Disclaimer: I own the OCs in this fic, the rest is Masashi Kishomoto's. Sorry for any spelling mistakes.

Character age:

Akane, Itachi: 18

Naruto, Sasuke: 12

Shisui: 21

Kakashi: 26

I rolled my eyes. Haku sighed. Chōjūrō looked uncertain. Suigetsu was drinking, sat on the ground. For the fourth time in two hours. We reached the Land of Fire two hours ago. I took advantage of one of his whining break to change my top to accommodate better to the weather. Instead of my long-sleeved shirt, I had a slinky black shirt, the sleeves stopping a little above the elbows and navy blue finger less gloves.

"Come on Suigetsu, move," I groaned with a glare. "We're not that far away anymore."

"I need breaks," he stated with a deadpan look on his face. My eyebrow twitched.

"Why don't you drink and walk at the same time?"

"Haku, you should know that it will be useless that way!"

Please, whatever Lord there is above, my buddy Shinigami, give me the patience to deal with that brat.

"Are you that eager to get back to Konoha?"

"Still here? What were you up to?"

"I was trying to think on that back-up seal for jinchuriki." Right, it was sort of a back-up seal that would activate in case the Tailed Beast is extracted, to keep the host alive. "I wish I could test things. Anyway, aren't you stressed?"

"About what? Your kid? Mom? The over-protectiveness of the Uchiha clan I might face? The super secret mission Yagura gave me? The one sensei gave me? Orochimaru attacking?"

"Among other things," he chuckled nervously in my mind. Let's just say at some point on the road, my two regular students had to hold me back from hitting Suigetsu in the face.

As we neared Konoha, we fell in steps with teams from Kusa. No sound was heard from any sides. From the corner of my eyes, I spotted red hair. I shot it a glance and arched a brow when I recognized old Sasuke's Uzumaki teammate, Karin. I had never met her before either, but I saw a picture at old Sakura's place. So she was at the Chuunin Exams huh? Well, that was interesting. Chuunin Exams...Orochimaru attacks Konoha with Suna, Sandaime dies. He...he attacks at the end of the exam, but old Sasuke told me they first met him before.

Has old Sasuke ever told me what happened anyway? I don't think so. I don't think I ever asked what happened either, because it was in the past. Too bad for me, now I was the one in the past. But Orochimaru would do something and later Sasuke joined him. I just wish I knew what it was.

"Are you alright Uzu-sensei?" Chōjūrō asked me in a whisper as the rock faces of the four Hokages could be seen in the distance. Oji-chan, and all of them actually, looked cold. I rubbed my eyes for a second when seven faces appeared instead of four in my head. My body was eighteen but my mind...forty-one, wasn't it? I was forty-one, I was a few years younger than mom or Tsunade or Jiraya. "Uzu-sensei?"

"Yeah, don't worry Chōjūrō," I replied. Now the gates were in front of us. My breath was caught in my throat at the sight. Most of the teams, us included, must have arrived at the same time from the three lines next to each other. Many shinobi were patrolling and controlling us, the police forces from the symbol on their sleeves. Yeah, the Hokage was already taking precautions. Good, that was good. I turned to my students with a serious face. "From now on, we represent Kiri in the Land of Fire, in Konoha. So behave. If you're caught in a fight outside of the Exams with another village, especially a genin from Konoha, the entire team will be disqualified. I don't need to tell you what would happen with the Mizukage if you were not remembered as he wants you to be. So no. Slicing," I emphasized, looking at Suigetsu who gulped under the coldness in my eyes. "You filled your registration paper, so you show it to prove you are who you are and here for the Exams and nothing else. I have all of our passports. Once we're inside, we go to our hotel and we'll talk about what you'll have to do in three days. Got it?"

They nodded and Suigetsu took a step closer to me, clearly on edge. I raised an eyebrow and tensed. I tensed because there was a team with Oto forehead protectors on their head. They were all giving creepy vibes, and I couldn't help but shiver when my eyes met those of the team leader. Gray with split irises. He had devilish eyes, a very fair skin and long jet black hair styled in high ponytail. He smirked at me and I bit the inside of my cheek when his team walked passed us, the genin sending my genin smug smirks. I breathed out silently when they joined a line and shot a look at my team. Suigetsu was livid, Chōjūrō looked scared and Haku had wide eyes and a short breath.

That was Orochimaru. I had no doubts about it, old Sasuke once took me to one of his hideout to look up a seal. He saw the symbol of Kiri on our hitai-ate and let enough killing intent to show us who was the boss I guess. But Suigetsu, Suigetsu sensed him very well. I ruffled his white hair and he raised scared purple eyes on me. I winked at him.

"I'm here, remember?" I whispered to him and he nodded hesitantly. I nodded back and we joined the line on the far right, the farthest from Oto. "Team..." I kept myself from groaning at the ridiculous name Yagura gave us because we were specialized in infiltration, "Team Unagi."

"That sucks so bad." I agreed mentally. I spotted Gaara's team at the front being controlled and then entering the village. Hum...I wanted to be sure if my seal was still there but...I wasn't sure I would be able to do so.

"What's Team Unagi?" Haku asked and I sighed. Seriously, Dai and his drunk ideas that Yagura actually accepts...

"It's the name of Terumi-san's team since they became chuunin," Chōjūrō explained.

"Suigetsu is the unofficial member."

"Oh."

We waited patiently until our turn, gauging the other teams in the meantime. Gaara's team had made it to the finals and there were a lot from Konoha, that was all I remembered. I needed to take a look at my diary. But even in my old life I didn't know everything or remembered everything I had been told when I got here.

Then we ended in front of a member of the police force. I had barely gotten our passports from my back pouch that a firm hand was on the officer's shoulder. My eyes followed the hand, attached to n arm, to a shoulder and...

"Captain!"

"I'm taking care of this team, Hokage's orders," Fugaku-san stated coldly in all of his Uchiha glory, Kakashi standing behind him. I almost gulped at Kakashi eye-smile because he shouldn't be smiling. Not at Kiri, certainly not at me after the little act I pulled in Wave. Okay, my genin would go to the hotel, I would not go with them right away. "Passports and registrations." I motioned my team to show them as I gave our passports. Fugaku-san inspected everything and gave the papers back, writing something in our passports and gave us passes to walk around town. I read my name, Uzumaki Akane, and we entered the village officially. It felt weird, so, so weird to be back. "I will personally escort the genin to their hotel. Meanwhile, the Hokage wishes to speak with you, Uzumaki-san."

I nodded and followed Kakashi in silence, glancing one last time at my genin to make them understand it was okay. Now, if only Suigetsu stopped glaring daggers at Fugaku-san behind his back it would be great.

I looked around me, the crowded sunny streets so different from the quiet and misty streets of Kiri, and yet so familiar. However, after two years away, I couldn't help but feel jealous of this village but also viciously content. Yes, this village didn't have troubles, had a police and was basically welcoming, but I knew perfectly well it was only an outside. The corruption left by Danzo was still underneath that layer of happiness and hypocrisy. At least in Kiri, everybody knew what to expect and it made you tough. Yes, there was no innocence unlike here, but we wouldn't drown in the reality of the world when we weren't shielded anymore. Yagura, Obito, made sure of that by training me so roughly, and even getting me to do political missions theses past two years.

I found myself staring at the tired face of the Hokage, Kakashi by my side. My cold facade was on and I honestly didn't know if I could let it go. No, no matter what, for Yagura or sensei, I had to be the image of professionalism.

"Hokage-sama," I greeted him and bowed.

"Uzumaki-kun," he replied with superiority in his voice, "given the past history between our villages, I hope you did not get offended by the welcome you and your team had."

"Not at all, it is perfectly understandable. I hope you will find my team's skill entertaining, Hokage-sama." He nodded and formed the tiger seal. The walls, floor and ceiling glowed blue for a short moment.

"Now that we are shielded from any eavesdropper, I would like to have a word with you concerning these past two years." I shot a look at Kakashi, who had his hands in his pockets as if nothing happened. "After his mission, Kakashi confronted me about the night you went back to Kiri, and I told him about what you have been up to with Terumi Mei."

"I see," I answered blandly. That was...good?

"With the current events, my hands are tied." You bet Orochimaru was a big deal. "However I would like to know how you are planning the rest." I took a scroll from my back pouch and placed on his desk.

"Mei-sensei advised me to take this scroll and give it to you if I had the occasion. She figured I would have a meeting given the situation."

"Hokage-sama, may I ask her a question?" The Hokage nodded and Kakashi turned a harsh gaze on me, making me feel like a kid who did something bad. "That night when you were stabbed in the neck, did you know what would happen after?"

"If your question is 'did you think you would be killed' then not really. Yagura's reactions are unstable, but when anbu from Kiri came in the village, I had a word with two of them. They were my teammates and told me I was needed in the rebellion. They wouldn't have told me that if they didn't know I would make it," I explained and bowed in front of the Sandaime. "Forgive me for keeping this piece of information for myself, but I know of the situation in Kiri and I know my sensei, I couldn't risk her plan to stay here and possibly provoke a war between two villages."

"I understand, Terumi-san told me about it in one of her messages." I straightened myself and nodded. "Kakashi, give us a moment." He left the room and I took a scroll. I opened it on the floor and unsealed my diary. "Down to business I see."

"I don't have a choice Hokage-sama, these past two years have been hectic and well, let's just say I had a taste of what is to come in front of the gates." I stopped on the Chuunin Exam section of my diary. On the top of the page, there was written 'From Sasuke's point of view'. Okay...attacked by Orochimaru in the Forest of Death...Orochimaru infiltrated the exams by assuming a candidate's identity...got spy in Konoha...fight Sasuke against Gaara stopped by attack of Suna and Oto...Hokage against Orochimaru where the former lost...Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura facing Gaara turned into Shukaku. That was all. I was pretty sure Sasuke actually never told me what really happened in the Forest of Death.

"We have taken measure concerning the entirety of the exams. Anbu will be scattered around the Forest and your mother made sure the barriers around the village were much stronger. She also worked with Fugaku to create an alarm system. We have everything under control to avoid as much civilian casualties we can," the Hokage said and I opened my mouth to say something, but I closed it right away. He took a puff of his pipe without looking at me. "I have lived long enough as shinobi, but I failed in many aspects. Orochimaru is one of them. As his sensei, I am willing to take all of the risks to stop him. It is my job."

He knew. He knew he was going to die. He had already accepted it. He didn't want help. This...this reminded me I couldn't save everyone with my knowledge. Some people...some people would still die, would still die trying. But Orochimaru couldn't be reasoned with. Even in my past life, I didn't know why he was at peace with Konoha even though he was under permanent surveillance.

The Hokage made a hand seal and called Kakashi in.

"Considering the situation, I would like you to explain to Kakashi's team the circumstances of your presence here. I will also have an anbu following you." Of course, it was normal.

I found myself on a familiar road next to Kakashi. He didn't bring the Wave up, that was weird. But from the tension in his shoulder and the absence of his book, I could tell he was still pissed. I rolled my eyes at his behavior. If he could just tell me he was angry at me it would be better!

We finally arrived in front of my hom...no, not home. It...it wasn't home anymore, and it couldn't be home for the moment. But it was like I remembered it. The curtains of my bedroom's window was hiding the inside. I followed Kakashi inside, who didn't even knock, to find an empty living-room.

"Kakashi-kun, is that you?" My heart missed a beat at my mom's voice. I mechanically took off my sandals as Kakashi replied in an indifferent voice.

Mom came out of the study room, her bright red hair now above her shoulders like me. She smiled at Kakashi and her face morphed into an astonished one. I looked down at my feet, my arms behind my back as I couldn't help fidgeting. She whispered my name as if to make sure I was real and Kakashi briefly explained to her it was really me.

I blinked rapidly when I was engulfed in a warm and motherly hug. I stood here, motionless, for seconds until I hesitantly hugged her back.

"Yagura wants me to..."

"I know," she cut me off sharply and took a step back to look at me up and down. I averted my eyes from her when I took note of her wet eyes. She caressed my cheek gently, like she used to do when I was a child and I had a nightmare. "I guess you're here with that forehead protector to break the news to Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto is not here for the moment, training." I nodded and looked around, quiking my brows at the picture of my older brother on the wall. Last time I checked, Naruto didn't know about him. "Ha, I told Naruto not long after you left. Please take a sit."

I sat awkwardly in mom's living-room. I felt like a foreigner and I hated it. I wanted to go to my hotel so badly and talk to my team. God, the concept of 'family' was as awkward as when I arrived in Konoha in my past life. I didn't know how I could fit in, yet old Sasuke helped me because he felt the same way. Truth be told, he was my first family with the twins since mom's death, before even Naruto.

"By the way," Kakashi spoke out after an hour of uncomfortable silence, "don't you ever get in the way of my Chidori ever again Akane." Mom turned a shocked look to Kakashi, who was glaring harshly to me. I took a deep breath and returned his glare.

"We're from enemy villages, don't order me around when you have no authority on me." His grip on his cup of now cold tea twitched and his glare got even darker. I found myself having a hard time slipping into Bloody Mist mode, because deep down I didn't want them to see that part of me.

The door opened later with two voices farther away. Sasuke must have been ahead of his teammates, because now he was at the door, eyes wide open on me. A spark of recognition passed in his eyes when he spotted my forehead protector. I stood up and turned to him as he quickly took his shoes off, not bothering to put them together.

"I knew it!" he said and hurried to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. The top of his head reached my chin now.

"Of course you'd see through it right away," I sighed and hugged him back with a little bit less hesitation. I could feel him breath heavily against me, and one of my hands ran through his hair when I took note of his shaking body. Nobody said anything until a sob was heard. My brown eyes found the blue ones of my baby cousin, who was already wiping the snot from his nose. Sasuke let go of me and moved aside. "Naru..."

"NEE-CHAN!" he yelled and ran to me to hurl himself at me. I almost lost my balance. I gazed softly at the crying kid clutching to me as if his life depended on it and hugged him tight, muffling his 'nee-chan' in my flak jacket. Then I shot a quick look at Sakura, who had short hair now and clearly felt as if she was intruding. She noticed my gaze and looked away, scooting closer to her sensei. After minutes where Naruto was sobbing against me, he moved his head back and wiped his tears away. Then, he raised his face to me with a toothy grin while still hugging me and I could feel my heart squeezing at the sight. "You finally came back nee-chan! You took your time, Sasuke even told me you were dead! But I knew you weren't 'ttebayo!"

"Naruto..."

"Hey, I'll show my progresses! I almost can do that Fuuton technique you showed me!" I pushed him away and knelt in front of him. I placed my hand in his mane of blond hair and he beamed at the action.

"Naruto, I'm here for the Chuunin Exams only." He lost his good mood and looked at me confused. "Look at my forehead Naruto, I'm a kunoichi from the Hidden Mist. My village is still in a tense relationship with Konoha and as the jounin of the only genin team from Kiri, I am the face of the Mist. I can't spend time with people from here and display any affection. You and Sasuke are still genin, so you probably don't know yet the politic side of the shinobi world, but it is as it is. The Hokage asked me to tell you guys to avoid any weird situations." As I was speaking, his eyes became grim and his lips turned into a thin line.

"But you should be a kunoichi here," he whispered, searching for an affirmation in my eyes. When he found none, he took a step back. "Why do you like that place more than here!? Aunty and I are here! Kakashi-sensei said that Kiri is an awful place, so why do you like it more!?" he spat at me angrily. I looked down and he pushed me down before running to his room, screaming he 'hated me'. I sighed and got up.

"Take care of him," I whispered and made my way to the exit. I left without anyone saying anything, a bitter taste in my mouth. Kiri needed me, the rebellion needed me and Konoha didn't. It wasn't just about me, I had a job to do and Naruto...it didn't matter if he hated me, resented me now, one day he would see I did all that for reason. An amused smirk appeared on my face.

Itachi, was that how you felt too? Is that how you felt when you were doing what was right for you and yet not knowing where you truly belonged?

Speaking of Itachi, I could feel a presence watching. I didn't feel it right away when I left the house though. Or I was too much in my thoughts, or my stalker/anbu thought he would make himself known. I stopped in my steps and waved coyly toward a tree in a house's backyard, a wry smile dancing on my lips. I didn't waste time in the streets, taking back alleys when I could. My forehead protector was like a target, I swear.

"You're finally here!" Suigetsu exclaimed when I entered our bedroom, Haku and Chōjūrō quietly taking care of their weapons. But Suigetsu wasn't wrong though, because it was dark outside. I spotted an untouched bowl of yakisoba, probably cold by now. "Where the fuck were you?"

"Don't shout Suigetsu, we're not the only ones in the inn," I muttered and sat next to my meal with a sigh. My two regular students raised their eyes on me for a second and returned to their work as I started eating. But Suigetsu went in front of me, his arms folded across his chest.

"Mangetsu and Dai asked me to keep an eye on you because of your family here. You saw them and that's why you're sulking? Come on, don't be a Konoha-softy Uzu!"

"Your words go right through my heart you know," I mumbled, moving my noodles around.

"I knew I'd heard your last name before," Haku piped up without looking away from his senbon. "You're related to Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Now he hates me. I just hope he will be okay in the Exams."

"Wow, we'll see him?" Suigetsu asked, now obviously interested. "He's strong like you?"

"We have different fighting style, at least if I remember well," I answered, making a face when nausea hit me when I took a bite of noodles. My appetite was ruined. "Haku can tell you more. You'll know who it is when you see him, he doesn't go unnoticed. Tomorrow morning we'll go over Chief Dwarf's expectations, and in the afternoon we'll take a walk around the village. I don't want you to be eliminated by some animal because you don't know your surroundings."

She petted the crow on its head and closed the window and the curtains, barely glancing at his hiding spot. She wanted to prepare her team and it was normal. Raising a hand over the eyes of his mask, the sight of her immobile and bleeding body in the grass appeared in his mind. He thought she was dead, that he was guilty for not even trying to help her and his eyes became more powerful because of that. But she was not dead, she was alive and wearing a Kiri hitai-ate, symbol of where her and her skills belonged. He knew she was a kunoichi, but he never bothered to find out about her rank, even though the training session he witnessed between her and Hatake Kakashi were giving her away.

She was alive though. He could try to get rid of the bitter taste in his mouth he always had when he thought about their last words together. There was one thing bothering him though; and it was why she was alive. It was well known the Mizukage was not forgiving towards deserters. Yet there she was with a position proving she was a powerful member of her village. It was obvious why she was the one here, the Mizukage was making a statement.

Itachi furrowed his brows, somehow happy Shisui was not in the village at the moment. Akane told him before the Uzumaki clan's survivors were an interesting power to have at a village's disposal, Danzo being the perfect example of someone wanting said power. It was probably the reason. Akane was a powerful weapon for Kiri, and knowing its reputation, she must have stopped fighting against it when they were ready to wage war against Konoha because of her. Deep down, Itachi could not help but worry for her, even if they were no longer on the same side.

Her hair was shorter and not as well taken care of as it was when she was simply teaching, indicating she no longer had time for herself. It was normal for a kunoichi to have short hair, it was practical, just like Sakura realized after the mission in the Land of Wave from what Sasuke told him, but the beautiful auburn color of her locks was completely dull. He also noticed the way she was shambling, unlike how she used to walk briskly with energy before she left. The bags under her eyes were also prominent, clearly showing exhaustion and how she was overwhelmed.

Itachi's eyes softened at the thought of his dear friend. Her 'death' had been a hard blow on him, on anyone she was close to really. When the Hokage gave him this mission to watch the Kiri team and its leader Uzumaki Akane, a profound sadness engulfed him. The regrets of not doing anything for her had been eating him slowly since that night, and hearing her mentioned under another last name made it worse. If in Konoha and Kiri she had different last names, it must meant somehow, she did not want to be a part of Kiri or was forced to be a part of it.

She did mention how the shinobi life would not be for her many times to him, when they would enjoy a snack while waiting for their siblings.

Itachi gazed at the curtains of the room, now dark. He missed her. He missed her terribly. He missed having someone seeing him for him, qualities and flaws. He missed having someone giving him a piece of their mind without being intimidated. He missed the outsider only seeing Itachi, and not the Uchiha symbol on his back. He missed Sasaki Akane and seeing his brother trying to learn Fuinjutsu on his own had been a painful reminder of what was missing for the past two years.

Yet, when he had seen the Kiri symbol carved in the metal of her forehead protector, he could not help but wonder if she was still somewhere in this version of Akane he had never seen before, waiting for something to come out again.

All he wanted was hugging her. Shisui and her hugged many times in front of him, Shisui's feelings for her more obvious with time, but he never did. Right now, after seeing her so exhausted, he wanted to have her in his arms and feel the warmth of her body against his, just to be sure he was not dreaming. Yet, even if they talked, he did not know if she would let him have this. He did not know if she still considered him her friend after their last talk.

A feeling of dread pooled in his stomach at the idea of Akane hating him and treating him like she had when she arrived in Konoha.

Hey! Thanks for reading! Please review so that I know you liked it :)

kankananime123: Thanks for the review, and Konoha doesn't see her as a traitor as she was just a civilian there.

Tonegawa Rie: Thanks for the review, and don't worry there will be some AkanexShisui moments later in the story, I have everything planned until around Shippuden and there will be :)

Bye!