Key -

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

::

After awhile I got over the dawning realisation that I was in another world. Sure — it was still fucking terrifying but much less than it was when I first arrived. I was particularly spooked by the thought of being greeted by anime characters — some of which didn't have much longer to live.

Also, there was the whole "no pain" thing which I had no answer for. Maybe something went wrong in the whole "world" jumping process? I was lost.

Overall — it wasn't so bad. I mean I was basically a prisoner in the hospital but they'd never outwardly say that.

After my discover yesterday I passed out almost instantly. It seemed the whole experience was not only physically but mentally draining on me. When I awoke, it was with a jump — and I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

I wasn't.

It took an embarrassingly long time to notice that I was bandaged up. It seems when I jumped worlds my injuries from that jackass of a thief came with me. I hadn't noticed it due to the fact I couldn't feel any pain — it was the slight prickling sensation that I felt every time I made particularly "straining" movements.

I wasn't numb at all — just to pain. However that wasn't even entirely true since the "prickling" sensation seemed to be an indication that I was hurt.

It felt like i'd fallen asleep on my arms and it had pins and needles — but all across my chest.

To my memory, the thief had his gun pointed to at forehead. But I suspect the tremors in his hand shifted the barrel off course and rather than shooting me in the brain — he shot me in the chest. Missing my heart I assumed since it was a bit off.

I didn't even know if the bullet was still there. If it was, it would explain the prickling I felt every time I breathed in. I didn't have any real medical knowledge other than the basics. How to save a drowning person and clot a blood wound. 

However, I do know for a fact that you were supposed to remove the bullet — for most cases anyway. But with Konoha's current technological stage I doubted they even knew what a gun was — let alone bullets or even know how to remove them.

I was still lost however. Trying to figure what I was going to do. I was stuck here — that much was obvious, but what was I to do?

When I was a kid, I frequently bored myself in comparing our world to the world of fairy tales. Everything seemed that much more exciting. From princess' in castles and the dragons who guarded them.

As I grew, those simple fairy tales of princess' in castles and the dragons who guarded them changed. They grew more complex, detailed — soon turning into entire worlds with laws and rules.

Naruto was one of them.

They had rules, laws. A way of life all had to obey even if they didn't know it. I had a small grasp on what is is but I knew that the people in the streets and the people stirring their coffees had more knowledge — they knew this world better than I ever could.

They knew how it worked. It was no good living off my knowledge. Kishimoto's world was so vast, so full of possibilities — it would be impossible to fit it all on some crabby books.

Even if I were to read every history book, dictionary, culture guide — I would still be an outsider. I still wouldn't know how this world worked.

If I wanted to live here then I need to know how to live in such a world. I need to go out and discover every for myself. But I need skill to do that — I need to learn the trades of this world.

I need to become a ninja.

I could have laughed at my own thoughts. Never, in my fifteen years of living, had I ever thought I'd utter those words — they words I secretly always dreamed of saying.

'Now... how the fuck do I become a ninja?'

There is no way they would let a total stranger like me just join the Academy. Leaning back on the hospital bed, I bit my lip as I thought.

'I should study first... the more I know the better off I am'

Nodding to myself, I looked around the room. There was no bookshelf or anything of the sorts to help me at all. 

'Maybe I can ask?'

I looked to the small buzzer by my bedside. Knowing it was to call upon the nurses — or in this case 'medic ninja' — I pressed down. There was a moment of silence before a knock came at my door — it opened and there stood a young medic.

She was easily in her early twenties. A pretty young thing. Tall and thin with blonde hair and a nice smile.

"Miss Ivory." She smiled, "What may I assist you with?"

I hated the overwhelming happiness she oozed. Knowing it was fake from her sickeningly sweet smile.

Instead of speaking on it, I asked — "Ah... you have any books?"

"Of course! Any requests?"

"Yes..." I wondered on how to phrase it. "History books... as many as you can find."

She blinked and I thought she might question it but she didn't. Clearly knowing better she bowed to me.

"Certainly." Her smile seemed more forced than usual. "I'll be right back."

I could have laughed. Instead I rolled my dark eyes, sinking deeper into the soft mattress just as the door clicked open.

She walked inside. Balancing at least thirty books, piling high over her head — I could barely see the speck of blonde under all of the books.

Me, personally, really didn't care the least if she fell but I was supposed to be playing the 'nice' type so I knew I had to offer my services.

"Ah... need any help?" It physically pained me to ask her that.

"No." She spoke back, completely calm. "I'm quite alright, but thank you."

'Ah... that's right, everyone here is a trained killer... I always forget.'

I rolled over my bed — feeling the prickling sensation resurface before I stood, feet on the tiled flooring.

"No!" She had dropped the books and snapped her head my way. "Miss Ivory you mustn't get up!"

Forgetting the clatter of books on the floor she raced towards me. Hands gripping into my forearms she pushed me back onto the book

'Damn this bitch is strong!'

I grit my teeth — the prickling feeling coming back in a tenfold. It was very uncomfortable.

I seemed to have to remind myself again that these people aren't normal people. They are all murderers, soldiers to one of the greatest military powers in history — ninja. 

They aren't like anyone back home. These people aren't my people.

'... home'

I frowned. I didn't really miss it but rather the familiarity. Life back there wasn't some sob story but it wasn't an orphan's fantasy either. 

A mother who worked herself to death so often she couldn't even find the time to come home at night. A father who spent more time drinking his sorrows away by the television then actually being a parent. Three elder brothers who I hadn't seen in ten years. One elder sister who sold herself for a decent time.

And the two youngest — still older than myself. Locked up in their rooms. We only ever crossed paths at the rare time they came down for dinner — made by myself of course. We would eat in silence and drown out the screams from the other rooms.

Then we'd retreat to our rooms where no one asked questions. The prospect of home was like unfinished business. I didn't miss it — i'd hated every minute there.

I just found it amusing how my family was called healthy just because it was whole.

"Miss Ivory?"

I looked up. Realising I must have dozed off in my thoughts. The young medic before me seemed worried — then she cheered up when I responded, leaping back as if I burnt her.

"You left us there for a moment."  She smiled. "Here, I brought you all the books we had relating to history. It's not much but you're welcome to rent some from the public library once you're released."

I nodded, making sure to pull a smile. "Cheers."

She looked put off by my words. I caught on that my "slang" — even thought it wasn't to me, to her it probably was — may have offended her as it was considered impolite in such a day and age.

I toned up my etiquette. "I apologise miss," I smiled. "I do appreciate the gesture, thank you." 

She smiled, waving it off before leaving me alone. I sighed, slouching on my bed and picking up the highest book on the mountain beside me.

I glanced over the title — The Tales of Princess Kaguya — and could have laughed. It had to be a joke.

'They have stories about Kaguya?' I couldn't believe it. 'No one knew who the fuck that old cow was in the war yet there's children books about her?'

I scoffed. 'Either Naruto's generation is thick as or it get's destroyed.'

I decided it would be best to keep this book close. Flipping through I realised it was quite accurate to the story — a slightly altered, child-friendly version. If I held it long enough, I could hand it down to a kid version of Naruto — provided I lived that long.

It was strange. I have been here less than a week and yet I was already thinking over events fifty years from now. 

I sighed, looking to the mountain of books beside me with a frown.

'Well... this may take a while'