Day one of the countdown to my birthday is a go! I was actually kind of freaked out today because I couldn't find my flash drive and I wasn't at my home computer so I was like, "OMG WHERE'S MY FLASH DRIVE?! OH NOOOOOOZZZZ!" And I happened to be talking with Nami at the time and she was like, "Chill out, dude" but I died anyway. I eventually found it under a couch (please don't ask me how it got there) and I came back to life. So please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.


"I see…" Marieke said contemplatively. "Well, well…what do you know…?"

"What is it, sensei?" Midori asked. "Do you believe us?"

Marieke stared at the girls for a long time. "Why don't you girls tell me the truth?"

"We are!" Kyoko insisted. "Why wouldn't we be?!"

She doesn't seem like she's lying… Marieke thought. Odd… "I have some business to attend to. I'll see you all later."

As soon as Marieke left, Kankuro slipped out from under the couch and brushed himself off. "There's something funky about that teacher of yours…Now I need some fresh air."

"Fine, but come back in as soon as you're done," Midori advised.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"How could she not think we were telling the truth?" Kyoko said stubbornly.

"Because we weren't…" Midori said, cocking her head. "What're you talking about, Kyoko?"

"What are you talking about, Midori?" Nami asked.

"Stop playing dumb, guys. Don't you remember?" Midori lowered her voice. "We came from a different universe."

Nami and Kyoko stared at Midori blankly.

"Oh yeah…" Nami said, scratching her head absent-mindedly.

Midori looked worriedly at her two teammates and said, "I think I'll go out. I'll come back later. See you."

Nami and Kyoko just shrugged.

---

This is so strange… Midori thought. It's like they're having lapses of memory or something…and sometimes I think I do too…what's happening?

She opened a door and continued walking down a hallway. Once she got to the right door, she peeked through the window then knocked.

"Come in."

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Ah. Midori, what're you doing here?" Iruka asked. "I was just about to leave."

"I need to talk to you, sensei," Midori said. "It's about…you know…"

Iruka nodded in realization. "Right, right. What can I help you with?"

"Well…it kind of feels like my teammates and I are losing memory of our former universe," Midori explained. "Like we have short moments when we don't know what's happening and…well…it kind of worries me."

"I see what you mean," Iruka nodded. "Do you think it's a side-effect from coming to this world?"

"Maybe…"

"Midori, do you want to go back to your world?"

"What?"

"Do you want to go back to your world?" Iruka repeated seriously.

"Oh…well…" Midori couldn't answer that. She loved this world, the "Narutoverse" despite its dangers, and she was sure her friends did too. But back at home…

"Because if it turns out to be a side-effect, you have the choice to either find a reverse jutsu or stay here for the rest of your life," Iruka continued. "And don't you think you should tell someone else besides me by now? Like Marieke?"

"I don't know…" Midori said helplessly. "Do you think she could take it?"

"She's your sensei, of course," Iruka said. "If you want to find a reverse jutsu, you've got to tell more people. You girls can't handle it all on your own, and don't try to say you can."

"All right," Midori said hesitantly. "Nami and Kyoko are going to be more than reluctant to come back."

"I know," Iruka nodded. "But it's still good to find a second way out of a tough situation."

"Yes…it is. Thanks for your help, sensei."

"Any time."

Midori walked out of the door, deep in thought. Actually, she was so deep in thought that she didn't notice a figure standing just a few ways away behind her.

"So…that's how it is," a female voice chuckled. "I knew it."

---

"Tell sensei WHAT?!"

"Guys, keep it down!" Midori hissed. "The Sand Siblings are still inside and this isn't a thin wall, you know!"

"Why do you want to tell sensei that?" Kyoko demanded in a hushed voice. "She doesn't need to know!"

"Face it," Midori whispered. "Our former memory loss of the happenings of this world isn't just a coincidence! I'm almost positive it's a side effect from the jutsu…"

"Well if it is, what do you wanna do about it?" Nami asked. "It's not like staying here is a bad thing."

"But what about our families?" Midori asked.

"My family died a long time ago!" Kyoko declared.

"I don't know my parents…why do you have to stick us in the back with those memories at a time like this, huh Midori?!" Nami demanded.

WHACK! WHACK!

"Ooooooowwww!" Nami and Kyoko wailed as they rubbed the back of their heads.

"Snap out of it!" Midori ordered. "Stop acting like those pasts are real! We made them up, remember? At Kyoko's house?"

"What you talkin' about, Midori?" Nami said with arms crossed.

Midori sighed. She searched for the memory long ago in her brain for a few seconds and said, "Listen carefully. We were in your house, Kyoko."

"You mean our apartment."

WHACK!

"OW!"

"I SAID listen closely," Midori said dangerously.

Kyoko mumbled something as she rubbed the egg-sized lump on her head.

"We were in your house for a sleepover back in our world. We were fooling around with some index cards and pencils, creating OCs for our own enjoyment."

"What's an 'OC'?" Nami said, confused.

"It means 'original character'," Midori explained. "Anyway, we were role-playing and looked up hand signs off of the internet. With them, we created a jutsu for fun. It was called the 'Narutoverse no Jutsu'."

"'Naruto'? What?" Nami said.

WHACK! WHACK!

"Stop doing THAT!" Kyoko and Nami whined.

"Then remember!" Midori said, annoyed. "Guys. Try to remember. It was all some childish game…a made-up jutsu that happened to work. Why don't you remember?"

"If what you're saying is true…" Nami said. "Why would we want to go back?"

"That's the same question I'm asking myself."

The three girls were silent.

"Maybe we should still tell Marieke-sensei," Kyoko finally said. "She is our sensei, after all."

"So you remember now," Midori said.

Kyoko nodded. "It's a little familiar…and if you say it, it must be true…"

"That's some logic behind that," Nami said, rolling her eyes.

"Then it's settled," Midori said. "We'll tell sensei."

---

"She's on a WHAT?!"

"Keep your voice down…" Midori sighed. "All your constant shouting is giving me a migraine."

"Senshi Marieke-san has been away on a mission for a few days now," the man at the desk explained.

"No wonder we've been off training for a while…" Nami said, scratching her head.

"B-But that's impossible!" Kyoko exclaimed. "We just saw her a while ago!"

"No, I'm certain Marieke-san hasn't come back yet."

The girls left the desk as a team of genin came into the room to receive a mission.

"That guy's on crack, we just saw Marieke!" Kyoko said, arms crossed.

"Maybe we're the ones on crack," Nami said.

Midori and Kyoko looked at their friend incredulously.

"What?" Kyoko said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I mean—" Nami said quickly. "Maybe that wasn't sensei! You know…it just sounded cooler to contradict you…"

Midori rolled her eyes and said, "You have a point there. Sensei not being sensei, I mean."

"So then…who was it?" Kyoko asked. "An outsider certainly wouldn't be able to get past Konoha's defenses, right?"

"I'm not so sure about that," Midori said. "Right after the attack, pretty much everyone was busy with repairing the village and the defenses weren't so great."

"But they sent teams of elite ninja to guard the outskirts of the village so no one could get past the borders, right?" Nami asked.

"Yes…but…" Midori said, closing her eyes with contemplation. "If someone were still around in the area or even close…they might be able to break in."

"Who in the right mind would stay after the attack?" Kyoko said. "The area was searched!"

"Which is why I don't really get it…" Midori said. "Kiba-kun and Neji told me the Inuzuka and Hyuuga clan members were the ones searching the area. Both teams found nothing."

"Well, I think we should keep an eye on sensei then!" Nami declared. "And tell everyone!"

"Don't spread anything around!" Midori warned. "Not until we have solid proof. You know the story of the boy who cried wolf."

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Nami said. "But you find out more, Midori. You're the one with the connections. Meanwhile, I'll tail sensei."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Kyoko demanded.

"Do whatever you want," Nami said irritably. "Swoon over your precious Gaara. I know you want to. And besides, the Sand Sibs probably can't stand staying in one place for long."

Kyoko's expression suddenly brightened and she said, "Well, when you put it that way…!"

"All right, Team Nami!" Nami called, throwing her fist in the air. "Let's move out!"

Cue the crickets.

"Since when are we called Team Nami?!" Kyoko demanded angrily.

"Since I was made the leader! DUH!"

"And since when are you leader?!"

"As of now, I'm leader! Now do not oppose me, PEASANT!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Midori groaned and walked away, leaving her teammates to disturb the peace.

---

If I were a Marieke-sensei imposter, where would I be? Nami thought as she peered over Konoha from a high perch. Uh…

Suddenly, by a sheer stroke of luck, Nami spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. Hey…it's that one dude…uh…Shinsetsu? Yeah! Yeah! It's Shinsetsu! I bet he's the one who's been disguising himself as sensei! Showing up like that without notice with Kyoko nonetheless is really suspicious! Nami leapt from her spot and landed quietly a few feet away from Shinsetsu. She darted behind a pole and narrowed her eyes. Look at him…acting all casual. And now he's looking at fruit. Suspicious. And now he's paying for some fruit. Suspicious. And now he's…tripping…over an orange…suspicious...?

Shinsetsu picked himself up and started walking again. Nami made sure to follow.

This might take a while... she thought.

---

"Good afternoon, Hyuuga-sama," Midori said, bowing nervously and trying to hide her flushed face. Of all the people, why does he answer the door?! "Is Neji home?"

"Yes," Hiashi answered after a while. That's the girl who always keeps appearing. Hikari Midori, was it? Hm… "Stay here and I will fetch him."

Well, that went off without a hitch, Midori thought with relief.

Soon, Neji came to the door and shut it, looking slightly annoyed with something or other.

"Um…is this a bad time?" Midori asked uncertainly.

"No," Neji answered bluntly. "I was just deciding to go out to eat anyway. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Do you know anything about any…suspicions going around here?"

"Why the sudden interest?"

"Well…" Midori said hesitantly. "I just want to keep on my toes in case there is. You know."

"Hm…well," Neji said as the two entered a restaurant. "I suppose I do."

"Table for two?" a man asked.

"Yes, thank you."

The two sat down at a table and a waiter came by with two glasses of water.

"Promise not to spread it around, though," Neji said once the waiter left.

"Okay," Midori nodded.

"I heard from one of the Main House members that several chuunin who were on guard duty a few nights ago were found unconscious."

Midori gasped. "So…there's an infiltrator in Konoha?"

"That may be," Neji said. "Of course, all of them are all right. I think they're still in the hospital, though. There's something wrong with their organs…at least that's what I heard. The only thing that is perplexing everyone who knows is why the chuunin weren't simply killed?"

"Yeah…that is interesting…" Midori said ponderingly. "The chuunin didn't happen to get a good look at the infiltrator, did they?"

"They say it was a hooded figure."

Midori thought for a while, trying to find a hooded figure in her sea of memories. Hooded…hooded…hooded…

"Do you want anything?"

Midori was instantly pulled out of her thoughts by Neji's voice. She glanced up at Neji then realized the waiter had come to take their order.

"Oh, um, you don't have to buy anything for me!" Midori said quickly. "It's all right!"

"Nonsense," Neji urged. "Pick whatever you like. I don't mind."

"Well…okay…" Midori said, scanning over the list. "I'll just have some miso then…"

"Coming right up!" the waiter said as he walked off.

"You really didn't have to do that…" Midori sighed.

Neji raised an eyebrow. "But I did, and what's done is done. You'll eat and you'll like it."

"Okay, then. Thanks," Midori giggled contentedly. He sure is direct after his revelation…and is that a spark of humor?

Neji gave a short, lopsided smile.

---

When Kyoko got home, she was bombarded with Temari and Kankuro. Not expecting this, she screamed loudly to the heavens.

"Stop screaming!" Kankuro ordered.

"Why'd you jump me like that?!" Kyoko demanded.

"We were just going to step out…" Temari said. "When you opened the door!"

"But I told you guys not to show yourselves in public!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Yeah but Gaara's always a little testy if he stays in one place for such a long time," Temari explained nervously.

Gaara, who was sitting on the couch, stood up and said, "Welcome back."

"He looks fine to me!" Kyoko said, happy with the fact that Gaara had greeted her.

"You weren't here for the past few hours…" Kankuro said, annoyed.

Suddenly, Kyoko's expression was blank.

Temari was about to ask what was wrong when she was blown back by an explosion of sound.

"I JUST REMEMBERED!" Kyoko screamed.

"AIE! WHAT?!" Temari shouted in shock.

"Konoha got a message from Suna that they'd like to be allies a while ago and Konoha said yes!" Kyoko said, clapping her hands. "You guys can come out freely now!"

"And HOW long have you known this?" Temari asked, a vein pulsing off the side of her forehead.

"I dunno…a couple days maybe…more…"

"YOU IDIOT!" Kankuro shouted as he pushed past her roughly and out into the open, ready to run through the streets and breathe in the cool air. That is…he WOULD have if he hadn't flipped over the railing that lay outside the girls' apartment door.

"Argh!"

Temari shook her head and sighed.

"I can go out?" Gaara said.

"Of course!" Kyoko said gleefully. "I'll show you around Konoha, Gaara! You wanna come, Temari? Kankuro?"

"I'll pass…" Temari said as she walked out to help her brother. "You go on ahead."

"Okay then. C'mon, Gaara!"

Gaara silently followed Kyoko out of the apartment and blinked as the bright colors of Konoha hit his eyes.

Kyoko led Gaara to the first destination and said, "Gaara, this is the best shop in all of Konoha! Ichiraku Ramen Shop!" She took his hand and pulled him onto a seat.

"Ah, Kyoko-kun! Here for lunch? And who's…" Teuchi trailed off as he got a good look at Gaara. "This is the sand kid…" he said uncertainly.

"Yeah, that's right! Didn't you hear, jiisan? Suna and Konoha are allies now!"

"So we are…" Teuchi said, smiling. "All right then. What'll it be?"

"The usual," Kyoko said. "Same for Gaara too!"

"All right. Coming right up!"

When the food arrived, Gaara stared into the contents and said, "This is the food we ate before."

"Yep! Can't get enough! Itadakimasu!"

Gaara watched as the girl slurped her noodles noisily and dipped his chopsticks into his own. "…Itadakimasu." As he silently chewed the savory ramen, he thought back to when Kyoko's sensei came. He had heard everything from the other room since the small rooms were closely linked together with thin walls. He remembered that Shimizu Kyoko had had a friend long ago who she had lost. After that she didn't have any friends until Kawa Nami and Hikari Midori. Her parents didn't pay much attention to her and then she lost them.

He couldn't help but feel that Shimizu Kyoko…was just like him. Sure, she didn't have a demon sealed inside of her like him or Uzumaki Naruto, but she had lost the person that she had a bond with and she was left alone for some time. And yet, like Uzumaki Naruto, she could still keep on a smiling face.

I want to be like that, Gaara decided. I want to be able to smile without worry or fear.

"Um…you don't have to eat it if you don't want to, Gaara," Kyoko said sheepishly. "I shouldn't have brought you here. I know a lot of people don't like ramen everyday like me…"

"It's fine," Gaara said, realizing that he hadn't eaten any more ramen for some time. "I like it."

Kyoko grinned widely. "I do too. What else do you like?"

Gaara thought for a moment. "I don't know."

"You should know what you like," Kyoko said, pointing a finger in the air wisely. "If you know what you like, all the things you don't like don't matter!"

Gaara stared at her blankly for a while, pondering over this small phrase of wisdom. Perhaps she was right.

"Well finish up then, Gaara!" Kyoko advised. "Cuz you're in for the time of your life!"

---

What's with this guy? Nami thought. He's not acting strange at all. He's acting like…a civilian…and he's a chuunin?! Hm…maybe he…isn't the imposter?

Nami decided to just take a frontal approach and landed right in front of the poor boy. "Hi, Shinsetsu."

"AIE! NAMI-SAN!" Shinsetsu hollered as he fell over backwards.

Nami raised an eyebrow. This guy is…seriously a chuunin? "Say, you aren't an evil criminal-mastermind/Marieke-sensei imposter bent on finding out the secrets of my team, are you?"

"A whadda-whoda?"

"…Never mind."

Nami walked away, leaving a confused Shinsetsu standing in the bustling streets. She retreated to a nearby rooftop and leaned back with her hands clasped behind her head. Okay, so maybe it's not him…But who else could it be?

"CURSE YOU, MY TEMPORARY ETERNAL RIVAL!"

Nami jumped three feet in the air when she heard the piercing shout of a certain exuberant teacher, Konoha's very own Green Beast, Maito Gai. She gazed down below to see not only him but Asuma standing just a few ways away. Asuma had his fist thrust out in a casual manner and Gai was clutching his head which was turned upwards towards the sky.

"I was sure you were going to use Paper!"

"Better luck next time," Asuma said, annoyed by Gai's outburst. "Now can ya leave me alone?"

"Hmph. You're no Kakashi," Gai pouted.

Asuma rolled his eyes.

He lost at Janken again… Nami thought. Then an idea popped into her head. Smiling confidently, she hopped down and ran towards the two jounin. "Hey, Gejimayu-sensei! Asuma-sensei!"

Asuma and Gai turned their attention to Nami who said, "Have you noticed Marieke-sensei acting a little bit weird lately?"

"What do you mean?" Asuma said, raising an eyebrow. "She's not here. She went on a mission. Didn't you know?"

"Well yeah, but I saw her a few days ago."

"You did, did you?" Asuma said thoughtfully. "Well…"

"Look, there she is!" Nami gasped as she darted behind Asuma. "The imposter…" She narrowed her eyes. "And she's not wearing her ninja clothes and mask!"

"It's called being casual. You know she doesn't wear her mask all the time." Asuma stared at the woman walking past from across the street. Marieke was wearing a plain black dress with red designs and her face wasn't shrouded. He said, "You think Marieke has an imposter?"

"Of course! Is it not obvious?" Nami asked in a 'you're so blind' tone.

"And what do you think you're gonna do, trail her?"

"That is most un-youthful!" Gai declared. "Trailing your own sensei!"

"But that's the problem. I don't think she is my sensei!" Nami exclaimed.

Gai gasped. "Not Marieke?"

"Yeah…" Nami said, rolling her eyes. "Look, if you guys aren't gonna help—"

"Obviously we will!" Gai declared. "She is a fellow jounin and as long as there's a presumption that this is a fraud, it's worth looking into!"

"And because you have the hots for my sensei."

"Uh, no."

"Right…" Nami said. "Okay then, Gai-sensei! Since you insisted, you can go and mingle with the imposter to see what she's up to!"

"An excellent idea!" Gai agreed. "Kakashi is the one who knows Marieke best and I'm the one who knows Kakashi the best! Therefore, I should go expose the imposter!"

"Yeah, yeah, just go now!"

Gai bounded over to Marieke and stroke a pose. Then, seeing that Marieke was paying no attention to him, he cleared his throat loudly.

"Hm?" Marieke turned around and said, "Oh, Gai. Hello."

"Greetings, Marieke!" Gai said with a small wave. "Back from your mission, are you?"

"Ugh, don't remind me," Marieke sighed. "It was extremely uneventful. I have a feeling no one other country will decide to attack for a while…"

"Oh?"

"Anyway, I think I'd just take a break from so much work today," Marieke explained. "You know, relax after the mission."

"What a great idea!"

"So…what brings you here anyway?" Marieke asked.

"Oh, the new Icha Icha Paradise books are on sale," Gai answered quickly.

"…Huh…?"

"Kakashi's still in bed so I thought I'd pick some up for him!"

"Uh…right…"

"Yep!" Gai said cheerfully.

"One more question," Marieke said.

"What is it?"

"Why are Asuma and Nami spying on us?"

"Spying? There is no spying going around here!"

"All right then…" Marieke said nonchalantly. She turned around with a whole new expression and said, "Nami. Stop being so foolish and come out."

"Not on your life, imposter!" Nami hollered as she soared towards the woman anyway. "I'll show you to steal my sensei's appearance!"

Marieke stepped to the side and caught Nami by the back of her shirt with ease. She heaved a sigh and said, "You idiot. I can't believe you of all people were able to make it to the third exam with your caliber."

"WHAT?!" Nami exclaimed angrily.

"Nami, I don't think she's an imposter," Asuma said, clearly amused.

"B-But I was so sure!" Nami protested.

"So sure about what? Me being an imposter?" Marieke said incredulously.

"Yeah!"

"Stupid," Marieke said as she dropped Nami on the ground. "I am not an imposter."

"Can you prove that?"

Marieke raised an eyebrow and a vein pulsed in her head. "You and your insolence! You don't believe me, do you? Well then, I order you to run fifty laps around Konoha! NOW!"

Nami blinked. "Sensei, it is you!"

"I SAID FIFTY LAPS!"

Nami shot off.

"To think she thought I was an imposter," Marieke said to herself, shaking her head. "I really don't know how she got into the final rounds. I mean, really. She'd better not cut corners or else she'll do some hard-duty training. She's been slacking since I've been gone, obviously, so—" Marieke drawled on and on to herself as Asuma and Gai exchanged odd glances.

"She's talking t herself again," Gai whispered to Asuma.

"How perceptive of you."

"Asuma?"

"Huh?" Asuma looked up. "Oh, you're done?"

"Where would Nami get the idea of me being an imposter?"

Asuma noticed a hint of concern in Marieke's voice. "So you don't believe that she got the idea from out of no where?"

"Yeah."

"She claimed she saw you a few days ago."

"I see…" Marieke was silent for a moment, then she said, "Asuma, Gai, I think we'll go on a little unassigned mission…


TO BE CONTINUED. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really all that excited to put this one up (even though it was one of the most fun to write) because I didn't get as many reviews as I would've liked, but that's okay. I know people have lives and going on the computer every day would be kind of too much to ask. I'd like it if people reviewed the chapters they missed, but of course, you don't need to. Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow!

R&R please!

-HM