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

Characters age:

Akane: 18 (51)

Itachi: 18 (35)

Shisui: 22

Naruto / Sasuke: 13

Kakashi: 27

"What am I looking at?" Itachi asked as he entered the room.

"Hum? You know arm-wrestling, right?" Dai retorted, barely glancing at us. "Suigetsu had the great idea to challenge Uzu to that but with her crutches." He put his file under his arm. "It is obvious that if you break something, it goes straight to your bill. If you hurt yourself doing it, I'm not healing you."

"I'm going to give such a bad review when I'm leaving," I told the medic, getting Suigetsu in a chokehold with my crutch. He left it immediately.

"You ruined the mood," the kid told him. Dai glared briefly.

"I don't have time to deal with your stupidity, the hospital is overcrowded." He pointed at me. "You have a list waiting for you in my office, seals and operations I expect to see you at."

"Wait, oper…" He left. I sighed.

"I thought you were banned from them?" Suigetsu asked me, Itachi taking a chair to sit.

"I'm supposed to be, it's too much stress for me."

"Heh, weird. Anyway, I'm leaving, see you later Uzu!" I waved at him as he closed the door behind him.

"How are you?" I asked Itachi. He shrugged. "I thought fighting Hoshigaki-san would be more trouble."

"We were in an office; it was hardly his playfield." True. "How are you?"

"Relatively fine considering who was in front of me." I showed my broken ankle. "There's that and some bruises, but nothing more. Helping Mangetsu in town was more tiring in a way." I lay down on the side, my head in the pillow while my legs were still dangling from the bed. "I should leave at the end of the day. Has Minato-san mention a day for your departure?"

"Tomorrow." I raised a brow. That was earlier than expected.

"I've seen you every day for two or three months, it's going to be weird." He looked down. "That explains why Yagura wants to see me tonight." I waved him off when I saw the question in his eyes. "Don't worry about it." I sat back up. "Do you have an idea of what Minato is going to tell people?"

"I am not sure, but I do know Team Seven is going to be told most of the facts. My father was adamant about it." Fugaku-sensei was there, like Kou and Yasuo, Hizashi-san, Shikaku-san and Yamato-senpai. Well, Tenzou-senpai.

I was pretty sure he was exasperated by me waving and grinning at him when I recognized him, despite the Anbu outfit. Dai and Mangetsu had met Kou and Yasuo, it had been awkward because I could feel Yasuo getting possessive. Kou sighed and Mangetsu and Dai exchanged a glance and looked at me, who shrugged.

They got along; it was what mattered. I mean, it didn't take long for Kou and Dai to start venting about me to each other and 'share their pain'.

"There should be talks for Konoha and Kiri to have a peace treaty and become allies, like the countries," he informed me quietly. "It should not be long though."

"Good. Hopefully next time your brother sees me, he won't be a little prick about it." He pursed his lips. "I'm not sorry for his ribs. I'm really not."

"He shouldn't have let his feelings get the best of him." I nodded. "If you leave the hospital tonight, would you join me on the roof of the hotel?" I raised a brow. "I'm staying at the same one as last time and…" He licked his lips, looking for his words. His eyes would not meet mine though.

"Sure. Nine is good for you?" He nodded hastily. "I'll see you at nine then."

I left around noon, picked up those lists from Dai's office and gave Kou and Yasuo a tour of the village. I went to see Yagura at the end of the afternoon. There were files all over the floor of his office and Naoto looked at me, as confused as I was.

"Akane, would you please tell him to go the hospital and get checked out instead of looking through years of…stuff."

"How about you go see Mei and ask her how she is feeling now she's going to take the hat," Yagura replied, standing up. Naoto rolled his eyes and left. "Akane, come here." I followed him to his desk. He gave me an old-looking box. "In it is the historic of every jinchuriki of the Hidden Mist for each bijuu." I raised a brow. "Read through them. Once everything has settled, I'll explain more." I glanced at the files.

"I don't want to nag, but are you sure you should put yourself through this? Naoto isn't wrong."

"I have thirteen years of hell to catch up on. There are things that are coming back but it is still foggy."

"We're the Hidden Mist." He deadpanned at me. Hard. Harder than Itachi had ever deadpanned at me after a bad joke of mine. "Should I see myself out?"

"Yes." I grabbed the box and started leaving. "Oh, it reminds me. Mei should talk to you soon once she is officially the Mizukage."

"About?"

"Your status regarding Kiri after and a few other things she wants some explanations about."

"…should I be worried?" He raised a brow.

"No, I think it has something to you with you being a Yuurei. She doesn't know but you knew a lot of things, so I think she wants an explanation. You didn't hear it from me though." I chuckled weakly.

"Sure thing."

He shivered in the wind. It was almost nine and Akane was nowhere to be seen. It was…fine, she would come.

Truth be told, Itachi wanted to go back to Konoha but did not want to leave without Akane. They had spent a few months stuck to each other, like before, and despite the emotional rollercoaster it had been, he would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

"Hey!" He looked behind him. Akane was there, panting a little. "I thought I'd be late, I rushed here. I was having sushi with Minato."

"Did you have fun?" She shrugged.

"He tried to name things on the menus, it was getting embarrassing." He smiled faintly. "So, did you have something to tell me?"

"A lot." She raised a brow at him. He was staring at the sky above them.

"If it's not ready to come out yet, don't force it. Especially if it is connected to what I said in the Land of Iron. It's.." He glanced at her. "Let's just say that you're not the only issue in those…awful, depressive feelings." She pursed her lips. "Screw Shisui, he knew right away."

"Then I need to come clean about Izumi." She narrowed her eyes.

"Honestly, if something happened before she was eighteen, I might report you. To Minato though, he'd understand."

"Nothing happened. Well, I'm not sure if it's considered as real…" She rubbed her eyes.

"Okay, I'm scared now. Just spill it out." He licked his lips. Akane deserved to know all about his relationship with Izumi, and the Izumi she knew had no idea about it anyway.

"I went for her first that night," he explained quietly. "I didn't…kill her the same way as others, I put her in a genjutsu."

"A genjutsu?"

"She loved me and I…I guess it was a crush, a small one. It never evolved into more. Point is, she loved me and because she had such a good image of me, I made her live her dream."

"Her dream?"

"A life with me," he blurted out in a breath. Akane was taken back. "With marriage, children, grandchildren and then dying of old age together. When she woke up, she died, completely depleted of chakra." Akane was…deadly quiet. "I can't pretend I felt nothing when I saw her again and we grew up but…I didn't think it was important, but I should have told you anyway."

"Did you control the genjutsu?"

"What?"

"The genjutsu, did you plant the entirety of it or just planted something about her dream and whatever it was would…"

"The second one."

"…and the Itachi of the genjutsu, were you him?" He pursed his lips. "Just…tell me."

"I wasn't in control exactly," he stressed out. "When I saw where this was going, I was pulling out from it then…"

"Brave choice of words with the context." He almost sighed. "It's a lot for someone you just had a 'small' crush on."

"It's all it was. I wasn't in love with her then, and I certainly am not now." She looked away immediately.

"Thanks for your honesty. I guess. I'm not sure how to react." She sighed. "You know, when I faced him, he said things."

"Such as? Do you know why he's obsessed with you?"

"Not really, he tried to make me join him, threatened Shisui and said he'd let him go if I joined him willingly, although I'm not sure about that one. Then he…he said I had bad tastes in men?" He leaned on the railing of the roof, like her, to have a good look at her face.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Yeah…he's not a big fan of you…He said I was too god for you, then too good for everybody…and then he implied you were a stalker when we were kids." He thought he would never have to remember that. "Which also implied he was stalking me, which he was. When I was in Konoha at age four to five."

"He was lurking around before the attack, and no one ever noticed him?" She shrugged.

"So, what is this about you stalking me?"

"It's…I was curious and did not know how to approach you, it was…"

"I was walking around with a purple plushie for a few months, I could not have been that intimidating." He smiled faintly. It had been a purple pinguin with sunglasses.

"Freeze-san." She glanced at him with shocked eyes.

"You even know his name!?" She put her hand on her face. "Do you know how ironic it is with you being the son of the head of the Police Force?"

"Yeah, I know but at the time I didn't think…I saw it as a mission really."

"A mission? Why?"

"Shisui was friends with you and…" He looked away. "You were intriguing."

"Huh. That's the first time someone uses that term for me." She shook her head. "Anyway, that was…very interesting to learn, but you're leaving early tomorrow so you should go to bed."

"I didn't think it would put you in that situation." She raised a brow. Itachi had been carefully avoiding the subject but…he had to tell her before leaving. "I know. For the pictures." She tensed immediately.

"Oh."

"It's what my father talked to you about, wasn't it?" She looked down. "Did he scold you?"

"…he just reminded me what it could do if more people knew." He almost cursed under his breath. "It's nothing I didn't know already."

"It's nonsense, that's what it is." He turned fully to her. "Akane I…I see your point of view, you have no idea how guilty and furious I am to think I'm the reason you were taken into custody and most probably had to listen to many awful things, I hate the fact I could make you lose things here in Kiri."

"It's not…it was not just your fault 'tachi…" He pursed his lips at the nickname. "You have more to lose than me and you've just gotten them back, it's…" She took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what you're getting at but…for now I'm needed here, and you need to focus on getting better. It's all…it's all I know."

"And after?" She raised shy eyes at him. It was not a full moon, but he could see her. "I meant it. I want to fix our relationship Akane, I…I want you back." He felt pathetic to say that, but it was the honest truth.

He just wanted to get her back and live happily ever after this time. It was not a crime. He wanted to come home to her, and he wanted her to come home to him.

"I…I don't think it's the right time…"

"It meant something." She gulped. "We made love many times these past few months, it meant something, at least to me."

"Do you think it didn't mean something to me too? Ever since I've seen you on the Isle of the Lost you've been throwing my resolve through the window. I…I can't even go back to Konoha Itachi."

"Minato-san will deal with that quick…"

"No, I can't go back without Shisui." It took him back. "Look, I don't want to create a re-acting of Naruto and Sasuke but…we left together. I don't feel right being 'forgiven' while he's still…there."

"…if he comes back, will you come back as well? Permanently?"

"I…I don't kn…"

"I love you." She widened her eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes for you to believe it, even if…it's the second time I actually tell you that. I should have told you more times before. I…" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I know I should have done a lot of things differently, both times. I…Akane?" She was breathing fast, tears at the corners of the eyes. She gripped her jacket at her chest.

"Pa…panic…" she managed to say.

Without wasting any second, he picked her up and took her to his room. It was smaller than the one they had had during the Chuunin Exams, but it was enough for him.

Just like the first time, he talked her through her panic attack. He was sitting against the headboard, Akane sitting between his legs and his arms were firmly wrapped around her. She calmed down after a while and was quiet against him.

"You can sleep here," he whispered. "I want you to sleep here. Just sleep, nothing else." She sniffed but nodded. "Do you want one of my shirts?" She nodded again.

When they had changed, he slipped in bed next to her.

"Sorry, it was…unexpected," she apologized quietly. He put a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I was sincere." She bit her bottom lip and nodded.

"I believe you. I…It's been a lot and I'm…I'm just very confused right now." Itachi pulled her smoothly against him, his arm around her.

"I'm here. I…I can stay, if you want me to." She chuckled softly.

"No, I'm sure you miss your family, and you have your condition to deal with. Mikoto-san and Sasuke must miss you a lot too."

"…but I haven't seen you in five years," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

"You know where I am now Itachi." She hugged him back. Finally. "But I don't think I can give you want you want and deserve at the moment."

"Hn."

He didn't find sleep easily and Akane had a disturbed one, moving a lot in his arms.

The next day, Akane left his room after a curt "goodbye". When he was on board the ship that would take them back to Konoha, his eyes wouldn't leave Akane. She barely met his gaze and waved at him shyly. He stayed on the deck until he couldn't see Kiri in the distance.

He spent the rest of the trip in his cabin, leaving it only to eat.

When he was home, Sasuke and his mother greeted him. He smiled at them but quickly excused himself to go to his room. He sighed deeply and fell on his bed.

This creepingly feeling of loneliness was there. He was in Konoha and with his family, but he was missing the one element giving balance and harmony to his life.

Akane was in Kiri and no longer in his arms.

"Well well, sorry to tell you you're not going to terrorize civilians any longer," Mangetsu stated, putting one of my seals on the missing-nin.

It was December. For the past month, I had been sent on missions around the country with Mangetsu to pacify anyone wanting to keep the civil wars going. There had been a few shinobi who fled Kiri during the attack. I was not spending much time in Kiri to be honest, but they were rebuilding quickly. The Daimyo had given us several loans to rebuild and improve ourselves, especially with the continent, for the next five years.

"I think we're done for this village." I glanced around. There were a few villagers watching the scene, but they were wary and scared.

One brave, or silly, kid threw a rock at me. I grabbed it without blinking and he stepped back when I glanced his way. I sighed and dropped the rock before going to the leader of the village.

"I need a room, with at least two tables." He was taken back but led me to said room in his house, apparently.

I unsealed many goods, from food to sanitary, raw materials and such. He widened his eyes at this, then looked at me.

The Daimyo of the Land of Fire, and Konoha, were generous.

"Hopefully, this will be enough until you recover and can go back to your mining activities. Despite its recent events, Kiri is thankful for your work." I bowed. "Of course, we are terribly sorry our issues spread to you."

"Oh, of course," he replied, bowing hastily.

We left without a word. I was all too happy to go home. However, once I was back in Yagura's apartment, both him and Naoto were talking in the living-room. They stopped and looked at him.

"Welcome home Akane, how was your mission?" I whined at Naoto, leaning my head back as I walked toward them. "Wow, all of that?"

"What are you up to?"

"Debating on Raiga's and Kisame's punishments." Right, to this day they were still in cells beneath the Anbu HQ. Raiga was more vocal than Hoshigaki-san, who was quiet ever since his fight with Itachi.

I should have asked him what had happened before he left. After his…confession that sent me in a panic attack.

I couldn't say I was surprised; he had made his feelings clear after all, I just loved blinding myself and…anyway.

"By the way Akane, where are you going to live?" I blinked at Naoto. "Dad has to move out when Mei takes the hat next month, and so will I."

"I…haven't thought about it?" He smirked, clearly making fun of me. "Shut up, I've been away from Kiri since we're back in it more often than not!"

"You don't have to worry about it, the Karatachi family house is still standing, and it is where we are both going back to," Yagura told me. "There is plenty of room for you."

"Thanks." I stuck my tongue at Naoto, who rolled his eyes at me.

I raised a brow at the key Yagura was handing me.

"To your house."

"Huh?"

"Well, your parents, but now it's yours." I accepted it hesitantly.

"So, it's the house we lived in before we fled?" He nodded.

"It's in the old clans' district, in the Yuki clan section. It's…"

"Next to the Houzukis' yeah, I know," I interrupted Naoto. I threw the key in the air and caught it, closing my hand around it. "Thanks. Is there…like paperwork I have to sign?"

"Yes." I looked at Yagura. "Apparently, the masked man never bothered to do things properly and wanted to mold you into his…anyway. The whole Yuki clan treasury has to be dealt with, the compound as well, your family's funds in the bank, then the Yuki clan shrine on Juhyou Island…"

"Wow, wait a minute! Money?"

"Really, is it the only thing you get from that?" Naoto asked me with a sigh.

"Hey, my two favorite things in this world are sleeping and money. Well, Fuinjutsu as well so three. Any Yuki clan thing should be Haku's business as well though."

"Yours more, you're the legal adult," Yagura corrected me. "You can get his input on what to do with them, but you'll be the one with the final say in the decisions." I nodded. "And one last thing."

"Hum?"

"In two days, a delegation from Konoha will be coming to Kiri, I expect you to greet them properly."

"…do you know who is in it?"

"The Hokage's wife and her son's team." I widened my eyes. "He didn't seem thrilled in his letter."

"You bet."

Two days later, I was in the harbor, wrapped up in my winter coat. It was snowing, so as the adult I was, I was sticking my tongue out to catch snowflakes on it while waiting for the ship to arrive. It appeared in the distance after a dozen of minutes, and I squinted when I saw a silhouette on the deck. I smiled softly when I realized it was Naruto who was waving enthusiastically at me. The ship berthed and the second he could, Naruto ran down from the ship and ran straight to me. I readied myself for the impact because from his grin, he would…

"NEE-CHAN!" I still winced and stepped back when he was in my arms, hugging me tightly. "I missed you!"

"Yeah, same but your hug hur…" He hugged me tighter. "Okay, alright, you win." I ran my fingers through his hair. After a few seconds, he let go of me and I spotted something red moving quickly toward me. "Oh fuc…" Kushina choked me in her embrace and even lifted me from the ground. "Can't….function…" I was moving my feet and tried a grabbing motion to Naru, who just shook his head and watched the show as his team joined him. I glanced at Kakashi, who looked away.

"It's been five years; you're so grown now!"

"Su…" She tightened her hold on me, and I thought I heard something snapping in my spine. She let go of me, my legs shaking under my weight. "Your love hurts Aunty." She grinned, but the watery eyes didn't escape me.

"Of course, I can't let your head get too big!" She was grinning. I chuckled weakly. "Minato told me about your Hiraishin."

"…I hope he's not going to name it." She made a weird face. "Anyway, I'm going to take you to your hotel, and you can tell me more precisely what you are expected to do here." As we walked, everybody looking around them, I couldn't help but glance above my shoulder.

Sasuke would not stop staring at me. When he noticed my attention on him, he looked away quickly. I'd need to have word with him it seemed.

"Yagura knows what this is about then?" Aunty nodded seriously. "Me too?"

"Yup." She glanced at Kakashi quickly. He did seem…off since he got off the ship. "He'll be coming as well." It took me a second to understand.

"I get it now." It was about Rin. They were here about Rin.

After the attack, he had given me files to read about her and the previous jinchuriki. Just by reading them, you could tell there was something off.

On the next day, we were in the Mizukage's quarters. Sensei was getting more and more responsibilities after all and had earned people's respect. Zabuza-san and her were handling the village, Yagura was mainly dealing with foreign affairs right now.

"All I am saying is, why am I the one on tea duty?" I asked Yagura.

"You're not paying rent, are you?" It made me shut my mouth. Aunty snickered behind her fist. "Uzumaki-san."

"Mizukage-sama." I put the tea on the table, as well as a metallic box.

"Let's break the ice. We're here to talk about Rin." Kakashi was staring at the box. "It's…obviously the reason why Yagura and Kiri were targeted by…"

"Obito," Kakashi finished for me, raising an empty gaze at me. I pursed my lips.

"Yeah. Obito." Aunty had this pained look on her face, and she rubbed her hand on Kakashi's back. I cleared my throat. "I've been…digging, in…Rin's file that Kiri had because she was Isobu's jinchuriki, and then the previous jinchuriki and…it doesn't add up."

"What?" Aunty asked me.

"At some point, a jinchuriki starts to weaken and that's when they start to look for another. That's why they wanted to make me Saiken's jinchuriki and ended up using someone else. You could say that…after a while, your chakra pathway slowly starts to be corrupted. I have no idea if anyone ever died from that be…"

"Akane, to the point please," Yagura told me curtly, his hand around his cup.

"Sure, sorry. Well, Isobu's jinchuriki, Yamamoto, before Rin was…perfectly healthy." They both frowned. "He was in his early thirties and was healthy, and from the drawing of the seal he had, it was Uzumaki-made so even if he was impacted by the corrosive chakra, it wouldn't have been for another fifteen years I'd say."

"Why would Kiri trade a good jinchurki for…to do that?" Kakashi asked in a hoarse voice. I pointed my finger at him.

"Indeed. He was on the path to control Isobu's power as well apparently, it doesn't make any kind of sense to trade him for a ticking bom…sorry."

"Don't be, she called herself that as well," Kakashi muttered.

"Anyway, it doesn't make sense, especially due to Kiri's stance in the last war."

"By the end of the Second Shinobi War, civil wars started to blossom across the country. The most we did was sending shinobi on the coasts of the other factions to make sure they wouldn't try to cross the sea," Yagura explained. "The Purges started to happen during the Third Shinobi War."

"There was no reason for Kiri to attack Konoha then," Aunty summed up. "I do remember Ushio telling us that Kiri would not be an issue."

"He wasn't wrong," Yagura confirmed. "Anyway, the Third's decision was highly secretive, no one knew what had happened until we were told we had lost Isobu and that we had to capture him again. It caused an outrage, because as you have pointed out, it did not make sense." He put a hand on his stomach. "Then there's what Isobu told me." I glanced at him. "Yamamoto wasn't expecting this either, and then this kid was terrified, but he was controlled to be released on Konoha and…it did not happen, obviously."

"Isobu remembers being controlled back then?" I inquired. Yagura nodded. "Like…with you or…?"

"It was different, an order placed in the child's seal. It…was connected to her brain and consciousness so when she would recognize being within Konoha's walls…"

"She'd release him," Kakashi said coldly.

"My grandfather spoke up against the Sandaime as well, and from what senpai told me, he was…not right either. I mean, he was the one to put the graduation exam in place that granted us the Bloody Mist nickname."

"I always associate it wi…" Aunty started, before stopping. Yagura deadpanned at her.

"Me, I get it. I wasn't though. Hell, I put an end to that shitty exam the second I became the Mizukage fifteen years ago."

"The Sandaime was controlled as well then."

"Yup," I told Kakashi. "By…Madara, actually."

"Madara," the copy-ninja repeated. "As in Uchiha Madara."

"Yeah I know, hard to believe and I don't think I have all the details either. Point is, he survived and saved Obito, but then orchestrated everything so that he'd…see her die." I took a sip of tea. "The Uchiha clan has something called the "Curse of Hatred". They love harder than anyone, so when they lose them, they usually succumb to that curse. The Sharingan is awakened then, and the stronger the Sharingan gets, with the Mangekyou especially, the stronger that curse gets and the bigger to hold on them gets."

"He saw a pawn in Obito then, but why Kiri?" Aunty asked.

"Kiri is isolated from the continent, it's easier to control events here without anyone noticing, and then use the village as a tool to put whatever plans he had in place. Obito…it became personal to him," I explained.

"But Madara's dead now," Kakashi stated. I nodded. "So Obito is…on his own, even if he's continuing the plan."

"…yeah, pretty much. And it's not like we can reach him either, for now the Akatsuki is there and its members are serious ones. We can't have a go at him with the risk of them going after us," I pointed out.

"Ushio has to know," Aunty whispered to himself. "Obito had to be the one to release him, so Ushio has to know."

"I bet he knows," I agreed with her. "But Dad is another wild card." I put my hands on my hips. "Alright, so now we've talked about Rin and Obito, could you explain to me why he's obsessed with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"He…Minato must have told you, but I fought him during the attack. He…didn't want to fight me though, he wanted me to join him and said I was better than most people and…clearly stated he used to stalk me when I was in Konoha after Fubuki's death." They both narrowed their eyes. "Yeah, my reaction. He…he said good people died young and that he was trying to save me, that no responsible adults were looking after me back then, that Minato-san was always too late for someone so fast…" Aunty's hand tightened around her cup.

"He's trying to 'save' you?" Kakashi repeated. "What kind of disillusion is he liv…" He stopped himself and paled. "He used to stalk you in Konoha you said?" I nodded. "He…he had to have visited Rin."

"Kakashi, what's wrong?"

"I talked to her," he mumbled weakly. "I…I told her you were pregnant…" Kushina understood the implication.

"Don't Kakashi, the attack was not your fault," she stated firmly.

"He said he had attacked on a whim," I informed them. "But she's right, it's not on you Kakashi." He jumped to his feet, the chair grating against the floor. "Kakashi?"

"I am sorry Mizukage-sama but I have to…" He left without another word. Aunty stood up and raised her hand to me.

"I will handle it Akane." She took the box. "Are those Rin-chan's belongings?" Yagura nodded. "Thank you, I will take care of him. Akane, try to spend some time with Naruto and Sasuke while we're here. Mizukage-sama, if you have time, I would like to discuss a few things regarding bijuus with you."

"It would be my pleasure." She left by the window, like Kakashi before here. "Konoha is not big on training their jinchurikis, is it?"

"How did you know?"

"Isobu. He told me Kurama was split in halves and that…he was restrained, and very moody. They can communicate you know."

"…has Kurama told Isobu anything regarding the manipulation? Or showed he was listening?"

"He was listening. Isobu has gotten a grunt from him apparently, so he was listening."

"…that's good. Hopefully, if he sees we have a common enemy he won't…"

"No, he's a stubborn, grumpy old man," Yagura interrupted me.

It was…quite accurate.

I found Team Seven in town with Haku, and Suigetsu. I cleared my throat behind them as they were eating sushi.

"Nee-chan!" Naru greeted me, spitting rice on Sakura's face. He froze instantly as the pinkette slowly wiped her face.

"Naru, gross." I grabbed Sasuke by the back of his collar. "If you'll excuse me, I have a few things to deal with him. Suigetsu, be a good host and don't be a prick. Haku, babysit Suigetsu." He nodded while the Houzuki was scandalized. "Thank you, love you cousins!" I pointed at both Haku and Naru.

Sasuke didn't fight back and followed me to a training ground. He caught the sparring katana without a word, a puzzled expression on his face.

"I remember promising you something when you'd become a genin, didn't I?" I asked him, unlocking my regular katana. He widened his eyes a little. "Come at me as you feel, I need to see where you're a…"

I blocked his blow easily. He had good instincts, the technic was not there, but the instincts were. The sparring went on for five minutes before I knocked his katana out of his hands. He still ran at me and tried to hit me. I let him push me on the ground and grabbed me by my collar, his fist raised.

I just smiled at him. He was panting, his fist shaking, and I was ready to take the hit. I just smiled at him.

"I'm sorry for not saying goodbye," I whispered to him. Sasuke froze. "You're allowed to be angry and hate me, but I am sorry." He gulped and dropped his fist.

I sat up, Sasuke between my legs and hugged him. I put my cheek on the crown of his head, ready for him to push me away.

"And sorry for your ribs," I whispered in his ear.

"…it didn't hurt." He punched me in the ribs though. I winced without a sound.

After a few seconds, he relaxed and hugged me back.

"You're a moron Nee-san," he muttered against me. I chuckled.

"You may have grown up in a moody pre-teen, but I'm still older than you." I sighed in relief. "I still love you though." He tensed.

I did not comment on my shoulder getting wet and the small twitches of his body.

He needed to let it out, and I would gladly let him do that with me.

"I'm home!" Itachi raised his head from his scroll as his brother's voice.

"Welcome home Sasuke. And Naruto, of course."

"Hey, what's up Aunty?" He heard his mother chuckle, and the two kids entered the room he was in. "Hey Itachi-nii!" They sat down in front of him.

"You look alright."

"It was not a complicated mission," his brother said. Their mother was back and gave them snacks and drinks before sitting down herself.

"So, what does Kiri look like?"

"It's green and gray," Naruto replied, eating a cookie.

"They're rebuilding but it is going quickly. What Naruto is trying to say is that there are plants around the village a lot, even on the rooftops of buildings."

"It's humid," Itachi reminded them, making notes with a pencil in his scroll.

"Nee-chan took us to a sushi place, it was awesome dattebayo!"

"And…how is she?" Mikoto inquired. Itachi almost dropped his pencil. He had been vague regarding Akane when his mother asked but…

"She seems good. Tired, there's a lot of work to do, but good." Sasuke put a scroll on the table, opened it and unsealed a katana from it. The scabbard was black, the hilt as well with an intricate design in white in it. Sasuke pulled it out of the sheath, showing a sharp, silvery blade. "And this is my graduation present."

"My, it looks like quality." Sasuke nodded and let her inspect it.

"Nee-san took me to a guy who's used to work with Kiri's Seven Blades." Naruto crossed his arms the table with a pout.

"Not fair."

"You suck with a sword dobe. Didn't she give you something for wind-based jutsu anyway?"

"…yeah…"

"Did she say anything about when she'll come back, even if it's just for a visit?" Itachi almost glared at his mother. He opted for a pointed look she carefully ignored, but Sasuke noticed anyway.

"No, she's a clan leader now anyway, it sucks 'ttebayo!"

"A clan leader?" Mikoto repeated.

"She's a Yuki clan member first and foremost," Itachi said quietly. "The father's clan is more important, even if Akane is more Uzumaki than Yuki, so her dad, who himself got it from his father." He didn't like this new piece of information though.

"It's still new, she heard about it when we were there," Sasuke added. "There's only Haku and her anyway, but she has a lot of paperwork to deal with, with what her clan left in Kiri, as well as her parents…Kushina-ba-san helped her before we had to leave."

"Sometimes the aftermath of a crisis is harder to deal with than the crisis in itself," Mikoto said softly. "If she is fine, it's all that matters." 'Fine' was a big word.

Later, when the night was settling outside and Naruto safely back home, he was watching the sky from the engawa. Sasuke sat down next to him without a word.

"Whatever it is, spit it out Sasuke," Itachi droned at his brother, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Nee-san's prettier than before." He pursed his lips.

"I noticed, thank you." Sasuke smirked a little. "You and Akane are good now then?" He shrugged.

"She's good at making me…let steam off and talk." He poked him on the forehead. Sasuke rubbed the spot with a frown. "She asked me how you were." He pursed his lips.

"And?"

"I said you were out of active duty for now and would get the surgery in the next couple of months." He gulped quietly. "Huh, I knew it."

"What?"

"Something happened between you two." Itachi raised a brow at him. "She had the same look on her face when I answered."

"What look?"

"The one wondering if you're fine without each other." Itachi rubbed his forehead.

"It's silly, I don't have a 'look' on my face."

"You do." He stood up and decided to turn in for the night. Unfortunately, Sasuke followed him and nagged him until he shut the door in his face. "Nii-san!"

"Go to bed Sasuke." His brother stayed for a few seconds in front of his door and stomped away. Itachi sighed deeply and put his pillow on his face.

He hated how Sasuke was spot on.

How long had it been? Almost two months since he had seen Akane? It felt like years.

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

I have an important news though. I am going to put this fic on a hiatus for at least July. I'm nearing the end of my Masters degree and have to finish my thesis. I'm also doing an internship until May 20th and it's six days a week, a 30-minute commute in the morning and night and I get home at close to eight or seven depending on the week. I have not written much in a while, despite ideas being in my head. Also, I've written this fic on a whim to "grieve" the fact the other one was over after six years, so I'm not really sure where I'm going with it, I need to figure that out.

I'm sure you'll understand though, so I'll see you soon! Take care in the meantime!

Bye!