Chapter 2
Something in the Air
The all female shinobi school was hidden deep in the wooded mountains near Osaka. Not a terribly long way from Yamanuchi and there were many aspects of the schools that were similar. Both had been carved out of the mountains in which they were nestled. The stone architecture was the same in many respects as well as the general layout. However, these similarities only served make the differences even starker. There was something in the atmosphere that Ron found unnerving. He expected to feel extremely uncomfortable being the only male presence. He had pictured questioning looks and lingering eyes following him wherever he went. However, the reality turned out to be quite the opposite. Aside from the girl who met them at the front entrance everyone pretty much seemed to ignore him. Yori on the hand drew more than a few stares. It was another thing at seemed just a little off to him. Ron thought Yori felt it too because her posture was stiff and her steps were larger then normal.
The sun was quickly disappearing behind the mountains and the shadows were stretching into darkness. Torches were being lit to give light in the courtyard as they passed. The young girl who said her name was Hitomi led them into a building in the center of the courtyard. The inside was quite ornate. The walls were covered with banners and drapery all with intricate patterns weaved with gold thread. At one end of the room Azami Kira reclined on a set of cushions arranged so they vaguely resembled a throne. On either side of her gold and jade stands held burning incents that filled the room with a smoky cinnamon scent. If that were not enough Kira was herself a striking figure. She was tall and broad shouldered. She wore a black gi that was open down to her pelvis. Which showed off her ample bosom. A red sash wrapped around her waist and the ends flowed down the cushions to the floor. Ron caught himself staring at her and tried to look away. But, his eyes were drawn back as if there were some kind of force pulling them to her.
"Azami-Sensei." Yori broke the tension folding her hands and bowing. Ron followed her lead and bowed as well.
Kira smiled and stood. "Welcome friends from Yamanuchi. I hope your journey was pleasant."
"It was." Yori gave a slight nod.
"Tell me…" Kira said. "How is your master?"
"He is well and sends his greetings." Yori answered. Ron shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Though she had looked at them both when they entered Kira had thus far only addressed her questions to Yori. This made him self-conscious and he even began to wonder why he was here at all. Kira approached Yori and placed her hands on her shoulders. Ron saw Yori stiffen even more at this action.
"I am glad to hear it. He and I are old friends." Kira leaned toward Yori.
"Be sure…" Kira drew closer and placed a single kiss on Yori's forehead. "…To give him mine."
Yori swallowed hard. "Hai… I will." Kira removed her hands from Yori's shoulders and took a step backward. Ron let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. There was a strange energy surrounding the old ninja. It was similar to what he felt walking through the school's grounds but far more potent and powerful.
"I know you must be eager to fulfill your mission but I hope you will indulge us by observing our school's customs." Kira said.
"What customs?" Ron found his voice and decided to use it in case it left him again. For the first time Kira turned and spoke to him.
"We like to honor our guests with a meal before getting down to business." Ron wasn't very interested in taking the time for a meal. He wasn't hungry and he had a growing desire to leave as soon as possible. However, he couldn't well disrespect the hospitality of an ally when it was offered… and in the end he didn't have to because Yori spoke up to accept the offer before he had a chance to respond.
"We would be honored to accept." Yori bowed. Kira smiled looking at her again.
"Hitomi will show you to a washroom where you may wish to prepare and will return to bring you to the dinning hall." Kira bowed and they returned the gesture making sure to bow lower. Once she was gone Hitomt returned to escort them.
The washroom turned out to be a large room with showers, a swimming pool and a hot springs. There was even a sauna at one end. Ron thought they were just supposed to wash there hands and face but Hitomi directed them to the showers and laid out fresh dress gis for them to change into. She said she would return in twenty minutes time to bring them to the meal. There appeared to be no one else in the room but Ron decided to do a sweep of the area anyway. His search confirmed what he felt, that they were alone. As he walked back to the showers he wondered if he were being paranoid. He had learned to trust his training and he did have a feeling something was off here but perhaps it was just because he wasn't used to this place yet. Yori was already in one of the shower stalls so Ron stripped and went into a neighboring stall. The water was hot right out of the faucet indicating it was fed by the same source that fed the hot spring. Ron closed his eyes and let the water wash over his face. Then he heard the curtain to his stall move. He instinctually spun toward the sound bringing his hands up into a defensive position. However, the intruder was not an unknown assailant… it was Yori.
Yori stood at the entrance to his shower stall holding the curtain to the side. In the instant after he saw her face he realized she was standing there naked. Ron spun around again feeling warmth in his cheeks.
"Yori… what are you doing in here?" Ron yelled. The curtan fell and he sensed Yori come up close behind him.
"We must speak quietly." She said just loud enough for him to hear over the water. Ron's head swam and he found it difficult to think. Heat radiated off Yori's body, he could feel it against his back.
"What are you doing in here?" Ron repeated in a lower voice.
"I needed to speak with you… so no one could see or hear." Yori paused. "Is there a problem?" Was she joking or just totally unaware of the effect she was having? It didn't matter the situation was making him extremely uncomfortable but he didn't want to let that show.
Ron cleared his throat. "No… no problem… what did you want to talk about?" Ron's voice came out high pitched and shakier then he intended, like he was 15 again.
"Have you been feeling something wrong with this place?" Yori asked. Ron let out a deep breathe. Despite there predicament Yori was all business. Ron forced himself to clear his mind, to focus on the issue instead of the naked girl behind him.
"Yes… I've felt it." Ron nodded.
"I do not know what it is but I am certain it is centered around that woman… Azami." Yori said.
"I noticed she only spoke to you… until I asked her a direct question."
"It's more then that… there is… an energy about her. I felt drawn to her in a way I have never experienced…" Yori paused. "Except… you know…"
"You mean you're attracted to her?" Ron asked.
"Not exactly… I felt myself wanting to listen to the sound of her voice. I wanted to trust her to learn from her and to devote myself to her." Yori clarified.
"I didn't experience any of that… I just felt a wave of intensity… almost oppressive like a hand weighing me down." Ron said.
"I am sure if I spent enough time close to Azami-Sensei I would develop other feelings for her… like the ones you spoke of." Yori admitted.
"How is that possible?"
"I have read many stories about people with energy forces that could influence those around them. About evil men who warped the good nature of others to follow him and Warriors who could lead legions of men into a battle of certain defeat." Yori said. Ron mulled this over. He had read some of the stories Yori was talking about but until now they had just been stories. He hadn't really thought about a living person having such power.
Ron asked. "What should we do?"
"Don't let act as if anything were wrong and complete our mission." Yori said simply.
"Complete is as quickly as possible." Ron added. He felt Yori's hand rest on his shoulder and a jolt of electricity shot through his body.
"There is one thing more." Yori said pulling in closer so that their bodies were almost touching.
"I have given you my heart… if you believe I am falling under Azami-sensei's influence… all you need to do is remind me." Ron felt Yori move away, she withdrew her hand and he heard the privacy curtain lift.
"Come we must be ready when Hitomi returns."
The dinning hall was just as impressive as the rest of the school. Several small tables were joined together to form a larger one that wound around the room like a serpent. The set up was unlike anything Ron had seen before. The only break in the continuity was a raised section of floor at the back of the room. The platform contained Kira's table where she alone sat above everyone else. Hitomi led them around the room to the platform. Ron tugged at the back of his gi. It was to small and kept shifting uncomfortably as he walked. Of course Yori's fit perfectly.
"Azami-sensei has requested that you join her at her table." Hitomi told them, her voice laden with something Ron could only identify as jealousy.
"Your service honors us and it honors you." Yori smiled and bowed to Hitomi. For a moment the antagonism in the young girls eyes subsided, replaced with admiration and she returned Yori's bow. Then she left them to return to her friends. Since Kira was interaction most directly with Yori Ron decided to follow her lead. He hoped things would go more smoothly if Kira believed Yori were in charge. Kira saw them standing at the base of her platform. She smiled and beckoned to them. They stepped onto the platform and sat down at the table with Kira.
"I am pleased you could join me." Kira said looking pointedly at Yori.
"We are honored!" Yori responded without missing a beat. She was much better at the social interaction thing even with someone like Azami Kira. Of course she had been training for situations like this for years, what amazed Ron was how effortless she made it look and wholly sincere she could seem… even when she was faking it. The food came out moments later. The first platter was delivered to their table. It contained sushi roles, cooked fish with vegetables and steamed rice. It was nothing like the simple bento boxes he was used to at Yamanouchi. Just about everything about this school was different from Yamanouchi.
"I've noticed some of you methods differ from the ones we're used to." Ron tried to sound casual. Kira looked out over the room. The food was laid out and all the students had taken their seats.
"Our methods may be different but they have been developed over the course of centuries to produce the very best Shinobis." Kira smiled and stood. All the eyes in the room turned toward her.
"We are here to honor the presence of our visitors from Yamanouchi. Be sure to show your respect!" Kira voice boomed through the dinning hall without amplification. Every one of the girls stood in unison.
"Hoo-ha" They shouted and saluted together as if of one mind.
Kira Saluted back. "Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu!" The girls called back. They all resumed their seats and began to eat. Kira sat back down still smiling. Ron looked out over the room for a moment feeling that whole display was for their benefit.
"It's interesting." Ron looked at Kira. "You claim to have the best ninjas but we never heard of your school until yesterday."
Kira chuckled. "Considering secrecy is vital to a ninja's existence I would have thought it spoke to our success." Something in Ron seethed. He could not explain why, but he hated this woman. Ron wasn't accustom to hating people. In training he was taught to identify enemies and to eliminate them. There was little room for emotions like hate and they tended to get in the way more than help by clouding the mind. Still, all rationale aside Ron still felt hatred for Kira bubbling up inside him. He was sure part of it had to do with Yori the effect Kira was having on her but there was something else too… something deeper and older like an old grudge. It didn't make much sense to him and he tried to clear his mind so he could focus but it was still there gnawing at the back of his thoughts.
In the next chapter: After the meal the ritual is held in the courtyard. However, a mysterious presence lurks in the shadows waiting to strike.
