Chapter 4.3
"I feel genuinely bad for her" you whispered as the 'big-boned' woman smothered her found cat with the love she didn't want. Kuro flinched at the sight and silently gave his condolence, knowing he couldn't go through you to save the cat. An unspoken rule among Shinobi: Don't kill your client.
After filing out the report you handed it to Iruka who gave a gentle smile. "Quick and good, just like old times" he noted.
"Thanks, could you give this note to the Hokage? I will be out town for a while, I don't know how long it will take".
The note contained an explanation of your trip. Mainly the goal of recovering your memories, but also the cause of your hospitalisation and how you could be able to fix it there.
Iruka took the paper and nodded, "yes, but how come the sudden leave? You aren't here for that long and to top that you came out of the hospital yesterday". You groaned annoyed. Everyone seemed so overly concerned while you felt completely fine. "I am fine. I've got to tie up some loose ends. By the time I'm back I'll probably remember everyone again" you smiled at the thought of being able to recall all your acquittances, friends and family.
Kakashi crossed your mind. A warm feeling fluttered through your stomach of the thought of him being your partner even before you had returned from the dead.
"I wish you luck then" he smiled, putting your note to the side. You gave a joking salute before striding out of the office.
"Don't you need to inform that other guy?" Kuro's golden eyes were focused on the road before you. "Which guy?"
"The one you live with" he stated dryly.
"Ah, well he will probably try to stop me. So he can find out from the Hokage" you shrugged, holding a small grudge for being the cause of a boring mission.
"Alright" Kuro shrugged.
"So how will we get to Mount Nekono?" you questioned. Shrouded by the trees you stared into those golden eyes who seemed so bored and reluctant. Even so, the owner always helped you and stayed by your side.
"With your ability to dimension hop. Since you can't really aim yet I shall guide us" he explained on your shoulder. "So, the same as in the snake dimension? That feeling?" He nodded curtly, his tail flicking impatiently.
You took a deep breath and felt the air flow through your body. Closing your eyes you concentrated on your chakra flow. Slowly but surely you could feel the build-up. When your eyes opened, it released with a burst from your body.
Short rugged breaths had your longs spasm. Your eyes frantically darted form side to side but only darkness filled your vision. Warmth licked at your body like a wet tong of a drooling dog. Your body trembled while your stomach contracted, trying to get rid of something inside.
"(y/n) breath! Damnit, don't overreact!" a voice had your ears ring. Something warm, fluffy rubbed against your leg. Trying to calm down you focused solely on that sensation. It took a while but that effort paid off. It was like someone whipped tar off a sunscreen before your eyes. Colours flooded your vision. A black spot forming into Kuro who looked annoyed up at you. The ground a dazzling green.
Taking a deep breath your stomach gave one last contraction making you groan and swallow back some bile. Gradually you looked up and took in the surroundings.
It was beautiful. Trees standing taller than any house you had seen. Three houses on top of each other were maybe able to reach the top of the smallest tree. Out of the main tree trunk sprouted branches, which in turn, also sprouted to smaller branches. The leaves cast an orange glow against the sky which was painted which was painted indigo in the centre while the horizon was a combination of heather and magenta purple. Small dots of white adorned the sky like jewellery on a woman, accentuating certain forms in the colour formation. You were standing on an open grass field and oddly enough the smell of pines and oranges filled your senses, even though there were none in sight.
Your breath was caught in your throat. "It's beautiful" barely a whisper left your mouth. Kuro smirked smugly, "best dimension there is" he puffed his chest proudly. You glanced down, your face still in an expression of shock and adoration.
"I'll judge that for myself". His smug expression faltered causing you to chuckle. "So where to now?" you asked looking around once more. Only trees surrounded, they were to densely placed to look farther than two treelines. However, above you could see two rocky points sticking out behind them. Considering their height and closeness, the small rocks would envelope into a mountain if you came any closer.
"We will visit the Masters. They patched you up, so they probably know how to retrieve your memories" Kuro announced, starting to walk into the direction of the mountain.
"Chatty, aren't we?" you mused, not used to him being anything besides cryptic or blunt. He rolled his eyes, ignoring the statement.
While following the midnight black cat, you didn't pass on the chance to look around. The forest was brimming with life. Not exactly as in animals. Of course, there was the occasional bird, but what really had the forest alive were the whispers dancing on the wind, the breath coming from the plants and the warm light that looked like dancing figures.
You walked for what could have been hours, the sun could have set but nothing of the sort happened. You glance over at Kuro. "How come the sun hasn't set yet?" you mused.
"Time here is different, the days and nights are longer than in your dimension. Even so, the days and the nights seem to add up if you return" he explained.
"How does that work?"
"Do I look like an expert in time and dimension?"
"You could be" you retorted. He rolled his eyes annoyedly.
"Each dimension has its own properties. The standard is the things you know from where you came from. My standard is having enough time. Your standards are short lived with short days. We have been walking here for what seems like hours in your dimension time. However, if you would return now only about five minutes should have passed. Capice?"
Your mouth gaped at the gravity of that situation. "So I could train here for hours and then come back with only five minutes passed?!" you exclaimed. He only nodded, getting irritated at your quantity of questions.
"How long was I actually away from my home? Counting in your dimensions properties?" you were almost hesitant to ask. You had little memories of the time here, but judging from the time that had passed when you arrived it was a lot.
"We don't 'count' like you people do in time. So I can't really tell you in my properties, but give or take 887 year in your dimensions counting system" he shrugged, as if he had just told you what he had for lunch. You stomach dropped. "How am I alive?!" you exclaimed in horror. Your mind having difficulties wrapping around the fact that you were now, instead of 26, 913 years old.
"In your dimension you breath oxygen to keep yourself living. Here you breath another substance we don't give names for. Long explanation short. Oxygen is real slow poison that deteriorates the body, what you breath here is not poisonous so you do not die" he concluded. Your mouth agape once again. "How do you age? Or grow?!"
"Our bodies work different, we do actually age from being here. Humans don't" he stated, never once looking at you. "So humans are here immortal?" your voice was barely a whisper.
For the first time since you started walking he turned to you with a sinister glint in his eyes, "you could say that, if you could survive any disease, poison this world has to offer".
You swallowed the uneasiness of his look away and kept staring straight forward. "Am I in danger by being here?"
"Nah, while the Master healed you, the mistress had fun upping your immune system to adjust to this climate".
"You say it as if it's all normal" you grimaced.
He smirked, "it is to me".
The rest of the way you were silent. Something resembling sunset slowly painted the sky in a midnight black, matching the cat's fur. Complete darkness enveloped the world and you had difficulty keeping track of where Kuro was walking. He walked loudly on purpose, but that didn't stop you from stumbling over the occasional root or stone.
"We are here".
A groan left your lips as you dropped on the rocky ground. About an hour ago the ground began shifting so you had been climbing for a while. "I feel like I walked for two days straight" you stomach grumbled in agreement. If it wasn't completely dark you could see a light blush tainting your cheeks.
"That is about right" Kuro stated, his footsteps came to a halt. "So, where are we and how can I do anything if I can't see?" you frowned crossing your arms.
"By being a shinobi?"
"That's easier said than done. I can manoeuvre without seeing, but it doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it" you grunted annoyed, slowly getting up again. Your feet ache in protest but you ignored their dull pain. Kuro had began moving again and you followed suit.
"Well?"
"Just wait a bit" he snapped back. You rolled your eyes but indeed waited.
A small light lit before you, a few metres tops. You squinted your eyes to protect them from the sudden orange glow. "Kuro?"
"I said wait" he sighed annoyed.
The light danced in the darkness like fireflies in the night. Suddenly it burst apart and spread out. Your eyes followed one of them until it reached the wall. It was as if they set a mechanism working because suddenly veins of light appeared on the ash grey stone. The whole room was lit and revealed a sight that was once again, breath-taking.
You stood at an entrance made of rocks. It was a rough, ash grey and had silver veins running through it. These veins went in, over the walls and slowly flowed over into the lit up veins lighting the grand chamber. The ground on which you stood was covered by velvet soft moss with an emerald sheen, here and there a flower pushing the green clods away. There were several table like structures made out of stone or pecan coloured wood. No chairs were present.
But gaining the most attention was the giant white feline standing at the far end wall like a statue. Light raising and falling of its chest was the only sign that it was alive. You gaped at the giant creature, its arctic eye turned to you for a small moment. Assessing who you were and what danger you could pose. Apparently he decided on none because the eyes rolled back to stare at the stone wall.
"You are going to catch flies" Kuro's voice snapped you out of your trance, glaring at his dry remark. "It's the first time I come here, consciously, let me enjoy" you huffed. He rolled his eyes and began walking over to the giant creature. "Master, it's good being back" he said with a light bow of the head. You followed after him, wondering why he didn't look up to the giant creature.
"Welcome back".
You jumped, startled at the voice coming out of nowhere. Your eyes darted around. "Down here child" the calm voice spoke.
You turned to the creatures paws, only to see something moving from in front of it. Your eyes widened at the black long haired munchkin. "Don't be rude, bow, thank him. Do something" Kuro hissed looking over to your stunned figure.
As if the hold on you snapped, you bowed. "I thank you for taking care of me! I'm sorry I don't remember you" you muttered the last part.
"Don't remember?" a sigh left the munchkins lips. "Take it easy child, sit down" he turned to one of the table like structures, one of wood, "Drewid, fetch some tea and food". Your head perked up at the mention of tea. "As you wish" out of the shadow of the table appeared a caramel brown cat, twice the size of Kuro who was average size. You turned back to the munchkin. "I'm sorry if I'm rude, but may I know your name?" you looked up at the giant creature, "and hers?"
A gruff snort echoed through the cave. "It's his, I am Yagul" the large feline spoke and looked down on you.
"He is one of our greatest warriors" the munchkin spoke, "I am Yang. I presume Kuro has told you about your time here?"
"Bits and pieces" you shot a glare at Kuro who stared bored forward, "you are the master that healed me?"
Yang nodded, "I healed your bodily ailments. My sister, Yin, has tended to your mind and soul".
"My mind and soul?" you arched a brow, "did that need healing as well?"
"Certain things come from near death experience, dimension traveling and dimensions such as ours. You needed to adapt to it" he explained shortly.
"Then is it her doing that I barely remember anything from my life before that accident?"
He looked confused, "you have no memories?" You nodded in response. His white eyes turned to a part of the wall which was not lit up. "IS it your doing?" he questioned. You arched a brow in confusion but said nothing.
"Oh dear brother, I don't know what you are talking about" a white long haired munchkin appeared from the wall. Her hair, was unlike her brothers, cropped into a modern style. Her starless midnight sky like eyes moved over you. "Oh my, you didn't tell me we had visitors!" her hips swayed with every step. "I am Yin, right before you in the flesh" she purred sitting back and flipping her bangs to the side. A smile crept on your lips seeing her.
"Could you please cut it out and act your age? You are over 10000 for hell's sake!" Yang cried, ashamed of the antics of his sister. "Over 10000? She doesn't look much older than me, maybe younger" you mused. The brother looked dumbfounded at you as Yin's eyes lit up. "I like her! She was a drag unconscious and battered and all. But now I see it was worth it" she squealed and trotted around you.
"It seems you didn't do that good of a job sister. She doesn't remember anything from before the accident" he stated gruffly.
"I remember a little, bits and pieces" you corrected him. Yin hummed and stood in front of you. "Very well, I will retrieve those memories".
"Don't tell me you ate more of them on purpose" Yang scolded. Her head snapped around "and what if I did?" she snapped.
His brow arched, not faced by the rage apparent on her face. "You did a very poor job".
She growled some curses before turning to you with a smile. Kuro looked uneasy between the two of you. "Follow me dear, it will take a bit of time and effort but I can return your memories" she turned around but looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes. "However, I do warn you. Your memories won't be pleasant. They will rob you off sleep and cause nightmares in daydreams" she warned.
Anxiety burned in your mind looking at the cat.
'But I still want them. I need to know. That's what I came here for' you concluded. "I still want them".
The cat ran you over with her eyes before turning to the wall she came from. "Follow me. Kuro, be a dear and stay behind" she turned to the black cat, "you do not want to see it". Kuro looked from you to Yin and back.
"I wasn't planning to join" he huffed without interest but the slight trembling in the tip of his tail revealed his sorrows. You chuckled and patted his head. "Thanks Kuro, I'll be back" you assured him before following after Yin, disappearing through the wall.
The room had the lighting of dawn. The walls were covered with plants beyond imagination. Some oddly shaped, disfigured, in the wildest colours, all hidden within the twilight.
"Lay down" the cat ordered as she jumped on a rock besides a wooden table. You nodded and laid on the wooden table. The cat jumped on your torso and restraints of wood shot out of the table. You glanced at the cat with doubt, wonder and a hint of fear. "Don't worry dear, just to keep you on the spot. As I said, it won't be pleasant" the way she purred did not sooth your upcoming nerves.
"Close your eyes, this will take a while" was all you heard before your vision turned black.
Screams echoed, your ears bleed at the pain they caused. Agony filled all your senses. "STOP! Please stop! Someone stop the pain!" the voice that you called your own sounded so foreign to your ears. The screaming began again. Only for you to realize that it was yours. As if hit by an anvil all your muscles jerked. Restraints keeping you from flailing.
There was a far of voice but the words didn't register. The pain was immense and occupying every sense in your body.
That is. Until everything went black again.
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The unneeded meaning of start and end
To the disappearance of this soul
Who remembers characters?
From the window of madness, goodbye
Thanks for the few people that support this story by reading it ^.^ Special thanks to
For giving me inspiration and pestering to continue the story ^.^
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