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: 23

Naruto, Sasuke: 17-18

Shisui: 26

Kakashi: 32

"What happened exactly?" Itachi looked at him, tearing his eyes off Akane, deep in a water fight with Naruto and Sakura in Akiko's backyard.

"What are you talking about?"

"When nee-san left for Kiri, when we were kids." Itachi's face turned cold. "Nii…" His brother got up and went back inside. Sasuke followed him to Akane's old room.

"Why the sudden interest?"

"We're going to the Fourth Shinobi War and she never told me when I know something happened."

"Are you aware this is none of your business?"

"I don't care. Whatever happened between you two made you get the Mangekyou nii-san, and I know you felt responsible for her going back and I never understood why."

"I told her to go back." Sasuke frowned. Itachi sighed and sat down on the bed, his arms dangling from his knees. A conflicted look was in his eyes. "The last time I talked to her before she left the village, I told her to go back, and that deserting was already a cowardly move. She told me it was ironic coming from me, and now I see the irony too much. I chose peace over what I thought was her life for two years, that's what happened." He raised cold eyes to his younger brother. "Are you happy now?" Sasuke remained silent. "I awakened my Mangekyou not just because I thought she died in front of me and I did nothing, but also because I was convinced that I threw her into that situation."

Sasuke merely looked to the side.

"You still feel bad about it."

"How could I not? I messed up too many times."

"You've ever talked about this to her?"

"I apologized during the Chuunin Exams and she told me to get over it."

"Have you heard enough?" Itachi blinked and widened his eyes when Akane entered the room.

"Yes, thank you Sasuke." The oldest Uchiha got up, his eyes going from his brother to his girlfriend.

"What's going on?"

"I needed you to talk and you kept finding ways to shut me up about this. I asked for Sasuke's help." She sighed. "Look, I get that hearing about how I was integrated back to Kiri years ago shook you, but it's not as if you telling me to leave was what pushed me to do it. The Hokage ordered me to, and then when Sasuke and Naruto came to my room, it only helped me get the resolve to do it. I knew I'd be a double agent anyway, so I was fifty percent sure I wouldn't die." Itachi looked away. "Please, don't stay stuck on this."

"It's what it led to," Sasuke realized quietly. Akane raised a brow at him.

"What do you mean?" Itachi gulped.

"You did great for Kiri, but it made you stay in Kiri. It doesn't only put the 'foreigner' tag on you, but also 'foreign kunoichi', and now 'Mizukage'." Sasuke looked at his brother. "You think you're the reason she's not staying in Konoha with us." Akane just stared at him, confused.

"Wait, what? How would your mind come to this conclusion!? I thought you just struggled to accept they kind of tortured me when I got back, and you regretted asking about it last week!"

"There's that too, I can assure you," Itachi whispered quietly. "But it's…I'm proud that you're going to be the Mizukage Akane, I really am…but you won't be here."

"Sucks to be the one watching the other leave, doesn't it?" she retorted blandly, making Itachi flinch a little. "So, when you're telling me long-distance is going to be okay, you don't believe it?"

"I do believe it, I'm just…not sure how long I can handle it. Maybe Sasuke's right, maybe I think you're not staying in Konoha because of me or something. If I had tried to help you back then, then maybe you never would have gone back to Kiri and there wouldn't be long distance at all, for no one."

"Sasuke, would you give us a moment please?" He nodded and left, leaning against the wall in the hallway. He was hearing hushed voices.

His brother had always been unbreakable to him. Of course, this image started to shatter with time, as life threw things at them. He also never saw his brother looking at anyone but Akane with this much adoration in his eyes. However, with this came a lot of things he never thought he'd see in Itachi. Uncertainty, anger, fear, guilt, self-esteem issues…he never thought Itachi out of anyone would feel them. Yet, when Akane told him his brother was going back in his shell after she told him Kiri tried to break through her confidentiality seal and that she was afraid he was feeling guilty again, he had a hard time believing it. It wasn't as if he never saw anything like this before. After the Battle of Kiri, his brother was sad about his fight with Akane.

His brother always tried to hide all of this from him to be reliable.

Sasuke peeked in the room. Itachi was hugging Akane tightly, his head in her hair as she hugged him back tightly.

"You're forgiven Itachi, you just need to forgive yourself," he heard her say to his brother. "Everyone makes mistakes, and this had a good outcome. Long-distance sucks, but I made peace with Kiri and myself. Don't forget that. If you think you sent me back to hell, then don't forget I helped destroying it." His brother cupped her cheeks, his forehead against her head.

"Maybe I could go." Sasuke widened his eyes and she gasped. "My dad can stay as clan leader while you do your years as the Mizukage and I'll live in Kiri with you, then we move back here."

"…you'd do it?" Itachi nodded without a second thought.

"I'm not letting anything between us if there is another way."

"…let's wait the end of the war first 'tachi, it's just…"

"I would do it." He pulled back a little. "I just need you to know that." She kissed him.

"I know now, I love you." Sasuke left the second Itachi kissed her.

He had seen enough of it.

Ultimately, if Itachi wanted to leave to follow Akane while she was the Mizukage, he'd back him up. He'd even take more responsibilities if needed if Itachi could maintain the one relationship he could be himself in.

"Akane!" he yelled as he saw her on the ground. She raised her head at him as he got closer to her.

However, once his feet on the ground, he immediately noticed the shifty eyes.

"What?" She opened her mouth, struggling to find the words. Her hand wouldn't leave the ground.

"Sasuke…I…" It was war.

He knew death was part of it. They were lucky they didn't lose anyone in the close circle they had in Konoha.

"Who?" he asked in a whisper.

"Your father," she informed him quietly. Sasuke froze, staring blankly at her. Suddenly, the last word his father told him just hours before were heavier.

"Don't die before your time son." he told Sasuke after looking at him up and down. He did seem weird; did he know he wouldn't come home? Did he feel his time was near and didn't want his son to follow?

"Does my brother know?"

"He was with me when I felt Fugaku-san's chakra getting slimer. He is."

"And he's…"

"For a few minutes." He looked at her hand. "I was just…trying to find any…"

"Well you can stop now." He shot the White Zetsus a look. "You're bringing the Hokages?" She nodded.

"I discarded it for a few minutes. What about you?"

"Your dad took Suigetsu and Karin with him. He said he would take a look at how the Kages were doing. Do your thing, I'll keep watch." She pursed her lips.

"Thank you."

I couldn't get a read on Sasuke, and it was sadly not the time to try to do so. I activated the Claw and put it on the ground. I took a deep breath and reached to each soul in my seal. Once I had a good grasp on it, I carefully pulled them out. There was the habitual crawling feeling in my arm before it went to each of my finger. Then, the souls went to the nearest mediums around, the Zetsus.

I leaned on all four once they were out, panting. I raised my eyes to see them checking their mediums.

"It feels almost like my own body, this is impressive," Hiruzen noted, looking at his hands.

"It feels too familiar," Hashirama added.

"They must have used some of your cells Anija, they seem to be easy to obtain nowadays." Hashirama sulked briefly. "Your son is distributing Kyuubi's chakra easily, Yondaime."

"That's what I've been feeling then," I muttered to myself. "I heard about it, but sensing it i…huh?"

"Kakashi's gone," Oji-chan stated firmly. "So is Obito."

"Let's not jump to conclusions, they may be in Obito's dimension because Kakashi decided to deal with him on his own." Oji-chan had a conflicted look in his eyes before going to me. He knelt and helped me sit.

"Akane, we're going to leave first. As long as you're standing, we will be too so now we're out, it's important for you to stay alive." I nodded and he stood up, glancing at Sasuke. "Is it okay with you Sasuke-kun?" He nodded without a word.

"Madara is the only one I can feel with Juubi right now," Hashirama said seriously. "Let's go fellow Hokages!" Oji-chan left in a flash.

"He is quick, I'll give him that," Tobirama admitted with a smirk before they left too. I slowly got up.

"Let's use Garuda." Sasuke nodded and we were off as well, the Kages already far in front of us.

"That's bad Naruto!" Sakura told him, healing him. "I mean, I don't think B-san and Itachi can handle it and…"

"It's alright Sakura-chan." She blinked at his confident smile.

Indeed, a few seconds later, Juubi's attack disappeared before someone appeared in front of them. The kanjis for "Yondaime" were on his jacket.

"Naruto, that's…" his teammate trailed off.

"Yup! Took you long enough Dad!" Minato straightened up and turned toward him with a smile.

"Yes, sorry. Get ready for the impact." The impact was massive. "You are Sakura-chan, right? Thank you for looking after my son."

"That's…"

"Yeah, but you know, I'm good on my own to…" Sakura headbutted him behind the head.

"The injured should shut up!" she roared at him.

She did look like Kushina in her personality.

"Please don't break my son right now…"

"Yes!" She looked embarrassed.

"The others should be here soon, nee-chan and Sasuke too."

"You became good, Naruto!" The Sandaime landed next to Minato. Then the Nidaime and Shodai landed.

"The generations after us really improved what we came up with," Tobirama noted, shooting the Yondaime a glance.

"Exactly how it's supposed to be!"

"How…it's the Hokages, how…" someone stuttered.

"They don't seem to be Edo Tensei either," another person added.

"How we are here hardly matters, we are here to help," the Sandaime stated firmly.

Near Juubi, Madara landed brutally.

"I've been waiting for you, Hashirama!" he yelled with glee. Hashirama pointed a finger at him.

"I'll deal with you later!" Madara's face twitched. Hashirama pointed at Juubi. "After all, he's coming right at us."

"Naruto, take some rest, we'll take it for now." On this note, his dad had Kurama's cloak around him.

"Wait…did he even train for that?" Sakura asked him while he was watching his father in awe.

"I don't know, and I don't care, he's so cool, right!?" Sakura smiled at him when she saw his face.

"Yes, he certainly looks cool."

The four Hokages spread around Juubi and used the Four Crimson Ray Formation, the Shodai adding the Gracious Deity Gates once in Sage Mode. Juubi roared.

Akane and Sasuke appeared out of nowhere in front of them.

"What took you so long teme?" Naruto greeted his best friend, who looked at him above his shoulder.

"You got to learn how to make good entrances dobe." Naruto snickered as Akane crouched next to him.

"Are you okay Naru?" He nodded and stood up.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan healed me enough." He shot the Uchiha siblings a quick look as Itachi nodded at Sasuke. "How is it working now they're out?"

"As long as I am breathing, they can be out. If I fall…you can say goodbye to their help." Naruto nodded.

"Then stay back for now nee-chan." He grabbed her shoulders and grinned at her conflicted eyes. "I know it sucks, but right now these four are better than you!"

"Geez, thanks Naruto," she replied sarcastically. "Where's Kakashi?"

"In Obito's dimension with him," Sakura replied, Sasuke and Itachi getting closer to them.

I gave Team Seven some space with Itachi.

"Naru told me to stay back."

"He's right, so stay back." I frowned at the way he was looking at me.

"What?" His jaw was tensed.

"They blew up HQ." I froze.

HQ was blown up.

Mom was at HQ.

I shot Naruto a look.

"I don't think he knew where she was posted," Itachi continued stiffly.

"Let's keep it that way then, I'm already worried about Sasuke fighting and where his mind is at. I don't need to worry about Naruto as well."

"I wasn't imagining things then," Itachi whispered in frustration.

Juubi sent…his children I guess, at us when Hashirama opened the barrier. They had to or they would be overwhelmed.

"Wanna be my knight in shining armor 'tachi?" He scoffed.

"Why bother when the princess can wield a sword better than me?" I chuckled and summoned my club.

"Right, I'll save you on my white horse my fair maiden."

"I haven't heard that one in a while."

I fought off these creatures mechanically, having Itachi's back like he had mine. I was aware of Team Seven next to us, fighting too, and Sai flying off to Juubi's main body. Hashirama had sent a wood clone to Madara, who was pouting and just sitting now.

I shot Itachi a look. I mean, I knew what he told me, what it implied for my mom, but it was war, I couldn't let it go to me right now. Also, as awful it was for me to say it, she died before. I already went through the mourning process of a parent.

Itachi had not and…I was worried. Even if he had his old self memories…

"You're not sleeping." I looked back. Itachi was looking at me.

"Good observation skills." He sat, the sheets falling to his knees. He didn't say a word though. "Can I…ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"What is it?"

"Do you…wonder how your parents would react if they could see you?" I knew he tensed in my back. I didn't even want to talk about his parents.

"I try not to," he replied after a few seconds. "Be it me or Sasuke." I smiled faintly. "Why the question?"

"My mom died five years ago today. We never really talked about my future but…I wonder what she thought I'd be as an adult I guess." I turned around, the moonlight now in my back. "Can I have your hand?" He stretched out his hand to me without a word. I clasped mine around it and distractedly played with his calloused fingers. "I'm putting hand cream on them tomorrow."

"I thought you wanted me to do your nails." I blushed a little.

"You're better than me, it's not my fault. It's just going to be a manicure session tomorrow." He rolled his eyes and closed his hand on mine.

"Where's your father?" I frowned, staring at our hands. "Even in Konoha, he wasn't there."

"The reason I was in Minato's and Kushina's care in Konoha was because my dad killed my brother when he tried to kill me. Minato dealt with him," I retorted in a stiff tone. "I don't want to tal…" He embraced me smoothly, my cheek against his chest. I sighed. "I couldn't sleep because I miss my mom, nothing more."

"Hn." His arms didn't budge, and he kept me against him.

"Thank you."

"I'm not doing much."

"No." I put my face in front of his and his clouded eyes. I smiled a little. "You're doing plenty enough, trust me." He furrowed his brows in confusion, and I kissed his lips softly. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Your reasoning is sometimes hard to follow, even for me." I giggled a little.

"I'll take that as a compliment genius." I snuggled against him and almost purred when his hand was in my hair. But he stopped and I could feel him rubbing a finger on the other.

"They're not that dry," he denied calmly.

"It's like sandpaper when you touch me."

"You seem to be tolerating it quite well," he said with sarcasm. I chuckled and his other hand went under my shirt in my back. "I don't hear any complain."

I cut one of Juubi's beast that was going for Itachi's back and leaned my back against his.

"It's not the time to have distracting thoughts," he scolded me coldly.

"Sorry, I just had a memory coming back to me."

"A good one?"

"Meh, half good half sad." There was a poof of smoke in the distance.

I widened my eyes when Naru, Sakura and Sasuke were revealed on their summons, like the Sannins before them.

"What?" Itachi said, baffled. I froze the beasts around us and put my fist in the air.

"Yeah, I've waited for that for ten years!"

"You didn't tell me!" I grinned at Itachi.

"And spoil the surprise? Hell no!" One of Katsuyu's slugs came to us and climbed on Itachi's leg, healing him.

"Akane-chan, please come as well!" she called me.

"Got it." I moved closer and she made her way up to my waist. I sighed in relief when my body stopped aching. "Thank you, Katsuyu-san." The slug went to another shinobi, and I followed Itachi when he jumped to get higher.

I watched in awe as Naru's Rasenshuriken met Sasuke's Susanoo's Amaterasu arrow and that their combined attack reached Juubi's main body.

"We're obsolete, aren't we?" Itachi asked me sternly.

"Finally, it's exhausting being on top," I sighed, a hand on my chest.

"Shouldn't I be the one to say that?" he droned at me. I blinked and glanced at him with a raised brow.

"I'm…wait, in hierarchy I'm…" He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Akane. Please. Get it." I frowned and deadpanned at him.

"A sex joke? Now?" He shrugged.

"Honestly, with what I'm seeing, why not." Well…people who'd say he didn't have a sense of humor had no idea what they were missing on.

"Are you even going to help!?" Ushio didn't spare Suigetsu a look.

"It's not as if anyone else could go, there are barely any medics left in the Medic Camp. And don't you want to know if Mei is still alive?"

"It's the Mizukage to you," Karin growled at him, only to be ignored.

"You better both be ready for some heavy medical procedures instead of questioning my intentions. Karin, you're apparently an excellent sensor so you should know how badly injured they all are." She frowned and focused for a few seconds as ripped roots could be seen in the distance. She then widened her eyes in horror.

"Karin?" Suigetsu called her. She shot him a horrified look.

"We have to hurry!" They jumped on the highest root and Karin put a hand to her mouth when she spotted the numerous slugs.

"Ugh, that's a lot of slugs," Suigetsu commented with disgust.

"It's a part of Katsuyu, summoned from the Shikkotsu Forest. If there is so much of it here…" Ushio jumped down, followed by the two teens, and approached Tsunade. "Huh, you really got old Tsuna."

"It's the Hokage!?" Suigetsu pointed at her bottom half, meters away from the top half. "How can she even be alive!?"

"She's Senju and Uzumaki, she's tough," Karin simply told him, securing her glasses on her nose. "And I heard of this slug, Katsuyu, she has wonderful healing abilities."

"I didn't ask for an actual answer…" Ushio knelt next to Tsunade, Katsuyu wary of him.

"The other Kages are underneath these ones?" he asked her quietly, showing the four big slugs with a movement of his head.

"…yes…"

"You've exhausted yourself keeping them alive, Madara did a number on you," he sighed, Tsunade glared at him weakly in return. He looked at the teens. "Karin, Heal Bite. Suigetsu, connect her bottom and top half together like your clan can do so well!"

They exchanged a look. They didn't want to obey Ushio, but it did not seem like they had another choice to help. They did as they were told, Suigetsu wincing in disgust when he felt his liquefied arms mixing with the Hokage's insides. Karin made her bite her and wondered how much the Hokage would take from her until she was fine. The wrinkles soon disappeared on her face as her body went back to its original shape and appearance.

Karin and Suigetsu moved aside as Tsunade sat, confused. She looked at Ushio, now crouching next to her.

"Why are you here?"

"I heard you were facing Madara, I figured you'd lose badly." She glared at him. "Seriously though, you made a nice enough diversion I guess, but now he's on the main battlefield. Whatever is happening there, we felt it on the way here."

"That bad?" She looked at Katsuyu. "Katsuyu, can you do more for the others?"

"No, I am sorry Tsunade-sama. A part of my body is summoned on the battlefield by Sakura-san."

"Huh, you got yourself a good apprentice Tsuna."

"What's going on there?"

"Akane-san brought the Hokages, they are currently fighting Juubi."

"There's no time to waste," she stated, standing up on unsteady legs. "Ushio, help me healing them."

"Sure." She raised a brow at him. "Who do you think I am? Orochimaru? Nawaki told me enough times not to tell you 'no' in some situations." He ignored the distant look there was for a second in her eyes. He decided to make a shadow clone. "If there's no fighting, a clone should do the job, right?" She nodded. "Alright, then don't get cut in half again. Houzuki, Uzumaki, we're leaving!"

"Obito's back," I stated suddenly.

"Kakashi-san?"

"Nothing from him." I felt a pull in my left arm. I quickly destroyed another Juubi monster with the Claw and looked at it.

I had no idea how to explain it, but I knew it was Minato.

"Itachi, can I leave you for a bit?"

"Be careful," he replied without sparing me a look. I nodded and teleported to my godfather.

As they were from my seal, I could teleport to each Kage.

"What is it?"

"Obito needs to be killed right now," he said with finality. I frowned.

"I never managed to leave a marker on him."

"I did." He looked up at me, his eyes in Kurama mode so different now. "You go, maybe he'll…say something regarding how he needed you."

"Are you sure you don't want to…"

"Akane, just do as I say, please." He had been a witness of what Obito had been doing for the past…six years I'd say, maybe that was the reason he didn't want to…

Without even needing to touch me, he teleported me to Obito. I took a kunai and slashed his chest. Blood flew everywhere and Obito stared at the night sky. When did the day turned into the night?

Then, his eyes fell on me.

"You…"

"What's your plan here, Obito?" I asked him, not expecting an answer. He fell on Juubi. I tightened my fists by my side, blood having splattered on the fingers around my kunai.

He had a hole in his chest, probably a courtesy of Kakashi's Raikiri, and black rods in his right arm. Half his body was Black Zetsu-like even.

"He's dead." I looked on my right briefly, Sasuke walking toward us. "Now we have to seal Madara and deal with Juubi."

"And what…makes you think the war is over…dear cousin?" Obito asked him from his spot.

I widened my eyes, grabbed Sasuke and teleported to Naru when Juubi started to…be absorbed by Obito.

Oh no.

Oh god no.

"Gamakichi!" Gamakichi moved away.

"What's going on?" Sasuke wondered out loud.

"Obito is absorbing Juubi," I told them with wide, horrified eyes. "His hair turned white; I should have…"

"Nee-chan, it doesn't matter." I shot Naru a look. The expression on his face, full of understanding and horror, was enough. "Obito…he's been waving the signs for this from the beginning…he's turned himself in the Ten-Tails jinchuriki!"

Hey! Thanks for reading and leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks to Amaterasu53 for the review!

Bye!