Sorting Feelings
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THE IDEA OF THESE OC CHARACTERS ARE NOT OWNED BY ME. THESE SPECIFIC VERSIONS HOWEVER ARE MY BRAIN CHILD, IF YOU USE THEM GIVE ME CREDIT.
Yo welcome back to another installment into The Naruto Uchiha Series. This was voing to be a one shot that would focus on how The Uchiha Resentment begins. However after like 20k words i figured id divide it into chapters. For sanity reasons. The idea came from a user who PM'd me about how Minato and Akane even ended up together verses Kushina and Minato. So, instead of just writing that user a BS answer, ill write a one shot instead. Anyways the main character is Naruto Uchiha's mother and father. There is a lot to cover, so expect numerous time skips until we get to Naruto's birth. Welcome to the Prequel! Enjoy the Read
The Uchiha Rebellion
Chapter 2: Sorting Feelings
One Year Later
A year had passed since Akane Uchiha had first been paired with Minato Namikaze at the Academy. In that time, her once distant and guarded nature had slowly melted away, replaced by something warmer—friendship. Akane had become an integral part of a close-knit group that included Minato, Kushina Uzumaki, and Akimitsu Senju. The four of them spent countless hours training, studying, and, when they had free time, simply enjoying each other's company around Konoha.
Today was one of those rare moments where there was no immediate mission or training. The group had decided to meet up at their usual spot—an open field on the outskirts of the village, just beyond the Academy grounds. The field was surrounded by towering trees, their branches swaying gently in the breeze, offering the perfect blend of privacy and tranquility.
Akane sat under one of the trees, her back resting against the rough bark as she watched her friends from a distance. Minato was practicing a kunai technique nearby, his movements graceful and precise. Kushina, her fiery red hair unmistakable even from afar, was engaged in a mock battle with Akimitsu, the two laughing as they sparred, neither taking it too seriously.
It was strange how things had changed over the past year. Akane had never imagined herself part of a group like this, with people who genuinely cared for her, who made her feel like she belonged. But the longer she spent with them, the more she found herself lowering her walls.
And then there was Minato.
Her gaze drifted toward him again, watching as he expertly threw a kunai, hitting the center of the target with ease. Her chest tightened slightly, an all-too-familiar feeling creeping up on her. She didn’t know exactly when it had started—when her feelings for Minato had shifted from simple friendship to something deeper—but it had happened. She found herself drawn to him in a way that made her heart race whenever they were close.
The realization had been startling, even painful at times. It wasn’t as if she had planned for this to happen. She valued their friendship, and she valued Kushina’s as well. Kushina had been obvious about her feelings for Minato since their first year at the Academy. She adored him, that much was obvious to anyone who spent even a short amount of time with them. And though Minato never explicitly reciprocated those feelings, there was something about the way he interacted with Kushina—kind, gentle, always there when she needed him—that made Akane hesitate.
She sighed quietly, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to push those thoughts away. It doesn’t matter, she reminded herself. Kushina likes him. And you… you don’t want to ruin things for her—or for yourself.
The last thing she wanted was to feel like an outsider again. For so long, the Uchiha name had separated her from the others in the village. Even now, there were moments when she felt that old distance creeping in. But here, with Minato, Kushina, and Akimitsu, she had found a place where she didn’t have to be the Uchiha prodigy or the quiet, aloof girl in the corner. She was just… Akane.
That was worth protecting, even if it meant keeping her feelings for Minato locked away.
“Hey, Akane!”
She opened her eyes at the sound of Minato’s voice and saw him walking toward her, a bright smile on his face. His golden hair caught the sunlight, and for a brief second, her heart did that strange fluttering thing again. She forced herself to smile back, masking her emotions behind her usual calm demeanor.
“Finished with your training already?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
Minato chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “For now. I was actually going to take a break and grab something to eat. Want to join me?”
Akane hesitated for a fraction of a second. It wasn’t uncommon for the two of them to hang out alone from time to time, but lately, every interaction felt heavier, more charged with the weight of her unspoken feelings. Still, she nodded. “Sure.”
Before either of them could move, Kushina’s voice cut through the air. “Oi! Minato, you better not be ditching us for food!”
Minato turned toward her with a laugh. “I was going to ask if you all wanted to come too!”
Kushina grinned, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead as she and Akimitsu jogged over. “Good! ‘Cause I was starting to get hungry too.”
Akane felt a strange mixture of relief and disappointment as their group of four reassembled, the tension in her chest easing now that it wouldn’t just be her and Minato alone. As the conversation turned to where they should go for lunch, she found herself falling back into her role as the quiet observer, content to listen to the lively banter between her friends.
Even so, the ache in her heart remained, and as she watched Minato and Kushina interact with their usual playful ease, Akane knew one thing for sure—she wasn’t ready to admit how she felt. Not yet.
The walk back to the Uchiha compound was a quiet one, the fading light of the afternoon casting long shadows along the streets of Konoha. Akane’s mind, however, was far from peaceful. The laughter and ease of her time spent with Minato, Kushina, and Akimitsu had faded, replaced by the weight of the expectations she carried with her name—Uchiha.
She stepped through the gates of the compound, her eyes scanning the familiar stone walls and tall, ancient trees that surrounded her home. The Uchiha district was always quiet, somber even. There was a sense of rigid tradition that hung in the air, a reminder that every step she took was being watched, measured, and judged.
Akane made her way to her uncle’s house, a modest home compared to the grander residences of the clan leaders, but it had always been her home since her parents’ deaths. Her uncle, a kind but quiet man, had taken her in without hesitation. He was weaker than most Uchiha, not suited for the frontlines of battle, and was tasked by his brother with overseeing Fugaku’s rise to become the next head of the clan.
Her uncle was sitting on the porch when she arrived, a small book in hand. He looked up as she approached, offering her a gentle smile. “Welcome back, Akane,” he said. “How was your day?”
Akane returned the smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It was fine,” she replied. “I spent time with Minato, Kushina, and Akimitsu after training.”
Her uncle nodded, closing his book and placing it beside him. “Good. It’s important to have friends outside the clan.” There was a pause, then a subtle shift in his expression as he added, “Just be careful. The clan’s rules… well, you know how things are.”
Akane nodded, though the weight of those rules pressed down on her more than ever. “I know.”
Without another word, she entered the house, retreating to her room in the back. The small space was simple, with little decoration save for a few scrolls and a small collection of weapons she used for training. She sat on her bed, letting out a soft sigh as her mind drifted once more to the expectations placed on her by the clan.
Her relationship with Fugaku was strange. They were cousins, but their interactions were so limited that it sometimes felt like they were strangers. He was the pride of the clan, the one groomed to take over as head, while she was… something else. Close enough to be mistaken for siblings at least to the clan, but in truth, they hardly knew each other’s dreams or ambitions.
But there was one thing Akane did know: the Uchiha clan was strict, especially when it came to its rules.
The clan’s future was everything. For generations, the Uchiha had lived by an unbreakable code—males were to fight in wars unless physically incapable or assigned another duty by the head of the clan. Females were to support the clan’s future, primarily as housewives, unless they demonstrated strength worthy of the battlefield.
Akane’s lips tightened at the thought. She was strong—strong enough to fight, strong enough to make a difference in the war that was looming over them. But the clan had other plans for her, plans that made her feel trapped, suffocated by expectations she wanted no part of.
Another rule weighed heavily on her mind: the Uchiha were forbidden from marrying or procreating outside the clan. This had been enforced for generations, ever since a male Uchiha had abandoned the clan to be with an outsider. The very idea of loving someone outside the Uchiha was seen as a betrayal, a threat to the purity of the clan’s bloodline.
And yet… Minato.
Akane’s thoughts wandered back to him. In their year of friendship, she had grown closer to him than anyone else. He was kind, talented, and driven in ways that she admired deeply. But more than that, he saw her for who she was—not just as an Uchiha, but as a person. He didn’t expect her to follow the path set for her by her clan.
She let out a long breath, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. If she were honest with herself, she knew she was starting to fall for Minato. And that thought terrified her. Not just because it was against the clan’s rules, but because of what it would mean for her friendship with Kushina. Kushina had been open about her feelings for Minato for as long as Akane had known her, and the last thing Akane wanted was to come between her and one of her closest friends.
Still, the thought of a future where she was forced to marry someone chosen by the clan made her stomach churn. What if it didn’t have to be like that? What if…
No. Akane shook her head, pushing the thought aside. It was a dangerous road to go down. She couldn’t risk it—not for herself, not for Minato, and certainly not for Kushina.
And yet, the idea lingered in the back of her mind, refusing to let go.
If only things were different, she thought bitterly. If only I could choose my own path.
Her gaze drifted toward the window, where the fading light of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. Somewhere out there, war was brewing—conflicts that would soon engulf Konoha and the rest of the shinobi world. Part of her longed to fight, to prove herself on the battlefield rather than be relegated to the role of a housewife, expected only to bear children for the clan’s future.
She clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. She wasn’t sure how or when, but she would find a way to fight in the war. She would prove to the clan—and to herself—that she was more than just a tool for their plans.
And maybe, just maybe, she would find a way to carve out her own future in the process.
The Stubborn Uchiha realizes she likes someone badly... what a trope. Got to love it honestly.