"Shit, shit, shit…!"

Ishikari Mayu was not in the best of moods. From the very beginning, she knew that this particular mission would be more of a pain than any other she had had so far. Why? It was because Uchiha Itachi wasn't just involved this time around. No, that man was the focal point of the mission. Because of that, she had to worry not only about the actions of his little brother, but the actions of herself as well. Now, she had to worry about Orochimaru as a factor. The blue-eyed kunoichi grimaced as her grip on her feline partner increased. Nana didn't mind. Nana knew about the storm brewing. As if those things weren't bad enough, the kunoichi had someone on her trail. She didn't recognize whoever was following her. The scent had been masked. The only reason she had realized someone had been following her had been because of the inconsistent pattern in the wild life's actions. Without warning, the animals would suddenly stop making noise or dramatically change directions.

Because of this, she couldn't seek anyone else on her team out. She didn't want to lead a potential enemy towards their target, and so leading whoever this was down the wrong path was her option. Still, she was pressed for time. This pursuit couldn't go on for much longer. She had left her teammate in the presence of Orochimaru. The thought, itself, caused a frown to form on Mayu's face. Not that her faith in her teammate was so little, but the thought of the Sanin successfully finding his target was enough to make her stomach churn. The kunoichi didn't like this situation at all—the not knowing part. Well, Mayu decided the time of not knowing was over.

With a simple touch to Nana's left ear, the large feline knew what to do. Once there was a break in the forest, Nana came sliding to a stop, turning sideways as she did. Mayu, still having her weapon ready to fire, took this chance to slightly turn her upper body and release her grip on her arrow. The projectile didn't get very far, but it did impact with something—probably a tree trunk judging from the sound it made. Nana snorted, and then bounded off to where the arrow ended up. As she thought, the arrow had been imbedded into a tree. "I missed…" Mayu murmured as she slid off her feline partner's back. Though she did miss, the kunoichi managed to pin a bit of dark cloth to the tree. She reached up, yanking on the cloth and ripping it. Upon taking a deep whiff of the scent, she grimaced, realizing who had been tailing her. It had been awhile since the last time she had gotten a smell of him, but it was definitely him. "Snake bitch," she announced, dropping the ripped cloth from her hand.

"So you have realized then?" His familiar voice came from behind. Nana immediately moved in front of Mayu and snarled at the offender. The kunoichi slowly turned, eyes settling on a hooded figure. Even with the hood, she knew who it was. "How amusing."

"It's more amusing that you appeared right after I said snake bitch," Mayu retorted. The smirk instantly fell into a frown. "Though, you did do a fair job at masking your scent, Kabuto." The glasses-wearing ninja pulled his hood back.

"Still, if I hadn't reacted so quickly, your arrow would have reached me, Ishikari-sama."

Mayu immediately felt panicked—for what, she had no idea. The rising dread only skyrocketed once the smirk returned to the enemy's face. That knowing look and that condescending voice had always pissed her off when it came to Kabuto. Even now, she couldn't help the glare that had surfaced on her face. Perhaps it was the feelings she had for him as a child, or perhaps it was the way he had addressed her. Ishikari-sama—he had said it with such false respect. "What exactly do you want, Kabuto? Shouldn't be helping Orochimaru?" the kunoichi questioned.

"To be honest, I'd rather not get involved with those two at the moment," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders and a shake of his head. "Who knows how scary they will get?" Kabuto focused his gaze on her again. "Actually, I sought you out on purpose. I'm curious about you, heir of Ishikari."

"Getting curious can get you killed," Mayu said. For the moment, she forced herself to ignore what he had called her. "You must realize you're a wanted criminal. Being without your master protect you is a stupid idea, isn't it?" Kabuto frowned, most likely feeling insulted. Still, he didn't lash out in anger. He calmly moved his arm, tossing a book to the ground in front of Nana. The kunoichi didn't even glance at it.

"I didn't follow you with the intention of fighting. Rather, I came with a different reason," he stated. "That is all the information Orochimaru's organization has on Akatsuki." Immediately, Mayu's expression turned suspicious. "Don't look at me that way. It's not a bargain. We don't have nearly enough information for that. But I'm hoping… this is a start."

"Start of what?"

"I want to know you. No, I want to know your family. It's very curious you being the last, wouldn't you agree?" Mayu bit the inside of her mouth. Something told her that Kabuto already knew things about the Ishikari clan. He just wanted to know more. Shit. How the hell did he find out? For now, she would keep silent. "Once I found out your last name, I had remembered where I heard the surname before. Ishikari Morino." Her uncle. She should have known. They were definitely going to have to have another talk when she got back to the village. "Personally, I didn't meet him myself. A group of my underlings had a run in with him almost a year ago. Only one of them managed to survive. He told me that this guy had been relentless, only showing mercy when my underling ran in fear. This man, this Ishikari Morino, had the ability to inhabit another's body and literally kill them from the inside in the form of suicide. Mind techniques… You are related to him, aren't you?" Kabuto questioned. Mayu remained quiet. "Don't bother hiding it. Your skin, your eyes—the combination isn't exactly common."

"Yeah, what of it?" Finally, she spoke up. "My relation has you curious? You really are going to get killed that way."

"Not your relation, per se, but your mind techniques," Kabuto supplied. "The last time we encountered… you used mind control, didn't you?" The kunoichi was getting nervous, but she tried hard not to show it. She smiled falsely.

"Sounds to me like you already know," Mayu mused. "That leads me to wonder why you've appeared in front of me. If you know, then you know that... your actions won't be your own." Kabuto shut his eyes for a moment and chuckled.

"I only wanted a confirmation, Ishikari-sama," he said. "You and that man are the only two left, after all."

"You want to expand your knowledge then? What makes you think I'll talk?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow. "You're gravely mistaken if you think a little information on Akatsuki is going to make me tell you anything pertaining to my clan."

"That-" Kabuto's gaze briefly looked down at the discarded book. "-Is merely a gift."

"A gift for what?"

"For what? For heightening my curiosity, of course. For leading me to gain knowledge without Orochimaru-sama's influence. It has been quite some time since I've been able to do that," Kabuto explained. Mayu forced herself not to sigh in relief. So the snake bastard didn't know of her clan still? That was good. "To answer your question, no, I don't think I need to expand my knowledge anymore than necessary." His unnerving smirk came back. "But perhaps you should look to expand your own knowledge, hm?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Mayu asked.

"Because if you knew what I know," he continued as though the kunoichi hadn't asked a question. "Perhaps you wouldn't be on the side of angels." He chuckled, pushing glasses closer to his face with his middle finger. "Your reaction would be most amusing to see." Inside her chest, Mayu's heart rate increased. She swallowed hard, wondering why his words had had such an effect on her. Then it hit her. She had heard this words before from a different source—the Kyuubi. It will be interesting to see your reaction, he had told her. Why? What did they know that she didn't about her own clan? The kunoichi could feel herself becoming angry. However, before she could make a move, Kabuto brought his hands together, forming a seal. "Until next time, Ishikari-sama…" His body began to fade, turning into mist. "Perhaps when we next meet, you won't be so ignorant." With those words, he completely disappeared.

Mayu waited a few moments before attempting to move. His scent had disappeared as well. Slowly, she reached out for the 'gift' that had been left behind. Devious source or not, information on Akatsuki would be silly to pass up. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be careful. The kunoichi flipped through the pages, looking for any sort of inscription that might be dangerous at a later time. Wouldn't want this thing to explode at an inopportune time, now would she? Finding none, she slipped the object in the pocket of her cloak. She then jumped on her feline partner. "Whoever's the closest, we're going to them! We've wasted enough time already! Let's go, Nana!" The black leopard nodded, and then took off again.

As they moved, Mayu couldn't help but to think about Kabuto's words. The cryptic asshole—she wanted to hate people like him. However, there were a lot of them… Anyway, how in the world did Kabuto get his hands on that type—whatever type—of information? With only two members of the clan still left alive, it should have been impossible for him, an outsider, to know something she didn't. The kunoichi shook her head a bit, almost feeling an oncoming headache. She shouldn't be dwelling on Kabuto at the moment. What she needed to focus on was Itachi. He was a man that warranted such a thing. She didn't have time to worry about other things at the moment. Well, actually, she should probably be focusing on her teammate and Orochimaru…

It was less than five minutes later that the two partners finally came across their comrades. The group consisted of Naruto, Hinata, Yamato, and the big dog. Predictably, Naruto was the only one who 'eeped' at her sudden appearance. Sure, she had landed right in front of him, but seriously, he should be used to it by now. Suppressing her grin, Mayu hopped off Nana's back. "Hey, why are you by yourself? Where's Sasuke?" the blond shinobi questioned. The mirth instantly disappeared. The blue-eyed kunoichi frowned.

"We ran into Orochimaru," she stated. Her three comrades showed their surprise by raising their eyebrows or gasping. "He was tracking Itachi as well, knowing that his path would cross with Sasuke. His target has always been Sasuke, so he told me to leave and come find anyone for backup."

"Where are they? Which way?!" Naruto demanded to know.

Mayu pointed as she answered that they were in the north. The blond rushed off before she even finished. Yamato sighed heavily. "This may pose as a problem, but… I want you two to stay focused on the mission at hand. I will follow Naruto to Sasuke's location," he announced. Mayu began to protest but was immediately shot down. "Right now, Orochimaru is just a complication. Uchiha Itachi is our primary objective. There is no need for everyone to become distracted by a mere obstacle. Continue with the mission as planned, Mayu, Hinata." Frowning, the two kunoichi nodded their heads. For a moment, Yamato closed his eyes. "Don't worry. I'll bring them both back." With those parting words, the older ninja leapt away, along with the big dog, Bull.

For just a moment, the two kunoichi remained rooted to the spot. It wasn't until Nana snorted lightly that the two moved. "Ah, we should continue then," Hinata stated. Mayu agreed with a nod. So the two friends and comrades walked on, thoughts shifting to their target. However, it was proving to be hard to maintain focus, knowing… just knowing. The Hyuga glanced at Mayu, noting the way her friend anxiously chewed her lower lip. "You are worried, aren't you?" The darker kunoichi chuckled lightly, without mirth, and then sighed.

"Am I so obvious?" she murmured. "Well, they are my teammates. With as reckless as Naruto is and Sasuke being…" Mayu trailed off as an image of her stoic teammate appeared in her mind. She pressed her lips into a thin line. Thinking of him ultimately made her think of that. She tried to remain professional, really she did, but that always seemed to creep up on her inopportune time or not. "Uh… Hinata… we're best friends, right?" Without hesitation, the Hyuga gave an affirmative answer. "And we tell each other stuff, right? And give advice?"

Again, Hinata replied with a nod. She raised a brow as she turned her head to stare at her best friend. Mayu wasn't the type of person to beat around the bush. Even without her memories, she was still the same girl that had aggressively become her friend. "Is there something bothering you, Mayu?" Hinata questioned. She smiled lightly. "You can tell me anything… like I have done in the past with you." Though she didn't remember, the darker kunoichi smiled as well. "So then what is bothering you?"

"Hm… Recently, I've found myself liking someone," Mayu admitted. Surprised to hear it, Hinata's eyes expanded. She cared for her best friend and all her faults, but honestly the girl was so thickheaded when it came to the opposite gender when it concerned herself at any rate. When it came to other's romantic issues, she had tended to tease. Suppressing the blush, the Hyuga female prodded Mayu to continue. "The thing is… I have no idea who it is." Hinata almost stopped in her tracks. Her expression shifted into a perplexed one. "He appears in my dreams, demanding that I hurry up and remember him, so he's definitely someone from my past. He says he likes me, and I… think I've started to like him, too. I mean, he appears so damn much! It's half annoying, especially with his attitude."

"I don't follow…" Hinata confessed. "This person appears in your dreams, and yet you do not know who it is?"

"Either his face is covered or it's my eyes. Either way, I can't see him in my dreams," Mayu explained.

"What about his voice?"

"I can never remember it when I wake up."

"This is very strange."

"Yeah, but that's not what's bothering me. Because hopefully, I'll remember, and eventually, we'll cross paths again." She shook her head a bit. "Actually, I can't help feeling like… I'm starting to like someone else in the same way." This time, Hinata did stop. Mayu halted as well. Nana continued on, ignoring the two humans. "What? Don't look at me like that, Hinata. Just because you're true and blue for Naruto doesn't mean-"

"Don't ch-change the sub-subject!" Hinata blurted. "You really like two people at the same time?"

"It's complicated," Mayu mumbled. "Ever since we kissed-"

"You kissed?!"

"Calm down, Hinata. The situation called for it." Before the situation could be questioned, Mayu went on and resumed walking, forcing the Hyuga to keep up. "It happened like this…" The darker kunoichi began filling Hinata in on what had happened, suspiciously leaving out names. "And in the end, I decided that I liked kissing him. I wouldn't mind if that happened again… and again. But when I later asked the guy about it, he scoffed and said he had no choice since I was so aggressive about it!" Mayu crossed her arms. Her bottom lip poked out. Clearly, she was pouting. Hinata had to stifle the giggle that threatened to erupt. Mayu could be so cute. "He still thinks of me as a friend while I'm stuck thinking about the way his lips feel on mine. What should I do? Before, I didn't think about things like romance and kissing. I was content with waiting for my dream guy to appear, but since I kissed this other guy in real life, I… I've become confused. Should I choose the safer route and wait for my dream to become reality or should I grab reality by the balls and go for the person who's already in front of me?"

"I… I couldn't say," Hinata uneasily replied. "I do not know enough about these two people. Could it be that you like the one that kissed you, in reality, simply because of the kiss?"

"If only…" Mayu murmured, shaking her head. "It was like the kiss made me see him in a whole new light. Not only did I realize that I like kissing him, but I also realized I like being around him." Hinata gently asked to know more about him. "Well, he's crazy shy. He's almost unapproachable, but… I like seeing him smile, no matter how small it might be. It's the best when he laughs, though. I find myself wanting to be the one who changes his usually stony expression even if it's annoyance. And I like talking to him. We tease each other, but all in all, it's always a good time. He understands me. He knows me. Oh, he smells really good, too." Hinata blinked. It sounded as though Mayu didn't just like this person.

"And the other one?"

"Well, there's not much to say since I don't know myself, but I feel a familiarity with him," Mayu answered. "Around him, it's comfortable—normal. I don't have to worry about uncertainties because he makes it perfectly clear that he likes me and is just waiting for my eyes to open, but who knows how long that's going to take? Who knows exactly when I'll get my memories back? I've come to a crossroad."

"It sounds as though there are both cons and pros with each guy," Hinata remarked. Mayu nodded in agreement.

"There are two big cons with the both of them," she stated. "With my reality guy, he thinks of me as a friend… and I don't want to ruin our friendship if things don't turn out in a good way. With my dream guy, there's the possibility that I won't be okay with who he is and I'll regret choosing to focus completely on him. Not to mention, I'm not into the whole matching couple thing."

"Huh…?" Mayu always had a habit of making Hinata loose her composure. Her comments were often outlandish, confusing, or embarrassing. That comment had been all three. "C-Couple matching…? What?" The darker kunoichi shrugged, waving her hand about. The Hyuga shook her head. "I have never seen you matching with anyone. Even if you weren't around me all the time, I still saw you every day. You wore the same thing I wore."

"I don't know—one time I dreamt about him and we were matching. It was very off-putting," Mayu said. "Dressed in all black with white masks that had long hair attached—you know he had the gull to say it was my idea? I mean, honestly…! You should have seen these outfits! There's no way I'd walk around in something like that for no reason!"

At that point, Hinata stopped listening. She could seriously tell when Mayu was about to go on a tangent now and knew how to act accordingly. However, this time was different. The description she gave on the outfits, although vague, seemed strangely familiar to her. White masks with long hair attached…? Then it came to her. She remembered it so clearly now. More than likely, it was because of what had happened at that time. It had been the moment Naruto had officially claimed her as a friend. Just thinking of the blond shinobi caused the kunoichi's cheeks to redden. Still, she had to push those thoughts aside for now. Hinata closed her eyes for a moment. She remembered… that they had been attacked by two people who had fitted Mayu's description. "Purple and blue?" she said out loud. This effectively halted her friend's rant. Her focus turned to Hinata, clearly puzzled by her seemingly random choice of words. As though she had room to speak… "The long hair attached to the masks—they were purple and blue?"

"How'd you know?" Mayu asked, eyes going wide. "Are you psychic now?!"

Had the situation been different, Hinata would have chuckled lightly and shook her head at her friend's silly question. However, given the situation at hand, her sneaking suspicions were quickly becoming just plain incredulity. They Hyuga stopped walking. Mayu, of course, did the same, wearing such a look of confusion. Hinata completely turned her body to face her darker companion. The awkward smile on her face told the paler female that Mayu realized, to some extent, that she was in trouble. "Mayu." The way her entire body tensed was only further indication that she realized she had unwontedly stepped on a mine. She may have forgotten, but that did not excuse her actions. "I seem to remember being attacked by a duo fitting that description. Not just myself… but Naruto-kun as well." Mayu flinched violently, so much that it appeared she had wanted to jump away.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. Amnesia, remember?"

"Yes," Hinata agreed. "It is quite an unfortunate… convenience." The awkward smile was gone now, and in its place appeared a grimace. "I recall one of them being female and now that I think about it, she had the same mannerisms as you."

"She must have been pretty darn badass then, right?"

"A bit of a fool, actually." Though she couldn't remember, it was clear that Mayu had become offended. Still, she only frowned and poked her lips out in a pout. The corners of Hinata's lips tugged upward just a bit. Usually, this light way of teasing would be the other way around. How refreshing it was to be the sender instead of the receiver. "Her companion seemed to think so as well," the pale kunoichi continued. "Though they were opposite genders, she referred to them both as The Shisaki Brothers."

"Shisaki Brothers…?" Mayu repeated. She scoffed. "I would never come up with a name so stu-"

She suddenly stopped as though her very thought process came to a screeching halt. Hinata furrowed her brow as she continued to gaze at her friend. Mayu's hands lifted to her head, fingers gripping the metal plate of her forehead protector. Her eyes were squeezed shut as well. Being so close to her, the Hyuga could her trembling and the chill bumps forming on her raised arm. "Mayu…?" She took a step closer. Her friend was currently clenching her teeth. "Are you-?" A sharp gaze escaped her mouth as her eyes snapped open. Hinata found herself stunned into silence. Mayu's pupils were expanding and contracting at an abnormally fast rate. Her irises were moving back and forth as well. Her stare was aimless. Including her shuddering breathing, her actions caused alarm to surface.

"Her memories…" The deep raspy, yet feminine voice of the black leopard made Hinata sharply turn to the right. Nana had doubled back and was now watching her human partner with calm disposition as though she expected to witness such a thing. "You have returned them, Hyuga." The time for questioning such a statement was interrupted before it began because at that moment, Mayu unleashed an almost deafening scream. It had only lasted for a few seconds, but Hinata felt the anguish and despair. "Do not fret. It will end soon." Those words did not stop the way it felt. Doing nothing while Mayu was obviously hurting—she hadn't felt so useless in a long time.

Minutes ticked by and finally Mayu's arms fell to her sides. She only stood there, shaking her head. Again, Hinata stepped towards her, hesitantly calling her name. The kunoichi looked up. It took a beat, but her expression of pain shifted into a smile. "Hinata…" She moved forward, grabbing both of Hinata's hands with her own. "Hinata-chan~!" Mayu actually looked teary-eyed. "I missed you so much, girl!" Moving their hands from side to side, her smile turned into grin.

"Wh-What?"

Instead of answering her, Mayu released her hands, pout on her face again. "Hey! Why did you follow me that night, anyway? You were supposed to be sleeping! My goodness, Sasuke was right, I turned you into a little mini me! I have corrupted you." She feigned a shameful face, and then grinned again. Honestly, Hinata didn't know what to say. She was confused and just a bit sad. Because she realized that Mayu's memories had returned and she knew that her best friend intended to continue hiding things from her. "Well, surely we'll have time to catch up and be all nostalgic later, but now let's focus on the mission, ne?" She turned and walked forward.

"Mayu," Hinata began, halting her comrade's footsteps. "Whatever is it that you are holding within, I can tell that is it hurts." She clenched her left fist over her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. "We are best friends; you should realize that your false cheer won't convince me anymore. Seeing you like this makes me feel conflicted." Mayu softly uttered her name, sounding guilty. "But I won't pry this time," the Hyuga continued. "I only wish that you won't shelter me by distancing yourself again or putting on a façade. I can take it. Really, I can." Suddenly, Hinata felt arms around her, causing her to open her eyes. Mayu had encased her in her embrace.

"Really, Hinata, you are my best friend," she murmured. "And I'm truly sorry that I can't tell you." Pulling back a bit, the darker kunoichi looked her in the eyes. "It's just… I don't know what to do about this information I've suddenly gained, along with my memories. But still I am glad to have them back, realizing how close we truly were." Hinata returned the smile and hug, cheeks taking on a pink hue. Mayu sighed softly. "Just between us girls, though, could we keep my memories a secret for now? The information I have concerns Sasuke and telling him about it now would be a mistake."

"Yes, I won't say anything to Sasuke-san," Hinata promised.

"You can't say anything to your Naruto-kun either! That loudmouth would surely spill the beans."

Pink rapidly shifted to red as Hinata hurriedly protested such a thing. Mayu giggled before releasing her. She turned around and began walking again, urging Hinata to do the same. About to follow suite, however, she was interrupted. "Hyuga…" She had forgotten about Nana again. Truly, the stealth of this animal was superb. "You must never betray her." Hinata turned to the large black leopard, knitting her eyebrows together. "I fear she won't be able to take it if another best friend-"

"I would never!" she objected, almost raising her voice. "Mayu… I would never hurt her!"

"I'm just saying," Nana replied. "You are not the first best friend she has had, but I do hope you are the last." The large feline moved ahead to walk beside her human partner.

"Why would anyone feel the need to betray her…?" Hinata pondered in thought.

"Hinata-chan! Hurry up!" Mayu called.

"Y-Yes…!"

0-0

Yes. Yes, readers, it is as I've written. Mayu's memories have finally returned. I'm almost surprised no one figured out the trigger word. I would explain why that was the trigger word, but... I don't wanna. HA! Okay, maybe I will next chapter. But anyway, she has her memories, but she is still unwilling to share that information she had acquired. She is at a standstill until she can figure out what to do and who to talk to.

Anyway! Did you read the latest chapter of Naruto? I did and I was in awe. I mean, I have been writing Sasuke as an undercover dramaqueen for years and now Kishimoto has blatantly stated that it's true. I couldn't believe it! All this time, I have had Sasuke's personality down, I'm pretty sure almost effin' completely. Yeah...! Thank you, Kishimoto! By the way, hands down, the First Hokage is my favorite Hokage now.

Please review!