6

"You know, you don't need to train with shuriken." Sasuke grumbles as he slips into his stance to throw. Openly pointing out that he noticed earlier today when she had paused in her own throw to readjust her stance in an attempt to screw up her throw. "This is for you." She points out before walking around him, looking at his stance causing him to grunt before he finally smirks. Akari reaches up and lightly lifts his throwing arm a bit, correcting his hold. When she backs away he releases the shuriken. However, he barely hit the tree. Like it almost flew right past it. In fact, he was lucky he even hit the bark. "I don't see why you make yourself bad at your shuriken jutsu." He grunts as he slouches his shoulders forward-looking rather defeated from where his shuriken had hit. "I don't want to be the top student. That would cause more people to talk to me and the girls would hate me even more." She elaborates for him fighting to not shake her head from how bad his throw had been.

Sasuke utters a sound of question as he drops his arm looking at her confused by her answer momentarily, and finding she was simply staring at him as she thinks about how to help him. His stance after she adjusted his arm was perfect, his hold on the shuriken is flawless. Even the snap of his wrist as he throws is perfectly timed. "Akari? Hey... you okay?" His voice pulls her out of her thoughts and she gives him a single nod. "You need to calculate your trajectory more accurately." She points out as she looks back at the tree. "Huh? Calculate the trajectory?" He questions as he stumbles over the complex words as if his tongue had tried to tie just saying them.

"She is correct." The deep yet sad voice wafts over them drawing Sasuke's attention from Akari. She couldn't help but nearly flinch at his sudden presence from the mere fact that she was supposed to be hiding her skills even from Sasuke. Now he is finding her helping his training. A training that Itachi is completely against from wishing to protect his little brother. "Oh, big brother!" Sasuke calls happily as he runs up to Itachi and looking up at him with so much joy and adoration it isn't hard to see how he idolizes his older brother. "Hello, Sasuke."

"What do you mean calculate the trajectory?" Sasuke questions his older brother as he stumbles over the words again. "It means, little brother. Feel the wind. Compensate for the wind blowing your weapon and also how far you are from the target so you know how hard you have to throw it. By putting both together you will see that you can hit the target more easily." Itachi tries to explain drawing a small smile from Akari. She then turns and throws her own weapon if only to give the two brothers some time together. Watching it embed into the bark with a loud echoing thunk nearly had her sighing. Deep down, she couldn't lie to herself. Whenever Sasuke is near Itachi she couldn't help the churning of her stomach as if she didn't like the attention Sasuke tries to demand from his older brother.

"You are quite good at your shuriken throwing." Jumping from the sudden closeness Akari turns around to face Itachi seeing he was now right behind her from having left Sasuke where they had been talking. As she silently cusses herself from her reaction Akari could see a spark of amusement flashing through his usually painfilled gaze. "I caught Akari messing up on her shuriken jutsu today big brother." Sasuke pipes up as he puffs out his cheeks and looks away from them unable to watch the interaction between his big brother and Akari. "Is she now? I didn't know." Itachi's barely bridled chuckle catches Akari's ears causing her to smirk as she diverts her eyes when she feels her cheeks heat up. "She says it's because she doesn't want people talking to her or the girls bullying her worse." Sasuke all but groans. Akari knew he was playing into Sasuke with his reactions but even with his little brother practically worshiping him his action as always is well timed and mechanical.

"When I noticed her messing up her shuriken jutsu she decided to help me with my shuriken jutsu because you never have time big brother." Sasuke adds in when Itachi didn't respond to his previous statement with more than just a simple pout. "Oh? I see. That is quite kind of her." Akari watches as Itachi turns to look at Sasuke. When he smiles down at his little brother Akari notes that it doesn't ebb away the pain within his gaze. His eyes then suddenly flick over to Akari seeing her standing there silently observing the two's interactions as usual. "Are you not going to the library today, Akari?" He asks nearly causing her to smirk again. "I was going after helping Sasuke." She informs him simply before turning away from the two and walking up to the tree. Using a kunai to dig the shuriken they had thrown from the bark. "Sasuke, I'll take Akari to the library for new books. How about you go see if mother needs help with supper?" Itachi suggests causing Sasuke to gasp a bit. "So you're going to eat dinner with us tonight big brother?!" He chirps happily.

Itachi nods down to him as he closes his eyes briefly with another mechanical smile in place. "That's right." He iterates for the boy causing him to cheer. "I'll go help mother then!" Sasuke calls before turning around and running back to the house as Akari steps up to Itachi, watching Sasuke go even as the older Uchiha was in fact watching her. "I didn't think we were going to train today with both you and Shisui having missions." She points out not even so much as giving him a glance. "I returned earlier than expected." He admits as he pockets his hands following her as she walks forward. "I apologize, Itachi. I know you wish to protect him by keeping your distance and not training him." Akari utters quietly as they make their way around the yard to the front of the building. "You didn't do much. Only pointed out what he is doing wrong so he can figure it out on his own."

"It's okay to feel the way you do, Itachi. Our clan is on the path of death if we can't find a way around it." Akari speaks rather quietly once the front of the compound comes into view. "It is admirable that you are fighting to smile for Sasuke's sake." She points out drawing Itachi's gaze back down to her. "Your eyes are indeed keen." He comments as he reaches down at takes her hand gently, looking as if he was walking his childish little sister down the road. "I simply understand is all. If our efforts fail our team will have to step in." Akari responds as she looks up to him from the corner of her eyes.

While they walk in silence Akari could swear she feels Itachi's eyes glancing in her direction periodically. As if he is reacting to his silent thoughts but not really wanting to break the silence around them. She knows he doesn't like the idea of her aiding Shisui and him but he also knows she isn't innocent like she should be at her age. There is nothing he could say that would deter her in order to keep her away from the high probability of spilling Uchiha blood. He knows she has more than just prepared herself for the chance they fail to find a peaceful resolution. In fact, she has openly laid out plans for the three of them to follow if they do actually fail. From points of attack and entries into homes. The clansmen that should fall first, to where their sectors should meet at a certain point within the attack. Her plan was to fluidly conduct their objective as quickly and silently as possible while leaving his father for last.

Itachi sighs heavily before leading her off of the road and down the small hill to their clan's lake. Only pausing halfway down to look in her direction a moment in reaction to his thoughts again. Even now, Itachi has yet to find someone as much like him as Akari is. She understands everything he leaves unsaid as he doesn't have to dim down his own thoughts so they won't go over her head. To him, Akari is the one constant in his life. Someone who is always there for him and has been since he was four years old. After heart-wrenching missions, she is there when he returns home. Not once arguing for him intruding on her room or her appearing in his if only to sit in silence with him as she hugs him. Knowing words would do nothing, but the warm contact eases what he had done.

Once they were at the lake shore, Itachi leads Akari onto the small dock stretching out over the water. At the end of the dock, Itachi slowly sets down before guiding her down with him. She slips her sandals off and hangs her legs over the edge of the dock, letting her feet skim the surface of the warm water beneath them. Itachi slides his own sandals off to keep them from getting wet as he rests his feet in the water as well. Akari leans forward a bit looking down at his fully submerged feet briefly. Tch, he's lucky he's taller. As she sets back up she glances over her shoulder in his direction in time to see a small amount of amusement in his gaze. "I can't help I'm younger." She shrugs simply causing him to smirk. "I guess there are aspects that can be age-related." He lightly pokes causing her to roll her eyes. "When it's not ninja related, yes." She admits before nudging him lightly with her shoulder.

As silence flows over them again they watch the dying light glance off of the still lake before them. Taking in the serenity and beauty before them. "It is good you are close with Sasuke." Itachi's sudden words breaking the comfortable silence around them pulls Akari's eyes back to him briefly. A hint in his tone was barely discernable but he knew from that one glance she had caught the tightness in his voice. "Relatively speaking." Akari utters after a few moments as she looks back out at the now black lake. "We have the assigned seats next to each other in the academy. As we not only live in the same house but our bedrooms are next door to one another. Today was the first day in over a year that we were alone." She states simply, though Itachi's gaze was on her, listening intently to what she was saying. He could tell as usual when she has to speak more in-depth that her words were still a bit lacking in detail.

If he was the jealous type he could take it as her leaving out how she feels but he knows her too well. Akari doesn't hold back. The fact is, the depth of her emotions isn't typical for a person. Periodically yes, she has waves of emotions that are far more than she can handle. Mostly though, she is nearly empty. As if during the time her parents had left her alone she had receded into herself. Even then near the beginning before he had entered the academy, she had told him how she would lay there in her crib only seeing her mother periodically throughout the day to be taken care of. From the womb, she has never known love. His mother has tried to close the distance and take her in as a part of their family but Akari had placed up a barrier only he can cross. If he is honest with himself, he had only mentioned Sasuke to see if she had allowed another in. Instead, she is doing as she always has. She has placed herself next to Sasuke as if that in itself means she is close to him without the emotional factor.

Itachi stands and holds his hand out for her, waiting patiently as he watches Akari's thoughts fazing through her gaze. Within moments she takes his hand and stands, using her free one to slip on her sandals as he does. It didn't take them long before they were back up on the road, walking through the newfound night toward the compound. "Tomorrow we will train when you are released from the academy for the night." He breaks the silence drawing a nod from her. "I'll slip away." She informs him simply drawing his gaze down to her momentarily. When he looks away from her, Akari glances up to him, watching him briefly as they walk.

After that night, whenever Akari would get out of the academy she would meet up with Itachi and Shisui as usual to train and burn off built-up energy from relaxing all day in class. Today though, the boys took her to a different training ground consisting of familiar three wooden posts. Mostly because Sasuke has been continuously interrupting the two of them and forcing Akari to think of quick evasions so she would not be noticed. He has been more adamant lately about wanting Itachi to help him train. Their training today was a bit different than usual. While Shisui's training for her was more physical with taijutsu and ninjutsu, Itachi's fell more on their Sharingan. Normally they would split up the training from physical to genjutsu. This time, however, they were holding a tournament based on their visual prowess in order to further hone their Sharingan. Akari was left unhappy with herself since she had gone against Shisui first and he had reflected her genjutsu enough times her eyes hurt before finally catching her in a layered jutsu that left her more than just a bit confused. It was a normal Sharingan genjutsu but then it wasn't, as if she couldn't even recall most of their battle from how he had controlled her mind within it.

Now Akari was sitting on top of one of the three posts within the training grounds watching the two of them use their Sharingan against each other. Even with her eyes still aching from her battle against Shisui, she has her Sharingan still activated as she watches them. Learning the different tricks the two of them have picked up through experience. Their spar proved that they weren't holding back against each other. As Shisui had originally claimed when they began this tournament, they truly wanted to figure out who is the strongest out of the three. The techniques they were using with the first stage of their Sharingan had made Akari feel like an idiot. She realized these were techniques she should have known about already, instead she had overlooked them. The eye of Hypnotism is a power of the Sharingan where through eye contact you can plant thoughts and actions into someone's mind, coercing them to divulge information or act in a particular way, potentially without the target's awareness. With it, there is a possibility you could take complete control of your target's body and force them to do what you want. So it is more than just simple immobilizing genjutsu, imagery genjutsu, or genjutsu reflection.

That evening after Shisui had officially beaten both her and Itachi the three of them walked to a place with a deep ravine. Water spilling from the cliff on the other side from a multitude of waterfalls down to a large river below. Shisui sits down on one of the boulders as Akari stops next to Itachi in front of him. "So I take it, it didn't go well." Shisui speaks up glancing between the two before him. "I'm sorry." Itachi was the first to answer him quietly. "I did everything I could but... the only thing I could accomplish was to delay the plan."

"Yashiro was unresponsive to my genjutsu." Akari admits with a slow sigh pulling Shisui's eyes to her a moment. "There is a method to his madness but he has had more time to hone his Sharingan." Her openly admitting this causes Shisui to chuckle and Itachi to shake his head. "Thought age didn't matter when it comes to ninja." Itachi chastises lightly watching as Akari puffs out her cheeks only successfully causing the two boys to laugh again. "This is a coup by our entire clan. We always knew it wouldn't be easy to dissuade them. Their will to make this happen is stronger than we anticipated. That said, delaying the plan is a great result." Shisui chirps once he was able to sober his laughter.

"How about you? You said you were going to try and find some allies." Itachi questions causing Shisui to look away from him with a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid it's still not going well. For better or for worse. They're part of the Uchiha clan, so their bond is strong." As he speaks, he looks back toward Itachi who frowns at Shisui's words. "Oh, come on, don't give me that look." He pipes up causing Itachi's eyes to widen even as Shisui stands and steps up to him. "This is still the three of us we're talking about, Itachi." He informs the other soothingly attempting to reassure the other. "Shisui... you..." Itachi begins as Akari turns more toward the two of them. "We are the strongest unit the clan has ever seen." She adds in successfully pulling the two's gazes to her as Shisui chuckles. "Right, right." He chirps before placing a hand on Itachi's shoulder with that goofy smile of his. "So, it'll be fine." Itachi then smiles looking between the two of them just before Shisui pulls away from him. Half turning more towards Akari as he crosses his arms. "Anyway, you keep an eye out and work from the inside. Akari will use her Sharingan on the problematic clansmen and I'll work on finding another way." Akari and Itachi give him a nod, understanding their jobs.

"Big brother!" A boy shouts drawing their attention to see Sasuke running in their direction waving his right arm above his head. "Big brother!" Shisui chuckles and glances down at Akari. "Seems we were found out." He smiles drawing her attention up to him. "If anything, it won't hurt to lie." She points out looking to Sasuke as he comes to an abrupt stop next to Itachi before automatically turning straight towards him. "There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Akari takes this moment to step behind Shisui causing him to chuckle and draw Sasuke's attention to him. "Oh, sorry." He speaks quietly. Shisui just raises his right hand with a grin. "Hi!" Sasuke's eyes widen briefly before he smiles brightly. "Shisui!"

"Sasuke. What are you doing out here?" Shisui questions as Sasuke runs up to him raising his hands in front of him like fists with his excitement. "Hey what were you talking about, anyway?" He then turns back towards Itachi nearly causing Akari to exhale a sigh of relief. "Come on, tell me, tell me!" Itachi's eyes widen briefly with Sasuke's sudden excitement and shock that he has not even noticed Akari before he smiles. "You're still too young to know about that." Sasuke puffs out his cheeks. "What's that about? Am I not a part of the group now?"

Itachi then takes a small step forward jabbing two fingers against Sasuke's forehead causing him to stumble back a bit. "I'm sorry Sasuke, maybe next time?" Sasuke looks up at his brother and covers his forehead with both of his hands. "You're always saying that big brother. Aww." He pouts causing Shisui to chuckle. "Hey, it's not fair. What a horrible brother leaving Sasuke out of everything like that." Shisui pouts as he walks forward to Sasuke keeping Akari blocked by his advancing figure.

He then places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and gives him a wink. "All right, how about I tell you then." Sasuke's eyes widen as he looks up to Shisui. "Really?! You're the best Shisui!" Akari looks over to Itachi as Shisui pulls his arm over Sasuke's shoulder and tucks him in closer to him. Itachi's eyes were wide and blinking in a mix between disbelief and confusion. This moment however, gives Akari enough time to pull her gaze away from Itachi and run towards the cliff before stepping down over the edge. Catching her hold on the rocky wall with her chakra so she is out of sight.

"You see, we were just talking about which of us is stronger, me or your brother." Shisui smirks causing Sasuke to grunt in surprise before Shisui looks over his shoulder as if he were looking at Itachi. Checking if Akari was still there or not. "I mean, I know I'm a lot stronger than he is, but he just won't accept the truth." Shisui whines before exhaling a sigh. He then looks back to Sasuke. "Well, Sasuke. You know the truth, don't you? That I'm a lot stronger than he is..."

"No, you're wrong!" Sasuke shouts causing Shisui's eyes to widen. "I mean, sure you're strong, but come on! My brother is still way stronger than you!" Sasuke yells at Shisui with a glare causing the teenager to pull away from the kid a bit. "Oh really? But I'm older than he is, so I only think it's natural to assume I'm..." Sasuke puffs out his cheeks watching him. "Age has nothing to do with being a ninja!" Shisui tries not to smile as Sasuke continues to react to his teasing. "But you know, I have the Sharingan!" He points to his right eye causing Sasuke to raise his hands into fists again and lean in a little closer. "Brother has the Sharingan too! So, my brother won't lose to you, Shisui!" Sasuke then looks over his shoulder toward Itachi. "Isn't that right, brother?" Itachi gives a startled grunt before looking away. Remembering just an hour ago Shisui beat him in their tournament. This causes Shisui to chuckle. "Shisui... you..." Sasuke then turns and walks up to Itachi. "Right? brother! Go on! Tell him you're stronger than Shisui, right?"

"Well, that's..." Shisui watches them over his shoulder as he smiles. Akari looks towards the river watching the ever-flowing water with a tilt of her head. Thinking about everything the three of them have done just to preserve this side of Sasuke and save the clan. The orders Itachi has been given and the plans they have made. Every covert mission they carry out as they fight to change the clan without making it known to the other members. Just as, so far, no matter what she has done the story is still unfolding the way she remembers. Knowing deep down what she will have to do in order to save at least one of them and help shoulder the burden of the other. "Hey, Akari." Shisui's voice speaks up over the sound of the waterfalls as she turns around to look up at him. He smiles at her as he closes his eyes. "Itachi and Sasuke left to go eat dinner. You should head home too."

"Shi, I can see something is on your mind." She points out as she jumps up onto the ledge again, landing next to him. Her hands slip into the pockets of her navy blue jumper as she closes her eyes for a moment. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about Itachi and Sasuke. What a coup would do to their family." Akari nods and raises her gaze as she looks toward the trees. Sasuke's white shorts stick out like a sore thumb against the brown and green around him as he walks with Itachi. "Yeah, a coup will destroy everything we know and love. Not just in our clan." She sighs before looking toward him. "I'll see you tomorrow." She then turns and runs off, taking the long route back to the compound.