't mean I'm allowed to know important information like that, she berated herself.

But rules never bothered her much. It wasn't like she grew up with many rules or discipline to begin with.

There was one place she could look, though. If that didn't pan out, then she would wait until morning to find answers. Going after ANBU and possibly getting in the way was not an option.

Hints of sunrise approaching was beginning to lighten the sky as she stood on the balcony. Whatever was happening in the dark of night would likely be put to rest before the village would awaken. That gave her enough time to check her next location, and if that proved to be empty, she could stop by the Hokage tower before she went to her apartment.

Plan formed, Akane leapt from the balcony and started to cross the buildings towards the great cliffs overlooking the village.


The entry to the secret alcove was hidden behind over 60 feet of rocky barrier making up the spine of the mountain. It acted as maintenance access to both water and electricity which fed the underground prisons and Black Ops training grounds. The walls were reinforced with metal sheets, bolted into the man-made canyon to support it against crumbling under pressure. Massive, cylindrical reinforcements extended from one side to the other with piping intermixed across the expanse. At the end of the wide mouthed hall was spacious opening with concrete flooring and a metal banister for a railing to overlook the structure.

Akane had only been there once before, when the Hokage questioned her personally about the events from the Chunin exams. The secrecy he conducted that meeting made her think that this area was used for more than interrogating troublesome young shinobi.

As she entered into the labyrinth of maintenance halls, she got an odd feeling that indicated she was not supposed to be there. A strange heaviness in her gut, whispering that it was not too late to go back.

But that was ridiculous. Why would it be an issue for Akane to be here? She was just going to look around.

Masking her chakra, nonetheless, Akane carefully picked through the halls, following the largest into the belly of the mountain. Fortunately, the halls were simple in layout, for the purpose of ease of access in case of emergencies. Before she knew it, she was reaching the familiar balcony at the end of the hall.

But it wasn't empty like she expected. A man knelt down at the birth of the hall. The lavender and apricot glow from sunrise warmed the otherwise cold and damp shadows that shrouded her.

Deciding to get a little closer to hear the conversation, she found a nook in the wall and crouched down, thankful she masked her chakra at the entrance.

"...there is something you want to say," a familiar voice reached her ears, carried by the wind trapped in the cavern.

Eyes widening, Akane dared not look around the corner where she hid. She was already pushing her skills being as close to two elite shinobi who could find her out if they focused on it. But what was Sarutobi doing here with the other man?

"But first, you have my thanks. Your actions adverted civil war in the Leaf. You maintained peace despite all odds," the Third acknowledged.

Civil war? At the mention of that, Akane couldn't keep from risking a glance to see who he was talking to. Grey armor, black shirt, a blade strapped to the back, with long hair pulled into a low ponytail.

Instantly, Akane recognized him.

Uchiha, Itachi.

He prevented civil war?

"But even so, I regret that there was no other way."

"I'm sorry," Itachi replied, unmoving from his position.

"No, it is I who should be apologizing. I had wanted to avoid this violence..." the Third trailed off, leaving a pause between them. Akane waited for the conversation to continue, hoping they hadn't sensed her. When Itachi broke the silence, she exhaled a breath.

"I came to inform you that I intend to stay close to them to make sure a promise isn't broken."

"... I suppose that's for the best. As such, you will be listed in the Bingo Book as a fugitive, wanted dead or alive."

"That goes without saying. But while I make sure one promise is kept, I ask that you do the same for here... Lord Third, will you swear to me that you will protect Sasuke?"

"I will do all in my power to keep him safe. Your brother will continue to study at the Academy, and I will make sure that he wants for nothing... But I will not be able to erase his hatred towards you."

"I am prepared to bear his hatred." The words sounded heavy, even to Akane's ears.

She knew a little about the Uchiha clan from her father discussing it. Mostly, it was insults saying he wished she was worthy enough to marry her off to a Sharingan user, because then she would have some value to him. From training in the academy and working with her team, she became familiar with certain members of the Uchiha clan; and Itachi, along with his little brother, were some she recognized.

But why would Itachi be listed into the Bingo Book if he adverted a civil war? Wouldn't that be cause for a hero's ceremony? And why would Sasuke hate him?

"Whenever you are worried about Sasuke, you can sneak in. I will leave the barrier by the water unchanged," Sarutobi offered, but it was a measly balm over a gaping wound. "You are capable to do so without much trouble."

"Lord Third," Itachi acknowledged. "It's unfortunate that the Uchiha Clan did not understand your compassion."

Wait... 'did not'? Pieces of the conversation were starting to fall into place. Akane didn't move, hanging on every word now as she began to put it all together.

The Hokage's tone turned to a disgruntled growl.

"That wasn't it. I was weak... That's what lead to this tragedy..." A pause swelled between them before the Third offered his final words. "Good luck, Itachi. The village is indebted to you."

With that, Itachi nodded before his silhouette dissolved into ravens, fleeing the cavern to the morning sky.

Akane remained where she was, still mulling over the events that had taken place. Her apartment location happened to be only a few blocks from the outskirts of the village, where the Uchiha compound lay. It made sense that the ANBU were heading in that direction, but why? Were there arrests made? Perhaps Itachi provided intel to Sarutobi which caused some members of the clan to be arrested.

No.

Sarutobi said it ended in violence and Itachi had referenced the entire clan.

The entire clan, but Sasuke. And providing intel wouldn't result in Itachi going on the run and into the Bingo books. That was for criminals.

But if that was for criminals... then why did Sarutobi, the Hokage of the Leaf, allow him to flee and have access to the village still?

What was going on?

Akane sat there, pondering, trying desperately to find an end to one string that matched the other, but loose ends were everywhere. She couldn't understand the reasoning that would implore that there was a justified reason to the outcome.

Corruption, her mind whispered.

No-no-no. Sarutobi was not corrupted. The Hidden Leaf village was not like that. They cared about their citizens. They wouldn't authorize criminal acts against their own.

Not even to prevent a civil war?

Akane's breathing was hard, her heart thudding louder in her chest. The shadows around her felt heavy, even the air seemed thicker.

Had Itachi been sent to attack his clan? To dissuade the village from continuing on a path to civil war? If so, why would that be cause for him to be a criminal...

Sasuke needed someone to look after him-Someone not part of the clan because...

There was no more clan.

Akane's eyes widened, her breaths became shallow and fast. She didn't want to believe it. The Third Hokage would never agree to that. The killing of their own citizens... even innocent...

Shaking her head, Akane tried to gain control of her thoughts, sift through them to find reason to everything. Her lungs and diaphragm seemed determined to hyperventilate. It was difficult to believe that the Hokage would authorize harm onto its citizens. Citizens, not even shinobi.

What would happen if they decided she was a threat next?

The unexpected notion sent Akane's mind into a new paroxysm of disorientation. Like she was breaking from reality. Akane grimaced as her chakra suddenly pulsed. She tried to bear down the fear inside of her that was becoming almost a physical sensation.

That's just the fear talking, Akane berated herself. Wrangling her breathing under control, she steadied and reeled her chakra back under the mask.

Suddenly, the slightest glow from the balcony that stretched into the hall disappeared from view, swallowed by a flowing white cloak, towering figure, and blade swinging down into her direction.

A startled cry left her lips, hand raised instinctively to deflect the sudden attack. She shut her eyes and flinched away, waiting for the blow to land.

"...A-Akane?"

Opening tear filled eyes to see who cornered her, Akane met the stunned, aged face of Sarutobi. He took in her appearance before taking a half step back from her once he realized it was not an agent spy but his troublemaker ward.

Though he stepped back, his kunai remained in hand.

Whether that was just forgetfulness or purposeful, she wasn't sure.

Hesitantly, Akane pulled herself up to stand, her back against the wall and hands clenched at her sides to hide the shake. She didn't acknowledge him. Just stood there waiting for what he would do next with the relentless eavesdropper. The wait wasn't long before he addressed the kunoichi.

"How long have you been here?" His tone was guarded.

Akane tried to answer but didn't know what to say. Instead, she dropped her gaze to her feet and swallowed.

Sarutobi blew an exhale that started with a growl, taking her reaction as an answer.

"How much did you hear?"

At the reminder of the earlier conversation, Akane could feel her emotions shift, the momentary fear of being found out having overshadowed the much heavier topic lingering in the bulk of her mind. Hurt, anger, and confusion twisted and tightened in her chest and her innocent curiosity was now a ravenous demand for answers.

But Akane still said nothing. Not trusting herself to make matters worse as she sorted through her hurtling thoughts.

"How much, Akane?"

Ashen eyes met him and stared unblinking. Sarutobi's heart dropped into his stomach, and he frowned seeing as it was obvious that she heard more than he hoped.

"Enough," she answered simply.

The adolescent part of her was tentative to speak her mind to someone who she felt indebted to, someone in the role of Hokage. But the other part felt betrayed; tricked into believing that he and the village were benevolent and wanted what was best for everyone.

Not a liar. Not corrupted.

The only thing that would make her forgive him was if her own conclusions were false, and he explained a situation that was not drenched in violence and blood.

But deep, deep down, Akane knew that would not be the case.

"Enough to know that you authorized violence against your own citizens you swore to protect." The blatant accusation caught the elder off guard and something flickered across his expression. Something between appalled and frustration.

"It wasn't me that author-" He stopped, collected himself into a straightened posture and pulled his hands behind his back. Akane noted the kunai still in his grasp. "You don't know what you heard. Or what you walked into."

"What happened to the Uchiha Clan?"

"Akane, I need you to listen to me. Go home and stay there until I sort this out."

"And just pretend I didn't hear what happened? No!"

Sarutobi lashed out a hand, grabbing her by the forearm and hauled her out of the nook in the wall.

"Akane-listen for once! You need to forget everything you heard here tonight. There is still those who are a threat, and if they find out you're aware of the events, then you won't be safe." His words pierced her courage, causing her to stiffen in his grasp and lean against his hold. Whether he noticed or not, he continued. "You need to stay indoors until I resolve this, and not speak of it to anyone. Understand?"

Akane swallowed again, her mouth becoming dry and pasty. Not able to form the words, she pulled her arm to get out of his grasp, but Sarutobi's fingers tightened into her bicep, and he pulled her forward.

"I need you to repeat it and agree, Akane."

"...This isn't right."

Sarutobi's patience was thinning. Akane saw it clearly. She recognized the frustration in her own father's eyes. Despite it, the elder managed to collect himself once more and release her into the hall. Akane took a few steps away and rubbed her aching arm.

"Do you want to become a Jonin, Akane?"

The change of topic sent red flags in the air. Brows knitting together, Akane tried to pick through where the conversation was leading. Surely, he wasn't bribing her...

"You know I do."

"Well, each rank you rise to brings with it heavier responsibilities and clearance. If you want to become a Jonin, you'll have to stop acting weak and allowing your emotions to control you. Life as a Shinobi is hard and ruthless," he explained coldly, glowering at her, making her feel small and childish. "I just lost a valuable ANBU agent who understood that exact lesson. If you can't keep this information to yourself, you can forget about making rank. If you can't keep this information to yourself, everything Uchiha, Itachi sacrificed will be for nothing and it will be you who brought upon a civil war."

Tears streaked down Akane's cheeks, hot and burning to her eyes as she stared back at the Third. His words pierced through her but instead of pushing her into obedience, it fanned the fire she felt in her stomach.

How dare he... How dare he act like she wasn't worthy of being a valuable shinobi. To talk to her like she was some weak, pathetic child, when it was her who trained and progressed on her own. To tell her life was hard when she had no family and people feared her. And to blame her for a civil war if word got out...

She could feel her rage simmering, her chakra rushing through the channels, ready to be used...

The Third watched as she shook, tears running down her cheeks as she listened to his harsh ultimatum. It pained him to be volatile to her, but she was now a threat to the welfare of the village and in danger of Danzo finding out. If he got word that she was aware of the circumstances revolving the Uchiha Clan, she would be killed. Sarutobi's hands would be tied. The same situation he was cornered with regarding the Uchiha Clan would be replicated by his own ward that he voluntarily took in.

If she didn't listen to kindness, perhaps the hard truth would do it. Even if she hated him, at least she would be alive.

"You said, you didn't authorize it..."

Blinking, Sarutobi inclined his head. "What was that?"

Sniffling, Akane wiped her nose with the back of her hand and pinned him with a glare he was not prepared to meet.

"Earlier, you defended yourself and said it wasn't you who authorized it... Who was it?"

Sighing, Sarutobi closed his eyes, willing all the Gods to give the girl a hint to drop the subject. "Go home."

"I will when you tell me who."

"Don't you understand? You're in danger of just knowing what you heard today. Why would I give you more information? If you keep pushing me, I will strip you of your rank, Nori."

The threat did little to deter the girl.

"Fine. Just tell me who authorized it."

Sarutobi faltered, feeling as if he had been struck by her disregard for her future. Composing himself once again, he stared at the girl, defiant in the shadows as he stood near the balcony. She was not giving him many options now. Would it be merciful if he killed her now rather than allow Danzo to send his Root agents? Or could he trust that she would keep her silence if he told her?

"Why do you want that information?"

"I want to know what you plan to do with them."

"They have already been dealt with," he replied simply.

"Dead?" she questioned, with a raise of her brow.

Disturbed by her control of the situation, despite being hindered emotionally, he didn't answer right away. She took the opening in silence to press.

"They're dead right? Or soon to be if they gave orders without your approval."

"They are dealt with and will no longer be a problem. Having them executed would only raise suspicion after the events of tonight."

Akane clenched her teeth, resentment now showing clearly even in the dark. "Then tell me who they are, and I'll kill them."

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. The conversation was starting to delve down the road he feared.

"No."

"Why?!"

Her outburst surprised him slightly and he knew if she wasn't quiet, then patrols in the area would be attracted to the commotion.

"Everything has been righted. This night will become a bad memory and shadow in the past. If you interfere further, the consequences will be shared among innocents... Your intentions are good but misplaced." Meeting her gaze, he decided to try once more for her to see reason. Give her one last chance before she forced his hand to share in sacrifice with Itachi. "Go home, Akane. Do not speak with anyone and I will meet with you soon."

Akane's mouth worked, trying to find a response to argue with, but all her fight left her. Turning her gaze to the side, her shoulders slouched, losing the stiffness. Sarutobi watched her with moderate interest as she battled with what to do next. The silence swelled between them; the rays of sunlight stretched closer to her feet in the shadows. Finally, Akane glanced back at him.

"Alright. I won't say anything."

The relief he expected to come from her obedience never came, instead replaced by suspicion and worry. Sarutobi was skeptical at her sudden compliance.

Maybe he should have listened to that instinct that she had given in a little too easily. But he was an old man now, hoping to save another life after a night of violence and death. His optimism was blinding... even to him.


The morning rays were now awakening the early risers from the village. Akane didn't pay them any mind as she stood on the branch of an old oak tree near the training grounds, so many things rushing to and from her mind. Sarutobi expected her to just forget about it and act as if it never happened.

She couldn't do that. It was a lie that she-for once-couldn't pull off.

So, what could she do?

Well, as far as she was concerned, there was only one thing to do…

Looking around, she realized that she had been standing there for a while as a couple shop keepers down the way opened their doors with the entrance bell chiming. She had to do it now…It was the only time before the forest was crawling with ANBU after the Konoha citizens became aware of the nightmare that took place.

Pulling out a kunai, she gripped her forehead protector and let metal clash with metal as the kunai scarred the symbol of the leaf across it. She wasn't going to stay here any longer…She had to go.

Sending chakra to her feet, she darted towards the gates of Konoha, determined to make it on her own where she didn't have to trust anyone…

Where there weren't monsters…

Hello my lovely readers! If you have read the old version of this, there will be similarities to the original plot. There will also be some large changes as well! Please let me know what you think and I hope you enjoy the little adventure Kakashi gets to experience. Adventure or torture-not quite sure which he would classify it as...