Heartfilia Estate, Later That Night
Minato awoke in a warm bed, his body aching but alive. The first thing he noticed was the softness of the sheets, the second was the unfamiliar room around him. His senses immediately went on high alert. Where was he? This wasn't Konoha. The architecture was different and foreign to anything he knew.
Had he been captured by the enemy? No he would be dead if that were the case, but where was he?
Panic began to rise in his chest, but before he could act, the door to the room creaked open. A woman stepped inside, her presence calm and reassuring with a beauty unlike anything Minato had seen before.
"You're awake." she said softly, her voice like a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. "You're safe now."
Minato tried to sit up, wincing at the pain that shot through his body. "Where am I?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Who are you?"
The woman approached the bed, sitting on the edge and offering him a gentle smile. "My name is Layla Heartfilia. You're in Fiore, in my home. I found you in the woods after you… fell from the sky."
"Fiore?" Minato repeated, confusion marring his young features. "I've never heard of it. How did I get here?"
"I don't know. Like I said. You kinda fell from the sky." Layla admitted, her expression tinged with concern. "But I'll do everything I can to help you. For now, you need to rest."
"Did you find anyone else? Maybe a tall man with spiky white hair?" Minato asked, fearing the fate of his master.
Layla merely shook her head in response. "I'm sorry. It was just you I'm afraid. Still I can have some servants look around for anyone else."
Sighing to himself Minato gripped tightly onto the bed sheets. His eyes glanced at the bloodied and damaged headband resting on a nightstand. "Just let anyone know if they see someone with a headband and a symbol different than mine they would be dangerous."
Layla nodded. "Are you a wizard? I don't recognize that guild mark? Don't tell me." The woman paused and swallowed a lump in her throat. "You're a dark wizard?"
Minato blinked at the questions. He truly was farther from home than he imagined. "No, I'm a shinobi from Konoha. I'm officially a Genin of team Jiraiya."
Layla gave Minato an honest smile and angelic laugh.
"Well that's reassuring. Despite having no idea what any of that means."
"I'm going to need you to explain as much as you can about where I am." Minato began desperately, while Layal nodded.
"Of course, but for now please rest. Questions can come after you've properly recovered." Layla explained as she softly placed a hand onto Minato's chest. Pushing her fellow blond down into the bed with a careful touch.
Yet as her touch lingered. Both Minato and Layla blushed deeply as their eyes met and their hearts both began to race.
Minato on his back had his mind whirling. He had no idea how he had ended up in this strange new world, but one thing was clear he was far from home. The thought sent a pang of loneliness through him, but when he looked into Layla's kind eyes, he felt a spark of hope accompanied by something more.
That was reassuring. Since he was also aware of one sickening truth. His chakra, the catalyst that powered all of his strength, was gone. Leaving him nothing more than a man within an unfamiliar land.