This chapter has been revised.

The vice-principal seriously looked annoyed. Actually, that was pretty much the norm with this man. Kamijou-sensei was the strict type. He was young and could be considered handsome. Most of the first-year girls had crushes on him. However, after about five or six encounters with him, they realized his personality. The man was prone to yelling about the smallest of things. He also liked to throw chalk. There were students walking about with chalk residue on their foreheads to prove it, too. There was a secret betting pool amongst the male students about how long it would take for the man to have a stroke or heart attack. Some provoked him on purpose. Why was he annoyed this time around? Well, it wasn't exactly trivial.

It was pretty much a big deal. What had caused his irritation—and had been the cause of his irritation several times in the past—was me, Ishikari Mayu. This time, my parents were involved as well. The three of us sat quietly in the principal's office as though we were young children being scolded. Ironically, it wasn't the principal that was doing the scolding. Usami-sensei is a really nice old man. If he had a longer beard, he would look just like Dumbledore from the Harry Potter series. It's because of that that most students call him Headmaster. Haha. Anyway, he was a passive man, so he sat idly by in his chair as Kamijou-sensei ranted at his right side. On his left side was Himuro-sensei, my homeroom teacher. She looked disappointed.

Like I said, what happened was pretty much a big deal. Finally, my headstrong mother could not take another word. She stood up quickly, which caused Kamijou-sensei's rant to cut short. Startled, he blinked. Father placed a hand on mother's shoulder, but that did little to calm her down. Or perhaps it did calm her down. After all, she didn't start yelling. "I don't understand why you're so upset! Why is it so wrong to be excited and cheer for my child's graduation?!" she nearly hissed.

"The graduation ceremony is a formal occasion, Ishikari-san." Kamijou-sensei pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. It was habit. "What you and your husband did was inappropriate." My mother crossed her arms and snorted. "However, that only contributed to why you three are here now." The vice-principal pointed a finger in my direction. I blinked. "Do you honestly see nothing wrong with the way your daughter looks?!" I had a bruised jaw and a split lip. It wasn't that bad… if the blood on my uniform wasn't taken into consideration. I had shown up to graduation, looking like I had gotten into a fight.

I did. Right before the ceremony, too. Almost didn't make it. It had been ten of them this time. The blood didn't belong to me, by the way. What? Don't look at me like that. I'm not some delinquent or gang member. No way! I come to school every day. I obtain grades that satisfy my mom. I'm an overall good student. It's just… because of what happened my second year, that's all. Long story short, I made the mistake of trying to join the judo club. The captain was a jerk. He hadn't wanted any girl to join his manly club. Basically, I had smacked the crap out of him, and then left to join the archery club instead. Apparently, that smack had KO'd the guy. After that, word had spread. It was too bad that people had viewed him as the strongest guy in the area and leader of the school's secret band of delinquents. They hadn't appreciated what I had done to him, especially his sword-swinging girlfriend. My life as a junior high student had been tough. But it was finally over. I didn't know the bastards would try to gang up on me on the day of my graduation! Hell, the guy hadn't even gone to my school for two years now!

Anyway, with the blood of the enemy on my skirt, I had arrived, late, to my graduation. Therefore, Kamijou-sensei was upset. If I were in his shoes, I'd be pissed, too. Maybe. If I didn't know the circumstance. "That's not her blood. That obviously means she beat whoever tried to fight her," my mother stated. My vice-principal looked as though he wanted to rip out his hair.

"That is not the point! Obviously, you haven't taught her any proper manners!" he bellowed. "Always fighting!" That wasn't true. "Always falling asleep in class!" That wasn't true either. Partially. "And always late!" Okay, that was true. "How will she survive in Japan's society being this way?!"

"What I taught my daughter is to defend herself when necessary, speak her mind when necessary, and bring home reasonable grades. She has done nothing wrong," my mother retorted. "She will survive just fine—like I have done." Kamijou-sensei pursed his lips, looking like he swallowed a retort. Mother sat back down, done talking. My father cleared his throat.

"Sensei, I understand that you are upset. However, this is the end, don't you agree?" he questioned. There was silence for a moment. Then the principal chuckled.

"He is right," he stated. "Ishikari-san is officially done with junior high school. She will move on, grow, and pass into the life of a high school student at a different school. Who are we to scold her when she is no longer a student here?" He gave a little shrug. "Besides, Ishikari-san is a great student. I believe you have raised your daughter wonderfully." The older man stood up. Hastily, my parents and I did the same. "It has been a great and amusing few years." Grinning, I bowed to show my thanks and respect. This old man was all right. My parents bowed as well. Usami-sensei lifted his palm with fingers parted down the middle. "Live well and prosper." My parents, never having seen that before, exchanged an incredulous look. I kept my grin. This was another thing that made the students like this guy. It made them feel at ease in his presence. My principal was a hard-core Star Trek fan. No joke.

"I'm going to miss junior high…"

0-0

Another sigh came forth, causing Ishikari Chinoutori to frown. This occurrence was becoming more and more frequent. Honestly, he was beginning to worry. Never in his years as a parent had he heard his daughter sigh so theatrically. She was the type of girl who rolled with the punches. She had taken her grandma's motto 'Never let them see you sweat' to the extreme, so the behavior she showed was a bit odd. It had started a few days after her graduation, he recalled. Since then, she hadn't been herself.

He supposed it was only natural. She didn't have anything to do nowadays. The high school entrance exams were a way off, so of course she wouldn't be studying. Her friends—Ichiro and Megumi—had become a couple some time during the school year, so she had rarely hung out with them, not wanting to interrupt their dates. Still, it was strange to see her act this way. Usually, she would find ways to entertain herself. Now, she would only sit around the house all day, sometimes with her lip poked out. Chinoutori lowered his book. Even now, she was sprawled out on the floor, blankly staring at the ceiling. At one point, she must have slid off the couch. "Mayu-chan," he called.

"Hm…?"

"Why don't you go outside? You've been in the house for a few days now."

"Nah, I don't feel like it," she replied. Chinoutori smiled nervously. His daughter turned on her side, facing his chair. "I don't get it, father. What's wrong with me? It's like I'm completely unmotivated to do anything!" He watched his daughter's eyes narrow. "I don't like feeling this way."

"Mayu-chan… I'm sure that this is just a phase," Chinoutori said. "You'll bounce back as soon as you find something to do." She sat up and, again, sighed heavily.

"That's the problem! I don't want to find something to do!" She folded her legs, putting the soles of her feet together. "I'm so bored, but I don't feel like doing anything. Is this really normal? Sometimes I feel so out of place like—like-" Mayu rapidly scratched her scalp in frustration. "I don't know anymore! Argh!" She abruptly stood up. "I think I'll take a walk after all—find some strays to play with. I'll be back before dinner!"

He watched her go. She was completely unaware of the frown on his face. Chinoutori lowered his gaze after the front door shut. His daughter knew nothing, and yet on some level of her subconscious… she knew. The man chuckled. It was without humor. He set the book down on his lap, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Flipping the phone open, he dialed a number. His own eyes narrowed as he listened to the ringing. "I'm sorry… Sheena," he thought. Finally, he heard the pickup. "Hello, grandfather… Yes, it's me… It's about Mayu." He dipped his chin, causing his bangs to cover his dark eyes. "Yes, I think it's time."

0-0

Mayu was excited. She hadn't been this excited in quite some time. The last time she had felt this way is when she had received her black belt from her Martial Arts instructor. That had been a year ago. Finally, after what seemed like a decade, her parents were taking her back to her father's hometown. The trip to this prefecture was long, but in the end, it was completely worth it. She hadn't seen her grandparents or uncles for a very long time, it seemed. The young teenager stuck her head out of the open window, wide grin on her face. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the entrance to the small town.

Out of nowhere, her father had announced that it was time for a family vacation. The workaholic in her mother had immediately protested this impromptu vacation, but after a little persuasion—her father was good at that—Ishikari Sheena consented. Though, she was still disgruntled. Then again, she had been more irritated than usual as of late. Mentally shrugging, Mayu decided to put that at the back of her mind for now. They were getting closer and closer to her grandparents' house.

Finally, her father stopped the van, putting it in park. With a squeal, the young teen removed her seatbelt and opened the door. In the passenger seat, her mother warned her not to jump on her father-in-law. Hurriedly, Mayu moved up the three steps and stopped in front of pale blue door. After smoothing her hair down and pulling at her loose shorts, the girl rang the loud doorbell. Seriously, it sounded like a cow mooing right in a person's ear. It was long doorbell, too. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a short elderly woman. Her neck-length grey hair almost looked silver since there were so little black strands left. Her brown eyes turned upwards as she locked her fingers behind her back.

"Well, if it isn't the young hell raiser herself," her raspy voice greeted. Mayu grinned and hugged her grandmother. As usual, she smelled of smoke and herbs. Smoke because she smoked half a pack a day despite the doctor's orders. Herbs because she and her husband owned the bathhouse at the far end of town. "Yeah, yeah, get off me." The young girl stood up to her full height again. "Why are you so much taller?"

"Well, it has been two years since I've seen you, grandma! I was almost taller than you back then," Mayu answered. The old woman scoffed and turned, yelling out for her husband. Ishikari Hitomi hadn't changed a bit. "I'll go get our things!" The teen dashed back towards the van. Her father had already lifted the trunk. "Why isn't mother helping?" she muttered, watching her mother go straight into the two-story house.

"I told her she couldn't," her father answered with a shrug. He gave two suitcases to his daughter. She grunted at the weight but was relatively fine with it. He placed a third suitcase on top. "Bad back, you know."

"Bad back…? Yeah right! She just dropped kicked me last week!"

"Things change," Chinoutori replied, lifting the rest of the suitcases from the van. He only carried two. "Could you get the door, sweetie?" Mayu nodded her head as her father headed towards his parents' house. She lifted her leg, and then brought it down. The trunk slammed shut. Grunting, Mayu turned and began walking towards the house as well. Luckily, her father held open the door for her. Once she was inside, she set the suitcases down and took off her shoes. Because of that, she could now see clearly. There to greet her with a grin was Ishikari Shohei—her grandfather. "Now, Mayu, don't lose your head," her father warned. However, by then, the young teen had already launched herself at the older man, nearly screaming his title.

She would never admit this aloud to anyone, but out of all her relatives, she liked her grandfather the most. He was awesome. It wasn't because he was wise. It wasn't because he gave the best hugs. It wasn't because he whacked his own son on the head on occasion. It was because he could still block her swinging kick. "Mayu-chan, I do wish you would greet me normally," Shohei said as Mayu lowered her leg. She shrugged and stated that there was no fun in that. "My, my, you've certainly grown. Are you sixteen now?" he questioned as he patted her head. Unlike his wife, Shohei was very tall. He also retained most of his dark hair.

"Nah, not until two months," Mayu replied. "So are the room arrangements the same or do I get my own room this time?"

"Yes, you will get your own room. Your uncle has a home of his own now," Shohei answered.

"Ooh! Is he coming to visit?"

"Yes, as will your other uncle." The older man ushered the girl towards the stairs. "Put your things in the rooms. Your parents and I have something to discuss."

"Kay!" Mayu didn't see anything wrong with that, and so she grabbed as many suitcases as she could before going up the steps, leading to the next floor. Her movements to the next level were slow. The process of finding her father's old room was equally slow. She didn't want to drop any of the heavy suitcases. Her mother would maim her if something of hers broke. Straining, Mayu turned the doorknob and twisted, and then pushed open the door. Quickly, she moved over to the bed. With a relieved sigh, she dumped the suitcases onto the bed.

Technically, this room belong to her father and his older brother—Ishikari Ryosuke, the middle child. Last time Mayu and her parents had visited, she had to share a room with them. It was weird because she had to listen to her parents giggling and kissing each other. They hadn't gone any further with her in the room, pretending to be asleep, but she would rather not have to go through that again. Luckily, she didn't have to this time around.

Smiling to herself, Mayu grabbed only her suitcase and scurried out of the room. Her uncle's room was right across the hall. It was the second biggest bedroom in the house with the best view. After dropping her suitcase, Mayu walked over to the window. She could see the whole town from here—not to mention the mountain. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She loved this place. Never would she tell her father that she felt more at home here than in Tokyo. There was something about it. Although she had only been here a few times, she felt connected somehow. Probably because this place was Ishikari. Every member of the family resided here. Except father. He had always been the black sheep of the family.

Then again, his desire to be away from this place—and his incessant bitching, according to Uncle Ryosuke—led Grandmother Hitomi to send him to a high school in Tokyo, thus her father met her mother. So, it wasn't all bad. Mayu backed away from the window and sat down on the edge of the bed. With a sigh, she fell back. She wasn't necessarily tired, but that had been a long trip. Her body probably needed to rest. After all, she had fought sleep several times during the ride. Just as she was about to close her eyes, someone cleared their throat.

Mayu sat up and looked towards the door. It had been her father. "Were you about to take a nap?" he asked. The young teen nodded her head. "That's fine. Your mother will rest as well while I unpack."

"Okay, I'll unpack when I wake up." Mayu noticed the tight frown on her father's face. She chose not to comment on it. That was only because she had commented on it before, during the trip. Chinoutori had only given a vague answer. She had not understood him, but obviously, something was bothering him. Perhaps it had something to do with why her mother was so moody lately. Mayu scratched her cheek. "If I'm not up before dinnertime could you wake me? I wanna help grandfather with the cooking!"

"Ah… Yes, of course, Mayu-chan." He smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His eyelids lowered a bit as he closed the door. Mayu scratched her cheek, and then lied back down on the bed. Her parents were behaving so strangely. It had started soon after she graduated from junior high school, too. But did she have room to talk? They weren't the only ones. Still, their strange behavior had become increasingly noticeable since the start of the trip. Her usual happy father had frowned a lot. Her mother, usually loud and teasing her father in some way, had become almost lethargic. The woman was by no means a lazy person.

"I wonder what's up with them…" Mayu shut her eyes and turned on her side. She supposed she would find out eventually. Their shift in behavior had something to do with being here, that was certain. They had behaved this way the last time, too. Yeah, it was certain that the location had something to do with it. An inaudible yawn made Mayu realize how tired she was. Eventually, she would find the underlying cause of this problem, but for now, it was time to let the sand man do his thing. A chuckle escaped her lips. "Haha… Gaara-kun…" she murmured, sleepily.

0-0

Mayu woke with a start. Nearly drenched in sweat, she panted lightly, eyes wide open. "That was…" Her hand reached up, clenching the part of her shirt that covered her chest. Her heart pounded. She wished this reoccurring dream would stop ending the same way every time. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut. Dying in a dream really sucked. Finally, the girl opened her eyes and looked around. The room had taken on an orange tint. Her gaze drifted to the window. The sun was in the middle of setting. She rubbed at her left eye as she yawned.

"Guess I wasn't sleeping that long," she thought, moving to standing. Raising her arms, she stretched, and then brought then down, reaching for her ankles. For a few moments, Mayu continued stretching—something she did whenever she woke up, nap or otherwise. Once done, she headed towards the door. The sounds of conversation reached her ears—more than two voices. There were others here. They sounded familiar, too. Suddenly grinning, Mayu nearly leapt down the stairs and rushed towards the room where the voices were coming from. In the living room, her two uncles and father abruptly cut their conversation short upon noticing her. "Uncle!"

"Mayu-tan~!" Ishikari Tetsu, the oldest of the brothers, stood up from his chair. With quick movements, he stood in front of her, and then embraced her in a bear hug, even lifting her off the ground. "You're so-" He set her back down. "Why are you wet?" he questioned.

"Oh, I had a dream… where I had to beat up people to become the best international fighter," Mayu lied perfectly. She had once told her mother about the actual dream, but the woman had gotten highly upset, so she opted not to mention it again. "I woke up before I could get the trophy and prize money, though." She feigned disappointment.

"You're so cute, Mayu-tan!" Her uncle poked his lips out, intending to plant a kiss to her forehead as he had done so—a lot—in the past. However, just like the other times, he was stopped by Ryosuke. The younger brother had grabbed the back of Tetsu's collar and yanked him back, comically choking him.

"Stop harassing our niece," he said coolly. Ignoring his brother's sputters, Ryosuke greeted Mayu with a small smile. "You look well, Mayu—exercising daily, I hope?" The girl nodded. "That's good." The man was a doctor. He was always asking about or commenting on a person's health. He often gave his own mother lectures about smoking. She only told him to 'jack off and leave me be.' Seriously. "Is your mother still sleeping?"

"I guess," Mayu answered with a shrug.

"That is somewhat okay. In her condition, she should rest, but she shouldn't get too much of it," Ryosuke stated. The girl blinked.

"Condition…?" she repeated.

"Yes-" Despite the loud and obvious way Chinotori tried to change the subject, his brother continued. "Your mother's with child." His younger brother smacked his palm to his forehead. That is what caught his attention. "What? You didn't tell her?"

"I was going to!"

Ryosuke merely scoffed, unperturbed that he had just revealed a big surprise. "Mom's pregnant?! I'm going to be a big sister? Oh my god!" Mayu exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me?" Her father appeared quite apologetic and stated that he planned to tell the whole family tonight over dinner. Chinoutori then glared at his older brother. Ryosuke remained unconcerned.

"But he had to go and ruin it with his doctor evaluation before I could get the chance!"

"I can't help it if I'm just that good." Ryosuke was very conceited about his skills. But he was good. He probably figured out Sheena was pregnant immediately. "Anyway, it's getting dark. Don't you think it's time, little brother?" Chinoutori narrowed his eyes, and then shifted his gaze to his daughter. She still had a dreamy expression on her face as Tetsu hugged her tightly, repeatedly calling her cute. Her father stood up abruptly, causing all previous movement in the room to halt.

"Mayu, come with me," he ordered. The teen blinked at the shift in the atmosphere. It had suddenly turned serious. Even her affectionate uncle had released her. Mayu nodded her head, and then followed her father towards the front door. After they left the house, the two walked in silence. Five minutes passed. In those five minutes, Mayu couldn't help but to look at her father with worried eyes. It wasn't like him to have such a conflicted aura. At last, father and daughter came to a stop in front of a vending machine. "What would you like—orange juice?" The teen nodded her head.

As her father focused on the vending machine, Mayu's eyes drifted. She recognized this place. They were in a small park now. She didn't notice that this was their destination. Well, was this their destination, or was her father just thirsty? He tossed the juice without warning, but Mayu managed to catch it after fumbling a bit. "Father…?" Chinoutori grunted as he opened his tea. "Is there something you want to tell me?" The man froze in the middle of taking a sip. The teen lowered her eyelids as she poked a hole in the box with the straw. "I don't mind if you beat around the bush, but I wish you would tell me." She placed the straw in her mouth. "Are you going to tell me?" she asked before sipping on her cold beverage.

"Ah… You're so perceptive, Mayu-chan," her father remarked. The girl scratched her cheek and smiled. Chinoutori drank a bit of his tea before sighing out. "Do you want to know how your mother and I got together?"

"No."

"So cruel, Mayu-chan! You used to always want to hear!"

"Yeah, when I was younger," Mayu replied with a shrug. "Does have something to do with you and mom's behavior lately?" Slowly, her father nodded. The girl sighed. "You really are going to beat around the bush, aren't you?" The parent scowled at the child. "Then fine. Please tell me."

"As you already know, Shee-chan and I encountered one another in high school," Chinoutori began. "However, it wasn't until much later, after high school, that we began seeing each other."

"Ah, so mom was intimidating back then as well. Or were you a coward and didn't talk to her?"

"Hey, I used to be the coolest guy in high school!"

"Not cool enough to talk with mom apparently." Mayu smirked as she averted her eyes. Her father almost roared, causing the girl to giggle. "But I'm not wrong, right?" Chinoutori scoffed and pouted.

"My eyes were… always glued to her," he murmured. "I wasn't the only one of course. That first year must have been awkward for her. I did want to talk to her, but I was a bit of a foreigner myself. I guess I didn't have enough courage. It was like I had every opportunity to approach her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it even when I knew she was struggling with the language." Chinoutori sighed loudly. "By second year though, she had become fluent, and didn't mind speaking with other students. It wasn't long before she had friends and admirers."

"Ooh, were you jealous?"

"No! That didn't happen until later! After…" He trailed off, shifting his eyes to the sky. He swallowed hard, recalling the memory. "After I made physical contact with her—that's when I started seeing her as a woman. We both had cleaning duty. We had just finished cleaning the room and we were about to leave when she sharply turned and ran into me. We both fell to the floor."

"Kyaa~! Just like shoujo?!" Mayu squealed and held her cheeks. "Did you accidently kiss?! Was it your first?!" Chinoutori gave his daughter a blank look, and then rolled his eyes. He had forgotten about Mayu's guilty pleasure of reading romance manga.

"No, Mayu-chan, there was no kiss," he replied. She seemed highly disappointed with that. "We had quickly untangled ourselves. She apologized and explained that she had left her law books in the classroom. That's when I realized she wanted to be a lawyer. I thought she was cool that she already knew exactly what she wanted to be. Before that I hadn't thought of a future career for myself. I had decided to become a bartender after that."

"Lame."

"Quiet you!"

"So, did you and mom become friends?"

"No, not really. We didn't have another conversation after that." Mayu frowned and shook her head. She also remarked that her father was 'uncool.' She had said so in English, too. Such a cruel daughter he had. Chinoutori lowered his eyes to the ground. A small smile crossed his face. "We didn't have another conversation until years after our graduation when she walked into the bar where I worked. I hadn't noticed her until the other customers began whispering about the foreigner. I looked up and our eyes happened to meet." Mayu gasped.

"Did you instantly recognize each other?"

"No."

"Haah… Your story would so not become a drama—so disappointing."

"Not all relationships start with sugary goodness."

"Boring! Did you at least get her phone number by this point?"

"Actually, I got more than that! I got a kiss," he sounded smug. Mayu's eyes lit up. "She was drunk, though." Her excitement crumbled. "She was so drunk that she didn't even talk Japanese anymore. I had to take her home because I felt sorry for her. I didn't realize it was Shee-chan until we were at my apartment and I found her ID. In her drunken state, she recognized me and called me taka, though."

"Well, hawk is a type of bird," Mayu stated. "What happened then? When do you kiss?"

Taka-kun…? Oh, it's you. I've always liked you!

"… is what she said before taking the kiss by force," Chinoutori announced.

"Haha! That sounds like mother!"

"The next morning wasn't pleasant, though. She assumed things and nearly killed me, but after the situation was explained, she calmed down," he continued. "We had a couple problems, but a year of dating later, she agreed to marry me." The man finished off his canned tea. "I brought her here to meet my family. At first, they were wary of her, but eventually she showed them how cool she was. Tetsu had a small crush on her."

"Ew… I didn't need to know that about uncle."

"We married here as well, and it was on that day… you were born."

"Shotgun wedding?!" Mayu exclaimed.

"No… In other words, Shee-chan and I… found you."

His words shocked the young teen to her very core. Staring wide-eyed at her father, Mayu's lips parted. Her head shook a bit, not understanding—not wanting to understand. He couldn't mean that in the literal sense, right? There was just no way. Her father… He couldn't seriously mean what he'd said. An uneasy chuckle came from the girl's mouth. "What? What are you talking about?" He smiled sadly.

"After the ceremony, we visited the Ishikari shrine a few miles away from the bathhouse. It's tradition in our family for newly married couples to do so—to visit the Ishikari of the past. That is when you appeared before us." Mayu swallowed hard. No, this couldn't be true. "We brought you back. Ryosuke concluded that you were nine years old. However, you had no memories beside your name."

"What are you saying? We're not related. You picked me up like a stray cat?! I won't believe this! You're lying!"

"Mayu… Haven't you ever wondered why you are the only one to have blue eyes in our family?"

Her body slumped. Actually, she had wondered about that quite a few times. She had always been so different from everyone else. No one had questioned her skin color when they realized who her mother was, but they had been curious about the color of her eyes. She had told her classmates a simple answer. Genetics. She had said and believed it. A recessive gene in both her parents' families explained her characteristics. But now… Mayu swallowed hard. Her father—the man she claimed as father—had told her that a combination of himself and his wife had not created her. Their genetics had nothing to do with her. The corner of her eyes stung with the heavily realization.

"No way…" Mayu whispered. "No way!"

"You must have wondered why you can't remember anything before the age of nine."

"There… There… are plenty of people who can't remember that time in their lives. What does it matter?"

"You must have wondered why you have such young parents compared to your peers," he said.

"… I… I…" Mayu no longer knew what to say.

"I believe," he said quietly. A deep sigh left him before he continued. "My family believes that you… come from a parallel universe just as our ancestors did before."

"… Huh?"

"Three generations ago, Ishikari Mitsuo appeared in this town with no previous records. Along with another—a woman who he eventually married. She had no records as well. They both could not remember anything before arriving here. As this place was even smaller back then, no one questioned their arrival. They had children, and their children had children. I am a descendant of those two who appeared out of nowhere," Chinoutori stated. "Although the two had forgotten things of their past lives, their stories were told and passed down through the generations. In those stories, it states that the two were sent here by use of a powerful jutsu, belonging to the Ishikari clan. Legend states that a child would appear in the same manner. However, this child could not stay as they had done. The child would be pulled back and eventually stay back permanently."

"What?!" Despite hearing the information, Mayu could not begin to comprehend the onslaught. Adoption? Fine. She understood the big reveal. She could accept something like that. Fine. But alternate universes? Powerful jutsu? Why would her father say these irrational things to explain her adoption? "I don't understand! I don't understand! Why-?"

"Genetically, you are Ishikari—Ryosuke confirmed that as well—but you are not my offspring. You are a descendant of Mitsuo, but you are my ancestor as well."

The juice box dropped from her hand. Mayu took a step back. It felt as though her whole world was caving in, only to shatter. Her throat constricted. She couldn't breathe. Her heart felt as it had stopped. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he saying these impossible things? Impossible. This was impossible. Jutsu…? Legend…? Impossible! Mayu shuddered, taking a half step back. Her father dropped to his knees, head bowed low. His empty can dropped to the cement. The sound of the collision snapped her out of her tail spinning thoughts. Swallowing was still difficult, but she managed to breathe. She focused her sight on the kneeling man.

"Forgive me, Mayu!" he exclaimed. "I know this may be hard for you to digest. You were led to believe that I am your father, so accepting this—your heart doesn't want to. But I ask you to think with your mind. This is the truth. This has always been the truth!"

Mayu pursed her lips. He was right. She needed to calm down. Her feelings for this person in front of her were preventing her from thinking logically. Shutting her eyes, she breathed deeply. So that dream… hadn't been a dream at all. "Ishikari Style…" she muttered. "Mind Transfer Jutsu…" she finished in thought. This whole time of having these reoccurring dreams… Living as Haruno Sakura. Dying as Haruno Sakura on that bridge. They had not been dreams. They had been memories. Had she truly possessed the body of a fictional character? Were they all fictional? Or had this world been the fictitious one? Perhaps both were real. Mayu's breath hitched as she opened her eyes. "Parallel universes, huh?"

The girl moved forward, and then slowly dropped to her father's level. He hesitantly met her eye. "Mayu…" Chinoutori mumbled. If what this man said is true, he had raised her as his own for seven years. He and his wife raised a stranger. Could she blame him for lying to her for all these years? Would she have even believed it? Even now, she didn't want to believe it. But… it seemed as though she had no choice in the matter. "If its proof you want, I can show you."

"Proof…?" Mayu repeated, furrowing her brow.

"Yes… The secret of Ishikari." He moved to stand. She did as well. "What I speak is outlandish, and only Ishikari knows of this for obvious reasons." Chinoutori shut his eyelids. "Let me show you our eyes." His brow furrowed as his face took on a look of concentration. Now that she thought about it, she had overheard her parents before. After her first coma. Her father had mentioned not having the eyes. "Every person with Ishikari blood through their veins has these eyes. Except you. Let me show you our secret bloodline." Slowly, he opened his eyes. Upon seeing the change in color in her father's eyes, Mayu could only gape in shock… and mild horror.

Obvious reasons, indeed!

0-0

Mayu knocked on the door. She waited a few moments before entering. Expectedly, Ishikari Sheena was looking over documents—probably from her job. The teen shook her head, and then shut the door behind her. The closing creak made the woman look up from the stack of papers. The two stared at one another. Finally, the woman sighed heavily and shifted her eyes back down. "Judging from the look on your face, he has told you everything?" The girl walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She dipped her chin, focusing on the floor. "So, you realize that I am not your real mother." Mayu sharply turned her head.

"You may not be my biological mother, but you are my mother!" she nearly shouted. "I won't ever forget that!"

"Mayu…" The woman suddenly smiled. She set the papers down. "Such a good girl, you are." The corner of her lips dropped. "Then you're going back?"

"Yes." Mayu frowned as well. "I don't believe I have a choice. I've already been pulled back twice. If I don't transport my own body, I could become stuck." The girl sighed. "The whole thing sounds pretentious, but I don't wanna get stuck in between." Sheena chuckled lightly. "But yeah… Now that I know, I can't go on without knowing everything. For that to happen, I want to go back. I would rather not leave, though."

"No, I understand. I've been trying to ignore your 'birth' for your years. After that first time where your mind was pulled, I knew for sure, but I didn't want that, and so I tried to suppress you," Sheena stated. "And then when you were unconscious again, but didn't recall anything while you were out, I thought maybe…" A soft sigh came from her lips. "But your sudden lack of motivation to do anything—both your father and I knew the reason for it. It's because you are meant to do more—to be more. Your grandfather said that Mitsuo and his wife were the same way, though they could not recall the reason."

"So, you knew about this family before you married dad?" Mayu questioned.

"Nah, he sprung it on me after we found you," she said with a roll of her eyes. Her mother's native tongue had always been fun to hear. The girl responded with a laugh. "I didn't know everything until a week later, though." She sighed heavily again. "I married a friggin' ninja, and now I'm having his kid. Couldn't escape now even if I wanted to."

"Thought of a name yet?"

"No. I'm only two months in."

"That shouldn't matter. I think you should name it Mayumi if it's a girl!"

"Why?"

"I don't know." Mayu shrugged. "I've always liked the name." For a while, the two sat in silence. At last, the younger Ishikari crawled on the bed, towards the woman. Her arms wrapped around Sheena in a tight hug. "I love you, mother." Her eyes squeezed shut. "That won't change even if my memories of my real family return." Sheena returned the embrace, tearing up a bit. Mother and daughter remained in this position for quite some time before a knock on the door interrupted. They broke apart, looking towards the door. Ishikari Shohei made himself known.

"It is time," he said. Both stood from the bed. They followed the older man down the stairs. They continued to go down, into the basement where Hitomi, Tetsu, Ryosuke, and Chinoutori awaited. For a moment, Mayu stared at the men of this family. Haah. Knowing what she knew now, it was quite obvious. Their physical features… They were near spitting images of each other. Dark hair and dark eyes. Same angular faces. The same shape of their eyes. It should have been obvious from the first time she had made comparisons. What a naïve child she had been, thinking they were her family. Well, they were still her family, weren't they?

Mayu frowned as she watched her grandmother removed the cigarette from her mouth. She raised a brow, and then blew out a puff of smoke. "Let's get this over with," she muttered, squishing her cigarette against the wall she had been leaning against. Hitomi walked over to Mayu, grabbed her wrist and led her over to her uncles and father. Chinoutori and Ryosuke stood opposite from each other a few feet apart. Tetsu stood off to the side. Shohei completed the square when he walked over. Blue eyes looked at each member of her surrogate family before nodding her head. Hitomi walked back over to her mother, allowing the younger woman to latch on to her for support. With a roll of her eyes, she spoke again. "You can never come back, so don't attempt to."

"Jeez, granny, I'll miss you, too," Mayu retorted.

"She's right, though," Ryosuke stated. "Whatever you may face in that place, you must never use the forbidden jutsu of your clan. We fear your mind will not be able to handle the transfer again."

"I got it."

"Then let's proceed," Shohei announced. The four males sat, folding their legs and facing towards the teen. Perfectly in sync, their hands came together. Mayu recognized it as the ram seal. Frowning, she closed her eyes. This was really happening, huh? She, apparently, was returning to her true home—the home of ninja. Would she be okay just going back like this? It didn't matter at this point. She would find out anyway. Mayu opened her eyes, hearing the slapping of hands. "Transfer mind…!" The girl grabbed her head, feeling as though her brain was being ripped from her skull. A painful grunt came from the teen.

"Transfer body…" Ryosuke continued. Mayu suddenly felt cold. An unnatural wind made her shiver.

"Transfer soul!" Tetsu exclaimed. The girl's head sprung back. A silent scream shook her body.

"Forbidden Ninja Art!" Chinoutori slowly opened his eyes, as did the rest of his male family members. Four pairs of deep red eyes focused on the frozen teen. In unison, the males cried out. "Transportation of Ishikari… Liberation!" A blinding light exploded from the girl's body. There came a scream, but it cut off as it had come. Everything seemed to stop. Hesitantly, everyone in the room opened their eyes. All was still. Ryosuke was the first to stand.

"It worked," he murmured. He flinched, stance wavering before he fell to his knees. "It would seem the release took a lot out of us. I don't recommend standing for some time." He breathed in deeply, lifting a hand to press his palm against his forehead. The red of his eyes shifted back to onyx. "Mayu has gone back to her own world. With her departure, fortunately, we will no longer need to practice such things."

"Mayu-tan~!" Tetsu whimpered, already missing his niece's presence.

"Stop talking like that—you're a grown man," Hitomi told her son. "Barely."

"I hope… she'll be alright," Chinoutori said.

"The blood of Ishikari runs strongly through her veins. She will grow and prosper in her true home."

0-0

See...? I told you. Just replacement. Can you spot all the differences? Eheh.