╰┈➤ 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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trigger warning
TIME moved in a way that she could no longer understand when she left the market. She couldn't even remember if her bag of vegetables was still hand. Her eyes looked a paler shade, glossy and blank as the sun gleamed off them. She walked melodically in a trance, her kimono fluttering in the breeze. If anyone tried to stop her, she certainly wouldn't have seen them.
It was like a death march, walking herself towards her own tomb. As a melodic song rang out around her, she walked with transfixed purpose. She knew exactly where to go, even if she had no recollection of it, her legs carried her.
The scene around her quickly changed as a garden of wilted flowers came into view- though not her view. For Chihiro wasn't seeing any of it for herself, like another pair of eyes had taken over. Her feet dragged against the ground like her consciousness was trying to fight against it, but she was not strong enough. Chihiro wasn't equipped for this... She never should have let the sight of those who were. A small clearing from trees was out in front of her as went towards a place she'd been before. That one day she stood in front of a man with a cruel smile, was all coming back as a smell of fresh water hit her nostrils.
It was strange as she stood on the cliff's edge staring down below her, the rocky water a long ways down. It was a dizzying feeling watching waves collapse against the cliff. In that moment she was given back more of her sanity, more recognition to what was taking place. But, it was all warped. Through hazy eyes she looked around, a faint smile dancing on her lips as a breeze blew her hair wildly.
Chihiro knew nothing of the panic taking place in the city she left behind. She didn't know the ANBU sighted a cloaked man jumping from rooftop to rooftop. She didn't know that Neji Hyuga and everyone else was tearing apart Konoha to find her. All she knew was that presented in front of her- the ability to go home. It was a tiny voice in the back of her head feeding her lies, urging her to take steps forward. "Three steps and you'll be home", "Die here and you'll wake up in your body in Yggdrasil", "Don't be scared I won't let it hurt." And it all made sense to her as an unknown force had sway over her mind.
The jutsu cast upon her kept her from hearing the woosh of air behind her or someone landing on their feet. She didn't hear him walk up at first until he spoke.
"Chihiro,"
Hearing her name made, made her spin around in surprise, like it was the first step to breaking through a barrier. The part of the jutsu mysterious that allowed her consciousness began to show, "you found me?"
"Come here." Neji commanded sternly while holding a hand out, "what are you doing?"
"I need to try something..." Neji couldn't recognize the look on Chihiro's face, alarm trembling through his veins as he inched closer.
"Why don't you step away and we can talk about this."
"I just... I know this place is important. Why else did that man bring me here? I need to try it-"
