Disclaimer: The characters are Masashi Kishimoto's property, I own the OCs.
Characters age:
Akane: 19 (52)
Itachi: 19 (36)
Shisui: 22
Naruto / Sasuke: 13 - 14
Kakashi: 27
"Why are we in Kikou?" Sasuke asked me.
"Well, until Shisui comes back with news about the snake, I have some stuff to do. That includes being a messenger on behalf of the Daimyo of the Land of Water."
"It's politics then."
"Yes and no. It's trade mainly. Now that the Land of Water is opening itself up to the other countries, it requires some solid and safe trading routes on water. It means money, shinobi maybe or some kind of security and did I mention money?"
"Everything needs money." Well, he had that right. Money ruled the world after all, even with Naruto as the Hokage.
"How's your eye?" He raised a hand to his eyepatch.
"It's healing." I nodded.
I booked us a hotel room in the heart of the city. It was buzzing with activity, even in the room you could not get away from the sounds of the city.
"Do you miss Itachi?" I raised a brow at him.
"Of course, why?" He sat on his bed.
"He looks lost when you're not around, it's funny." I shook my head.
"I'm sure your brother is fine."
"No, he's always looked off when you're gone." I furrowed my brows. "Like a drug addict who can't get his daily dose."
"I'm not listening to you." I really didn't want to think about this for now.
"Is that the Fourth's weapon?" I blinked and glanced at the club, which was leaning against the dresser.
"Yes, he left it to me after his…passing."
"…my condolences." I smiled faintly. "Wasn't it…weird though?"
"You mean during or after the mind control?" He nodded. "…kind of, it's…even right now, I'm grieving and deeply sad but it's confusing." I found the scroll in my bag. "I don't really want to talk about it Sasuke. Right now, it's mission and keeping you away from Root."
"Hn." I glanced at his shirt.
"Do you have anything that is…less Uchiha let's say?" He blinked and craned his neck, even if he could not see the crest on his back.
"I'm afraid not."
"Seriously, who put their clan crest on every piece of clothing they own?" I muttered under my breath. "Look, I don't want you roaming on your own for now, so I'll get you some clothes. Please don't leave the room?" He didn't look pleased. "Sasuke, please, do it for me?" He sighed, beaten.
"Alright, I won't move Nee-san." I hugged him briefly and kissed the top of his head.
"Thank you. That's why you're my favorite Uchiha." He didn't look particularly pleased and sat down on his bed.
I was quickly back and gave Sasuke the bag. He changed quickly. We were in the capital, so I had some difficulty finding shinobi wear. The pants were brown and in cotton whereas the tank top was maybe a little too big and white, but it would do.
"There was no black or dark blue?" he asked, frowning at his clothes. I crossed my arms; an eyebrow raised and stared him down. He blinked and looked away. "Never mind, thank you."
"That's better." I put the club on my back. "Come on, let's go to the Daimyo's palace."
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Nope." It didn't take long to reach the palace. Of course, the guards stopped us.
"Decline your identity."
"Uzumaki Akane, Uchiha Sasuke." They glanced at Sasuke briefly. "We don't have an appointment, but I have a letter from the Daimyo of the Land of Water to give the Daimyo in person."
"If you don't have an appointment, you cannot see the daimyo."
"But it's from another Dai…"
"There is no favoritism." I sighed.
"Where do I get an appointment then?"
"You don't get an appointment with the Daimyo."
"What…where do I get an appointment then?"
"If it is about public affairs, the responsible of Public Affairs. If it is shinobi, the responsible of Shinobi Affairs and Konoha's representative. If it is foreign affairs, the responsible of…"
"Yeah I get it." The guard glared at me.
"Then, they will study your request."
"How long does that take?"
"It depends on the wait list." He pointed at a building further in the street. "Go there."
"Sure. Thank you." I sighed as we walked there.
"Did you forget about our red tape?" Sasuke asked me with a smirk.
"Shut up, I'm…used to come for important people and skip the paperwork." Even before, I would sometimes come for the Hokage, so I'd get in easily.
"It's not like this in the Land of Water?"
"Meh, not many people had the balls to complain about anything for a long time Sasuke." That being said, I took my hitai-ate from my pocket and tied it around my head. "But thanks for reminding me I had an ID."
And yet…we waited.
And waited, the queue not moving very quickly. Seriously, that was…
"It's worse than in Konoha."
"I don't know, civilians' business is…long."
"Oh, you don't know?" I raised a brow at him. "Civilians' business are separated from shinobi business now, it no longer goes to the same place. Oba-san thought about it."
"Really?"
"Yes. They go to the building, are redirect to the branch they need with a number and only the most important things reach Minato-sama." Well, it was better than anything Tsunade-san had ever had as the Hokage from what I knew.
"Aunty isn't running it, is she?"
"No, the Hokage thought she would…"
"Lose her patience quickly. Yeah."
"He asked my mom instead." I widened my eyes at him. He shrugged. "He said as the clan leader's wife, she was used to dealing with people and she knew how to be listened to, so she would do great. She was flattered and accepted."
"How come no one told me about it? How come your brother didn't tell me?"
"I don't know, I thought he did. I'm sure my parents thought so as well."
"Tha…"
"Next." It was our turn, finally. "Your name?"
"Uzumaki Akane. I need to give the daimyo a letter from the daimyo of the Land of Water in person please?" She glanced at my forehead protector briefly, chewing her gum loudly.
"Do you have identification from a Kage?" I blinked.
"No but…" Her bubble popped.
"Sorry sweetheart but we need extra caution for this kind of demands. You're gonna need to fill the regular form." She handed me a stack of papers and pointed at a corner of the room with tables and chairs.
"…thank you…and then I…"
"Put it in the right box. Next!" Sasuke took my wrist in his hand and took me to a table.
"There has to be fifteen pages…" I muttered in horror. I flipped through them. "I don't know half of the information requested!" Sasuke glanced at the girl.
"I mean, I don't think flashing my forehead protector is going to do anything because I don't have 'Kage identification'." I handed him half of the pages. He groaned but took a pen, like me.
Once it was done, I put it in the right box and we left. We glanced at each other.
"Your job sucks Nee-san," he commented flatly. I nodded.
"When sensei said I'd be the country's and village's spokesperson, 'paperwork' didn't come to mind."
I was so going to contact Oji-chan for that.
"And here is your new medication Uchiha-san." Itachi nodded at the nurse and accepted the blue bottle of pills.
As his body recovered, the dosage would be less and less until it was not needed. His chakra pathway was extremely fragile for now, so he needed it to get it back to normal. The pills didn't have any taste to it, but he had to take them twice a day.
He was glad to be alive once more, but he could not wait until he was done with medication.
"Itachi-san." He looked down to see Sakura's short pink hair. She looked to be nervous. "Hi."
"Good morning Sakura," he greeted her back, turning around to fully face her.
He raised a brow at her obviously debating whether or not she wanted to ask him something. The genin was always extremely polite with him, and his parents as well. She would be tensed almost all the time as well, most likely because they were Sasuke's family, and she was crushing on him.
Although, he did make Akane spill the beans about his brother's family and he knew her crush would evolve into more, like Sasuke.
"What is it Sakura?" She was startled and jumped, wide green eyes looking at him.
"I…I'm leaving the village for a bit with Master Tsunade, the Hokage asked her to run an errand for him in the capital. We are going to Akane-san and Sasuke-kun." He raised an eyebrow. "I don't know much, I was told it was between Akane-san and Master Tsunade but…is Sasuke-kun okay?"
"Why wouldn't he be?"
"Well, he wasn't supposed to be gone for that long, was he? And running into Akane-san and staying with her seems so out of the blue that…I'm sorry, I just can't help but have this feeling that something happened to him."
"You're allowed to worry about him, I'm not going to hold it against you." He smiled gently at the girl. "And if anything, you'll be able to see for yourself how my brother is. And tell me when you're back, because I would like to know as well."
Akane had stopped sending letters since Sasuke was with her. It would just be brief notes saying they were fine, but she would not elaborate.
It had been two weeks only, it was not that long.
"Oh, are they your new pills?" He nodded and let her take a look at them. She furrowed her brows. "It's weird."
"What is it?"
"It's just…the color indicates the dosage of the medication. I thought it would be…less red, that's all." He glanced at the pills briefly. "Maybe I have read it wrong." Tsunade called her student from the lobby of the hospital. "I have to go, have a nice day Itachi-san." He nodded as she left.
Itachi frowned at the bottle in his hand. If there was one thing that Sasuke never failed to comment about Sakura, it was how he was sure she had a photographic memory because she seemed to have all the schoolbooks stuck in her brain. Even without this, it was alarming enough that Tsunade's apprentice told him this, even if it had been less than a year.
Sasuke had almost been killed by Root, so who knew, maybe they had infiltrated the hospital as well?
He found Shinko fifteen minutes later, doing a round of her patients. She raised a brow at him.
"Itachi-kun, it's a surprise. Is it your check-up?" He nodded.
"I need a favor Shinko." She blinked and looked at the pills. "They're my new prescription pills."
"What about them?"
"I've just seen Sakura who said they were too dark for me now, so too strong." It got Shinko's interest.
"She did?" She took a pill in her hand and looked at it more closely. "Do you want me to double check for you?"
"I know you're considered too close for…"
"Don't worry about this Itachi-kun, it is mainly for surgeries and people who are dying. It's no longer the case for you, and you're my teammate anyway."
"Thank you."
"Come back tomorrow night, and until then, take half a pill tomorrow morning. I'd rather slow your recovery down than speed it up and condemn you to civilian life." He nodded.
It would not be ideal to be a civilian for the rest of his life.
"It's not…bad per say," I told Sasuke, inspecting his seal. He frowned and took his paper back.
"What is it? The ink? The strokes?"
"Well it's not balanced at the base of the seal and…well, boom Sasuke." He glared at his paper.
Adapting a Storage Seal to your own chakra was no easy feat after all.
"It's adapted for your chakra, ultimately when it's good, you'll kno…" There was a knock on the door. "I hope it is the back-up Oji-chan mentioned." I opened the door and blinked at the two girls in front of it. "Oh, he sent you?"
"Apparently so," Tsunade-san replied. I craned my neck to glance at Sasuke, who had frozen at the Sannin's voice.
"Sasuke, Tsunade-san and Sakura are here." He still had an eyepatch on his eye. "Actually, it's perfect Tsunade-san, Sasuke's got a…little something I want to be checked out."
"It's fine Nee-san!" he exclaimed, now alarmed.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called him, slipping easily in the room between her master and the wall. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him and widened her eyes in horror. "What…"
"It's fine Sakura," he said immediately, his tone and body language changing immediately.
Huh…I had not really paid much attention to it but…was he trying to look tough or something? I mean, he didn't shy away from being bratty and spilling his heart's content to me, which was good because he would not keep everything bottled up inside of him under my watch but…
Teens.
"He can see," I told Tsunade-san, who nodded before I closed the door behind her.
"Do you look up to Kakashi so much you want to imitate his look?" the medic asked him, sitting down next to him. Sasuke frowned and glared at my smirk. "Take it off." He did.
The wound was healing, but there would be a scar. Tsunade-san's glowing hand stayed over his eyes for a couple of minutes maybe before a surprised expression flashed through her eyes.
"Everything is healing fine, but I can't do anything for the scarring."
"Really?" Sasuke asked her.
"If there is no need for the body to be helped with medical ninjutsu for healing, then it is not advised to use it, especially if it is for esthetic reasons," Sakura informed him. Sasuke's eye was on her as he put the eyepatch back on.
"Then when Kakashi and Naruto comment on it and I'll deny trying to replicate Kakashi, you better be on my side," he muttered, defeated. Sakura chuckled.
"Of course, of course."
"What kind of help do you need by the way?"
"Paperwork sucks and I have something to give the daimyo in person from my daimyo."
"I see the issue now." She stood up. "Let's go. Sakura, stay with Sasuke." I was dragged out of the room by my distant cousin. "What is this wound about?"
"Honestly, I don't drink much but I may need a drink," I retorted with a sigh.
"You don't need to tell me twice."
She handled my issue quickly; she was a lot more famous than me after all. Then, she took me to a bar, where we were taken to a private booth. The owner clearly knew her.
"So, what happened?" she asked me, pouring me a cup of sake.
"Well, I was on my way back when I ran into my…dad." She choked on her drink. She coughed for a few seconds and wiped her mouth with the back of her mouth.
"Was Sasuke's eye dealt with by him?" I nodded in surprise. She drank her cup in one go and poured herself another one. "It makes sense now why there is no complication."
"Yeah…anyway, Sasuke was…attacked by Root," I whispered, looking around discreetly. "I'm not sure why, but Dad dealt with them and then…he told me he was interested in Iwa shinobi gathering in the country on the coast." She pursed her lips. "And he's…no longer a part of the Akatsuki."
"That I know, Jiraya told us." I drank my sake.
"Is it really bad with Iwa? I knew they were being pushy but…"
"It is getting worse and worse. The Tsuchikage wants to deal with this island and now if he's stationing troops in the country…We can't deal with external and internal threats at the same time."
"Well, about that asshole by the way." She raised a brow. "I've written a letter to Oji-chan, I'll give it to you later but…we thought that if we exposed all his deeds for the village's 'good', then we could get the other villages to want his head and then Minato would have to the ability to overpass his rank."
"How are you planning on getting other villages to cooperate?"
"Suna owes it to Konoha, and I can handle Kiri. Worst case scenario, you only get me. I'm…sure I can work something out with the Raikage since the stunt I pulled in the last war." As in, I would try to convince Darui.
"And to prove his…deeds?"
"The snake." She seemed taken back. "I know a thing or two from my days under his command. Trading with a criminal of the village who dwelled in…hardcore experimentations let's say, and who now do not care about where his guinea pigs come from…I'd say it's a good…shot. I know he is on Kiri's bad side."
"Not just that." I raised a brow. "He was part of the Akatsuki as well, so by association, that mummy wouldn't be far off."
"And direct offense against the Hokage. I mean, we need to dig into old stuff because even I doubt he would stay associated with the snake after he left and stated he hated the village but…isn't it worth a shot?"
"His vision is too much in contradiction with Minato's for anyone's good, the village included." She moved her cup around, twirling the sake in it as she gazed at it thoughtfully. "And he has slowly but surely been crawling back out of the shadow since Suna and Orochimaru's attack during the Chuunin Exams. Minato wasn't there, it's not helping his case." I glanced through the window, seeing people walking down the street under the bright sun of August. They were all so…unaware of the shit we had to deal with. "I would stay away from Orochimaru until I'm told otherwise. He is the target of the Akatsuki as well, like you. You're on their radars already, don't scream your location at them." I nodded.
"I know, and with Sasuke with me, I can't put him in blatant danger. It's just so…frustrating."
"Yes, but you don't have a choice unless you want to go back on Konoha's blacklist." I sighed.
"Not really no…"
"Then don't try to be a hero."
"Oh hey Itaaaaaaa…" Akane couldn't finish her sentence that she was on her table, Itachi kissing her, his Akatsuki cloak already on the floor. "Wow…wow hold o…"
"Don't want to," he whispered in a husky breath, his hands unbuttoning her shirt. He was pleased when he saw her breasts and no bra.
"You're…super horny…" He nodded, his lips already around her nipple, his fingers pinching the other.
Her skin was so soft and warm…he had not been able to come for three months. Usually, after a week he would think daily about Akane and making love to her, why wouldn't he, but after a month, a month and a half maybe, it was always on his mind. His mind would remind it to him the second he would be asleep.
He had never been so happy about having mastered the art of being stoic in all situations. Despite being stoic around Akane too, he was less impassible and currently, he had no intention of keeping his mask on.
"Itachi…we eat here…" Akane managed to say between two moans, her face and body not caring if they ate on the table or not.
"And in the couch, in which we have done plenty of things," he replied, his lips leaving a trail of wet kisses down her stomach.
In all honesty, he never had thought he would have this much libido until he accidently had a peek at Akane bathing in a lake when they were traveling together.
This sight still haunted him to this day.
"Oh god!" she yelped as he closed his arm around her waist, lifting her up to remove her pants and panties with his free hand. In one go. "The…how did you even manage that!?"
"I want you a lot," he replied, kissing her quickly. She didn't have the time to answer that he pulled her to the edge of the table and knelt between her legs.
She leaned back on her head as he put his hands on her naked thighs to keep them open before diving to her clit like a starved man. She gasped and put her hand in his hair, not used to him being rough with his mouth.
"Oh…oh that…fuck…" He raised his eyes to her and saw that she had her head thrown back in pleasure.
He loved eating her out but right now, he wanted to be inside of her so bad…His crotch was painfully hard and pulsing, and Akane already being so wet was not helping. He stood up quickly, Akane's brown eyes confused, but also blissful from what had just happened. She recovered quickly and threw an arm around his neck, kissing him angrily.
"Who's horny now?" he taunted her against her lips, feeling her free hand unbuttoning his pants.
"You knew what you were doing," she replied with a faint smirk he reciprocated. He kissed her deeply, his tongue not leaving her for a second as she freed his cock.
She would moan on this table until he was done with her, and it would not be no…
"Itachi-kun!" He opened his eyes and sat up in a flash.
He was panting and sweating, with a boner from the wonderful memory he was dreaming of, and Shinko was knocking on the door.
He remembered that time. It was one of these few times he could match her stamina and they had done it on the table, against the door of her bedroom and then had not even reached the bed and had ended up at the bottom of it.
Itachi was not to blamed, he had not seen Akane in what, three months? It was August and she had left in the middle of May or something. It was…awful.
"Itachi-kun!" Shinko repeated, the knocking getting louder and harder.
"Give me a minute," he replied, going to the bathroom. Once he was dressed and had splashed some cold water on his face, he checked if Shinko would notice anything. Once it was done, he opened the door.
Shinko looked as if she had been running.
"The tests are not good," he figured out quickly, letting her in Akane's apartment. She gulped and nodded. "Water maybe?"
"Please," she said in a hoarse voice. The glass of water did not last long, and she put it down loudly on the table. "I feel better." Itachi crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay, do not take those pills Itachi-kun, it will…overdose your chakra pathway and make it implode in a way." He raised a brow.
"So someone is trying to sabotage me." She gulped again and nodded.
"I mean, it's not the kind of error you wouldn't notice, and Tsunade-sama is in charge of your case so…I don't know. I heard she was coming back tonight or tomorrow morning, so for now…don't take anything but don't use chakra either. Just…nothing."
"Can I still breathe?" His teammate glared at him.
"Do you really think it's the moment to joke?"
"Sorry," he apologized quietly. Even before, when she had retired and worked as a waitress, she would keep being protective of him because she kept seeing him as a kid. "Did anyone see you?"
"I don't think so, and I got rid of any evidence of me investigating." She gave him a few sheets of paper. "You have connections in higher places than me, so I'm sure you'll need proofs of what happened." He accepted the papers.
"Thank you." She was concerned. The worry on her face would not disappear. "It's going to be fine Shin…"
"No it's not! I work with these people every day Itachi-kun, and at least one of them tried to harm my teammate!" She sat down, her arms limp by her side. "I mean…you're not involved in anything weird, you're out of action for months!"
"I'm still the Uchiha heir, I guess it's enough." She groaned. "What?"
"I thought your clan and the village were good now, that's all!" He sighed.
"I don't know a lot more, but I will take care of it. Just try to g…"
"How about I don't?" He blinked in surprise. "No, we're going to go see Shikaku-sensei and tell him."
"I don't think it is necessary."
"Itachi-kun, I don't know what planet you live on, but there are people who care about you and don't want you to…you're not on your own. You got promoted before us and have always been one step ahead of us, but we still are a team. Even if you like to keep to yourself."
"…thanks." She smiled at him. "Just don't bring Tenma in." She frowned. "At least for now."
"…fine…but no matter what you think, he doesn't hate you, or even Akane-chan." He raised a brow. "I know he didn't show it well but…I'm not doing a good job at defending him, I know."
"I'll see you at two at the Jounin Station." She nodded and left.
The second the door was closed, Itachi sighed deeply. Getting Shinko involved in what was Danzou's doing was not in his plan. Shikaku could be a good help but…Shinko and Tenma had never been close to this side of Konoha, and he would like it to remain this way.
Still, she had confirmed what he was thinking. Root had tried to mess with his recovery after going after his brother. What was Danzou's plan in all of this? Even if he knew Itachi knew what happened exactly for Shisui and Akane to leave Konoha, Sasuke did not know.
The only thing he could see was that he saw Sasuke as a liability because of his stunt and rank, and he wanted to get rid of him. Then him because he knew too much. This would put the clan in such a mess that the most suspicious of them would start accusing Konoha of assassination.
The oldest generation was quiet for now, but they would only need a spark to go back to their extreme ways. So far, only his relationship with Akane was an issue to them, but Konoha was…good.
For now.
Itachi sighed once more.
He was pretty sure stress was not recommended for his recovery, and yet, here he was, dealing with Danzou and his clan. Again.
Taking Akane with him to live in a small town abroad had never, ever been more appealing.
Thanks for reading. I hope you have liked it, please do let me know in reviews! Thanks to the Guests for the reviews!
Bye!
