Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles ❯ chapter 20 ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Matchmaking is a process in which people are introduced, sometimes pushed, to one another. The purposes of matchmaking is dating and mating. In the art of matchmaking, the matchmaker sometimes makes mistakes…
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"You’ve never seen a fight like this before… I’ll take you down and leave you wanting more!" –Decyfer Down
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Sunlight

That was the first thing he saw when Hyuga Neji woke up. The sun's morning rays shined through the small circular window. Of course, he had to choose the bed with the window above it. Neji frowned as he turned on his side. His eyes quickly adjusted to the light and scanned over the room. His teammate, Tenten, was still sleeping on her bed.

The kunoichi was somewhat of a deep sleeper, so it wasn't at all surprising to see her still resting. Neji's pale eyes took a glance at the other bed. It was empty. Whoever had been sleeping there did not take the time to make up the bed. A slow sigh escaped Neji's mouth as he sat up.

His client was no longer slumbering.

He stood, memories of last night flashed through his mind. That was embarrassing. Well, at least it wasn't in front of someone he had to see on the daily basis. Neji sighed again as he made his way over to the door. After giving his teammate one final glance, he exited the room.

Soon, he found the person he had been looking for. There she was, on the deck of the vessel, completely oblivious to Neji's presence. She was too busying... dancing around the deck. Neji narrowed his eyes slightly. No, it wasn't dancing. It was some kind of fighting style. But then again, he couldn't be sure. The way her body twisted and move across the deck reminded Neji of a dance. There were times where she would kick and punch as if she was fighting an invisible foe.

First we gonna ROCK
Then we gonna ROLL
Then we let it POP, DON'T LET IT GO!
Y gon give it to ya
She gon give it to ya
Y gon give it to ya
She gon give it to ya!

She was speaking in her language again. Neji didn't understand a word of it. He frowned as he continued to watch his client dance/fight. The girl was, more or less, a mystery. Neji had never heard of a split personality, not a real person with it, anyway. For a time, he did have suspicions about his cousin, Hinata, but it only turned out to be Ishikari Mayu. That was another thing... Mayu seemed to have also come from another world. If going through different dimensions and worlds was possible, could others accomplish the same feat? It seemed highly illogical, and yet Yasmine had done it twice.

Ain't never gave nothin to me
But everytime I turn around,
Cats got they hands out wantin something from me
I ain't got it, so you can't get it...

The foreigner suddenly stopped, causing Neji to look up. She had stopped her movements as well. Her back was facing the Hyuga. He stared in confusion. Perhaps the song was over...? Neji took a step forward, but stopped because the girl had resumed.

I've been doing this for sixteen years
Niggas wanna fight me?
Fight these tears!

Surprisingly, Neji could understand her. She may have resumed her... singing, but she had yet to continue moving. She walked over to the railing and leaned on it. By now, her voice was quiet. In fact, Neji could no longer hear her. He noticed that her lips were no longer moving as she gazed down at the ocean beneath her. Sweat made her brown skin glisten under the shine of the morning sun. A gentle breeze tugged at her dark hair, but it didn't seem to annoy her in the slightest. Others would have complained about the salty air, not her. She was so... different. Neji wondered if all people from her world looked the same.

“I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop undressing me with your eyes.”

The Hyuga was startled out of his thoughts by her voice. Once the words sunk in, he frowned. There was no way that Yasmine would say that to him. Realizing this, Neji came to one conclusion. “Yasume,” his eyes narrowed. The girl turned around and grinned.

“How’d you ever guess?” she asked.

Neji sighed softly before walking towards her. “So what were you doing exactly?” he asked. Yasume turned her brown orbs back to the ocean.

“I was training,” she answered. Neji raised an eyebrow.

“Training…?” he repeated.

Yasume frowned. She could tell by his voice that he did not really believe her. Then again… it was not really training. It was not as if she had something to train for. “It’s not training exactly. Just a way to keep my-” she paused, and then rolled her eyes, correcting herself, “-our body vicious.” Neji gave her a confused look. “In shape, I mean,” Yasume supplied. “It took us forever to get rid of those damn love handles and we’re not getting those fuckers back!”

Neji pressed his lips together, trying to figure out what a love handle was. Even though the foreigner knew the language, it was sometimes quite hard to understand her because of all the slang. It was much easier talking to Yasmine than to Yasume, who seemed not to have the same amount of consideration. The foreigner noticed his expression and grinned. “You wouldn’t know what a love handle is since you’ve been a skinny person practically your whole life. Perhaps you should ask Chouji. But then again, he might attack you.” The Hyuga’s eye twitched.

Yes, it was definitely easier to talk to Yasmine.

“I have a question for you,” Neji said. He placed his hands on the cool railing and paused before speaking again. “How it is that you and Yaya-chan switch places? Just yesterday night, I was speaking with her and now you have appeared, taking her place.”

“I’m like a defense mechanism, so when she gets hurt a number of times, I take her place,” Yasume answered.

“A defense mechanism…?”

“Yeah, I’m stronger than her, so yeah, I’m a defense mechanism for when she can’t handle being hurt.”

“I don’t understand… I do not believe that she was attacked last night,” Neji stated. “How did-”

“You know how clumsy that girl is,” Yasume interrupted. “She bumped and tripped several times on her way back to the room. Whenever her head is hit two times, I come out. It’s the same with me, except that it takes three hits for her to assume control.” Neji narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Three hits to the head, huh?” he asked, turning.

BAM

“Itai…! What the fuck, Neji?!”

BAM! BAM!

Yasume: Sonnava bitch!

“Was that really necessary, Neji?” Yasmine held her head as she spoke. The Hyuga scoffed lightly before answering her. He looked out at the ocean.

“I had to confirm for myself,” he said. He closed his eyes, feeling that that was a good enough excuse. Honestly, he did not want to talk to the abrasive girl any longer than he had to. And now he had discovered the secret behind their transformations.

Yasmine chuckled nervously as she continued to listen to her alter ego rant about kicking the ‘stupid Hyuga’s ass!’ She knew that Yasume did not like Neji a whole lot, yet here he was only making her disdain for him worse. Perhaps Neji wasn’t the genius that she had known in the past. No, of course he wasn’t. That past helped to shape his future. His present self was in every way different from his past self. It momentarily hurt when she realized her friend was no more, replaced with hard stoic ninja she now saw beside her.

It was only for a moment, though.

He had changed, yes, but he still had been willing to remain as friends. Granted, she had changed herself over the course of twelve years, but she had not wanted to be his friend… ever again. And yet because of Neji’s fierce determination to make her forgive him, they were friends again. Not the same as they were, but friends nevertheless. Yasmine smiled. That determination was the same that young Neji had. She had seen it and recognized it in the older, more experienced Neji. Perhaps even he had saw a trait that he recognized in Yasmine’s older form, and that’s why he refused to take no for an answer. But then again he did say that Jano had come to him with a katana at his throat…

“Speaking of Jano-san… I wonder if I get to see him again,” Yasmine thought, tilting her head down. She put her thumb on her chin and her index on her body lip. It was her standard thinking pose. As far as she was concerned, only four people, including her, knew about Jano taking care of her when she was younger. Unfortunately, two of those people were already dead. Only Neji and she knew now. Besides Jano, himself, that is. “I guess I have to wait until he approaches me again.”

“Is it true?” Neji’s sudden questioned snapped her out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned towards her protector. He had not turned to her. Instead, his eyes still gazed out at the blue, greenish tint water. “Is she really your defense mechanism?” Yasmine turned her eyes away.

“Ano… She likes to call herself that,” she stated. “Since the first time I actually met her, she’s referred to herself like that. For the longest time, I relied on her and her strength. Being dropped into foster home after foster home, I had to rely on her. She was my defense against the world… until I met Mayu and Granny Theresa. Mayu showed me that relying on others, even if they were apart of you, was a fool’s mistake. Together, she and Granny Theresa showed me how to fight, so I wouldn’t have to rely on Yasume to get me out of something. Pretty soon, I learned how to take care of myself, by myself… well, as much as I could at sixteen, anyway.”

“Sometimes… it’s okay to have someone to rely on. It is not a mistake to let people who care about you, help you… as I’ve learned,” Neji commented, bowing his head slightly. Yasmine looked at him in surprise. She was not expected to hear this type of words come from the Hyuga’s mouth. Neji caught her look. “Nani…?”

“… It’s nothing… I’m just shocked that you said something like that,” Yasmine grinned.

“Doushite…?”

“Doesn̵ 7;t matter… Anyway, I know about that already,” she changed the subject quickly, not wanting to unintentionally insult her friend. “When Mayu and I came here–well, when she suddenly attacked Sasuke, I realized that it was him who had caused her to think that way.”

“She attacked him? I can’t believe I missed that encounter,” Neji frowned. Yasmine nodded and continued.

“She attacked him alright. Out of the blue, really… Scared the hell outta everyone who happened to be there. I didn’t know the details until Hinata-chan explained them to me, but I just knew that it had to be Sasuke who had changed Mayu from the person she was.”

“Hai… I only knew Mayu-san for a short time, but I could tell that she was not the type of a person to say things like relying on only yourself,” Neji commented. Yasmine nodded in agreement. “I take it that all has been forgiven?”

“Hm… Forgiven… most likely, but forgotten… far from it,” the foreigner answered. She smiled sadly. “I don’t think anyone would truly forget trying to kill themselves because of a person they had loved.”

Neji furrowed in eyebrows together in shock and confusion. “What do you mean by th-” Before he could finish his question, he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Mine-chan…! Neji! Why didn’t you two wake me up?!” Tenten called over as she walked towards the two with a bright smile on her face. Yasmine turned and greeted the kunoichi with a hug.

“Gomen, Ten-chan! Yasume tends to rise with the sun.”

Tenten nodded in understanding. “Neji does that a lot, too,” she stated, turning to her teammate. “Ohayo…!” she greeted. Neji nodded his head in return. Yasmine watched their interaction with a smile.

“That reminds me,” she began. The two ninja turned to her. “Is it really true that you got drunk and demanded that everyone call you the God of Fate?”

Neji blanched.

“And also… do you really use the Gentle Fist to brush your hair, a thousand strokes each morning?” Yasmine continued, looking innocent. The color returned to Neji’s face, but it came back full force, causing him to look as if he were blushing. He turned and glared at his teammate.

“What have you been telling her?!” he demanded to know.

Tenten chuckled nervously as she took a step back, putting up her hands as if that would protect her from Neji’s wrath. “You know… stuff…” she trailed over.

“Oh, and what type of stuff…?” Neji took a step forward, causing the kunoichi to take another two steps back.

“Oh…! You mean stuff like when Neji had had too much sugar and went on a sugar rush, and then collapsed, looking as if he were a ‘cute baby with his thumb in his mouth’?” Yasmine smiled as Tenten waved her hands around as if telling her to not to go on. “Ten-chan told me that she and Lee-kun took pictures of you like that. She even showed me a picture! Or when you were celebrating your jounin status and you got drunk and dressed up as Lee-kun! I got pictures of that, too!” Unfortunately, the girl hadn’t noticed the waving of the kunoichi’s arms.

Neji slowly turned his focus back on his teammate. If looks could maim people, Tenten wouldn’t stand a chance. “You showed her… pictures…? But you told me that no one knew about those days, Tenten!” he calmly said. The girl knew that she was in deep. When Neji got like this, it was impossible to know what he was going to do next.

“And you always wonder why Lee offers you so much candy,” Tenten chuckled nervously again. Neji moved forward.

Tenten shot off like a bat out of hell.

Yasmine watched as Neji chased his teammate around the deck. It was quite the funny scene. She was sure that he didn’t act this way in front of anyone else. She grinned. “They were definitely created for each other!” she thought. “Operation G.N.A.T.T. is already working so well!”
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“Set her down there,” Haku instructed. Sasuke had been right when he said that they would reach Haku’s village before noon. Unfortunately, Mayu had not stopped her shivering since. Sai slowly laid his teammate’s body down on the futon Haku had put out. “Sasuke, please get some ice. Nakatsu-san, I need you to get a few empty bags from the kitchen, so I can put the ice in.” The two shinobi nodded, and then went to carry out their tasks.

“What can I do?” Mori asked. Haku tore his eyes away from Mayu’s body and focused on the uncle. He stared for a few moments before speaking.

“The best thing that you can do right now is leave the room,” he answered. Mori looked slightly offended.

“But she’s my niece! I can’t just-”

“And that’s why you must leave. As Mayu-san’s family member, you probably won’t like what I will do to her to ensure that her health returns,” Haku interrupted, moving his eyes back to Mayu. “You will only get in the way. Please leave now.”

Sai remained silent as he watched this interaction. His dark eyes moved from Haku to Mori several times before the older Ishikari finally left. The pale ninja listened to his departing footsteps until he could no longer hear them. “Haku-san… Was this all apart of the plan?” he asked. The older male took a quick glance at Sai.

“To tell the truth… no… I had no idea this was going to happen,” he answered. “Mayu-san was not supposed to be sick.”

Sai nodded, though Haku couldn’t see. The man knelt down next to Mayu and removed her headband. He was going to have to get her fever down before giving her the antidote. Mayu was sweating profusely by now. “Where are those two?” Haku murmured.

As if on cue, Nakatsu and Sasuke entered the room carrying bags, filled with ice; three bags each. Haku gestured the two over and told them to set the bags down near Mayu; of course, they did as they were told. They, including Sai, knelt down on the other side of Mayu’s body. She was breathing heavily at this point. Not wasting another moment, Haku began to work. His hands grabbed the front of her top and ripped it open. Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched at this action, but didn’t say anything, figuring Haku knew what he was doing.

His eyebrow twitched again when Haku’s hands starting roaming up and down her upper body. Sure, he didn’t touch her ‘goodies,’ but it was still unnerving. Sasuke believed that only he was allowed to touch those. “Is that really necessary…?!” Nakatsu spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed. Sasuke silently agreed with his teammate’s question. Haku deliberately ignored the question and moved his hands down to Mayu’s legs. His hands were already wet from the sweat from her torso.

Haku narrowed his eyes in confusion. He couldn’t lift Mayu’s leg at all. He tried the other, but it was the same with that one. That’s when he realized the black leggings she wore were weights. Funny that Sai didn’t seem to have a problem carrying her… “One of you, get these weights off,” Haku ordered, moving his hands back up. Sasuke moved to do that task. “Has Mayu-san eaten within the last twelve hours?”

“She ate stew before we went to sleep,” Sai stated.

“Maybe she picked up something bad for the soup. Those mushrooms did look a little nasty,” Nakatsu added.

“If that were the case, then we’d all be sick,” Sai commented. Nakatsu sent him a quick glare, and then returned his eyes to Mayu.

“That’s not good… That means I have to wait awhile before giving it to her,” Haku thought, frowning. “For the time being, we have to keep Mayu-san’s body cool,” he said out loud.

THUD

Three heads turned in Sasuke’s direction. The Uchiha had dropped one of the weights to the floor. Of course, it was all accidental. “My bad…” he muttered, gently setting down the other weight on top of the dropped weight. Haku eyed the weights in shock. They had practically made a hole in his floor! He wondered how Mayu had moved so normally in those things.

Shaking his head, he grabbed two of the bags of ice. He placed them against Mayu’s sides. The girl shivered and moved her body. Haku held her in place. “Sai-san, could you please place the other two on her legs?” he asked. The pale ninja nodded, and then did as he was told. Of course, Mayu flinched and kicked at the coldness. “Nakatsu-san, place another bag on her forehead.”

“Right,” he said, picking up one bag and placing it over Mayu’s head. A sharp gasp escaped the girl’s lips. Her face twisted into a grimace. Haku placed the last bag at the side of her neck. The shivered again as she turned her head. Nakatsu struggled to keep the bag in place. “So… is Mayu-chan unconscious?” he asked.

“If she were unconscious, then she wouldn’t be able to feel the ice,” Haku answered. “She’s most likely in a dreamless slumber.” Mayu suddenly groaned and her body jerked.

“You damn im-imposters…! Give them back…”

Three pairs of eyes blinked, and then turned to Haku.

“But then again…” he said, chuckling nervously.

“So how long is this going to take?” Nakatsu asked. Haku sighed softly. This was a factor that wasn’t in his plans. Sure, it was a nice excuse to come back to the village, but Mayu was never supposed to be in this state. He would have to let him know now. Haku took a glance at Sasuke before focusing on Mayu’s body again.

“I’m afraid her body temperature must go down before I give her anything,” he answered. “Judging from her temperature now, I’d say it will only take about fifteen minutes. Any longer than that and she might get hypothermia. After that, we have to wait a little while longer before I can treat her properly with actual medicine.”

“How do you know what to give her, Haku-san?” Sai asked.

“Assuming that it wasn’t something she consumed, it’s safe to say that something entered her body another way,” he commented. “There were no bite marks on her body, so we can rule out poison from an insect, or any animal. The only other option is that she inhaled something that’s making her sick. Perhaps she is allergic to something all of you are not. Maybe it’s only allergies. I’m not really sure myself. What I am sure of is that I know what I’m doing. Rest assured… your teammate is in safe hands.” Nakatsu sighed in relief. Spoken like a true healer, he thought. He did have doubts, but he had let his feelings for the girl cloud his earlier judgment. He nodded his head smiled. The ice user could be trusted with Mayu.

Said ice user suddenly stood and walked towards the door. As he walked away, he told the team to keep those bags of ice in the same spot. “Sasuke, could you please come with me?” he asked. The Uchiha blinked in slight confusion before standing. He momentarily looked at Mayu, and then went after Haku.

Sasuke continued to follow Haku right out of the house. They had exited through the kitchen, passing Ishikari Mori on the way out. The older man watched the two as they left, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He wondered why the two had to leave the house all of a sudden. In his travels, he learned that a healer should nearly never leave their patients. He pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against. His left ear twitched when he heard the door close. Deciding that he should stalk the two, he waited a few moments before doing so.
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“So what do you want to talk about?” Sasuke asked, crossing his arms. He looked at the surrounding area. Haku had led him away from his house. The two now stood in the small forest behind Haku’s home. Sasuke recognized it as the place where they sometimes had trained in the past. He slightly disliked the place since Haku forbade him from using any fire jutsu. Looking closing, one could see the sword markings on the ground, and trees.

Haku finally turned to face his long-time friend. “I… have a question for you,” he began. Sasuke nodded, signaling that he could continue. Neither teen noticed the presence of another. Ishikari Mori’s back was pressed against a broad tree branch just above the two. His hands were locked behind his head and his eyes were closed. Of course he was planning on listening. “Did anything… happen between you and Mayu-san while you were gone?” A pink tint suddenly appeared on Sasuke’s cheeks as his eyes seemed to transform into smiles.

“Maaaaaybeee…!”

A sweat drop appeared slid down the back of Haku’s head. A nervous grin tugged at his lips. It wasn’t hard to guess with that type of response. The ice user was still a little surprised that his friend could behave this way. “You liked it, huh?” Haku asked.

“Why are you asking me these questions?” Sasuke didn’t answer. He lost his cute nervous look and looked serious. Haku averted his gaze, causing the Uchiha to raise an eyebrow. That wasn’t a guilty look, was it? “Did… Did you do something?” Haku didn’t answer. “Haku, start talking.”

The older male took a deep breath before speaking. “To put it bluntly, if something did happen, Mayu-san no longer has any memory of it.” Ishikari Mori slowly opened his eyes. Judging from what Haku had said, he realized that the older teen had done something to his niece. And because of that, Mayu was now sick. He wasn’t sure exactly what Haku did, but it was enough to keep the Uchiha speechless. In fact, the teen still hadn’t replied. “Mayu-san… She doesn’t remember if anything happened between you two. Before the five of you left, I gave her a potion. It was most likely the potion that caused her to behave differently.”

Haku watched his friend, who had lowered his head. His gaze seemed fixated on the grass. But Haku couldn’t be sure because his eyes were no longer visible. Though he couldn’t see his friend’s dark eyes, he could clearly see the frown. “Doushite…?” Sasuke finally spoke. He did not lift his head. Haku looked away; he seemed ashamed. “Doushite…?!” The Uchiha asked in a much louder voice. The ice user flinched. “Tell me…! Why did you trick me, Haku?!”

“I didn’t…” Haku trailed off when he saw the intense glare being directed at him. He opted to try again. “What I did was never meant to deceive you, Sasuke.”

“Then why the fuck did you do something like this?!”

SMACK

The Uchiha had back-handed Haku, causing the older teen to stumble. His eyes were wide in slight shock. Although it wasn’t expected, he knew that he somewhat deserved it. At least it wasn’t a punch, he reasoned. He slowly turned back to Sasuke, who was now yanking at his hair in aggravation. “I don’t understand how you of all people could do something this idiotic!”

“Sasuke…” Haku reached up to touch his red cheek.

“It finally felt like she had forgiven me! It felt like–like I no longer had to restrain myself when around her,” his voice dropped as he looked towards the ground again. His arm fell to the side. “And now you’re telling me that Mayu’s actions last night weren’t her own and she can’t even remember it either? Do you have any idea how that feels, Haku?”

“I… I do not. But I did it because I care,” Haku answered, bowing his head. “If only for a short time, I wanted to give you what you really wanted. I wanted to give you happiness. Giving that potion to Mayu-san… seemed like a good idea.”

“Sorry to break this to you, but my idea of happiness doesn’t involve being lied to, fake feelings, and having it snatched back just when I start to enjoy it,” Sasuke replied with a bitter edge in his voice. Haku frowned. He, quite honestly, had not thought about that. “When Mayu forgives me, I want it to be her. I don’t want anyone or anything forcing her to. I know I hurt her. And I know I deserve the relationship she’s forcing me to have with her. Until she forgives me, the only thing I have is her friendship, and to have it fall apart just because of some stupid potion–I can’t have that.”

“I understand,” Haku murmured. “I won’t try to force her on you again.”

“Damn it, Haku! What you did was meaningless!” Sasuke turned his back to his friend. “I’m back at square one again, aren’t I?” The Uchiha began to walk off.

“M-Matte, Sasuke…!” Haku moved towards him. Sasuke reluctantly stopped. “The reason I told you this is because of the potion’s side effects. After it wore off, Mayu-san lost her memory and gained this sickness.”

Sasuke turned his head. “You do have an antidote for it, right?” he asked, narrowing his eyes again. Haku almost backed up. He had already invoked the wrath of the Uchiha and did not want to do it again.

“Of course… but there is a minor setback that I did not plan on,” Haku answered.

“And that would be…?”

“If I give Mayu-san the antidote, everything will be as it was before I gave her the potion,” he began. “Only… her memories will return.”

It became quiet after Haku finished speaking. Why, the chirping of birds even seemed to stop. Ishikari Mori blinked. Straining his ears, he heard a strangled laugh come from Sasuke’s mouth. “I see. I may not know what happened between my niece and that boy, but whatever it was, it must’ve been something Mayu-chan would never do, considering her relationship,” Mori thought, staring up at the green leaves of the tree. “He must know her more than I originally thought.”

“So killing me was your plan all along, huh?” Sasuke chuckled. But it was one of those ‘it’s the end of the world and I feel fine,’ sort of chuckles. “Because that’s what’s going to happen to me. I’m going to die when she realizes-” he almost smirked. “… what happened last night.” Haku gasped suddenly.

“Sasuke, I had no idea! You’re impure now, aren’t you?” he asked, pointing.

“Don’t say things like that,” Sasuke replied in a flat voice. “So, is there anything else you wanna tell me before I die?” He walked off slowly, indirectly telling Haku that he could get close. The ice user read his body language and smiled; he fell into step with the Uchiha.

“Nothing else, really. I wish you a safe journey on your way to the afterlife,” Haku answered.

“Haku, this isn’t funny.”

Mori listened to their fading voices. He didn’t move until he could no longer hear either Sasuke or Haku. He sat up and let one leg hang over the side of the tree branch. He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Placing the tip of one in his mouth, he put the carton away and took out a metal lighter. He flipped open the silver lighter and lit the fire. It wasn’t long before smoke exited his mouth.

His blue eyes stared into the distance. They weren’t really focusing on anything. It was only aimless staring. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and held it in between two fingers. “That boy seems to have real feelings for my precious niece… I suppose that’s a step in the right direction. Looks like the Uchiha is getting lucky,” Mori thought. He bit down on the filter. “But that luck won’t get him far.”
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“Ne, Sasuke…” Haku began. The Uchiha looked towards his friend. The two did not stop their walk. They had returned home and were currently walking towards the room where the rest of the guests were. “Is she really going to kill you?” Sasuke looked slightly confused. “Mayu-san, I mean. She won’t really do that, right?”

“Hm… No, not kill,” Sasuke answered. “I admit that I exaggerated a bit. Mayu won’t kill me. Beat me to a pulp, perhaps, but not kill.” Haku frowned. He knew already that their relationship was complex, but it really hoped that wasn’t the way they showed affection.

“Mayu-san cares for you a great deal. Would she really beat you up?” Haku sounded incredulous. Sasuke shook his head. Poor naïve Haku. He was lucky that he didn’t have someone like Ishikari Mayu around.

“Yes, she would. She already has a mean left hook,” Sasuke commented. “When angered, however, she’s a force to be reckoned with. Only a complete dumbass would dare to purposely cross her.” The Uchiha looked up with a thoughtful expression. “Then again, I did it a lot when we were younger.” Haku chuckled. “But seriously, no one wants to make her angry.”

SMACK! WHAM!

CRASH! THUD!

Instinctively, the two males jumped back just as the door to the room ruptured outwards. Automatically, Sasuke’s hand was on the hilt of his sword. Almost a second later, he relaxed. Haku only blinked at the sight of both Sai and Nakatsu. Their groaning bodies slid down the wall. “What in the world happened?” Haku asked. Sai shook his head to rid himself of dizziness.

“Oh, you’re ba-back,” he stated with a smile.

“Sai, what happened?” Sasuke asked. Nakatsu was the only who answered the question. He struggled to stand, clutching his abdomen.

“Mayu-chan finally woke up-” he coughed. “The next thing I know, Sai got smacked and I’m being punched in the gut.” Haku and Sasuke stared at Sai. Sure enough, there was a practically glowing red hand print on his pale face. “I’m guessing that she jumped to conclusions and attacked us even in her weak state.”

“Either that or she’s angry with you two,” Haku remarked. Sai finally stood as the host examined the damaged. He cringed as the rest of the sliding door came off. “So, when the times comes, who wants to give Mayu-san the medicine?” he asked cheerfully. The ice user was met with ‘yeah right’ stares. It was silent for a few seconds. In that few seconds, a human growl came from the room.

“One, two, three… Not it!” Nakatsu started.

“Not it.”

“Not it!”

“Not–damn it!” Sasuke grumbled.
*************************************

The Land of Water is composed of many islands, each having its own unique traditions. Its country’s weather is typically cool and is full of mists and lakes. In some places, it is very cold and snows quite a bit. Not much is known about the country. This is most likely because it doesn’t get involved in most political affairs. Understandable considering that its islands are secluded by the sea from the other four major countries. Out of all the five great countries, the Land of Water is the smallest.

A loud jaw-popping yawn suddenly broke the silence. Two pairs of eyes looked towards the one who caused the silence to end. Tired brown eyes looked back. “Nani…?” Yasmine asked, and then yawned again.

“Tired, Mine-chan…?” Tenten asked. Yasmine slowly nodded her head. “That’s understandable… We’ve been waiting for someone to pick us up for hours. Maybe whoever it is doesn’t know what we look like.”

“A reasonable answer, but you forget, Tenten, we’re the only people here now,” Neji stated. The Hyuga tended to have more patience than others, but this was ridiculous. It had been a little over three hours since the three had gotten off the ferry. The three of them had been doing nothing but sitting since the boat left. Well, Neji opted to lean against a nearby wall. The point is that they were all bored.

“I want to take you away! Let’s escape into the music! DJ let it play…” Yasmine sang in her primary language. “I just can’t refuse it! Like the way you do this! … Please don’t stop the music!” She was listening to her device again, singing bits and pieces of a variety of songs. This went on for several minutes before… “Christ, I’m hungry!”

“You’re always hungry,” Tenten grinned.

“Ne, Ten-chan…! Do you have some food? I ate all my snacks earlier,” Yasmine asked.

The kunoichi shook her head. “Gomen, Mine-chan, I don’t have anything to eat,” she answered, patting Yasmine’s head. The foreigner shook her hand away, muttering how she wasn’t a puppy. She then turned her brown eyes to her male protector and opened her mouth to speak.

“No,” Neji answered her unasked question. Yasmine looked shocked, and then she pouted.

“You don’t even know what I was gonna ask!” she exclaimed, crossing her arms.

“Yes, I do. And I don’t carry food around with me when I have these types of missions,” Neji stated.

“But your eyes were still closed!”

“Point being…?”

“Neji Meji is being mean to me! Ten-chan doesn’t have any food! You guys are horrible!” Yasmine held her face and gave fake sobs. “If Lee-kun were here, he’d give me some food!” Before the two ninja could respond to her outlandish rant, they were distracted by an oncoming person. Without moving their bodies, their eyes trained on the approaching stranger. Yasmine didn’t notice until the person spoke. She looked up.

“Ano… Would any of you happen to be… ah…? Yas-Yasmine?” he asked.

“Hey, that’s me!” the foreigner smiled.

“Mine-chan…! You’re not supposed to give strangers information like that!” Tenten scolded.

“In that case, I’m Yamashita Junichiro,” the stranger announced. “You really are a foreigner, huh?” He moved closer. His face was mere inches away from Yasmine’s; his body was bent at an angle. “Kinda cute, too… Can you understand me?” Yasmine smiled at the compliment.

“You have a cute face yourself, Yamashita-san,” she replied. He had short dark brown hair and two light brown eyes. They were almost hazel-like. He looked about in his teen years, seventeen years of age at the least. “And yes, I can understand you perfectly.”

“Well, that’s good!” he grinned.

“Enough,” Neji’s voice broke through their laughter. Both heads turned to him. “Who are you?”

Junichiro coughed a couple times before standing straight. He backed up a few feet, and then spoke. “Like I said before, my name is Junichiro. I am Master Chiharu’s assistant. I’m supposed to take the foreigner and her traveling companions to her estate. I got lost on the way here, so… Gomennasai…!” Junichiro laughed; Yasmine laughed along with him. Tenten and Neji did not find it funny that they had to wait such a long time because he took a couple of wrong turns. To show their displeasure, they both were sporting frowns on their faces. “Well, it’s about lunch time. We’d better be moving along to Master Chiharu’s!” Junichiro grabbed Yasmine’s hands and pulled her from her sitting position. “Let’s go!”

“Yosh…!” Yasmine replied enthusiastically. Tenten narrowed her eyes at the departing two. Her brown eyes took a glance at her teammate.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Neji,” she murmured as she stood.

“It can’t be helped, Tenten,” the Hyuga answered. He finally pushed himself from the wall. “Let’s go.”
*********************

“Here we are!” Junichiro announced, spreading his arms out as if showing something marvelous. “This is Master Chiharu’s place!”

“Demo…” Yasmine began. The older male looked at her in question, signaling for her to continue. “I thought you said estate… This looks like a regular home. When you said estate I thought you meant a place like where Neji lives.”

“Who is Neji?” Junichiro asked, genuinely confused.

“Oh…! I guess I got so distracted that I didn’t introduce them!” Yasmine exclaimed, turning.

“And just what-” Neji’s eyebrow twitched. “-Were you distracted by?”

“The thought of eating food, of course,” Yasmine answered in a serious tone. Tenten smacked her forehead–headband and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, of course! How could we ever think you were distracted by something other than that,” she groaned. Yasmine grinned, and then gestured to Tenten.

“Her name’s Tenten and…” she pointed to Neji. “That’s Neji… Hyuga Neji.”

“A Hyuga, eh?” Junichiro blinked. “I knew those eyes looked familiar. Not a lot of people on this island like people who have bloodline limits, you know.”

“Frankly, Neji doesn’t care about that,” Yasmine spoke before the Hyuga could utter a word. “Anyway, now that you know them, can we please go inside? I’m starving.”

“Yes, right this way,” Junichiro was about to knock on the maroon-colored, but a voice stopped him from doing so.

“Come in, come in… I’ve been expecting you,” a voice stated. The door suddenly creaked open, revealing the darkness within. Yasmine shivered lightly.

“If that wasn’t an ominous feeling, than I don’t know what is…” she thought eyes wide.

“I don’t know why she insists on doing that every time we have guests over,” Junichiro muttered, walking forward. He took a glance back. “Follow me, please.” Swallowing hard, Yasmine nodded and stepped forward. “I’ll fix lunch while you are speaking with Master Chiharu.” Yasmine instantly grew excited.

“Great!” she exclaimed, moving slightly faster.

Junichiro pushed the door open further and flipped the light switch. The room was illuminated. The three walked into the house, taking off their shoes as they did, and looked around. It was a normal enough looking home. The color scheme was a little on the dark side, though. Gold, black, and red colors were everywhere. A room filled with these colors slightly put a damper on Yasmine’s thoughts of food. “Don’t just stand there, Yasmine, Tenten, and Neji… please come upstairs,” the same voice from earlier spoke again.

Three pairs of eyes widen in surprise. How did she know their names? Knowing Yasmine’s name was understandable since she was expecting her, but to know the names of the assigned ninja… That’s weird… “Oh, don’t be alarmed about Master Chiharu’s abilities. She’s a seer,” Junichiro’s voice came from another room.

“A seer…?!” Yasmine exclaimed. “I really hope she can’t read minds!”

“Same here,” Tenten thought with a blush.

“Reading minds…? Don’t be ridiculous, Yaya-chan,” Neji murmured, passing the two females. He went up the stairs without a second glance back at his companions. Yasmine frowned, watching him ascend.

“Says the guy who can see through things and people…!”

Neji faltered in his walk, but continued on nevertheless. Tenten sighed, and then followed her teammate up the stairs. “Come on, Mine-chan,” she called over her shoulder. Yasmine nodded dumbly, and then followed after her. When the three companions reached the top of the stairs, they were met with the sight of three different doors; one door belonging to each wall respectively. “Which door do we take?” Tenten mused, fixing her glance from one door to another.

“Let’s guess!” Yasmine exclaimed, passing Neji. She walked up to one of the doors and placed her hand on the doorknob. “What’s behind door number one?” She turned it.

“No, Yaya-chan, that’s rude!” Neji said. He had stopped her from opening the door by placing his hand on hers. Yasmine turned to the Hyuga with a frown. “Do you normally go into strangers houses and look around?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Yes! Mayu and I did it all the time!” Yasmine retorted. Tenten and Neji both fell out of place. “For the record, though… the houses were abandoned… That’s where we did our intense fighting…”

“Mine-chan…!” Tenten sounded exasperated.

“Gomennasai…” Yasmine replied, sighing heavily. A light chuckle suddenly filled their ears. It turned into a full blown out laugh. It was a very feminine laugh and it seemed very amused.

“What a cute girl my cousin has sent me,” the womanly voice finally stopped its laughter. “Please, open the middle door. It will lead you to me.”

“Uh…” Yasmine moved from her position. Because of her movement, Neji realized that he hadn’t moved his hand from hers. He blushed in embarrassment, feeling a little moronic because he didn’t realize that he had released her hand earlier. Yasmine didn’t seem to realize or care as she moved towards the middle door. “It’s always the middle door, isn’t it?” she muttered, pushing the painted black door open.

“Yep, it sure is,” Tenten agreed, following Yasmine in. In the room, everything looked the same as downstairs, except black curtains hung from the windows, successfully blocking out the sun. The room was lit by scented candles. They were all over the place, too. The smell caused Yasmine’s nose to twitch. A kneeling woman was in the center with her eyes closed. She seemed to be meditating. “Ah… Hello…?” Tenten spoke.

“Please, sit and relax, Tenten, Neji, and Yasmine,” the woman urged. There were three gold mats lying in front of the woman.

“I did not notice that before,” Yasmine thought. That ominous feeling was starting to come back full force.

Yasume: This is so fucking creepy!

The three sat down. Neji was on the right, Tenten on the left, and Yasmine in the middle. They stared expectedly at the woman, waiting for her to speak up. “Ne, she looks just like Junko-san, doesn’t she?” Tenten whispered, leaning over to Yasmine a bit. The foreigner whispered back.

“Yeah, the resemblance is uncanny. They look like twins!”

The two girls were oblivious to Neji’s puckered brow. “Don’t they know she can very well here them?” he thought. “She is less than two feet away.”

“Do you have what Junko-chan has asked you to deliver?” the woman asked. The two girls jumped as if she had appeared out of thin air; Neji only shook his head.

“H-Hai…” Yasmine replied, removing her back pack. She pushed her hand inside and pulled out the large envelope. She held it out to the Junko lookalike. “Here it is, Chiharu-san…”

The envelope was suddenly snatched from her hand, causing the foreign person to inadvertently let out a yelp. “Arigatou,” Chiharu whispered. She merely looked at the envelope before placing it beside her. “As a personal thank you for bringing me these documents, I will look into your past, present, or future.”

“Thank you for your offer, but we must decline,” Neji said; he bowed his head slightly. “We must be getting back-” he ignored Yasmine’s cries of food. “-to our village now that the mission is complete.”

“None sense, ninja,” Chiharu waved off his words. “The boat doesn’t come back until tomorrow afternoon. You three will be staying the night anyway.”

“In that case, let’s do it,” Tenten said, smiling. “It sounds like fun, right, Mine-chan?” The foreigner bobbed her head up and down. Neji sighed in defeat. “I’ve always wanted my fortune told.”

“I’m not a fortuneteller!” Chiharu looked slightly annoyed at the title.

“Let’s see who the real God of Fate is, ne?” Tenten grinned; Neji glared.

“Yeah, yeah! Pay close attention now Neji Meji! This is how a real teller of fate and destiny works,” Yasmine told the Hyuga sitting beside her; she patted his shoulder.

“Would you two please cut that out? It’s not funny anymore,” Neji grumbled, giving them a flat look. The two giggling girls begged to differ.

“Silence!” Chiharu exclaimed; their laughter ended abruptly. “As I said before, I will speak your past, present, or future.” Her green eyes glanced at Neji before they were hidden behind her eyelids. “Hyuga-san, please choose. Past, present, or future?”

Neji thought this was a waste of time. And having Tenten and Yasmine staring at him like hawks was not helping at all. He begrudgingly answered the woman. “Future…” Chiharu didn’t speak for a few moments. Neji got slightly more annoyed.

“Money, love, or accomplishments?”

“You’re supposed to pick one, Neji!” Yasmine whispered. The Hyuga’s eye twitched. He already knew that, of course. The foreigner just didn’t give him a chance to respond.

“Hm… Accomplishments,” Neji replied.

“You won’t accomplish anything,” Chiharu spoke as soon as the Hyuga finished his sentence.

“Well, that future sucks!” Yasmine commented, causing Neji to glare at her. He then turned his glare to the woman.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“What that means is… you won’t accomplish great things until you change your state of mind and let your feelings flow through you,” Chiharu said. “Without anyone by your side, your accomplishments will not happen.” Yasmine eyes widen, and then a smile appeared on her face.

“I see… His accomplishments are tied to love! That means he can’t do anything without Ten-chan!” she thought. She had to refrain from giggling at this revelation.

“That was vaguely helpful…” Neji thought with a blank look.

“Who’s next?” Chiharu asked. “How about you, Tenten?”

“Okay!” the kunoichi agreed with a nod. “Future!”

“Give me your hand, dear,” Chiharu ordered; Tenten did so without a second thought.

“Why didn’t you ask for Neji’s hand?” Yasmine asked, curious.

“I didn’t need to. His fate is written all over his face,” Chiharu deadpanned.

Neji had to resist snarling.

“Anyway,” Chiharu turned her attention to the palm of Tenten’s hand. “Money, love, or accomplishments?”

“Love, please,” the kunoichi sounded excited.

“Alright…” Chiharu touched the lines on Tenten’s palm. “Oh, dear…”

“Nani…?”

“You will go through a number of hardships before you finally have the one tied to your red pinky string,” Chiharu released Tenten’s hand.

“Eh…?” Tenten responded, looking at both of her pinkies. “You can see it?”

Chiharu smiled an all knowing smile. “With these eyes, I can see many things,” she stated. “Just remember, the road to having your love begins with one step. Even though it’ll be tough, you will gain what you seek on this journey. You should be happy. Not many people discover their soul mate in their lifetime.”

“Hm…” Tenten looked towards the ground with a small frown on her face. Yasmine glanced at her friend before turning her eyes to the woman.

“Do you know what they look like, too?” she asked.

“Gomennasai… If I were to reveal something like that, her fate may be altered,” Chiharu said. “And if that were to happen, the ones around her–their destinies will also be altered.”

“Ah… That makes sense,” Yasmine nodded. “Too bad I already know who she’s gonna end up with! From what she told me them about their futures… It sounds like their futures are tied together! I knew it!” she thought with a grin. “I guess it’s my turn now,” Yasmine continued out loud. “I pick past.”

“What a peculiar one to pick,” Chiharu commented.

“Yeah, Mine-chan…! Why didn’t you pick future?” Tenten asked. “Don’t you want to know what your future holds?”

“If I find out my future ahead of time, I’ll probably do anything I can to speed it up if it’s favorable for me, which will probably mess it up,” Yasmine answered. “I’d rather let destiny take its course; I’m just along for the ride, after all.” Neji opened his eyes; they moved over to the girl next to him. He was actually surprised to hear those types of words come from her mouth.

“They… actually sounded a bit wise,” he thought.

“I see, young one…” Chiharu smiled. “Please move forward. I must look deep into your mind.”

“You’re not going to read it, are you?” Yasmine seemed hesitant.

“I’m afraid reading thoughts aren’t one of my abilities,” Chiharu stated. “Come, come!” The foreigner nodded, and then moved her body forward. “I have to touch your head instead of your palm because this is your past. Do you understand?” Again, Yasmine nodded. The woman gently placed her hands on Yasmine’s head. She ran her fingers through her dark locks. The foreigner squealed, and then grinned as if she were in a dreamy state.

She suddenly came to her senses and pushed the woman’s hands away. “Mine-chan, what’s the matter?” Tenten asked in slight alarm. She had seen the way the girl had reacted. She would have to store that in her memory for later on.

“Please… don’t do that,” Yasmine muttered. Neji looked confused. He had also seen her reaction, but didn’t understand why. “I have a very sensitive scalp. If it’s touched in that manner, I–my body responds on its own. I’m sorry is I offended you, Chiharu-san.”

“Of all the times, I’ve patted her head… I guess I never reached her scalp. Who knew her scalp was a tickling spot?” Tenten thought. She smirked a bit at the gain of this new knowledge about her friend.

“It’s quite alright,” Chiharu said. “I’ve got what I need, anyway.” Yasmine nodded slowly, and then smiled. She waited patiently for the woman to continue. “Your past is… strange.”

“Strange…?” Yasmine tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“It’s shrouded in darkness…” Chiharu narrowed her eyes. “I could see it, yet it seemed as if you, yourself don’t realize that it’s there.”

“Eeehhh…?”

“ I see… your other half, Yasume, keeps them locked away,” Chiharu carried on speaking, ignoring the sound the foreigner made.

“She knows about Yasume from just a simple touch?” Neji thought, narrowing his eyes. “And what was that about her memories? Can Yasume really do that?”

“Would you like me to tell you… one of the memories that were kept away from you?” Chiharu asked, frowning. “I must warn you, though… it was kept away from you for a reason.” Yasmine bowed her head.

“My memories are… kept from me?” she murmured. “Just how many things have you been hiding, Yasume?”

Yasume: … You already know that I do that.

“How many memories…?!” Yasmine shouted.

The people around her were startled by her outburst. Her eyes were trained on the floor. Her eyebrows were furrowed together as if she were angry. “She didn’t know?” Neji thought.

Yasume: Excluding Neji, about five things were erased.

“Five… Five things…?” Yasmine spoke softly.

“Mine-chan…” Tenten was as confused as her teammate.

“Tell me… What were they?” Yasmine asked.

It’s too much for you! Why do you think I got rid of them in the first place?!

“Tell me, Chiharu-san…!” Yasmine urged.

“Are you sure… you want to hear?”

NO!

“Yes,” Yasmine answered, paid no heed to her other half.

“Very well, the trigger word is… Eri-” the woman had to stop because she was suddenly grabbed and pulled towards a very pissed off girl. “Yasume, I presume?” she said in a calm voice, despite her position.

“Shut the fuck up, you wrinkling old bitch!” the foreigner shouted. “Don’t you ever say that bastard’s name, you hear me! I locked him away to protect Yasmine! And I’d be damned if she finds out now!”

“MINE-CHAN…!” Tenten shouted; Yasume turned to her. “Let her go.”

The woman was dropped without a second thought. Yasume scowled, and then left the room. Chiharu fixed her clothes and hair as if what just happened was a minor thing. Both Neji and Tenten stood up and followed the foreign person out. Tenten did have the decency to bow on the way out, though.

Luckily, Yasume had not gone very far. She had merely left the house. Neji was the first to approach her. “Exactly what was that about?” he asked. Yasume crossed her arms, not facing the Hyuga.

“None of your fucking business,” she muttered.

A hand touched her shoulder, causing the foreigner to turn. The hand belonged to Tenten. “You… don’t have to tell us. We’re just concerned, that’s all,” she said. “We’re your friends…” Yasume didn’t reply. “Let’s all just go back inside and eat. I know you’re hungry.” The foreigner stared at the kunoichi for a few moments before sighing loudly.

“Yeah, why not?” she muttered, walking away.

Tenten didn’t release a sigh of relief until her friend was inside the house. “I wonder…” she murmured.

“Tenten, as her friends, we should know, right?” Neji asked. The kunoichi sighed again as she turned to him.

“I know that you’re new to this whole friendship thing, Neji, but sometimes…people just want to be left alone,” she said. “Yasume and Yasmine… they’re different from us, I know this; you should know this. They need to be handled… delicately, especially Mine-chan.”

The two ninja stared at each other for a few moments. Tenten then walked back towards the house. Neji watched his teammate go. He frowned. “Now I’ve got a bad feeling…” he thought. He narrowed his eyes, and went after the others.
*************************

Haku came out of the room, causing three heads to look up. Mayu’s teammates stood up straight. “How is she?” Nakatsu was the first to speak.

“She’s doing a lot better. Her fever has gone down, she no longer feels dizzy or nausea,” Haku answered. He held a small damp towel. “Also, her sweating–I think she’s stopped. All there is left to do is… give her the medicine.”

“Is she still… ya know… growling?” Sasuke asked.

He was slightly apprehensive. And why shouldn’t he be? Earlier, Mayu had hit him without a reason, and then told all of them to ‘get the fuck outta here!’ Except Haku, of course… He was the only one allowed to get close. This was slightly annoying as hell. “Mayu-san has calmed down,” Haku answered. “I’m going to get the antidote now. When I get back, you can give it to her, Sasuke.”

The Uchiha nodded his head. The ice user walked away from the three. “Mayu-san must’ve have figured out that we’ve been ignoring her,” Sai suddenly spoke up. His two other teammates looked at him in surprised. “But what puzzles me is how she is handling it.” Sasuke and Nakatsu stared in silence. “I believe that I know her well enough to predict the way she responds to certain things… I’m sure you two have realized that this isn’t how Jester would react.”

“You’re right,” Nakatsu agreed. “Unless she really doesn’t realize that we’ve been ignoring her–Mayu-chan would have said something by now.”

“She hit us, that’s for sure, but she didn’t tell us why,” Sasuke mused, closing his eyes. “Now that I think about it that is strange.”

“You don’t think she’s mad at us just for the hell of it, do you?” Nakatsu asked.

“Who knows…” Sasuke sighed heavily. “She could be PMSing.”

“No,” Sai stated as if it were a scientific fact. The two males looked at him. Both seemed to be skeptical by how sure he sounded.

“Why do you sound like you know that for sure?” Nakatsu asked, slowly.

“Mayu-san already had her period for this month.”

“…”

“…”

“So it couldn’t be that she’s having the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome…” Sai explained. The two teammates only looked at him if he were crazy. “Nan desu ka…?” he asked, genuinely confused by their expressions.

“… How do you know that?” Sasuke asked.

“Did you ask her?!” Nakatsu demanded to know.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sai smiled. “She knocked me out the first time, so I opted not to ask again. I figured it out by myself.”

Nakatsu sucked in a breath, and then released it after a few moments. He slung around his pale teammate. “You are one creepy bastard,” he poked his chest; Sai just looked confused. “… A creepy bastard with helpful info, I admit, but a creepy bastard nonetheless.” He poked him again.

“Will you stop being gay for a minute,” Sasuke rolled his eyes. Nakatsu glared at his teammate as he, with speed, took his arm away from Sai. “This is serious.”

Before he could retort, however, Haku returned with a glass syringe in hand. In it was a clear liquid. “Okay, I have it ready. Come on, Sasuke.” Nakatsu stared wide-eyed at the needle.

“I’m not giving her that!” Sasuke protested. Haku looked perplexed.

“Doushite…?” he asked.

“Are you kidding?! She’ll kill him!” Nakatsu answered.

“Uh…”

“Mayu-san is afraid of needles. Really, it’s only a fear of bees and their stingers,” Sai supplied. “For some reason she imagines a giant bee whenever she sees a syringe.”

“Ah… Well, just hide it behind your back, and then just stick it in when she’s not looking,” Haku suggested, shoving the syringe in the Uchiha’s hands. The ice user noticed that his friend was about to further protest. “Mayu-san needs this or she won’t get better. If we wait any longer, her fever will return.” A few choice words were directed at Haku, which only caused the ice user to smile. “It’s decided then!” he pushed Sasuke forward. Completely oblivious to Sasuke’s protests, Haku continued to push his friend until they were in the room where Mayu’s body lied. Sai and Nakatsu, of course, had followed. “Mayu-san, it’s time to take your medicine!” Haku exclaimed cheerfully.

Sasuke had to hurriedly hide the syringe behind his back, even though Mayu took her time to sit up. When she did sit up and noticed who all was in the room, she gave a weak glare. The glare was weak only because Mayu, herself, felt weak. But if she would have been at full strength, they’d be toast if looks could set fires… “Ah, Mayu-chan, how are you feeling?” Nakatsu asked hesitantly. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Mayu’s fist, weak or not. Mayu glared for a few more moments before falling back onto the futon.

“Haku…” she groaned wearily like a wounded animal. “What the fuck are they doing in here?” She no longer sounded wounded or weary in her teammates’ opinions.

“They wanted to see you back to health of course,” Haku practically gushed, moving towards her body. Mayu somehow made a ‘yeah right’ type of noise. He knelt on one side of her body while the others knelt on the other side. Not wanting to look at her teammates, she turned her head to Haku. “No, really… and plus Sasuke’s going to give you something that will make you feel much better.”

“Why does he have to do it?” Mayu sneered. “Why can’t you do it?” Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched. She was giving them the cold shoulder, wasn’t she? This wasn’t the normal type either… This was the ‘I don’t care if you’re in the room, I’ll still talk shit about you’ cold shoulder.

“Let’s just say… Sasuke got the short end of the stick,” Haku answered, causing the girl to look at him with a puzzled expression.

“Whatever,” she finally murmured. “Tell him to get on with it.”

“You could just talk to me yourself,” Sasuke stated, frowning. There was no response. The room was quiet for a moment.

“Haku, tell him!” Mayu urged. Sasuke almost growled. This was worse than just simply being ignored. He suddenly got the desire to jab Mayu with the needle, regardless of her fear of bees.

“Mayu-san…” Sai spoke slowly. “Why are you being such a moody bitch lately?” Everyone else in the room froze. Sure, the pale ninja was the… honest type. He could be as blunt as Mayu on some days, seriously. The kunoichi slowly–it was almost painfully slow–turned her head to face Sai. He did not have the usual smile on his face. Instead, it was emotionless as a rock.

“What… did you just say?” Mayu asked. Nakatsu and Sasuke both grimaced at the way her teeth grinded together. The noise sounded similar to nails on the chalkboard. Nakatsu quickly clamped his hand over Sai’s mouth before the pale ninja could repeat.

“Oh, he didn’t say anything!” he exclaimed, smiling at the still glaring kunoichi. “He’s just silly–Sai’s just being Sai.” Nakatsu finished off his sentences with nervous laugh.

Apparently, his answer didn’t suffice because Mayu had yet to take her fierce stare off her teammates. “I’m… being a bitch?” she whispered, bowing her head. She lost her snarl, but a frown still graced her face. “You’re the ones who hate me now!” Three pairs of eyes widen. Mayu continued on, not lifting her head. “What am I saying…? You’re not–you couldn’t be.” Her body visibly shook but it was only for a second. “I didn’t understand at first. You-” her voice cracked a bit. “-You look just like the men in the picture near my bed.”

Nakatsu’s hand slowly dropped as he, as well as Sai and Sasuke, recalled the day when they received their first team picture. Mayu had been quick to put it in a frame. “I remember her holding it against her chest as if it meant the world to her…” Sasuke thought; his eyelids lowered slightly at the memory of his smiling teammate.

“It must be a really good disguise because I can’t see through it,” Mayu continued. “But I do know that whoever you are, you’re not them.”

“Mayu-chan, the sickness is getting to you,” Nakatsu exclaimed. “We are your team!”

“Bullshit…!” she raised her voice. “There’s no way you can be them! You have to–have to be someone else! They would never treat me the way you did! So… I’m convinced that you are imposters!” Mayu’s hand quickly reached under the covers and pulled out a kunai. She held it up in a defense positive.

“Mayu-chan…!” Nakatsu shouted in surprise.

“What’s with you?! We are your teammates!” Sasuke told her.

“Then tell me… Tell me where we first met! Tell me if it was good or bad! Tell me something only the four of us would know! Or is it… ” Mayu’s body shook again, more violent than before. The kunai fell to the ground. “Or is it that I’m the fake to you? Have I changed so drastically in the presence of my uncle that you no longer want anything to do with me?” Tears freely fell from her eyes as she looked up at her teammates. “Is that it, Sai, Nakatsu, Sasuke?” None of the three spoke, much to stun by Mayu’s sudden emotion. It really did sorta spring to life out of nowhere. “I… I really thought of you guys as my family. It hurts so much to–to have you disregard me as if I were nothing.”

“Mayu…” Sasuke murmured. The girl looked away, not bothering to wipe the tears away. The team had no idea that Mayu would react this way. Even Haku, who was quiet this whole time, didn’t fathom that she would do this. He knew that she’d get upset, but crying…? It just seemed a little weird for someone like Mayu.

“Family…?” Sai thought. “Then she also…”
Silent sobs, once again, shook her body. “Mayu-chan, we-” Nakatsu tried, but was interrupted.

“Mayu…” his voice caused the girl to look at him in shock. It was the first time ever that Sai hadn’t used an honorific or her nickname. The tears stopped flowing. “Gomennasai… We did not think our actions would pain you this much.” He hugged her.

It was his very first time hugging someone in a long time. Yes, Mayu had given them all hugs in the past, but Sai had never returned the hug. The kunoichi tried to hug him back, but it was too surprising. “S-Sai-chan…!” she managed to get out. The hug was stiff and awkward, but it was a hug nevertheless.

“This is the last time I will agree to do something like this if it hurts you,” Sai continued. He slowly released the girl. He almost had a solemn expression on his face… almost. His dark eyes moved over to Haku. “Haku-san, I can no longer go along with your plan.”

“What plan…?” Mayu hiccupped lightly. “What are you talking about?” Sasuke and Nakatsu both sighed simultaneously.

“I concur…” the older of the two said.

“What are you guys talking about?!” Three pairs of eyes turned to her. “Nani…?!”

“Mayu, your uncle made it clear that he didn’t like us,” Sasuke began. Mayu scoffed as she rubbed her wet cheeks.

“Of course he doesn’t like you! You’re three attractive guys and I’m his precious niece,” she said as if it were obvious. “Of course he’s not going to like you!” Sasuke frowned. “What does that have to do with this so called plan?”

“It wasn’t that he didn’t like us…” Nakatsu murmured. “He threatened–no, he told us that we were not fit to be your teammates. When we return to Konoha, he’s planning to ask the Hokage to formally remove you from this team.”

Mayu stared at her three teammates with a blank expression. The room turned silent. None made a sound. Even that bird outside stopped it’s constant chirping, Haku noted. Nakatsu hesitated before speaking again. He was a little unnerved by Mayu lack of a response. He told her what happened, the things her uncle said, and how there was nothing they could do about it. Sai began talking next. He told her that they were a little desperate and went to Haku for help. Sasuke finished it up by saying that Haku’s plan–to get in Uncle Mori’s good graces–involved the three of them ignoring her.

After that, it was quiet again.

The kunoichi, who hadn’t spoken the entire time, didn’t even blink. She continued to stare blankly at the three. “Uh… Mayu-chan…?” Nakatsu spoke. All of sudden, she busted out laughing. Unfortunately for Sasuke–who was in the middle–he received the stream of saliva that escaped her mouth. He angrily wiped at his face as Mayu clutched her stomach, complaining/laughing that she couldn’t breathe.

A few minutes of laughter later, Mayu had finally calmed down… somewhat. “Let me get this straight…” she giggled. “He called you an egotistical playboy, Sai-chan an untrustworthy con artist, and Sasuke an ignorant-ass Uchiha?” She fell into a fit of giggles again. “My uncle’s a riot!”

“Mayu…! This is not the time to be laughing!” Sasuke shouted.

“And for the record, it was confused, ignorant-ass Uchiha,” Nakatsu corrected; Mayu exploded into another fit.

“Not helping…!”

“Mayu-san, this is a serious matter,” Sai stated. He had gone back to using honorifics. “I do not want… our family to be split of because of a jealous relative.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Mayu affirmed in a calm voice. She pulled her knees up and let her outstretched arms rest on them. Her team noticed the relieved look on her face. “I must say, Haku-kun, you are a genius in your own right.” The ice user looked mildly surprised. “To go through this much trouble just so that my stubborn teammates would tell me what was going on… Amazing,” she sounded impressed.

“Ah,” Haku smiled. “You figured it out then?”

“Hai… You must know Sasuke pretty well for him to tell you about me to such an extent,” Mayu continued. “You knew what my reaction was going to be, right?”

“Actually, I thought your reaction would have something to do with throwing things and slamming your teammates against the ground. I thought they would finally tell you once they realized that you really were trying to kill them. That was my plan,” Haku explained. “The tears were truly unexpected, but in the end, the result was the same.” The two strategists shared a chuckle, in the process, confusing the hell out of their friends.

“What the hell are you–you know what? I don’t even want to know,” Sasuke almost growled. “Back to the matter at hand–what are we going to do about your uncle?! I can’t get separated from you again…”

“I said we’re not splitting up!” Mayu sounded a bit annoyed. “I’ll take care of my uncle! Just leave everything to me… when I get better, of course.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” Sasuke muttered.

“What reminds you of what?”

“This.” He jabbed Mayu’s arm with the needle and pressed the liquid inside her body. Luckily, her vein was already bulging.

Mayu let out an ear-splitting scream.

“Bleeding from the ears…” Sasuke thought, wincing at he took the syringe away.
*******************************

The two teens stared at each other, completely disregarding all things around them. In fact, they had almost forgotten that they were standing in the hallway. The others were in the living room; Sai was most likely helping Haku in the kitchen, though. Sasuke had come to check on his teammate, but she had already left the room, and that’s how they met each other in the hallway. No words were spoken as they continued to look intently into one another’s eyes. Neither one bothered to move their legs. Sasuke swallowed hard. They weren’t going to get anywhere without words, so he mind as well start talking.

“You’re feeling better,” he began. Mayu averted her eyes to the ground.

“Yeah, I am…” she murmured. “Thanks for stating the obvious, captain.”

“Glad to see you have your sarcasm back,” Sasuke almost laughed. He was silent for a moment. “But… that’s not the only thing you got back, is it, Mayu?” It grew quiet again.

“Right…” Mayu finally spoke. “I got this horrible rash! You should see it! It’s-”

“Mayu…! You know what I mean!” Sasuke interrupted. He knew she was lying; she was only tried to avoid it again. “You remember what happened between us, don’t you?!” The kunoichi stepped forward. The Uchiha just about took a step back. Mayu’s head was tilted down, so he couldn’t see her face. He couldn’t tell if she was angry.

“I…” Mayu began. She moved around him. “I can’t deal with you right now,” she whispered as she passed him.

“Kudasai…” Sasuke’s voice caused Mayu to pause in mid stride. “We need to talk… I can’t keep doing this, Mayu. Especially after that–after what happen.”

“Gomennasai, Sasuke,” the girl responded. “We’ll talk, I promise… Just not right now. I have to think and… plus there’s my uncle. I can’t–just not now, Sasuke.” She walked away, not giving her teammate the chance to reply.

“When…?” Sasuke thought. “When will the day come that I have you again?” With a heavy sigh, the Uchiha turned and followed after the kunoichi. For the moment, his relationship with Mayu would have to be put in the back of his mind. She was right. He would give her time to think.

Once Sasuke reached the living–he was walking at a slow pace–Mayu was nowhere to be found. Neither was her uncle for that matter. The only one in the room was Nakatsu. “Where did-”

“Mayu-chan asked Ishikari-san if they could talk privately,” Nakatsu answered before Sasuke could inquire.

“Privately…?” the Uchiha murmured.

“Yeah,” Nakatsu stood up. “Privately.”

Sasuke nodded his head.

“I’ll go get Sai.”
***************************

The three teens had found the two Ishikari clan members quickly. But that was probably because they hadn’t ventured that far away from Haku’s home. The three were hidden from view by a bush, which had conveniently grew near where Mayu and her uncle were. Lucky them… “Can you hear what they’re saying?” Nakatsu whispered.

“Shut up…!” Sasuke whispered back. “They haven’t started talking yet! And if we can hear them, there’s a good chance that they could hear us, so don’t talk! Don’t even breathe.”

Mayu’s head suddenly turned towards the bush, causing two to yelp (quietly) in surprise and duck lower, which wasn’t much since the three were lying with their chests to the ground. Mayu turned her head back towards her uncle, causing Nakatsu to breathe a sigh of relief. “You think she saw us?” he asked. Sasuke hesitated before answering.

“… No, I don’t think she did,” he said.

“Of course she didn’t. We’re obviously in stealth mode,” Sai commented. He was using ‘sarcasm,’ one of the many things one did with friends. His friends ignored the smart-ass comment and focused their attention on Mayu’s back; she was facing her uncle, after all.

“I can’t believe they decided to eavesdrop…” Mayu thought with a flat look.

“So, Mayu-chan, what do you want to talk about?” Mori asked. The girl turned her full attention on her relative.

“Ano… Last time we talked, I mean really talked, it was about the past,” Mayu began. “I want to talk about the present now. This is about Yasmine, my friend.”

“Ah,” Mori grunted. “The girl from another world?” The kunoichi nodded. “You know she doesn’t belong-”

“She’s like the sister I never had and needed that because I knew… that I’d be alone as soon as I came back to Konoha,” Mayu interrupted. “At the time, I really needed family. That’s what I view her as… my family, the only family I had left.” Mori opened his mouth, but not a sound came out. Seeing this, Mayu continued. “But you’d know all about that, right, uncle?”

“Yes, family is very precious. I understand your feelings,” Mori stated. She nodded her head. “I suppose that means that your friend does indeed belong here. I look forward to meeting her.” Mayu smiled, but then it transformed into a tight frown.

“Besides you, my real flesh and blood, there are others that I call family,” she said, tilting her head downwards. Mori remained silent. “I heard about what you told them, uncle. I didn’t find it amusing-” In the bushes, Sasuke snorted. “-that you told them that. So let me tell you something right now… Family or not-” Mori eyes widen slightly. If a cigarette happened to be in his mouth, it would have fallen to the ground.

“Family or not, dear brother…” He had recalled his sister saying something like that once.

“-I will destroy anyone who would try to separate them from me!” Mayu finally lifted her head with a glare.

“… I will destroy you if you come in between those I care about!”

“Mayuka-chi…” Mori thought in surprise. He could clearly see his dead sister glaring at him in the form of her daughter. “Ma-Mayu-chan… Please understand that I was going to do it for you. It would be for the best. They are not-”

“They are exactly what I need right now!” Mayu looked and sounded angry. Mori was taken aback. Never before had his niece yelled out him. Never before had she been angry with him. That had always been the case, simply because of her adoration for him. But now… she was pissed. “They are my comrades, my friends, and my team… my family! Sure, Sai might only show few emotions, but considering his past, he’s come along way! He is not an untrustworthy con artist! I would gladly place my life in his hands–that’s how much I trust him! Nakatsu might be an egotistical playboy–I won’t deny it, he is one! Sometimes the way he acts is so goddamn annoying-” Nakatsu pouted. “-But I’m truly happen that I could be apart of his team and I know he would never try to make me do something I didn’t want to. And even if he did, Sasuke would kick his ass so fast, it’s not even funny! Speaking of the bird brain, sometimes, he is a confused, ignorant-ass Uchiha…! Some days, he’s worse than Naruto!” Sasuke blanched.

“Worse than Naruto…” he mouthed, although no one could see it.

“But the fact still remains the same! He’s my ignorant-ass Uchiha!” Mayu’s voice lowered, but Sasuke still heard her. He felt as if his heart had got caught in his throat when it skipped those beats. “They are… all mine. Sai, Nakatsu, Sasuke… they belong to me! They put up with my shit constantly, and I theirs. I wouldn’t be the same without them. I couldn’t accept the thought of losing them, and I won’t! I love you dearly, uncle, but… threaten them again, and you won’t have the pleasure of finding the one who killed our clan, let alone see the light of another day.”

It was silent. None present spoke a word. The three hiding in the brushes barely breathed as they continued to watch uncle and niece stare at one another. Mori suddenly closed his eyes and sighed. “I understand, Mayu-chan,” he murmured. “You seem more and more like your mother everyday. It’s almost creepy actually.” Mayu didn’t say anything. Her blue eyes stared up at her uncle. They were no longer angry. “I… will no longer interfere in your affairs-” Mayu almost smiled. “-Under one condition, if you can prove to me that you really do trust them, I will say not a word to the Hokage.” He pulled out a cigarette and lighter. He didn’t watch his niece’s face while he lit up the ‘cancer stick.’ Mayu had heard someone call it this before.

“Fine.”

“You didn’t let me finish, Mayu-chan,” Mori blew out a puff of smoke as he snapped his lighter shut with a clink sound. He blew out another puff. “The terms of this condition goes as follows.” This time he paused, and then inhaled, and then blew out. Mayu’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

“Uncle…!”

“Ah, you don’t like to be kept waiting, do you?” Mori asked with a light chuckle. Mayu glared, not finding anything amusing. “In order to prove to me that you trust them completely, you really are going to put your life in their hands.”

“Eh…?”

“What I mean is… You must defeat me, Mayu, with only the thought of not losing your family to drive you,” Mori clarified.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“If your trust in them is so strong, then you’ll have no probably defeating me,” Mori commented. He smirked. “If you can’t defeat me, they will not be your teammates ever again.” He blew out. “I won’t go easy on you and they won’t be allowed to help. Will you still accept this?”

Mayu stared at the man in front of her, not believing the words that came from his mouth. “My uncle… he has changed,” she thought. She averted her eyes to the side. This person is front of her was a stranger. This was not the man she grew up admiring. Although he was, he wasn’t the same. “I… I accept your challenge,” Mayu breathed out. And because of who they were, it wouldn’t be a regular fight or spar…

No, this would be a fight to the near death…
***************************************

Hyuga Neji was, for a lack of a better word, mad. Why was he mad, you ask? It was nothing much, but those close to the Hyuga prodigy knew that the simplest things could tick him off. This simple thing wasn’t actually a simple thing, really. Neji’s eyebrow twitched once. Obnoxious singing, laughing, and smooching noises filled his ears. To Neji, this was more annoying than getting a D-rank mission.

Yasmine was drunk.

Now, it wasn’t necessarily Yasmine’s fault that she was drunk. It was that alter ego of hers. Yasume had gotten pissed again over dinner and stormed out of the house. She didn’t come back until night, a whole bottle of sake in her hand. It was half empty when she stumbled into the accommodation. Turns out, Yasume couldn’t hold her sake very well. She passed out and Yasmine took her place. Now the foreign girl was going around singing, giggling, and… kissing everyone! She was a… touchy-feeling-kissy drunk.

And no one else seemed to be upset except Neji.

It was not okay that Yasmine was kissing and singing. Chiharu had not come out of the room, so she was the only one not being effected. Tenten and Junichiro were laughing and clapping because Yasmine was singing. Neji scowled. His teammate was not doing her job. But then again, this wasn’t in their job description.

SMACK

That wasn’t someone slapping another. No, that was just Yasmine kissing Junichiro on the cheek. Neji’s eyebrow twitched again. “Curse you, Yasume…!” he thought as the older male whooped in glee. He, too, was drunk. Yasume had graciously given him the rest of the sake before passing out.

Suddenly, a pair of arms slithered around Neji’s neck. The Hyuga glowered. How did he not realize that Yasmine was in his lap? She can a peck on his chin and giggled. She became a kissing fiend when drunk. Neji would have to see to it that Yasmine never got drunk again. His eyebrow twitched again. Not that he cared or anything… “Comes on, Neji Meji… do-do the thriller lance wish meeeee…!” and then she began to sing… again. “Cuz this is thriller…! Thriller NIIIIIGHT!” Her voice sounded so much better when she was sober.

Neji sighed before pushing the girl away from him. She visibly pouted, and then shrugged. Instead of saying something, she went over and glomped Tenten, causing the two to fall to the ground. The two laughed loudly, trying to sit up. They were failing miserably. Even Tenten, who was not drunk, had trouble regaining her senses. Her head had knocked against Yasmine’s on the way down. Junichiro clapped and ordered them to kiss.

Slightly dazed by that idea, Neji stood up. “I’m departing to the room now,” he announced. Yasmine stood up on wobbly legs. She stumbled over to her protector. She fell against him, causing his arms to reach out and grab her. “Yaya-chan, you should get some rest, too,” he advised.

“Noooooo…! This party’s jush gettin’ start-ted! Stay! Take your clothes off!” Yasmine demanded. She glared up at him through hazy eyes. Neji gulped as a slight blush appeared on his face. He dropped her to the floor, and then (swiftly) went up the stairs.

“Neji, that wasn’t very nice!” Tenten called after him. A door slamming was his only response. The kunoichi sighed heavily before standing and going over to see if Yasmine was okay.

The foreigner had passed out before she hit the floor. Junichiro gave a lop-sided grin as Tenten picked up Yasmine. He yawned loudly, and then stood. “I think I’m going to bed, too!” he broadcasted. He staggered towards the stairs. He stared at the staircase and blinked. “Since when do they move…?” he murmured, and then crawled up the flight of steps.

Tenten giggled as she watched Junichiro ascend. He was a little annoying, but he was cute, so it was okay. The kunoichi carried her friend to the couch and gently laid her down. Yasmine breathed softly. Tenten knelt besides the couch and watched her client’s face. She prompted her head on her hands and rested her elbows on the side of the couch as she continued to gaze at Yasmine’s features. She sighed softly, and then turned her head towards the stairs. There was no one on it. Tenten turned back to Yasmine, and then slowly stroked the girl’s cheek with one finger.

“You’re so pretty, Mine-chan,” Tenten whispered.

“Thanksh you…” Yasmine’s voice surprised the kunoichi, causing her finger to recoil. The foreigner’s brown eyes remained hidden behind closed eyelids.

“Oh, you’re awake.” It was a statement rather than a question. Yasmine slowly nodded her head, and then she opened her eyes. She peered at her friend through sleepy eyes.

“You’re pretty, too…” Yasmine continued. “Especially when there are two of you… Why are theres two of yous?” A smile appeared on Tenten’s face before the kunoichi giggled. She flicked the foreign person’s forehead. “Itai…!”

“You’re going to have one big hangover tomorrow, Mine-chan,” Tenten commented. It was silent for several moments before Yasmine spoke up.

“I’m jealous,” she said, causing Tenten to look confused.

“Jealous…? Why? And of who?” she asked.

“Yous, of course,” Yasmine answered like it was obvious. “You’re mores than pretty. You’re beautiful! I don’ts know whys Kishimoto-sama doesn’t have you in the story mores! It’s crazy!”

Tenten looked bewildered for a moment before shrugging it off. It was most likely drunken ramblings. She figured that this ‘Kishimoto-sama’ was some type of god from Yasmine’s world. She briefly wondered what that name had to do with her. “You flatter me, Mine-chan,” Tenten said, smiling. “I’m plain and simple, ya know, average.”

“No you’re not…!” Yasmine almost sounded angry. She, out of nowhere, tackled Tenten to the floor. She did that a lot, Tenten realized.

Yasmine’s arms were wrapped around Tenten’s neck. The kunoichi flushed as the foreigner rubbed her neck with her nose. “Ah…! Yasmine…!” Tenten squeaked in surprise.

“I mean it, Ten-chans… You’re awesomeness,” the foreigner told her. She had stopped moving. Her breathing had slowed down a bit. Tenten smiled as she took Yasmine’s arms away from her neck. She, once again, was out. The kunoichi placed her back on the couch.

“Night, Mine-chan,” she kissed her forehead. It was, as always, warm to the touch. Brown eyes traveled lower. They were fixated on the foreigner’s lips. Tenten quickly shook her and stood. Before she could walk away, however, Yasmine’s voice stopped her.

“Ne, Ten-chans…” she muttered. Tenten turned at the sound of her voice; Yasmine’s eyes were still closed. “Do you like Neji?” The kunoichi paused.

“You mean like a friend?” she asked.

“Nosh, nosh, nosh! I mean like-like him.”

“No, not anymore,” Tenten shrugged. “It didn’t work out between us.”

“Oh…”

“Yep…̶ 1;

“You were his ex-girlfriend?!” Yasmine almost shouted. Her body had been reduced to such a weak and sloppy state because of the alcohol. She did manage to get her eyes to expand, though. Tenten nodded her head slowly. “Wh-Why did you break up?!” The kunoichi shrugged.

“We saw things too differently,” she answered. “And it was with him that I realized that-” she stopped. Yasmine looked confused. Tenten dropped down to her level.

“So… you and Neji already dated?” she asked, slowly. Again, Tenten nodded. Yasmine sighed heavily. “Soes much fer Operation G.N.A.T.T….”

“Eh…?”

“ Nothing, nothing,” Yasmine sighed again. Tenten was silent for a moment. She smiled as she looked at the foreigner’s disappointed face.

“But there is someone I have my eye on,” Tenten whispered. Yasmine instantly perked up.

“Really? Who?” she asked, and then instantly deflated. “Is it Lee-kun? Oh, you poor girl…” Tenten loudly out loud. She patted Yasmine’s head.

“No, you silly girl, it’s not Lee,” she told her.

“Then who?” Yasmine frowned. Tenten had yet to move her hand from her head.

“… You.”

The foreigner blinked.

…

…

“Heh… ; Didn’t think I was that drunk,” she giggled.

“I’m serious, Mine-chan,” Tenten replied. She moved a little closer. “I like you… more than a friend should.”

Yasmine blinked again.

…

…

…

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…

…

Yasume: NAAAAANIIIII…?!
**********************************

Matchmaking is a process in which people are introduced, sometimes pushed, to one another. The purposes of matchmaking is dating and mating. In the art of matchmaking, the matchmaker sometimes makes mistakes. Such as giving the wrong advice, fixing one up with someone that is completely opposite from them, trying to set two people up without them knowing, slipping potions in their food or drinks, secretly having operations with weird ass names. Those are just some of the mistakes matchmakers could do. Now, when this happens, everything goes terribly wrong. The matchmaker, who was once in charge and in control, is left defenseless, useless, and in most cases… in deep shit. The Art of Matchmaking is a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

And sometimes, you end of getting the shit smacked out of you and one of the two liking you.

It’s just how it goes…
***********************************

I cannot believe I’m finally finished! This took forever! So glad it’s done! Now I can move on… Crap, school started, so don’t expect a quick update (not like I update quickly, anyway, right?).

Anyway, shocking…? Well, most of you expected it, so why explain it?

Review, if you please… though, I would really appreciate if you did. That would be sweet!

Oh, and I’d like to thank Eau64 for leaving such amazing reviews! If it weren’t for this person, I would not be updating tonight! I’m actually pretty darn sure that I would have not be driven to write if I hadn’t saw those reviews, so I just wanna say thanks. And that you’re awesome!

“Without anyone by your side, your accomplishments will not happen.” –Chiharu

“I wish you a safe journey on your way to the afterlife,” –Momochi Haku













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