A short while later…

The girls had managed to calm down Motoko to the point of not screaming, but her heart rate and erratic breathing continued. Everyone sat or stood in her room, Naru sat next to Keitaro, whose eyes she had covered by a blindfold. Kistune slowly walked back and forth with her hand grasping her chin. Sarah and Kaolla Su sat cross-legged opposite Motoko, peering nosily around the room. Shinobu sat a few feet from Naru and Keitaro, while Haruka leaned against the wall, smoking as usual. Tama-chan floated around the room.

"So… let me get this straight. You were sleeping, you felt a burning sensation, and then they were just, POOF, gone?" Kitsune paused in thought.

"Y-yes…" Motoko looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"This is really weird," Naru mused.

"Would somebody just tell me what the hell is going on!?" Keitaro asked angrily.

"I still don't get it," Su tilted her head. "I mean, is she-" Kitsune frantically reached down and covered Su's mouth.

"I'll tell you, Keitaro, let's just go out the room…" Naru helped Keitaro up, and began to walk through the door, her arm wrapped around his. As she passed through, Keitaro walked into the door post.

"SORRY!" Naru grimaced and pulled him into the hall. Keitaro rubbed his nose tenderly.

"Ugh… so what's the problem with Motoko?" Keitaro questioned from beneath his hand, and lifted the blindfold slightly. Naru abruptly put the cloth back in place.

"I can't chance it. You might decide to look back in there," she smiled a little. "Y'see, Motoko… well… Motoko's… um…" Naru struggled with her wording.

"The kendo girl's boobs have gone poof," Sarah Macdougal concluded. "Her chest is as flat as yours, Keitaro." The girl giggled and poked Keitaro's side.

"WHAT!?" Keitaro's jaw dropped as he tried to imagine Motoko without her bust.

"N-no! That's not it-!" Naru shoved Sarah back into the room.

"Yes it is-!" Naru slammed the door shut, cutting Sarah off.

"So Motoko's breasts are gone?!"

"NO! The thing is, she thinks they're gone… and I can't figure out why," Naru crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thinks they're gone?"

"Yeah."

"But they're still there?"

"Right." Keitaro raised an eyebrow to Naru's response. "Alright, let's go back in…"

"Don't make me hit anything this time!"

"I won't!" Narusegawa grabbed the crook of Keitaro's arm and jerked him toward the door. The back of his head banged against the door frame, he tripped over his own foot, and fell backward onto the floor, taking Naru with him. They crashed into the room, their bodies locked in a seemingly intimate pose. Keitaro felt something soft and round in his hand, and realized it was Naru's butt. She slapped him twice and stood up, dropping him to the floor again. Everyone stared at them. Of course, Keitaro was still blindfolded and had no clue what was going on.

"I-it's not what you think!" Naru pleaded.

"Suuuuuuure it isn't," Kitsune replied sheepishly. Shinobu looked on in silent horror. Keitaro quickly righted himself and sat up.

"Since Urashima has thankfully not seen the problem, I guess it's up to me to tell him." Motoko glanced at Keitaro sternly. "Although it may be against my better judgment to tell a pervert like you, Urashima," she hissed through clenched teeth. "My b-breasts have gone missing…" tears began to well up in her eyes.

"But, Motoko they're n-" Su began again, but was silenced by Kitsune's quick hands.

"I-I see… er… I don't see," he corrected himself.

"Perhaps this is not the end of the world for me, as I previously thought," Motoko sighed. She stood up and reached for her blade. "If you'll excuse me, I need some time to think… ALONE," she glared at Su and quickly moved into the hall. The others looked back and forth at one another, and Keitaro was allowed to remove the blindfold.

"Hoo-boy… have we ever got one helluva problem on our hands…" Kitsune put her hands on her hips.

"What can we possible do for her?" It was the first time Shinobu had spoken up. "She'll eventually figure it out, right?"

"You can't assume that," Haruka said, also speaking for the first time about the matter. "Although this does sound similar to an incident Granny Hina once told me about," she took a long draw on her cigarette.

"Perhaps you should try to contact her and find out what she knows," Naru suggested.

"I'll get on it."

"For now, I think Keitaro should be the one to go have a talk with her, alone."

"You can't possibly be serious Kitsune! I mean the pervert is likely to take advantage of Motoko in her vulnerable mental state and-"

"Hey! That's not fair Naru-!"

"He's the manager, it's his duty to make sure we're all happy. So Keitaro's the only one fit for the job," Kitsune winked her fox-like eyes. Naru paused and considered what had been said.

"I guess you have a point there," she nodded. "But if you so much as look at her funny Keitaro-!"

"Yeah, yeah I get it, more random beatings. I apologize in advance, Narusegawa."

Su and Sarah cried out 'Breakfast!' in unison, grabbed Shinobu by both wrists and dragged her toward the kitchen. Haruka shrugged and followed them, while Tama-Chan 'myuued' and zipped after Haruka. Kitsune began to leave, but stopped and peered over her shoulder.

"Are you two coming, or are you trying to have some private smoochy time?" She smiled.

"Kitsune!!" They shouted together.

"Juuuust kidding…" She swaggered out the door.

"I guess I'll go find Motoko and try to talk to her," he left Naru alone with her thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Soon…

"Dammit, why does Motoko always have to find the hardest to reach places to train in?" Keitaro grumbled. He wore a backpack with a lunch provided by Shinobu, and had his blindfold (supplied by Naru) on his forehead like a headband.

"Although, the placement of the blindfold makes me feel like Naruto from that ninja manga," he smiled happily as he thought of himself as a Shinobi-in-training.

Nearby, Motoko ran through a series of fast maneuvers, ending with an overhand-downward slash. The tree trunk across from her exploded into splinters. She grinned. She closed her eyes, pretending that she was once again training with her elder sister, Tsuruko. Her sibling would pitch stones at amazing speeds, and Motoko had to split each oncoming projectile neatly in half - while blindfolded. Motoko defended her position with her blade as if rocks were being thrown at her. She flipped into the air, slashed backward, and landed in a crouch. She only opened her eyes when she heard the cry of surprise behind her.

Keitaro had narrowly dodged the attack sent forth by Motoko's last strike during the forward flip. The backpack had been cut clean from his shoulders, spilling his lunch. Keitaro tumbled to the ground, his glasses askew on his face. Fixing his glasses, he noticed a figure crouching in the distance. The figure stood, sword drawn at its side, and he instantly recognized it as Motoko. He also recognized that she was practicing topless. Luckily for Keitaro, she glanced over her shoulder and addressed him without turning around.

"Urashima! Why have you come to disturb my training?" She slowly slid the blade back into its sheath at her left side, her back still turned to him.

"The others thought it might be a good idea if I came to talk to you… since I'm the manager…"

"And thus responsible for our wellbeing, I've heard that from Kitsune many a time by now," her shoulders slumped. "But she may be right in this instance."

"So, uh… d'you want to talk about the uh, problem?" He hurriedly began to gather the remnants of the packed food. "I've got some lunch from Shinobu for us," he began to put the food out on a blanket.

"I think I'll pass, I need to keep going with my training-" she stopped upon hearing the deep growling of her empty stomach. "Oh yeah, I did skip breakfast this morning."

Keitaro looked up from his preparations, and then quickly looked away, holding a napkin to his nose. She loomed over him, her shadow casting across the edibles.

"I've reconsidered. Let's eat," Motoko sat down in a cross-legged fashion. "Something wrong?"

"Nah… just… bad allergies," he lied and pretended to sneeze. They began to eat, Keitaro still staring off into the distance, rather than at the topless Motoko. She took a bite of sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. Keitaro, in turn, began consuming his own sandwich.

"I guess I feel somewhat empty," she was first to break the silence. It took Keitaro a second to think and he remembered the situation.

"I mean," she rested her chin on her fist, holding the sandwich outward with the other hand. "It feels very weird to longer possess a part of my anatomy that has existed for many years…" Keitaro inwardly yelled at himself to focus and to not look at Motoko's exposed breasts.

"But, to a certain degree, I feel liberated. I remembered when I was younger, before I had breasts, the greater range of movement, as well as not having the need to tape my chest every day as part of my dress routine."

"So this is kinda good?" Keitaro asked between mouthfuls of rice.

"It would appear so. From the warrior side of me, this is somewhat beneficial. But, from the feminine side of me, I now have a sudden void, or voids, that leave me with a great sensation of being incomplete."

"Motoko, you've got to realize that no matter what you look like, you're still Motoko Aoyama. Nothing can change that." He added quietly, 'Damn! That sounded SO rehearsed!' Motoko stopped chewing. She looked down for a moment. When she lifted her head, tears had begun to well up in her eyes.

"You don't hear this much from me, Urashima, but… thanks," she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

'Oh crap…' Keitaro thought when he felt her bare breasts press against him. Thinking quickly, he held his nose and launched himself into the air, as if hit by Naru. He rolled end over end and landed thirty feet away with a crash. He quickly got to his feet and took off.

"I-I've got to be going! I'll see you back at the Hinata!" Keitaro's nose spurted as he ran.

"What was that about?" Motoko asked aloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Naru Narusegawa stood on the porch of the Hinata apartments, gazing into the distance.

"I wonder if that pervert was successful or if he just caused more problems…" She sighed.

"Knowing Keitaro, he probably did some good, even if he accomplished it in an unusual manner," Haruka emerged from the inn and leaned against the wall.

"You think so?"

"I know so. You've come to realize by now that Keitaro's well meaning, even if he's a little strange at times. He really cares for you girls… and you in particular, Naru." Naru blushed a little when Haruka said that.

"He respects your opinion enough to have done exactly what you told him."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. He always seems to come through in the end," Naru said. Haruka nodded.

"That's our Keitaro." As Haruka finished speaking, Naru saw the little figure beginning to ascend the long stairway to the Hinata apartments.

"Motoko's not with him!"

"That doesn't mean he failed. Wait and see what he says," she began to leave. "I'll give you two some private time to discuss this." A few moments later, Keitaro finished the lengthy climb and walked over to Naru.

"So?" She asked eagerly.

"It went well… I think," Keitaro proceeded to tell her everything that happened.

"I must say I'm kinda proud of your control…" his chest puffed out a little when he heard her say this.

"…I'm sorry to have doubted you, Keitaro. I had a feeling deep down that you could help her. It was awfully nice of you," she leaned in to kiss him, but her lips met cold metal.

"What the-!?" Taken aback, they said in unison. The blade lifted, and both looked at a fully dressed Motoko.

"You haven't changed, Urashima. Even if you made me feel a little better," she smirked. "You've shown me that even though I lack my breasts, I'm still the same person. Thanks again," she smiled and went inside.

"Wait, she still thinks her breasts are GONE?!" Naru looked shocked.

"I neglected to mention that?" Keitaro laughed nervously.

Naru harrumphed in response. Keitaro recoiled as if he had been hit, but no blow came. He opened his eyes and saw Naru going into the Hinata inn. Releasing his pent up breath in the form of a sigh, he followed her inside. He suddenly ran into someone, and in his haste to prevent himself from falling, grabbed onto their shoulder. Naru gasped as she fell backward, turning around mid air, and landing face down on Keitaro. Keitaro had put his hands up to break Naru's fall, and he now held both her breasts.

"Keitaro…" she growled.

"P-please Narusegawa!" He pleaded. Keitaro pushed her by her chest into a standing position. She quickly stomped down on his stomach, crushing him into the floor.

"You know he's going to have to fix that," Haruka noted.

"Haruka?" Keitaro climbed to his feet. "Is that why we stopped?"

"Yes! Pervert!" Naru crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"I forgot to tell you, I got in touch with Granny Hina."

"Well, what did she say?!"

"By the way she explained it… we basically have to remind Motoko that she does indeed, have breasts."

"So, that's easy, we just tell her," Naru replied.

"Not so fast. Granny Hina said that telling the afflicted person could result in adverse psychological effects."

"Afflicted person?" Keitaro scratched his head. "How's Motoko afflicted?"

"Granny Hina told me these types of things are usually dream induced."

"Dream induced… it all makes sense now, considering we had all been sleeping prior to the uh… incident," it looked like a light bulb had gone off in Keitaro's head.

"So if we can't tell her, how do we remind her that her breasts haven't gone anywhere?"

"That's where Keitaro comes in," Haruka replied in a nonchalant tone.

"You're not suggesting-!" Naru began.

"That I-!"

"Yup," Haruka said in the same voice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


"Now, tell me again why one of you girls can't do this?" Keitaro was being lead toward the open air hot spring by Naru.

"We've gone over this a million times, Keitaro. We're always poking and prodding at each other's busts, comparing size, etc. to begin with. Haruka said we had to remind her, but in a somewhat shocking way. So if a guy grabs her breasts, logically, she'll be cured."

"I still don't like this," they arrived at the entrance. Naru opened the door.

"I mean, as soon as she's back to normal you know what she's going to do!"

"A small sacrifice to pay to get the old Motoko back," she grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside.

"She'll freakin' castrate me!!" He shouted, tears running down his face. She paused and looked at him.

"I didn't think about that. But you could be right," she continued dragging him toward the hot spring.

"Narusegawa, pleeeeeaaase!!" Keitaro begged. They reached the edge of the water. Tama-Chan floated over and 'myuued' hello. "Please… I don't wanna-!" Naru covered his mouth with a hand.

"Motoko! Over here!" She called. Motoko Aoyama had been lounging in the water a few feet away with her back to them. She got up and proceeded to slosh over to Naru.

"Yes, Narusegawa?" Naru reached over and yanked her towel down to her waist. "What the-!" She then shoved Keitaro toward the unsuspecting Motoko.

It was a direct hit, so-to-speak, and Keitaro's grabby hands latched onto Motoko's breasts. Motoko suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Slowly… recognition began to creep over her face. She blinked a few times, turning away, which dropped Keitaro head first into the hot spring. Motoko clutched her arms to her chest, her hands placed over her gaping mouth. It looked like she uttered some sort of prayer and she turned to Naru.

"Narusegawa… th-thank you!!" Tears burst from her eyes and she enveloped Naru in a hug.

"Okay, okay, just cover up, will ya?" Motoko let go and pulled up the towel. Suddenly, Keitaro came up for air, his arms flailing about wildly. He spit out a mouthful of water and began wiping off his face with a towel. Motoko's towel.

"Urashima…!" Motoko hissed, one arm across her breasts, the other holding her weapon angled in such a way to conceal her crotch.

"CRAP!!" Keitaro exclaimed.

"Prepare to DIE!!!!!" She tore the towel from his grasp, whipped it around her naked body and raised her sword high above her head. Keitaro ducked under the surface to avoid being beheaded and began swimming to the far end of the spring. Motoko leaped into the air, bounding off rocks in hot pursuit.

"Nausegawa, save meeeee!"

"At least things are back to normal, thankfully," Naru laughed to herself.

"I'll have your manhood for this Urashima!!" Motoko screamed as she took another slash at the unfortunate Keitaro. Naru cringed.

"You hear me!? It'll be hanging on the wall of my room!" Motoko growled savagely.

"NARU!!!!!!!!!!!!!"