Chapter 25:

Neji slipped on a patch of ice and fell against a tree. Yari closed in on him from above. Neji's eyes widened.

Then suddenly, he knew what to do. He quickly changed his fighting stance and opened his eyes wide.

"Byakugan!"

Faster than the eye could see, he struck. His hands hit Yari multiple times in the chest and arms. He could see all his chakra points. He didn't hit all of them purposely, wanting to only hit enough to push him back. He threw out both hands, sending Yari flying into the tree he jumped out of.

As soon as Yari hit the tree, Neji realized what had happened.

Taking a deep breath, he stood tall, letting it all soak in.

His name was Neji Hyuga. He lived in the Leaf Village. He knew everything; everything that had been lost to him before. He remembered it all.

In his moment of shock and relief, Neji exhaled with a smile.

Having it all back was so comforting. He felt complete. He felt whole again.

He knew it all. He remembered. Doing what he just did was proof. Before he had no idea how to use those skills and now he could. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was himself again.

He saw Yari begin to stand up and got into another fighting stance. Yari looked up, seeing his stance.

"Whoa!" Yari held up his hands as if to push Neji back. Neji recognized this as a defensive position. Yari wasn't going to attack. He was surrendering.

Yari hadn't displayed this kind of behavior before so Neji did not attack. Instead, he watched him closely.

"Whoa, man. Chill, ok? Please wait a sec. Hold up."

Everything about his demeanor had changed. Even his eyes. They no longer held malice or cruelty. They were wide with confusion and uncertainty, almost frightened.

Neji lowered his arms, giving Yari a chance. It was a chance to either take advantage of the opening or to speak, and Neji knew Yari was not going to attack.

With his arms still raised defensively, Yari glanced around the woods, at every branch as if expecting someone to jump out at him. Seeing no one, Yari slowly lowered his arms, panting.

"I… I'm sorry." Yari looked at Neji with the same expression of uncertainty on his face. "I didn't mean to. I just… I'm not really sure what happened. I have no idea what I was thinking."

Neji could tell from his behavior that he was telling the truth. Neji also understood something else. It was something they had suspected before and had now been confirmed. In addition to Kakashi, Yari and the other men had their memories tampered with. It was clear from how Yari was acting now that he had no idea why he was here or why he was fighting in this battle.

"I don't know…" Yari said slowly, deep in thought. "I'm so confused. Why was I..?" He looked at Neji. "You, too? Your fighting skills suddenly changed. Just as you turned to hit me, I caught myself wondering why I was attacking you. Is your head feeling fuzzy, too?"

Neji didn't answer him but he conveyed enough to let Yari know that he was in a similar position.

"I suddenly remembered," Yari went on. "I was on my way to a location. I was given a mission. A few days out from my village in the mountains. I knew it was far but I took it anyway. It was a simple mission, I remember, the only problem was the distance. I decided to cut through this forest as a shortcut. It was so vast, I knew it would shave off some time instead of going around it, but it was still so big. I set up camp and then I…"

Yari frowned in confusion. Everything was so clear to him up to this point. This was where it stopped making sense.

"When I woke up in the morning… I remembered a different mission. I don't know who gave it to me, but it wasn't the one I had originally. I didn't even remember that one. I couldn't until now."

"I couldn't remember things I used to know either," Neji confessed. He wanted to let Yari know that he wasn't alone.

Yari looked at him. "I don't know what happened, but I didn't mean to attack you. I don't know why I thought you were an enemy. I was confused and I…"

He wasn't a threat now. Neji knew that. He stepped back with a nod of his head, letting Yari know there were no hard feelings.

"Oh, jeez, what day is it? How long was I in a daze?" Yari looked around. "My mission. I've got to get going." He looked at Neji as he bent his knees. "Sorry, but I have to go. Are we cool?"

Neji nodded to him.

"Great. See ya." Yari sprang into the trees and was gone.

Neji stepped back, listening to the sound of the leaves.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Then he opened his eyes and let out a soft chuckle. He was so happy to have it all back.

Giving a battle-cry, Supaisu charged at Yamato with weapon in hand. Yamato spun around and got ready to defend himself.

In the middle of his run, Supaisu's expression changed. Suddenly, he stopped running, half skidding, half stumbling on the uneven terrain.

"Wait!" he yelled, throwing out his arm.

Yamato did not attack.

Supaisu panted and looked at the ground, thinking. "Wha… Why am I fighting you? This makes no sense. I… I don't have a reason to…"

His demeanor had changed. Supaisu was not the blood-thirsty ninja he had been fighting a moment ago.

"Was… Was I under genjutsu?" he asked himself. "Why did I think I had to do this?"

"Are you back to your senses now?" Yamato asked him.

Broken from his thoughts, Supaisu looked up. "You… You're from the Leaf Village, aren't you?"

"I am."

Supaisu took a step back. "Listen. I'm sorry about just now. I don't know what got into my head. I was confused. I have no beef with your village. I didn't mean to attack you. I don't know why I was."

"But you remember it?"

He nodded. "I do. It makes no sense, though. It's kind of like sleep-walking, I guess. I remember why I was doing it, and it all made perfect sense, but now it doesn't." He shook his head, frowning. "Why the hell did I think that was my mission? And who the hell was that guy? Why did I think I answered to him?"

"The one who was giving you orders?" Yamato asked. "Where is he?"

"In a cave in the woods. Just about half a mile from here. Northeast."

Yamato made a mental note of that. If this man was free from the jutsu he was under, then something must have happened to his former boss. Shikamaru must have succeeded.

"I got no beef with your village," Supaisu said again. "Please don't hold this against me or think it's a reflection of my village. The last thing we want is to have the Leaf as our enemy, thinking we threw the first punch. That was not the intention. My boss will have a fit if he finds out I attacked someone from the Leaf without reason."

"I won't mention this," Yamato told him. "I know you weren't in your right mind. I can see that now."

"Thanks for the understanding." Supaisu's eyes widened. "Ah, man, what day is it? How long was I out here? My mission. My real mission…"

It all came back to him. He remembered everything. Even why he was in this forest in the first place.

"I was asked to go to another village for a meeting. I had to go through this forest to get to it. It was a simple mission, so I went alone. It was just a meeting. But… But that was days ago. Ah, crap. I'm gonna get chewed out for this one. I am so late. I doubt they postponed the meeting all this time. I gotta go. Maybe I can get there and explain myself. What am I going to tell my boss?"

The jutsu must have been cast on this man as he was passing through the forest. Under its influence, he must have forgotten about his real mission and started attacking the people the caster told him to. He was under it for days, perhaps weeks. Yamato could only imagine the headache this man was in for when he arrived at his meeting. This man had his sympathies.

"I gotta go. No hard feelings, right?"

Yamato shook his head. "We're good."

"Sorry about all that. See you." With that, the man left.

Yamato was thankful the battle between them was over. No longer driven by the jutsu, this man was actually quite reasonable.

Then Yamato had another thought. If this man had returned to normal, then perhaps the others were as well. Sai and Neji might also be back to their old selves. He had to find them and find out.

Seeing Sakura in trouble, Sai tried to help her, but he couldn't think of anything. His sword was gone and his drawings weren't coming to life. All he could do was watch and beg the man for mercy.

Then suddenly, he knew exactly what to do.

He held up the scroll and focused the exact amount of chakra he needed. "Super Beast Scroll!"

The tiger leapt off the page and flew at the man looming over Sakura. The tiger bit his arm and pushed him away.

Sakura got up, relieved. She turned her head and saw Sai drop to his knees. "Sai?"

Sai knelt on the ground, staring straight ahead. The scroll fell out of his hand and rolled across the grass.

"Sai?" Thinking he was hurt, Sakura came over to him. "Sai, are you ok?"

"I… I am… Sai. My name is Sai." His face broke into a wide smile. "I remember."

"You do?"

"I remember everything." The shock of having all his memories suddenly return caused Sai's legs to go weak. As he sat there, he played back all the memories he had regained and knew he had them all.

"Sai?"

He jumped to his feet, overcome with emotion. "I'm myself again!" he cried. "I'm me! It's me! I'm back! I know who I am again. I finally have it all back."

Sakura was so happy for him, she hugged his shoulders. "Sai, that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you."

Sai allowed himself to be hugged. It felt good. Having all his memories back felt even better. Such comfort and completion. He was so relieved.

The man they were fighting started to get up. Sai and Sakura sprung apart and faced him. Seeing the man's behavior, Sai blocked Sakura with his arm. This man wasn't going to attack them.

Suzume looked around, letting his own memories slowly sink in. The false memories were pushed aside to make room for his real ones, leaving him feeling dizzy and confused. In time, he realized that the real memories resurfacing were his own and that the fake ones were lies. He remembered everything.

"Are you ok?" Sai asked him.

Suzume turned his head. "I think so."

"Do you need medical attention? You're probably hurt from the attack."

"Attack?" he said slowly. "That's right. I attacked you first. Why did I do that? Oh, right. I was asked to. Wait, who was that guy? Why did I..?"

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked, seeing his behavior. This man was no longer a threat. He seemed disoriented.

"I was on my way back to my village and fell asleep under a tree. When I woke up, I no longer remembered my village. I thought I lived somewhere else." Suzume rubbed his head. "Did something hit me when I was asleep?"

"I think it might have been something else," said Sai. "The same thing happened to me, only I couldn't remember anything. Not even my name."

"That's rough, buddy." Suzume started to stand. "Whatever it was, my head is feeling a lot clearer now." He touched his forehead. "Where's my headband? I thought I had it on my head. I must have dropped it in the woods somewhere."

"Need help looking for it?" Sai asked innocently.

"Nah. I can get another one back home. I lose them all the time. Practicing my jutsu usually blows them away without me knowing." Then he looked at them with concern. "Oh, wait, that's right. I attacked you guys. Are you ok? I didn't mean to hurt you. I was confused."

"We're ok. Don't worry about it."

"Oh, good." Then he paused. "I wonder who those other ninja were. The ones I was with before."

"You mean Kakashi and those other ninja?"

"That name does sound familiar but I don't know any Kakashi. At least, not from my memories. I must have run into that group and started hanging around with them. Not sure why. Must've been some bump on the head. It's too confusing to think about. I gotta get back home. If you two are ok, I'm gonna leave."

Neither of them protested as Suzume took off in the opposite direction. Sakura and Sai turned to each other and smiled.

"I'm glad you're back, Sai."

"Me, too. It feels great."

Sakura gasped loudly. "If you're back to normal and so was that guy, then maybe Kakashi-sensei is back to normal, too!" She was bursting with excitement. She had to find him. She wanted to find out as soon as possible.

Hebi got ready to throw his vines in Kiba's direction. When he saw Akamaru coming his way, teeth bared, he scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. Your mutt's no match for me. It should be on a leash anyway."

Hebi held Akamaru back with his vines, but he kept barking and tried to force his way through. Hebi walked closer and put his hand on Akamaru's head, taunting him. Akamaru tried to bite him but his teeth could not reach.

Hebi snorted with laughter. "This the best you got? You and this mangy little do… dog?"

Hebi paused, his hand on Akamaru's head. He leaned closer, as if making sure he was seeing what he was really seeing. They stared at each other.

Then Hebi's eyes grew wide. "D- Dog!" He screamed and jumped backwards, stumbling and falling over his own feet. "Dog! Stay away from me!"

Kiba looked from Akamaru to his opponent. "Dude, what's your problem?" Hebi was not acting like he was a moment ago.

"I'm afraid of dogs!"

"Since when?" This was never apparent when he was fighting them in battle. There was never so much as a hint that this man was afraid of dogs.

"I've been afraid of them ever since I was a little kid and a dog bit me! Tore my leg open and I had to get stitches. That's the kind of thing you never forget." Then Hebi paused. "Then why did I forget up until now?"

His vines started to recede and Akamaru was free. Seeing how terrified this man was of him, he did not move from where he was.

Hebi sat on the ground, clutching his head. "I feel so mixed up. Why the hell did I forget that I was afraid of dogs up to this point? And why was I attacking you guys in the first place? I remember getting an order from some guy to do it, but I never met the man before in my life. Why did I listen to him?"

"Were you under a jutsu by chance?" asked Kiba.

"I must've been. I don't know how else I could get so mixed up."

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from the Village Hidden in the Stone. I was on my way to another village for a meeting. It was far so I spent the night in this forest. After that, it gets a little fuzzy. I mean, I remember what I was doing, I just don't know why I did it. I remember being ordered to do it, but those orders came from a guy I don't know. I thought I knew him, but now that my head is a little clearer, I know that I never met him before. I don't know why I thought I answered to him. He's not my boss."

"You did what he said even though you had no idea who he was?"

"I just told you that I thought I did. My head's all messed up. I wasn't thinking clearly before. Now I am. It must have been some sort of genjutsu. I don't know what else it could be."

"Hmm." Kiba scratched his head. "I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do with you now. Our captain told us to capture you guys and figure out why you were acting all weird, but now that you're back to normal I don't see the point."

"I got a meeting to get to anyway. If it's still going on. I must have been under genjutsu at least a week. Those other guys, too."

"Other guys?"

"Yeah, the ninja I was with before. I don't know them. At the time, I thought we were all part of the same team. Now I know better. They might be back to normal, too. I'd like to know what the hell happened, but I don't have time for that. I have to get going."

"Our mission is to figure that out," said Kiba. "We'll work out all the details. Don't worry about it."

"I hope the Leaf doesn't think I attacked you on purpose. The last thing my village needs is for the Leaf to think we declared war on you guys."

"Nah, we're good. Right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru licked the man's shoulder to show him no hard feelings, but that just made him scream and back into a tree. Akamaru lowered his head with a whimper.

"Keep that thing away from me!"

"He's not going to eat you!" Kiba barked.

"I'm still not taking any chances."

"Ah, go to your meeting!"

Akamaru barked and Hebi scrambled up the tree. He got in one last word before using the trees as an escape route and took off.

"Who are you calling a mutt?" Kiba shouted after him.

Kakashi fell strangely silent. "Wait," he mumbled. "Wait, my memory is starting to come back to me."

Naruto waited anxiously, hoping it was the memory he was longing for. He prayed it was the memory Kakashi had lost.

What if it wasn't? Would he attack? Would he be more convinced than ever that this was the life he lived and not the one Naruto spoke of. What would happen then?

Kakashi stood there, absorbing all the memories that came flooding back to him at once. The reality he had been living in so far was growing dimmer inside him. He still remembered them, but it didn't seem like reality anymore. They seemed more like a life he lived within a dream or a nightmare. The memories he regained spoke of a different truth, one which seemed much more plausible. A more detailed truth. One he knew quite well. He lived it. He remembered it.

The memories flooding into his mind all at once left Kakashi feeling dizzy on his feet. He brought his hands to his head, as if to stop his head from spinning.

The rapid current calmed into a gentle stream, like waters released from a dam pooling into an empty trench. Once that dam was broken and the trench was filled, the current calmed significantly and Kakashi was able to make sense of it all.

"I… I do know you." Kakashi was looking at him again. "You're Naruto."

He nodded up and down.

"Naruto…" Kakashi blinked. Suddenly, it all made sense. "I remember. I am from the Leaf. I remember this photo. This was from my bedroom." Kakashi looked from the photo to Naruto. "You went into my house?"

Naruto didn't care if Kakashi was annoyed at him for that or not. He was just happy he knew where the photo was from.

Kakashi soon forgot his chagrin and felt his memories swirl around him. It was like opening a curtain and letting the sun shine through. The heavy fog was lifted and Kakashi was able to see clearly again.

He had been trapped in a false reality for so long. The reality he recovered was far better than the life he had been living. It was more clear, it was brighter and filled with so many people. So many pleasant memories. So many sad ones. So many people to cheer him from such sad memories and create better ones.

Overcome, Kakashi started laughing. "I remember. I remember! I'm myself. I'm myself again. I'm me!"

Naruto jumped up and down, unable to contain himself. "Kakashi-sensei!" he cheered, throwing his hands in the air. "You're back!"

"I remember you! I do! How could I ever forget you, Naruto? I'm so sorry. I didn't…"

Kakashi's head turned to the left. Kakashi and Shizuka faced each other.

"You!" they shouted in unison and pulled out their weapons.

Naruto's celebration ended and was left standing with his arms still raised in the air, looking from one ninja to the other. "What's going on?" he asked slowly.

They were such close friends before. Why were they suddenly at each other's throats?

They glared at each other, taking a fighting stance.

"I remember now," said Kakashi. "I was fighting you."

Shizuka nodded. "I remember that, too. Whatever happened to us made me forget. We're enemies."

"You are?" Naruto was so confused. He had no idea. They seemed like such good friends.

Then again, if the spell they were under could cause Kakashi to forget Make Out Paradise, then it wasn't that surprising that he would forget who his enemies were.

"My mission," Kakashi said slowly, recalling past events. "I was assigned to collect a scroll from a location west of here. You intercepted me."

"That's right," said Shizuka. "I was also given a mission. It was to grab the same scroll you were after. Since I was supposed to grab it, I couldn't let you get to it first."

"We fought," Kakashi went on. "I ended up with the scroll and managed to escape. After I put some distance between us, I rested for the night under a tree. I fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up and instead of going back to my village, I went somewhere else. We gathered at the same spot as if we had done it hundreds of times. This time when we saw each other, I did not see you as an enemy but as a friend."

"Same here."

"So wait a minute, let me get this straight," Naruto said, his mind buzzing. "So you two were fighting each other over a scroll and then got hit with some kind of jutsu that gave you new memories and that's how you ended up friends?"

"Seems like it."

"So you both were hit with the same jutsu? And you became friends? You forgot you were enemies?" Naruto rubbed his head. "Were you even enemies in the first place? Just because you guys were after the same scroll?"

"My village wanted to obtain that scroll because it has powerful secrets inside. My village was worried if it fell into any other hands, it would be used against us. Other ninja villages would seek to use it on innocent civilians or even declare war on neighboring ninja villages. We couldn't let that happen, so I was assigned to get it before it landed in enemy hands."

Shizuka had good reasons for going after the scroll. As did Kakashi.

"The Hokage of my village assigned me to get the scroll for a similar reason. However, it was never meant to be used once it was obtained. Instead, we were going to have it sealed and put away in a safe location where no one could use it. She knows it could be used to bring about war and isn't interested. The whole purpose of my mission was to take it back to my village to ensure no one would use it."

They both wanted the scroll. They both had the same mission. Their intentions were slightly different. One wanted to secure it before another village could use it while the other wanted to do the same thing but make sure no one could use it against anyone.

Shizuka wasn't leaving without that scroll. After being defeated by Kakashi the first time, he pursued him, hoping to retrieve it and take it back to his village. Losing his memories prevented him from doing so. If only that hadn't happened. Now he was behind schedule.

"Do you guys have to fight?" Naruto asked. It seemed very needless. Besides, he didn't want this moment ruined by another fight. "Neither of you guys want to use it."

"How do I know?" Shizuka asked with a growl. "How do I know the Leaf isn't planning on using it to attack my village? Or to use it on other villages? Can you turn your back on such power? I was told other villages would use it on us. I have to prevent that from happening."

"I told you that the Hokage isn't interested in such things. She wants peace, not war. There may come a battle in the future where we need as many people as we can get to help us fight. Why would we want to make enemies?"

"Future battle? Sounds like something you would want the scroll for."

"We only wish to secure it. Nothing more. We want to prevent it from being used."

Naruto looked back and forth. Naturally, he would take Kakashi's side in a fight, but he didn't feel right about fighting Shizuka. He's the one who helped him get Kakashi back. He seemed to actually care about him. Or was that just an effect of the jutsu he was under?

Shizuka stared at Kakashi. He knew he still had the scroll on his person. His mission was to get it back from him and bring it home. He couldn't risk it being used.

But Kakashi said the Leaf wasn't looking to use the scroll on anyone. They wanted to secure it. That wasn't any different from what his village wanted to do. In that sense, it really didn't matter who had it if the outcome would be the same.

That is, if he could trust the Leaf to do as they claimed. How did he know the Leaf wouldn't go back on its word? How did he know Kakashi spoke the truth? He could have been lying. Perhaps they we preparing to attack neighboring villages as soon as the scroll was in their hands. Villages wanted power. He had no idea what was in the scroll, but he was told it was powerful. That word drove people to do unspeakable things to obtain it. He knew other villages wanted to. What made the Leaf any different from those other villages?

Kakashi was representing the Leaf in this moment. If he trusted Kakashi, then he would trust the Leaf Village. The question was, could he trust Kakashi?

Could he?

Shouldn't he?

They weren't really friends to begin with. The jutsu made them forget they were enemies. If it weren't for the jutsu, nothing would have changed.

Shizuka wasn't so sure. The jutsu may have made them forget they were enemies, but it didn't make them friends. He was sure of it. The memories were false, not their friendship.

Was it even a friendship? Their memories dictated that they worked together. Other than that, whatever happened between them was on their account.

Shizuka eyed Kakashi up and down, deciding if he was worthy of his trust.

This man was an enemy. He wanted the scroll as well. He said his village didn't want to use it, but could he trust that? Could he put his faith in this man? Could he trust Kakashi's words?

Why shouldn't he?

Why shouldn't he trust the man who got whipped in his place? Who took a beating to protect him and spare him pain? The one who took his teasing countless times with only minor teasing back? The one he fought alongside the whole time he thought he was someone else? The one person who gave him security?

Shizuka did care about Kakashi. He was willing to do whatever it took for Kakashi to realize the truth, no matter what it took. It wasn't just because he cared about Kakashi, it was because he knew Kakashi would do the same for him. That's what friends did for each other.

If they were friends then, why not now?

Had that much really changed?

Shizuka glanced over at Naruto and back at Kakashi.

That boy was willing to go so far for his sensei when any sane person would have given up some time ago. He was from the same village. Shizuka remembered the battles they faced and how the Leaf ninja fought. He witnessed Kakashi's compassion, even under a jutsu. He witnessed Naruto's loyalty. How far he was willing to go to keep a promise.

Even to get the scroll, Kakashi did not try to kill him. And now that they were facing each other, Kakashi was waiting for him to make the first move.

Wasn't this man worthy of his trust?

Shizuka let out a heavy sigh and put his weapon away. "Take it."

"What?"

"The scroll. It's yours. You got to it first." Shizuka turned his head away so he didn't have to meet Kakashi's visible eye.

"You're going to let me take it back with me?" Kakashi lowered his weapon.

"On the condition that you not use it against innocent people. Or against my village. Promise me that." Shizuka looked down. "If you're true to your word and do not wish to use it, then I see no issue in letting you have it."

"I promise I will never use this scroll against you or any innocent person," said Kakashi. "But your mission…"

"My mission was to keep it out of enemy hands. I do not consider you an enemy." Shizuka then mumbled under his breath, "not anymore."

Kakashi straightened up. "Are you sure, Shizuka?"

Hearing Kakashi say his name made him remember the life they had under the jutsu.

Shizuka turned to look at him. "The jutsu may have given us false memories, but the friendship we had was real."

Kakashi remembered. Then he nodded to Shizuka and put the kunai back in his pocket. "Thanks. But what will you tell your boss?"

"I'll tell him it's secure." Shizuka started to walk away, then stopped. "Kakashi."

"Yes?"

Shizuka lowered his head and muttered, "Thanks. For all that."

Kakashi grinned. "No problem. Maybe we'll meet again sometime. Hopefully when we're not both after the same thing. I wouldn't feel right about fighting you now. Kind of awkward."

Shizuka scoffed. "Crybaby."

Shizuka bent his knees, preparing to spring.

"Thanks!" Naruto called behind him.

Shizuka didn't turn around. "See you," he said with his back to them and jumped away.

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