Neji scoffed, observing those around him. It was taking a longer time for the remainder of fans to leave. In fact, security had to escort most of them out. Meanwhile, his comrades were scattered about the room. Tenten was in the middle of the room, pacing, restlessly waiting for the idol to emerge from backstage. Though their client had released them of their duties for the day, she still hung around. Mayu was obviously anxiously waiting for a different reason. She had not wanted to leave Yasmine behind 'since she came up with the whole thing.' She was anxious at the thought of fighting—that much was clear. He had worked with her in the past, so he knew to an extent. The only one who truly knew her had to be Uchiha Sasuke. At the moment, he watched Mayu with an unreadable expression. Every so often, his dark eyes glanced at his former teammate, Haruno Sakura. The pink-haired medic-nini's expression indicated doubts about accepting the challenge from Ishikari Mayu. The last of the team, Sai, had left since he was no longer needed by the client.

The only reason Neji stayed was for the opportunity. The Hyuga left the shadow of the wall and walked towards the back of the stage, hopefully not noticed by the others. Though, they were probably lost in their thoughts by now. It was the perfect time. Her foreboding manager was nowhere in his sight. Neji glanced behind him once last time before going backstage. With long strides, he made it to Yasmine's designated dressing room. Like before, the door was partially open. From his standing point, he could hear loud hums coming from the dressing room, and then words. "Lalalalaa~!" Neji slowly opened the door to see the foreign girl dancing about in front of the mirror. She was not aware of her audience. She smiled at her reflection as she wiped the makeup from her face. "What a lovely little spy, my dear—you look divine~!" The ninja furrowed his eyebrows as she sang. "Things are working out, according to my ultimate designs…" She threw the wipe from her hand, and then stepped onto the table, tilting the mirror upwards. "Soon, I'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be mine~! Hahahah… hahahahaha!"

Mermaid…? Ocean? Neji stared at Yasmine's back, unblinking, as she continued laughing in a comically diabolical manner. The young jounin almost rolled his eyes. She had not changed all that much. He recalled the girl singing quite randomly whenever she had waited for him. Neji cleared his throat. The action caused the foreigner to flinch, almost violently, at being discovered. She sharply turned, eyes widening at the sight of him. "Neji-san…!" she nearly squealed. "You scared me!"

"Forgive me," he replied, successfully keeping the mirth concealed. "It was not my intention." Yasmine coughed, embarrassed, and then climbed down from the table. She murmured that she was almost finished and would be out in a moment. "No. There is no rush. In fact, I thought now would be a great time to speak with you." Her head tilted to the right. Had she forgotten already? "Yasmine-san, the important talk I mentioned before—could we speak now?" She stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"This isn't going to take too much time, is it? I really want to see those two go at it," she stated with a grin. "Kunoichi battles are awesome!"

"Perhaps… it will not take too much of your time," Neji replied. The foreign idol shrugged again, and then sat down on the padded stool. She gestured for him to do the same on another stool. Frowning lightly, he took the offered seat. He cleared his throat. "If I may ask… Do you remember much of your childhood?" Yasmine blinked, clearly thrown by the question. "I… I ask because… a few years ago, I, myself, remembered a portion of my childhood that I had forgotten."

"Um… I'm sure that's fascinating," Yasmine remarked. "However, I don't understand how it deals with what you want to speak with me about."

Suddenly, it felt as though his confidence had left him. Neji sat there, unsure of how to proceed. Yasmine stared at him, blinking twice before tilting her head. He glanced elsewhere for a moment before focusing on the foreigner. Once more, the shinobi cleared his throat. "When you revealed your face, I was surprised," he started. The foreigner only sat there, waiting for him to continue. "But my surprise differed from everyone else because I had recognized your face—recognized you as a friend from my childhood. That portion of my childhood that I had forgotten… You were locked in my memories. You are… Yaya-chan." He had expected a big reaction. Positive or negative, he had expected something. However, she merely stared at him, parted lips and furrowed brow.

"That's what this is about?" she questioned, incredulously. At a loss for words, Neji could not respond. "I don't mean to be rude, Neji-san, but something like that is not important, especially not important enough to interrupt me going to see a fight." She stood, preparing to leave. Her eyes did not even glance at him as she moved pass. Her reaction had not been good or bad. It had been completely indifferent—as if nothing of their past mattered to her. She had remembered, and yet… she did not seem to care. So then… this entire time, only he had been anxious about their reunion?

"Wait!" he called out to her. The sound of her footsteps immediately halted. Swallowing hard, Neji slowly stood. Though she had stopped, she had not turned to face him. This stifling feeling—he hadn't felt it since he had learned of his mother's fate. "What happened that day, I wanted to apologize for it."

"Apologize…?" Yasmine repeated. Finally, she turned. She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. It differed from when she was confused. "Why? Because it's the right thing to do?"

"Because I hurt you," Neji answered. No matter how miniscule, he saw the slight widening of her eyes and the corner of her lips twitch. "Because it is so fresh in my mind, though I could not understand your words, I can see how you felt when I-"

"An apology isn't necessary, don't you think?" Yasmine interrupted. "After all, we were kids twelve years ago. Honestly, if I hadn't forgotten due to certain circumstances, I would have forgotten naturally, anyway, because of time. You, yourself, said you had forgotten as well. What happened between us in the past and should stay in the past. Your apology is not needed because hearing it wouldn't make a difference. It won't matter… to either of us." She stepped closer, looking directly into his eyes. "To be honest, Neji-san, you're just somebody that I used to know."

"Somebody…?"

"I used to know," she confirmed with a nod of her head.

"But you don't have to completely cut me off!" Neji blurted out. "Are you honestly going to make it like it never happened… and that we were… nothing?"

"Yes," she answered voice full of conviction.

The Hyuga flinched. "But… I want your friendship." The second the words left them, Neji realized the truth of it. He had been anxious and near desperate because he remembered her with fondness. He realized that he had hurt her. He wanted to make up for his unwarranted behavior towards someone he had called best friend. His behavior had only become worse afterwards. Even now, he found himself wincing inwardly when he thought of his actions towards Hinata. He had to do better. "We were friends," he murmured, shutting his eyes. "It means nothing to you at all?"

"Friendship is a fool's desire," Yasmine retorted. Neji flinched again as he opened his eyes. "I don't need it. I don't want it. Its only purpose is to hurt. I refuse to be involved in a friendship because only friends have the capacity of betrayal. I have no friends, and I'm okay with that. I especially don't want to be friends with the person partially responsible for how I feel about relationships." Her words sank deep like a piercing blade. "So, Neji-san, after your mission ends, let's try to regard one another as strangers and move on with our separate lives." She smiled lightly and uncrossed her arms, dropping them to her sides. "It would be easier for both of us if we pretend we hadn't remembered, alright?" Not giving him time to respond, the foreigner turned her back to him.

"Yaya… chan…" At his sides, his hands clenched. "That day… Those words I said, they were a mistake. I had not meant it. I sincerely want to apologize for that. You had done nothing to warrant such words. Even if we were children, I should not have said something like that to you." Just before reaching the door, she had stopped. "I want to apologize and yet you will not hear? You used to hang on my every word. You used to so strongly admire me, though I was child. What happened to you?"

"What happened?" Neji noticed the slight change in her voice. Even before she turned and slammed him against a nearby wall, he knew that it was the alternate ego. "You happened!" Yasume hissed. "You are the reason that every friendship she's had with another person was destined to fail. You are the reason for my existence. You are the reason her uncle is dead! You are the reason she trusts no one!" She sneered. "As her defense mechanism, I can make her mind forget, but I cannot make her body forget. She subconsciously puts everyone at a distance, so she won't be hurt again. And that's your fault, Neji." The 'defense mechanism' slowly uncurled her fingers from around his neck. She sighed heavily. "Move on… Forget about Yaya-chan. She doesn't even exist anymore."

She backed away from him, eyes trained on the floor. Her last sentence had been a whisper. "How can I…?" Neji murmured. "How can I just forget? How can I move on after hearing all that?" Yasume backed up again, and then glared. "How can I just move on after you tell me that I caused my best friend to suffer?!" Yasume scoffed lightly, and then turned. She opened the door.

"That's not my problem," she stated. "In two days, it will become my problem. I tend to get rid of my problems very violently. I gave you your warning and your time limit. The rest is up to you. Tick-tock, he-bitch."

Then she was gone. Neji squeezed his eyes shut. This type of pain… Being on the receiving end… Had Yasmine felt this as well? With his unexpected harsh words, she must have. He truly had not thought she would come to hate him. No, she had come to feel complete indifference for him. Anger, confusion, sadness—she must have felt the same back then. Now, she felt nothing. Not towards him. It was her alter ego that seemingly reserved her anger and hatred for him. This had been an unexpected outcome. Painful and disappointing. He had believed that finding Yasmine, and apologizing, would satisfy them both. He did not think the outcome of their reunion would be indifference and frustration. Furrowing his brow, the Hyuga opened his eyes.

He could not leave it like this. He had made a promise to himself and his father that he would unite with his childhood friend—the girl who had made a place in both of their hearts. Neji could not disappoint his father any further than he already had. And besides, he felt far guiltier than when he had made that promise. "Yasmine…" he murmured. "I will… definitely repair the bond we shared." Somehow, someway… Then a thought occurred to him. He and his father were not the only people she had formed a bond with. Other than the Third, there was her caretaker. He could not remember a name, though. But he did know one thing. The man that had caused him to lose his memories of his former friend in the first place wore an ANBU member's mask. He had worn his ox mask the night he had attacked Neji. "I need to speak with him."

0-0

Wearing similar grins, Mayu and Yasmine walked side by side. The idol was leading them, Sasuke and Sakura, too. Neji had left, unannounced, dragging an unwilling Tenten with him. Their departure had been strange. The Hyuga had not glanced at the client. She hadn't looked his way either. It had been strange, but Mayu was focused on other things. Like the upcoming spar. Her grin grew a bit just thinking about it. The kunoichi had a nagging feeling that this mission would end without any type of exercise, but with the appearance of Haruno Sakura came the chance to actually do something exciting. Now, Yasmine was taking them to an open field to go at each other. Apparently, she had discovered a 'perfect spot for the girl fight.' Honestly, the foreigner seemed a bit too gleeful about seeing a fight. She was even humming to herself, walking with a bounce in her step.

"Oh snap! These bitches—they act like cats, in the middle of the dance floor, preparing to scrap. They're taking off their scrunchies and they're pulling off their press-ons. The one on the right is the girlfriend; the one on the left is the other woman-" Her words, rapped in English, caused Mayu to flinch. She sharply turned towards the foreign idol, eyes narrowed. Noticing the mild glare, Yasmine immediately stopped. "What?"

"I know English, Yasmine," Mayu stated, nearly glowering. The girl grinned sheepishly. "This is not that type of girl fight."

"Eh? Really? There's no love, love, hot romance triangle between you three?" Yasmine asked, appearing disappointed.

"You… must have read a lot of fanfiction, didn't you?" The question was answered by an exaggerated shrug. Mayu almost rolled her eyes. "Anyway, like I said, we're not like that. Sasuke is my teammate and… friend—that's all."

"Oh…? With the way you two were dancing earlier…" Yasmine trailed off.

"Th-That was just a fun time," Mayu exclaimed in a whisper. She glanced behind her. Fortunately, Sasuke and Sakura were having a whispered conversation themselves. "But I guess Sakura doesn't really see that and now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps it's jealousy she's feeling towards me." "I'm not only doing this for my sake. This is Sakura's chance to… get her frustrations out."

"Hm? Chance?"

"I'll explain later," Mayu replied.

In some form or another, Sakura must feel resentment for her. Even if she had forgotten, the fact remained the same. Mayu had lived a portion of Sakura's life. According to others' opinions, the kunoichi had deduced that she had lived Sakura's life from the beginning of Team 7 to the end of the Zabuza arc. However small it had been, that period had been an important one. The introduction of the team, the countless missions, and the life and death situation they had been put through were important to the bond that Team 7 shared. However, Mayu had replaced Sakura. Though she couldn't clearly remember, Mayu had made bonds with the males of Team 7. Sakura must have felt awkward returning to her life after another had altered it without her knowledge or permission. And it had been altered. Most likely, Mayu hadn't even pretended to be someone else. Because of that, Sakura must feel bitterness, not only for being close to Sasuke, but for twisting her life around as well. So, not only was this a chance to stretch her muscles, this was also a chance for Sakura to take out her frustrations and bitterness.

"Besides," Mayu thought. "I'm curious to see how she turned out."

The foreigner suddenly stopped and pointed at the open field. "This is the spot I was telling you about," she announced, dropping her arm. "I explored the village before I was introduced to you guys," she explained. "My manager wasn't exactly happy that I snuck off to explore the village. Ah! There's the spot he smashed my face into the ground!" Mayu wasn't the only one to give her an odd look. She had sounded a little too cheerful about the assault. "So, let's get this started!" The foreigner quickly ushered the two girls to their 'corners.' "I'll be the referee since it was my idea." She stood in the middle of the two. The two opposing fighters nodded their heads. "Ready…?" Yasmine snapped the fingers of her left hand in Mayu's direction. The kunoichi smirked and lowered herself into a stance. "Ready?" She snapped them again in Sakura's direction. The medic dropped into a defensive stance. The foreigner snapped her fingers one last time towards the ground. "Fight!"

Sasuke felt himself scowl as the two kunoichi stared each other down. This might be a terrible idea. He had the strangest feeling about this situation. Admittedly, he knew next to nothing about Sakura's development as a fighter. For him, the skills of a medic had not exactly been an important thing to know. He could also say the same about Mayu's development. True, he had fought her himself recently. However, his girl had been holding back. Always, always, Mayu had something else up her sleeve. Not to mention, she actually liked the thrill of a good fight. Unaware, the scowl shifted to a smirk as he thought about Mayu's prowess.

Still, he had spent most of the walk, trying to convince Sakura that this was a bad decision on her part. After all, she and Mayu had two different styles. Sasuke had a feeling that it was not just going to be their fighting styles that clashed in this match. Suddenly, he noticed that Mayu's shoulders tensed. Then her right foot shifted back slightly. Those were her tells. This battle was about to start, whether Sakura was up to it or not. As he predicted, Mayu ran towards Sakura, not bothering to boost her speed with chakra.

"Show me what you've got, Sakura!" Mayu exclaimed.

The medic furrowed her brow, watching the—clearly excited—kunoichi steadily close in on her. Mayu was underestimating her. Sasuke, too. Just because she had turned to a different field, many thought she had forgotten her basic training. Many thought she had completely stopped her ninja training. Well, it wasn't true. The first thing Sakura had learned from Shizune had been drilled into her mind. Never use your career as an excuse for weakness, she had told her—emphasis on the never part. It was because of Shizune's teachings that Sakura was always… prepared. With a burst of chakra propelling her, the medic shot forward. She could tell that Mayu had been surprised from the widening of her eyes. The kunoichi must have been more surprised when Sakura disappeared and reappeared behind her. With a sharp elbow strike, Mayu's body fell forward and crumbled. Towering over her, Sakura glared. "Don't underestimate me!" she shouted. To her slight chagrin, the dark-skinned girl chuckled.

"Underestimate…?" she repeated. "I was only testing you out. Don't worry, you passed with flying colors. I hope you're ready, Sakura-chan. I won't hold back anymore."

"Is that right…?" Sasuke wondered. Despite the declaration, he had his doubts. There were two reasons why Mayu became worked up in a fight. Both dealt with her warrior's pride. Whether it be anger or excitement. Insult her strength or give the respect she deserved. Would Sakura be able to draw out that warrior's pride? He almost hoped for that. Just to see it outside a spar. When they were kids, he had never gotten the chance to see a one on one. Not including Haku. Thinking of that fight still sent mild shivers along his skin. He had not seen anything like that from her again with another fighter. Made sense considering they had been on different teams. Now, he could watch to his heart's content. Learn from an outside perspective how she moved. Maybe Sakura had a good plan? She had always been the smartest one on the team. But against Ishikari Mayu, would that plan be enough? Sakura was smart. Mayu was a strategist. Both learned as they went.

Without warning, Mayu's leg shot out behind her. The heel of her foot connected with Sakura's abdomen. Before she could even groan out, Mayu's other leg came around hooking around Sakura's neck. The movement effectively knocked the medic off her feet. She pushed herself from the ground, and then came down, sole of her feet ready to strike. Sakura grimaced, but she managed to dodge the aerial strike by rolling to the side. Quickly, she put distance between herself and her opponent. Her hand lightly touched her torso as she panted.

"She's really fast…" Sakura thought as Mayu stood up straight. "I'll have to slow her down." She pulled up her long sleeve, showing the senbon launcher on her arm. Smirking, her opponent dashed forward seemingly not afraid of the hidden weapon. Sakura sharply turned and took off. This must have confused her opponent. As she ran, her green eyes glanced back. Of course, Mayu was still following her. Not going as fast as she could, she purposefully allowed the kunoichi to get closer. Just as it seemed that Mayu was going to catch up to her, Sakura jumped up, pushing chakra from her feet. With her opponent right below her, she grabbed and released the wires of her weapon. The poison soaked senbon hit their target. However, triumph was short lived because the girl's body turned into a log. "What?!"

"Sorry. Hitting the Dodgeball Queen from a distance is impossible."

Sakura's eyes widened. Her opponent had whispered in her ear. From behind. A punch was thrown backwards, but Mayu only caught it. With her left hand, she grabbed Sakura's elbow, and then roughly moved her, throwing her body against the ground. Mayu slammed a fist down hard against Sakura's spine. The medic bit her lip, stopping herself from shouting in pain. Grimacing, Sakura rolled over, leg swiping at her comrade. Mayu effectively dodged, jumping backwards to put distance between them. Her teeth clenched in frustration. "Calm down," Sakura told herself. "This isn't over!" After all, Mayu could have broken her spine with that hit. If they were truly enemies, she probably would have. "Could she be… someone who weakens first?"

The kunoichi sped forward, bringing Sakura back to reality. She inhaled deeply, and then released. "Ninja Art! Paralyzing Poison Fog!" Black smog spewed from the medic's mouth. Mayu had halted just before reaching the poisonous haze. She quickly retracted her steps, standing clear of the harmful gas. This was just fine with Sakura, though. The mist continued to come from her mouth as she twirled several times, shrouding herself in her own attack. Her mentor had taught her many things, but some things she had learned on her own. This 'attack' was the perfect cover.

Mayu narrowed her eyes, watching as the fog slowly dispersed with the wind. Sakura had tried to paralyze her with that, right? "She must realize that in speed, I'm better. Good. Here I thought she was going into battle with crazy emotions." Finally, the gas disappeared completely, showing that Sakura was standing where she had been when she had used her poisonous jutsu. "But if that's all you've got, then I feel guilty." The kunoichi slowly sank down on all fours. Her fingers gripped the ground before her body hastily crossed the field. Before she could get near, however, her arm collided with something thin and durable. Since she had been moving so fast, it pierced her skin, causing blood to seep through. Mayu grimaced, coming to a halt. She glanced down to see a bit of her blood on a long wire. She looked back up at Sakura, who wore a smug expression. "A trap…?!"

Her chin tilted upward, eyes seeing what she had triggered. An overly large decaying tree trunk was swinging in her direction. A split second later, and she would have been crushed. She had moved back just before the trunk smashed into pieces against the ground. However, she didn't notice the explosive note attached until it was too late. The massive explosion sent her hurtling across the field. Her body tumbled and rolled several times until it came to a stop, sprawled across the ground. Mayu lay on the ground, trembling. Not only did her entire body ache, but her ears could only hear a sharp ringing. High-pitched and constant.

The kunoichi slowly moved to her knees, fingers digging small trenches into the dirt. Then her vision blurred red. Blood oozed out of her forehead and slid down. Mayu's teeth clenched, and then she roughly wiped the blood away, allowing her to see clearly. Her opponent had set up a good trap, using the fog to conceal her movements. Smart. The dark-haired kunoichi hadn't expected a thing because Sakura had appeared in the same spot as though she hadn't moved. "Since she still hasn't moved, n are there more traps?" Then how was she going to get close to her? The blast had sent her even further away from her opponent than she had been. Mayu clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed, mostly pleased.

Smirking, the young Ishikari tore across the field again. Sakura appeared slightly taken aback by the increase in her speed. Mayu felt her foot trigger another trap, but she ignored it for the most part. She moved to the side to avoid being crushed by a boulder. She dodged, darting left and right to avoid many of the explosions. Most of it was instinct. Some of it felt familiar. Avoiding traps like this was already ingrained. Mayu bent her knees, springing up high from another giant trunk. Descending, she shot toward Sakura with the use of chakra. The medic didn't react in time and got the full force from Mayu's head butt. Blood spurted from her injured nose. Fingers grasped the cloth of Sakura's shirt as the kunoichi's feet dropped to the ground. She yanked the medic down at the same time her knees sprung back up, nailing her opponent's torso.

"Gah…!" Sakura choked out a gasp. She fell to the ground, holding her abused body. Mayu reared her fist back, prepared to spring it forward without mercy. However, the medic parted her lips and teeth, shooting a senbon from her mouth. The kunoichi hastily twisted her body to avoid the surprise attack, but the needle managed to glide across her cheek, slicing through the skin. Mentally cursing, she jumped several times away from Sakura. She lightly touched her cheek. Though, it was just a scratch, poison could have been used. But would Sakura really use something fatal against her? Blue eyes watched as the medic panted heavily from her position on the ground. One hand was placed over her chest as if trying to calm her heart. The white circle on her back moved up and down as did the medic's shoulders. It didn't seem like that was something she would do, but Mayu didn't have the luxury of taking such chances.

She had to end this soon lest her body be subjected to whatever effects the poison had on her. Perspiration slid down her temple. The kunoichi clenched her fists, and then charged towards Sakura. Her hand reared back in preparation to strike the back of her opponent's head. However, she didn't count on Sakura abruptly turning. "Got you!" Both of her hands thrust forward, colliding with Mayu's chest. The impact didn't exactly hurt, though. The kunoichi curled her body in midair and moved to land. But her landing was way off because her left foot had suddenly gone numb. She crashed and slid back. "Hmph! It's working already!"

"What? Ho-How?!"

"Did you forget? I'm a medic. I healed myself." Mayu narrowed her eyes. She had been dramatic with her panting. Mayu should have known it had been a trick. After all, she had been placed on a team with one of the biggest tricksters. "Also, that scratch on your cheek is taking its toll on you. The senbon was laced with a paralyzing poison. It starts from the feet, and then gradually moves upward, causing your entire body to become immobile. My last attack slowed your reaction time down, too. Basically, you've become unable to move effectively. So just stand right there." After her explanation, Sakura raced forward.

Shit. This was definitely going to hurt. And hurt it did. The medic released a combination of punches and kicks, and Mayu had no choice but to take it. She had tried, in vain, to block and dodge. It was futile. "OKAY!" The pink-haired medic finished her furious assault by ramming her fist into Mayu's cheek. Her body twirled as she moved through the air, coming to stop only after skidding painfully. "I'm not done yet!" Mayu struggled to sit up. Up to her knees, she felt nothing. The poison was working hella fast. The Ishikari kept her gaze on Sakura as she ran through a couple hand seals. Out of nowhere, a copy of the medic appeared, but the colors were shades of grey. "Kick ass!" The two medics drew their dominant fists back, and then outstretched their arms in Mayu's direction. "SHANNARO!" A large beam of pink light emitted from their fists. Eyes widening, the kunoichi couldn't dodge the oncoming attack.

Mayu was completely overwhelmed. Smirking, Sakura watched the kunoichi's body convulse on the ground due to the genjutsu she had placed her under. It would be over soon, but the effects it would have on her mind, not to mention the physical damage, would surely make her the winner of this fight. Then the shaking stopped. Sakura's brow furrowed at the cease of movement from her opponent. That… didn't usually happen. Hesitantly, the medic made her way over to her fallen comrade. Her body stilled, suppressing her healer instincts for the time being. Just a few meters away, Mayu suddenly sprang to life, glaring hard. "Okay. Now I'm pissed!" Sakura felt the fine hairs on her arm stand on end as a chill swept through her. She didn't understand why, though. In her current state, Mayu couldn't do anything. And what was she suddenly so pissed about, anyway? "You dare target my mind?"

"Please! You can't do anything!" Sakura's conviction swelled as she retorted. "It's only a matter of time before that poison takes over completely. It's my win!" The medic broke out into a run. "You lose!" She looked her in the eye, wanting to see her own reflection about to pulverize the dark kunoichi. Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, her arm halted. "Wh-What?! My body…!" Only about three more centimeters and her knuckles would have made contact, but her body was frozen.

"Too bad for you… I just don't like losing, Sakura." Swiftly, the girl's hands came together in a slew of hand signs. "Ishikari Style!" The ram sign was pointed in her direction. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Sakura could move freely, but it was too late. The switch had been made. She now stared, disbelievingly into a pair of green eyes. Her own green eyes. Before she had time to freak out, a light feeling came over her. She blinked once and saw blue eyes. What? Did that really happen? Apparently, it did because her body suddenly felt strained. She had only felt this type of exhaustion when she had fought Ino in their first chuunin exam. Sakura fell to her knees in front of Mayu.

"What did you do?" she panted out. "There's no such thing as an Ishikari style of the Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

"Obviously, there is," came the flat retort. Mayu's dark hair shifted to pink, eyes to green, and skin to pale. Though, she still retained her natural physical features, the kunoichi could pass as Sakura's sister. "You're quite dangerous, Sakura. I won't forget it."

"H-How…?!" Sakura hurriedly moved backwards as the flames consumed the kunoichi's arm. "You should be paralyzed by now!" The poison should have worked its way through already. However, Mayu stood unperturbed. The medic only stared, openly confused. "You…" Obviously, she was at a loss.

Sasuke, however, was not. He had seen this before. Using the Ishikari Style, Mayu was able to take on a subtle disguise. But her disguise came with the attributes of the target. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and smirked. As he thought, Mayu was a strategist. She understood her limitations and moved to overcome them in battle. It appeared that she had become knowledgeable about the clan and their abilities during their time apart. He anticipated their talk more now.

"Your body is immune to the poisons that you dish out," Mayu explained. "It was a gamble, but things have worked in my favor. While I'm like this, your poison won't affect me. So just stand there," she mocked. Sakura glared and moved to her feet.

"I don't think so!" she shouted. The medic's entire body tensed. "I have to take this a step further…" she thought. Mayu rushed at her again. However, it seemed her speed had decreased. "Could it be…?" Sakura frowned as she blocked and evaded the strikes to her body. There was a distinct difference in the speed used as the kunoichi attacked. Mayu may had gained beneficial properties but it seemed that she also was restricted as well. "This is my chance!"

Sakura subtly dropped her guard, causing Mayu to take advantage. As expected. Her fist glided pass Sakura's arms, and her knuckles slammed hard against her mouth. The force was enough to send her hurtling backwards. The medica rolled on the ground, far from her opponent. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Though she had wanted it, the strike had been jarring on her senses. Specifically trained in dodging, Sakura rarely got hit. Her body nearly recoiled from the solid punch. She opened her eyes, sight a bit blurry. Mayu remained in the same spot, meters away. This was it. Sakura lifted her hand, sliding a thumb across her teeth. The pad of her thumb came back red.

She rushed through hand seals before slamming her palm against the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!" Sakura hissed. A burst of smoke abruptly formed, shrouding the medic's form. "Counting on you, Ryoga!" The small black pig with a pink nose, slightly bigger than Tonton, nodded, and then shot forward faster than a blink. Her fastest pig summon would make the perfect distraction. The smoke dissipated, allowing green eyes to focus on the kunoichi. Ryoga successfully held Mayu's attention by darting all over. His attacks, though superficial, overwhelmed Mayu. Attempts at blocking were met with scratches to her skin. Attempts at attacking in return were met with an increase in speed.

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her face, chakra forming and condensing around her hands. The chakra took the shape of large dual blades. The medic took off towards her opponent, fierce glare etched on her face. She nearly roared as her broke the cross formation. Sensing her approaching, Ryoga wisely propelled himself from Mayu's body. "Chakra Sword: Great Intersecting Wound!" With a slashing motion, Sakura swiftly rushed pass the kunoichi. The blades created massive gashes in the ground on either side of Mayu. However, it was the effect on the inside that made it her most powerful attack.

Behind her, Sakura heard Mayu fall to the ground. She turned just as Ryoga perched himself on her shoulder. As she thought, her fellow kunoichi had crumbled. On her hands and knees, Mayu trembled. She coughed, gagging on dark blood. Inwardly, Sakura winced at the sight. Normally, the attack would kill. However, the goal had not been death. It had only been to render this battle hers. She had gone easy on Mayu but the damage was there. "Haah…" Mayu breathed deeply and harshly. Her long braid had unraveled and now fell across her shoulders and back. The kunoichi shakily stood, and then turned. Blood ran down her chin. Even from this distance, Sakura could see how her green eyes had shifted to steel. Her shoulders tensed.

"Don't be stupid…!" Sakura called to her. "If you keep going, your body will give out!"

"Oooh…?" Mayu replied. "But you've got me going now. I'm impressed, Sakura." The kunoichi suddenly winced, clamping an incisor down on her lower lip. She grabbed at her stomach, and then spit out more blood. "Hurts like a bitch but I'm not done yet." Again, her colors shifted back to normal. Despite the different color, her eyes remained steel. Then blue flames erupted from her hands. The fire licked at her skin, encasing her forearms. Sakura furrowed her brow. Was her adrenaline rushing too hard or could she not sense the amount of chakra being expelled? On her shoulder, Ryoga squealed and wiggled in protest.

"The poison…" Sakura muttered. "She shouldn't be able to move. I could end this now."

The medic dashed quickly towards her opponent. Her fist reared back as she loomed closer. Mayu did not move or falter—because of the poison, surely—as the distance between them drastically decreased. It was… almost unnerving how her gaze did not change. Then, to Sakura's utter shock, the flames grew bigger, seemingly expelling from her opponent's entire body. Too close now, Sakura could not veer off course. The flames swirled around Mayu like storm before shooting rapidly towards Sakura. It was too fast. Already, she could feel the heat despite the flames not reaching her just yet. The air around them burned. Tears welled to combat the abrupt heat. But it felt like the moisture in the air had been sapped in an instant.

Abruptly, Sakura felt herself being picked up. An arm wrapped around her torso, and her body jerked. Like being yanked to safety. The world passed by in a blur, and it was almost a dizzying experience. Shaking her head, Sakura attempted to refocus on her surroundings. "Enough, Mayu…" The stoic voice of Uchiha Sasuke rumbled close to her ears. Sakura inhaled sharply in surprise before her gaze darted up to her former teammate. However, his Sharingan stared elsewhere. Near hesitant, Sakura followed his line of sight. The flames around Mayu had subsided some. The area around her had been scorched. The ground smoldered, wisps of grey and white smoke emitting, seemingly without pause. Lips parting, Sakura followed the destruction's path. It had gone deep into the forest and burned trees to a black crisp. Without moving, Mayu had destroyed half of the clearing and beyond. And Sakura had almost gotten the brunt of it.

"I suppose… I got a little… carried away," Mayu said, speech slowed.

"Another effect of the poison," Sakura noted in thought. She swallowed. "Even poisoned, she…" Her mind flickered to a memory of Naruto's destructive power. Then Sasuke's. "They really are… on another level." Sakura, herself, could manage so much damage with how she had been taught. But this was somehow different with them. Maybe because the damage was so visible. Still, for the first time, she understood how dangerous Ishikari Mayu could be. There she stood, unbothered by the flames and utter ruin around her. Watching her now, it looked like she might set the world on fire.

"You've got an antidote for her, right?" Sasuke's question redirected Sakura's focus. She looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight. Her former teammate was known for his apathetic behavior. Most things, Sasuke did not care for. The few things he did care for were outwardly treated with indifference. Very little could rattle the cool Uchiha. Most of the time, he displayed a passive expression. So, seeing him now, threw her for several fast-paced loops. With his eyes wide, seemingly taking in every bit of Ishikari Mayu, Sasuke showed his teeth in a grin. The grin could only be described as savage. He had enjoyed the display of power to such a degree. He had never looked at anyone with such wonderment. Mayu may have looked like she could burn the world. But Sasuke looked like he wanted to provide the matches. To fan her flames.

Sakura found herself shuddering. It drew Sasuke's full attention. His shifted his gaze to her, face shifting back to neutral. He raised a questioning brow. "I… I have an antidote, yes," Sakura told him. She slipped from his grasp, heart thudding within her chest. She turned her back to him, not wanting him to see as the realization sunk deep and the tears slip from her eyes. Hastily, her hand reached into her pouch, fingers fumbling to grab the vials. As she struggled, Sakura heard Sasuke walk away from her. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and risked a glance. The Uchiha leisurely made his way to Mayu. The blue flames died down completely as he approached. Sasuke might have said something to her but the words were drowned out by the sound of the ringing in Sakura's ears. Watching him reach out to—willingly—touch Mayu made it all concrete. The pads of his index and middle fingers slid down her arm. Relatively innocent but the most intimate Sakura had ever seen him do. "I… I lost," she thought. "I completely lost to her."

An oink from Ryoga snapped Sakura from her thoughts. She flinched, and then blinked several times. Pressing her lips together, she focused more finding the right vial. She sniffled lightly as she placed the rest of them back in the pouch. After making sure there was no evidence of her reaction to the loss, Sakura slowly made her way over to Sasuke and Mayu. "It isn't a needle injection, is it?" the shinobi questioned. He swept the kunoichi off her feet, gingerly lowering her to the ground. "She doesn't like needles."

"Ah… No, it's oral," Sakura told him. She managed not to look him in the eye as she crouched beside Mayu. The medic removed the cap, and then pressed against Mayu's chin, forcing her mouth open. "I really can't compete with you, can I? Not in this regard." Quickly, Sakura administered the antidote, ensuring that the kunoichi swallowed the entire dosage. "It should only take a minute to work," she spoke. "I'll heal you a bit in the meantime." Placing both hands on Mayu's abdomen, Sakura began manipulating her chakra to coax the healing process. For now, she could do a patch job. Mayu's body would take care of the rest.

"Ah. Good," Sasuke remarked. Sakura clenched her teeth. She could feel his eyes on her. She still could not look at him. "You were impressive against her, Sakura."

"… Thanks," she murmured, not in the right state of mind now to take his compliment to heart.

"Mayu, did you have use that jutsu on a comrade?" Sasuke questioned, nearly scolding.

"I might have been… flexing just a little," she admitted.

"Didn't you just tease me about that? Flexing?"

"I enjoy teasing you, though."

"Don't I know it?" Sasuke snorted a bit, faintly amused.

Sakura felt awkward, listening to them flirting.

"I knew she would be alright," Mayu continued. Her blue eyes turned to the medic. "Even without… your interference. She's good."

"Thank you," Sakura replied. Another compliment that felt hollow to her now. Maybe with time, she would accept their words as face value. But she could not escape of the feeling of this lose. "I hope… you were able to… get your frustrations out."

Sakura blinked in surprise. Then a wry smile formed. "Probably…?" she said. Maybe in time she could see their fight as something akin to therapeutic. "Anyway, it's an antidote, but there will be numbness to your body for a while."

"How long's a while?" Sasuke asked.

"She'll be fine after a hot bath," Sakura assured him.

"Good."

Without warning, the ground rumbled and shook violently. Mayu abruptly sat up but Sakura and Sasuke had already stood. A blast of hot air came from the north. In unison, all three ninja tensed in apprehension. "What the hell…?" Mayu muttered. She stood as well. Beyond the forest, maybe three clearings over, was an enormous cloud rising. "Sasuke… Isn't that where-?" The Uchiha stepped forward, eyes not wavering from the cloud.

"Naruto," he mentioned. "Naruto's over there."

Not needing to be told twice, Mayu broke out into a run towards the disturbance. Sasuke followed, hand already on the hilt of his sword. Sakura watched them go for a moment before shaking her head. She charged after them, determined to provide some use to whatever had happened. Since it was Naruto in question, he might need all the healing he could get.

Gone in a blink, the three did not stop to think about the one they had left behind. Yasmine, too, stared into the distance. She remained unmoving in her position for several moments. Then, she narrowed her eyes and frowned. A quiet sigh left her. "I wonder… which…" she whispered, shutting her eyes completely. Her arms wrapped around herself. It appeared that she had successfully distracted. However, she had realized that her plan would require sacrifice. The foreign idol swallowed hard. She could not save everyone. She released a shuddering breath before opening her eyes. Soon, Leaf ninja would come for her. Best to get it over with. That ridiculous talk with Neji had taken up a bit of time. If she was going to make the deadline, things needed to go as quickly as possible from here on out. No more interruptions. Her personal mission would continue.

Tonight.

0-0

Yasmine sighed wearily, and then moved her gaze up to the ceiling. The reason for her sigh was because she was bored. Out of her mind. Even though she had been taken hostage. Hm… Perhaps 'hostage' was the incorrect word. It was probably an exaggeration on her part. If she had to guess, the reason she was here dealt with the explosion from earlier. There she was, in her hotel room, minding her own business, when ANBU appeared. Luckily, she hadn't been munching on a snack. Otherwise, that would have been an embarrassing way to die. Death by cookie didn't seem like a good way to go. Their sudden appearance had startled her so much, though, that they she had fell off her bed.

Now, she was sure there was a bump on the back of her head. Yasmine didn't mind the dragging. She was used to it. After all, with the things Yasume had done in both worlds, being dragged away by authorities seemed to be the norm. The foreigner drummed her fingers on the wooden desk. They had not taken her to an interrogation room in ANBU headquarters as she had initially thought. Instead, they had brought her to a room in the Hokage building.

Foolish.

She had been in this small room for a long time. It was beginning to irritate her. However, this could be some sort of fear tactic so that she would talk. Yasmine assumed that they had already searched her hotel room. Of course, she had been careful. They wouldn't find anything. Still, they must have thought she had information pertaining to those two. On cue, the door slammed open, nailing the wall. Yasmine stopped drumming her fingers and sat up straight. She recognized Morino Ibiki immediately. His scarred face and black leather trench coat were a dead giveaway. Mentally, she grimaced. They sent a torture specialist. Holy crap. Sending in the big dog for such a small fry? No matter, though. Yasume had gotten her into enough trouble in the past where Yasmine could effectively get out of the situation. In her head, she cracked her knuckles. "Bring it on, Ibiki-sama!" she thought.

The man sat in the chair opposite of Yasmine. Despite his size, he hardly made a sound as he moved, except when he scooted the chair closer to the table. He clasped his hands together and set them down on the table. This was different. He had encountered many people in his day. Even the toughest man appeared slightly panicked upon seeing him. He had a natural intimidating presence. Then again, it could be from his reputation as well. However, this little girl showed no signs of fearing him.

Examining her closer, she appeared to be anxious. Every so often, her brown eyes would glance beyond his stature to the clock behind him on the far wall. She was fidgety, too. Under normal circumstances, the clock would be removed. Usually, he interrogated ninja, not civilians. But there were times where he had interrogated civilians. The clock served as a distraction. When normal people became bored, using the clock as a distraction, information tended to slip. "Is there some place you need to be?" Ibiki began. She rubbed her chin. The man narrowed his eyes. She was about to lie.

"Not really." Her voice was low—another indicator that she was lying. Then she scratched the back of her head. "Well… Actually, I have to see my manager sometime soon. He gets… angry when he doesn't know where I am." She leaned forward as if about to tell him a secret. "Between you and me, he's really scary when he gets mad." Ibiki raised a brow but did not reply to her childish secret. The dark-skinned girl sat back again. "Why am I here, by the way? And could I ask who you are?" Her lower body faced the door. She had no desire to be here. And it seemed that she had no idea of her manager's fate. But he couldn't be too sure at the moment.

"My name is Morino Ibiki," he answered. "You are here because the two that accompanied you to this village were Akatsuki in disguise." Her stare was blank. She blinked once before tilting her head to the side. She hadn't recognized the name. "Of the two, one of them is dead." The girl opened her mouth, but then shut it. Though miniscule, her eyes had expanded. She yanked on her earlobe, an indication that she didn't want to listen anymore. Regardless of that, Ibiki continued. "You are here because you are the only one who might know of their intention. It's clear to me that you did not know of their alliance with Akatsuki, but perhaps you heard or saw something as you've most likely spent a lot of time with them?" The girl rapidly shook her head.

"No way! Kazuka-sama and Hadin-sama couldn't be a part of A Cat Sookie!" she protested. Her butchering of the name further convinced Ibiki that she had no idea that organization existed. "They were with me and the company for six months in preparation for our tour!"

"Tour…?" he repeated.

"Yes. Originally, we were supposed to start in the Sand village, but suddenly Kazuka-sama said that there was no need to go there anymore," Yasmine explained. Ibiki narrowed his eyes. "We were supposed to go to all of the Five Great Ninja Nations."

"So that's it, huh…?" he thought. Akatsuki used this girl as a free ticket into ninja villages to gain excess to jinchuuriki. The Sand village was crossed out because they had already gotten what they needed—the Kazekage's tailed beast. The girl continued speaking; saying that there had to be some mistake. She completely believed that her manager and stylist were 'rough around the edges, but still good people.' "There is no mistake. They both attacked and attempted to kidnap a ninja of her our village." She flinched. "That is why one of them is dead. The one you call Kazuka—his real name is Kakuzu, missing ninja of the Waterfall village. Hadin, as you called him, is known as Hidan, missing ninja of the Hot Water village. They were criminals."

"I… can't believe," she murmured, holding herself tighter. "I can't—I have to return to my company."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. Like us, Akatsuki will assume that you have knowledge of secrets. They will come for you and they will kill you. You will have to stay in this village. With protection, of course."

"But my tour-!"

"Your little music tour is cancelled."

Her mouth snapped shut. It was quiet for a few tense moments. Then she spoke again. "Which one…?" she asked. "You said one of them died, so… which one was it?" Ibiki answered her question honestly. It was the bigger of the two. Hatake Kakashi had been the one to deliver the final blow. He didn't tell her that tidbit of information, though. "I see." She shut her eyes. "Would it be possible to… see Hadin—I mean, Hidan-san?"

"No. We are… extracting information out of him," Ibiki replied. Besides, when they had found him, his limbs had been severed thanks to Uchiha Sasuke. "He will not receive visitors for a long while."

"How long will I have to stay here?"

"As long as Akatsuki is out there, you will not be permitted to leave."

"Oh…" She now appeared drained. "Well, can I go back to my hotel now? I don't… I'm not feeling well at the moment."

"… There are a few more things that must happen, but for right now, yes, you may leave," Ibiki responded.

"Then… excuse me." She stood up, bowed politely, and stumbled to the door. "Thank you for telling me, Ibiki-san."

Without another word, she departed, shoulders slouching. The man watched her go, repressing any feeling of sympathy. Still, he understood that she had grown close with those who had deceived their way into her company. It made sense that she had conflicting feelings and thoughts regarding this information. The man narrowed his eyes a bit. However, there was something off about her. He did not understand where the feeling came from. Most of his senses painted her as a mere bystander… The feeling of something off did not leave him, though. He was not a man that indulged in celebrity lifestyles, so he did not have enough information to make a fair judgement of her character. Other than what he had seen already. She seemed to react in accordance to her innocence. Seemed to…

"She will be watched closely," Ibiki assured himself.

0-0

Ooh, boy! It's been quite some time since I've uploaded a revamped chapter. My bad. I've been hyper focused on one of my other stories. It's almost done, so I'm super excited. Maybe after it's finished, I can focus more on this no promises, though. My mind is aggressively coming up with other story ideas from other fandoms. Anyway, thanks for reading, commenting, and favoring this series of mine. :D