WELL, THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE.
My limbs ache for movement, my ears make out chirping birds, and my nose catches the scent of pine. Am I outside? I shake my head. No way, I would be outside. Walking up like this is unusual, but I made nothing of it. I dismiss my suspicion, rolling to the side to gain more comfort. Expecting a soft bed to cushion me, I'm surprised that I am beginning to fall. My eyes snap open, and I'm greeted by branches and leaves, painfully smacking every inch of my body. I widen my eyes in horror, realizing that the ground is growing closer and closer.
I am currently falling towards my death.
I scream, my hands instinctively catching the nearest branch and gripping onto it for my dear life. My body sways underneath the tree branch as I breathe heavily, eyeing my surroundings. I analyze the distance from the ground, noticing that if I'm able to land carefully, I would be fine—a little hurt, but fine. Above me, I hear a noise of cracking, interrupting my train of thought. My heart skips a beat. I already know what it is, but I have to look up to make sure anyways.
"Nonononono..." I mutter, watching the branch above me tear apart. I hoped it will listen to my pleading, but it's useless. "Come on! I'm not even that heavy!" I whine, reaching for the branch above of it. My decision causes the branch to tear apart even further.
"Oh, man."
The branch snaps. One last cry escapes my mouth as I shield my head, feeling the brief moment of my stomach lurching from the fall until my back smacks hard onto the ground. I grunt once the pain runs throughout my body.
After a few moments of trying to regain my strength back and wiping away stray tears, I shove the branch aside, and I roll around to moan out in irritation. A low groan escapes my mouth as I sit up. My hand reaches to comfort my head, but I pull away once I realize my palm is wet. I let out a sound of disgust once I know that the grass underneath me is damp with morning dew, and there are blades of grass clinging onto my skin. Did it rain last night?
I use the tree's trunk for support, but I still have a difficult time standing up. I clutch onto my stomach, hoping it will ease the throbbing. I heave a sigh and look up and narrow my eyes at the tall trees surrounding me. Now... what am I doing in the forest? The only way I can find out this answer is by looking around, and I have to start by looking at myself. Maybe my pockets have some sort of hint that can possibly trigger my memory.
I have on my middle school uniform. I'm wearing its dark hosiery, the navy pleated skirt, and the white golf shirt. All of it is wet and muddy, with grass stuck in various places. To the left of me, I found that my belongings had fallen out of my pocket. Luckily, my iPods bulky case can protect the precious thing inside it, and my earbuds and chargers are still intact. With a sigh of relief, I scoop them up, tie the earbuds and charger around my iPod, and then place them into my pocket.
I look up from the grass, spotting a convenient dirt trail. I'm not sure where it's going to lead me to, but it's telling me that people have crossed it, and that's more than enough for me. Maybe it can lead me to help or even home. I limp on the dirt train until it evolves into a large road. Not too far off, I realize that something is blocking off the pathway.
The gate reveals an area that has a feudal feel to it. Strangely, it feels like I've seen it somewhere, although I can't remember where. Is it because the place looks like something out of my history textbook? At least there are people here. Maybe I can ask them to use their phone or something.
I pop my head through the gates, looking to the side. To the left, I spot two men sitting in some sort of stand. One of them has voluminous black hair that spikes up from each end with a patch of markings on his chin, and a bandage is running across his face. The second one had the 'Emo' thing going on, with half of his face covered by his hair.
Weird.
I don't realize I'm gawking at their strange appearance until the both of them look up at me in an instant. "Hey," One of them calls. "What are you doing here?" The bandaged one questions. Both of their eyes slowly trail over my clothing with a look of grimace written across their face. Immediately, I shrink in my spot. I guess I'm the weird one to them now.
"What are you here for? Are you a resident here? You sure don't look it, though."
I raise a brow at them. What are these guys talking about?
"Hey! Answer us! Do we need to bring the Hokage down here?"
What the hell is a Hokage? And why are they getting so protective? Sheesh… people nowadays. "Uh, yeah, I-um… I'm wondering where I am…" I say as my eyes scan the area.
This place seems like a really old-fashioned town. The buildings are built with wood or cement, and I can't even tell which buildings are meant for commercial use. There are no vehicles, which explains why everyone is walking. Even the clothing and hair the people had worn looked traditional. Wait, is that a kimono? What the hell is this place?
"You're in the Village Hidden in the Leaves." I hear one of the guards answer.
I heard that name before, but I can't put my finger where… I was about to look back at them to give them a puzzled expression, but my eyes rolled over a big mountain that I didn't pay attention to before. My throat clenched, my shoulders tensed, and my eyes widened. It was like getting punched in the stomach. I lose all of the air in my lungs, and I step back, my eyes fluttering in disbelief. That's right… It's all coming back to me now.
I am in Naruto. And The Mount Rushmore of Naruto… was right there. My hands clasp against my head, and I step back once more which causes me to fall on my bottom. From here, I see how careful the Hokage's faces were structured. I feel the soft dirt underneath my hands. I hear the distant chatter from the people in the village.
I look around for the third time. This cannot be real! No way... No way can this physically exist!I pushed myself off of the ground, nearly falling over again. What am I going to do? Hell, I don't even think I can ask anyone here for help either. I can't even live here! I was barely able to survive back home!
I turned back at the guards, about to ask about the Hokage. Surely he can do something... Wait, I can't just pop in and tell him everything. What would I say?
"Hey, what's up, Lord Hokage? I just came to tell you I somehow appeared into a 2D animated world, and I have no idea how. Can you like, do some crazy Jutsu to bring me back home so I can watch you on the television screen again?"
No! That's ridiculous! He's going to think I'm crazy! I press my palms into my face. "Oh no…" I groaned.
"Kid," I peek through my hands to look at the owner of the voice. The bandaged one sighs and lifts from his seat. "My name is Kotetsu. What's your name?"
My mouth reacted before I could think. "June-" My jaw sways open. What—am—I—doing? June would sound way too weird here! Crap, crap, crap, think of something! "O." I add quickly. In a hurry, I thought of the most basic and straightforward surname. "Wata…nabe? Yeah, Juno Watanabe." I finished with an awkward smile. I wish I had a cooler name, but I would be suspicious if I took any more time answering.
"Okay… Juno. You seem lost. If you need some help, then fine, just tell us, we'll be able to arrange a few things." He tells me. I open my mouth, but I hesitate to reply. I don't know if I should just tell him everything. I looked up to see he was watching me.
I sigh, knowing I had no choice. "Fine." I say, "Yeah, I just woke up here… outside." Kotetsu stares at me with confusion and disbelief. I shrug, expressing the same amount of puzzlement. "Yeah, I don't know either, don't ask me." There was a brief moment of silence that helped the information sink into Kotetsu's brain. I wasn't impatient, but it did take me less time than him to figure out my situation.
"You woke up, fell off a tree and stumbled into the village with no knowledge how you get here." Kotestu repeats. I reply with vigorous nodding. Kotetsu crosses his arms and leans in close to me to say, "Kid, if we find out you're lying…"
"I am not lying!" I protest, "I just want to dry off, find a place to eat and sleep and just figure out what the hell is happening."
Kotetsu heaves a sigh, scratching his brow. "Look, kid, I don't know what your problem is but the only thing you can do right now is go to the Hokage's office and explain your situation." he tells me.
"Fine, whatever. Just tell me where."
After listening to his lazy directions, I was able to follow them halfway through until I got distracted and forgot all their instructions. I blame the sloppy directions. Although I was cold, wet, and dirty, I was watching everything in astonishment. How is this freakin' possible?! I thought, as a ninja walks into a restaurant. How did I get here?! I cried internally, dodging a couple of hyperactive kids. Listening to inner self go crazy was terrifying. I knew I had to find a logical answer soon.
Oh! I know! I should google it!
I pull out my iPod from my hoodie. I gave no thought to the people around me. I knew they were off in their own business. I cursed under my breath once I found no wifi in the area. How am I going to survive without wifi?! Grumbling under my breath, I kick a rock in irritation. I watch the rock bounce and skid to a halt. It stops in front of a building. I look up in curiosity, and a smirk crawls onto my cheek.
This particular shop has raised my interest. Sitting on a silver pedestal stood an orange book, with an excited-looking guy playfully chasing after a girl. I am in awe. Volume 1 of Icha Icha Paradise… I think. After staring at the book for a while, a smirk pulled on my lips. I always wanted to know what was written in there.
I open the shop door, and my body slams against something, causing me to plummet onto the ground. I open my eyes, dazed. Whatever hit me smacked me hard enough to cause me to become dizzy for a split second.
A tall shadow stretches over my figure, the owner of it towering over my body. I groan loudly and rub my eyes. The moment I removed my hand from my vision, I was greeted by familiar sights—or eye. It was dark and watched me with interest. Finally, it blinks, the owner of it standing upright.
I would have fallen over if I wasn't already on the ground.
Kakashi freakin' Hatake.
I must have forgotten how to breathe because I had to gasp unbelievably loud to feel the oxygen enter my lungs again. Kakashi gently shut his book, keeping a finger in the book as a temporary bookmark. "Are you okay?" Kakashi asks, looking back at me. It took me a moment until I finally managed to answer Kakashi with a simple nod as I lifted myself off the ground.
Looking at Kakashi in real life was a whole new adventure. There's only so many things that only 2D animation can show. The little missing details on him should be illegal. In real life, you can see everything. The way the sun had an effect on his hair, the traces of his mouth underneath his mask, the presence… It was so much to take in. It was a truly majestic experience.
Kakashi offers me a hand. I hoped that my palms weren't sweating as I took it. Kakashi does all the work as he pulls me up, and I accidentally shift on my hurt ankle. "Ow…" I wince, feeling it throb under my weight. Kakashi glances down at it. "Is it hurt?" He asks. I just realize how real his voice sounds. It sounded almost like a voice character, but there was an authenticity to the real thing.
"Oh, it did when I fell off of a tree." I reply. I don't think it's anything too serious. It's probably a bruise of some sort. I shook my head. "I can walk it off. It's fine." I add. Kakashi's eyes trail over my clothing and shoes. I knew what he was thinking. "Long story." I mutter sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. Kakashi looks back into my eyes, but he doesn't say anything.
I remember my first objective, widening my eyes and inhaling sharply. "I'm supposed to go to the Hokage!" I remind myself. "Hey, can you tell me where he is?" I ask Kakashi. "Sure. I was going there anyways." He answers. I let out a breath of relief, and a grin pulled on my cheeks.
"Thanks, Kakasssshi…iiit."
There was a small moment of silence. Well, I'm screwed. I thought, quickly twisting around. I begin walking stiffly and fast, painfully squeezing my eyes shut in embarrassment. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Not only did I say his name, but I called him Kakashit! I have to distract him if I wanted to get away with this alive.
"The Hokage's this way." I heard Kakashi say behind me.
It hasn't even been an hour, and I already embarrassed myself.
While we were walking, I was able to absorb the fact that the Hidden Leaf Village is real and apparently very, very large. It's vast with unexplored areas and unknown shops and stands. I have never seen most of the buildings and routes here before. There was a specific way the people dress, how they wear their hair and what they eat. I might go through some culture shock while I'm here.
There were a few times I asked Kakashi about things that would start a conversation, even though I knew he wasn't the most talkative person here. I asked apparent questions about the village and his job, trying to pry out information about where every other character of this verse is. Only the basics, though. I do have to pretend that I know nothing, right? I have to act oblivious.
Which shouldn't be too hard if I think before I speak.
"So, what do you think about aliens? You think they're real? I think they're real. They've got to be, right? I mean, the universe is huge! You have to be really small- wait! What if I'm an alien—"
"We're here."
I find myself following Kakashi towards the famous red building. All the ninjas and visitors were around us, and I stare in astonishment as we made our way inside.
Kakashi knocks on the door, and immediately, I hear the old man's voice seep through the door's crack.
"Enter."
- Third Person -
The smell of old books and tobacco smoke greet the two visitors before the elder can. Even though the Third has his back turned against the visitors to look out his window, he welcomes Kakashi with the mere mention of his name.
"Kakashi."
"Lord Hokage."
Kakashi bows, and when he notices that the girl next to him has not moved, he pushes her head down to make her bow as well. Surprisingly, she simply grunts and follows suit without complaint. After a moment of watching the bustling villagers, the Hiruzen looks over his shoulder and raises a brow at the two straighten themselves from their respectful bows. He had expected Kakashi to be arriving to speak on yesterdays events, but why had he brought over a little girl? With such strange clothing?
The Hokage's watchful eye notices that she is shorter and smaller than an average kid. Weak muscles, stiff posture. The Hokage notes as he eyes how her arm curls around her stomach and notes the fact she's leaning more weight on her right ankle. She's hurt. The long, dark hair has caught a couple leaves in the knots and made it obvious she has been some sort of tussle, most likely with a Hashirama Tree.
Although the girl is trying to shrink herself into her large hair, she's looking at the Hokage with recognition. The wide brown eyes are too calculating... too curious.
"Well uh, the girl wanted to meet with you." Kakashi speaks up, glancing down at her shorter stature. The room is weighted with an uncomfortable silence as the Hokage takes a seat on his chair.
"Does she now? I'm listening."
"Well, I…" June starts, her nervous eyes flickering to Kakashi. The two notice her chittering voice wavering with nerves. Suddenly, the unforgiving heat was attacking June a lot more harshly now, making her skin sticker than it was already before. "I… I know this is going to sound crazy, but... I woke up in a tree." she pauses before continuing, "And then… I fell and got hurt and then walked on this dirt trail that led me to this village."
She what?
The two men wait for her to continue, but she just shrugs to let them know there is no continuation for this story. Although Hiruzen and Kakashi are elite ninjas trained to gather information and absorb it instantly, something about this scenario made them simply stare at the girl.
"I don't know what I'm asking for. I just… I guess I need some help." June adds.
Hiruzen pulls from his pipe then releases the smoke from his lungs. "What happened before that?" he asks. June shrugs once more, her eyes lost. "Well, what do you remember?" He continues. June stiffens, realizing that she doesn't know how to answer that question without making her seem beyond crazy. June prepares herself, loosening her shoulders and raising her chin. She can do this. She can lie to him.
"My name." June answers.
June is always good at acting as if everything is under control. Hell, she might have even deceived Kakashi if it wasn't for the tragic nickname she had given him. But the Third was no fool. Even if it was just for a second, Hiruzen was able to notice the insecurity in her eyes before she had hidden them with fake confidence.
"What's your name?"
"Juno Watanabe." June furrows her brows once she notices he has lowered his eyes.
"Juno," The Hokage's voice lowers, "Are you lying?"
"No."
The Hokage studies June again. Even though her eyes can spark a flame, he can still see that she shrinks under his gaze. It can't be possible she's a threat or that she's a spy from another village. But he'll have to keep his eye on her.
"Age?"
"Twelve."
"Do you remember your village?"
"No."
"Do you have any form of your identity?"
June shakes her head in response, earning a sigh from the Hokage as he takes out sheets of paper. "You're twelve, and you haven't graduated, right?" June shakes her head at his question once more, "No." she answers. The Hokage pauses. June wonders why he's suddenly gone so stiff.
"Yes?"
"Do you remember how to do Jutsu?"
June's too stunned to reply, realization slapping her in the face. How will she become a ninja when she has never stepped foot in the ninja academy? Most importantly, how will she be able to meet the rest of the characters in Naruto? Kakashi's eyes widened once he caught on. Nope! This was wild from the beginning, and Kakashi doesn't want anything to do with this! He had to get out of here. Immediately. Sweat forming on his forehead, he pulls out his book and immediately twists on his heel to head for the door. He can do this. He can leave quietly without anyone noticing.
The girl was a stranger to the Hokage, but she was desperate for his help. That's all the reason for the Hokage to help her get back up on her feet. He can help her find a home—that's the easy part. But she has no idea how to be a ninja. And Kakashi is the answer. But, Kakashi was almost there, his hand finally touching the doorknob leading him to his escape.
"Kakashi."
Kakashi lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
The Hokage looks back at June, whose expression illustrates her cluelessness of the situation. "Since we don't know if anyone is out to get you, I'm just going to assume there are and have my men keep a good eye on you. So, that's why I'm going to tell you… graduation is in two weeks." he tells her.
"TWO WEEKS?!" June exclaims, her hands clutching her head.
The Hokage raises his two fingers. "You have two weeks to train with Kakashi. That's all we're giving you. You're going to have to give it all you got because whether you pass or fail, it's not in our hands." He explains, "And Kakashi isn't going to go easy on you, let me tell you that."
June is frozen in a state of shock. She was going to train with Kakashi for two weeks to graduate. To become a ninja. She can finally meet them. June lowers her head, pumping her fist in victory. "Yesss!" She whispers to herself.
The Hokage begins to write on his sheets of paper again. "I'll let the academy know you'll be arriving a day or two before graduation. For now, Kakashi will lead you to your new home to get you settled." He says. Kakashi looks up at the Hokage, who scrolled the form and sent it away in a poof. "Head to the apartment complex, I'll send the landlord the details." Kakashi nods in response., turning back to the door. They were nearly out the door before the Hokage called on Kakashi again.
"Oh, and Kakashi?"
"Hm?"
"Get her some new clothes."
Kakashi sweat-drops. Great… shopping.
June's eyes light up. Great! Shopping!
The moment the door closes, a sudden realization hits Hiruzen like a ton of bricks. There was something there that… merged within her. The memory of the sensation growing stronger and stronger the more he attempts to focus on it. There's something strange about her. The chakra… the sensation was…
Unearthly.
࿊
Kakashi and June gathered a bit of attention when they entered the clothing shop. June noticed it immediately, shrinking and hiding behind her hand as a few people tossed her a few curious glances and muttered amongst themselves about her attire.
Kakashi pressed her to ignore them and pick out what she liked. But then he found himself hovering over the girl's shoulder the whole time. Everything that caught June's eye was wrong in Kakashi's. He let her know they were all either too big, too tight, too loose, too long, too short, and would get her killed easily. June pouted in response but sighed in defeat. I guess he's right. Now that she was a ninja, she had to choose her clothing wisely.
Usually, June wouldn't pick out something so bright to wear. Still, the only thing she found that was appropriate—according to Kakashi—was a loose, Caribbean green kimono shirt. Since the shop didn't have skinny jeans, Juno decided to keep her skirt. She got some thigh-high stockings to replace her torn hosiery and added spandex fingerless gloves.
After paying the shopkeeper, the two take their leave. They approached a building not too far away from the shops and made their way inside. June raised her brow at the landlord sleeping on a chair at the entrance, briefly paying attention to Kakashi as he spoke to the landlord. They muttered to each other, nodded to each other, and the landlord passed something to Kakashi.
Following Kakashi up the stairs, June feels anticipation tingle within her. The building and hallway seemed all too familiar. Does Naruto stay here? She wondered as they go through a door that led them through a bright hallway. Kakashi turns to the first wooden door on the left and fishes out a bronze key from his pocket, holding it in the air. He sways them from his long fingers, prompting her to steal them. June swiftly takes the keys and unlocking the door.
The apartment was the perfect size for one person, and to June, it looked precisely like Naruto's apartment. The main room only consisted of a wooden table with two chairs on each side in the middle and a kitchen on the right. There was a big window in the middle of it all, leaking out a good amount of natural light.
"Alright, I got a few things to do." Kakashi announces suddenly, and June spies him holding out his book in front of his face, telling her the things that the few things he's going to do is… read. She doesn't question it and nods, slipping off her sandals.
"Okay. Thank you for everything."
Once she hears the door close with a 'click', she throws her new keys onto the wooden table and notices a bag on the table. She tilts her head, leaning forward to pull off the note attached to the bag.
Juno,
Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village, you're going to need this to start off.
Hokage
Untying the bag, she finds bundles of money. Whose money— she suddenly shakes her head to interrupt her thoughts. Then, for the first time today, she laughs—a loud, boisterous laugh. Out of everything that has happened today... she has a lot more to question than simple things like that.
"Oh, and Juno?" June jumps from the sound of Kakashi's voice coming behind her. She turns to see that he's opened her door again. "Don't call me Kakashit. Ever again." he tells her.
"Oh. Right."
Rule #1 of Surviving in the Naruto World: Don't call Kakashi, Kakashit.