Eyes of pure, verdant greens akin to the color of the rare jewel of tourmaline stared back at him before darkness enveloped him.
It had been exactly seven days when he parted without so much as a goodbye to his little brother at that fork on the road. Him, travelling to the road that will lead him to the designated village in the west, while his brother ventured forth to the east. Indra's travel was sole, just as how he wished it. To travel with a companion will only hinder him from travelling to the village as soon as possible.
His father's trial, surely he would choose him, his eldest and more powerful son, to become his successor. There was no need of this farce in Indra's opinion. But he went along with it, so as to humor his father of his wish.
So he merely treated this as a race.
Now, the pioneer of ninjutsu stumbled upon a land of trees that reached as high as the heavens, its earth- filled with soft moss and lichen to provide life of creatures of the smallest and greatest size, but what drew him was the waterfall that roared in soft thunder as water flowed down from its peak. With the intention of quenching his thirst and refill his travel canteens, he followed the sound of rushing water until his dark eyes saw the river that flowed out from a small lake. The aqua ran through a bed of rocks- pure, clean, and crystal-clear - as if one could use it as a mirror.
Indra knelt by the bed of white and gray rocks as he scooped the water between his hands. He studied his face in the reflection and clicked his tongue in distaste at the thin sheen of sweat and dust over his features. He had not found a suitable place to bathe yesterday and his high status appalled him at how grimy he is becoming. It would be a pity to soil such precious water, but his need must be satiated first.
He drank lumps of the cool water and had filled his canteens to the brim. After which, Indra proceeded to undress. His cloak and travelling pack lay behind on one side of a boulder as he shed off the white kimono and black sash to reveal his dark suit underneath. He was only able to shed the top, revealing a toned and muscular chest, all the while admiring the glimmering lake under the steady stream of the waterfall, when he felt a spike of foreign chakra.
Water suddenly spewed forth from the lake, twisting up like a geyser until it split in two. It flapped like wings methodically as if it had a life on its own until it fell back into the water. Stopping as quickly as it began. Then something else rose from the water. A woman.
She sprang from the center of the lake, and felt as if time slowed down on purpose to let him marvel at the sight of her creamy, nude skin, as she arched her back to let her hair fan out like a halo around her head. He did not even register the oddity of her pink locks as he stared, water droplets that fell from her rise reflected the rays of the sun, making her shine and sparkle like a rare gem.
Her eyes were closed as she ran her hand over her head and down her neck, as her hair laid down gracefully, floating around the water that covered her just below her navel. She hummed in contentment, relishing the coolness of her skin, before she opened her eyes.
Verdant eyes stared directly at his direction and all they could do was stare. But it did not last as her face heated with evident rubor from the base of her neck up to the tips of her ears. Indra snapped from his trance just in time to avoid a projectile of water that flew to his direction. It tore a clean hole right through the thick tree trunks behind him. He reflexively activated his sharingan as he dodged every small spout that seemed to increase in number with his every step.
The tomoe in his eyes spun at the slight falter of projectiles and to the massive ball of water that he now realized, was growing bigger in size while he ran and dodged. There was a voice nagging in his mind just how this woman was able to use ninshu but he had to shove it at the back of his mind for now as the ball of water thrice his size careened towards him. Indra formed practiced hand signs at such a speed it was impossible to see with the naked eye before he opened his mouth. The air immediately shifted in response to him and wisps of fire immediately accumulated into a ball of fire that rivaled the one the woman made.
With a jerk of his head, the fire ball clashed with the incoming water ball and the meeting seared the area with temperate steam. The opposing elements hissed upon contact as it warred with every last drop and ember until it dissipated entirely. Indra kept his guard up, ruby eyes shifted left and right for any subtle movement and in search for any abnormal chakra. However, as the steam and dust that enveloped him cleared, the woman of pastel pink hair was nowhere to be seen.
His instincts told him that he should not let the calmness of the area fool him and he was right to listen to it as a shadow whizzed towards his direction. Indra jumped back just in time before the woman's fist could hit him and instead, punch the earth below them. Her deceivingly delicate hand shattered the hard rocks below, disturbing that side of the river. Soil, debris, and gallons of water sprung from beneath their feet.
Indra barely landed before the woman lunged at him again. She was fast, too fast. He had not seen anyone move so fast except for his father, and with such physical power that would shame the bulkiest of men. If he had not seen her finely shaped breasts then he would have doubted her being a woman. With no chance to dodge the woman's incoming fist, Indra decided to meet her head on.
However, he was not able to succumb her into the world he called the Tsukuyomi, for the moment they were face to face, noses barely touching, the woman gasped and immediately drew back her fist. With his sharingan, Indra saw her sudden change but was not one to stop just for that. He reached out to grab her wrists and that seemed to have snapped her from her trance.
The woman slammed her forehead to his, making Indra grunt, but that did not loosen his grip. It only made his fist tighter around her slender wrist. Irked at the confoundedness of a woman successfully hitting him when no one else ever could, the brunette pinned her down on the shattered rocks. Using his weight to keep her down, he straddled her hips to secure her place as his thumbs pressed down on the nerve of her wrist, rendering them useless.
The pain was evident on the woman's contorted face, brows furrowed, fangs bared, and a grunted scream escaped her lips- refusing him to let him hear how in pain she was. She started to kick her legs around but he mercilessly pinned them with his knees on her thighs. His weight alone was enough to stop her thrashing as much as she tried, her eyes burned with obvious displeasure and Indra would have smirked.
He let her thrash and squirm in hopes of breaking free from his secure hold of her as he just stared at her with red eyes watching every miniscule shift of her features from panic to anger to fear and to anger again. It felt like hours had gone by but Indra didn't care nor did he notice. For some reason, watching her struggling at his mercy pleased him. His father taught him and his brother the value of women and his actions may seem low for retaliating and causing her pain, but in his defense, this woman struck first with evident intention of causing him harm. Yes, he only acted in self-defense. But in some twisted way, the feeling of dominance made his chest swell.
Finally, the pink-haired woman stopped. She glared at him, taking a deep breath and letting it out through flaring nostrils to regain her breath. Then she clicked her tongue and spoke.
"I never thought that I would need to do this." her smooth, velvety voice echoed in his ears and Indra barely opened his mouth to answer when she suddenly rose her head. She did not head-butted him as he initially thought but instead, she pressed her lips to his.
Shock immediately shot through his spine, his dark eyes grew wide at the feeling of another person's lips touching his for the first time. It shut his brain off of every thought and his muscles stiffened with numbness except for the soft contours over his gaping lips. Indra felt another shock of electricity bolt up his spine when the woman shamelessly inserted her tongue in his.
He stayed there, frozen, and unmoving when his instincts shouted at him to fight back. But the sensation of her pliant tongue touching his own, of it running shyly over his molars, caressing the inside of his cheeks, made Indra feel lightheaded. His eyes began to droop to a close, his grip loosened on her wrists and his knees went back to her sides in a straddle. Larger hands moved on their own to cup her cheeks and the gasp she emitted from their connected mouths pleased him. Indra started to respond carefully, wanting to run his tongue over hers. She made another, softer noise and the Otsutsuki hummed in approval at the feel of her clothed breasts pressed over his naked chest.
He felt liquid seep from hers and he shamelessly lapped it up before swallowing the amassed liquid he suspected was their shared saliva. The moment the last drop went down his throat, Indra immediately felt rigid. Every muscle in his body paralyzed into a complete stillness with opening his eyes as the last action he was able to do.
His eyes, tuned back into their dark pools, stared at her emerald ones that looked at him with disgust. The bright, burning flame he saw in those depths was the last he saw before he succumbed to darkness.
Anger was evident with his every step, scaring any creature anywhere near his path. How degrading! He! The pioneer of ninshu! Tempted and defeated, by a woman! No- not defeated, he refuse to acknowledge that. That wench!
As he stood on the dirt path atop a hill, Indra's frustration diminished somewhat when he saw a tavern. With lights seeping from the windows just as the sun was setting over the distance. He was tired and immensely irked, he might as well treat himself with a decent meal and a proper bed after all this time.
.
"Have you heard anything at all?" pink brows furrowed with eyes glimmering with hope. The innkeeper and the informant in front of her equally frowned, releasing a dejected sigh.
"Forgive us, blossom." the informant spoke. "But my birds sing no song of any head that resembles yours."
"And I have not heard a tale from anyone who come by nor have visited by anyone that carry The Little Goddess' name." added the innkeeper.
The pinkette took a deep breath at the news, her shoulders slumped, looking sadly to one side before mustering a smile to the two men in front of her. The informant was reaching for the bag tied by his hip when her hand shot over to stop him. The informant looked at her in confusion.
"But blossom-"
"It is alright." she gave him a reassuring smile. "I hired you and I paid for you, even though I knew it to be a difficult task. I thank you for being honest with me."
"An informant who lies to his client is no informant. I can never lie under your mystic eyes and to you personally, blossom. But it does not change the fact that I have failed you."
"You did not fail me. I asked you to scour the mountain ranges- you even went and bothered to search further to the north, for any sign of my family." she patted his calloused hands "You did not fail me. At least, now I know my family is not in the mountain ranges- it narrows my choices of where to find them. You have done well, I thank you."
The informant could only bow deeply, repeating words of forgiveness and gratitude.
"I think it be best if we should all rest and have a good fill of our stomachs. What say you, blossom?"
The pinkette smiled widely at the old man, "I think that is wonderful, Morio-san. It has been a long day and I sure am famished."
.
"What can I offer you, stranger?" Indra eyes the innkeeper behind the bar before tossing a few coins without thought.
"A meal and a room for the night" he answers and the old man nodded before disappearing towards the kitchen.
The inn was bustling with travelers and men that carry weapons on their person- some might even be bandits (if there are, he wonders why this inn hasn't become a fighting pit already) laughing, drinking, and eating merrily without care minding only their own business. Indra has never left the village his father rules so he has only heard tales from servants and travelers that pass by about what it's like outside the walls. Most of them were not pleasant but Indra was undeterred, he even looked forward to it, and he is not concerned- he knows he is strong and powerful enough to defend himself against these people. After all, he has the power that puts him above all of them- ninshu.
"NOOO!" a loud wail earned his attention to the table to his right where a crowd cheered, laughed, and groaned in exasperation. Some of the men passed bags of coins or items of value to the other while some slammed them on the table. From what he could see between the spaces of huddled bodies, were what seems like Hanafuda cards displayed evenly on the table.
Indra scoffed at the low form of entertainment- gambling.
But amidst the loud cheers and jeers, a laughter- more soft and pleasing to the ears- evidently feminine, rang in his ears.
"And thus another victory for the blossom!" someone announced and the people in the inn cheered, raising their bottles or cups of sake towards their table.
"I admit that was the most fun I have ever experienced!" 'Blossom' spoke. "I thank you for the wonderful match. Care for another round, Kongo-san?"
A hearty laugh answered, "As much as I would love to avenge my loss, I am afraid that if I do then I will have no more coins to pay for a good bath in the springs, blossom!"
More laughter and the man stood, easily towering over the spectators. Indra watched as the man bowed to the person before him before heading to an empty table and shout to the innkeeper to bring him a double fill of meat and a large bottle of sake while he ordered a lady's beverage for the girl. Soon the crowd dispersed to their own tables and the brunette finally had a clear view of the woman.
She wore clothing similar to a miko, with the common white hitoe- wrapped and tucked elegantly under her red nagabakama. The only difference from the common priestess garbs were the slits by her shoulders that revealed a teasing glance of her ivory skin, red sode-kukuri laced through the outer ring of the sleeves, and she did not wear a white haori.
Her long, pink hair that reached past her waist was tied loosely midway below her shoulder blades while two locks were tied with bandages beside her face similar to his. Before he knew it he was immediately in front of her and as if sensing the sudden spike in his chakra, the woman turned to him. At first looking at him with indifference, until she smirked mischievously behind her fan.
"Hello there, would you fancy a game of Hanafuda with me?"
"I have no interest in partaking in your silly games, woman." he knew by now that his sharingan had most likely activated but a part of him confused and frustrated him at the fact that the woman seemed undeterred. She's even looking at him in the eye.
"Is that so? How unfortunate." she stood up, gathering the coins and stones on the table into her bags before strapping them to her waist. She gathers the cards in one sweep. "If you will excuse me-"
Indra's hand shot towards her arm in a firm grip. Instantly, the inn became silent but Indra couldn't seem to care. The pinkette looked from his hand and to his face in innocent question.
"Do not think that I have forgotten what you have done to me, woman." he glared at her that would make men shivering under his gaze. "How dare you humiliate me."
"Humiliate you?" she rose a delicate brow, revealing her smirk as she folded her red fan. "Oh, is it because you have been bested by a girl?"
The laughter in her voice only irked him more but before he could fully unsheathe his blade with his free hand, multitude of swords and arrows were pointed in his very person. Without moving his head, Indra glared at the men who dared to raise their weapons at him- finding some satisfaction as other shifted uncomfortably when they met his red gaze, but they continue to remain seemingly undeterred and held their ground.
"Do you really think these barbarians are enough to protect you?" he hissed at the pinkette. The woman laughed.
"Barbarians?! Are you confused?" she couldn't stifle her giggle enough which followed by chuckles from the rest. "Assaulting a defenseless woman like a savage, do they not teach you honor from where you came from? Because I sure see you more as a barbarian compared to these honorable men."
That seemed to have done him. He couldn't bear to take any more of this humiliation from this damn wench! Never had he ever experienced such disrespect on his person in all his life! The tomoes in his sharingan immediately spun and entered her mind. Woman or not he needed to show this girl just where she belongs. He sees her verdant eyes start to cloud, signaling that the girl has fallen for his illusory world but what happened next surprised him yet again.
The pinkette smiled sweetly at him.
"I don't think so." she said in a sing-song voice. "Release!"
He could feel himself pushed back rather harshly that he fell back on his rump. The force that sent him back was a kin to a gust of wind that blew right at his face. He snapped his head up to retaliate only to find the end of her folded fan at the tip of his nose.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, good sir." She said in her melodious voice laced with mirth. Just then, a bearded bear of an old man came up beside the pinkette. He placed a big hand on her shoulder in a surprisingly gentle touch, almost fatherly, as he addressed her.
"Are you alright, blossom?" with his other hand, he places it over his hip. The gesture opened his yukata just enough to reveal the hidded wakizashi blade.
"I am quite alright, sir innkeeper." She answered playfully, verdant eyes not straying from his that reverted back into his black coal ones.
Indra could feel his molars grinding behind his pressed lips. Anymore of her smiling face and he might actually tear her them off so he could put it back in an inverted position. Those soft, alluring, sweet lips of hers…
The innkeeper dropped his hand from his shoulder to look down at him instead. An odd sort of satisfaction welled up inside the Otsutsuki when the big man who was actually leering at him did not feel as irritating as he did with the woman's.
"I don't like that look in your eyes, boy." He started, making Indra's brows furrow- aghast at what he just dare call him.
"Boy?" Indra sneered, only to feel a soft flick to his nose by the woman's fan- who only giggled at him in amusement.
"Don't be so harsh on him, sir innkeeper." She interjected before returning to him. "That's right- boy. Tis a common term among us vagabonds. Your age does not matter, and we could not care less. Anyone who has just came out of the safety of their homes and villages are properly called as such. Isn't that right, boy?"
"And that's just one. Listen here, see that sign over there?" Added the innkeeper. He pointed at the wall next to the entrance of the inn and Indra recognized it as the same symbol at the sign outside of the establishment. It was a very intricate carving of a flower with five petals enclosed in a circle. "That there indicates that this place is neutral ground. Meaning that no matter how low or how high your status is in your territory, while you are here, you will became no one and be treated as equals. Any offenders will be rightly taken care of."
Indra snorted at that, feeling a bubbling sort of mirth and amusement. Just the thought of these men coming up to challenge his might almost made him smile. But that was immediately suppressed when he stole a brief glance at the pinkette and remembering their earlier scuffle. With a weightless push of his hands on the wooden floors, Indra stood to clap his hands free of the dirt and dust as he coldly walked past the smiling pink-haired woman.
He didn't look back to see the woman motion her hand away in command, thus the rest of the men in the inn drew back their swords and weapons and even gave the sulking brunette the berth that led him to the flight of stairs to where a young waitress stood nervously. The innkeeper waved his hand at the girl and with a gulp of reluctance, followed the young man up to show him to his room.
The pinkette sighed as she opened her red and white fan with a flick of her wrist. Her hand rested below her breasts as her amused emerald gaze fell back on the flight of stairs. "Do you suppose I was the one too harsh on the poor boy?"
Chuckles erupted as one of the men answered her, "Not at all, blossom!"
"If the lady wishes, we could go and have a more in-depth talk with him." added another that was followed by nods and murmurs of agreement.
She chuckled as she turned around. "Oh gentlemen you are all too kind. But I suppose it is only appropriate if we leave him be for today. Let him savor this one moment as a lesson of what it's like out here."
Howls of yes and salutes complied before the armed men resumed their attention to their drinks and tales of travels.
"Well, I still feel a bit responsible so I suppose it is just appropriate if I see to him, am I right?" she giggled and with graceful steps like a princess, walked soundlessly up the stairs as one hand held up her kimono while the other held her fan to her lips. Though the smile was still evident by the crease of her eyes.
"You seem to have caught another interesting fellow, blossom." The innkeeper laughed heartily. "We know very well you are quite capable but still, be careful around that boy, Aini. There's a hint of danger hidden behind those eyes of his."
"Oh sir innkeeper, I truly appreciate your concern. And please Kishi-san, as I have said before, you may just call me Sakura."
Will continue depending on the feedback.
Ciao~!