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: 18

Shisui: 27

Kakashi: 32

"Hinata, Neji, Kou, Hiashi-san!" They looked at me and I clasped my hand on Kou's shoulder. "Do you still have some strength left?"

"What for?" the Hyuuga leader asked me.

"Digging up the people from HQ. Your Byakugan would be us…" Neji nodded before I had finished my sentence.

"I'll come."

"Me too!" Hinata added.

"Take a second to think about it, there are people you'd see every day in these people."

"It is one more reason for us to do it," Neji told me.

"Alright, thanks. Would you ask Tenten as well? Her skills will be useful to remove the rubble." He nodded and walked away. I looked at Hiashi-san. "Would you go to the Inuzukas and ask a few of them as well?" He nodded without a word.

I then went to Karin. Gaara, when he heard me, said he'd send Kankuro and a few other puppeteers as well to help move the rubble.

"Karin, we're going to HQ, I need you as both a medic and a sensor." She nodded without a word. "Suigetsu, you're coming too."

"Heh? Why?"

"To slip through the cracks, of course," I replied with a smirk.

"I'm coming too." I looked at Dad above my shoulder. He pointed at Tsunade-san. "She is as well; she's gathering a few medics."

"Alright." I spotted Kayuzuki and ran to him. "Hey!" He looked at me in confusion. "I'm making a team to go to HQ and help, come."

"I'm not sure if I can be useful…" I frowned. "Alright."

"Gather a few sensors from Iwa as well." Then, I went to Darui. "We're going to HQ."

"I'll get C and B-sama."

"Thanks."

Naru was with Kakashi. After I told him about Mom, he just walked away and sat alone. I went to where Itachi now was, on a sheet on the ground beneath a tent. Sasuke and Shisui were with him.

"When did you get here?" Shisui looked at me. I frowned at the white eye. "Oh, you still used Izanami then."

"Yeah. It worked; it is what matters." I knelt next to Itachi, who was glaring at his left leg.

"What did Sakura say?"

"I need to be operated. They can't do anything here." I sighed a little.

"It can't be helped. Just do as they say." He rolled his eyes, and I pinched his cheek. "Shisui, I'm making a team to go to HQ, wanna come?"

"I'd like to, but I'm going to go get this Kabuto with the Raikage and Kazekage." I smiled, slightly disappointed.

"It's okay." Sasuke pointed at himself.

"I can…"

"We have a lot of people already; it should be enough." I looked at Itachi. "And stay down." I stood up.

"Are you ignoring me now?" Sasuke asked me, but I ignored him as I walked away. "Ak…"

"Sasuke, you've done enough at the moment," Itachi told him coldly. "Don't try right now."

They were all gathered around Tsunade-san. Dai was with her and a few other medics from Konoha and Suna. Sakura and Shizune-san were probably in charge of here.

"Nee-chan!" I blinked and was spun around by Naruto.

"What?"

"I'm coming with you." I frowned.

"Naru, it's a lot, it can be hard to se…"

"Yes, I know, but I'm not letting you do it on your own again." I opened my mouth, but I was too tired to try to stop him.

"Alright."

Chouza-san was there too. Apparently, when Ino and Shikamaru heard us, they wanted to come with Chouji, but he talked them out of it.

I couldn't say how long it took us to go there. My mind was elsewhere, my body was running on its own…

It was dead silent when we got there. Rubbles everywhere, black ashes from where there had been flames before, extinguished by the rain…

"A sensor, a medic and someone to remove the rubble in each team and we split up!" I yelled to them.

I was with Karin only. We found people, but dead in a very graphic way. As time went by, I was starting to lose hope to find my mother alive, or to find her period.

"There is chakra here!" I looked at Hinata. "Someone's alive!" Dad was next to her in an instant. I walked to them closer.

As the rubble cleared out, Hinata telling them which one to remove first, a blue barrier started to appear.

"What…took you so long…" I widened my eyes.

"Shikaku!?" Chouza-san called him immediately. His face soon appeared. Half his face was bleeding, and his right arm was stuck beneath some rubble. He was conscious though. "Is Inoichi with you?"

"He's dead." I closed my eyes.

He was a good man and helped me so, so much…

As more rubble was removed, I grabbed Naru's shoulder when I saw red hair. Ultimately, her right leg was stuck under rubble, but beneath her right hand was a blood seal that was keeping her, Shikaku-san and Inoichi-san's body in a barrier.

I tried to go once they were out of danger of being crushed, but Tsunade-san stopped me.

"You stay with Naruto."

He took my hand and squeezed hard as Dad removed the final rubble. The look on his face and the words he exchanged with Tsunade didn't give me much hope regarding her leg.

They removed Shikaku-san first once they could, then brought out Inoichi-san's body. There was a piece of concrete stuck in his skull. Then came Mom and I hid my eyes in Naru's shoulder.

Her leg was crushed, and bloody and didn't even look like a leg anymore. She was clearly unconscious too yet maintained the barrier around them.

In the end, there were only three survivors: Mom, Shikaku-san and Ao-san, but the latter was in a coma and severely wounded, so much he would be taken to Konoha. The Raikage's aid, Mabui, was dead too and Darui was the one to confirm her identity.

The bodies were split between the five villages, and I got those from Kiri to take back home. Tsunade-san ordered the medics to go with her and the wounded back to Konoha directly.

"Naru," I told my cousin before we left.

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on Mom for me."

"You're going back to Kiri?" I nodded gravely.

"I'm going to be the Mizukage for sure as I survived, I can't miss the funerals." He pursed his lips.

"Of course, yeah. Don't worry, I'll take care of Aunty." I smiled at him.

Then I slapped him. He cradled his bruised cheek tearfully.

"Sasuke got two, you're lucky," I told him, pointing my finger at him.

Later that day, I was a part of the first delegation of people to go back to Kiri, sensei staying behind to gather the last ones, alive or dead.

The funerals were quiet. When sensei came back a few days after me, I went to Jun to tell her Naoto died. They had found his body, still relatively warm. He must have died around the time Madara became a jinchuriki and the Allied Forces were busy with a big wooden structure attacking them from what Hiruzen told me.

We had lost others, but nobody I was close to. Choujurou, Haku, Karin, Suigetsu and Dai were still here, sensei too.

"You need to go to Konoha." I pursed my lips and wrapped the bandages around my left arm. "I'm going to write a report, but it's above my skills what the Claw and your mark did to you by fighting."

"What does it look like?" Dai looked at me above his paper, sitting on a chair in his white coat.

"Like the extensive use of Sage Mode started to burn your arm inside out." Umiko's seal was gone. "The pain you feel when you move your arm and fingers are from the nerves, they've been severely impacted. I'd say several healing sessions and physical reeducation, but we don't have the staff to deal with your case Uzu. You have to go anyway, for your mom?" I nodded.

"Naru sent a letter saying her life was out of danger, but she was still unconscious. She seriously depleted her chakra reserves by keeping up that barrier for so long with so much weight on it." I pursed my lips.

"You didn't hear from Itachi or Sasuke?"

"Nothing. I'm sure they're busy anyway." I was worried but…well… "I need to give the invitations for…me receiving the hat on January 1st."

It was the beginning of November. I'd get the hat at the beginning of next year. We needed some time for everything to settle down and prepare the change.

"And now I need to go the hospital as well."

As I went home, I couldn't help but feel the heavy atmosphere of the village. The toll on the population was obvious as we were mainly shinobi…I knew we would get better, but right now…

The mourning period might take a while.

Four days later, I set foot in the Land of Fire. I knew that, right now, the Land of Lightning was working hard to rebuild, especially with the damage done near their village. The Land of Frost and Hot Waters also suffered a lot of…reshaping in their sceneries.

I took a deep breath and left the coast for the Hidden Leaf. I was in a hurry to get there, but at the same time wary of what I would find. It had been three weeks since we parted ways. Mom was still in the hospital; I was sure of that, so I'd go there. None of Naru or Sasuke lost their arms, so they wouldn't need to stay in the hospital for this. Maybe Itachi was still there, but depending on how vital his surgery was, he would be prioritized. Shisui had to be out of the hospital.

I knew the funerals happened though. I'd need to go there and pay my respect to Inoichi-san and Fugaku-san, as well as the others.

I slowly came to a stop. I'd need to go see Mikoto-san too, see how she was holding up. I didn't even want to think how painful it had to be for Sasuke and Itachi to come home and tell their mom their dad was gone. I mean, he was fifty-one, he lived long by shinobi-standards, and it was his fourth war.

It did not diminish the grief though.

My first stop was the Hokage though.

As I got closer to Konoha, I started to sense, and hear a lot of people. I was taken back by the crowd in front of the gates, a few jounins trying to stop it. I knew Naruto became very popular after the war but…it was a lot.

I didn't stay here and teleported home. The blinds were opened, the sun shining through. I left my bag in the bedroom and left it, my shoes in my hand. As I walked by the entrance of the living-room, I was met by Mikoto-san holding Sushi against her.

"Are you boycotting doors?" she asked me with a small smile.

"I'm boycotting the amount of people in front of the gates asking to see Naruto." Sushi jumped out of her arms and went to me. I opened my arms and she jumped to my stomach. I caught her and put her higher, holding her like a baby.

She started to purr loudly as I kissed her head and petted her. Feeling her little body in my arms warmed my heart. I had missed her and her cute, fluffy face a lot.

"And my son is missing this." I looked up at her. "He is fine, he got his surgery last week and started physical therapy yesterday." I sighed in relief. "Your mother woke up three days ago." I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Really?"

"Yes. She…was quite shocked to see she was amputated from her right leg before she remembered the blast. She said she was lucky to only have this."

"She really is." I shot my cat a look. "Thank you for taking care of everything here, this little one included."

"It was normal." A heavy silence settled. I opened my mouth to say something, but she smiled sadly. "My husband knew he would not come back." I closed my mouth. "The day before he left, he told he had fought three wars and came back from them, but he knew it wouldn't be the case this time."

"…I see. I guess…that there are things you feel deep in your guts, and you can't explain it, but you still go."

"Did you know you wouldn't come back?"

"Naruto and I said goodbye at the gates. He told me to be careful because he had a bad feeling, and I did too. Funny enough, the last thing I saw from Konoha before was Minato's face in the cliff. But I am sure if I had not been there, at least one of the twins would have died it, looking back on it, it was a way worst scenario."

"I see." She sat down on a chair and looked at the ceiling for a few seconds. "He said something similar. Going to war with both his sons really…made something clicked in him, I guess. He said if it came to him, or the boys, or someone their age, he wouldn't hesitate to give his life." I smiled faintly. "Now, if only I could tell Naruto this."

"What do you mean?"

"He's surprisingly good at avoiding me, more than his mother. He must have inherited from Minato on this." Well…yes. "I heard what happened from Hiashi-san already, it's not as if he killed him."

"Hiashi-san talked to you?" She nodded.

"He wanted to offer his apology. Fugaku kept his nephew from getting killed and he said it was something he would never be able to repay us for."

"I'll make Naruto come while I'm here." She looked at me, relieved. "Him and Sasuke are both out of the hospital? Shisui too?"

"Yes. Kakashi-kun was released a few days ago."

"I see." I put Sushi down. "I think I'm going to go to the cemetery, would you know…"

"I'll just come with you."

We stopped by to buy flowers. I put some on Inoichi-san's grave, giving Shikamaru, Ino and Chouji a small smile as I saw them, before we went to Fugaku-san's grave. I put the flowers on it and joined my hands together. I was not religious per say, but I knew there was an after and…

Aunty Kushina must have planned such a greeting party for him…

After that, we went to the hospital. I thought I'd go see my mom first, but once in the hospital I couldn't. She was missing a leg now and I just…wasn't ready for that, I guess?

We went to the physical therapy room instead.

"I was faster when I was crawling," I heard Sasuke say through the door. I shot Mikoto-san a quizzical look and she sighed.

"I'll go see Akiko." She left.

"Do you need a bait Itachi-nii?" Now that was Naruto.

"Don't you ever get tired of your own voice?" Itachi hissed at them, obviously annoyed.

"Not really no," they replied in sync. I quietly opened the door.

Itachi was between two bars, using them to walk. A wheelchair was on one end, Naru and Sasuke on the other and Itachi looked like he wanted to jump over one of the bars to avoid all of them.

I cleared my throat.

"Nee-chan!" Naru exclaimed, hugging me instantly. "When did you get here?"

"Two hours ago, your fans are blocking the gates." He rubbed the back of his head.

I shot Sasuke a look, who was standing there awkwardly. I sighed a little.

"I'm not mad anymore Sasuke," I told him, going to him and hugging him. His shoulders dropped and he hugged me back. "But I do expect an explanation."

"Hn." I pushed him aside and took their place in front of Itachi. I grinned at him.

"Come on Itachi!" He narrowed his eyes.

"Talk to me like to a dog and I'm going the other way," he stated firmly. I gulped.

"Okay?"

He finished his path, and I hugged him around the neck. He hugged me back with one arm and we stayed like this for a few seconds.

"Leave," Itachi told the two teenagers.

"It is gross," Naruto muttered.

"Told you it was," Sasuke replied as they left. Once the door closed, Itachi moved back a little to cup my face.

We just stared at each other, and he kissed me gently but languorously. We broke it off, out of breath and I just kept my forehead against his.

"You're no longer confused as to what's real or not?"

"No, I'm good on that point." I buried my hand in his hair, just beneath his hair tie. "Do you have a date?"

"January 1st, but the preparations are going to begin for real in December. I'll work with sensei and then on my own." I was back down, flat on my feet and he cradled my cheek softly, thinking.

"How long are you staying here?"

"I'm not sure, I have to see with Tsunade-san." He frowned. "I…have stuff going on with my arm, Dai redirected me here."

"What's wrong with your arm?" I put my hands on his shoulders. I was about to tell him when I realized he didn't know about Umiko, or my grandparents.

"We haven't caught up with each other in a while, have we?" He shook his head. "Stuff…happened before the war, in Kiri, after you left. Nothing bad, okay, just…stuff. I'll explain more later, but I overused the Claw and stuff in battle and Dai told me to go to Tsunade-san as she knows more about it than him."

"Don't put it off for too long then." He poked my forehead for good measure.

"How long do you have to stay in the hospital?" From the look in his eyes, he wanted to sigh.

"I'll be back home before you leave."

"Hey, don't try to be all 'do as I say, not as I do'. If they tell you to stay here, you stay here." He rolled his eyes at me. "Rude." I moved back. "Come on, finish what you were doing."

"Go to the other side then."

"What, am I a reward?" He looked at me flatly.

"Yes." I shook my head with a faint smile and did. He turned around and started walking. His left leg was shaking, I could see it was taking a lot of him from the focus expression on his face and the sweat at his hairline. "Have you seen your mom?"

"…no. I wanted to, but when I set foot here, I just…couldn't." He looked up at me with a furrowed expression. "I was with your mom by the way."

"Really?" I nodded.

"I teleported home when I saw the crowd, she was there. Sushi jumped in my arms, and we talked a little, then we went to the cemetery and here. She seems…"

"Okay?" I nodded. "She told you my father told her he wouldn't come back?" I nodded again and he sighed. "She cried when she saw us and not Father, but that's it. I don't think Sasuke cried at all."

"And you?"

"I had other things to think about."

"Ita…"

"Not yet, please," he asked me quietly as he was in front of me.

"Okay." I tip-toed and kissed him on the lips. "Was that your plan?" He smiled at little. "I swear…" I went to the other side.

"I'm afraid she's telling herself that because my father told her he wouldn't come back, she shouldn't be sad about him…dying."

"Grief is different thing for everyone Itachi. The only thing you can truly do is be here and make them know they are not alone. And, most of all, to remember that yourself."

"It would be easier if you stayed here," I heard him mutter to himself in frustration. He stopped himself and looked at me, baffled at his own words. I looked down. "I'm sorry, that's not…I didn't even ask who Kiri lost."

"You didn't know most of them. The only notable one…is Naoto." I smiled sadly at him. "At least Kagura still has his mother this time around, but she's not…she's a mess Itachi." He looked down for a second.

I went back to the other side when he reached me.

"Is Obito really dead?" I nodded.

"He died with Kakashi and I as witnesses." I raised my brows. "That reminds me…are you officially the Head of the Uchiha clan or is Mikoto-san filling in for you?"

"She's replacing me, but…soon. My father didn't have the time to show me all the ropes. With the tensions there were last year…we didn't do much. Why?"

"Obito said he gave me his Sharingan. He thought I could improve the Hiraishin by studying Kamui or something."

"And where are the eyes?"

"Kakashi's got them."

"I'll deal with it later if you don't mind." I shook my head as he was in front of me.

"Hey, you were quicker."

"Can you move the wheelchair over please?" I did and he sat down in it with sigh of relief.

"Do you want me to roll you?"

"No need." Itachi did not like being helped if he could do it on his own, even with difficulty. I just looked at his legs. "Do you want a ride?" I sat down on his lap immediately, my legs over the armrest. "I am not a way of transportation."

"You suggested it." I put my arms around his neck, and we left the room. "And even with me, you're still quick with this thing."

"My field of vision is not the same though."

"Jerk."

"I'm taking you to your mom by the way."

"Hum…" I lay my cheek on his shoulder.

When we got to my mom's room, Mikoto-san was there, Mom too, and she was even being scolded by Tsunade-san.

"It's the last time I see you, or Gai, having a race in this hospital Akiko, do you hear me!?" Mom almost winced, looking down like a pouting child. Mikoto-san was struggling not to laugh.

"But I am fine, you're keeping me here for nothing!"

"I'm keeping you here until your prosthesis is finished to make sure you don't damage anything!"

"If I ask Naruto to make me leave the hospital, you won't be able to catch him." I saw Tsunade-san's shoulders tensing.

"I dare you to try." I stood up and joined Tsunade-san.

"Listen to her Mom." Mom blinked at me in shock.

"When did you get here honey?" Her tone went from defiant to motherly.

"Today." My eyes went to her right leg. The sheet was just flat on the bed where it used to be. I bit my bottom lip. She saw it and took my hand.

"I am fine, you found us just in time." I nodded and sat next to her.

When I hugged her, the others left. The second the door was closed, I felt tears coming up my eyes.

"It's okay honey, I'm here, it's over," she whispered in my ear, and I started sobbing.

"Here's a splint. Wear it."

"Do I ha…"

"I'm healing your nerves, tissues, everything in your arm one by one from bad chakra burns. You move too soon; you're ruining my work and it's complicated enough as it is to heal your left arm when it's the core of the Shinigami's power."

"Well actually it would be the seal on my stoma…" Tsunade-san glared at me. "Nothing, I said nothing."

"Refrain yourself from using the Claw or your mark only in the worst-case scenario."

"It's that bad?"

"I should have kept up with how your body reacted to Sage Mode earlier, it's my fault," she replied with a frown, bandaging my arm carefully. "You're a unique case, and you're not entirely Uzumaki either, the reason why you got here."

"…I'll be careful." She helped me put on the splint, then my sweater on.

When Tsunade-san opened the door, she raised a brow at Itachi being there but didn't comment.

"You've really waited here?" I asked him as I exited the room.

"I don't have much to do here." I shook my head, and we went to his room. Once he was settled in his bed, I joined him and put my head on his shoulder. The bed was just big enough to have the both of us, but one move and I was on the floor. Itachi put his arm around me. "So?"

"It's long."

"I have time."

So, I told him what he missed, and he did the same to me.

Who would have thought Sakura would have the balls to kiss Sasuke just before the war?

Hey! Thanks for reading and please leave a review to tell me what you thought of this chapter! Thanks to Amaterasu53 and Guest for the review! So, I have finished this story not long ago, cried my way through the last three chapters but it is finished. There are 22 chapters left with one major arc that comes from my brain.

Also, since I was reaching the end of this fic, I've been wanting to explore more and write one but with Canon-Itachi who is sent with Akane too, and earlier? I've been writing more in Itachi's POV and I really enjoy it, and I ended up really loving him and Akane together. So, just so you know, it might pop up at some point.

Bye!