I walked out the door and rubbed my forehead, taking a deep breath of air. Genma stopped behind me and tapped my shoulder.
"Need any help?" he asked.
"Not right now," I answered. I began walking again and turned the corner to get to the stairs... and came face to face with Danzo. He didn't stare, just narrowed his uncovered eye at me, a simple statement of what would happen, should he have any considerable say in my matters. Knowing Genma was still behind me and it would be unwise to challenge Danzo in public, I just nodded acknowledgement to him and stepped aside to let him pass.
He walked past me, ignoring Genma, who bowed slightly as he went by. After Danzo turned the corner Genma turned to me with a quizzical expression. I just shook my head and went down the stairs. After a minute I heard him following me. Halfway down the stairs a wave of dizziness hit me as the pounding in my head grew to a roaring and I had to lean against the wall.
It didn't pass and I slumped down to sit on the stair, only I didn't make it because Genma caught me and pulled me against his chest. I gave up trying to hide how bad I was feeling and simply wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face in his chest, beginning to shake slightly. He smelled like sunshine and sandalwood and damn, he gave good hugs.
He patted my back softly, then I felt his arms moving gently, sensed a rush in his energy and felt a spinning, squeezing sensation that almost undid the small measure of control I had over myself, so that I lost my grip on Genma and would have fallen if he hadn't quickly wrapped his arms around me again. I was still shaking, so he shifted his senbon to the other side of his mouth away from my face, picked me up and started walking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my head on his shoulder.
I must have passed out because when I woke up the room was completely dark, no residual light whatsoever. The migraine was gone and now my head just felt stuffy and my throat was parched. I wanted something to drink badly and I was ravenous again. There was also a familiar cramp in the pit of my stomach that had me running into my bathroom, where I discovered a dark wet blotch on my underwear. I started swearing furiously under my breath.
After having another bath and improvising with a wad of tissues, I left my room and geared up to find Takeshi and ask oh-so-nicely if he could get me a box of tampons.
It was pitch black so I focused my aura and looked for energy residues. See, wherever you go, you leave traces of your aura behind you, footprints; it's like walking around soaking wet and leaving water trails. I found mine easily, a soft blend of indigo-blue and gold. Also, the core of every psychic's aura is some shade of blue or purple; don't ask me why because I honestly have no clue, neither do any of the psychics I've ever met.
But like water trails, aural footprints fade away, unless it's a high traffic area, then all the residue will blend together into an ugly grayish shade. It usually happens in cities, where there have been enormous levels of traffic, like ginormous levels. It doesn't happen often in the countryside, I think mostly because there is so much nature out there. Every living thing has spiritual energy, so the fact that cities don't have a lot of plants and stuff makes it hard for nature's energy to flow and wash away the mud, figuratively.
I followed the fading trail to the kitchen and stopped a few feet from the doorway. The light was on and there were ANBU in the kitchen. I suddenly felt reluctant to go in but my stomach traitorously growled loudly, and that set off another cramp and then someone looked around and spotted me.
"How you are you feeling, kid?" Genma asked as he slipped up behind me like a shadow. If I hadn't still been focusing on auras I would have jumped a foot in the air. As it was, I sensed him before he got within two feet of me.
"A lot better, thank you," I answered, walking hesitantly into the kitchen. My stomach started growling again as Genma crossed to the stove and lifted the lid off a pot there. Food. My stomach whimpered and one of the ANBU snickered. I glared at Takeshi and Genma grinned around the senbon.
"Your eyes are violet again," he remarked as I looked curiously at the other ANBU and stopped short. The mask had a cat design on it but it definitely wasn't Yamato's. And Yamato certainly didn't have long purple hair.
"Mm," I responded, then took a quick look at the warm colors of her aura, memorizing them. "Yūgao... Uzuki?" I asked cautiously. Takeshi did a double take and Genma blinked at me and then Yūgao.
"Yes?" she answered.
"I'm saved," I muttered fervently. "Could I talk with you for a sec?" I went out into the unlit hallway, and she followed immediately. I turned around and looked up at her pleadingly.
"Look, I really don't want to be a bother, but could you please buy me a box of tampons?" I asked desperately.
"Sure. Medium?" Her tone was sympathetic.
"Yes, cotton, please," I sighed in relief and silently blessed her sweet self. Thank my lucky stars for female empathy.
"Okay. I'll leave them in your bathroom cupboard. Be back in a bit." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Hungry?" asked Genma, looking up from the pot when I stepped into the kitchen again.
"Starved," I answered as my stomach whined again. I sat down at the counter next to Takeshi and sprawled my arms out on the cool surface.
"Five more minutes," he said, setting the spoon down.
"Thank you..." I dropped my forehead on the counter.
"You're welcome." He got a bowl and chopsticks out of a cupboard.
As I looked thoughtfully at the countertop, I suddenly remembered one of my favorite science fiction series. Star Trek. Interestingly enough these circumstances were very similar to a certain situation under the classification of "First Contact". I closed my eyes and thought hard. Their customs may be Japanese, but these people were not. If I treated this like a First Contact it might just save me time and trouble in dealing with some of the issues I might run into, if I disregarded the knowing-the-future bit and took it at face value that I was simply in another, different dimension.
On the other hand, Kagan's Law of First Contact did state that "you'll surprise you more than they will". I thumped my forehead down on my arms. My inner self began grumbling about whiny hosts and starving to death. I locked her in the mental chest I called up and sealed it shut. There, that ought to keep her from annoying me for a while. Genma checked the pot and turned off the gas, pouring some soup into the bowl and setting it and the chopsticks in front of me. Oh heaven... If I had been asleep the smell alone would have woken me up.
Relying on science-fiction procedures wouldn't be enough to get me out of this. I reached for the chopsticks and started eating, murmuring a quick "thank you" to Genma. But, I wonder, a name to separate it from my world would be good. Obviously, I can't say "real world" and "Naruto world" anymore. Hmmm, maybe... Alternate Earth? Bleh, sounds cliche. Alternate Terra? Nope, lame. Counter. That sounds better. Needs something though. Trying to catch a slippery round obstacle with the chopsticks, I caught Takeshi's amused look. Eureka. Shinobi Counter.
Blowing hard to cool the obstacles I fished out of the soup, I went back to wondering about the Hokage's warning about telling anyone about my abilities. I considered the reactions people in my world had to psychics. Most of them regarded us with mixed feelings, a few were openly supportive of us - the police did go to respected psychics for help in solving difficult cases on occasion, but quite a lot regarded us as quacks, freaks or just plain wackos.
I remembered the way he had looked at me, like he was trying to decide whether to take me seriously or not. That was often a reaction when someone was told, but usually they'd ask for some proof, and the Hokage didn't. Why? Because he believed me? No, I think even if he did believe me he would want to check it out. But he had asked me if I had been manipulating people. So it had to be another reason. Had there ever been an incident involving a psychic in the Village before? Something so bad that even the mention of it would bring about a specific immediate reaction?
I paused with the chopsticks halfway from the bowl to my mouth. Something like... the Kyuubi attack? That was the only incident involving individual manipulation on any scale large enough to warrant the kind of reaction I suspected. But Obito wasn't psychic, he just used the Sharingan... I was stuck. My free hand went automatically to my mother's necklace.
Mother, I need your help.
...But she wasn't here, and neither was Dad. I had to keep myself alive by myself. I thought hard and came up with a way. Visualize the worst case scenario and work backwards. I didn't dare ask for help for fear of revealing something I shouldn't; I had zero talent for lying, and I might not be able to take back certain things. I would probably end up bluffing my way out.
I sighed and looked down. Some green vegetable that looked like asparagus. Well it didn't look inedible. I popped it in my mouth, and resumed eating. I knew that there was a good chance I might slip up somewhere along the way, and I really wished there was someone I could go to for advice, but virtually all the people I knew of did not know me and they would not trust me right off the bat. I blew harder than necessary on the noodles. I blinked and realized that Yūgao had come back in the room. Well, duh Diana. Hurry up and eat so you can go back to your room and work this out now and save yourself a lot of time and worry later.
"Hey, Diana, who gave you that necklace?" asked Takeshi, staring curiously at it.
"Hmm?" I realized my fingers were still wrapped around the pendant. "My mother gave it to me."
"When? May I see it?" He reached forward.
"I don't remember when she gave it to me, and I don't mean to be rude but I don't take it off."
"Oh." He pulled his hand back. "Why don't you take it off?"
I looked down at my half empty bowl. "I have amnesia. I lost every memory I have of her. I hope that the longer I wear it the greater the chance I'll remember something, even if it's just a small fragment, about my mother."
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "How long ago was it?"
I tightened my fingers around the silver pendant before answering. "Seven years."
Genma leaned forward and frowned. "That's too long Diana. Your amnesia–"
"I don't believe that!" I flared at him. "I couldn't possibly lose every single memory I have of her! It's like she never existed for me at all!" I looked away, clenching my fingers until my knuckles were white. "The only time I even think I had a mother is when I touch her necklace."
"Sorry," Genma apologized. I nodded and focused on finishing my soup.
I drained the last dregs of broth from the bowl and licked the corners of my mouth where a few drops of the liquid clung. I stared down at the bowl for a moment, then picked it up and took it over to the sink. Washing the bowl made me think about Mouse, worrying about Mouse forced me to think about my father, an issue I think I'd been avoiding for hours now. How would he react? What would he do when he found out I was missing? I felt sick to my stomach thinking about the pain losing me would cause him.
I put the bowl on the draining board and made to put the chopsticks away, then paused and looked at them. I had to know. Dropping one chopstick next the bowl, I placed the other one on the opposite counter. Drawing three deep calming breaths, I put everything else out of my head and focused on that chopstick, concentrating all my thoughts on it.
Move, I willed it.
Nothing happened. It was like I'd run up against a very cliche brick wall. My hands balled into fists. This ime I focused on it with all my power. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Genma, Takeshi and Yūgao stiffen in their seats. Concentrating, I held the image of the chopstick in my mind, filling it with the full force of my will.
Move! I unleashed the energy at the hapless piece of wood lying on the counter.
...Not. A. Thing. Happened. Not even a twitch. The energy simply swirled around the chopstick for a moment, and then dissipated. Damn. I glared murderously at the chopstick, then stalked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room. The tampons were where Yūgao had said they would be and I busied myself with them. The awful suspicion of losing my telekinesis was confirmed. Damn, damn, fuck. But why? I was perfectly relaxed, calm. I groaned. This made no sense. And that wall, it seemed to now be standing solidly in my mind blocking my power from me.
I washed my hands and went to my bedroom window. Leaning against the sill, I breathed in deeply, letting the cool, fresh air flow over me. Admiring the pretty moonlit neighborhood, I wondered about how I had woken up here, but every time I went at the problem, no matter the angle, I couldn't put one pin in it. It could have been anything – circumstances and conditions in either world could have caused it, and I somehow picked up on it and got transported here.
But which set of circumstances? I started shivering as I realized that I would very probably never go home. And then I wondered again about how much my knowledge would affect events here, and how those events would affect me. I came up with Newton's Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
For a moment, I was numb as I processed the implications of that theory as applied to my situation, and then I doubled over, clamped my right hand to my mouth, pressed the left to my stomach and ran into the bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet and hanging my head over the bowl.
I threw up until there was nothing left in my stomach and all I did was dry heave.
The ninja all stared wordlessly after the girl as she stormed out of the kitchen, and then at each other as she stormed up the stairs.
"...Anybody care to guess what just happened?" asked Genma, looking from Takeshi to Yūgao.
"She tried to use her "ability"?" ventured Yūgao. "It's the only thing I can think of that would cause that much chakra release. She obviously isn't a ninja."
"Yes, I think that's it." Takeshi nodded. "This morning, she..." he paused, looking for words. "Well, she explained that she was memorizing my aura so she would know who it was when she felt someone following her. I felt that same surge in her chakra when she did."
"Well then," said Genma, leaning back in his chair. "She'll explain when she comes back downstairs."
"Her actions this morning made sense. If she memorizes our- auras" said Takeshi carefully, "she'll up her defense. That way if someone tries a transformation she'll be able to tell if it's us or not." He sat back, frowning. "Her abitlity is in two areas, so maybe one area is - blocked or something. And she has scars. Some pretty large ones on her back. I felt them through her vest when I carried her upstairs after she fainted in the living room; I suspect there are more on her front."
"She's a little young Captain, don't you think?" asked Yūgao.
He gave her a bland look. "Have you taken a good look at her? She's shorter than you, and a good deal more fragile. And now she can't defend herself properly because the one defense that she knew might actually save her life is gone. You saw her face when she ran out." He sat back in his chair. "But seriously, she'll need to control herself. It's way too obvious when she does that."
"Is it that bad?" asked Yūgao.
"Yeah, that bad." He snorted. "And to top it off, the Council will have her forcibly recruited or interrogated and killed if they find out about her, shall we say, less obvious ability. Psychics aren't well liked. Before the Shinobi World Wars they were treated worse than jinchuuriki are now. They are widely believed to no longer exist."
Yūgao and Genma exchanged a worried glance, then looked up at the ceiling.