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: 24

Naruto, Sasuke: 19

Shisui: 28

Kakashi: 33

"Repeat that." He could almost see Naruto gulping.

"Nee-chan went missing?" Itachi took a deep breath, turning around to look at Konoha. "And huh…apparently she contacted Sasuke to investigate something and he's here, with two people who look like they know something."

"I see."

"He said you need to come."

"I'd like that, trust me." He'd rather look for Akane himself and torture Samuru himself, slowly and to the death, than to stay behind a desk waiting for news.

"Nii-san." His eyes became colder at Sasuke's voice.

He loved his brother dearly, always would. But he had a hard time accepting his way of dealing with their father's death and just leaving them in that time.

It took him some time to accept that, with his father's passing, change would happen. He knew Akane would leave, he knew he'd become the head of the clan, but he wanted some things to stay the same. Sasuke leaving was everything but that and it was one more thing that was changing at a time he thought they would support each other.

He chose to leave instead. It was a tough pill to swallow. A pill he had still not swallowed entirely.

"I can't explain on the phone, but you need to come."

"I'm sure you're aware I can't move freely as the Hokage," he replied coldly. His brother clicked his tongue.

"Look, Akane's missing and if I'm right, she's not even on the continent anymore." Itachi frowned and leaned on his desk. "And I need you to come as the Head of Clan, I can't make decisions on my own, it's too big now."

"How come we are involved again?"

"I'm not sure we're 'involved' per say, but partially suffering from whatever is happening." Itachi pursed his lips. "Don't tell me you prefer sitting in a chair rather than…"

"Finish that sentence and I'll make sure you're homeless when you come back," Itachi threatened him in sharp voice.

"Then get Kakashi to replace you temporarily and get your ass over here."

"Don't move from Kiri then." He hung up.

Kakashi accepted his promotion as Jounin Commander easily and was doing a good work. Once Itachi explained the situation to him, he sighed, his hands crossed behind his head.

"I thought I was rid of the Hokage title." Itachi narrowed his eyes a little. "Sorry, sorry, of course I'll replace you." Kakashi sighed. "But did Sasuke and Naruto say anything else?"

"No, just for me to come." Kakashi took his chin between two fingers. "You have something in mind?"

"I know Sasuke had two S-rank missions in Kiri. If he is evasive, maybe it is related to one of them. And if he's asking you to come, maybe it's related to Taiga." Itachi frowned.

He had to admit that, once he was told Akane was missing, he couldn't stop thinking about where she was, with whom and not how it was possibly related to a mission Sasuke and Akane went on years ago.

"If you want a piece of advice, take Sakura with you. I know you're the Hokage, but if there's someone who can deal with both Naruto and Sasuke, it's Sakura, trust me. And she's bodyguarding and healing!"

"Good idea. Thank you, Kakashi-san." Kakashi raised his hand at him, his eyes close.

"Don't mention it Hokage-sama but think about it for my next paycheck."

It was quiet until Sakura and him were on the ship for Kiri.

"So, they didn't tell you anything except that she was missing?" Sakura asked him, to which he nodded. She sighed, her hands on her hips. "I swear these two, they don't realize how worried they make someone feel sometimes." Itachi just stared at the water. "Akane's strong, I'm sure she's fine."

"I know, but fine or not she's going to hear me," he replied bitterly.

He'd make sure she was fine, and healthy, and on the road to recovery, anything if he could yell at her without worrying about her health.

He told her to be careful, not to let him in and…

Why didn't she just listen for once?

They headed directly to the Mizukage's office when they set foot on land. If Akane wasn't there, then the Fifth was probably replacing her. It was true as Sasuke, Naruto, Haku and Dai were there, with Mei, as well as two persons they didn't know.

"Sakura-chan!?" Naruto exclaimed, Sasuke tensing at her sight.

Sakura noticed the teenage girl holding his arm and looked away, her arms crossed on her chest.

"Kakashi-san said she would be a good addition to the team, and I agreed," Itachi explained briefly, his eyes scanning the two strangers. He frowned at little at the Uzumaki symbol the man had on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you have to come in these circumstances," the Godaime told them.

"It is urgent matters." She sighed.

"It sadly is, I'm afraid." She looked at Sasuke. "I allow you to talk about that mission Sasuke."

"Thank you." He looked at the two strangers, who both nodded. Min let go of his arm and Sasuke sat in front of them on the desk, not hiding Mei.

"Shortly before the end of my exchange here, Akane and I went patrolling in Ryoushi, a harbor on the east of the main island. We went our separate ways and, unknown to me, someone was following me. Akane noticed and confronted them. They fought and they fled, but she was wounded, so we went back to Kiri with a weapon they dropped." He looked at Itachi. "Later, we would discover that it was actually Taiga, Shisui's long lost brother." Itachi frowned. "After a few days where there was no news, we came here. It is then Mei-sama told us the knife we found, which had a Chollima carved in it."

"A what?" Naruto asked him.

"A Chollima," Mei repeated. "It is a winged horse, said to be too swift and elegant to be mounted by a regular man in our country. However, as I told Sasuke and Akane back then, it is a much more important emblem on the Eastern Continent." Itachi frowned at that.

"The Eastern Continent?" Sakura repeated, stunned. "I thought we had no contact with them."

"You don't. We do," Dai pipped in, rubbing his forehead. "After Ryoushi, there's a commercial island called Sen'i. It's where the transactions between us and them happen, hence despite the civil wars, there are some technological aspects on which we are above any other Elemental Nation right now. Trains and railroads for instance, we've been using them for three decades."

"That's how we were sent on an S-rank mission on the Eastern Continent to find out why someone from there would be here," Sasuke continued. "When we got there, I stole a newspaper and we saw some countries were at war with each other. Then, we met these two." Everybody looked at Min and Hyo. "What was shocking though, was how Min had the Sharingan."

"I'm sorry, what?" Itachi asked coldly, looking at the teenage girl. Hyo turned them both around.

"My name is Uzumaki Hyo, and this is Uchiha Min. We were both born on the Eastern Continent and raised there." Naruto shot his bright red hair a quick look.

"They took us with them. Basically, when Madara decided to create Konoha with the Shodai, some Uchihas did not agree with him, and he exiled them from the clan. They wandered around and settled on the Eastern Continent," Sasuke explained, gazing at his brother in the eyes. "As they spoke up against Madara before he betrayed everyone, they were written out of the Uchiha clan's history. Years later, Uzushio was destroyed, and the escapees fled by the sea. They reached the Eastern Continent as well, and the Uchihas from there. They helped them and then, starting to live in peace with each other. Because of the Curse of Hatred, the Uzumaki clan provided fuinjutsu strong enough to seal any chakra from reaching an Uchiha's eyes."

"The possibility of awakening the Sharingan was sealed?" Sakura whispered in shock. Min nodded. "But you have it." She nodded again.

"I hijacked it when my parents were killed in front of me," she said quietly.

"It's also the reason Akane told me about being a Yuurei. The Uzukage, the previous Yuurei's brother, knew what she was and the Uchihas over there know all about it. Hyo also called her 'Yuurei-sama' a lot at first."

"It's a clan rule to treat the Yuurei with the utmost respect and that they are revered," Hyo defended himself, a faint blush dusting his cheek. "That's what I was told all my life until then!"

"Anyway. We told them why we were here. We met Taiga, who asked us how Shisui was. There was nothing for a month. The Uzukage helped Akane understand being a Yuurei more as he knew a lot more than her while I investigated the whole thing. Taiga claimed he had found the culprit, an innocent Uchiha, and killed him."

"Leaving for the Elemental Nations without authorization is a crime and attacking the people there a death penalty," Min informed them.

"We went to a party before leaving. Taiga left the room and Akane followed him straight in a trap. Then, Min tried to send me in the same trap." She looked down in shame.

"Why?" Naruto asked her.

"Because the Eastern Continent, where they're from used to be the Land of Ancestors. Naruto, does it ring any bell?" The blond just stared at him, and Sasuke sighed. "Why do I even try? It's where Kaguya landed a thousand years ago, and where the first God Tree grew."

"Don't tell me you ended up involved with that," Itachi told him sternly. Sasuke shrugged.

"Taiga had the Mangekyou and used Izanagi during the war before leaving. But the Mangekyou kept decreasing his sight. He found the remains of the tree, and a cave that was Kaguya's hideout apparently, there were still roots of the tree. He used to make powder out of it and take it to stop the blindness from progressing."

"And it worked?"

"Yes, but he went insane too. Min's father found out, he killed him accidently then killed her mom who saw all of it, before making her swear to shut up in exchange of helping with the Sharingan."

"How does powder of the tree would stop the blindness?" Dai asked him.

"The chakra fruit grew from the tree, so even dead and old, it still had some properties to protect the optic nerves to be damaged by the overflow of chakra in them," Hyo replied curtly. "It also kept draining the life force and chakra of everything around it, so a seal was placed on it to make a chakra-free zone.

"Turns out, Taiga wanted a new Mangekyou and he heard rumors about me in Kiri when he was on Sen'i. He attracted us there to force the Mangekyou out of me and get my eyes. Akane destroyed the seal of the tree with the Claw as we were fighting without it, which is the reason I have this big scar on my chest. But it allowed Taiga to use the Mangekyou too. I charged him with the Chidori, but with his Mangekyou which manipulated matter at his will, he put Akane between us and my Chidori went in her stomach instead."

"That's how she died, and you got your Mangekyou then," Itachi realized with a sigh. His brother nodded.

"I dealt with him while Hyo and Min took Akane away, but the Uzukage came and managed to save her. Once I dealt with Taiga and that he was in Wataru-nim's hold, I passed out after seeing Akane was alive. The Uzukage died that night. I kept Taiga's eye and left the Uchihas there deal with him. The Uzukage left a lot of documents to Akane, including a book about the Shinigami and such things, and then we left, promising to not say a word about the Uchihas or Uzumakis there as they wanted nothing to do with shinobi business."

The silence was deafening.

"So it's thanks to the Uzukage Uzu gave us what was needed to synthesize the Heal Bite in everyone who have Uzumaki blood?" Sasuke nodded at Dai. "Damn, that's a lot to process at once."

"It's not over yet." Sasuke crossed his arms. "As there was the first God Tree, it was where Juubi destroyed a lot of things, and fractured the earth. It's the reason why the Land of Water has so many cultural differences with us. The earth was fractured and then, the Land of Water detached itself from our continent."

"So, what does it tell us about where nee-chan is?"

"A year ago, you had a war here, didn't you?" Naruto nodded at Min. "We felt it. Shortly after, a man appeared out of nowhere, saying he would bring peace to our continent like his wife did." Min pulled a sheet of paper from her pocket and showed it to them.

The picture of a man was on it, with long strawberry blond hair and bright blue eyes. His arms were raised toward the sky and was dressed like a traditional priest, his clothes golden.

"That's the guy!" Naruto exclaimed, before looking at Itachi, who nodded. "It's that Samuru guy who hit on nee-chan!"

"That guy is an hitogami and the leader of a cult that turned into a dictatorship in a matter of weeks," Hyo told him.

"An hitogami?" Sakura asked him.

"They're people who are worshipped like deities because they were blessed by one's touch and power. The Shinigami Akane is connected to is…"

"Izanami," Itachi finished for him. Hyo nodded.

"Before Kaguya came and called herself a goddess, we had gods and goddesses, deities in the old religion. Izanami was part of this pantheon. She may be the representation of death now, but she was creation at first with her brother and husband."

"Izanagi," Sasuke stated with a frown.

"Yeah. This guy is to Izanagi what Akane is to Izanami."

"Which would explain why he reacted like that when she told him she was taken!" Naruto realized, glancing at Itachi who had a blank, cold face on.

"We started to hear about rumors about hitogamis after you left," Hyo continued, looking at Sasuke. "Shrines were renewed, others destroyed…it was weird. Then wars stopped in the neighboring countries. One day, in February, this guy showed up at the Compound asking for the Yuurei he knew had been there. We didn't say anything and…" Hyo gritted his teeth. "He started to attack the women of the clan, saying that if he couldn't get his woman then neither could we. Wataru-nim told him that even if he wanted her, she wouldn't come with him willingly and that she was far away."

"So, he said he would make her come himself and not give her a choice," Min continued. "Somehow, he took control of our government and established his own rules and his own army, that you've seen running after me Sasuke-nii." Sasuke nodded. "We don't know how, it's almost as if he was controlling our government in their mind directly. I almost broke one's control with my sharingan, but he killed himself before he could. When I reported this to Wataru-nim, he told me to lay low."

"So this Samuru's influence has reached Sen'i then," Mei summed up. They both nodded. "Why? Does he want war?"

"We think so. The news of Akane-san being the Mizukage spread to Sen'i. We think that he wanted to spread his influence as far as possible and show that he would not hesitate to wage war on the Land of Water if she was resisting," Min replied.

"Last month, Wataru-nim told us to leave the country as Samuru had left already to come here. He wanted us to warn Akane. We were followed so we took different routes, but I was wounded on Sen'i. That's when Sasuke found us."

"So…that guy took nee-chan…because he wants to bring peace?" Min and Hyo nodded. "How?"

"We don't know. What we know is that Akane and Samuru are not the only hitogamis around. Samuru made a hierarchy. The smaller the kami is, the lower they are. Right now, the jashinist is their lackey."

"Jashin?" Sakura said with a frown. "The guy…doesn't have a scythe, does he?"

"How do you know?" There was a general groan in the room.

"I thought Shikamaru killed the guy!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well, if he could survive any wound but not hunger, someone had to have dig him out before he starved to death," Sakura replied. "But it's protected by the Nara clan."

"I'll contact Shikamaru," Itachi stated firmly.

"It means that, so far, what we know is that Uzu-nee is missing and must have gone willingly with Samuru because he threatened Kiri and the country," Haku summed up.

"So, we go there and beat him up!"

"Did you hear the part where we mentioned a dictatorship?" Hyo reminded him sternly. "I'm not a shinobi, but isn't laying low and gathering data the first step in a mission to know how to proceed?"

"Yes, it is," Mei confirmed. "The one thing we know for sure is that you need to go there." She looked at Itachi. "If you are okay with your shinobi going, Hokage-dono."

"I am going as well, so they're with me, willingly or not," Itachi replied simply.

"Alright. Dai, you stay here."

"What? Why!?"

"Because until Akane is back, she is going to be sick to the village and I need you to pretend you're taking care of her." Mei looked at Haku. "As for you, I doubt I can talk you into staying there, so you're free to join them." He nodded firmly. "I will arrange a boat for you tomorrow.

Once in Akane's apartment, Itachi shut the door of her room. He fell on the bed, his hands on his face.

Izanagi?

Akane was with the human representation of Izanagi? Was it why she sounded like this on the phone? Was it actually Izanami?

Itachi turned his head and saw a picture of him and Akane on the nightstand. He sat and took it in his hand. She was sticking her tongue at the camera he was holding, pulling on his cheek. Out of all the pictures she had of them, she picked the one where he looked ridiculous. He smiled faintly.

Obviously, she would.

He did not know what was the most surprising. Izanagi, that Sasuke went on the Eastern Continent and never told him a whole part of their clan was living there or that him and Akane had to deal with the remains of the first God Tree. Oh, how could he forget the fact this Samuru could manipulate people and that, for all they knew, manipulate Akane into marrying him or something, maybe doing more.

He would slaughter him slowly and painfully if he touched just one strand of her hair.

The next day, they left in the mist of dawn. Min was with them, but not Hyo, who was not healed enough to come and was not a fighter anyway. With the help of the Sharingan, they slipped in a ship for the Eastern Continent.

"Actually, he renamed our country too," Min sighed once they were hidden. "Now it's 'Kami no Kuni', the Land of Gods."

"Pretty extravagant," Naruto commented in a whisper, Sakura nodding next to him.

"We established this man was a megalomaniac asshole already," Itachi hissed, failing to hide his anger.

Nobody talked for the rest of the journey.

The atmosphere when they got there was tense. Groups of five soldiers were patrolling, all in black metallic armors from head to toes, a sword on their right hip and a spear with only a short, pointy blade at the top. Even the light was dimmed, dark clouds going so far in the sky they could not see a spot of blue.

"Follow me," Min told them in a hush voice. They did, going through dark alleys quietly. Then they arrived at what seemed to be a Compound.

The Uchiha fan was displayed next to the Uzumaki whirlpool on the walls. They followed the walls until they heard beating.

"We know you are against Izanagi-sama! He's going to bring peace to all of us!"

"I…don't believe it…" Min widened her eyes.

"Wataru-nim!" She ran off and they followed.

Naruto grabbed her before she could be spotted, the soldier looking in their direction. Now they had a visual of the scene.

Wataru-nim was on the ground, beaten up and bleeding. The Uchiha crest on his back was covered in blood and dirt. On the side were Uchihas and Uzumakis, all terrified of what was happening.

The soldier was not alone. At least twenty of them were them.

"You don't believe it you say? And what do you know, huh!?" He kicked the man down, Wataru not giving a sound.

"Enough." They widened their eyes and exchanged a look.

"Izanami-sama!" They split in two, making a path for her.

It was Akane. She didn't seem hurt or anything, but her eyes were cold and unfazed. She was dressed as a kannushi, the joe being a deep, dark purple. She walked quietly to Wataru and looked down at him.

"And what gave you the right to attack people who worship me?" she asked the soldiers coldly.

"The Uzumakis worship you Izanami-sama, not…"

"Did I stutter?" she interrupted him coldly, turning around. "Now, are you going to answer my question, or should I obtain it myself?" The soldier stepped back, scared.

"Now now baby, don't scare my men like that!" Itachi's blood was boiling in his veins as Samuru casually walked between the soldier, wearing a golden joe as he was also dressed as a kannushi.

"Then tell your men to not touch what's mine." Samuru pouted his lips and looked at the man down disdainfully.

"You shouldn't mind insects my love." Itachi was going to kill him here and now. He had no right to call her these names. "But, if it makes you happy, then so be it sweetheart." He did not call her th…

Sasuke put his hand on his shoulder. He had started to breathe faster and faster, his hands shaking in fury.

Akane looked at Samuru for a few seconds and then, to his horror, smiled sweetly and lovingly at him. It was a smile that was supposed to be his and yet.

"Thank you." Samuru raised his hand, the soldiers saluting before leaving. "All of you, go home and take him with you!" They did and soon, there were only Akane and Samuru there.

The air changed suddenly, and he grabbed her face with one hand, a deadly look on his face.

"Now dear, I graciously accepted to let you back after what you did centuries ago for the sake of having my family together, but do not oppose my authority ever again, understood?"

"Or what?" He smiled.

Then, he slapped her. He slapped her so hard that she fell to the ground. Sakura grabbed Naruto's sleeve before he could make a move.

"We can't be seen," she reminded him harshly.

"I know but…"

"Now, we have things to do, so don't run off again, alright darling?" Akane nodded quietly, a hand on her reddened cheek. He pulled her to her feet and left, her hand in his. Itachi's heart broke when he kissed her lips. "We have so much work to do for this land and…"

Once they knew they were alone, Naruto ruffled his hair.

"It's so frustrating dattebayo!"

"I agree," Haku stated in a threatening tone.

"Nii-san?" Itachi just kept staring at where the fake couple was a second ago.

Because it had to be a fake couple and Akane was acting. She was controlled, was she?

She had to be.

"Min, what now? Is it safe to check on him?" The teenager was still disturbed but she nodded faintly. "Sasuke, you were trained in infiltration, time to show us your skills." Sasuke raised a brow and nodded.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know what was going on Itachi's mind, or how he was feeling after seeing the woman he loved so much acting like this with another man.

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

Bye!