-Note: This story contains an Original Character set within the "Naruto" Universe. The elements in this story are fictional and are not considered canon.-
Artisan Kunoichi
-Prologue-
Saishiki Miyako was a maiko within the Land of Rivers, and she lived in the Village Hidden in the Valleys which in the center of their small country. The shinobi that resided there were all considered artisans; not like the ones from Takumi village, no, the Valley Shinobi preferred artistry expressed through genjutsu skills and taijutsu movements. Even their civilian villagers excelled in some kind of art form; whether it was music, dance, crafting, it was a fairly beautiful place to be.
The young geisha apprentice was soft in face and complexion. Her hair was a deep forest green and curled slightly at the ends. Her eyes were the color of dark amber framed by dark eyelashes and set above round rosy cheeks. Without her traditional makeup, Miyako could pass for a living porcelain doll, for she was tiny and looked fragile. However this was far from the truth; her elder sister as well as the Academy had taught her well. The wisteria pattern on the kimonos she traditionally wore demoted that she was from the local Okiya.
The Fujigawa Okiya was well known throughout the village having produced both talented shinobi and geisha alike. Miyako had been learning the mysterious ways of the geisha for several years now under her "Mother" Tamiko and "elder sister" Miyu. Even though none of them were related by blood, she did feel the familial love that any girl would have for a mother and sister.
Tamiko was well into middle age; the old lady's features reflecting that of someone of great wisdom, her dark olive eyes were warm and inviting, but could freeze a person to the spot should the old lady be angry. Once a famous geisha herself, Tamiko was now content in passing on her legacy to the next generation.
Miyu, on the other hand, was full with the bright spirit of life. Not only was she a geisha, but a practicing kunoichi as well at the Jonin level. It was a delicate balance, and Miyu was able to pull it off. Miyako often was in awe over the deadly skills her elder sister had in her repertoire. Specializing in genjutsu, Miyu used her body to weave the delicate chakra distortions within her enemies' bodies to make them go numb. She could send them spiraling upwards in pleasure, or send them down into painful depths of their own personal hells. Needless to say, she used both her talents no matter the job. Miyako considered herself lucky to have such a person be her elder sister.
The balance between kunoichi and geisha was a delicate one, not all women could balance both jobs efficiently. It took strength of heart and force of will to become an Artisan Kunoichi as they were called. The missions that the women went on were always slightly different than the men's. These kunoichi were always the ones used for infiltration and gathering intelligence, for it was what they learned as geisha that the Artisans used to get what they wanted. A subtle glance here, a gentle touch there, maybe a dance or a song or two…used with soft spoken words could loosen many tongues. "Seduction" seems like a harsh word but that's what the Kunoichi of the Valley did. They were the enchantresses of the ninja world. However if things called for a firmer hand, their ninja arts would be employed in a smooth mixture of hand signs and weaponry, not a step was out of place. They were a proud section of female warriors. When the time came to settle down, the Artisans would cease to be both geisha and kunoichi, instead focusing on the tasks of motherhood and family. It was not something that the women would do lightly though, for an Artisan's heart was always hard to reach.
Detachment from personal romance was the price the majority of Artisans paid for learning the precise ways of the warrior and the geisha. Love and even strong emotions could blind you from the task at hand; whether that task was to please the guests at a party or fighting a harsh battle outside village walls. As such the elder kunoichi were often engaged until they were no longer able to do the majority of ranked missions or decided it was time to start on mentoring a "daughter". Bloodlines were rare among the kunoichi of the village, unless their father possessed a familial skill proficiency or a kekkai genkai.
Miyu was the "daughter" of Mother and would one day inherit the okiya from her. Miyako was very privileged to be under the direct tutelage of the "family." As such she had advanced to the rank of Chunin fairly quickly within her village ranks.
Saishiki Miyako's story begins here…
The painted porcelain doll will come alive in the Village Hidden in the Valley raised in the world of the Artisan Kunoichi. There will be hardships and lessons that she will learn. She will meet people who will ultimately change her destiny. She will also encounter those that would try and shatter the doll's whole way of thinking.
Ultimately she will learn that a life without romantic love, for her, is only half of a life.
-1- The Painted Child
The morning rays on sun slowly began to creep into room as Miyako began to gently rouse from her evening sleep. She opened her eyes and sat up, reaching her hands high as she stretched herself out…right before plopping herself right back onto her makura, a headrest she used when her hair was done in the traditional uniwata style. "Too early." She murmured aloud and closed her eyes.
A soft knock at her door and the young maiko opened her eyes once more. "My lady, it is time to get up." It was one of the maids. "Mother is expecting you to be on time today. You have both lessons as well as an engagement down at the town square."
With a groan, Miyako sat up and sighed. "All right," she conceded. "Tell Mother I will be down momentarily, thank you Ayame." The soft thumps of footsteps signaled the maid's departure, and when she had gone Miyako swept a foot behind her and slowly rose from her futon. She winced slightly as her back cracked in protest.
"I hate having my hair done…sleeping on that infernal headrest does not do well for my body." She then thought of the alternative of seeing the hairdresser every time and shuddered. She envisioned the comb raking across her tender scalp and the hot oils that were placed in her hair, the excruciating process took hours. "Then again, it is being better than being manhandled on a daily basis." She slid out of her nightgown and changed into her yukata. It was a simple lavender color with no embellishments. Pretty kimonos and yukatas never lasted in ninja training, and they were expensive.
Leaving her room for the washroom the maiko inspected herself and gently brushed a few strands of hair back into place. She gently washed her face and smiled at her reflection. Looking your best was crucial to be considered a great geisha, as they were considered living works of art. She inspected her slightly rounded cheeks and dark set eyes. She rubbed her cheek gently and caused it to flush slightly. She was not overly vain, but Miyako took a certain degree of pride in her doll-like looks. When she was satisfied she walked down the stairs to the main level of the Okiya.
The smell of freshly cooked breakfast lingered in the air. "Well don't just stand there, come and eat my dear." It was Mother calling from the dining room. Miyako turned the corner and bowed politely. "Good Morning Mother." She responded with a nod of her head. "Come and eat." Her mother said once more. Miyako sat down at the table and began to eat her breakfast.
"Miyu is to take you into town tonight to help entertain the local business men." Her mother explained. "Karashi will be there as well as the Valley's Keeper." The heir to the curry shoppe did not catch her attention, however, mention of the Valley's Keeper paused Miyako's feasting. The Tanigakure did not have a Kage, but rather a mentor and a guardian for the village itself; hence the term "Keeper" was used. Their current leader was Miyamoto Eiji, he was fairly young and enjoyed the company of the geisha district greatly, he was a bit of a perverted young man, but he never let his lecherous tendencies get the better of him. After all, he was only human. His taijutsu skills were unrivaled in all the village and the truth was, Miyako had a slight infatuation with their leader, any event that they both were present Miyako tried that much harder to stand out from her fellow Artisans as well as her fellow geisha. "What is the occasion?" She asked calmly as she resumed her meal.
"It is just the bi-yearly standard get together of local leaders and important dignitaries of the surrounding areas." Inwardly Miyako cringed, that meant the older men would be there too, and some of them were not shy if they wanted something, especially if sake had clouded their better reasoning.
"I see." She finally replied with a smile. "Then I shall do my best to make you proud, Mother." She stood, "Thank you for the meal." She said, "Now I must go and train with elder sister for a while. She and I are practicing Wind Release techniques with our fans today, we won't over do it this time, Mother, I promise." Tamiko simply smiled at her young maiko. "That's what you told me last time, and we had to carry you back inside the okiya."
"I mean it, this time." Miyako winked and gave a slight bow before heading outside to meet her sister.
'That's what you always say' The elder leaned back in her chair and looked after the young girl who went out the front door.
'Always so eager to learn, you give your all…you will become a splendid Artisan. So long as you never forget that the great artwork you will become will forever remain untouchable.'