Naruto: reborn as an Uzumaki

Meanwhile the next morning, in a small apartment near the former Uchiha clan compound, Akane Uchiha was cleaning the two identical katanas that her father once made for her and her younger brother. "I wish you were here, little bro. It's too..... too lonely, too quiet." She thought as she put them back in the box and a few silent tears fell onto the closed wooden lid.

[Akane reference image]

Suddenly, a knock at her door pulled her back to the present. "Akane? It's Kakashi. We need to talk. It's important," came the familiar voice from outside.

"Kakashi-sensei? What could bring him here this early?" she thought, quickly slipping out of her pajamas and into her clothes. She opened the door, her face puzzled. "What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?"

Without responding, Kakashi stepped inside and closed the door behind him. His usually calm demeanor was tinged with urgency. "Akane, I need you to answer this honestly. Did Ichiro have a son? And what do you remember about your mother?"

Akane blinked in confusion. "Why are you suddenly asking about my dad? What's going on?"

Kakashi's gaze was steady, his tone firm. "Just answer."

Sighing in frustration, Akane crossed her arms. "Dad did have a son. He looked more like our mother, and because of that, the clan didn't allow Dad to bring him in. The last time I saw him, he was two years old, and I was four. A year later, Dad told me that they both died during an attack on the Hidden Rain by rogue ninjas. They lived outside the village, so we never saw the bodies."

"Did your father actually see them?" Kakashi asked, his eyes narrowing.

Akane scoffed. "Do you think the Rain would let him? They were buried before he even got the news."

"And who told him this?"

"A kunoichi from the Rain. She stopped him before he could enter the village."

"So, he never saw the bodies himself."

"He tried, but the kunoichi wouldn't budge. He had to give up." Akane's voice softened, the old grief surfacing again.

"I see." Kakashi took a moment, then asked, "Do you have any pictures of your mother?"

Akane frowned. "Why do you need that? What's happening, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi's response was calm but carried weight. "We think we've found your mother and brother. They're at the hospital."

Akane's knees nearly buckled as his words hit her. "They... they're alive? How? Why?"

"It could be a coincidence," Kakashi said, his tone measured. "Show me your mother's photo."

With shaky hands, Akane moved to her bedside table and retrieved a small, worn box. From it, she took out an old photograph of her parents, taken before she was born. "Here. This is my mother, Kana Uzumaki," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Kakashi's visible eye widened in shock. The woman in the photo was unmistakably the same one lying in the hospital, under Shizune's care, albeit much younger. "Come with me. Now," he said, his urgency unmasked.

At the hospital, Kenshin was struggling to feed his mother. "Mom, stop being so difficult! You need to eat this if you want to get better."

Kana, clearly unhappy with the bland hospital food, pouted. "I hate this stuff! You know I do!"

Kenshin sighed, exasperated but patient. "If you eat it now, I'll take you out for barbecue once you're better. Deal?"

"Fine!" Kana huffed, finally opening her mouth to accept a spoonful. "But don't forget that promise!"

As Kenshin fed her, the door to the room opened, and Kakashi entered with Akane by his side.

Kana looked up, her expression brightening. "Oh, Kakashi-san! And who's the pretty young lady with you?"

Akane froze, her eyes locking on Kana. Though the years had altered her mother's face, the gentle, almost childlike voice was unmistakable. "Mom..." she whispered, stepping forward.

Kana, oblivious to the emotional weight of the moment, gave a weak smile. "Young lady, I think you're mistaken."

But Kenshin, turning to look at Akane properly for the first time, was stunned. "She looks just like Mary... her face, her eyes, even her hair..." he thought, his mind racing.

Kakashi, noticing the tension in the air, pulled out the photograph Akane had shown him. "Kana, do you recognize this?"

Kana's eyes widened as she stared at the image. "I-Ichiro-san... and me... but my daughter... she died in the massacre. How is this possible?"

Akane stepped closer, her voice soft and trembling. "I wasn't in the compound that night. I was staying at a friend's house."

Before anyone could say more, Akane rushed to Kana, wrapping her arms around her mother in a tight embrace. Kenshin sat there, still processing what was happening. His mind whirled with questions—Is this Mary? Is this real?

Kana, noticing her son's distracted look, scolded him lightly. "Ken-chan, it's rude to stare at a lady like that."

Kenshin snapped out of his daze, blinking rapidly. "Wait, what?! She might be my what?"

Akane chuckled at his reaction, a strange but comforting familiarity flooding her mind. "He's just like Tom... but could he really be him?" she thought, old memories mixing with the present.

Kakashi cleared his throat, breaking the emotional moment. "We've arranged for a DNA test. If it matches, then you're siblings. If not, well... it's a coincidence."

The room fell into a quiet anticipation, the weight of the reunion settling in as they waited for the confirmation that could change everything.

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Everyone, thanks for your support with the previous chapter. As always, please give me your power stones if you want to support me and let me know if you have any helpful suggestions/criticisms.