Satisfaction

Unspeakable Cho Chang finds herself lost in a new world. Unprepared and unknown, she searches for home.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter

Chapter 3: Bound

As the two continued on their journey towards Uchiha's employer, Cho observed the changing weather. While it was still pleasantly warm, the sunny sky was becoming dotted with clouds. She wondered if this was because it was becoming later in the day, or because their new location would have different meteorological conditions. Cho didn't think that there'd be too much of a shift seeing as they couldn't have been walking for more than three hours so far, but it was still interesting to note.

The witch was glad that her body was naturally more durable than a Muggle's. She doubted that a typical Muggle researcher could've lasted walking so far without regular exercise. Cho knew she had to build up her stamina, though, if she was to continue being around Uchiha, especially if he was the norm for the people he worked with. While she hadn't complained about the distance or her sore feet, the teen seemed hyper-aware of her physical capabilities, which were unfortunately far behind his.

Almost as if he was aware of what she was thinking, Uchiha said: "We'll be there soon."

Cho gave him a nod and a smile, appreciating the new information. She hoped that she'd be given time to refresh herself before meeting Uchiha's boss - she wanted to make a good first impression. Dinner would be wonderful too. Thinking back on the delicious food she had for lunch, Cho was reminded how important it was for her to find some source of income. It wouldn't do to be so dependent on a near stranger.

She continued her ponderings as the pair walked to the unspecified location. Cho was still thinking through various possibilities when she realised the sun had been replaced by grey storm clouds. The air felt cool as if it was about to rain. She looked to Uchiha, a question on her lips when he spoke.

"We're almost there."

She hoped it wouldn't rain until they were safe and dry inside wherever this place was. Cho liked the look of rain, she just didn't like the feel of it. She was spoiled by the Impervius Charm and the way it allowed her to move around without getting drenched. Unfortunately for the witch, she was currently trying to be subtle about the whole magic thing, as she suspected that chakra was very different from magic.

Cho had clearly hoped too much as the rain came down in torrents. She felt her hair plaster itself to her skull and she shivered. The witch was ready for a Hot-Air Charm, warm blankets, and a hot cup of tea. The location Uchiha pointed out through the rain, a large cave, likely lacked all of those comforts. Cho reminded herself to stay pleasant, even without her preferred means of dealing with the rain. She was in an unknown place with unknown rules. Cho had to be cautious and respectful.

"We'll be meeting Leader and Konan."

"What are they like?"

"Many call him a God, and her, his Lady Angel."

Cho didn't believe in gods or goddesses. Not very many witches or wizards did either. Magic brought its own significance, and while there were individuals who felt connected to an older, more spiritual aspect of magic, most just followed Christian holidays for the excuse to eat good food among friends and family. After all, the 'magic' of consumerism wasn't exclusive to Muggles.

"How...how should I behave around them? How do I address them?"

"You may refer to them as 'Konan' and 'Leader.' Follow my lead, stay calm, and answer their questions truthfully."

Cho wondered if an omission of information would be seen as unfavourably as lying could be. She doubted that the Statute of Secrecy applied in this world, but she didn't know how she could explain the force that was magic. As they entered the cave, Cho tried to prepare herself for whatever could happen.

The cave itself was more structurally unique than Cho had anticipated. It wasn't just an earthen hovel. The ceiling was high enough for most humans to stand upright, and free of stalactites. Someone had placed torches throughout the area, allowing the flames to provide flickering light through the open space. As they continued further inside, the area divided into what seemed to be different chambers. Cho was reminded of burrowing creatures and some of the intricate tunnel systems they'd create in nature. While obviously created by humans, this place was quite interesting to see.

She followed the teen deeper through a tunnel, walking behind him until he suddenly stopped. He turned around, giving a pause.

"I will enter first and give you time to rest before meeting them."

Cho was glad Uchiha was considerate of her needs. She had been steeling herself to face whatever this 'Leader and Konan' wanted from her, but having time to brush off some tension was much appreciated.

"Thank you. Is there a place where I could wash my face?"

Uchiha silently lead her to a room adjacent the place he had just stopped. He gestured while speaking, "There is the washbasin, pitcher, and hand towels. When you are finished, return to our previous location. I will then introduce you."

Cho gave a small smile in thanks. It was too bad that the cave lacked indoor plumbing, and that she'd had to relieve herself earlier in some shrubbery, which was mortifying, but she'd make do. Once the teen left, she looked in the small mirror, trying to figure out what she should prioritise, and what she could fix without being too obvious. She wanted to dry herself off completely but knew it'd be too obvious. Looking around, before deciding it was all clear, she peeled off her robes and stood in front of the mirror. Her skin was damp and she hadn't worn any Muggle clothes underneath her robes to work that day. So, she did what she could to fix the situation. Cho dried herself and her undergarments off with the Hot-Air Charm and then wrung out her robe to the best of her ability. It was still damp and gross, but would be less horrible now that it wasn't completely soaked. Washing her face, she was glad to feel clean again. Finally, she twisted her hair up into a bun, securing it with her wand.

She was as ready as she could be. Cho put her robes back on and made her way back to the entrance of the other chamber. Uchiha was waiting there for her, his stance as calm and unreadable as it always seemed to be. He walked into the room, motioning for her to follow him.

The room had two people standing in the centre. Both were quite tall and had very distinctive appearances. The man had orange hair and what seemed to be a couple dozen piercings on his face. The woman had blue hair with a paper flower tucked into it. They both wore the same dramatic cloaks as the Uchiha.

"Leader, Konan, this is Cho. Cho, this is Leader and Konan." The teen gestured between them all, a polite go-between.

"You aren't from here," said the man. His eyes were ringed and purple. He had a presence that commanded attention and full-frontal honesty.

"...No. I'm not." Cho took this to mean more than just her being from a different village, or cave dwelling. This man somehow knew that she wasn't from this place at all. Uchiha had noticed that she was different as well. She hoped it due to her chakra void more than any other reason.

"I am Pain."

Cho wondered if her spell was having issues again - would she need to constantly reapply it? Would a different arrangement be more successful? This man just called himself Pain. Why would anyone name their child Pain? It had to be a chosen name, like Voldemort, right? After all, it wasn't like someone decided to name their kid 'flight from death' just for kicks.

"... and I'm Cho."

"Yes, I would assume so, since that was how Itachi introduced you."

Apparently, the pierced man had a hint of snark to go along with his imposing stance.

"I'm sorry, sir, but what exactly do you want from me? He brought me here because he said you were interested in meeting me."

"I want you to tell me more about the world you come from."

Cho tried to keep her face calm as the man point blank called her out on her alternate dimension travel. She'd recently come to the conclusion that she was in an entirely new world, but the witch wasn't sure how much she should share with him.

"My world? What do you mean?"

He gave her a disappointed look. "You clearly aren't from any of the Elemental Nations. While you may physically look like a civilian from some of the lands, especially the Land of Fire, your behaviour is unlike a civilian, a shinobi, or even a samurai.

"As a God, I'm aware that you aren't from here. However, I know nothing about your place of origin."

"I'm from London." That seemed tame enough. It was true as well.

"And what did you do in this, London?"

"I was part of a research division of the government there," also a valid statement.

"Were there wars, there?"

"Five years ago, there was, yes"

"Is there peace now?"

Officially there was peace. The war ended when the Dark Lord lost. However, all the tensions that brought about the war in the first place were still there - Cho felt as if a conflict was inevitable in the near future.

"...Yes"

"Do you really believe that?"

Cho didn't know. Thankfully, the man took her silence as needing more prompting.

"Have you known loss, the pain of losing loved ones?"

Cho was immediately on the defensive. As if that wasn't a personal question at all - 'Hello stranger, let me call myself a pain God and then ask you about your experiences with loss.'

"Yes."

"I thought so. I can see it in your eyes. You've felt it."

Cho blinked at him, startled. Was she that easy to read?

"Human behaviour leads to strife. We justify and we face meaningless situations, furthering suffering."

She didn't disagree, but Cho didn't know what he wanted her to say.

Uchiha cut in, "I've seen you do things with that stick you hold which no one else can do. You obviously have some sort of power."

Cho needed to work on her subtlety, clearly.

"Elaborate Uchiha - you told me a little about her, but details are useful." Cho looked at the pair, finding the blue-haired woman to be as critical in her examinations of Cho as she was of the two of them.

"I saw her call the stick to herself in a strange language and it jumped into her hand. She then spoke in the unknown language and was surrounded by a blue mist. After, she was able to speak with me like she understood, contrary to her previous behavior. She also appeared to fix her appearance and gain more energy before entering the village and again prior to entering this room." The boy looked tired as if speaking this much was physically painful for him.

Cho apparently had even less subtlety than she'd originally thought. There was obviously a reason she spent her time in the dark recesses of archives and labs. She'd never done fieldwork as an Unspeakable, and her lack of experience showed.

"Is that all you can do? Were you the only one?" The Leader continued his line of questioning.

"No, I can do more." Cho wasn't sure how much she should actually share, so she decided to keep the rest of her answers as brief as possible. She wondered if she'd be seen as more of a threat if she was one of many, or solely a powerful individual.

"Fascinating."

Pain seemed intent on asking personal questions while Konan watched over the proceedings. Uchiha also just observed, his eyes observing all as the group continued to talk. Cho felt like a particularly interesting specimen being poked and prodded at. She missed her lab already.

Cho wasn't prepared for this journey, but she was ready to try. With each answer she gave that night, she grew both more comfortable, assured that she wouldn't be killed for being an alien, and more unsettled; becoming completely aware that she was somewhere she should not be.

AN: Edited 9/15/16