Chapter 2 after almost twenty one days. To be perfectly honest, yes I know it's a bit short but to be fair this chapter didn't really have enough to justify a longer one given what it was about. Hopefully, the next few would be longer for everyone.

Star Blades: Yes and surprised I am the first to do it.

EnkiduKingu: That is hilarious to think about.

ReverseWorld34: Sure thing.

end5: Thank you.

Dragonlord001: The long way is not the only way. Plus there might be another issue.

evilstatistic19: Thanks, and even still it probably wouldn't be that long.

Disclaimer: Nasu owns everything. Not me.

Within the clearing, a fire burned itself with pots and pans held over the flames. The smells of food cooking filled the immediate area. Sitting on a down log, what was best described as a kitsune miko was crafting a new set of arrows as she awaited the food to be done. With the last arrow finished and placed within its quiver a shadowy pool opened up as she reached into and pulled out a plate and utensils for her meal.

"It's been almost two months since I've been here," Sakura took a bite as she looked up a bit at the full moon overhead illuminating the night sky.

At first, she had thought that she was in the past. Everything seemed to match up for this being either the Kamakura period or even the Muromachi period. Until she learned something rather important. The Emperor of Japan was a mess as the last official emperor had died without an heir leaving rival claimants. That was the least of the changes. Various Phantasmal Races had not yet gone extinct.

As she finished up she opened up her Imaginary Number Storage and put everything back inside it. One benefit that came out of this was that she didn't need to carry everything on her. Having what was effectively a pocket space to store everything made it so much easier. Reaching back in she pulled out a local map of the area to get some idea of where she was heading.

"I'm north of Lake Biwa, or I guess Awaumi," The maps were about as detailed as old-time maps could be though it was still a bit of guesswork. There were also a lot of old names being used for landmarks that weren't used in Sakura's time/World anymore."If I head east I will end up near the Oni territory."

Much of what was in her time the Gifu Prefecture was ruled by the Oni. The mountainous region almost cut the island in two with where they are located. Her best bet to get around it was to head north to the coast or she could try to go around south of the mountains. On the other hand, she could head through the lands around the lake and head into the city of Kyoto.

'I should probably head for the city if I want more information,' With a destination set she closed the map. Maybe then she could get a better idea of what was going on with this world.

From what she could gather, it seemed like the unity of Japan was rather tenuous at best. Daimyo, feudal lords had replaced the old rule creating an unstable system of loyalties to a Shogunate. A Shogunate being key as right now two Shogunates rule the east and west of what was once Japan. Each one claimed authority from the Emperor that they backed.

"Kyoto it is then."

Sakura looked out at the large body of water before her as the morning light reflected off it. This was the largest lake in Japan located within the middle of the main island of the archipelago. From her maps, she knew that it was a divided land. Oni lived in the mountains to the northeast, three Daimyo claimed the lands around the lake with a local conflict brewing between them all. Much of the northern part of the lake was as she recalled from her last village a semi-lawless area where marauders and mercenaries, really there was little difference between the two, made camps across the northern coast. No villages existed but fortified towns scattered the area.

One such town hugged that shoreline, probably once a fishing village at some point, with rows of fields made for their crops all around. There wasn't anyone out in the fields or a sign that anyone had come by them in at least a few days. As she got to the open gate she saw nothing there.

"Did the town get attacked?" There wasn't any sign of a battle with marauders. No signs of damage to the gate or the walls around it.

Walking into the village she noticed that it was awfully quiet despite the size of it. As she passed on nearing the center of the town she saw a congregation of the townsfolk standing in front of a shrine. The sounds of coughing escaped the mouths of some of them. At first, Sakura thought they were sick but she just felt that it wasn't the case. Their skin had an unnatural color paleness to it. A curse had been placed on the townsfolk. One that seemed to have taken the form of a sickness.

A little boy, no older than nine at the most, caught sight of her. "A Miko," He started to cough as he called out to the group. "Look!"

The crowd turned around and saw her standing there. Only for a split second did Sakura catch looks of desperation fading into ones of hopefulness. Before she knew it the crowd was all around her.

"Our prayers have been heard."

"We're saved."

"Please," One of the men from the town coughed rather violently before managing to get control over himself to continue. "You must help us with our infliction."

"I don't kn-" Sakura tried to speak but the sickly people surrounded her, some on their knees, others whispering thanks to the gods for her hearing their prayers. There was a feeling of conflict coming over her.

Sakura knew that she should try to help them. A curse was on them and it seemed that they were dying from it. On a personal level, she didn't feel all that invested in actually helping them. However, being surrounded as she was and seeing how desperate everyone was she knew that she couldn't just leave them.

"How did it happen?"

"Our fisherman," The man who begged for help walked to the small shrine coughing harshly. On the ground, he picked up something wrapped in cloth. "Found something on the nearby island in the lake."

He presented it to her and Sakura could immediately feel the curse coming off of it. It was strong but also not that hard to counter. Unfortunately, it seemed no one in the town had any means to do so. Sakura could counter it herself and it was probable that the curse could be broken if it was returned. Simple yet effective at making normal people stay away from things that they shouldn't touch.

"Has anyone tried returning it?"

"No, and we-" The man stopped as he let out a horrible cough aimed at the ground to the side of him. "Don't trust this with ourselves."

The thing is Sakura figured that they could do it themselves. At least before the curse had reached this level of effect. Sakura felt a bit annoyed by this as now that she was doing this for them. Something that was a temptation to just leave and let them succumb to their fate. Eventually, the curse will kill them.

The only issue was that she knew that if it wasn't returned, assuming that it was being taken was the reason that it was unleashing this curse, it could be picked up by someone who found the town. If that happened it probably would become a bigger problem until someone either returned it or could destroy it. 'Unless I am the one to do it.'

With the stone in hand, Sakura sailed out to the island where the stone, more an idol than anything else, had been found. Carved in the shape of what was a long rod with a cap on top of it. Curved on the side seemed to be patterns that reminded her of a snake's skin pattern. Power could be felt within it, something that was plain as day given its role as being the source of the curses for the town. Curses that Sakura was going to break.

"That must be the island," There was a faint fog around the small landmass poking out of the lake. Sakura felt like she was being watched as the boat landed on the edge of the island for her to deport. 'Just make this quick and I can be on my way.'

The island wasn't that large, with a few trees growing out of the ground, but beyond that, the only noticeable thing was the small pathway that led to the altar. Where a fisherman had found the enchanted idol. Sakura didn't know why anyone would take something from an old altar.

Walking up the pathway she found what looked like said altar. Several long cone-shaped stones with what looked like a place to put the idol on. 'This seems simple enough.'

Placing it on the stone the energy coming off of the stone ceased. Likely also means that the curse was undone. 'I should head bac-'

As Sakura turned around she almost jumped back. It was a snake long enough to seemingly circle the whole island. Its scales were white and its eyes looked at her with pricing red eyes, its head though was more bulbous, almost like its neck was weighed down by it. The snake coiled on a nearby tree staring at her from the branches. While its face didn't show much emotion its eyes stared into her like it was trying to take her apart.

"Lady Ohirume?" A deep yet still somewhat quiet voice spoke from the snake. A name leaving its mouth that was familiar to Sakura. "No, you're not her."

To the serpent, there had been some familiarity with the Miko. He saw beyond the glamour over her, seeing her ears and tail. Combined with the hair and the feeling of divinity within the miko made the mistake easy to know. Instead what didn't line up was her eyes a deep purple. Ohirume's eyes are not something anyone would

As for Sakura, there was something familiar about the name Ohirume. She pushed that aside as she focused on the issue in front of her. "No, my name is Sakura."

"Sakura," A name that was the same as the Cherry Blossom trees. "I am Mishaguji, god of harvest, healing, and disease."

Sakura had thought that the snake was some sort of powerful Phantasmal Beast but she didn't expect a god. "A god?" She quickly remembered that she was dressed as a Miko and had probably insulted it. "I apologize for not realizing sooner."

She gave a bow to Mishaguji. The divine serpent found her actions baffling. "Yes, well I don't think you need to bow to me," The snake looked at the stone that was returned to the altar that it rested on. "Truth is, I was about to thank you for returning my relic to me, though if you may, do you know who took it?"

'He didn't know?' All the suffering from a curse and it turned out the being that caused it had no idea. "It was a fisherman from the nearby town who was suffering from the curse you sent to them and asked me to return it."

Hearing this made the odd-looking snake god turn over in the direction of the town in question. A place that did worship him like others around the lake. When the idol was stolen he had unleashed a curse on who had taken it. Around that time he heard the prayers about a disease and given that they had been both ever faithful he tried to cure the disease which didn't seem to work. Hearing this though made the Divine Spirit feel foolish.

"I had thought I had failed them but I should have seen for myself why it hadn't worked," Mishaguji focused his attention back on Sakura. "At least another god heard their prayers and solved the issue where I could not."

The way that Mishaguji spoke about it was focused directly on her. "But I'm not a goddess…"

Those words left her mouth and she felt like she was lying to herself. Immediately after feeling that, Sakura tried to find out why she felt that. At first, she thought it was because of her taking in the Greater Grail. It being a device for a miracle-turned womb for a nascent god with herself having consumed it. However, as this crossed her mind she knew it was false. The Fuyuki Grail was spent, all that remained was the soul of the Homunculus at its core that she metaphorically absorbed into herself. The divinity had to come somewhere.

Mishaguji though took this moment to do a double take. Her feeling of divinity was obviously that of a Divine Spirit but she claimed she wasn't one. There was no way she didn't know that. No way unless she didn't know what she was. As outlandish as it seems there were at least two possibilities for it to happen.

The first one was that she had been raised without knowing what she was at any point. A nigh impossible thing as any human or phantasmal would immediately recognize her existence. The second one was that she had come into being without knowing about that. That was possible and now that Mishaguji thought on it would help explain everything.

All he needed was a confirmation. Which meant he had to see if she got a response. "Does the name Amaterasu mean anything to you?"

Such a name was rather well known. Amaterasu the Japanese Goddess of the Sun, patron and ancestor to the Imperial family. Sakura's mind returned to her memories as her mind turned to this. "That feels like…" She blinked at the confusion of it. "Myself and not myself?"

There was confusion as she felt like that was true and false. What was more concerning was how it felt false. It felt false because that was her mother's name, and yet she also knew that was false and true at the same time. Rin was the only reason she could suspect that this was false as her sister didn't possess Amaterasu's fox features. Because they are hers alone being… Sakura stopped that train of thought before it returned to where she started.

Her answer did explain something to the snake in front of her. Even with that said Mishaguji did wonder how exactly she came to be. 'Given she is unresponsive after that battle Lady Ohirume may be the only one to know.'

Mishaguji remembered that battle even long ago. When the being from beyond the World had landed and waged an almost single-handed war against the World. He didn't recall what brought them together but instead of just fighting the White Titan one tribe at a time the Gods united ever so begrudgingly into fighting the thing as a whole. A final battle was waged which had succeeded in destroying that invader at a steep cost to all of them. Mishaguji had heard of a rumor that just before the final sacrifice Six Elementals had appeared bearing with them a weapon that could have destroyed the White Titan without such actions being needed.

For Sakura there was a strange feeling of acceptance and confusion. Confusion was because she was certain that she wasn't connected to Amaterasu in any way. This led to another confusion because she was connected to Amaterasu and she knew it. Two conflicting thoughts fighting within her mind both of which seemed correct.

Sakura's return to the town was met with celebration. Their curse having been lifted by her actions of returning the idol. She did keep quiet on what exactly caused it. Instead, she had her own thoughts to deal with what had happened. Because of this, she couldn't stay longer than needed. Much to the town's dismay.

"Do you really have to go so suddenly after you have helped us?" The group that stood in front of her all looked with confusion at her.

"Yes, I have somewhere else I need to go," Sakura was feeling a little bad for just going but right now she had her mind on other things.

"Where are you going?" One of the children spoke up as they questioned the Miko that saved them.

"Kyoto," Some of the townsfolk started to talk amongst themselves as soon as she answered.

The truth was while she did want to go to Kyoto she was concerned about if her glamour could hold up. With it being a city that in her world around this time period was the capital of the royal family it had to play host to any number of individuals who could see through it, or at the very least notice that something wasn't right. Regardless, Kyoto was the best place for her right now.

One of the men, the one who had begged her to help them, walked up to her. "If that is the case then please allow us to give you a gift before you go."

He motioned to another member of the town. This one a woman handed her a bag. Opening it a bit, Sakura was greeted with coins. Copper coins that seemed to be a mix of what seemed to be Japanese and some that had signs of being made in China. Something Sakura had learned in her month here that was rather commonly used. Almost reflective of historical trends as one of her old classmates had talked about.

"Thank you," Sakura closed the bag and bowed to the townsfolk in respect.

"It is the least of what we can do lady miko," Only now did the man realize something. They didn't know exactly who it was who had helped them. "Please can you at least tell us your name?"

Sakura was about to say the obvious but for some reason, it felt off to just say it. Maybe as a result of the confusing thoughts about herself. Thoughts that made her want to leave and sort out on her own.

"It's-"

"Who even am I?!"

Such a question would be easy for her to answer. It should be easy to answer. She was Sakura, the daughter that the Tohsaka gave to Matou. Handed off from her family because they could have only one heir and gave it to their allies because they needed an heir. Given to a monster that hid in plain sight.

Now she wasn't so sure anymore. Yes, her memories aren't all fully there but it didn't matter when it came to living within the Matous for years. There wasn't much difference between going to school and coming back either suffering the training or not. The Grail War was mostly just gone, reduced to tidbits of trivia. Combined those two formed a book about herself that she read while her other memories were still there but now she was more than certain they had been corrupted. The problem was she couldn't tell how they had been corrupted.

The only way she was certain that this was the case was because of Rin. Her memories of her were the thing that made her current set of memories feel out of place. Yet, she felt like they weren't out of place and that Rin seemed to be the one out of place.

"Then there is my name," Sakura felt right but it had only felt like a part of it. The name she gave to the villagers felt more like her full name.

All of this spawned from something else. The revelation that somehow she was a Divine Spirit with a connection to Amaterasu. 'How did that happen?'

No answer could be given to her. Partly thanks to her memories not telling her anything, but also because there was nothing that she could think of that would cause it. She had always been like this as far as she knew. All of this brought her back to the fact she just knew this shouldn't be normal for her.

'Maybe it's not actually real?' What if the feeling she had about something being off was just that? A feeling that had no basis in fact. 'No, there is the issue that I wouldn't be like this where I came from.'

The gods had left for the Reverse Side of the World. A being like her wouldn't be possible within the Age of Man to her knowledge. Not without some extreme justification that she knew that the Tohsaka family couldn't pull off on their own. Either someone had helped them or she wasn't what the memories told herself she was.

'Only way to check is to go back,' There was the issue that she was obviously in another history, another World's history as it seems. Normally, that might be enough to crush her hopes but there was a silver lining that might make it possible.

Mystery lingered in this World and wasn't being pushed aside by the dominance of mankind. Jumping between different Worlds was one of the previews of the Second Magic bit there were ways to replicate that aspect of magic. After all, she had done it with the Grail so here in a place where Mystery still holds power should be easier.

Sakura walked alone on an empty street. The building was raised all around without any features, all seeking to look the same. A dim light hung overhead as she wandered aimlessly. No matter which way she went, nothing changed. Stopping after an unknown amount of time she looked up.

The sky did not greet her. Only a roof was seen that rose high overhead. Sakura looked back and was greeted by a large room that was extremely familiar to her. Around her were various things that all seemed to call to her.

A mirror that floated in front of her was the first one to take her attention. She had never once seen it in her life and she still knew what it was. Divinity, it embodied the connection to Amaterasu that she possessed. The power to create, influence, or even destroy nations. All the authority of the sun, the right to rule the heavens, and the right to destroy the realms of man. Each one was something that she could do.

To her right was a seat with books, crystals, a white dress with yellow trim, and the ribbon that her sister had given her. A promise of a destiny that she hadn't really touched. Magecraft was now at her fingertips to use for her own ends. Knowledge that she had taken for her own and now living in a world where she could perfect it. To become a mage of her own design.

Lastly to her left was a shadowy reflection of what should be herself. Her face was hidden under a hood formed of shadowy ribbons with raven hair on one side and white hair on the other being the over things coming out of the dark void. From seeing it Sakura could feel what it entailed. This held everything that she had become under the Matous and all her resentments. No, that was just superficial and the shadowy surface. The hair and the face obscured under the hood told her differently. Underneath all the suffering there was what she could have become without the influence. Small bits in her early personality that had been beaten down only to briefly show itself.

"Who are you?" Turning around the image changed again. Instead of the palace she had been she was back in a familiar place, Shirou's house. Empty and silent with no anyone there but herself.

She took a few steps heading towards the open door before stopping. Turning around again she saw a reflection of herself standing there in her school uniform.

"Who are you?"

It was a question that didn't just mean about her name, but what she was. That should be easy for her to answer. There then lay the issue she was having. What she wanted to say didn't want to leave her mouth. A nagging voice spoke up once again.

"This isn't who you are something happene-"

"Enough," Sakura glared as the whole place turned again as she stared at a dark shadowy outline which looked at her with purple eyes. "I do not care anymore if my thoughts on my past are distorted."

When she first awoke her memories were a mess. In the month since she had tried to push it aside and focus on the here and now. Meeting Mishaguji had brought up the crisis of identity and there was still this nagging voice. She had enough of all of this. Reaching her hand out she grabbed the shadowy outline and forced it into herself. Accepting it may have a point but honestly, she was more forcing it into accepting what she was.

"Finally," Her eyes opened up as Sakura was greeted with the morning sun as she awoke. Her head felt clear and all feelings of something being off was gone.

Yes, I just had Sakura suffer a bit of an identity crisis. Before you ask, it has to do with the nature of what she is. Here the deal she did try the whole Demi-Servant (well equivalent) but unlike Mashu who was basically just not affected as drastically by it, Sakura was just half spirit and half physical due to her existence breaking down from the whole Greater Grail being forcefully absorbed by her. Her body reformed itself around her soul which was altered by embracing a fragment of Amaterasu.

As for right now. I decided to go with a few chapters dealing with Sakura's life before the Grail Wars.