Maya - a Naruto Fanfic

3. Out Of The Frying Pan

"Let's just say... It could kill you." The way he says it is so nonchalant that it takes a moment for them to sink in, but when they do the words echo horribly around my skull while Kakashi just... Stands there. Like he hasn't said anything remotely threatening.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT COULD KILL ME?!" I scream it at the top of my lungs; it's the only way to force the words past the vice-like lump in my throat. Tears are streaming down my face again but this time it's anger burning hot and hard in my chest. How dare they?

"I haven't done anything wrong! You know that! But you're just going to - just going to let them kill me? Because I got lost? You - you bastard!" I scream and kick and struggle, the pain in my shoulder only fanning the flames. This is not happening to me, it's not. Happening.

"How about you calm down." Kakashi doesn't even bother to raise his voice. He just walks around to stand in front of me and presses down on my shoulders, so hard all I can do is writhe helplessly.

We're like that for what feels like hours, me yelling and thrashing and spitting out every curse I know while he just stands there, holding me down, until I shudder to a stop, slumping forwards and gasping horribly around a blocked nose and an aching throat.

"There now, that's better." He steps back, looking me over silently, somehow without judgement. I must look a mess, puffy red eyes and my skin slick with tears and snot, some godawful moan rattling from deep within my chest. I hate this. I hate this I hate this I hate this! But I haven't any energy left.

"That was quite the fight, I'm almost impressed. You must really want to live." He cocks his head to the side as he looks down at me. His words baffle me - do I really want to live that badly? I've never really thought about it. But now's not the time to think about that.

"Well I don't want to die, that's for sure. There's things I want to do - and it would make my mum sad." It's not much, but it's all I have to tell him. At 12 years old I really haven't done all that much with my life - not enough to use as an excuse to live, anyway.

"Not your father?"

"What do you care?" I grouch, looking away from his eyes.

"Let's just say I'm curious." He shrugs slightly, nonchalantly.

"... My dad left, got himself a new family back in Japan. It's just me and my mum now." I stare hard down at my knees. I will not cry, I've done more than enough crying for today. I will. Not. Cry!

"That sucks." Is all Kakashi says. I snort.

"You don't say?"

"But what's this 'Japan'?" His visible eye narrows slightly.

"It's a country. Big-ish island off the coast of China, part of Asia."

"Never heard of it."

"No kidding." I really need to stop talking like this. What am I trying to do, rile him up?

"Hm. You're awfully talkative."

"So?" I would cross my arms if I could. Instead I keep my head turned away and pout, staring hard at the juncture between wall and floor.

"Tell me again why you wanted to come here."

"You mean to your weirdo village or this specific room because-" My lip curls, my words on the edge of a snarl.

"Just answer the question."

"I was lost, I needed to get to the nearest town so I could find some way of contacting my parents or getting back home."

"Right. And why did you need to do that?"

"You wouldn't believe it."

"Try me." I sigh heavily.

"There's this hole in the fence at the back of my school. It leads on to private property but other than that no one really knows what's on the other side of it. So during the summer fair I figured I'd crawl through, take a look. So I did, only there was no way that the area I found myself in could possibly be on the other side of the fence, and when I looked back, there was no fence. Just that rabbit and a whole lot of trees. So naturally I figured I'd need some help. That's when you came along and abducted me."

"You came willingly."

"Yeah, because I thought you'd take me to a responsible grownup! You tricked me!" I whip back around to face him, that rage from before bubbling up again in my chest. This isn't right! Adults are supposed to protect children, they're supposed to keep us safe. Sure, I'm not naive enough to think they all do, but they're supposed to. They're not supposed to lock you in some strange room and torture you for information that you'd give them willingly.

"I am a responsible grownup." He raises his visible eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, right." I scoff.

"Now, back to your story-"

"It's not a story!" I yell, pressing forwards and scowling at him. His response makes me fall backwards with a huff.

"Fine, fine, back to your version of events. Do you have any idea why you ended up somewhere other than where you should have been?"

"If I did, I would have told you."

"Answer directly." He sighs tiredly.

"No, I don't know why this happened." Pre-teen attitude is a terrible thing once invoked.

"There, was that so hard?"

"Yes." I say petulantly.

"Don't be difficult. Now, about this... Let's call it a dimension hop."

"Totally insane, right? There's no way that could have actually happened." I laugh nervously. Something in his eyes is telling me he's actually seriously considering it.

"There's only one way to find out."