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

Character age:

Akane, Itachi: 20

Naruto, Sasuke: 15

Shisui: 24

Kakashi: 29

"It's..."

"You're speaking now?"

"Shut up you," I growled at Shisui, who snickered. We were in Sasuke's hotel room. "It's not as if it was just something he comes up with everyday! It's...wrong!"

"What's so wrong in there?" Sasuke asked me with a frown. I face palmed.

"You call me 'nee-san', everything is wrong about it."

"The idiot won't let go, do you have another idea?" I turned my head away from the two Uchihas' inquisitive look. "Exactly. And anyway, nothing will happen until I'm eighteen, we'll have time to find a loophole in the contract or, worst-case scenario, find a way to divorce."

"It would be hard, our clan does not like marrying strangers and if you do, you're exiled from the clan. Izumi's mother moved back in the compound only after her husband died in the Kyuubi attack. Akane would need to leave Kiri, and if the Elders of the our clan are the ones behind this marriage they probably have been very careful about the contract."

"She doesn't necessarily need to move from Kiri. I'm not the heir and I've lived there for a while, I could just move back." I grabbed my cup of tea and drank it down in one go. Did it burn? Yes. Did it make me forget how these two were planning a wedding? No.

"Tsunade-san was convinced after all..." To convince her, he had been pretty smart. He used his name and the fact he was from Konoha to his advantage. As he was an Uchiha and Obito had controlled Yagura, but as he was also a shinobi from Konoha, it was a peace offering in a way. And depending on Sasuke's performance in Kiri, it would have an impact on how the Uchihas were seen and the trust between them and Konoha.

"Akane." I looked at Shisui in wonder. "You shouldn't call her '-san'. I get Mizukage-sama is your sensei, but Tsunade-sama..."

"Shisui, we're related," I cut him off casually. He froze and blinked several times.

"Wait what!?" he screamed as he jumped on his feet. "But...how...you never told me!"

"Hey, it's not as if...I didn't know until she became the Hokage! My Dad and her are related like Naruto and I, turns out Uzumaki Mito is a lot closer in my family tree through him that I thought she would be!"

"It means the Shodai is in it too?"

"Well yeah but...I'm not related to him."

"It doesn't matter, it cannot leave that room." I blinked at him.

"You think the Elders would force her to stay in Konoha?" Sasuke inquired. Shisui nodded.

"Not just that. I mean...I wouldn't be surprised if you had an upgrade in your fiancee either."

"Itachi has to have babies with 'pure' blood." Someone really had to explain to me how incest...eurk.

"It doesn't matter. Unless you suddenly become the Mizukage, they would push for an engagement between you and Itachi to seal peace once and for all between us and the powers in Konoha."

"Not good either." I took my chin between my fingers as Shisui sat back down, his legs crossed and his hands flat on his thighs. I raised my eyes to Sasuke. "I will never admit your idea is good."

"It's not good, it's the least worst."

"I should have let him die..."

"Don't say that, it would have been on me." I glared at Shisui, who chuckled nervously. "Of course, now you're...pretty much engaged but..." He stopped talking when he noticed my glare getting darker and darker at each of his words.

"How do you know it would work?"

"Believe it or not, Kasumi seems horrified at the idea of a woman still seen as an object, especially you as she knows you, and asked me to help her find a way to get you out of the situation your, I quote, 'stupidity put you into'." The brat.

"With the history between the clans and the importance it would have for Konoha and Kiri, and then on the two countries, it could work. It would be more advantageous for you two to get married than just Akane and Akihito-sama."

"Isn't there a scenario where I don't get married?"

"We don't have the time to find a solid one except this, the signature is tomorrow." I sighed, defeated.

Needless to say, Akihito's disbelieved face was the only good thing about this whole ordeal Uryuu-sama had to present. He tried to come up with something, but none of his arguments could win against shinobi ones. At some point, Shisui winked at me confidently and I lowered my head.

It was not…

"You were counting on Shisui-kun," oji-chan's voice told me in my head.

"Of course I was counting on him, I don't see Sasuke as a man! I mean...yes but not as a man man, not as one I could flirt with because...eurk!"

"Do you really think it would have been a good thing though?"

"I...I mean...it's just..." He chuckled and I ducked my head even more, hoping my hair would hide my flushed cheeks.

Please be this situation to end soon.

I hated it. I hated too much attention of me. I was fine being under the radar.

After a quick hug to Shisui and me punching him in the shoulder at the 'cousin' he whispered in my ear, we left to drop Fū near Konoha.

"Take care guys! And I won't say a word about this thing!" I waved weakly at her, half sulking as we left with Sasuke.

"You're mad."

"I'm depressed. My life is a joke."

"Thanks."

"I can't see you like that!"

"Thanks," he repeated dryly. I rolled my eyes.

"Inability to have children is a reason to divorce?"

"If it's a clause in the contract I guess."

"You do realize in what situation you put us in for your clan?" He stopped in his track, his eyes set on the road.

"He wouldn't have given up on his stupid idea."

"Sasuke..."

"I'm not happy about the situation either," he finally admitted, ruffling his hair. "I...I guess I panicked a little too." I stared at him for a couple of second and sighed.

"At least it's you and not a royal stranger."

"Sasuke."

"Hum?"

"How many weapons do you have left?" I asked him as I stopped our training. He let his clone continuing and scattered what he had in his pouch. There was not a lot anymore, be it weapons or basic medicine and shinobi stuff in general. "Great," I muttered as I did the same. I didn't have a lot left either, even in my scrolls.

"We haven't bought anything for a while after all," he commented, inspecting the blunt blade of a kunai.

"Placing sealing tags on weapons always means destroyed weapons during the testing phases. We need to find a store but...well, you know the area better than me Sasuke." He pulled a map from the country from his pouch and opened it between us.

"Here." He put his finger on a spot near the Land of Hot Water, just under it and above the Land of Wave. "It's Sora-ku. Expensive, but at least Nekobaa sells only good quality."

"Nekobaa?" I repeated. "Isn't she your weapons supplier? Well, the Uchihas'?"

"Yeah."

"Oh good, let's go then. I won't even pay for anything."

"You're not stealing," Sasuke warned me sternly. I deadpanned.

"Of course not." He raised a brow to tell me to explain further. I raised my forefinger like a teacher explaining something to a kid. "I'm making your father paying for it." He slightly gaped at me.

"You'd be better off stealing." I shook my head.

"I'm your clan's Seal Master, I haven't touched my salary since I left Konoha, and it wasn't nothing I did on Itachi. I'll make him deduce the price of the weapons from the money he owes me." Sasuke made a weird face. It was probably the idea of his father owing someone, especially me, money.

"I see."

We hit the road the next morning. It was February by now, Jiraya-san and Naruto should go back to Konoha soon, then Tsunade-san would send us a message to tell us to go too. Soon...We had already encountered the Akatsuki once, but soon everything would really start.

This time, I would be thrown in it. But Itachi, although still not able to fight, and Shisui, and the Uchiha clan in general were on Konoha's side too. It was reassuring.

"I'm terrified. I swear if the Fourth Shinobi War happens this time around, I'll shit my pants if I'm face to face with Madara."

"Understandable, you don't stand a chance."

"Geez, thanks Tobirama."

"It's '-sama' to you young lady."

"It's 'Yurei-sama' to you then old man." He scoffed and I grinned.

It took us a day to reach Sora-ku. Sasuke kept progressing, him wanting to focus more on kenjutsu when we were training together, and I finally figured out a way to keep my hand from being burned when I released the Chidori. It was good.

"It's...lovely," I muttered at the abandoned city. "Not gloomy at all..."

"You're from the Bloody Mist," he reminded me sternly. I raised my eyes to the cloudy sky.

"Still." I rummaged through my pouch and gave a list to Sasuke. "Please?"

"You'll get lost."

"I'll teleport to you." He grunted and snatched it out of my hand. "Thank Sas-chan!" He glared.

"Stop that!"

"What, Kasumi can and I can't?" I pouted as I left him fuming behind.

To be fair, I was ninety-nine percent sure there were a lot of black market sells in this town. Spending years under Yagura's tutelage gave me like a seventh sense when it came to illegal shit. I walked quietly through the silent streets of Sora-ku, people staring at me without uttering a word when I walked past them.

It was very uncomfortable. It was almost as if I was a guinea pig among mad scientists ready to start the experiences for a crazy new invention. I stopped in front of a red sign with 'SEALS FOR A GOOD DEALS!' written in bright, bold golden letters.

Did they really write down 'a good deals'? If they couldn't get their slogan right, I was scared for the quality of their seals. I went in, coughing a little at the dust gathering on the shelves of each sections. There was not a lot, but still. I went quickly through the seals. As I had thought, they were bad quality. A line too thick, smudged ink, a millimeter too short or too long and instead of a functioning seal you had an explosion in your face.

Sasuke knew that all too well by now.

I raised a brow and took several steps back before leaning over a particular seal. It was old, that much was obvious, and I grabbed it. It was...a complicated one. Oh wait no...it was just in old fuin. Right now, I couldn't really make out what the purpose was, but I could understand it had something to do with the brain.

"Ha, we have a specialist I see!" The shadow of the owner, added to the weak light the naked flickering bulb dangling from the ceiling, obstructed my analysis. "Very old seal you got here, very good too. The guy was young at the time, young family man he was when he sold me his creations to feed his family." I turned the paper over. Nothing behind, not even a signature, as if the 'guy' didn't want people to know he was sealing good seals in that kind of place. "Kind of pathetic sometimes, complaining 'bout his kid dying." I froze.

"Dying?"

"Yeah, the guy kept whinin' 'bout not finding his cousin. He even said he'd pay her debts."

"I'll take it."

"Heh? It's expensive girl, it's my last one. I can't get an..."

"I'll make you a seal."

"It's not tha..." He stopped when noticed the club on my back. He paled drastically, his hollow cheeks becoming white and making his dark eyes popping even more. "Take it, take it and leave!" he suddenly yelled like crazy. I stared at him in disbelief.

"What the..."

"Please leave and don't come back! Don't kill me! I'll give the money back!" He almost kicked me out of his store and locked the door behind me.

He saw the club. I walked away quickly. He saw the club and panicked, he saw Yagura in that.

The seal though...I found myself a dark spot in a dark alley and sat down in the dirt, going to the space where I would see Minato.

He was concerned.

"Oji-chan..."

"It's your father's seal, I could recognize his writing everywhere." We both pursed ours lips. "It's...not that surprising. Seals can be sold at a very good price and it's close to where you used to live..."

"Oji-chan, it's...I can't deal with this just now," I whispered in a quivering voice, glad the Nidaime was leaving us some privacy for once. "Just...specialists have specialties. I'm a Seal Master specialized in the chakra system and everything related to it, a little bit in the medical field and infiltration seals but...Dad..."

"Mind." I widened my eyes, my hand now firmly pressed against my left eye. "He...he's specialized in mind seals, like Kakashi suffered from back then."

"The brain is way too sensitive to be...oh God, it's terrifying, he's stronger than Yagura was, isn't he?"

"I...wouldn't be surprised." I knelt on the ground, my lips stuck in a frightened grin. "Akane..."

"I...he...he has to be dealt with at some point. I doubt anyone without a serious fuinjutsu training can kill him." Minato dropped on one knee in front of me. "It's...of course, it's so obvious when you think about it. There's a compensation for everything I've changed, I have to carry this weight on my shoulders only. He...Dad took Itachi's place. Sasuke and he won't fight to death but...but a fight to the death still has to happen." I screw my eyes shut as oji-chan embraced me tightly. "I...I'll face Dad one day and...I know I won't get out of it alive. I just know it."

"Akane..."

"How could I not see this earlier? I mean...he resurfaced, it's obvious I'm the one who has to deal with him once and for all, isn't it? Mind seals are just...he touches me I'm dead. It's...I just have to drag him down with me."

"You're talking about your death as if he were an opponent impossible to defeat," Tobirama finally intervened.

"How can I beat him when he," I showed Minato with my thumb as he hugged me tighter, "almost died?"

"I'd say you're underestimating yourself but it's not it."

"He's way too strong!" Tobirama sighed, his arms crossed.

"You're saying this because he traumatized you and you're terrified of him." I pushed my godfather away, enough for me to see his face. He ran his fingers in my hair to calm me down. "You...I'm sure you can beat him, but you need to overcome the fear he inspires you."

"I can't."

"You can, you just have to try." I bit the inside of my cheek.

It...It was Dad. I couldn't just…

It was Dad. I wouldn't even let a healthy Itachi face him on his own.

No, no it was my job. I had to deal with him, take care of the new obstacles in the way.

It was my job.

It was my stupid duty as a Yurei.

I smirked bitterly to myself.

Death and eternal turmoil seemed so tempting right now.

Yugito Nii was a clever woman. Matatabi, mostly known as the Nibi, had been sealed inside of her when she was only two years old. Although hard, they managed to find a way to work together, making Yugito not just a jinchuriki, but a strong and proud kunoichi from the Hidden Cloud. She was respected and knew how to take the right decisions.

It was not rare of her to visit Sora-ku. Nekobaa was a nice woman, Nekomata respected Matatabi and it was a good way for Kumo to keep an eye on what was happening in the Land of Fire.

It was what led her to her current position. Hidden on a roof, she could see the young woman curled up on herself against the wall in an alley. The club was giving her away for anyone old enough to know of the Bloody Mist, but the blonde kunoichi did not this to recognize her.

Uzumaki Akane, student of the Fifth Mizukage, apprentice of the Fourth, daughter of a candidate for the Mizukage hat. She remembered watching her and her team during the Chuuninn Exams. Everybody knew the three of them would pass with flying colors during the first exam. They, a team of Kiri, worked as a team in perfect sync. Then, the second exam showed her these three trusted each other to a point where, even if they got separated, they knew they would pass. Still, they also cared, because the two boys made a truce with the two Konoha genin to look for their respective teammates. The third stage had been impressive. She had almost lost against the Sharingan, but one look at the Fourth Mizukage sat next the Raikage and it changed.

Everyone felt the cold filling the arena.

It was no surprise the Raikage tried to abduct her. She had a great potential, had a quick wit but held no loyalty toward her village or her Kage. A had wanted her as a kunoichi only.

Of course, she left and even if the Mizukage never tried to get revenge, the relationship between the two villages were at a dead end.

Yet here she was, formerly the Frozen Shinigami now renamed the Bijuu Tamer. Yugito had been a part of the three-man team who witnessed the sealing of the Sanbi. It had been impressive, the girl had somehow managed to talk a bijuu into being sealed.

Although she respected her, she was from another village. None of them were in their country and she was not wearing her forehead protector to identify herself as a kunoichi from the Mist. Attacking a shinobi for no real reason could ignite sparks, but if they were not in front of her as shinobi then it could be even worse.

It still was a golden opportunity though. She was shaking, her eyes closed and apparently out cold.

In the back of her head, she heard he partner advising her to observe from afar, that the girl was not what she seemed to be.

Yugito sighed and threw a kunai on the wooden crate next to the Uzumaki. She jumped on her feet, wide awake. The blonde kunoichi left to watch in the shadows, as the younger woman, not seeing the threat, took the weapon and teleported away.

Deep down, Yugito had a feeling they would meet soon enough.

Matatabi knew something about her, it was enough for the jinchuriki to wait in the shadows for her curiosity to be satisfied.

"I was attacked," I told Sasuke when I appeared next to him. I bowed to the cat-like old woman in front of his and knelt down.

"Who?" I shrugged and showed him the kunai.

"Dunno, it's a standard one." I smiled sheepishly at the stern looking woman, her cigarette fuming in its holder. "Sorry for coming in such a way."

"You must be Akane, I've heard a lot about you." I sweat dropped. I hope it was in good and not in bad. "So Sasuke, is that all you needed?"

"Yes, thank you Nekobaa." He gave me two scrolls as he finished sealing his own items in his.

"As for the payment then? Do I really ask your father?"

"Well..." He jerked his head toward me. Her small eyes found mine.

"I'll write a note to send with the bill."

I did.

'Hi, your son brought me here to buy weapons, it's a miracle I haven't murdered him in his sleep yet so thanks for paying for us!" I may have added a heart under it to have a laugh. I may have looked away for a second. Sasuke may have given it to Nekobaa anyway with a sadistic smirk on his face.

"Wait wha..." I started but the ninja cat left with the papers anyway. "NO!" Sasuke burst into laughter next to me. I glared at him. "What's so funny!? I'll never be able to face Fugaku-san ever again!"

"You shouldn't have drawn a heart then!" He said between fits of laughter, hugging his stomach. "You've destroyed your credibility!" I blushed furiously.

"Shut up Sasuke, shut up!" I stood up and said goodbye to Nekobaa before leaving. A few seconds flew by before Sasuke was next to me, a smug smirk on his lips. I swung my club at him but he ducked.

"It's dangerous," he noted blankly.

"Little fucker. I'm not spending the rest of my life with you calling you 'anata' and cooking for you." He snorted.

"I don't want food poisoning every day, fiancee." I twitched at that.

"You're dead Sasuke. You're actually dead."

He was having too much fun. The only thing which would creep me out even more would be if Itachi was acting like Sasuke.

Yep, not happening.

"Akane is asking you to pay for this," Itachi told his father, crumpling the note in his closed fist and a bill in his other hand.

"I'll deduct it from her salary," his father replied, his eyes not leaving the paper he was reading.

Itachi nodded and went back to his desk. He took the note and stared at it weirdly.

If he didn't know better, he could think Akane was hitting on his father but the mere thought of such a thing was too disturbing to him. There had to be an explanation to the heart on the note.

And anyway, Sasuke was supposed to be with her, he wouldn't have let her do it if it was serious.

Right?

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought about this chapter! Thanks to LadyDV011, NguyetMieu, leeny len, kankananime123 and Aesanna for their reviews.

Bye!