Lines in the Sand
Arc 1 - A Shinobi
Line 2: A nightmare
I didn't notice when it was that Okaa-san was finally able to stand. Nor did I notice when it was that a young shinobi appeared beside us to converse with her. It was only when she called out my name that I snapped out of the haze that had descended over my mind.
"Yume, are you okay?" she questioned as she crouched in front of me and cupped my face with her hands. She caressed my cheek gently, "Are you still hurting anywhere?" she asked again, her smile was weak but no less comforting.
I stared back at her, my stare blank as the events of the last half hour played through my mind over and over again.
How could I be alright after witnessing that?
The adrenaline pumping through my veins has subsided, no longer powering the fight or flight response. Along with it went the hormone induced clarity. And without the aid of of the chemical, the full weight of the emotionally stressful event was now boring down on me.
It scared me out of my wits. It left me confused and lost. I wanted nothing more than to find a corner to cry in. To hide from the world until my sluggish mind finally sorted everything out. To disappear until I could face things again.
If I were alone, there wasn't a doubt in me that would have been exactly what I would have done. However, I wasn't alone. I had more to think about than just myself. There will be time for moping around later. But for now, there was someone who was worried about me and required assurance that I wasn't about to lose my mind. Even if I suspected I was.
"I'm okay," I lied, even managing to pair it with a reassuring smile. Or at least, my best attempt at one. It must've been anything but reassuring because she only looked more worried than before. Still, eventually, she returned my smile.
I took this opportunity to hug her. It was as much for her as it was for myself. The touch of another person helped to calm me down. We stayed like that for a while. My arms around her as she played gently with my hair.
She made no move to separate until I did. "All good now?" she asked me as she stood back up to her full height. I nodded in affirmation. "Yosh, let's resume our trip to the hospital," she exclaimed with an over exaggerated, boisterous smile. Despite the enthusiasm in her voice, I could tell just underneath the surface was a strong undercurrent of anxiety.
Her attempt to maintain a strong facade for me brought a genuine smile to my face. However, my expression slowly morphed into one of perplexity and incredulity.
Sensing my confusion, she patted my head and ruffled my hair. "The shinobi-san I was just speaking to informed me that they're succeeding in driving the Iwa forces back outside of Konoha. We'll be safer deeper in the village."
She led me by the hand and began walking towards the hospital. Another reason as to why we were still heading there immediately became clear. Her steps were laboured and accompanied by a gentle limp. A quick look on her face revealed the strain she was under and the effort she was putting in to not let her pain show.
She was still injured. I felt guilt pooling in my stomach. I'd forgotten how hurt she'd gotten trying to keep me safe.
A few dozen steps later, she paused. I felt another jolt of worry course through my veins. Did she need a break? Was it too painful for her after all?
To my relief, that didn't appear to be it. She stopped walking to look back in the direction of our home. No… Not home. The angle was a bit off.
Otou-san's bakery, the answer dawned on me, she was worried about him. I could feel the uncertainty in her decision now. She wanted to check in on him. To assuage her worries about his wellbeing and his about ours.
I gave her a small tug towards the path to the hospital.
There was naught we could do if we headed there. We couldn't contend with shinobi. Us being there wouldn't make him any safer, probably the opposite. It would put us back in danger and distract anyone who would otherwise be protecting the civilians there. All we could do is hope he found shelter and protection from the supernatural beings we called shinobi.
Plus, she needed the attention of a doctor as soon as possible.
Another tug later, we resumed our journey to the hospital.
Without anything to do now except walking, my mind finally wandered back to the most recent events. It explored the absurdity of what just transpired, of what it all meant, and even the tinge of familiarity that was starting to make itself known.
It was preposterous to think how any of this could possibly trigger such a reaction. Yet, this nagging sensation of familiarity remained. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself it was just my imagination, I just couldn't completely put it past me.
I was missing something. A key, some vital fact I needed to jump start my memories and remember just what was eliciting such a response. It was like having a word on the tip of your tongue.
It was right there. So close, yet so far.
We merged into a wide open street. Although we were still only about halfway there, the street was straight and had a lear avenue directly to our destination. For the first time in my life, there weren't any obstacle between me and the centre of the village.
It let me see further than ever before. The hospital, the government facilities, and the answer to that itch of familiarity. The answer as to why all was not as foreign as it should've been.
And it came in the form of a yellow-grey cliffside with three faces carved onto the side of it.
Oh.
Lines in the Sand
Both the trip to and the stay at the hospital was a blur. Although physically present, my mind was too preoccupied with the sudden revelation to focus on anything else.
It wasn't as if I could completely zone out there were too many tests for me to do so. Vaguely, I would recognise whenever Okaa-san or someone else spoke to me, and I would do my best to accomplish whatever task they wanted me to do. However, the meaning behind them didn't really register and the logic behind them were lost on me.
The world of Naruto? Really?
As if reincarnation or whatever this was wasn't bizarre enough on its own, but into a bloody fictional world as well? I couldn't even fathom where to begin.
I had hoped, desperately, that maybe just this part of my second life was a dream. If the events of the past half-day or so were part of some hunger induced nightmare, then I could still stomach it. The world could offer me this small mercy right?
I pinched myself several times, held my breath, attempted anything my mind could come up with to wake me up from this long-winded dream. But it was to no avail. I wasn't even afforded this small clemency.
The only reaction my actions solicited was worrying Okaa-san more and prompting her to ask the doctor to conduct more tests.
Part of me wanted to reprimand myself for not realising where I had reincarnated earlier. However, to be fair to myself, I really had no way of knowing.
My life until now was completely isolated from the characteristics of the Naruto world that would have helped me diagnose the world for what it was. Even if I had been constantly exposed to them, I doubt anything short of seeing the main character in all his orange glory or that mountain range would have joggle my memory.
After all, I was not immediately familiar with Naruto, having not watched or read it myself. My interactions with the story were limited to snippets and expositions from friends, references to it online and in pop culture, and memes.
Besides, who freaking wakes up and goes, 'Oh, I've been reborn in a fictional world someone bloody made up'.
The clinically insane, that's who.
Even now, after witnessing some pretty condemning evidence to support the theory, it just sounded like a bad joke. A really, really poor one made in distaste by that one uncle you only tolerated because you were obligated to.
I huffed, almost snarling in displeasure at the thought of trying to digest how this all came to be. It earned me another concerned gaze from Okaa-san. Despite its poor track record of success, I gave her a sheepish smile to relieve her worries.
Nothing to see here, I wasn't losing my mind, not at all.
She took one look at my smile and nearly did a one eighty back to the hospital. It was only when I dragged her back in the direction of home and vocally protested my desire to return home that she relented.
As much as I wanted to whine and moan about my fate, I had better things to do. My scientific and inquisitive nature demanded me to find an explanation for the absurd situation; however, even that wasn't my primary concern. No matter how much my curiosity begged me.
No, the most important thing was to figure out what I was going to do now.
Presume that this really was the world of Naruto, the Narutoverse, what do I do? What information did I possess that could improve my lot in this life.
The answer was a big fat 'not much'. Maybe I could Naruto run my way out of this world and back into my own.
Hah.
On a more serious note, there were a few important points I do remember. The most pressing was that I distinctly remembered that Konoha was flattened.
Not burning down, not under attack like it just was, but straight up turned into a giant smoking crater.
Very appealing Stuff. Prime real estate really, everyone should live here.
Maybe it was the result of the war I would often hear about when the topic of Naruto was brought out. Or maybe I was wrong and Konoha was the safest place to be. For all I knew, everywhere else might've turned to ash.
Besides, Naruto lived here didn't he? Presumably the entire central cast did. In these types of stories, the protagonist would ultimate fix everything and there would be a happy ever after. All I had to do was stay out of the way and make sure I was one of the people left when he did his thing.
Whatever it may be, I didn't have enough information. I couldn't make an informed decision based on unreliable memories or a hope that the hero was going to save the day. I didn't even know if the events would unfold in the manner as was depicted in the story. It was a fictional story and this world may just bare an uncanny resemblance.
All I could do now was hedge my bets that there was time. Time for me to prepare, time for me to gather intelligence, and time for me to concoct a solution. Whether that solution was to relocate to a safer place until the story's plotline finishes or something else.
The issue at hand resolved for now, I started paying attention to my surroundings once more. I searched for landmarks I might recognise. There was a barber shop, a butcher, oh, and the fish vendor with the freshest fish in the whole market. My smile brightened a little at the sight of him. We were at the market closest to home.
Noticing the change in my behaviour, Okaa-san's face brightened. "Finally awake Yume?" she asked. There was an uncertainty in her voice, one that convinced me she still was still considering turning us around and going back to the hospital.
Whatever I was doing while I was out of it must've really worried her.
"Yup, sorry, was thinking," I answered as cheerfully as I could, not wanting to worry her further. She gave me that disbelieving parent look, one I was slowly becoming very accustomed to, but I just doubled down. "Shinobi people are crazy, really curious. Tell me more when at home?"
Her look didn't go away, but she didn't press me further. Perhaps the relief that I was just a little less weird than before was enough for her. Or she simply gave up on having a normal daughter. Probably the latter. Either way, I was thankful I was no longer under the microscope.
"Okay," she said as she led us closer to the fish stall and my eyes widened. Dare I hope? There was nothing better than some tasty fish to go with figuring out that my whole life is a literal lie.
"I'll tell you more while we eat salmon tonight."
Oh yes, I dare hope.
"Yay! Salmon, what is special?" I asked her, curious as to why we were having something that was usually reserved for celebrations.
"You mean to say, 'what is the occasion'," she laughed, "And the occasion being we didn't die today."
Amen to that.
Lines in the Sand
Something startled me awake, some ominous pressure that I couldn't quite describe. However, the moment my consciousness roused from its slumber, I immediately felt what.
Fear, hatred, malice.
It was everywhere. It was in the air, within the covers, inside my lungs. It came in waves so thick it was visible, tinting everything in a sinister red. It was smothering me, choking me, strangling the life out of me. It was like I was drowning, as if I were sinking underwater.
I clawed at my throat. Whatever this thing was, it was too heavy. I couldn't breathe. Changing strategies, I clutched my chest, squeezing it, pushing it, trying to kickstart my diaphragm and lungs again. But it wasn't working. Black spots blanketed my vision, my consciousness going hazy.
Breathe, I needed to breathe damn it.
I hammered my chest, again and again, and again. And then, like a dam breaking, a breath of fresh air entered my lungs. Except, it wasn't just fresh air, I also took in whatever was in the air. It was like poison, it burned my lungs. It was a searing pain so intense I swore someone was driving a knife through my chest.
My body protested, screaming at me to not do it again. I couldn't take another breath of air. Don't do it, don't do it, it cried. Whatever you do, don't ingest it, don't take it in. But I had to. I needed to breathe. If I didn't, death was certain.
So I took another giant gulp of air as forcefully as I could. I used all the willpower I could muster to force it down despite the howling objection of my body. And as a consequence, it made its opposition known. I hurled the contents of my stomach, the acid burning my throat.
It begged me not to do it again. Crying out to me to stop. What you're breathing in was foreign, invasive, malignant. Still, I gasped another breath, and I threw up once more.
But still, I was breathing. I was thinking. I was alive.
More gasping, more struggling, more choking. But no more vomiting. My body wasn't rejecting it as violently now. It was adapting, becoming accustomed to whatever it was that warranted such a reaction in the first place.
I didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.
My breathing came in shallow, short breaths. More like puffing and panting than actual breathing. There wasn't much oxygen in my actions, but it was something. I'm still alive.
I didn't notice when, but I was crying now. I was crying, but I wasn't alone either. I was in warm, comforting arms. I was safe. I hugged him tighter, pulling myself closer into his arms.
Yes, I was in his arms so I was safe.
He carried me down the stairs. I heard more footsteps, another pair aside from his. Before I knew it, we were out the door. The harsh cool air that greeted me stung, but that wasn't the worst thing about being outside. Whatever was in the air that tried to poison me earlier felt even more concentrated.
But at the same time, something else was helping me. It was warm, comforting, and it gave me strength. It fought off the poisonous fog of sheer malice. My initial laboured breathing eased up a bit, and I no longer felt like I was dying.
They paused for a little bit. I heard them exchanged panicked whispers, gawking at something. Whatever they were staring at must've been monstrous, because the next moment, the earth rumbled.
It shook, convulsing in a way I didn't even think was possible. I felt one of the arms holding me let go, so I just clutched him tighter. When the shaking lessened, I dared to loosen my hold just a little and took a look around.
Otou-san was holding me like expected, his other arm steadying a very pregnant Okaa-san. It made sense why he let go of me with one arm now, she needed his help. Her balance was bad enough with a baby in her, the shaking would've knocked her over without his help
It was then that I saw it. The focus of their stares, their fear. It was the biggest thing I've ever laid eyes on. It was enormous, not on the scale of meagre sky rises or cruise liners, it was comparable to mountains. And surrounding it, coating it, was the same crimson miasma that threatened to drown me.
When Okaa-san felt steady enough again, we fled. "Let's go," Otou-san said, trying his best to calm us down. "The shelter is this way, we can get to safety there." He moved quickly, but he didn't run. Okaa-san couldn't keep up with him if he ran, so he settled for a fast walk. He kept one arm around her to keep her from falling, and another holding me.
There were ruins all around us, the remnants of what were once homes. Our entire neighbourhood was nearly flattened, there were only a couple cluster of houses here and there that still stood. Ours was one of them, but only just barely. Not even 30 metres from where our home stood was a paw shaped crater. A frightening reminder of what almost happened.
We were almost turned into pavement.
As we made our way through the devastated village, the product of the monster's rampage made itself apparent everywhere we looked. It wasn't just our homes. The candy maker's shop, the tailory with the old grandmother who would always wave at me, the fisher's stall. They were all levelled to the ground or in such a state of disrepair you could no longer recognise what it originally was.
If it were just some broken buildings, then perhaps everything would've been bearable. It could've been something you could stomach seeing.
But it wasn't.
Otou-san tried his best to shield me from it. He told me not to look, over and over, and positioned my eyes against his shoulders to prevent me from witnessing the carnage before us. Despite his best efforts though, I saw it clear as day. And even if I closed my eyes, I could smell it. The scent of blood heavy in the air. I could hear them. Screaming, calling, begging for help.
"My daughter's inside. Someone, rescue her, she's all I have left."
"My leg, my leg, I can't feel my leg."
"No! Honey, stay with me, open your eyes. Don't go, don't leave me all alone."
"My son," A man pleaded, hand gripping the ankle of Otou-san's leg. His own legs a mangled mess. "Just my son," he stared into our eyes, boring into our souls. "Please."
I could see the tears that trailed from my parents' faces. I could feel them on mine too. I could tell it was eating him on the inside, to make this choice. Asaki Kimaru was not the kind of man who would turn away when you asked for help. He was the type that was accused of being too nice. That wore his heart on a sleeve and did too much for too little.
But he was just a baker. A baker with a wife, a daughter, and another child on the way. And it was all he could do to keep us alive.
And so, he did the only thing he could do. He closed his eyes, turned his head, and shook him off. He ushered Okaa-san further forwards, and we kept going.
We moved further away from the monster, away from all the chaos. The buildings here were a little more steady. Less of them in total ruins. Whenever the fox took a step, the earth no longer shook with the same vigor that could knock a grown man off his feet.
"We're almost there," Otou-san breathed out in relief, barely audible above all the turmoil around us. "Just a little further, you can see it there." He pointed with the hand he was previously using to hold Okaa-san steady. "Behind that shop is the staircase leading down to the shelter," he said as he fixated his arm back around her.
It was an inconspicuous shop, with a green awning and beautiful décor. To the side of the store was an alley with a number of people congregating. They were lined up, slowly making their way to the shelter. There were also a handful of shinobi situated there. They guided and directed the civilians into the shelter in an orderly fashion.
We slowed down as we got closer, taking our time as we headed towards the back of the line.
We never made it.
One second, there it was. The tranquil scene of people lining up in hopes of reaching safety. The next, nothing.
Horror dawned on us as we took in the sight we had just witnessed. Okaa-san screamed while Otou-san dropped to his knees. We were so close, we were almost there. A few more metres and we would've joined the rest of the people there, a messy splat on the ground.
Hopefully, the people underground were safe. But the ones aboveground, the ones lining up, so close to being safe. Gone. Nothing more than collateral too. An angry swipe of the tail by a monster who likely hadn't even meant to.
I clung closer to Otou-san.
I could feel the horror radiating off of him. And slowly, that horror morphed into anger. I didn't know how I could feel it, but I did.
Despite his rage, he was the first to recover. "We need to keep going," he said, voice still trembling. I could feel his desire to comfort come off of him now. His inclination to be the rock, the pillar that steadied us. "There's another shelter further north of here. It's further than the one east but..." his voice trailed off. He turned his head back, watching the fox bat away the shinobi that were fighting it like flies. "It's better to walk a little further than to head in the direction of that… of that… that monster."
There was no reaction from beside us, no affirmation, no disagreement, nothing. He turned to face Okaa-san, and she just levelled him with a neutral look, bore of any of the turbulent emotions she must've been feeling inside.
He gave her a gentle shake, "we need to move." When she still didn't respond, he tried again with a little more force. "We need to move, now." He pleaded her with his eyes, urging her to not give up and to keep going.
Gradually, the life returned to her features. Slowly and hesitantly, she nodded. Then we were moving again.
The scenery around us steadily changed as we moved further from the fox. Storefronts and stalls decreased in frequency until it was mostly houses left. Then, those too began to fade. I didn't know how long we had been moving, but eventually another group of people came into view.
We arrived at the other shelter.
Otou-san didn't say anything this time. No cry of relief like before, nor any comforting words of encouragement. Maybe he was just tired, or perhaps he didn't want to bring up memories of what happened last time.
When it became our turn to descend down into the shelter, we just accepted the lit candle one of the shinobi handed us and walked through the hidden door built into one of the giant trees.
The stairs that led down into the shelter was shrouded by darkness, illuminated only by the candles each group of refugees were carrying. The steps were damp and some were even wearing away.
Otou-san would watch carefully as Okaa-san slowly descended the steps, an arm always ready to steady her if she needed it. Several times she wobbled dangerously, but she always stabilised herself quickly.
At the bottom of the stairs were more shinobi, younger this time. Most of them didn't have the green vests like the ones from before. They were denoted only as shinobi by the headband they would wear on various parts of their body. Genin.
We waited in a short line as one by one, they would lead the different groups of refugees to where they would wait in the shelter. The genin that led us had medium length brown hair and wore the shinobi headband as a bandana. He had tired looking eyes and a sword strapped to his hip.
"Please wait here," he said as we came to a stop. "We'll let you," he paused to cough, "know when it's safe to leave." Another cough. Was he sick?
"Okay," Otou-san answered as he finally put me onto the ground. "Thank you shinobi-san for your help." He bowed, deep and steady to show his genuine gratitude. I followed his example.
It wasn't stated, but I knew he was also including the ones that were outside. The ones fighting and trying their best to keep us safe from the demon.
The shinobi seemed to realise this too. He shifted a little awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. "No problem," he stumbled out and cleared his throat again. "Just doing what we can." He gave us another once over, before turning around and walking away to get the next pair of refugees.
The three of us tried to find a comfortable position to sit on the ground. But it quickly became apparent there was no such thing. The cold floor sapped the rest of our strength and energy away. The dampness only facilitated this more.
Abusing my childish rights, I climbed back into Otou-san's arms and settled myself against his chest. He didn't protest my actions, it made it warmer for him too.
Around us were other families in similar states of duress. Some of the more audacious were somehow capable of sleeping despite the situation we were in. Others were similar to us, huddled up in misery and waiting for the disaster to pass.
Then there were the ones that were crying. You didn't even have to listen to their wails to understand why. They lost someone.
Okaa-san was the first amongst us to fall asleep. She was nested in Otou-san's side and rested her head on his shoulder.
Otou-san on the other hand didn't even try to fall asleep. Despite how tired he indubitably was, his eyes were alert and observing our surroundings. He was watching out for us. He wanted to be ready in case anything happened. That was how he simply was.
As for myself, I wanted nothing more than to just drift off to sleep. I was overwhelmed and exhausted. I may not have done any of the running myself, but the events of tonight left me mentally and emotionally drained. There was something else too. I don't know how to quite describe it, but I felt like I used up a lot of energy.
However, no matter how much I craved it, sleep never came. Everytime I closed my eyes vivid imagery would flood my mind and shock me back awake.
The sensation of drowning in that poisonous miasma. The imprint of the giant paw shaped crater right next to our home. The swiping of the tail that claimed so many in front of me. The crying, the screaming, the pleas for help that would never come.
They haunted me.
Everytime my body jolted and shuddered from the realistic mental images Otou-san would give me a little squeeze. A little bit of reassurance to let me know he was there and we were safe now. They helped.
Slowly and steadily, my eyes closed for longer. Whenever my body shuddered awake, it was less violent with more darkness in between.
And as the hours passed, amidst the perpetual state of almost falling asleep and startling awake, the earth had stopped trembling. The monster was no longer on a rampage. The threat had finally passed. We really were safe now.
And as the weight quite literally lifted from the air, sleep claimed me.
