Chapter 2: Welcome to the forest
'inner thoughts'
Tailed beast
Old language/Ethereal being
I flinched as I heard the voice. I was about to respond when another voice answer. "Well can't your dear husband come and visit you~" said a deep voice in a cooing tone.
"No. I'm in the middle of work." The first voice replied.
"Even if I have food? I'll only give it to you if we both eat it together."
"Fine... let's go to the room behind the counter. No one will come this late at night anyways." Then two people then started walking towards my left and passed me I sighed in relief.
Hey, now's your chance. I want you to move away from the wall and go forward 10 steps, then turn to your right and walk straight. I nodded and followed his instructions until I came to a wall? 'It doesn't feel like a wall it is more colder and smoother' Now try to find the handle that's above you and pull it towards you. 'So it's a door' I reached my arms up and waved them against the door until my fingers touched the handle, and started pulling it. I grunted as I used the my tiny arms to try and budge the door open then suddenly I felt it move almost tripping over at the sudden movement. It should have opened to your left try exiting there. I moved my arm to the left and felt a breeze. 'This must be the gap' and squeezed my body through it, stumbling to the other side. You're out now if tell you to turn right you turn right same goes for your left so start running. I startedwalking and picked up speed as I went Turn to your right. Not long after that turn my chest started burning and my legs started aching as I slowed down.
"I-I can't go any further" I panted. ...You haven't even passed the hospital! "Then can I just walk there?" Fine…
I walked along the silence filled streets my feet feeling the dirt underneath for who knows how long as I chose to break the silence. "Are we there yet?" No. "How much longer?" We're not to far just keep walking. Silence engulfed us once more but after another turn I was able to hear chatter off in the distance and stopped in my tracks "If you're lost we can ask for help" I'm not lost its just that the forest we are going to is as far as possible from the hospital. "But you said we weren't to far." Well it just that you took the wrong turn. "Well I was just following you, you know." Well-
"Is someone there?" A voice asked from above me. I froze as a small thud could be heard not far. Walk away quietly. I started to turn away slowly from the direction in which the thud was heard and started walking but as I took another step something bumped against my foot creating a rattling noise. I froze and waited, silence... I relaxed and started to walk again. "Got you!" My heart jumped from my chest at the sudden noise in front of me. "Oh it's just a kid" a deep voice said. I stayed there 'What should I do?' "Hey, it's a bit late for a kid to be wandering alone. Where are your parents?" 'What should I say?' Make something up. "I l-live nearby" I stuttered. "Hmm...Oh! Of course, you must be a Hyuga. But why would you be out here at this hour? Oh well nevermind the Hyuga compound is straight ahead so you shouldn't be able to get lost." He mumbled the last part to himself as I heard another thud "Well bye miss!" I heard him say from above me as another light thud was heard and silence engulfed me once again.
I stayed there puzzled as to what happened 'He left. But what's a Hyuga?' You"ll find out some other time lets keep going. "Okay."
We're here. "Really?" I asked while steadily walking forward I leaned down and felt what must have been grass and dirt but no trees. Yes but we're on the edge of the forest we have to go in. "More walking?" I whined my sore feet throbbing from the previous trip. Yes more walking unless you want to be caught again. "Fine..." I grumbled. "Wait why are we leaving to the forest again?" You're asking that now? *sigh* well the nurses mentioned the Hokage and from what I know the Hokage is someone important to this village. "Then... should we go back?" No. I don't know if he is trustworthy and anyways we are here now and we will return to the forest. 'True' as I continued walking forward "Kyaa!" I yelped as my body fell forward onto the ground. "Pffft. Blegh. What was that!?" I exclaimed while spitting grass and dirt from my mouth. It's just a tree root there are going to be more as we continue going into the forest.
Crawling through the forest floor the young girl continued on her journey. Due to the tree roots knocking her down she saw crawling the as the more safer way to travel. "Hello my dear." a gentle voice said as I froze 'There is someone else in the forest? No maybe there is someone with them and is that another language?' It is. She said hello to someone. "I am talking to you, the one on the ground." the voice above me spoke a moment passed as I realized she was talking to me so I stood back up slowly.
"Umm… Hi?"
"Hello."
"Uh... What language were you speaking?"
"An old dialect that the people here don't speak as often or anymore. It depends where you go." she answered.
"Oh. Okay. So… I um... have to go home. So bye!" I said while turning around.
"Back to the hospital or deeper into the forest?" Stopping once again 'How did she-' "There is a reason for everything. If you want to know more about yourself and me, then follow me or would you rather be confined in that room for the years to come?"
"I'll be fine." I responded.
"Will you? Where will you live? What about food or clothing? The forest has dangerous animals, will you be able to fend them off on your own?" She has a point.
"Fine. I agree to follow you!" While pointing in her direction.
"I am glad you see things my way-"
"But you will teach me how to make food and clothing and how to defend myself. And my friend will also come with me, you know!" I said with unmoving determination.
"... Ha ha ha ha!" Her gentle laughter resounded through the forest.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing. Follow me."
"Stop." I looked up in her direction after minutes of walking. "Nature, conceal and protect your offspring born under the moon. A tree for a home, a creek for water and shrubs for hiding. For she is no longer in that room." As her words echoed in the forest. Once her words started to fade creaking sounds started to be heard, the trees leaves started shifting and moving above me, the wind started howling almost as a cry. I covered my ears to the sounds, wishing it would stop. Then silence swept over the forest as if nothing ever happened.
"Follow me." Following her forward I walked close to her. "The entrance is at the base of the tree." I bent down and felt a hole, I crawled inside until the tunnel spread out. "You can stand up again." 'How did she enter before me?' I stood up and felt around memorizing the layout of the room or was it a tree. "This tree will be your home. We are currently at the base, this is where you will sleep and where I will teach you, If you move to the back you will feel vines, climb those to reach the water source it is where you will bathe. Any questions?"
"Where will I go… um…"
"Go what?"
"Umm.." Just say it. "Go to the bathroom?"
"Now that that is covered anymore questions?"
"Will you teach me that language?" I asked while cooling down the food in my hands.
"Yes."
"What will I learn first?" Taking a bite of a fruit after asking.
"I will teach you how to make your own clothing and the old language. Your friend and I will also teach you how to read."
"What about cooking?" Eating the cool soup.
"You are too young. You will only burn yourself. Anymore questions?"
"Nope."
"Then rest, your friend will teach you how to see tomorrow. Also how much did you end up eating? You'll get sick if you eat to much."
I woke up to the cold hard floor underneath me since I passed out before I could reach the bed connected to the tree or was it a tree bed anyways I got off the floor stretching my stiff limbs in the process. You woke up. "Will you teach me to see?" Yes. It's bothersome when you keep tripping. I nodded in agreement I don't want to taste dirt or grass again. But there is something else I need to teach you before that. I want you to start meditating. "How do you do that?" Start by sitting down and crossing your legs. Close your eyes, relax, and clear your mind don't think of anything. Following his words I did what he told me, slowing my breath, and focusing on it. Sleep almost dragging me into darkness.
Drip...
'Water?' I opened my eyes and stumbled to my feet I looked around to actually see something. In shock of what was happening I looked around until my eyes landed on something or someone. "Umm…"
"Surprised?" he asked amused.
"W-where are we?"
"We are inside of your mind. Here I will teach you how to read."
"This is inside of my mind?" I asked in awe looking around as my eyes fell on him once more. "What are you and what do I look like to you?" Curious as to what he may say.
"I am a fox and you look like an average human child."
"Ohh…" Dejected at his answer I looked down to see my hands. "Do you hate me?" Afraid of what his answer may be.
"Not necessarily, but you're tolerable." It wasn't much but it was better than not at all.
I looked around me and noticed I was standing on a little isle with grass, by the feel of it, surrounded by water while he was on the other side of it. I looked closer to see he had an item in his hands, I walked towards to get a look at it walking across the water to reach his side. It was a rectangular item with more thinner rectangles in between "Is that a book?" Looking up at him realizing he was way bigger than me. Yes now let's start.
(Time skip brought to you by Kurama teaching colors.)
After leaving my mind I returned to my world of darkness. Now for to teach you how to see. First start by focusing on your chakra. "What's chakra?" Chakra is energy that flows through your body that allows you to perform jutsu. "Jutsu? Is it like ninjutsu? The thing Shinobi use to fight?" Exactly. There are two types, physical and spiritual chakra. Spiritual chakra should allow you to see. "Oh ok. Where do I get it and how do I use it?" You already have it inside you, you just need to learn how to use and control it. I nodded, I will learn and not disappoint. Spiritual chakra comes from your minds conscience to make it stronger you need to study, meditate and learn from your experiences. "That's fine by me. Now teach me!" I said eagerly. Hmph… fine but I won't go easy. He said tauntingly.
I cleared my mind and focused on the energy inside me. I imagined the energy leaving, pulsating from my body like my heart but softly like a flame. I focused more until I could 'see' my new home. I saw the outline of my bed coming from the tree and the outline of a blanket hanging of it. I stretched my hand in front of me, followed by my fingers but I couldn't see past them, the world I could now see was no longer black it was now a mixture of grays and whites. I sat there in awe I could now see the world around me even though it was just a small chunk.
"I saw something!" I said as I stood straight up at my accomplishment. Suddenly my sight flicked and I could only see the darkness once more. You lost focus. Try again. I nodded "I will learn, you know!"
"Now today I will teach you how to make your own clothing. You will do so by using this weaving machine." She said patting the device next to her as we sat outside my home. I noticed she had horns poking from her head as well as her long black hair. I went closer to look at the machine she was pointing to. I was able to see multiple white strings in the middle of it, I got closer and touched it to feel wood under my fingertips. "I'll start for you" I stood closer to her to see her sit down as her delicate fingers grabbed an ovalish item with white wrapped in the middle "This is a shuttle, it has the string wrapped into it." She then pressed on a peddle which moved the half of the strings up. She passed the shuttle swiftly between both set of strings. She grabbed a part of the machine close to the string and moved it against the string a couple of times and looked at what she made. "What I am holding is a beater which has a reed once you pass the shuttle through the strings, use the beater to push the material closer together. This also prevents the material from getting tangled up." She said as she returned to the machine and lifted her foot off the first peddle and switched it with another, the strings switched again as she passed the shuttle between it once more repeating what she did a couple of more times. "Once you have made some progress use this here to roll it up so you can continue." She said as she grabbed the handle started moving it, as the material started to roll up together. "Now it your turn." She said a she handed me the shuttle.
(Time skip brought to you by a long time of doing the same thing.)
"I think you are done." She said as she grabbed the rolled up material. "Your clothing will be made of this." She said as she took it, and unrolled the material in the air. I was confused at the shape the cloth was in now. "Here put it on." she said as she handed it to me. I looked at it and removed the clothes the hospital had given me. I pushed my head though the hole and my arms as well, it fit perfectly, the cloth hugged my neck and my torso, but it was very loose around my arms and legs I looked down to see that I couldn't see the outline of my feet anymore but the cloth didn't drag on the floor either. 'I thought making clothes was much harder.'
"It is a long process you need to have the right measurements or it will fit you to big or too small. You also have to stitch all the parts together. But for now other things are more important such as your chakra control."
I woke up excited jumping of my bed. 'I don't have to do anything today! Now I can go outside and experience the change in seasons!' I went towards the tunnel and started crawling out and I popped my head out the other side. I sniffed the air and started crawling out of the tunnel hearing the leaves crunch as I walked around. 'So this is Autumn.' Leaves fell as I walked around the trees. As I ran and rolled around in the leaves giggling.
(Time skip)
Once more I left my tree to feel that it has become much more colder. My hands and feet freezing and becoming wet at the new season 'Winter'. The season where a blanket of white covers the ground, preferring to spend it inside instead expanding my sight to see my whole home, while pricking my thumb and fingers multiple times while learning to sew.
(Time skip)
New scents filled the air, the birds started chirping once more, and it rained more. From the tapping sounds it made on my home. 'Spring' The time when life returned to the forest. The perfect time to learn to maneuver through the forest, climbing trees, to learn to be stealthy and catch rabbits.
(Time skip)
Things have calmed down but now a noise filled the forest, he called them cicadas a sign that it was 'Summer' A season with really hot days and cool nights. A time to splash around in the nearby river's edge.
Disclaimer Naruto does not belong to me it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Yukino belongs to me as well as other Oc characters I'll create later on.
