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

The tension could be felt in the air. Without tearing her eyes off Izanagi, Izanami snapped her fingers. All of the restraints Izanagi had placed on the shinobi were removed. Izanagi smirked at that.

"You know all of this is your fault, right? If you had not agreed to this pact with this man centuries ago, I wouldn't have used vessels!" Izanami just stared at him. "Don't look so superior to me!"

"They are right. None of us have any place in this world today. Even if it were to go to its ruins, we cannot intervene."

"You've done it so, so many times!"

"The Uzumaki clan forged a bond with me through their own strengths, they did not consider themselves my vessels in this world to act on my order like you have done for this poor man."

"What remains of our power on this earth should have been destroyed the moment men started to wield chakra and to develop it on their own," Tsukuyomi added, his arms crossed.

"It is my creation!" Izanagi spat. "I am not going to let them destroy it!"

"It is my creation as well," Izanami replied. "And we both made them with free will. You cannot keep them from using it now." Izanagi looked at his children.

"And you agree I suppose, after all your weapons are all in their possession!" Izanami smiled faintly at that, her golden glance briefly on Itachi.

"Once we realized our involvement no longer was necessary, we dropped them from Ame-no-ukihashi," Amaterasu confirmed. "Susanoo dropped the Totsuka Blade; I dropped the Yata Miror and Tsukuyomi watched over them turning into spiritual objects and blessed them with the dream world." She smiled. "All of them being in the hands of the same person is a coincidence, Father."

"And your flames?" She shrugged.

"Some people are more sensitive to our presence here eons ago, like it is the case of Susanoo's armor."

"If your way of saving this world is by destroying it, you don't have the right way," Susanoo intervened. "Our time has been over for centuries, it's time to move on and just watch."

"We won't let you do as you wish anyway," Tsukuyomi stated with narrowed eyes. Izanagi looked at his wife, her hand close to his kami stone. "People killed each other endlessly when we were present, they are flawed and cannot change their violent side. You must accept it."

"They are destroying everything," Izanagi croaked out in a weaker voice.

"And we can only watch, no matter how much it can hurt at time." Izanami grazed Izanagi's kami stone. "It is time to let it go." Then, she grabbed it. Purple cracks started to appear until it broke.

Izanagi disappeared. Izanami sighed deeply, standing up.

"It is finally over," she said quietly.

"Not exactly." She blinked at Amaterasu, who pointed toward the Uchiha siblings.

Izanami watched Itachi coming her way, grief radiating from his whole body.

"Bring her back."

"Her seal has been broken; her soul is already in Yomi with the other four."

"I don't care, bring her back! After what your power did to her, you owe her that!"

"I do not owe her anything. Her kinsmen hiding how my connection to the Yuurei works has nothing to do with me. When she agreed ten years ago, she knew what was expecting her." Itachi gritted his teeth, his sharingans glaring at the deity. "A mere mortal will not intimidate me."

"Then I'll go get her myself."

"How?"

"I'll find a way." Izanami sighed.

"I understand your feelings young man, but even if you were to bring her back, her soul would be beyond repair, and she would be the shell of the person you know and love." Itachi clenched his fists by his side. "When her soul came in this time, it was thanks to the soul already in her body that she did not suffer any immediate damage. Her body is empty right now, you would fracture her mind and…"

"Bring her back."

"Nii-san, maybe…"

"No, if she's brought back, then her seal too and it can be broken. Then if she dies, she won't go to Yomi but to the Pure Land. It's…it's better!"

"It is very selfish of you," Izanami stated plainly.

Itachi knew that. He knew it was selfish of him to want Akane back even if her mind was beyond repair. But if he had the slightest chance of seeing her breathing again and going to the Pure Land, then he would take it in a heartbeat.

"I do not want to put this poor girl through more," Izanami finally admitted.

"Dear, I will go down there myself if I have to." Izanami looked at her daughter. "Do you want the same thing to happen again? Father was the same when you died before we were born, and I am sure there are ways to limit the damage."

"Us three will go," Tsukuyomi added. "You are not better than Father Mother, you have been influencing this world too in some ways and got many, many sacrifices in return. What's one soul out of your kingdom?"

"Five souls."

"Among how many?" Izanami didn't reply. "See? Best case scenario for you, you'll get them back soon enough."

"And if you want her to break the bond, then she needs your kami stone, something we have just learned about," Itachi continued, his heart beating wildly against his ribcage.

Izanami's silence was deafening.

I fell on my knees, exhausted. We all made it to the Tori, but there was no one. There was nothing.

"No no no no no…IZANAMI!" I yelled, looking up. "WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"Akane…" Oji-chan tried to tell me, but I shook my head.

"No, she has to help, she…she can help, I'll just give up something more in exchange for going back but I'll…I've got to…I can't die…" I fell on my knees, my fists clenched on my pants. Tears were about to fall. "Please…please let me go Izanami."

"Are you sure?" I blinked and wiped my tears when I recognize her voice. I stood up and gulped at the stiffness and stern look on her face. "Your partner has been very vocal about it as well."

"Itachi? Were you…"

"Above, yes. We have dealt with my husband and brother once and for all." Did it mean Samuru was dead then? "Do you really want to go back?"

"Yes! I don't want to rot here forever!"

"Do you think you can have your seal broken and go back without consequences?" I blinked, taken back. "The first time you truly died and came here, made a deal with me, you kept some mental stability for years because your soul, the one bound with me, mixed with the one in your body. It gave it something to rely on. Now, however? Your body is an empty shell, and sending a soul back in an empty shell can have dire consequences, including being what you call 'brain-dead'." It cast a cold.

"So, you may be able to bring the body back to life and put the soul back in it, there is no certainty the two will work together properly," Tobirama summed up in a somber tone.

"Is there any way you could…do something to make it easier?" Hashirama asked her, now next to me as I was staring at the ground in shock.

"I have no control upon souls in the living world. Even hers, whatever happened to her mentally or physically in the living world is the result of my power and hers clashing with each other because they are on the opposite sides of the spectrum." She looked at me with her beautiful, golden eyes. "I cannot guarantee you anything once you go back. Everything can be fine the same way you could never wake up and never have the opportunity to break your seal and come back here."

"Can you do it though?" Oji-chan asked her. "Send her soul back in her body, can you do it?" Izanami set her eyes on him for a few seconds before nodding. "And is there anything that could rebind the soul to the body?"

"How do they bound to each other in the first place?"

"As a body is developed in the womb, the soul slowly attached itself to it or is developed at the same rate depending on if it is a new or old soul," Izanami replied calmy. "A lot of energy would be required to re-attach your soul to your body in order for them to work together. The older the soul is, the more energy is required. If the seal is fixed, then the five of you would leave, so a lot of energy would…"

"But if we were sleeping?" I looked at Oji-chan. "If we were brought back in the seal as well, but the energy used to have us awake was used to rebind Akane's soul to her body?"

"Wait a min…"

"That's true, we no longer need to be awakened now the war is over," Hiruzen agreed. Tobirama nodded.

"We're dead dead after all," Hashirama said. "Is it something that could potentially work?" Izanami pursed her lips.

"You need to understand I have never done anything like this before. Souls who end up here usually stay here." She looked at me. "But I guess it would be enough for her to wake up. Whether or not her soul is caught up with her forty-nine years of living cannot be guaranteed."

"If she is alive and living normally, then it is nothing she cannot recover from." I grabbed Oji-chan's hand. He looked down at me and smiled warmly. "You've asked for my help, didn't you?"

"But you…you…you can't leave me again!" He looked down for a second.

"I never left because I wanted to Akane, it was the best thing to do in particular situations. I left Naruto to deal with my own actions, but I gave him what I thought would be enough for him to grow up well. I can't let you be here if I can do something about it, even if I can no longer contact you." He put his hand on my head. "It is not something that should be happening in the first place."

"Do you all agree?" Izanami asked them. They nodded as I was shaking. "Then…"

I did not let go of Oji-chan's hand as there was a purple light coming from inside of them. Then, I blacked out.

It was dead silent. All of the kamis had disappeared a few minutes prior and no one dared say a word. The moon was still high in the sky, a few clouds hiding it as they went in front of it. Haku still had Akane in his arms, sitting on the ground.

Sakura pursed her lips and shot her a look. They needed to move the body now, because no matter what these guys were going through, Akane was gone and the body with her face no longer was her.

"Is it over?" Naruto looked at Masashi, who had just gotten on the scene. When they left the harbor with Sasuke, Masashi was heading toward the Compound. It was not long until they started to see soldiers flying off in the distance, Sakura punching them out of her way. Min and him then headed to the Compound and the four shinobi went…there.

Itachi instinctively stood up, ignoring the shaking of his body now the adrenaline was going down, when Masashi went to Haku. He had no idea of who he was, yet he was checking Akane's vitals as if she was not…

"Ignorant kids," Masashi grumbled under his breath, feeling the faint pulse in Akane's neck. If anything, Naruto should have realized it through the Kyuubi, but if she was indeed Mamiko's granddaughter, then her Yuki blood may have had reacted to something brutal in her body.

Ignoring the others, Masashi turned her head toward him, exposing her neck. He bit his thumb and drew a seal there, using his blood to force her own to awaken and do its job.

She took a sharp breath, attracting everyone's attention. However, she quickly rolled on the side, getting off Haku's arms, curling up. She had her right hand clasped around her left arm and was shaking.

"Oh God!" Sakura yelled, running at her while everyone else was in shock. "Since when is she…"

"I started feeling her chakra pulsating two minutes before I got there."

"Nee-…"

"Sasuke, give me a sterilization field quickly," Sakura interrupted Naruto.

Akane was running a high fever, her left arm twitching badly. Sakura had to make her lie down properly before doing anything.

The next day, Sakura left the room Akane was in, in the main Uzumaki house of the Compound. She was tired and wanted a shower, wanted food but she had to tell the others the news first. Akane was fine per say, she had healed whatever…impacted her arm and her whole body was working just fine. If anything, her brain had had a shock when she…was brought back. The only thing she could compare it to would be a thermal shock. She had no doubt she would wake up, but…a part of her wondered if she would be…herself.

"Sakura-chan?" She looked at Naruto on her right. He was with Haku and they immediately walked up to her. "You've watched over nee-chan all night long?" The medic nodded and saw the question burning on their lips.

"She is fine, and I am ninety percent sure she will wake up on her own during the week. She'll come home with us."

"But?" Haku questioned her.

"Her brain was dead, there no longer was any activity in it. Then it suddenly went back to work. As electrical impulses are what make the brain function, there might be some damage at first, if not…permanent."

"If she can…walk and stuff like that, then it's nothing we can't fix," Naruto stated firmly. Sakura nodded slowly, not wanting to break the hope in his eyes.

She was an only child, so there was no way she would understand what it did to him, Haku or Sasuke when they saw Akane dead on the ground. She couldn't understand how Itachi felt either as Sasuke had never been dead in her arms.

"Where are Sasuke and Itachi?"

"With Wataru-san. They are…discussing clan-related things." Haku smiled at her before she could utter a word. "We slept a little, you can go rest too. We'll relay the message." She smiled faintly at them.

"Thank you."

A couple of hours later, Sasuke fell on the futon he had in the room the four men were sharing. Itachi sat down on his.

"Are you okay?"

"Min is leaving with us," Sasuke told them.

"She's nice," Naruto commented.

"Sure. It's just her reasoning that is…sad, I guess. She wants to learn how to properly use her sharingan and know the legacy she was deprived of. There are other Uchihas who…showed some interests in at least visiting."

"You're going to be involved too Naruto." The blond jinchuriki looked at Itachi, pursing his lips at the dark circles under his eyes. "Masashi-san's return was unexpected, but it seems right now, his leadership is needed and you're the connection with Konoha. You're the only Uzumaki connection from the Elemental Nations available right now."

"Heh, I don't have a clue on how politics work."

"It's fine, I'll explain it to you," the older Uchiha assured him, looking at him. "Now, do you have good news?"

"Sakura-chan is sleeping." Sasuke straightened up on his forearms. "Nee-chan is fine and should wake up in a few days. However, she said her brain had it rough so…"

"We need to ready ourselves for Uzu-nee not really be the Uzu-nee we know when she wakes up. I fear that right now, we can't take any of our relationships or history with her for granted and be ready to be in contact with a stranger."

Sasuke dared to shoot his brother a glance, who had a blank face on. Akane was alive, it was already a miracle. It was to be expected to have some…consequences.

Later that day, Itachi slipped in Akane's room. She was sleeping, her chest going up and down at each breath she was taking. The Uchiha sat down next to her and touched her pulse point, sighing in relief when he felt it pulsing.

How could he…let Samuru get to her? How could he let her down on his watch? She was back now, but for long, long and atrocious minutes, he thought he had lost her forever. He had no idea how he could have kept going on in life without having her to rely on. The love of his life had died right in front of him, and it was only because of the circumstances that she was back.

Would she really be herself though? After what Haku had said…

Itachi took a deep breath, the lump in his throat not leaving since he entered the room. No matter what, he would be there and fix her.

As he laid down next to her that night, staring at her face until he fell asleep, the only thing in his mind was that he would make it up to her by taking care of her.

I opened my eyes slowly. The sun light was slipping through the closed curtains of the window. I looked around from my sleeping position. I didn't recognize the room I was in, but it seemed to be a nice house, more on the traditional side. I was in a futon.

I frowned and raised the bed covers, confused by the arm around my waist. My eyes went to the shoulder and I froze at the face only a few centimeters from mine. I cursed in my mind on how I didn't notice the warm breath hitting my cheek.

I pushed him away brutally, wrapping the covers around me. I only had a camisole and panties on and he…he…I moved to the corner of the room, blushing madly in shame and anger as he woke up, a hand on his nose.

"Akane?" he called me, pain evident on his face yet his voice did not let filter anything.

"You better have a good explanation on why you were sleeping next to me and hugging me, Itachi!" He seemed confused for a fraction of second, then sad before he covered his emotions up.

"Look, it's…" he started, getting up. He stopped when I glared at him approaching me. "Okay, I am not getting closer to you. Just…I'm not going to hurt you."

"The last time we spoke to each other it's what you did!" I was on edge and confused.

Last time I spoke to Itachi, he confronted me about knowing his mission where he spied on his clan for Konoha. It seemed like he figured something out when I said this though.

"At the hideout? In the swamps?" I nodded. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly before sitting down. "I am twenty-four." I blinked, taken back.

"No, you're not. You're about to be nineteen." He shook his head slowly.

"If you don't believe me, look at your left arm." I removed my arm from the covers and looked at the Shinigami Claw. Or at least what was supposed to be the Claw. The mark was a lot smaller than what I barely had gotten. Yet, I knew it was real because I could feel the power inside of it.

Oh no. Was it the same thing than when I woke up in Konoha and skipped over the past five years?

"Sweetheart?" I widened my eyes at the nickname, and he pursed his lips, apparently realizing he shouldn't have said that. "I mean, Akane?"

"I heard it," I told him in a firmer tone than intended. "I forget the past five years of my life and suddenly we're…we're not dating, are we?" From the look on his face, we were. "How could I let this happen?" I whispered to myself, ignoring the brief hurt in his eyes.

"You don't have to think about this right now, just know that you're safe alright?" I pursed my lips at him.

The last memory I had of him was the obvious distrust and anger he was feeling toward me. Yet, right now, everything in my body was telling me he was right and that I was safe with him.

I didn't have more time to think about it that Team Seven and Haku burst in the room.

"Nee-chan, are you okay!?" They were basically adult now. Any doubt I could have had about Itachi lying was gone. I did forget the past five years.

"Hi?" Itachi stood up and led them outside of the room. A few minutes after, Sakura came back in and smiled at me. "You're not scared of me anymore?"

"I wasn't…scared, just highly intimidated. You can have an imposing presence Akane." She knelt next to me and proceeded to give me an exam, asking me questions about my life to pinpoint exactly what I knew.

She stated than my brain was fine and my memory fine as well, just that it stopped five years ago. I remembered everything before that.

"Where are we?" I asked her as she gave me some clothes.

"The Eastern Continent. It's…a long story."

"Is it the reason I forgot five years?"

"Yeah." She pursed her lips and crouched in front of me. "You died Akane." I widened my eyes. "You died with your seal unbroken and…the Shinigami accepted to bring you back."

"It is not without risk," I finished for her, taking a deep breath. "And…do you think I'll remember?" She shrugged.

"I think so. Your brain works fine, and your entire body does not have any side effect from having been deceased. It looks like any case of retrograde amnesia caused by a shock to the head that affected the brain. Of course, you're going to need some follow-up but…you can function properly on your own as well."

"You have no idea how glad I am I can go to the bathroom on my own." She chuckled at that. "Can I have solid food?"

"I'm going to keep you on soups and liquids first to get your stomach working again." She stood up. "Oh, and I think you should know that everybody knows about your seal, the Shinigami and your condition."

"I figured that much sadly," I replied quietly. "And…"

"It doesn't change anything for anyone, I can assure you." I nodded and changed in Pjs before going back in my fuuton.

"How long…have I been dating Itachi then?"

"Two years and a half I'd say? It has been serious for a while now."

"Huh…and I forgot it…" It explained the sadness he hid so quickly.

Still…did I tell him…everything then? On my own free will? Or did he figure it out, or part of it and made me talk? There was no way it went smoothly.

Once I was eating, Naruto came in my room. I raised a brow at him.

"You're tall," I told him, wanting to break the tension in his shoulders. "It's disrespectful."

"Disres…" He laughed. "You said the same thing when I officially was a centimeter taller!"

"Because it is." He shook his head and sat down with his legs crossed, a grin on his face. "You were chosen to tell me about what I don't remember?" He nodded.

"We figured it would be better as I'm closer to you. I mean, Haku could too, but he doesn't know everything about your life in Konoha or the war, although Sasuke can fill you in on the first one."

"There was more than one?" He nodded and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Oh god, did I mess everything up?"

"What? No! In the end, we won and the Akatsuki is dead so…don't think that." I took a spoon of my soup. "You were five seconds away from marrying Sasuke though." I choked on my food, and he laughed. "I knew it!"

"You've waited for me to eat on purpose!" I yelled at him, wiping my mouth. I waited for him to finish laughing before talking again. "Before we start, can I know how Itachi is doing?" Naruto raised a brow. "I mean, I doubt he had the wake up he wanted and…well, I'm not the one he probably wants either."

"Oh that. Well…I mean, you're alive, we were so close to losing you for good that I think your memory loss is secondary to him. He won't be upset by this or hold it against you."

"That's…good." I licked my lips. "So, start the tale."

And what a weird, crazy and unbelievable tale that was.

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