Phantom Pains

"It'll take some getting used to." Chihiro had thought as her eyes wandered over the apartment she'd be residing in as she walked through each room again. Even though it was nicer than her dorm room at the academy, she wished she was there. Her fingers raked against the paint as she wished to feel something like home from it, but there was nothing. Her bedroom was a small room, cream walls with a bed up against the far wall with a long window on one half the wall. Both the headboard, end of the bed, and side had a wall against it. So the window started where the bed rose up to and went to the ceiling with a gray trim. There was a chipped, white painted dresser, side table next to the bed, and a lamp. The kitchen that opened to a living space was a pale green that bled into white for accent walls. It needed some work but Chihiro felt like she was walking into a mess. Even though she knew she should appreciate the kindness of giving her a home, it was hard.

With hands on her hips, she stood in the center of her bedroom feeling increased emotion. There were clothes stacked on the floor she still needed to put away. She could tell the furniture was of solid quality as she'd run her hands over everything she could. The bed had just the right amount of give and take to it.

But it was the standing mirror on the far wall besides the dresser that caught her attention— She stared at her reflection in the mirror, eyes tracing over her flushed face as she gravitated right to it. Her cheeks were painted a drained pink, hair needing washed, brown eyes fixed with exhaustion. Chihiro's hair fell well past her shoulders in constantly changing styles, and bangs to top it off. Her lips were full and always stained pink but now seemed jaundiced. Involuntarily, she raked her fingers through her hair out of habit, falling down to her face tracing along her cheek. Thumbing across her cheekbone, she pressed against her dry skin leaving behind a faint red mark. She pressed harder.

A soft whine left her throat as she choked back tears, "mm," she hummed with a breaking tone as she practically threw herself onto her bed.

She sank onto the bed, feeling waves of emotion coast through her. Her thoughts were on her friends at home, had she just disappeared? Was she dead to them now? Guilt rattled her as she could imagine the separate reactions from Kasumi, Kai, and Hana. She didn't want them to suffer because of her. It was unfair! Frustration pounded at her chest as she just wanted to yell, and throw something, do something to make it go back to normal.

But Kakashi was right, that the academy would figure it out. It was only a matter of time. This was just temporary. Even if it took a few weeks, they'd be bursting through her door to take her back to Yggdrasil. Chihiro had to tell herself that to make it okay, or else she'd go crazy; because, the 'what ifs' and 'hows' were going to drive her to the brink. The foreign walls around her could collapse at any moment since she arrived a few days ago- refusing to leave her new apartment.

Her hands were hers. Her legs were hers. Chihiro recognized everything within and on herself but it didn't make sense how she got to Konoha. Just that, the spirit drifting lesson had gone horribly wrong. Professor Lee once said that there are fixes to every mistake, you just have to work hard and not let it get to you. Perhaps this was one of those moments, she thought. But Chihiro was unsure if she could keep a positive outlook on the situation.

It had been a few days now and she was tired of pacing from the kitchen, to the living room, to the bathroom, and then again. The shining sun outside was calling out to her more and more by the passing hours as she wanted to feel it on her skin.

So Chihiro garnered her courage to leave. Garnered courage to gather her gifted keys, put shoes on, walk through the kitchen to the apartment door. She was nervous as her fingers clutched the metal of the door knob, slowly turning it. Was this accepting her current situation? Accepting her fate that she was meant to be here per the first Hokage?

Suddenly that didn't matter as she left the premise and stepped onto a balcony to walk over to stairs. It was warm and instantly the sun was kissing her face. Her messy hair glistened in the light. Chihiro didn't care how she looked but she immediately began to braid her hair into two pigtails on the sides to keep her looking more put together. And it forced her to focus on something either than being outside, on the street surrounded by people.

So she dumbly looked around while people moved to go around her. Clearly she lived near a hub as she could see lines of stalls set up like a market as people wandered to and fro. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to walk forward.

Bright colors of fruits, veggies, homemade wares, and flowers. It was a small light in her dark mind as she joyfully moved towards a long row of bustling flowers on stalls. They were color coordinated from the top of the rainbow down and she subconsciously skipped towards the yellow section. She felt her worries slip from her as her fingers danced along silky petals, feeling the sweet aromas invade her nose.

"Oh dear, you look exhausted." Chihiro jumped as suddenly, a hand placed on top of her own. When she looked up, an elderly woman was smiling at her, "are you sleeping well?"

"I-I guess I'm not. I just moved to town."

"Well it won't do much I know, but take these as a welcome gift," she waddled to grab a bouquet of yellow tulips, "tulips mean for you to find a perfect, true love here. And yellow, for your happiness. On me."

"No no, I couldn't."

"You can," she insisted, pushing the flowers into her arms, "suits you well."

"Thank you." Chihiro responded with a blush. She held the bouquet close to her as she bowed her head, and then continued on her way out of embarrassment even though she could have spent hours with the flowers.

Chihiro didn't know where she was walking to as she held onto her flowers like they were her lifeline. But she walked wherever her feet would take her to on the main roads, trying to take in the city. It was beautiful here with all the home and restaurants and shops lining the road and built up. But it was a looming mountain with carved faces on it that made her stop and stare. Konoha was ingrained in Shinobi was she assumed as multiple times she saw people garnering headbands similar to the Jonins's.

Her legs were aching and the bottoms of her feet screamed for rest. But she'd try to keep going or at least turn back as for once her mind was elsewhere. She could stop to look at stores and just bask in a quick adventure. However, Chihiro was exhausted from this adventure into Konoha, so much so that she found a bench to sit. It wasn't the aching of her limbs that made her stop but the pure lack of energy from her deprived body, the struggle to breathe from her tight chest. She hasn't eaten in awhile she remembered. The tulips laid perfectly on her lap as she stared down at them through her thin bangs, feeling a wetness cloud her vision.

"Chihiro! Is that you?" a familiar voice made her look up with a sad glimmer in her eyes.

Sakura was with a blonde haired girl, waving profusely while heading her way.

"How are you? Been wanting to see you these last few days but figured you needed space. This is Ino, we're medical shinobi together."

"Hey Chihiro, word spread fast about you. It's crazy,"

"Hi." she nodded, "and I'm okay, a little lost though."

"We can help you out with that! Fun fact I actually live in the same building, I knew of the last resident moving out so I offered that as a place for you." Ino remarked, "sorry if that's weird."

"No no it's convenient," Chihiro reassured, "It'll be nice to know somebody near by. I appreciate all the kindness instead of hostility towards my situation."

"Dude," Ino started, "we've had crazy things happen around here. Finding out Yggdrasil is real and you're from there is like, nothing to us."

"She's not wrong!" Sakura laughed, "we have a Naruto here so anything is up for grabs."

"Guess that makes me feel better. You guys don't mind walking me back?" Chihiro reiterated that she was ready to go as her chest tightened.

"I'm going back anyways," Ino said.

The three began to walk back in silence. Ino and Sakura knew nothing of Chihiro and her interests or likes, they knew not how to talk to her. It was an awkward silence as they sized her up, trying to gauge her reactions to them. But Chihiro was hard to read from knowing very little of her- or absolutely nothing about her. She was mysterious or stand off-ish in a sense. Chihiro was beautiful. Her long dark hair, messily braided, followed behind her as she gracefully strode along them. Her face was angelic, slim and fragile seeming with large, kind eyes eyes. The sun shimmered against her skin, highlighting her gorgeous, chiseled features.

Chihiro looked ethereal as they got closer to her address, like it made sense she was a citizen of Yggdrasil. Her fingers were gripped white holding onto the flowers that appeared to be her lifeline.

Sakura watched her closely, finally finding courage within herself to mention, "we should do something soon," she'd been thinking all about it.

"I agree!" Ino exclaimed.

"We should have a little home welcoming for you! I can bring more people too." Sakura beamed at her great idea. Sakura didn't want Chihiro feeling like she was alone in this and scared. So even if she found her annoying, Sakura was going to keep trying.

"I suppose so. Except I don't have much though." Chihiro felt like she couldn't say no. Apart of her wanted to wallow in her thoughts but it also sounded nice to have some company.

"We'll help with that!" Ino said, "I have some extra decorations laying around, we'll bring food. It'll be fun,"

"You know that sounds good. It beats worrying." Chihiro felt a rush about these plans to agree. An excitement she didn't know would last or not. But there was something that had also been plaguing her thoughts. "But I have a question. Who was that boy the other day with the lavender eyes? Is he blind or... he wouldn't stop staring. I don't want to assume anything rude."

"Oh Neji?" Ino laughed feeing amusement towards assuming he was blind, "he's not blind, he's a Hyuga. A very important family in the shinobi world, his eyes are Byakugan's. Powerful stuff. And he's like a genius too by the way, which didn't help is ego when we were younger."

"Didn't help when he was the first promoted to Jonin too!"

"I see." Chihiro nodded, making sure she'd remember each word.

"I can invite him, if you'd like to meet him." Sakura said.

"I would." Chihiro was curious about him. He had made her skin crawl as she stood in front of the Hokage like she'd never experienced before. And as they made unwavering eye contact she couldn't behind to decipher how it made her feel.

The days she spent alone locked up in her apartment she felt like eyes were on her the whole time. She couldn't shake his eyes bearing onto her. But now she knew his name was Neji and she wanted to properly get to know him.