Sasuke was expecting a lot of disbelief, criticism, hostility even. He had been gone a long time. Many people of the Hidden Leaf Village must have thought him a deserter, viewing him as something akin to his brother. In that case, his existence most likely was kept to a hush hush. Others probably did not care and went about their lives. He expected such reactions. However, he was not expecting all three of them to come from the same person who knew his real intentions. Yet there she stood, fist stilled clenched, giving him a look of incredulity as though what he had done was too outlandish to even consider. The young Uchiha lightly touched his face. She had struck him several times in the same spot, but her last punch had hurt more than the others. The kunoichi suddenly shuddered, drawing in her arm. "Uwaa…!" She then pointed a finger. "Y-Y-Y-You just…!"

The shinobi had a wild sense of déjà vu.

Before he could shout out his annoyance—she had promised—Naruto pulled Sasuke away. Once they were out of earshot from the others, the blond cleared his throat. "About what I said before…" he began. Sasuke furrowed his brow. "I'm just going to tell you now. Mayu can't remember you or the espionage mission you gave her." Dark eyes merely stared at Naruto. The expression on his face was too blank to read. Then again, most of the time, Naruto had not been able to place the correct emotion Sasuke was feeling. He had just stuck to broody back then. "Ah… More specifically, she can't remember sharing a body with Hinata. Oh, she can't really remember being in Sakura-chan's body either. Hinata thinks it's the work of the jutsu that sent her away, but I really don't know anything about that. When we get back to the village, I'm sure Hinata will explain that to you if she's not on a mission with her team." Sasuke continued to stare at him. He stayed that way for a full minute.

Finally, his gaze shifted back over to Mayu. She was still staring in the same spot Sasuke had been, still pointing. Also, she seemed to be ignoring, or at least not hearing, Sakura yelling at her. The medic had seen the kiss, and then the follow up punch as the rest of them had. Yamato stood idly by, as did Sai. "She…" Sasuke began. He turned his eyes back to Naruto. "She has amnesia?" The blond nodded his head. "How the fu-" The Uchiha made a move to walk back over to the rest of the group, but again, Naruto wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him close.

"No, no!" He spoke in a whisper. "Right now… Mayu doesn't feel anything for you." Sasuke's eyes widened. "On top of that, in her head you were a traitor for the longest time. If we spring the truth on her now, who knows how she'll act?" An image of the kunoichi going on a rampage came to mind. Sasuke tried not to grimace. "For now, I think we should wait to tell Mayu about your relationship. Or, at least, wait until she thinks of you as a friend." Sasuke furrowed his brow and averted his eyes. He didn't like the sound of that, but Naruto was right. He pulled away from his friend and held his cheek. If this is how she reacted to just a kiss, she might really explode if she learned that she was his girlfriend—potential wife and babymaker. Potential girlfriend, really. She had told him she had been willing to try.

I could grow to like him as much as he likes me.

Back then, she had stated that she didn't dislike him, and had questioned why she would reject him. However, right now, it seemed that Mayu had no feelings for him whatsoever, according to Naruto. Right now, she was not willing to try anything. This was not fair, but he would have to deal with this until a later time. "She's forgotten everything, including being my spy. Damn…" Sasuke frowned as he narrowed his eyes. Not only had he been expecting a welcome back kiss, but he had been expecting information, too. Both expectations had ended in failure. Well, not the kiss part, but the consequences of the kiss ended badly. Sasuke inaudibly sighed. How was he going to explain the kiss, anyway? He must have seemed like a pervert in her eyes.

As if sensing his unease, Naruto patted his shoulder twice. "Don't worry. Mayu will listen to me," he said. Sasuke frowned again but nodded his head. The two shinobi walked over to the group. Sakura abruptly stopped yelling at Mayu and turned towards them. "Hey! Mayu, cut that out!" Naruto caught her attention. The kunoichi flinched, and then slowly dropped her arm. Blinking, she turned her attention to the blond ninja. "You must be wondering why that happened, right?" She continued to stare. "Well, Sasuke thinks of you as his precious friend. You two were tight like that."

"Tight like that?" Mayu repeated. She scratched her cheek as her gaze refocused on Sasuke. His dark eyes were trained on her as well. Naruto went on to compare their relationship to the relationship she had with Gaara. "Oooh… I see," she murmured. The kunoichi scratched at her cheek again. "Sorry then… for the hit. I didn't know. I've lost my memories. I didn't know we were… tight like that." Sasuke didn't respond. He only continued to stare at her, unblinking. Mayu easily returned his gaze.

"What… What is this?" Sakura swallowed hard as she watched the two. Naruto grinned as he stood beside Sasuke. However, it was like he wasn't there at all. In a vortex of swirling wind, it was just them, staring into each other's eyes. The medic stiffened as she continued to observe them. Even though they were right there in front of her, she felt as though they were so far away. Even if she were to reach out, she couldn't grab onto them. It was too strange… and stifling. "I don't understand… Mayu doesn't remember Sasuke-kun at all, and yet… and yet…" Sakura couldn't finish her thought. It suddenly felt as though she couldn't breathe. Her hand clenched at her side. The atmosphere between them—she couldn't break it. Luckily, Sai had no such qualms.

"I don't mean to sound slow, but to clarify, Sasuke-kun is still an official ninja of the Leaf, yes?" he asked. Naruto loudly confirmed this. "Ah… Sasuke-kun is a good actor. I didn't have a clue until Naruto-kun stated that you were working as a spy all along. You could have killed me in that explosion."

"You woke me up from a nap," Sasuke said, unperturbed. "I take my naps seriously."

"Drama queen," Mayu said, cracking a smile. "I didn't realize you've become a Nara in your time away."

Sasuke scoffed, but inwardly he felt the nostalgia. She did not remember. However, it seemed that she was the same. "To answer your question, yes. Back then, I realized how much Orochimaru wanted to use me," he stated. "When the invitation to his domain came around, I agreed to it. I was going to use him instead. The man responsible for the Sand and Sound Invasion and the death of the Third Hokage—Orochimaru is, without a doubt, the enemy. I thought that if I were to go, I could gather information, and perhaps prevent something like another invasion from happening again. On the mission to retrieve me years ago, I told Naruto about my intentions."

"And I told Granny about it, too," Naruto proudly stated.

"Tsunade-sama knows about it?" Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

"Yup!"

"Who else knows about this?" Sai questioned. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look that wasn't lost to any of the group. "Could it be… that you cannot tell us?"

"No, no!" Naruto waved his hands side to side in front of his face. "It's just… She can't remember, anyway."

"Can't remember…?" Sakura repeated. Then all eyes turned in Mayu's direction. "She knew?"

"Yeah… Sasuke told me and Mayu both about his plans," Naruto made it clear. "Only the three of us, plus, Granny, knew about it. It's too bad she forgot."

"I'm standing right here, you know," Mayu murmured. She stepped forward, stopping in front of the Uchiha. Lifting her hand, she boldly touched his cheek. Sasuke closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. Sakura almost choked out at the sight. She had never witnessed the passive Uchiha so… so affectionate. "So… I affected you?" she whispered. The Uchiha opened his eyes and smirked. He returned her gesture, thumb stroking her cheek.

"You're Ishikari Mayu. It's your talent."

"I see." Mayu blinked once. Then she nodded, seemingly accepting the circumstances. A smile spread on her face as she dropped her hand. Sasuke also lowered his hand. "Good. I would like to spar with you again soon. Without thinking I have to kill you."

"Looking forward to it," he said. Instead of appearing offended, Sasuke smirked. "I'm interested in what else you have up your sleeve." Mayu returned the smirk, mischief dancing in her eyes. "I hope you've gotten close to my level."

"You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" the kunoichi nearly purred.

The atmosphere was again broken by the older ninja clearly his throat. The two shifted their attention to the man. Sasuke seemed rather annoyed by the interruption. "What information did you gather?" Yamato finally spoke up. The spy of the Leaf village averted his eyes and frowned.

"I will write up a full report for Hokage-sama. If she allows it, then I will share the information. Until then, I cannot say anything pertaining to my mission," he replied. "For now, I suggest that we stop talking and find a place to rest. Looking at you, all of you are exhausted and or injured. We shouldn't stay in the open like this." Yamato nodded his head in agreement. The group began to move, away from the large crater.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of yellow eyes watched their departure.

0-0

"Aaaaaaaahhhh~!" Naruto groaned blissfully as he sank into the hot spring. He hadn't realized how sore his body was until the water touched his skin. It felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted. This was great. Orochimaru and Kabuto were gone. His best friend was returning to the village with him. The team was going to be together. Happy days were here again. "Isn't this great, Sasuke?"

"Piss off."

"I stand corrected," Naruto thought, turning his gaze to the brooding Uchiha. He had been standoffish like this for a while now. The blond could swear he saw his friend's lower lip poking out. "Are you still upset about-?"

"Upset would be spending your free time sleeping because there's nothing else better to do," Sasuke interrupted. "What I'm feeling is something akin to irate."

"What?"

Sasuke sighed heavily. "You wouldn't understand," he muttered. How could Naruto possibly understand? He wasn't in this situation. Back where he belonged, he should have felt content. However, Mayu did not remember him. How could he feel anything other than irate? Perhaps irate was not the right word. Maybe disappointed. After all, Mayu had not spoken to him since they had left Orochimaru's hideout. She had not look his way, in fact. No matter how many times he had stolen glances at her, she had always looked straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to his stare. The Uchiha shut his eyes. She would not be like this all the time, would she?

In the past, she had approached him, completely ignoring his 'don't talk to me' aura that he gave off. It had worked well for most people, except the persistent fangirls. Mayu, though, wasn't a fangirl, though she appeared like one at the time. He would never forget it. He remembered thinking how strange it had been for Sakura asking him to give Ino a chance. Though he had not showed his surprise, he had been quite stunned. Then Sakura had begun to do more things that had been out of character. In hindsight, he should have realized sooner. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. Thinking of the past would not get him anywhere, especially since the present was more important. Mayu could not remember, but he damn well could. Naruto had told him something about a trigger word—one single word that would bring all the memories flowing back to her. He just needed to find that word, and everything would be fine. But with the way the trigger word worked, it was confusing as hell. Then again, it had been Naruto to explain to him. Perhaps he should personally ask Mayu instead of taking Naruto's word for it.

If she talked to him, that is.

That thought just made the young Uchiha more irritated. He glowered and sank deeper into the hot spring. "Come on, Sasuke! It's not that bad! At least she doesn't downright hate you!" Naruto tried, in vain, to lift his spirits. "She's probably letting the information sink in that you're not the bad guy. Even Sakura-chan's not talking to you."

"You wanna die?" Sasuke asked, earning a nervous chuckle from the blond shinobi.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun…"

Hearing their names, the two shinobi looked towards the left. Sitting beside Naruto was Sai. The pale ninja had been quiet until this point. Well, besides Naruto, it had been quiet. The team had come to a town, known for the hot spring. Apparently, according to Sakura, they had stopped here on the way to the bridge. Sasuke had to agree that it was a good place to rest. At the moment, the younger ninja were the only three in the spring. Well, perhaps the females of the team were relaxing on the other side. It was a mystery what Yamato was doing. It was pretty late. It almost felt as though they were the only people awake. "What is it, Sai?" Naruto asked, curiosity clearly rising. Then he scowled. "If this is another joke about my dick, then I'm gonna-"

"I've been thinking," Sai interrupted, leading Sasuke to briefly wonder about the past jokes the pale ninja had said. The guy did not seem like a person who would make jokes. In fact, he seemed like a person who would not understand a joke at all. "Mayu-san… She's a strange person, isn't she?" Naruto made a noise of inquiry. "Admittedly, I have little to no knowledge when it comes to… kissing, but Mayu-san-" With a shriek of horror, Naruto quickly covered the pale teen's mouth before he could finish his explanation. Sasuke raised a brow at the sight.

"What about Mayu and kissing?" he asked.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Naruto exclaimed hurriedly. "Sai's just… just weird! He's-"

"Actually, I wanted to know why she so readily kisses others but becomes violent when she is on the receiving end," Sai stated after he had pried his teammate's hand from his face.

"SAI~!"

"Who?" Sasuke questioned as his eyebrow twitched once. "Who does she readily kiss?"

"I have only known for a short period of time," Sai said. "However, I have seen her kiss Naruto-kun numerous times. I, as well, have been kissed by her."

"It is not like that, Sasuke!" Naruto quickly protested. "There small kisses! Like on the cheek and nose! Not like-like romantic kisses at all!"

The Uchiha abruptly stood up, causing Naruto to tense. It was indeed hot, but the blonde's sweat came down like rain. Sasuke moved again, this time to get out of the spring entirely. Without a word, he wrapped a towel around himself and walked towards the exit. Naruto remained in his frozen form until his friend was completely out of sight. A sigh of relief came from his lips. Then he turned a glare in Sai's direction, to which the pale ninja merely stared back in return. "Hey! Mayu and Sasuke's relationship is really complicated right now! Don't say anything about her to or around him!" Naruto hugged himself, shivering. "It's been so long that I don't know how Sasuke will react to the things I have seen her do! Who knows what might happen if he sees or hears the same things?!" he thought. "I've got to make sure Mayu doesn't do anything… Mayu-ish!"

Meanwhile with Sasuke, he was feeling rather... different after hearing what Sai had said. It was a feeling he had felt before, just not quite like this. Over an opponent's strength, over his brother, over Naruto's second winds occasionally, hell, even over those who have such a relaxed life. But never over a girl. What he was feeling now was jealousy. In the years they had been apart, had she kissed many males? Had she really given away her kisses when she had been so reluctant to let him kiss her? "Mayu…" The Uchiha narrowed his eyes as he wrapped a robe around his body. He shook his head. Thinking about it wouldn't get him anywhere… except incredibly pissed. More pissed than he already was. He could hardly believe that Mayu had to go and do something to get her memories erased. Still, there was a way around that. The trigger word. Eventually, one word would jump-start her memories, along with the information she had gathered as his spy. "But I wonder if this has happened before. If it has, then there was another set of memories she lost—memories before she met me." Before he could ponder any further, a voice caught his attention. The Uchiha shifted his stare from the floor up to the person standing in front of him. "Sakura," he greeted impassively.

"What are doing here?" she asked. "Were… Were you looking for Mayu?"

"What?" It was then that Sasuke realized where he was. While the girls' room was on the second floor of the hotel, the room he shared with Naruto and Sai was on the third floor. "No, I was just thinking," Sasuke answered.

"Oh," Sakura replied, eyes focused elsewhere. Shrugging, Sasuke turned to head to his room. "Wait! Can… Can we talk?" He raised a brow. "Not here. I mean, in private. Mayu's still in the hot spring, so we have plenty of time."

"Whatever," Sasuke replied. "Lead the way."

The medic led the way straight into the room she was sharing with Mayu. Sakura sat down, knees under the small table in the room, gesturing for him to do the same. Sasuke did so with a frown. His former teammate liked to beat around the bush. He hoped this wasn't one of those times. "So… Sasuke-kun… How have you been?" This was one of those times, it appeared. Suppressing his sigh, the Uchiha crossed his arms. Before he could stop it, the sarcastic response of 'Peachy' came from his mouth. Expectedly, Sakura appeared a bit hurt. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't come here to make small talk. In addition to that, he didn't want to recall Orochimaru's training all that much. He called out to her, drawing her green eyes to his person. She opened her mouth to begin again, but Sasuke interrupted, telling her that she should just get on with what she wanted to say. He had no patience for a long, drawn out conversation right now. Perhaps another time, maybe, but not now. "Um… Well… I was wondering ever since Naruto told us, but… why didn't you tell me about any of this?" The shinobi blinked slowly. Sakura shifted her gaze away from him again. There was a frown on her face. "I can understand why you told Naruto, him being your teammate, but I was your teammate, too. Mayu isn't even… She wasn't your teammate. Why did you tell her and not me?"

"…" For a moment, Sasuke remained silent. "For the record, I believed both of you were my teammates. Mayu first. Then you." He frowned. "But that isn't the reason I told Naruto and Mayu about my plan. It's because I trust them."

Sakura frowned, bitter and deep. "So… You didn't trust me," she whispered. Her eyes darted down. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, staring at her. Flushing, yet not looking away, the medic opened her mouth again. "Tell me, Sasuke-kun… Was I not important enough to you even though you were important to me?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," Sasuke told her, almost annoyed. "To be honest, I was going to tell you."

"Huh?"

"I was going to tell you everything when you stopped me that night. I left you a note that only you could decipher, too. At your house. Just in case I did not see you on the way out," he continued. Sakura blinked, obviously shocked by the admission. "But talking to you made me change my mind." When she asked why, the Uchiha closed his eyes, remembering. Finally, his dark eyes returned to her. "It's because of what I told you." At her confused expression, Sasuke went on to explain. "That night we ate together at the restaurant right after the Sand and Sound Invasion, do you remember what we talked about?" Hesitantly, Sakura nodded her head. "I told you that you should not do things just because other people are doing it—that you should follow your own path." Again, the medic nodded her head as she recalled the conversation. "When I remembered that, I decided that you should not know my intentions. If you had known, you would have been the same Haruno Sakura."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you would have felt at ease, become relaxed, and not have grown at all," Sasuke explained. "I knew it when you were so desperate to keep me in the village. No, I knew it when you said that you would even follow me into the Sound village." It was then that he narrowed his eyes. "Did you know how you sounded to me at the moment, Sakura?" It was a question that she would not answer. She was not supposed to. "You sounded annoying and foolish… pathetic, even." Sakura shut her eyes and turned her head. "Whether your feelings were strong or not, you were willing to follow after a traitor and become a traitor yourself."

"That was-!"

"Incredibly horrifying," Sasuke cut in. "You would have left the village, abandoned your friends, became a traitor for me. Where did that mindset come from, I wondered? A girl that yelled at me for being a coward so quick to denounce her whole way of life for one person. There was no logic in that. You were not thinking long-term, and that is not who you are. It did not make sense, but I did not like it." Sakura visibly swallowed, appearing near tears. Still, Sasuke forged ahead. "And so, I refused to tell you my real plans. I saw that you needed to change. With my leaving, I knew that it would change you. Eventually, you followed your own path, didn't you, Sakura? You're no longer an average ninja. You decided something by yourself and began to have a mind of your own. That is why you were not told. That is why after I knocked you out, I went to your house and destroyed the note I left behind."

"Y-Yes, but…" She pressed her lips into a thin line as her eyes opened. "Why did you want me to change my mindset, Sasuke-kun?"

"Is that a question that really needs to be asked?" He almost rolled his eyes. "No teammate of mine, whether past or present, will remain stagnant if I can do something about it. I saw the opportunity, so I acted accordingly." Sakura's eyes expanded as she stared at him in a stunned silence. Sasuke could see the tears beginning to well. Damn—he had told her that so that she would cry.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…" Despite the droplets rolling down her cheeks, the pink-haired medic smiled. "You're a liar!"

"What?"

"You told me that there was no caring personality underneath it all, but it's there. I see it clearly now," Sakura said. "You definitely changed."

"… I was not about to remain stagnant either," he murmured. His gaze averted. "Stop crying already." Sakura wiped away her happy tears with the backs of her hands. After a few moments, Sasuke opened his mouth again. "Are you okay now?" She nodded her head, contentedly. "Good. Don't tell anyone about this conversation. I don't want to hear Naruto's mouth." Sakura chuckled as she moved to stand. The young Uchiha stood as well.

"Sasuke-kun…!" Still smiling, the medic clasped her hands together behind her back. "Can I hug you?"

"No."

"What? Come on! You let Naruto hug you!"

"He forced it on me."

"Then let me force-"

"Everything little thing I do...! Never seems enough for you!" Sasuke and Sakura exchanged an incredulous look. That could only be one person. "You don't wanna lose it again! But I'm not like them! Baby, when you fi-na-ly get to love somebody... Guess what? Guess what! It's gonna be MAAY!" Ishikari Mayu opened the door, wide grin on her lips and incessant giggles leaving her mouth. "Sakura-chan~! Captain Yamato has dinner aga-" It was then she noticed that her temporary roommate wasn't the only one in the room. Both Sakura and Sasuke wore similar expressions. Slight horror. "What? Did I interrupt something?" Her eyes shifted back and forth, equipped with wiggling eyebrows. The Uchiha caught the implication.

"No!" Sasuke almost exclaimed, pushing Sakura away from him. She almost fell over by the sudden force. The shinobi ignored the angry shout from his former teammate. "You didn't interrupt anything. I was just leaving."

"Hold it...!" Mayu held up her hand, palm facing the two. "I came to tell Sakura that our captain ordered dinner again. You have to come to, you know. Let's all go together." The kunoichi grinned, showing her teeth. She was obviously in bliss at the thought of eating. Sasuke let a small smile cross his face.

"Memories or not, she's still herself," he thought. The shinobi stepped towards Mayu. "It's gonna be maay?" he repeated, the foreign words sounded strange on his tongue. "What's that mean...?" The two walked down the hallway, side by side. "Which gibberish language was that?"

"Eheh...! That was English," Mayu told him, grinning. "And Justin Timberlake is totally a meme now!"

"The hell is Justin Timberlake?"

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura walked behind the two, slight frown her face. "You... seem happier. Mayu's the reason you changed, isn't she?"

0-0

It had been a few hours since the group, plus Sasuke, had returned to the village. As expected, ninja and civilians alike stared. In their minds, it must have seemed like the traitor had been brought back home. They had to have been confused since he had been walking alongside the others as if he were an equal. Must have pissed and confused the hell out of them all. The young Uchiha propped his sword up against the wall near his old bed. It sure was dusty in his home. He had just returned from giving his report to, not only, the Hokage, but the council as well. Despite doing a self-made mission for the Leaf village, it was still a self-made mission, which involved becoming a traitor. Because of that, the Fifth could do nothing about the council's punishment.

As if it was really a punishment.

Sasuke walked around his bed towards the desk. The squared frame was still there. However, it was not face-down as he had left it. It was upright, showing the dusty glass covering. Underneath it was the picture that made him smirk. Years ago, it had nearly thrown a fit after the picture was taken. His and Naruto's surprised faces were almost comical as Mayu—as Sakura—had winked at the camera with her arms around their necks. Kakashi had stood behind them, smile evident under his mask. When the real Sakura had come back, he had come to care for the first team picture. Another team picture had been taken sometime after that, but that particular one was hanging on the far wall, near his closet. That reminded him. He needed some new clothes.

Ugly. What an ugly ass outfit. He looks like he has man boobs.

His shoulders slumped as he remembered her callous words. Mayu had never been one keep her mouth shut when it came to… pretty much anything. Shaking the girl from his mind for a moment, dark eyes scanned the room. It was not just this room either. He would need to clean the entire house. Maybe he could get Naruto to help him. Those clones of his were useful. They only needed direction. It would probably only take a few hours. The only question was when.

"Gosh, this is so boring…" A voice drawled out. Sasuke found himself smirking. "Why was I given the mundane task of watching you?" The dark-haired kunoichi opened the window. It was so strange. She could have been there for the longest time, but he had not sensed her presence. That was the reason she was doing it in the first place. The Hokage convinced the council to have Ishikari Mayu watch over him because her skills at stealth were impeccable. Apparently, the Fifth had seen it herself. "This is so not fair. They didn't even give me a time limit!" Her feet touched the floor without a sound.

"Stop complaining," Sasuke told her. Mayu crossed her arms. "Should you have revealed yourself to me?" She only shrugged.

"Like I said, that was boring. Anyway, let's go. Naruto, Sai, and I are going to meet Kakashi-sensei at the hospital. You're coming, too. Kakashi-sensei didn't know about your plan, right?"

"Kakashi… He's hurt?"

"Yeah, on our last mission, he used a lot of chakra. He's been in the hospital ever since," Mayu explained. "So let's go! Afterwards, I have to buy a new thing to wear on missions—something more durable."

"Aren't you supposed to be watching me most of the day? Already slacking off, eh?" Sasuke questioned.

"That's why you're coming with me." She shook her head as though she couldn't believe his stupidity. "Ah, such a bird brain you are."

"At least I'm not an ignorant cocoon girl." The remark caused the girl's eyes to widen. She placed a palm to her chest, looking utterly, and dramatically, taken aback. "Let's just go meet up already," Sasuke continued to smirk as he moved towards the door. Muttering to herself, Mayu followed after him. As they walked, she also complained about all the dust, saying that she would help out to clean. Why? She did not want keep coming back to such a dusty place. As they left the Uchiha district, Sasuke finally noticed that she was not wearing what she had wore on the mission. She had lost the jacket and pants, and was now wearing an overly large black T-shirt and blue shorts. "So… how have you been?"

"Been…?" Mayu shrugged. "Good, I guess."

"You became a ninja during our time apart," Sasuke stated. "When exactly did you become Sakura's replacement?"

"When Naruto came back to the village. Together, we showed off our skills to the Fifth Hokage. She allowed me to be a ninja because of that, and also placed me on Team 7, most likely because Naruto didn't have any teammates at the time. It was a matter of convenience, I think."

"Convenience or not, this works in our favor. With Naruto and me on the team, it would only be a matter of time before your memories return."

"Ah, yeah…" Mayu scratched her cheek. "Say… I was wondering how our relationship was. I mean, I'm not sure how to act around you because I don't remember-"

"Just act normally. That's the Mayu I like best," Sasuke interrupted. The kunoichi stopped, prompting the Uchiha to do the same. He turned and looked back at her. "You're fine the way you are."

"Well, yeah, but I want to know how we got along," she said. Sasuke almost scowled. There was no need for her to remember. She was still the same. Completely self-satisfied. "Did we see each other often? Did I come to your house? Did we have sleepovers? How about training? Did we spar with one another?"

"Yes."

"Yes to what?"

"To all those things. You forced me into it all."

"That sounds like me." She actually grinned. Sasuke stared at her, lips parted. This kunoichi in front of him… he wanted to kiss her. Although she appeared in another form—no, it was her original body—the grin she wore was the same as it had been years ago. He had missed it. And she had no idea. Ignorant in both body and mind… Was fate really that cruel? The shinobi inwardly sighed and turned away from her. Listen to him… He did not believe in fate or destiny, or things of that nature, yet here he was contemplating the circumstance. "Sasuke, I have another question," Mayu announced. The two began walking towards the meeting point again. "I am your precious friend, but was there ever a time where I… made it clear that you were my precious friend?"

"No. You chose Gaara over me."

"Oh, so he was… Hinata-chan told me about the invasion—what she saw of if anyway," Mayu continued, missing the bitterness in her companion's voice. "Hm… Why am I your precious friend, by the way?"

"You saved me," Sasuke murmured.

"You're so dramatic, Sasuke," she huffed in response. "Just say I'm so awesome that you couldn't ignore me." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It must be true. Tell me I'm the light of your life."

"You're the pain in my ass," he retorted.

"How dare a bird boy talk to me in such a way...!" Mayu raised her voice just a bit. She was not serious, though. Sasuke could see the mirth in her eyes. "Don't you know I'm older than you?"

"Still lording age over everyone's head, are you?"

"Oi! Sasuke! Mayu!" The familiar voice of Uzumaki Naruto caught their attention. They looked to see that the blond was not alone. Sai stood by his side as well. "Look who I found at the library?" Naruto gestured towards the pale shinobi as the two came to a halt in front of him.

"You go to the library?" Mayu asked. "Since when?"

"You read?" Sasuke questioned. "Since when?"

"Since both of you can bite me!" Naruto huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms.

"Kinky, but I'm not into blonds," Mayu mentioned. Naruto scowled. "Besides, I fully intend to be your wedding planner, my future Hokage." The blond shinobi rolled his eyes.

"Anyway...! Hinata told me that reading can be meditative, too, so I wanted to try it!"

"Failed, huh?"

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

"Ah. Such development in the NaruHina plot. And I need not do anything. The wedding bells in the distance comes closer each day!"

"You, too, Mayu!"

"M-Mayu… Na-Naruto… Sasuke…" Sai hesitantly began. The three turned to the pale shinobi. When their eyes met his, he averted his gaze to the ground, almost as though he were embarrassed. He scratched at his cheek. "May I… join your conversation?" Their expressions became confused, so Sai went on to explain. "Um… You see, I was reading about how to open up to people… That's the reason I was at the library. The book I was reading said to try dropping honorifics, or use a nickname. By doing so, you can become friends faster and easier. And I… want to become friend with you… all of you." A slight blush appeared.

"Sai-chan! You're so adorable!" Mayu almost squealed, clasping her hands together.

"I was trying to come up with nicknames for you three," Sai continued. "But I couldn't think of any… so I thought dropping the honorifics is good enough for now."

"Nicknames aren't something you think about," Naruto said. "They just come to you naturally. Like for Mayu and Sasuke. She calls him bird brain, while he calls her cocoon girl." Both teens in question twitched.

"That doesn't mean you can call me that," they grumbled in unison. "You don't see us walking around calling you 'the dumbass,' do you?" Sasuke went on.

"Sasuke~! That's way overdoing it!"

"So then…" Sai pressed the side of his index finger to his chin, looking deep in thought. "Nicknames can stem from characteristics, huh?"

"Yup!" Mayu replied. He was quiet for a moment. Then he looked up, smile on his face. "Ah, thought of something already?"

"Yes, I think I've got it now." Sai nodded his head. The kunoichi grinned. "Queen."

"Q-Queen…?"

"Yes," Sai nodded his head again. "It fits you, right?"

"Come to think of it, it does," Sasuke remarked. "Ordering people around, punishing them if they don't follow your demands—no matter how unreasonable they are."

"That does sound right," Naruto agreed. "She also sees herself as some twisted savior."

"Oh, she does that with you, too?" Sasuke asked.

"Yup," Naruto said.

"You are both dishonored and I hope your bacon burns!" Mayu said. Then her expression softened. "Queen does have a nice ring to it, though… Very well, I shall take the nickname you have bestowed on me, Sai-chan." Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. "So you're going to come up with nicknames for Sasuke and Naruto then?"

"Yes, since it worked so well this time," Sai answered. "Should we visit Kakashi-sensei now?"

0-0

"… And in the end, Uchiha Sasuke returned to the Leaf."

"It seems like he isn't like you at all then, ne, Itachi-sama?"

"Yeah… Returning home, ditching the pedophile, and kissing girls—definitely not the same, un."

"…"

"How long will it be before you realize Itachi-san won't react to your taunts?"

"I can try!"

"Please! This robotic bitch doesn't react to anything! Let alone your fucking pre-school taunts!"

"He's just ignoring you damn retards."

"Why are you looking at me when you say that, Kakuzu?! We're supposed to be partners!"

"So…?"

"Hey, Zonbi Konbi, save the comedy act for another time."

"Shut the fuck up, Kisame, you blue-faced bastard!"

"All of you… shut up."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Konan-sama, cool as always."

"Thank you, Petto-chan."

"Anyway, Leader-sama… This news can't bode well, right? I propose we initiate my plan."

"Your plan is fucking ridiculous!"

"And it costs too much money."

"Not to mention that it's dangerous, un."

"I'm not really a part of this organization, so I can just do it without approval. I'm going to go through with this. Though, with your cooperation, I suppose it would be more beneficial. Besides, it'll cost money, Kakuzu-sama, but not the organization's money. I'll still be funding… just like before. Leader-sama…?"

"We are running low on funds… just when we're about to make our move. I don't like giving up bounty rewards anyway."

"Very well. Do it."

"Yes, Leader-sama."

Finally! Shit's about to go down!

0-0