Chapter 2: Memorial - 追悼Tsuitou

追悼- Tsuitou

Osaka, Oct. 1922

Reverberating sounds filled the bustling station as the train slowly came to a halt. Hinata fidgets in her seat as she looked outside from the window, her eyes lingered along the platform in search for a familiar face and immediately found it among the milling crowd. He was there waiting for her, smiling and looking back with eyes like her own.

She ran towards the exit as she kept sight of him through the trail of windows between them, nothing else mattered to her─ not anyone, not anything except that very moment─ everything, even time itself seemingly became still when she finally stood before him.

"Nii-san…" Hinata said softly as tears formed in both their pale-lavender eyes while their hands reached out for each other─ closer and closer, their fingertips almost touching until the abrupt screeching cries of the train's whistle cruelly awoken her from a dream.

旅に病で

夢は枯野を

かけ廻る

Sick on a journey,

my dreams wander

the withered fields.

The streaming sunlight blinded her momentarily as Hinata stirred back to consciousness, she felt the frantic beat of her own heart in rhythm with the vibrations of the train moving along its tracks. She tried to make sense of her surroundings and saw a glimpse of her own doleful image in a black kimono reflected in the windowpanes, a sharp contrast with the fiery colors of the autumn scenery that passed by.

She instinctively grasped for the dried lavender in her pocket and stroked it against her cheeks leaving traces of its scent on her skin. She closed her eyes and heard Neji's voice in her mind resonating from a precious memory not so long ago.

"Please come back home safely and…" Hinata was silenced by his finger that touched her lips

"Will you have me when I come back?"

"Yes….of course" she answered without hesitation in her voice.

Neji moved slowly towards Hinata and their lips found each other. "I love you" he whispered after they parted, he leaned his forehead against her temple and held her face tenderly with both hands

"I promise I'll be back and we'll be together" he said before his lips touched hers again.

Hinata wandered back to the present once more, a single teardrop escapes from her eyes.

"Some promises are not meant to be kept" she thought painfully as the city loomed ahead. She was reaching her destination and she fervently hoped the trip would never end for it meant facing the reality that she still can't grasp and perhaps─ never will.

Konohana District, Osaka Oct 1922

An auburn-haired young man dressed in formal military uniform with a sheathed guntō quietly bowed as he handed a silk envelope to a household member who received it with a polite gesture. The young man was then ushered quietly into the hall for the wake.

Everything in the Hyūga residence manifested of death veiling it with a dark and sombre atmosphere so palpable it rouses awareness to one's very own transience. A deafening silence reigned in the room occasionally broken by the stifled cries from the women and shinshoku's low chants. The immediate family were seated seiza style at the left side near the delicately crafted wooden kamidana elevated in a pedestal that bore Neji's portrait in the center surrounded with floras, a bowl of water and fresh persimmons.

The newcomer removes his hat upon entering and reveals a red kanji tattoo on his forehead. He walks towards the family and caught sight of a melancholic beautiful woman fingering a juzu in her hands, she seemed to be composed yet her eyes failed to hide the suffering inside her.

The young officer bowed before the family and finally before the shrine in front of him. He proceeded to offer some incense and a short prayer. After finishing, he bowed again to the family while giving a meaningful glance at the Hyūga clan head who nodded at him in response.

Hiashi rose quietly and was followed by the young man as he went towards an adjoining hall separated by a thin shouji door where only family and men entered.

In the middle of the hall was a wooden casket where Neji lay in repose. He was clothed in pure white kimono and his hands rested below his chest clasping a juzu entwined with a piece of dried lavender.

"Gaara-san, thank you for coming" said the clan leader solemnly

Gaara replied with a low bow and formally presented him a guntō "It is my honour Hiashi-sama and I wish to present you with a memento of Neji-san"

The clan leader received the sword with both hands and proceeded to bow before the casket while the young Gochō did the same. The clan leader carefully placed the blade between Neji's arms.

"And I'm also honoured to give you these" he handed Hiashi two small envelopes, one had the Imperial army stamp while the other had the words "Shousho Yuigon" written on it which the Hyūga clan leader opened right away.

Hiashi's usually stoic semblance was temporarily lost as he read the document, shifting from curiosity and sorrow to visible surprise. He folded and tucked the paper inside his kimono and proceeded to read the letter from the army which conveyed their sympathy for Neji's demise. It also stated the recognition of his promotion to Gochō Kimmu jōtōhei which was not formally conferred due to his untimely passing.

"My sincerest condolences again Hyūga-sama"

The clan leader sighed, briefly pausing before addressing him "Our family appreciates all your efforts but pardon me, I must leave you for a while"

The clan leader left and Gaara slowly approached the forlorn casket. He looked at his fallen comrade's face who showed no essence of death but of serenity, almost as if he was only in a deep slumber.

It was a better perception, he thought. Death was only sleep, free of the nightmares and equally the dreams of life. The young officer contemplated on memories of Neji and his eternal repose.

落日故人情

揮手自茲去

蕭蕭班馬鳴

The sun is setting

and I think of my old friend

Waving hands

as now you go

Desolate, dejected—

your team of horses cries.

"Farewell Neji Hyūga"

Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides

-Lao Tsu-

Footnotes:

First poem in this chapter – written by the famous Edo period poet Matsuo Basho. The poem is generally accepted as his farewell poem before he died of illness in Osaka.

Konohana District – one of the 24 wards of Osaka. This area is known to be a thriving port area due its proximity to the mouth of Denpo River. This area was chosen out of the 24 wards due to the similarity of its name to "Konoha", an attempt to give readers a sense of familiarity and connection between real places and that of Naruto's world .

Guntō – military sword used by the Japanese Imperial army and navy after the end of the samurai era. As the setting of this story occurs in 1922, the type of sword the Imperial army used is categorized specifically under Kyū guntō (used until 1934) which closely resembled western swords during that period.

Silk envelop – this refers to the Shinto practice called "Koden" when mourners give money to the immediate family to help with the funeral expenses. A paper envelope containing money and written with the giver's name is usually wrapped in silk cloth, since the Hyūga is a wealthy clan, this act was done more for keeping up with tradition than actual financial help.

Seiza – one of the traditional formal way of sitting in Japan

Shinshoku – Shinto priest

Kami-dana - household altars provided to enshrine a Shinto kami. (Please refer to Shinto religion for further reading)

Juzu – prayer beads similar to a rosary or japa.

Gochō – Japanese Imperial army rank equivalent to a Corporal

Gochō Kimmu jōtōhei – Japanese Imperial army rank equivalent to Junior Corporal (Senior Soldier acting as a Corporal)

Shousho Yuigon – last will and testament

Second Poem in this chapter – excerpts taken from the poem "Seeing off a Friend" by the Chinese poet Li Bai who is also known as Li Po who lived during the Tang Dynasty.

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to give their reviews. I hope I can continue to spark your interest with this fiction until its conclusion.