Chapter Three, Shock

Oichi here. Sorry it took so long for me to write another chapter; I've been wrapped up in schoolwork and cosplaying. D: Love me again?

The italics are 'flashbacks', just so you know.

Ooh. Here's a glossary for those not familiar with the Japanese terms. D:

Okiya – A group of buildings where maids, Geisha and the Geisha's supervisors live. Considered a 'family'. There's many, many okiyas, only about one-four Geishas live in one Okiya.

Mizuage – Considered sacred, it's a Geisha's virginity. It's bought by men, and the highest bid wins. A mizuage is one of the most costly things a Geisha sells.

Shamisen – A type of stringed Japanese instrument.

Midori – Green in Japanese. When Midori says her name is clichéd, she refers to her eyes and name being the same thing/colour.

Kunoichi – Female ninja.

Katana – Japanese sword.

……………………………

Kurogane brushed away his long black hair, his piercing brown eyes surveying his surroundings. Right. He had taken this walk thousands of times before, but did he go right or left…?

"ARGH!" Kurogane yelled, smashing the hilt of his katana against a nearby tree. "Everything looks completely different!" He fumed, slouched over. Looking around, he sighed, bringing a rough hand to his forehead.

"Alright, Kurogane. Think." Closing his eyes, Kurogane stood completely still for a moment. After a minute or so, Kurogane's eyes snapped open, a grin spreading on his face.

He started to run, jumping into the trees. Hopping from limb to limb, he gritted his teeth.

Five years. He had been gone for five years. He felt his heart sink, and he started to slow down.

"Yumi-chan…" he whispered, and hopped back down onto the forest floor. This was the same spot they had met, around six years ago.

"Kurogane, make haste! The crazed lunatic is in the forest; as soon as he gets a human offering, he'll start his endless slaughter!" A kunoichi yelled over to a me, hoisting herself up on a horse. "I'll stay here, hold back the grunts and protect Princess Tomoyo. Go!"

"Hai, Sôma." Spinning away from my fellow ninja, I made my way towards the heart of the forest.

Shaking his head, Kurogane sighed. No, no more memories. Focus on the present. Picking up his speed once more, Kurogane raced off.

"Who the hell is that?" Looking down at the forest floor, I spotted a girl in a long green and pink kimono. "The hell? That's nothing you wear when you go walking in a forest…"

The girl paused, looking down the path, pushing aside her long ebony hair. Then in a split second, a man appeared behind her, clad in all black. The girl let out a small shriek before a knife was pressed to her throat. "Shit!"

Everything was so vivid, clear in his memory. From what she was wearing to the scar on his face. The smell of the wet grass mixing with blood from his fallen comrades, everything.

"Oh, no you don't." Swooping down, I unsheathed my sword. "Let the girl go; she's done nothing to you. If you want a sacrifice, take me instead. Isn't it better to get someone worth killing?" Ignoring the glare from the girl, I shrugged. "Be a man."

Releasing the girl, the crazed samurai drew his sword. "Very well, I'll kill you, then this Geisha!" The girl backed into a tree, emerald eyes wide with fear. Smirking at my opponent, I thrust out. "Bring it!"

Kurogane sighed. Even after all that time, he still couldn't figure out what exactly that damn samurai wanted. All he knew was after he killed a Geisha, he'd start killing endlessly. What a freak.

"It's over…" I sighed, wiping the blood off my katana. The dead samurai was sprawled out on the ground; blood gushing out of his torso. "You," I turned, narrowing my eyes on the girl. "Who are you? How stupid can you be, coming out into a forest like this with no protection?"

The girl snorted. "Oh, yes. Of course, naturally, a Geisha has bodyguards and carries around a sword. That makes me an imbecile for not bringing anything, ne?"

I scoffed. This girl was in no position to lecture me. "Whatever. You're a Geisha, right? Why don't you go back to your okiya and go sleep with some old business man?" I knew this wasn't the case; due to the chalk white makeup on her face, I knew she was still a virgin, possibly a maiko.

"Oh, god." This time it was the girl's turn to scoff. "Get over yourself. Ninja; I swear. The most clueless, selfish, stuck-up little bastards."

Kurogane frowned, remembering her words. Fine, maybe she was right. But, still. What Geisha talked like that? Weren't they supposed to be the image of grace and beauty? Now, however, Kurogane knew the girl was that exact image. Except when she was annoyed.

"Excuse me? Watch your mouth, or I'll have to cut your pretty little head off." The girl just burst out laughing.

"Yeah, okay there, ninja-baka. You're a ninja of the Princess, based on your clothes. Serve and protect, ne?"

I grumbled, knowing she was right. "Anyways; I'm going. No point wasting my time here with a stupid ninja."

"Watch your mouth, Geisha!"

"My name isn't 'Geisha'. It's Midori."

"Midori?"

"Yes. You know, like my eyes?"

I raised a brow. So it was true; Geisha did change their names when they were accepted into the art.


"I'm Kurogane. Not like we'll ever see each other again, though."

"Thank god for that."

Before I could yell another insult, she turned and started her way back down the steep path to wherever she was going. "Ja ne!" she called out, raising her hand.

Back then, Kurogane knew the girl by her Geisha name, Midori, meaning green. HE didn't know it yet, but she was a highly respected Geisha in the Kyoto district, being taught by Katori, one of Japan's most successful Geisha. Geisha 'adopt' their tutor's suffix.

Kurogane stopped once more, seeing a light in the distance. He winced; there was no mistaking the scent he smelt; of white lilies. Yumi's garden was chockfull of them. Sucking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes, gathering his nerves.

"'Comon, Kurogane! Live a little!" a man roared in laughter, slapping me on the back. "Just one night, we'll go to Sumomo's place. It's a very respectable teahouse, y'know." He winked. "Very pretty girls."

"I'm not interested in sex, or girls, or anything." I growled, slapping my tutor's hand away. "I just want to go train, alright, Nikkei-sensei?"

"Ne," he frowned, shaking his head. "Tonight's your last night under my wing. We celebrate!" Sighing, I followed my teacher. I really didn't have a choice; I owed him everything I am.

Kurogane's lip twisted up in a smirk. Ah, Nikkei. Pondering if the old man was still alive, Kurogane dropped to the forest floor gripping his katana. Later he'd go drop by the dojo, have a cup of sake.

"Sake, sake, saaakkkeee!" Nikkei sang, three Geisha giggling and clinging onto the geezer's arms as he rocked back and forth. "Oh, the nectar of the gods!"

I sighed, slapping a hand to my face. Drunken people are annoying.

"Now, everyboooddy!" he cried, shooing away the Geisha. "You four, perform!"

I blinked. Four? Looking around, I spotted a fourth Geisha who had been in the corner, quietly watching. I could see from the look of disgust on her face she didn't care much for drunken old men. She looked at me with those bright green eyes.

"Midori?" I blinked, staring at the girl. She looked different, more worn out. Her hair was in a graceful pile on her head, white lilies laced in the ebony wonder. A white kimono with two pale pink cranes adorned her petite frame, the obi and under layer a bright green.

"Hai." With that, one Geisha picked up a shamisen, one a flute and one positioned herself beside Midori.

The plump Geisha began playing a calming melody on her flute; the other started to pluck her shamisen. The girl beside Midori took in a breath, and started to sing softy.

I ignored the other girls, watching Midori intently. Closing her eyes, she spun. As she faced us again, she now held two fans in her hand. Flipping them open, plain white, she opened her eyes, then began to dance.

I didn't know if it was the sake, or how tired I was, but that dance… it was amazing. The pure white of Midori, flashes of green and black, it was magical. Mind you; it was my first time watching a Geisha perform, they have that sort of effect on you.

As the dance finished, Midori bowed, then returned to her corner, not even glancing at me. Frowning, I got up after debating whether or not to approach her. "Hi." Without bothering to look up, Midori sighed. "Konnichiwa. Would you like some sake?"

"Ne." In surprise, she looked up. "Holy cra-" cutting herself off, Midori bit her lip. "I meeean, hello, Kur…Ku…"

"Kurogane. Honestly, woman, you should at least remember the name of your savior." "Pfft. Savoir? What disillusioned world do you live in?" Midori dropped the formal talk, half whispering so that her fellow Geisha didn't hear her words. "Honestly; I rather would have died."

"Well then." I growled. "What's wrong with you?"

"It's none of your business," she hissed, and looked away. "Bye." With that, she shuffled out of the room.

Kurogane blinked, then thought it better to go through the back door. Slinking along the tree line, he spotted it. The huge cherry tree, now in full blossom. He remembered it quite vividly…

"Aha, so, Kurogane, you fancy that young 'un?" Nikkei thundered, arms full with three women. "Good taste. She's a fine one."

One of the Geisha looked up at me. "Her name is Midori. She's quite pretty, and an amazing dancer. However, she'll never amount to what she's supposed to…"

I frowned. "What? Why? She seems fine to me."

The girl sighed. "I'm Katori, her mentor. You see, she may be a good dancer, but when it comes to music and singing, she isn't that good." One of the other Geisha laughed. "Well, neither are you, Katori-san. But you're still very successful!"

She shook her head. "Perhaps. But only because my mizuagewas worth so much. Unfortunately, Midori's not a virgin, she was raped by one of her sister's clients." One of the other Geisha gasped. "So that's why her okiya is considering kicking her out, no one wants to pay for a used girl!"

I blinked. That's why she must have looked so shaken. She might be abandoned…

"Where can you bid on a girl's mizuage?" I asked, ignoring the stares of the other Geisha.

"Well, it depends on the Geisha. But you can't possibly mean Midori…"

"Yes, I do. She was raped, ne? That makes her a virgin at heart."

Katori sighed. "Oh, ninja-sama, if there were more men like you. Yes, in the words of Buddha that still makes her a child at heart, but a woman at body. If you want to bid on Midori's mizuage, go to the lady of this teahouse."

Several days later, I had purchased Midori's mizuage. The last bid was a mere 100 yen, but I gave up 10000. The lady of the teahouse stared at me, and shook her head mumbling something about practical jokes. I was a ninja; and wealthy at that. Not like I had anything to spend it on.

I walked up to her okiya, and she greeted me. After meeting her 'family', she escorted me out to the street, and we walked together. "Why," she hissed, waving at people she knew. "On Earth did you buy my mizuage? And for that much? You do know that-"

"That you're not a virgin. Yeah. But it's not fair to you." Turning a corner, I saw an open field, only thing in the barren grass a budding cherry tree.

"When I retire," Midori announced, "I want to live here. Build a house and stuff." She sighed. "Meh. Maybe not, way to much money."

I blinked. "Don't be too sure, who knows? Maybe you'll become rich."

Midori snorted. "Yeah, alright then." She plopped down under the tree, ignoring the fact she was wearing a yellow kimono. "So… why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Bug off." Midori laughed, and looked up at me.

"You know, for a cocky ninja you aren't so bad."

"And for a stupid Geisha, you're pretty okay yourself."

"I never said you were okay; just that you weren't bad." Midori grinned.

"Oh, shut up." With that, I sat down next to her. "Now, you owe me your virginity, Midori."

"Yumi."

"What?"

"Midori is my Geisha name. I don't like it, too clichéd. Call me Yumi, it's my original name."

I blinked, shaking my head. "You're odd," I sighed. "But I like you anyways." With that, I bent down, kissing Yumi's soft lips. That was probably the best night of my whole life.

Kurogane felt his face crack into a smile. Yumi didn't get kicked out of her okiya, not that he knew of. Either way, last time he saw her she was doing just fine. Reaching into his pocket, Kurogane pulled out a hairclip. It was of silver and porcelain. A single white lotus on three pieces of bamboo leaves. It was stunning. Kurogane had found it one day while he was shopping for some katana oil, and immediately thought of Yumi.

He was going to use this clip to propose to her, ask her to be his wife. But Tomoyo had other plans, and ruined everything. Kurogane groaned, hitting himself. He froze, seeing something walk out into the backyard of the house. He and Yumi had pooled yen together and built it, and it was their home. Well, more Kurogane's home, as Yumi lived at her okiya. Or, at least she did…

Then he saw her. Yumi. Her long hair wasn't up; it framed her petite body, almost reaching the ground. In her long kimono sleeves she grasped a teacup. Kurogane struggled to regain his breath. She looked almost the same…

Then in a flash of light blue, something tackled Yumi's legs, clad in a gray kimono with an orange splash of sunlight. Kurogane's eyes widened as his eyes focused on the blue figure. It was… a child!

Stepping backwards, Kurogane broke a twig. Yumi didn't seem to hear it, but the little boy turned. There Kurogane saw it; his own reflection in a child.

The boy looked over at Kurogane, and pointed. Yumi looked over, obviously confused. Pushing the boy towards the direction of the house, he scurried off, only to glance back once to the forest.

"Hello?" Yumi's voice rang out, clear as water. Kurogane gulped, then stepped out of the bushes.

"Yumi."

"K-kurogane…"

Kurogane tried to glare at Yumi in anger, but he couldn't muster the strength to frown down upon her pale face.

"Kurogane!" With that, Yumi flung herself onto the shinobi, tears falling out of her emerald eyes.

"I'm here now, Yumi." Kurogane whispered into her ear. "It's all right."