Time and Space - Naruto

Chapter 2: Kaka-Chameleon

I'd been following the river for a few days now. My body is growing weaker with each hour. I haven't been able to make a fire or catch anything to eat. I'm seriously starving, but I don't trust the fruit I've seen enough to try it. I'd rather be hungry than poisoned and dying.. Oddly enough.

I've peed more in the last 3 days than I have in my entire life. Partly because I've drank more water in the last 3 days than I have throughout the entirety of my life. Maybe waking up in a forest with absolutely nothing will have at least one positive outcome, a new habit of drinking the correct amount of water.

I've been hoping that the water will help provide nutrients through the minerals within the river. It also helps reduce hunger pains, but not by much. Enough to allow me to keep moving and focus on other pains.

It's getting darker and darker. Although the cherry on top is most definitely, finding it harder to breathe. I literally feel like I'm dying. Can't believe I was trying to think positive a few seconds ago.

I'm dizzy, hungry, tired, and I'm scared. I can't keep denying that this isn't my body. My hair that was once long is now short. My skin that was once smooth, mostly unblemished besides a few acne and childhood accident scars, now freckled. My legs are short instead of long. My arms are stubby and childlike. My breasts are gone. I'm a child. I'm in the body of a child.

Or at least I'm dreaming that I'm a child. Don't know why I'd dream that, but can you really control your dreams? And if this is a variant of lucid dreaming, I don't have much control over anything but myself.

Just the idea of going through puberty again is revolting. I want to crawl into a hole and die. I miss my bed. I miss my coworkers. I miss Jess. I most certainly don't miss the helplessness that comes with being a child.

I can only walk for an hour at most before my legs give out on me. Or my feet start to bleed. Speaking of which earlier I stepped on what looked to be a sharp knife. It kind of reminds me of kunai from a manga I used to read. I wrapped the foot with long blades of grass in hopes to help, but I think it might be infected. Despite my efforts to keep it clean.

On top of everything, I have been consumed by this incessant itching sensation. It is fucking everywhere. Everything itches and no matter how hard I itch it won't go away. I don't know if this body is going through a growth spurt or what, but I need this to be over and done with. Lest I rip all of my hair out. And it's not even my hair!

I flop down dramatically, maybe someone will come to my rescue if I lay here miserable and adorable as I am. This may not be my body but I'm sure someone will find this child cute. I take that back, I hope this body's face is awful. I can't trust people. And depending on where I am, how awful or poor the people are... I can't risk it. Maybe if I wasn't a stranded female child.

I extended my arm and dip my fingers into the shockingly cold river water. The beautiful sunny skies of the day I arrived have passed and now it rains off and on. With temperatures just above freezing. Touching my forehead with my damp hand I realize just how hot my forehead is. I compare the temperature difference of my two hands to my forehead and come to the conclusion I'm getting sick. Fudge. My. Life. I'm gonna be stuck here forever

Just as I'm about to give up hope. I feel a presence approaching. No, multiple. The itching I feel worsens, but I choose to focus all my attention on the approaching people. Unsure of whether I should call out to them, run away, or hide. My gut tells me to run and hide, but if I do. I'll be giving up what is possibly my only chance to get out of here.

I lay there contemplating. Either way I don't get a chance to make a decision, because the group has discovered me faster than I anticipated. I turn my head to look at the group. There are two men, two children, and a woman. My vision is blurry, my mind is foggy, and I feel incredibly dizzy, but I can just barely make out a few details besides their gender and approximate age. They come with buckets and barrels. The men are dressed strangely, but I recognise the design from somewhere. I can't quite put my finger on it.