Kaka-Chameleon
I’d been following the river for a few days now. My body is growing weaker with each hour. I haven’t been able to make a fire or catch anything to eat. I’m seriously starving, but I don’t trust the fruit I've seen enough to try it. I’d rather be hungry than poisoned and dying.. Oddly enough.
I’ve peed more in the last 3 days than I have in my entire life. Partly because I’ve drank more water in the last 3 days than I have throughout the entirety of my life. Maybe waking up in a forest with absolutely nothing will have at least one positive outcome, a new habit of drinking the correct amount of water.
I’ve been hoping that the water will help provide nutrients through the minerals within the river. It also helps reduce hunger pains, but not by much. Enough to allow me to keep moving and focus on other pains.
It’s getting darker and darker. Although the cherry on top is most definitely, finding it harder to breathe. I literally feel like I’m dying. Can’t believe I was trying to think positive a few seconds ago.
I’m dizzy, hungry, tired, and I’m scared. I can’t keep denying that this isn’t my body. My hair that was once long is now short. My skin that was once smooth, mostly unblemished besides a few acne and childhood accident scars, now freckled. My legs are short instead of long. My arms are stubby and childlike. My breasts are gone. I’m a child. I’m in the body of a child.
Or at least I’m dreaming that I’m a child. Don’t know why I’d dream that, but can you really control your dreams? And if this is a variant of lucid dreaming, I don’t have much control over anything but myself.
Just the idea of going through puberty again is revolting. I want to crawl into a hole and die. I miss my bed. I miss my coworkers. I miss Jess. I most certainly don’t miss the helplessness that comes with being a child.
I can only walk for an hour at most before my legs give out on me. Or my feet start to bleed. Speaking of which earlier I stepped on what looked to be a sharp knife. It kind of reminds me of kunai from a manga I used to read. I wrapped the foot with long blades of grass in hopes to help, but I think it might be infected. Despite my efforts to keep it clean.
On top of everything, I have been consumed by this incessant itching sensation. It is fucking everywhere. Everything itches and no matter how hard I itch it won't go away. I don't know if this body is going through a growth spurt or what, but I need this to be over and done with. Lest I rip all of my hair out. And it’s not even my hair!
I flop down dramatically, maybe someone will come to my rescue if I lay here miserable and adorable as I am. This may not be my body but I’m sure someone will find this child cute. I take that back, I hope this body’s face is awful. I can’t trust people. And depending on where I am, how awful or poor the people are… I can’t risk it. Maybe if I wasn't a stranded female child.
I extended my arm and dip my fingers into the shockingly cold river water. The beautiful sunny skies of the day I arrived have passed and now it rains off and on. With temperatures just above freezing. Touching my forehead with my damp hand I realize just how hot my forehead is. I compare the temperature difference of my two hands to my forehead and come to the conclusion I'm getting sick. Fudge. My. Life. I’m gonna be stuck here forever
Just as I’m about to give up hope. I feel a presence approaching. No, multiple. The itching I feel worsens, but I choose to focus all my attention on the approaching people. Unsure of whether I should call out to them, run away, or hide. My gut tells me to run and hide, but if I do. I’ll be giving up what is possibly my only chance to get out of here.
I lay there contemplating. Either way I don’t get a chance to make a decision, because the group has discovered me faster than I anticipated. I turn my head to look at the group. There are two men, two children, and a woman. My vision is blurry, my mind is foggy, and I feel incredibly dizzy, but I can just barely make out a few details besides their gender and approximate age. They come with buckets and barrels. The men are dressed strangely, but I recognise the design from somewhere. I can’t quite put my finger on it.
“Oh my!” The woman exclaims upon sighting me.
The woman hands one of the men with her the bucket she was carrying. Then comes running towards me. Without meaning to, I flinch away from her. A worried look painted across her face. She slows to gently take steps towards me.
“Are you alright, dear?” Her voice is soft and kind,but for some reason I feel cautious of her. I wonder if this body had a bad experience with adults before I took over.
“Mmmhn.” I try to speak, but all I can manage is a groan through the haze.
The rest of her group has caught up and gone about their business. Collecting water. I can still feel their eyes watching our interaction, though. They probably feel as cautious about me as I do them.The woman extends her hand towards my face and before I even have time to think I’ve scrambled away as best I could.
With my poor condition I don’t grocery far, but still. What the fuck is wrong with me. She seems nice enough. She's shown worry. Why am I acting like this? I should let her care for me. I wince and groan when my injured foot scrapes against a rock during my attempt to get away.
“You poor thing. I’m sorry. I just wanted to feel your forehead. You look awfully flushed. I’m scared you may be sick. May I?” She moves slightly closer. Her voice is still soft and kind.
I search her eyes,considering for a long moment. I can’t seem to find anything besides untrustworthy. She’s been nice enough so far. I don’t have many options. She’s probably right. I’m sick and hurt. I haven’t eaten in days. In all actuality she might be my only option. It wouldn’t be smart to try and run from her. Despite all that, all I can think about is how much she freaks me out.
Regardless of my feelings I decided to nod my head timidly at her. I’ll just watch her every movement and at the slightest chance or hint that she's not who she seems to be I’ll run. I feel a smallish sharp rock beneath my hand and grasp it tightly as she moves closer. She carefully presses her wrist against my forehead. Then rips it away as if I had burned her.
I tilt my head at her in confusion. I bring my freehand up to feel my forehead, it feels abnormally hot, yes, but not severely burns you hot. Maybe I should be asking her if she is okay, not the other way around.
“Kakaru, you said you know basic medical ninjutsu, correct?” She calls over to one of the people in the river.
A man with blonde hair turns to look at us. With a nod he walks over to us. Ashe gets closer my blurry vision can make out more of his appearance. He wears a headband of some sort, and a mask. He’s also extremely tall. Towering over us.
“She's burning up, I've never felt a fever as high as hers before.” She stumbles over her words in her attempt to get them out as quickly as possible.
“Hmmm” He simply hums in response.
Moving his hand to feel for himself. For a reason unbeknownst to even myself I don’t flinch as his hand extends towards my face. Nor did I react negatively to his fast approach. His hand is gentle and cool. It feels amazing against my flushed face. I sigh and lean my head into his palm.
“Well that’s certainly not ideal” His voice has a cold feeling, but his hands are warm and kind. His eyes widened at the heat of my forehead.
With that his hand becomes even cooler. His free hand hovers above me and suddenly something tingly and slightly itchy spreads all around my body. I can feel tension in my shoulder release and my muscles relax. And suddenly all the adrenaline I’d be surviving off of slipping through my fingers. My eyes droop.
“It feels nice,” I murmured. I cringe at the scratch and ‘baby’ in my voice.
“I’ll do the best I can to fix ya up, kiddo” His voice is slightly warmer than it was earlier, but despite the underlying hostility. I like him significantly more than the woman.
“I’m so ‘eepy“ I can feel myself tear up.
“You’re okay. We won’t hurt you” The woman reassured.
My eyes shot to her. Distrust filling my entire being. I felt a hidden ‘yet’ and didn't like it. But I’m so exhausted and I’ll collapse at any moment if I try to keep walking. I don’t think this body could handle running. So I just might be stuck with her. With that my vision goes dark. I slip into dreamland.
— — — — — — Tatsuyo Mirina — — — — — —
I wake to the smell of something delicious. There is a pressure on my head. I can feel the familiar presence of those that I met by the river, and a few new ones. And by the lack of sound from moving water. I’d guess we are no longer anywhere near it. The pressure on my head moves slightly as my eyes flutter open.
At first it’s too bright for my eyes so I squeeze them back shut, before carefully opening them once more. I blink a few times trying to get my bearings and make sense of my surroundings. Then I jump up and the pressure- hand is removed from my head. It's the blonde man. But for a second his hair seems to flash silver. My eyes widened. I quickly look away.
There are a lot of children, and a handful more adults. It’s noisy and obnoxious. Much more so than I’m used to. Six men total, three women, and a total of eight children. Including those that I have already encountered. I make sure that I have the feel of all their presences memorized. There is a soup, I’m guessing, being cooked over a bonfire in the center of the camp. And a road I had not seen before was about 8 feet away. There were a total of 4 tents.
Satisfied with my scouting I turned to look at the blonde next to me, Kaka…ku? Kakaru? Kakashu? Kakashi? Rats! I can’t remember. Lets pray I don’t need to say his name anytime soon. I found that he was already staring at me and became confused. Why does he seem so familiar? I swear I’ve met him already. I search his green looking for hints as to where I know him but I can’t remember.
I know him, but I don’t at the same time. Then his eye color changes for a split second. Green to onyx. It was quick but it was there. I saw it. I can feel my lips part in surprise. Did he do that on command? Was it my imagination? Can childlike wonder affect a mind through its body? Is it the body that carries the childishness? I don’t think so, but then again I used to think it was impossible to be transplanted into a new body. Yet, here I am. A child again.
“How did you do that? Are you a human Chameleon mutant?” I whisper, astonished.
“Do what?” He mumbles. The one eyebrow I can see furrows in confusion.
“Your eye, it was onyx for a second. How can it do that?” I clarified. I tilt my head awaiting his response. I wonder if he’ll pull an Edward and hit me with the classic ‘It’s the fluorescents. This is the skin of a killer, Bella.’
He only furrows his brows once more before turning to the other man that was at the river. They make eye contact for a long moment. Then he turns back to me.
“How are you feeling?” He presses a hand to my forehead. “Your fever has dropped greatly.” Ahhh, he chose avoidance. Fair enough.
I take the time to assess myself before answering. My shoulder feels better. My foot too. I’m still itchy everywhere, but I think I’m getting used to that sensation as annoying as it is. My vision is clear again. The dizziness has passed. I’m also wearing new clothes. Which fills me with unrelenting fear for a long moment, before I realize my undergarments are the same as they were. They feel the same as they always have.
“Better.”
“Are you hungry?” I nod.
“I asked them to make soup. You need something light but packful of nutrients. When we found you by the river, you were severely malnourished and sick. You also have an infected cut on your foot. I cleaned it and bandaged it to the best of my abilities, but it’s deep. You need true medical assistance. It’d be best for you to stay off it for a while. One of your shoulders was also dislocated-”
Oh. I knew my shoulder hurt for a reason. I figured it was just the way I slept or maybe something that had happened to this body. Well now I feel stupid.
“-Severe bruising on your ribs. I fixed as much as I could and healed what I could, but you need to head to a hospital when we reach the village. I think you might have a slight concussion as well.” He continued on and on and on. I get it. I’m in bad shape.
“Soooo, what I’m hearing is that I’m the healthiest person you’ve ever met. Good to know” I try to laugh it all off.
He shakes his head an amused huff. “Quite the opposite really.”
“I umm. Thank you for helping me, but uhh where are we? Who are all these people?”
I look around again. Trying to make sense of everything. It’s a bit odd for there to be horse drawn carriages around, especially since we have cars now. Why would they stop to camp out here instead of going to an inn?
“My teammate, Genshi, and I are guarding the postal service on their way to Konohagakure. There’s been a lot of kids going missing and important belongings being stolen, and seems to be aimed at the postal service” He explains.
I nod. Lots of kids going missing? That's odd and suspicious. They are probably being kidnapped. Maybe for sex trafficking? Slave traders? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that creepy lady was some sort of child pimp. That’s probably my biased hate for her showing. I shouldn’t think that way about someone who was willing to feed and clothe me. Ugh, I hate the word. Pim- wait. Rewind. Pause. Hold the fart up. Did he say Konoha? As in Naruto. As in a fictional village hidden in the leaves. As in not real. He couldn’t have
Oh. ohhhhhh. Oh. oh. okay. No thanks. You can take me home now. I don’t want to be in this dream anymore. Someone pinch me. Please. I beg of you. This can’t be real. I must be asleep, or in a coma, or hallucinating. It has all felt so real. The pain was real. The itching, which is present as ever by the way, is so real. The fever, the cold, the hunger. I can feel the hunger now. As Genshi leans down for me to take the top bowl out of his hands.
How am I even here? This should be impossible. Granted being transported into a child’s body should also be impossible. This really takes the frickin cake, though. I adored the manga as a teenager, but it’s been years. And I don’t want to get messed in the mess that was Danzou. Especially if I chose to stay there. I have nowhere else to go so that’s pretty likely.
And Danzou will certainly get interested if he finds out about a foreign child with the mind and maturity of a 24 year old that’s been through some shit. There’s also the fact that I have to acknowledge this weird itching sensation could be chakra. In the manga they mentioned that you could feel it in your body. Is this what they meant? It’s awful. I don’t want it. I want to go home. I want to cuddle up on my couch and rewatch the scream movies with Jess.
Assuming this is real. Assuming this is my new reality. I now have to deal with the fact that I know stuff I shouldn't know about the future. I know about deaths that could be avoided. I know about wars that aren’t needed. Wars that cause pain and more war. I now have to decide what I want to do about that.
“Where did you say we were going again? Where are we now?” I say to him expectantly.
“We are currently within the Land of Fire. We found you near Hacho village. Now heading to the country’s capital, Konoha. It’ll take us about a week to get there at the pace we’ve been moving.” He makes a face at the apparent slow pace. “ Not to say its a problem. Even if there are only two of them, Troublesome slow ass kids are troublesome ass kids.” He grumbles.
That can’t be right. I feel at least six smaller presences in the carriage. Probably sleeping. How could he not have noticed them? He’s been guarding them for the majority of their journey from what I understand. My eyes widen as realization befalls me. Holy fart knockers is she actually a sex trafficker? I was half kidding when I thought that. I wasn’t actually serious.
“They can only walk so fast and there isn’t enough room in the carriage. With all their boxes, crates, and supplies. Now we have an injured troublesome child on our hands. You’ll be coming with us. Whether you like it or not I’m afraid. You need medical treatment.” Genshi finishes. In his hands he balances three wooden bowls of soup. And between his teeth a senbon needle. Behind him the woman from the river hands us a spoon. I feel just as uncomfortable around her as I did then.
“Thank you,” I murmured. Confusion and fear visible on my face
Everything else disappeared for a second as that first bite nearly drew me into hysterics. I hadn’t known how much I needed this meal. I knew I needed one, but after a while the hunger pains kinda go away and it fades. Then I started to gobble it all up. Like some sort of possessed creature. I don’t think you could even consider me human.
Once I’ve calmed my hunger. Regaining the ability to think past my stomach. I take this time to gather my thoughts. Setting the empty bowl beside me I go over what I know so far.
- I’m trapped in a child’s body.
- I’m stuck inside a fictional world. That just so happens to be filled with cruelty, war, and dramatic buttfaces.
- I’m being forced to travel with a really creepy lady. A creepy lady who is probably trafficking children under the guise of a postal service.
- I’m injured and it hurts a lot, but not as much as it most likely should.
“You okay, kiddo?” Kaka-something softly asks me.
No. I think Ms. Creepy Creepers over there is a psycho bish that likes to sell kids off to awful people. I’m deeply uncomfortable with this knowledge. I’m also not okay with the fact that these supposed ‘guards’ or ninja, by the looks of them. (Considering this just might be freaking Naruto.) If even ninja can’t figure this out I might be doomed. Aren’t ninjas supposed to be superior to civilians in this world? Which sounds really effed up. Now that I realize those implications everywhere within the series.
I also have no idea how to bring that up without sounds completely off my rocker. Which I just might be. I’m in Naruto for fudge’s sake. People don’t just wake up in different fictional universes.
I look up for a second only to notice two sets of eyes watching me. They look expectantly at me. Then it dawns on me that I need to answer his question.
“Yeah. I umm. Genshi mentioned the possibility of me not wanting to go with you. And I realized I wouldn’t know where else to go.” I mumbled, eyes darting back down to the ground.
“You don’t have any family you are separated from?” Asks Genshi.
“I can’t remember” I shake my head, brows furrowed in concentration. This body has to have some memories.
The two men share another long moment of eye contact. I don’t even notice. Too busy wracking my brain for any possible instincts or memories that this body might have hidden from me. I am the intruder afterall.
“What’s your name?” They ask me in sync. Breaking me out of my thoughts.
I pause. I have a name. I know I have a name. What is it? Surprisingly it takes me a while to remember. Mi- something. Mo? No. Nirima Yatsuto? No Why can’t I remember my name? Does this body already have a name it wants more than mine? I feel tears of frustration spring to the back of my eyelids. I furrow my eyebrows in thought.
“Tatsuyo Mirina” Oh thank the gutsy toad. It took me way too long to remember my own name.
“Hmm” Kaka-something nods thoughtfully. “Definitely has a concussion.”
“Your name doesn’t sound all that strange, but you look foreign. Very few people around here have blue hair or naturally red eyes.” Genshi muses.
I watch as they share another heated long look. Are they in a relationship? They’d make a cute couple. I glance back and forth between the two of them. A hit eating grin forming on my face as I watch the slightest miniscule changes within their expressions as they continue to have a silent conversation.
“You two need a moment? I don’t mind waiting for y'all to finish eye fudging.” I blurted self satisfied at their blanching.
“We were not ‘eye fudging’.” Genshi angrily grumbled.
“Sure… whatever helps you sleep at night” I shoot him a smirk.
“You don’t wanna eye fudge me, Genshi-poo” Kaka-something pouts dramatically. An evil glint in his eyes.
Genshi's entire face and stance falls perfectly into exasperation itself. “I’m leaving.” Turning on his heel, he zips away. The bowl I had set down to focus entirely on their extraction in his hands. Next to him I can hear Kaka’s deviant chuckles.
— — — — — — A few days later — — — — — —
Four days later and I have yet to find a way to inform the ninja of six kids they have no idea are here with us. Oddly enough. Their presence is only apparent at evening meal time for roughly 45 minutes. Which is extremely concerning.
I haven’t been able to investigate. A mixture of fear at what I’ll see and the inability to sneak away from the watchful eye of everyone here has regrettably kept me from doing so.
I’ve grown to like Kakashu a great deal. He and I are constantly annoying and flustering Genshi. Which is surprisingly easy. Aren’t ninja supposed to be masters of their facial expressions? Genshi certainly isn’t.
Everyone else here pretty much avoids me like the plague. I’ve yet to figure out why. The Psycho Creep has told me her name several times. Has tried to get close to me a number of times, but I’m so repulsed by her I’ve made it my dying wish to never know her name or face after this painful trip to Konoha is completed.
I didn’t realize how serious the situation I had found myself in was until we stopped at the smallest of villages. The workers made a few rounds delivering the village's letters and scrolls. Yes, scrolls. Strange, I know.
While everyone was eating I felt Ms. Creeps and another vaguely familiar presence a few yards away, just out of sight approaching the carriage. The thing that threw me for a loop was the small new presence with them. Then the number of people I felt in the carriage went from six to seven. Not good. Not good. Not good. No. no no no no no no. This is my fault, because I didn't see how pressing this was. What am I supposed to do?
I immediately sat up straight staring pointedly at the carriage. Unknowingly alarming the ninja near me. Different plans and ideas flashing through my mind. I had been healing quite nicely according to what Kakashu was saying. I still found it hard to walk, but it was significantly better than it was. I could probably sneak in the carriage and free the kids, but what then? They’d just get captured again. I don’t know if I can trust the ninja. I’d like to think I can, but how can I be sure?
“Kiddo?” Kakashu rests a hand on my shoulder.
“Hmm?” I jolt from my thoughts. Abruptly turning to face him.
“What’s wrong?” Genshi wonders.
That’s another thing in just a few days they have learned my tells. Not ideal. Granted I’ve neer been good at hiding what I’m thinking. I’ve never seen the point in that. Not until now that is. Not until it was life or death. Is everything life or death here?
“I um.” My eyes between Kakashu, Genshi, and the carriage.
I don’t know what to do. I like them. I want to trust them, but how can i? How can I trust anyone? I guess there isn’t really an answer to that. Does there even need to be? My gut says trust them. I’ve grown to like them and I've always been a good judge of character or at least my gut has. So maybe I should trust my gut?
Plus during high school teachers were always saying to go to trusted adults. I wouldn’t call these traumatized working teenagers adults, but they are here for a reason. And with the book Kakashu reads I’m sure he has the sex drive and mind of an adult. Stealing my mind I make my decision. What’s the worst that can happen? I die. The children held captive die? We get sold to a child molesters/rapist?
Ahh fuck it. Please don’t be awful. I look around as discreetly as I can and then motion Kakashu to come closer.
“I think Ms. Creepy Buttface is stealing and selling kids and hiding them away in the carriage.” I whisper as quietly as I can into his ear, praying he can understand my childlike voice.
“I think you might be right. She’s not very nice is she?” He whispers back to me.
“I felt her stow away another kid and I’m scared. That's seven.” I murmur, nearly crying.
“You know how many there are?” Surprise, painting his face.
“Yeah, their presence itches in the back of my mind every evening meal for about 45 minutes. Then they fade back into nothing.” I explain to him making sure my voice is quiet.
“That's… But- How?” He stammers.
“What do you mean?” I ask. Tilting my head in confusion.
— — — — — — Hatake Kakashi — — — — — —
This child just solved a month's worth of trouble in five seconds. Words cannot describe the frustration and awe I feel right now. My eyes flash to Genma, just to be clear I’m not the only one astounded right now. I’m pleased to see I’m not the only one embarrassed.
It’s been a struggle to locate the children. We’ve figured out who is the mastermind, who collects the children, who provides the children, and who buys the children. And yet for the last month and a half we’ve been guarding this group we have yet to figure out how the kids change location. Or even how many there actually are.
Does she truly have no idea what this means? She was able to sense a multitude of people she has never met before. The ability to know someone is there but not able to see them is extraordinarily rare. She must have at least some ninja heritage in order to be a sensor.
Knowing she’s a sensor actually explains a lot of her odd behaviors. She never flinched when Genma or my self would body flicker towards her. Not even when we forgot to add sound to our steps. She never stumbled when we lost hold over our chakra suppression. We had just figured she was well versed in schooling her features, but if she knew we were already there or approaching. If she kept tabs on us with her abilities she’d never have a reason to flinch.
Having ninja heritage would also help justify her massive chakra reserves. Unlike a ninja’s chakra, her’s is wild, untamed, but the size of her reserves matches that of a Jōnin or higher. Her healing is quicker than average as well. I believe she’d be entirely healed by the time we arrived at Konoha. Even if that is the case, I’ll still take her to the hospital and have her checked. She may need her shots. In addition, a health check can never hurt.
Genma scoots closer to her and in a low voice starts to ask her questions about what she has noticed over the last few days. From what we can gather the best time to strike would be during evening meal times. When they are eating, assuming they are being fed.
We waste no time. That night we concocted a plan and set it to action the very next day. I’m very glad the kiddo was half dead by the river. Now I can go home a whole lot earlier than I expected. I’ve missed my bed. And my books. Stupid Hokage, how dare he use his authority to confiscate my books?
With the children located. We just need to send a signal and the rest of the team working with us can arrest the worker bees planted all over the country. Sadly, the queen bee is extremely cunning and we’ll have trouble condemning him to the fate he deserves. We’ll try. And I'll see to it we succeed one way or another.
Genma with a few of my summons will sneak into the carriage to rescue the children, snag a silly bee to interrogate later, and then we’ll skiddly daddle on out of here.
I’m the lucky fuck that gets to stay with the kiddo. I’ll have her work as a lookout. If she says someone is coming that shouldn’t be, I’ll inform Genma through the summons and we’ll just reattempt.
Fortunately, the reattempt wasn’t necessary. We have the kids, documented proof, and my mail. (A new book from my favorite stinky toad.)