9

That night or should she say early the next morning Akari opens her eyes to find herself in the hospital. Nurses were talking not too far from where she is laying. Talking about how Sasuke had woken up and ran home. Openly pitting the two children from having to witness such an awful thing. Instead of getting out of bed to look for Itachi's younger brother she sits up and slips her arms around her legs. Images of her life in this world flow through her mind. Nearly all of them were of Itachi being at her side. Training, playing, talking, hugging, and holding hands. Every insignificant detail comes back to her in full. He knew that she has a difficult time with emotion just as he waited until last night to point out that he had noticed there are times she does actually feel. Just like the night she had awoken her Sharingan. It was only possible for her to do from the emotional and desperate need she felt to protect him.

As she continues to sit there thinking about everything she has been through in this world and the last, Akari realizes something she quickly found that she wishes she hadn't. In the last world, she had desires much like her insane obsession with writing. However, not once did she feel anything as deeply as she does when Itachi is concerned. This world is actually opening her heart even if she actually wishes to keep it mostly closed in order to save herself. Itachi steadily and quickly pushed his way through and rooted himself in her heart. It would have been simple enough for her to leave with him. They could have both left the village after their mission was completed but he had decided to leave her behind. Even though in his mind he would be alone with no one to help ease the guilt of what they had to do.

Akari has known Itachi ever before she had actually met him. So she knows the reasons behind his decision. Out there, away from the village. It is a far more dangerous place. Even though she fought at his side and has trained with him for this long. He still only wants her to be safe. He is sacrificing his own mental health for her. Pain radiates through her body starting at her chest causing her breathing to come out in pants ever before moving to her eyes. An immense pain, a level of emotion she can't remember feeling before. She has officially lost someone who had become precious to her by condemning himself for her sake. Tears slip from her hold and her heartbeat picks up. It feels as if no matter how many breaths she takes, she isn't getting the oxygen she needs. Akari's world begins to swish and sway, darkening and lightening back up. The monitors attached to her become frantic with the alarms going off, alerting the Nurses that something is wrong.

The nurses who rush into the room fight to get her to lie down. Their voices sound as if she was hearing them through water as if she was on the bottom of a lake and they were standing at the surface shouting to be heard. It is as if her body is physically submerged at such depths she is being crushed by the weight. Then, everything seems to stop as the nurses step back, their muffled voices slow almost like they are talking to each other. Akari could barely feel the pressure on her own body as her bed dips slightly. Whoever had climbed into bed with her pulls her against him and cradles her head on his small chest. Hearing the heartbeat beneath her ears and steady breathing Akari finally gains control and eases her sobbing. Itachi she silently whimpers as she curls up against the too-small form taking in the warmth of his body. Easing her into a painful sleep.

Sasuke continues to hold Akari to him. He had watched when his friend woke up and how she had seemed to hug her legs in silence. Tears he had shed himself when he had run home flowed freely from the very person he has never seen cry before. At first, he only watched her feeling the weight of his own pain from having just lost nearly everyone he has ever loved. However, he witnessed when it seemed like she couldn't catch her breath shortly before the room became overrun by noise from the alarms. Nurses bolted into the room and surrounded her, calling to each other orders and suggestions of what to do. "She's having a panic attack!" One had called. "Akari, Akari, lay down. You need to calm down." They continued to shout. When they weren't getting anywhere and the girl showed no signs of hearing them at all. Sasuke jumped off of his bed and ran to her. When he climbed into her bed he did the one thing he wished desperately someone would do for him, especially his mom. He held her tightly against him. The nurses had stood back watching the two of them until the alarms stopped as Akari calmed down. By the time she fell asleep all but one nurse left the room. She gave him a warm yet painful smile. "Good work, Sasuke." She breathed out quietly verbalizing her approval for what he had just done before she too walked out of the room to continue her work.

It took days before they were released from the hospital. Sasuke was no longer disappearing to return home, as Akari stopped having panic attacks from knowing she is now alone. When they were released, the compound had been cleaned up leaving no traces of blood or corpses that had once been there. Though when they would look at the empty buildings the two of them could still see broken paper doors and the residual marks on wood made by kunai. Their home had been wiped clean and the chalk outlines of Sasuke's parents had been removed. That day they both went into their individual bedrooms to think about what they have lost.

Neither of the two were hungry though Akari pushed through the pain to make them lunch. She couldn't blame Sasuke for not wanting to eat or even being unable to push himself to do so. Her food looked truly unappetizing compared to what they are used to. But she was trying. Mostly, Sasuke locked himself in his room and refused to come out leaving Akari more alone than ever in this world. So when it was time for school she knocked on his door and told him what time it was. When she was sure he was awake she went back to the kitchen and finished up their lunches. He didn't come out and Akari wasn't going to force him so she put his lunch in the fridge and left for school by herself.

For days this went on. Sasuke missed nearly two weeks of school. Though by Wednesday he did decide to finally eat. He had even showered and changed his clothes. His once bright onyx eyes were dulled from pain reminding Akari more of Itachi showing the innocence they had once tried to preserve is now nowhere to be seen. He wouldn't talk about what happened to him when Itachi had put him under his Tsukuyomi. In fact, he wouldn't talk at all. Which Akari didn't mind, she has always hated unnecessary noise anyway. By Monday of the third week, he started going to school with her again. He no longer talked to her through class or even lunch, his mind remaining stuck completely on what had happened. Even though during the day he masked his emotions behind an almost emotionless facade. Akari could hear him in his room at night as he quietly cried. His barely audible sobs only matched her own inner torment.

By the fourth week, Akari began slipping into his room and curling up with him at night just as she used to do with Itachi. Gently petting his head as she let him cry against her. Night after night she lay in his bed until he fell asleep before she would move into her own. In December Akari finally began returning to her old training grounds after the Academy so she could keep her skills honed. Only returning to the house in time to make supper. The pain of training on her own weighed heavily on her heart, mind, and shoulders. Further solidifying the truth. She is alone. For Christmas to try and cheer up the boy she lives with, she had went into town and bought Sasuke a set of arm and leg warmers to go with his usual outfit. This, however, only helped slightly. He had taken them into his room after he had opened the gift and finally uttered his first words since that night. Sasuke had quietly thanked her for the gift.

Over the next few months when Akari didn't go into his room, he would find his way into hers. Taking solace in not being alone. She knew this as she couldn't really complain. This time with Sasuke she has found the only times the loneliness in her heart would ease is when Sasuke was with her like this. As if he was trying to tell her as much as himself that they aren't truly alone. So she continued to hold him as he cried and run her fingers through his hair soothingly. By May, his tears came less and less. He would still either find his way into her bed or she would lay in his. But the tears stopped lulling him to sleep. As his grades were picking up in school again and he was begining to help her with chores around the house. At first, he let Akari do all of the cooking since she has had months to refine her skills before he began to do some himself. It started small, first, it was just toast to go with breakfast, then he moved on to eggs. His ability in the kitchen growing with each week. When July came he was even helping Akari refine her rice balls.

For her Eighth birthday, Akari woke up to a small box wrapped in blue. The gift was simple and it nearly made her smile as she was sent back into her memories. A picture that Itachi had taken showing her and Sasuke one of the times they had been playing ninja and she had let Sasuke catch her. He tackled her and wrestled around a bit on the ground. When Itachi caught their attention they looked up at him from the dirt just in time for the picture to be taken. Akari had almost forgotten this photo since she had been but four at the time and she probably would have too if it wasn't for the fact Itachi had shown one of his real smiles which at the time had begun becoming a rarity for him to do.

The gift he had given her was a nice sentiment even if it had only been to return the notion. For his birthday, Akari had got him a storage scroll and put tools in it she knew he would find a use for with his training. Like Shuriken, kunai, tripwire, razor wire, paper bombs, and smoke bombs. She had literally loaded him up on ninja tools much like Shisui and Itachi had done for her as a congratulations gift for entering the academy. Though they hadn't quite reached this level yet in the academy so she had to show him how to take things in and out of the scroll. He did like this gift far more than the first one she had given him, the proof of how much he liked it was the mere fact he gave her a gift as well.

Both of them were back at the top of their class again, with Akari barely being beaten by a score or two. She had not forgotten the warning Itachi had given her that night. The fact that she isn't as safe as she would seem for if Danzo would figure out that she is the one who had nearly killed him he would surely have her assassinated from seeing her as a threat. On Christmas Sasuke actually gave her a gift in return for the weights she had ordered him. The funny thing about his gift that piqued her interest was the fact he had given her some in return along with his old leg and arm warmers that no longer fit him. It seems even though they rarely speak to each other Sasuke was beginning to understand her thought processes. Akari no longer has Itachi and Shisui to push her past her limits so she needed something to help further her limitations in training. His gift for her was absolutely perfect.

That year things with the girls in the class had gotten really bad. Instead of them getting used to her being close with Sasuke their hatred for her only grew. Taking their bullying to a new level even. Not once did she fight back, just as not once did she react. She refused to give them the satisfaction of achieving this from her. What had confused her was the pinkette who had once been a victim of bullying for her appearance. She was now pushing to become the ring leader of the girls against Akari. As if she had figured out that by treating Akari so poorly she achieved a level of respect from the other girls so Sakura herself was no longer being bullied as she had been. The guys in class no longer avoided Sasuke and Akari so they would tend to try and talk to the two Uchiha. Sasuke would usually give them a whatever and pocket his hands as he walked away or snip at them with comments that were more mean than what they should have been. After the first couple of times, he no longer had to look over his shoulder at Akari to show her that he wanted her to follow. Sticking to him to help keep herself out of her painful emotions, as usual, she began walking with him and no longer pushed to be on her own or leave him behind.

Naruto steadily acted out in class more and more each passing month. More often than not he would disrupt the class and bad mouth Sasuke. It seems even Mr. Popular had an enemy in the school. Though Sasuke refused to let it phase him, much like she did with the girls in the class at the beginning. He ignored the knucklehead. Their ninth birthdays came and went, and they had picked up a routine between the two of them. Every morning before school they would meet in the backyard to train. Sasuke would shower first as she got breakfast ready. Then Akari would shower. Every other time it was Sasuke's turn to do laundry. Just like they split taking out the trash every day. Monday Akari would clean the hardwood floors and dust the shelves all over the house while Sasuke focused on the bathroom and laundry room. Tuesday they would train after school and she would cook dinner while he prepared their lunches for the next day. Wednesday it was his turn to clean the house while she focused on the laundry room and the bathroom, she even dusted the lights. Thursday they would train and he would take care of dinner while she prepared their lunches. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they trained until Sasuke dropped and helped each other with the meals. When they knew tests were coming up, they slacked off on their training so Akari could help him study.

Sasuke couldn't complain. Akari was finally training with him as he had tried to get her to do many times over when he couldn't find Itachi only to be unable to find her as well, even at the Library. Sasuke was never an idiot. He knew Akari wasn't at the Library over half the times that she would claim she was. The way she was pushing his training from her no longer avoiding him, he could tell. Instead of reading, she had been training extensively. It did though push against his annoyance now seeing that he never truly had the top spot in any of their classes at school. Obviously, she was keeping herself out of that spot to keep people from noticing her quite so much. Her strength is unreal just as he never failed to notice that not once did he push her to use the extent of her true abilities. It was always him that was run down after training as she was left seemingly unphased for the most part.

When they turned ten, Sasuke stopped going into Akari's room at night as she stopped going into his. Instead of switching between sleeves and sleeveless Akari's jumpers were now just tank top style with a white belt around her middle if only to enhance the white and blue arm and leg sleeves she has continued to wear since Sasuke had first given her a set. Her long violet hair was pulled back in a single quick ponytail with two thin strands of her bangs down to frame her face. Durring her last year in the academy Akari noticed a change in the curriculum. The girls had long since finished kunoichi training and that class had been replaced by battle simulation. However, this wasn't the change that had truly caught her attention. No, the change she noticed others, especially Sasuke had as well. But, they could not get themselves to look deeper into it. Increasingly when the students had to be split into teams, they were being placed on the same one. A lot of kids complained or would openly hope that when they graduate they would be rid of the students they were being forced to pair up with.

Seating also followed this same structure. In one row there was Sasuke in his usual outside seat, then Akari, Naruto, and finally Sakura on the inside seat. Periodically Iruka Sensei would switch up the seating and place different students together, but Akari noticed it was mostly like this. Akari always knew who she would be paired with for group activities due to the day's seating arrangements, as she has known this since she noticed the pattern which didn't take her very long. In June, Naruto had literally been drug into class tied up by Iruka. As their Sensei lectured him Akari couldn't help but smirk and lean back in her seat to watch it play out. From Akari's interests being unusually piqued Sasuke smirked as well with a short chuckle. "What a loser." He remarked and Akari shook her head. To her, Naruto was far from a loser. She actually liked his relentless and unwavering spirit. Just like in the research Akari had done before this world, research that was steadily becoming a hazy memory over the years. Naruto had painted the Hokage stone faces.

"Naruto! You failed the graduation test last time and the time before that! Tomorrow you've got another chance and you're messing up again!" He yells down at the blond with his hands on his hips. Seething with both anger and disappointment. "Hn!" Naruto made his annoyed I'm better than your lecture sound as he closes his eyes and jerks his head away from the teacher. "Fine! Since you missed it, Naruto! Everyone will review the transformation Jutsu!" Iruka Sensei yells as he points down at Naruto. Anger is more than apparent in his entire form as his body becomes stiff and his gaze hardens matching his tone. "Awe!" The class sound in unison causing Akari to sigh.

Getting up Akari walks down the steps to the bottom floor of the classroom to take her place in line as Iruka Sensei unties Naruto, before guiding him to the front of the line. Closing her eyes, she ignores the usual scene when it comes to this Jutsu. Naruto however failed poorly in replicating The Third Hokage. In his anger as everyone around us laughed he poofed in a puff of smoke producing a blond with long pigtails. His whisker birthmarks on her face and smoke lingering over her womanly parts in such a way it barely covered her. Iruka Sensei's nose spurted blood and he fell over from being unable to continue standing. With that Naruto appeared again as himself laughing about Iruka not being able to withstand his sexy jutsu. When Iruka Sensei managed to get back to his feet and stick cotton in his nose he turned and hit Naruto upside the head before he continued to yell at the blond. When Naruto went to his seat pain filled his usually bright blue eyes.

It finally came to her turn Akari steps up in front of Iruka Sensei she does actually sigh heavily as if she couldn't believe what he was making her do. When she works her chakra through the simple Jutsu she closes her eyes briefly focusing on what she is doing. A puff of white smoke appears around her blocking the teacher's view of her momentarily. As the smoke clears, Akari opens her eyes now standing eye-level with their Sensei, and waited for him to write the results down on his normal clipboard. "Turned into me, good." He speaks up quietly, so she releases her chakra successfully ending the Jutsu before returning to her seat.