Yeah, one part down, two to go.
A few people asked me to slow down a bit.
So, in order to be a better story-teller, I choose to slow down a bit.
Guess what guys, it only gets better!
Alright, let's get to it.
Enjoy!
Part 2
Chapter 5- The Star: Red
Tenten knocked on Takara's door and counted her heartbeats as she waited for the door to open. She held on to whatever strength that still existed inside of her. It was the only thing left to sustain her, and keep her from fleeing into nothingness, never to return to normal society. But, that kind of thinking was insane. She'd faced legions of shinobi that wanted her dead; she could face her mother. Hopefully.
"Give me a moment," said a lofty, sing-song voice from behind the door.
That's her voice? Tenten thought with confusion, excitement, fear and interest. Frantically, Tenten straightened her robes and tried to feel a bit more presentable. After another moment or two the door to Takara's dressing room swung open.
"Hello." Tenten stared at Takara, her mind blank. Takara stood haughtily on beautifully ornate platformed sandals. She was dressed in a flowing, crimson night robe embroidered with dragons whose sleeves touched the floor when she put her arms down. Her skin was milky and smooth, unlike Tenten who was rather swarthy by comparison. They shared similarly colored chestnut brown hair, though Takara's seemed far longer and silkier.
Her face shone with confidence- whether it was real or forced Tenten could not tell. Her lips were the same unnatural color as her gown. Finally, Tenten noticed that her eyes, which she assumed would be the same shade of brown as her own, were big and dark blue. Takara was a gorgeous woman, in looks and presence. She was intimidating and drew the eye like a work of art or a freak of nature.
"Do come in," Takara cooed in her song-like voice. "One of my assistants told me that you were an agent from Konoha. What a lovely village."
Tenten was pulled from her musings at the mention of her former home. "Yes, I'm from Konoha," Tenten murmured. "You've been there before?"
Takara motioned for Tenten to sit in a plush easy-chair. Her dressing room was lavishly decorated and seemed to function more as a small apartment since Tenten eyed an adjoining bathroom and divider hiding a futon toward the back of the room. Lanterns and candles were unlit and an enormous window was open to the forest surrounding Shukuba town.
"Oh yes, I've traveled there a few times throughout my life," Takara replied dismissively. She smiled enchantingly and rested her ring covered hand against her chin. "But never mind that. Most times the agents go straight to the director, but I'm quite flattered that-"
"Yes," Tenten interrupted, her face flushing in embarrassment. "Listen, I'm not an agent."
"Ahh," Takara sighed knowingly. "You're a desperate journalist that wants an interview. I admire your moxie."
Tenten shook her head and swallowed the lump forming in her throat with difficulty. "No- I- I thought you'd recognize me," she murmured, mostly to herself.
"You thought what? I can't hear you, dear."
Why am I doing this? Tenten thought suddenly. This woman clearly had a well-defined life. She was successful and happy. Who was she to disrupt this?
Only her daughter...
"I'm a shinobi from Konoha," Tenten finally forced out. "My name is Tenten."
Takara blinked a bit. "Well, that's an interesting name," she said politely, though her tone evoked insincere kindness.
She doesn't even know my name, Tenten thought with a dark chuckle.
"Look, dear, if you're just here to tell whoever will listen that you got to speak with me, then go on and leave. I hope meeting a celebrity was as glamorous as you thought it would be," Takara snapped, the anger flashing on her face, making her look years older than she seemed to be.
Tenten stared at her, conflicting feelings jumbled in her heart and mind. "I'm your daughter," she said finally. I have to do this. More for me than for her. I owe her nothing.
Takara's eyes widened as she gasped loudly. She covered her mouth with her hands at one moment then began fanning her face with them. Within seconds of that, she stood and flung her arms around Tenten, who instantly stiffened. Her actions were so forced and theatrical; it was hard to determine if she was being honest. Perhaps this was just her personality.
"Look, Takara, please," Tenten started, but the wind was pulled out of her as Takara tightened her embrace then let go of her.
"This is such a nice surprise. It is really so good to finally meet you, dear," Takara said as she cupped Tenten's cheeks, patted them gently and returned to her chair with a whimsical sigh.
Tenten stared at her, bemused. She still couldn't tell if Takara was being melodramatic for the sake of being melodramatic or if she was this way all the time.
"So, before I forget,would you like some tea?" Takara asked graciously. "You don't have to go through the trouble," Tenten replied hastily. Takara waved her hand nonchalantly and reached to a nearby table for a tiny silver bell. "It's no trouble at all."
A few seconds after the bell rang, a thin, red-faced boy ran into the room an bowed. "Bring us some tea. Black, I think. With lemon. Two cups," she commanded and the boy darted from the room without a word.
She turned her attention back to Tenten with a smile. "Alright, tell me about yourself. You said that you're a shinobi."
Tenten took a breath. I'll just humor her for a bit, I guess. I'll wait to ask some questions.
"I was a shinobi. I haven't done any ninja work since the war ended," she explained.
Takara nodded with interest, though she stared down at her nails as she did so. "I'm awfully proud. It's good for girls to learn to be strong," she murmured, then looked at Tenten abruptly as if she just remembered something. "Tell me, dear, how is Satoru?"
Tenten felt her throat constrict painfully. She knew that Takara would ask about her father, but she hadn't worked out how she would tell her. It was so painful. "Um... I'm sorry to tell you this but he died." Tenten blinked back possible tears.
Takara sighed once more. "How unfortunate."
"I was nine. I was sick one day and before I knew it... he was gone."
Tenten forced her self to look at Takara as she swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Takara's bright blue eyes were shining, but tears never fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "That must have been very hard for you to go through."
Tenten smiled bitterly. "No, it was easy to be an orphan in a village miles bigger than this city. It was easy to lose my father. Don't patronize me." Takara's face flushed bright red. "Look, I understand if you feel some resentment toward me, but I must be honest with you. Satoru... He isn't your father. He's mine."
Tenten felt her heart jump. Her mind was curiously blank. She tried vividly remember what he looked like; Black hair, kind green eyes, a cleanly trimmed beard. He had a few laugh lines around his eyes and mouth. She was so young when he dies that it never occurred to her that he was anything other than her father. Perhaps he meant to tell her the truth when she was older.
Despite that possibility, her childhood was still a lie. She would always love Satoru but trying to uncover and decipher the complexities of her parentage was like opening every old wound she'd ever had, wounds that had already healed, and stitching them up all over again.
"Listen," Takara murmured, "Let me explain-"
"What kind of excuse could you possibly offer me to make this right?" Tenten asked, her voice edging on a shout.
Takara sighed sharply and was silent for a few moments. "I was sixteen when I had you and I'd always wanted to dance on stage. I had many opportunities presented to me. Satoru always supported me and her offered to raise you for me while I pursued my career."
"And that's acceptable to you?" Tenten snapped. "What about your responsibility to your daughter?"
Takara scowled and rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You were a shinobi. If you're anything like me-"
"I'm nothing like you."
"If you're anything like me, you were completely dedicated to your job. You're probably very ambitious and an exceedingly hard worker. So tell me, what would you have done if you discovered you were pregnant before the war. If you honestly think that I believe that you would trade your ambition for a child, you're silly."
Tenten stared at Takara in disbelief. "You're awful. I admit I don't know what I'd do, but ambition isn't more important than family. I needed a mother."
Takara took a breath and stood, and arms folded in front of her. "You wouldn't have wanted me as a mother, honestly," she whispered. "I know what it's like to have a parent that can't love their child. My mother was a very jealous woman, you see. She hated me because Satoru loved me and because I was talented. She never let me forget what she sacrificed to raise me. I didn't want to resent you."
"You didn't want to be your mother," Tenten murmured.
Takara cupped Tenten's shoulders. "I know that you wanted a traditional family, but I think that you were better off. And, I'm sorry that I couldn't be the mother you may have wanted. I think that now that we've met though, we can become friends."
"I- I don't know. You don't have to if you don't want to," Tenten replied her anger and sadness fading into numbness. She didn't know what she expected from Takara and yet, she was deeply disappointed.
"Don't be silly! I always hoped that when you were older we could be friends. You should stay in town for a few days," Takara said with an excited smile. "We could always use some extra stage hands and you and I could get to know each other better."
Tenten didn't have any other obligations and she wasn't keen on returning to Konoha so soon. There was so much she wasn't ready to face back home.
"Are you sure it won't be any trouble," Tenten asked. Takara's smile widened triumphantly. "I'm quite sure, dear."
Several women from across the country practiced steps choreographed by Takara every day from dawn until deep into the nighttime. Tenten watched them rehearse every night for a week. During the day, she helped construct the set for an opera. Takara tried explaining the plot to her once, but seemed like it would be difficult to follow without any speaking.
The opera was about the rivalry between goddesses Uzume and Kaminari over which of them should govern the earth; Uzume, through love and happiness or Kaminari, through strict rules. There were subplots that involved Uzume's romance with an earthly king, the king's prayers to Kaminari for military victories and Kaminari's internal struggle with war and peace.
Takara said that the opera was historically done by an all male cast and that she went the great strides to convince the owner of her troupe- who was also the director of the show- to have the female characters played by actual women. They were all afraid that the historical background of the opera would hinder their creativity and thus, stifle ticket sales. With that stipulation approved, the cast now consisted of about twenty women, with Takara as the lead, and a single man, who would play the king.
One morning, as Tenten carried several buckets of paint to the stage, Takara introduced her to the director, a tall, smiling man, with black hair and gleaming brown eyes. "Kaito, let me introduce you to my daughter, Tenten. Tenten, this is Kaito Mori, a dear old friend, owner of this theater and director of our opera."
"It's an honor to meet you," Tenten murmured politely. Kaito gave her a warm grin. "The honor is mine. Takara tells me that you'll be with us for some time."
Tenten returned the smile kindly. "Yes. I've decided to stay until the end of the opera's first week." Kaito nodded. "It will be an exciting time, surely. Your mother also told me that you are helping construct the set. You should be doing something more important, you are her daughter."
"It's really no trouble," Tenten laughed modestly. "Yes, but the set will be completed in a few days. You would have several weeks of waiting until opening night," Kaito explained. "I'm sure I'll find some way to help out," Tenten replied.
"Tenten has been a great help while you've been away, Kaito. If you give her any job, I'm sure she'll do it well," Takara said, her arm weaving around Kaito's. Tenten glanced at the pair of them knowingly, but chose not to make a comment.
The same young man that served Takara and Tenten tea on the night they met ran to the three of them frantically. "Miss Takara," he panted fearfully, "Miss Azami is outside. She says that she must return home and cannot act in the opera."
Takara's face paled and Kaito's eyes flashed with rage. Takara spoke first in frantic, angry babbles. "She can't quit! She has a leading roll! Where is she? Take me to her. Now!"
Tenten watched as Takara and Kaito stormed from the stage and into the lobby as the dancers rehearsing stopped and began to gossip among themselves. Eventually, Takara returned inside and sank into a seat.
"Is everything alright?" Tenten asked slowly. Takara stared at the stage. "No. Everything is not alright. It took us half a year to find her, you know. We needed a physically imposing girl and, yes, we had to sacrifice some steps because she was inexperienced, but she was a good fit all the same."
"Why don't you just ask one of the other girls to play Kaminari?"
"There will be auditions, I assure you. But, to have auditions weeks before we open is risky and I am not pleased. This is completely unprofessional."
"I'm sure you'll find the right dancer," Tenten replied, surprised at the sincerity in her voice.
Takara acknowledged her with a sad smile. "You're optimism is endearing. All I can do now is hope that you're right."
See you guys in the next chapter!
The Star: Orange
