Н‘¾Ð‘¯Ð‘¬Ð‘Μ Ð‘»Ð‘¯Ð‘¬ Н‘¾Ð‘°Ð‘Μ𝑫 Н‘©Ð‘³Ð‘¶Ð‘¾Ð‘º €¢Ð’Ƒ𝒙Н’Ƒ• The Arrival

Akashi glanced at the raven-haired boy. “I will be going on ahead…”. He turned to face forward, already bending his legs, before he was interrupted by him.

“Are you alright?” Furrowing his brows, Akashi turned back to look at him. His face may have been blank, but his dark eyes showed the worry he was actually feeling.

He huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “What? Worried about me?” He questioned and watched as Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him.

“Are you sure you’re ready to fight?” He asked him ignoring his previous teasing. This was a serious matter… He no longer had a Tailed Beast inside of him and that was something Sasuke didn’t understand…

A person was supposed to die after the Tailed Beast was extracted, that much he knew, or in Akashi’s case, killed. So… Why was the boy still alive? Something was wrong… Either Akashi wasn’t telling them something, or the boy himself didn’t know what was going on.

“Don’t worry about me… I’m perfectly fine”. The redhead practically waved him off as he sent him a smile. Sasuke couldn’t help but think it was a fake one.

“I can’t help but worry about you”. Sasuke watched as Akashi’s eyes widened for a brief moment. He looked surprised… Why? Didn’t he already know how Sasuke was feeling? So why? Why was he so surprised? “You know that”. He added and walked up to him, ignoring everyone who was around them.

“I know…”. The words were so quiet, Sasuke barely managed to hear them properly…

But he did…

Sasuke reached a hand forward, but just before his skin met Akashi’s own, he halted his movements. “About that day… I had no right to say what I said…”. He knew the words ‘I’m sorry’ were a touchy subject for Akashi, so he didn’t say them…

He held back the urge to say them.

Then, unexpectedly, Akashi raised a hand and their fingers intertwined. “I could say the same…”. He said, taking a step closer to Sasuke. The said boy stood still as he watched the redhead lean forward. His eyes slowly closed as Akashi inched closer.

But, nothing happened. Onyx eyes slid open and were met with violet ones. Akashi had stepped away with a somewhat faraway look on his face.

Then, the wind blew and the boy before him was no more.

_

As Akashi looked around himself, he found himself in the company of Minato and… the person he wanted to see the least.

Naruto…

“The others should be arriving here soon”. Were the words that left his lips, before his eyes widened as they met Akashi’s own violet ones. “You… came…?” He slowly asked, as if he didn’t believe his eyes… As if the sight before him was just a lie…

Sakura’s eyes blew wide as she stared at the redhead. “Akashi…? You…?” She didn’t understand what he was doing there… He came back? After what happened? He came back? He still came back?

“I did”. Akashi deadpanned and not even a moment later, he sensed three oncoming chakra signals. The Third Hokage landed next to him, followed by the Second Hokage and the First Hokage.

“Minato, you’re as fa-!” Sarutobi stopped once he caught sight of the redhead next to the man he was addressing. “Akashi…?” He mumbled, expression the same as Naruto’s and Sakura’s. “How did you get here so fast?”

Before Akashi could answer his question, the Second Hokage spoke up. “Fourth… You’re better at tele-!” Once again, the man’s expression mirrored Naruto’s, Sakura’s and Sarutobi’s. “You… You arrived here before us?”

The redhead nodded, blankly staring at him.

“Akashi… Did you perhaps learn the Flying Thunder God?” The said boy glanced at the blond man next to him and nodded.

“I marked your robes”. He gestured at the robes Minato was wearing. The man shifted around and found a small seal on the white fabric.

“When did you…?” Confused, he tilted his head to the side.

“When you hugged me”. Was Akashi’s simple answer. Minato let out a small ‘oh’ at his answer.

“You’ve got quite a son, Fourth!” Hashirama, who was quiet until then, spoke up, smiling brightly as he looked between Minato and Akashi. “Quite a son indeed!” Then, he turned to look at the ninjas before them.

Those ninjas all had disbelief written over their faces. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing before them. All of the Hokages! Together!

“But… Who reanimated you?” One of the ninjas asked.

“Orochimaru summoned us”. Sarutobi revealed. “We need to stop this war quickly”.

“What?” Sakura perked up at the mention of the snake-man. “Didn’t Orochimaru die?” She questioned while she healed Naruto.

The rest of the ninjas were excited that they were going to be fighting alongside the Hokages.

“I don’t know what’s going on anymore…”. Sakura sighed out the words, before Naruto spoke up.

“There’s still more help coming…”, he glanced at his… twin brother and continued, “… but they’re taking a little longer”. Akashi looked at him and their eyes met. Naruto still had the same expression on his face as before… The same expression as when he saw him first arrive…

An expression of barely concealed hope.

Suddenly, something slammed into a small mountain behind them. “I’ve been waiting for you, Hashirama!” A man Akashi didn’t recognize yelled out the words.

“I’ll deal with you later!” Hashirama pointed at him, making the man grimace at his words. “I have to stop the Ten-Tails first!” It was in that moment, that Akashi’s attention was brought to the giant Tailed Beast running towards them. “After all…”, Hashirama pointed at the beast, “… it’s charging towards us…”.

Ten Tails? Just what the hell had Akashi missed? What else didn’t he know?

“You’ve done well, Naruto”. Minato turned to look at Naruto. “Take a little break”. A smile appeared on his face. “Your friend will be here soon”. He meant… “He’s our ally too”.

He meant Sasuke. Akashi could sense he was coming…

He was late.

“My fellow Hokage, let’s go!” Hashirama declared as the Hokages all stood in a straight line, facing the Ten-Tails.

“Second and Third, stand in front of me”. Minato said. The two of them did as they were asked.

“Have you already placed your markers?” Sarutobi questioned the blond man behind him.

“Yes”. Minato answered.

“You’re quick at striking too!” Tobirama commented with his arms crossed across his chest. A moment later, all three of them disappeared from in front of Akashi.

“Let’s go!” Hashirama exclaimed. “Ninja Art… Four Crimson Ray Formation!” As soon as he finished, four crimson beams exited the ground and caged the Ten-Tails between them, connecting all of them with a crimson, almost transparent, wall. “And… I’ll just add on… Sage Art: Gracious Deity Gates!” He called out and multiple gates fell atop the Ten-Tail’s tails, forcing them into the ground. “Ten Seals!” He finished.

That technique… Akashi narrowed his eyes as he stared at the gates which bound the Ten-Tails. It was strong enough to bind the creature in place, leaving no space for it to move… Not an inch…

It was then, that Akashi sensed him come.

“Took you long enough… You’re late…”. He said as the raven-haired boy landed next to him. Sasuke straightened up and glanced at the redhead besides him.

“I try”. He deadpanned and Akashi shook his head at the answer.

“Sasu… ke?” Sakura slowly asked, disbelief written clear over her features.

The said boy turned around when he heard his name be said. “Is that you, Sakura?” He questioned, no expression on his face.

“Sasuke! Why?!” She demanded, features twisting in surprise. Her loud voice seemed to have been too loud, since she attracted the attention of the rest of Rookie 10.

Ino was the first one to arrive. “Sasuke!” She ran towards him, but was stopped by Choji and Shikamaru.

“Hey, Ino! Stop!” Shikamaru glanced between Sasuke and Akashi with an alarmed expression on his face. “He’s not alone and they’re enemies!” He exclaimed.

“Ino… You better keep your distance!” Choji added, putting his arm in front of her, blocking her way.

Akashi huffed out a laugh at Shikamaru’s words. “How cruel… We used to be friends and now I’m an enemy?” He grinned at the boy, but was met with only a grimace in return.

“You got that right! Used to! You left the village! Killed one of Konoha’s superiors!” Shikamaru grit his teeth as he stared at the unbothered expression of the redhead in front of him. What the hell had happened to him?! The news of him leaving the village were surprising, but the fact that he attacked the Raikage and killed Danzo was something which was unreal to Shikamaru…

Just what had happened?

“Hey! Danzo got what he deserved! It was long overdue!” Akashi pointed a finger at the dark-haired boy, taking a step forward, before an arm blocked his path.

Sasuke…

“Calm down…”. Violet clashed with onyx. Akashi clenched his jaw and lowered his arm, turning to look somewhere off to the side. Sasuke looked back at Shikamaru and the rest. “You’re all still as noisy as ever!” He commented, a bark resounding next to him a moment later.

Team 8 had arrived. “Why the hell are you bastards here?!” Kiba demanded, pointing a finger at them.

“Shut your mutt up!” Akashi sneered out in Kiba’s direction, making the said boy look at him in anger.

“Akamaru isn’t a mutt!” He growled out and Akashi huffed out a laugh.

“I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to Akamaru!” Kiba stumbled back a few steps, an expression of disbelief flashing across his features.

“Why are you two here?” Sakura interrupted their spat.

Akashi looked at her and she was immediately taken aback at the completely different expression on his face. He was joking with Shikamaru a moment ago, then he was furious and now…

He was like a blank sheet of paper.

“I have a score to settle with someone…”. Was his cryptic reply. She watched as the redhead stood still, before he reached his hand forward and grabbed Sasuke by the wrist. “I don’t know why he’s here”. She watched as the raven-haired boy didn’t do anything to get out of Akashi’s hold…

Ah… She should have known…

“A lot of things have happened… I’ve decided to protect Konoha”. He glanced back at her. “And then, I’ll…”, he trailed off and everyone intently stared at him… Everyone expect Akashi, he already had a hunch as to what he was about to say. “… become Hokage”.

Bingo.

Multiple gasps of disbelief resounded around them and Akashi wasn’t surprised.

“What?!” Sakura yelled out.

“You can’t just come back all of a sudden and crack a lame joke like that, you Rogue Ninja!” Kiba exclaimed. “Do you even know what it means to be Hokage?!” He asked.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but that’s not possible”. Shikamaru jumped in. “Do you even realise what you’re saying?”

“Do you think we can just forget all the things you’ve done?” Shino asked.

“Yeah, I realise you probably can’t”. Sasuke answered. “But… it doesn’t matter what you guys think of me”. Akashi released the hold he had on him and tilted his head to the side. “All of the previous Kage created these current circumstances”. He was right about that. “So I will become Hokage and change the village”.

From the corner of his eye, Akashi noticed Naruto had stood up. The blond walked up to them and stopped next to Sasuke. “I’m going to be Hokage!” He said and Akashi almost rolled his eyes at his antics.

He hadn’t changed… Not at all… Not even after all that happened…

“As if Naruto’s obsession with becoming Hokage wasn’t enough… Sasuke, you too?” The raven-haired boy cast him a look and Akashi tilted his head, his lips curling up into a smile. “Offended?” He asked, making Sasuke shake his head and look away from him.

“I’m glad there’s so much interest in becoming Hokage… But you guys are taking too much time!” Hashirama called out to them. “Start infusing chakra right now!” He turned back to the giant beast in front of them. “We’ll take down Ten-Tails with an all-out attack!”

“Thanks for healing me, Sakura!” Naruto looked at Sakura. “Now it’s your turn to get some rest”. He faced forward again, before he peered at his… twin brother. “Akashi… You’re really back, right?” He questioned, making the said boy look at him.

Their gazes clashed and Akashi saw the clear desperation on the blond’s features… Was he desperate for a positive answer? For Akashi to confirm he was back?

He looked away from him and watched as the Ten-Tails struggled to free itself from its binds. Was that what it was like for Kurama? For years and years and years… He was kept captive and used over and over again…

Was that what it was like?

“I am”. He finally answered and heard a small sigh from the side. It sounded like it was a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go! Akashi! Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed and the three of them jumped forward, in front of the crimson barrier. A moment later, Sakura landed next to them. “Sakura?” Naruto asked, confused as to why she was there.

“So do you see me as some sort of weak woman who can’t keep up with you three?” She questioned, straightening up. “Do you think Lady Tsunade would be the only one out of the Legendary Sannin to inadequately train her student?” She looked at them and Akashi felt the need to speak up and say he wasn’t trained by a Sannin…

But he stayed quiet.

“I’m almost there… I’ll be at full capacity in a little bit”. She said, fully turning to them. “Then I can output my true power”. True power? That sounded interesting… “Just like you, I’m a member of Team 7… and I’m a student of one of the Legendary Sannin!” Once again, Akashi held back the need to speak up.

Naruto’s lips curled up into a smile. “Okay then!” He exclaimed., hitting the palm of his hand with his fist. “Team 7 is finally back!” The four of them turned to face the calamity before them. “Let’s go, Sakura! Akashi! Sasuke!”

“Right!” Sakura.

“Yeah!” Sasuke.

“Well isn’t this familiar?!” Akashi.

“Let’s show them what we’re made of, ya know!” Naruto declared.