Chapter 1 - Misconceptions

Kimi secured the sash of the kimono with a gentle tug. It was another day, and she was to fulfill her commitment as miko to the shrine of Terashi,the venerable sun kami. Despite the ongoing Kami War, Kimi had been faithful to her duties. Everyday, she would tend to the honden of Terashi, singing praises and praying to the great Kami. The reason was justified by the complete absence of hostile kami manifestation in the peaceful but greatly oppressed village of Hogosha. Unlike everywhere else on Kamigawa, Hogosha was oblivious to the anger of O-Kagachi and the rest of the spirit world. Only once or twice had a kami caused the villagers of Hogosha any harm, and that to was due to outsiders treading upon the grounds, those whom Kimi adamantly believe to have brought the wrath upon themselves, perhaps by desecrating the sanctity of the kami.

Kimi slid the shouji open as quiet as possible, afraid to awaken the other patrons of the house. Her duties required her to wake up bright and early to appease Terashi. It was said that the sun kami was ever moody when he rises to the sky to bathe the realm with his might. As such, one must always prepare his offerings timely, so to quell the uprising of anger even before it erupted.

A light mist hung across Hogosha, rendering the village to a ghostly state. Normal maidens would have been terrified by the prospect of walking in such low visibility, but Hogosha offered no such dangers. There was naught a crime to commit or a criminal to convict within the quiet village. The last hurrah had been the marriage of a lovely couple. Kimi was busy tending to the shrine when the celebrations were under way. Despite the pleas of Sakura, the bride and her lifelong friend, Kimi rejected the kind invitation, and in response cited the need to ask for the blessings of Terashi. Whether it be Kimi's faith or pure coincidence, the sun shone bright that very day, regulated to a warm glimmer, not too strong nor too dim.

Marriage was an issue which Kimi has been obliged to debate against for the past few days. Eager was her family to see her wed, for she was at the prime of all maiden's age, ripe for marriage, to be whisked away by a noble lord or a rich merchant. Yet, Kimi, despite all her beauty and figure, was devoted only to her purpose, which she believed to be maintaining the peace of Hogosha.

Kimi arrived at the shrine and immediately proceed to her routine. Incense was burned and the altar to Terashi was tidied with care. All was arranged in an orderly and organized manner. While she worked, Kimi hummed her favorite tune, which echoed in the lonely shrine.

Something awoke in the darkness of the shrine. It sniffed the air and licked its lips. Sluggishly, it scrambled onto its feet. The figure, as though drunken, clambered out from behind the pillar it had leaned upon, only to ducked quickly behind when it spotted Kimi. A pair of eyes watched Kimi's every movement. The eyes narrowed, filled with intent.

Kimi's humming was interrupted when a fruit escaped her clutches. It rolled waywardly towards a pillar, and stopped short of collision. Smiling to herself, Kimi set aside the other fruits before cheerfully walking over to retrieve the fruit. It was then when something attacked her, rushing her to the floor. She shrieked in surprise and fear, all negative thoughts flooding into her mind. What had she done wrong to deserve this? Was it Terashi punishing her for even thinking of marriage? Overwhelmed by fear, Kimi didn't even dare open her eyes, as the hands binding hers to the ground were undoubtedly masculine. If it was meant to be, then she wished not to see those lustful eyes and twisted facade. Kimi could feel the warmth of another body inching closer and closer to her.

To her disgust, she heard sniffing, as though the attacker was smelling her. All sorts of insults would have spewed forward, had she the courage to infuriate the attacker further. Then, quite suddenly, a deep but calm voice commanded her. "Open your eyes." Her mind raced to find an excuse not to, but curiosity, especially by the unnatural request, prompted her to risk the view.

Her black eyes opened to meet clear, blue eyes staring back at her. Her breathing grew in intensity, having finally identified her attacker. If not for the bias she felt for the attacker, she would've said him handsome, a strong jaw complementing with the thick eyebrows and engaging eyes to form a paragon of manly features. The hair, however, was untamed and unkempt, giving a savage look which added only to Kimi's earlier fears. Mustering what courage she had, she tried to scream, but no voice escaped her gaping mouth.

"Sorry about that. You are definitely not a Kami." The same voice pierced the silence. Slowly, the man rose, allowing Kimi to regain her footing. Her reaction was instinctual when she immediately stood up and slapped the man, ignoring the possibility of infuriating him. Unorthodoxly, the man merely slinked aside to scramble towards the altar of offering and started feasting on the food. Kimi was further enraged. She rushed over to cease the desecration, grabbing the man's right hand.

"How dare you! Terashi shall not be pleased by your actions!"

"Terashi can join the list of angry Kami already waging war over our realm lady!" The retort was accompanied by more munching. Kimi could only sigh, and fume at the atrocity before her. As though her seething gaze had burned right into his skull, the man turned to stare back at Kimi. The blue eyes turned from frustration to guilt. Sheepishly, he tidied himself, his attire stained by juice and crumbs.

"Forgive me, fair miko. I acted with my stomach. I offer my deepest apologies." his voice was laced with much sincerity, and Kimi felt her anger subside. "It is alright. I see that you are not of Hogosha. What brings you to our village, and in such a sorry state?"

The man opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't continue. Quite suddenly, he doubled over to the floor, clutching his head with both hands, wailing hysterically. "Arrgghh...can't remember anything...why? who? what? where? when?" Kimi was unnerved by the scene as the man convulsed on the floor, and without hesitation ran out to call for help.

She couldn't understand why, but her footsteps guided her to the home of Kisame, neither a healer nor the village elder. She knocked fervently, and tired eyes soon greeted the door.

"Sensei Kisame! I need help! There's a man at the shrine. He looks like he's in pain. Like...like..."

The tired facade was rejuvenated by the urgency in Kimi's tone. Kisame placed reassuring hands on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"Like what, Kimi-san? Calm down and tell me." His serious orbs met Kimi's fearful eyes, and when he managed to pry the words from her mind, Kisame fetched his dasiho and immediately exited his adobe to follow Kimi to the shrine.