This must be... understanding.
Had I finally reached the brink of insanity? Was I going to stop seeing the characters from a make-believe world and start coming to my senses?
Honestly, I had no freakin' clue what was going on but after a few hours of randomly screaming to no one and moving like a break dancer around the floor (... ok, maybe not a break-dancer but more like a toddler having a tantrum) in order to break free of the shackles that had been placed on my wrist and ankles, I escaped and ran as far away from wherever the hell I was. Didn't bother to look back, nor really look forward to where I was going.
My feet just kept moving through the surrounding forest and all of its luscious plants.
'Where... where... where do I go?'
I huffed as my breathing began to give out. It had been a day and a half since I left my prison and still couldn't find anyone real, or not for that matter.
Dehydration began to take a huge effect and just as I had reached an open dirt road, I collapsed face first. My body was too spent for it to react to the pain of my nose almost breaking and slowly I began to black out.
'When does this end...'
An alarm woke me from my sleep. My eyes glared at it with intense hate but then I calmed as a sweet familiar smell made its way to me. The aroma gripped my nostrils and lifted me in the air as I became entranced by it.
I opened my eyes as I settled by an opening to a kitchen.
"Buenos días, mi'ja. Como amaneciste esta mañana?" (Good morning, my daughter. How are you doing this morning?) Her pleasant smile as she cooked nearly took my breath away. I leaped to her and hugged her tightly.
"Hay, pero que tienes? Tuviste un mal sueño?" (But what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?) Her eyes looked down at me funny as mine teared up.
"No mami. Nomas... estoy feliz de estar aquí." (No mom. I'm just... happy to be here.) The back of my forearm rubbed against my eyelids, removing the almost-tears and any blur that may have been causing another delusion. (By the way, I speak spanish.)
"Morning dufus!" My big brother rattled my hair under his palm while my surprise turned to an annoyed glare. My mother handed him a plateful of breakfast. He immediately started eating before he even sat down at the dining table. 'Dork.'
"Mi'ja, good morning." The funniest but most spine-chilling feeling went up my spine as I heard the most unique accent in the English words spoken. I looked over to my right as I watched him enter with a strange bright aura.
"'Apa... que haces aquí!?" (Dad... what're you doing here!?) I was so perplexed but then happy to see him. His dark graying hair, his warm honey brown eyes and his signature goofy smile all still the same.
Like my mother, he then gave me a funny questioning look, "Pos... esperando te a ti. Tengo que llevarte a la escuela, no?" (Well... waiting for you. I gotta take you to school, right?) It took me a minute to process but laughed it off and nodded gratefully to him.
"Ok pues, let's go!" (Ok then, ...) He gestured me to follow him out the front door. His warm smile was so... so surreal as the overwhelming brightness of the sun almost engulfed it.
I immediately stopped at the door and was overcome with a strange sensation,
"Y-you... you're not real."
"What're you talking about?" His mouth didn't move but his expression changed to a slightly worried face.
The saddest realization finally hit me, "This... this is a dream, isn't it? You're not really here, are you dad? Right?" Tears streamed slowly but painfully down my cheeks as I started to reach out for him.
"I have to go, mi'ja." The smile he gave me was the last one I could ever remember him giving me before he could no longer smile...
"Daddy, don't go! Don't leave me! I want to go with you! I'm sorry! Take me with you!" I knew where he was going and I didn't care. It wasn't to the real world... nor any living one.
He began to fade away as I outstretched my arms towards his light, trying to reach eternal peace.
'Dad!'
I coughed a little as I woke up from my dream. The tears somehow still streaming down the sides of my face. My body lay flat on a bed meanwhile my eyes cleared up,
'Why do I keep waking up in a hospital?'
I looked around at the familiar surroundings,
'I'm still... here...'
As I struggled to sit up, I could hear the nurses murmuring to each other about my condition. It was so strange to hear them speak English but I was still so out of it I couldn't say anything. But from what I heard, it seemed I was out for a few days and a kind farmer was generous to lend a helping hand. I'll be sure to find him and thank him later.
As I kept going in and out of consciousness, I could see nurses and doctors come and go. It was a few hours before I finally came to but I really wished I hadn't. A few minutes had passed after feeling truly awake when a knock made me jump.
"C-come in." 'I wonder if they understand me...'
The door opened and I could see two tall silhouettes behind the room curtain. Two very familiar bodies moved toward me in a cautious manner. My body tensed as my heart and mind started to race simultaneously,
"Please don't kill me! I don't know how I got here! I'll tell you what you want to know about me! I just want to go home!" I watched as Kakashi and Inoichi stared with concern.
"Calm yourself." I gasped at the sound of the soft but stern voice coming from the gray-haired Hokage, "It seems you are now able to communicate with us so, we'll speak in due time... we came to see how you are doing and also came as escorts to someone who is very eager to see you."
"Who?" I propped myself up and out of bed curiously before the door opened abruptly and watched the room curtain fly up ungracefully.
An orange blur came towards me and almost toppled me over with an embrace,
"Leila! You're ok! I looked everywhere for you! I know you don't understand anything I'm saying but you scared me. Please don't do that again!"
There was a quiet sniffling next to my ear before he moved slightly away and gave me a teary-eyed smile. I don't know why but I was overcome with an odd satisfaction and giggled,
"Naruto... I-I understand everything and I didn't run away."
"What do you mean? The villagers said they watched you leave my home." Naruto mentioned to me, still not realizing the fallen communication barrier.
My confused expression changed to annoyed, "Seriously Naruto, how oblivious are you?" A sigh escaped my breath as I plopped down on the hospital bed. I could see I had clearly offended him.
"Oblivious!? I'm not-" and then the most amazed face came upon him, "You can talk!"
"Obviously I can talk..."I retorted sarcastically. I mean, duh, I've been always able to talk.
He continued excitedly surprised, "I mean, how!? Y-you're speaking my language now!"
"What are you talking about? You are speaking my language." It caught me off guard what he said because the words I heard coming out of his and everyone else's mouths were in English. He then tried to correct me, "No, you're-"
"Look, whatever Sasuke and Orochimaru did to me gave me the ability to finally understand everyone and vice versa." I interrupted as it didn't matter since we could understand each other. But even so, he was taken aback with what I had said and sat beside me,
"Sasuke did this to you? But... how? That doesn't-" I shook my head so he would stop. The flashback of that moment was a bit much to bear at that time.
"Just forget it, please. I've had enough traumatic experiences here and I just... I just want to go home." My arms crossed as I tried to hide my shuddering. I mean, the experiences were still overwhelming and to add to it, the room was pretty cold.
"I see... Well, until we can figure out how we can do that. You're welcomed to continue staying with me if you want, you know, after you talk with the Hokage and the rest." His hand scratched the back of his head as he turned away from. I then looked around and noticed that the "escorts" had taken their leave while Naruto and I were conversing.
"Thanks... that... would be nice. Considering you're my only friend here." My smile was rather weak, trying not to show any sadness at the thought but... it was true.
"Yeah... Right. Friend." Naruto's nervous but unsatisfied giggle was something I'd never heard. But something came over me and I took him in my arms tightly and let go,
"Thank you for everything. If there's any way I can repay you, please let me know." I smiled happily as I watched his blush disappear from his thinking face.
"You know exactly how you can repay me." A curious smirk fell on his lips and it was true, I knew exactly how. Without hesitating, we both yelled out,
"Ramen!"