A groan escaped Nanami's lips as she sluggishly sat up, blinking rapidly as the light of the sunset burning her eyes.

"Ugh, where am I? What era is this?"

Glancing at her surroundings, Nanami realized she had appeared right outside a shrine quite similar to her own. In the distance, she could see a cluster of huts.

"Judging by the buildings, I went far enough back in time, but how am I going to find Sakura-" Nanami's thoughts were interrupted by a loud shriek.

"That's it, ya little mutt! Get out of here!" an angry voice shouted.

"That sounds like it came from the shrine!"

Leaping to her feet, Nanami raced to the wall surrounding the sacred building and peered over the top of it. Standing in the courtyard were two young women, one burly and one skinny, and resting at their feet was a pile of rags and filth. Judging by the cat ears resting on top of each girl's head, they were cat yokai who were serving as familiars in the shrine.

"Go on! Scram, ya runt! You're not wanted around here!" the butchy neko snarled as she kicked the bundle on the ground. A loud whimper followed, and Nanami's eyes widened in horror.

"That's not a bundle of clothes. It's a child!"

Slowly, the bundle began to stand up, revealing a pair of unmistakable, oversized, red fox ears.

Nanami gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh my gosh, that's-"

The young version of Sakura brushed her tangled red hair out of her eyes and gazed up at the muscular cat woman. "P-Please, I just want to speech with the goddess of this shrine-"

"Our goddess doesn't have time street rats! Now besides, you're a canine so you're not welcome here!"

"Please, just let me speak with her! I was hoping she would like to take on another familiar-"

"Absolutely ridiculous. There is no way our master would have any use for you. Now leave before I-"

"Wait sister, let's hear her out. After all, having another familiar around means less work for us." the slimmer, more delicate neko said as she stepped forward. "Do you have any experience with housework child?"

Sakura's ears drooped and she shook her head.

"Cooking?"

The young fox shook her head again.

"Gardening?"

Again, another no.

"Any fighting ability or experience?"

Sakura didn't even answer and hung her head shamefully.

"Told you she would be of no use. Just send her away already so we can get back to our work." the burly neko stated flatly.

"No, please don't do that!" Sakura begged, her eyes full of desperation. "I may not know any skills, but I'm willing to learn. Please just give me a chance."

"You're not worth the effort kid. Leave and quit wasting our time."

Sakura's sighed as she accepted the inevitable. "C-Could I at least have a meal and spend the night here? It's getting colder at night and all the small animals, berries, and nuts are disappearing."

By now, the muscular neko was fuming.

"ARE YOU SLOW IN THE HEAD OR SOMETHING?! I SAID SCRAM!!! GET OUT OF HERE ALREADY, YA FILTHY FOX!!!" she roared.

Frightened, Sakura raced out the shrine and into the woods, her tail tucked between her legs.

"Hey, wait! Stop! Sakura, come back!" Nanami cried as the little girl ran past her. When she didn't respond, realization dawned on the goddess.

"That's right. Mizuki only sent my spirit back in time. No one can actually see or hear me."

Taking off after the young kit, Nanami followed her to a lake a few miles. By the time Sakura stopped, the goddess was panting and wheezing. As the little girl sat down by the water's edge, Nanami slid down beside a nearby tree and leaned against its trunk for support.

"Man, I haven't even been here that long and I'm already tired. I can't go back yet though; I've barely learned anything."

The sound of sobbing pulled Nanami from her thoughts. Frowning, she glanced at Sakura and realized the young fox was in fact crying as she gazed at her reflection in the water.

"That was the last one. I've now traveled to every shrine I know of but they all turned me away..." the yokai whimpered to herself. After a moment, her face scrunched up angrily and she struck at her reflection in the water. "It isn't fair! It's not my fault that my parents were killed before they could teach me how to fight or work! Why can't someone just take me in and teach me what I need to know?! I can't improve if no one gives me a chance."

Nanami's heart wrenched as she watched the large tears spilling down Sakura's face.

Wiping her eyes, the little fox gazed up at the sky above her.

"Please, if any of you gods are listening, all I ask for is a single chance."

Nanami felt eyes watering as she listened to the little girl's pleas. "Sakura..."

Suddenly, a bunch of giddy shouts filled the air. Sakura immediately sprang to her feet and ran to hide in a nearby bush just as three boys emerged from the woods, fishing poles in their hands.

"I don't want you to leave, Koga. Things won't be the same if you're gone." the boy dressed in blue whimpered, wiping his eyes.

"I don't have a choice. My parents want me to become a great warrior like my ancestors so they're sending me to train with other boys at the shrine of the war kami, Takehaya." answered the boy dressed in red.

"You won't forget about us though, will you, Koga?" asked the boy's other friend, who was clothed in yellow.

Koga chuckled. "Of course not."

"Have you told Mei about this yet?" asked the boy in blue.

Koga sighed and shook his head. "No, I don't want to upset her."

"Yeah...Hey, maybe the three of us can come and train with you!"

"What are you saying? Mei couldn't go to the war kami's shrine! Only boys are allowed to train there, you baka!" snapped the yellow-clad boy as he reached over and slapped his cerulean companion, who yelped in pain.

"Well why don't we just disguise Mei as a boy then?" he grumbled p, rubbing his tender cheek.

"The consequences are extreme for any girls who sneak into the shrine and are discovered. Any accomplices of theirs receive severe punishment as well. If I sneak Mei in and she gets found out, I could be kicked out or worse." said Koga.

A dreary silence fell over the three boys as they stood staring out at the lake.

"So this is it then? Our last time together before you leave in a few days?" asked the boy in blue.

Koga forced a smile onto his face. "You guys are acting like I'm leaving forever. I'm just going to be gone for a few years. We'll see each other again."

"But it won't be the same, Koga. You'll be different then." sighed the boy in yellow.

Koga sighed and straightened his posture. "Then we better stop moping around and make this the best stinking fishing trip we've ever had!"

The two other boys managed to smile and followed their friend to the water, but Nanami was no longer focused on them. Instead she was watching Sakura from where the little fox was crouched amongst the shrubbery. The goddess could practically see the gears turning in the little girl's head as she thought about what she just heard. Suddenly, something clicked, and Sakura's eyes filled with a bright light. Leaping to her feet, she hastily scurried off, being careful not to step on any twigs to branches that would alert the boys to her presence.

Nanami's lips curved into a deep frown.

"I hope she isn't thinking what I think she is. If so, she's putting herself in a lot of danger." she worried. "I better go after her. If I lose her now, I doubt I'll be able to find her again."

Rising to her feet, Nanami groaned as her limbs ached in protest.

"Stupid kit, can't she just stay in one place for awhile? I wish I there was some way I could just skip ahead to the important parts of her past and avoid all this running..."

Suddenly, the scene before Nanami began to grow dim, much to the goddess' dismay.

"No! Don't send me back yet! I'm not done!"

However, to the land god's surprise, she wasn't sent back to her own era. Instead, when the darkness cleared, she found herself standing beside a wide dirt road with many trees lining either side. The sky overhead was turning pink and purple as the sun peeked up from the eastern horizon.

"What the heck?! Where am I now? What just happened?!" the goddess wondered.

Suddenly, the sound of walking feet greeted Nanami's ears. Turning, she saw the boy from before, Koga, heading down the road by himself, a large pack on his shoulders. His dark, unruly hair had been cropped short, and the dirty smudges of youthful play that had adorned his face the day before had been scrubbed away. Unlike when he was with his friends, the light was now gone from his eyes and he wore a grave, tired expression as he trudged slowly along the road.

"He looks so sad...Stop that, he isn't your concern! You have other things to worry about. You came back in time to learn about Sakura and right now you have no idea where she is-"

"Hey! Wait up!" exclaimed a voice, surprising both the goddess and the mortal boy.

Running up the road was a boy with short, fiery red hair and vibrant green eyes and appeared to be around ten years of age. He was clothed in a large, modest, brown shirt and tan shorts with a pair of worn sandals clinging weakly to his feet as he ran. At first, Nanami didn't recognize the child, but as he drew closer, realization hit her.

"Oh my gosh, that's not a little boy; that's Sakura!"

Koga frowned as the strange "boy" ran up to him. "Can I help you?"

Sakura blushed and scratched her head nervously. "Uh yeah, I hope so. I'm from a far away village and I seem to have gotten lost. Could you help me?"

"Sure. Where are you trying to get to?"

"The shrine of the war kami. My parents are sending me there to train to become a warrior."

A small smile crept onto Koga's face. "I'm headed there too. Just follow me."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm Koga. What's your name?"

"Shoda." Sakura answered, relieved that her lie had been bought.

"We better get moving. We still have a long way to go and we don't want to be late or else."

"Alright."

Nanami groaned internally at the thought of more walking.

"Hey, maybe I can just skip ahead again."

For a few minutes, the goddess waited expectantly for everything around her to go back and then take her to another scene. However, much to her dismay, nothing happened.

"Seriously?! Alright, walking it is. Great." Nanami sighed before hastily running after the two children. "Geez, how are these kids so fast?"

---------------

Mizuki sighed as he glanced from Nanami's sleeping face to the clock on the wall. "Come on, Nanami, hurry! You have to wake up before-"

As if on cue, the door to the human kami's bedroom was throw open, causing the snake familiar to jump.

"What's going on in here? Why do I smell incense burning?!" Tomoe barked. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the magical incense burner sitting next to Nanami's bed. "What is that thing doing in here? Don't tell me you sent Nanami back in time?!"

Mizuki nervously began to back away from the angry fox. "Okay. I won't tell you then."

Tomoe immediately lunged forward with an angry growl and grabbed Mizuki by his clothes. "Baka, you sent her back in time and didn't go with her?! Whose protecting her then?! She could be killed!"

"Tomoe, calm down! I only sent Nanami-chan's spirit back so no one can see her or hear her. She's not in any danger."

"I don't care! Bring her back this instant!"

"I already tried but she won't listen! Wherever she is, she is determined to stay there and see what happens."

Tomoe's eyes widened in horror. "You don't even know what time period you sent her back to?!"

"It's not my fault! I had to guess because I don't know how old Sakura is and I don't want to ask!" Mizuki cried.

"What does Sakura's age have to do with anything?!"

"Nanami went back to learn about Sakura's past so she can help her!"

"We'll bring her back! It's too dangerous for her to be in an unknown time period all by herself."

"I told you, I already tried; it didn't work!"

"Well try again!"

"Fine!" Rolling his eyes, Mizuki crawled back to Nanami's side and sat down. Picking up the incense burner, he closed his eyes and began to chant softly. Meanwhile, Tomoe glanced at Nanami's sleeping face, his lips curving into a worried from.

"Please come back to us, Nanami." he pleaded silently.

--------------------

When the world around her turned dark again, Nanami huffed in annoyance.

"This would've been more useful about twenty miles ago." she grumbled to no one in particular. As the darkness disappeared once again, the goddess found herself standing in a courtyard in the middle of the night?

"Where am I?"

Glancing around, Nanami noticed the walls of the courtyard were lined with straw dummies with targets on their chests and heads, a few of which had arrows sticking out of them. Racks of various weapons were clustered together in one corner, their shiny surfaces shimmering in the moonlight. Turning, she found a magnificent shrine looming behind her and around a dozen smaller huts on either side.

"This must be the shrine of the war kami." she concluded.

Suddenly, the door to one of the huts on Nanami's left softly slid open and Sakura poked her head out. After scanning the courtyard to make sure it was clear, she tiptoed across the lawn and over to the collection of weapons. After scouring the racks, she selected several throwing knives and headed towards one of the dummies. Planting her feet firmly on the ground, she wound back then hurled the first knife with a grunt. The blade embedded itself in the dummy's shoulder, much to her displeasure, so she hurled another projectile. This time, the knife pierced the dummy's collarbone and the outermost ring of the target on its chest. Feeling encouraged, Sakura threw knife after knife, hitting various parts of the target. Finally, when only three blades were left in her hand, the fox three all of them at once. The three knives sailed gracefully through the air before plunging into the bullseye of the target. Grinning from ear to ear, Sakura removed the knives from the dummy and head them up in the light of the moon to make sure there were no smudges or scratches on them.

"Wow, she isn't half bad. With a little more training, she could be great at knife throwing." Nanami thought aloud.

As she inspected the blades for damage, Sakura failed to notice something moving about within the shadows of the shrine, steadily creeping up on her.

"Last I checked your curfew was a few hours ago. What are you doing up?"

With a gasp, Sakura spun around to find the war kami himself, Takehaya, looming over her. Despite this being his shrine, neither the students or teachers ever saw him in person. Immediately, the fox fell to her knees and bowed before the god, her forehead resting against the cool ground.

"Please forgive me, Lord Takehaya. I was just trying to squeeze in some late night practice. I shall return to my room now." she stammered.

"No, do not move. I would like to have a word with you, fox." the war kami stated.

Sakura's eyes widened but she quickly recovered her composure. "I don't know what you mean, sir-"

"Don't play stupid with me, child! I know you're not a human nor are you a male."

"H-How did you find out?"

"You truly think you are the first female or first yokai to try and sneak into my shrine? I know all of your tricks, including this one." Takehaya stated, grabbing hold of the necklace hanging around Sakura's neck. Attached to the end was a familiar leaf charm.

"A nearby kami expressed concern that a her familiars had 'lost' a necklace such as this one. Honestly, you might as well as just walked in here looking like your normal self because having this out in the open all the time is a dead giveaway." the war kami continued before ripping off the necklace. Immediately, Sakura's ears and tail popped out, but aside from that she looked the same. The god stared at her in shock for a moment then began to chuckle.

"Oh you pathetic runt! You can't even use transforming magic right! You could've completely altered your entire appeared with that leaf but instead you only hid your yokai features and altered the rest of your physical appearance yourself? How truly pitiful and dumb you are!" Takehaya jeered.

As the kami laughed at her, Sakura's ears fell and her tail slid between her legs. Slowly, she reached up and caressed her short hair, and her lip began to quiver. As her vision blurred, she hastily wiped her eyes with her sleeve and glared up at Takehaya.

"Fortunately for you, your utter stupidity has put me in good enough humor that I'm willing to let you go without causing a scene." the god continued as he regained his composure. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed hold of Sakura's shirt collar and dragged her towards the courtyard gate as she squirmed in his grasp.

"Hey! Let go of me! Please, don't do this! Let me stay! I promise I won't cause any trouble or let anyone else catch me!" the little fox cried.

"Don't be ridiculous, child. I can't let you remain here and learn how to fight. Women have no place on the battlefield." the god replied as he pushed open the gate. Nanami's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Gee, just when I thought I couldn't hate this guy any more than I already do, I find out he's racist and sexist!"

With a grunt, Takehaya tossed Sakura through the gate, and the kit hit the ground with a thud. Immediately, she got back up and ran to the gate only to have it shut in her face.

"Please, don't do this! If I don't learn how to fight, then no one will take me in as a familiar! Please your lordship, I need to find a home, and I can't then I at least need the skills necessary to survive on my own!"

"You seem to be doing a fine job of that already. Besides, your life isn't my problem. If I cared about every single life on this planet, I wouldn't be a war god. Now leave before I decide to publicly humiliate you in front of your peers." Takehaya growled, his good humor spent.

Whimpering, Sakura retreated into the forest.

"I don't believe it...I can't believe that jerk of a god would just cast aside a child in need like that without a second thought! How can he be so heartless and cruel?!" Nanami thought.

Suddenly the world before her went dark again. When the shadows lifted, they revealed a humble hut next to a mountainside. Snow covered the ground and a bitterly cold wind ripped through the air, causing Nanami to shiver.

"Crap, where am I now?!"

Scanning the area, the goddess noticed someone standing on the porch of the shack, her body wrapped tightly in a hooded cloak. Slowly, the young woman raised a hand and knocked on the front door, and after a moment, it swung open to reveal two young kitsunes who stared up at the visitor with curious eyes.

"Can we help you?" They asked in unison.

"Yes. My name is Sakura, and I'm looking for Banri the Compassionate. Is this his home?" the figure asked.

The two kitsunes nodded. "Yes, yes, come inside. You must be freezing! We'll get you warmed up and then you can speak with old Banri. Come now."

As Sakura was ushered into the hut, Nanami realized that the feeling in her hands and feet were going numb.

"I better go inside too. Hopefully they won't mind hosting an invisible spirit as well." she thought as she hurried towards the hut and slipped inside just before the kitsunes servants closed the door.

-----------------

"It's not working, Tomoe. She's got a strong grip."

"Then we have to find another way to bring her out." Tomoe stated as he anxiously paced back and forth, nearly stepping on Onikiri and Kotetsu as he did so.

Kotetsu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Master Mizuki, have you ever tried sending two people back in time at once?"

Mizuki nodded. "It is possible, but I don't do it often because of how greatly it exhausts all parties involved."

Tomoe stopped and glared daggers at the snake. "Idiot! Why didn't you bring that up before?!"

"I just told you why! Don't yell at me!"

Tomoe slapped Mizuki angrily. "Our master could be in mortal danger and you've known the way to bring her back this entire time but didn't speak up because it would cause you discomfort? Baka, how selfish are you?!"

"I'm not being selfish! I told you sending another person back strains everyone involved, including the person who has already been sent back! That means Lady Nanami! So in reality, you're the one being selfish, Tomoe!"

A low growl escaped the fox's throat, but just as he was about to strangle his fellow familiar, a flicker of movement caught his eye.

"Nanami?"

Much to everyone's surprise, the goddess was starting to toss and turn in her sleep.

"Mizuki, why is she doing that?!" Tomoe snapped as he knelt by his master's side. Instinctively, he felt her pulse and was relieved to find it was still strong.

"Her consciousness is starting to return to her body, which means whatever she wanted to see is almost over. She should be waking up at any moment." Mizuki answered. Kneeling beside his comrade, he softly called out to the goddess, "Lady Nanami, can you hear us?"

---------------------

Benri the Compassionate, an elderly yokai with a cane, exclaimed Sakura from head to toe with one eye then turned his back to her. "I can't help you."

Sakura's face fell. ".....What?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm too old to be teaching anymore. I no longer have the strength to teach young yokai. Besides, you're far past the ideal age for conditioning; any effort made on you would just be wasted." the elderly fox sighed as he sat down.

Sakura's anger flared up. "That's not true!"

"Your outburst only proves my point. Such a temper is not ideal for that of a familiar. By now, your habits and mannerisms are already deeply set so there is nothing I can do-"

"I can change! I just need a guide. Please sir, you're my last hope!" Sakura cried.

"I'm sorry, child. All I can give you is a temporary place to stay, but I am so near to death's door that you might as well go and make a name for yourself."

"But I can't! I can't fight or cook or clean so no one will take me in." The vixen whimpered.

"What has happened to you truly isn't fair, but there is nothing I can do." Benri sighed, rising with the help of one of the younger kitsunes. "You can take shelter her for as long as you like but that is all I can offer you. Please forgive me."

Sakura said nothing as she stared blankly at the fire in the hearth.

"It is getting late so I must bid you goodnight. Rest well." Benri said and hobbled away towards his room, his servants following close behind.

Left alone in front of the fireplace, Sakura watched the flames intently as she processed what the elderly yokai had said.

"He was the last yokai I could ask for help. He was my last hope....Am-Am I really a lost cause? No, I have to have some value! I have to! I can't be just a waste of space! I can't!"

Slowly, big crocodile tears spilled down her cheeks. As the vixen curled up into a ball and cried, Nanami felt heart breaking. Even though she knew the fox couldn't hear or feel her, the goddess hurried to her side and hugged her from behind.

"Oh Sakura, don't listen to that fool. You're not a waste of time or effort. You have more worth than you know." she whispered.

Slowly, Sakura raised her head and glanced around the room. Her eyes were now filled with a cold, angry light.

"Past the age of conditioning, huh? I can't change? Fine, then I'll stick to the only thing I'm good at." she muttered, rising to her feet.

A sense of dread immediately formed in Nanami's stomach. "I have a bad feeling about this..."

"Nanami!"

The goddess jumped and glanced around. "Mizuki?"

"Nanami, wake up!"

Slowly, the world began to grow dark one last time. The goddess immediately started to panic.

"No! I can't go back yet! I can't leave her!"

"Nanami!"

"Please! Let me stay!"

"Lady Nanami, wake up!"

----------------

Nanami's eyes snapped open and she bolted up with a gasp. Immediately, she was enveloped by a pair of warm arms.

"Thank goodness you're back. I was so worried." a familiar voice muttered.

"Tomoe..."

"What were you thinking? Don't you know you could've gotten hurt? Why didn't you wait till I got home so I could come with you? You're so reckless." Tomoe chastised his master softly as he stroked her hair.

"I-I'm sorry..."

The fox familiar pulled back and noticed tears brimming in his master's eyes. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?!"

"Tomoe...It was awful! She was rejected at every turn! No matter what she did or how much she pleaded, no one would help her! She tried everything she could think of to grow and become better but nothing worked. Tomoe, how can people that they turn away someone in need without a second thought? All she wanted was a home and the skills to care for herself. Was that honestly so much to ask?" the goddess sobbed, burying her face into her familiar's chest.

Tomoe was speechless. Unsure of what else to do, he rubbed soothing circles on Nanami's back as she wailed. Just as she started to calm down, the door to her room flew open.

"What's going on in here?!"

All eyes shifted to Sakura, who was looming in the doorway. Judging by her expression, she was extremely annoyed. However, her face shifted to one of surprise as Nanami suddenly leaped to her feet and wrapped the vixen in a hug.

"Sakura, I'm so sorry." the goddess whispered tearfully.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, confused. "Um...It's okay?"

"No it's not! What was done to you is not okay!"

"Nanami, what are you talking about?!"

"I know about your past, Sakura, and I want you to know that I'll give you a chance."

For a moment, Sakura stared at Nanami in shock, her body struggling to process what she had just heard.

"What did you just say?" she whispered, her eyes tearing up.

Nanami smiled warmly at the kitsune. "I'm giving you a chance, Sakura."

For a moment, a great warmth filled Sakura's chest and she felt the urge to cry. However, after a moment, the feeling faded, snuffed out by years of self-doubt.

"Thank you, Nanami, but you're wasting your time."

Nanami's face fell. "What?"

"I don't know how you learned about my past and I appreciate your kindness, but you're wasting your time. I'm a lost cause."

Nanami frowned. "Sakura, that's not true-"

"Yes it is. No matter what I do, it's not enough so why even try any longer? You're wasting your time, Nanami. Forget about whatever you learned and just leave me be. I'm not worth it."

"Sakura-"

"Listen to her, Nanami." Mizuki stated bluntly.

Nanami stared back at him in shock. "What?"

"You can give her as many opportunities as you want but they don't mean anything if she doesn't have any motivation to change."

"But-"

"He's right, Nanami. Listen to him. You would just be wasting your time."

Nanami glanced back and forth between the two, not believing what she was hearing. Suddenly, Atomu appeared in the doorway.

"Nanami, I-What's going on in here?" he asked when he saw the goddess hugging his sister.

"It's nothing." Sakura said simply and pulled away from Nanami. "What do you need?"

"Oh...um, I was hoping Nanami could have Tomoe or Mizuki take me to where you are holding Hiromi. I have a few questions I'd like to ask her."

"O-Of course. We'll all go. Just give me a second to grab a jacket since it is getting dark out." Nanami stated and hurried from the room. As she entered her room, she thought about what Mizuki and Sakura had said.

"No motivation, huh? How do I help someone with no motivation to change? How do I motivate her?"