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: 12/13

Shisui: 21

Kakashi: 26

"Sasuke!" Naruto screamed as Sasuke was dropped on the floor. His eyes were wide open and moving, showing he was still awake, but paralyzed because of the black symbols on his body. "That's Aunty's..."

"I know my wife's seals Naruto, it's obvious. Please tell me you're more intelligent than that. Kisame, make sure the Uchiha brat doesn't try to move."

"I..."

"Seriously," Ushio sighed, "just follow us and I will release your friend."

Naruto looked down at Sasuke, who was trying to make him understand he was lying, yet Naruto walked out of the room through the destroyed door. Ushio smiled happily, sending shivers down the jinchuriki's back. His throat was dry and painful, his blue eyes not leaving those of his 'uncle'. What did they want with the Kyuubi? Where was the Pervy Sage!?

"You're annoying Kakashi, do you know that?" Ushio mumbled, turning around to face a pissed off Kakashi.

"Sensei!" Kakashi looked at Naruto, and then at Sasuke on the floor and set his flaming sharingan on Ushio and Kisame.

"I won't let you take him." Ushio raised an eyebrow and ran to him, throwing a punch Kakashi avoided.

Naruto watched them exchanging blows. Kakashi was reading Ushio's movement with his sharingan, yet he stopped and Naruto widened his eyes at the chains coming out of Ushio's left hand and blocking his sensei. Ushio hit Kakashi under his chin with his knee and harshly grabbed his face, staring straight in the Hatake's eyes.

"It's quite a gift Obito left you, and Rin did a great job at implanting it in a cave," Ushio purred and Kakashi glared at him at the mention of his dead teammates. "Yet you're still weak." The Uzumaki grabbed his head and Naruto tried to help his sensei when black symbols appeared on his head and seemed to melt into his skin. "He won't bother us an..."

Ushio jumped back to them, an enormous white wolf with black eyes baring his fangs at him. Ushio scoffed, not impressed, and averted his eyes to the woman checking on Kakashi. The smile of pure glee dancing on his lips made Naruto's blood boil, especially when his aunt, sweet, loving aunty, gave such a hateful glare to the man who was supposed to be her husband.

"Heh, I don't have a welcome kiss?"

"You're not gonna touch a single hair of Naruto's head Ushio."

"Why are you such a joy killer?" he whined. "If it wasn't for his birth, your dear cousin would be alive today! We both know that!" Akiko tried her best to avoid the broken look in Naruto's eyes, instead focusing on the deranged man in front of her.

"Whoever made you join that Akatsuki thing kept you up to date when they freed you."

"And what if I freed myself?" Akiko raised a brow at that.

"Did you? Even in stasis?" Ushio sent her a toothy grin.

"You..." Ushio never finished his sentence as a puff of smoke appeared behind them. Jiraya revealed himself with his exuberant introduction, where the only reaction he got was silence.

"Pervy Sage where were you 'ttebayo!?" Naruto screamed and pointed an accusing finger at him. "How could you leave us alone for a woman!?"

"Intel Naruto, Intel!" Jiraya refuted, the toad under his feet leaving. He put a sleeping woman against the wall and took the situation in. Sasuke was down by a seal, Kisame holding him firmly by the throat inches from the floor. Naruto was barely keeping it together, his eyes filled with fear and guilt. Guilt? Jiraye pushed that aside for later and glanced at Kakashi, unconscious on the floor and Akiko trying to wake him up, her summon Gaku growling in front of them.

"Okay, it's that kind of day, isn't it? Where there is some kind of big old reunion?"

"You look annoyed Ushio-san," Kisame remarked dryly, "if I had Samehada we would win."

"First of all, no, we wouldn't. Second of all, drop it with your dog sword!" They were gone in an Hiraishin and Jiraya swore in his head. How did Ushio learn the Hiraishin? He didn't know it when Minato sealed him away, and the only scroll teaching the technique was in Akane's possession, there was no way she would have seen him without telling them...right?

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as Jiraya got rid of Sasuke's seal. His aunt placed him on her wolf's back.

"I need to get him to the hospital immediately, Ushio put a seal on his brain. I need medical assistance." She jumped on Gaku.

"Aunty...he..."

"Go get Tsunade Naruto, we'll talk later. Don't believe everything that mad man said, okay? I'll see you later, after you've saved your sister."

He nodded and with one last smile for her nephew, she left.

"So we need that Tsunade for Kakashi too now?" Sasuke grumbled as he used the wall to stand up. "He was beaten so fast, and those chains..."

"It's an Uzumaki hidden technique, and Kakashi let some of his anger blind him way too much for someone his caliber, it was his own mistake. Hoshigaki Kisame was one of the Seven Swordsman and Ushio was almost the Fourth Mizukage," Jiraya said, quickly checking Sasuke for any rest of the seal.

"Fourth Mizukage," the Uchiha repeated hollowly.

"He's not worthy of such a title," Naruto muttered angrily.

Jiraya stared at the back of his student. 'Neither is Karatachi Yagura, yet he has been the Mizukage for the past ten years,' he thought, knowing that if the Resistance in Kiri was so well organized it was not because it was some random shinobi in it. It was important, powerful members of the Hidden Mist who were tired of the bloody reign of Yagura.

She was pale.

It was the first thing Shisui noticed when he saw her on the lake with one of her genin. She was paler than before, had dark bags under her eyes and her entire demeanor was tense and distant. Her eyes were showing a turmoil that seemed to have been eating her from the inside for a while. Actually, she started to have those eyes when she was still in Konoha, ever since she discovered Kiri had had an interaction with Konoha. Maybe he should have killed that Mangetsu after all.

She would have hated him though. He still remembered the relief in her hug at knowing that man was alive.

Akane saved his life and his clan by saying how dangerous Danzo was, he would not pay her back by killing someone she...cared about. Even if Shisui knew he would never be able to pay her back knowing how it changed everything. It was the Butterfly Effect. By saving him, she sealed her fate in Kiri, she bounded herself to a lifestyle she told him she hated. It was when they were children and did not know each other well, but he knew it did not change.

Maybe she did not think it would do much to her, following him to Konoha, yet she did it to save him. In a corner of his mind, he wondered why. They became friends and spent a lot of time together during the year she spent in Konoha, but that was it. A year.

He never asked her anything about her past life, he only knew what he saw. Itachi the Clan Killer, him being a part of the Akatsuki and some of the times when they were together. Shisui clenched his fists on his pants. Did any of them actually realize how hollow their eyes were when Itachi was leaving? It was...infuriating because of his own feelings toward Akane, but it was painful to see her memories and witness these two being fully aware their relationship would cause more pain than happiness in the end and yet Itachi came back every time.

That version of Itachi...was selfish in a way, and he was sure Akane never realized it. He was colder, much more colder, yet there was a spark of the Itachi Shisui knew when he was with her. That was what old Itachi was seeking, to feel like he had not completely lost himself.

However, his Itachi had awakened his Mangekyou when he thought he saw her died without him doing anything because of his position. Shisui saw how it was eating his cousin away for the past two years, and even if Akane was now in Kiri, he saw how Itachi was relieved to see her alive. Not necessarily fine, but alive.

Shisui sighed and shot a broken look at his sleeping friend. She was not fine. He knew they were not from the same village, he knew she had a tough role to play, he knew she was not allowed to be friendly with him. He was not stupid, he knew very well all of that. Yet, when he saw her, he had to talk to her, ask her what happened during the past two years. She had never said anything about Kiri except it was awful, but now she almost looked...dedicated to a village she hated.

Why?

He wanted to ask her so many things. What happened? Why that change of mind? Did she need help? Was there anything he could do to see some warmth in her eyes again? Could she forgive him for being weak and needing her help to save his life and his eyes, his clan? Could she forgive him for being the reason she had to be a kunoichi again?

The Uchiha rested his head on her mattress, between his arms. On the nightstand, the petal of one of the flowers he brought her fell. Pink cyclamen. It was all he would probably be able to do to prove her he loved her for now.

If only...if only she could let him get close. She never did, she always...in a way, he knew she was trying to protect him, and Itachi too. She still knew things and she didn't want the changes she made to go to waste. She was...so obvious sometimes. He could find a way to communicate with her if only she was willing to ask him. He would help her in the blink of an eye, if only she was willing to ask. He hated the pain in her brown eyes, he wanted to make it all go away, make her come back to Konoha and maybe, maybe try to convince her he could take care of her.

If only she asked for help for whatever was happening in Kiri she was involved in. She helped without him asking and no matter how much he wished to do the same, he couldn't. It was frustrating him. His worry over her well being and her refusal to let him get close to her were frustrating to the point where his worry was driving him mad. It was not often Shisui's worry turned into anger, but the Uchihas felt emotions a lot more violently than other people. He could feel his blood boiling in his veins when he remembered how she introduced herself as if they didn't know each other, how even Itachi was frustrated to the point where he almost raised his voice against him.

She knew they cared about her, right? Then if she just could let them get close like before!

Shisui groaned and looked up at her sleeping face. One way or another, he would get her back and protect her. If she hated fighting and being a kunoichi, then he would make sure she would not be one.

He got her out of Kiri once.

One way or another, he would do it again.

Once she was awake, because she was going to wake up, he would talk to her. He would not let her run away like she did before.

"Shisui." He turned his head to the door, where Itachi was standing, his lips set in a thin line. "Akiko-san came back with Kakashi-san in a bad state, they...they fought against her father."

"Is he that strong?" he asked quietly, even if he knew Akane would not wake up.

"I don't know, it didn't feel like it. He was...average but..."

"Looking average is the best way to hide your skills as a shinobi," Shisui whispered.

"Jiraya-sama, Sasuke and Naruto will bring Tsunade-sama back," Itachi said, his onyx eyes lingering on Akane.

"They better hurry."

"Shisui...you do know once she's fine she will leave again, right?" Itachi did not like the glint in his cousin's eyes. "We can't force her to stay, you will let her leave, right?"

"I know I can't do anything, but I don't want to hear she's dead six months after it happened during a mission. I want to keep her safe."

"So do I," Itachi said, averting his eyes to his cousin, "but it doesn't change the fact she will have to leave. Dai-san will make sure she's fine."

"Will he? Will they?" the oldest Uchiha asked darkly and Itachi sighed.

"They care about her and you know it. You can't always be there for her."

"But wha..."

"Shisui, she was trained by the Fourth Mizukage and he kept her alive, she is skilled. Her teammate told me she was too stubborn to die anyway."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes, because they know her skills more than us, they know the shinobi side of her more than us and it's enough for me."

He left, silently closing the door behind him and Shisui smirked wryly. If Itachi knew about Akane's special condition and how she had been the mother of his children, he would be even more protective of her than him.

One day he would be.

Because one day Itachi would know. He would put the pieces together, and be angry at them, and look at Akane with a new light in his eyes.

His relationship with Izumi had been having troubles since the Chuunin Exams after all.

Maybe that even if he was in love with her, Itachi and Akane would find a way to each other.

It was the most painful of all. Being in love with a girl that would probably end up with his best friend, who would love her as much as he did.

Life was complicated.

"Let me! Let me kill that asshole!" I screamed at the Uchiha's face, wasn't his name Itachi?

"He'd kill you," he stated flatly and I shot him a hateful glare.

"So what, I don't have anything left! Let me kill him Uchiha! Let me! Let me go god dammit!" I kept fidgeting, fighting back so that this asshole of an Uchiha let go of me yet his arms didn't budge. Was I that rusty? I left Kiri four years ago only, was I really that rusty?

"Itachi-san, why don't you let the kid play with Sasori? It's not that important," Hoshigaki-san piped up and I bared my teeth at him. "Oh, I'm almost scared."

"Kisame," Itachi told him sternly and my eyes found the Sasori's brown ones. I didn't even feel like he was looking at me but through me.

"If the girl wants to fight me I'll give her a quick death. She could be useful as a puppet after all."

"You fucking piece of shit!" Hoshigaki-san burst into laughter and I thought about freezing the Uchiha but he abruptly turned me to him, his fingers around my forearm almost digging into my skin. "Wh..." I didn't finish because I was lost in a sea of red. I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, Sasori was not here anymore, nor his loud and stupid blond teammate. Instead, it was nighttime and I heard a deep voice telling Hohigaki-san to go get some wood. I sat up and glanced at Itachi with hollow eyes.

"You were Shisui's friend," I said quietly, "the one I mistook for a girl when I was five. Itachi, wasn't it? Itachi the Clan Killer who only left poor little Sasuke alive?" He didn't say anything. He just kept staring blankly at me and I could feel a question burning on the tip of my tongue. Something I wanted, needed to know for the past four years. "Did you kill him too?"

"Who?" he finally answered coldly after an uncomfortable pause.

"Shisui, did you kill him too? I had a letter saying he killed himself, but he didn't show any signs...did you kill him?" I hated how broken I sounded, but I could remember his grin as he left for Konoha, leaving me hanging on a promise he broke. He wouldn't have killed himself. He...

"Why do you need to know?" he asked, still as emotionless as before.

"He promised me something and he doesn't...didn't seem like the kind of guy to break a promise like that and he...I know he trusted you he...he was too strong to be killed like that."

"What would you do if I said I killed him?"

"I'd die trying to avenge him probably," I chuckled dryly, the idea of going up against Uchiha Itachi so laughable to me. "Just answer the question, did you kill him?"

"He killed himself," he told me and I screw my eyes shut, Shisui's grin flashing in my mind. He wouldn't have...why? Why? WHY!? "He never said anything showing signs of depression."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I scoffed, my angry eyes meeting his unreadable ones.

"No. Why do you even care?"

"None of your business." I got up. "Why did you stop me?"

"Sasori would have killed you."

"So what?" I inquired coldly. He just kept staring at me flatly.

"I can't have you killed." I raised a brow at that and clenched my fists. What, his sharingan were not enough, he wanted a little mixed-blood with him too? "Shisui asked me to keep an eye on you, to keep you safe." I frowned and glared.

"When?"

"Before he jumped off the cliff." My heart missed a beat and I was quickly grasping the stupid high collar of his coat.

"You were there?" I hissed quietly, cold yet burning anger lingering in my voice. "You didn't stop him?" It seemed like it reached him a little because I swear I saw his lips twitched a little.

"He didn't listen to me," he admitted through clenched teeth and grabbed my hands to make me let go of his coat.

"So you tried?" He didn't answer but his eyes were enough for me. He tried and failed. I let go of his coat and slapped his hand away. "So now what?" He blinked at me and ever so slowly, raised an eyebrow with fucking elegance at my question.

"I'm sorry?"

"You kept me from getting killed by the puppet and Shisui asked you to keep me safe, now what? Do I have to stay with you? I'll make sushi out of your partner you know, I still resent him for kidnapping me." Itachi clearly had no idea what I was talking about and I wasn't about to tell him anything. I rolled my eyes. "Can I leave or do I stay? I have nowhere to go and nobody's waiting for me."

"You're not scared of staying with two S-rank missing-nin?" I laughed at that.

"If Hoshigaki-san wanted me dead, I'd be dead! He left Kiri so I don't have to worry about him giving me to them, and you're definitely not as mean as you want to make yourself look." I had a kunai at my throat and he frowned at my lack of fear. Instead, I smirked. Yagura...was worst than Itachi at the moment. "Shisui trusted you 'till the end, I don't know what kind of shit happened in Konoha, but you're not a psychopath killer Uchiha. But please go on, kill me, I won't mind. As I said, I don't have anything left. That fucking shinobi system keep taking in good people and spit them out broken, leaving the families to deal with the aftermath." I grabbed his wrist and made the kunai dig deeper in the tender flesh of my neck, warm blood trickling down my shirt.

"Why don't you just go to Konoha and take care of Naruto?" I blinked. Naruto? Who was that Naruto? Ramen? Did he...Oh right, Naruto. Their son. My...cousin.

"I won't go to Konoha without political affiliation and that old Danzo guy still around. I'm not dumb enough to be forced to fight for another village." He frowned and seemed to think about something very hard for a second.

"He tried to recruit you when you were in Konoha because you're an Uzumaki," he stated blandly, retreating his kunai. I shrugged, it wasn't as if Konoha was any better than another Hidden Village, they were all greedy when it came to power after all. Konoha was better at hiding it.

"Still here kid?" I rolled my eyes at Hoshigaki-san when he walked back to us.

"She'll stay with us," Itachi declared, shooting a side glance at the shark. Said shark raised his brows up to his hairline.

"Leader-sama won't be happy."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Hoshigaki-san stared at me, seemingly musing over my case. "She is a real ray of sunshine to have around if I remember well. Until she tries to freeze you to death."

"I'm sorry, did I kidnap you to force you into being a shinobi under a tyrant?" He laughed as if I was a jester, so I glared. Again.

"Still angry about that?"

"Geez, even if I turned you into sushi I bet it would expired anyway."

"Enough," Itachi ordered us coldly.

Great, my life was just getting better and better every single day.

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled once the fight was over between the Sannin. His friend was squirming in pain in the grass, Jiraya next to him and his hand firmly clenched on his neck. The snake, Orochimaru, had actually bit him. Who would bite people in the middle of a fight!?

"Shizune!" Tsunade barked at her assistance, who nodded and ran to the Uchiha. "Brat, you're alright?"

"Yeah, but Sasuke..."

"What the..." Jiraya started before jumping away with Shizune when purple chakra surrounded Sasuke.

There was no screams of pain anymore. Sasuke got up, rocks detaching themselves from the ground and floating around him from the pressure the purple chakra was exerting. Naruto widened his eyes at the marks covering half of Sasuke's face, his sharingan shining brightly in his eyes. Eyes set firmly on Naruto.

"Naruto..." Sasuke rasped in a voice...terribly dark, darker than the usual annoyance he was showing to his teammates. He barely made a step that Jiraya knocked him out and placed a seal on his, the purple chakra disappearing.

"Pervy Sage..."

"Orochimaru left a mark on the kid, we need to go back to Konoha right now. Damn, this trip is cursed!"

"The Uchiha clan might kill you for letting this happen to their kid you know," Tsunade reminded him and he sighed. He was in deep shit now, he just knew it. "Let's go then, I also have the heal Akiko's kid, right?" Naruto sheepishly looked up at her.

"You know Aunty?"

"Yeah, I also knew Ushio, the old and nice one. It's a shame how he turned out."

"Huh? You're...back?"

"Hn."

"Yeah, nice to see you too buddy," I snorted with irony, dropping my dish towel next to the sink. "As you can see, I still live here. I turned nineteen, I'm still alive and I heard your brother left to go to Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Itachi confirmed quietly, a frown on his face. "Naruto left on a trip with Jiraya-sama." I stared at the wall behind him. That was...good? Jiraya-san was Minato's sensei and Naruto's godfather so...that was good.

"I've already told you I don't care about him. The kid got friends and is training, he doesn't need me. What about your disease?" Itachi seemed to flinch slightly at that and he took off his coat.

"It's...still here, like you said it would." It was my turn to frown now and I averted my eyes to him. We had some kind of weird friendship going on, but I didn't mind it. Far from it actually.

"I really hoped you didn't get what my brother had but...damn Itachi, maybe you do have a virus attacking your chakra network. If it's the case, the more you use chakra, the more it will reach your heart and..."

"I see," he whispered and looked down. I walked up to him and patted his shoulder.

"Hey, if I remember well, you have some herbs that can slow down the damages, you need to mix them together in some kind of weird mixture you have to eat though...it's blurry, sorry."

"That's fine, I didn't ask that much from you Akane, thank you." I blinked slowly, not expecting Itachi to actually thank me. So I awkwardly scratched my cheek with a grin, not capable to look at him in the eyes.

"Well, you know...you basically sum up my social life! Ha...haha...I'm pathetic." I facepalmed. I was a missing-nin or KIA in Kiri, and he was a missing-nin from Konoha. How...pathetic was it to admit he was my social life?

"You're not." He took my hand in his and I blinked in surprise at the softness of his voice. Even his eyes...there was something new in it, almost...warmth? Very, very well hidden but warmth.

"You gotta admit our relationship is weird and I don't even know how it still exist. It's...against all odds, would I even be in troubles if people knew we were friends? I mean, I'd be in trouble if I was seen by Kiri at all but...y'know?" He pursed his lips, his dark eyes lingering on my face. I felt myself blush at the attention and the small smirk tugging at his lips made me blush even harder. "Gosh Itachi, you're mean!"

"Am I?"

"Yeah, you always tease me but you pretend you don't! You take too much joy in my mise...ry..." I trailed off as I found myself between him and the sink of my kitchen. "I...Itachi?"

"Do you really want me to tease you?" he whispered in a husky voice and a shiver ran through my entire body.

"Huh...Itachi..." I gulped at how close his face was to mine and how his onyx eyes were staring straight into mine, the same hidden warmth in them making me blush even harder. "Don't...if we cross the line we won't...go back..."

"Do you want to cross the line Akane?" I grasped the bottom of his shirt tightly with my free hand when he whispered in my ear, his hand tightening around mine. I started to breath faster. Itachi was far from being ugly and he was way too close to me for me to just ignore him. I...

"You're not under any kind of jutsu...or missions? They didn't send you to..."

"No," he refuted immediately, his face in front of mine and his eyes almost pleading me to believe him. His nose was touching mine and I could feel his hot breath against my lips. He...probably felt mine too. "Nobody but Kisame knows about you."

"Sasori..."

"Thinks I dumped you somewhere two years ago."

"I'm your dirty little secret." He raised a brow and from the situation and the minuscule smirk on his lips, I rolled my eyes. Of course, 'dirty' had innuendos. "You're such a..."

"You didn't answer the question." I tilted my head on my shoulder and my lower stomach warmed up when his eyes became slightly darker at my action. "Do you want to cross the li..." He didn't finish his sentence my lips were on his. They could have been soft if they were not as dry as they were.

In any case, I was about to move my head back but his arm wrapped itself around my waist to keep me against him, his lips gently moving against mine. As cheesy as it sounded, my heart seriously fluttered at this. I didn't even think twice when I half-opened my mouth, his tongue sliding in it and meeting mine softly.

He was almost treating me as if I was a porcelain doll or something and it was adorable. Itachi may have killed his entire clan, and it should make me run from him, but I couldn't care less. Because I was fine in his arms, his lips on mine and my arms around his neck, making him get even closer to me.

"Itachi..." I murmured when he moved away, and I blushed when I spotted the thin string of saliva between us. Gosh...he was turning me on that...I yelped when he took me in his arms, my legs wrapped around his waist. "Itachi!"

"Yes?" He blinked innocently at me and I glared. Yeah...that man didn't kill his entire clan just because he could, there was something else. I raised a brow when he frowned, even if we were in my room already. "What are you thinking about?"

"You, you're drop dead gorgeous you know," I answered without thinking. I knew he didn't buy it, and I also knew he decided to ignore it because he dropped me on my bed, climbing on top of me. "I've never actually..."

"Neither have I," he confessed, moving his face closer to mine, "do you want to stop? I can, I won't force you." I put my hands on his cheeks and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Bring it on Itachi, bring it on." For the first time since I met him, he really smiled at me. It was small, yet sincere, and somehow I couldn't help but think I was a little bit lucky to see that side of him he seemed to have killed as we made love.

"Sasuke don't! This whole place is a giant seal, if you go full power against him we all die and he knows it!" I told him with wide, panicked eyes. Sasuke pursed his lips and glanced at my son and his blood stained shirt.

"So what do we do?" he hissed at me. I breathed out slowly and directed my attention back to the masked man in front of us. I didn't know if he wanted to imitate Obito or not, but he could control matter itself. "That guy...what he does..."

"Mangekyou?" I asked him quietly and his frown deepened, his hand clenching tightly around his katana.

"I don't know, I'd need to take off his mask to see but the seal it's..."

"Unstable, we're running out of time and for some reasons the asshole in front of us is protecting it." I bit the inside of my cheek. Out of time, we were out of time and Shisui, my baby was hurt and his sister was too not far away... "Sasuke, I may have a solution, once he's down I should have enough time to stop that fucking seal from exploding."

"What is it?"

"Reaper Death Seal." He widened his eyes in surprise. Because I knew it? Because I was planning on using it?

"Don't be stupid Akane, I'll get us out of here. You've got children!"

"So do you, and a wife. You left Konoha years ago, you deserve to go back one day. It's not a situation where you can use your eyes to punch your way out, it needs finesse. I seal him, he won't be brought back because he's too dangerous and..."

"Please don't do that," he whispered, sounding like a lost child to my ears. I smirked and flicked his nose.

"I spent my life running and hiding, it's time for me to do something useful. Too much chakra and boom."

"I'm sorry, I'm still there you know!" the masked man yelled, making me sink into the floor. Sasuke pulled me out, leaving me next to Shisui. Before the enemy reached us, I told one last thing to Sasuke.

"Once I'm ready, change place with me." He just left to engage the enemy in a taijutsu fight.

"Mom?" I smiled brightly at my son, obviously scared from his wide open onyx eyes. "What..."

"I love you and your sister so much, you're the best things that have happened to me. Remember that okay? Always remember that Shisui." I looked in front of me and took a deep breath. One of the last one I'll ever take.

Then the Snake

Boar.

Ram.

Rabbit.

Dog.

Rat.

Bird. Sasuke punched the guy, who punched back.

Horse.

Snake.

The guy saw me doing hand seals and tried to go to me.

Clap hands.

"Sasuke now!" I blinked and found myself in front of the opponent. "Fuinjutsu: Reaper Death Seal!" The hairs on my body stood up at the frightening presence behind me. I heard an incomprehensible chant above me and I spat blood when I felt an arm goes through me.

"Wha..." He winced in pain and tried to move, but the purple arm of the Shinigami was inside of him. I looked over my shoulder, at the demonic presence behind me. Bijuu were scary, but this one was purely deadly. The Uzumaki clan...playing with what shouldn't be played with. Suddenly, its yellow eyes looked down on me and he grinned, making me gulp.

What...was that feeling?

I turned my attention back to the enemy.

"You and I...I'll bring you down with me!" I roared, tearing his soul away from his body I felt it go through my body in a burning sensation and a seal appeared on my stomach. The masked guy fell on the floor, dead, and I ran to the seal.

I bit my thumb and drew another seal on it. I executed some hand seals and sealed it back, making it stable again as the fuin symbols in the room went back to their black color. I turned around and watched the Shinigami cut my and the guy's souls to eat them.

I dropped on the ground when the numbness started to grow in my body.

"Mom!" Shisui cried out, tears streaming down his face. Sasuke caught me and put me on his knee with a grim face.

"You're a moron."

"I know. Sasuke...don't let them...walk the same path you walked when...you were a teenager..." I couldn't feel my body below my waist. "Say...'hi' to your brother and Shi...sui when the...time has come for you...little brother..." He closed his eyes and nodded, but I felt his nails digging in my shoulder.

"Mom I'm...I'm sorry..." my son sobbed and I heard my daughter screaming at the entrance of the room. She was next to her brother in a second, her whole right arm bandaged.

"I...love you...bo...th..."

"No mom, don't you dare die on us!" Aki yelled, tears threatening to fall from her onyx eyes."Mom!"

I was fine. I finally did something good, right oni-chan? I did the same thing you did for me years ago. Yet, it was nothing next to Itachi's martyrdom, or Shisui's forgotten efforts...those who helped in the shadows? How...unfair was that?

They both deserved so much more...Shisui broke his promise to me...

"Mom? Mom!" my son called me panicked and shook me, but I didn't move. I couldn't move anymore.

If only...I knew Danzo was dangerous...a tree with rotten roots is bound to fall one day...yet I hid. I hid because I was a coward and I didn't pay my debt to Shisui.

I didn't help Shisui.

I wasn't enough for Itachi to fight.

I enjoyed Konoha, a Konoha they protected with their lives when I was such a coward.

Why...why do the good persons die first? Why?

Why is life so unfair?

Why didn't I help my friend? One of my first friend?

If only I could give them the life they deserved.

If only...I could be useful for once in my life.

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

Nevvy: Thanks for the review :) I'm happy you like the rythm of the fic, because I have to agree with you sometimes they're stuck at the same age for a very long time. I also feel proud of myself to know you needed tissues for the daddy issues x)

iluvstorys: Thanks for the review, and it's quite ironic, isn't it?

Bye