Chapter Four: They Say It's Easier to Confide in A Stranger
"It's called English. It's the language of my homeland." The Hokage's eyes flickered before refocusing upon me. "I still can't believe I'm in Konoha," I muttered under my breath, my eyes turning to the ground. A calloused hand gently grabbed my chin and pulled my head up to face warm eyes.
"My dear, you have to tell us where you are from if you want us to help you." I stared up at him in confusion. There's no way that the real Hokage would be this understanding to a foreigner, even the peaceful Sarutobi. I noticed a sharp edge to his features. It was barely noticeable, like seeing something from the corner of your eye, but it was there. It's an act. He's acting kind and warm so I will confide in him. Very sneaky old man. Even though I knew it was an act I still couldn't stop myself from wanting to confide in him. I tugged my ear gently in an effort to organize and focus my thoughts.
"Like I said to that guy," I pointed up towards the stoic Ibiki with my unbroken finger, " I have no idea what is going on. You say I'm in Konoha, but where I come from Konoha is just an old wives' tale. Shinobi are legends to believers and myths to most. You've given me undeniable proof that you are what you are, but it seems like a dream. I don't want to be here. I … I just want to go home." I dragged a bandaged hand across my watering eyes in a vague attempt at bravery. Never let them see you cry, my mother would always say that when I was little and someone picked on me. Those words soon became my own personal mantra. My body flinched as the aged Hokage reached a hand towards me. I stared up at him as he rest the appendage upon my shoulder in a reassuring manner.
"If you were brought a map, would you be able to tell roughly where you are from," Ibiki's gruff no nonsense voice broke the silence that had descended upon the room with a practiced ease. Inwardly I frowned, there's no way my home would appear on any map they had, but it would make my story more credible. Short of telling them I'm from another dimension, this is the best I can do.
"I think I would be able to point out the general location of my homeland. It's about 40 miles from the ocean, if that helps." Ibiki nodded before going to retrieve a map. I waited in silence my back still pressed against the wall of the dimly illuminated cell. Soon Ibiki returned with the rolled up map. He carefully laid it out on the uneven floor before stepping back and waiting. Cautiously I moved forward to peer at the various lines on the paper that represented all of the countries on the Elemental continent. There was something about the map that made everything seem final. I bit back a sob as my shaking finger traced the lines on the map. "It's not there. Nothing on this map looks familiar." I turned my eyes towards the men before me. "W-what happens to me now?" My body trembled as they shared a guarded look. An unspoken conversation seemed to pass between the two men as I watched on silently. The Hokage was the first to speak.
"Since you seem to hold no malicious intentions towards Konoha and you are injured without a way home, I'm sure we can grant you a temporary safe haven until we can solve your dilemma. You will be returned to the hospital until you are deemed healthy and you will be placed under constant ANBU surveillance. This is a probationary trial Seira-san, do not do something to make me regret offering you a safe haven in Konoha." His eyes hardened as a hint of something crushed the breath from my lungs. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the feeling was gone and I found myself nodding in assent towards the Hokage's words.
"Thank you, Sir." His smiled seemed almost genuine as he gave a curt nod in return. I made to stand up, but my legs weak from disuse collapsed beneath me. I braced myself with my hands only to be reminded that my finger was still broken. I looked up at the men with a sheepish grin. "I guess I'm still broken." I laughed nervously as the men just observed me.
"Inu." The Hokage's sharp voice startled me as an ANBU stalked silently into the room. I let out a surprised gasp as the Dog –masked shinobi lifted me easily into his arms. I looked around in wonder; I wasn't small by any means. I was five foot eleven inches, that's not exactly petite. "Take Seira-san back to her hospital room." I felt him; because Inu was definitely a he if his rock hard chest was anything to go by, nod his assent to the Hokage before we disappeared in a puff of smoke. I broke into a fit of coughing as we reappeared within the lobby of the hospital. My hands had wound there way into the fabric of his shirt as I gripped his body I fear, my face pale white.
"Hey Doggy-san, could you give a girl a little warning next time?" I asked, my voice quivering. I gazed up at him with blatant curiosity as the dog's face looked down at me for the first time.
"My apologies." His voice was clipped ad detached, with a hint of amusement in it. He silently carried me to my hospital room where he gently lowered my body to the awaiting hospital bed. I let out a groan of relief as my aching muscles molded into the soft mattress.
"Hey thanks-," I blinked in surprise as I noticed I was now alone. With a heavy sigh I fell back into the soft, supple, comforting pillows stacked behind me. The exhausting events of the past hours…no wait was it days, I let out a weary groan. This was way too troublesome. I allowed my eyelids to flutter shut as sleep claimed me.
A loud rumble roused her from her slumber as a flash illuminated the night sky. Her confusion filled eyes opened to the pitch-black hospital room. Slowly she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stalked over to the window and placed a bandaged hand up to the cool glass. Another crash of thunder echoed throughout the night causing the girl to push the window open. She stared out over the village, watching as a storm blew in over the large Hokage heads. The sudden urge to climb out onto the roof of the hospital struck her with an unshakeable force. With shaking limbs she swung out of the window out onto the shallow ledge that led to an adjoining roof. For a moment she paused, balanced precariously upon the edge of the building, briefly. She held her tongue between her teeth as she struggled to pull herself onto the roof of the hospital. Her legs scraped painfully against the concrete walls as they tried to grab some form of purchase on the wall. A crash echoed overhead as the wind whipped her hair around. She hoisted herself across onto the roof, resting on its scalloped tiles as she waited. The storm moved in swiftly, covering the village in its tears as it made its way towards the hospital. The wind picked up, tugging at her clothing and hair as she balanced precariously on the edge of the building. A peal of thunder shook the structure as the storm drew closer to where she waited anxiously. With a loud boom the skies opened up and released a never-ending torrent of water onto the shivering girl. Time seemed to stand still as the water caressed her aching muscles. She stared up into the sky allowing the rain to wash away the tracks that her tears had traced on her face.
"You're probably wondering why I'm sitting out on the roof in the pouring rain, aren't you?" She turned her head towards the dog-faced ANBU as she spoke. He didn't say anything, no movement, nothing to give away that he had heard her, but she spoke anyway.
"It's so they can't see—," The ANBU felt himself compelled to speak despite his original silence.
"What can't they see?" His smooth voice was soft, barely audible over the roar of the wind. She turned to face him, her eyes dull and glassy. Pure exhaustion seemed to radiate of off her worn body. A sad smile settled on her lips as she stared into his mask's eyeholes.
"My tears." It was funny how those two words could create such a feeling of understanding between two people who were once worlds apart from one another. Doggy-san just nodded before he resumed his earlier silence. It was at this point that Seira broke and a flood of silent sobs wracked through her body as she tightened her arms around her knees. "I'm probably never going to see them again. My family, I mean. They're light-years away, and I'm here … alone. I want to think about them and worry over them, but it hurts. It hurts so much. Do you know what that's like? To lose someone so suddenly?" He sighed softly.
"I do. Someone once told me that it helps to remember the good memories." She turned hopefully towards him, water mingling with tears.
"Does it work?" The ANBU sighed before speaking, never turning to face her.
"I don't know." I was too scared to try it. She nodded her head softly as if acknowledging his thoughts instead of his words.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough to face those memories." She whispered to her companion, just barely audible over the howling storm. She returned her eyes to his; meeting them with a form of resolve they hadn't held before. "I may not be strong enough, but I will try." And just as the rain had released from the sky, story after story rolled off of her trembling lips. Laughter mixed with tears as she simply talked, simply remembered. Just as the first of the dawn's rays broke through the remaining storm clouds, she succumbed to exhaustion. The dog-masked ANBU sighed as he picked her up and carried her down into her hospital bed. Listening to all of her stories, even if he hadn't understood half of them, had given him a strange insight into the odd girl. Most wouldn't bare their souls to a complete stranger, but then again everyone in Konoha was a stranger to her. The person she had spent the most conscious time with had actually been Ibiki. He snorted softly at the thought. He gazed down at her bony form again and pondered over his newest dilemma. It was fairly obvious that the night had changed something between them. Even he wasn't cold-hearted enough to shunt aside a person who had bared their soul in such a vulnerable manner. He sighed in frustration. With any luck Hokage-sama would assign her a different guard and he would be rid of his dilemma. However unbeknownst to the dog-masked ANBU, an aged Hokage had been watching the exchange between the normally indifferent man and his new charge, and he found the out-of-character behavior intriguing.
A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but I hope to be better about it and have the next chapter up very soon. Please review, it helps motivate me to write and the critiques are extremely helpful. I want you to tell me if things are moving too fast or if I'm failing at something. Tank you all of my loyal readers and I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.
