Disclaimer:
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 02: A New World
'What is this? I can detect several elements mixed in…there's also pure yang and pure yin energy, as well as traces of something else…'
How could he be alive with this mesh of energies inside his body? How do they cultivate their bodies without destroying them?
The door opened again, and two different people came inside.
One was an old man he recognized from the memories he just received.
This person was the village leader… the Hokage.
'He seems to have a personal interest in the owner of this body as he had visited him several times even though they are not related.'
The other person was a tall blonde man with strange blue eyes. He wore a protector on his forehead with the symbol of the village, giving away his identity as a ninja.
"Hello, Naruto. I'm so glad to see you recovering…you gave us all quite the scare…" the Hokage said with a warm smile.
"Greetings…Lord Hokage." He wasn't sure how to address this man, so he opted for the safest option.
But after seeing the way his face changed, he realized it may have been a mistake.
"Naruto…the doctor is concerned that you have suffered some mental damage on top of your physical injuries. This person at my side is Yamanaka Inoichi. His clan specializes in mind techniques. With your consent, he can delve into your mind and perhaps find out what the damage is."
"Into my mind?" 'Wouldn't that allow him to see that I am not the person he thinks I am?...that would be dangerous. I am in no position to defend myself here…and I do not even know where I am.'
"Is that necessary?" He pretended to be afraid of the procedure.
"I won't go too deep. I will only be looking at your surface memories to see how they look," Inoichi assured him.
"He's just here to help you, Naruto. There is nothing to be worried about," the old man said.
'If I refuse again, it will become a bit suspicious…I can only hope he is unable to view my real memories…'
He nodded.
The Yamanaka ninja performed some hand signs, and a moment later, he felt something invading his mind.
It was a very unpleasant feeling. But at least, like he promised, he didn't go deep and stayed at the entrance.
After prodding around for a few minutes, he left.
"Well?..." The Hokage glanced at the other man.
"Mmmm…I have never seen something like this so it's hard to explain," Inoichi said.
"Try," the old man insisted.
"His memories are mostly there, in his mind. But they are fragmented and disorganized."
"Will he recover?"
"I think so. Naruto is still young and with a strong mind. He will certainly recover. But he may be a bit different than the one you knew…our memories and the way we experience them are what more or less define who we are," Inoichi explained.
"I see…" The old Hokage pulled out a protector from his pocket and looked at him. "Naruto…you have done a great service to Konoha by assisting in the capture of the traitor Mizuki…because of this…" He handed the protector to him. "Congratulations, you are now officially graduated from the Academy."
The Hokage placed it on his bed. "You will be able to move again soon, don't worry. There is still a month before the teams are announced. Until then, I want you to focus on recovering."
<><><><><><><><><><>
Several doctors would come in after the Hokage's visit and focus on his physical recovery.
His muscles and tendons had been damaged, and that is why he couldn't move.
But with their excellent medical techniques and Naruto's unnatural healing speed, it only took two days before he started moving his fingers.
Two more days before he could stand up on his own.
And three more days before he was given permission to go home.
<><><><><><><><><><>
The Hokage had wanted to send a ninja to accompany him home, but he assured him he still remembered his way home.
It wasn't completely true. He had some memories of the apartment but no idea of where exactly it was located.
It didn't matter to him, as he just wanted to spend some time alone and walk through this village of Konoha that he now finds himself in.
It was at this moment, walking on the streets and looking at the strange people and buildings, that he could truly acknowledge he was in a completely different world.
It wasn't just that he woke up as a different person, there was much more to it.
The buildings were not just bizarre to him but also contained many pieces of technology he was not familiar with.
It all looked so advanced…like thousands of years ahead of his time.
He also noticed that the villagers would give him occasional glances, and when they did, their eyes were filled with hatred.
'What could this boy have done to all these people to earn such a level of hostility?'
Perhaps it was not about him but his family or his background.
He was aware of his current status as an orphan, something that he was truly grateful for. 'I cannot imagine having to pretend to be a good son to people I know nothing about….it is better this way.'
After wandering the streets for three hours, he spotted a familiar neighborhood…and soon enough, he caught a glimpse of his apartment.
He opened the door with the keys he had been given and went inside, only to then remember he forgot to buy supplies.
He pulled an envelope out of his pocket.
Before leaving the hospital, a ninja came to visit him and gave him some money to buy food, clothes, or whatever he needed for the rest of the month.
He wouldn't get paid until he started officially working as a ninja, so the Hokage had been giving him money, as well as this apartment.
The previous owner of this body never seemed to question those things…but it was certainly strange.
'Why is someone so important giving me so much attention?' He walked to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror.
'There has to be something special about this boy…'