OOC: This chapter was one of the most difficult pieces that I had written in a long time, and am very much indebted to a very long playlist that helped me put my thoughts to paper. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I've enjoyed working on it.
Komurasaki awoke to the sound of rain and thunder outside of her window. She watched quietly as shadows danced across the floor of her bedroom as lightening flashed in the wet sky. It was raining very hard today.
Brushing off the covers, she went to the window and opened the curtains, welcoming rain to Sunagakure. Komurasaki smiled a little. She loved the smell of a rainstorm in the air.
In the corridor, Miyoko carefully balanced her mistress's morning tea on the wooden tray in her hands as she made her way to the far end of the complex. The young woman knew that she was late in attending to her mistress today, but that was purposeful. Komurasaki-san has had a very busy week. Just yesterday, she and Temari-sama had worked on the details of Kazekage-sama's preparations for his morning briefing with the council late into the night.
She stopped outside a pair of large screen doors. Carefully transferring the tray to one hand, Miyoko knocked softly. "Good morning, Komurasaki-san."
"Good morning, Miyoko-chan. Please, come in." Her mistress's voice traveled lightly from the other side of the screen.
Komurasaki smiled as Miyoko carefully set the tea on the dressing table. Yoko stood on the other side of her, running a wooden comb through her hair. She was already dressed, wrapped snugly in a dark green kimono decorated with black seams and white flowers. Nanami, who stood behind her, was quietly fixing the orange and brown obi sash around her waist.
The crisp smell of green tea wafted throughout the room.
Komurasaki stared quietly at the leaves that nestled in her porcelain cup. The atmosphere was tranquil this morning, and reminded her strikingly of the calm before a storm. She averted her eyes to the thick blanket of moisture outside of her window.
"Miyoko-chan."
"Yes, Komurasaki-san?"
"Have the guest room prepared before noon."
"Yes, Komurasaki-san."
The rain grew steadily harder as morning progressed on, their assault completely and successfully engulfing the village of sand. Whereas citizens stayed indoors to take refuge from the heat before today, they now sought drier land to escape from the floods of water that thundered through the streets.
Two travelers, dressed in black cloaks and straw hats, nonetheless persisted through the onslaught of showers. Having entered the village through a relatively quiet crossing at the gates, they quickly noticed how deserted open areas were at this hour. It was near noon, after all. Unfortunately, this made finding their bearings through the thick cloud of heavy rain much harder.
"Excuse me." One man managed to flag down an okonomiyaki vendour who had taken shelter outside a ramen shop. "What is the fastest way to Hamachii from here?"
"Hamachii?" the man looked a little puzzled. "Nothing there's ever open in such bad weather, sir. Best try your luck tomorrow."
"That doesn't matter." The man persisted, shaking his head. "Can you tell us how to get there?"
"Uh, sure. Just follow this line of buildings to the far end, cross the park, an' make a right. There should be a plaque not far from 'ere, though you might hav'ta walk closer to see it in this rain."
"Thank you." The man nodded gratefully, and tipped the vendour some money for his troubles. "Let's go." He said to his companion, and they both left briskly.
Their guide's instructions, the travelers found, were surprisingly easy to follow. After some time of uninterrupted travel, they found themselves at the outskirts of Sunagakure's Flower City—albeit hidden by rain and fog. Their pace slowed considerably as the two men struggled against the weather to find the outline of the biggest complex in the area, home to the purpose of their difficult travels for the last three days.
"Welcome." Miyoko smiled at the guests with well-rehearsed courtesy.
"Good afternoon, miss." They greeted her, taking off their hats.
"Please, have a seat." Miyoko guided them to the tables while Nanami took their cloaks. "Tea shall be served shortly."
"Thank you, miss." The men nodded.
"Could I have your names, okyaku-san?" Miyoko asked as Nanami returned with their beverages.
Instead of answering, the older of the two men reached into the side pocket of his kimono, retrieving a small parcel as well as a letter. "Please deliver these to Tamaya-san. She will understand once she has read the message."
"Please enjoy your tea, sir." Miyoko nodded with a smile as she placed the items on a tray. "I shall return shortly."
In her room, Komurasaki watched the rain with a steady gaze. Beside her, on the dressing table, a small golden pot of rouge glowed venomously against the shadows that danced on the wall. On its left, opened, was the letter that had been delivered to Miyoko with much care and diligence. She remained still for a long time, staring at the rain.
Then, slowly, she walked to the dressing table and sat. Gracefully, she dipped one finger into the rouge and brought it to her lips, colouring them with a striking red. The young woman closed her eyes briefly, and sighed. It had taken her a long time to make this decision, but she knew it was the right one.
Relations between princes ought to remain noble. Those with inferior intentions had no place in its say.
Expressionless, she opened her eyes. Gradually, she extended her hand above the letter. Her slender fingers hovered there for some time as thunder and lightning dominated the sky outside. Then, Komurasaki smiled—a cold, unfeeling expression—before delicately drawing a thin red streak through the words on the page.
"Live just a little longer…" She whispered as she stood, an impassable black veil falling over her face. "Soon, your insolence will cost you your life."
Hot tea splashed to the floor, staining tatami mats brown upon impact. Silence engulfed the room, punctured by the rolling of porcelain cups across unsteady terrain. The two men, each clutching their gut with tight painful grips, stared at the siren seated not far from their tables. They could not see her face, but their eyes were glued on the deadly red colour of her lips.
"Y-you…" they could not even speak, stunned.
"What is the matter, Keoshi-san? Do you feel unwell?" Komurasaki smiled indifferently. "Or," she paused, "shall I set aside the pseudonym now, Toguwa-san?"
"Heh." The younger of the two men smiled ruthlessly, a cloud of smoke engulfing him, revealing the feudal lord's face when it dissipated. "It looks you've discovered me, Tamaya-san. However," he continued as he stood with some effort, "it doesn't look like you'll be able to live to tell the tale."
Numerous lethal weapons slipped from his sleeves, and he dispatched them at the silken screen behind which Komurasaki sat with formidable accuracy. His companion, after pulling a long dagger from his own sleeve, rushed at the screen to certify their gruesome victory. If either of their advances had been permitted to reach her, Komurasaki knew that she would have died without so much as a sound.
However, just as the two men became evermore certain of their victory and her death, a wall of sand shot up in front of the screen, putting an end to their fearsome advances. It engulfed Toguwa's weapons, as well as his associate who had rushed at Komurasaki, and rolled painfully against the side of the wall. Teams of ANBU rushed into the room, encircling them with skilled expertise.
"W-what…" Toguwa's eyes were wide. His trapped accomplice was just as surprised.
"In the future," The shadow of Komurasaki's red lips spoke hauntingly, "I would recommend being more inconspicuous about your approach to use my ransom against Sunagakure." Her eyes traveled to the fatal wall of sand, where a cloud of smoke revealed Matsumoto Kuno, a wealthy merchant of ninja background who had been a faithful part of the fourth Kazekage's court. He was known to have been at constant odds with his late master's youngest son, and had been an active voice of opposition when the council had declared Gaara the next Kazekage to be after a week of tense scrutiny. "Isn't that right, Matsumoto-san?"
Another, more powerful shadow appeared beside hers.
The screen that separated them and the two guilty men collapsed to the floor. Powerful teal eyes washed over the room with a stern command. Matsumoto and Toguwa fell to their knees, completely outwitted and outdone.
"Kazekage-sama…"
