At first it was about preventing tragedy. For Cloud it soon becomes a fight to protect new bonds, tread untrod paths and find happy endings. Second chances aren't always easy in a time where ghosts live and heroes are human. [ Time Travel, Eventual Slash ]

Marriage is a blessed union, bringing together two kindred spirits by way of an unbreakable bond... Or something like that... In which Sakura proposes, Itachi agrees, and chaos ensues. ItaSaku, SasuIno, NaruHina, and Shisui.

After finally being invited to meet the rest of Sasuke's family, the infamous Uchiha Motorcycle Club, Sakura leaves a lasting impression on the leader of the club and Sasuke's uncle, Madara Uchiha. As her and the MC president fall in love, Sakura is drawn into a hidden world where a secret war threatens to destroy the people she loves and her along with it. Biker AU

Sephiroth was given the chance to live a happy life when Professor Gast took him in. However, Shinra refused to let him go without a fight. Eventually, he is forced to face his past, and his own personal demons as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Re-write of a story I started 10 years ago.

With the influx of new SOLDIER cadets and the prospect of a war looming on the horizon, the Silver General and his companions must do everything in their power to keep peace. However, they start to question their loyalty when certain secrets come to light. AU, pairings inside.

Non-mass, possessive, stalker Itachi. She would come to him. One way or another...

AU! Ulquiorra is a 30 y/o salaryman who is always passed over for promotion in favor of married men. Orihime is a 27 y/o virgin with no interest in marriage after being rejected by her first love. Despite being happily single, each face different dilemmas that would be cured by marriage, & decide to try for an arranged marriage. Will either find a suitable candidate - or love?

Kenshin Himura is legendary in the current war as Battousai the man-slayer, the most feared assassin of all time. He is revered for his impeccable swordsmanship, and his cold, steel heart. However this deadly edge comes at a great cost. Slowly he is losing his humanity in this world of violence and death, now it's up to Kaoru Kamiya (a fiery young doctor) to help him feel again.

Cloud has spent the last five years wondering who he is and where he came from. He's travelled the continents of Enroth and Erathia in search of answers, and now he's arrived in Jadame. An unfortunate accident causes him to wake up with a head injury on board the Black Materia, whose captain is terrifyingly familiar.

Kenshin was naturally suspicious of the new woman in Akira's life, and he felt that, as the best friend, he had to make sure that Akira wasn't heading into a painful relationship with her. What he didn't anticipate was the feelings she'd create in him.

Just after being jilted on her wedding day, Kamiya Kaoru suddenly found herself hurled into a marriage proposal, by the man who convinced her fiancée to abandon her; the same man which was supposed to be her brother-in-law.

Set in modern times. Kaoru has been left with deep emotional scars, heart frozen in the past, left by Kenshin who no longer loves her anymore. Will Kaoru be able to overcome her broken heart and find healing for herself...? Loveholixx Note: Unsure where I want the plot to go, so I ask readers to bear with me while I figure things out. Thank you!

There is a fine line between attraction and dark obsession, between a General and the enemy’s daughter, between darkness and madness. When a General keeps a trinket of war– a fiery young woman he uses her to brew a war in the name of cynical possession

Cloud Strife is given to Jenova in exchange for food and shelter for Cloud and his mother. Cloud doesn't seem to be a sacrifice, but what exactly does Jenova have in mind for him?

Killed in a car accident, a young woman is saved by Minerva, the Goddess of the planet Gaia. Shell becomes the new guardian of Gaia, which is a huge responsibility due to what all she knows. Thing is, Shell's from a different dimension. Now how is she going to react when she meets characters and people, including a silver-haired man? Full summary inside.

Revamp of "The Kill" by Of Broken Love. Uchiha Madara is one of the most successful men in Japan. He has fame, he has power, he has money; but the one thing -person- he truly wants will never want him back. And yet he can't let her go...so the only option is to force her to be his wife. Even if she never loves him, at least she will never love anyone else, either. Explicit content.

History eventually repeats itself, but every millennia, history repeats the SAME events over and over again hoping for a different outcome. By Cloud Strife's fourth rebirth, Gaia decided to change its' strategy. All of Cloud's three past lives have assimilated into his current body of eleven years old, starting with the WEAPON inside him. Not your average time-travel fic :p Rated T

During a mission gone awry, an old Mako Reactor blows with Sephiroth caught in the center of the blast. Due to some mysterious event, the General of the Shin-Ra Army is nursing three silverette children and a young blonde toddler named Cloud, all the while in a Parallel Universe unlike his own. For the moment, Sephiroth plays parent while the world he came from has changed...

The Northern King has lost his keep. Betrayed and poised to be dead, he is salvaged by the sheltering arms of the mystical Kingdom of the East. Who would have known they were only returning the favor? It turns out he had unknowingly saved their fabled djinniya princess from the guillotine. And their fates will be entangled, deeper than they would have ever imagined. (AU)

AU Yugi: a 1st year uni student, busy trying to juggle a new independent lifestyle. Atem: a post grad, leading the kind of solitary,sensual lifestyle that suits him. Their paths seem fated to cross, and despite the resisting of both, they are destined to play a larger roles in each others' lives. VERY Atem/Yugi centric.

Kaoru never believed the old stories until she found herself a demon's captive with a red string of fate about her finger. Kenshin proposes a bargain: He will free her, but if after a year and a day Kaoru has not found anyone she loves as much as he loves her, then she will return willingly to him. He never promised to play fair.

After Naruto leaves Hinata for Sakura, Sasuke decides to introduce her to his world of revenge. Hinata hesitantly accepts and goes along with his plans. She soon finds herself falling for someone she would never have expected and finds that while revenge is sweet, love is much sweeter. Rated T for suggestive themes and language, though there is nothing explicit. Subject to change.

Kaoru returns to her small town with the hopes of becoming an English teacher. She mistakes a handsome student as just another rebel. Fate cruelly forces them to meet in the most humiliating circumstances and she quickly learns that while he is not a delinquent, his dangerous gaze hidden behind his calm demeanor makes it quite clear that he is, most definitely, trouble.

Atemu is on fire. He'd just opened his third hotel and restaurant chain and he was on his way to celebrate at the heart of Domino City. He's expecting the best of the best guests, but no one better than his ex Yuugi Mutou, whose heart Atemu broke into pieces. Thanks to his bonehead assistant Tristan who invited Yuugi, Atemu now has the face the man he loved so long ago.

He was the new head of Cardio and her new boss, and though she thought him a little full of himself, it seemed there was more to the famed Uchiha Itachi than he led on. Not that she could claim her life was that uncomplicated as well. ItaSaku. Modern AU. Grey's Anatomy AU. Rated M for mentions of adult themes.

Doomed to an existence that neither of them asked for, Aerith and Sephiroth struggle for survival in the bleak desolation of the Northern Crater. Epic and ongoing, rated M for later chapters.

A troubled youth, Cloud leaves home to join an elite gang of soldiers. But flipping burgers at Chocobo Chow and living in the Slums during unsafe times wasn't in the plan. Neither were rejection letters from Shinra Inc. An encounter with an enigmatic silver-haired Host presents a new obstacle. Guided to a world of sensual pleasure, Cloud bonds with a man who revels in dark passions

Haruno Sakura used to think the eyes were the windows to the soul, but after witnessing the horrors of the Sharingan firsthand, she's convinced they are the doors. ItaSaku. Nonmass. Rated T (subject to change)

Cloud bursts out of his shell when he enrolls into the military academy. Can the power of punk rock help him get the man of his dreams?

AU. Aerith Gainsborough claims to be your average 19 year old girl, but not to Shinra's greatest SOLDIER who made the number 1 ruling country of Wutai bend its knees. Sephiroth Crescent is every woman's dream, He's handsome,extremely rich and powerful, but there's more to him than meets the eye. Sliver of a moon will stir your fantasies over the silver haired SOLDIER.

If you found yourself in another world, an impossible world you would recognize from a virtual setting, a world in which you knew who would live and die, how and when… what would you do?Who would you try to save?Who would ultimately believe you? [CoverArt:AndreiaFerreira]

Vincent rescues Sephiroth from the lab before all the damage can be done, thus altering his and Sephiroth's destiny. Through Cigs, Mako, and WTF! Watch Sephiroth walk out on the dark destiny of his birth to fall for one little blonde who wants nothing more than to destroy the destiny he's been given.

Twenty years ago, the Haruno Clan was exterminated for carrying the curse of destruction. Sakura Haruno, the sole survivor, heals people with the abilities she has developed over the years to prove herself worthy of existence. One of her trials includes an assassin sent to kill her. The other is trying to survive with him. An ItaSaku story

Natus Ex Nihilo: Born of Nothing. After awakening inside the lifestream and butting heads with the Crimson Commander, a dry humored gamer finds herself in Soldier trying to change the game from the inside. Keeping out from under the Turk's noses and Hojo's grasp long enough to change anything is easier said than done. Crisis Core timeline. Self insert/OC AU sorta thing.

Meruem, the Chimera Ant King, survives the poison. With his new perception of humanity, Meruem makes a decision. What will happen to the humans now that their precious Hunter Chairman has died in battle? What will happen to the remaining Chimera Ants? And what of Komugi? Who is she to him? Rated M for some violence and possible adult scenes in the future.

"It was your plan to die, was it not? Since you want death so badly, I'm unwilling to reward you with it." Sakura is sent back in time by the Rabbit Goddess as her punishment for trying to kill her and to possibly finally let Kaguya's family, at least her grandson, enjoy a piece of happiness. Unwilling to fall in love with Madara, she had her memories taken away. Time travel AU

Summary: Tifa and the Avalanche – or that's what they call themselves are second best to the Populars, which consists of Zack, Genesis, Angeal, Sephiroth and his brothers Yazoo, and Kadaj. With a war raging on for popularity, there are some unexpected events happening along the way. Will enemies ever accept each other? Or will the feud rage on? SephTi. High School Setting. AU

In the midst of all Hayako's screaming, there stood Itachi, a sleepy look in his eyes, towel on his shoulder, and what smelled like a cup of tea in his hand. He reached out towards Hinata, placing a kiss on her forehead. "You look exhausted. Leave."

Summary: After a battle that cost the life of his father, Itachi Uchiha was made king of the Land of Sound. But, since a young king needed heirs, soon he went on to find his perfect queen. He didn't know how hard – and incredible – this could get. Pairings: ItaHina, minor KakaSaku, SasuKarin, one-sided NejiHina and NaruSaku.

Asura gets a job as a teacher at the DWMA. What will happen when Maka is the last one to leave class?

She's a girl with a fateful past who doesn't believe in love anymore. He's intrigued, and wants to help. They are college room mates. Can Itachi Uchiha fix this broken girl? Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) do not own Naruto, only the characters I have created.

She was a former secret agent. He was a criminal. But they both had something in common - the love for art. In a world where things are rarely as they appear at the first glance, Sakura has to learn how to be alive again and Madara to find out that light can cut through the darkness. Can they help each other? Should they even work together? She'll be his death, and he, her madness.

Cloud's world is turned upside down after breaking up with his longtime boyfriend and he seems to be stuck in a rut. That is until his friend Yuffie introduces him to the world of dating apps and he meets a guy named Zack who actually makes him forget about his ex! Can Zack heal his broken heart? And is his ex even entirely out of the picture? AU, ZackXCloud? SephirothXCloud?

While men wage war, women plot in the shadows. After the defeat of Wutai, Tifa embarks on a mission to fulfill Lady Kisaragi's dying wish, to restore the honor of Wutai and bring Shin-Ra to its knees. Divide and conquer was her mantra, but things aren't always so simple.

Genesis was known for his legendary temper in the ShinRa Building. An unfortunate chance meeting with a plain, clumsy scientist in the confines of an elevator was the just the beginning of something that promised to be a beautiful disaster. Meanwhile, socially-awkward Sephiroth seems to have his own relationship issues. Genesis/OC Sephiroth/OC (AU- Crisis Core).

In a world ruled with Tenshi, Akuma, and the mixed breeds, Naruto is the abomination that no one can figure out, not even he himself understands it fully. When his father is switched to a new school in the district, he got what he never knew he needed: Closure and more unexpectedly; love. (MadaNaru, One-sided SasuNaru NOT SASUKE BASHING) Future Mpreg

A lesson in the importance of reliable, comprehensive information regarding Shinra superiors. Mei learns it the hard way.

After being released from Jenova's influence, Sephiroth is given a second chance at life as Tifa's companion. Very slight AU.

A small portion of the population are Gifted and able to do things that are superhuman. No one knows how a person becomes a Gifted or even where they come from only that there are organizations in the world that compete to control them. Cloud has stayed away from these conflicts until he is sent on a delivery that tosses him into the middle of every situation he avoided Omegaverse

AU - And all she wanted was to paint his magnificent eyes, but what she got was a whole lot more.

When Tifa left to compete in the tournament, Anne never expected to track her down to a kingdom cursed by a vengeful Stregherian and face an ugly looking beast. In a land and time where magic is shunned and must be repressed, will Anne find it in her to see the good in this proud, vain and cruel king? Or will time run out, condemning the once evil king? M for future violence

She was expected to be just a warm body in the King's bed. A perfect beautiful doll without opinion. Yet she will always be more than that.

The boy king, a puppet on strings. He who controls him, controls the world. Sephiroth, though, has other plans. Controlled by Jenova, he was nothing. But with the help of a forgotten God, he can cut the strings... and destroy Shinra with his own hands.

Desperate to have Cloud's child, Tifa takes drastic measures to obtain a sperm sample in order to inseminate herself, it turns out, it was the wrong sample though. This is a Sephiroth/Tifa pairing. Co-written with sakurablossomhime with full collaboration between us and her doing many late corrections and additions while I snored in bed. This shall be updated every Friday morning.

What would it be like to be the secretary for SOLDIER? Ask Sai. She's been filling up coffee mugs, slipping antidepressants and relaxers into the water, and preventing deaths for years. At least she gets to see her superiors making out on desks. Yaoi

Kate Grigori, a young networking engineer for Shinra, is sent out on an assignment for her department and gets more excitement than she bargained for. What does a silent and deadly-trained SOLDIER have to do with her? Read on to find out! (This will be a slow-paced story and is intended to span from before Crisis Core to beyond the events of FFVII's game.)

A rewrite of my older fic 'Fate' - If Cloud were not the second SOLDIER to meet Aeris in the church, if the flower girl were intercepted before Cloud could arrive, just how much would change? In the end, what will be left of the world? Compilation non-compliant. Various pairings involved, few will be canon pairings.

When Cloud dubiously signed up for Reeve and Cid to throw him back in time in the hopes of saving them all an absurd amount of trouble, he really didn't expect this. Time Travel Fic.

DISCONTINUED Moved to Ao3; for more information PM me.

Final Fantasy VII Drabble Collection: "Okay, first of all, it was supposed to be romantic, Cloud, stop laughing, damnit!" [Multiple pairings; genre changes with drabbles ; requests accepted ; AU Verses]

What if Elmyra wasn't at the train station the day she found Aerith? Or what if Ifalna had simply got off at a different stop? If the Cetra flower girl had been captured, how would growing up in a Shinra science lab have been for a child? A silver haired SOLDIER knows the answer to that and together they might just become one another's salvation in a world with no where to run

Married life meant a new house, a new life, but who would expect it to be occupied?

Cloud's first thought on waking in the Shinra training grounds..."Where's the hidden camera?". What is one supposed to do when they find themselves inexplicably in the past? Become a terrorist four years early, of course. And look up a few old friends.

Arranged marriages were tricky. Especially when your fiancé was expecting you to be a woman. Steph and Cloud. Possible Mpreg.

Cloud is the dumbstruck teenager who can't get Sephiroth out of his head. Sephiroth is the cold and closeted adult who can't get Cloud out of his life. Can the blonde even begin to gain his attention? Can the General even begin to allow himself to care? The twisted relationship of two differently affected people. Set in Crisis Core - Yaoi.

I had an incredible gift. But when you pair such gift into an unforgiving, cruel world, chaos is the only thing that ensues. ((updated sporadically))

Blood splatter analyst for Midgar Metro Homicide by day, and serial killer that targets criminals by night, Sephiroth is not who he seems. But as he develops his humanity what happens when he falls in love with an enchanting blonde? Throw in crazy co-workers, love webs, and other killers and you have yourself the life of Sephiroth. Sephiroth x Cloud and more.

The first thing on Cloud Strife's mind when he woke was Not Again. Reliving the past once was hard enough, but doing everything again for a fourth time is ridiculous. Eventual Sephiroth x Cloud. Time Travel fic/AU. Complete.

Cloud has suffered and asked for forgiveness, but Aeris knows she alone cannot give him it. He must find that forgiveness and peace where it began, back at SOLDIER. SephirothxCloud REWRITE PLANNED (see profile for details)

The truth will transform you… Drowning in memories, bound to the past, and consumed by mortal regret, the penitent former general seeks the grave and forgiveness of the true mother never known, but not before he fulfills an obligation to the flower girl whose life he once claimed.

Sephiroth was supposed to marry into his social status. But when he falls for Cloud, a slave, what trials await them when Cloud's secret leads him to carry Sephiroth's child?

Struggling to stay alive, Aerith reaches out for the only source of comfort within reach. But when this person is Sephiroth and he like her is at someone else's mercy, lines blur and definitions become obsolete in a desperate fight to survive emotional and physical trauma. Even after pain fades to memory, can they be enough to sustain life in a world that is no longer theirs?

Sephiroth has been ressurected so he could have a second chance, but he hasn't changed. He is cursed and the only way to break it is by learning to love another and her love in return within one year. SephirothXOC Beauty and the Beast storyline.

Cloud and his two brother, Sora and Roxas move to their parents old home, for their parents last wish after their murder. It would be pretty simple if they weren't vampires and the famous Soldiers didn't want them for their mates!ASGZC,RxS,AxR R&R

Creation, growth, decay, destruction, rebirth - the loop is endless. And yet, as the planet threatens to suffocate on human greed for power yet again, it calls forth it's most treasured champion and it's most hated enemy to it's defence. As corruption spreads further still from Midgar to threaten all life, can the nightmare protect the dream without tainting she who is innocent?

In an effort to make Sephiroth less intimidating, he and Zack collaborate on a nickname.

After escaping Nibelheim with his two siblings and life long friend Tifa. The four find themselves in the city of Midgar trying to start over with their lives, until Cloud catches the eyes of four wealthy and dangerous men, who each have their own goal.

Recently moved in to Midgar, Cloud is desperate to find a job. He manages to become a personal assistant. At first, his duties seem normal, but then things start to get strange... On hiatus.

When Sakura returns home to find her husband in bed with another woman, she decides that she has had enough. She won't allow him to hurt her any longer. As Sakura grapples with this loss she is continuously attacked, both physically and mentally. But she will endure. She will be a victim no more. Very complicated SasuSaku and ItaSaku. M for dark and sexual content.

In a world of anamorphic Soldiers, summer was definitely the best and worst time for Cloud Strife. As the personal aide and lover of the winged General Sephiroth, summer molting also meant 'mating' season...

Cloud is a new SOLDIER at ShinRa and gets special training from Sephiroth - including texting eachother. Some fluff, angsty later on. Semi-AU. "teacher x student". SxC

Sixteen years ago Sakura's life changed in a way she never could have foreseen. Abandoned by her village and the people she loves and trusts, she is now a mercenary taking jobs for cash. What she didn't expect was Konoha paying her for a mission where she would have to confront her past. AU, Non-mass Continuing soon.

A story that somewhat follows the Final Fantasy VII Compilation. Characters and parts used from Crisis Core as well as FFVII. What will Aerith and Sephiroth do when their mutual friend passes into the lifestream? Will the seek comfort in each others arms? What will unfold for the lovely flower girl and the fierce general? Please read and review, Thanks!

Rejected by his mother for being a man and betrothed against his will, Cloud hates his life. His only light is Zack, his fiance's friend. When his fiance learns his secret, Cloud is given a choice. Marry Sephiroth, or return home with his mother.

After Sephiroth's life arrangements with Aerith, Cloud had figured that his chances were a little along the lines of zero to none; and although he spent more than enough years away, it still didn't prevent him from maintaining his repressed love-life and unrequited feelings. To tell the truth, he was more than certain that Sephiroth had constantly refused to notice him at all.

Cloud Strife really loves his summer job manning the lighthouse on the rocky seashore near his hometown. But in his last year there before moving on with his life, a stranded form on the beach changes everything. Merman AU. Sephiroth/Cloud [Oneshot]

Cloud is a manic depressive and Sephiroth addicted to sexual pleasure. The two meet through their counselor, starting a complicated and destructive relationship that can only end badly... or will it? Yaoi, contains sexual scenes and language. Crisis Core.

They were merely pawns in a game between nations. In the end, can either of them win? Slightly AU. Gradual Sephiroth x Yuffie.

Sephiroth learns that he need to be more careful when answering the phone, especially if it's Zack on the other line. Based off quotes from twigcollins and thorne scratch. -crack-

In which General Sephiroth falls in love with a thief. Canon AU.

A wish is made by a flower girl wanting a chance at love. Little did Aerith know that she was diving into a world beyond her understanding, and that it was now upon her shoulders, the absolution or damnation of a mortal man turned fallen angel. Very AU. A Sephiroth x Aerith romance.

Singer Zack Fair holds a contest to find the perfect boyfriend and Cloud gets dared to enter. Drama ensues as not only Zack, but his best friend Sephiroth start to fall for him. Poor Cloud finds himself struggling to keep his virginity intact. AU SC AZ

Alysia Welsch has been haunted by her past for eight agonizing years. Madness tore the man she loved from her arms, bringing her life to a standstill. In hopes of finding some semblance of a normal life she joins the WRO, trying to atone for others sins. But how can she move forward when the source of her despair is impossibly thrust back into her life? A story of redemption.

As Akashi Seijurou stated, she is a plain-looking girl with no redeeming qualities the moment he saw her. But Mibuchi Reo thought the opposite; she's actually special enough that it's the first time The Emperor was wrong. Not only the Uncrowned King, even his ex-teammate Midorima Shintarou said the same. "One day you will realize it, Akashi. It's her gaze." OC x Akashi/Midorima

Three years after Kishin Asura was killed, Maka finds a teenage reincarnation of him in her bedroom! AsuraxMaka.

Cloud's lack of romantic skills and gaping crush on Sephiroth is starting to worry Zack. So, he's taking matters into his own hands. By the time he's through with them, they'll definitely be in love...right? Warning: yaoi boyxboy , AU, OOC

Pregame Cloud and Sephiroth fic. Cloud has just entered the ShinRa cadet training and whatnot, when he gains the curiosity of ShinRa's all-famous General. Yaoi,angst,abuse. Currently in revision.

The war with Wutai has ended, the once proud nation brought to its knees by the might of SOLDIER. But not all Wutanese are content to wear the yoke of Shinra, and even the general of SOLDIER himself must determine exactly where his loyalties lie... Sephiroth x OC

Although controversial, mako injection is the first step toward becoming a SOLDIER. Fresh out of the country, Cadet Cloud Strife is eager to receive his 'rite of passage', at whatever the cost. But when he finally obtains his wish and is injected the mysterious cells, the side effects prove deadly and threaten his sanity and life. (C/S: M for language, violence, sex, drugs)

AU. Actor, business man, even singer and fashion model when it struck his fancy, Sephiroth had a schedule worse than the President's, enough whims to put a pregnant woman to shame and a demanding and largely overbearing personality. For his personal assistant Cloud Strife, he was a nightmare. Then there was that creep Hojo on TV, blabbering wild stories about mutants... CxS

Cloud, Reno and Vincent try to summon a ghost to help them with their history homework but what they have called might be more than they can handle... Sephiroth/Cloud, NSFW, co-written with funkysockzlover

Cloud Strife had realised it now. He could never be good enough for Sephiroth. It was time to stop trying. If people were rain, Cloud was drizzle and Sephiroth was a hurricane. AU. WARNING: Rated M for Suicide.

AU He had caught glimpses that bubbly girl every day, and passed her off as another sheltered pampered rich kid. That is, until he sees how dull her eyes are, and the forms rising from her shadows.

Kenshin and Sano own a small tattoo parlor in town. Kaoru decides it's just the place to get her first ink done. AU. KxK.

Sequel to The End of Love:All Kaisu ever wanted was to forget the past.But when HE shows up all that Kaisu wanted to forget will come back to him.Will he be able to forgive the man he once loved or will the past not let him?Plot twists will happen.Seph/OC

When war breaks out between Shinra and Wutai, Sephiroth loses the one thing he has always treasured. But now that the victory's won, he intends to take back what is rightfully his. ::AU::

Sephiroth has a plan to get Aeris' power completely under his control but as the effect she has on him grows, it becomes difficult to tell which one of them is being seduced. Ch. 31: Magic voice inside my head, what's it like being stone cold dead?

Her assasination attempt on Sephiroth having failed, she must now discover what exactly it will take to destroy the General, and avoid Hojo's minions along the way ...