The clan leaders sat in front of me, staring at me; observing me. Paper lanterns were strung all around the room, the orange glow casting shadows on all of their faces and making them appear almost monstrous. I shrank back in my chair slightly when the head leader, Saburo, stood up.
"Sumiko, are you aware of the blessing bestowed upon you?" He ask quietly. I shook my head- how was I suppose to know anything? "The ancient power passed down after so many generations has graced your body; your very soul. Can you feel it?"
I tried to feel, but nothing felt out of place. My heart beat thumped normal, and the deep breath I just took felt like it would any other time. My lungs got filled with air and expanded, lifting my chest out. I felt good.
"I feel nothing." I said back after a bit of analyzing myself.
"It's only because you are used to the weight of the power. Look a little deeper. The weight, can you feel it pressing down your chakra?"
I flared my chakra and waited patiently for the feeling. It was there, only slightly. I nodded my head and waited for answers.
"You just turned sixteen, correct?" Again with a nod. "For the past several years, we've had our suspicions about you becoming the next Miyoko. Your parents have gave you different items infused with Miyoko chakra that have reacted with your own chakra. That would only be possible if you carried the same chakra signatures as the past Miyoko's." The head leader walked over towards me and stood in my direct line of sight. "This necklace I'm about to give you will seal our suspicions completely."
He gently placed the necklace around my neck and clasped it. It had intricate designs all over it, and the lines in between glowed a deep green. After a bit, the entire piece began to emit a bright light.
"It is true then. After centuries, we've finally been graced by the presence of a Miyoko bearer."
He removed the necklace and put it inside of a box with seals placed over it.
"On your eighteenth birthday, this will be handed back to you. The Miyoko by then should be powerful enough to control. Amaterasu, come."
A woman appeared in front of the door way. She was beautiful, clad in robes that were obviously made for the noble members of the Keiko clan. Her hair was black and in many braids with golden rings placed in different parts of the individual grouped strands. Her face was painted, maybe even tattooed, with thick burgundy lines starting from her temples, and ending in a curl at her chin.
"Hello, Sumiko." She said, her voice a velvety soft pitch. I nodded my head in greeting, too nervous to say anything back.
"Sumiko," Saburo said, "Amaterasu is your sensei now, she will teach you the basics of the Miyoko. The rest you will have to learn by yourself, for it is too complex to be taught by a non-bearing Miyoko member. I wish your training the best of luck."
;
We walked around the clan village, heading towards the open meadow the Shinobi practiced at. The trail was wore out, making a dirt path to what I assumed was our destination.
"We aren't going to the training grounds, Sumiko. You need to be in peace and quiet, to connect to the earth." Amaterasu stated, guiding me down a different path, this one covered in grass that was slightly weighed down with the recent walking on it. I raised my eyebrow and stuck my hands in the pockets of the dark pants I had on. Noticing my movements, Amaterasu looked my way with a smile. "You are much different from the other ladies of this clan. You are the first I've seen wearing men's clothing."
"I don't like kimonos, especially while outdoors. They're uncomfortable." It wasn't a complete lie, I did dislike wearing them outside, but I also didn't like the way I looked in them. I've always been lanky looking, putting on one of those things covered up what womanly curves I managed to find on myself.
"I used to think of the same thing, but when I moved up positions, I got to wear more comfortable clothing, like what I have on now."
I couldn't get over how beautiful she was, there was no possible way she felt the way I did while wearing them damned things. Her bust was so big I'm surprised they didn't rip open the wrappings around them. It almost made me feel insecure.
"What did you mean by connecting with the earth?" I asked, changing the subject.
"The Miyoko is a distant form of senjutsu, which is when you gather natural energy for chakra. But the Miyoko takes a deep proportion of that, and mixes it with the energy that comes from deep within yourself. It's what causes the body to stop functioning correctly, and what causes the organs to shut down. The combination of both the energies is lethal to the human body."
"Then how am I going to survive this?" I was freaking out, I didn't want to completely activate this power if it was going to end up killing me.
"Remember, you are the Miyoko now. You are the bearer, it is impossible for it to kill you. If it was me on the other hand, the outcome would be completely different. Where my body isn't equipped to have the Miyoko, I would be destroyed from the inside out."
It was all stupid and difficult to understand. I didn't try to comprehend it anymore, I just had to face the facts that once I activated this power, I'd have to live the rest of my life out watching my family disappear one by one.
~2 years later~
"Sumiko Keiko, it is a great honor to pronounce you the official Miyoko. You have trained adequately for the last two summers, and have gained control of the power bestowed upon you from Kami herself. You will get the Tattoos of Recognition, and be known as the top healer to of ever lived in this generation, and the years before, and the years to come until your own end is upon you." Saburo said joyously. "Let us celebrate to the wonderful accomplishments our clan will always have." He lifted the drink in his hand up before bringing it back down to take a sip.
"Ey!" The clansmen exlaimed, repeating his actions.
;
I was positioned in the middle of the crowded celebration, sitting in an old wooden chair with my shirt off and my wraps undone. My chest was pushed into the back of the chair, it being the only protection from the wondering eyes of the men. I never encountered young men before, and now that I have, I felt degraded as they looked upon my body with lust hazing their gaze.
I was following the tradition of tattooing my body in an ink that would glow when my Miyoko was activated. The ink counteracted with the chakra signature the Miyoko released. The more powerful the dosage, the more powerful the glow.
"Where would the Lady Miyoko like the patterns to be placed?" An old woman asked. She was covered in wrinkles, and the kind of old that made you ask exactly how long she had been alive.
"I would like them on my back and stomach." I responded, looking around at the people laughing and having a good time.
"And have you picked the design you wanted placed upon your body?" She asked again, filling the sharp-edged container with the colored ink.
"Yes." I replied with a nod. At that moment, Amaterasu appeared with the hand drawn design sketched on paper with neat hands.
"Good, good. Let grandma Michi take care of you now." She said with a smile.
"It's going to hurt, Sumiko, but you can't move, alright?" Amaterasu warned. She handed the design to Michi, and covered my chest for me when I was pulled to sit up so the paper could be wrapped around my stomach and back.
"I understand." On the outside I was calm, but on the inside I wasn't ready. I hated pain, and the fact that I'd have to sit here for a long time constantly with that feeling made me nervous. Cold water was being brushed up against my back, and I waited patiently for what was about to come.
;
It didn't last nearly as long as I was beginning to believe, or as painful. Once Michi wet the paper and got the lines on my body for her to etch, her swift movements with the tool she was using lasted about two to three hours. The only painful moment was when she had to shade in some areas, but that quickly passed with her skillful hands. Everyone cheered once they seen the finished product, and I felt some sort of pride for bearing something that would be permanently incised on my body forever.
"You are now marked with the proof of your blessing. Congratulations." Amaterasu said while I was looking in a full length mirror in my room. All the designs put together looked stunning, even on my body. I seen the moon through the widow, and sighed in exhaustion. The night was soon to be morning, and I was dead tired. I was surprised to see sensei here after such a long day.
"Thank you."
The silence dragged on, and in that time I slipped on a shirt and let my hair down from the fancy bun Amaterasu put it in early yesterday morning.
"People may be happy, but they do not envy you." She said suddenly. She come up behind me and brushed my hair out slowly. "I can only try to understand the pain you must feel right now, try to understand what's going through your head. For the past two years you've trained nonstop to perfect your power, and you've succeeded. But, for the past two years I've seen the agony of what you have to face for the rest of your life."
I dropped my eyes to the floor and let out a sigh. The constant weight over my shoulders slightly lifted once Amaterasu spoke of what was the truth.
"The only thing I can do is tell you how sorry I am for you. But pity won't save your virgin eyes from death, and pity won't save your mind from the sorrow you will soon receive. You will never encounter peace for as long as you have this blessing inside of you." She braided my hair until in was resting in the middle of my back.
I will be in constant emotional pain because of this curse. The clan leaders may act as if it was a blessing, but it will always be a damnation put into life. I'll be walking in my own hell for the next few centuries.
"It makes me so sad for you." She said softly with a frown.
"It makes me sad, too. I never asked for this, I don't see how anyone would. The clan leaders act like it is some sort of heavenly power brought down from Kami. But Kami would not cause her people pain for their whole lives, so no, if they can say that it is a gift from the gods, then I can say that it is a punishment from hell." There was no point in being upset; fate worked the way it wanted and all I had to do was deal with it. Nothing could be done about how the world worked.
"The clan leaders seem to of forgot what was told to them of the emotional torture a Miyoko goes through. It's been centuries since we've had the kekkei genkai passed down to someone, and I think they are just excited to finally witness such a huge deal concerning the clan." Amaterasu turned me around and hugged me. "You are so wise for your age. The only good thing to of come from this is getting to meet you and getting to know you. I am so lucky to of been born into the Branch House of the clan, for I was trained to be in the life of someone like you."
"I'm so lucky to know you, Amaterasu. I can't thank you enough for always being by my side. You've taught me much, not just about my power, but about life as well. You are an amazing person, as well as a friend. I'll cherish you forever."
We ended our hug with a smile.
"Alright, enough depressing issues. It's time for you to go to bed, and time for me to head on home. Goodnight, Sumiko. I'll see you tomorrow evening."
And she left.
Revised 10/26/16
No big changes, just a few errors fixed.
