Never Gonna Give You Up Chapter 1
There was a subtle breeze and the sound of familiar rustling leaves. Had Hina not woken up to the smell of a burning campfire, things would not have shaken her so much. As it was, the leaves were singing a foreign song, and the tune of chakra that played to every aspect of her life was long lost. She jumped up towards the nearest source of life and reached for her kunai to find none. Quickly she sniffed the air, and smelt someone unbathed, more akin to the earth itself than any man, but it didn't stop the force in which she propelled herself forward. Clumsily, her shaky arms reached forward in a rushed attempt to grab her assailant. Two strong hands caught her thin wrists, holding them up and tripping her balance, as she struggled into full awareness, blinking the sleep off her eyes, and breathing in even gasps of air.
It took a few moments caught in between realisation and confusion, in the struggle of waking a half-addled mind, before she came to realise the man before her was simply defending himself and that she had attacked without thinking. She looked up at the man for the first time, finding herself startled out of her thoughts. Those almond shaped eyes, the wider nose bride, and the call of a familiar accent. He looked European! She stumbled backwards, a gasp catching her lips. The last time she had seen such features was in her old life. Even in her new one she had only met some in Kumo that looked African American.
"At ease young one," said the man, hands stretching outward, palms facing up in a gesture of goodwill.
He was speaking in English! Hina blinked once, and then again, looked down at her body and felt its warmth, and the warmth of the sun, and the searing awareness of being awake. It felt more impossible to admit this simply wasn't a dream. Had she finally managed to go back to the world of her old life?
Could she see Cat?
She stiffened and a hope flittered to life that had been crushed years ago. But she quickly shook off the momentary distraction, her body coiled back into alertness, hands moving to the ground to stabilize herself. Fingers twitched to find her kunai holster only to realise that underneath this foreign cloak that covered her, she was naked. The touch of bare skin wasn't as startling as the lack of blade to hold to, but as she looked up at the man, hands held up in a sign of non-violence, she felt like it would be wrong to hold a weapon.
Although she was still wary, she stopped her struggles to look up, flustered and embarrassed by her instincts to harm without warning. It had been so ingrained into her that she had just blindly attacked a random man. Hina didn't know what was more embarrassing, attacking a non-aggressor, or failing in the attempt in the first place.
"I am... sorry for attacking," she replied in halting English, surprised that the language was now hard for her to speak without a thick Konoha accent.
"It's ok. I found you by the river. Can you tell me what happened? If it isn't too hard to relay?" the man asked kindly.
Hina frowned. What did happen? An experiment of some kind she was sure. She was with Orochimaru doing who knows what again and now... her head hurt as if the memory was barely out of her reach. She only allowed a small flinch to form in the impassiveness of her face, lest she wanted to show weakness, a habit she had drilled out of her body.
"I cannot. Where am I?" Hina finally asked.
"We are currently in the forests near Bree," he replied.
"Which nation?" she pressed.
"In the realm of Eriador," he continued, a tone of worry taking his voice.
Hina wanted to press for more information but she realised she didn't want to sound crazy. Eriador? Was this some forest land in Europe somewhere? Well she could have ended up in worse places like China or Iran where her sudden appearance wouldn't be taken kindly to by the Nation's government. Any modern government was dangerous sure, but Europe would give her some safe-ish way to con her way back to Australia.
The thought of her home country made her heart soar. Yes, she missed the hot sunny land of her birth country, of the stunning cities, its modern comforts, her golden beaches that smelt of fresh salt and the bushland that held the strange and unusual fauna. Her parents may have been immigrants, but the country was equally theirs by every right as it was in their hearts.
But best of all Cat was there.
"Where in Europe is this?" she asked, inching forward quickly, throwing all caution to the wind as she held this strange man's hand and waited for an answer.
"I know not of Europe. We are in the Northern Realms of Middle-Earth."
Hina felt like the wind was knocked from her lungs.
Strider didn't often talk to the trees. In fact he never thought he could, but they called for him as if agitated by the presence of something unnatural. He was a Ranger, and a Ranger's duty was to the people, and to protect from all Fell things. He had withdrawn his sword ready to take on an Orc band or something equally as vile, when he'd instead found a small body bundled in odd garb.
He pulled the now identified child out of the cold river and paused when he saw the striking colour of her hair. Her hair was a dark viridian at the roots, lightening at the ends to the most vibrant of greens he had only seen in the trees of Rivendell during Spring. Even more oddly, the child had the same green marking on her eyes travelling down in an almost snake like pattern. She wore a light sort of hide armour strung together in an odd pattern. On her breast was the thinnest wire mesh he had ever seen, and outside she wore a material unknown to him that felt both warm and smooth.
The trees whistled in agitation, rushing him on to bundle her in his arms to safety. They continued in this trill call, rustling impatiently, but he realised they were simply unsure. They weren't asking for her removal and he was glad for that because this was a child, and he wouldn't find it in himself to harm her.
Instead he did what he had to do. Unwrapping the cloak around her he took to stripping her of her armour and clothes so she would not freeze to death. Even though she was a child, he hoped he hadn't sullied her honour in any way by doing so, but if he kept the clothes on, she would freeze further, and he'd rather her alive for now. Then he lit a fire and laid her by the tree with his own dry cloak to keep her modesty.
Her face was drawn with worry even in her sleep, and there were tired lines around her eyes, but she was small and some natural fat from youth remained on her cheeks. She looked no older than 15 winters and already he knew enough to know she was no ordinary child, if the weapons he had confiscated from her odd pouch and the vials in her hidden robes were anything of meaning.
He waited patiently for the girl to wake and was startled when she lunged at him with such intense precision and skill. Not even a moment after her waking and she was already so stable. Then after calming her down she looked abashed by her actions and then apologised asking for her location. He gave it to her, and it only seemed to confuse her. When he expanded, she looked stricken by some sort of dread and then she turned her back to him, something he had an inkling to know was uncharacteristic of her, before she dropped into a squat and screamed into her knees. Then she turned back and apologised in her oddly thick accent. She turned to him, eyes searching his, hesitant and unsure, lost as she no doubt was.
"I am not from this land," she said.
"I garnered. You are wearing exotic clothing and speak with an accent I have not heard. Tell me little one, where do you hail from?"
She seemed to look beyond him for a second, as if her eyes were far away. "My origins are varied. But I am from the Country of Fire in a Village called Konohagakure originally. Now I guess I am a traveller."
Truly those names were as foreign as her appearance. She didn't hold the presence of the Elves who travelled back from Valar, nor the dark countenance of the Eastern Men. She felt as human as he did, but there was some energy about her he couldn't quite place.
"At your age? Do you not have a guardian or parent with you?"
"He did not come with me. I think my coming here was an accident. I was messing with... magic that I shouldn't have tried to involve myself in."
"You are of the Istari?"
Strider had never heard of a female Istar. He knew of Mithrandir, and Saruman, but beyond them he knew very little of the Order of Wizards. Something about her seemed so foreign that she felt unnatural in the landscape, in a way that no Orc, or Easterling could be. There was a realness to them that she did not possess. For a moment he wondered if he were dreaming or if she was some illusion conjured by the Enemy to deceive him.
"I don't know what the Istari are," she said.
"Then are you of light or darkness child? I do not wish to presume, and I will give you the time to explain yourself as I do not wish to hurt one so young."
He really hoped she wasn't the Enemies spawn. If that were the case, then this was some cruel test of allegiance. To be forced to kill a child...
He was surprised when she laughed, as if it was the funniest thing she'd heard. He sent her a serious look hoping to get across the situation she was in was no laughing matter. It didn't deter the amusement in her eyes.
"Sorry, sorry that was just so funny," she said, trying and failing to stop the upward twitch of her lips. "Light and darkness? How am I meant to know? Everyone's done bad things and good things, right?"
Her answer was confusing at best. He had no idea what to make of this strange child with the eyes of a beast, slitted, and yet full of intelligence. She hadn't claimed to be a creature of the Fell however. He had no desire to kill her until he was entirely sure of her nature.
"Let me rephrase. Are you the child of the Enemy?"
"You're going to have to be more specific."
"Sauron, the Witch King," he said, trying not to lose his patience.
Her eyes grew wide as if in understanding and then she drew silent. Almost as if speaking to herself she continued. "Huh, so Lord of the Rings then."
"Yes he is the one I speak of, although he is no Lord of us."
"Well if you're asking if I'm his spawn then no. I don't have much of a connection with anything in this world, let alone him. But really, I don't want to keep talking about things you won't believe anyway. You can take any one of my possessions as thanks, but I'll be needing my gear back. I want to find a way back home."
Strider spun around almost instantly when the cloak dropped. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out a loud breath. He caught the cloak abruptly thrown his way. Looking up at the trees, so barely anything but the tip of her head was in the peripheral of his vision he finally managed to catch what she was doing so brazenly naked.
"It would be folly of me to let you take back your weapons."
"But you're too gentlemanly to stop the little poor naked girl," she crooned mockingly.
"Your clothes are still damp. You will freeze if you leave," he said, catching her body for a moment and then promptly looking away again with a horrified gape.
"Ha! Let's see the wind try," she said.
Strider shook his head at the youthful display of stubbornness. She put on her armour and tied back her long hair at the nape of her neck before adding on the thick rope like apparel around her waist to pull it all together. Her dress was incredibly short for a woman, wearing no trousers underneath, ending in the middle of her thighs and showing a fair amount of skin. Strider decided pointedly not to think of a society in which women simply threw away clothes with nary a thought of who was watching them.
"I cannot send you away in good conscience. You are clearly going to freeze before you even have the chance to get lost," Strider said shaking his head.
"Why do you want to help me anyway? What's in it for you?" she asked.
"It's simply the right thing to do. Accompany me to the nearest Village at least," he offered.
Strider hesitated after giving the offer. He was quick to help, but was now the time? Danger would soon be on his heel. All manner of evil he was used to, but the evil he would no doubt face soon, he was warned would crumble an average man. Though she was a child. A lost girl... he supposed he'd leave her there once he was done, settle her down with someone in Bree who wouldn't judge her based on odd appearance and superstition. It would be better even to get her to the Elves in Rivendell, but he feared bringing a child along on their perilous journey.
She frowned as if in thought. "Ok I will follow you but only to the nearest Village. I will need to find a way back home. I'm sure it's not anywhere I can travel to via transport, so I'll have to do some research on the way. Oh and... the cold never bothered me anyway."
She laughed, her voice sounding free and thrilled, before she formed her fingers together in practiced hand signs. A gust of hot wind blew up from the ground beneath her and the heat evaporated the dampness in her skin, leaving the air wet for a moment. Strider gaped. She was certainly no kind of creature he'd ever seen. He had never witnessed Mithrandir do anything of the sort.
"So it is true. You are a Wizard?"
"Not a Wizard. From the place I come from we are called Shinobi... there's no direct translation I think you will understand, but we are essentially... wizard-warriors," she said.
"And this is a common ability taught to children?" he asked in disbelief, wondering what kind of society taught such dangerous powers to ones so young and immature.
"Yeah, we practically start learning it the moment we can walk. We use an energy called chakra within us to weave together magic. I'm also very good at hand to hand combat," she said.
"Fascinating. Your world seems like a fantasy."
"You don't say," she said with the quirk of her lip.
"How old did you say you were?"
"Should be about 14 in a couple of months," she hummed in thought.
Strider had no idea what a child that young was doing out in the wilderness by herself. She was certainly not giving the visage of an evil creature at first, but it only took looking at her unnervingly bright green, almost blue eyes, slitted like a predator, and those sharp green markings tapering to a point at the bridge of her thin nose reminiscent of a serpent, for one to see past the harmless nature of her small form. He resolved he would determine what kind of character she had before doing anything brash.
"I could not in good conscience leave a child to herself. You will have my protection," he pledged.
"Well I personally don't think you need to worry about my safety, but I can't have a travel companion I don't know the name of. You can call me Suzuki Hina."
"I am known as Strider."
"Well then, let's stride on," she said with a grin, pointing towards their path.
He shook his head in amusement. At least she had a sense of humour.
Hina liked her travel companion. She had a feeling she remembered him. He was some main character in another movie she'd watched ages ago and didn't particularly bother to remember. She had recalled her memories of watching and reading Naruto over and over again that the plot had been ingrained forever into her thoughts, but Lord of the Rings had barely crossed her mind in her past life and this one. It had been something Cat was into on the occasion, not something Hina was personally invested in, but she remembered the basics. Some evil bad guy wanted a ring, and some Hobbits, Humans, Elf, and Dwarf were going to go on a quest to drop it in lava.
She could vividly remember Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, moreso because she had a major crush on the actress, and not really for any other reason. She also remembered how much she admired Sam for being a good friend to Frolo or whatever.
They walked in comfortable silence, only stopping a moment or two to collect necessary things such as firewood for the night. At times Hina would find herself ahead of Strider and force herself to slow down. Overall it was with peaceful companionship that they moved through the forest in tandem, their feet treading silently, and gracefully through the falling autumn leaves.
Hina mumbled at the beginnings of a headache. She held her forehead, scowling a little before feeling the sharp pang of a memory. Aragorn turned to his silent companion, paused for a moment and gently pushed her to sit down.
"Are you ok?"
"Yes, just a little headache," she replied, wincing.
She could suddenly recall what she was doing before she came here and it wasn't making her feel any better about the whole situation. She looked at Aragorn, tapping her thighs in thought as she wondered if she should tell him. He did help save her life, and he was the only one she knew in this world. Until she could get some ink supplies and start working on her Fuinjutsu again to mock test a reverse summon, she didn't want to be alone in a foreign place. Plus this man hadn't killed her despite her creepy appearance, that was no doubt considered evil in this world. Before she could tell him why she came here, he handed her his bow.
"To distract you from the pain. Do you wish to shoot?"
"Would I ever!"
Then with practiced ease, Strider took the bow into his arms and showed her how to draw the string back. Hina eagerly took the bow and repeated his movements, only slowing down when he voiced a correction, or adjusted her posture.
"So this is how you wield a bow huh," she said with a grin as she pulled the string back easily.
"It's no easy feat as one might consider. To draw a long bow requires strength from long hours of training. For you to wield it is impressive," he explained.
"Mate, I've been bench pressing Guy from the tender age of 6. I think I can draw a bow string," she laughed.
Strider had no idea what she meant but he'd learnt enough in his time with her that questions only brought up more questions, so he refrained from asking. She was a surprisingly light-hearted child from what he assumed was a warrior's background. Why someone so young looked like an experienced veteran was beyond him, how she managed to snark and laugh whilst also being a warrior reminded him of the Dwarves. It was odd to see in a human child... if she was human as she claimed to be. He still hadn't asked about her eyes or the odd pattern on her neck when she so brazenly undressed in front of him to go swimming. To think she had called him a prude for not getting in with her. He shook his head at the memory.
"Do you not have bows in your land?"
"No we use these," she said, pulling out an oddly shaped knife and a sharp circular object with ridges. "It's called a kunai and this one's a shuriken. We can throw both, but the kunai are also good for close combat too. It's a handy dandy thing that saved my life countless times."
"You've been to battle?" Aragorn asked, twisting his head suddenly to look at her in alarm.
She raised a brow as if suddenly realising that what she said might be alarming, but her smile took her face again and she nodded.
"Many times. I would show you all of my awesome battle scars, but my master decided to get rid of them. Told me it was bad to keep my skin so rough," she lamented.
"That's quite alright. I've seen more of you than I care to in an entire lifetime," he said.
"Ha! Is everyone here so prudish? Come on we were just bathing on a trip. I don't care what size you are, you know," she chuckled.
Aragorn turned to walk away. Nope, he was not dealing with that conversation EVER.
Hina twisted the tender rabbit meat over the fire, sending the animal a little thankful prayer for it's life. Strider paced around their camp for a little while before he sat next to her, a frown on his face.
"What's got you in a mood mister grumpy-pants?" she asked.
He huffed out a breath in exasperation as he shook his head. Despite trying her level best to take this whole situation in stride and treat it like a holiday, the worry did also get to Hina. The slight possibility that she might not be able to go back home made her nervous. She had left during an undercover mission. Her presence would be missed by her contacts, and she didn't want to leave Orochimaru to his own vices without her attendance nearby. Aragorn had entirely different concerns.
"I didn't consider that your presence in town would be ill advised. You see, not only am I likely to meet danger, but your eyes and hair will draw attention to you. I know you are not a creature of the dark, but some might jump to the conclusion."
"Yeah snakes are kinda spooky that way," she chuckled.
Aragorn shook his head and smiled. "You find humour in everything don't you?"
"Hmm, if I kept looking at the negatives; life would be so drab and depressing. Anyway, I have an easy fix for your problem."
Her fingers came together in those odd patterns again, and there was a sudden burst of smoke. In her place was a 30-year-old woman with short cropped brown hair and dark eyes. She was wearing an imitation of his outfit. He blinked in shock.
"Keep your mouth open for longer and you'll swallow flies," she snickered.
"You are a shapeshifter?"
"Nah, this is a pretty simple illusion any 12-year-old can do from my place. Of course I've mastered it to a level unheard of because I'm that awesome, but it's still just an illusion. Touch my face."
Aragorn complied and when he touched her face it was as if he was going through fog. He was more than impressed. He knew Wizards could call upon great magic during a time of need, but here was one doing amazing magic on a whim.
"Amazing," he whispered.
"I know I am! I mean not to brag or anything but I'm pretty great," she said.
"Yes, and so humble," he replied with a smile of his own.
"Awesome and humble. You should be grateful you got stuck with me," she laughed.
Strider knew she was joking and so joined in with a light chuckle of his own. Her presence was easing him in a dangerous way. Never would he have presumed to act so casually with someone he hardly knew.
"Well we are a day away from Bree, and if you could it would be useful to keep this visage."
"And in this cheese town there is a table stable enough to paint on?" she asked.
Never mind that he had no idea what she meant by 'cheese town' but Aragorn also had no idea what this child intended to do with paint, paper, and a table. He supposed for a second, that maybe like all children she simply enjoyed art, but that seemed extremely unlikely considering she was all sorts of odd.
"You're a queer child aren't you," he mused.
"I wouldn't say queer, but I'm definitely gay," she replied with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
"Yes, you do find joy in impossible things. We should set watch for the night."
She snorted in annoyance, as if he had missed something or another. Aragorn decided that he'd stop trying to understand her lest he wanted a permanent migraine.
"Can you tell me a story?" she asked.
"I don't have very many for the ears of a young lady."
"Aww really? A big scary man like you, out in the woods doing who knows what, doesn't have a story?"
He sighed in mild irritation. She was persistent in an annoying kind of way, but she was also just a child and children's curiosity was always an endearing quality. Although she held none of the innocence that he'd seen on most children.
"I have a story."
Hina listened in rapt attention about the story of an age-old war, of the combined forces of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth, and of the betrayal of the Human King Isildur who took the dark ring for himself and bound the fate of his brethren to the dark lord.
"So this Sauron is defeated then?"
"No his power is but tarried. Though this is not something one should talk about before rest. You should sleep."
Hina frowned and shook her head. "You didn't wake me up last night for my shift. If you continue this, you will get tired and then it'll just slow us down."
Strider smiled at her concern but thought it was unnecessary. "It's not an issue. Us rangers oft travel alone and are used to sleeping light."
"Well so am I. We Shinobi go on extended missions into enemy zones, but even we let our teammates take the night watch to let us sleep. I'm surprised you haven't gone crazy yet! You know what a lack of sleep does to a man?" she asked with wide eyes.
"Sleep child," he said, calling to calm her down.
"I'm no child. You sleep adult man," she retorted stubbornly.
Aragorn was once again struck by her stubbornness. He hadn't the energy to refuse her, so he did as she asked and closed his eyes, though he reminded himself to sleep light still. He didn't trust this one enough to leave himself so vulnerable.
He hadn't missed the alertness and odd seriousness in her posture during the entire time she was awake. He expected she would grow tired and doze off even if she didn't outright sleep, but her eyes were keen and sharp in the darkness, glowing with luminous light like a feline at night. He knew in that moment that she was no creature of darkness, certainly not the light, but maybe something else.
The next day as they entered Bree, Hina had taken to putting on a Henge to make herself look like a slightly shorter male ranger like Aragorn was. She had remembered this world was more male dominated in certain fields and actively barred women from them. While females were certainly not the largest Shinobi population, they weren't discouraged from joining, in fact they were highly sought after for things like infiltration and seduction—the jobs most Shinobi didn't want, but certain highly trained females could do better than any man if given the opportunity. Not that there weren't specific roles for male seduction, but they were rarer to come by. There was just something about the traditional small, dainty female figure that begged to be underestimated in combat. It was of course an incredible advantage in Hina's eyes. Oftentimes she was looked down upon for her age itself, which she also used to advantage in battle.
As it stood here though, she didn't want to be different. If Strider's warnings meant anything, being different would probably ostracise her. She had figured acting like a ranger, a known occupation in this world, would ensure that she passed by unnoticed. If she'd known that rangers had a mysterious sort of reputation to them, she would have gone for a plain travelling woman instead.
The town they entered together was definitely medieval looking, and the cobblestone ground was uneven and jagged, something she wasn't used to with Konoha's more advanced tiling system. It really put into perspective how lucky she was to have ended up in a world with proper plumbing in her second life. She wasn't unused to living with nature though, so this wouldn't be so culturally shocking either way, but she enjoyed her amnesties.
They had bought a room for the week in an inn called the Prancing Pony. Hina dropped her henge the moment she walked into the privacy of the room and dropped on the bed.
"An actual bed on a mission! Oh the joy," she said, throwing herself onto the bed.
"Mission?" Aragorn asked with a raised brow.
She turned to her side and her eyebrows lifted a little in realisation and she scratched her nose abashedly.
"Right, not a mission. So why are you staying here for a whole week exactly? Aren't you rangers meant to roam the wild?" she asked.
He looked uncomfortable by the question and Hina wished she hadn't asked. Not that she didn't want to be told the exact details, but she already had in mind what exactly was happening here, and Strider looked uncomfortable with her being about. She understood him well. An unknown like her appearing out of nowhere at such a crucial point in his people's history was surely suspicious.
"I am not at liberty to speak so freely of my intentions here. You must understand, I hardly know you and the business of rangers are their own," he said.
"Well makes sense. I won't ask again if you get me paper, a brush, and some ink," she bartered.
"And that's all you wish for?" he asked, sending her a second glance.
"Well if you're willing to give me more, I'll trade you a scroll of mine for a pair of pants," she said with a hopeful glint in her eyes. "It's not this bloody cold where I come from."
Ah, that explained the shortness of her attire. Maybe her peoples were less opposed to the showing of skin because of the climate Aragorn mused.
"I won't take payment for a simple pair of pants and some basic utensils. Not for a child in need," Aragorn finally replied.
Apparently, the girl didn't like that answer if her expression was anything to go by. "You've helped me a lot already. Take my payment so I don't feel like I'm abusing your worry," she said, pulling out what was essentially a paper tag with some symbols drawn onto it.
"If this is the currency of your home, I fear it will not work here."
She shook her head. "No these are paper tags. This one explodes during a collision, so you don't need chakra to activate it. I'm sure you could use it too."
Aragorn would have normally refused the payment either way, but his curiosity was piqued. He'd seen the girl's casual display of magic and couldn't so easily dismiss something as ridiculous as exploding papers.
"And these runes on the paper are for the magic I'm to assume?" he asked.
"Exactly," she said grinning. "Fuinjutsu is an ancient and troublesome art, that I've dedicated my life—well part of my life anyway—to decoding. These are pretty basic tags, but if you get me that paper and ink, I asked for then you can expect a whole lot more."
Of course she didn't want those supplies for art. At this stage he supposed that would have surprised him more. He took the paper tag and placed it in a secure pouch before bidding her farewell. He didn't think he needed to remind her of caution if she decided to leave the room. He had a feeling she knew how to take care of herself without him, although the fact that she was still a child did make him worry slightly.
After Hina got her pants, things were looking a little nicer… well at least there wasn't an unending cold draft going up her thighs and freezing her at every moment. The chill from her walk the day before had left a near constant trail of unwanted goosebumps.
Beyond that she had finally gotten her ink and paper. As it turned out, infusing chakra into Fuinjutsu in this world was incredibly hard with how chaotic the energy around her was. It certainly didn't like her seals for some reason. It annoyed her that the energy of the world had a mind of its own when her world had a nice chakra system that minded its own business and was nicely malleable to your whims. So a normal seal took her twice the time to create and twice the energy. But she did manage to make a basic summoning scroll.
Then she had tried to call her summon, a small one without much mind to it and found that it drained so much of her chakra, that she knew she would have instantly killed herself if she tried summoning either Amaru or Ryunosuke, who were both talking, higher ranked summons. Other than that she mostly asked Strider about this world of his and kept away from anything to do with his business.
She had a feeling Strider was actually concerned by her lack of curiosity because after four days of them living in the inn, he finally asked her if she was not at all concerned for his duty here. She shook her head, reminding him that she was a mercenary and a soldier and knew when to not sniff out someone else's private affairs. She was more curious about other things anyway, like what kind of alcohol they had in this world that she had missed in Konoha. Well she would have indulged a little, just for nostalgia's sake considering she couldn't get drunk anyway, if Strider hadn't banned her from alcohol because of her age.
It was on their fifth day at the inn that Strider let in a woman into their room. Hina had not had the time to put up a Henge and so she was met with the audible gasp of a woman she didn't know. She sent Strider an alarmed look and he replied with a mildly apologetic glance.
"You're right, the lass does look odd," the woman said in awe. "Like the offspring of an Elf and a tree."
"Those exist?" Hina asked Strider.
He shook his head and Hina sent the two adults a dubious look. She had no idea who this woman was or why Strider had brought her here. In fact, it surprised her that he'd do something like this without telling her first, which did annoy her a great deal.
"Hina, forgive me for not being straight forward but this is Gertrude. She owns the mill down at the end of the village, a private space where she has offered to shelter you."
"Shelter me?" Hina trailed off. "What about you? I thought you'd take me along…"
Hina realised how silly that sounded the moment she voiced it. She needed a permanent spot to sit down and work through her Fuinjutsu. Strider was going to leave the moment the Hobbits got here, and things went to shit with Sauron. She knew logically that given a few months of study and experiments in a stable environment where she could practice her reverse summon, she could find a way home. What Strider was offering her was what she originally wanted.
But not what she wanted anymore…
This world felt different, more chaotic and wilder in its energy. It was honestly disorienting and uncomfortable, but she could ignore that, because for once in her life she wouldn't have to go back to the hell hole she called her life. No family, no friends, surrounded by people who'd want to use her and who she used in return. Strider by comparison was the first honourable man she'd seen in a long time, someone who despite not knowing her at all, had treated her kindly. He could have easily dismissed her as evil, called her a witch and tried to kill her, or left her there to freeze and die. But he hadn't and he was the only person she knew in this foreign land. She didn't want to leave it. It was a selfish desire to stay here in the safety of good people, where her own morals would not be muddled, that kept her here.
"I'm sorry Hina, but there is no need for me to pull you into the dangers of my life," he apologised.
"I don't know anyone else here Strider-san," Hina admitted unsurely as she looked at the woman.
"It's clear the poor lass is lost. Are you sure she isn't some sort of tree spirit?" Gertrude asked.
"She's of magic, but nothing dark. It is possible," Strider settled for.
Hina raised a brow at him for that. He knew she wasn't a tree spirit or the like. At least she wasn't known as vege-chan here though… she always did try to look on the positive side. Gertrude from the looks of things seemed to be a rather kind and accepting woman. If Hina stayed she knew she would be looked after, but she didn't want to leave Strider. Something about staying hidden and not being on the move made her antsy. She didn't want to live hidden away again, not when she'd left behind the need to.
"Would you mind living with us until you find a way home, lass?" she asked.
"If you cannot find a way, I will do all that is possible to come back here as quickly as I can if my other duties do not interfere," Strider promised.
The two earnest people she was met with made Hina's heart drop. They were too kind, too trusting. It reminded her of Guy and his endlessly open heart. No doubt he felt a great loss after hearing her turn traitor, but Hina knew that beyond his pain there was love. This felt all too similar, and it was unnatural only in the fact that it had happened so quickly. Sure there was a level of secrecy and distrust, but they meant well. It was more than she could say about the people in her life currently.
"Allow me to stay with Strider until he leaves," she compromised.
"Why is that lass?" Gertrude asked.
"I want to make sure he's ok. I owe him my life, so once I see that he is safe I can go in peace to hide at your place."
"That is a fair compromise, isn't it Strider? This one seems to value your safety," Gertrude said in amusement, likely thinking that Strider could take care of himself.
"Fine, but you will stay here once I take my leave," he said sternly.
Hina nodded but didn't make any promises. She knew something dark was coming this way, something dangerous that wanted to take lives, and she would be a terrible person if she didn't help repay a life-debt.
"Thank you, Strider-san, Gertrude-san. I think my debt is growing," Hina said.
"Think nothing of it lass, and it's just Gertrude for you. None of this 'san' business."
"Of course Gertrude," Hina amended with a smile.
The woman waved at her before leaving. Hina turned to Strider and crossed her arms.
"Why didn't you tell me before bringing her here?" she asked accusingly.
"I didn't want to startle you, and I knew once you met the kind lady you would understand why I revealed you to her. Gertrude is one of the few souls I've found travelling this world that remains kind to those she doesn't understand," Strider explained.
"Sure, sure, I would have trusted your judgement either way Strider-san. You seem to forget that you saved my life and helped me when you didn't need to as well. You have my trust even if you keep your secrets, but that means I also value a more forthcoming relationship. No surprises please," Hina explained.
"That is fair. Then will you join me for some company at lunch. I want to hear more about your lands."
Hina eyed the man critically for a second, wondering if she should disclose her situation to him, and then decided that wasn't something she wanted to burden him with. She didn't have any qualms with telling him the lore behind her world though. That was something she wanted to see his reaction to in fact. She took a moment before smiling and nodding at his request. This would be fun!
Hina had regaled the story of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, how he came about chakra and distributed it to the people to bring connection and how the people instead twisted it into jutsu to bring war. She told him about the nations and their culture, how Hokages worked, how Shinobi contracted to do mundane things like weeding and guarding trade caravans, but also things like sabotage, assassinations and spy-craft. Strider seemed to take the information with a mildly wide-eyed look, occasionally sipping his drink in disbelief and voicing his concerns rarely.
"And there is a school specifically to teach children to become Shinobi? At what age does this begin?" he asked.
"Usually you start at the age of 5 and then graduate at 12, but me being me, and being super awesome graduated at 6."
"They allowed a child that young to get involved in such dangerous business?"
It took the rather angry vehemence of Strider's voice to remind Hina that it wasn't seen as an accomplishment to be lauded around in this world, that they took protecting their children a lot more seriously. It made her smile drop almost instantly as she remembered children younger than 15 bleeding and dying in the battlefield. No, it was not something to be praised. How could she have forgotten? There was once a time when she thought it a vile practice too… and then the years of respect she earnt from it, and constantly seeing children out there fighting and bleeding had made it almost normal.
"Sorry I didn't mean it as an insult. It just baffles me how evil your people must be to allow such things to continue," Strider said softer in tone, hoping he hadn't shamed the child for something she clearly took pride in.
"No… I guess you're right. It's just something that everyone normally respects and praises. It's viewed as an accomplishment where I'm from… but you made me remember that it's not something to be happy about."
"And you weeded gardens and painted fences, correct. So it must not have been horrible," he backtracked.
Hina didn't make a comment on that and instead ate her meat. No she hadn't weeded gardens and painted fences for very long. Maybe 3 months or so until they threw her right into battle, not caring whether she would die or not. That was the nature of war. People would do evil things in the name of good, and she'd come to realise that was an inevitability, not a choice.
"Well I am an anomaly where I come from too, although I had a friend back home who beat me every time. Graduated at 5, became a Chunin at 7, and a Jounin at 11. Always a year ahead of me," she reminisced with a smile. "Now he works as an ANBU, the highest rank given to any Shinobi other than the Hokage himself, a secret force that carries out the most challenging of orders… and I am not with him."
"Maybe there is a reason you are here instead of there. Not all journeys are simple and easy to understand," Strider said.
Hina nodded. Yes, he was right in a way. It took a different culture to remind her how wrong aspects of hers were. She remembered as a child, viewing children going into battle as ridiculous and evil, and she had desensitised herself to it so much that it had become the norm. A lot of vile things had. Maybe Strider was right, and this journey would give her some better perspective.
"Maybe you are right. This is a welcome break. It feels like all the stresses of that world have disappeared when I came here."
"That is good to hear."
And the genuine way he smiled made Hina brighten up. Yes, she knew that smile was a rare sight. Behind the tired and sulking disposition was a man with some levity.
It was good to finally find some comradery.
A/N
The story title is one big rickroll and I'm unashamed of it. Also sorry it took so long to finally get this out. So to apologise for being three months down my schedule I'm releasing three chapters at once. You can expect a chapter every week, if not by Friday, then by Saturday or Sunday. I've already finished writing up this story. Only have the last chapter to do, hence why I'm releasing a chapter a week. So yipeee! Hope you guys enjoy the fluff and adventure! This is very much the comfort in the hurt/comfort. Hina deserves this break. This story is a lot more light hearted than Snap Back, although there's just a tinge of angst here and there. Mostly it's about Hina collecting dads like they're pokemon cards.
Also whether or not this is canon is up to you, but I'm not including it into the main Snap Back universe because some of the stuff that happens here would have far reaching consequences if she brought it back, and I'm not ready to open the pandoras box of issues that brings up XD
Also if you're new here and reading this and you're confused... well it's because there's a 400k story behind this crossover and it's entirely Naruto. But you don't need it to get into this story, because it's mostly standalone!