Would It Be Weird To Ask What Year It Is?
Waking up was strange for Naruko; it was slow, not a gasp from a nightmare or immediately on guard like it had to be in the war. She slowly becomes aware of her surroundings, like a fog lifting on a cool morning. Looking around, all she could see was green, the leaves and grass surrounding her, starting the waterworks. Tears slowly flow down her face as she continues to look around.
The blue sky shines through the limbs covering her from above, being helped by the sunshine warming her. She heard birds chirping as they flew above their shadows, covering her for very few seconds before they passed by…
Naruko bursts out laughing, heavy with relief as she wipes her tears. Finally, calming down, she stretches her sore muscles and continues slowly down the trees, bending the branches back to their original place and making it to the ground with a grin still set on her face. Looking at her surroundings, nothing was out of place, nothing to show she was here with the branches back in place. Proud of herself, she sets off in a random direction. Walking and admiring the scenery took a while, but she soon tumbled onto a village. A small village,
‘probably a civilian village since there are no shinobi running around,’ Naruko concluded. Her senses kicked in all at once, sending her to her knees, clutching her head in pain. Overwhelmed, she stumbled back into the forest, trying to get her chakra senses under control so it didn’t feel like her head was splitting.
‘What a pain,’ Naruko thought with pain still running through her, she started to slowly dim her senses. Slowly to not overload herself, she moved to the town with slow calculated steps. She giggled thinking back, she sounded like a certain Nara.
Arriving at the edge of the village with only a mild headache was an achievement for Naruko but she was nervous. It had been too long since she had talked to a human, around three months, at least! All she had was the tailed beasts and considering how old they were, she should hope she didn’t pick up any of their old-time slang. She’s already weird enough considering the ptsd of a war that hasn’t even happened yet.
But she’s Naruko Uzumaki, Konoha’s Number One Knucklehead, who rushes into a battle without a plan, she could do this.
With her heart racing, she puts on a shaky smile and starts walking into the village, one foot at a time. The people look at her with curiosity and warmth, hoping not to scare her but confused with her ragged clothes and abnormal coloring. A woman, around her thirties, if she had to guess, walked up to her, making Naruko freeze in her spot.
“Hello dear, what happens to your clothes?” The brown-haired woman asked with her warm hazel eyes peering at Naruko.
“I-i-i don’t remember…” Naruko responded with hesitation, she never did like lying to people but the woman only looked at her with warmth, so much warmth.
“Follow me dear, let us go fix you up, ya?” The kind woman asked extending her hand towards Naruko. Naruko looks at the smooth hand and slowly puts her hand in hers, waiting for the trap. The woman just smiles and starts tugging her along with Naruko struggling to keep up.
Arriving at a small brick house with a porch, the woman walks up with her hand still holding Naruko’s and opens the door. Going into a bedroom off to the side, she tugs Naruko in and pushes her into the bathroom. Opening the cabinet under the sink, she takes out a towel and hands it to Naruko.
“Take a shower dear, I’ll get you some clothes.” Naruko just silently nods, shaken by this strange woman. The woman walks out and Naruko turns to the shower, turning it on to the heated water. She then starts striping and hurriedly gets into the shower. Instantly relaxing when the water hits her, she starts to let her mind run.
‘That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be and just proves that I can do this whole time traveling, believe it!’ Determining at her highest, she finishes washing up and gets out of the shower, slightly mourning the heat. Changing into the clothes that were neatly folded and placed on the toilet, she wonders to find the woman to ask her the one question she needs to know so she can start planning.
“Oh, are you done already?” The woman asks the second Naruko steps out of the bedroom. Finding the woman in the kitchen, she puts on a shaky smile.
“Yea… thank you, believe it!” Wincing at the verbal tic, Naruko continues.
“Weird question, hehe… what is the date?”