3rd POV

A 15-year-old Asuma was holding a newborn Akari who was going to be living with them from now on.

" Are you sure that the Uchiha's shouldn't take her, not only do they have a son her age, but they are her godparents?" Asuma asked his father as Akari looked at him, with eyes that seemed too deep to belong to a newborn.

" If the Uchiha's take her the power between clans will be disrupted, people are already suspicious of the Uchiha, if they take her now it will only worsen their situation." the Hokage said and Asuma nodded.

The girl in his hands shifted to look at the source of the voice, but after looking for a few seconds she turned back to staring at Asuma.

Her lips parted as she placed a hand on Asuma's cheek and wiped away the stray tear he didn't know he had.

Asuma was doing his paperwork in the living room, were Akari was seated playing with a stuffed bunny.

Akari looked at her bunny, then to Asuma, and back to her bunny.

She made a few baby noises, but Asuma didn't seem to hear her.

She began to crawl towards him but that was taking too long. She wanted to play with him now. So she grabbed onto the sofa and pulled herself up.

She had tried walking a few times but had failed.

With a few stumbles, she ran towards her uncle clutching onto his pants when she was about to fall.

Asuma looked at her in shock. She could barely crawl. He knew that she was trying to walk but didn't know she actually could do it. He could feel the grin grow on his face as he lifted Akari onto his hip.

" Well you have the makings of a prodigy don't you," He asked in amusement. He knows that most babies don't walk this fast.

The Hokage walked into his home after a long day to see his grandaughter walking towards a cheering Asuma.

looks like she's your daughter Minato He thought as he took a picture of this moment.

" Well, Akari who do you want to play with Oji or Oba" Raya ( Konahamaru's mom) asked a waiting Akari, who was holding onto a different bunny stuffed animal. Raya made sure to point at herself and Asuma when she said both words.

" O-ojee" She yelled and Asuma found himself both proud, shocked, and smug.

Raya had a look of shock and pure adoration on her face as she watching a younger Akari run towards her brother.

" Her first word" Asuma whispered his face lighting up as he practically tackled his niece. The grin he gave his sister as she took a picture of this was one she would remember forever.

Asuma just returned from a week-long mission. He was barely awake by the time he had changed and entered the living room.

It was around midnight so he didn't want to wake anyone up, so he ended up falling asleep on the couch.

Akari who had finally moved into her own room was still awake. She didn't like going to sleep alone. She was terrified at every sound.

So when she heard a sound in the living room she went to investigate. She saw her uncle asleep on the couch.

Her nose twitched as she quickly snuggled onto her uncle's chest, and in response, he put his arm around her.

Asuma woke up to a feeling of warmth on his chest on opened his eyes to see red. He looked up to see his father smiling with a camera in hand.

Asuma didn't know what he was expecting when he came home early from a supposed week-long mission.

Seeing his niece in one of his old shirts, with Raya and Mikoto Uchiha fangirling and taking pictures was definitely not what he was expecting.

His sister grinned in his direction when she saw the door open and Mikoto just continued to talk with her goddaughter.

But when Akari saw him she went running towards him without hesitation.

" Oji welcome home" She yelled throwing herself onto him.

He will not admit that he has that picture framed.

" Asuma- Oji" A voice called out to a training Asuma. With a quick look at the sky, he knew that he has been here for more than what he should have been. He missed lunch and dinner.

He's been finding himself spending less and less time inside of the house with his father. Akari had started training. It wasn't a choice. Too many people are going after her.

Just last month her Anbu guard was attacked by Iwa ninja. Thankfully Kakashi was there and he does not like anyone going after his sensei's daughter.

Her hair had grown and unlike Kushina who he had heard hated her hair, she adorned her brilliant red hair.

Asuma at this point had given up understanding his niece's obsession with bunnies.

" Water" She stated handing him a water bottle. Her hair was tucked underneath the hat that he got her for her fourth birthday.

" Do you have to leave?" Akari asks Asuma at the gate. Her hong hair was pulled up into a bun curtsy of Mikoto.

Asuma had gotten into a fight with his father and it ended with Akari and Raya having to leave the house for a few hours.

Akari was scared, but she had her Raya-oba with her so she was safe.

" Gomen, I'll see if I can visit," Asuma said stiffly. His anger not stopping him from seeing his niece.

He patted her head and she held onto Raya as Asuma kissed Raya on the cheek.

" I'll always be there when you need me. I'm just a letter away" Asuma said to the girls, his eyes lingering towards the Hokage tower. Despite the fight, he at least thought that his father will see him off.

In that second Asuma disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Asuma was running towards the village. For the first time in a year, his father contacted him. He was debating on reading the letter for a while but was relieved that he did.

Akari's whole team had died. Her whole team. Asuma had known her sensei, talked to him on an almost daily bases. He was a good man and an even better sensei.

He got to the gate and went directly towards the cemetery, somewhere he had hoped Akari would never have to be until her teenage years. Yet her Chakra signature was here.

Her hair was down in a Huyga fashion and she was in an almost midnight, dress. Her eyes were empty as she stared at the grave in front of her.

Something told Asuma to stay hidden. No matter how much he wanted to tell her everything would be ok, a ninja always trusted their instincts first.

And in a flash an unforeseen rage, Akari took a kunai from her thigh and in a straight line cut off her hair to above her shoulders.

Asuma bit himself back from calling out her name. Few tears fell down her face as she looked at the hair she chopped off in her hand. A black ribbon tying it together.

Her teeth grit together as she placed her hair on the grave of her sensei, and walked away.

" I promise... I will be stronger, I will protect others as you have done for me" She whispered and Asuma nodded. He wasn't needed. She'll be fine.

He continued to watch as his pregnant sister looked at Akari in shock after she left the cemetery.

Asuma left before anyone knew he was here.