Princess of the Dragon Clan [ Kakashi Hatake X OC Romance ] Book 1 Complete

Chapter 3 The Hidden Leaf Village

I shook from my sadness and fear as I ran at full speed again. I did not stop; I ran all night, it seemed. I continued to run until my legs felt like they would give out from under me. I lost concentration and tripped over a tree root sticking out of the ground. I landed straight on my face, and I just lay there. I did not want to get up, and my legs would not allow me to.

I lifted my head to check my surroundings, and in the distance, behind many trees, I saw the sun start to rise.

I did run all night.

I shook my head, trying to come to, and slowly pushed myself up. First to my knees, then slowly to my feet. As soon as I could stand, I brushed myself off and started looking around to see if I could find any food, water, or shelter. Then it hit me; I looked to my side and grasped my satchel . I opened the flap and began to dig through the contents. I pulled out a piece of bread and began to eat it. I never thought I would love bread as much as I did at this moment, but then I heard a stick snap and rustling in the bushes that were not far behind me. I turned my head, put the bread back in my satchel,  and grasped my kunai in my right hand. I looked at where the sound was coming from; I saw nothing. I stood still for a few more minutes to ensure I was safe. When there was no sound or rustling, I put my kunai away and began jogging in the opposite direction. As I got feeling back into my legs, I started sprinting again and continued to move forward.

I knew the Hidden Leaf Village was not much further; it had already been three days. I have been sprinting for most of those days non-stop. The fear and adrenaline from that night kept my legs going in survival mode. That is the only reason I could keep on for so long.

As I continued, I noticed that the tree line was receding, and in the distance, I could see an opening and a large gate ahead. I slowed my pace to truly focus on what vision I had left to observe the entrance. I was trying to see if there were any telling signs of the Leaf Village. I began to slow even more as I got closer and closer to the gate. As I entered the opening, I saw two shinobi standing guard. From what I could see, they saw me, but I did not care.

The relief of finally getting to my destination removed all adrenaline and fear from my body. So, the past three days of non-stop sprinting eventually hit my body like a massive wave. I stopped in my tracks, and my vision became even more blurry to where I really could not make out anything in front of me. My ears began ringing, and everything started to fade to black. The only thing I saw before I collapsed were the two shinobi running toward me.

I began to open my eyes slowly, and as I did, I tried to focus my sight again on my surroundings. This time, I was somewhere not familiar; it sent an anxious jolt through my whole body. My eyes snapped open as I sat in the bed I was lying in. The bed was white; when I looked down, I saw I was now in a white gown and a tube connected to my arm. I looked at it to investigate, but I could not figure it out. I have never seen anything like this before, and to have it placed under my skin? What kind of gimmick was this?

            Suddenly, I saw the door in my room’s knob begin to turn. I held myself in fear and pain. My body ached so badly from the past few days that I could barely lift my knees to my chest. I wanted to hide from the strangers entering the room. As the door opened, I saw an older man dressed in a white robe and hat, along with two others. They were ninjas standing on both sides of the man. They were dressed in white and grey and had ceramic masks in the shape of…animals. One looked like a crow, and the other…looked like a dog. A wolf, maybe? As they entered, they stopped only a few feet from the end of the bed I was sitting in.

The man looked me up and down, trying to get a good picture of my appearance to see if I was a friend or foe. He took his pipe and inhaled, still looking me over. When he finally locked eyes with me, I could see his eyes widen slightly. He walked forward as the two ninjas stayed back. The man bent down to better look at my face and nodded as he stood straight.