╰┈➤ In which a shinobi falls in love with a girl who doesn't belong in Konoha
Chihiro knew not that her decisions at the age of 14 would affect her over four years later. But the day she woke up in a foreign land, she realized all she'd been taught...
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"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.
