Finding Myself [Rewrite]

ch. 2: The Village

For three days, the girl the ninja found slept on the bed of the hospital. She didn't make a sound the entire time, laying still as if she were dead.

Where did she come from? They'd wonder in silence, never speaking of the condition the girl had been abandoned in.

On the final day, the girl began to stir, and the entire hospital was in an uproar.

"She's awake!"

"She lives!"

"Oh, thank heavens!

They cheered on, alerting the ninja that had found her.

The one who decided to take responsibility was Kakashi, his excuse was that she reminded him of an old friend. He visited her often to check on her condition, and when she awoke, he was one of the first people at her side.

There are things that the doctors found that could tell them of her origin.

Mainly, the birthmark of a main family in the hidden leaf, the Tahoma clan, which had long been destroyed due to a civil war. The clan was thought to have gone extinct, so the fact that this girl was alive in itself was a miracle.

Secondarily, from the wounds she sustained, it could be said that, she did not have a pleasant time before finding her way home.

"Mmm...ow.."

The girl opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a man taller than her, with spikey white hair and a mask covering most of his face. She thought he looked familiar, but didn't have the energy to think about it.

The man did his best not to startle her, speaking in a gentle tone. "Hello. How are you feeling, better?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, lowering her gaze to the floor as the color drained from her face. She only nodded as an answer to his question.

The man was confused, but didn't want to push the issue. "Do you know where you are, or who you are?"

She only shook her head in silence, appearing as if she were bracing herself.

The doctors and nurses were visibly shaken, pity in their eyes as the ninja who had come to visit glanced at them.

"Did any of them do something, or say something to you?"

The girl shook her head again.

The ninja nodded, kneeling beside the bed, holding his hand out. "Do you mind looking at me? I'm not that ugly."

The girl slowly allowed her eyes rise, just barely keeping track with his gaze. She didn't say anything, but carefully placed her hand on his palm.

The man smiled at her, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb in an attempt to soothe her. "My name is Kakashi, you can understand me, right?"

She nodded slightly, taking a deep, calming breath as her mind began to play catch up.

"Good. This is the village of the Hidden Leaf. Are you able to tell me anything about yourself?" He spoke slowly, trying to gauge her expressionless face.

"I...." She started, then her eyes widened and she placed her free hand on her neck.

"You must be thirsty, we'll get you some water."

At his words, the nurse came over with a chilled mug of water and held it out for the young lady to take.

She took it, very hesitantly, and nearly choked trying to drink it so fast. She couldn't help it, or felt like ages since she last had something to drink.

"Woah, slow down, it's not going anywhere." The nurse chuckled, patting her back. "Would you like some more? How about some tea? It should help you relax."

The girl seemed to peek up, her naturally red eyes having a hint of something bright on them. It was only a split second, but that was more than enough.

The nurse showed a gentle smile. "I'll be right back with that tea." They bowed their head just slightly, doing exactly as promised.

The girl looked back to Kakashi after that, speaking in a barely audible whisper. "What would you like to know, mister...."

"You don't have to be formal with me. You're safe now, nobody is going to hurt you, I promise." Kakashi assured her, holding up his free hand before reaching into one of his many pockets. "Anything you want to say?"

The girl watched him closely, and he was aware of that. It wasn't until he pulled whatever it was he'd wanted out of his pocket, that she began speaking.

"Nothing to say." Was all she muttered, then she shut her mouth.

Kakashi nodded, undoing the binding on the scroll he had. "This may be an odd question, but are you able to read?"

The girl shook her head again, looking at the paper with all the scribbles on it.

"Then... That's where we'll start. Is that okay?"

She was a little confused, but she didn't feel unsafe. Everything happened so fast for her, and she didn't know what to make of it, but she did know, or at least, she could sense, that this place, these people that seem so familiar to her, wouldn't do her any harm.

And that thought was enough to get her to open up.