Mayu slowly opened her eyes. She breathed out. This place was a lot creepier than the last time she had been. Well, it was dark outside. That may have been why it was creepier. Her lips pressed into a thin line. But anyway… She didn't need to be thinking about the environment. What mattered was the information source this place might become. The girl scaled up the wall, using chakra. She had just finished speaking with Uzumaki Naruto, concerning what he was to tell Tsunade. Once she was sure the blond got it, they parted ways. He was supposed to tell the woman about Sasuke's plan, concerning what he was doing in Oto. However, he was not going to tell her about Mayu's existence at all. She needed to be as undetected as possible. That conversation had lasted through sunset. Mayu shook her head at the thought. It was because of that conversation that she had decided to start her 'mission' ahead of time. She had planned to wait until Hinata was out of the hospital. But after thinking about it, waiting a few months didn't seem to be the best option.

Finally, she reached the top. With a grunt, Mayu pulled herself up. "There has got to be an easier way up here!" she muttered. Sure, she could use her chakra, but that felt like cheating. Chuckling and rolling her eyes at her mind's logic, she fully stood and headed towards the traditional house. Within moments, she was standing at the entrance to the Ishikari residence. She opened the door. Her eyes narrowed a bit, feeling a strange wind. She got goose bumps from that wind. "That was weird..." Mayu shrugged it off and walked into the house. Once she was in, she slid the door shut behind her. "Down to business."

Apparently, this clan liked to hide stuff underneath things. Her best bet was to look under the floorboards again. Not in the same spot, of course. She had only found that diary last time. The other rooms hadn't been completely checked. She would look at the rooms where Sasuke had searched before and go through it thoroughly. However, that woman's diary was a good start for information. She and Uchiha Fugaku had some type of deal going on. An arranged marriage. Could that have been the start of the relationship between Uchiha and Ishikari? And if so, what had been the purpose? Arranged marriages generally meant forging an alliance, but why would an alliance be needed in a time of peace? So many questions… With any luck, that diary would hold all the answers.

Mayu stopped walking. She had reached her destination. However, the door was closed. She could not recall either Sasuke or herself shutting it on the way out. There was something wrong here. To her surprise, the door began opening. Immediately, she backed away. "Crap…! Why is someone-" Her thought was abruptly cut off. Her eyes widened. That familiar black cloak with red clouds—it was Akatsuki. Mayu's eyes slowly traveled up, confused as to why Akatsuki was here. Red eyes stared down at her. "Weasel man…?!" she nearly shouted, pointing a finger. "What the heck are you doing here?!" The girl gasped loudly, slapping a hand over her mouth. She really had to stop blurting things out. Making fun of his name was a surefire way to suffer. Probably. She had gotten away with it before… Wait, no she hadn't. Wary, Mayu pressed her lips together.

Without a word, Itachi stepped forward. This caused Mayu to step back. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about that. He continued to move forward, and she continued to move back. At last, her back hit the wall. Sasuke's voice suddenly echoed in her head. If it gets too dangerous, you pull out, he had told her. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut. This was looking more and more dangerous. However, Uchiha Itachi was a link. He was half of the arranged marriage. If she wanted to be thorough, she needed Itachi, too. Bracing herself, she forced her eyes open. "Mayu… chan…" he said. Instead of staring directly into his Sharingan, her blue Hyuga eyes focused on his eyebrows.

"Uchiha-san," she returned. Mayu noticed that his lip twitch—like a slight frown.

"Have you remembered everything?"

"… Were you truly so unhappy with your future marriage?" Mayu questioned. His eyebrow twitched, yet his face gave away nothing. "To go as far as eliminating both clans. Perhaps dramatics run in your family."

"You would not so casually mention Ishikari and Uchiha if you remembered," Itachi noted. Mayu swallowed hard, hoping this was not a prelude to what had happened before. She did not want to suffer through that powerful genjutsu a second time. Her eyes darted down, just happening to see the book in Itachi's right hand. She clenched her teeth, recognizing it as the diary. "Do you wish for your memories to return completely?" So, he had understood after all. She could have gotten valuable information from him. Mayu frowned, deciding to keep her mouth shut. "I believe you will not find the answers you seek within Ishikari Mayuka's memories."

"I'll find out eventually," Mayu bit out. "So, just make it easier. Tell me about your relationship to this clan. What warranted your presence here?"

"Heh," he smirked. "Even without your memories, you haven't changed."

"I have all my memories!" Mayu insisted.

"You do not," Itachi spoke matter of fact.

"You don't know me!"

"On the contrary," he said.

"You are a liar. I will not trust a word you say," Mayu told him, glaring now. "If not for you…" She scoffed lightly. "Well, it's none of your business. You don't really matter anymore. You're just another goal—that's all. Sasuke will come for you. I hope you have nightmares of that day of reckoning." Itachi narrowed his eyes. Mayu flinched despite the bravado. She was still scared of this titan in front of her. He could end her in seconds. Less than. Before she could conjure up the thought of retreating inside her mind host. Without warning, he moved forward, face mere centimeters away from hers. Damn it. Her body could not move. She helplessly stared into his Sharingan, unable to do much else. Even breathing had become strained.

"Tell me something," Itachi said in a whisper. "Why would you wish a traitor have his day?" Mayu swallowed again, realizing she had slipped up. "You, of all others, would not be so forgiving to someone who turned their back on comrades."

"… As I said… you don't know me."

Itachi blinked once before straightening and standing to his full height. Breathing became easier, but not by much. "You are so sure of that," he remarked. "In the end, I suppose it does not matter. That jutsu does not matter." The corner of his lips twitched. "I don't matter." Mayu knitted her brow together. It sounded like he was mocking her, but there seemed to be underlying remorse. Maybe remorse wasn't quite right. Still, something was off with this entire situation. Then the flash of emotion vanished. Itachi stared down at her as if she was a mere object. Damn. Was he about to kill her? "I suppose the only thing that matters is survival. I care not for his day of reckoning. But I do wonder if he might become someone worth my time." Mayu did not attempt to cover her scowl. "Encourage him to the end." He turned to leave.

"Wait…! That diary—give it! It's not yours!" Mayu shouted.

"Neither is it yours," Itachi replied, back to her. Mayu gnashed her teeth. "If you wish to discover the history, you must use your own skill." He held up the diary, mockingly. The book then burst into flames. Mayu gaped at the sight. All that information up in flames. Years of information just gone in an instant. Itachi uncaringly dropped the charred remains to the floor. He then walked down the hall. "Farewell, Mayu-chan. Become someone worth my time as well."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling me that like we know each other!" Mayu called after him. Practically shouted at him. However, the missing-nin did not falter in stride. She glared at his retreating back until she could no longer see him. The girl reached up, fingers curling around her dark hair. She tugged a bit, grumbling in frustration. "All are Uchiha so dramatic?!" At least he had not attempted another genjutsu on her. It seemed that he would never be a willing fountain of knowledge for her. His involvement was still vague despite knowing about the arrangement. Huffing, Mayu wondered if he had found that basic file on the Ishikari as well. Not that it would do her much good. She really hoped there was something else here.

Pressing her lips together, Mayu shifted forward, intending to go inside the room. However, a glint on the floor caught her eye. Blinking, she turned her head to see a small object. Oval-shaped. She was pretty sure it had not been there before… before Itachi had walked there. Had he accidently dropped it? Frowning, Mayu headed over. The man did not seem the accident type. Wary, her fingertips brushed against the object. Nothing happened. She hummed to herself before grasping the item.

Standing up straight, she turned it over in her palm. A sharp intake of breath nearly choked her. No. No. Nononono. This could not be. This had to be a mistake. Her eyes were playing tricks. She examined the picture frame, eyes darting across the details. However, she could find no trick. The image remained the same. She pinched herself for good measure, though, just in case it had been a genjutsu. Nothing changed. The picture itself, old and sepia tone, showed her two people. The two appeared to be younger versions of Itachi… and herself. Her real self. Her own body.

Mayu swallowed hard again. It was definitely her and Itachi. The pose was all too much like her. Grinning, eyes looking directly at the camera, her right cheek pressed against Itachi's left. When one other person was with her in a photo that was the pose she did. It was a fact. No matter whom the person was. As long as she saw that person as… a friend, she would be as close as possible during photos. In the picture, Itachi was not impassive. He smiled. Borderline grinning. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. They looked to be quite close.

Mayu pressed her lips into a thin line. She flipped the frame and hastily removed the back. The picture had writing on the back. Itachi + Mayu, it read. Age 12 + 8. "Eight…?" Mayu thought, biting her lip. Her eyebrows furrowed. She couldn't… seem to remember anything before that point in her life. No, she couldn't even remember being eight at all. A hand covered her mouth. What did this mean? "Calm down… calm down… This is a coincidence…" It had to be. She had already come to terms with her being a descendant of this clan. "Right… This is not me. This is… my ancestor. She just has the same name and face—perfectly plausible." Right. Same thing happened with Kikyo and Kagome. Or had it been reincarnation? Whatever. The point was things like this could happen. Besides, there were plenty of people out there who couldn't remember their early childhood.

However, this could be a potential vital piece of her investigation. Mayu removed her hand from her mouth. Her eyes looked around. Uchiha Itachi was long gone by now. He had dropped this clue. Intentional or not, Mayu now understood his attachment to this clan—and her—to an extent. It explained Itachi's familiarity with her certainly. He believed she was his… affianced. Mayu grimaced. Well, former affianced. Still, judging from the photograph, it had not only been an arranged marriage. Both parties seemed willing and friendly. Her ancestor and Itachi liked each other. And if it had truly been that way, it meant collusion for the massacre. But… why? Why would Itachi and a member of the Ishikari clan conspire together to eliminate the Uchiha clan? Or both clans, actually.

Damn. Figuring out one thing just to have more questions spring up—this was just great. Then again, a secret clan would not be secret if not for mysteries surrounding them. Mayu narrowed her eyes. Admittedly, she was becoming curious about this whole affair. She returned the back of the frame to its proper place. Then she put the frame in her pocket. The girl looked around once more. "Time to get started then," she muttered, cracking her knuckles.

0-0

As he followed behind his new mentor, Uchiha Sasuke raised an eyebrow. On either side of him, there were cells, equipped with prisoners. He wished he understood more about Orochimaru. Why did he feel the need to keep captives? Sasuke frowned. The last place was like this, too. The three of them—Orochimaru, Kabuto, and he—had just made it to the new base. This led the young Uchiha to believe that there were many bases, belonging to the traitorous Sannin.

What did he know of the man already? Not much, unfortunately. As a Sannin, he was one of the most celebrated ninja, hailing from Konoha. However, at one point, he abandoned the village. Why? As of now, he could not be sure. In the Academy, he had been spoken of as a criminal. Outside of school, he had been treated as something akin to the boogeyman—someone meant to scare children into coming home as quickly as possible. There was a rumor going around that he kidnapped civilian and ninja alike. None of those people ever came back. What had he done to them?

Sasuke glanced out of the corner of his eye. Some of the prisoners wore medical dress. Most of them did not and had bruises and scratches over their arms and legs. Were those needle marks? These people had been injected with something. Or their blood had been used for something. The young Uchiha narrowed his eyes and shifted his attention back to Orochimaru's back. That sounded like he was conducting experiments. A scientist, was he? That meant an abundance of information that could prove valuable for his plans.

"Kukuku… Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru suddenly spoke. Although he looked different with the short white hair, it was definitely him. Those snake-like eyes were distinctive, after all. The bandages around his face did not cover up his identity. The young Uchiha had to keep his face impassive. He really did not like the old man adding –kun to his name. It was weird. "You are the chosen human." That was even weirder.

"Whatever…" Sasuke indifferently responded. "When are you going to give me the power I seek?" It had to appear that he had a one-track mind for the duration of his mission. Arrogant. Power-hungry. Selfish. Just a stupid boy. Not a man on a mission. "I have no need for exploring this place if we're only going to be here for a short period of time." Orochimaru shifted his uncovered eye in his direction. He didn't say anything, but perhaps he felt a bit disrespected. Kabuto's pace suddenly increased.

"Even though his form is different," he whispered in his ear. "That is Orochimaru-sama in front of you. If you don't want to die, you should watch your mouth." What did this guy take him for—an idiot? Obviously, the man was none other than the rogue Sannin. He also knew that Orochimaru wouldn't kill him just for mouthing off. He had gone through so much trouble already. After losing some of the strongest people who had worked for him, courtesy of his comrades, there was no way he was going to kill the person they had been desperate to bring back.

For his stupidity, Sasuke openly glared at the glasses-wearing man. Kabuto reared back in shock. Serves him right. He had actually stopped moving and shuddered. The young Uchiha turned his eyes back to Orochimaru, who looked on with intense interest. As he thought—weird. But whatever… He could deal with the looks. Still, he would make sure never to be alone in a small dark room with the guy if he could help it. "Sasuke-kun, I'm sure you're tired. I am showing you to your room. We will begin tomorrow."

"Good." After a few more minutes of walking, the journey had come to an end. Orochimaru opened a door, welcoming Sasuke to his room. It was simple. There was a bed and a wooden chair, along with a desk. Kabuto cleared his throat and began explaining things to him. However, Sasuke did not listen at this point. Whatever Kabuto said could not have been that important anyway. After lighting the two candles above his bed, the two men left, closing the door behind them. Finally. He thought they would never leave.

Sasuke sat on the bed, getting a feel to it, before lying down. His dark eyes stared up at the ceiling for a moment. This place was unpleasant. Hopefully, this mission didn't last forever. He turned onto his side, back facing the door. After waiting for a few minutes, he pulled a small object from the pocket of his shorts. He held it up to his face. The heart-shaped frame Mayu had thrown at him reflected the bit of light. It occurred to Sasuke that he shouldn't be carrying this thing around. There was a possibility that someone on Orochimaru's side could discover it. Still, it gave him comfort. It was a reminder as to why he wanted to go through with this in the first place.

The Uchiha allowed himself to smile. How long would it be before he saw her face—her real face, that is? Hopefully, it wouldn't be too long. Her mission of discovering anything pertaining to the Ishikari clan had a high possibility of learning how to switch bodies, and consequently switch back. She could have her own body by the time Sasuke's mission was done. "Ishikari Mayu…" His smile widened just a bit. Then his thoughts drifted to his best friend. "Uzumaki Naruto…" Slowly, the young ninja closed his eyes. This one small picture would help him in the future. He would always keep it on his person. That way, it was less likely for it being discovered by another party. "You'll wait for me, won't you?" Sasuke placed the frame back in his pocket. With the thought of Mayu and Naruto's grins on his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

0-0

It was a beautiful day in the village. The temperature wasn't too hot or too cold. Though the sun hid behind a cloud, it did not take away the light of day. It merely provided shade. It was peaceful as well. Perfect weather. The birds sang. The flowers gently swayed, and it was "LOUD AS SHIT! GODDAMN BIRDS!" And apparently, Mayu was irritated. Again. Hinata slowly opened her eyes. She turned her head, frowning at her companion. The two of them were supposed to be meditating. Why the sudden change in training? It was because her mind guest had become prone to agitation. This was not an overnight thing either. Her change in demeanor had been building these past few months. The littlest things could set her off. For example, the chirping of birds.

Meditation was to help relieve stress. However, it did not seem to work for Ishikari Mayu. The girl threw her hands in the air, and then stood up. Growling, she walked over to a random tree and kicked it. Hinata's eyebrows knitted together, watching her friend repeatedly kick the defenseless tree. Something was seriously wrong with her. But when asked, Mayu only responded that it was stress. She had not gone into detail about it. It was unlike her to be secretive about something that obviously upset her. The Hyuga cleared her throat before attempting to calm her friend down. "Mayu, I do believe you have succeeded in getting rid of the birds. You can stop now," Hinata advised.

The girl's leg abruptly stopped mid kick. Still, the scowl remained her face. She crossed her arms and sharply turned to face Hinata. "Why are we meditating this early? I'm pretty sure I'd do better in the afternoon!" The Hyuga had to reframe from rolling her eyes at such an obvious false statement. Meditation, no matter what time of day, did not help her friend to calm down. The scowl suddenly dropped from her face. She appeared thoughtful, eyes looking up. "Hey, isn't today the day your Naruto-kun leaves for a couple years? Shouldn't you go and kiss him, or something?" Despite almost a year of learning to control her reactions, Hinata could not stop the massive blush from overtaking her face. Generally, she could, but when it came to Mayu's teasing about the wonderful blond ninja, her body shivered, and her face felt hot and cold at the same time. Lucky her. Mayu had not dropped her teasing antics with the change in behavior.

"Na-Na-Naruto-kun is spending time with Iruka-sensei at the moment," Hinata murmured, eyes focusing on the ground. "I-I-I didn't wan-want to interrupt." She could not contain her stutter. "And he's not… my bo-bo-boyfriend!" Mayu chuckled a bit.

"So, you already checked up on him, eh?" she asked. "Not from behind a pole, I hope." Hinata did not respond. However, her expression must have given her away because Mayu giggled. Hinata pressed her lips together, cheeks nearly burning now. "Well, anyway, I'm hungry. Let's go get breakfast." The Hyuga almost snorted at her dark counterpart. Her appetite had not changed either. With a sigh, Hinata stood from her sitting position and nodded her head. Grinning, Mayu suddenly disappeared. Becoming one with Hinata's mind once again, the girl told her to 'chop chop.'

Nearly rolling her eyes, Hinata complied with her mind guest's wishes. At least she had not said 'mush, mush' instead. Mayu had done that before in the past. The Hyuga began her light jog towards town. Within ten minutes, she had reached her target location. A quaint little restaurant was mere inches away. It had become one of her favorite places to eat. Mayu also enjoyed the food here. This happened to be the only place in Konoha that served cinnamon rolls—her favorite pastry. When she was much younger, her mother would often spoil her with the sweet snack. Smiling at the memory, Hinata moved to enter the establishment.

Just as she was about open the door, a loud and familiar voice caught her attention. She turned her head. As she thought, the owner of the voice was familiar to her. Flushing a bit, Hinata greeted the enthusiastically waving blond with a small wave of her own. Uzumaki Naruto stood in front of her, wearing his trademark grin. "Hey, Hinata—I'm glad I found you!" he exclaimed.

"Na-Naruto-kun…" she murmured. Then she blinked. "Why? Weren't you with Iruka-sensei?"

"Yeah, but the Pervy Sage wants to go earlier than expected," Naruto answered. "Actually, he's waiting for me at the gate."

"Oh…" Hinata bowed her head a bit. "So then… This is goodbye?" It was then that she noticed the bag strapped to his back. She already knew the answer before he had even spoken.

"Yeah, I came to say goodbye to you and Mayu," he explained. He rubbed the back of his head. His grin became a bit sheepish. "I kinda need to talk to her… alone, so I can ask her something. You don't mind, right?"

"Ah… Of course not," Hinata replied. Her pale eyes looked around. It was still pretty early. Not many villagers were out and about at the moment. The few that were did not pay them the least bit of attention. Deeming it safe, the kunoichi made the signs for the Clone Jutsu. Seconds later, her darker comrade stood beside her.

"Good, hey, Mayu, we should talk privately," the blond stated. Mayu sighed loudly and crossed her arms. Hinata blinked. "Come on, don't make me beg here!"

"If this is about what I think it is, I'm going to give you the same answer—no, Naruto!" Mayu said firmly through clenched teeth. The shinobi visibly pouted. Hinata tilted her head to the side in confusion. She had no idea what the two were talking about. "Ask me again and I will use violence."

"But he said you could tell me!" Naruto protested.

"Screw him! He doesn't know what it's like! I'm not telling you—especially right before you leave!" Mayu nearly snarled. The shinobi crossed his own arms, showing his sudden irritation. Her dark clone merely scoffed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. Inside Hinata's mind, Mayu remained quiet. The blond sighed, dropping his arms. He seemed quite dejected by her friend's lack of response. "This is so unfair," he muttered.

"What is unfair, Na-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. Her voice seemed to snap him back to reality. He coughed and cleared his throat. The shinobi also averted his gaze to the ground for a moment. It was suspicious behavior to say the least.

"Nothing really! Anyway-" Clearly, he wanted to change the subject. "So… since I'm leaving… Can I… hug you… like I did before?" Clearly, he had succeeded. Hug?! Again?! Already, she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. Ignoring her friend's chants of 'Naruhina, Naruhina, Naruhina,' Hinata turned her eyes to the ground. Not trusting her voice to not squeak out a reply, the Hyuga merely nodded her head. A real smile crossed his face before he abruptly placed his arms around her. Hinata could not prevent the squeak after all. Not just her face, but her whole body felt consumed by heat. Burning, yet pleasant, the kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut, burying her face into his shoulder. She could not attempt to return the hug, but this was just as satisfying. "I'm… glad you're my friend, Hinata." At his words, she bit her lower lip and nodded her head. "Really—I really mean it. Thank you."

"Naruto-kun…" Slowly, he pulled away. His hands remained her shoulders.

"I'm going to come back stronger than ever," he stated. Hinata nodded her head again. She worked up the courage to look him in the eye. "You'll get stronger, too?"

"I'll… I'll do my best, too!"

"Great! See you in a few years, Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, and then began to walk away. The Hyuga watched his departing back, trying to push down the blush on her face and not faint at the same time. Mayu was not helping her do this either. In fact, she was giggling insanely.

Hinata and Naruto, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

"Ma-Mayu!" she tried to scold her friend, but the girl continued laugh obnoxiously. Hinata sighed out heavily. Once Naruto was out of her line of vision, she closed her eyes. Almost. She was almost at the point where she would not faint. Really, her body felt like it was going to even now. With another sigh, she turned and opened her eyes, only to come face to face with blue eyes—lighter than Naruto's. Hinata reared back in shock. Then she realized it was only Yamanaka Ino. The blond kunoichi had a somewhat eerie grin on her face.

"I saw that," she stated.

"Wh-Wh-What?!" Hinata stammered out.

"That hug that you had with Na-Ru-To-Kun!" Ino clarified. Well, the blush returned. "Who knew I would see something so cute this early? Maybe it wasn't so bad doing this errand for Tsunade-sensei." Hinata had to force herself not to poke her index fingers together. Ino had gotten more observant since she became the Fifth Hokage's apprentice. No doubt she would figure out that Hinata pressing her index fingers together at this point meant confirmation. "Are you two on kissing terms yet?"

"He's n-n-not my… bo-boy-boyfriend!"

The attempt at shouting did not sway the Yamanaka. The kunoichi merely giggled and wrapped an arm around Hinata's shoulders. "Come on, pretend I'm Naruto and pucker up!" Ino drew closer, feigning a kiss. Even Hinata's neck and ears felt the heat. She hurriedly stammered out, lightly pushing her fellow kunoichi away. Chuckling, the blonde allowed the half-hearted push.

"Calm down, Hinata. I'm just messing with you," Ino grinned. She waved her hand. "Anyway, have you seen Sakura anywhere? Tsunade-sensei wants to see how far she's come compared to me since she's been taken under Shizune-san's wing." The girl scoffed. "Probably not much," she remarked. "I'm the best—everyone knows it." Hinata blinked once. A few days after the failed mission to return Uchiha Sasuke to the village, Naruto had told her that Sakura had left Team 7 because she had decided on an alternative. She, instead, had been transferred to another line of work—a medic. For two months, she trained at the hospital under various medical ninja. Then, at the beginning of this month, the Hokage's assistant began teaching her. Tomorrow would mark the end of this month.

"Sorry, I have been meditating. This is my only my second time in town today," Hinata answered. Ino sighed and looked down the road.

"Oh, okay… Oh well," she murmured. "I didn't feel like bragging, anyway."

"How is your training coming, Ino-san?" Hinata politely asked. The grinned stretched its way back onto her face. Didn't feel like bragging, her butt. The Hyuga stood there, listening to the blonde kunoichi boast about how far she had gotten in her training with Tsunade. Something about a fish was involved, but it appeared to be good news. Finally, she ended her bragging, hands on her hips, grinning triumphantly.

"… so, Sakura can suck it!" she finished. Hinata nodded, doing her best to ignore the ranting coming from her mind guest. She seemed to be quite annoyed. And hungry. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around, Hinata." Ino walked off, giving a wave. Hinata returned the wave. At last, she turned and entered her favorite restaurant.

Finally! Go to a back table, Hinata.

After the two girls settled and their order of food arrived, Hinata finally came down from her Naruto high. She began to think clearly again. The conversation between Mayu and the blond ninja had been too strange. This was honestly the first time Hinata felt left out since she had befriended the two. She did not like this feeling. It felt… off somehow. Sure, the two were close—they had been teammates, after all—so secrets among them were okay. However, this exclusion felt on purpose—not just an inside joke. The kunoichi mentally sighed, watching Mayu happily eat her natto on rice. Perhaps it was a bit selfish, feeling this way. Perhaps it was jealousy as well. Whatever the case may be, Hinata wanted to find out now.

The Hyuga cleared her throat, setting her chopsticks across her bowl. This drew the attention of Mayu, who looked up from consuming her breakfast. She blinked, the gooey texture of the natto dripping from her mouth. She blinked once more as Hinata frowned. Hurriedly, her best friend finished eating that part of the meal. Mayu must have sensed the serious shift in the mood. "Is there… something wrong?" she asked, setting down her bowl and chopsticks.

"Something wrong…?" Hinata repeated. Her eyes narrowed a bit. "That is what I've been trying to figure out in these recent months." Expectedly, Mayu bit her lip and averted her gaze elsewhere. "Mayu, please tell me what's going on."

"I told you," she murmured. Still, she did not look her in the eye. "It's stress."

"This stress you have… is causing me to become stressed as well," Hinata stated. "Why can you not tell me the cause of it?" Mayu remained silent. "I…" The kunoichi swallowed. "I thought we were best friends…" Her friend was quick to snap her head back up.

"We are best friends!" Mayu nearly shouted. "It's just…" Again, her gaze lowered. "I can't tell you."

"Why? Why are you hiding something from me that pains you? And what does it have to do with Naruto-kun?!"

Mayu blinked in rapid succession before lifting her head to stare at the Hyuga. Hinata's own eyes had widened in mortification. Had she just said that? Truly? Her cheeks glowed pink as her friend continued to stare blankly in her direction. Then a grin slowly etched on her face. "Oh, I see," she said. Hinata's cheeks grew warmer and warmer. "Let me assure you that your precious Naruto-kun and I have a purely platonic relationship." The Hyuga mentally tried to cough out her embarrassment. Then the grin dropped. "Naruto wanted to know what's up with me, too—that's all."

"You can't tell either of us about it?"

"No… Rather, I refuse to," Mayu clarified. Hinata's eyes narrowed. She knew it. "It's too… hard. I won't tell you."

"Why?" she repeated. "I don't understand."

"… It's not something I should tell." The girl shifted in her seat. "Honestly, I have been gathering information. I…" Mayu licked her lips, shifting her gaze elsewhere. "Because of that, I know things that I shouldn't know… Three months' worth of information that I… stumbled into. It wasn't even the information I wanted, but I got it… This information, Hinata, is so valuable that I'm sure people would kill for it. I refuse to share that burden." The kunoichi was at a loss. Her friend's eyes welled up with tears. Her fist, clenched on the table, trembled. "Please don't continue to ask me what I know, Hinata. Because eventually, I'm gonna tell you. So, don't ask. Just let it go." Chewing on her bottom lip, the kunoichi furrowed her brow and stared down at the table.

The two girls continued their meal in silence.

0-0

Hinata abruptly sat up, eyes wide and body trembling. Panicked, her pale eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal. Her eyes had gradually adjusted to the darkness of her room. The young kunoichi shut her eyes, gripping at her sleeping garments. It was only just a dream. No, it was a terrible nightmare. However, she could not remember its contents. But it must have been a nightmare to invoke such intense negative emotions. Her heart continued to beat quite rapidly within her chest. Hinata swallowed hard, willing her heart to slow down. Although she could not remember the nightmare, an image of Ishikari Mayu had appeared in her mind's eye.

Despite what her friend had told her, Hinata could not just let it go. Knowing that her friend had been suffering for months caused the Hyuga's insides to churn. Months and she had not been able to help her best friend. A week had passed since that conversation, yet it still bugged her. She had never seen Mayu come so close to shedding tears before. Never. Well, there was her irrational fear of bees, but she had never cried while running away. Hinata had always believed that her friend was so strong. When Uchiha Sasuke did not come back, she had not released one sob—even when the two of them had been so close.

Sometimes, due to that previous conversation, Hinata could not sleep peacefully. With a sigh, she opened her eyes. Hopefully, that would be the one and only nightmare she would have pertaining to Mayu. It made her uneasy. The Hyuga shifted her eyes to the side. However, she did not see her mind guest. Frantically, she looked around the room again. There were no light snores, only silence. Mayu knew it was not safe to relieve herself in the middle of the night. She would not have left the room, right? "Mayu…?" Hinata tried to speak with her mind guest. There was no reply. "Mayu? Are you there?" Still no answer.

The kunoichiplaced her hand on the spot where Mayu usually lied. It was still warm from her body heat. Quickly, Hinata triggered her advanced bloodline. The rooms were specially designed to keep the Byakugan from seeing inside. However, one could still look outside of the room. It only took a second for her to spot the chakra system that was the same as hers. "Mayu… What are you doing?" Hurriedly, Hinata removed the cover from her body, and then stood up from her futon. She did not have any time to waste, so she would have leave without changing.

It was easier to slip out of the Hyuga estate than she thought. Hinata frowned as she scaled the wall. It was better not to use chakra, after all. That was probably how Mayu had not been sensed leaving. Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a moving shadow among the trees. If it was this easy to leave, how many times had she done it in the past? There had been times when Hinata had awakened from slumber but Mayu had not been there. In her sleepy state of mind, she automatically assumed that Mayu had merely returned to her mind. "Wait… She did tell me that she had three months' worth of information that she shouldn't know…" Hinata thought. Since they were always together during the day, that meant Mayu had snuck out every night.

Hinata anxiously chewed on her lip as she continued to follow Mayu at a safe distance. She had been following her friend for over five minutes now. She seemed to be running in circles. Could she have discovered that she was being followed? No. Neither one of them had used their chakra. Mayu should not be able to detect her, not at this distance. Finally, after another five minutes, the surroundings began to look strange. "I see… She did that as a precaution," Hinata thought. The Hyuga had never been to this part of the village. Well, there was that one time when she had accompanied Mayu to the Uchiha district. However, her friend did not appear to be heading in that direction. She had slowed down, choosing to walk at a leisure pace. Because of that, getting to whatever destination had taken about fifteen minutes.

At last, Mayu came to a stop at a steep rock face. This cliff seemed to be odd, though. For a moment, her friend merely stared up. Finally, she lifted her leg, using her chakra to stick to the wall. The girl sprinted up the strange cliff. It was not long before she was out of sight completely. Hinata stepped forward after a moment. She could not use her chakra, lest be discovered by Mayu. "There must be some other way…" The kunoichi could climb up. However, she was not confident that she would make it if she used only her physical strength. Hinata, instead, walked. As she thought, this cliff was strange. It was not connected to anything, appearing to be in the shape of a cylinder. Not only that, but there were steps leading up. This was not naturally formed.

These steps were hidden amongst the heavily dense forest. No one would even think to come this way. This place, Hinata realized, was a secret. Mayu's previous words echoed in her head. I know things that I shouldn't know, she had said. The kunoichi clenched her fists. With a determined nod, Hinata began to travel up the stone steps. As she walked, she noted the wood-like material had been used to create this strange cliff as well. Perhaps it was the work of a jutsu? Hinata was tempted to see—after all, her Byakugan could see if there was chakra residue left behind—but thought better of it. Right now, she needed to focus on Mayu.

Finally, she had reached the top. There was a large red shrine gate, and beyond that was a building complex—traditional in structure, similar to her own house. Hinata slowly moved forward. She stopped again, coming to the entrance. There was some type of crest on the door. It was peculiar. Three black felines seemed to be intertwined with one another. Still, the faces and eyes were distinct. The eyes seemed to glow a surreal green color. One paw, belonging to each feline, barely touched in the middle of the crest in the shape of a mitsudomoe—three joined tomoe. Behind the felines, there was a void of blue, pink, and purple.

Slowly and silently, Hinata opened the door. She shuddered, feeling a cold wind, from inside the house, brush pass her. Deciding to ignore that, the kunoichi walked into the house, closing the door behind her. Again, Hinata bit her lower lip. In such a large place, tracking Mayu—without the use of chakra—would take quite a while. Fortunately for the kunoichi, the person she was tracking apparently liked to shout out her exploits. "YES! I finally mastered it!" The shout had come from further in the house. As there was not a second floor, Hinata deduced that it came from the eastern part of the house. Quickly and quietly, she followed the echo.

It did not take long to come across the room her friend stood in. After a moment, Hinata peeked around the corner. Luckily, Mayu was not paying much attention. Her eyes focused solely on the blue flame in the palm of her hand. The fire enveloped half of her arm as well. It did not seem to burn her, though. Hinata saw the grin stretch on her face. "Past masters, eat your heart out!" She abruptly closed her hand and the flames extinguished. Upon closer inspection, Hinata noted that Mayu was drenched in sweat and she looked fatigued. Strange how her experience changed so quickly. The flame—it must have been a powerful jutsu.

Mayu suddenly fell to her knees, panting heavily. Hinata forced herself not to expose herself. The grin remained on Mayu's face, so she supposed her friend was relatively okay. The girl's hand reached out, picking up a scroll. Hinata narrowed her eyes, watching Mayu scan over the inscription. Her mouth moved, but the Hyuga—who had been trained to read lips—could not decipher what Mayu was mouthing. Sometimes, she heard Mayu speak in a different language all together. The girl would only grin and wink when asked about it.

"Alright… This is the last one," Mayu muttered. "Should I try now or later…? Well, I do have some chakra left. Ah, it couldn't hurt." Hinata found herself twitching. The nonchalant way Mayu spoke of chakra exhaustion made her want to smack her friend upside the head. The girl began to speed through hand seals. She had gotten impressively faster at making them over the course of their training together. Then Mayu smacked her palms together and took in a large breath of air. Subconsciously, the Hyuga leaned forward. "Transfer Mind…" A large of amount of chakra seemed to explode from her darker counterpart's body. Hinata shuddered a bit. What jutsu was this? To hell with being stealthy. The kunoichi activated her Byakugan. "Transfer Body…" Another explosion of chakra from Mayu's body came forth. "Transfer Soul!" The sudden cry—of pain—escaped Mayu's mouth. It was getting harder and harder to keep from exposing herself. The girl clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. "Forbidden Ninja Art!" Sweat dripped from her chin. "Transportation of Ishikari Jutsu!"

Both girls were expecting something big to happen. However, there was nothing. Only silence came out of whatever jutsu she had tried to use. "It didn't work?" Hinata's thought mirrored Mayu's indignant shout of frustration. The girl threw her hands in the air, muttering something about tomorrow night. Hinata furrowed her brow. She decided now was the time to reveal herself. Whatever Mayu had been doing, Hinata was going to force her to talk. It would take prodding, but as the girl had stated before, she would eventually give in and tell.

Before Hinata could enter the room and make herself known, unnatural winds picked up, blowing around lightweight objects. Still triggered, the Byakugan clearly saw chakra surrounding Mayu. Speaking of the girl, she had snapped to attention. Her blue Hyuga eyes darted around before they zoned in her Hinata. Mayu gave her a fierce stare. "What the heck are you doing here?!" Her scream had been heard even over the harsh winds. Hinata opened her mouth, but was cut short by the blinding light, which emitted from her friend. The light blinded—nearly hurt—and so she quickly stopped the flow of chakra to her eyes. "HINATA!"

"M-Mayu…?!" Forcing her eyes to open against the bright light, Hinata barely made out a ghostly form of her friend. The Hyuga rushed into the room, but the light had kept her at bay. "MAYU!" The wind stopped. The light stopped. Everything seemed to stop. Hinata slowly opened her eyes. The room was dark and cold. Swallowing hard, the kunoichi slowly moved forward. "… Mayu? Where are you?" she whispered. There was no response. "Mayu?" she called out, feeling panic arise. Again, nothing. Hinata triggered eyes. Expectedly, there was a large mass of chakra residue in place of where Mayu had been. "Mayu?" she thought. Even in her mind, there was no reply or angry scolding. Feelings of her nightmare suddenly came flying back to her, along with utter dread.

Mayu… was gone.

0-0

The eyes of Ishikari Mayu opened, only to close again because they were met with a bright ceiling. "Morning already?" she thought, carefully opening her eyes again so that they could adjust. Just as slowly, she sat up, looking at her room through squinted eyes. The girl blinked. This wasn't her room. There was no way her room was painted white. Waking up to that every morning would cause her resentment towards her dear parents. "Hospital..." Mayu presumed. There was no one in the room, though. "What's going on?" shethought. "Why am I in a hospital?" A hand reached up to grab her head. There was a dull pain there. Like she had sprinted home without water. She really hoped that hadn't happened again. Last time, her dad had something like a 'bitch fit,' as mom liked to call it.

Mayu looked to her left. There was an open window, causing a soft breeze to enter the room. Judging from the position of the sun, it was still morning. Her hand dropped from her head. How did she wind up in the hospital again? She wondered how long she had been out this time. Wait… Now she remembered. She had been playing around. Great. Most likely, she was going to get an earful for it, too. Sighing, Mayu closed her eyes.

Suddenly, the door opened. This caused Mayu to snap her gaze to the familiar form of Ishikari Sheena. "Morning, Mayu…" The woman closed the door behind her, not bothering to look upon the awakened body of her daughter. Mayu frowned at the thought. Jeez… She must have been out for a long time. Well, enough with the ignorance. Flatly, she called out to her mother, asking where her other parent was. The woman was so startled by her, rasping, voice that she dropped the folders and papers that were in her hands. No doubt she would have dropped her laptop, too, if it wasn't in a bag strapped to her shoulder. "M-Mayu…?" Her voice held uncertainty. "You-"

"HEY!" Her mother had suddenly launched herself at Mayu with tears streaming down her cheeks. This definitely freaked out the child because she wasn't used to her mother showing tears. "M-Mom! Your ta-tas are gonna kill me!" Mayu's voice was muffled due to her mom's fierce hug. Good thing Ishikari Sheena understood because she released Mayu seconds later. However, her hands still gripped her daughter's shoulders. "Mom…?"

"Do you… Do you have any idea how long you've been here?" Sheena questioned. Mayu blinked, and then shook her head. "I've been—your father, too—has been worried sick. Some thought you would never wake up."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were comatose for nearly a year, Mayu."

"… Get the heck out!" the daughter exclaimed. "I almost drowned, but I was out for that long? I feel so… so weak!" Sheena scoffed and rolled her eyes. She removed herself from the hospital bed as she wiped at her wet face. "Please tell me you sued the guy who caused this to happen! Where's dad?"

"You are the guy who caused this to happen." Her mother glared. "What were you thinking?! Why would you walk along the railing like that?!" Mayu pouted, not having the courage to admit she had wanted to try it because she had seen Ranma do it. If that truck had not come out of nowhere, her parent would not seem seconds away from telling her to get a switch. After a few moments, Sheena sighed lightly. "I guess the important thing is that you are fine now. As for your father, he is… working at the moment. Or leaving work right about now."

"Work…?" Mayu muttered. Her father did not work. Not that he was a lazy person, but Ishikari Sheena was the moneymaker in the family. Her father was the homemaker. "Why…? My medical bills are that bad?"

"No," her mother admitted with a shake of her head. "Your father had to distract himself from… your predicament. He went back to bartending." Well, now Mayu felt guilty. Her poor sensitive father… The man doted on her like no other. An entire year of not interacting with his child must have been horrible for him. Well, she was back now, so he could stop worrying. Suddenly, the woman sharply focused on her. Mayu blinked in confusion. "Did you… have any strange dreams, Mayu?"

"… I didn't think people could have dreams if they're in a coma." Sheena raised a fist to show that she didn't like the sarcastic tone. Mayu only cowered in mild fear. "No, I did not." The woman sighed out in relief. Again, the girl blinked in confusion.

"Good, so it's not like last time," she murmured.

"Last time…?" Mayu repeated. "Oh, when I ran into that car? Yeah, that dream was awesome. Pity I didn't get the same dream." The girl blinked. "But I could have sworn dreams didn't come with unconsciousness. Weird." Sheena frowned. Mayu's eyebrows furrowed. For several moments, the two merely stared at one another. Then Mayu scratched her cheek. "Okay, so… Anyway, could you call him? I'm sure he wants to know that I'm awake, right?" Mutely, her mother nodded her head, and then stiffly headed out of the room whilst pulling out a cell phone. "What was that about?" Mayu asked herself after a few seconds.

After several minutes of humming and playing with her—longer—hair, Ishikari Sheena reentered the room. The woman picked up the dropped papers and beige folders—those probably had something to do with her job as Sheena was a workaholic. Often, her father would boast that his wife was the best lawyer in Japan. Really, Mayu just thought that husband loved wife too much. Once finished with the small task, Sheena came to sit by Mayu's bedside. "Your father will be here soon," she stated. Mayu nodded. "Also, the doctors said that you should rest easy for a while. That means no advancing in rank." At her look of utter dismay, Sheena chuckled. She was so sympathetic, right? "It's not like you can be up and about so soon, anyway. Mayu, it's time to wiggle your big toe."

"What…?" Then she caught the reference. In response, she tried to move her legs. Nothing happened. "What the friggin' hell—heck?" Mayu quickly amended what she said due to her mother's glare. "Heck is what I meant." Sheena snorted.

"I did tell you it's been almost a year. Of course, you're going to need rehab in order to get your body functioning properly again. That'll take a couple of months. At the very least. Well-" The woman grinned. "-unless you know of someone named Bill in need of killing, hm?" Her mother thought she was so funny.

"I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone…" Mayu looked down at her barely functioning legs. She whimpered out as she clutched the linen covering her legs. "And though you're still with me…" She flopped back on the hospital bed and wept. "I've been alone all along~!" Her despondent solo ended in a long wail.

"… Ya done?" Her mother, obviously not impressed with the performance, stared flatly down at her daughter. Mayu grinned cheekily. "I swear, everyone in this family is too melodramatic. Except for your grandmother."

"I am not as bad as those other ones!"

"Yeah, yeah—just wiggle your big toe already."

0-0

So here it is, dear reviewers, the end of My Life as Hyuga Hinata. But what's this? Were your eyes deceiving you, or can Mayu not remember anything about her latest experience in that parallel world? Puhuhu! You'll have to find out in the sequel, titled My Life as Ishikari Mayu—the third installment of this unexpectedly popular story. The third story has 40 chapters… but I have not touched it in five years.

Now, I don't have to revamp the third installment, I guess, but I do want to go through each of the chapters. Not only to fix grammatical issues but to also work my way up to chapter 41. I am hoping that by the time I get to chapter 40, I will be motivated to continue the story until the end. Not gonna lie, my other stories have distracted me for these five years. I've finished By Fate or Free Will and I'm five chapters away from finishing Sins of Another. Those were my biggest distractions, so I am hoping to update My Life as Ishikari Mayu sometime this year. Fingers crossed.

I know I said this before, but this time, I am promising not to take down the 39 chapters and reupload them one by one. Just replacement. Seriously. Just replacing.

Anyway, review to tell me your thoughts on the sequel.