Sachi's eyes flickered open, an expanse of white filling her vision. A sense of dejavu washed over her as she stared at the ceiling.

She scrunched her brows together as she tried to place the feeling of familiarity.

I feel like I forgot something really important. What was I just dreaming about?

"Mew."

Sachi felt soft fur rub against her foot. She looked down from the ceiling, her gaze locking with the bright green eyes of Ringo.

"I'm okay Ri-" Sachi's words were cut off as Ringo's eyes suddenly changed from bright green to bright yellow.

What? Sachi blinked and Ringo's eyes were bright green again.

She shook her head. What was that?

As she thought this, Sachi again felt that sense of dejavu-the feeling that she was forgetting something very important.

"Mew." Ringo let out another soft meow before jumping off of the couch. Sachi's gaze followed the cat and it was then that Sachi noticed that she wasn't the only one in the room.

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, Aiko, Akito, and Akito's sister Akane all sat on the floor. Everyone was currently gathered around Akito and Sasuke who were playing some sort of game with a string. Sasuke currently had the string on his fingers.

Again the scene before Sachi seemed all too familiar, but, like before, she couldn't quite remember why that was.

She watched as Akito quickly pinched two different parts of the string. Sasuke let go of the string and then Akito was the one with it on his fingers.

"Don't mess up Sasuke!" It was Naruto's voice who spoke out.

"Quiet Naruto! You're going mess up Sasuke's concentration!" Sakura bit back at Naruto, sending the blond a harsh glare.

"It doesn't matter, Akito's not gonna lose." This confident statement came from a girl with barely shoulder length red hair-Akane-Akito's sister.

Sakura turned to the red head, a tight smile on her lips. "Oh, really?"

Akane nodded, her confident expression unwavering. "Sasuke's never beaten Akito at cat's cradle before. Ever."

Cat's cradle… Those words whispered through Sachi's mind. Cat's cradle…cat's cradle…

As the words whispered over and over through Sachi's mind, the scene before her began to change.

Naruto, Sakura, and Akane faded from sight. Aiko, Sasuke, and Akito remained, but became younger versions of theirselves. Sasuke took on the six year old form he had in the dream where Sachi saved a young cat that looked like Luna, while Akito and Aiko appeared a couple of years older than him.

Akito and Sasuke were still facing off at cat's cradle. It was Sasuke's turn and he went to grab the strings, a look of fierce concentration on his face. However, he grabbed the wrong parts of the string.

"Aw man! I almost had it!" Sachi's eyes widen at his exclamation as images rapidly flashed in front of her eyes. She recalled looking at the photo album and the phantom girl who had appeared in the picture with Ringo on her lap. Everything had then gone black and then….

Sachi let out a gasp. She remembered! She remembered everything she had just dreamed about! She remembered finding her way with Sasuke and the kitten to Neringoko farm! She remembered meeting Aiko and Akane for the first time! She remembered telling Akito and Nana that her father's name was Hiroyuki Kokoro! She remembered that Kana Kokoro was her sister! That her mother used to make the best apple pie in the world! But most of all she remembered that she was Sachi Kokoro!

Of course she didn't remember everything-only the memories she had just dreamed about, but it was a start. Sachi felt her heart begin to race. Now that she knew something about her past, surely, she would be able to figure out more, right? Sachi was hopeful that she could.

"Oh Sachi, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Aiko's sudden words caused Sachi's attention to snap upwards.

She noticed that everyone was now staring at her. She felt red flood her cheeks.

She opened her mouth to answer Aiko's question, but the words stuck in her throat as her violet orbs locked with onyx orbs.

Sasuke…

Time seem to freeze as she stared into his eyes. Angry and cold eyes. She felt herself begin to tremble, a sudden coldness falling over her as her previous excitement and hope giving away to mixed emotions of fear and hurt.

He's still mad…

Sachi knew she had to say something, try to explain. But she didn't know what to say… where to even begin. Because the truth was she did know Itachi Uchiha, but as she still couldn't remember everything, she didn't know exactly what her relation with him was.

So she just continued to stare at him-frozen in place by his cold eyes.

Sasuke sat at the Neringoko's kitchen table a barely eaten piece of apple pie sat in front of him. He frowned down at the sugary dessert; another reason he didn't like coming here was because almost every time he had to eat this apple pie.

"Hey Sasuke if you're not gonna eat that I'll have it!" Naruto's voice cut through Sasuke's thoughts.

Sasuke looked up, sending a glare at the obnoxious blond who sat directly across from him at the kitchen table. Instead of replying, Sasuke stabbed his piece of apple pie with his fork, breaking off a good sized chunk. He then brought the fork to his mouth and then quickly chewed and swallowed the sugary abomination while all the while glaring at Naruto to make his point clear.

Naruto glared back at Sasuke. "Fine then be that way."

"Never get in the way of Sasuke and his apple pie." The comment appeared to be delivered in a calm serious tone, but Sasuke knew better; there an underlying mocking tone to the comment. Sasuke refocused his glare to the source of the comment. His onyx eyes met dark forest green ones.

The dark forest green eyes belonged to none other than Akito Suzuki-the Nenringko's grandson and a big thorn in Sasuke's side. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he took in the boy's expression; the corners of his lips slightly curled up into a teasing smirk. Sasuke knew that the boy knew that Sasuke didn't like the pie and only ate it because he didn't want to hurt Nana's feelings, although, he also ate it to spite Akito.

Unlike many others, Akito didn't shrink from Sasuke's glare, but instead, his smirk seemed to grow and his eyes twinkled with amusement. With a shake of his head, Sasuke broke eye contact with Akito, shifting his gaze back downwards to his piece of pie.

"Stupid Akito," Sasuke grumbled under his breath as he stabbed at the pie again like it was an enemy shinobi and then quickly popped it into his mouth, chewed it, swallowed it and then immediately washed it down with a gulp of water.

As he did so, a strange sense of dejavu seemed to fall over him. Suddenly the scene before him faded out and everything went black.

"Sasuke! Sasuke!"

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open only for his vision to be eclipsed by emerald green eyes and strands of cherry blossom pink hair.

He blinked trying to regain his focus.

What happened?

"Sasuke?! Are you okay?!"

Sasuke inwardly groaned. He couldn't focus with Sakura screeching at him. His eyes narrowed at her closeness.

"Sakura, I'm fine," he ground out.

"That's good," She sighed, finally retaking her seat, "I was really worried Sasuke, you just suddenly spaced out. It was frightening."

Sasuke blocked out her words now that she wasn't screeching. He clasped his hands in his lap, trying to remember what had happened.

The last he remembered was Akito poking fun at him and then he went to eat another piece of the stupid apple pie. And then…

Sasuke's eyes widened as he remembered. Visions. He had visions again of her. This time they were of a cat-Luna, coming to this place and meeting everyone.

Her again...Why? Why do I keep having these visions? Is she messing with my head somehow?

They can't be real; it's not possible.

"Why can't it be possible?"

"Because it doesn't make any sense," Sasuke automatically replied to the voice without thinking.

"What doesn't make sense Sasuke? Why can't what be possible?" At Sakura's confused voice, Sasuke's gaze snapped back up. Ignoring Sakura, he whipped his head towards Akane.

"You. Stay out of my head." Sasuke sent a glare at the red head. That girl was just annoying as her brother as she had the ability to read minds. Also, like her brother she didn't flinch at Sasuke's gaze nor did she look the least bit apologetic, instead, she just stare backed unnervingly with her dark brown eyes that were specked with gold. Akane's eyes are so weird; they're spooky-the totally opposite of her eyes. An image of vibrant violet eyes flashed through Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke's eyes eyes suddenly widened and his shook his head. Why in the world am I thinking about her eyes?

"You think her eyes are pretty that's why you're thinking about them."

What?

Akane's words caused Sasuke's attention again to shift back towards her. He stared at her for a moment at a lost for words over her last comment. However, as he stared at her that quickly vanished and anger began to take its place.

"I told you stay out of my head, freak." Sasuke bit out.

At his words the girl's eyes widened and her lip trembled. However, a moment later Sasuke's view of the girl was completely blocked and he found himself once again staring into Akito's eyes. This time the amusing twinkle in his eye was gone as was the smirk that was previously on his lips. This time his expression was serious, deadly even.

"Sasuke, you watch your mouth." The boy delivered the words in a quiet but steely tone. Sasuke had only heard him use that tone a handful of times, but he knew that when Akito used that tone that he meant business. However, at that moment Sasuke didn't care, quite frankly he was tired of Akito bossing him around just cause he was a couple years older. They were both shinobi now-Sasuke refused to feel inferior to him any longer. "But that's what she is Akito and you-"

Sasuke's words were cut off as Akito's fist swung towards him and Sasuke dodged. A smirk turned up at Sasuke's lips. "Bring it."

Akito returned his smirk. "Oh it is so on."

"No. No, it's not." Those words wiped the smirks off of both of their faces.

Sasuke and Akito both turned towards the voice that belonged to none other than a very displeased looking Aiko, her arms crossed in front of her. She stared at them both, her stern gaze causing both of the boys to flinch.

"No fighting. Especially in the kitchen. Unless you want to pay for everything that you break. I doubt either of you could afford those repairs."

Sasuke and Akito just both stared at her unable to say anything.

She continued, now focusing soley on Akito. "Akito you should know better. I know you were protecting Akane-chan, but there is a better way to go about it." Akito's gaze shifted uneasily, away from Aiko's and onto his feet. "Yeah, sorry," he grumbled.

"And Sasuke," She redirected her gaze at Sasuke. The Uchiha forced himself to meet her gaze even though he wanted nothing more than to look away. He didn't like how she looked at him in that disapproving way, hated it even. It actually made him feel queasy.

"It's not nice to call people names and you know better." She paused waiting for a response-her eyes continuing to bore into him.

"Sorry," he grumbled, quietly, loud enough for only her and Akito to hear.

At his words, she nodded once and then her stern expression melted away into her usual smile-the expression that Sasuke was familiar with and just maybe seeing her smile was a very teeny tiny reason why he didn't completely hate spending his time at the farm.

"Okay, how about we clean up and then have a game of cat's cradle in the living room?" She addressed the rest of the assembled crowd that included Sakura, Naruto, and Akane. Kakashi had left a while back after wolfing down his piece of apple pie while Nana and Goro were out in the yard again.

"Cat's cradle? What's that?" Of course Naruto was the first to respond.

"It's a fun little game," It was Akito who answered this time, "Right Akane?"

Akane nodded. "It is. A lot of fun." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, the two sibilings were definitely plotting something.

"Oooh! I want to play!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah we should all play," Akito began, Sasuke didn't like the glint of mischief that was in his eyes. "We should have a tournament." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, he really didn't like where this was going.

"Truth or dare Aki," Akane addressed Akito.

Akito nodded, "Yeah, let's do it truth or dare style."

Sakura questioned, "What do you mean by that?"

Akito responded, "Each time a person looses they have to pick either a truth or dare and then the winner will devise whatever one the loser chooses." While he was answering Sakura, his gaze briefly met Sasuke's, a challenge in his eyes. Sasuke held his ground; he knew this was Akito's revenge for earlier. Aiko might had stopped them for physically fighting, but Akito apparently wasn't gonna let it go that easily. Sasuke answered Akito's look of challenge with a confident look of his own.

"Oooh! I want to do that!" Naruto burst out. "Sasuke you're going down!" Naruto signaled out Sasuke, pointing at him dramatically.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You don't even know how to play dweeb."

"Oh, that's not a problem, I can teach him," Aiko volunteered, turning her smile onto Naruto. Sasuke felt his stomach churn, irritation building up. He didn't like that she smiled at the blond idiot like that.

"Ha! See Sasuke! I'm gonna totally kick your butt!"

Sasuke scoffed, "Not happening in a million years loser."

Between Naruto and Akito, Sasuke couldn't wait for this day to be over.

Why didn't I leave when Kakashi did. The mission is over.

His gaze flickered to Aiko again who had enlisted Sakura and Akane and even Naruto in cleaning up.

His lips twitched as he stared at her waist length brown hair that was braided into a single long braid.

Then suddenly the color of the braid changed to black and Aiko seemed to shrink in height. Sasuke's eyes widened.

No. I don't want to think about her.

He closed his eyes and gave his head a shake. When he re-opened them Aiko's braid was back to it's usual brown and she was once again her normal height.

Sasuke along with Sakura, Naruto, and Akane watched as Aiko and Akito went rapidly back and forth in their round of cat's cradle. The atmosphere was intense as the two cousins battled it out in what were the semi-finals of their little tournament.

"Wow, they're really good," Sakura breathed.

Akane spoke up, "They've been playing against each since forever."

"Who do you think's going win?" Naruto asked.

Akane pursed her lips.

Sasuke felt a smirk tug turn up at his lips. "If I remember correctly Aiko's never lost to Akito."

Akane nodded. "That's right." She didn't seem rattled by Sasuke's words which disappointed him a bit, but he quickly shrugged it off.

They returned their attention to the game. Sasuke watched Aiko and Akito continue their back and forth exchange. While he didn't want to see Aiko loose, he also wanted a shot at taking on Akito. At that moment, Aiko slipped grabbing the wrong string and it was over; Akito was the winner.

Akito flashed a grin at Aiko. "So truth or dare?"

Aiko even though she had lost didn't look devastated at all, actually she confidentially replied to Akito, a smile on her lips, "Truth."

"When did you first meet Sachi?"

At Akito's question a puzzle looked fell over Aiko's face.

Why he is asking her that? Sasuke's wondered, sharing Aiko's wonderment.

"Aiko, tick tock." Akito snapped his fingers, to get the girl's attention.

"Oh, well it was when Reina bought Sachi to the farm almost four years because of Sachi's love of cats." Aiko answered, still seeming puzzled at Akito's expression.

Akito only nodded his expression unreadable.

"Alright time for the final match." Akito quickly changed gears, his attention turning to Sasuke.

"You ready Sasuke?" Akito questioned Sasuke a predatory smirk on his lips.

Sasuke matched his smirk. "Bring it on Akito."

"You can do it Sasuke!" Sakura cheered him on.

"Akito beat Sasuke for me!" Naruto countered Sakura's cheers.

"Aki you can do it." Akane's words were more of a firm and confident statement of belief than a cheer.

"Good luck to both of you," Aiko equally cheered for them. And while Sasuke knew it was normal for her to say such a thing because Akito was her cousin, it still annoyed him. He wished she would pick sides. Preferably his side.

Just like the game of cat's cradle went back and forth for a while between Aiko and Akito, the same thing was happening in Sasuke and Akito's match.

Sasuke focused intently on each movement that he and Akito made. He was determined to win. He had never won against Akito before, but he didn't care. He felt that today he would win, that this time would be different.

He was so focused that while he could hear Naruto and the others talking, they were just background noise, what they were saying went unheard to him. All that matter was his battle against Akito.

Akito skillfully and nimbly pinched up the string, forming the next design in the pattern and transferring it to his two hands. Then it was Sasuke's turn again. Sasuke extended his fingers quickly but precisely towards the correct place in the strings. He reached downwards ready to grab them.

"Ah!"

A sudden gasp caused Sasuke to lose his concentration, his finger slipped and in his distraction he grabbed the wrong string.

His slip up signaled game over for him, but while moments before the game was all important to him, now it didn't seem to matter as his attention had re-focused on the source of the gasp.

Sachi Aburame was now awake and Sasuke's eyes had found hers. While he wanted to march over to her and demand answers from her about the visions he had been having, he found himself glued to where he stood a scowl on his face as he stared into her vibrant violet eyes.

Akito was intensely focused on the game of cat's cradle with Sasuke. He had never once lost against the boy, but that was all the more reason Akito kept his guard up. Hey he had never won against Aiko before either and look what happened.

He nimbly and carefully pinched two parts of the strings, taking it into his possession and transforming it into the next design in the pattern. Now it was Sasuke's turn. He watched with bated breath as the boy extended his fingers quickly but precisely towards the correct place in the strings.

Looks like it'll be my turn again soon.

Akito prepared himself for his turn. However, just as Sasuke was about to grab the strings a sudden gasp rang out through the room.

Akito's head swiveled towards the source of the voice as at the same time he saw Sasuke mess up from the corner of his eye. Akito had won, but he didn't really care anymore. He cared much more about the girl who had let out that gasp.

He felt warmth fill up his chest and felt his expression give away to an actual smile as he gazed at the small black haired girl whose attention was still focused downwards.

Finally, the girl looked up, her vibrant violet eyes widening and her cheeks quickly becoming flushed as she noticed their stares.

Akito felt his smile stretch wider at her adorableness.

However, his smile faltered as he noticed her gaze shift from one of shyness to a look of confusion and hurt. His stomach squirmed at her expression; he didn't like seeing her look like that; it upset him. He quickly noticed that her gaze was locked on a certain someone and that certain someone was his former raven haired opponent.

Akito's expression darkened as he noticed that Sasuke was staring at Sachi with such a cold and hateful expression. He felt anger quickly flare up in his veins. He clenched his fists by his sides. He really didn't like how Sasuke was staring at her.

He has no right to stare at her like that. No right at all.

Akito felt the urge-yet again-to punch the boy.

Aki…no. Akane's words drifted into his mind, warning him against this impulse.

Akito locked eyes with his sister who stood a few feet from him next to Aiko. She was right, punching him wouldn't solve anything.

Akito took a deep breath inhaling and exhaling. Regaining his control, he decided on a different action. Instead, of punching Sasuke, he strode forwards towards Sachi and stopped in front of her-effectively blocking her view of Sasuke.

"Hey Sachi," he greeted her reaching down a hand and ruffling her hair.

The violet eyed girl blinked, her attention shifting to Akito. She stared at him wordlessly for a moment and then her pink dusted across her cheeks as her hand moved up to her head. "A-Akito, hi," she sputtered.

Akito grinned, her reaction causing a warm feeling to fill his chest again, completely flushing out his earlier dark feelings towards Sasuke.

Oh! Sachi's eyes widened and her heart pounded quicker as she took in Akito's smile.

He's smiling! The Akito she had come to known over the past three years didn't smile like that that often. Even the Akito from her memories-hadn't smiled like that-the boy's smile from her memories had been more mischievous and slightly sad.

But this is a happier smile. Sachi felt a smile begin to form on her lips.

"Mmmm, feeling better?" He asked, still smiling, but Sachi could hear the concern in his tone.

Sachi opened her mouth to reply, but was cut short as a growl came from her stomach.

Ah! Sachi's cheeks became painted cherry red and while her first instinct was to look away from Akito, she found herself unable to.

She watched as his smile morphed into a more mischievous-devilish smile. It was the smile from her memories. "Hungry, huh? There's apple pie in the kitchen."

All she could do was stare at him-half of it was because her previous embarrassment still lingered while the other half was because of the situation being so similar to the one in her memories.

Sachi continued to stare as Akito reached out a hand towards her. She felt her heart start to pound faster again. Again she couldn't help but think of what happened in her memories. Was he gonna to grab her hand? At the thought, Sachi's cheeks burned anew.

However, Akito's hand stopped, hovering in mid-air. "So you want to get some of that pie?"

Sachi stared at his extended hand. Unlike before, he was leaving the choice to her. Her stomach fluttered. Should she take it? She looked away from Akito's hand and towards his face. That devilish smile was still there, but while his eyes still twinkled with mischief there seemed to be a more serious emotion lurking in their depths.

Fear? Is he afraid of something? This thought made Sach's stomach churn-she didn't like seeing that look in Akito's eyes; it didn't suit him. The Akito she knew was strong and often serious; he had seemed cold when she first met him, but she now knew that wasn't his true self. She had found that around his friends he was more open and that he was utterly loyal to those he cared about. He had become an important friend to her over the last three years and because of that she couldn't bear that look in his eyes and so while her stomach still fluttered and her cheeks became rosier, she stopped hesitating and grabbed his hand.