"Set her down there," Haku instructed. Sasuke had been right when he said that they would reach Haku's village before noon. Unfortunately, Mayu had not stopped her shivering since. Sai slowly laid his teammate's body down on the futon Haku had put out. "Sasuke-kun, please get some ice. Naruto-kun, I need you to get a few empty bags from the kitchen, so I can put the ice in." The two shinobi nodded, and then went to carry out their tasks.

"What can I do?" Morino asked. Haku tore his eyes away from Mayu's body and focused on the uncle. He stared for a few moments before speaking.

"The best thing that you can do right now is leave the room," he answered. Morino looked slightly offended.

"But she's my niece! I can't just-"

"And that's why you must leave. As Mayu-san's family member, you probably won't like what I will do to her to ensure that her health returns," Haku interrupted, moving his eyes back to ill kunoichi. "You will only get in the way. Please leave now."

Sai remained silent as he watched this interaction. His dark eyes moved from Haku to Morino several times before the older Ishikari finally left. The pale ninja listened to his departing footsteps until he could no longer hear them. "Haku-san… Was this a part of the plan?" he asked. The older male took a quick glance at Sai.

"To tell the truth… no… I had no idea this was going to happen," he answered. "Mayu-san was not supposed to be sick." Sai nodded, though Haku couldn't see. The man knelt down next to Mayu and removed her headband. He was going to have to get her fever down before giving her the antidote. She was sweating profusely by now. "Where are those two?" Haku murmured. As if on cue, Naruto and Sasuke entered the room carrying bags, filled with ice; three bags each. Haku gestured the two over and told them to set the bags down near Mayu; of course, they did as they were told. They, including Sai, knelt down on the other side of Mayu's body. She was breathing heavily at this point. Not wasting another moment, Haku began to work. His hands grabbed the front of her top and ripped it open. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at this action, but didn't say anything, figuring the older knew what he was doing.

His eyebrow twitched again when Haku's hands starting roaming up and down her upper body. Sure, he didn't touch her 'goodies,' but it was still unnerving. Sasuke believed that only he was allowed to touch those. "Is that really necessary…?!" Naruto spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed. Sasuke silently agreed with his teammate's question. Haku deliberately ignored the question and moved his hands down to Mayu's legs. His hands were already wet from the sweat from her torso.

"Has Mayu-san eaten within the last twelve hours?"

"She ate stew before we went to sleep," Sai stated.

"Maybe she picked up something bad for the soup. Those mushrooms did look a little nasty," Naruto added.

"If that were the case, then we'd all be sick," Sai commented. Naruto sent him a quick glare, and then returned his eyes to Mayu.

"That's not good… That means I have to wait awhile before giving it to her," Haku thought, frowning. "For the time being, we have to keep Mayu-san's body cool," he said out loud. Shaking his head, he grabbed two of the bags of ice. He placed them against Mayu's sides. The girl shivered and moved her body. Haku held her in place. "Sai-san, could you please place the other two on her legs?" he asked. The pale ninja nodded, and then did as he was told. Of course, Mayu flinched and kicked at the coldness. "Naruto-kun, place another bag on her forehead."

"Right," he said, picking up one bag and placing it over Mayu's head. A sharp gasp escaped the girl's lips. Her face twisted into a grimace. Haku placed the last bag at the side of her neck. The shivered again as she turned her head. Naruto struggled to keep the bag in place. "So… is Mayu unconscious?" he asked.

"If she were unconscious, then she wouldn't be able to feel the ice," Haku answered. "She's most likely in a dreamless slumber." Mayu suddenly groaned and her body jerked.

"You damn im-imposters…! Give them back…"

Three pairs of eyes blinked, and then turned to Haku.

"But then again…" he said, chuckling nervously.

"So how long is this going to take?" Naruto asked. Haku sighed softly. This was a factor that wasn't in his plans. Sure, it was a nice excuse to come back to the village, but Mayu was never supposed to be in this state. He would have to let him know now. Haku took a glance at Sasuke before focusing on Mayu's body again.

"I'm afraid her body temperature must go down before I give her anything," he answered. "Judging from her temperature now, I'd say it will only take about fifteen minutes. Any longer than that and she might get hypothermia. After that, we have to wait a little while longer before I can treat her properly with actual medicine."

"How do you know what to give her, Haku-san?" Sai asked.

"Assuming that it wasn't something she consumed, it's safe to say that something entered her body another way," he commented. "There were no bite marks on her body, so we can rule out poison from an insect, or any animal. The only other option is that she inhaled something that's making her sick. Perhaps she is allergic to something all of you are not. Maybe it's only allergies. I'm not really sure myself. What I am sure of is that I know what I'm doing. Rest assured… your teammate is in safe hands." Naruto sighed in relief. Spoken like a true healer, he thought. Of course Haku knew what he was doing. The ice user could be trusted with Mayu.

Said ice user suddenly stood and walked towards the door. As he walked away, he told Sai to keep the bag on top of her head. "Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, could you please come with me?" he asked. The Uchiha blinked in slight confusion before standing. He momentarily looked at Mayu, and then went after Haku. The blond, however, grimaced, suddenly gaining a sense of dread. Still, he followed after his teammate and host, leaving Sai behind.

The two Leaf shinobi continued to follow Haku right out of the house. They had exited through the kitchen, passing Ishikari Morino on the way out. The older man watched the three as they left, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He wondered why they had to leave the house all of a sudden. In his travels, he learned that a healer should nearly never leave their patients. He pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against. His left ear twitched when he heard the door close. Deciding that he should stalk them, he waited a few moments before doing so.

0-0

"So what do you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms. He looked at the surrounding area. Haku had led him away from his house. The three males now stood in the small forest behind their host's home. Blue eyes curiously looked around, taking in the area. The Uchiha almost nodded his head in approval. Naruto wasn't the same oblivious ninja he had been in the past.

Haku finally turned, facing the two ninja. "I… have a question for you," he began. His statement was obviously focused on Sasuke. He raised a brow, yet nodded his head, signaling for Haku to continue. None of them noticed the presence of another. Ishikari Morino's back was pressed against a broad tree branch just above the two. His hands were locked behind his head and his eyes were closed. Of course he was planning on listening. "Did anything… happen between you and Mayu-san while you were gone?" A pink tint suddenly appeared on Sasuke's cheeks as his eyes seemed to transform into smiles.

"Maaaaaybeee…!"

A sweat drop appeared slid down the back of Haku's head. A nervous grin tugged at his lips. Naruto's expression matched perfectly. He even took a step away from his best friend's side. It wasn't hard to guess with that type of response. The ice user was still a little surprised that the Uchiha could behave this way. "You must have liked it a lot, huh?" Naruto asked. The Uchiha cleared his throat and crossed his arms, neutral expression returning.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke muttered. To his surprise, both Naruto and Haku averted their gazes to the ground. They looked… almost guilty. "Did… Did you do something?" Haku didn't answer. Neither did Naruto. "Naruto, start talking."

"Look—just hear me out," he began.

"To put it bluntly, if something did happen, Mayu-san no longer has any memory of it," Haku continued, leaving Naruto no room for explanation. Ishikari Morino slowly opened his eyes. Judging from what Haku had said, he realized that the older teen and blond ninja had done something to his niece. And because of that, Mayu was now sick. He wasn't sure exactly what they did, but it was enough to keep the Uchiha speechless. In fact, the teen still hadn't replied. "Mayu-san… She doesn't remember if anything happened between you two. Before the five of you left, I gave her a potion. It was most likely the potion that caused her to behave differently."

Naruto warily watched his best friend, whom had lowered his head. His gaze seemed fixated on the grass. But he couldn't be sure because his eyes were no longer visible. Though he couldn't see his friend's dark eyes, he could clearly see the frown. He had known this was going to happen. After a wild time, the stuff would wear off and Mayu wouldn't remember anything. He thought that would enjoy his time would his crush and gain the courage to actually tell her at a later time. Like a practice run. Pervy Sage had done the same with him a couple times—not situations like this—and it worked. But… Mayu getting sick hadn't been a part of the plan at all. "Naruto, you had something to do with this…?" Sasuke finally spoke, which only made the blond flinch. His best friend did not lift his head. Reluctantly, Naruto admitted to his involvement. He looked away, feeling suddenly ashamed. "Why…?" Sasuke asked after a bit of silence. The blond grit his teeth. "Why?!"The Uchiha asked in a much louder voice. Naruto flinched. "Tell me…! Why did you trick me?!"

"I didn't…" Naruto trailed off when he saw the intense glare being directed at him. He opted to try again. "What I did—it wasn't meant as a trick, Sasuke."

SMACK

"Then why the fuck did you do something like this?!" The Uchiha had back-handed his friend, causing the blond teen to stumble. His eyes were wide in slight shock. Although it wasn't expected, he knew that he somewhat deserved it. At least it wasn't a punch, he reasoned. He slowly turned back to Sasuke, whom was now yanking at his hair in aggravation. "How can you be so stupid?!"

"I…" Naruto reached up to touch his red cheek. He briefly thought that his best friend and his female teammate were becoming similar in how they chose to punish him. Mayu liked to back-hand those that annoyed her, too.

"It felt like—like I no longer had to restrain myself when around her." Sasuke's voice dropped as he looked towards the ground again. His arm fell to the side. "And now you're telling me that Mayu's actions last night weren't her own and she can't even remember it either? Do you have any idea how that feels, Naruto?"

"I just… wanted to help!" he protested. "We're nowhere near figuring out what her trigger word is, so I thought if I gave you a sneak peek then you'd try harder to-"

"Try harder?! You think I've been bullshitting this whole time?!"

"No, I just-"

"Shut up!" Sasuke nearly growled. Naruto snapped his mouth close. "An incentive like this is meaningless. Being lied to and fake feelings aren't incentives, especially when it's snatched away just when I'm actually enjoying it." Honestly, the blond hadn't thought about it in that way. Sasuke sighed, rubbing two fingers against his temple. "Is this illness a side effect of whatever you gave her?"

"Yes," Haku was the one to answer. Dark eyes slid in his direction. "Please do not worry. There is an antidote and it will be given to Mayu-san. However, there is something you should know." Sasuke frowned, obviously irritated with this way of beating around the bush. "The sickness will disappear and everything will be as it was before she ingested the potion. Only her memories will return. She will remember the actions between you and herself."

It became quiet after Haku finished speaking. Why, the chirping of birds even seemed to stop. Ishikari Morino blinked. Straining his ears, he heard a strangled laugh come from Sasuke's mouth. "I see. I may not know what happened between my niece and that boy, but whatever it was, it must've been something Mayu-chan would never do, considering her relationship," Morino thought, staring up at the green leaves of the tree. "He must know her more than I originally thought." The older Ishikari narrowed his eyes. He had discovered something valuable in their intense conversation. His niece had another set of memories locked away. Apparently, the little Uchiha wanted to find out the word, which blocked those memories. Something had happened between them in their past—something important enough to make the boy's best friend to take drastic measures.

"So killing me was your plan all along, huh?" Sasuke chuckled. But it was one of those 'it's the end of the world and I feel fine,' sort of chuckles. "Because that's what's going to happen to me. I'm going to die when she realizes-" he almost smirked. "-what happened last night." Naruto gasped suddenly.

"Sasuke, I had no idea! You're impure now, aren't you?" he asked, pointing.

"Don't say things like that," Sasuke replied in a flat voice. "So, is there anything else you wanna tell me before I die?" He walked off slowly, indirectly telling Haku and Naruto that they could get close. There was no use in being angry with his best friend. His intentions had been relatively good, after all. The ice user read his body language and smiled; he fell into step with the Uchiha. Naruto did the same, sensing it was okay.

"Nothing else, really," Haku shrugged. "However, I suppose I should wish you a safe journey on your way to the afterlife."

"Haku, you think this is funny, don't you?" Naruto questioned.

"A little bit," he answered truthfully, earning glares from both Leaf ninja.

Morino listened to their fading voices. He didn't move until he could no longer hear the bickering. He sat up and let one leg hang over the side of the tree branch. He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Placing the tip of one in his mouth, he put the carton away and took out a metal lighter. He flipped open the silver lighter and lit the fire. It wasn't long before smoke exited his mouth. His blue eyes stared into the distance. They weren't really focusing on anything. It was only aimless staring. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and held it in between two fingers. "That boy seems to have real feelings for my precious niece… I suppose that's a step in the right direction. Looks like the Uchiha is getting lucky," Morino thought. He bit down on the filter. "But that luck won't get him far."

0-0

"Ne, Sasuke-kun…" Haku began. The Uchiha looked towards his host. The three did not stop their walk. They had returned home and were currently walking towards the room where Sai and Mayu were. "Is she really going to kill you?" Sasuke looked slightly confused. "Mayu-san, I mean. She won't really do that, right?"

"Hm… No, not kill," Sasuke answered. "I admit that I exaggerated a bit. Mayu won't kill me. Beat me to a pulp, perhaps, but not kill." Haku frowned. He knew already that their relationship was complex, but it really hoped that wasn't the way they showed affection.

"Mayu-san cares for you a great deal. Would she really beat you up?" Haku sounded incredulous. Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads. Poor naïve Haku. He was lucky that he didn't have someone like Ishikari Mayu around.

"Yes, she would. She already has a mean left hook," Naruto commented. "She's crazy scary when she's mad! Only a complete dumbass would dare to purposely piss her off." A flat looked appeared on Sasuke's face, knowing full well that he had done such petty things when they were younger, just to see her reaction. Still worth it.

WHAM

Instinctively, the three males jumped back just as the door to the room ruptured outwards. Automatically, Sasuke's hand was on the hilt of his sword. Almost a second later, he relaxed. Haku only blinked at the sight of Sai. His pale body slid down the wall. He groaned in pain. "What in the world happened?" Haku asked. Sai shook his head to rid himself of dizziness.

"Oh, you're ba-back," he stated with a smile.

"Sai, what happened?" Sasuke asked.

His pale teammate struggled to stand, clutching his abdomen. "Queen finally woke up-" he coughed. "She immediately lashed out at me. If she weren't in this state, perhaps I would need medical attention?" Haku continued to stare, wondering how he could keep that smile on his face after being attacked by his own teammate. "I'm assuming that she jumped to conclusions and attacked even in her weak state."

"Either that or she's angry with you," Haku murmured slowly. Sai finally stood to his full height as the host examined the damaged. He cringed as the rest of the sliding door came off. "So, when the times comes, who wants to give Mayu-san the medicine?" he asked cheerfully. The ice user was met with 'yeah right' stares. It was silent for a few seconds. In that few seconds, a human growl came from the room.

"One, two, three… Not it!" Naruto started.

"Not it."

"Not it!"

"Not—damn it!" Sasuke grumbled.

0-0

Haku came out of the room, causing three heads to look up. Mayu's teammates stood up straight. "How is she?" Naruto was the first to speak.

"She's doing a lot better. Her fever has gone down, she no longer feels dizzy or nauseous," Haku answered. He held a small damp towel. "Also, her sweating—I think she's stopped. All there is left to do is… give her the medicine."

"Is she still… ya know… growling?" Sasuke asked. He was slightly apprehensive. And why shouldn't he be? Earlier, Mayu had hit him without a reason, and then told all of them to 'get the fuck outta here!' Except Haku, of course… He was the only one allowed to get close. This was slightly annoying as hell.

"Mayu-san has calmed down," Haku answered. "I'm going to get the antidote now. When I get back, you can give it to her, Sasuke."

The Uchiha nodded his head. The ice user walked away from the three. "Queen must've have figured out that we've been ignoring her," Sai suddenly spoke up. His two other teammates looked at him in surprised. "But what puzzles me is how she is handling it." Sasuke and Naruto stared in silence. "I believe that I know her well enough now to predict the way she responds to certain things… I'm sure you two have realized that this isn't how she would normally react."

"You're right," Naruto agreed. "Unless she really doesn't realize that we've been ignoring her—Mayu would have said something by now."

"She hit us, that's for sure, but she didn't tell us why," Sasuke mused, closing his eyes. "Now that I think about it that is strange. She's the type that explains why she's beating the crap out of you as she's beating the crap out of you. Or afterwards." Sai nodded his head in agreement, remembering the first time he had been on the receiving end of Mayu's punch.

"You don't think she's mad at us just for the hell of it, do you?" Naruto asked.

"Who knows…" Sasuke sighed heavily. "She could be PMSing."

"No," Sai stated as if it were a scientific fact. The two males looked at him. Both seemed to be skeptical by how certain he had sounded.

"Why do you sound like you know that for sure?" Naruto asked, slowly.

"She has already had her period for this month."

"…"

"…"

"So it couldn't be that she's having the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome…" Sai explained. The two teammates only looked at him if he were crazy. "What is it…?" he asked, genuinely confused by their expressions.

"… How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.

"Did you ask her?!" Naruto demanded to know.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sai smiled. "I wanted to, but Kakashi-san advised me that it wasn't a good idea to ask a female about their bodies. I figured it out by myself."

Naruto sucked in a breath, and then released it after a few moments. He slung around his pale teammate. "You are one creepy bastard," he poked his chest; Sai just looked confused. "… A creepy bastard with helpful info, I admit, but a creepy bastard nonetheless." He poked him again.

"Will you stop being gay for a minute," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto glared at his teammate as he, with speed, took his arm away from Sai. "This is serious."

Before he could retort, however, Haku returned with a glass syringe in hand. In it was a clear liquid. "Okay, I have it ready. Come on, Sasuke." Naruto stared wide-eyed at the needle.

"I'm not giving her that!" Sasuke protested.

"Why not…?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?! She'll kill him!" Naruto answered.

"Uh…"

"Mayu-san is afraid of needles. Really, it's only a fear of bees and their stingers," Sai supplied. "For some reason she imagines a giant bee whenever she sees a syringe."

"Ah… Well, just hide it behind your back, and then just stick it in when she's not looking," Haku suggested, shoving the syringe in the Uchiha's hands. Ignoring the 'That's what she said!' from Naruto, Sasuke was about to protest. Noticing that, Haku quickly continued. "Mayu-san needs this or she won't get better. If we wait any longer, her fever will return." A few choice words were directed at him, which only caused the ice user to smile. "It's decided then!" He pushed Sasuke forward. Completely oblivious to Sasuke's grumbles, Haku continued to push the Uchiha until they were in the room where Mayu's body lied. Sai and Naruto, of course, had followed. "Mayu-san, it's time to take your medicine!" Haku exclaimed cheerfully.

Sasuke had to hurriedly hide the syringe behind his back, even though Mayu took her time to sit up. When she did sit up and notice who all was in the room, she gave a weak glare. The glare was weak only because Mayu, herself, felt weak. But if she would have been at full strength, they'd be toast if looks could set fires… "Ah, how are you feeling, Mayu?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Mayu's fist, weak or not. The kunoichi glared for a few more moments before falling back onto the futon.

"Haku…" she groaned wearily like a wounded animal. "What the fuck are they doing in here?" She no longer sounded wounded or weary in her teammates' opinions.

"They wanted to see you back to health of course," Haku practically gushed, moving towards her body. Mayu somehow made a 'yeah right' type of noise. He knelt on one side of her body while the others knelt on the other side. Not wanting to look at her teammates, she turned her head to Haku. "No, really… and plus Sasuke's going to give you something that will make you feel much better."

"Why does he have to do it?" Mayu sneered. "Why can't you do it?" Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. She was giving them the cold shoulder, wasn't she? This wasn't the normal type either… This was the 'I don't care if you're in the room, I'll still talk shit about you' cold shoulder.

"Let's just say… Sasuke got the short end of the stick," Haku answered, causing the girl to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"Whatever," she finally murmured. "Tell him to get on with it."

"You could just talk to me yourself," Sasuke stated, frowning. There was no response. The room was quiet for a moment.

"Haku, I'm waiting. Tell him already!" Mayu urged. Sasuke almost growled. This was worse than just simply being ignored. He suddenly got the desire to jab Mayu with the needle, regardless of her fear of bees.

"Mayu-san…" Sai spoke slowly. "Why are you being such a moody bitch lately?" Everyone else in the room froze. Sure, the pale ninja was the… honest type. He could be as blunt as Mayu on some days, seriously. The kunoichi slowly—it was almost painfully slow—turned her head to face Sai. He did not have the usual smile on his face. Instead, it was frowning. Actually frowning.

"What… did you just say?" Mayu asked. Naruto and Sasuke both grimaced at the way her teeth grinded together. The noise sounded similar to nails on the chalkboard. The blond quickly clamped his hand over Sai's mouth before the pale ninja could repeat.

"Oh, he didn't say anything!" he exclaimed, smiling at the still glaring kunoichi. "He's just silly—Sai's just being Sai." Naruto finished off his sentences with nervous laugh.

Apparently, his answer didn't suffice because Mayu had yet to take her fierce stare off her teammates. "I'm… being a bitch?" she whispered. She scoffed. "You're the ones who hate me now, right?!" Three pairs of eyes widen. Mayu continued on, not lifting her head. "What am I saying…?" She huffed. "You're not—you couldn't be." Her body visibly shook but it was only for a second. "I didn't understand at first. You-" her voice cracked a bit. "-You look just like the men in the picture near my bed." Naruto's hand slowly dropped as he, as well as Sai and Sasuke, recalled the day when they received their first team picture. Mayu had been quick to put it in a frame. They remembered that she had held the frame against her chest as if it meant the world to her. "It must be a really good disguise because I can't see through it," Mayu continued. "But I do know that whoever you are, you're not them."

"Mayu, you're delirious," Sasuke told her. "You need to calm down."

"Yeah! We are your team!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Bullshit…!" she raised her voice. "There's no way you can be them! You have to—have to be someone else! They would never treat me the way you did! So… I'm convinced that you are imposters!" Mayu's hand quickly reached under the covers and pulled out a kunai. She held it up in a defense positive. Her actions completely took her team members by surprise. Her sickness was taking a dangerous turn. Haku chose to remain quiet, watching the three younger teens try to convince their feverish teammate of their status. "Then tell me… Tell me where we first met! Tell me if it was good or bad! Tell me something only the four of us would know! Or is it… " Mayu's body shook again, more violently than before. The kunai fell to the ground. "Or is it that I'm the fake to you? Have I changed so drastically in the presence of my uncle that you no longer want anything to do with me?" Tears freely fell from her eyes as she looked up at her teammates. "Is that it, Sai, Naruto, Sasuke?" None of the three spoke, much too stun by her sudden emotion. It… seemed to spring to life out of nowhere. "I… I really thought of you guys as my family. It hurts so much to—to have you disregard me as if I were nothing."

"Mayu…" Sasuke murmured. The girl looked away, not bothering to wipe the tears away. The team had no idea that she would react this way. Even Haku, whom had been quiet the entire time, hadn't fathomed that she would do this. He knew that she'd get upset, but crying…? It just seemed a little weird for someone like Mayu.

"Family…?" Sai thought. "Then she also…"

Silent sobs, once again, shook her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. "Mayu…" Sai's voice caused the girl to look at him in shock. It was the first time that he hadn't used an honorific or her nickname. The tears stopped flowing. "I apologize… We did not think our actions would pain you this much." He hugged her. It was his very first time hugging someone in a long time. Yes, Mayu had given them all hugs in the past, but Sai had never returned the hug. The kunoichi tried to hug him back, but it was too surprising. She squeaked out his name. The hug was stiff and awkward, but it was a hug nevertheless.

"This is the last time I will agree to do something like this if it hurts you," Sai continued. He slowly released the girl. He almost had a solemn expression on his face… almost. His dark eyes moved over to the host. "Haku-san, I can no longer go along with your plan."

"What plan…?" Mayu hiccupped lightly. "What are you talking about?" Sasuke and Naruto both sighed simultaneously.

"Me, too…" the blond of the two said.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Three pairs of eyes turned to her. "What…?!" She hastily and angrily wiped the wetness from her face.

"Mayu, your uncle made it clear that he didn't like us," Sasuke began. The kunoichi's lip twitched before she scoffed.

"Of course he doesn't like you! You're three attractive guys and I'm his precious niece," she said as if it were obvious. "Of course he's not going to like you!" Sasuke frowned. "What does that have to do with this so called plan?"

"It wasn't that he didn't like us…" Naruto murmured. "He threatened—no, he told us that we were not fit to be your teammates. When we return home, he's going to ask Granny to take you from this team."

Mayu's brow furrowed as she stared at her three teammates. Then her expression turned blank. The room was filled with silence. None made a sound. Even that bird outside stopped it's constant chirping, Haku noted. Naruto hesitated before speaking again. He was a little unnerved by Mayu lack of a response. He told her what happened, the things her uncle said, and how there was nothing they could do about it. Sai began talking next. He told her that they were a little desperate and went to Haku for help. Sasuke finished it up by saying that Haku's plan—to get in Uncle Morino's good graces—involved the three of them ignoring her.

After that, it was quiet again. The kunoichi, who hadn't spoken the entire time, didn't even blink. She continued to stare blankly at the three. "Uh… Mayu…?" Naruto spoke. All of sudden, she busted out laughing. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he received the stream of saliva that escaped her mouth. He angrily wiped at his face as Mayu clutched her stomach, complaining and laughing that she couldn't breathe.

A few minutes of laughter later, Mayu had finally calmed down… somewhat. "Let me get this straight…" she giggled. "He called you a reckless target, Sai-chan an untrustworthy con artist, and Sasuke an ignorant-ass Uchiha?" She fell into a fit of giggles again. "My uncle's a riot!"

"Mayu…! This is not the time to be laughing!" Sasuke almost shouted.

"And for the record, it was confused, ignorant-ass Uchiha," Naruto corrected; Mayu exploded into another fit.

"Not helping, Naruto…!"

"Queen, this is a serious matter," Sai stated. "I do not want our… family to be split of because of a jealous relative."

"That's not going to happen," Mayu affirmed in a calm voice. She pulled her knees up and let her outstretched arms rest on them. Her team noticed the relieved look on her face as she sighed. "I must say, Haku-kun, you are a genius in your own right." The ice user looked mildly surprised. "To go through this much trouble just so that my stubborn teammates would tell me what was going on… Amazing," she sounded impressed.

"Ah," Haku smiled. "You figured it out then?"

"Yes… In the little time that you've known me, you have stumbled onto a bit of my personality," Mayu continued. "You knew what my reaction was going to be, right?"

"Actually, I thought your reaction would have something to do with throwing things and slamming your teammates against the ground. I thought they would finally tell you once they realized that you really were trying to kill them. That was my plan," Haku explained. "The tears were truly unexpected, but in the end, the result was the same." The two strategists shared a chuckle, in the process, confusing the hell out of their friends.

"What the hell are you—you know what? I don't even want to know," Sasuke shook his head. "Back to the matter at hand—what are we going to do about your uncle?! I can't get separated from you again…"

"I said we're not splitting up!" Mayu sounded a bit annoyed. "I'll take care of my uncle! Just leave everything to me… when I get better, of course."

"Oh, that reminds me," Sasuke muttered.

"What reminds you of what?"

"This." He jabbed Mayu's arm with the needle and pressed the liquid inside her body. Luckily, her vein was already bulging.

Mayu let out an ear-splitting scream.

0-0

The two teens stared at each other, completely disregarding all things around them. In fact, they had almost forgotten that they were standing in the hallway. The others were in the living room; Sai was most likely helping Haku in the kitchen, though. Sasuke had come to check on his teammate, but she had already left the room, and that's how they met each other in the hallway. No words were spoken as they continued to look intently into one another's eyes. Neither one bothered to move their legs. Sasuke swallowed hard. They weren't going to get anywhere without words, so he mind as well start talking.

"You're feeling better," he began. Mayu averted her eyes to the ground.

"Yeah, I am…" she murmured. "Thanks for stating the obvious, captain."

"No problem, Major Pain-in-my-ass," Sasuke almost laughed. Mayu almost laughed. They didn't, however. For a moment, they fell into silence. Mayu scratched her cheek as Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth. "But… that's not the only thing you got back, is it?" It grew quiet again.

"Right…" Mayu finally spoke. "I got this horrible rash! You should see it! It's-"

"Mayu…! You know what I mean!" Sasuke interrupted. He knew she was lying; she was only tried to avoid it. "I know you remember. What happened between us… you know, right?" The kunoichi stepped forward. The Uchiha just about took a step back. Her head tilted down, so he couldn't see her face. He couldn't tell if she was angry.

"I…" Mayu began. She moved around him. "I can't deal with that right now," she whispered as she passed him.

"Please…" Sasuke's voice caused Mayu to pause in mid stride. "We need to talk… We can't just ignore it."

"I'm not trying to ignore it," the girl responded. She sighed. "We'll talk, I promise… Just not right now. I have to think and… plus there's my uncle. I can't—just not now, Sasuke." She walked away, not giving her teammate the chance to reply.

"When…?" Sasuke thought. With a heavy sigh, the Uchiha turned and followed after the kunoichi. For the moment, his relationship with Mayu would have to be put in the back of his mind. She was right. He would give her time to think. Once he reached the living room—he had moved in a slow manner—he noted Mayu was nowhere to be found. Neither was her uncle for that matter. The only one in the room was Naruto. "Where did-"

"Mayu practically dragged her uncle out of her, saying that they needed talk privately," Naruto answered before Sasuke could inquire.

"Privately…?" the Uchiha murmured.

"Yeah," Naruto stood up. "Privately."

Sasuke nodded his head.

"I'll go get Sai."

0-0

The three teens had found the two Ishikari clan members quickly. But that was probably because they hadn't ventured that far away from Haku's home. The three were hidden from view by a bush, which had conveniently grew near where Mayu and her uncle were. Lucky them… "Can you hear what they're saying?" Naruto whispered.

"Shut up…!" Sasuke whispered back. "They haven't started talking yet! And if we can hear them, there's a good chance that they could hear us, so don't talk! Don't even breathe." Mayu's head suddenly turned towards the bush, causing two to yelp—quietly—in surprise and duck lower, which wasn't much since the three were lying with their chests to the ground. After a beat, she turned her head back towards her uncle, causing Naruto to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You think she saw us?" he asked. Sasuke hesitated before answering.

"… No, I don't think she did," he murmured.

"Of course she didn't. We're obviously in stealth mode," Sai commented. He was using 'sarcasm,' one of the many things one did with friends. His friends ignored the smart-ass comment and focused their attention on Mayu's back; she was facing her uncle.

"So, Mayu-chan, what do you want to talk about?" Morino asked. The girl turned her full attention on her relative.

"Um… Last time we talked, I mean really talked, it was about the past," Mayu began. "I want to talk about the present now. This is about… my family. When I returned here, I was alone without my memories. I didn't know who I was or where I came from—not truly. At the time, I really needed family." Morino opened his mouth, but not a sound came out. Seeing this, Mayu continued. "But you'd know all about that, right, uncle?"

"Yes, family is very precious to you. I understand your feelings," Morino stated. She nodded her head. "But what is it you truly want to say?" A tight frown appeared on the kunoichi's face. At her side, her fingers curled into a fist.

"Besides you, my real flesh and blood, there are others that I call family," she said, tilting her head downwards. Morino remained silent. "I heard about what you told them, uncle. I didn't find it amusing-" In the bushes, Sasuke and Naruto snorted. "-that you told them that. So let me tell you something right now… Family or not-" His eyes widened slightly. If a cigarette happened to be in his mouth, it would have fallen to the ground. He had recalled his sister saying something like that once before.

Family or not, dear brother…

"-I will destroy anyone who would try to separate them from me!" Mayu finally lifted her head with a glare.

… I will destroy you if you come in between me and those I care about!

"Mayuka-chi…" Morino thought in surprise. He could clearly see his dead sister glaring at him in the form of her daughter. "Ma-Mayu-chan… Please understand that I was going to do it for you. It would be for the best. They are not-"

"They are exactly what I need right now!" Mayu looked and sounded angry. Morino was taken aback. Never before had his niece yelled out him. Never before had she been angry with him. That had always been the case, simply because of her adoration for him. But now… she was pissed. "They are my comrades, my friends, and my team… my family! Sure, Sai might only show few emotions, but considering his past, he's come a long way! He is not an untrustworthy con artist! I would gladly place my life in his hands—that's how much I trust him!" Sai's lips parted, stunned by his teammate's words. There had been a time where she would have killed him for his actions, but now she was defending him so passionately. His body tensed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Naruto might be a reckless target at times—I won't deny it, he is one! Sometimes the way he acts is so goddamn annoying-" Naruto pouted. "-But I wouldn't give him up as a teammate. He is someone that I consider a brother." Honestly, the blond shinobi didn't know what to think. He hadn't felt this way since Sasuke had announced that he considered him a best friend. Naruto swallowed hard, willing himself not to let tears fall. "Also, Sasuke…" she paused as if trying to find the right words to say. "Sasuke is not confused. He realizes that Itachi has to pay for what he's done. He is not wrong for wanting revenge for the loss of his family. Who are you to judge what he desires?"

"He does not value family, Mayu. Are you condoning what he plans to do to the first person you considered your brother?" Morino questioned.

"That's none of your business!" Mayu retorted. "The fact of the matter is, uncle, that this is my new family. After what happened… After I lost mother, father, and all my cousins, I was alone. When I regained my memories, it was that much more painful because I experienced those feelings all over again. I refuse to go through that because of you. How could you even think its okay to tear my family away from me after all I've gone through already?!"

"Mayu-"

"I love you, Uncle Mori," Mayu interrupted. "But I will bury you, alongside the rest of our clan, if you threaten my precious family again."

It was silent. None present spoke a word. The three hiding in the brushes barely breathed as they continued to watch uncle and niece stare at one another. Morino suddenly closed his eyes and sighed. "I understand, Mayu-chan," he murmured. "You seem more and more like your grandmother every day. It's almost creepy actually." Mayu didn't say anything. Her blue eyes stared up at her uncle. They were no longer angry. "I… will no longer interfere in your affairs." Mayu almost smiled. "You just need to follow my one condition." He nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette and lighter, choosing to ignore the irritated look coming from his niece.

"Fine."

"So hasty," Morino remarked, and then blew out a puff of smoke as he snapped his lighter shut with a clink sound. He blew out another puff. "The terms of this condition goes as follows." This time he paused, and then inhaled, and then blew out. Mayu's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Practically snarling, the kunoichi yelled out his title. "Ah, you don't like to be kept waiting, do you?" He chuckled. Mayu didn't find it funny. "In order to prove to me that you trust them completely, you really are going to put your life in their hands."

"Eh…?"

"What I mean is… You must defeat me, Mayu, with only the thought of not losing your family to drive you," Morino clarified.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"If your trust in them is so strong, then you'll have no problem defeating me," Morino said. He smirked. "If you can't defeat me, they will not be your teammates ever again." He blew out. "I won't go easy on you and they won't be allowed to help. Will you still accept this?"

Mayu stared at the man in front of her, not believing the words that came from his mouth. "My uncle… he has changed," she thought. She averted her eyes to the side. This person is front of her was a stranger. This was not the man she grew up admiring. Although he was, he wasn't the same. "I… I accept your challenge," Mayu bit out. "I have no intention of losing to you."

"You'll need more than will to beat me, Mayu-chan."

0-0

Can't wait to finish this arc! Whoo!