Hope is still there.

Uotani returns back to Japan but what is the reason. Soon she reveals what the real reason why she ran away to America. But the pieces of the puzzle don't fit still. A stranger visits them after Kyo leaves. How does he get involved in this puzzle to make it even more confusing?

"Text" – Character's dialogue

'Text' - Character's thoughts

(Text) - Author's note

"Text" - Speaking in English

Chapter 3: Confused emotionally and mentally

Arisa screamed and stood up really fasting while pointing her finger at the uncle of Yumi who has entered. "SOHMA KURENO!" Kureno looked at Arisa and had the same reaction but in a calmer way. "Arisa!" She got mad and punched him violently. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME BY MY FIRST NAME, DOBE!" Yuki, Yumi, and Tohru caught Kureno before he could crash into the wall.

Tohru sighed a relief. "At least the house isn't damaged." Yumi nodded. "Okaa-san is really good at karate now." Yuki grinned and helped Kureno to his feet. "Kureno-san, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" He mumbled something about needing karate lessons. "Yeah, I'm alright." Katoru looked at Kureno with curiosity and he did the same back. "Are you Katoru by any chance?" She went red and bowed. "Please to meet you, Kureno-san." Tohru and Yuki smiled at this little reunion with Uo and Kureno. Tohru gasped. "I forgot to buy something at the store!"

Yuki gasped with her and Yumi did the same. "Really? We need to go now!" Yumi ran towards the door and shouted, "I'll start the car! Otou-san should get Okaa-san's purse." Yuki nodded and ran off. Tohru looked at Katoru, Arisa, and Kureno. "Gomen nasai. We will be back in 15 minutes." Before Kureno, Arisa, and Katoru can say anything, the mistresses and lord of the house ran off to the store. Arisa sighed and smiled. "Ano…gomen nasai about the punch. You know Katoru, my 15-year-old daughter." Kureno laughed and held his hand out for Arisa.

"I think you should remember me." Uo smiled and took his hand and gave him a hug. "Kureno." "Arisa." Katoru had one of those looks were you are watching a soap opera and see the mushy part. Except without the kissing scenes. While they were having this little scene of theirs, Yuki, Tohru, and Yumi were listening. (Yuki…spying. HA.) Tohru sighed. "This isn't going so well, Yuki. What can we do?" Yuki was in a pensive mood when he heard that. "Well, seeing that Katoru-san is Kyo's daughter and all, this can get messy." Yumi nodded thoughtfully, even though she had no idea of where can land to. "I have an idea. Just leave them alone for now. I'll tell you my idea for you come with me to someplace." Tohru nodded and smiled.

Katoru nervously looked away in case of any kissing. She realized that Katoru was trying so hard not to look but she can't help it. "Ahem." Kureno and Arisa broke apart rather quickly. "So, Kureno, how has it been without me for 15 years?" Katoru sat back down and continued to eat his meal but she kept a close eye on the adults. She had a feeling that kept saying déjà vu. 'I wonder why. It is like he has been was us up until now.' Kureno smiled at his first (and still) love and replied, "Fine. I am married."

Arisa felt her heart stabbed but she grinned like a hungry tiger. "Really? Congrats on that. Who's the lucky lady?" "Her name is Sakura. She is about a year younger than myself and she works on a coffee shop." The yankee smiled. Katoru didn't understand the connection between the two adults. "So, Katoru. Do you remember Kureno-san?" Katoru crocked her head and began to ponder.

Suddenly, a flash of memories poured into her head. She remembered Kureno helping her mom go to the airport and she remembered him kissing her forehead. But the memory that made her realize him the most was the conversation between her mom and him naming Katoru. "You…you named me. Am I right?" Kureno smiled gently and ruffled her hair. "Yup. You got me." She glared at him and fixed her red, crimson hair. Kureno chuckled. "So, where are you staying for a permanent household?" "Oh, I was thinking of buying a house in Sakura Gardens. You know, that one neighborhood. But that is besides the fact. What do you do for a living, Kureno?" Kureno smiling. "Oh, you don't know about my career?"

Arisa's eyebrows twitched with agony. "Oh, now we are being arrogant. I bet you don't know about my career either." Kureno laughed and threw his hands in the air in defeat. "The delinquent still has power! Amazing." He suddenly looked stern and turned towards little Katoru. "So, you are Kyo-kun's daughter?" Katoru nodded in return, wondering why he needed to know. "Yes. I am." Kureno looked at her for a long while until he finally sighed and pulled her in a hug. "Wha?" POOF! A pile clothes was on the ground and all there was left in Kureno's arms was a beautiful orange cat. Kureno sighed and laughed. "Like father, like daughter." Arisa was shocked at Kureno did that.

"H-how did you know? I thought it was a thing for Kyo and little Katoru only." Kureno placed Katoru down gently and stood up, looking seriously at Arisa. "It … is a complicated thing to say. You…better sit down for this." Arisa didn't understand and sat down with Katoru, who turned back. Kureno paced back and forth, feeling nervously. "How do I put this in a easy way?" Kureno kneeled down and looked at Arisa straight in the eye.

"Our family is cursed. Only a certain amount of family members are possessed by a vengeful spirit of an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. Whenever one of us becomes weak or is hugged by a member of the opposite sex, we change into our Zodiac animal. I was possessed by the rooster spirit but then was freed from that spirit. Kyo-kun is the cat, Yuki-kun is the rat, Kagura-chan is the boar, Ayame-san is the snake, Hatori-san is the dragon, Shigure-san is the dog, Hiro-kun is the ram, Momiji-kun is the rabbit, Hatsuharu-kun is the ox, Kisa-chan is the tiger, Rin-san is the horse, and Ritsu-kun is the monkey. And our god is Akito-san."

Arisa started to understand why all of those years, Yuki of avoiding girls. Katoru finally understood why she was under the curse but she was a bit confused. "Kureno-san? If Kyo is the cat then does that my I shouldn't be the cat? Because you are only allowed to have one animal of the Zodiac at a time." Kureno nodded. "Very wise of you to notice. This is why us ourselves are confused of the many secrets that is bestowed from us. Even I, myself, is confused of how I escaped the rooster spirit." Arisa started to make an end to this.

"So, let me get this straight. There are, supposedly, 13 members of the Sohma family cursed with the animals of the Zodiac. My daughter is curse along with the family, not knowing how it is possible to have two cats and I am here, wondering, HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO REACT AND LIVE MY LIFE NOW!" Kureno started to sweat has Arisa went a bit berserk. Katoru tried to reassure her. "Okaa-san. Calm down. I have been living my life for 15 years with this so-called curse and I have been doing fine, right? I mean, nobody knows about this in America anyway." Arisa's breathing was slowing down. She sighed. "I guess so. But how is it that Yuki-kun and Tohru-kun was able to produce a child? I mean, you did say that if one of the members of the Zodiac is accidentally, or not, hugged by the opposite sex, they would change."

Kureno took one really long deep breath. "Well, there is a certain day when the Zodiac members don't change. And it only happens once a year. Only on that specific day can they be 'normal' for once." Arisa smiled and thought about it.

Katoru decided to go back to the original topic. "So, what is your job exactly, Kureno-san?" He grinned and jabbed his thumb onto his chest. "I'm a model agent. I am currently waiting for my newest model from America. Her name is Aoi, I think. Do you know her? I am suppose to meet her tomorrow." Katoru and Arisa looked at each other and laughed, loudly. "Haha! Aoi! I didn't know that famous super diva would come here for a job! Right, Katoru?" "Right, Okaa-san!" They turned around and whispered to each other.

"This is bad, mom." "Yeah. You don't have to say it twice." "Eventually, you will have to face him cause he is your manager. You can't just leave your career." Arisa sighed and glanced at Kureno. "I know. I know. But I do have a plan." Katoru started to doubt her mom's plan. "What?" "I will wear a disguise!" Katoru started to sweat. "Okay. Your fault if the plan fails." Arisa grinned and turned back towards Kureno.

"So, have you seen a picture of her? She is really beautiful!" Katoru sweat dropped. 'Boasting about herself again. Really.' Kureno grinned. "Nope. All I know is her physical features written on my email." Arisa and Katoru gulped. "P-p-physical f-f-features?" Kureno nodded and pulled out a piece of paper out of his back pocket and unfolded it. "It says that she is tall, blonde, blue eyed, and has a spunky personality. Now that you think about it," Kureno looked at Arisa.

"That kind of describes you, Arisa." She snapped. "DON'T CALL ME BY MY FIRST NAME! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY IT!" Kureno laughed and playfully put his hands up in lose. "Okay, okay! Look, I have to go and get ready to meet Aoi tomorrow at the Modeling Agency. Ja mate ne, Arisa." He leaned in and kissed her sweetly for a long moment. Katoru nervously looked away. As they pulled away, he smiled. "You have certainly got better. See you later, Katoru-hime!" Katoru grinned and waved back.

Arisa grinned and noticed the household family returned with a bag of food. Tohru waved to Arisa with a huge grinned. "I have bought the ingredients we needed! Cake for Uo-chan and Katoru-chan!" Yumi agreed with the same happy energy. "A welcoming party for the Uotanis! And the Sohmas are invited!" Yuki just grinned and sat down. "Now, the food will get cold. Would you like to join us, Kureno-san?"

Kureno looked at the food and shook his head. "I don't want to disturbed your dinner." Tohru protested. "No, no Kureno-san. You should just eat. I will get ready for tomorrow's party. If you want, you can stay here for tonight! I don't think Sakura-chan would mind. I'll call her!" Tohru skipped into the kitchen, leaving the Kureno standing there. Yuki held out a filled-up bowl full of steam rice. "Dig in. Tohru-kun's cooking is just extravagant." Kureno sighed and sat down. 'This could be a bad move.' He sighed and gave in.

Tohru was dialing on the phone in the kitchen while some dishes were being made for tomorrow. "Ohayo, Sakura-chan! ……No, Kureno-san is with us. ……Oh, no. He will be staying over, though. Is that okay with you, Sakura-chan? …..I will. There will be a party here for my old high school friend! ….I think I never mention about her to you ever! Oh, sumimasen! ….Hai, I will see you tomorrow! Ja mate ne!"

As Tohru placed the phone down, she began to ponder. She may not be the smartest girl in the world but she can think up of some really good advice. 'This could be good to have all of Uo-chan's friends over yet she still has not learned about the burden that the Sohma family lives with.' She shrugged and went back to the kitchen to prepare food for tomorrow's party.

The young teens were upstairs in Yumi's room on the internet. The adults were 'catching up' in the living room downstairs. All four of them were dressing in their respectful pajamas. Yuki in a white tee and blue pajama pants. Kureno is the same but with a pair of black pajama bottoms. Tohru was wearing yellow pajamas and Arisa was in a green tank top and plaid pajama pants.

"So, Hatsuharu-kun still has that split personality thing?" Tohru laughed. "Haru-kun has not changed much at all! Neither has Momiji-kun or Hana-chan!" Yuki nodded in agreement and added, "Shigure-san is really no different that before yet it still amazes me about the fact that he is actually getting his novels on time." Kureno chuckled. "And Momiji-kun is quite famous for his violin playing. Momiji and his sister, Momo, are a very good pair of players." Tohru suddenly went into her thoughtful mood. "What does Momo-chan play again? Cello or piano? Do you know, Yuki-kun?"

Yuki sighed. "I told you about a billion times. Piano. Momo-chan plays the piano." "OH, yeah." Arisa raised her to get everyone's attention. "Question. What do you all do for a living?" Kureno smiled. "Well, you know what I do and I know what you do." Arisa smiled inwardly. 'Nope. Not a single bit close.'

Yuki smiled. "I am a CEO of a business company. Tohru-kun is one of the many chefs at a 5-star hotel. And she is the head maid there, too." Tohru blushed. "Yuki-kun, you can stop talking about me. So, Uo-chan. What do you do for a living?" Arisa smirked inwardly. "I use to work as a waitress at a coffee shop. You know, like old times." While Tohru and Arisa were girl talking, the guys were admiring the ladies.

"You know, I think Uotani-san really has grown more womanly then ever. Don't you think so too, Kureno-kun?" Kureno looked at the younger cousin. "Yuki, I think you have got some of Shigure-kun's perverted genes." Yuki glared at him. "Don't get me started." Kureno laughed heartily. "Don't worry about it. I agree with you though. Arisa is perfect for a model." Yuki smirked inwardly. 'Oh, you'd be surprised.' "And it makes me sad to think that you're married to Sakura-chan. I think Uotani-san is the perfect match for you. If only she didn't have Kyo's child here." Kureno smirked at the rat. "OH, you'd be surprised Yuki-kun."

Yuki looked at Kureno with a confused look on his face. 'What does he mean that!'


What DOES he mean by that? Read to find out. Sorry for all the waiting and stuff. I was really busy with school and with typing my other stories. If you are a Naruto fan, go to my profile to see my other stories!

Now for my review thanks!