Disclaimer: The characters are Masashi Kishimoto's property, I own the OCs.

Characters age:

Akane: 9 (42)

Itachi: 9 (25)

Shisui: 13

Naruto / Sasuke: 4

Kakashi: 18

"Where are they!?" I shrieked, looking everywhere. Itachi glanced at me.

"What?"

"The goggles, where are they!?"

"I don't know, Kakashi-san must have put them somewhere." I scratched my head and stood up, ready.

"I'll go ask him," I said idly, running out of the room.

Kakashi was waiting outside.

"Feeling better?" he greeted me, his arms crossed on his chest as he was leaning against the wall of the inn, a foot against it.

"Do you have the goggles?" He tensed. "Kakashi, they're nowhere to be found in the room and Itachi doesn't know who they belonged to." He sighed.

"I have them, yes." I stretched out my hand. "I'll give them back to you once we're in Konoha. For now, we have to join the others. Sensei is going to be here, if he sees you with them, he could be distracted." Minato-san or him?

"…fine," I agreed begrudgingly. Itachi appeared two minutes later, and we left.

I was slower. My ankle was not allowing me to go any faster and Kakashi had told me I had a big bruise on almost all of my back. I had a bruise on the cheek, and I was worried for the wound in my shoulder. I didn't want it to get infected. I did manage to take a quick shower, avoiding my bandage as much as I could, and scrubbing the dirt and dry blood off my skin and scalp felt very good. My clothes were still disgusting though.

Kakashi, at some point, got tired of my pace and picked me up to throw me on his shoulder. Itachi hid a smirk behind his collar, and I gave him the finger. We were a lot quicker, sure, but it was embarrassing. Kakashi put me down after an hour and we were quickly reunited with the rest of the team. Minato-san was there, sitting in front of the Raikage, Fugaku-san and Hizashi-san with him.

"How are you?" the Hokage asked us in a firm tone. Kakashi nodded.

"We're okay." Some shinobi from Kumo took us away to go with Tenma and Shinko, both of them quiet. Shinko had cried.

"Akane-chan!" I blinked and she hugged me tightly. "Thank God you're…you're okay!"

"…yeah, so far…" She pulled me back, struggling to find her words. "What's going on?" I looked around and realized Itachi's sensei was not there.

"Yuki-sensei…he died…" I widened my eyes and glanced at Itachi, who gave me a sharp nod. It meant that Dad…he had directly attacked Konoha.

We sat on the ground, in the cold, waiting for what seemed to be hours. Then, both Kages appeared.

"Everybody is going home," Minato-san stated. We all perked up at that, glancing at the other Kage.

"Given the recent events, we have come to an agreement for a cease fire until further negotiations," the Raikage added. They would not talk more about it, so instead everybody got ready to leave.

Someone tapped on my shoulder. I turned around to find Darui.

"You seem in better shape," I told him.

"I can't say the same for you." I rolled my eyes. "I just wanted to say thank you, for saving my life and helping me. You could have killed for being an enemy." I shrugged.

"If we meet again, as enemy, and you're stronger than me, make my killing as painless as possible then." He snickered a little.

"I'll think about it. However…I do think it played a part in Raikage-sama's decision to stop fighting for now." I raised a brow. "He is intimidating, but he will recognize strength and heart in shinobis, even from enemy villages."

"Well…thank you then?" He nodded. "Try not to be killed by another of your comrades anytime soon though." We parted ways, Itachi's eyes lingering on Darui's back.

"You became friends with someone from Kumo?" I shrugged at his question.

"I saved his life, then I saved it again and he saved mine. He's a good person." And anyway, Naruto also tended to befriend people from foreign villages, why couldn't I?

"Hn." I raised a brow at him, and he shook his head. "It's…it could be risky, that is all." I shrugged.

The trip back to Konoha was a quiet one. However, we directly went to the Hokage's office, where Kakashi reported everything, including Yuki's death. Then, Minato-san looked at Shinko and I, asking what had happened on our side. I explained it with as much details as possible, insisting on the fact Darui was almost killed by people from Kumo, those who had just attacked us, and that he was on his own so, officially, he had been our hostage who worked with us because there was something off about the situation.

"It was risky," Minato-san said firmly. "Very, and you are both genin, you could have been killed." I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Akane-chan did what was right!" Everyone looked at Shinko. Her accent was more pronounced when her emotions were getting the best of her. "I mean, it was scary, and dangerous, but she was more than capable of handling those foreign shinobi, a lot more than me. She…also was a good judge of character because Darui turned out to be a good person as well who saw beyond our issues. It's…"

"Thanks for the defense, Shinko," Minato-san interrupted her, although gently because he had seen how much she was still…troubled by what had happened. "And I am aware of all of that. It is not everyday the Raikage praises someone from Konoha." I raised a brow. "I'm not even sure if I can classify this mission as a success. Go to the hospital, except you two." He looked at Kakashi and I.

Everybody left and the Hokage sighed, standing up. He walked around his desk and stopped in front of me. The blow from the side of his hand to my head was…not unexpected. I put my hands on my head, glaring at him with a pout.

"Don't give me that look. Kumo knows you have an Ice Release, the Raikage made some implications I really didn't like."

"I know, sorry but…they were chuunins and jounins Minato-san, I had to if I wanted to keep us alive. Shinko was terrified and could only do medical ninjutsu and Darui was wounded." He crouched in front of me, his hand now on my head.

"I am aware, and you have done a good job despite the situation." He pursed his lips, his eyes conflicted. "Why did you follow him?"

"I…" I bit the inside of my cheek and clenched my fists by my side. "Instinct. My guts were telling me I had to follow him."

"And he led you where Obito died." I nodded and he sighed, Kakashi taking the goggles from his back pouch. Minato-san glanced at them with sorrow and guilt for a few seconds. "The tunnel Kakashi depicted me…"

"That's where I found the goggles. With the weather, maybe the rocks changed too? I don't know." The Hokage was deep in his thoughts. "Minato-san?"

"Right, I'm sure that's what happened," he replied, back to us. He stood up. "How are you after seeing…him?" I opened my mouth, no words coming out of it.

"I'm…not sure."

"Did he tell you anything?" I shook my head.

"No, I froze when I saw him, and he beat me up enough so I wouldn't fight back. He just said I had grown." I looked away. "And he asked me if Mom really was dead, so…someone must have filled him in on the past five years."

"He did say he was released, so he had help," Kakashi pointed out. A distant look was in Minato-san eyes for a fraction of seconds. "Should we investigate?"

"Not at the moment. If Ushio doesn't make himself known, then he is not the most urgent matter, even if by killing a shinobi from Konoha he made himself an enemy of the village. Right now, I need to focus on the shot we have at putting an end to the war with Kumo." He furrowed his brows at me.

"At some point, Kiri will know about me," I said, putting my hands in my pockets to hide them from view. They were shaking. "Actively hiding me is pointless, might as well…let things run their course."

"Would they really try to take her back sensei?"

"If they were as strong as Konoha, maybe. Now however, I have no idea. We don't have much intel about what is going on there." He glanced at me. "Maybe not doing anything is the best thing to do for now." The sarcastic remark on the tip of my tongue remained there.

Kiri knowing about me was one thing. Obito actively trying to get me was another, especially as Minato-san was still very much alive.

"Can I…make a selfish request?"

"What is it?"

"The mission's been a lot, and although now that my skills are clearly above genin-level…"

"I already knew that," he interrupted me, rubbing his forehead. "But continue."

"Could I focus on the Seal Master Exams?" He blinked. "What I can do is nowhere good enough."

"It's more than good enough for your age and rank." I shook my head with a grimace.

"Not enough to me. Could I stay in the village and take missions in it unless it is an emergency?"

"I don't see why not." He took his chin between his fingers, his fist on his hip. "Do you think you could wrap this up before April?"

"I think so, why?"

"I'd like to put you in a team so you could start training for the Chuunin Exams. Well, training is a big word, work on teamwork."

"Oh okay." I took a scroll in my back pocket. "Before I forget, it's the body of the shinobi who almost killed Darui. The Raikage will probably ask for it soon enough." Minato widened his eyes.

"You kept it?" I nodded.

"My Immobility Seal killed him, it wasn't normal. I took it to study it later, and now we know it's Dad's Mind Seals…well, have fun while you can."

"…sure, I'll…get Jiraya-sensei to help me." He shook his head. "Now off to the hospital."

"My pleasure."

"Well, it's a lot," Shisui said once they had summed up their mission. Akane was in the hospital and Itachi and him were visiting, Itachi having brought snacks. She did make a weird face at the one made with vegetables, but one stern look from him made her eat it slowly. "I mean, the Raikage."

"It could have turned a lot worse," Itachi mumbled. Akane nodded.

"Sure. I mean, in the heat of the moment it seemed logical to try to talk to him, otherwise we would have been poor little hostages and who knows what they would have done to Shinko and I."

"Weren't you scared?"

"Adrenaline is a good way to push through your fear," she replied in a quieter voice. "It's over, it's all that matters." Shisui wanted to add something, but Itachi shook his head. He knew the older Uchiha wanted to ask Akane about her dad, but he doubted it was a good idea. "There's nothing more to say about my father Shisui, chill out." He sighed.

"I thought I was going to explode wondering about it." He gazed at her more seriously. "Are you okay? Should we worry? Should we make a plan to beat him up in the most humiliating way possible?" Now that was something Itachi would gladly do.

Akane chuckled softly.

"I'm touched, but no. Just…stay away from him, it's all I want you guys to do." She lay back down in her pillow, her eyes glued to the ceiling. "Minato-san did not beat him after all."

"Yeah, it's saying a lot about his skills," Shisui admitted. Akane looked at Itachi.

"What's going to happen to your team by the way?" He glared in return and she sweatdropped. "What, sour subject?"

"They're grounded in Konoha until they have a new jounin sensei," Shisui explained. "We're still at war, so finding one is not easy."

"So…you're unemployed?"

"No, but we won't go outside of the village anytime soon unless if it's an emergency." It was sad that his sensei had died, but having to stay in Konoha was…annoying.

"Makes two of us then, except I requested it." They looked at her. "I'm going to focus on my exam. Minato-san said he would put me in a genin team as soon as possible anyway."

"Chuunin Exams?" Shisui asked her and she nodded.

There was a knock on the door. Once Akane told them to get in, Kou and Yasuo appeared behind the door.

"I heard from Hizashi-san you were hospitalized," Kou said as a greeting. Akane shrugged. "It sucks."

"It's the tough life of a shinobi. Well, kunoichi, you get it." Itachi and Shisui left them.

"How is she really?" Shisui asked him in a serious tone once outside.

"It…shook her bad, I don't think she would appreciate me telling you." Shisui sighed.

"Should I be careful of what I say around her? Knowing Akane, she'll notice and be upset by it."

"She would be. Be normal. The only way for her to see we don't see her any different because of her father is the best way to make her digest the whole situation I think." His best friend nodded.

"Got it."

Itachi himself had no idea of what to do, or if he was supposed to do something. Akane's trauma with her dad was not something she could move on from easily after. Being here for her…it really was the only thing he could do in his opinion.

Not much happened for the next three months. His team would sometimes have missions within the village, but that was it. Akane left the hospital quickly and focused on Fuinjutsu. He knew she would help Kou and Yasuo train after school sometimes as well. They still saw each other at least once a week, which wasn't enough in his opinion. He had plenty of time to give his brother though, this was nice.

During the vacations before the start of the new school year at the Academy, his team was summoned in the Hokage's office.

"Hello you three." They bowed. "It has been strange these past few months for you, hasn't it?"

Shinko had taken up an apprenticeship at the hospital. After the mission, she had confessed she had felt useless and wanted to get better. It was strange how once, Tenma dying made her quit, yet now, with their sensei dead, it made her want to improve. He didn't have doubts on her becoming a skilled medic later on.

Tenma was training with his clan from what he was told by Shinko. They specialized in Earth-style jutsu and taijutsu.

In these three months, the war had stopped. He didn't have the details, but the Raikage and Hokage had come to the agreement that the war was meaningless with people like Ushio out in the wild. They were not allies, but a treaty had been signed to stop the hostility and split the reparations in the Land of Frost and the Land of Hot Waters between the two countries. People in Konoha were happy the war was over, and peace had returned. Shinobi knew not to confuse 'peace' with 'quiet'.

"Well, I have good news. With the war over, I have a new jounin-sensei for you."

"Really?" Tenma asked, interested now.

"Yes. He is…different, let's say, from Yuki-san." There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Their new sensei entered the room, rubbing the back of his head casually. His whole demeanor was screaming nonchalance, but the two scars on his face were screaming at him not to believe his first thought. "Itachi-kun, Tenma-kun, Shinko-chan, meet Nara Shikaku, your new sensei."

Shikaku looked at all of them. When he looked at him, he saw the calculating glint in his gaze.

He had rarely seen the head of the Nara clan before, but he was one of the few people his father would praise, especially for his intelligence. Maybe, maybe, he would be a better sensei than Yuki-sensei. He had been a good man, but not a good teacher.

"I can't believe you're making me do this Minato." The Hokage smiled at him, clearly amused.

"You're the one who said you were tired of paperwork because of the war Shikaku, so I listened to you." Shikaku rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Come on kids, follow me."

It was an interesting, unexpected turn of event. Itachi was glad about it though. Being under the Jounin Commander's leadership could be useful, for him and to diffuse the tensions between Konoha and his clan.

I no longer was Kakashi's partner. I was barely out of my exam that he whisked me away to a training ground and told me I was going to be put in a team and that they'd join me here. I mean, I was pretty sure I had passed my exam, but he could have waited and asked me how it had gone before doing that.

I was warming up when I sensed two people coming. I raised a brow and watched Kou and Yasuo walk toward me, both of them with a forehead protector on their head.

"You're the third member then," Kou said with a smirk. "Makes sense."

"Does it?" I retorted, confused but pleased to see them.

"The Hokage must have known you were helping us train, so he thought it'd be a good idea, at least I think." I nodded.

"And our sensei?" Yasuo cleared his throat.

"Behind you." I blinked and grabbed a kunai when the presence behind me was hostile. A firm hand caught my wrist. I looked up and widened my eyes in shock at our new sensei, who merely raised an unimpressed brow at me.

"Manners Akane."

"Fugaku-san!?" I almost yelled, stumbling back hastily. I fell on my ass.

"Actually, now it's 'sensei'," Yasuo corrected me, helping me up. "It's a weird change for me too." I furrowed my brows at Yasuo and looked at Fugaku-san up and down.

"Really? He picked you?" He was unimpressed and crossed his arms. "Not that you…I mean, I'm not saying you don't have the skills but…I mean you're the head of the Police Force and clan head, it's…"

"Oh don't you worry about this, I can make the team and the police work together." …what? "Now sit and properly introduce yourself." We did.

"Ladies first," Kou said, elbowing me in the ribs.

"You all know me already," I muttered before sighing. "Uzumaki Akane, I'm good at fuinjutsu, kenjutsu, taijutsu and water-based ninjutsu. One of my favorite hobbies is being the biggest annoyance in Fugaku-sensei's oldest son's life." He sighed a little.

"Any dream?"

"Making out of this meeting alive," I replied without missing a beat. He ignored me.

"My name is Hyuuga Kou. My main fighting skills would be my Byakugan and the Gentle Fist. I'd like to see Hinata-sama prosper as a clan leader."

"That's it?" I whispered to him. He shoved me on my side.

"And get stronger than Akane so I can rub it in her face." I rolled my eyes and sat up, dusting my clothes off. I stuck my tongue at him when he smirked.

"Well, I'm Uchiha Yasuo. I'm a Katon user and hopefully, once I have my sharingans I will improve in genjutsu." Fugaku-san…sensei, nodded. "I would like to be a trustworthy shinobi in Konoha." That was interesting.

"Alright. Then now this is settled…"

"What about you, sensei?" He blinked at my tone.

"You already know my name and my job. As for skills, it would be mainly genjutsu and Katon ninjutsu, what you would typically think of regarding the Uchiha clan. I am also proficient in Raiton ninjutsu." Well, Sasuke did get it from somewhere then. "But I can use all five-chakra nature." He didn't continue regarding his dream. "Now, as I was saying before." I looked away when they all looked at me. "I am going to test you. Akane has been a genin for a year, but both of you could go back to the Academy if I deem you are not ready." Kou and Yasuo exchanged an alarmed look. I hoped it was not the bell test. "There is a scroll hidden at the center of the woods. The first one to get it will be the leader among you three."

"So, we're pitted against each other?"

"I said everything I had to say. Although, I will keep throwing obstacles in your way. You have an hour." He disappeared.

"So…do we really fight each other?" Yasuo wondered out loud.

"Nah, it's dumb. They don't put us in teams of three just for us to fly solo. Teamwork guys." I stood up. "He wants to see if we can come up with good things right away."

"It makes more sense," Kou agreed, him and Yasuo standing up as well. "If it is at the center of the woods, my Byakugan will be useful." I nodded.

"Fugaku-sama…sensei, Fugaku-sensei is excellent at genjtusu. It would be the way to make us lose without actually fighting." I nodded.

"You know a lot about the theory behind genjutsu, right?" He nodded firmly. "Then I guess if it happens, we're counting on you. I'm not very good at it. Does it leave me actually facing him because water beats fire?"

"That, and you have the most experience," Kou added. "In a real mission, you would be the one buying us time while we accomplish the mission considering the gap between our skills."

"Ow, you're admitting it so easily now?" Kou's eyes were stern.

"On the battlefield, anything to keep us alive and succeed." Oh, he would not be in a joking mood then, noted.

"Sure. Anyway, as for traps, we should all be on the lookout. Kou, don't use your Byakugan for nothing."

"I know." It was…easy to agree on a strategy with them. We had known each other for years after all, and went to the Academy together, then I'd help them train these past few months.

We went to the woods. We were all focused on the task at hands, finding the traps Fugaku-sensei had set. They were not too hidden like he could, but they were hidden enough for random thugs not to spot them. We only had an hour though, it was short. Kou had his Byakugan on, looking for the scroll while Yasuo was in front of him, your truly behind to have their back. I had my sensing range as far as possible.

I deflected the shuriken that came at me, the boys doing the same. However, one of them activated a trap, two tree trunks about to squish them. I went through hand seals.

"Suiton: Wild Water Wave Technique." I spat water and gathered as much wind chakra in my technique I could without turning it to ice. I was not balanced, but it was enough to slice through the rope holding the trunks, making them fall in loud thumps. Dust flew everywhere and I licked my bottom lip. There was a cut on it, the result of me using a jutsu I had not entirely mastered yet. I ran to the guys. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…thanks," Kou said, Yasuo in shock next to him.

"Please be more careful of your surroundings," I asked them with a sigh. "Come on, let's go."

There was a brief genjutsu. We broke it. I had noticed it because it was not too powerful, but I decided to let Yasuo shine, which he did a couple of minutes later. At his age, I would have run straight into the illusion.

I had no idea how long we had run for, but Fugaku-sensei appeared. If he was here, then we were close. He used the Great Fireball on us, and I retorted by the Great Waterfall Technique. When vapor engulfed us, I made two shadow clones who left with the boys as I quietly snuck up on him. With no surprised, he caught my wrist.

I smirked and made ice in front of my hand, then an Explosive Seal on it. He let me go in order to avoid the explosion and I was back on the ground. I launched myself at him, knowing I wouldn't beat him in taijutsu. However, each time my hands would touch the ground, I would put an Explosive Seal or an Immbolity Seal on it, turning it into a fuinjutsu mine field.

He walked on one and it blew up in an explosion of red. I widened my eyes and made the Tiger Seal.

"It's gory," I commented, breaking the genjutsu. I did it just in time to dodge a vicious punch.

I blinked in surprise at the Sharingan in his eyes. I was…flattered?

I glanced around. While I was stuck in his genjutsu, he had deactivated my seals. I tried to cool down the temperature a little, enough for me to slow him down, but he was unaffected. He probably was using chakra to keep his body warm.

"Shit!" He was getting ready to use another jutsu, and from the signs he was using, it was Raiton. "Suiton: Water Shield." Water rose in front of me and turned into a shield.

I never had issues with this and Raiton before. However, I gritted my teeth when I saw his jutsu overpowering mine. I tried to freeze it, but it was too late, and it blew up, sending me in a tree.

I was on the ground, looking at the cloudy sky of April with wide eyes, totally stunned. Fugaku-sensei walked over to me.

"Done?" I glanced at him.

"Were you in the running with Minato-san?" He seemed surprised. "I fought jounin before, sure they didn't know me, so they underestimated me and all but…you're way above them in terms of level."

"I didn't survive two wars by sheer luck."

"I figured you were scared Mikoto-san would bring you back to kill you again." He cleared his throat.

"Whether I was in the running or not doesn't matter, getting the hat never was my goal." I couldn't blame him. "However, I am telling you right now. I am not going to treat you like a genin because you are far from one." I looked away.

"Why am I on your team Fugaku-san? Really?" I asked him more seriously. "Why would the Hokage tell the Police Chief to take on a genin team?" He gauged me for a few seconds and bent down to grab my kimono top.

"It is a discussion for another time." He lifted me up as if I was nothing, my arms and legs dangling, my head thrown back. He was carrying me like a bag.

"I get it now." He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. "Itachi's skills, I understand better where they come from. I kind of thought Mikoto-san was a super badass kunoichi who gave her genes to her kids."

"Are you afraid of my wife?"

"She is friends with Kushina-san. Kushina-san who listens to her when she is told to calm down." He pondered over it for a few seconds.

"Do not anger her," he advised me quietly and I nodded like I could.

The boys had the scroll when we joined them. Fugaku-sensei threw me on the ground as if I was nothing and I jumped on my feet immediately.

"After what I have seen, you all deserve to be genin. Congratulations Team Four." Wait, four?

Oh no, it was bad luck.

Akane plopped down next to him.

"You look…tired." She glanced at him flatly.

"I'm on a team."

"Oh?"

"With Kou and Yasuo." An Uzumaki, Hyuuga and Uchiha. Unusual, but it could be a good combination. "Don't you already know who my sensei is?"

"How would I?" She put her hand on his shoulder with a sigh.

"Itachi, you call him 'father'." He widened his eyes. His father? A sensei? To Akane and her team? She started laughing. "Your face is so worth the pain!"

"You're not joking?" She shook her head.

"No, I don't, although now I understand bet…why are you looking at me like that?" With straight up pity. He averted his eyes.

He knew how harsh his father could be when he was training him, although his methods might be different with his sons and his genins.

"What's worst is that we're Team Four." Why was he not even surprised? "You? You have a sensei?"

"Nara Shikaku."

"Shikamaru's dad? He always said his father was very smart. It fits you better than the first one, no offense."

"None taken, it's true. He…is interesting." He was lazy on the outside, but each task he had given them had been catered to them especially.

He was not sure if he was happy about it, but if he could grow his skillset, he wouldn't say 'no'. Itachi was always eager to learn new things after all, and now he no longer was a spy or had to deal with his brother's vengeance, he could do things he enjoyed.

"Oh, and during our test I fought Fugaku-sa…sensei, Fugaku-sensei." It was weird to hear Akane call his father that, or to think he would train her, but it would be good.

He knew his father, he knew under his tutelage, Akane would get stronger, and he trusted his father's skills, meaning he would be able to ease his worries.

"And?"

"He mopped the floor with me and then carried me like a bag?" He chuckled at the picture in his mind. "It was kind of humiliating."

"My father is a strong shinobi."

"Yeah, I felt it." She leaned back on her hands, her brown eyes thoughtful on the Hokage's rock faces. "But, it is nice. He used the Sharingan, so I am honored." He raised a brow.

"Did he?" She nodded with a smug grin.

"I know, you're impressed, no need to tell me." He was in all honesty.

The truth was, he had no idea of Akane's actual skills or even fighting style. Shinko had told him a little about and so far, it was…straightforward, which was to be expected from the Bloody Mist.

He hoped his father wouldn't notice too much of Kiri in Akane, but he had the feeling he would.

It was nothing he could change though.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have liked it, please do let me know in reviews!

Bye!