Chapter Three
When I woke up, it was dark outside. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. It took a few moments to remember where I was. I hoped my little apartment would start to feel familiar soon. As it was, I had no idea where the light switch was, so I turned to the window, where it was slightly brighter. Even in the middle of the village, the view of the stars was clear and beautiful, but they made me sigh nonetheless. So much for going to search for a job that afternoon. I didn't trust myself not to get completely lost when the sun was shining, so there was no way I was going to leave the house now.
I eased myself off the bed and began walking slowly to the opposite wall. It wasn't like there was much furniture to bump into, but I was playing it safe. After running my hands blindly across the walls, I finally found that elusive light switch and was relieved to find that the place was already fully equipped with electricity. The apartment was soon bathed in a harsh light, and I had to wait for my eyes to adjust again.
I began searching through the cupboards. Just as I'd thought, they were empty except for the one with the various pots and pans.
And... what was this? Underneath one of the pans I found a little envelope. There was money in it. Not much, but enough to get me through for food for the next week or so. At the bottom there was a paper with a signature on it. My heart swelled with gratitude at this kind gesture. It could only have come from the Hokage.
I smiled. I knew they'd tried to portray just how nice the old man was in the minimal screen time he got, but this really took the cake. I'd have to thank him the next time I saw him. Though I'd just woken up, I couldn't stifle the yawn that arose. I suppose I shouldn't have been to amazed at how quickly my restlessness had worn off. It had been a long, confusing day, and there wasn't much I could do in the middle of the night.
So I figured I might as well go back to sleep...
...
Luke was walking into my room. He had the same look on his face that he got every time we went to visit Tyler at the hospital. I could tell he was sad, but to the rest of the world he would just seem impassive.
He walked slowly over to my bed which was unmade, just as I'd left it. He made to run a hand over the surface, but pulled back his fingers before they could actually make contact, as if the simple touch would burn him, and turned away. My twin just stood there for a second, taking everything in. I wondered what he was looking for... It was the exact same room he'd been in yesterday.
At last, he turned to my desk, which was clear. There was nothing on it. After all, I'd taken my letter with me.
This time, he didn't pull back. Luke ran his hand across the smooth surface, eyes downcast.
...
I woke with a jolt. I wondered if my dream held any truth... Could it possibly have been some sort of vision? It occurred to me that to the rest of my world, I must have just disappeared without a trace. But could this dream... or vision... or whatever I'd just experienced really be trusted to accurately represent what was going on back home?
I felt a surge of homesickness, if not for home itself, then for my brother at least. And beneath that, I felt a stab of guilt. He already had his hands full. Luke didn't need this burden too.
But that's why I'd wanted him to come with me!
I shook my head. I couldn't focus on Luke. Not right now anyway. It was light out, and I had things to do! I propelled myself out of bed, not feeling nearly as pumped up as I was trying to fool myself into being. I really did have a busy day ahead of me, though. For one, an alarm clock would be nice, but that would have to come after I bought clothes and got something for breakfast, and only if I had the money for it. I'd need to start my job search today too...
I sighed and took a moment to stretch out. So many responsibilities... Being an adult was hard.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but immediately after I left the building, I ran into the old man. Like, almost literally plowed him over.
"Oh!" I exclaimed as I caught myself just in time, stumbling a little off the path. I blushed profusely and made him an awkward bow. "I'm so sorry!"
He chuckled, much more composed than I was. "No harm done."
I was aware that my face was still bright red as I continued to smile like a moron. He's not as fragile as he looks, I reminded myself. I was sure he'd seen me coming and would have been able to avoid a collision if I hadn't caught myself.
"How was your night?" he asked.
"Um, it was alright." He seemed to be waiting for an explanation so I continued a little sheepishly, "It kind of all just hit me when I got home, though. I've been known to rush into things without really thinking them through..."
He nodded sagely and commented, "I'm sure you miss your brother." I wondered again if he was trying to catch me off guard. Whatever the reason, I couldn't help the lump that rose in my throat unexpectedly. Whatever I said next, at least it would be genuine.
"I do," I responded, realizing how much I really did miss Luke. We may not have shared a lot of similar interests, but he was a fixture in my life that I wasn't used to being without. It was funny how little I'd really appreciated his presence before... Him never saying much of anything and me, too caught up in my anime and video games to really notice. Seriously, we saw each other every day, went to the same school even, yet when was the last time we'd had a meaningful conversation?
I looked to the sky. I'd seen many anime characters do just this when they had their dramatic moments. I was glad that I could do that too now without feeling out of place. For just this reason, Luke was one of my only true friends. He may not have understood me, but he never judged me.
"I really hope he decides to come," I said.
The Third smiled at me and nodded. "Well, I'm sure you have more on your schedule than standing around your apartment, chatting with an old man. Have a nice day."
"You too," I mumbled as he walked away. I just stared after him for a moment. Then I remembered. "Oh, wait!" He turned. "Thank you. For the money, I mean. Well, actually, for everything, really."
He smiled again. "I was hoping you would find it. I figured you'd need it. You certainly traveled light." If this was hinting towards suspicion, I ignored it and shrugged.
"I didn't really have anything I wanted to bring." This was not true. I had various collections of artifacts from different anime that I'd put together over the years that I sort of wished I had with me. (Though I supposed it was for the best that I hadn't had time to pack. How would I explain a box of books that foretold the future of this world if someone from Konoha were to find them?) It also would've been nice to have brought a change of clothes... or two. Well, I never had been the best planner...
This time he was really leaving and I let him. I began walking in the opposite direction where I could see the beginnings of a supermarket area. I was soon lost in the crowd. This was okay, seeing as I really wasn't too sure where I was going or what I was looking for first. I followed the general flow of the crowd, pulling me towards the busiest places, which I didn't really mind. There was so much to look at, and I found I didn't remember much from my initial walk through the village. It was hard to focus on any one thing... I'd have to be careful not to get lost.
In such a crowded place, it wasn't too surprising that I bumped into someone, again literally.
"I'm sorry," we said at the same time. I looked up and jumped, like, twelve feet in the air when I realized who it was. Okay, that's an exaggeration... but not by much...
In case I haven't already made it obvious, I'm bad around real people. The only one I can really talk to is my brother, and even then, Luke isn't exactly chatty. So if I ever bump into anyone in some crowded place, I usually just jump then mumble something and hurry away. There is also the possibility that I would stutter.
This moment called for all of these because I had just bumped into the one and only Iruka Umino. One of the main characters? No, not exactly. But I'd count him as one of the nicest. I felt my head get all spinny again...
"Are you all right?" he asked, genuinely concerned, and probably not without reason. There hadn't been much force behind our collision, but I couldn't imagine what I looked like in this awed, frazzled state.
But, for perhaps the first time in my life, I said something to continue a conversation. "I'm a little lost, actually."
"Lost?" I looked up at his face cautiously. He seemed confused, and I knew I had to give a better explanation.
"Y-yes. I just moved here yesterday, and I was hoping to get some shopping done."
"Oh. Well, the grocery store is just a little farther ahead, and right across the way is a place for clothes shopping. Hmm... what else?" he said thoughtfully.
"Um, that should be great for now," I said hurriedly.
He smiled kindly. "Well, take care," he told me, waving and going back to... wherever he was going.
"You too," I mumbled after him. While it may have been exciting to meet him, it turned out that I wasn't terribly skilled at situations that required me to be social in any world. (Really, I'm more like pre-Chunin Exams Hinata than I like to admit.)
Following his directions, I found both shops relatively easily and bought what I needed. For now anyway. I made sure to try to save as much as I could just in case Luke did end up coming after me. Once that was done I felt my stomach grumble. It had to be around lunch time and I'd never eaten breakfast, my apartment lacking anything edible.
I continued walking a little and then, to my delight, found Ichiraku's right in front of me! I grinned. What luck! Ichiraku's was cheap, and I'd never been to an actual ramen stand before. There are just some things that are way too hard to find in America!
Eagerly, I sat down on one of the stools near the end, setting down my bags beside me. There were three other people down near the other end, all minding their own business. Funny. This had always been a place I'd pictured going to with friends. Fast food restaurants were one thing; this place was set up for groups.
I could see Ayame and her father working. Teuchi turned around once I sat down, though. He smiled at me and I could see all his wrinkles. "What can I get you?"
I ordered one bowl of ramen. Nothing fancy, but it had been so long since anyone in my house had eaten ramen that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
"Here you go," he said after a few minutes, setting the bowl down in front of me.
"Thank you."
Oh crap... I hadn't thought about the whole chopsticks issue until right now... I tried to position them through my fingers, but they kept slipping. Finally, though they were probably wrong, I got them in a way where I could pick up the noodles. It was by no means a perfect technique, but it would work for now. From watching others, I'd learned that this was something that had to be done in a somewhat fluid motion. Well, at least no one was staring.
Ichiraku's had a peaceful quiet around it, almost as if there was a physical boundary separating the ramen stand from the busy streets around it. I was glad for the peace. There were no distractions while I struggled to get into my chopsticks rhythm. Only once I'd accomplished this was I able to take note of my hosts' conversation taking place mere feet away.
"I don't think our sign is working," Ayame was telling her father. "We haven't had a single person here looking for a job, and we've had the sign up for almost a month now."
I looked up at her words, fireworks nearly exploding in front of my eyes. "Excuse me," I said quickly, shamelessly interrupting them.
They looked at me. "Yes?"
"Did you say you're looking for employees?"
"Yes," Teuchi responded. "We've started up a delivery service, but we don't have time to go out and deliver the orders ourselves. You're a little young, but... at this point, we can't really afford to be picky. Would you be interested in the position?"
"Yes, sir!" I said emphatically. "I was looking for a job, actually." This was too good to be true!
"Really?"
"Yes! Just tell me what you need done." I clasped my hands in front of my chest excitedly, my ramen forgotten.
So we got my work schedule made up and then he told me that I didn't even have to pay for my lunch, seeing as I was going to be working it off. I was going to start the day after tomorrow. My grin was wide, spreading all the way from one side of my face to another. Could this day get any better?
"Thank you," I said, bowing to him, too. I didn't have any experience with Japanese etiquette. Given the way his lips quirked, I got the feeling Teuchi probably wasn't the type of person people usually bowed to. But it was the only socially-acceptable way I could think to express my gratitude.
He chuckled. "No problem."
I had just turned to walk away when I saw somebody awfully familiar heading for the ramen stand... He smiled when he saw me.
"So," said Iruka, "You seem to be finding your way around just fine."
"Yes. Thank you." I told myself that there was really no good reason for me to be this surprised. He did live in this village, after all, and I knew that this was his restaurant of choice as well.
"No problem. I ran into the Hokage while he was making his rounds," he said, sitting down on the stool that I had just vacated.
"Really? So did I," I told him, surprised and pleased at how naturally this little exchange was progressing so far. Iruka nodded then ordered. I remained standing beside him, my bags weighing me down on either side, unsure if he was going to address me again.
"We started talking about you." I blinked, caught off guard. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting exactly, but it wasn't this. Surely, the Hokage wasn't alerting every shinobi he encountered of my presence? Today sure was a strange day. "I'm sorry if I was staring earlier. I'm used to recognizing most of the kids around the village. I taught just about all of them at one point."
"You teach?" I assumed this would be a safe thing to say. After all, I wasn't supposed to know anything about him. But what was more astonishing was that he'd thought I'd gotten that weird look because he'd been staring, (not that I'd even noticed at the time!) not because I was just some random freak off the streets.
"Yes, at the ninja academy." I nodded. "Your name is Carly Sohma?"
"Yes sir." I'd chosen 'Sohma' because it was a common enough surname in Japan. I hoped so anyway.
"Iruka Umino." We shook hands. This was odd because I hadn't thought they did too much of the hand shaking thing in Japanese culture. Then again, so far, all I'd heard anyone speak here was English. And the Narutoverse wasn't set in actual Japan, so perhaps the cultures were a little mixed... Oh well... I supposed these were all things I'd learn as I spent more time in this world. "He told me your story."
"...Oh..." I wasn't sure how to respond to this. Then again, I wasn't terribly certain how to respond to anything he was telling me.
"I'm sorry about your parents and your brother."
Our conversation had just taken a turn for the awkward. I mumbled a thanks with my head down. When I glanced up at him he looked sympathetic and a bit far away, if you get what I mean.
"I lost my own parents when I was younger," he told me. "Just about your age."
I repeated his apology, his ramen arrived, and I began to walk away. I told myself that I didn't want to interrupt his lunch, but I knew it was at least a little bit of a lie. My strongest motivation right now was a desire to not have this conversation. "Well, I guess I'll see you around... maybe..." (Hopefully...)
"Yes. Oh, by the way, what is your other brother's name?"
"Luke," I responded without hesitation.
"If I see him, I'll make sure to let somebody know." And that was the end of it.
I walked away for good this time. It was time to return to my new apartment and begin putting everything away. Maybe then it would begin to feel just a little bit more like home.
...
"Ow..." Luke muttered as he landed on his back with a thump. He rubbed the back of his head, wincing. Where was he? One minute he was standing in his backyard, the next he was falling.
He looked around. He was in a forest, much like the one facing his backyard. But for some reason, there was just something strange about this place... The trees looked like they'd been taking steroids or something.
He forced himself to get to his feet and walk a little ways until he found himself in front of a giant wall. And he meant, giant. He whistled at the impressive sight before him.
"Hey, you!" called down one of the guards. "What's your name?"
Luke jumped a little. He hadn't been paying any attention to them. They'd been so silent...
"Luke," he called up. The two exchanged a look. Luke was starting to feel like he'd entered some very trippy dream.
"Sohma?" The spokesman called down.
Luke wasn't sure what made him respond, "Yes, sir." It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Sure, why not? he thought. For all he knew, he was hallucinating for the moment; what did it matter if he told the truth?
The quiet one nodded to their spokesman. "We've been waiting for you."
Review please!
I don't own Naruto.
I'd like to thank Mage666, snakebite3, ethereal tears, maxridelover, xYama-chanx, and Sasuke's Pal for reviewing chapter 2.
Revised April 7, 2016. (Luke is just so much fun to write... I may have to add more of him in future revisions.)