"Where am i?" She says to herself, opening her eyes seeing nothing but darkness. She keeps taking small steps in front of her, arms stretched out trying to feel for anything ahead.

After what feels like an eternity she hears voices telling her to come this way and that, coaxing her along.

She stands still, starting to feel dread course through her, tears coming to the surface. She covers her face with her hands, completely over whelmed that she could be dead and this was a version of hell given to her.

"Take my hand..." said a soothing voice, coming from behind her.

Instinctively turning towards it, she asks

"Who's there?"

"I'll protect you… just reach out, take my hand" Continues the voice.

Considering she had been walking through darkness and hearing only 'over here', 'run', whimpering and sobs, she hesitantly reaches out her hand, stopping a few inches away from her body. She looked left and right, still trying to see where the other voices are coming from.

"On my honor as a shinobi of the village hidden in the leaves, I promise to protect you with my life, if you just take my hand.". Says the soothing voice, she slowly starts to have the feeling of dread slipping away

'… Something in his voice… something… I believe him... Am I really going to trust a disembodied voice?' She thinks

"You should do it kid, he's a good man, keeps his word.." another voice says coming from the same direction.

If it was or wasn't a trap she runs forward grabbing on to a hand and what left like an arm.

A flash of white light.

She hits the ground with a 'thud'.

"Ow..." She hissed to herself from the sudden impact.

Opening her eyes trying to adjust to the suns light. Turning onto her side, pushing herself up right slowly, making sure she didn't sprain of break anything from that mysterious fall from nothing.

"Are you alright?" Says the same voice that managed to get her to take a chance on him, right next to her left ear.
She turns to look at him.

"GAH! What's wrong with your eyes?!" She crab crawls away from him as fast as she can, looking him over.
"And why are you naked?!" she yells looking him over again as he covers his self with his hands.

"I guess coming back from the dead does that, ha-ha' Says the other voice that got her to accept the other man's hand in a matter of fact way, he smiles at her from behind a bush.

"Dead? Wait..What?!" She stares at the man with the goatee.

"Please excuse how we're dressed. I didn't think this would or could possibly happen." Says the man with eyes that seemed to have no color to them. He had a slight blush across his cheeks while he quickly joined the other man behind the low covering bush.

"What do you mean we're dead?..." She looks around at the ground, the trees and the sky. Completely confused and bewildered.

"No, I mean we WERE dead, it doesn't look that way anymore" The goatee man says looking around.

"We might be close to the village" He continues talking

"Or far away" The other man retorts

"You wouldn't have anything we could wear, would you?"

Starring at both of them dumbfounded at the fact they just said they were dead but not anymore.

"No-yeah, I totally have men's clothing in my bag, I always carry it around with me just in case I bring some men back from the dead with me…" She says sarcastically while standing up to retrieve her bag from where she was lying a few seconds ago.

"That was unnecessary.." the one with long black hair and pearly white eyes said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Excuse me for being a little freaked out by what you just said. Not knowing how I got here, what here is, and being asked by two naked men for clothing…. as you can see, I'm having an off day." She replied in a sarcastic but snippy tone, searching her bag for those two beach towels she swore she had just a few minutes ago.

She sees the long hair opening his mouth to retort what she just said only to have the one with the goatee raise his hand to stop him. Finally finding the towels, she stands up walking over to them. Closing her eyes and breathing in deep, letting it out in a deep sigh to calm herself.

"Your names?" asking while handing over the towels as she opens her eyes.

"Asuma Sarutobi" The one with the goatee says.

"Neji Hyuga" The other one with long black hair and pearly eyes says.

"What's your name?" Neji asked while coming out from behind the bushes.

She backs up a few feet still having her bag in her hand. She holds it in front of her almost defensively.

"I should at least know your name since I promised I would protect you" He stands still trying his best to look non-threatening in his beach towel.

"Shae…"

"Well Shae, do you have a compass in your bag?" Asuma says, she refocuses her attention back and forth between them.

"I might.. Let me check" still keeping an eye on both of them she can feel the pepper spray bottle and electric baton her friends had given her as a funny gift for her birthday. They would say she needed to beat guys off with a stick when she walked down the street.

Before she could grab the electric baton she feels the metal compass that came with her durable camping bag

'He did say he would protect me, right?... I could be still stuck in that cold darkness, and they haven't done anything to go against what was promised…yet..' , deciding against the baton and her better judgement, she grabs the compass and tosses it over to Asuma, still trying to keep her distance.

'I might trust them more if I had met them while they were fully clothed…not gonna lie though they have pretty nice bodies,, they must have worked out like crazy and this Neji has the biggest-'

"If we head north-east, we might be able to find a road, some people that pass by should know where we are and return to the leaf village, and hopefully it's not more than a day's walk." Asuma says snapping Shae out of thought.

"However, Neji can you-"

"I'm on it.. Byakugan!"

"Jesus Christ!" She says startled jumping back feeling her heart jump right into her throat.

"What's wrong?" Neji asks looking around in the trees.

"What's wrong?! You look like your eyes are about to pop out of your head! That's what's wrong, What are you doing? Are you okay? Doesn't that hurt?" She says cringing while looking at him.

"It's Neji's nin jutsu, he's a Huyga, it's part of their clans ability, don't you know that?" Asuma looks at her studying Shae's reaction closely.

"What the hell is a nin jutsu?" Shae asks still cringing from seeing Neji's eyes like that.

They both stop and stare right at her, not saying anything but assessing…. thinking...

"You're not from any of the great nations" Asuma, steps closer, face void of almost all emotion except, what seemed to look like a slight curiosity.

"Maybe…" She steps back

'Shit I really should've took out my baton..'

"Hm… Ha Then where you from?" He smiles putting one hand behind his head.

"Earth… I thought that was kind of obvious. Maybe not considering I don't have something like a Byakugan" She says half joking half sarcastic, opening her eyes wider as she says byakugan. Earning a small smile and laugh from Asuma, but earning a stern unamused look from Neji.

"You're from another world then.. You're lucky you found us instead of someone else" Neji says mostly to his self, closing his eyes thinking.

"Right, I seen housing the same way you wanted to go, Asuma."

"Good, let's go"

They both walk away, Neji turns his head looking back at her.

"I said I would protect you, hurry up. Or would you like me to carry you all the way?" She narrows her eyes at him feeling a small spark of annoyance building in her stomach from being spoken too like how you would a child.

"I can walk just fine, thanks anyway kokoum" She scoffs, walking passrd him in the same direction., Neji raises an eyebrow

"Kokoum? Did you forget my name already?"

Not stopping she turns her head slightly

"You know…Pocahontas?"

He stares at her eyebrow still raised

"Is that a story of some kind?"

"You never heard of Pocahontas?" She says letting out a laugh

"Right sorry, different world" She says mostly to herself

"It is a story, based on real event's, it's almost like folklore now, Kokoum was stoic, handsome and a fierce warrior but Pocahontas wanted nothing to do with him because he had no sense of humor and was always soo serious… kind of like you" Shae says the last part to herself, trying not to trip over a few fallen branches.

"And?" He asks trying to get her to continue the story.

"That's it"

"How is that all of the story?"

"Well it's not, I'm just telling you where calling you 'kokoum' came from"

"I'd like to hear the story" Asuma pipes up in an attempt to stop the bickering.

Shae sighs

"Sure." And starts from the beginning.

An hour and one story later.

"That's Pocahontas." Shae finishes smiling back at them and nods.

"That's a very unsatisfying ending." Neji says looking to his right at nothing.

"What?"

"She takes all this effort to know this man only to have him leave back to this 'England' place, she needs to listen to her father and married kokoum for her village. He is the strongest and smartest warrior is he not?"

"Well, I suppose, but that's how it ends, and Pocahontas may be the daughter of her village's chief but she still doesn't have to do shit. If she doesn't like him, she doesn't like him, her dad isn't going to force her to marry him for the villages honor" She says looking back at Neji, already defensive over her favourite childhood story.

"Is that what this story's meaning is to defy your parents' wishes in order to indulge in a fantasy that doesn't work out in the end? It could very well start a war between these two people"

"No, it teaches you to be free and independent, think outside the box not just at what's in front of you, experience new things and understand each other- you know what, I'm not talking to you" She says becoming angry, picking up the pace of her strides.
Asuma lets out a sigh

'Well it worked for a while' he thinks to his self.

"I thought it was a nice children's story" Asuma says trying to calm Shae down

"It is" she mumbles to herself, while glaring over at Neji.

Asuma looks over at Neji and nods his head at Shae, trying to get him to play nice.

"I didn't mean to offend you or your favourite children's story" Neji says giving in.

"Don't worry about it" Shae replies, not really acknowledging his apology.

A few minutes of silence pass, she looks behind her to make sure they're still there.

'I should say something… This is awkward walking through a forest with two grown men in towels but I guess it's better than walking around in that dark place' she thinks being interrupted by Asuma mid thought

"How are things different in your world? You were rather surprised by Neji's byakugan " Asuma asks

'I should learn more about them if I'm going to be walking around with them, right? They still haven't done anything to warrant danger and keep my distance, if anything they're overall friendly..hm...'

"Well, for one there's no byakugan, or nin jutsu-whatever it is" She say's slowing her pace to a halt, shifting her weight to her right leg, biting her left thumb nail thinking.

"How did you die?" She turns to face them

They look at each other before saying anything.

"Well, on a mission, protecting my comrades" Asuma says

"During the fourth shinobi war, protecting my comrades" Neji says not looking at her but passed her

"What's a Shinobi?" She ashed, curiosity getting the better of her

"A ninja" Asuma repled

"An actual ninja? Like throwing stars, blades, swords, fading into the dark like batman ninja?" She says smiling slightly at how ridiculous the conversation was becoming.

"So you have ninja in your world" Asuma states

"Not really, it's kind of … How do I explain it, in a certain continent there was but not anymore? But the fighting styles are still there. Does that make sense?" She says trying her best to explain

"What or who's a batman?" asked Neji puzzled

"Only the most amazing fictional man ever created. Anyways let's just assume when I say things or people's names it's from a story, otherwise this is going to become really repetitive" She says looking at him slightly amused, nodding her head, and waving her hands as if shooing away his question.

Asuma opens his mouth to say something but looks behind him, pausing for a few seconds.

"We need to keep moving" he says walking forward, taking Shae's right forearm in the process of leading her.

"Agreed, climb on my back" says Neji to Shae after Asuma lets go.

"Why-what's wrong?" Shae say's trying to keep up with his strides in her red stilettos

"Don't argue with me, just get on and hold on tight." He says in an authoritative tone.

Not waiting for a response Neji lifts her up with ease into his back, and takes off running tossing her over sized camping bag at Asuma then jumping from tree bench to tree bench with such speed, it causes Shae to tense and hold on tight around his neck almost choking him.

"Sorry" She says burring her face into the crook of Neji's neck, trying to avoid looking down.

After what seemed like an eternity to her, Neji jumps down to the ground. Letting her down gently as he crouches and then standing back up.

"Stay here with Neji" Asuma says and disappears.

"What was all of that about?" She asked Neji while adjusting her long dark green skirt
and black fitted t-shirt.

"Other Shinobi" Neji replied looking back from where they came from using his nin jutsu again, making her involuntarily cringe.

"Is that bad? Couldn't they help us? You are shinobi too, right?" She says looking in the same direction.

"Yes, however, it's best no one knows about you for now"

"What they gonna kidnap me?" She laughs

Neji glances at her then looks the other direction.

"Oh shit, for real? You're serious? I could be kidnapped, Why?! I don't have any special powers like you"

"Intel, experiments, it depends on who it is, and are you always so vulgar? That's the third time you've sworn today." He says mildly annoyed at her.

"I'm sorry Kokoum, I didn't realize my way of speaking and expressing myself offends your girlish sensibilities" Shae's sarcastic attitude coming out

"I just believe it's unnecessary, and you are a lady after all, though it's easy to forget " Neji mumbles the last part but Shae still hears it.

"The fucks that supposed to mean"

He looks at her crossing his arms, sighing

"Okay, okay, I get it" Shae say taking back what she said, understanding what he means.

"I can't help it, when I'm nervous or angry, it just comes out… It's like a nervous tick, just like my sarcasm, it stops me from having a full blown panic attack in certain situations, though some people make it too easy and I just have too" She laughs then shrugs looking back at him.

"If it stops you from having a panic attack, I think we can put up with a few sarcastic remarks" Asuma says coming around a tree holding clothing, handing it over to a still annoyed Neji, he accepts the clothing and leaves to change.

"Did you steal those clothes?" She say's looking him over, he's dressed in a plain white kimono, as was Neji when he comes back. Both handing over the towels Shae had lent them.

"Um no thanks" She says stepping back

"There's nothing wrong with them, and I didn't steal-we're borrowing" Asuma replies

"So you stole, and you can just fold up the towels and put them in the bag yourself, they've touched your balls and I'm good man, you know, soo" She says, waving her hands and taking a step back from the towels.

"Stop being so childish" Neji says impatiently folding the towels neatly and putting them back in the bag, he continues.

"We'll repay them for the clothing when we get back to the village, which is the safest place for you to be"

"We were headed in the right direction, and there's a road up ahead which leads to a small town but it's going to take another days walk from the town to the leaf village" Asuma informs them while walking towards where Shae guesses he must have seen the road.

"You got all of that information in the 10 seconds you were gone?" Shae says looking at him, wide eyed.

"Yes, well I was gone for 10 minutes but, I remember this area from a long time ago" He says giving her a side smile.

"Well, still, color me impressed" She says smiling right back. Without her noticing Asuma slips behind her next to Neji and begins to whisper.

"I don't sense or smell anything, blood, smoke, the war that you said was started and killed at, were you able to see who the shinobi were?"

"Sand village shinobi, I don't think they would hurt her but with the white zetus I've seen during the war, I can't be sure. They could copy chakra and appearances. However, I don't sense anything either. How long has it been, the land seems as it hasn't changed much"

"it's best if we make it to the village as soon as possible"

"Yes, you're right."

Shae notices she's walking alone and the men had fallen back and looked to be whispering.

"Whisper, whisper it's not nice to whisper" She says in a sing song voice

"It's not nice to swear either, but you still insist on doing it" Neji said nearly snapping at her

She flinches slightly at his fast come back, not expecting it.

"Sheesh, I'm just saying" She says not bothering to look back.

Seeing the town so close, she could feel her stilettos bringing her discomfort. Every few feet, standing on one foot while moving the other one, drawing a circle with her toes to elevate the pain.

"You need better shoes"

"Or you can carry me again" She says turning to smile at Neji sweetly.

"Fine but when we get to the town, you need to buy sandals." He bends at the knee, letting her climb back on.

"Thank you Neji" She says in her sing song voice again.

Coming to the front of a hotel, he puts her back down, and processed to walk in and talking to the woman at the front desk. She blushes talking to him, nodding every so often, laughs and moves a few strands of hair behind her ear before looking through her guest book. She writes down something, turning around to grab a key and handing it to him. Neji bows his head and comes back outside.

"I got us a two bedroom, Asuma and I will share"

"What did you do, promise to show her a good time?" She laughs, Asuma lets out a laugh that almost sounds like a scoff.

"What?" He says blushing slightly but still disgusted

"Well, last time I checked, you were naked when we met. How are you going to pay for that?" She smirks

"I said I had lost my wallet, I'm having the bill sent back to my clan, which will then be paid." He said turning away from Shae and walking back into the hotel.

"You should ease up on the teasing a little" Asuma says looking at her amused

"I'll stop doing it when he stops reacting to it" She smiles.

Asuma and Shae follow him in to the room.

After a nice hot bath at the outdoor springs in the back of the hotel, Shae lazily walks back up to the room, yawning. She opens the door to a table full of food.

"What's this?" Shae asked sitting down in front of the table.

"Our dinner. We're just waiting for Asuma" Neji said from the table

As soon as he said his name he walks out from the bathroom

Too tired to make conversation, Shae remains silent as she ate. Every once and a while rubbing her eyes, she manages to finish more than half her meal

"I'm so sorry, but I can barely keep my eyes open, excuse me." Shae said rubbing her eyes while standing

"Thank you for dinner" She smiles walking to her room.

"See you in the morning" Asuma nods at her, as does Neji.

She closed the door behind her and crawls into bed, covering herself with the blanket then cuddling her pillow.

'They're not so bad… they're actually kind of sweet..'

Was her last thought before falling asleep almost immediately.