Saku Geisha

Chapter 2: The Departure

The next morning, Sakura anxiously got out of bed. She went downstairs, suitcase in hand, and walked up to the door.

"Hold on, dear" Sakura's mother said, "I want you to remember: When you become an apprentice, go to the Yuri Teahouse on your birthday." and she gave her a kiss and a shove out the door.

Just then, Jiraiya pulled up in his convertible. In it was Ino, waiting for Sakura to take a seat next to her in the back and on the radio, he was playing AC/DC "C'mon, Sakura!" He shouted, "We don't have all day."

Sakura was just standing in front of her house. She didn't want to leave.

"HURRY UP SAKURA-CHAN!" Ino shouted from the back seat, "BEFORE HE STARTS PLAYING THE BIG BALLS SONG AGAIN!!!"

Her brain suddenly woke up. She reluctantly put her bags in the trunk and got in.

"Now that's better." Jiraiya said.

"So, where exactly is this okiya, Jiraiya-sama?"

"It's just outside of town, around where the hot springs are."

"Oh, that far?"

"Yep."

After that, Ino started a conversation with Jiraiya. On this very sunny day, she could see many things from in the car, as she left them to their conversation. She saw many places from when she was much younger, such as the fountain in the center of town, where she was found after being lost, or the city gate, where she first saw Uchiha Sasuke, or the second most amazing natural wonder of all time (next to Mount Rushmore), the Hokage monument (well, not really a natural wonder, but it's still amazing) which isn't really that hard to see, seeing as how it's on the mountain that overlooks the village.

After about twenty minutes, Ino nudged her, "Hey, are you awake?"

"Huh?" Sakura came out of her trance, "Yeah, what?"

"You're just sitting there…"

"Well, maybe I like looking out the window. I just want to get a nice long look at this part of the village. We're going to a completely different district. It might be a while before I see it again."

"Hn, good point." She started talking to Jiraiya, "Hey, Jiraiya-sama! Can we play a different CD?"

"Okay, I've got some… Green Day, Ace of Base, The Who, Bon Jovi, Gogol Bordello, The Beatles, ABBA, Blink 182, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Orange Range, Zeppelin –"

"Put on some Zeppelin."

"Which album? I got 1-4, Houses of the Holy –"

"Number 4!!!"

"Okay," He put the CD in.

The song began, the short little overture began running around in the air around their heads, then the lyrics started, "There's a lady who's sure, all that glitters is gold, and she's buying a stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for." Sakura hung onto every word, as if there was nothing else in the world than that song, "And she's buying a stairway to heaven. There's a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure, 'cause you know sometimes words have two meanings. In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings, 'sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven!'" As the song picked up, she thought her predicament wasn't quite so bad.

"Oooh, it makes me wonder. Oooh, makes me wonder. There's a feeling I get when I look to the west, and my spirit is crying for leaving. In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees and the voices of those who stand looking. Oooh makes me wonder. Oooh, really makes me wonder. And it's whisper that soon if we all call a tune. Then the piper will lead us to reason. And a new day will dawn for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter." As the short interlude passed by, Sakura started humming along. "If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now, it's just a spring clean for the May Queen. Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there's still time to change the road you're on. And it makes me wonder. Oh! Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know, the piper's calling you to join him. Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know, your stairway lies on the whispering wind."

It was at this point that Sakura actually broke out into song herself. "And as we wind on down the road! Our shadow's taller than our soul! There walks a lady we all know!" Suddenly Sakura stopped dead when she noticed that Ino was looking at her funny.

"I didn't know you knew this song…"

"Yeah, my dad always used to play it when he thought everyone had gone to bed." Sakura said with a small voice as the rest of the song played in the background. She stayed quiet throughout the rest of the car ride.

When they arrived half an hour later, there was a woman, standing outside of the house they pulled up to, wearing a beautiful kimono. "Ohayo, my name is Yukie. Welcome to the Kitsumo Okiya."