Ah, J. Michael Tatum inspired this one with his story of getting his cat back during a storm.
I don't want this! I-I never wanted this to happen! W-Why?! Why did this happen to me?! I continue to ask these questions, for many years after what had happened to me, though not all of them for the same reasons. Before, things were better. I was a normal guy. Well, as normal as one could get, but I liked it that way. Nothing exciting or dangerous really happened to me. I never broke a bone, my house was never robbed, no one in my family died from anything other than getting old, and life was generally good. My school life was normal and my friends were just like the hundreds of other friends you see walking down the street. My grades were average and my dream was to become a teacher. It was a bit dull sometimes, but I quickly got over it and was actually thankful for how normal and average my life was. Normal was good. Boring was good. But nothing ever really stays the way I want it to, it seems. And I was going to learn that very quickly.
Karma just seemed to hate me one particular day. The day I decided to bring my cat inside during a thunderstorm. I mean, it was just my luck that the one day he decided to run out was the one day that fate had it in for me. Next time the thing gets trapped out there, it can stay there. The unfortunate thing was, there wouldn't be a next time.
You'd think that I would know to run when my hair stood on end and the thunder rumbled just too loudly for comfort. I should've seen the signs. Some instinct of mine should have said, 'Hey, you better get your butt out of here!' but it was all too quick. One minute, I caught the pesky cat and the next, pain. Searing, burning, aching pain. Too much pain for me to stand and the darkness that engulfed me was more than welcome. Ah, but it wasn't over then. Hell, why would it be? I mentioned it before, didn't I? Fate had it in for me. But this all leads me back to where I am now. Lost…
"This seriously can't be right!" I cried, though 'bawled' is probably a better word.
I was surrounded by forest. Tall, thick trees that were unlike anything I'd seen before were spread around the small patch of grass I found myself in and I had absolutely no idea where I was. What I did know, was that my ears really hurt and the worst part? It wasn't my ears that hurt! Where I this pain coming from?! I searched the sides of my head desperately, but it wasn't coming there and when I looked down in worry, I jumped to a standing position with wide eyes.
"S-Snake!"
At least, that's what I thought the moving black thing was. The only thing wrong with that deduction, was the fact that this so called 'snake' was attached to me.
"No… No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening!"
I grabbed a hold of the offending object and yanked it, hoping that it was just a prank or something, but cried out when that caused a burst of pain from the end of my spine.
"You've got to be kidding me!" I cried, tears flowing steadily from my eyes as realization hit me like a brick. "I-I've got a… tail?! I can't have a tail! I'm human!"
No, wait. Wasn't I hit by lightning earlier? And where's the damn cat?! I looked up at the sky, but it was soft blue color, slowly turning red and orange with the setting sun and not a storm cloud in sight. No. This isn't right. It can't be right! I looked around in a panic, trying to find anything that could help me figure out where I was, but I felt something atop my head twitch at the sound of a stick cracking nearby. I froze, but when nothing popped out, I slowly reached up to my head and felt the two soft, furry ears perched there, causing me to sniffle once more as tears continued to fall.
"W-Where am I? What's g-going on? Somebody please… Please help me."
I sunk to the ground, tugging on my newly discovered ears and wishing that I could just return to the normal life I had before this. It was impossible though. I was, after all, lost somewhere I didn't know and now had cat appendages. Last I checked, that is the farthest thing from normal.
Night had settled by the time I had calmed myself down, though discovering that I was only a measly nine years old as compared to the fifteen years old I had been had me upset for a bit longer than I probably should've been. Everything else about me was still the same though, something I'd checked upon walking a ways and finding a dirty puddle to look at. Same short, messy black hair, same gender (Thank God I was a guy, albeit a wimpy one), and same light brown eye color; although it was nearly yellow in color now. This helped comfort me in a way, but I still had no idea where I was.
Grrr.
And I was hungry. I needed food. Now. But what could I do? I was in a forest and had no idea what was edible and what wasn't. I had grown up in the city, though I took a trip out to an uncle's ranch every summer for work, but I didn't have a clue how to survive out on my own in a place like this. I had no tools or weapons, so I couldn't hunt (not that I would be able to, to begin with) and I couldn't tell you whether the berries I found on a bush nearby were poisonous or not. Not to mention I couldn't tell what color they were in the dark anyway, with or without my new heightened eyesight and night vision.
Maybe, I could see if there's a city or town nearby if I climbed up a tree. I stopped to look up at a tree, staring into its branches in the hope that there would be an easy way to get up it, but there wasn't so I sighed and began climbing as best I could with my shorter arms. Odd thing was, it wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected it. I was a hell of a lot more agile than I thought, and getting to the top only took a little effort. Once I was up there though, it felt as if all my problems just fluttered away. Must be a side effect of being part cat, I guess. I sighed once more. Great. I'm starting to accept that I'm part cat after maybe a few hours. Maybe I'm just in shock. Yeah, that's it. Shock.
Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I took that chance to look out across the forest. There wasn't much to see though. All I saw were more trees, though there was a section a long way off where the tree line ended. Just when I thought all hope was lost, I caught sight of a cloud drifting up through the trees. Wait…that's not a cloud. That's…smoke! Feeling a smile slip onto my face at the smallest hint of people, I scuttled down the tree and jumped off the lower branch, landing on my feet below before running off towards where I saw the smoke. Maybe they'll have food! Or they could show me the way to a town or back home, even! By the time I reached the place where the smoke was coming from, I was huffing and puffing in exertion, but a small smile lit up my face as I pushed the bushes aside and took in the welcoming sight of a small campsite and the man seated on a log in front of a fire; a rabbit or some other small animal cooking over the open flames.
"I'm saved…" I muttered, catching the man's attention and I gave him a nervous smile. "Ah, could you, uh possibly help me? I need directions a-and some food would be nice."
The man's eyes widened and he stood up quickly, looking around before grabbing a torch from the fire and swinging it at me.
"Monster!"
I flinched back, sensing that something was wrong as he stalked forward shouting that same word.
"I-I don't know what you're saying." I said, taking a step back and holding my hands up defensively. "P-P-Please. I just want directions!"
"Monster! Stay back!"
He swung the torch again, closer to me this time, and I felt my ears go back, reminding me that I didn't exactly look human right now. I-I'm not a monster…I mean, I am, but not like that! I quickly began shaking my head and pointing at myself, hoping that maybe with sign language or something I could convince him that I'm not what he thought I was.
"N-N-No! I'm not a monster!"
He didn't listen, stepping even closer with a shout. "Stay back!"
Apparently, I hadn't stepped back far enough his time and when he swung the torch, it hit my arm and threw hot ash in my eyes, as well as setting my sleeve aflame. Panicking, I scrambled back with a yelp, trying to put out the fire and clear my eyesight at the same time, hearing the man shout once more, and taking off into the forest. With myself blinded, I wasn't surprised to trip numerous times and run into a tree on occasion, but in my panic, I knew I had to find some source of water to clear my eyes and cool my burns. So I ran to the closest source of water, a river; one I could hear thanks to my improved hearing. Unfortunately for me, without my eyesight, I wasn't able to tell that the river was off the side of a steep hill and I slipped, tumbling down and hurting myself further before landing completely in the water.
Now, I never really liked swimming and being part-cat only made me like it even less. So I quickly scrambled out of the water, coughing and collapsing on the river bank. I need to open my eyes. I thought, knowing that I may even be permanently blinded after what I had just encountered, but hoping against hope that fate didn't hate me that much. Slowly, I opened them, but hissed in pain and quickly shut them again. Not good. It hurts too much. Tears pricked my eyes, but that hurt even more and I struggled not to full out sob at my pathetic situation. I-I can't even ask for directions. I have no idea where I'm at, I'm hungry, I can't see, and I haven't the slightest clue how to survive out here. I'm going to die! That's just it! I-I'm going to starve to death or be killed because of these stupid ears! I hiccupped, laying my uninjured arm over my eyes and bit my bottom lip as I tried to pull myself together.
No, think. I-I may be weak, but I can't give up so soon. There has to be somewhere I can go. I remembered the large expanse where the trees ended and decided that I'd head there in the hopes that maybe I would find a city or town. But then what? I guess I'll have to find a way home, but… my appearance. I let out a sigh, slowly checking myself with my uninjured hand to make sure I hadn't hurt myself too bad in my fall. Luckily, there was only bruises and scrapes, and I decided that I would use my ruined jacket to cover my ears for now but placed my hand on my tail in question. What can I do with this? Begrudgingly, I took the new appendage and tried tucking it into the back of my pants, but it felt extremely uncomfortable. Not like I have much of a choice though. Should I run into someone again… well…
Once that was done, I yawned and decided that a good rest was in order since my day was about as stressful as it could get. I wasn't stupid though, and climbed up a tree—carefully—and slept up there to keep out of reach of most predators. Who knows what kind of things are out here? My stomach growled then, and I curled up into a ball with a sniffle, shivering as a wind cut through the tree branches and my soggy clothing. I can't believe this is happening to me.
The next morning, I got up with a sneeze which didn't bode well with me. I felt alright for now, but I knew it could be bad if I didn't find some dry clothes or some clothes more suited for the chilly nights. What I was more concerned about though, was trying to find a town with some people in it. Thing was, I had no idea what I was doing or where exactly I was going.
Grrr.
And I was still hungry. I tried to be smart and make a spear, but it was useless because I couldn't throw it accurately, nor could I throw it hard enough to pierce anything. And the tip keeps falling off, but let's just not mention that. My eyes weren't much better than the night before, so I just kept them closed and if I passed by a river or anything of that sort, I would make sure to wash them out. My arm was in similar condition and it burned terribly at times, but I had no way of seeing what kind of shape it was actually in. As long as it doesn't get infected, I have nothing to really worry about… Though I hope it doesn't scar too bad… If at all. For now though, I kept it wrapped up as best I could with a torn part of my jacket and hoped that would help.
Kind of hard to do any hunting though, with my eyesight gone. I stumbled then, grumbling to myself as I got up and dusted myself off for the umpteenth time today. After a while of tiring walking, I paused for a break and frowned quietly at the ground as my stomach complained and I sneezed again. I knew I had to keep moving though, and soon got up and continued to walk despite my tired limbs. What I discovered though, gave me a bit of hope. I seemed to have stumbled across a path in my walking (judging by the change in sounds and by the smoothness of what I was walking on). That, gave me hope. It meant that if I followed this path, no matter what, I would most likely find some sort of civilization. Which meant people, which meant food and possible shelter. As long as they don't find out what I really am, anyway. I frowned at the thought, but continued walking down the path.
Hours passed with no sign of anything, and I began to grow weary. The heat had gotten worse the longer I went on and it was about noon now, so the sun was at its highest and so was the heat. I hadn't had any water since yesterday when I found the river, but I didn't want to risk losing the path, especially since my eyesight was as bad as it was. So I pushed on, sneezing or coughing on occasion, but not enough to cause me worry yet. As time wore on though, I could feel myself getting more tired and eventually came to a stop, using the last of my energy to climb up into a tree by the road and fell into a deep sleep.
Upon waking, I climbed back down and began moving again. I was sore from sleeping in the tree and from the long walk I just had, but if there was one thing I knew, it's that I was stubborn. I wouldn't give up once I started something and this was very important. I checked my eyesight again too, but there wasn't much improvement. I was beginning to give up hope and decided that I should get used to no eyesight because it may be a long lasting thing and I didn't want to get my hopes up if that was true. That's the other thing I was… pessimistic. Even in my hometown, I was this way and—though I had a few close friends—I was occasionally picked on by the guys thanks to my weak and shy appearance. I never told anyone this, of course. It was my issue to deal with and it wasn't something that I couldn't handle. A few pushes and shoves here, some torn up notebooks there. It was no big deal. Though, I suppose now isn't the best time to be reminiscing. There were voices heading this way.
I felt my stomach twist into knots, unsure about whether I should stick around or hide. My last encounter with someone hadn't been a good one and this sounded like there was more than one person, which meant I was outnumbered should something actually happen. I swallowed thickly, cringing at the scratchy feeling, and silently panicked. What should I do?! I-I can't really talk to them. The last time I ran into someone I was attacked! W-What if they do the same?! I'll be outnumbered a-and might even die! I bit my bottom lip in worry as the voices grew closer. My ears twitched from underneath my torn jacket that I covered them with, discerning at least three if not four separate voices, and older ones at that. Worry gnawed at my insides and I quickly moved to hide up in a tree like a frightened animal. I tried to stay as still as possible; taking quiet shallow breaths as I silently wished these people wouldn't notice me.
"So you're going to be a jounin leader?"
"Seems like it."
"That's just like my rival! Ahaha!"
"I think you'll enjoy it."
I heard a sigh not yards in front of me on the path and crammed myself as close to the tree trunk as I could. Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me. The group continued to walk past and I heard their voices drift off, finally giving myself a chance to relax and sighing as I leaned my back up against the tree. I relaxed too soon though, because I suddenly felt my hair stand on end and quickly scrambled up in an attempt to run off the end of the branch, only for a hand to grab the back of my collar and lift me off the branch.
"L-Let me go!"
"Hm? It's just a kid." I heard the man say, feeling a slight rush of wind as he jumped out of the tree and dropped me haphazardly onto the dirt path.
I tried to quickly crawl away, but ran into a set of legs and quickly backed up only to run into another.
"Oh? And here I thought it'd be an assassin or something." Another man said, before a woman spoke up.
"You guys are scaring him."
"She is right!" A man shouted, making me cringe back in fear as I tried to listen for an escape from their circle around me. "We shouldn't frighten a child!"
Guessing their positions around me, I suddenly got up and tried to make a break for it where there was a small gap, hoping I had caught them off guard enough to get away. I was quickly tossed back into the circle though and winced as my injured arm hit the ground.
"You don't need to be so rough with him, Kakashi." The woman said.
"He could be an enemy." This Kakashi replied.
Sensing that tension that I had felt from the man who had attacked me before, I quickly panicked and curled up in a ball, covering my head with my arms and shaking in fear.
"P-P-Please don't hurt me."
"Then tell us who hired you."
I shook my head. "No one. H-Honest!"
"Then why were you hiding?" The mellower of the other guys said.
"I-I… just don't want you to hurt me." I said quietly, hearing one of them move and curling up further. "Please."
"Why should we believe that?" The Kakashi man said, voice sharp. "Look at us and tell us the truth."
"I-It's the truth!"
"Look at us!"
I flinched at his harsh tone and said nothing, knowing that if I told him I couldn't look at them that he'd probably get angry. I heard the sharp sound of metal and tensed, not liking the sound and what it implied.
"Hold on, Kakashi." The woman said. "Let me try."
There was a moment of silence before I heard a sigh and a hand suddenly touched my shoulder, making me stiffen once more.
"We're not going to hurt you, but I need you to tell me if someone made you do this."
I shook my head.
"Please? We can help."
At the word 'help', I felt myself relax a bit, though I was still a little tense. "H-Help?"
"Mhmm. So could you look at us and tell us what happened?"
I hesitantly shook my head again, setting off the loud one of the group.
"We can save you from the bad guy most youthfully!"
"Guy!" The woman scolded as I flinched, before getting soft once more. "Why can't you tell us?"
I shook my head again, but spoke this time. "I-I can't tell you, because no one h-hired me. I don't know what you're t-talking about. I don't even know w-where I am o-or how I got here a-a-and—"
I was cut off by a series of coughs, suddenly feeling as though my body weighed more than it should. I felt something cold touch my forehead and flinched back at the feeling, burying my head once more.
"He has a fever." The woman muttered. "We should take him with us."
I grew even more worried at that and quickly decided that I had behaved enough with this group of strangers and needed to get out of here before they hurt me or worse. In one swift movement, I took a gamble. I jumped up and over the loud man's shoulder, pushing off with my hands and jumping as far away as I could before jumping up into the trees lining the road. I managed to get on a thick branch by pure luck, seeing as I hit my head on another and got scratched across the face by a particularly sharp one, but before I could get anywhere, I was grabbed out of the tree and shoved back on the ground face-first. Said person thrust their knee into my spine to hold me there and pinned my arms behind my back while holding something sharp against my throat as I let out a sharp cry of pain.
"Ah! No! L-Let me go! I-I'm s-s-sorry! Please!"
"Who do you work for?!" Kakashi shouted, sternly.
"No one! P-Please don't hurt me! I-I'm sorry!"
"Then tell me who you work for!"
He tightened his grip on my arm, twisting it back more as I began to cry, the pain becoming too much.
"N-No one! Please s-stop! I-I-It hurts!"
His grip slackened and I heard footsteps hurrying over as I tugged my arms free and began wiping at my eyes, still crying, but doing my best to stop since my eyes were burning.
"I-It hurts. It hurts. I-I'm sorry. Sorry. D-Don't burn me. I'm sorry."
"Kakashi! That's enough! Can't you see he's not a threat?!" The woman shouted as Kakashi's knee disappeared from off my back and strong, but gentle arms tugged lightly at my hands.
"Let me see." The mellow man said and I stubbornly refused.
"N-No. I-It hurts."
"That's why I want to see… Please."
I felt that he was someone who wouldn't hurt me for some reason. He wasn't overly cautious like Kakashi was and he wasn't loud like the other man. He and the woman seemed like people I could trust, if only a little. Hesitantly, I lowered my hands and moved my head a bit to where I had heard his voice coming from. A couple of fingers lightly pressed around my eyes before he asked the question I was worried about.
"Can you open them?"
I was nervous, remembering the pain from the last few times I did, but thought I might as well try. I didn't manage to open them long before I let out a hiss of pain and brought my hands up once more, only for him to pull them away.
"Don't rub them. That will only make it worse."
"B-But it hurts." I whined, sounding like a child, but that's what I was and controlling my emotions in this smaller body seemed a lot harder than I wanted it to be.
"I know… Can you tell me how this happened?"
I tensed, knowing that I couldn't tell them the truth. I can't tell them about my ears and tail! T-They'll probably hurt me like the other man did! O-Oh man… B-But I don't want to lie. They'll just get suspicious.
"It's okay, you know." The man said and I could hear the smile in his voice as he placed a hand on my head. "I just want to help you."
I slowly nodded. "I-I, um, don't know how I got here a-and went to find someone to ask directions to the nearest town. I saw smoke and followed it t-to a camp and the man… a-a-attacked me with a torch from his fire."
"That is most un-youthful!" The loud man shouted, before I heard a smack from someone probably hitting him.
I reached over and touched my arm with a wince and felt the man in front of me reach over and touch my hand lightly.
"Can I see?"
I nodded and began pulling off the dirty cloth, wincing as I got to the last layer and the cloth stuck to my wound before finally coming off. Although it really hurt, I kept my tears back for fear they'd hurt my eyes and waited as this man held my wrist and stretched my arm out, looking over my wound most likely. After a moment, I heard a sigh come from him.
"It looks like it might be getting infected. That's probably what's causing your fever. And you don't know how you got here?"
I shook my head, tensing as I heard him ruffling through something and hearing that clang of metal again.
"It's alright. I'm just getting some bandages. For your arm."
I relaxed a bit and sneezed, using my free arm to rub my nose as he wrapped my arm. I felt a lot calmer now that I knew they weren't going to hurt me and thought that maybe I should ask some questions too.
"D-Do you, um… Could you tell me where I am?"
"I don't see why not." He said. "You're in the Fire Country. Maybe a mile away from the Hidden Leaf Village."
I frown in confusion, not really liking what I was hearing. "Fire Country?"
"That's right. Where are you from?"
I scrunched up my brows, not really sure what to say. I mean, I don't have the slightest clue what this Fire Country is or where it would be located. And I don't really… I don't think I'm in the same place as where I used to live. I can't explain it but… nothing these people have done is anything like what I'm used to back home. And I've never heard of anywhere where people attack others for possibly being assassins. Let alone a nine year old kid like me… well… like the me now.
"It's okay if you don't remember. I won't force you to."
I guess that'll work. Pretending I have amnesia. "I, um… don't remember. S-Sorry."
"That's alright." I heard the woman say, her having approached me sometime during my musing, I guess. "Do you know your name at least?"
I nodded, feeling that the man had finished wrapping my arm and tilting my head towards my hands that now rested in my lap. "I-It's Takeru Kobayashi… I think." Which is true. Perhaps that can help them find me a way home. Though I would like my old body back.
"Well, Takeru, I'm Asuma Sarutobi and this… Ah…" He seemed a little lost and I realized that he didn't know how to introduce me to the others since I couldn't see.
"You can, um, introduce yourselves." I said quietly, lifting my head. "I-I can recognize your different voices pretty good."
"Well then, youthful child, I am the ultimate Might Guy!"
I flinched at his loud voice, but nodded as the woman spoke.
"I'm Kurenai Yuuhi."
"…I'm Kakashi Hatake." The other man spoke up, albeit hesitantly.
I felt a bit bad for him. I'm sure he didn't mean to, well, attack me the way he did without a pretty good reason and, there was something about him that made me feel like there was something wrong. It was his voice, I guess. There was that tinge of sorrow to it, even before the group found me and he was speaking. Maybe it was my new ears playing tricks on me, but then again, maybe not. Only time will tell, although…
"U-Um, what's going to happen to me now? Are you going to let me go?"
"Not quite." Asuma said, though his tone was light so I didn't worry just yet. "You're obviously sick and hurt, and pretty young too. And with you being by yourself out here, I don't think it would be wise to just leave you."
"So… you're taking me with you?"
"That's right. We'll take you back to our village and get you checked out by a doctor, then we'll bring you to the Hokage to see what he wants to do about maybe finding your family."
"But… what if he can't find them?" I asked, not wanting to get my hopes up too soon, though the word 'Hokage' had me a bit lost. Someone like a mayor, maybe?
"Then perhaps he'll let you stay in our village. Who knows?" I heard him moving and brushing himself off. "Is it alright if I carry you?"
I nodded, feeling a bit childish anyway, and reached out my arms to let him lift me. It was odd to say the least, being picked up so easily and carried around, but I didn't mind and yawned tiredly as the group walked; me piggybacking on Asuma.
"You can sleep if you want." Asuma said as I rested my chin on his shoulder. "It'll still take a bit to get to Konoha."
"Is that your village?" I muttered.
"Sure is."
"Is it big?"
He chuckled a bit. "I'd say so."
"Mm." I hummed, before turning my head a little. "Kakashi?"
Said man sounded surprised that I spoke to him. "Uh, y-yeah?"
"I'm sorry for scaring you."
"You, uh… didn't scare me." He said, while the others in the group chuckled. "You just… surprised me, is all. And… I apologize as well. For hurting you."
I yawned again, nodding. "…Kakashi?"
"Yeah?"
"Why do you sound so sad?"
There was silence in the group and I felt as though I might have said something I shouldn't have and quickly muttered an apology.
"S-Sorry… I just… don't want you to be sad."
He didn't say anything and neither did anyone else, so I stayed silent as well and felt myself relax before slowly drifting off to sleep.
"Takeru."
I scrunched up my nose, shifting and turning my head the other way, hugging the thing in my arms tighter.
"Takeru, you need to wake up."
"I dun wanna." I grumbled, tucking my nose closer to something.
"But Takeru, you need to let the doctor look at you."
I frowned, not appreciating the disturbance of my nap, but loosened my arms and allowing Asuma to move me from his back to a cold table that sent shivers up my spine. I did good not to complain though, and sat there quietly, though very frustrated.
"Is it okay if I take this off?" The lady asked, touching my injured arm lightly.
"Fine."
She chuckled nervously, obviously not expecting my rotten attitude, but you wouldn't be happy either, if you were woken up while you were sick, sore and tired. She removed the bandages and I felt something odd happen. I couldn't see, so I didn't know what was going on, but it felt like something warm was traveling up my arm, soothing it. I relaxed unconsciously, head turned so I would be looking at my arm (if I could see), and waited until the sensation went away.
"It looks like it will scar, unfortunately." The nurse said. "Perhaps if it had been treated right away, then it wouldn't have, but the infection ended up making it so that it did scar."
I was a little upset, but was more worried about my eyes, pointing up at them. "What about my eyes?"
"Well, let's see." She said cheerfully, before I felt that same warm sensation being passed through my eyes and head. "Hm, they're a little damaged, but they should be as good as new in a minute here. There. Try opening your eyes now."
The warmth went away and I hesitantly opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear the blurriness, but getting excited now that I could actually see. I looked at the nurse, a brunet haired woman with dark eyes, before turning to look back at Asuma. He wasn't what I expected, but when he smiled, I knew it was the same person I had been talking to before.
"How is it, kiddo?"
I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face as I closed my eyes. "I can see you, Asuma!"
He chuckled, coming over and ruffling my hair, before I sneezed. The nurse chuckled then too, with a roll of her eyes.
"I better fix that cold of yours too."
I watched carefully this time, as her hands glowed green and she placed them on my head, making my mouth drop open in shock. S-She's glowing! A-And it's healing me! I mean, I was suspicious at how quickly she healed me and everything, but this is so weird! Why isn't Asuma saying anything? Is it something normal here? But I've never heard about anything like this where I come from! What's going on?! Quickly hoping to get some answers, I pointed at the nurse's hand after she lowered it.
"What was that?" I asked, innocently, though my mind was all over the place.
Asuma blinked in confusion. "You don't know what chakra is?"
I shook my head as the nurse bowed and left. "No. Is it magic?"
"Uh, not quite." He said, when I suddenly had a curious urge to ask something.
"Where's Kakashi and Guy and Ku… Kure…"
"Kurenai?"
I frowned at him as he picked me up and helped me off the table, letting me walk.
"I was getting there!"
He smiled, leading us out of the hospital. "They're going to meet us at the Hokage's office."
"Oh… What's a Hokage?"
"He's the leader of the village and the most powerful shinobi."
Did he just say… shinobi? Like a ninja?! Now I'm really confused. I frowned down at the ground for a moment before I felt myself suddenly being lifted up and put atop Asuma's shoulders, sending me into a panic.
"W-Wait! What are you doing?!" I shouted, hanging onto his spiky black hair for fear of falling off.
"H-Hey! Not so tight!"
"Sorry!" I said, quickly letting go, but feeling off balance and wrapping my arms around his head instead, making him laugh.
"I just thought you'd like a better view, Takeru."
I hesitantly lifted up my head and looked around eagerly, mouth hanging open. "Wow! It's huge!"
As we walked to this Hokage office that Asuma mentioned, I kept pointing out different things and asking Asuma what they were. He told me about the Hokage monument and how it was a tribute to the Hokages of the past, about the ninja running on the roofs, about the best food places in town and he even bought me a hat to replace the torn up jacket on my head. It was a simple blue trapper hat with white-gray fur that was a little run down, but it was something I was extremely grateful for and quickly put it on before he could see my ears hidden away. Now though, I was beginning to get nervous.
We had been walking up the stairs to the Hokage's office (Asuma having let me walk on my own for a while) and I felt like I was going to screw up somehow. It was nerve-racking, knowing that the man I was going to meet could kill me in a moment. Not only that, but he decides my fate the moment he figures me out. And if he finds out what I'm hiding, who's to say he won't kick me out? Or kill me, even? Oh… now I'm worried… Asuma must have sensed my nervousness and ruffled my hair a bit.
"Don't worry, Takeru. You'll be fine."
Doubt it… He knocked on the wooden door in front of us and a voice called us in from the other side, making Asuma open the door and lead me in. The room was simple enough, with bookshelves full of books and scrolls (odd in my home, but it must be normal here) and a large desk at the front, where an older man sat. Looking around, I spotted three others standing there and assumed that they must be Kakashi, Kurenai, and Guy. Kurenai was easy to pick out, being the only woman, and I must say, I wasn't disappointed. She's pretty… My childish mind supplied, before I looked at the other two. One was sporting a large smile and gave me a thumbs-up, making me assume that he was the Might Guy from before. The loud one. Which makes the last one… Kakashi. Kakashi stood there looking bored almost, white silvery hair standing up in a way I questioned was possible, and the only part of his face showing was his right eye. I found it a little odd, but not too weird or anything.
"Ahem."
I flinched, turning my head away from the group that Asuma joined, and looking over at the older man who just radiated authority. Swallowing thickly, I wrung my hands together in front of me and nervously stared at the floor, knowing better than to look a head of authority in the eyes.
"S-Sorry." I said, softly.
"This is the child?"
"Yes, sir." Asuma replied, scratching the back of his head. "We found him hurt and sick not a mile from here. We decided to bring him to you to see about what to do. He has amnesia."
"And you just found him?"
"He was hiding up in a tree." Kakashi replied. "We thought he was an assassin or spy of some sort. He is very adept at hiding his chakra signature."
I have chakra? I shoved the thought aside, feeling eyes on me.
"Is that so… What is your name?"
Knowing he was speaking to me, I hesitantly stuttered it out. "T-Takeru Kobayashi, sir…"
I snuck a glance at him to see him staring at me oddly. Like he's surprised almost. Needless to say, I quickly looked back down.
"Takeru, is it? Well then, what do you remember, Takeru? And there's no need to be so nervous. I won't bite."
I was still worried, but lifted my head and looked—not eye to eye with him, but eye to mouth.
"I, um… only remember w-waking up in a forest. T-That was… two days ago, I think."
"Nothing before that?"
I shook my head.
"And your name is all you remember…"
"Yes."
"Hm." The man leaned forward, resting his interlocked fingers over his mouth and his elbows on his desk.
It's like he's trying to make me look at his eyes by hiding his mouth. Makes me nervous, but… I can't be afraid forever… Right? I looked up to meet his eyes and found myself curious once more, my curiosity overcoming my fear for now.
"Do you ever get tired of paperwork? You have a lot, right? It's gotta suck filling out all those boring forms… What do you do for fun?" I looked around the room quickly. "Do you read? You have a lot of books for an old guy."
When I looked back, I realized what I had done and quickly took a step back in worry as I apologized.
"S-Sorry."
The Hokage though, who had looked surprised, suddenly let out a chuckle; easing up the tension in the room. "You're a curious one, aren't you?"
Asuma chuckled as well. "You should've seen him on the way here. He won't stop once he gets going."
"S-S-Sorry!" I said, bowing lowly, but the Hokage's chuckle had me standing back upright soon enough.
"It's fine. You remind me of another young boy about your age. Though he has no manners at all."
That's because I'm actually fifteen, so I know better… but this child body is letting my emotions and curiosity run wild… Puberty's going to suck… I frowned a bit, before I realized that I was being watched and turned a beet red as the Hokage smiled.
"And a thinker too… Now how about we get down to business. Do you remember at all where you lived?"
I bit my bottom lip, thinking, when I came up with an idea that would either bring me hope, or crush everything I've ever known.
"C-Could I see a map?"
"Of course." The Hokage smiled, before reaching into his desk and pulling out a scroll, lying it over his paper work and encouraging me to come forward.
Problem was, when I looked at the map, my heart broke into a million pieces. I don't recognize this at all. This… This isn't my home world. I've never heard of any of these places! B-B-But that means… I-I can't get home, can I? Something fell onto the map, darkening a spot, before the paper was rolled up and I began wiping frantically at my eyes, sniffling as quietly as I could.
"I-I'm s-s-sorry." I cried, desperately trying to wipe at my face and make the tears stop.
"It quite alright." The Hokage reassured, a hand resting on my head comfortingly. "Could you tell me what's wrong?"
I wasn't sure what to tell him. I had no idea if getting back to my world was even possible, but I knew for sure that I wouldn't find my family here. So I said the only thing I could think of.
"I-I remembered." I lied, though it wasn't a complete lie. "My p-p-parents… they're… I-I think they're d-dead."
I continued to scrub frantically at my face, begging my tears to stop, but what I had said was basically the truth. I was here in this world and they were back in mine. I had no way to get to my parents or friends or anything so, in a way, they were dead. They were gone and I wouldn't be able to see them again.
"S-Sorry." I apologized again, but the Hokage shook his head.
"It's alright." He said softly, sitting back in his seat as I controlled my tears the best I could. "Due to your situation though, how would you like it if I had you living here, in Konoha?"
"H-Here?"
He nodded, giving me a reassuring smile. "The boy I mentioned before, he's also in a similar situation as you, but he's living here peacefully and I'm sure he'd like a friend. That is, if you're willing to stay."
I was hesitant, but where else would I go? I didn't know anyone here other than Asuma, Kakashi, Guy, and Kurenai and now the Hokage as well. There wasn't really a downside to this, but I was curious about one thing.
"W-Would I have to become a s-shinobi?"
"You wouldn't have to, but from what Kakashi told me about your hiding skills, it would be nice if you did. The boy, Naruto, is working on becoming one as well."
I nodded. "I-I will, but… who will I live with?"
"I was thinking that you could either live with Naruto in his apartment, or I could let you live alone next door to him. Would that be okay?"
I looked back at Asuma and the others, before turning back to the Hokage. "C-Can I see Asuma and Kakashi and Guy and Kurenai too?"
He chuckled. "Whenever you want."
I felt a grin threatening to break out on my face, but held it back, letting only a small smile show as I bowed my head. "T-Then I will accept y-your offer, Hokage… um… sir."
"Very well then. I'll get the paperwork done right away and you can start going to the academy tomorrow, but I think a bit of an introduction is needed. Asuma, you and the others are free to go. Make sure you turn in your mission report to the desk downstairs."
"Of course, Hokage." He said, sending me a small wave with the others before they all left, making me a little nervous once more.
"Um, what am I supposed to do?"
The Hokage stood, walking towards me and smiling. "You, Takeru, are going to come with me so I can introduce you to Naruto since he's just getting out of class now. And perhaps, I can convince him to show you around the village."
My eyes lit up in excitement and curiosity. "Really?!"
He chuckled. "Of course. Now come on. We don't want to be late."
I nodded and hurried after him, hardly able to contain my excitement at meeting someone new. Though my mind threw in some doubts. The biggest one being… I hope he's not entirely stupid… As we walked to this academy the Hokage mentioned though, I realized something and looked up at the Hokage with a frown.
"Something wrong?"
I nodded. "You never answered my questions."
He chuckled, good-heartedly. "I suppose I didn't, did I? …Being Hokage is a tough job with a lot of paperwork. And there are occasions where even I need a break and I usually talk a nice walk through the village."
"And what were all those books for? Research stuff?"
He nodded. "Some of them. I enjoy reading sometimes too, so a few of them aren't. Do you like reading, Takeru?"
I nodded excitedly. "Uh-huh! You learn lots of things from reading books! They smell good too."
He raised a brow at that, but it was true! That smell when you open up a book—be it brand new or old—was amazing. It was a shame that the generation I was from in my old world was all about technology. It was harder and harder to find actual text. Let alone some of the older things like Shakespeare, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, and Edgar Allen Poe. I wonder if they have authors like that here…
"Neh, is being a ninja hard?"
"I suppose to some it is. Each person is different."
"Mm… What do I get to learn at the academy?"
"All the basics. Math, science, language, that sort of thing."
"I like Math!"
He looked down at me in surprise. "Do you?"
I nodded, looking around as the number of people around us grew. We must be getting close to the academy…
"Yup. Math doesn't change no matter where you go or what language and there's only one answer. It's not like languages where it has many different meanings or where it changes depending on where you're from."
"That's… an interesting way to think about it. You're very smart, Takeru."
I shook my head. "Nu-uh. There's lots of smarter people. I just like Math."
He chuckled. "I see. Ah! Here we are."
I looked around at all the parents picking up their children, feeling a bit sad since I technically no longer had parents, but the Hokage rested a heavy hand on my head to comfort me.
"Come on. I'll introduce you to Naruto."
We walked a ways into the school yard, past the parents and students, before I found us heading towards a single boy sitting on a swing. He was scuffing his feet in the dirt and looked pretty sad as he watched the kids playing or leaving, but when the Hokage called out to him, he instantly cheered up and hurried over excitedly.
"Hey, old man! What are you doing here?"
I looked up at the Hokage, unsure how he felt about this Naruto just running up and calling him an old man, but he seemed okay with it and besides, I did call him that too. The people around us though were sending Naruto looks that had me worried. They don't seem to like him… I wonder why? He seems nice enough to me, though a bit rude, but he's a kid so there's no harm done. The Hokage smiled then and knelt down to Naruto's level, ruffling his hair.
"Naruto, I'm here because there's someone I'd like to introduce to you."
The Hokage turned to me and I flushed a bit in nervousness, shifting behind him a bit. W-What if he doesn't like me? I mean, I know I shouldn't be overly concerned or anything, but… for some reason, making friends always makes me nervous…
"U-Um… h-hi?" I stuttered out, not really sure what else to do.
"Oh?" The Hokage said in slight amusement. "What happened to that excitement from before?"
I felt the heat in my face grow. "T-That was different! I-I'm… scared of… people…"
"What?" Naruto said, tilting his head with an odd pouting expression. "How could you be scared of people? There's people everywhere!"
I remembered the man from before who attacked me and took a small step back, suddenly worried. People are scary… Even in my world, people were scary. What they did to one another, how they treated each other… it was disgusting and sad and… frightening.
"Now, Naruto." The Hokage said, sensing my sudden nervousness. "Takeru here has had a rough time and he doesn't have any family, okay? He's new to the village and I was hoping you'd be able to give him a tour and become his friend. He's a bit shy, as you can see, but once he warms up to you… well, let's just say I think you and him will really get along."
"I'm right here…" I muttered, pouting a bit, making the Hokage chuckle, before pushing me out in front of him, thus in front of Naruto; who scratched his cheek.
"Well, I guess I could be his friend… but you can't be shy all the time, okay?" He said, thrusting his hand out with a grin. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! It's nice to meet you!"
I took it hesitantly. "T-Takeru Kobayashi. It's nice to meet you too."
"Alright!" He said loudly, before turning to the Hokage. "Neh, old man! If I'm taking him on a tour of the village, we're going to have to eat sometime! So do you have any cash?!"
"N-Naruto!" I said, surprised at his blunt rudeness to the most powerful shinobi in the village.
"What?" He said, giving me a frustrated look.
The Hokage chuckled though, reaching into his cloak and pulling out a wallet, handing me some money. "It's alright, Takeru. Here's some money for you and Naruto to get something to eat and get a new outfit. I'm sure you're hungry after what you've just gone through, and you look like you could use some new clothes."
My stomach took that moment to let out a long growl, embarrassing me further, and I took the offered money with my head bowed to hide my red face.
"T-Thank you, sir."
He nodded, standing up and smiling down at us. "I'll have you living with Naruto for now, but you can let me know if you want your own space. I'll give you enough money for the both of you for groceries later, but once you two become ninjas, you'll be responsible for your own rent and such. Is that alright, Naruto?"
He nodded with a grin, looking genuinely happy. "Sounds great! Now let's go, Takeru! There's a lot of stuff I have to show you before the sun goes down!"
"Ah! A-Alright, Naruto!" I called out as he pulled me along by my hand. "S-Slow down!"
Behind us, I could hear the Hokage chuckling, but after a while, I didn't care anymore. It felt nice to have a friend already and, I didn't think I could handle being alone so quickly after everything that's happened. Though I'm not so sure about this ninja thing… I-I… don't know if I can be one, but I might as well try.