A samurai knew a samurai, at least how they functioned and carried themselves. Although the Niijima family in Kumo had long lost its reputation as one of the most reputable samurai families in the village, it hadn't lost its potential in terms of those who were born to it and came from it. Among them was one woman, Niijima Izumi. She had gone against the odds of both the elders in her family and also the village in and of itself, becoming not just a samurai despite the blunt fact that she was a woman, but also a kunoichi. Bot of these professions, so to speak, were somewhat interconnected, even though they didn't actively cross paths except for certain fighting styles. [break][break]
Except now...[break][break]
She had been called upon to Onomichi, both from her village as a whole and that of what a samurai's duty encompassed. Farmlands littered the area and had it not been for the violent disruptions of men on horseback, it would look like a somewhat peaceful place. And yet, among all of this, her samurai instincts could not help but feel that this was the work of samurai, swordsmen against swordsmen. Izumi didn't particularly enjoy having to fight those who prided themselves to be the same as she was, the honoring of the code nonexistent as the enemy chose to attack shinobi. There was no forgiving those who didn't hold the respect, integrity, reputation and honor of a swordsman.
But there was not much she could do, except side with the other shinobi from the area, perhaps more for the reason that she was still a pretty weak kunoichi herself. [break][break]
Her foot landed gently on a tree branch, one hand stabilized her position as she scanned what was happening below. She had captured the little show that Tsubaki had gone to some elaborate lengths to put on, possibly to fool the men on horseback from earlier. It had been a game of cat and mouse for the longest time it seemed, and Izumi wondered if this trick was enough to catch the men off-guard and get to capturing that daunting man on the black stallion. The girl rather applauded the person for coming up with such a charade, and decided to keep quiet from where she was. She wanted to see how the situation would unfold. And such was the careful nature of samurai, perhaps, not wanting to give away their location and their strengths too quickly when faced with the enemy. She breathed sharply as one of the men approached the pink-haired stranger, from what she could tell, he was oblivious to the charades. [break][break]
Her other hand would reach and touch the handle of her sword though, ready just in case anything was to happen. [break][break]
To say that the geisha was an observant individual was not an understatement. In fact, she very rarely spoke, and was not as friendly as what people would assume. Of course, she always gave off a friendly demeanor in front of her clients because, to put it simply, they were her clients. They paid for a persona, as much as she had been trained to give one. It was really an act of give and take, a business transaction above all else. But what lay behind the mask of performers, at least from her experience, was that they always asked bold questions, in their own roundabout ways, and listened carefully to the responses given. It wasn't necessarily because the person in question was interesting, but more so that it was their way of gathering information that was beyond what words could depict. [break][break]
Izumi was no exception. [break][break]
She had watched Miho's body language, studied her facial expressions even as she spoke, the receptiveness and immediate responses from her words were not easy to mask. As she talked about Kumogakure, which to any outsider would be a mystery of sorts, could be met with curiosity embedded deep beyond that of a person's face and verbal reactions. It was the subtleness in between the lines that Izumi was most interested in, and as she spoke, she could see that Miho was genuinely interested in what she had to say. Each hidden village was interesting, primarily because they were hidden, the entrance to them very rarely known to anyone that was not from the village itself. She had deliberately told the priestess about the distance between where they were to where the village was, which anyone who had any intentions could easily use the information that was off-handedly provided to them against her. "The village itself is off-limits to anyone who doesn't have special permission to pass through, usually granted by our kage. However, there are many hot springs out here in the country that you can enjoy." The girl commented, the fact that Miho had never been to a hot spring before did not surprise her at all. "Maybe after this tea ceremony business I can take you to one. I know I certainly could use one..." [break][break]
And as if on cue, the man who had brought them to the waiting room returned, a look of pure annoyance written all over his face. He would inform the two women that there was a further delay, partially caused by some unknown quarrels between the guests in the shrine. Even the most diplomatic of individuals in terms of status were not diplomatic in the mind, it seemed. Izumi would turn to Miho, her face unmasked with relief at this sudden turn of events. "It seems like I can show you around earlier than I intended. If you don't mind, I can take you to my family home, out here in the country. It is where I grew up in, not the okiya that I studied to become a geisha in." The girl then acknowledged the man, her tone changed as she addressed him. "I was not summoned here to wait for people to finish quarreling. If you wish for my services and the services of my okiya, please send another invitation on another day. If you will excuse us..." Izumi bowed slightly at the man, walking to the door before he could say anything more. One should know the logistics of how geisha worked, after all. "You should be glad I am not billing you for my travels." She then smiled at the rose-haired girl. "Shall we?" Izumi extended a hand towards the door, motioning for the other girl to walk before her. [break][break]
Izumi nodded at Gama's response. She was not a great cook but had enough practice making breakfast for the others at her okiya that she had become fond of it. It made her feel good when she could make something others enjoyed and cooking was strangely therapeutic despite it being somewhat of a nuisance to clean up. "The pleasure is all mine." She smiled and turned her attention back to Yousei, who had commented that she too loved tamagoyaki. "Indeed! There is nothing better than a simple breakfast of fluffy eggs, rice and miso soup. We have this every morning, it's kind of like a ritual." The best part about the combination was that it never got too boring since what went inside the miso soup changed daily and all that was needed was some toppings on the rice to make it more flavorful. [break][break]
"I'm a very light sleeper so there's no need for a bodyguard." The girl chuckled as she gave her katana a little pat. "And then there's my trusted partner in case anything comes up at night." She always trusted her sword to help her through the most trying of times. "As a samurai, we are not used to having others protect us when we live to protect other people, although as a geisha I can understand the need. But no matter, I will be fine, no worries." Izumi stifled a yawn as she turned to Gama. "It's getting a little late and I want to wake up early to prepare breakfast for everyone. Would you mind showing me to the sleeping quarters?" She bowed her head to the redhead. "Thank you for keeping me company tonight, I haven't had such a good time with anyone in a long time." And she meant it sincerely. Had she learned to make more friends, perhaps it would have not been the case. [break][break]
The girl would then take to the comforts of her room at the inn, all the while musing over the details Yousei had spoken about during their little chat. She had learned a lot about Otogakure and the fall of Konoha just in the hour or so alone. Of course, there was still a lot that she probably wasn't aware of, but it provided her with much insight to a world that was otherwise unknown to her. She had thought that that would be the end of their encounter, minus the trip back to Yuu no Kuni the following morning. But a pleasant yet unpleasant surprise in the middle of the night would once more allow Izumi and Yousei to cross paths, this time perhaps allowing the red-haired woman to see for herself that amidst being a samurai and a geisha, Izumi was also a kunoichi from Kumo. It would be in the dark of night when three shadows tiptoed outside the inn, making their way softly around the building, as not to wake its sleeping occupants. Only one thing would come between them, it was the fact that neither kunoichi would have actually been asleep for the intruders to have interrupted their slumber. [break][break]
Who am I? [break] I fell into an endless trap known as love.
[attr="class","text"]
Izumi almost gave a little scream as she ascended into the carriage. A familiar and yet not-so familiar voice had called out to her by name. It wasn't even the fact that he could tell who she was despite the heavy makeup that was on her face, but more so that she would meet someone from her shinobi life while she was a geisha. That was perhaps the last thing she was hoping. But all the same, as her eyes met that of Kegawa's, she knew for a fact that she was now staring at the Inuzuka jounin. Why was he here? And more importantly, why was he on the carriage that was supposed to take her to the tea party? Was he part of this mission too? Or was he simply here for a cup of tea? [break][break]
The thought of the man wanting to enjoy a cup of matcha made her smile even as her face flushed behind the makeup. It took a good moment to regain her bearings while she simply stared at him. His playful nature made him approachable, even though there was a hint of mystery to the man. "Kegawa...-san?" Her hint of hesitation was unmasked as she addressed the jounin. "W-what brings you here at this hour?" A seemingly valid but also unimportant question. She wondered if he would tell anyone else that she was a geisha, having hoped to keep her second profession a secret. There was nothing wrong with being a geisha, of course, but there were consequences of reputation and a need to answer unnecessary questions and curiosities that Izumi was just not in the mood for. [break][break]
"Y-you are the first to know..." she muttered half to herself, as she took in more of his appearance, the fanged teeth and ears still catching her off-guard from time to time. "...that I'm a geisha, I mean. I supposed you can call me Sakurako while I am dressed in this attire..." her voice trailed, never going above a whisper as she fidgeted in her seat. How she had wished she didn't have to now explain herself. "Sakurako is my geisha name." Every geisha had a name unique to them and their school. Her teacher had given her the name before she performed at her first tea party, and it was a name sacred to the profession. It helped separate their lives as an entertainer from that of their every day life, a façade per se. She could tell that this was going to be an interesting night by the arrival of the jounin. And to think that the four hour tea party was going to be the only stress of the night, she thought to herself, all the while watching the man carefully.
Izumi hadn't failed to notice that the other girl, who now introduced herself as Miho, seemed to not want to be there as much as she didn't. The raven-haired girl wasn't sure why someone like her would want to be doing something she didn't enjoy doing. Izumi didn't have much of a choice personally, seeing as she needed the money and couldn't possibly afford to give up on any opportunity that meant she could earn a little extra income. No, she wasn't really money hungry per se, but she did have the aspirations of leaving her okiya one day. How she dreamt of the freedom she would have if she could move out of her current lodgings and live somewhere else. She longed to not have to share a living space with so many others, especially when technically they were as much her friends as competitors. [break][break]
Every geisha was out fending for themselves, and being a part of the same lodgings was only a formality. In the world of entertaining, nobody would hire someone who didn't belong to a school with a well-known teacher. Popularity was low-key the most important thing that could make or break a geisha. It didn't matter how much skill or how well-trained a woman was, it only complimented if she was came from a school that could make the training and skills noteworthy. Izumi was lucky; her teacher was one of the best and although picky of her students, she had made the exception of training Izumi when she found her on the streets so many years ago. But that was not really important...at least not now. And it was because of this that she felt that much more indebted to her teacher than most would. [break][break]
Had she asked to be taught to be a geisha? No. [break][break]
Did she particularly enjoy her job? No. [break][break]
But there was much more to any profession than just personal enjoyment. As the two women now sat in the waiting room, she couldn't help but wonder what this Miho girl was all about. There seemed to be such a mystery to the rose-haired girl, a mystery that was all the more fascinating the more she seemed to be distant. A façade was met with another façade it seemed, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Just as much as Izumi didn't trust people, she respected that to be true for most others as well. In fact, it would have heightened her suspicions if Miho proved to be too much of an open book. "My lodgings is in Kumogakure no Sato, in the business district. Have you ever visited our village?" The girl would assume that Miho was a traveler, seeing as she had somehow traveled here and was asked to be the presiding priestess at this shrine. "It should take them a little less than an hour to make the trip, if they hurried." [break][break]
"So...what brings you to Kaminari no Kuni?" Perhaps the curiosity got the better of the genin as she waited for Miho's response. She wondered if it was the famous hot springs that had caught the pink-haired girl's interest, although she didn't seem like one who would fancy hot springs. But then again, there was no real way of telling after all. Kaminari was famous for hot springs and hosted many tourists from other countries and afar as a result. Ryokans and other hotels boomed with business even during the worst of economic state thanks to these natural and soothing facilities. Izumi was a big fan of hot springs herself, enjoying a good dip in the scorching waters every now and again. They took away all of her worries and stresses, relaxed her mind and soul, and gave her some pleasure in this world against all that bogged her down. She found that she spent most of her money in ryokans, far more often than she was willing to admit. A guilty pleasure, one would say. [break][break]
"Chess is actually my favorite board game." Her voice displayed a little more excitement at the mention of chess. Her father had wanted her to learn how to play when she was a child, to train her brain on strategies and critical thinking. She remembered that one of the most heartwarming memories from her childhood was when she played chess with her father. As she got better at it, her passion for it had grown, but she was definitely no world-class player by any means. For one, her father was much better. She sat there for a moment, reminiscing the past. How she missed her father...[break][break]
Izumi caught herself from her daydream and turned her attention back to Enma. She shook her head at his humbleness and merely smiled. To her, he was a better player than she was and more qualified in teaching than she would ever be. "You are being too modest, Kuchiki-san." She had taken the liberty to call him by his family name with the correct honorific to match, as she had been taught by her elders. It was the common courtesy of a warrior and a lady. Kuchiki...such an interesting name...she thought to herself. Kuchiki meant decaying wood, and was one of the more exotic of family names, but one that would be engraved in people's minds because of the exoticness. [break][break]
"I haven't played chess in a long time, admittedly. I think I remember most of the rules." She wondered how similar shogi was to chess. "And I would love some tea." The girl smiled warmly at the mention of tea. She hadn't had tea in a long time, but she knew that tea was a natural drink whenever people played board games. It seemed to compliment the games well. "Have you ever been to a tea ceremony, Kuchiki-san? I am a big fan of matcha." Izumi would withhold the fact that she hosted tea ceremonies mostly because she would have to disclose that she was a geisha, and judging from the reputation of the profession, she wasn't about the disclose so easily to a person she had just met.[break][break]
"And, have you been a shinobi for a long time?"[break][break]
Izumi smiled at the banter between the weasels and Yousei, obvious that they were quite close. She was rather jealous, never really having close friends like that. The samurai was a loner, to say the least, but that was partially because she had chosen to be one. Not at all socially awkward, she normally found being around people and having conversations with them somewhat tiresome, so she tended to avoid it as much as possible. But for some reason, as she took a sip of her own red bean soup, she found that talking to Yousei and the staff here at the inn wasn't so bad after all. To think that she could make a friend all the way out in Oto surprised the onnabusha. [break][break]
The girl giggled as she watched Yousei try to hide the blush from the compliments she was receiving, eating her soup and mochi at an inhuman speed. It was quite cute, Izumi thought to herself, slowing eating her portion as she heard Kusari's suggestion. Staying the night here at the inn seemed like a great idea, as she was not a fan of night travel. The girl nodded her head and gave him a smile. "You're too kind for hosting me. Although I'm not as good a chef as you, allow me to make you, your staff, and Yousei some breakfast tomorrow morning as a show of gratitude to your hospitality." She was following the samurai code of honor, not allowing appreciation to pass without showing. Being an early riser from an almost non-existent sleep schedule, the girl didn't mind getting up to make breakfast at all.[break][break]
Turning towards her friend again, she would nod her head. "Is there anything you would like to eat for breakfast? At my geisha lodgings, they always told me I make good tamagoyaki with rice and miso soup. Simple but hearty just the same. But if you would like something else, just let me know." She extended her offer to the other staff members of the inn. Unlike the regular sweet egg rolls, her tamagoyaki had a hint of dashi, or Japanese broth, that gave it a subtle salty taste that went very well with rice. As a geisha, the girls often had to watch their diet, but seeing as breakfast was the most important meal of the day, most of them would indulge just a little. "And thank you for being my guide back to Yuu no Kuni. I am horrible at directions so it would probably take me days to go back if I was wandering on my own." The woman admitted sheepishly, knowing that one day of lack of awareness would probably get her into trouble. It was her luck that she hadn't already been met with trouble seeing as she often traveled alone to these tea parties. "Usually I have a carriage to take me to and from the lands so I take it for granted. But I'm glad I didn't have one today or else I wouldn't have met you and the others."[break][break]
Izumi breathed out a sigh as she walked out of her family compounds and headed straight for the village gates. Her hair was still somewhat wet from having freshly taken a shower after a long night of geisha work. She had been looking forward to getting some shut-eye when she remembered that she had taken on a mission a couple of days ago, or rather signed up for one while she was passing by the administration office. Why she had decided to take on a mission at this time was beyond her, since she was more than swamped with her duties as a geisha, a samurai and training as a shinobi. But there were the Chuunin exams...the girl thought to herself. The Chuunin exams were not hosted regularly and was the fastest way for any genin to climb to the next step of the shinobi ladder. [break][break]
Did she desire the fame? Not quite. [break][break]
She merely wanted to show those above her that she was a capable individual, more capable than most. Although not at all boastful, the young woman prided on her identity as a samurai, and believed that all samurai could be a shinobi and a samurai at the same time, with equal success on both fronts. And for the most part, shinobi and samurai skills worked hand-in-hand, the kenjutsu that most warriors practiced usually aided their taijutsu when in combat. If they didn't equal one another, they at least complimented each other well. Izumi was out to prove herself, that she too could be strong and help those in need. The best way to accomplish that was by going on missions. This was going to be her first group mission, and from what was mentioned to her when she signed up for it, she would be led by a Jounin and that there were possibly one or two other people tagging along. She wondered where they were going and what the mission was, knowing practically nothing except for the meeting place that was pre-determined. [break][break]
They were to meet by the village gates, the most normal and perfect meeting place for shinobi. A black silk kimono held together by a dark red silk sash as her attire, she kept her katana sheathed tightly under her sash. She had decided against wearing her signature straw hat, instead allowing her jet black hair to flow with the wind. Her weapon pouch was strapped to her right leg, under the kimono, and her headband was tucked carefully inside her red sash. To any outsider, she was merely a girl with a sword, nothing about her attire really indicated that she was a shinobi. She made her way towards the gate, her brown hues scanning the area. There were two people standing there already, somewhat awkwardly, when she approached. For a moment, she wouldn't speak, merely standing a short distance from the other two. Izumi continued to stand in silence until she heard a voice, speaking to them. Her eyes drifted toward the origin of the voice, resting on a man that looked...interesting, which was the most fitting word she could use to describe the ninken. [break][break]
The girl had never interacted with an Inuzuka, although she knew of their clan vaguely. From her knowledge, the clan seemed to use canines to fight, fighting alongside their dogs in battle. A dog was a man's best friend, after all, and the Inuzuka took this statement to a new length. But she had not expected to see a person with pointy ears and fangs for teeth, completely mesmerized by the man's appearance that she couldn't help but stare. The man talked about the mission details, implying that he was the Jounin she had been assigned to. They were going to the village of Otame which was foreign to her. She had never been there, but the idea of saving villagers from wild animals was definitely what she had signed up for. "Niijima Izumi. Do we know how many and what kind of wild animals we are dealing with?" The girl would say softly, bowing towards Kegawa. It was a common show of respect to bow to your superiors, manners that she would never forget as an onnabusha. [break][break]
"Niijima, you are to follow a team of shinobi to Onomichi at once! They could use some extra hands!"[break][break]
That was almost all that she had been told as she was summoned. The girl had finished her geisha work only hours befo and was looking forward to spending the day relaxing when one of her superiors had approached her. How he had found her was beyond her, but she knew that there was no way for her to say no. Onomichi...Izumi had thought about asking questions, for clarification, but judging by the hint of panic that was in his voice, she dared not. No, questions could and would be answered if she simply observed, that much she had learned since becoming a shinobi. The girl merely nodded her head, returning home to grab her sword before leaving at once. [break][break]
And she couldn't have been more right in her intuitions. Her golden-brown hues would be met with the sight of red and orange flames, her body feeling a chill that even the burning blaze couldn't take away, and her nostrils filled with the smell of burnt flesh and blood. She had never seen something quite like it, not even something close to its caliber, as she tore through the streets. Izumi had no time to be shocked, had no time to allow her own emotions dictate what was needed of her. She was here to help, and it took her a good minute before she turned her attention to a voice. It belonged to a person yelling out orders, someone who she guessed was in charge of the situation. [break][break]
That was good, she would gladly follow orders at that moment, unsure of what she would and could do if left to her devices.[break][break]
The young woman had closely followed the lead of Kikuyo, taking in his orders and nodding. Izumi had taken to the rooftops, or rather, what had been rooftops of the buildings now half destroyed. She wanted to know how to stop the flames, and having heard the man, knew that their primary mission was to get water to put out the flames. Her intuition told her to follow the Kaguya, even though she had no idea who he was or what he was doing. And that was when she saw the shrine.[break][break]
Or more importantly, the well that was within it. It would give them the water source necessary to put out the flames. Not thinking of very much except the simple task of putting out the fire, the samurai would make her way through the streets, the sight of littered bodies made her stomach turn. But she continued forward, her eye set on reaching the shrine. Although she didn't know why this was happening or how she could stop it, Izumi knew that she would do what she could, and at that moment, it was to help the others by bringing them buckets of water.[break][break]
How she wished her innate chakra element had been suiton...[break][break]
The girl locked on the shrine, quickening her step. There was no more time to waste. As she turned a corner, her footsteps ceased, her eyes would be met with some sort of flying object. No, it was not just one, but what quickly turned into a few. They were flying directly towards her, and from where she was standing, swarming above her head, she could then make out what they were....[break][break]
Bats![break][break]
Damnit...she thought to herself. Izumi despised being interrupted when she was doing something, especially something of such grave importance. The girl's hues followed the movements of the bats as they circled. She readied herself, the thumb of her right hand flicked the guard of her sword. She would wait for the right moment, the creatures lowering to circle around her body. Izumi had been carrying pails, but would be forced to drop them at this little intermission. Her movements were swift, with a flick of her thumb, she lifted the hilt of her katana, taking a couple of steps back as she drew her blade. She was used to swift attacks. In a flash, Izumi would turn her body, holding the sword close to her horizontally so that when her body turned, it turned with her. She could feel the blade connect with a couple of the creatures. [break][break]
A rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins. She hadn't had the chance to pass her blade along anything other than targets made out of straw during her samurai training. It was nice to feel like she could use her skills, even if it was just killing off bats. Her eyes darted around quickly, giving half her attention to those around her. It seemed that there were others who had the same thought as her, who had come to try to get water to put out the fire. With another flick of her wrist, she returned her blade to its sheathe, this time around her momentum had been interrupted by a sound that even the most composed would have shuddered. An explosion that was quite close had gone off, temporarily dispersing the bats. This is my chance! Izumi was not about to be held back by small creatures anymore. Judging by the response of most of the others, they had the same thought. There was a man with brown hair that leading the way, and so, in the split second when the bats dispersed, she would take advantage of the opening and rush towards the shrine.[break][break]
Izumi slowed down her footsteps as they reached the garden outside the shrine. She couldn't help but stop to stare at the cherry blossom tree, which seemed like it had taken a beating from the winter cold. At least there were no bats now stopping them from getting the water from the well. "I'll be going as well..." she whispered, although not many would care about a Genin like her any way. She had been tasked with getting water, so getting water was what she was going to do. Izumi followed Hideyoshi, who had volunteered before she could speak. With her hand always touching the her sword, she too was on guard for any sudden ambushes or attacks, her dark brown hues scanning the surroundings carefully. [break][break]
Perhaps Izumi had expected in some way that her answer would raise a couple of eyebrows, so she was not at all disturbed by the young woman's surprise as she told her that she had no attendant. The woman was correct; people of her trade usually had quite a few attendants. The more prestige one had as a geisha, the more attendants would likely follow. Given the circumstances of this huge tea party too, it was more than unusual to not at least bring one attendant along. And to be fair, Izumi had wanted to bring one too, or would have insisted on one had she known just the number of people that were waiting for her at the party. She was used to serving a party of ten or less. The idea that there would be more than forty would mean at least five rounds of tea. The girl felt sorry for her legs, as she would have to sit for hours and hours in seiza, which was sitting on her ankles. Usually a three hour event would already numb her legs. Any more and she might as well have her legs cut off. [break][break]
"I can fend for myself. Attendants and guards make things look and seem too much of a fuss anyhow." She had said this in the same whisper, and rather matter-of-factly. Izumi was a samurai in disguise, and to think that a samurai would need other samurai for protection was more than just a slap in the face. "Thank you for the information. Looks like we will be here for awhile then..." her voice gave away how much she was not looking forward to this party. She would extend a hand forward, asking the woman to lead the way inside. The carriage driver proceeded to unload the tea utensils and materials, following the two women inside. He could be considered an attendant, so to speak, Izumi thought to herself comically. Judging from the look on his face though, he wanted to do anything but linger at the shrine. [break][break]
"I am Sakurako, it's a pleasure to meet you." The girl would say to the maiden, as they walked back into the shrine. Izumi preferred to use her geisha name while doing her job, another thing that was in line with her work. Not many people knew the true identities of these women, and for all the best of reasons. There were often cases of men stalking the entertainers back to their lodgings, or trying to find out their life beyond that of what they do, and to keep that a mystery, geisha were required to remain absolutely ambiguous. At least when they were performing. She would stop just by the entrance and take the utensils from the carriage driver before giving him a nod, the sign that he needed to know that his service was no longer needed. The official presiding over the tea ceremony came out to greet them, a big smile across his face as his eyes rested on Izumi. "Ah, it's great for you to join us, Sakurako," her eyes met his briefly, giving him a curt nod. "We have forty guests here and they all want to have the best tea so we immediately thought of you!"[break][break]
"How...flattered I should be, Yamamoto-san. Next time I'd appreciate if you told me the party numbers before before I arrived. You are aware that I do not serve tea parties for over ten people at a time, correct?" Her voice carried the same whispered tone as she had used towards Sumire. "Send for two other geisha from my lodgings at once. We will serve the tea together. If not, we shall be here well into the night." She gave the man a stern look, one which told him that she was not there to argue. The man was more than annoyed, since it had taken her such over an hour to get there herself. Reading his mind, she added, "And of course, it will be Yamamoto-san's responsibility to explain to the people inside why they must now wait for another hour or two before the party is officially to start." The man opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. He grunted, giving the woman a glare. "You always have that air to you, Sakurako. How is it you became the best geisha is beyond me." [break][break]
"It's quite easy to understand really. My skills and my personality don't have to always align, so to speak. Now if you will excuse me, lead me to where myself and this young maiden here can sit while we wait for the others to arrive." Izumi nodded in Sumire's direction before turning back to the man. "And you know how I work. I don't appreciate clients who do not respect how I do my job or respect my profession. To have asked me to come is an indication that those inside are going to be reputable and respectful human beings, I presume?" Yamamoto was taken aback by her question, not because he didn't know that she had the tendency of leaving in the middle of performing if her customers were not being respectful, but that he was now subject to her rules, something that other geisha would never do. He merely nodded his head meekly, ushering them into the back of the shrine, to a little room where the two women could sit and wait. "Please wait here while I go out to explain the situation."[break][break]
Izumi noticed that the others in the inn were listening intently to Yousei's story. Right, this was the Hundred Tales Inn after all, it was only natural that people would be drawn to tales. It was half the reason why most of them stayed there anyway, accompanied by the good food that was served, it was the best selling point for the inn. Izumi also listened to the story, captivated by every word. She had heard little bits and pieces of information about the takeover of Konoha, but not enough to make anything into a full story. She had also been under the impression that what was taught in school or passed down to the general public of Kumo was watered down on purpose, to save face for those involved and make light of an otherwise dark situation. And nobody could blame those who made that choice, since it was much safer to omit the controversial parts than one day be held responsible for passing along information that could be viewed as unpolitical to any one country. [break][break]
She wasn't even sure if Kaminari was part of the three countries that Yousei mentioned, but she dared not ask. Although not as patriotic as the others in her village, she had grown up in Kumo, grown up to love and serve its people and the presiding country. Izumi didn't want anything to taint her image of the place that gave her the most comfort. But what had caught her off-guard was the mention of samurai, angry that people would taint the reputation of such a noble and otherwise well-respected profession. To Izumi, being a samurai was not just a profession. The Niijima family were proud samurai, believing that it was a gift that their ancestors had been swordsman and thus honored the samurai code even to this day, long past the fall of her people. She respected her elders, respected her family and what they believed, wanting for as long as she could remember to be a samurai just like her father. To think that countries would use samurai as a camouflage for their own selfish reasons was unfathomable for the young woman. She would take a sip of her umeshu, her hand clenching the glass tightly until her knuckles were white.[break][break]
"Such despicable people..." she muttered under her breath, perhaps audible to Yousei but definitely not to those around them. She didn't want to disrupt the story telling, her eyes staring at the liquid in her glass as the red-haired woman continued. The next part of her story would answer her questions about Kaminari, relieved that her country had had no part in this gruesome business. It still made her angry that the three countries involved had not only taken over Konoha entirely, but also most of Hi no Kuni. Of course, it was natural for the strong to prevail, but for them to join forces like that was far from noble in her opinion. "I wonder why they wanted to take over Konoha in the first place..." she whispered to herself. If one day this so-called Empire wanted to take over her country, she would do everything in her power to stop it, regardless of the cost. [break][break]
As Yousei finished her story, Izumi couldn't help but fall into silence. There were many things she could say about the entire situation, some not-so-nice things to say the least. But she bit her tongue, her careful nature once more taking over. She was in Otogakure, which meant that the people around her could be from anywhere. One slip of her tongue and she could put herself, her new acquaintance and possibly her own country at risk. So instead, she took another sip of her drink, putting down the now empty glass on the table gently. "That is quite the story..." she would finally say. choosing her words carefully. She would think of something, a change of topic, to lighten to mood. "You are quite the storyteller, Yousei-san! You should be one in your free time, to supplement that shinobi income." It was possibly the first time the girl had made a comment like this to anyone, not at all in her nature. But she did mean what she said, for Yousei's personality was quite fit to be a storyteller or a rakugo performer.[break][break]
Her hand stopped short, just as she was about the put a piece of fish into her mouth. Yousei had begun telling her a story, the story of how she happened to come to know of this inn and those working here. But what had caught Izumi's attention wasn't the actual story itself, it was literally the first sentence that came out of the other woman's mouth. Her first assignment as a Chuunin? That could only mean one thing: Yousei was of Jounin rank or above! Although the Kumo nin would never judge a book by its cover, the idea of her acquaintance being of such high rank had never once crossed her mind. This was somewhat explain away the woman's nonchalant behaviors and words, perhaps. She put down her chopsticks and stared at her, listening intently to the rest of the story. Yousei could not be much older than Izumi, but if she was already of Jounin rank, it would mean that her skills would reflect upon it. [break][break]
She had thought too lightly of the red-haired girl after all...[break][break]
The girl nodded her head, listening to the story of the bandit chase and how she had rescued the same weasel that had served them their food. Judging from the little banters between the two, they were quite close. This made Izumi feel slightly jealous, the close bond people shared with their friends and family always reminded her of how alone she felt. She had made a couple of friends in the academy, but hardly found the time to connect with them outside of their studies that the friendship couldn't be called close by any means. The customers she performed for were simply her customers, never once stepping past those boundaries no matter how much they confided in her. As a geisha, she knew that it was her job to talk to them, that she was paid for being a good listener, and so the thought of making friends with the people who gave her money seemed...strange if not unfathomable. [break][break]
"Oh, I see..." she commented at Yousei mentioning that she didn't drink. Or rather, that she used to but didn't anymore, Izumi's gaze glancing over at Kusari behind the bar, having again noticed that they seemed to share in some secret or some memory of back when the woman did drink. The girl wondered what had happened to make her new acquaintance stop drinking, but thought against asking, at least for now. They had just gotten acquainted to one another after all. It seemed to be a conversation for some other time, if there would be another time. For now, Izumi let it go, simply picking up her chopsticks again as she gingerly took another piece of fish to her mouth. She was indeed eating a little too slow and too dainty, careful of the image she was upholding.[break][break]
The talk of traveling was one which Izumi agreed on, her assumptions previously that Yousei was of Jounin rank confirmed by the woman herself. Her family had told her about the fall of Konoha, and how Otogakure had taken over the land some seventy years ago. Izumi had always wondered why the village had been swallowed whole like that, the textbooks and teachers in the academy had offered little insight of the matter. All she knew was that Konoha had once been governed by a Kage, similar to Kumo, and that for some reason the entire village was subject to Empire rule. "I've heard of the conquest of Konoha..." the girl would turn her head and bow to Kusari, who had now made her the umeshu. "But I admit that I know very little about the details."[break][break]
As she cleared her throat, she had expected a startled reaction, perhaps because she had managed to startle so many others in the past that way. But as the man, which she could now see was a boy, turn his head slowly to face her, she knew that there was something more to him than just a regular person enjoying a one person shogi game. He had been unnerved, to say the least, and had managed to call out indiscreetly her identity as an onnabusha. It could only mean one of two things: that he too was a samurai, or he was a shinobi. The former was a little farfetched, seeing as he held no air of a warrior, his attire didn't reflect in this either. He could simply be wearing normal clothes, though, although a samurai never would be seen without their sword. Their sword was their life, just as much as it was their weapon. [break][break]
That only left the other possibility, that he was a shinobi. Common folk would have at least been slightly rattled by her presence, but he seemed so...calm. As he inquired about why she had been there, it took her a moment to realize that it was she who had disrupted his game. "No, you are not in my way at all. I heard a noise..." her voice was soft was she turned her gaze from the boy's face to the board. "You are a shogi player..." the woman would comment, lifting her gaze back to the boy. "I don't know how to play the game but I've seen many of the elders in my family enjoy one." The wind rustled her hair slightly. Izumi had thought about commenting on the fact that he was playing with himself but then decided not to say anything, knowing that her words could sometimes offend without meaning to. [break][break]
"I would love to learn how to play if you wouldn't mind teaching me..." her voice trailed as he extended an invitation for her to join him. She was fond of board games, preferring chess more than any other. But ever since her parents died, she had had nobody to play with, and her life had taken on too much momentum for her to even have time to play chess. It was nice to see that someone shared the same hobby, though the game they liked to played was different. The girl went on to take off her straw hat, revealing her long black hair that flowed with the direction of the wind. While he rearranged the pieces on the board, Izumi placed the giant hat on the side and sat down opposite him, now at eye level. "Niijima Izumi. You can call me Izumi." She gave him a courteous small smile. "Are you a shinobi too?" Perhaps that was a giveaway that she was one, the Kumo headband that many shinobi wore proudly was absent from her forehead. She had tucked the headband in the pocket inside her obi sash, preferring not to parade it around the streets like everyone else. [break][break]
Izumi took a seat at the empty table opposite from Yousei and looked around at the staff and customers again, captivated by how different this place was from anywhere she had ever been to. "This is a very interesting place, Yousei-san. How did you find it?" Of course, she knew that the most common way for anyone to find any new place was just to happen upon it. But from what she could see of the exterior, she knew that she would feel slightly intimidated if she had come by herself. Granted, there could be numerous places just like this in Otogakure. She would take two cups and pour some tea for both her and her new acquaintance, waiting patiently for the food to arrive. [break][break]
"Geisha work is just a job, to be honest, although rather tedious if I must admit." The girl took a sip of her tea, lifting her veil slightly and smiled. It was matcha, probably one of higher grade than what was served at most places. "What people see as an hour of dancing and singing takes a geisha years to perfect and train. But that's the case for most jobs it seems. A shinobi for instance." She set her cup on the table quietly. The road to being an entertainer was sometimes not worth the amount of time and effort she had to put in, admittedly. And yet, she had spent eight years learning all she had to for it. Did she think it wasn't worth it? Sometimes. If she wasn't indebted to her teacher...[break][break]
She quickly pushed the thought aside as the food was served. Just from the smell alone, Izumi knew that it was going to taste great. The girl bowed her head at the weasel who placed the dishes on the table, feeling still a little awkward interacting with a talking animal. "Yousei-san, do you drink?" It was a rather abrupt question, but alcohol was perhaps one of Izumi's few indulgences, guilty pleasures if one could call it that. She was no alcoholic of course, but she always loved having a drink whenever she ate out. "May I have some umeshu?" The girl would turn her attention back to the weasel, giving him a small smile that would probably be hidden by her veil. Umeshu was her go-to drink, the sweetness and acidic nature of plums balanced out the liquor content in perfect harmony. "On the rocks, please." she would add. It wasn't until she finished ordering her drink that she felt slightly embarrassed, glancing over at the red-haired girl. What would she think of her if the other girl didn't drink? [break][break]
Changing the topic of conversation abruptly, she took a pair of chopsticks and began to take a small portion of the food carefully. "Have you traveled to many places?" It felt easier to make conversation now that they were sitting down and having some food, breaking the ice or whatever people called this sort of thing. Izumi was no world traveler, but she had gone to a few different minor countries in the name of performing at parties or training for her geisha career. She understood that most people in her village, shinobi or not, were not as into traveling as she was, the idea of leaving the comforts of their own country often too daunting. Had it not been for her job though, she knew that she would feel that way too. Not to mention, leaving her village to go sightseeing was not as easy now as it had once been perhaps, before their time. Her eyes twinkled as she savored the food, allowing the different tastes to linger in her mouth before swallowing. "The food here is excellent!" [break][break]
