>>5794302For now you’re living at a camp in the forest near your waterfall, like a hermit. The exact place you woke up with the mysterious woman watching over you. You felt safe here, even if you were technically a homeless bum. Maintaining your survival isn’t a problem since your home already didn’t have any modern amenities. Washing your clothes was already done in the river before you left, food was annoying but it wasn’t impossible to forage or fish, and for shelter you just asked Junpei if he had a spare tent. He gave it to you without even asking for an explanation. You have a small stack of flat river rocks near your firepit that you offer prayers for your sister at.
Every once in a while pesky villagers or curious ninja will approach your camp and ask what you’re doing out here, since the waterfall reservoir was a somewhat popular area for recreation and training.
“Wilderness survival training for the academy.” And they leave you alone.
You don’t tell anyone your issues or ask for help. Some part of you is ashamed to have them know.
—
You’re walking to the academy. It’s early enough in the morning for it to be a little quiet, but it was quieter than normal. Something strange was in the air. Nobody was around.
Suddenly, a large pack of ninja hurdles from one rooftop to another directly overhead. Ten of them, a veritable swarm. One of them lands next to you, probably a genin since he’s not much older than you. He grabs your arm roughly, pulling you close as he inspects your face, an urgent look to him as his eyes scan you, attempting to pierce a transformation jutsu if there is one. “Return to your home, the village is in a state of emergency lockdown.”
“What’s going on?”
“Immediately.” He says, jumping back into the rooftops with an urgency of motion that underscored how speed was critical in this moment.
You were a little put off by how uselessly you were treated despite being only a few months from graduation, but you surmise that whatever was going on you were just out of the loop. At best rubbernecking would only get in the way if you tried following the tide of ninja to their destination. At worst you might be reacted to with hostility, if the paranoia of that genin was anything to go by.
You immediately start running back to your camp, and by sheer coincidence Shizuka spots you and flags you down from a window. “Otomo! We’re not supposed to be outside!”
“I know, I’m trying to get out of here!”
“Come into our apartment! 412!”
