Hello! I hope you'll like this chapter!

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: 22

Naruto, Sasuke: 17

Shisui: 26

Kakashi: 31

The moon was high in the sky and beautiful. Itachi was still sleeping and it was barely three in the morning anyway. I ran a hand on my stomach. It was December 7th. The twins should have been born today. The war should have been over for almost two months already. Tsunade-san should have resigned, Kakashi should have officially been chosen as the Sixth already.

I shot Itachi a quick look above my shoulder. Instead we were at war, but not the official Fourth Shinobi War. I didn't hear anyone calling it that yet. Instead, this month should have seen me becoming Uchiha Akane, wife of a seventeen-year-old Sasuke. Being away from the village wasn't that bad in that aspect.

Most of all, instead Itachi was alive, like Shisui, like the whole Uchiha clan. Little Fubuki was born, Haku never died on that damn bridge.

I sighed, making vapor on the window. I traced 'Ikigai' in kanji on it with my finger. What if too many people died during this war and then, Obito just walked all over us?

I furrowed my brows, looking down. I really wanted to know what was going on in that head of his but...if he got his hands on me, he wouldn't let me go and would look in my head one way or another. I knew there were mental defenses, I had my left eye but…

I looked to my right when arms were around my waist, my back against a warm and muscular chest.

"You should be sleeping," I whispered to him.

"So should you, but I was alone in bed." His chin was on my shoulder as I snuggled into him, my arms on his. "You're melancholic."

"I guess." His fingers found my engagement ring. "It was supposed to be this month."

"It must be the only good thing about this war," he whispered. His hand landed on my stomach. "It's today, isn't it?"

"Hum." I craned my neck to kiss his cheek, my fingers running along his jawline. "Are you okay?" He looked up at the moon outside.

"Are you?"

"As long as you're with me, they kind of are too." I blushed in spite of myself at my words. He smiled faintly.

"Then I'm good." We remained quiet for the next few seconds. "What else is on your mind?"

"The same as usual." I turned around to face him. "I'm sorry for avoiding you at the outpost, it wasn't…"

"What was it really about?" I smiled faintly.

"Of course you'd see through it." I licked my lips. "I have a lot of responsibilities, I was afraid if I let myself be with you I wouldn't be able to go back into… 'war-mode' and then make bad decisions later on."

"Makes sense." He pulled me closer. "But I already thought so." I blinked up at him. "My brother too, so he advised me to play along to get you to relax, even if it's just a little bit."

"Sasuke did?" Itachi rolled his eyes fondly.

"It's annoying how well you both know the other sometimes." I chuckled. "And I found it fun too to chase after you."

"You're too good to me." He looked down, the ghost of a smile on his lips as his face became harsher.

"I'm just trying to enjoy the time we have together while I can." I returned his smile. "The moment we leave this place it's over."

"I did say it was our honeymoon," I said cheekily before snickering. He poked my forehead.

"Trust me I noticed." He scooped me up in his arms. "Let's finish our night now."

"Agree." He pulled the sheets over us, basically tucking us in.

"And don't get back up before the sunrise," he warned me warmly.

"Yes Itachi-sama." He stared at me. "What?"

"I'm going to start liking it so you should stop."

"Uchiha-sama." He gulped. "Itachi-taicho." He shut me up with a kiss.

"I said go to sleep, don't try to get in my pants."

"You really have a domination kink." He blushed and hugged me.

"Shut up, I know…"

"I like it."

"I know you do."

We fell back asleep.

Three days later we met up with Taka. Fugaku-san had taken the decision to send them out to take over our tracking job.

"Father's in contact with Jiraya-sama," Sasuke informed us, Karin with him. Juugo and Suigetsu were most likely on their own. "You have to come back asap."

"They noticed something too," Itachi figured out quickly. Sasuke nodded and looked at me.

"We're definitely sent there." I pursed my lips.

"We fought Iwa a lot already, it's logical."

We were barely back that we were about to leave again. I hugged Mom and Naru goodbye. Then I went to Itachi and hugged him tightly, not caring about the people who might see.

"Don't get your head blown up again," I told him quietly in his ear.

"Yes Ma'am." He took a deep breath. "Be careful Akane."

"Yes, so do you." We let go of each other and we were off running toward Taki.

My squad was made of Taka: Sasuke, Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin. Then, there were Kakashi and I, who were the two giving out orders, Kakashi taking over if I wasn't there. Then there were Dai and Ruka. Kimou wanted to come but sensei told her there were enough genjutsu users already. Utakata-senpai was annoyed about being stuck in the village. I would have gladly taken him in the team but I couldn't bring myself to...potentially cause his demise.

Then there were three people we 'acquired' at the Coliseum: Chino, Nowaki and a shinobi named Futsu who had the Boil Release like sensei. There were only eleven of us, but it was plenty enough with the diverse skill set we had. We had three sensors, three medics, three doujutsu users, six kekkai genkai users...it was good.

We'd need it.

After a day Karin sped up to join my side.

"We're almost there, I recognize Shisui-san's chakra about ten kilometers in front of us."

"Alright, thanks." I looked above my shoulder. "We're speeding up everyone!"

An hour later we landed in front of Shisui. Much like Itachi, he had dark circles under his eyes, his hair shorter than before but badly cut, some curls longer than others.

He was obviously exhausted yet grinned when he saw us.

"Hey, how are you holding up here?" I asked him, jogging up to him.

"It's complicated since we got Itachi's message," he replied, looking at me up and down. Then he did the same with Sasuke and Kakashi, relief appearing in his eyes when he saw no injury on us. "Follow me." We did. I stayed next to him, pursing my lips at the harsh glint in his eyes. "I'm sure you've seen your fair share of shit already."

"Sadly." He nodded.

"We do not have Sakura or Tsunade-sama around, do you think you could spare us your medics?"

"Of course." I turned around, now walking backward. "Dai, Karin, Ruka, you'll go directly to the medic tent and see what you can do."

"Got it!" they all replied.

Jiraya-san seemed on the verge of suicide in his tent.

"Really Tsunade...so mean to put me in charge…" he was whining at the table to himself.

"Jiraya-sama." He looked up and blinked at Kakashi and I behind Shisui. Then, his face was split by a grin.

"Look who's there!" He stood up and grabbed Kakashi's shoulder and mine firmly. "It's nice to see friendly faces!"

"I agree," I said with a small smile.

"Tonight it's sake time!"

"With moderation," Shisui pointed out immediately. Jiraya-san took a step back at his gaze.

"Of course, always with moderation!"

I walked around the outpost with Sasuke, who was frowning a lot.

"There are a lot of Uchihas," he muttered under his breath. Indeed, him and I were both stared at a lot.

"So?"

"Hn...I just hope the war is the only thing we have to concern ourselves with, that's all." I looked at him from the corner of my eyes.

"Let's hope."

"I think Shisui should be your partner Akane-chan," Jiraya-san told me seriously. "You're the fastest here, spying on them should be good. Then...I'll deploy Team Eight alongside Taka in the perimeter."

"If you're taking Karin then leave Ruka and Dai here, you're in cruel need of medics and Dai can make medical seals if he needs it." He nodded.

"True. Chino, Nowaki, Futsu…"

"Defense or attack once we can, their kekkai genkais are ferocious."

Taki interrupted a fight between Konoha and Iwa in its perimeter. We had been there for a week and things were moving a lot quicker than at Hakanai, Fugaku-san's outpost. Iwa was way too active around here and shinobi were coming back wounded more often than not from the front line.

"Kakashi, you'll stay back and replace me while I'm on the mission with Shisui. Whatever Intel is gathered goes to you, act accordingly."

"You've gotten way too comfortable ordering me around." I smirked.

"Please, I've always done that, now I was ordered to. I'm just being a good kunoichi." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, understood?"

"Got it taicho." Hearing Kakashi saying that was way too enjoyable.

Once upon a time, when everyone would call him 'Kakashi-sama' because he was the Rokudaime, he'd tell them they didn't need to. Until I came, called him 'Kakashi-chama' and he told me it was 'Kakashi-sama' for me.

"Can you tell the others? I'll get Shisui." He nodded and left.

It wasn't hard to find Shisui. However, I hid when I heard him raise his voice.

"Your job is to be a medic Manami, stop trying to get information about Akane and Sasuke!" Huh?

"She's cheating on her fiance with his big brother! She's going to bring shame to the clan, just like Itachi! We need to get rid of her, them both actually!" I widened my eyes.

"You know this marriage is stupid and the Elders will bring the downfall of the clan by their methods."

"Don't insult the Elders!"

"I know your grandfather is part of them but…" It explained why she'd be in favor of the coup back then and was doubting Fugaku-san's leadership right now. "But Konoha is moving forward, our generation is supposed to shape the future but if we stay on the Elders' positions then you can't blame the village for being at odds with us." I could almost feel Manami's fury from there. "Mentalities are changing. We have to as well and not remain stuck in the past, expecting everyone to bow to us because we're a founding clan. If anything, it's our duty to move forward as well and be an example."

I smiled faintly. He was right.

"It must hurt to think she chose Itachi over you." I blinked in shock.

What the…

"I'm with you now."

"Not since they started their pitiful affair you're not. Whatever I do or may have done is for the clan, maybe you should figure out what your priorities are Shisui." She walked away and I heard him sighing deeply.

"I know you're here, come out." I gulped and left my hiding spot, a sheepish look on my face. "You've heard everything?"

"Sorry. I just wanted to tell you we were going on a mission together and...heard." He smiled sadly. "How long has it been like this? Tell me you didn't propose like you wanted to."

"I didn't, and am not planning to," he replied with a dry chuckle. "It's not always easy to leave a place you no longer like you know." I looked down. "Especially when it can be useful." I frowned at him.

"What?" He put his hand on my shoulder and he winked at me.

"You didn't think I was that blind, right?" I bit the inside of my cheek. "I've been on my side but…" I hugged him tightly around his waist. He sighed a little and hugged me back. "You're the easiest one Akane."

"I know," I mumbled against him. "I'm just glad to know that...that we didn't lose you."

"...sorry it took so long." I gulped and moved back. "It's...I'm sorry."

"I know, I forgive you." He blinked and his eyes became shinier out of sudden. He sniffed deeply. "And I'm sure once he knows, Itachi and you will be back to being best friends like before!" He winced.

"I doubt it will be like before."

"Of course it will!"

"Akane, you guys are together now, even if you're cool with it, I don't...think Itachi will be entirely...cool." I blinked. "You know him too Akane...and you'd have to be blind not to see he treats you completely differently than he used to treat Izumi when they were together."

Well...I mean...I had no idea how his relationship with Izumi was so…

"If you say so."

"Anyway, right now we need to win that stupid war. What mission is it?"

"Spying, Jiraya-san figured that as we're the fastest we'd be a good combination. I agree." He nodded.

"Me too." He grinned at me. "Hey, we've never teamed up for real! Not even in training, it should be interesting!"

"Huh, the only time we fought I kicked your ass." He glared weakly at me.

"That's not true."

"Who blew up your Susanoo rib cage? Who I ask you?"

"Stop bragging, you caught me off guard, and it was four years ago." I laughed. "And I have an upgrade now!"

"Sure sure!"

The mission, in writing, was fairly simple. Spy on the Iwa outpost near Taki. Shisui was experienced, so was I, and unlike the last time we were sent on a mission we both were on the same page.

Really, everything went well until it went to shit. I took a pill to boost me up. Dai always prepared my medic pack because I only would trust Tsunade-san and Sakura as much as I trusted him. However, instead of boosting me up it made me groggy. Shisui noticed and said we should leave, but as we did, I didn't see an enemy trap. I activated an explosive tag.

Shisui saved my life, but I was bleeding and burned and I was in pain...now we were surrounded by enemies because the trap warned them.

"Sorry…" I mumbled like I could on his back, clearly concussed, my right side bleeding.

"Keep your strengths."

"...drugged…"

"I figured." He muttered something under his breath I couldn't understand. I was doing my best to fight the dizziness.

Shisui ended up putting me against the trunk of a tree.

"Red...red…" I tried to say. He glared at me, silently telling me to shut up. "Scroll...red scroll…"

"Got it." He rummaged through my pouch and pulled the scroll. He blinked when he realized it was my medical scroll.

He used a diagnostic seal on me and I weakly pointed at the coming kunai.

They were stopped by a green ribcage.

There were sounds of fighting and all of that, flashes of light but I was too busy with making sure I was breathing. Eventually, I leaned on the side to puke. Once I was done giving back everything there was in my stomach, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Shit!" Shisui grabbed me roughly and threw me on his shoulder to take off.

I was dozing off. One moment I was struggling to keep my eyes opened, the next I was on the ground, someone hugging me tightly.

"Please don't die, please don't die, please don't die on me," they kept muttering to themselves. I shut my eyes once more, my head killing me.

Then there was something on my lips.

"Please I love you, please don't leave yet," I heard them, him, saying, but I was dozing off again.

"...tachi…" I mumbled in spite of my state.

I completely blacked out as I was hearing screaming and yelling.

When I woke up, I was...in a room, in a futon. I blinked and looked around. I was so sure Itachi was around before I blacked out but...I must have dreamed.

I stood up and went to the balcony. I blinked in shock when I recognized the huge tree in front of me.

How the hell did I end up in Taki?

"You're awake?" I turned around to meet Shisui's relieved gaze. "Thank God I got so scared."

"Why are we here?" He pursed his lips and shut the door behind him.

"We were surrounded and they helped us and took us in because they knew you. It's...you were unconscious for a week." I nodded. "Iwa is surrounding Taki and asking them to give us to them so they are not considered as enemies." I ran my hand on my face.

"Do you know what put me in that state?"

"Not precisely but...I wouldn't be surprised if an Uchiha medic had something to do with it."

"Like hypnotizing Dai." He nodded bitterly. "Shit. It's bad if they try to assassinate me, even indirectly like this."

"You're the First great-grand-niece after all."

"It makes it so much more real when he puts it like this," Hashirama's voice said in my mind. I had to agree.

Knowing he was in my family tree was one thing. Calling him my great-grand-uncle was another, even if it was who he was to me in the end.

"The less people know a Kiri kunoichi is related to you anija the better."

"Well she's not related to me Tobirama, she's related to Mito!" Tobirama and oji-chan had been useful since the beginning of the war.

I mean, they taught me to sense other chakra by just putting my finger on the ground and…

Not the time.

"Not just that Shisui." He frowned and I sighed. "Keep it to yourself but...I've been officially chosen to be the Sixth Mizukage." He blinked and widened his eyes very slowly.

"Seriously?" I nodded.

"The war delayed the announcement and...well, I only told Mikoto-san actually, but no one else."

"Itachi doesn't know." I pursed my lips. "But you guys…" He didn't finish his sentence when I glared at him.

"I know." Would we...stay in a relationship then? And he wanted to be the Hokage too so…

Let's not think about this right now.

"Anyway, Iwa is surrounding us?"

"Yeah." He licked his lips. "Shibuki...he doesn't want to give us out just for Iwa to kill us. So far there's only be threats and no move but…"

"Did you get in contact with anyone from the outside?"

"No, but we didn't come back and the amount of Iwa-nin won't escape Jiraya-sama." I shook my head.

"Still, a week? It's a long waiting time for Iwa, especially for us. We're...famous, you know?" I shook my head, nervously biting my thumb nail. "No, I'm sure there's something else. They're...waiting for something."

"My first guess would be they're not making a move and waiting to be sure to outnumber us and crush us."

"That's the most logical, but they're working with Ame, hence the Akatsuki and these guys...they have more than one trick up their sleeve." I gulped.

As if they had timed it, there was an explosion in the distance. Shisui walked past me and squinted at the black smoke.

"Get changed, we're out of time to think about their strategy." I nodded as he left the room and shot the smoke a quick look.

The only thing I could think of as I was running through the streets, tracking Shisui's chakra signature from a distance, was how the whole thing, the whole...atmosphere just felt...off.

It felt...so terribly off.

I understood why when I saw Shisui standing still. I ran up to his side and frowned at his wide eyes and shocked expression. I looked in front of us and paled.

There was a hooded man with a light brown coffin in front of him.

"Oh fuck me," I muttered under my breath. The coffin was opened, the top falling heavily on the ground. It made a cloud of smoke.

When it disappeared, like the rest, my breath was caught in my lungs. The old battle attire...it was from to Warring States Period.

"He looks so much like Sasuke," Shisui whispered in the quiet street.

Indeed, he did.

"Izuna," Hashirama said from my mind. "Madara's younger brother who died after his fight with Tobirama from his wounds. He was as strong as Madara before he got the Eternal Mangekyou."

"Hey you motherfucker, how did you get his DNA!?" I yelled at the man. I just saw him smirk before he left. "Shit."

"Akane...who's that?"

"He's...this would be Uchiha Izuna...Madara's younger brother who gave him his eyes for him to awake the Eternal Mangekyou. He died from his wounds after a fight with Tobirama Senju." Izuna's eyes went from white to black.

He frowned and looked around before setting his eyes on Shisui and I. Slowly, he raised his hand, pointing his finger at Shisui.

"You're from my clan," Izuna stated firmly. "Where am I?"

"Taki," Shisui replied blankly. Izuna just frowned, his sharingan spinning.

"Where?"

"A shinobi village." His frown deepened at that.

"You died nearly ninety years ago," I told him with furrowed brows. He immediately looked up at me.

"Did you just say I died?" I nodded slowly. He looked at his hands. "I only remember the Senju wounding me and…" he trailed off. "Oh, nii-sama...I offered him my eyes." He raised his head to Shisui and squinted. "Kagami?"

"My grandfather."

"Grandfather? He was a nine-year-old brat last time I saw him." He shook his head in disbelief and looked around. "So that's what the future looks like? Still at war and...my kinsman fighting alongside an Uzumaki?" I blinked. "Although, from the symbols on your foreheads...I guess they're your… 'village' you mentioned and not clans."

"Pretty much."

"Still not the same." Shisui and I exchanged a look.

"Well...stuff happened in the past ninety years," Shisui said, clearing up his throat. "How do you know she's an Uzumaki?" He looked at me and lowered his eyes on my left arm.

"Because I'm dead, I can feel it." I clenched my jaw. "You're like Umiko."

"You...remember?" His eyes were in mine.

"It's like a distant dream but...I know it's...was, real." Shisui shot me a quizzical look.

Izuna took a step toward me and immediately, my left arm heated up against my will. I shot it a quick look.

I mean, it seemed logical it'd have some kind of reactions with people brought back by the Edo Tensei. In the end, souls were sealed in corpses. Hell, Tobirama invented this jutsu by getting inspired by the Claw.

"We're enemies," he stated.

"Are you going to fight us?"

"I have no interest in your business, I'm dead," he told Shisui. "However, I feel my free will slipping away from me."

I blinked. It was enough for him to summon a pale yellow Susanoo and punch me. I crossed my arms in front of me but was sent away, going through three small houses. Shisui screamed my name. I landed harshly on the ground and rolled on it, the heat of chakra and battle filling the air quickly.

I expanded my sensing range, biting my lower lip when I felt more than one chakra, the tint of death engraved in them, in the village. I didn't know the seal used on them during the war, never bothered with it, but ice and stasis seals should do the trick.

I jumped on my feet but froze. I looked down. There were...black tendrils stuck to my right leg.

Oh shit. I tried to move but my leg wouldn't budge, the black going up to cover my right side and right side of the face.

"It was time we meet in person Yuurei," the deep, hoarse voice of Black Zetsu told me.

"Off...my body!" I managed to spit out. He snickered.

"No, you have hindered our plans for far too long now." He grabbed a kunai on my thigh and aimed it at my throat.

I gritted my teeth and summoned the Claw, purple energy ripping my sleeve and bandages. I grabbed my right arm, the purple nails digging in the black and gripping it. Black Zetsu groaned and left my body immediately to reform in front of me.

The Claw disappeared.

"What, scared now?"

"Thanks for confirming your status to me." He started to sink in the ground. I grabbed my club and smashed it on him. He just split in two and kept sinking until he was out of sight.

I walked straight into his trap. I wasn't surprised Black Zetsu knew about Yuureis, or even he had his doubts about me but…

I guess I just forgot he was around, watching us and would maybe make a move at some point. The real question was if he would tell Obito or not. He didn't know the length of my knowledge but...with Obito, it was very hit-or-miss.

Let's hope the bastard kept his mouth shut.

On this note, I went back to work. These Edo-Tensei zombies would not seal themselves.

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter!

Bye!