Waking up...
"And tragic news today the search for local Oregon teen, Ainfean Kearney, who was last seen leaving a local vet, only to get caught up in the largest storm recorded in the last 20 years in Oregon, has been called off. It has been a a week since they found the family car on the side of the road, three miles from the house. Police said there was no sign of struggle, it was just as if she got out the car to walk home. Canine units followed the trail to old Hunter's Park, where they lost her scent. You may remember a few years back, Hunter Calvin, went missing for 12 days before his body was found.
"Police have officially called off the search for Ainfean, saying that they had no leads of any sort. She was a straight A student and was graduating early so that she could begin college. No one had any negative thoughts of Ainfean, whom teachers and peers refer to as, Pip.
"The high school has hired grief counselors to help the teens for the next week, and even a few teachers have shown up. Mrs. Thalami, music teacher for Ainfean said she would have been a musical prodigy. She could play any instrument she got her hands on beautifully with little effort once she was taught how to play. So in honor of the fallen sch-
Kip shut the TV off. His eyes were red from crying for the past week and a half, on and off. Looking out of the curtains he could see some reporters outside with their camera crew, recording his house. Most likely retelling the tragedy that was his life. Shuffling quietly to the kitchen, he sat at his table. It was littered with half filled cups of tea. Kip couldn't bring himself to finish them. Pip always drank half. Drinking the rest would be accepting that she was gone.
And accepting was something he refused.
Kip sat at the table. He wanted to cry, so much that he felt a sore lump in the back of his throat, but no tears came. The usually well kept man looked haggard and unkempt. Wrinkled clothes, disheveled hair. Bags under his eyes made him look years older.
Kip sighed, bringing his face to his hands. He was tired. Not sleeping for a few days may not really affect a younger person but he was well into old age.
Peaking at the table through his fingers, he felt a pang of self pity and anger towards himself. One half of him said to go to his roof, cry, and hopefully pass out from exhaustion. His other half was screaming at him to get off his lazy ass and stop wallowing in his grief. Be a Kearney!
But right now he wanted nothing more then be nothing...
Pip woke up feeling better then she felt in ages. Sighing in content she snuggled deeper into the blanket and started to make plans for the day.
"I'll make some toast... No! Bagels, then I'll go to the park and fix it up that loose beam under the slide, then I'l-" Pip's thoughts crashed into a jumble mess. 'THE PARK! The tree... lightning... Oh God...' Pip felt her stomach lurch. Rolling to the side she heaved. She felt a sting in her arm. A needle. Panicking she reached to pull the the needle out her arm. She faintly could hear a droning beep noise, but she was focused on the fact that one the once spotless white floor was now splatters of red. 'Is...that my... blood?'
Pip stared at the blood in sick fascination. She failed to notice a team of nurses and doctors rush in only to stop dead in their tracks when they saw the girl hanging over the side of the hospital bed, eyes wide, staring fixedly at the floor.
Pip's body began to shake, as realization hit her. 'I'm in a hospital! They found me!' Pip began to laugh while staring at the blood. The nurses began to back away slowly in fear watching the strange girl laugh at her blood.
Pip looked over at the people for the first time and smiled widely. They were all dressed in white uniforms and looked shocked.
"May I speak with my doctor? Is my grandfather here?" the nurses looked at each other and walked out, in search of Pip's doctor. One nurse quickly scurried to replace the needle that ripped out of Pip's arm. Pip looked at it sheepishly and flushed slightly.
"Sorry about that..." The nurse looked up and smiled faintly and replaced the needle smoothly. Pip didn't even feel it go in. Reclining back against the pillows, she kept smiling. A janitor walked in and cleaned the blood on the ground and shortly after a three men walked in.
The first man that walked in had a clipboard and walked immediately to the monitor next to Pip, taking notes. The second man looked very old, and wore what looked like a long red smock, with a white over coat. He had on a white hat, with a spot of red in the center, which had the kanji of 'Fire' in the center. He was smoking a pipe. The last wore a long grey jacket, black pants, and a long black overcoat. He also wore a bandana with an odd symbol on it. Not at all strange really until you looked at his face. He had two large scars running across the length of his face.
'I'm going to take a wild guess and say lion tamer!' Pip began to feel as if something was off.
The doctor walked to the men, and after a rushed whispered conversation, left the room shutting the door. Pip sat up, propping herself up against the headboard and stared at the men, who stared in return. Wanting to stop the slightly awkward moment, she began to look around the room, there was a window but the curtains were closed.
"How are you feeling?" Pip looked over to the men and saw that the older one had stepped closer to the hospital bed.
"Fine thank you." Pip smiled to try and lighten the mood.
"You had quite the accident, Child. You had a punctured lung, a minor concussion, and three fractured ribs." The old man smiled kindly at her and sat in the chair next her bed.
"Just like any other Tuesday." Pip laughed loudly due to nerves. The man smiled lightly, sensing her nervousness.
"Do you know what happened to you?" Pip nodded,
"I was taking my... pet raccoon to the vet, we got caught up in a storm and my car broke down, so I went into the forest where the park is, you know Hunter Park. Anyway, I've been repairing the old playground so I ran there to find shelter, but the rain was pretty bad. I went searching for a tarp and nails by a tree. Lightning struck and a branch fell on me." Pip thought for a few seconds then continued, "I woke up in the forest, and Chozu, that's my raccoon, was there. I kept falling asleep, and when I woke up Chozu fed me. After a while I heard voices and called out. I guess you can guess the rest." Pip smiled and held her arms up in a silent explanation. The old man looked to the other man, who merely nodded slightly.
The man walked forward and gave a pointed glare at Pip. Pip felt a slight shiver down her spine but otherwise he expression didn't change at all.
"What is you name?"
"Pip. Well my real name is Ainfean Begley Kearney, but I go by Pip."
"Where are you from?"
"Ummm, Oregon. You know the state we live in... What's going on here."
"Where is Oregon?" Pip gave the man an incredulous look.
"What do you mean 'Where's Oregon?', We live there!" The man glared harder at her.
"You're in Konoha, Ainfean." Pip glared back at him.
"I prefer Pip, Sir." Pip mocked his tone, "And where is Konoha? That's no where near my hometown!"
"Ibiki, why don't you go bring her doctor while I talk to.. Pip was it?" Pip nodded to the elderly man. The man with the with the scars on his face, who was now identified as Ibiki took the small hint and stepped out the room. The air felt lighter as soon as he shut the door and Pip let out her breathe she didn't even know she was holding. 'Holy shit he's scary as hell!' Pip began to laugh uncontrollably again. 'He seemed so serious about the whole Konoha thing!' Pip got the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach again.
"Where's Chozu? My grandfather? How long have I been here?" Pip felt her throat dry up and her tongue swell slightly.
"Your raccoon kept jumping onto your lap and basically attacking anyone who got near you, especially the doctor on your case. We had the only person he wouldn't attack take him to their house. Don't worry, your pet will be fine." The old man assured her when he saw Pip's worried face. "No ones come to see you, you're grandfather may not even know you're missing. As for how long you've been out, we brought you in here a week ago. You we're in a medically induced coma because you kept struggling against everyone in your sleep. Feisty, aren't you?" Pip laughed.
"I'm a Kearney what can I say?" Pip sighed and began to wonder where Kip was. Surly he knew she was missing after two weeks! Pip heard the door unlatch as Ibiki and another man walked in. The man had large, round, thin rimmed glasses and grey hair pulled into a pony tail and a slightly creepy smile. Pip felt warning bells go off in her head. 'Somethings off on him!'
Pip noticed he was carrying a rolled up piece of paper under his arm. A chart perhaps. He bowed to the older man next to Pip, and smiled a somewhat more sincere smile. Still it seemed off. 'I guess that's just how he smiles...'
"Good morning Hokage. I trust you are feeling well? I wouldn't want you in the hospital as well!" Pip felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. 'Okay Gut! I get the warning! Something is DEFINITELY not right with him!'
"I'm very well, Kabuto. However Pip here isn't that well I believe." The Hokage looked to the rolled up chart in Kabutos' arm. "What have you got there?"
Kabuto made an 'oh!' face and looked to his arm.
"I have a map here! Ibiki said that the patient kept saying she was from Oregon. Maybe it's a village somewhere hidden in the forest or even outside of the border." Pip glared at Kabuto for calling the patient. The old man said her name! Did he not listen? Or did he not care? Kabuto turned his attention to the teen in the bed. His eyes widened at Pip's glare. He smirked and pushed up his glasses, the bifocals reflected the light off them, slightly hiding his eyes.
"He also said she had a glare that topped his. I must say I didn't believe him," he looked at her and laughed a little too loudly, "but you seem to have proved him right!" Pip just kept glaring.
Clearing his throat on comfortably, he rolled the map with a flourish and laid it on Pip's lap.
"Could you please point to where you're from?" Pip furrowed her brow looking at the map. This looked nothing like America, or Canada, or Mexico. In fact it looked like no Country or continent that she had seen. That bad feeling in the pit of her stomach appeared again. Giving a distressed look to the old man.
"This.. this is a sick joke!" Pip looked to the map again as the men around her looked to each other in shock. "C'mon! I-I don't believe you'd do this to a girl in the hospital! Or is this even a hospital." Pip felt her heart rate spike up a few beats. It showed on the monitor next to her.
"What do you mean?" The old man was still calm as Pip began to shake.
"This isn't a map of anywhere on Earth!" Pip pushed herself up and swung her legs off the bed. She felt pain in her abdomen and she was sure she would be throw up blood again. Carefully ripping out the needles and cords connected to her body she stood, only to get a hand on her shoulder. Getting goosebumps again she turned to face Kabuto, who had a look of worry on his face.
"You shouldn't be walking around! What do you mean about the map?" Pip slapped his hand away and for the umpteenth time that day, glared at the man in front of her. She saw him shiver slightly under her gaze.
"That in not a map of America. Not of of and landmass I've ever seen. And definitely not a map of Oregon!" Her voice rose an octave after each sentence to add emphasis.
"Why don't you lie on the bed? Maybe you're head was hit harder then we thought." Pip's jaw dropped at Kabuto.
"No! You're insane if yo-" Pip was cut off when she saw him reach toward her. She swatted his hand away. Something struck her as odd though. Was his hand...
"Glowing?" Pip eyes widened when her thoughts were confirmed.
"What the hell is going on!" Pip turned her back on closed her eyes. "It's a fever dream! Or this is what a coma's like. I'm still in the forest. No! I'm in my bed! There was no storm! There was no storm. There was no storm..." Pip opened her eyes. Still standing in the hospital room. 'It's not real! It's not real! It's not real!' Pip clutched her head, it felt as if it was being squeezed together, 'I'm in bed. I'm not in a city of ninja's I'm... I'm...' Pip felt a heat grow in the pit of her stomach, a slight tingle in her head. A voice in the back of her head spoke quietly, saying 'It's true.' over and over again. Pip felt an odd calm come over her and she turned to the men in front of her. The Hokage was now standing next to Kabuto, whose hand was still glowing.
"Why is your hand glowing?" Pip's voice was a monotone. Kabuto gave her an odd look.
"I'm a medical ninja. Haven't you ever seen one before?" Pip shook her head slowly.
"Nin-...ninjas don't exist. They did hundreds of years ago, but not now. Plus they were in Japan, not Oregon... But," Pip felt that heat again in her stomach, and she felt the need to Pip walked over to the window that was covered by the curtains. Pulling them open, she stared numbly at the scene in front of her. Tall colourful building stood in the distance, while people were walking along the streets "I'm not in Oregon..."
The Hokage had a feeling the girl was speaking the truth about not being from Konoha. She seemed so sincere.
"Pip... I think we should talk..."
The Hokage and Pip spoke at length. Ibiki had joined them but merely stood in the background, eyes firmly focused on Pip. Kabuto wasn't there, much to Pip's pleasure. Even though he did nothing to Pip, she had a terrible feeling about the medic. The Hokage explained where she was and what ninjas were like. And Pip explained what her home was like. The Hokage remained silent through her explanation. Pip was still in shock of the proceedings. Finding it harder and harder to believe what was going on. Chakra? Jutsus? It all seemed surreal. But here it was in front of her. She knew she wasn't dreaming. The Hokage even took the liberty of showing her a..a.. clone jutsu! Which caused a bunch of men in mask demanding if Pip attacked the Hokage. To which the old man only looked to Pip and said he'd explain later.
Slowly the numbness of shock wore off and she felt more and more tired. She had asked the Hokage if she could have Chozu back. He said he'd see what he could do and walked out the room.
Pip had gotten her clothes back, which was more comfortable then the scrubs they had put on her while she was unconscious. Her skin crawled at the thought of her being stripped down by Kabuto. Slipping on her crest. She looked out the window for what seemed the hundredth that day.
It really was beautiful. Something you see in a museum. The streets were littered with people walking, or stopping to chat. People in colourful clothing, laughing, hugging. People without a care. The buildings were white with equally colourful roofs. The sky was beginning to darker slightly. Night was coming soon...
There was a knock on Pip's door. Pip looked over and the intruder let themselves in. It was Ibiki.
"So kid..." Pip glared slightly, "Sorry, Peep. You're gonna stay overnight. Doctor wants to run some tests on you before they kick you out. I'm going to run a background check on you. We'll know if you've been lying." with a final glare he headed for the door. Pip leaned against the wall next to the window and watched the sun set behind one of the taller buildings.
"What's going on here?" Pip wondered out loud. After a moment of silence something hit Pip.
"That ass called my Peep!" Pip half yelled to no one. Turning on her heel she stormed to the door. Pushing it open with all her might she heard a loud thump! And someone crying out in pain. Peeking from behind the door she saw a boy in a very bright orange jumpsuit on the floor, rubbing his head. The was a girl with pink hair and a matching pink kimono like dress to his right, and a boy with fascinatingly spiked black hair, and a navy blue shirt with white shorts to the left. Right behind the boy was a man with light grey hair standing on slant. He wore a mask past his nose and was holding a furry bundle in his arms.
Pip held her hand out and the boy in orange gladly took it. Pip hefted him up quickly making him stumble but he got balance before he fell again.
"Hi, I'm Pip." Put a hand on the boy's shoulder, adding some stability. The boy gave her a huge smile and burst out exclaiming,
"Hi there! My name's Naruto! We're the ones who found you in the forest! How are you feeling?" Pip smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Much better, just... a little confused is all." Pip stepped away from the doorway, "Come in and take a seat!" The quartet walked in. The older man stood in the corner left of the doorway and, with his free hand, pulled out a bright orange, and began to read. The black haired boy leaned against the wall next to the window where Pip stood earlier. The girl took the chair that was next to Pip's bed, and Naruto hopped onto the end of Pip's bed, which earned an angry look from the girl.
Pip copied Naruto and jumped up the same way he did, smiling sweetly at the girl.
"Umm... Thank you for saving me." Pip thanked awkwardly. How do you thank strangers for saving your life without feeling awkward? The answer: there is no way.
"No problem!" Naruto seemed oblivious. Sweet, but still oblivious.
"So umm, who are your friends?" Pip looked to the girl in pink.
"Oh! My name is Sakura! I was the first one on the scene." her smugness was evident, but by the way she kept looking to the black haired apathetic boy, it must have been a failed ploy to get his attention. 'Boy crazy...'
"Yeah Sakura is the greatest! She found you as soon as we set off!" Naruto blushed slightly rubbing the back of his head. Sakura wrinkled her nose at Naruto before returning her gaze back to the black haired. 'Uh oh... I smell a one way love triangle!'
Pip looked expectantly at the black hair boy, who merely looked her way, hmm'ed and looked back out the window. 'Well aren't you Mr. Social Network!'
"That's Sasuke." Naruto explained. "He's an ass." Pip nodded her head.
"Seems so." Pip looked to the man in the corner. It looked as if he hadn't moved an inch since the time he pulled out his book.
"Kakashi." He stated without looking up from his book. "I believe this belongs to you?" He shook his arm with the furry bundle and it began to move and make a chittering noise. Pip smiled and stumbled out the bed racing towards the raccoon in the Kakashi's arms.
"Chozu!" Pip picked him up and squeezed him to her chest.
"You seem quite attached you raccoon. Had him a long time?" Kakashi asked lightly, as if he were just asking it to seem interested.
"Actually I only had him a day before I ended up here." when she said that the oddest thing happened around Pip. Naruto literally fell to the ground, and the rest of the group sweat dropped. Physically.
"You act like you've had him forever!" Naruto muttered from the ground.
"He fed me when I was trapped under that log." Pip sat on the bed and stroked the raccoons back. Naruto clambered back onto the bed and reached towards the raccoon, who rubbed his head against Naruto hand. Sakura tried the same thing only to get her hand snapped at.
"Chozu!" Pip cried out shocked. Chozu flattened his ears, whined. "Are you okay Sakura?"
"Y-yeah I'm fine..." Sakura laughed it off, "He snapped at anyone who got close to you. Only Naruto has been able to touch him. And sometimes Kakashi-sensei." Pip had the strangest feeling that Sakura was yelling at Chozu in her mind.
"So how old are you, Pip? And what kind of name is Pip? Where are you from? Are you a ninja?" Naruto leaned in closer with every question he asked. Pip heard a scoff from Sasuke.
"You idiot, she doesn't have a Hitai-ate." His tone was rude, and Naruto made a noise that sounded like a deep throated growl.
"So! She could have not put in on or something!"
"While Naruto does have a good point, you have to admit," at this Sasuke made a 'tch' noise and returned his gaze out the window, "I'm not a ninja Naruto. Just a normal seventeen year old girl."
Sakura gasped loudly.
"You're seventeen?" Pip nodded, "You look younger!" Pip sighed,
"I get that... a lot..." Pip began to finger her necklace.
"So?" Naruto asked.
"So?" Pip repeated.
"So are you going to answer my questions?" Naruto smiled brightly.
"Oh! Right. I'm seventeen. Pip in my nickname. My real name is Ainfean Kearney. It's Irish." Pip added when Naruto gave an odd look to her real name. "Umm, I'm from Oregon, and I'm obviously not a ninja."
"What Irish?" Sakura asked. Pip noticed that Kakashi lowered his book just a tad and Sasuke tilted his head towards Pip slightly. 'So they are interested...'
"It's a country, Ireland. My family clan is from Ireland which makes me Irish. See," Pip pointed to her necklace, "That's our crest."
"Well where is you family?" Sakura asked.
"Dead." Pip answered bluntly. "Only me and my grandfather are left." Sakura lowered her head.
"I'm sorry I-I didn't mea-" Pip waved her hand to cut her off.
"It's okay. I never met my dad, and my mom died before I was even two months old." Pip shrugged, "It's nothing really, I've had a good life."
Pip straightened the bandana around Chozu's neck. There was a silence in the room for a few minutes. Kakashi snapped his book shut, getting the attention of the four teens.
"Visiting hours are over in ten minutes. I think we've been here long enough." Pip lowered her head. 'They don't want to be here?' Kakashi placed a hand on Pip's shoulder.
"We'll be here tomorrow." Pip smiled as Naruto jumped up and grinned goofily.
"Yeah! We'll be here tomorrow and then when you get out we'll take you out to eat!" He snuck forward and cupped his hand around his mouth "I know the food here isn't that great." He petted Chozu one last time and stood next to Kakashi.
Sasuke pushed off the way and started for the door, with Sakura trailing after him.
"I know this great ramen place you'll love!" Kakashi pushed the overly energetic boy out the door, and with a lazy wave left the room before shutting the door.
Pip felt pretty lonely when they left, but who wouldn't when they are stuck in a hospital. Lying against the headboard, Pip looked out the window to the dark sky. Stars were just now beginning to come out. Petting the raccoon on her lap, Pip began to fall asleep.
'What the hell is a Hitai-ate?'...
AAAHHHH I'm sorry this took so long to come out. I had HORRIBLE writers block, so this chapter isn't that great V_V! Or that long either, but I'll make up for it!