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

Characters age:

Akane: 18 (51)

Itachi: 18 (35)

Shisui: 21

Naruto / Sasuke: 13

Kakashi: 26

Things had taken a turn for the worst. We were supposed to have a little bit of time, not much, but a little bit. Once we had dropped Zabuza-san and Haku at the hideout, we went back to Kiri. I had a bad feeling though, so I entrusted the scroll I used to contact Jiraya-san to Mangetsu, gave him a vial of my blood to let him or sensei use it.

I went to the hospital, then back to where I lived. In the middle of the night, there were knocks on my door. I got decent and was taken back by the dozen of anbus in front of me, Yagura in front of them.

"Get dressed and follow us." I did, but Yagura kept me from taking any weapons or stuff like that. I had a terrible, terrible feeling about it. When I got dressed, I sealed a bag with the most important things I owned, but not in a paper tag. It was more complicated, but it was in a storage seal I could do with my bare hand as long as there was a twin seal on the bag.

I was taken to Anbu HQ and thrown in an interrogation cell. Oh, I was pretty sure I knew where this was going.

"Uzumaki, you are here on suspicions of treason toward the Hidden Mist," Ao-san stated when he was in front of me.

"What have I done?"

"You have conspired with Konoha for a whole month," he said firmly. Good, it was just working with Itachi, not seeing Team Seven. Good…that was good…

"What proofs do you have of us conspiring?" He threw pictures on the table. I narrowed my eyes at them.

Itachi and I entering an inn together, us sleeping in the same futon from the window and one where we were in the cave. I could clearly see Itachi's hand down my pants and one of my breasts was exposed.

I wanted to scream and cry in shame. It was violating, I had not even sensed anyone and yet…

Calm down Akane, you couldn't let them know it was getting to you.

"I hope the creep had a good show." The anbu to my right, put his hand behind my head and slammed it on the metal table, breaking my nose. I could taste blood and mucus, my nose burning in pain.

"Shut up you Konoha slut!"

They proceeded to interrogate me, asking me how long I had been in contact with Konoha and such. They threw me in a cell, my hands incased in a chakra-absorbing metal, like my feet. I set my nose back in place with my knee when I was given a meal.

Bread and water. I had no choice but to bent toward the tray to eat and drink, well drink like a cat really. It was humiliating like the Bloody Mist loved to be to its prisoners.

"Akane." I glanced at Naoto, on the other side of the bars. "Hang on in there."

"How long?" I retorted. He pursed his lips. "I see. If I get out of here in a body bag it's on you."

"Hang on in there," he repeated, almost pleading me.

"I'm hard to kill."

Hence hell started all over again.

"S-rank mission." Itachi frowned. Minato sported a somber expression. "I need you to infiltrate the Land of Water and reach the Resistance on my behalf."

"Your behalf?"

"Konoha, as a whole, but I need you to go there and help them on my behalf."

"What happened?" Minato pursed his lips.

"It seems that shortly after coming back from the Land of Waves, Akane was taken into custody for treason." Itachi's blood froze in his veins. That mission had ended two months ago. "I'm sure they have a good reason for contacting me only now, but…"

"When do I leave?" Itachi asked him coldly.

"Get ready and go."

He didn't say much to his family, just that he had an important mission abroad and that he didn't know when he would be home. Sasuke had a knowing gaze though; he wouldn't be surprised if his little brother had something in mind.

He headed to the Land of Frost, where Akane had taken a boat for the Land of Water. It led him a few days later to a harbor named Ryoushi. He left it quickly and walked through the Land of Water carefully. He was trying to remember every single thing Akane had told him during the Chuunin Exams. Sadly, they were not speaking much when they were finding their way back to Kiri.

Of course, his behavior back then would come back and haunt him now. When he had infiltrated the country with Juzo, the swordsman had not been very vocal about the country in itself, just his distaste of it and what they should do in case they were caught. Kisame never talked about the Land of Water.

Even as nukenin, Mist shinobi remained silent regarding Kiri.

When he entered the swamps, he started to have an uneasy feeling in his guts. His instincts were telling him he was being followed. It was proven right when he grabbed a kunai, his sharingans ready when a head appeared out of a big puddle of water.

"Hey Uchiha." He frowned and lowered his kunai, noticing the white hair and purple eyes. "Long time no see."

"Houzuki?" He nodded. Akane had kept quiet regarding people's abilities here, but he had heard about the Houzuki clan and their Hydrification Technique. It was…odd to witness with his own eyes.

"Follow me." His head disappeared and a small portion of the puddle separated from the rest and took off. Itachi ran after it to reach a thicket, the foliage of the trees so thick he could not see through it.

Mangetsu reformed in front of him, grabbed a fistful of a branch and gestured him to go before him. Itachi did, his sharingans still in his eye. He could not see anything, but he felt himself going down until he was underground. There was a kunoichi there, with whitish blond hair and purple eyes looking at him with disdain.

"Kimou, chill," Mangetsu told her behind him. The girl sneered at Itachi, made a few hand signs and Itachi felt a surge of chakra in his back. "Don't worry, we feel the jutsu only from the inside. Uzu and Harusame-san made sure of it." He followed Mangetsu in the maze that was their hideout.

The walls were made of raw earth, the smell of humidity strong in the air. There was no way to know what the doors led to unless you knew your way around because they were distinguishable by a letter followed by a number.

"I'm taking you directly to what one of your main tasks is going to be." Mangetsu took him deep in the hideout and opened a door.

Itachi stopped in his tracks.

There was the Fourth Mizukage, chained to a metal chair. Fuinjutsu was written on the chains. He was gagged and the hateful, furious magenta eyes staring at them was making him slightly uncomfortable after what Akane had told him.

Would Obito care enough about Kiri to keep Yagura under his control?

"You're sequestrating the Fourth Mizukage," Itachi stated plainly. "What about his bijuu?"

"Uzu cut off the contact between the Sanbi and him when we got him." Itachi blinked and looked at him. "That is going to be your secondary task."

"The Hokage told me she was imprisoned."

"She is. We tried to break her out a few days ago when we planned on taking him. We needed her fuinjutsu." It made sense. "It didn't go as planned because Uzu is still there, she bought us time to escape with him, which led to the message Mei-sensei sent to the Hokage. Our original plan was to smuggle him out of the country with the Hiraishin." It made more sense.

"When are we going to get her?"

"Yeah, you're dealing with him first Uchiha." Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Believe it or not, Uzu and I got time to talk, and she told me a few things. Among them was a message directly for you."

"A message?"

"'Don't you dare show your face to me if you haven't found a way to break the genjutsu without disrupting my seal, dude.'" It did sound very much like her.

Akane had cut off the connection between Yagura and the Sanbi, but the genjutsu was placed on them both. Itachi sighed a little. He liked a challenge, Akane knew that and gave him a good one.

"You need to hurry though. Uzu's execution is planned in two days."

"Execution?" he repeated, now alarmed.

"On the public place, like her grandparents to use her as an example of insubordination. I ain't gonna lie, it's also to draw us out, which is why we need you there. They'll expect us, not you, an Uchiha who better remember his way in Kiri."

"Don't worry about that." Akane was about to be executed? Right, as if he was going to ever let that happen.

"You've arrived." Itachi looked behind himself to see Terumi Mei. The jounin looked more tired than back at the Chuunin Exams, but it was to be expected. "Has Mangetsu explained the situation to you?" He nodded. "Good. I am going to get Harusame-san, Mangetsu you can go once he's here." He noticed how tense the swordsman was.

Mei left and Mangetsu sighed, ruffling his hair.

"Something happened," Itachi figured out quietly.

"Yeah, my brother got wounded in the operation." Itachi frowned slightly. It had to be the younger brother Sasuke mentioned. "Right, Uzu said we should get along great, or at least respect each other because we were alike? Apparently, she thinks we could make a great team for whatever is going to happen."

"Did she now?"

"Yeah, she said that you would understand me taking my brother on missions with me because I don't trust my village not to kill him when I'm away because we live in a dictatorship established after bloody civil wars where people, including us, were killed off out of fear for their skills."

"…are you his guardian?" Mangetsu nodded, looking back at Yagura, who was still glaring like a trapped animal.

Itachi saw too well what Akane had seen as well.

"I see where she's coming from," Itachi stated quietly. "If she trusts you, so will I."

"Same here."

He had work to do.

I opened my eyes. I couldn't use chakra in my hands and feet, but I could sense and such. Naoto had managed to tell me there was an attack planned to release me and take Yagura, who had decided to join in on my interrogations. I didn't look good, I was dirty, I stunk, blood was smudged on my prisoner clothes, and I was exhausted and in pain. I was hungry and thirsty; I knew I had lost weight.

They were giving me the bare minimum. They were using medical ninjutsu to the bare minimum to keep me able to feed myself with the minimum they were giving me. They were trying to weaken me to the point I could not put up a fight anymore, I knew that.

I was worried for Naoto who was giving me more food when he could because he was the Mizukage's son. Without him, I might have broken down already because no matter how much I knew of Kiri's way with prisoners, I had had my moments as a torturer with my Ice Release, the hunger was something I had never truly experienced.

Despite living through hell, aka Kiri, I was blessed by not being from the lower-class and directly under the tyrannic Mizukage's wing. Food and water never were an issue for me. Hence why Yagura kept calling me an ungrateful brat now.

Anyway. There was movement. I recognized Mangetsu and Suigetsu in the plumbing system. Yagura was also around because it would soon be time for my…outing of the day. They kept throwing 'horizontal collaboration' around and such. I knew it looked like that from the pictures of Itachi and I but well…to betray the Bloody Mist I would need to be loyal to it in the first place.

When I felt Utakata-senpai and Dai as well, I started to…get as much spit as I could in my mouth. I sat up straight and lowered my head, slowly letting the spit out of my mouth. Before it could fall, I molded it and breathed a chilling breath on it to freeze it. I raised my handcuffed hands to my face and picked the lock with my 'key'.

There was a satisfying click and I got rid of them, then I did the same for my feet. Once freed, I blew the lock of the cell up and was freed.

I could sense many shinobi running around. It seemed by now, Dai and Suigetsu were the baits.

I didn't meet anyone on the way, and I reached Mangetsu and senpai quickly. Senpai and Yagura were both in Version Two, their hands clenched with each other as they were trying to fight for dominance. It wouldn't be long until the Mizukage overpowered him though.

It was a shame Mangetsu didn't have Samehada right now.

I ran to Mangetsu's side.

"Stay away from their chakra."

"Yeah, I know." He glanced at me briefly. "You got out easily?"

"I froze my spit to pick the lock of my handcuffs when I sensed you all." I hit my right fist in my left hand, then the opposite. Cold mist started to appear when I'd exhale.

"You sure of yourself?"

"I'm way better at unfreezing myself than when we fought."

An Ice Release gave you access to a lot of kinjutsu, basically any use of the Ice Release on the user because badly controlled, you died.

However, we had talked about many scenarios regarding abducting Yagura.

I hit my foot on the floor, frost covering it, as well as the walls and ceiling. I started to freeze the inside of my right arm, knowing the Claw would not react well to it, then covered it in a thick layer of ice as well. I proceeded to body-flicker between the two battling jinchuriki and punched Yagura straight in the face. The corrosive chakra of the bijuu was eating at my ice quickly, I could feel it. Senpai was now behind him and kept him where he was. I tried to cut off the connection between Isobu and Yagura, but he punched my hand, coral growing on it quickly.

I used the Claw briefly to get rid of it. Then, each of my fingers on my left hand were lit by chakra and I dived it on Yagura's stomach. He spat on my face at that, and I turned my hand, tightened his seal so much the only chakra Isobu would be giving him would be the one both him and Isobu needed to stay alive. I also put an Hiraishin marker there just in case.

Isobu's chakra retreated slowly in the seal, leaving Yagura panting. He had enough strength to knock me away with his club. When he was about to hit me again, I was next to Mangetsu in the blink of an eye.

I frowned and looked at my hands.

"Wait, that was the Hiraishin, not the Body-Flicker," Mangetsu noted, shivering.

"…yeah, but I didn't…"

"Your lashes are freezing Uzu." They were.

Actually, my whole body was freezing, barely less cold than my right arm. I unfroze it and returned the temperature to normal, leaving Mangetsu to trap Yagura in water. He fought against it and senpai grabbed his legs to get him away from the floor. I went to them and put several seals on Yagura, preventing him from moving, speaking, use his chakra and anything.

I frowned suddenly.

"Senpai, I'm sending you away with him." I didn't let Utakata say a word that I sent him away to the hideout.

"Uzu?"

"There's something wrong with Suigetsu," I muttered. Suigetsu's chakra was…strange.

Mangetsu paled a little. I shoved him out of the room, and he followed me. We found Dai with Suigetsu in the infirmary. Some anbu were passed out on the floor, water still on it. Dai had to have used his Lightning Release with the water.

"What's going on?" Mangetsu asked him. Dai's hands were glowing green.

"Poison. They must have put something in the water." The plumbing system.

Suigetsu did not look good. His face was flushed, he was panting, and it looked like he was struggling to control the state of his body, some part of his body looking like it was melting.

"Uzu, is there any way you can keep Suigetsu in his physical state?" Dai asked me seriously.

"Yeah, just be sure to be ready to deal with the effects of the cold." I knelt on Suigetsu's other side. I put one hand on him, cooling him down enough to keep him from liquefying himself. He shivered, but it was a necessary evil right now.

Then I sealed his chakra. Dai nodded at me in thanks and threw the thirteen-year-old on his shoulder.

"Mangetsu, lead the way." He tore his eyes off his brother to glance at Dai. He licked his lips briefly and nodded.

"Remember, no useless death guys," I said once we were in the hallway.

I put my hand on the floor and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"We have around thirty anbu coming for us on this floor from every direction, and jounin waiting for us outside."

"The body chute then." I raised a brow at Dai. "What, there is something built there to dispose of corpses, duh."

"Sure, but I thought it led to…"

"The worst part of the swamps in the marsh so that people who have the ability to fake their deaths get eaten by animals and plants," Mangetsu finished for me. "Dai's right, it's our way out."

We went there. It was directly built in the morgue and looked like a garbage chute to be honest. Mangetsu opened it and peeked inside of it while I concealed Dai's and Suigetsu's chakra. Dizziness swallowed me for a second and Dai kept me from falling by grabbing my elbow.

"I didn't want to comment on it, but you look terrible Uzu. Have you used the Hiraishin?" I nodded.

"They needed to get out of there before us." Dai clicked his tongue.

"Sure, but I know the treatment of prisoners. Uzumaki or not, you can't get your chakra back if your body is not given what is needed for it and right now, its priorities go to healing your wounds. You're barely standing on your legs, aren't you?"

"I'm standing on my legs…fine." Alright, Dai was right, I was weak. Getting out of my cell and dealing with Yagura had taken most of the strength I had left in my body. "Look, they're getting closer, you guys need to leave." I slapped the Chakra Concealing Seal on Mangetsu's cheek, basically slapping him. His eye twitched when he looked at me. I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"You keep my brother, I have he…" I slapped Mangetsu's hands away.

"You guys leave and I'm going to blow up the exit after you."

"Uz…"

"No time, just go!" I opened it for them. They shared a look, but they knew I was right. The way out needed to be destroyed and I would be a burden in the swamps until we reached the hideout.

"If you die, we kill you," Dai stated firmly, getting in the chute.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Before Mangetsu left, I told him a few things, including a message for Itachi because chances were he would be the one to come to deal with Yagura.

Once Mangetsu was gone, I blew the entrance of the chute up, blocking the way.

When they opened the door, I used a water jutsu and froze them up to their waist. I body-flickered away before they could break free, because they were anbu and would find a way to break free, and I went through others, destabilizing them more than anything. I started to glid between them all by changing the floor into an ice-skating ring until the heaters were activated and put on blast.

Boy, we went from zero to thirty-five degree Celsius real quick. I leaned against the wall, feeling sweat running down my face. There were a few anbu behind me and before they could use their water whips on me, I turned around and turned the drops of my sweat into sharp ice projectiles. A few of them received them in their legs.

I released an Explosive Seal from my feet and blew the floor up. I jumped away before I fell on the floor below and blocked the hole with ice.

I turned around and found myself face to face with Raiga. Gosh, I didn't like the guy, and Kiba was already in his hands, sparkling with electricity. I turned back around but was thrown away violently by Samehada, Hoshigaki-san now here.

…I thought these two were on missions.

I tried to get up, using my forearms to lean on the floor but I couldn't do more. I looked at Raiga, then Hoshigaki-san and fell back on the floor, face first.

"I hate you both," I muttered against the floor before Raiga electrocuted me.

Damn it, if it was not for my Yuki lineage, I would have more of the Uzumaki one.

"It's done." Mei glanced at him, then back to Yagura, who was now unconscious, his head toward the floor. Itachi was a little bit tired.

He knew his way around genjutsu, it was his specialty after all and even if he did not say it out loud, he was proud of the fact he could defuse a useless fight just with genjutsu. However, whatever Obito had used on Yagura was…tricky. The slightest wrongdoing on his part was Yagura's death sentence, his chakra and the Sanbi's were so intertwined, but also with the genjutsu, making it part of them almost.

Breaking it without being careful would result in destroying their chakra pathway.

"Uchiha-san, get some rest."

"Not yet." Mei blinked at him. "I want to know what your plan is regarding Akane."

"Getting her out seconds before she's killed to avoid getting in Anbu HQ again, given they put her back there. Are you sure…"

"I do not want to be disrespectful Terumi-san, but the Hokage sent me here with a mission and Akane's survival is one the most important goals." Something bitter flashed in her green eyes.

Sure, Minato had not phrased it like this exactly, and sure freeing the Mist from Obito and clear Konoha and the Uchihas out of any potential claim was important. However, the Hokage had told Itachi to go here on his behalf.

Clearly, Minato wanted him to extract his goddaughter from the consequences of an unofficial mission he had sent her on five years ago. If the potential Fifth Mizukage felt crossed he was insinuating Akane was still a Leaf kunoichi, well too bad, he could not find it in him to care. The fact he could not even see her, talk to her and help her as he wished because they were not in the same village was bad enough already.

He sat through the meeting, asking Mangetsu how his brother was. The swordsman seemed taken back by the question but told him he would be fine, and the poison had been removed entirely. Had he been exposed for longer; he might have not made it.

Honestly though, how come he found companionship the most in people from the Bloody Mist? Kisame, Akane, now Mangetsu, who was next?

On the day of the execution, he was with Dai and someone named Ao, who apparently had the Byakugan and was keeping an eye on the…stage there was now in front of the clan district. They would sneak closer and closer to it once Akane was there and then, Utakata would release Rokubi's true form. He couldn't do it for a long time, but it should be enough to get their attention and release Akane.

He would use his eyes, away from people's sight, and Mangetsu would get her out.

"They're here," Ao stated with a frown. Itachi squinted and recognized Kisame, Samehada on his shoulder. Akane was on it, her body limp. "And of course, it is Kirigane in charge." Kirigane Nobu, Yagura's right-hand man since he had become tyrannic apparently, so not a good person.

Kisame dropped Akane on the wooden stage. They started to get closer, at least enough to hear what was being said.

Kirigane spoke nonsense about Kiri and how rebels wanted to change what was making them. Itachi noticed a woman talking to Kisame, gills on the sides of her neck. Kisame ignored her as he left the stage and she glared at him. What had Akane told him? Hoshigaki Buri? It had to be here.

She looked extremely disdainful and arrogant.

"And now!" Kirigane grabbed a fistful of Akane's hair, forcing her to tilt her head back. Itachi gritted his teeth. One of her eyes was purple and swollen, dried blood was smudge around her nose, there was a cut on her bottom lip and a bruise on her cheek.

She had been beaten to a pulp.

"Do you get a boner from kicking people when they're down?" Akane managed to say with a smirk. Kirigane narrowed his eyes at her and kicked her in the ribs.

"Shut up you Konoha bitch! We accepted you in our walls to make you strong and this is how you're repaying us!?"

They put a rope around her neck and forced her to stand. Her legs were shaking under her weight and her clothes seemed to be too big for her.

Then, Rokubi appeared above the mountains surrounding Kiri. Ao and Dai both had senbons out to knock the shinobi around the stage out. It was his cue to use genjutsu. Kirigane fell on the ground and Mangetsu reformed behind him to cut off the rope around Akane's neck. He picked her up, but Buri was onto him.

Mangetsu's arm grew thicker, and he lifted Akane up, his sword blocking Buri's in his other hand. The swordsman caught his eyes and threw Akane at him, who widened her eyes at the action. He caught her, but barely.

"Get out of here now!" Ao barked at them; Dai included. The medic grabbed his shoulder and ran off, Itachi in tow. They ran to the outskirts of Kiri where they stopped, Dai taking Akane from his arms.

"Uzu, can you hear me?" She glared at him. He healed her eye quickly. "You're in very, very poor shape."

"I'd like to see you in my place." He smirked.

"I can't heal everything; it's going to be the necessary to function. Uchiha, I need some time, stay on the lookout."

He didn't need to be told twice. He could hear people fighting in the distance. It was ironic. He had fought to prevent a civil war in Konoha and he was thrown in one in Kiri.

He threw kunai with explosive tags on, destroying those coming their way.

Then, he saw Kisame in the air, ready to strike Samehada at him.

"Take her and leave," he ordered Dai without a look.

"Yup, good thinking," he replied, picking Akane up.

"So, Uchiha kid, I'm sure you have gotten better in the past seven years, haven't you?" He didn't reply.

He knew how Kisame fought, but a part of him wondered if the man who was his partner, and friend despite all, was underneath the surface. Was he free from the Akatsuki? He was not entirely sure of that.

He had no choice but fight him. It was quickly obvious that unlike before, Kisame was not holding back and going for the kill. As he was about to return it, two swords blocked Samehada.

"My, how interesting, is it a surprise meeting?" Zabuza and Mangetsu managed to make him move back.

"We got him," Mangetsu stated firmly. He nodded and left.

He found Dai with Yagura's son, who was whispering things to Akane. She was hugging a bag against her and nodding. She looked conflicted and glanced at Dai.

"It's the best thing for now Uzu, you can't stay in the country in your state." She tried to get up, both Kiri-nin ready to help her if she were to fall.

"Uchiha, we have a request for you." He looked at Naoto. "With the changes in our plans since Akane was taken in custody, the movement is struggling to follow. We're most likely going to leave Kiri for a while to get back on our feet, but the Land of Water is going to enter a second period of civil war and unrest with Kiri like this. It's not going to be pretty." Dai looked down. "Take Akane out of the country and take care of her until she has recovered. Do not let her step a foot in the country until then." Itachi nodded without a word.

He could see Naoto was worried for Akane, his village and his country.

"What if you guys are attacked and…" Dai pulled on her cheek.

"Stop it with the hero syndrome. As you are now, you'll be a burden more than anything else." Akane almost winced.

Bluntness ran in Kiri apparently. Not that he was very surprised.

"You can't fight if your body is struggling to function, damn Uzu, you're an Uzumaki and you're in terrible shape, don't you understand how badly you've had it for the past couple of months!?" Dai was glaring at her, and she looked down. "There's no point in you staying if you decide to sacrifice yourself because you realize you can't do more!"

Itachi could not agree more.

Dai shot him a sharp gaze.

"If she has not gained weight and has just one scratch on her, I will fucking end you on sight Uchiha, got it?" He nodded. "Alright, then go."

Akane did not say a word, her eyes stuck on the harbor of her village as he was maneuvering the boat toward the Land of Fire. They could still hear fighting in the distance and suddenly, he was thrown back to last April, when they fled another island in the middle of a coup.

He had to send a message to the Hokage once when they were back on solid ground. He could not take Akane to Konoha, but she needed actual medical care and proper rest, even if it pained her to leave her comrades in such a way.

"Where are we going Itachi?" Her voice was hoarser than it should.

"I'm not sure yet."

The Land of Fire was risky for her, but foreign nations were not…

Oh, the Land of Iron. It should be good, and he knew some places in that country were always cold and snowy. Akane could benefit from that maybe.

He really hoped so.

"Go…for the Land of Frost, not the Land of Fire." Itachi just stared at her. She sighed. "Sorry, I forgot direction on the sea was not Konoha's forte. It's…"

At least, she could talk. It was…good.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have liked it, please do let me know in reviews! Thanks to sastra and the Guests for the reviews!

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