The Tale Of An Utterly Old Lady. [Jiraiya x OC]

Chapter 12 | To My Home

Chapter 12 | To My Home

Despite it being her first free day of the week, Tsunade went out of her way to show me around the village some more. By the time we were done, classes in the Academy were already over. I bid Tsunade goodbye as she hurried off to pick up her brother Nawaki from the Academy.

Now, I was alone.

Amongst the busy streets of Konoha, the boisterous atmosphere enveloped me as I stood there, my eyes flickering about, taking in the sights and the faces of everyone passing by. They all were engaged in their own conversations, in their own groups, laughing and smiling over whatever silly things they could talk about in their lives, and I was there, standing by and witnessing it all.

The sky was already beginning to turn dark, so I felt the need to move and head back home. With heavy, and slow steps, I dragged myself through the streets, feeling glum.

Somehow, the merriness of the village felt mocking as I moved through alone.

If this were my original life, my mom and older brother would already be frantically calling for me. I never got home late, and I never went anywhere too far. Even if I was out, I would come back home before dark because I was scared of getting scolded.

If this were back then...I wouldn't be alone like this.

In this place that feels so unreal...and inescapable.

One step after the other, I continued on, hoping to get home.

"Home," I would call it, but it wasn't truly my home. It was Jiraiya's.

My home was somewhere I couldn't reach.

Soon enough, the amber-colored skies would burn into a charred indigo, and the lights of the shops seemed to shine brighter in contrast to the dark. The flurry of voices, here and there and everywhere around me, flooded my ears, all of it blurring into a cacophony of overwhelming noise. I halted in my steps, feeling nauseous.

My head was pounding. I looked down at my feet, and my vision seemed to cloud.

What's...happening to me?

Sickly, I crouched onto the ground, a hand pressed against my head.

I don't feel so good...

"...Elena?" A familiar voice called out to me, and I raised my head weakly to see who it was. Unfortunately, just as I was about to take in their appearance, spots began to fill up my vision.

I could only catch a small glimpse of the person's white hair before my consciousness left me.

::

"El, wake up! You'll be late for school!"

When I opened my eyes, I almost immediately pushed myself up from my bed, off to change my clothes.

Shit, it's Monday already? This sucks...

I groaned as I dashed over to the bathroom after changing. I picked up my toothbrush and ran water on its head, before applying toothpaste on it. As I did my routine, worrying thoughts ran through my mind.

Did I do all of my homework? If I remembered right, I would've already finished them all yesterday. Oh, whatever, if I forgot something, I'll just ask Isa for the answers.