Chigiri Park… It used to be a spectacular place where children played with friends and family. Two trees had shaded the entire playground from the heat and light of the sun. The beautiful flowerbed, which contained various brightly colored flowers, had been attractive to young girls. The swing set had been one of the most popular things at the playground. The silver metal slide had been the second. The small sandbox, being the third most popular, contained the palest sand anyone could see. If the moonlight hit the sandbox just right, it appeared to glow in the dark. Looking at this small place from her place on the bench, Yasmine sighed. "Twelve years… and this is what it's been reduced to," she muttered, closing her eyes.

The two trees that once shaded the park had been cut down over the years, leaving only stumps in its place. The flowers had wilted and died, and in their place were weeds. The swing set had been completely removed, leaving not a trace of its old presence. The big metal slide remained. Rusted. Weeds grew up the slide and stairs. Weeds were now growing in and around the sandbox as well. It appeared that no one had cared that a memorable place had been destroyed. Hm. Honestly, she would not have cared much either. Had she not suddenly remembered this place.

Her hazel eyes glanced over across the street. There used to be an apartment building there. She recalled that the windows had been a good place to view the park. However, that apartment building, where she had resided for a time, was completely gone. Several things could have happened, but Yasmine assumed that it was one of the buildings that he been damaged due to the Sand and Sound Invasion. The location was close to the perimeter, after all. Yasmine sighed as she closed her eyes. She tilted her chin up towards the sky, listening to the sounds of nighttime nature. It had been about an hour since she had left Ibiki. Although, she did go back to her hotel room, for some reason, she just couldn't sit still and wait. Her feet had taken her to this place before she had realized it.

This place… Many things had happened here that she had only recently become aware of. Memories vividly flooded her mind as if they had only happened yesterday. Yesterday. In a way, they did happen yesterday. An image of a young Hyuga boy appeared. "Neji…" He held out his hand to her. Her eyebrows furrowed. The teen felt her upper lip twitch. The image disappeared. She wasn't upset over the past. The past met nothing to her. To her, it was irrelevant. What happened had happened and it couldn't be changed, so why bother brooding over it? Then why… did she feel like this? Despondent, if she had to give it a word.

"Yasmine…!" She heard a voice but didn't bother to move. Instead, she opened her eyes. What she saw was a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. "So, this is where you were?" The foreigner noticed that the kunoichi looked pretty beat up. Oh right. Last time she had seen Mayu, she had gotten the snot beat out of her.

"Mm," Yasmine nodded. She sat up straight. "I needed some air. Why are looking for me, Mayu?" The ninja hopped over the bench and sat down next to her. In her hands, there were juice boxes. Yasmine eyed the fruity beverage, suddenly feeling parched. Mayu chuckled, and then offered one to her. Smiling sheepishly, the idol took the small box of juice. Then she punctured a hole in the box with the straw. Even as she sipped her juice, she noted that Mayu curiously took in the surroundings. However, she didn't question them. The two girls sat in silence for a while. It wasn't until they were both done with their drinks did Yasmine speak again. "You didn't answer my question, you know. Is there a reason you're here?"

"I'm one of your protectors now. I have to know where you are," Mayu answered, scratching her cheek. Her gaze slid over to the foreigner. "By now… You must know what happened." Yasmine stiffly nodded her. "Did you know…?"

"Nope. I can't believe I was with members of Akatsuki for that long and didn't know it! I didn't even get an autograph!"

Mayu's expression turned flat at the confession. She had almost forgotten that she was talking to a Narutard. "Apparently, they were using your tour to get into the major ninja villages. No one would suspect an idol and her entourage, after all. They aimed to take Naruto. Luckily, he developed this super cool Rasengan and beat their asses."

"I… see…" Mayu noticed the somber tone in her voice. The kunoichi cleared her throat. In her mind, they were the enemy, but in Yasmine's mind, they must have become people she cared for. "So, after you left with those two, what happened?" Hesitantly, the kunoichi began telling her. The three of them had arrived on the scene to find Yamato fending off Hidan, the foul-mouthed stylist. Naruto, with Kakashi's help, had already taken out the bigger one, Kakuzu. However, the blond ninja had used up his strength and had only laid there. Hidan had managed to get past Yamato. He had tried to kill Naruto in a fit of revenge, or something. That had been when Sasuke got to him before he could get to Naruto. Without hesitation, the Uchiha had cut off Hidan's legs. It had come as a surprise when the Akatsuki member hadn't died. "That's because his religion makes him immortal. He won't die even if someone cut his head from his body."

"Really…? Damn…"

"I bet he's still flapping his lips, taunting whoever has to watch him. Hadin… no, Hidan is spiteful like that," Yasmine murmured with a small smile. Her fingers curled around the juice box clutched in her hands. "I… want to see him." Mayu found herself empathizing with her. She wished she could see the people she cared about, too. An image of her surrogate family appeared in her mind. Not just them, but her friends as well. Although she wanted to see them again, that couldn't happen now. They were in that world and she was in this one. Permanently.

"I understand, Yasmine, but you must realize the situation. He is Akatsuki. He's dangerous, not only to you, but to anyone outside of Akatsuki. You can't see him again…" Mayu saw that the girl was about to open her mouth. "Not even to get an autograph, you Narutard." Yasmine pouted. Maybe she had been over thinking things. The idol was a huge fan—that much was clear. Perhaps she was only sullen about not knowing who she had been in the presence of.

"It seems so obvious now. Kazuka is Kakuzu and Hadin is Hidan. They look so different from what I've seen. Hidan's hair is silver or gray." The darker-haired girl pursed her lips. Yasmine must have noticed. "You didn't recognize them either?"

"To tell you the truth, I didn't get far. I don't know much about after the skip," she replied. "I know about some filler, though."

"Yeah, those don't really count, Mayu," Yasmine pointed out. The kunoichi only shrugged. "Still, I know that things have changed here. Like Sakura. She was supposed to be the Hokage's student. Have her medical expertise and strength. Though, I suppose, for you, it was rather fortunate she did not obtain that strength."

"Probably," Mayu admitted, scratching her cheek.

"Are you the reason for these changes?" Yasmine asked.

"Maybe. I'm not too sure myself. Truth is, I was here before but this jutsu I performed knocked the memories right out of me." The girl sighed heavily. "If I could only remember…"

"Sometimes, remembering only causes problems." The kunoichi made a noise of inquiry, wanting the idol to elaborate. Her words sounded so ominous yet filled with suppressed pain. Mayu knitted her eyebrows together. It was strange, seeing the normally cheery girl look so despairing. "No. It's nothing. Anyway, what did you mean? Do you have amnesia?"

"Yeah. I'm slowly remembering the things from when I first got here, but I won't be able to remember the second time until I hear a certain word or phrase." Yasmine's expression turned puzzled. "Oh right. I didn't tell you. I possessed Sakura's body—Hinata's, too. Though, Hinata and I actually shared her body." The idol's head tilted to the side and her lips parted. "Let me explain then."

Mayu didn't really know how much time had passed, but she had told Yasmine everything she knew, pertaining to her memories. She was a good listener. She didn't interrupt. Not once. By the time the kunoichi had finished explaining, Yasmine sat with her arms crossed and eyes closed. "So, you… were actually born here?" Mayu nodded her head to answer the question. "That's crazy. And your real mom sent you away?" Again, a nod was given. "That's crazy. Why?"

"That's… not really important right now," Mayu muttered. Honestly, she didn't want to tell Yasmine all the details about her past. Knowing her, she might just label her as Mary-sue. She shuddered at the thought. She hadn't read that much fanfiction, but she was sure that perfection was something many people actually despised in a protagonist. If she thought about it too much, perhaps she would begin doubting. Mentally, Mayu shook her head. This wasn't a part of someone's imagination. This was real. The kunoichi suddenly stood up. "Anyway, it's getting really late. I need to escort you home. Let's go." Pouting, Yasmine stood up as well.

After dropping the foreigner off at her hotel, Mayu decided to head home as well. Chances were Naruto was still knocked out. Kakashi and Yamato were recovering as well. Luckily, Sakura had been there. She had immediately begun to heal Naruto from the injuries he had received during the fight. Akatsuki… They were stronger than she could have imagined. According to Yamato, Kakuzu had been able to take all three of them on by himself. Three of the strongest people she knew had had trouble with only one member.

Her eyelids lowered as she continued walking. "Even now, after all I've learned, I feel like I'm not enough. It's not like those two are waiting around." At her sides, her fists clenched. "But how am I going to get stronger than I am?" She had learned all she could from her ancestor, Mitsuo. He, as well as Ino's ancestor, had moved on already. Was there even anything left to learn? "I'll have to find it somehow." Mayu stopped abruptly. Her nose twitched once before she sniffed the night air. She exhaled through her mouth. "Sasuke." Not a second later, her teammate landed next to her. He slowly rose to his full height beside her. The kunoichi turned her head back. The town was in the distance. She hadn't even realized how far she had walked until Sasuke's scent caught her senses. She looked ahead to see the Uchiha district not too far away.

"That girl—did she say anything?"

"Nah. She didn't have a clue about Akatsuki. She believed them to be normal people," Mayu told him. Finally, she looked his way. "Did Naruto wake up yet?" Sasuke nodded. "That's good. How long will it take for him to be able to go on missions?"

"Not sure, but since its Naruto—he'll heal quickly," he answered.

"Good." She sighed heavily, and then began walking again. Sasuke walked as well. "Is there a reason you're following me?"

"Yes."

"… Care to elaborate?"

"No. I'm good."

"… Aww… Righty then."

With a roll of her eyes, the kunoichi increased her pace just a bit. Mentally, Sasuke shook his head. He let a smirk cross his features. Most likely, she was trying to figure out what his intentions were. His only intention, that time, had been to irk her. He liked messing with her almost as much as she liked messing with him. Almost. He was positive Mayu reveled in getting under his skin. He did not mind that, though. Since it was her. The two of them made it to the crossroad. To the right was the entrance to the Uchiha district. To the left, further down, beyond the road, the Ishikari residence. Mayu turned, most likely to tell him goodbye. She opened her mouth to do so, but Sasuke had other plans. "We have to talk. Come with me." He beckoned her with a finger as he headed to the right. Of course, since it was Mayu, his demand was met with opposition.

"Who are you to order me around?!" she retorted. "I'm tired, damn it! Plus, I have to put something on my face, or I'll be walking around with bruises for more than a week." Without warning, Sasuke appeared in front her. It reminded him greatly of the first time their faces became this close. Meager centimeters away, time slowed down. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. It was the same feeling as before. Well, without the excruciating pain that came afterwards. Back then, she had pretended to be under Itachi's genjutsu and had attacked him viciously. "Sasuke…? The hell?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts of that man. She tended to do that a lot without realizing it. Smirking, the Uchiha reached up gave her cheeks a squeeze with his thumb and fingers, which caused her lips to poke out.

"You're lucky I like this mouth. Otherwise, I would have to punish you for your impolite way of talking to me," he stated. Her glare was not half as intimidating as it should have been due to his fingers still gripping the lower part of her face.

"If you don't let me go, I'm gonna make you my bitch," Mayu threatened. Well, she could have said something else. It was hard to tell because her words sounded as though her tongue had become numb. Sasuke decided to comply with what he thought he heard. Fortunately, he also decided to get out of swiping range of her because she had lashed out with a high kick. "You're lucky I'm exhausted. Otherwise, I would have to punish you for your insolent way of speaking to someone older than you!"

"That's adorable," Sasuke retorted, sarcastically.

"Thank you," Mayu replied, choosing to ignore the sarcasm. Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what could be so important that it can't wait until tomorrow… and after a shower?!"

"We have not spoken properly since my return to the village—not truly. Besides, you're the one who wants to tell me something," Sasuke reminded. Mayu stared blankly. She forgot. Then it dawned on her. He knew because her eyebrows rose closer to her hairline. Mayu was so easy to read sometimes. "So, let's just do that now."

"Fine, but I'm showering and sleeping over."

0-0

Here it was. The second round.

Neji could not recall another time where he had felt this much nervousness. However, he could not allow things to remain in such uncertainty. The jounin told himself that over and over again. It was because of that that he could appear in front of her again. Gathering himself, Neji rapped his knuckles against her door. Immediately, he heard something like a 'gah!' sound, and then a thud. After a few silent moments, the door suddenly creaked open. She was flushed and sweat ran down her face. The foreign idol appeared quite flushed. "Ne-Neji-san…!" It also noticed that her forehead was turning a bit red.

"I… Are you okay?" he questioned.

"Ah…" She lightly massaged her forehead. "I was trying to copy Yasume's dance moves when I heard the knocking. I lost my balance and fell down." So… she was still clumsy, was she? Yasmine shook her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" She opened the door a bit wider. "Would you like to come in?" Neji nodded his head. The foreigner stepped aside, allowing him to enter her hotel room. "I'm assuming this is about my current situation. You don't have to say anything. I know that I'll be staying in the Leaf village for a while because of Akatsuki." She shut the door and turned to face him.

"Yes. It has come to this, but… That is not why I am here," Neji stated. He had heard the news from Uchiha Sasuke at the hospital hours after the confrontation. Before that, he had been busy with other matters, so he had not experienced Akatsuki firsthand as he had done previously. Neji turned, only to witness her frowning. She knew exactly why he had come to her. Yasmine laced her fingers together in front of her abdomen and averted her stare elsewhere. Already, she was putting her up defenses. "Please listen to me," he requested before she could speak. Her lips pressed together. "I had made a promise to myself to find you. Truthfully, after years had gone by without any signs of you, I had almost given up. I had believed that I would never find you. After all, you had disappeared without a trace. Then you appeared before me again." His gaze lowered to the floor before his eyelids shut. "But you have changed, and, to some extent, I am to blame. It is because of this that I wish to make up for what happened. Even though we were only kids, even though it happened over a decade ago, I cannot pretend to move on. I cannot let this be as it is. Yaya-chan…" Neji opened his eyes again. "I-"

"I… I… I…" she mocked, interrupting him. Her arms fell to her sides. "Do you know how selfish you sound? Do you realize how out of character you're being right now? It is an unsightly thing."

"Yaya-chan, please-"

"Enough!" Again, she interrupted, narrowing her eyes as she did. "Why are you so hell bent on bringing up something that doesn't matter?"

"It does matter. Not just me, but you are also upset! This 'something' is preventing us from moving on," Neji argued. "Your unwillingness to forgive me now only proves how much our past still affects you." Yasmine was silent for a time. She shut her eyes and sighed heavily. As she spoke again, her frown was evident. Once more, she told him to forget the past. "I will not! I cannot! Those times shared between you and me… My father… and your guardian—how could you want to forget? I understand that you are angry with me, but does that mean you must take that out on the one who cared for you as a child?" At the mention of her former caretaker, her eyes expanded. Her bottom lip trembled. She murmured something he did not quite understand. However, Neji knew his words had gotten to her. "I hurt you. He did not. He does not deserve to be just an unwanted memory."

"Re-Regardless…" Yasmine whispered. She tilted her head down. "You-"

"I found him," Neji stated. "Sawatari Jano, I can take you to him. Right now." While big things were happening with Naruto's team and Akatsuki, he had been preoccupied with tracking Yasmine's former caretaker. He had used Tenten as an informational source to find him. His teammate had useful information when it came to ANBU. It was through her that he had learned of the man's demotion and his current residence. "Do you not wish to see him? The man that took care of you? Or is it that he is also someone that you used to know?" He knew it was wrong, but causing her to feel guilt would, hopefully, cause her to… feel as he did.

"Shut up!" Yasmine's sudden shout caused Neji to flinch. Initially, he believed that the demand had been for him but she continued. "I know what I'm doing! Just because you're there doesn't mean I can't think for myself!" She must have been speaking to her other self, Yasume. It was strange. Her eyes were unfocused as though she was blind, but she looked annoyed. Then her gaze returned to him. "Alright… Take me there."

"Yes," Neji nodded his head. He stepped towards her until he was at her side. "But I must warn you. Like me, he has changed. However, unlike me, he remembered everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, turning. She opened the door. The jounin moved and waited until she shut the door behind her. Since it was a hotel room, the door locked automatically. Yasmine turned to face him.

"You will see," Neji stated.

The two teens left the hotel. They walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. The man, Sawatari Jano, currently lived with his family. He had lived by himself, along with Yasmine, before. The change in residence should have been his first warning. But he would let his former friend see for herself—the drastic change in her previous caretaker. Though the man did reside with his family, their home is not where Neji planned on taking Yasmine. According to Tenten's sources, he visited a certain place quite often. He, himself, had confirmed her findings because a relative of his, now known to be the Jano's partner, would go to that place as well after missions. Neji glanced at the girl to his left. He wondered… what her reaction might be to seeing him after all these years.

Well, he would find out soon enough. They had reached their destination. "This is it," he told her. They had stopped. Yasmine stared at him for a moment before turning a perplexed gaze to the business establishment. Ignoring that for a moment, the jounin entered, motioning for the foreigner to follow him. Hesitantly, she did. Neji could sense that she was looking around, but he kept his eyes focused on the far corner of the bar. The man was still in the same spot—upper body sprawled across the table, glass still in hand. "He is there." Jano's appearance had changed drastically. Perhaps she would not recognize him even if his face had not been concealed. The appearance of the bar's owner at his table was a chance for Yasmine to see clearly. Words were exchanged, but they had not been close enough to hear. However, Jano suddenly sprang up, throwing the empty glass at the floor.

"I SAID I'LL PAY IT LATER, ASSHOLE!" His shout, along with the smashing of the glass, caused many eyes to turn in that direction as well. Jano stood, nearly snarling at the poor bar owner. The older man bowed quickly and scurried away, leaving the former ANBU member by himself. The silence was then replaced by hushed whispers. He had certainly changed. His eyes were blood-shot. His long dark hair was a tangled mess. Clearly, he had not shaved recently due to the short spiky growth of hair on his chin and around his mouth. Despite the aggravated look, he appeared weary. Slowly, Jano sank back into his seat, ignoring everyone else. He slammed his forehead against the wooden table and did not move again.

Neji waited a moment before stepping forward. However, he did not sense Yasmine doing the same. He turned his head to see that she had remained rooted to the spot, eyes wide and staring at Jano's still form. Her lips quivered, and then her eyes narrowed. Her head slowly turned side to side. Body tensing, she, without a word, turned and ran out of the bar. Mildly confused by her reaction, the jounin felt he had no choice but to follow her. Though he had found the man, it had been years since the last time they had had a conversation. It did not seem appropriate to walk up to him now. He had only known Jano through Yasmine.

He found her just outside, heading into an alleyway. Hurriedly, he caught up with her. Neji called her name, causing her to flinch. Her back was still facing him. "Why…? Why is he like that?" Fists clenched at her sides, her question sounded strained. "That isn't… how he's supposed to be. Mommy…" Her hand tilted down. "Why did you show me? I could have gone my whole life without knowing!"

"Yes. Ignorance is bliss. However, you should know that closure is better," Neji replied. She did not respond to him, and so he went on. "You continue to say that the past doesn't matter and that it means nothing, but just because something happened in the past, does not mean it will not affect the present. Jano-san slowly became that way after your disappearance. True, I did not remember you, but it is because of him that I did not remember. You see, he came after me, wanting to know what I had done. In the altercation, I was hurt. I awoke later, not remembering anything. You had to see him this way. I showed you because you must realize that ignoring the past doesn't solve anything." Still, she remained quiet. Yasmine only somewhat trembled. Good. It meant that she was listening and letting it sink in. "The three of us… we have to talk. We should talk. It is what my father would have wanted. Yaya-chan, let us go back."

Then he made the mistake of placing a hand on her shoulder. Her reaction to his touch was so sudden, that his body did not move to avoid or stop it. She had whirled around, fist striking his torso. Her other fist had landed as well—twice. In total, he had felt six strikes to his abdomen. Then nothing. He could not feel anything at all. His body fell forward, right into her awaiting arms. "Sorry, Neji-san. That was a reflex," she told him. Slowly, Yasmine sank to her knees, sitting his paralyzed body against the adjacent wall. "Really, none of this was supposed to happen." It had felt like the Gentle Fist, but she had not used chakra. Also, it had not been his chakra network to suffer from the attack. She had merely paralyzed his body.

"Yaya-chan…" Neji thought for he could not speak.

Yasmine turned her head to the left, most likely trying to see if anyone had witnessed or heard the commotion. There was no one. After all, it was very late, and only drunkards still hung about this place. Her hazel eyes returned to him. For a moment, she only stared. Then she opened her mouth. "I would apologize a thousand times for doing this to you, but… I am already late. Don't worry, though. Your body will return to normal by the time I finish up." Neji could not even furrow his eyebrows in confusion. Yasmine stood to her full height and stared down at him. "But I understand now—your reason for doing this. Your father, it all comes back to your father. Hizashi-sama…" She shut her eyes. "But that doesn't change anything. We can't go back, Neji-san. It's too late for that." She turned her back to him and sighed heavily. "The past does not matter to me anymore… because I've already chosen my future. The future I want does not include… you. Please understand, and then let me fade from your mind… because I do not belong there." The wind picked up, harshly tossing around lightweight objects. As Neji was staring up, he could not help but notice something on the back of the teen's neck. He was sure it was a tattoo. It was only a glimpse, but it looked familiar to him.

A red cloud outlined in white.

0-0

"This is who I am~! So I just want to be true to myself~!" Mayu sang as she dried her hair. She hummed more lyrics as she entered the room where her teammate sat. Sasuke rolled his eyes as she sat down across from him. The kunoichi must have felt his gaze because she stopped humming and let the towel fall from her head. "What? It's catchy! Maybe I should have gotten the CD?" The shinobi gave her a look. "Eff you, Sasuke! I have the voice of an angel!"

"Yeah, from hell, maybe," he retorted. Huh. Those words felt familiar. The Uchiha ignored her rude hand gesture in favoring of eyeing her current attire. "Are you… wearing my boxers…?" Mayu looked down at herself. "And one of my shirts?" It was the same shirt he had been ordered to buy at that idol's event. The boxers were his because of the Uchiha crest sewed on the left side of the blue undergarment.

"Well, what do you expect?" She only shrugged. "You basically forced me here. It's not like I had a change of clothes." She did not seem to notice his flushed cheeks. Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth and averted his stare. "So… you wanna start? Or should I?" Her eyes shut. "Well, since I brought it up, I'll go. Truth is… I have something in common with you—a couple of things, actually." Sasuke frowned. "I'd say our biggest connection would be our clans. For generations, the Ishikari clan was hidden from the rest of the village. Though our location is close to your district, the Uchiha had no idea." Mayu opened her eyes, yet her gaze was on the floor. "But before I get into all that, I guess I should make it clear that I didn't know this information before. When Hinata and I were sharing, I couldn't have known, so it's not like I purposefully hid this all from you."

"I know that. You must have recently acquired memories of your childhood because you heard a word, right?" Sasuke questioned. She nodded her head in confirmation. "What was the word, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Nana, that's the name of my feline partner. She's my personal summoning," Mayu answered. A summoning…? Naruto's words echoed in his mind. Trigger word, he had called it. The blond had said something about the word being insignificantly important, but that did not make sense. How could anything be vital yet trial at the same time? Anyway, he was not any closer to figuring out what word might trigger her locked memories of her time as Hinata's unusual clone. "Because I heard Nana's name, I clearly remember the things that happened to me and my clan," Mayu continued. "We were discovered because of me. I was careless and that is when an Uchiha found me. That Uchiha is your brother, Sasuke." Ah. He had almost forgotten. Mayu was not the type to ease information onto others. Most likely, she enjoyed dropping bombshells. Then an epiphany happened. Mayu was the daughter.

"Mayuka," Sasuke found himself whispering.

"How do you know that name?" the kunoichi asked.

He shook his head a bit. "The two of us found the Ishikari residence a couple years ago," he stated. "We also found that woman's diary. You are her daughter." Mayu nodded her head again. For a few moments, the two did not speak again. It was heavy—this news. Mayu knew his brother. Itachi knew about the Ishikari clan… and so had his father. Though Mayu had forgotten that she was supposed to be his spy, she still had the knowledge of the connection between the Uchiha clan and the Ishikari clan. Itachi was that connection. "So, what happened after he found you?" Sasuke inquired.

"I befriended him. As my clan was a secret, I didn't have anyone my own age to hang out with," Mayu said. "You could say I was desperate for a friend, no matter who it happened to be. My mom knew of my loneliness, though I tried to hide it, and so Itachi was welcomed to our home anytime. It wasn't long before we all considered him family. But then Uchiha Fugaku found out. Things had been going so well. We were supposed to…" She trailed off, gaze darting elsewhere. "Itachi was supposed to be family. We were all supposed to be connected. Uchiha and Ishikari. Our connection was supposed benefit both clans. And yet…" She clenched her teeth, and then squeezed her eyes shut. Her family was gone now—just like his.

His hand reached out, fingers wrapping around her wrist. He pulled her forward, and then forced her to lie down on her side with her back curled and knees raised. He moved his body in the same position. She, of course, asked why he had done such a thing. "You did this for me before," he replied. Before, he had wakened in this position with Mayu mirroring him. She had taken it upon herself to sleep over. He had had a nightmare, and she had been there to comfort him. For the first time, he had not awoken with knots and tension in his body. He had felt completely at ease and had lied there far longer than he should have. Watching her. Admiring her. Falling for her. "Just returning the favor, I guess," Sasuke told her. He remembered that no one had been there to just… listen after all that had happened that night. For her, this was the least he could do. Mayu sighed heavily yet nodded.

"Itachi… betrayed us. He killed my father. I saw it with my own eyes. He killed everyone and burned our forest. He probably would have killed me. He definitely would have, I think," she murmured. A heavy sigh left her. "If my mother hadn't used the forbidden transportation jutsu…"

"This jutsu—it sent you far away? To Tok-yo?" Sasuke said.

"That's…" Mayu pressed her lips together, appearing hesitant. "That's not all it did. The reason it's forbidden is because it erases the person's memories. It is a last resort so that even if an enemy comes looking, they would not be able to track. A girl without her memories is a girl without her connection. A girl that won't leave a trail behind. I believe my mother was desperate in the end. For me to be saved from that type betrayal." Mayu shut her eyes and sighed again. "I know what happened in my childhood now but… I don't understand what caused him to-to kill us."

"Do you hate him for what he's done?"

"… Maybe I would have," she said. "Had I kept my memories of his betrayal, maybe I would have hated him so fiercely." Sasuke frowned. "Don't get me wrong, Sasuke. I hate what he did. I hate that it seems so random of him to destroy our clans. I hate that I… could not stop it or didn't pay enough attention. But hating him—my brother—I can't." Her expression softened a bit. "I know your goal is to kill him." He nodded. No matter what the truth, he would end Itachi's life. "Then… let me be there for his judgement day. Let me ask why he hurt us this way. Let me… save him if I can."

"Save him…?" Sasuke repeated, narrowing his eyes.

Mayu only smiled. "Not from death," she assured. "He did what he did no matter his reasons. He must pay for his crimes, and I believe only you should be the one to deliver. It is your right." Sasuke felt his cheeks flush. "I want to make sure he feels something before his time of death. Shame. Guilt. Horror. I want to make sure he suffered from his actions against who he should have loved unconditionally. So that, in the end, he can be forgiven. So that we can move on after it's done."

"… Fine," Sasuke said. He understood her reasoning. Because of that, he realized that his teammate still harbored love for their betrayer. Their brother. Mayu was not one revenge, he supposed. In the end, he had always known it would be him, alone, to deliver the final blow. She, however, wanted peace for his soul. Peace for all of them. She would accept his death as long as Itachi provided explanation. Because she loved him and wanted to forgive him. "I want you there, anyway. So, save him, if you must. But do not interfere with my vengeance."

"Hah… Why would I get in the middle of the Uchiha Smackdown?" Mayu suddenly grinned. "It's been a long time coming. No way would I stop it." She smiled again. "Then it's settled then. I'll follow you into battle and we'll come out the victors."

"I trust you, and only you, to have my back when the time comes," Sasuke replied. "Follow me into battle and we'll come out the victors." Her smile grew, obviously pleased by the confirmation. "So, tell me about Ishikari—now that you have remembered." Mayu lifted a brow. "I'm intrigued," he told her. "The jutsu you used against Sakura. I only saw the display once."

"Really…? Even when I didn't remember?"

"Yes. On our first dangerous mission," Sasuke stated. "You used that version of the Mind Transfer Jutsu on our opponent but not before using that blue fire."

"Ah. Tsukeru," Mayu said. "That's the name of it." She frowned then, showing confusion. "I should not have been able to use it before now, though. Even if I didn't remember, I was never taught Tsukeru. I learned it recently."

"Well, when you used it, I feel like you were not aware of your own actions," Sasuke said. "Like you were running on instinct or something." The kunoichi blinked twice. "It happens. I activated my Sharingan then, too. I barely comprehended what was happening to me. I assume that your abilities are part of your advanced bloodline."

"That is what makes it weird, Sasuke…" She still appeared quite pensive. "My family never said anything about our abilities being of an advanced bloodline. My father, with not a drop of Ishikari, performed our jutsu just fine. Yes, our jutsu would not be taught to outsiders but it's more like clan abilities. Like Nara or Yamanaka or Inuzuka. It's not an advanced bloodline like yours or Hyuga where no one outside the blood can use the abilities. Without consequence anyway."

"And yet you awakened the abilities as if it were," Sasuke pointed out. Mayu furrowed her brow. "Maybe there's more things you need to learn about your own clan." The kunochi hummed lightly. Then she sat up. Sasuke followed suit. "Honestly, the same could be said for my own. Like you said, I don't want to believe that Itachi randomly destroyed our clans. I also had no idea that my father and your mother had a deal. Why would they have a deal in the first place?" Abruptly, Sasuke remembered the exact deal. "You were supposed to marry Itachi."

Mayu slowly nodded her head. "Yes," she stated. "He was to be family by marriage." Sasuke did not like the sound of that at all. Seemingly not noticing, Mayu shrugged. "I suppose there is a fortunate thing that came out of this. I don't have to marry him anymore." She laughed. "Could you imagine being my brother-in-law, Sasuke?" He would have despised it. He despised the thought even now. "Oh, come on, don't glower. I did not have romantic feelings for Itachi. He was my best friend and brother." Sasuke did not relax at her assurance. The kunoichi grinned and reached to pinch his cheek between her finger and thumb. "You're so cute. Are you jealous? Did you want to marry your big brother instead?"

"Shut up," Sasuke said, swatting at her wrist. Mayu only giggled. "But this changes things a bit. Originally, I thought someone in your clan helped Itachi kill mine. However, it sounds like your clan… met its end before mine did." Somberly, his teammate nodded. "I still think someone helped him with the Uchiha clan. We still need to find out who helped him." Mayu nodded again. Sasuke frowned, wondering if his spy had any additional information on that front. Unfortunately, her memories were locked behind a trigger word. "Honestly, I hope your memories return before I confront Itachi. Just to make sure we have a clue for the next target." Mayu gave a thoughtful hum. "What is it?"

"It's nothing, really," she began. "I just… find this odd. My mind is telling me that you are a stranger and yet I'm so comfortable discussing something like this with you. Is it the same for you? Since this body isn't what you were used to?"

"Not really. You're still Ishikari Mayu," Sasuke replied. "Different face but still you." She hummed again, appraising look in her eyes. "Now what?"

"When we were fighting before—when we didn't realize our relationship—I said something to you, but you neither denied or confirmed it," she began. Her eyes narrowed. "Since you've been gone, have you been on drugs?" That was not a question he had been expecting to hear from her. From anyone. Now that she had brought it up, he almost felt… ashamed. "Well, is it true?"

"… How did you find out?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, besides the obvious—I was your opponent, after all—I found a lab in that hideout. That's where I picked up a few things regarding your body. I couldn't really understand it myself, so I took it to Tsunade-sama," Mayu replied. "She told me that there was nothing to worry about, concerning your body going through a withdrawal state due to not being on them anymore. I was relieved, but I-" She crossed her arms and leaned forward a bit. "I can't figure it out. Why do I feel disappointed, Sasuke?" The young Uchiha swallowed hard. He knew the reason. It was same reason he felt ashamed.

"When we were younger, I promised that someday we would fight without outside help. By using drugs to get stronger, I-"

"I see," Mayu interrupted. She frowned. "This whole amnesia thing is crazy. When I first saw you, I felt so excited. At first, I thought it was because I was about to fight you, but it was after I found out about the drugs that I felt that way. I wonder if this means that not only my body remembers, but my feelings hazily remember as well. I want my mind to remember as well. I kinda hate feeling like this—these conflicting emotions." The kunoichi shut her eyes again. "But, at least this way, I feel like I'm getting closer to the trigger word. So, hurry up and make me remember."

"I don't take orders, especially from people who can't remember shit," Sasuke gave a snarky reply. The girl's eyebrows knitted together as she glared. Her reaction only caused the Uchiha to smirk. Then she mirrored his expression. He saw her shoulders go up a bit, so he knew what she was planning. Though he had predicted, he could not stop the yelp of surprise that escaped when his teammate suddenly tackled him. It was not the tackle, itself, that made him yelp. It was the feeling of her breasts pressed against his chest as they went down. Like the many times she had appeared in his dreams, Mayu straddled his stomach, legs pushed against his sides, and hands holding his wrists above his head. She grinned down at him. No matter how fruitless it was, Sasuke fought to keep his blush at bay.

"Well, what about someone who can pin you?" she asked, having no clue what affect her position had on him. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, showing his slight annoyance. He mostly enjoyed it, though. Still, he tried to growl, and then ordered her to get off him. Mayu did so slowly, not bothering to conceal her smug look. With her guard lowered, the shinobi took this chance to take her down. The kunoichi let out a cry of surprise, and perhaps glee, as she fell over because of his weight. They rolled around the room, struggling to gain the upper hand. Grunting and groaning, the two ninja wrestled about, not noticing the slight destruction their struggles caused.

Finally, Sasuke's back slammed against the floor. Lightly panting, Mayu hovered over him, fingers digging into his shoulders. Her insolent smile came back. "Pinned ya again," she announced. Once she was satisfied with her apparent win, the dark-haired girl moved, intending on letting him up, but Sasuke had other plans. He wrapped his fingers around her arms, halting her movement. "Sasuke? What?" Honestly, he wanted to kiss her right now. It seemed appropriate. The only thing that held him back was her forgotten memories. It would not be right, considering the circumstances. Even if the current situation almost called for it. Instead, Sasuke forced back the urge to capture her lips and sighed.

"I missed you," he whispered, loosening his hold on her. Mayu blinked, but then smiled. Her hands moved, palms cupping his cheeks. She lowered her torso until her forehead pushed against his. Sasuke found himself closing his eyes at the physical contact. "Mayu…"

"I can't wait to feel the same." The young Uchiha opened his eyes again, seeing that Mayu had shut her eyes, too. She wore a smile. Restraining himself grew a bit harder. The thing that truly irked Sasuke the most was that she was so close, yet so far away at the same damn time. He really did not want to be sucker punched again because of a kiss. The kunoichi opened her eyes, still smiling. She then lifted her left leg and moved away, lying beside him. He turned his head to look at her. She continued speaking, but Sasuke no longer heard her. Her lips curled up in another smile as she spoke. The slight movement made him focus there.

"Damn it." He furrowed his brow. "I really… want her." He had already come to that conclusion as a child. However, his childlike mind could not fathom how much his want of Ishikari Mayu could change like this. Hatake Kakashi might have been partially to blame. Still, he really wanted her. The goal of making her Uchiha Mayu seemed more tangible now despite the circumstance of her not remembering his intent of courtship. Again, Sasuke felt his cheeks flush, burning hotter than last time. It felt like the same intensity of watching her incinerate and scorch the battlefield in front of her. He had been—what had Kakashi told him? Oh. Aroused. Mayu aroused him like no one else. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do more than that. Sasuke swallowed hard as he heard his heartbeat throb in his ears. "Can I…?" The sudden uncomplete question interrupted whatever words Mayu had been spouting. She turned her head to eye him.

"Can you what?" she asked, blue eyes staring innocently.

"Uh…" Sasuke shifted his gaze elsewhere for a moment. "No, never mind," he said. A curious hum escaped but she chose not to question his behavior. For a moment, the two laid there in silence. Then Sasuke finally composed himself enough. "Mayu," he spoke her name aloud. "You can't go away again."

"You're gonna learn to stop ordering me around, bird brain," she returned, and then smirked. "The same goes for you, too. No more secret missions. Got it?"

"It won't be a secret if you know about it, right?" His question earned him a laugh from the girl. Then she abruptly stopped and sat up. Almost annoyed, Sasuke did the same. "What is it?" Instead of answering him, the kunoichi breathed deeply through her nose, and then grimaced. "Mayu, what's the matter?"

"I smell blood… at least three thousand meters from where we are," she said. Her hand reached up to cover her nose. He had heard about her sense of smell. Her range was impressive. "But it's strange."

"Why are you enhancing your sense of smell, anyway?" Sasuke questioned. She looked at him and blinked.

"Because I like the way you smell," she stated as though she were merely commenting on the ceiling's pattern. He could only stare back at her, words not quite reaching the tip of his tongue. "So anyway-" Her blue eyes shifted to the open window. "Usually, I wouldn't make a big fuss about smelling blood in the village, since there are many who choose to train even at this hour, but… No one usually comes this far out of town to train. No one comes near the Uchiha district." Mayu stood up and walked towards the window, appearing anxious. "I smell that guy's blood. Hidan, the Akatsuki member."

"You sure…?" Sasuke stood. "I cut off his legs myself. There's no way he's moving around even if he is immortal."

"Let's not just assume, though." Mayu turned to him. "I've got a bad feeling. This district is a relatively abandoned place close to the boundaries of the village."

"Escape…?"

"Let's hope not."

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