Paradise Found

CHAPTER 9

Chapter 9

A/N - Hello to all! Hope everything is going well for you guys. Thank you all for the continuous support and kind words of encouragement :)

Only warning is for Tsume's language.

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I shifted again atop my feet, feeling the courage that I had gathered in my chest swelling as I looked at the sight in front of me.

Today was the day I was trading in my old and battered yukatas for newer clothing, clothing that was sure to draw attention and set me even further apart from the traditional society I had been booted out from.

The store front was enticing, the clothing in the displays lovely and modern, with fitted lines and flattering cuts. Still relatively modest compared to what I had seen of the bikini-wearing Western world in magazines and television while I grew up in Palestine, but modern in the elemental nations for sure.

Suddenly, I felt very out of place standing in front of the store looking the way I did. My traditional yukata, obi, and wooden geta shoes with the simple white socks that accompanied them made me stick out like a sore thumb amidst the displays of glamourous looking clothing that was sure to cost a fortune. This was the only shop within Konoha that sold such things, after all, and was no doubt hand made.

Everything in Konoha was hand made. The concept of 'mass production' had not yet been introduced to these semi-industrialized societies, and clothing was certainly no exception. But things were better that way in my opinion; clothing and machinery lasted longer when it was made by hand instead of on an assembly line.

The clothing itself was interesting; it still held hints of the traditional and eastern-inspired dress that I was well acquainted with here, but it also contained

a very modern look to it. Well, modern for this time at least. These styles would have been dubbed 'vintage' in my past life.

It reminded me quite a bit of what fashion in the 1940's looked like, with a-line skirts, classically cut dresses, and simple blouses that accompanied a more traditional style of monpe pants. Nothing was sold that was above the knee, and I was reminded of pictures from my high school history book of what the women in post World War II Japan and China had looked like.

An interesting mix of fashion indeed. Then again, Konoha itself was an interesting mix of culture that was inherently Japanese but still mixed with other foreign elements, elements that were unique to this universe alone.

I shifted on my feet again, glancing down self-consciously at the worn fabrics that adorned my body.

I had grown used to the yukatas, even if they could be a bit of a pain. Even so, I couldn't deny that the displays in the window were eye-catching. I found myself wishing that Machiko could have been here with me. She had more of a taste for clothing and general fashion than I did, and she would no doubt complain that she was not able to accompany me today.

But I wasn't alone, and I was grateful for it. I might have chickened out if Kyohei hadn't tagged along.

The days had melded into weeks since the night Naruto saved me from those two thugs. A month had passed since that horrible night, and as with all things, time made internal and external wounds harder to notice, even if some remained on both fronts.

And with Kyohei, Naruto, and people like Machiko as a support system, I was healing and growing more confident in myself.

I was becoming stronger than I ever had been, bit by bit. The change was slow, but it was there, I could feel it within me. I was getting bolder, stronger, and less easily frightened. No doubt the change had come from having Naruto in my life, he had a way of inspiring those around him towards greater levels of fortitude when he stopped goofing off for once. I had a feeling Kyohei had something to

do with it was well. I was more willing to speak my mind these days, less docile and less of a push-over.