Title: Rain on Plum Trees
World: Pre-canon
Word count: 1405
Status: Complete
Date started:01-17-16
Date Finished: 04-17-16
It was a long day in the village hidden in the rain, too long if one were to ask Shiori herself. She had just wanted the day to end smoothly after helping the farmers gathering new equipment to their farm, but the rain interrupted them before all the equipment could arrive.
The rain wasn't much of a bother neither, was sitting with the villagers and sharing tea with them. What exhausting was the fact that it was going to take longer for all the equipment to arrive and they would have to hold off building a better agricultural system to help her people turn the soil.
The rains village soil was much too heavy thanks to the rain that continuality fell. Shioro's plan was to build a machine that would turn the soil every new season that way the soil would no longer be heavy and help spread the water so the roots of the plants were drinking. But with the gray skies and the rain that fell what almost fell constant it was difficult to finish anything. It was enough for the young Daimyo's wife to feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing on her shoulder.
The old couple she chose to stays with till the rain passes spoke kindly about their daughter. A young girl a little bit younger then Shiori herself had recently got married to a ninja hidden in the leaves. They didn't sound excited about the fact their daughter marrying someone from Konoha. Still there despite all their complaining they were happy for their daughter to have found love.
"You should have been there," the old man said, "The leaf village really is beautiful," he smoked out of his long pipe. He wasn't staring Shiori as he spoke his eyes focusing on the outside rain, "Very sunny," he said. He missed his daughter.
"Oh dear stop it," his wife said as she handed Shiori a cup of tea, "The Leaf Village as much as it was beautiful could never compare to the rain village," the old lady said proudly. She loved the rain village and couldn't imagine living outside of it but it unfortunately that might not be the case if she wanted to see her daughter.
The rain was continuing to pour, as the old lady handed Shiori a cup of citrus lavender sage herbal tea. The fresh aroma of the citrus smelled as sweet to Shiori as she gratefully took sip. The tea warmed her body as she sipped it some more and listened the couple talk. She liked listening to the couple as the spoke of the wedding.
"Konoha had the most delicious plum wine I ever had," the wife said as she stared at the young woman, "It was so sweet with a sour kick,"
The old man shook his head, "It is much too sweet for me," he looked away from the pouring rain, "I wish we could have brought you some, you and your husband would have loved it," he put his pipe down.
There was scent of nicotine as he moved closer to his wife, she handed him a cup of tea as well. "Honey I am sure leader and his wife enjoyed the plum branches we brought back from the leaf village," he wrapped his arms around his wife's shoulder. He looked Shiori smiling.
Shiori smiled at her tea cup and thought of the plum branch the couple brought her as a thank you gift. She herself personally enjoyed the fresh branches planting them as soon as she hand the chance. They were already sprouting into trees.
"Yes, I enjoyed the gift maybe within a few years I too could enjoy plum wine," she said half joking. The couple only laughed with her before their conversation turned to meaningless chatter, by the time the rain stopped it was much too late to continue on with the development and Shiori herself would have to head home.
Shioro down the empty streets of the leaf village, the ground still wet from the rain. Everyone in the rain village was enjoying dinner or getting back home. There wasn't much too do in the evening shops were closed and the temperature dropped. Shioro hurried home not wanting to be in the cold any more then she had to.
Once inside the comfort and safety of her room did she remove her heavy robes, they were drenched from the rain and mud. Letting out exported sigh Shiori complicated over the new agricultural system she had been working on for months. It was taking too long, they should have already turned on soil already and planted some seeds but they were still stuck on the first part.
She could hear her husband entering the room as she headed to the bathroom to shower the days grim and maybe soak in the hot water for an hour. She had a lot on her mind and the only solution would be a hot bath, she started the water and removed any clips holding hair up, the lushes blond locks cascaded down her shoulder stopping near her waist line.
She could hear her husband mumble things under his breath, before he shouted through the bathroom door, "Shiori I will be right back," she didn't say anything back. He would know she heard him and there would be no need for pointless dribble of a conversation through the door.
She sat in the hot water closing her eyes and leaning her head out she finally closed her eyes. She was right in fact what she needed was a nice hot bath to clear her mind. Without the buzzing thoughts running through her mind did she finall fall into a light dreamless sleep.
"Shiori," a gruff voice spoke shaking her awaking her from her slumber. She blinked confused as she stared at her husband's dark eyes, "I see you had a long day," he had noticed the moment the entered the room for the first time.
"Very long," Shiori answered tiredly rubbing the grogginess from her eyes. She must have been in the tub for a while the hot water was now warm and the scented bubbles she used to fill the tub were almost gone only leaving a thin sheet of bubbles left, "did you just get back?" she yawned again.
"Only a few minutes ago," he spoke handing her a towel to dry herself off. She smiled at him and took the towel. He watched her as she wrapped the towel around her body. He didn't say anything else and followed her to the bedroom.
"So where did you go?" Shiori asked after a few minutes of silence. Her husband was never really one to start a conversation but there was something in the way he looked at her, he had something on his mind but didn't know how to express it.
"I went shopping," he said as he removed his top and got the futon ready.
"Oh," this admittedly had the woman curious she was dressed in her night robe. Her husband rarely went out shopping or had a reason too, "what did you get?" she questioned curious as to what had her husband in the spur of the moment to shop.
He looked at her as she sat beside him before looking to his side and handing her a brown paper bag. She blinked at the bag surprised she didn't notice the bag when it was sitting beside him. Carefully she took the bag it felt heavy in her small hand. One could only guess it a bottle of wine something she had been wanting since this afternoon but was dignified enough to settle with tea.
She removed the bag protecting the bottle before gasping; never in all her years was she expected her husband to bring her bottle of plum wine from Konoha. She had been despite to try it when the couple mentioned it but knew she would have to wait a few years for it.
"I saw the way you planted the plum trees in the garden the other day," he said, he almost sounded shy, "I spoke to the couple while you were in the shower and they suggested if I were to get you anything it would be plum wine,"
Shiori stared at the wine and smiled, "shall we open it?" she suggested kissing his cheek, it was the perfect ending for the evening.