Chapter 13: Sacrifices - Part One
Akira walked into the familiar building of her therapist's office, breathing in the familiar scents of lavender and bergamot. As with all of her appointments there was no one else in the building but the receptionist sitting behind a desk.
"Good morning, Tsubaki." Akira greeted as she made her way to the woman, holding a gift behind her small frame.
The brunette looked up, face giving away nothing. "Hello Akira. Would you like a refreshment?"
"No thanks. I brought this for you, hope you like it."
The woman took the potted plant with a faint smile, "Their beautiful, thank you. Oishi should be ready for you. Go ahead in."
Akira paused while closing the door behind her, momentarily surprised by Oishi's appearance.
Prominent bags hung darkly beneath his eyes, standing in stark contrast to his pale skin. A shadow of stubble grazed his jaw. For someone who was usually so put together, it was concerning to see him so unkempt: as if something weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Akira asked, a strange weight on her chest.
The therapist rubbed the side of his head, his other hand waving in a pacifying manner, "Yes, yes. My headache is just a little worse today. Nothing I can't handle."
Unconvinced, Akira gave a short nod in understanding. Whether it was because she was too young to speak freely to or because he was trying not to speak about herself: he didn't want to speak about it.
Oishi took a sip of tea—it smelt of citrus—and gave her a warm smile. "So, we were talking about the Nine-Tails last time. I'd like to hear more about that."
She explained how she had somehow put the beast behind a mental 'wall', so she wasn't able to hear him. How, since doing so, she wasn't as influenced by his chakra.
"Basically, I locked him out." She finished, leaning her head against the armrest of the couch.
Oishi hummed thoughtfully. "You know it isn't healthy to run away from your problems."
"Well not everyone's 'problems' include a chakra demon who almost leveled a village and killed their parents in one night." She spat back bitterly.
There was a brief, heavy pause.
"…So. You aren't influenced by him anymore? That's progress. How does it feel?"
Unruffling her feathers, Akira scrunched her face. "Um. Very… Quiet."
"And? You don't seem to excited."
"I don't know… Sometimes I'll find myself thinking about him. Like what he would say. It's like going from a long, one-sided conversation to—well, nothing. He had a lot to say."
Oishi's smile is small but warm. Understanding. "He made you feel less lonely."
She made a face of disgust, "Ugh. Don't try to make it sound so sweet. Most of what he went on about was letting him out to kill everyone."
"My statement still stands. Even negative attention can be better than none when someone is feeling alone in the world."
Akira rolled her head to stare at the ceiling. "Y'know, normal people would be deeply disturbed about a child missing a gigantic fox demon that whispers promises of death in their head."
And she did, to some extent. After he was sealed in her gut, Kurama was her only constant. He was there for the terrifying four months she was abducted and, in a way, helped her escape.
If it weren't for him, the ANBU wouldn't have sensed her. They felt him¸ not her in the forest. His chakra was the beacon that led her home.
But he knew too much.
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not normal." Oishi joked, smirking, "and now that you've accepted that you miss them, let us have a talk about toxic relationships and how not to become attached to our inner demons."
Giggling, Akira met his warm turquoise eyes, fondness softening her features. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Ah, I'll add 'openly expresses emotions more' to my notes after you leave."
"You could openly express your own hardships with me too, y'know."
"While I'm ever thankful for your concern; you are a child. You should be more concerned with school and making friends. Maybe find a hobby."
"You're trying to change the topic. If you're feeling unsafe I could always put seals on your house."
Oishi looked to the ceiling. "Akira I'm fine. Besides these sessions are for your benefit."
"But—"
"That's enough." He admonished firmly, "I am the adult between us and I assure you I can handle it."
Even though Oishi regularly insisted Akira still couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her mind.
*/*/ | \\*\*
Akira wasn't invited to the formal party for Itachi's graduation, but she was invited to the after party.
Basically, it was Itachi, his parents, sister and Shisui. It was her first time officially meeting the latter.
When they had first met eyes, Akira found herself briefly back in the chaos of That Night, hot and arid air burning her nostrils and blood spattered on her cheek.
They sat together at a familiar low table in what was once a play room turned personal study. Both boys were at one side while she sat by herself, a sweet tea brewing between them.
"Akira this is my cousin Shisui. Shisui, this is my best friend Akira."
Neither was impressed as they sized each other up.
Thankfully Shisui didn't seem to recognize her. That wasn't her favorite memory and she'd rather not talk about that day unless it was about her adorable little brother.
Something must have come to his mind because Shisui elbowed Itachi's side as he stared her down. "You mean The Akira? The—"
"Monster?" Akira interrupted curtly, "Yep, that's me."
His eyebrows drew together. "That wasn't what I was going to say."
"It's what you were thinking."
"No, what I was thinking was that you're the girl that has been following around Jiraiya of the Sannin."
Akira was stunned, silver tongue turning wooden. "Oh." She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "More like he's been following me around but…Yeah. He's been crashing on my couch for the past few months."
Why the man refused to go to his own apartment was beyond her. He took up so much room in her tiny apartment.
Honestly, she wasn't even sure if he even had a home in the village. (She'd never admit his presence helped her sleep at night. Whenever she woke up from a nightmare, he was there with a cup of hot jasmine tea, a warm hand rubbing her back.)
Shisui's eyes shone in wonder as he leaned forward, "No way, that's so cool! What's he like?"
Akira stared off into the space behind him, face and voice expressionless. "A perverted slavedriver whose snores shake the foundation of my building."
The older Uchiha stared at her, deadpan. "What."
Itachi sighed, "He's training her."
Shisui's mouth opened into an 'o' of understanding before he shout, "What!? You're being trained by a Sannin?"
"He is also her Godfather."
Words didn't come out of him, just excited noises.
She sighed, delicately picking up the tea pot and pouring it into three cups. "He's only training me in sealing and kata. It's nothing remarkable."
That was a lie. Their work was borderline groundbreaking when they put their minds to it. Already they were working on creating physical chakra-suppressing chains that could even keep Kurama down for a while. Etching the reductive steel was time consuming but exciting.
She needed reassurance when the demonic furball finally broke down the wall she had created that her little issue would be contained. Who knew how he would react?
Badly, if she were to guess.
Shisui looked slightly disappointed. "Oh."
Akira sighed. 'Damn Uchiha's.' They would be her downfall with their big, pleading dark eyes. "…You can meet him after the party. I'm sure Tachi will want to walk me home regardless of my wishes."
Her best friend nodded sagely, sipping at his tea.
"That would be great!"
"Not as great as your disappointment." She chuckled darkly into her cup, "Just promise when he strikes a pose while introducing himself to interrupt him. If I have to hear him scream about being a Super Pervert one more time, I'll be tempted to light myself on fire."
Shisui made a face. "He brags about being a super pervert?... Gross."
"A true degenerate."
"A danger to society." Itachi added, a small smile partly hidden by his teacup.
.
.
.
After an agonizingly long—and awkward—walk back home, Akira stepped inside her apartment with the Uchiha cousins.
Everything was as she left it: clean and organized. No odd scents or misplaced items. It took one particularly bad break-down to get Jiraiya to follow her rules on cleanliness. Thankfully after a talk with Oishi he had been very accommodating to her oddities.
Akira exhaled deeply as she put her fox house slippers on (a terrible gag-gift from the Super Pervert himself. She secretly loved them). She passed plain black slippers to her guest. Itachi had brought a pair of his own to keep at her house with the Uchiha fan stitched on them.
As they entered the living area Akira gestured around vaguely, "Make yourselves at home."
She made her way to the kitchen to prepare more tea like a good little hostess.
"What's up with the frog picture?" was the first thing Shisui spoke since they began the journey from the Uchiha compound to her home.
Since she was with two well-known Uchiha it wasn't much of a big deal. There was still the ever-present weight of their piercing glares but they didn't throw anything or attempt to confront her.
Akira glanced at the obnoxious painting with disinterest as she walked back into the room. "Ignore that. An idiot put it up without permission."
"…why is it still up then?"
Shrug. "Guess I never got around to taking it down."
"Oh. I could—"
"No."
"…Okaaay."
Itachi snorted but covered it with a cough.
She cleared her throat before calling out to the bathroom. "Oi, squatter. I'm home!" there was a faint squeak from the bathroom as the sink turned off.
Jiraiya walked out of the bathroom with a sour expression, lip jutted out as he dried off his hands. "What kind of squatter buys all of the furniture and groceries?" he grumbled.
His movements paused when he noticed the two guests taking seats around the heated coffee table. She prepared herself mentally. "Old man this is Shisui. Shisui, meet—"
The older man instantly brightened, striking a pose that gave Akira second-hand embarrassment. The damp towel went flying into the wall and slid down to the floor. Her fingers twitched.
"Oh-ho! So my little Tadpole has brought over a new friend! I am Jiraiya of—"
Shisui stood to bow, "It's nice to meet you Jiraiya of the Sanin!" he greeted loudly.
A light smile spread over the jinjuriki's lips as the Mighty Sanin froze in place. The curly-haired Uchiha turned to her with a bright smile of his own, dark eyes much like a puppy asking if he did a good job.
(She definitely had a soft spot).
It was always great messing with her Godfather. His reactions were so predictable.
Akira found her place next to Itachi so she could show him some of her new seal work, pushing away whatever trashy novel Jiraiya was working on. He didn't really understand most of what she spoke about but would listen regardless.
Jiraiya's shoulders slumped as he frowned. "Kids these days. None of you know how to let a man introduce himself."
*/*/ | \\*\*
When Orochimaru defected, the world turned upside-down once again. With Jiraiya around, there had been a huge battle just outside of the village between the two Sanin.
Though Akira wasn't around to witness the full spectacle, she had witnessed the giant forms of their summons tearing apart the surrounding wildlife.
Her Godfather was pissed when he found out what his teammate had been doing in his spare time. The Frog Sage had a soft spot for children, so coming across the various experiments had sent him into a rage.
The snake got away, though he didn't leave unscathed.
While visiting Jiraiya at the hospital, he had tiredly bragged about how he had 'gotten that bastard good'.
According to him, half of Orochimaru's face was melted from hot oil. It didn't matter. He would find a new body and heal himself anyway.
What mattered was the giant white-haired oaf she reluctantly began to care about laying in the hospital cot. Her Godfather was also wounded in the battle; in more ways than one.
One of his arms was bitten by a venomous snake and would have decayed off his body had it not been for the antidotes he kept on his person. Akira guessed when you had a teammate like Orochimaru, you learned to keep a few spare antivenoms on hand.
He also had a few stab wounds that were wrapped professionally with antiseptic. She was glad he was being taken care of even if he had basically taken over guardianship of her.
There was always the fear of her bad rep tarnishing those around her, but for the most part the hate stayed strictly to her.
Since they wanted to keep Jiraiya in the hospital for a few days, Akira walked home alone.
The atmosphere around the village had changed with the news.
One person threw a glass bottle at her head that thankfully hadn't hit its mark.
Again, they were blaming her. It didn't matter she had nothing to do with the Snake—she had never even met him—all of their betrayal and anger fell onto her shoulders once more.
'One step forward, twenty back.' She thought acidly as she took to the roofs.
Her chakra was becoming increasingly easier to use the more she practiced. Already she had set the date for her exam to graduate out of the academy early. It was five months away, which felt like an eternity.
When Akira arrived at her door the achingly familiar scent of puppies and bergamot teased her senses from inside her home.
Tears gathering in her eyes she swung the door open with a bang (she'd have to fill the hole in the wall later).
Her breath caught at the sight of Kakashi standing in her living room as if he had never left, hands shoved in his pockets as he stared blankly at the frog painting.
His voice was strained and quiet when he spoke, but they both knew she could hear. "Cute picture."
She noted his voice was much deeper. He was taller, too.
Akira clenched her jaw, hand tightening dangerously on the doorknob. With a deep breath of courage, she stepped fully into her home and shut the door with extra care.
She didn't know how she should feel. Relief? Despair? Sadness? Anger?
(He abandoned her when she needed him the most)
Settling on indifference, the blonde made her way to the kitchen. "Can I help you?"
"No." his answer was immediate. Defensive.
"…Okay, weirdo. Want a cup of tea?"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on the kettle and took down the lavender chamomile tea Oishi had gifted her. Usually, she would drink some at night in order to calm herself down from arising panic attacks.
They weren't happening as often as they used to, but it had a nice flavor. Kakashi also looked as if he needed something to calm down. His body was stiff, eye trailing after her every movement.
She had various blends of tea thanks to the adults in her life. Once they found out she held an interest, they would buy it for her since she couldn't on her own. Moma Uchiha especially was very supportive of her love of tea.
Akira's movements were robotic as she pulled out two mis-matched tea cups.
Soon, the kettle whistled.
"Sure." Was his late, reluctant reply.
Scooping the leaves into the awaiting pot, Akira took everything to her tiny table and sat down on a plush cushion.
Kakashi made his way to his seat and sat down slowly, eye taking in his surroundings clinically. It was then Akira noticed he was still wearing his sandals.
Her eye twitched.
'Patch the wall, clean the floors.' She mentally added to her to-do list.
The silence stretched between them awkwardly, causing Akira to babble in order to fill it. "I met Guy. Honestly I'm surprised I only met him recently since he stalked you for so long."
"Oh?"
"Yep. He bought me a tomato since mine got stomped on. It was for Satsuki—y'know, Itachi's baby sister? Kid's obsessed with them. Eats 'em like an apple. It's appalling."
Akira served the tea with a delicate grace Mikoto had hammered into her head. She waited for him to take a sip before following, sure not to peek as he lowered his mask.
Her teas were crafted with Akira's heightened sense of smell in mind. Mild in scent but very flavorful.
Kakashi held onto the cup against his chest. Long fingers wrapping easily around the porcelain in a tight grip as if trying to make the warmth seep through his skin.
He was wearing his ANBU uniform.
"I plan on graduating in five months. Possibly sooner." She blurt.
"You're only ten, why would you want to do that?"
She raised her gaze to meet his and just stared, a little hurt. His mask was back in place. "You seriously have no idea what goes on in my life, do you?"
Kakashi flinched—guilty. Hot tea spilled slightly onto his hand but he didn't react. Akira sighed, placing her cup down to hand him a napkin. He didn't take it so she rubbed instead at her clothed arms. "Why are you really here?"
He looked away, somehow looking even more guilty. Her stomach dropped. There was acid in her mouth.
"I see."
Akira trailed a fingertip along her cup, picking at a chip on the rim. She allowed the hot ceramic and flowing liquid to ground her. Loose pieces of tea swam in the light brew, moving around each other in an endless dance of push and pull.
"You won't find my father in my presence, Kakashi. He's dead." Her voice didn't break once, and for that she was proud. "And if the only reason you want to be near me—or my brother—is to seek out dead people; don't come around at all."
Kira jumped at the sharp sound of her favorite tea cup shattering on the floor as Kakashi disappeared in a flurry of leaves.
She sat there for a long time, shocked tears collecting in her eyes and threatening to spill over. (She wouldn't be weak and let them fall. She refused.)
That night Akira buried herself in seal work. With Jiraiya gone she was able to perfect the Remembrance Seal and delicately integrating it into two copies of the book she had written.
She carefully placed them in gift bags and placed them deep within her closet.
This time she didn't test it—she didn't care. As soon as her chakra signature was registered, there would be a chain reaction once she opened the book.
It was her last form of defense if she forgot anything later. A hail-Mary.
The shattered pieces of the cup lay ignored until the next morning.
*/*/ | \\*\*
"Team Twelve: Kai Masaki, Shin Hyuga and Akira Uzumaki. Your jounin-sensei will be Ryu Aikawa."
The sounds of her teammates distaste and the classes murmurings of pity was drowned out by Akira's own excitement.
Finally she was free from school. Four people were easier to manage than twenty—and if they failed team placement she could always try to find someone to train her with Jiraiya's connections.
Shin was at the top of the class; his fighting skills were well formed and precise, as required for the use of his family technique. He wasn't able to use his doujutsu during class spars but the way he fought around his opponents was a sight to behold.
His shoulder-length black hair was half pulled up with a few whisps of hair falling over the shiny new hitai-ate paced on his forehead. He wore tan shorts and dark tee-shirt for training.
Kai was the Hyuga's opposite, both in looks and personality. His wild brown hair looked as if he had just gotten out of bed. He wore a loose green tank-top with under armor reaching down to his elbows and black baggy pants that tapered tight around his calves.
Akira had never interacted with any of the older students other than spars, but she had watched them all long enough to get a general feel for what their character was like.
She wasn't hopeful in the least, so the faster she became a chunin the better.
Sensei after Sensei came in to gather their child wards and left. Time ticked by slowly as Akira went over her notes.
When a giant of a man ducked into the room an hour after the announcement, the remaining students fell quiet.
He was plain in looks with short black hair and piercing gray eyes, dressed in the Konoha standard vest with a sleeveless shirt underneath that may have well been a second skin.
The man searched the many curious faces of the children before crossing his overly muscular arms. "Team Twelve follow me."
Akira packed her notebook into her leg pouch and made her way down the stairs, hands in her pockets. Her two teammates hurriedly followed suit, scrambling from where they sat together across the room.
Ryu looked between them once more before turning, gesturing for them to follow. "This way."
"He's huge!" Kai whispered to Shin in wonder, amber eyes wide.
The Hyuga nodded.
Akira had to agree, too. He was at least two inches taller than Jiraiya, and that was saying something. A lot more buff, too. 'The hell did his parents feed him?'
As soon as they all filed outside Ryu glanced over his shoulder, the overcast sky a fitting back-drop to his passive face. "Follow me and keep up." He spoke in a deep rumble before taking off.
The three Genin-hopefuls stood shocked for a moment before pursuing like baby ducks scrambling after their mother.
He set a decent pace, definitely not his full speed but enough for them to be just out of reach.
Sometimes he would disappear around corners, but for Akira that was child's-play. He had a distinct musky scent; like the smell before rain mixed with light traces of berries.
When they arrived at training ground twelve, he was sitting down crocheting a small dark blue shirt.
"What are you doing?" asked Kai.
Ryu's movements never ceased, expertly weaving the yarn together. It was wonderful craftmanship.
Akira glanced over at her brunette teammate to answer his question, unimpressed. "Crocheting." The boy rolled his eyes.
Ryu either didn't hear, or didn't care to answer or react to his students. "Sit down, please."
Still confused they shared a look and did as told. The boys sat on either side of Akira at a short distance, sure to not get close.
"Tell me about yourselves." Their teacher drawled as he worked.
Shrugging, Akira just went with it. She'd read enough fanfics to know what was going on. "My name is Akira Uzumaki. I like apples and training. I dislike—"
"No." Ryu interrupted. "I don't need to know your likes and dislikes. What are your strengths and weaknesses in battle? Career aspirations or things you would like to learn."
Kai snorted into his hand as heat rushed the blondes face. As if she could have known that from his vague statement. Beside her, the Hyuga boy spoke up for the first time in a soft voice.
"Shin Hyuga. I excel in close-range combat but lack stamina. I would like to learn long range jutsu."
"Good," Ryu nodded, "next."
Akira went next, "I'm fast, a good fighter and have an aptitude for sealing. I guess my aspiration is to be a seal-master? Learning genjutsu would be cool."
"And you?"
"Kai Masaki here! I'm twelve years old and would like to learn how to wield a sword!"
"…Nothing else?"
"He's the dead last of the team" Akira put in matter-of-factly, glancing at her nails. She'd need to file them again soon.
"Says the monster of the team!" he hissed back, chest puffing up.
"Oh no, my feelings." She drawled. "That'll be a journal entry tonight."
Ryu lift a hand suddenly, causing Akira to stand quickly and take a step back, looking him down, waiting for the inevitable. "That's enough. If you're to be my students there will be no unnecessary name-calling."
He put away his crocheting tools and stood at his full height. The other two boys scrambled to join them. There was a lengthy, shocked pause from all three children.
'Is that it?' all three of them seemed to think at the same time.
"Your test will be in three parts, so pay attention. First you will go to training ground forty-three. There will be a flag somewhere within its borders you must acquire to get your next instructions and so-forth. Any questions?"
Shin raised his hand, "What do you mean by test? Aren't we already a genin team?"
"Negative," said Ryu, hand resting on a jutted-out hip (Akira's eyes followed the movement—he had nice hips), "You must first pass a test given by a jounin to become a team. Failure results into you either going back to the academy or joining the Genin Corps."
Kai let out a cry, hands fisting into his wild brown hair, "The Genin Corps? You might as well toss us off of a cliff!"
Ryu shrugged; gray eyes devoid of infliction. "Then you'd better pass. You have three hours." He handed Shin a piece of paper. "Think of it like a game. One that determines your future in the shinobi world."
A shiver went down her spine. Akira didn't have a good track record of 'playing games' with adults. Why did they all have to use that terminology? She was in the Naruto world, not Saw.
"Your time starts now."
.
.
.
"Ugh, I can't even read his writing! How the hell are we supposed to get to the right place?" wailed Kai, arms flailing around.
Akira leaned forward and sniffed the parchment. "The ink isn't the standard kind sold at the convenience store. My guess is that Sensei makes it himself at home. Crotchet and calligraphy? What a strange man."
The boys looked at her, Kai glancing back and forth from the paper.
"You could tell that much with just a sniff?"
She scratched the back of her neck, "I have a very good sense of smell…?"
"Riiight…" mumbled Kai. "And that will help us how?"
Akira gave them a bland look. "If we make it to training ground forty-three I can track wherever the flag is since there will be another set of directions with a similar scent."
The brunette pursed his lips, "What are you, part bloodhound?"
"Monster, remember? Or is your short-term memory as terrible as your sense of direction?" she replied with hooded eyes.
Kai blushed deeply. "I won't take back what I said."
She shrugged. "You're free to your own thoughts."
Shin snatched the paper from Kai and began walking away, "Are you two done? I know where to go."
When they arrived to their destination both boys allowed her to take charge, though not without great reluctance. Where they were was directly next to the famous Forest of Death.
Similar to its neighbor it was a heavily wooded area. The training grounds were used a lot for younger ninja since there weren't any dangerous creatures or many poisonous plants.
Akira crouched down, fingertips pressing past the dewy grass to the dirt beneath and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply, allowing the numerous scents of the woodland and feeling of the world to flow into her brain.
A moment passed before she stood up straight and began walking after a faint shining string. "Sensei sure has a wonderful sense of humor. The flag is attached to a small animal, most likely a squirrel."
An hour scurrying after a particularly crafty squirrel later and they acquired a yellow crotchet flag. The flag had a small pocket held closed with a sunflower button containing their next set of instructions.
They were to find the next marker on a person somewhere in the village.
Kai handed her the flag and smirked. "Go on, puppy. It's your time to shine again!"
Akira was highly uncomfortable about going through high-traffic parts of the village but hid it well. With Jiraiya still around for a little longer she was safe, but he would be heading back out to resume his spy network any day.
She knew it was coming since he first began to stay with her, but it was still not something she was looking forward to. Now that Akira was an adult, he was free.
They had become close in the time he had been around. Living without him would be…strange.
She'd be alone once again.
Regardless of her twisting stomach, Akira led her team through throngs of people until they came across a man with strawberry-blonde hair. He smelt of sweet berries mingled with musky rain. Hm.
The man didn't seem surprised when the three children walked up to him, his green eyes shining with mirth. "Looks like I've been caught." He cooed, pulling a scroll from within his loose fitted kimono shirt that was left open revealing his chest.
"Who're you?" Kai blurt as Shin took the scroll with a short bow.
"Nori Aikawa, nice to meet you three." He bowed his head, a bright smile tugging at his peachy lips.
Akira bowed herself, years of introducing herself with her father surfacing in a rare act of respect. "Akira Uzumaki. And they are Kai Misaki and Shin Hyuga. It's a pleasure to meet you, too." She had a hunch who Nori was and wanted to make a good impression for once.
Green eyes bore into her skull before being engulfed in a world of berries and warmth. Everyone froze.
"Is he crazy!?" Kai whisper-screamed behind her.
Something in Kira's chest constricted, heart speeding up in pace.
She couldn't even remember the last time someone had given her something even close to a hug. Oishi had a professional line he wouldn't cross, more comfortable to give her comfort through words than physical touch.
Jiraiya was too awkward to do such a thing—head and back pats were his go-to. And Itachi and his family weren't what she would consider huggers, even if they were akin to her second family.
Too emotionally constipated to return the hug Akira waited patiently for the moment to pass, motionless. Nori tightened his grip once more before letting her go.
The ten-year-old stared at the man with wide, violet eyes. She had so many questions, one coming out in a whisper, "Why?"
Nori blushed lightly. "Why not?" he asked with a close-eyed smile. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, look at the time! You guys better hurry along. Make sure to pass~"
They did. After clearing a rat infestation with two other complaining kids, Ryu had appeared before them and said they were officially Genin of the Hidden Leaf.
Joy.
*/*/ | \\*\*
Months passed in a flurry of training and missions that mostly ended up in disaster. Her teammates wouldn't work with her unless forced. Villagers when finding out the Jinjuriki was the one painting their fence or pulling weeds from overgrown gardens raised hell.
It wasn't a normal day unless at least one person screamed in her face. Ryu did his best to talk the civilians down so they could get their job done but seven out of ten would send them away back to the mission desk.
At that point one would assume the people behind the desks would give their team missions that wouldn't piss someone off but they sneered in her face and gave them the worst picks.
People had a very high capacity to be petty in this world.
Akira was unbothered by the situation, but her two teammates seemed fit to burst. And one day it overflowed.
They were at training ground twelve training when Ryu called them over.
"We won't be taking many in-village missions. Starting tomorrow our main missions will be taking scrolls to different bases just outside of Konoha."
Kai was the first to go off, much like a ticking bomb, "What!? So just because we have a freak on our team, we're basically going to be glorified messengers?"
Their Hyuga teammate nodded in agreement, eyebrows drawn together in suppressed anger.
Akira glanced between them with a sneer, "If you're so bothered you can always quit and be a career genin. I'm sure you'll be great." Months of being snubbed had been chipping away slowly at her composure.
"Me quit? How about you do. No one even wants you here!"
She tamped down her irritation. They were kids, she reminded herself with clenched teeth. "Unlike you, I don't have a choice. Do you honestly believe I wanted to be on a team with a couple of kids who hate me for something I had no part in?
If I wanted to be treated like shit, I would just go on a stroll around the village alone."
"As if we would trust someone who killed her own father—"
Fury shot through her like lightning, muddling her thoughts. As if experiencing it in third person her hand shot out and fisted in the collar of Kai's shirt; hands shaking and eyes dipped in hell-fire.
When she spoke it was guttural and raw, "Say that again and you'll be nothing more than a shit-stain sprayed across the grass you motherfu-"
Hyuga pulled out a kunai—
Their sensei separated them, sweat beading down his neck. "Enough!"
Stumbling back, Akira rubbed her head as pain shoot through her temple. Her body convulsed in a mixture of familiar euphoria and burning agony. She was turning into ash within an inferno. The hellfire in her eyes burned like a hot-iron against her heightened senses.
Akira fell to her knees, hands fisted in her hair as a scream caught in her throat.
Blood leaked from her Papa's lips as he smiled one last time, rubbing a calloused thumb across her tear-stained cheeks. His eyes were tired but still reflected the sky.
"I'm sorry my Wildfire."
His next few breaths were nothing but rattles as his hand fell, twitching in death.
[Inside of her the Kurama flicks his tails. He's almost there.]
She jolted back into her body by a nearby pulse of chakra as a hand gently fell on her shoulder. "Kira, breathe."
Deep, desperate breaths heaved from her lungs. The scent of grass was overwhelming.
"That's it. Slow down a little. You're okay, I'm here."
Violet eyes looked up to see a blurry Itachi kneeling before her. Shisui wasn't far behind, fuming.
Akira swallowed past the lump in her throat, "He's gone, Tachi." She didn't even know who she was speaking of. So many were out of her reach; either by choice or death.
The bridges were burnt to the ground and there was no going back.
Ryu leveled the two pre-teens with a no-nonsense glare. "Your bickering will not change the fact you three are a team. In our line of work, you're going to be put with those you don't like. I won't ask you to be friends, but you must work as a unit."
"But sensei—"
"NO. Either learn to get along or I will disband this team."
"How are we supposed to get along with her after everything she's done?" Shin shot back; kunai held in a white-knuckle grip. Both of them looked shaken.
"And what exactly did she do?" Shisui spoke up, his voice raised and full of steel in a tone she had never heard before.
"Shisui-senpai!" Kai gasped, taking a step back, "How could you say that? You were there when—"
"Exactly," The older Uchiha was relentless, his sharingan shone in the sun. They were as beautiful. "I was out there that day, not either of you. The Kyuubi was released before Akira came across Lord Fourth fighting the beast—"
"Uchiha watch what you say," Ryu warned. What happened that day was a state secret. Everything about her life before was a damn secret.
"Who's gonna stop me?" he spat. Red swirls spun hypnotically as the hidden threat hung in the air. "I'm sick of being forced to hold my tongue when my friend is being constantly verbally abused. If I don't speak up now, when should I? After she's put in a dangerous situation by the very people she saved?"
"Shisui." Spoke Itachi, his hand never ceasing in rubbing her back. "Enough. We need to take her to Jiraiya. Something must be wrong with her seal."
The pre-teen glared once more before collecting the blonde in his arms. Akira leaned her head against his chest, listening to its strong beats as the skin on her stomach thrummed. "I'll be submitting a formal complaint to the Hokage."
With that last statement they made their way back to her home, body-flickering to her house at high speeds. As soon as they walked through the door Jiraiya was upon them, hand going to her stomach.
"What happened?" he asked frantically.
"We were on our way to the missions' desk when we felt a burst of the Kyuubi's chakra. When we got there, she was already on the ground." Itachi spoke clearly and clinically, voice trailing through her kitchen.
Shisui sat on the couch since the blonde had his shirt in a white-knuckle grip, head still focusing on the beating of his heart. Akira shook. The scar across her back burned.
"H-he's trying to break through the wall." She spoke up for the first time. Kurama had used her anguish and rage to try and get out. The euphoria left her head swimming, longing to accept it back and let it take all of the festering pain away.
Yet it didn't feel as if he wanted to break the seal itself. Only what kept them separated. Her brows knit together.
It was like a murderer asking to be let in your house knowing he had a knife in his hands. Though the blade was dulled it would still hurt.
Jiraiya hummed, "If it had nothing to do with the seal there isn't anything I can do."
"I'm fine."
"Then will you let go of the boy? If his face turns any redder, he might explode."
Shisui made a strange noise, "My face isn't red!"
Akira shot up to her feet and glared at her Godfather before running into the bathroom and locking the door.
"Ah, young love."
"W-what!?"
"Gross."
She was going to dig a hole and hide in it forever.
*/*/ | \\*\*
The assassination attempts began shortly after Jiraiya left the village to continue his work.
Her first meeting with her would-be-murderer was rather anticlimactic. One day she had arrived home to a dead body sprawled out just inside her opened door. It was a rookie move, trying to get into a seal-masters house. Jiraiya had given her the works when it came to defensive seals.
No one knew who the assailant was. A nameless nin with no village affiliation.
After that the killers went nowhere near her home. They were careful during the day to make their attempts look like accidents.
A stray kunai when walking past a training ground.
Razor sharp wire connected to an explosion seal placed perfectly to decapitate her.
At night if she were out too late they came from the shadows with kunai and swords.
Never had Akira felt so blessed to have keen, heightened senses. It was rare for one to get the drop on her.
When they did, she fought for her life. A few times she'd gotten by on sheer luck alone.
Since she was a genin the Hokage decided she didn't need her ANBU stalkers. It was a stupid decision on his part considering the entire reason they were keeping Naruto a secret was to make sure that exact thing wouldn't happen to him.
She was suspicious that the old man knew what was happening and wanted to test her in some twisted form of tough love. They didn't get along after the blowup between Hiruzen and the Toad Sage.
He had also caught wind of her finishing her personal Flying Thunder God technique which he had forbade her from using outside of the Village.
Petty old men would be the death of her.
There was an upside to the constant threat on her life, though. A silver-lining of sorts. Her combat prowess shot up by leaps and bounds. Her teammates struggled to keep up with her during spars, sparking some sort one-sided rivalry in the boys.
Getting your ass handed to you by someone two years your junior would do that to a person, she guessed.
Ryu had not been joking when he'd told them he would disband the team if they didn't get along. On days they bickered, Ryu-sensei would take them to his house where his husband, Nori would suck any animosity out of the air.
Nori was the opposite of their sensei when it came to communication. He excelled at deescalating all of their arguments, sure that everyone felt heard and understood.
Simply put, one just couldn't be angry in his prescience.
It wasn't much of a surprise that he had been a Yamanaka before marriage—though it was a distant relation.
Things weren't perfect, but they were looking up.
After a year of monotonous missions and team building exercises, the group of children had become what Akira would call a half-formed team.
Akira sat in front of a dwindling fire on one of the many courier missions they had been sent on. Her teammates were packing up the campsite to get ready to head off once more.
She had long lost count of the exact number of courier missions they'd gone on.
They all went about the same: run to a set post a day or two away from the village, rest one and then run back with new scrolls. They had already stopped at the Northwestern base and were on their way home.
It didn't give her much time to see her brother. Every time she did have a moment to visit Akira would be at a loss from how fast he was growing. He was already saying words and enjoyed being read to.
Akira poked at the flames with a stick causing embers to dance along the slight arid breeze, rising into the awakening sky until fizzling out of existence.
"Are you going to put out the fire or keep playing with it?" Shin questioned as he finished putting his belongings into his pack.
She let out a breath as she stood to grab a nearby bucket full of water. Once extinguished Akira mechanically sealed the bucket into a scroll and stuffed it into her hip pocket. She gave Shin a look as if to ask 'are you happy now?'
Ryu-sensei entered the small clearing and clapped his hands once to gain everyone's attention. "Alright, lets head out. Shin and Kai, you take the front. I'll be in center with Akira at the back."
They all nodded in agreement before launching themselves into the trees.
The forest was endless and lush, just reaching its end of spring. Dancing beams of sunlight fell from the openings of the crowded canopy, shining on freshly bloomed flowers.
Thick branches created the perfect launching spots to keep them moving forward at a steady pace. A melody of birdsong filled the air, melding perfectly with the trickling sounds of a nearby river.
After hours of continuous squirrel activity Ryu called out for a break. They descended to eat, Akira pulling out rations consisting of onigiri she had premade before their mission and a book to pass the time.
Sadly, she was more than hooked on cheesy romance books since living with Jiraiya. Her Godfather would even send her trashy novels from different countries he visited.
"Onigiri again?" complained Kai as he took a rueful bite out of the seaweed wrapped rice. "Ugh is there natto in this!?"
Akira glanced his way, irate. It was one of the only things she could readily make considering how taxing grocery shopping was. "I'll have you know Mikoto Uchiha fermented those beans."
Shin's expression was bland. "I think it's wonderful."
"Ugh you're such a kiss ass, Shin. Just agree that they are nasty."
"But I like natto…"
"No one actually likes natto."
"I do."
"No, you don't! I saw you cringe when you took your first bite!"
Akira cut in before they could continue, "If it'll make you shut the hell up, I'll trade you my wasabi onigiri."
"Wasabi?" Kai parroted a vague look of disgust and shock on his face, "You know what, natto doesn't sound too bad. Mikoto Uchiha made it, after all."
"Not every day you get to eat something made from a clan leader." Shin agreed with a nod.
Shrugging Akira bit into her meal, relishing in the sting of wasabi. They didn't know what they were missing out on.
"Technically she's only married to the clan leader." Ryu commented, food long gone. He was busy crocheting a new sweater, no doubt for his cat back home. This one was decorated with little skulls.
Akira snorted, "You only say that because you've never witnessed her admonishing 'Gaku. Mikoto rules that household."
The only warning Akira was given was a faint sizzling and the straightening of her sensei's shoulders before an explosion blasted from their right.
By the time her ears had stopped ringing Ryu had already taken down one hostile, a crocheting needle lodged deep into his socket. The sounds of kunai clashing jolted Akira into movement, picking herself up from the ground and assessing the situation.
Nearby Kai was dislodging himself from a bush while Shin sat next to him watching in stunned silence, eyes wide.
This was new territory for them; never before had they been ambushed during one of their outings. They were courier missions, but they were still D-ranked. There shouldn't be any chance of combat.
There were five assailants including the one already lying dead. The surviving four had to be high genin to high chunin while a jounin took on their sensei.
She needed to regroup with the boys in order to protect them, just in case. This was their first out of village fight that wasn't for training purposes.
A man jumped in her way, hands weaving and then slapping on the ground. Akira flung herself into the air as the earth rumbled then burst up from the ground where she stood.
Soon she was weaving through a throng of deadly spikes, dodging the protrusions that were hellbent on skewering her, ignoring the pain when they slashed through her skin.
Sending a flurry of kunai toward her opponent paused the onslaught. Without even thinking Akira wrapped an explosive tag to one of her knives and kicked it with expert precision.
It landed with a thud into the man's stomach. Before he could pull it out she brought her hand up in a seal the tag went off, gore and limbs burst in the air like a macabre firework.
She was moving so fast she jumped straight through the carnage, mind overcome with worry for the boys.
Two down, three left.
Ryu was now battling two to one but a pained scream come from the boys direction where she last saw them.
Kai was crouched in front of a downed and bleeding Shin, arm out protectively. The man making his way toward him held a sword loftily in one hand, a smirk on his lips.
Pumping chakra into her legs Akira jumped in the air, tackling the man by latching onto his head with a battle cry. They tumbled to the ground as she awkwardly rolled her way to a crouched position.
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she threw herself backward, the sword lashing out against her collarbone instead of decapitating. Her breathing was erratic, pupils blown wide as adrenaline pumped through her veins.
She rolled to the left as the sword plunged deep into the ground. Her teammate called out her name. "Go help sensei!" she yelled back.
Akira reached for another tag but in that same movement the man towering over her stomped on her shoulder.
"I won't miss a third time, bitch." He hissed.
"Fuck you!" she spat. He lift the sword and impaled her hand to the ground. She screamed.
The man laughed darkly, "Once I'm done with you your little friends are next." He twist the sword, sending another wave of agony through her body. "I mean it's only fair, right? You blew up my goddamn partner."
Akira mumbled under her breath.
"What was that?" he gloated, twisting once more.
Her face cringed but she didn't let out a noise. "I said..." she heaved a breath. Violet fire burned in her eyes, "quit fucking talking, 'ttebane!"
Her free hand gripped a familiar kunai, blindly throwing it before forming a one-handed seal. Akira gripped onto the sword as she disappeared in a flash.
The man stood there dumbly staring at the ground before realization brought horror on his face.
Recovering the man turned her way, a wide smile on his face. He bent over with laughter, shoulders shaking in mirth. "I heard he had a spawn out there. To think I'd come across her! The gods are shining down on me today!"
Akira pulled the sword from her palm with a grimace five feet away. She stumbled, throwing the offending weapon to the ground.
Plucking four more of her FTG kunai from a scroll the eleven-year-old took a deep, calming breath and fell into a familiar stance fighting. "You talk too much."
Circling chakra through her body she threw a kunai at the stranger and vanished once more.
She appeared beside him, sparks flying as they clashed. In a flurry of movement, they went head-to-head. Grunts and metal clanking filled the air. Every time she used the jutsu there was a flash of red as her chakra burst.
Her opponents face had gone from smiling to a concentrated grimace. Throwing a kunai into the sky she teleported to it. He turned to find her. By the time he looked up to the sky she was already on him, feet landing on his shoulders as she plunged the knife through his skull and twisted just as he had done to her.
Akira fell with his body, completely depleted. Her chest rose and fall with her erratic breathing.
Holy shit.
She'd survived.
Felt like hell, but survived. She didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Her body ached and stomach spun from overusing the Flying Thunder God.
A shadow fell over her but they smelt familiar. She peeked up, meeting the wide-eyed looks of her two teammates and the glare of her sensei.
They were alive. That was good. She was able to save them.
Puke gushed out of her mouth as she passed out.
.
.
.
When Akira woke up next, she was in hospital once more. She groaned. Kisho was going to kill her for being stupid. Again. Maybe Oishi would join in on the fun.
Ryu sat in the seat next to her bed with papers in his lap, pen scribbling over the parchment. No doubt writing a report. It was strange seeing him sitting and not crocheting.
"So," Akira intoned in a croaking voice, "How long am I suspended for?"
He didn't look up as he passed her a glass of water, which she gladly took and chugged down. "Two months."
She nodded, "Yep. Sounds about right."
Ryu put the pen down and looked up to her, face impassive as always. "What you did was dangerous."
"The entire situation was dangerous. I didn't have much of a choice."
"That isn't the point. The strain put on your body ripped apart most of your muscles and caused internal damage. Had you gone any longer…" he inhaled deeply, leveling her with a serious look. "I don't know if I should be proud or worried."
She gave him a lopsided grin, "I'd go with proud. Did you see the guy I blew up?" she wiggled her eyebrows.
He pulled a sour face, "Yeah. I was hit by a stray rib bone."
"It was awesome and you know it."
A deep sigh. "I thought you'd be a little more traumatized. Glad to see you're just the same."
Akira waved a bandaged hand through the air, "Trauma-shuma. At this point I'm basically desensitized."
"That's even more worrying."
"Best to just shrug and accept it. Worrying is Oishi's job. 'Sides. You're stuck with me."
The door opened and in came the rest of the team. It was strange. She'd never had this many people visit her in the hospital.
"You're awake." Shin observed, ghostly eyes looking her up and down. His left arm was wrapped up and in a brace against his chest while his unharmed one carried a vase of flowers.
Kai peeked around a giant basket full of apples, eyes wide. His face was bruised, a plaster over his cheek.
"You guys look like shit." She joked, a wan smile tugging at her lips.
Kai snorted, "Says the one in the hospital bed. Idiot." He shuffled around awkwardly. After a beat he fully entered the room to place the basket on the foot of her bed, rubbing at the back of his neck.
"Touché."
Out of nowhere Kai bowed deeply. "I'm sorry!" He shout.
She tilt her head to the side, confused. "For...?"
Shin joined in the bow, his not as deep. "While we were frozen in fear, you protected us." He said, shame written on his pretty face.
Against her wishes Akira blushed, "It wasn't much…"
"I thought I was a goner." Kai mumbled, his fists clenching. "You saved us, even though we treated you so horribly. So… I'm sorry. Truly. You're nothing like I thought you were."
"Please forgive my past transgressions."
She could've sworn she heard Ryu mumble "Finally."
Akira was at a loss for words. This was… awkward. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she grasped for what to say.
No one had ever apologized to her before. Not when it came to how they had treated her. Warmth uncomfortably filled her chest.
There was a knock at the door, taking out whatever moment they were having. Oishi rolled himself into the room, "Hello everyone. Am I interrupting something?" there was a sly smile on his lips.
"Oishi!" Akira chirped, glad for an out of the many emotions coursing through her mind.
"How are you doing?" he asked, voice gentle.
"I'm great, actually." And she was surprised that it was the truth. Not once did she have a flashback as she battled for her life.
For once in her life since they had been tossed together, she felt as if they were an actual team. She belonged. Later she would bring up the idea of being a dual dagger wielder to Ryu-sensei.
If the fight had taught her one thing it was that two pointy things were better than one.
"You literally blew someone up," Shin drawled, disgust written on his face.
"In my defense; they tried to blow us up first."
"It was still really messed up." Kai chirped with an exaggerated shudder.
She stared, dumbfounded. It couldn't have been that bad, right? Her attention went to Shin in question. He cringed with a nod.
Next, she looked to Ryu. Another nod.
Lastly, with mounting tension, she turned to Oishi. He was always on her side. A final, solemn nod.
She deflated. "I thought it was cool…"
"All the more reason to be concerned."
Akira gave Ryu a knowing smile, as if saying 'See?'
"Who's this?" Kai asked, eyeing the Yamanaka suspiciously.
Rolling her eyes (and ignoring the awkward atmosphere of her peers questioning her sanity) she introduced them. "This is my therapist and friend Oishi Yamanaka. Hurt his feelings and you're dead." She warned brightly.
"Stop threatening your colleagues," Oishi admonished.
"Never."
.
.
.
"You guys really didn't need to do this." Akira grumbled, more than a little exasperated.
Her two teammates were given the task of walking her home. It was the first time they had ever done so and it was downright embarrassing. Especially since they refused to leave her side while going through the village.
Any time a civilian so much as looked her way one of the boys would puff up like a pissed off bird until they turned away. It was nothing like walking with Itachi or Shisui, who would just ignore everyone like a True Uchiha.
At one point Kai had yelled at someone, asking if they had something to say.
If she had known she would've gained two guard dogs, Akira might have been tempted to just let them die. Well, no. Maybe just seriously injured so they wouldn't feel some sort of guilt.
Overbearing wouldn't even begin to describe how her teammates were acting.
Shin huffed, brushing nonexistent dust off the front of his shirt. "You still aren't fully healed."
"We've also been curious about where you live." Kai joined, snatching the keys from her bandaged hand with a disapproving glare.
Akira resigned herself to her fate. She'd have to add them to her apartment's defensive seals. She had a feeling Kai wouldn't heed her warnings of not breaking into her home.
"Hold on." She placed a palm against the wood of her door and pulsed out a bit of chakra. Intricate symbols glowed red momentarily before fading away. "Alright go ahead."
"What was that?" Inquired Shin, head tilt to the side in interest.
"Security."
Kai scratched the back of his head. "Living with a Fuinjutsu master must've been so cool."
"And who says I'm not the master?"
Both boys paused. "Are you?"
Akira ignored them with a secretive smile and entered her home.
"What's up with the frog picture?"
"And the weird fox statue?"
"Is that an Oni mask…?"
She looked away, a blush on her cheeks.
Two weeks later more decorations adorned her living room. One was a larger print of her team photo the other a kabuki mask (because isn't it more fitting?). When Kai and Shisui had fought over who had placed what, they all began scratching their names into whatever monstrosity they'd brought.
A few times she would go home to her furniture rearranged, utterly confused.
Akira learned to live with it.
End.
A/N: Just wanted to post something even if its not the entire thing I wanted to post. If it seems like everything was rushed-that.s because it is. Though its a bit needed I'm a little tired of Young!Akira. I wanna get into the sauce: the reason I wrote this fic. So don't pay too much attention to how this and the next chapter are written. I know they are bad but I've been staring at it too long, man.
Side note: This chapter happens over about a year and a half.
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~Siren