Moonbeam: I would appreciate if you favorite this story, that you review it also. Either that, or I won't keep writing...This goes with all my other stories. It's not worth it to keep writing, and not get any responses. That's all I have to say. So please R&R.
((Chapter 1: Shogun of the Sun))
Ruby eyes stared lazily through dark lashes, stoic and unmoving, taking in all the slender around him as he lay in bed. Pillows of shadow-night black purred against his firm body as he moved to lay on his side, the silk touch barely registering to him. Sheets the color of plum wine hung loosely around his naked waist, revealing the muscled chest and powerful shoulders of a warrior. Locks of onyx were strew across the silk cushions, rivaling them in shear softness. The dark locks blended into the pillows sheen, and color, like the clouds on a night sky. Full lips were drawn in an emotionless frown, surrounded by a cruelly beautiful face staring from his window into the night, and gazing at the full moon.
He turned his head to glance at his chambers, the gold and plum bed hangings fell in satin, air waterfalls around the columns of his bed. Drawn screen doors were painted by ancient mythology scenes, however were covered by black satin curtains to keep light or shadows out. They were actually threaded with a thin, metal that acted as stitching, but also was laced with very deadly poisons, and armed to the many alarm systems. No intruders were coming through these walls. The furniture was made of was made of an exotic wood, honey-toned in color. Various weapons were displayed, but their edges or tools were blunt. It wouldn't do for an invited guest to assassinate the shogun from his own arms collection in his personal chambers. The cold eyes then turned to the nude slumbering woman by his side. She was a beauty, skin of creamy ivory, a thin face, full breasts that could fill any man's hand, narrow hips, slightly protruding waist, leggy, long dark hair, narrow black eyes...
Just like my ususal bed partners, every once in a while they would present me with one with a different splash of color, perhaps in their eyes, maybe a chocolate brown or a sleepy green, murky in dark eyes. Maybe one with a slightly shorter hair length or maybe the color of a lighter brown, but that was it. She was nothing special, her face and name already blending with all the rest that had been before her. If I remembered correctly she had been a concubine from the batch of new girls in the harem of the emperor's palace. Oh, how he loved to annoy his baby brother like this. It was not the females that mattered, it was that he had taken something from his dear little Sasu-chan and he couldn't do anything about it. I found it amusing at times, how my little brother was supposed to be the sun goddess's most blessed, when I myself, as shogun really reaped her generous blessings.
Plus I was a man that found his carnal desires to be a bit more stronger than that of a regular male, and he prided himself on his stamina and virility. I knew the rumors that circulated about court, in the peasant towns, brothels ,and even the shrines. I was young, successful, ruthless, the most powerful and wealthy man in the entire country. Plus I knew myself to be very physically attractive, and topped with my sexual prowess, I could make any of my one-time lovers weep with need and yearn for me the rest of their lives for all I cared. Once my satisfaction was met, no matter how many woman it took, I didn't want anything to do with those chattering birds, they irritated me so. I preferred my solitude, nor did I entertain the idea of starting a family. I had no interest in relationships or courtship, just a quick roll in the sheets to satisfy my urges. After all, I was the most powerful man in the world, why shouldn't I sate myself on all the soft woman flesh I could command and seduce to my bed? They all came crawling willingly, and many said they were versed or taught in the art of sex and seduction.. Yet none of them seemed to be able to keep up with me in the bedroom. And if not in there, what luck could they have running my household?
If I were to ever marry, my wife would need to not only satisfy me in bed, but also keep the household in tact and bare my heirs. There were accounts, sums, contracts, market dealing, and other difficult tasks that most woman couldn't comprehend, let alone handle all with a stern grip. There were only a few woman I saw as honorable or intelligent, one being the Dowager Empress, his mother Uchiha Mikoto. She had held reason over her usually aggressive and grumpy husband, the late emperor, Uchiha Fugaku. Now there was a woman I held in the highest of honor, save the very illuminated Amaterasu, patron goddess of my family.
My mother had been my father's voice of reason, and though beautiful in a darksome way; and always softly polite, there was a firm edge to her demeanor that had given her the ability to rise to the role of empress. She had been the backbone of policy in the audience chamber when the emperor had died, and even now as she grew older, she directed my little brother towards the best decisions that he could make, be them only minor, menial things. The shogun ran the show, and everyone knew it.
I sighed and looked at the moon as it rose further into the sky. They would come and retrieve my most recent conquest soon, since only my legal wife was allowed to say with me in my bed chamber all night long. And just as I had predicted there was a discreet knock at the door. I sighed in agitation.
"Enter" I gave the order in a monotone bark. In came my personal attendant and two guards. I waved a hand towards the slightly drooling, sleeping heap of female flesh clustered in my good silk.
"I'm done with her, take her away."
The guards leered at her naked body, lewdly looking like they were going to fondle her, but my glare of disdain stopped them from groping the sleeping woman. I would have none of that. They could be perverts on their own time, not mine. If anything their activities were not to interfere with my social or political standing, since such behavior by my staff may have be looked down upon. If I was to maintain conttrol my servants must function in manerable fashion when they were on the clock. Best keep their perverse wishes to themselves and enact them away from the noble eyes of their most revered shogun. Then the damned female started to wake as the guards lifted her naked body from the sheltering silk, threw her clothes at her, as they set her right on her feet with a great shake. The thing looked disoriented, pathetically confused, as if she was surprised about what was happening.
"My lord, what is the meanin-" Already, even awake, this nuisance was bothering me. I fixed her with a red stare, full of boredom and mocking. I spoke calmly, my indifference I imagine was like a silent snake that struck in every word that fell from my lips.
"Don't you, you whore? You were meant to be a bed partner for a night, nothing more. But you couldn't even satisfy me for a quarter of that time. You willingly gave yourself to me. It's your own fault for believing this was anything more." The girl looked taken aback, speechless, but thenn moisture started to build up in her pretty, little eyes. I sniffed in irritation, here came the tears.
"But I was a virgin ,I thought you meant to make me your wife!" I sneered slightly at her, not really losing my cold mask, taking in her weeping little pointed face in mild disgust. How could I ever make such a whiney and stupid creature my bride? I chuckled without mirth at her expense, her cheeks heating in hurt and embarrassment.
"Why would I make such a little girl like you my wife? Such an honor is not meant for such a lowly thing like you. I don't care if you were a virgin or not. Your usefulness has ended. Guards get this pitiful mongrel out of my sights." I than turned from her broken form, still only half covered by her clothes as my perverted guards took her crying form away. I lay down in my cool sheets stiffly.
"Imperial General Uchiha-sama, is there anything else I can do for you this night?" came the serene voice of Akira. He always seemed to have a calm about him that was much of my own. He was strict with the household servants, but had a warmth in his heart for those deserving of it. That was something we didn't share. I had never been able to truly connect with anyone, save a few members on my close family, perhaps out of fear or disgust. Most men would believe that fear was a fault, a vulnerability meant to be extorted.
For the most part it was, but to me, in battle at least, fear held its purpose when it was called for. I was vastly unacquainted with it in battle, save when I was novice just starting to fight, but in life I was a coward. I have the ambition, power, wealth, breeding, intelligence needed to succeed at anything I set my mind to. Yet I was a true coward at not being able to make true lasting relationships.
I only admitted this to myself, because woman always set out to claim me as a toy. So why not turn them into puppets, my own dolls, playthings to break, use, and throw away as I pleased? It was either be used, or be in control. I liked being in control, no matter how lonely it was being at the top. I longed for the flesh, not the person inside of a beautiful body. It was too annoying to deal with both aspects of a woman. Why should I waste my time in trying to woo both, if I can just take what I want? No one had ever stooped me. Even with their bodies, most woman were a waste of space, meant to only be little dolls and breeding stock.
"No, Akira that is all" My attendant bowed deeply in the silence to me as he turned away and exited out of the open doorway.
I gazed at the sky again. I did not care if I had shamed her with my advances, the woman's concerns weren't mine to worry about. Let her snivel and be passed around to the men for all I cared. There was a hollowness though that made my chest ache at time. It was nothing medical either. I had been examined by many doctors and they had all said nothing was wrong, that I was in perfect health for a twenty three year old. At odd times though, mostly in quick silences like the one now, when I had only my mind to occupy myself, it would appear. The almost tangible feeling that something was missing, a piece of my life that wasn't there. That I hadn't found it, that my life wasn't whole. I couldn't place where the throbbing actually came from, but it annoyed and confused me. I didn't understand it at all.
I yawned in boredom, and bunked down to go to sleep. Suddenly the sheets felt ice cold against my body. He fell asleep not to long after that in the moon's light, its beams even vying to kiss his seductive skin. And the ache disappeared for a while, buried but not gone, till it would reappear the next morning.
I sat on my throne in the same way I would lie in bed, with the same inhuman poise as seen on the battle field, but with the air of a dominate calm, a quiet superiority that everyone could feel just fine on their own. The matters were uneventfully small this morn, but than again, save battle or sex, most things in my life did bore me. It had been the challenge to acquire the seat of power that had driven me to do anything to attain it, that forced me to become so ruthless in war, so vicious in politics, so inanely alone in personal affairs. And now that the support, the rank, the power had been won, it had turned into any ordinary hollow desk job even with the large amount of respect it entailed to me. Battles, or at least real fights, didn't come along often, so I =rarely found a challenge. And sex well, that lately had been losing it's appeal.
When I had been an untrained youth, back when I was truly becoming a warrior a woman's sultry promise was the most mysterious and tempting of rewards and fantasies. It was when I had lead my first victory in battle, just before Sasuke turned eleven, that my father arranged for one of the best courtesans in his harem to lay with me. I was fifteen at the time, a rookie upstart who had what seemed like a god's luck and a cool practicality even out of battle. The Shogunate had just established itself in power, but my father had still possessed much of the power our dynasty had held for centuries. Our family ran deep in Japan's history, back to when the great-grandson of Amaterasu had taken the throne and became our first emperor. Well the night I lost my virginity and became a man, was perhaps one of my more memorable moments I savor in my life. She was gentle with me, perhaps a bit cruel to keep me from releasing at times, but it had been a very eye-opening and pleasurable night.
From then on I learned all I could from her, my dear Kasumi, who would later become a good ally and friend in the imperial court, and a well-rounded teacher in the arts of the body and pleasure. I learned a lot from her, and trusted her as a good friend until she died just after I became shogun at age eighteen. She saved me quite a few times thanks to her connections. It may have seemed strange for a noble, a decedent of an emperor, an aspiring shogun to associate so closely with a glorified prostitute, but she had always be loyal and useful.
I shook my head from such sentimental rumblings, and went back into reality as my advisors went about reading the days business. From Kasumi I had learned the vast amount of ways of pleasure, and how to attain it for myself. Now I used that same primitive sense to go about my job. My instincts always lead me well, but it was the ability for my mind to calculate strategies swiftly that truly made me superior to my opponents. This behavior applied to everything in my life from my intimate world or to my politics I had to always maintain my head, stay three steps in front of everyone to achieve victory. The usual news was brought in: dams needing to be repaired to preserve the slowly disappearing water, people were in need of funds, ceremonies to attend, people to charm, meetings between the daimyos... The list went on and on.
" Tell Orochimaru-san to take up his request to commence the building of two thousand rooms to expand his compound with the Son of Heaven. Surely His Holiness can handle signing the permit for some buildings? Just have the final draft sent over to me before the emperor signs it."
I wanted to rub my temples, my head was killing me. I had been receiving these headaches for the last few months, and no one seemed to know what was wrong with me. No herbal remedies seemed to be relieving any of the tension. My eyes had become slightly foggy at the edges of my vison at odd times, which greatly worried me. Pain I could deal with, not the loss of my eyesight. My advisors were truly annoying at times, they just provoked a very violent urge in me at times. Though I never showed it, they were another nuisance I didn't wish to deal with. Another one of their voices broke through my slightly aggravated reverie.
"Your most imperial commander, we will need to journey to the Shideareyanagi-Himekami-Ichidou (The Weeping Willow Princess shrine) near Koyasen to pay our respects to honor the noble Sukuna-Biko-Na-Kami since the rains haven't been falling as frequently as they have been in the last five years." I narrowed my eyes at the idea. Sukuna-Biko-Na was a minor god, but was a vast patron of rain and medicine. If we were to displease him, not only drought would be possible as his punishment at the lack of respect, but also disease. We were due to make a sacred trip to the smaller shrines anyway, even the Willow-Princess temple.
If I remembered correctly the shrine was medium size, but had little visitors due to the very steep mountain terrain that surrounded it, being it was near Koyasen. It was headed by a few priests, but consisted mostly of sisters, female monks who came to devote their lives to Shinto or mikos, young shrine maidens meant to serve the temple until they were married. The journey there would also take a good amount of days, but it would also offer a change of scenery that was much needed in my view. And though all my reasoning made perfect sense to me in the rational part of my brain at the moment, yet when I heard the shrine's name I had felt the ache in my chest throb only for second. Than the oddest compulsion over came me to just comply with my chief of staff's suggestion. It was almost as if what I was seeking...I shook my head at the vary idea and didn't wait to ponder this peculiar phenomenon further.
"We need to pay the deity the just respect he deserves. To ensure we achieve the rains we need, I will pray to the sun goddess to ensure she knows of our plans. We'll head out tomorrow morning for the shine, give it will take almost two weeks if we travel swiftly enough. There won't be need for any parade or ceremony before we go. The offering should be kept quiet, given the sacredness of the situation. I'll leave you all in charge of making the appropriate changes and accommodations. Now let's move on to the more menial task shall we?" I sighed as I leaned back into my chair and waited for more of the petitions. This trip couldn't come sooner. The ache stayed all day.
(Within the mountains of Koyasen)
The mountain air was crisp and fresh as it blew through the trees, rustling the foliage about the stone pathway. There was a light scraping sound of sweeping as a young miko went about her duties, her job: cleaning off the local pathway to the shrine. The foliage was so green, the woman imagined it could rival the sea in color. At least that was what she imagined, as she had never been to the sea. She sometime daydreamed like that. She was alone this morning, the other maidens having pushed such laboring chores on her in pursuit of greeting guests or taking offerings to the gods.
Why did they think she was so weak, so much of a push-over?
Perhaps it stemmed from their childhood together, when she had been slightly more timid and scrawny than the others. But she didn't mind the chore, in fact she was rather fond of sweeping the path. It gave her time away from the other girl's insistent gossip, and complaining. Temple life wasn't for everyone. But she found it rather peaceful, so unlike the world she had existed in before her family sold her to the temple.
Viridian eyes smiled into the crystal blue morning, a slight grin formed on pink lips. The shrine was truly a sanctuary, from the violence of the outside world and the havoc most men brought with them. Even as a child she has seen what chaos could be wrought by others, what greed could do to people meant to care for those who needed them. A sad smile danced on her lips before they returned to their usually serious frown.
Yes, she had no patience to deal with such unpractical people.
It was annoying to deal with people who held to compassion or mercy for others, merely obsessing about themselves. It was greatly disheartening to the young miko, to see how humanity went about its existence. Here at least she thought she could do some good for the world and people, helping the injured and with the daily chores. So while the others dreamed of marrying a handsome, rich nobleman to escape the temple, she only wished to stay here. It was a pace where greed it seemed was greatly lacking. So yes she would remain here if she could, if not to help the people she had come to see as family, to devout herself to the gods, than to just simply allow herself to breath in this peaceful, sweet mountain air every morning for the rest of her life. Suddenly her face scrunched in confusion, a look of sheer skeptical bewilderment on her beautiful face before she brushed such notions out of her head as she continued with her chores.
Why had she thought for a moment the sun had been smiling at her?
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, anything of Japan and so forth. This applies for all chaps.
Note: I own my ideas, plotline, and story!