1 Jutsu: [Action]

[teachingpeace]

[When Nagato woke up, he was more than a bit confused, especially with the way sunlight was filtering through the window off to his right and shining down into his face. There were multiple reasons why this was confusing.

First, last he'd checked he'd been outside. Second, he was on something squishy, which indicated a bed or futon, most likely. Third, not even a moment ago he'd been returning to being dead. Somehow, the last seemed to be the most glaring of these points, and he finally cracked open his eyes, squinting against the light before pushing himself to a seated position.

The gesture was more than enough to alert him to the tug of something on his back, and looking over his shoulder to see the bright crimson wings... It almost made him laugh, because Konan was the angel, not him. He was just the idiot who mucked everything up trying to be a god. Something in the universe clearly had a sense of humor.

A look around found him his clothes, which he was admittedly reluctant to pull on given that they'd been what he'd been wearing while revived, but he finally tugged on the dark cloak and got off the bed, peeking around doorways before heading out into the communal hall to make his way outside.

If this was the afterlife, then he intended to explore!]

(OOC: Feel free to catch him anywhere from his room to outside somewhere, he'll be using the stairs in the first apartment building to head out.)

Comments

[teachingpeace]

[He shifted on his feet a little guiltily at her expectant look. Okay. So she had the same reaction to her hair that people tended to have to his?

Before they saw his eyes anyway. People always noticed the Rinnegan sooner rather than later. It was... a really nice change to have the hair be the topic of conversation actually.]

They do mine too, more when I was younger though. I used to hide my eyes so it was always the topic in Ame in my earlier years.

I haven't seen anyone else with this color since I was small though...

[yourhatred]

Well over two years now, yes.

[There's some issues in there regarding his return and a month or so of missing time, but that's not worth going into.]

However, if you believe this is a sort of afterlife then you would be mistaken.

[fervidity]

[Ame...

Suddenly she's a bit more weary. Konoha was at war, with Ame right at the center for a while. Even though Kushina hated the wars and everything to do with them, that didn't mean that people could get rid of a grudge.

But he said he was Naruto's friend so her lips pull up slightly anyway. As long as she kept quiet where she was from--]

Yeah, me too. Not many people have it so I was pretty surprised to see you just walking around.

Sorry... for staring. I know what it's like to be treated like you're a circus show just for having red hair, ya know.

[teachingpeace]

[It's not something Nagato needs to know anyway. He knows how to respect privacy.]

...It's not the afterlife? Or rather, an afterlife?

[Have a pointed indication in the direction of his back because now he was just confused. Last he'd checked they had both been dead.]

[origami_ninja]

[Konan was on the way back to her apartment after picking up a few basic groceries in town. She kept her fridge and cupboard minimally stocked. Her rapidly growing kitten's food supply was more thoroughly stocked than her own, in part because if the Malnosso were to kidnap her or send her away, she wanted the food to be readily accessible to the small white ball of fluff.

The rest was force of habit. Even though it had been many years since she'd been a poor orphan who had to scrounge for food, it seemed wrong to be wasteful or to eat more than she needed. She indulged herself in her favourite foods a little now and then because she could, but she still ate modest portions for the most part. Thinking back, she smiled fondly at the memory of Jiraiya broiling an enormous fish he'd caught for himself, Yahiko, Nagato, and her to eat, and how it had seemed like such a gourmet feast at the time. That was just a memory, though. She was the only one alive, and even she'd been killed by a madman who sought to claim Nagato's eyes for himself.

She rounded the corner, glanced up ahead in the hallway, and dropped her groceries from the shock.]

Nagato.

[Her voice was quiet, but the complete surprise was evident in both her tone and expression.]

[teachingpeace]

No... not it's fine. It's refreshing, actually, to have someone staring at me for something other than the eyes.

[His smile turned a little sad, because don't think he'd missed the way your smile had faltered Kushina. You're from somewhere that means Ame isn't the name of a friendly nation, aren't you?

He really wished that he could reassure her that that had always been the case with him but... he couldn't. So he wouldn't, and would instead stick to the topics of hair and eyes and Naruto, for the time being.]

I suspect they're going to be a topic in my near future and that's just going to be unfortunate.

[He clasped his hands behind his back, hoping the gesture would get her to relax again. After all, that meant he was trying to not be threatening.]

But... I did see Naruto earlier. You might have just missed him in passing. [A beat of pause happened here, and he smiled.] He was looking more relaxed than when I saw him before coming here.

[yourhatred]

[The other ninja reaches into his sleeve, producing the journal they're all given upon their arrival.

He says nothing, simply holding it up and waiting for Nagato to recall his own.]

[teachingpeace]

[He stilled, more than a little surprised as he stared at the woman in front of him. He... hadn't honestly expected her to be here. Why would he? She wasn't dead, and shouldn't be dead, so why?

But... he didn't know what to say yet, and he had so many things to say, to apologize for...

Instead of doing anything, he immediately stooped to gather up what she'd dropped, not wanting her to feel guilty about that. Especially when it was his fault she'd dropped them in the first place. He knew how she was about that after all.

Even if he'd never paid quite enough obvious attention in the last several years of his life, he'd still noticed.]

You're here too?

[teachingpeace]

[He'd only ended up bringing his with him because it had fallen into his pocket when he had put his cloak on, and he took it out, showing him he had it.]

[believeit]

Yeah, everyone's got them. See? [He lifts his jacket up, enough to show the orange wings he has tucked inside.]

But! You can't try and take 'em off or anything, people say that if you hurt them badly, you're gonna die. Again.

[teachingpeace]

....

......

Twice is more than enough for any one person I believe. I'll simply have to deal with the strangeness of looking like an Angel when I in no way deserve it.

[He sighed a little. Naruto had said there were a lot of people from Konoha here.]

But thank you for the warning.

[believeit]

No prob!

[Yay, he's done his part.]

Do you know where you're livin' or anything yet? And like I said earlier there's a lot of Konoha guys here. They might recognise you.. well, the eyes y'know? From that time.

[When you flattened the city. Yeah, even Naruto knows there may be issues there.]

[teachingpeace]

[He pointed back at the building he'd woken in given that he hadn't strayed too far from it before being half run down.]

I woke in that building on what I believe is the seventh floor.

[No need to remind him, he's already making the list. Never gonna apologize enough. Ever.]

[believeit]

Hey, which room? [So he knows, for later.]

I don't live here, I live across that ways a bit. [He's pointing.] I was just here visiting some guys.

[teachingpeace]

[Give him a moment as he tries to remember.]

Ah... 32. Yes. That was the one that I was placed in.

[fervidity]

[Now that he mentions it, there's something different about them. They're strange but familiar and she can't put her finger on it. She doesn't say anything about it though. Not at first. It's obvious he doesn't really want to talk about it and she can respect that boundary.

She perks up at the sound of Naruto being around then fists her hands at her hips. GOOD SUBJECT CHANGE FROM HAIR]

Relaxed, huh? Geez. He shouldn't be since he's in trouble.

Do you know where he went? [For his sake, point in the direction of their home PLS SPARE YOUR KOHAI]

[teachingpeace]

[What is this sparing you speak of? Is it some odd form of witchery that involves knowing one was about to be screwed over and helping somehow? Nagato missed that class in Jiraiya's frog bootcamp, so sorry. He's pointing in the direction Naruto went... which went around something and thus appeared like it was going the wrong way even when it wasn't. But it was in the correct North-South version of direction?

Sorry Kohai, he didn't know.]

Considering last time I saw him was in battle, it's not a big surprise... Though the one I spoke to was just a shadow clone so I'm not sure how well that indicates stress levels.

Ah... why would he be in trouble? He seemed to be quite in a hurry too.

[believeit]

32? Well I live in the house over in- [Let's assume he gives specific details about it here :|] You should come over!

[fervidity]

[Also missed the part where you don't kill your sensei I MEAN...

uzumaki 5eva.

Oh, he was in a hurry? This is better?? MAYBE. Naruto was relaxed but in a hurry. Well, she'll see him and what his true disposition was once she finds him.

And he sees scary mom face.]

Because he's late for dinner, like I said.

[teachingpeace]

[Yes that was a lesson he skipped, but hey, better late than never? I mean! Don't be tricky now!

Uzumakiii~

Nagato is not sure what he thinks about the glint in your eye, by the way. You're reminding him oddly of his mother. Why is that? He thought he didn't remember her well enough for that.]

Ah, of course. Um.

And you are?

[teachingpeace]

[He blinked at the declaration and gave him a little smile. Okay, that he could handle.]

If you're sure?

[believeit]

[He blinks back. He probably should put more thought into that offer, but he hasn't.]

Yeah, I mean.. it should be okay right? Your different to when you were trying to destroy Konoha, people've gotta see that.

[yourhatred]

Everything you need should be in the pages here. It's a lot to digest and a lot for me to divulge.

But no. This is an afterlife only in the sense that you can be brought here after dying, but that's only due to the whims of those in charge.

[teachingpeace]

[The little smile faded, and he looked rather solemn for a moment before sighing.]

I did things that are very hard to forgive Naruto. You're special, my kohai, the person who will carry on where I failed...

But not everyone is like you.

[teachingpeace]

Then I'll have to take the time to read through it. [He rested his palm on the cover, then slipped it back into his pocket.]

If it's less the afterlife and more a second life...

I'll just have to try not to make the same mistakes, mm?