Author's Note: So updates will be Friday and Monday mornings EST. I may update more if I am able, like yesterday's launch, but for now that is a good enough consistent schedule for me to stick to.

Citations: Naruto Shippuden Episode #451

Chapter's Song: "Falling Down" by Avril Lavigne

Chapter 2
Free Falling


September

"Dad?" Akina's voice came, sliding his office door open to see him sitting at his desk on the floor, staring out the window. "Dad?"

"Huh…?" He looked to the door to see his four-year-old girl standing there with shining green eyes in her maroon and plum blossom yukata.

"What is it, bud?" He smiled, lovingly.

"Could we train?" She asked with wonder.

He nodded and got up. Her smile brightened up her face. "Benjiro! He said 'yes'!"

As Yasuo peaked around the corner from his door, he saw Benjiro standing at the end of the hall. A boy that wore a white yukata, he had suspenders, brown trousers, and used his shuriken holster for a belt.

His bangs forced more to the right side of his face, a dull brown color that was strange in the Mochizuki— Usually always having black hair. His eyes were also not the same, his being a unique chocolate color, narrowed with nothing but care behind them.

Yasuo smiled and stepped down into the yard. "Well, come on, you two."

Benjiro and Akina sat looking up at Yasuo; he crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. "Our clan is the first clan to train women to be ninjas, as such, our specialty is drugs and poison. Our Kekkei Genkai is Rose Style Jutsu.

There are ten rose colors, each color associated with an inner gate. You have to focus channeling from a specific one of your chakras to change the color of the petals and its ability. We start from the bottom.

Your Root Chakra, it's the Seventh Gate. It creates Red Roses, with the ability to distract and cause infatuation when done properly, administering oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin.

Your Sacral Chakra, it's the Sixth Gate. It creates Orange Roses, with the ability to administer an anesthesia and making the enemy go numb.

Your Solar Plexus Chakra, it's the Fifth Gate. It creates Yellow Roses, with the ability to administer a muscle relaxer, making the enemy unable to control their body properly.

Your Heart Chakra, it's the Fourth Gate. It creates Green Roses, with the ability to create barriers, and shields.

Your Throat Chakra, it's the Third Gate. It creates Blue Roses, with the ability to administer an overdose of barbiturates, causing slurred speech.

Your Third Eye Chakra, it's the Second Gate. It creates Indigo Roses, with the ability to dematerialize our bodies and reappear accordingly.

Your Crown Chakra, it's the First Gate. It creates Purple Roses, with the ability to administer domoic acid, causing short-term memory loss and death.

Additionally, there is Pink, White, and Black. Pink Roses are just a weaker version of Red Roses, often used as a distraction, and they can still cut the enemy. White Roses have the ability to heal. And Black Roses…"

He looked down on his daughter and nephew's innocent gazes. "No one can really use them as they take a vast amount of chakra to create, which requires opening the Eighth Gate of Death."

"So why would anyone try?" Benjiro asked.

"Some people are naturally born with more amounts of chakra and control of that chakra. There are very few who have the ability to die using Black Roses and revive themselves. Though, this can only be done a maximum of twelve times."

"Wow," Akina breathed in amazement.

"That's getting ahead of ourselves." Yasuo awkwardly waved.

"You can do Rose Style: Purple, right, Daddy?"

"Well, yes, but I'm a Jonin." He modestly smirked. "What can you do now, Benjiro?"

"Yellow, sir." He nodded.

"Akina?" Her father asked.

"I'm at orange." She also nodded.

"I was still at Red at your age. Very good, bud." Benjiro smiled.

"She's only a step behind you." Yasuo teased, and Benjiro embarrassingly scratched the back of his head.

"Okay, stand up." Yasuo slowly went through the hand heals. "Snake, Ram, Dog. Now, focus more here on the next chakra, Rose Style Jutsu: Green!"

Benjiro focused. "Rose Style Jutsu!" Pink roses filled the yard. "Huh?! What happened?!"

"Hahaha!" A voice on the porch laughed. It came from a stocky boy with long brown hair who wore the Akimichi Clan crest on his body armor. "Pretty pink roses, you'll at least make the enemy smell nice!"

"Kenji," Benjiro glared. "Rose Style Jutsu: Thorns!"

Vines shot out at Kenji, him flipping a kunai out to block a thorn that came so close to his nose. He sweated, and smiled past the vine. "I was just kidding."

"What do you want?" Benjiro sneered.

"The Hokage wants to see us." Kenji informed.

"Oh, a mission?" Benjiro pouted. "But we'll miss Tsukimi…"

"Yeah, but I don't want to miss The Fourth Hokage's inauguration. There's festivals every year, but not inaugurations." Kenji crossed his arms.

"The Fourth Hokage?" Benjiro was surprised.

"Didn't you hear the news?" Kenji sighed.

"No." Benjiro stated blankly.

"So the news is spreading already," Yasuo said solemnly. Akina glancing up in wonder at her father going into deep thought.

"C'mon… Let's go get Shisui." Kenji turned away, arrogantly gesturing his hand for Benjiro to come.

"Whose the Fourth Hokage, Kenji-san?" Akina spoke up.

"Namikaze Minato." The Akimichi boy stated. Akina noticed her father's smile with sad eyes.

"Okay, I'll grab my backpack. Meet me at the front." Benjiro addressed.

"Tell your mother that you're leaving!" Yasuo ordered.

"C-Can I go see Itachi? Since they're going to get Shisui?" Akina met her father's eyes.

"…I can't say check with mom to her anymore." Yasuo sadly thought and said, "Go ahead."

"Thank you, Daddy!" She hugged his legs and then ran off. "Kenji-san! Wait up!"

Akina ran down The Uchiha compound. "Itachi's mom said that he was training out by the river."

Without noticing, she passed Benjiro, Kenji, and Shisui. Shisui then hollered, "Hey! No hello?"

"Oh, Shisui-san… Hi," She bowed, and raised her head with a smile.

"Where you going?" Benjiro asked.

"Mikoto-sama said that Itachi is training out by the river. I'm going to go join him."

"Hm," Shisui exclaimed. "Come on, I'll show you the way."

"What about the mission?" Kenji whined.

"It'll only take a second." Shisui smirked, waving his hand.

In the horizon, Akina and the three boys saw Itachi standing at the edge of the cliff.

"There's no meaning… In life?" Itachi thought to himself. He then— Propelled himself off the cliffside. Akina was shocked and scared as she went running.

Shisui did hand signs, and sent a crow down to Itachi falling. Akina hesitated, looking back to Shisui, and he gestured with his hand for her to keep going ahead.

Caw-caw! The sound the crow made to wake Itachi up out of his frozen mindset as he freefell. Caw! He took out a kunai and stabbed it into the cliffside, still falling as the kunai ripped through the rock from his weight— The kunai came loose.

Itachi took out another kunai, one in each hand to stab both into the cliffside, but he could only get one into the earth. He slid until the kunai came out of the rock again, so he flipped midair and pounded both kunai backwards into the wall, raising his legs, trying to slow his fall into the cavern.

Akina made it to the cliffside, looking over the edge. "Itachi! What are you doing?!"

Itachi looked up at Akina, shame in his expression, but then he went and knelt before the crow, blankly staring at the crow on the rock, tilting his head almost to scold Itachi's stupidity.

"No one wants to die, right?" Itachi asked.

The crow flew away, back up the cliff. Itachi watched and stood up to see a swarm of crows fly around him. "You guys…"

Itachi placed his arm out for the crow earlier to land on his wrist. Itachi stared at the majestic black bird. "What is life, anyway?"

"Huh…" Shisui stated, the three boys still watching from a distance. Benjiro then rested his elbow on Shisui's shoulder. "So you'll be training the future heir to the Uchiha and I'll train the future heir to the Mochizuki, eh, Shisui?"

Shisui just smirked.

"Let's just get on with our mission for now," Kenji jeered to turn and walk away.

"Yeah, let's go," Shisui said turning away, as the crows then left Itachi, and followed Shisui.

Itachi looked back up at Akina's sad shining green eyes. She then did a hand sign that brought a vine up from the bottom of the cavern; he grabbed hold of it to bring him back up the cliffside. He jumped to Akina and she stared him dead in the eye.

"You still have a mom," She guilt-tripped.

"I'm sorry, Akina-chan." He hung his head.

"I don't want to lose my best friend, too." She held back tears.

"Akina…" He started. "Kill me if I become corrupt like Orochimaru."

"W-Why would you say something like that?"

"Promise me." He returned a serious stare.

"…I-I promise." Akina held both her hands to her heart and nodded. She then blushed. "Do you want to go to Tsukimi with me?"

"But the war hasn't officially ended…"

"It is ending, Itachi-kun… Peace is coming."

"Peace…" Itachi said. Liking the sound of that word.

Tsukimi Festival

"Come on, Itachi-kun," Akina smiled, pulling his hand as his parents and Akina's father tailed behind. Mikoto giggled and Yasuo shrugged.

"Itachi," Fugaku said straight, gesturing him to come back, and the boy did so for his father to place a few bills in his small hand. "Treat the little lady well."

Itachi firmly nodded and ran off with Akina.

"What do you want to eat first?" She asked.

"Dango!" They both said and giggled. Itachi then approached a vendor.

The adults watched. "What a gentleman," Mikoto complemented, putting her arm into her husbands. Yasuo's eyes softened sadly.

"Don't look so glum, Yasuo." Fugaku ordered.

"I'm grateful you let Itachi be with her. I can tell she finds great comfort in his friendship, Fugaku-san." It sounded so formal.

"Why wouldn't we let him be with her, Yasuo?" Fugaku asked, knowing well enough why though.

"Hey!" Kushina smiled from a distance, waving with one hand as she approached in arm with Minato.

"It'd be petty to hold a grudge against Minato. It's not his fault that the village chose him, though, you said that I had your vote when I didn't." Fugaku stated in a hushed tone as they watched Kushina and Minato approach.

"My vote would have done nothing, everyone already suggested Minato, you know how bad it would look if I was the only one to vote against my own teammate." Yasuo defended.

"Then so be it." He whispered and then smiled at Minato. "So… When's the inauguration?"

Akina and Itachi sat in a gazebo out on the lake, watching all the lanterns as they ate dango.

"Itachi-kun…" Akina voiced in her breathy voice, he glanced over at her, not taking his next bite. "I'm going to become a strong kunoichi, too. I want to help you with achieving peace."

Itachi smiled and blushed. "…Itachi."

"Huh?" Akina asked, looking over at him.

"Just call me Itachi. We're friends." He smiled.

"Best friends." She corrected, watching his eyes return to the lanterns, and to bite his dango.

Day of Inauguration

Iva and Yasuo stood outside the Mochizuki Manor. Iva's arms crossed.

"Akina, c'mon!" Yasuo ordered, Akanah and Akina put on their shoes. Akina rushed to her father's side. Iva waiting at her spot.

"Go ahead," She said to her younger brother. "I'm still waiting for Benjiro."

"Give him time," Yasuo compassionately advised.

"Itachi!" Akina cheerfully called out with her meek voice. Said boy turned, as he seen her run towards him, he smiled gently.

"Dad," Akina asked as he came up behind her. "Can we go to the front of the crowd?"

"Fugaku-san?" Yasuo asked.

Fugaku looked at his wife, blankly. Mikoto raising her finger to Itachi. "Stay at the front with each other until the ceremony is done."

"Thank you, Mother." Itachi bowed his head and then felt Akina's hand grab his, pulling him along to the front. "Only when I'm with Akina… I feel happy. I feel heard."

The children watched, looking up to the top of The Hokage's Office, Minato stepped forward from Kushina and Lord Third. He began to give his speech as Akina leaned into Itachi closely, flustering him.

"What?" Itachi asked.

"Someday that will be you up there. I'm trying to imagine it." She looked up at Minato. "Minato-sama is a young Hokage, that paves the way for you to become Hokage by the time you're his age."

"…" Itachi smiled, but his eyes looked down sad.

"What's wrong?" Akina leaned in again, noticing concerned.

"You're more likely to become Hokage." Itachi murmured.

Akina roamed her thoughts to try to understand what he was thinking. She looked up at the Hokage Stone Faces. "Because my great-grandfather was the Second Hokage? Because my father was a student of Jiraiya-sama?"

He remained silent for a bit, he then blankly stated, "Whether it was Orochimaru or Minato-sama, it doesn't matter, as Orochimaru is a student of Lord Third and Minato-sama is Jiraiya-sama's student. Student or family lineage."

"All the village is family! The Uchiha are a part of that family!" Akina argued.

"But you did say you want to become a strong kunoichi. It's only a matter of time there would be demand for the first female Hokage." He blankly added.

"There will be the first Uchiha Hokage before that happens. I'll see to it." Akina reassured. "I don't want to be Hokage, but I will be just as strong as you."

"You'll see to it?" He stared into her stern eyes.

"When I become the Head of the Mochizuki, I will back you as becoming Lord Fifth." Her meek voice was so dignified.

"Thank you, Akina-chan." He smiled softly.

"Just Akina. We're friends." She grinned. "Now, how will you stop war, Lord Fifth?"

"I'll create true peace by… I'll be so strong that no one will want to go to war, like the First Hokage." Itachi stared off up at The Hokage Stone Faces.

Akina smiled gently. "That's a good plan."

Itachi blushed at the sound of her support. "Thank you."