This chapter has been revised.

Gradually, Mayu opened her eyes. She lied on her back, blankly staring up at the night sky. Where the hell was her ceiling? No… Wait. Ah. No longer was she in a world that she knew. Similar, yes, but definitely not the same. Beneath her, she felt grass. Her head hurt, too. Had her surrogate family really been successful? Finally, the teen slowly sat up. This did wonders for the headache issue. Unceremoniously, Mayu practically emptied her stomach. Luckily, she had moved her head enough to where the puke didn't get on her clothes. Her hand, though, didn't make it out unsoiled.

Grimacing, she wiped her palm on the grass before she moved to stand. Throwing up actually made her feel better. The headache seemed to fade. Good. She couldn't deal with headaches and figuring out where the heck she had ended up. She looked to be in a clearing. Just great. Abandoned in unfamiliar territory. "And why couldn't I be dropped off somewhere in the Sand village?" she murmured. Years had passed, and yet Mayu still found the fictional red head absolutely adorable even though she had no longer watched the series. But… She supposed he wasn't so fictional anymore, as well as the rest of the characters from Naruto. It wasn't just a story.

According to her father—surrogate father—it was merely an alternate dimension. Sighing, Mayu mentally scolded herself. She needed to find some form of civilization. Not get distracted by wormholes and paradoxes. Her eyelids shut, heightening her other senses. However, all she could hear was the nightlife of nature. A heavy sigh came forth. What was he thinking, sending her to the middle of nowhere? There was only crickets chirping, owls hooting, and- Mayu's eyebrows furrowed. Was that… fire crackling? Her head snapped in the direction of where she heard the familiar sound. She knew it. Her surrogate grandparents had a fireplace in their home. She had loved falling asleep in front of it when she was younger.

"It must be human," Mayu thought, walking in that direction. At the very least, perhaps she could be told where she was. It took only three minutes to reach the flames. However, there was not a person in sight. The girl chewed her lower lip. This was turning into a bad situation. Being sent back, only to die in most likely twenty-four hours. Mayu sighed heavily at the thought. "Oh well," she thought. The fire didn't seem to be dying. The person, or group of people, had to be somewhere close. She could either wait for their return or go looking for them. "It'd be pretty boring here, waiting. Besides, they might think I'm some kinda-" The thought immediately was cut off. As she was thinking, the girl had made her mind up and moved to turn around. Too bad there was a kunai pointed right at her—right between the eyes, too. Mayu twitched, pushing down her fear and scream before shifting her line of sight upward.

The person behind the kunai was a man. He had successfully caused irritation. Why? It's because he seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hadn't sensed him at all. His dark green eyes glared at her. Mayu frowned. Why was he the one that looked offended? She wasn't pointing a sharp pointy weapon at his face. He was taller than her, too. His entire presence seemed more intimidating than a mere teenager. He had to be older than twenty years, yet younger than thirty-five. A dark blue hat sat on top of his head, covering his hair. The stranger wore a green trench coat. Under it, he wore a dark blue shirt and black pants. Black boots covered his feet. "Who sent you?"

"That's the first thing you ask a person you've just met?" Mayu asked. "How rude of you!" With her left hand, she grabbed his right wrist and bent it back, forcing the kunai's tip away from her. As a follow up, her right leg lifted. Her exposed foot collided with the stranger's chin. Eyes wide and yelping in pain, the man's head sprung back. Mayu finished the assault by knocking him to the ground with her already raised leg. The sole of her foot stuck his torso. The airborne kunai's hilt was grabbed before it hit the ground. "You're… not a ninja," she observed, swirling the deadly object around with her index finger. "Why are you going around carrying something like this?" She shook her head a bit. "No, that's not really important. What is important is why you think someone sent me? Are you a dangerous person?"

"… You're not a bounty hunter?" The man removed his hands from his face. Blood slid down his nostrils. Mayu blinked. Had she struck him that hard? "No one sent you to capture me?"

"If that were the case, I would have already dropped the pleasantries," Mayu replied. She had stopped the kunai's movement. "You seem pretty weak."

"Now who's being rude?" The man's voice turned sarcastic.

"I said seem pretty weak—jeez," Mayu murmured. "Anyway, why are there people after you? You still haven't answered if you're dangerous or not."

"I'm…" He groaned and covered his nose. "Forgive my manners." Standing up, he bowed a bit. "My name is Kazuhiro Zai. I am not dangerous." At Mayu's skeptic expression, he continued. "Perhaps there are still people after me. However, I assure you that it isn't because of anything dangerous. Because of my line of work, bounty hunters are looking for me."

"And what is your line of work, Kazuhiro-san?" Mayu inquired.

"… Retrieval specialist," he answered. "But it's nothing extravagant. I have only worked for those in smaller villages. Ninja bounty hunters aren't after me."

"Then where'd you get this kunai?"

"Found it lying around," Zai stated. "It would be silly to leave something like that just out like that. Kids could get their hands on it, so I picked it up."

"Aren't kids themselves dangerous nowadays?"

"I suppose… Eh, excuse me, but… You never mentioned your name," Zai said.

"Hm… My name is Ishikari Mayu."

"Could I ask… why you are out here so late?"

"Honestly," Mayu began. "I don't even know where here is. The work of a jutsu brought me to this place."

"You're a ninja then?"

"Nope."

"… Well, it seems that you're lost," Zai muttered, reaching into his pocket. He pulled a small dark cloth from his pocket. Then he wiped the blood from his face. Mayu watched him with narrowed eyes. Finally, she spoke, asking where the nearest Hidden Village was. "The closest…? I suppose it would be the Leaf Village in the Fire Country. However, it's many days away. Right now, our current location is two days' walk from the Fishing Village in the Tea Country."

"… This still sounds pretty far from the Leaf…"

"Is the Leaf Village where you hail from, Ishikari-san?"

"… Yes, I suppose it is," Mayu responded. Her gaze shifted to the ground for only a moment. She returned her stare to Zai. "Kazuhiro-san, I have a proposition for you." The man raised an eyebrow. "Allow me to accompany you." He looked about ready to protest. Mayu held up her hand, stopping him. "Before you say anything, let me finish." The teen cleared her throat. "I am by myself. I have no relation with anyone in this world. I am an orphan with no friends or family. I don't even have shoes. I'm sure I could take care of myself when it comes to some of the dangers of this world, but… as far as food and water goes, I'd die by the end of the week being so far from home." Zai appeared slightly guilty. Mayu mentally smirked. She knew it. He was an honest man. This man could be trusted—at least enough for her to travel with him. "My becoming your companion, at least until we come across the Leaf Village would benefit us both. I could be your protection against normal bounty hunters, so you wouldn't have to worry about them. You can teach me how to use chakra. Both of us together would extinguish the loneliness to an extent, of course."

"Ch… Chakra…? What makes you think I know?" Zai asked.

"I couldn't hear you at all when you snuck up on me," Mayu answered. "Also, you obviously sensed me coming and prepared for my arrival by hiding, thinking to take me off guard. Only a ninja, or a person with ninja training, would think like that." The teen placed her hands on her hips. She had used chakra before. However, that had been several years ago, and in another person's body. What she needed now—to survive in this world—was proper chakra training. This guy was her best shot, being in unfamiliar territory. "Just because you're not wearing a forehead protector doesn't mean anything."

"How… observant of you, Ishikari-san."

"Kazuhiro-san, do we have a deal? It's not like I'm asking you to teach me any jutsu—just tree climbing and possibly water walking."

"I…" He seemed hesitant. Then he sighed heavily. "I guess I can't just leave you barefooted here. Yes, we have a deal. However, due to my line of work, I'm afraid we will have to part ways at some point."

"That's fine." Mayu extended her hand to the man. "Please take care of me." Zai blinked twice before mirroring the girl's movement. She grinned, grasping his hand. "I hope this is the start to a beneficial relationship, Kazuhiro-san."

"Likewise," he said, nodding.

0-0

Annoyed, Mayu stared up at the large red gates of the Hidden Leaf Village. She was panting heavily as well. She had run all the way here from that small village. It wasn't really the best idea. At the moment, her body seemed highly upset with her. Aching, trembling—the very thought moving further put a strain on her whole body. According to Zai, the trip from that village to this place would take a whole day. Mayu sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She had stupidly thought it would be a good test to see how fast she could get here after a month and a half of training with Kazuhiro Zai. Indeed, she had managed to get here in half the time. Still, she was extremely fatigued.

The teen shook her head. No, she could go on. Pushing pass her tiredness, Mayu trudged forward. Surprisingly, she was stopped. Her head turned left. She recognized the two ninja of the Leaf. They were Kotetsu and Izumo—two chuunin-level ninja. They appeared the same as the last time she had seen them, which had been when they were introduced on the show. Mayu frowned as she walked over to the station. Did this mean the timeline was around the Sand and Sound invasion? "Is there a problem?" Mayu asked.

"We've never seen you around before," Izumo stated the obvious. He was the one who wore his headband like a bandana, which covered most of his hair. The brown hair that could be seen was combed down and covering his right eye. The girl tried not to scowl. "Do you have any form of identification?"

"I don't," Mayu answered.

"… Where are you from?" Kotetsu asked. He was the spiky-haired ninja of the duo. A bandage covered the bridge of his nose. Mayu scratched her cheek, looking upward to the sky in thought. Her surrogate father, Ishikari Chinoutori, had told her that her birthplace was the Leaf Village. He had stated that her mind was pulled here twice already. The first time hadn't been a dream and the second time she couldn't remember at all. Then again, she could barely remember the first time either, only that she inhabited the body of Haruno Sakura and that she had 'died' at the end of it. But that was only an assumption based on the reoccurring dreams—that have yet to stop, by the way. With a sigh, Mayu answered the man. At times like this, she wished her memory was as good as her fighting abilities.

"I am returning here after a prolonged vacation!" she replied. At their skeptical exchanged looks, Mayu continued. "Unfortunately, I was attacked by bandits, and they took everything except for what I'm wearing." She had long ago burned her former attire. Now she wore a blue tank top, a black jacket, dark gray shorts, and black knee-high boots. Admittedly, she had let Zai do her shopping as she didn't want to bother with it. Especially since the man had paid for the clothes himself. Beggars could not be choosers. The only thing she had been in charge of was her hairstyle. Wearing it in a high ponytail was more practical than keeping it down as she had in the past. Her bangs, which covered the sides of her face, would sometimes get in the way due to the wind, but that was about it, so she didn't feel the need to do anything about them.

"Do you know anyone in the village that can verify your identity?" Izumo questioned.

"No, as far as I know, not one. You see, I also lost my memory," Mayu stated. The guards took on suspicious expressions. Well, that did sound a bit farfetched, didn't it? "Really! The only thing I can remember is my name, my birthplace, and the reason I left this place, so I came back here."

"A likely story," Kotetsu muttered. "There's not too many people who look like you in the Leaf village."

"Oh no…! Am I being discriminated against for the color of my skin now?"

The man's face colored to a beet red as he stammered out a negative. Even that he had friends in the Land of Lightning, so there…! Mayu rolled her eyes. "If what you say is true," Izumo interrupted the man's further fumbling. "-then I'm sure we should be able to find your file, right?" Mayu shifted her gaze for just a second. That might be a hard thing to do. Chinoutori had mentioned that her clan was a bit of a secret. Haha. This was bad. She hadn't thought her presence in the Leaf Village would cause such a big fuss. Then again, her skin was different than most. According to Zai, he had seen others with dark skin, so her appearance had not been a culture shock for him. In response, Mayu shrugged her shoulders.

"Dude, I already said I didn't have any memories," she said, crossing her arms. "I guess we'll find out at the same time, right?" At her cheeky comment, Izumo scowled. "Shall we go now?" Only Izumo stood up. He looked about ready to say something. However, something caught his eye, and he set his sights on something else. Mayu refocused on her gaze as well. Entering the village was a group of people… and a giant… wolf. No. It was a dog. She recognized the dog, too. "Aka… Akamaru…?!" she thought. He had gotten huge. "That means-" Her eyes settled on the person on the large dog's back. Inuzuka Kiba. He didn't wear that big coat anymore. In fact, it was now a black jacket, looking leather in material, equipped with multiple zippers. His pants and shoes were black, including his headband.

On his right side was Aburame Shino. He hadn't changed much at all. If anything, he had gotten a bit creepier. Most of his face was covered due to the big collar of his dark jacket, which was under a green, hooded jacket. She wouldn't have recognized if he had been by himself. Then her eyes went to the left of Kiba.

Hyuga Hinata. So cute—cuter than the last time Mayu had seen her. Her dark hair had noticeable grown longer. She didn't have the beige coat anymore. Now she wore a long sleeve purple and white jacket, blue pants, and heeled ninja sandals. She still wore her headband around her neck, but the color was now black. Though her jacket was zipped up, the mesh shirt underneath was visible.

The three all looked older. That meant that everyone that graduated at the same time were all older now, too. Mayu's eyes narrowed. "This must be… Shippuden?" In all honesty, she had stopped watching the show, but there were talks of it among the anime club at her school. Ichiro had been the president. He had gushed how much cuter Hinata had gotten, causing Megumi to become jealous. Those moments between them were always so funny because the two, at the time, had no idea they liked each other. Gosh, she missed her friends. Pushing back her memories of that different world, Mayu began paying attention again.

Kotetsu had called Team 8 over. Now the curious eyes of Kiba were on her. Hinata's gaze was on her as well, but she appeared pensive, not curious. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what Shino's expression was. "You're going to hand in your mission's report, right?" Kotetsu asked. "Could you do us a favor and escort this girl to the Hokage? She apparently belongs to the village, and yet has no identification on her."

"Huh…? She seems familiar." Kiba hopped from Akamaru's back and walked towards Mayu. The teen reared back when the shinobi leaned forward. He appeared to be… sniffing her. "Have we met?"

"Up close like this, Kiba's actually cute," Mayu thought. She then shook her head. As far as she was concerned, she had been Haruno Sakura for a short period. That day on the bridge had been the last thing she could recalled. She couldn't have met Kiba before. "I don't believe-" The guy didn't seem to care about her answer anyway. He had turned his head and addressed his female teammate, while pointing at Mayu.

"Hey, Hinata! Doesn't this girl seem familiar to you?" he asked. The Hyuga walked forward as well. Unlike her teammate, she did not invade Mayu's personal bubble.

"I feel… something," Hinata admitted. "What is your name?" The girl cleared her throat and took a step back from Kiba.

"My name is Ishikari Mayu. Please take care of me." She gave a humble bow. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the two members of Team 8 staring at her as if she were a ghost. Mayu took another step back. "Wha-What?" she stuttered, feeling a bit freaked by their looks. All she said was her name. Oh no…! Perhaps her clan had been a bloodthirsty sort. No, what if they were dead and it really was like they were seeing a ghost?! Mentally, the girl scolded herself. "Get a grip, Mayu! Your clan's a secret!" Kotetsu and Izumo looked between her and the two younger ninja, appearing mildly confused. "Is there-"

"M-Mayu…?" Hinata had been the perpetrator. "Is it… Is it really you?" The girl shifted awkwardly under their intense gazes.

"Well, I've been called Mayu all my life, so… eheh," she laughed nervously. "Sup?"

"No, she's asking if you're really you!" Kiba said, raising his voice a bit. "Are you a clone or is this your real body?!"

"Clone…?" Mayu blinked. "Um… Yeah, this is me," she uneasily answered. Obviously, she was terribly confused. She became even more confused when Hyuga Hinata launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around her body in a tight embrace. Not to mention, she screamed out her name, too. "Befuddled… This is what it feels like to be befuddled!" Mayu had to brace herself so that the two wouldn't fall to the ground. "Since when is Hinata so gregarious?"

"Eh…? You know this girl?" Kotetsu asked.

"They do seem to be in the same age group," Izumo remarked.

"Of course, I know her," Hinata said, releasing her hold on Mayu. Although she answered, her lavender eyes remained on the swirly-eyed teen in front of her. Her smile was wide and bright. "She's my best friend."

"Wait, wait—what?!" Mayu took another couple of steps back. "Since when am I friends with Hyuga Hinata?"

"Mayu…?" Hinata blinked, appearing a bit hurt. "You… You've never thought of me as… a friend?"

"What? I don't-"

"Wait, Hyuga-sama!" Izumo's exclamation brought all focus on him. "This girl claims she has lost her memories." The two girls returned their attention to each other.

"Lost your… memories? You don't remember me?" Hinata asked.

"Sorry… I don't," Mayu replied. She then grinned. "But you seem to know me, so help me out, kay?"

0-0

She could not believe it. After two years, Mayu had finally returned. Hinata turned her focus from her departing teammates, who were going to continue to the Hokage's to report. Her gaze settled on the idle teen beside her. After a bit explaining, and a few white lies, the two guards had allowed the group to pass into the village. It had been a silent walk up to this point. Kiba and Shino had decided to go on, allowing Hinata to catch up with her old friend. Her dark skin and blue eyes—Hinata should have realized sooner. That did not matter, though. The Hyuga found herself smiling. Her friend had come back. Oh, how she had missed her. Gradually, the darker teen shifted her attention back to her. "So… Hinata-chan… We knew each other? Could you tell me about it?" she asked.

"Of course," Hinata replied. "I am surprised you remember nothing. Could it have been the work of the jutsu that sent you away?"

"Hm…" Mayu scratched her cheek, looking around. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" The kunoichi slowly nodded her head. "Good, let's go."

The walk had taken nearly twenty minutes. In that timeframe, Hinata realized how awkward the situation was. Mayu truly had forgotten. She did not remember anything of her time here. The friendship that had come about because of her presence, the confidence, the laughs… the memories—she did not remember at all. Hinata lowered her gaze to the ground as she walked. It was something she had not done in quite some time. Her eyebrows furrowed. This was, for lack of a better word, unfortunate. What if she never gained her memories?

Mentally, the Hyuga shook her head and scolded herself. The past was the past. Now that Mayu had returned, new memories could occur. That thought put a smile on Hinata's face. Her pale eyes shifted in Mayu's direction. The teen was currently observing her surroundings—something she had done in the past when experiencing new things. Of course. This was still Mayu even without her memories. "Hey, Hinata…"

The kunoichi snapped back to the present. "Y-Yes?" she asked. It was then that Mayu questioned where exactly they were headed. They were outside of town. Their current location was near the Uchiha district. The two were on a desolate path. It was understandable that Mayu felt a bit apprehensive. "We are going to the place where you disappeared."

"Where I disappeared?" Mayu blinked. Hinata nodded her head, and then pointed up ahead. From this distance, the strange cliff could be seen. "Is that really a good idea?"

"I'm sure it would not hurt. After all, you had performed some type of jutsu. I'm sure that is the cause of why you disappeared two years ago," Hinata replied. Within five minutes, the girls stood at the base of the strange cliff. "Do you… know how to use chakra?" The Hyuga could not be sure with this turn of events. Luckily, her friend nodded her head. "Can you also walk on water then?" The two began to ascend the rock wall.

"Yeah, I learned—apparently again," Mayu answered.

"There are steps, leading up to the house on the other side, but this way is faster," Hinata explained.

"Good to know."

Within moments, they reached the top. "I will show you to the room," Hinata told her. Then she led the way into the back entrance of the abandoned house. Behind her, Mayu became silent. Surely, she must have noticed the graves. Over the years, the force of nature had eroded the raised dirt, which leveled them with the rest of ground. However, the sign remained, stating the backyard was indeed a burial site. "I believe this is where a clan resided." Hinata glanced behind her as she came to a stop in front of a room. The room that Mayu had vanished. "Ishikari… I believe that you are a part of this clan, Mayu."

"Yes, I am. I think I'm the only one in my generation." Her friend was surprisingly calm about this. "That means I have a lot to learn." Mayu sighed heavily. "History was my worst subject, though…" She moved pass the Hyuga, stepping into the vacant room. Her head turned in every direction. "I wonder how I knew the jutsu to send me away."

"You had been reading scrolls," Hinata answered, entering the room as well. Instead of standing by Mayu's side, she walked over to the far corner of the room. She dropped to her knees and lifted the tatami floorboard. Mayu walked over, peering over the Hyuga's shoulder. "Just in case, I hid them away. Even though I could not understand the strange writings myself." The ninja's hand went into the secret compartment and pulled a box from it. She handed the wooden box to Mayu. "Perhaps it will be of more use to you."

"Thanks," she smiled. "This will be pretty useful." The girl lifted the lid. "Now… Could you tell me about our past?" Hinata stood at full height, blinking. "I mean, I would like to know how we became best friends if you don't mind. Maybe hearing about it will jog some memories."

"Yes, of course! That is a great idea!" The kunoichi nodded her head in agreement. She began to relay events of the past to the ignorant teenager. Throughout the retelling of memories, Mayu had surprisingly kept quiet. Perhaps her attention was divided with the scrolls? Her blue eyes had been scanning each of them, after all. By the time Hinata finished going over the past, Mayu seemed to be finished reading as well. She placed the scrolls back in the box and tucked the box under her arm. "Of course, we were not together some of the time, so I cannot tell you everything that happened to you while you were here."

"Hm… That's fine. Telling me these things was helpful," Mayu said.

"Did you remember anything?"

"I'm afraid not, but at least I know some things," she replied with a shrug. "But I do have a question. You mentioned Uchiha Sasuke knowing about me before anyone else. Do you know how close we were?"

"Close…? Um… I'm certain that you and Sasuke-san were very close," Hinata murmured. Mayu narrowed her eyes. "So close that you had become enraged that he left you without saying goodbye."

"I see—I suppose that means he didn't care either way," Mayu muttered. The Hyuga opened her mouth only to close it a second later. In the end, Sasuke had chosen the Sound. No matter how close Mayu and he had seemed, he had still betrayed her—betrayed them all. Mayu, herself, had called him a traitor. "But let's forget about him for a moment." Was she trying to be funny? "What matters now is relearning."

"Relearning…?" Hinata repeated.

"Yes, you said I did some pretty crazy stuff when we shared your body." She closed her eyes, grinning. "I was naïve and overconfident back then… I'm not the same anymore… Well, not completely. I have to get stronger now because I can't just go back if something happens to me."

"I… understand," Hinata nodded. "I will help. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me, Mayu."

"Great! Make me a capable ninja. I'm counting on you, Hinata-chan!"

"Hm!" she agreed with a smile and a nod.

0-0