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Bee-uty & the Beast
Kraen
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Chapter Eleven
Gai and Hani stood outside the dining hall, waiting for Gai to make his 'grand' appearance. The sound of conversation and muffled music could be heard on the other side of the doorway.
Hani caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Her partner was clearly having troubles with his wardrobe; he had already adjusted the collar of his haori three times.
"I can't help it," he said as he played with his obi. "I'm not use to wearing so much clothing."
Hani stood back as she looked him up and down. She had been right -- he did look regal in the purple haori and with the white under-kimono, black hakama pants and his own black, styled hair, he certainly looked the part of a noble. His only attribute that would betray his real station were his hands; rough and callused, unlike that of a wealthy, decadent lord. Hani had noticed this earlier, but knew a manicure would be something Gai would never consent to.
Hani swatted his hand away and went about fixing his obi, "Stop fidgeting."
Gai grumbled as she adjusted the rest of his outfit like a rider checking their horse's tackle. "I finally got it comfortable and now you're making it worst." She ignored his complaints and wrapped her arms around his waist, grabbing the back tab of pants and pulled them into a better position.
"There," she said as she straightened his under kimono. "Wait," she froze. "Gai? What's this?" she said as she wrapped her hands around something long and hard tucked into his waistband.
"That's uh …"
"Gai!" she shot a look over her shoulder as a servant walked past. "What are you doing stuffing nunchucks in your clothing?!" she asked in a hushed, angry tone.
"What's wrong with it?" he asked defensively.
"What if someone sees it or finds it?"
"Who is going to find it in there?"
Hani shook her head, "Well … you could have at least put it in a better place!"
"I'm out of room."
"Out of ROOM?!"
Gai grinned as he raised his knee and lifted the leg of his pants. Around his ankle was an array of six-inch-long metal rods.
"What the hell are those?!" she asked, flabbergasted.
"Weapons."
She pushed his leg down quickly and looked around to see if anyone had been watching. "That's pretty risky, Gai!" she whispered.
"I won't get caught. Besides, you're surely storing a weapon or two in your outfit?"
"Of course I am, but at least I'm being discreet about it."
He indicated what he could only imagine she was wearing under the overcoat, "How can you hide anything discreetly in that?"
Hani blushed, "Just don't get caught alright?!" She twirled around and stomped off to another corner of the room.
There was a moment of awkward silence between them.
"Hani?" asked Gai in a soft voice. "Have I done something wrong?"
She dropped her arms in defeat – feeling somewhat guilty for having snapped at him, "No Gai. I just –" she sighed. "I just really don't want to do this."
"That makes two of us."
She turned to him and gave him a half smile, "Let's just get this evening over with as fast as possible."
He returned the smile, "A great idea."
"Ah, here are the two love birds!" joked a familiar voice.
Both Gai and Hani turned to see Makoto and Oda standing in the servants' doorway. The captain, leaned against the doorframe. "Are you ready to make your big entrance, M'lord?" he asked with a smile.
Gai adjusted his collar again, "Yes. I'm ready."
"Good," said Makoto as he kicked off the frame and walked to Gai's side. "We're on double duty with the guards. I've set up an extra patrol to survey this area till the banquet is over. After that, they'll move to patrol the guests quarters. You should be thoroughly protected."
Gai looked at the captain inquisitively, "Why are you telling me this?"
"Hakanza always wants a report before every banquet. Like I said, the man is paranoid."
Gai nodded, "T-Thank you." He was starting to feel his nerves kick in.
Makoto read his body language, "Don't worry, you'll do great." He gave him a charming grin and a pat on the back before turning to Hani. "If you have trouble with the guests, just tell me or one of my boys." He winked at her, "And we'll take care of it."
Hani smiled and gave him a grateful nod.
"Welp, I'll see you at the dais." said the captain as he turned to leave. Once he reached the door he paused; casually grabbing the hilt of his sword, "Oh by the way, you might want to hide those nunchucks a bit better." He gave them a mischievous smile, "Or you might give a girl the wrong idea." He chuckled at Gai's expression and then left the room.
Hani stomped over and swatted at Gai's arm, "I freaking told you!"
"Fine, fine! I'll move it!" he said, trying to better position the weapon.
"Sir, are you ready?" asked Oda as he approached them.
Gai took a deep breath, "Yes, let's do this."
Oda gave him a polite nod and approached the entrance to the dining hall. He knocked on it once to queue two servants on the other side to open the large double doors. The musicians fell silent once the doors were fully open. Oda pulled his shoulders back, lifted his head and stepped through, "Presenting the host of tonight's banquet, Lord of the Buzen Province, Leader of the 17th branch of our Emperor's Army, His Lordship … Hakanza Toki." The last he said with a bow, stepping aside for Gai to enter. The ninja set his jaw and stole a quick look at Hani. With her own look of determination, she gave him a sharp nod, "You can do it!"
He took a deep breath and stepped through the doorway.
"Kenpai!" was called by numerous men in the dining hall as Gai entered the room. They were all standing, brandishing their drinks and toasting to their gracious host. "To Hakanza!" said a man in the back of the room. "TO HAKANZA!" cheered the crowd.
Hani's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. 'How long have they been drinking?' she wondered.
Gai walked across the dais, holding his hand up in greeting and stopped before his private dining table and extravagantly furbished seat. "Friends," he said. The crowd quieted for him to speak. "It is good to see everyone here. Please, enjoy this dinner and your drink. Tonight is a night for revelry and merriment!" He grinned, remembering something he had read in Hakanza's memoires. He bent down and grabbed a sake cup then thrust it in the air, "A toast." Everyone grinned and raised their own drinks. He closed his eyes as he thought back on the passage he had read, "Here's to honor, getting honor, keeping honor … and if you can't come in her, come on her!"
"KENPAI!" shouted the guests through laughs and jeers.
Hani blushed wildly and buried her face in her hands, "OH. MY. GOD."
"Madam?" asked Oda. "These ladies will be your assistants tonight."
Hani looked up and saw two girls, probably no more than eighteen years old, standing before her. They were dressed in the usual servant's garb: a dull, brown kimono, white obi, a tasuki tying back their sleeves and a white maekake (apron) around their waists. "They're a little young."
"I'm afraid this is the best we could do," said Oda. "With all of these guests, the servants have been spread thin."
Hani sighed as she looked the girls over. "Alright Ladies, this should be pretty simple. Your job is to be sure the cups of these men never run dry. If they touch you or say anything to you inappropriately, come get me. I'll take care of it. Understand?"
Both of the girls gave her a silent nod. They didn't need to speak to show how nervous they were.
She placed a gentle hand on their shoulders, "Don't worry girls. I won't let anything happen to you." She sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with."
"Uh, Madam?"
"Yes Oda?"
"Your, uh –" he tugged on his own jacket.
She rolled her eyes, "Fine." She untied her obi and pulled off her overcoat.
Oda had to stop his jaw from hitting the floor.
The kimonos Hani usually wore were made up of at least two layers of very thick fabric with long sleeves, and a thick obi tied tightly around her waist; most of her curves and features had, until this point, been hidden discreetly. But the dress she now wore did little to hide any part of her body. It did fit, at least around the waist and lengthwise, but the top was barely winning the fight in keeping her 'girls' contained. This mini kimono she now wore was of black silk and trimmed in white. Oda had seen this outfit on numerous women before, but this was the first time he had seen one tie the dress the way she had; with a wide, black obi and a long white ribbon, lacing around her waist. In the end, it looked like she was wearing a corset.
Her exposed arms were long and slender – a hint of muscle under the skin's surface. Her delicate hands, with their long musician's fingers were decorated with red fingernail polish. Her tiny waist blended into a perfect hourglass figure and trailed down into a round, plump rear. Her legs were also long with well formed muscles and her feet were just as slight as her hands. To compliment the dress, she wore a pair of black, thick-heeled zori sandals; her toenails had been painted red. And for some reason, one foot was taped.
Her skin was only slightly bronzed, just enough to give her a warm complexion that accentuated the color of her blonde hair. She reached up and removed the hair sticks from her bun, letting her hair fall about her shoulders. Oda felt his eyes widen as she shook her head slightly, using a hand to untangle her golden locks.
She then wrapped her hair sticks in her overcoat and turned to Oda. In the dim light of the servants' entrance, her violet eyes looked black, making them deep and penetrating.
"Could you take care of this for me?" she asked, handing him the clothing.
He instantly regained his composure, "Of course, Madam." He took the offered clothing, "And may I add that you look stunning this evening?"
Hani kept herself from sneering at his complement, "Thank you, Oda. But I want you to realize, this dress will not survive the night."
"Oh?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"It is my duty as a self-respecting woman to burn this repulsive excuse for a kimono."
He chuckled, "I'll just explain to Lord Hakanza it was a victim of unavoidable 'circumstances'."
Hani smiled, "Good man."
Everyone turned to the sound of a servant's cart being rolled into the room. Hani walked over and grabbed one of the serving trays and began loading it down with bottles of chilled sake. The girls watched her and eventually followed suit.
"Good luck, Madam," said Oda with a bit of concern.
Hani smiled at him, "What for, Oda?"
As if to answer her question, a loud cheer and chorus of laughter filled the next room. The group was reaching the next stage in their merriment.
"These men can be tough to handle for any woman –"
"Oh, don't worry about me, Oda. I've had plenty of experience with drunken men."
He took her hand as she reached for another bottle. "Please be careful, Madam," he said giving her a concerned look. "I would hate to see anything happen to you."
She gave him a warm smile, "I will." She bent forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"I would like to apologize ahead of time, Oda."
He looked surprised, "For what?"
"For how I am about to behave."
He furrowed his brows, "I don't understand."
She gave him a wink, "Time to give the 'boys' what they want."
She took her tray and walked to the servants' doors. 'I probably should have warmed Gai ahead of time,' she thought. 'Oh well, he's a jounin, I'm sure he'll adapt.'
She braced the tray as she kicked as hard as she could in the direct center of the double doors, bursting them open; everyone in the room, including Gai, froze. She then stepped through the doorway, slapped one hand on her hip and used the other to lift the tray high above her head. "WHO WANTS SOME SA-KE?!" she shouted in an overly energetic tone.
"HERE, HERE!" cheered the crowd – accept for Gai who spat his drink in shock. Fortunately the guests were too preoccupied in their festivities to notice.
"Over here!" called one table. "We need sake here!" shouted another over the noise of the throng.
Hani bounced through the crowd, laughing bubbly, "Thank you! Thank you for coming! There is plenty of sake to go around," she bent over and poured a man a drink.
"What's your name, Sweetheart?" came a low, chuckling voice.
"My name? Please call me Honey!"
Gai gawked in total disbelief as he watched his partner bound about the feasting guests like a beer maid at Oktoberfest Fest. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought her to be an imposter under a henge. And on top of it all, what the hell was she wearing?
"Hakanza! You Bastard! How are ya doing?" came a scruff voice at his side. Gai turned to see a very fat man dressed in a bright orange kimono making his way across the dais to his side.
"We should ask the same of you, Hamada," laughed Makoto who took his place behind Gai's seat. "You look like you've lost some weight!"
"Ha!" laughed Hamada. "If I did, it was the weight in the kidney stones I've been pass'n." He flopped down on the seat next to Gai. "You've got yourself one hell of a philly there!" he pointed to Hani across the room. "Where'd you go about finding that one?"
Gai fell into character and gave the man a sly smile, "If you dig hard and long enough – you're bound to find a diamond."
"Ha, ha!" laughed Hamada; his round body bouncing. He winked at Gai and gave him an elbow, "I get yer mean'n!"
"How is the stock this year, Hamada? Will you have some new colts for spring?" asked Gai, remembering his lessons on the roster.
"Naaah!" the merchant took a handkerchief from his kimono and wiped his mouth. "I had to sell six pregnant mares to pay off some gambling debts and to make manners worst, m'stallion's over hormonal and keeps injur'n the mares I have left!"
Makoto sighed, "Must be rough."
Hamada laughed, "Yer tell'n me!" He started to pick at the food on Gai's table – he didn't care, it's not like he was hungry anyway.
"I know this isn't the time for business," said Hamada as he dropped a piece of shrimp into his mouth. "But have you take'n the opportunity to look over my most recent business proposal?"
Makoto held his breath.
Gai considered things for a moment, "I'm sorry Hamada, but I've been very busy with the war. Which proposal was it that you are referring to?"
"Not a problem!" smiled Hamada.
Makoto sighed in relief as the fat merchant went about detailing the business deal, completely oblivious the man he was talking to was an imposter.
Meanwhile, Hani was working up a sweat pouring drinks, cracking jokes and making sure the other girls stayed out of trouble. In the end, it seemed her act was working according to her plan – be over the top to keep the attention off Gai. She looked up to the dais and noticed an overweight man sitting next to her partner; talking his ear off. 'Seems he is handling things fine,' she thought.
She was just in the process of swatting away a hand set on groping her when she heard a 'thunk' and a 'splash'. Her head whipped around to see one of the serving girls had accidently dropped a sake bottle and it had spilt on a guest.
"Wench!" spat the man.
Hani hustled to their side, pulling the terrified girl behind her and putting herself between the two. "Oh! So sorry, sir!" she said as she took a napkin and pat his pants. She looked into his face and gave him a charming smile.
He was none too happy, "That girl is a klutz!"
Hani noted the man's shaven head. "Please forgive her, sir." She covered her mouth as she bent close to his ear, "You know how the new girls are." She pulled away and gave him an innocent look, being sure to give him a free peep show of the 'twins'.
His eyes shifted to her lady-berries like heat seeking missiles, "I-I suppose I can overlook it –"
She clasped her hands together and brought them to the side of her face, "Oh sir! You're too kind! Please let me know if you need anything else."
She turned to the girl who looked like a scared rabbit, "Go ahead and take a break, Hun. We can handle this."
The girl nodded her thanks and quickly exited the room.
Hani looked around the crowd, making sure no one needed attending to. Satisfied, she picked up her tray and walked along the wall to the servants' entrance for restocking. She was only a few steps away when an arm shot out in front of her, cutting her off.
"Well, well, Honey. It's been a long time," came a low, disturbing voice.
Hani jerked to her side to look into an all too familiar face; with his long black hair, narrow dark eyes, wide Cheshire grin and sharp pointed nose. "Nishin!" she gasped as she jumped back into the wall in shock.
He closed the distance between them, "How long has it been? Almost three years now? You left so suddenly."
Hani stared wide-eyed, unable to speak. How could he be here? Did she miss his name on the roster?!
"Things haven't been the same since you left," he said, placing his other hand against the wall, cutting off her escape route. "But it doesn't look like you are doing too bad. The oiran for a wealthy noble? … Not too bad at all."
She tried walking backwards, hoping the wall would swallow her whole.
He leaned in closer, "I lost a lot of money, when you left. Most of my clients just couldn't settle for less."
Hani started to feel her stomach turn at his all too familiar scent.
"And to be honest – I haven't been able to eat right since you left." He took a piece of her hair and brought it to his nose, "You know how much I like honey with my meals."
Hani cringed as flashback after flashback violated her mind. She was reliving an old nightmare all over again.
While Hamada rambled on about the gestation period of horses and the science behind planning thoroughbred bloodlines, Gai noticed Hani was missing from the floor. He scanned the room and spotted her by the servants' door and from what he could tell a man was holding her up and possibly harassing her. He started to rise but was quickly stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.
"I'll take care of it," said Makoto, looking in Hani's direction.
Gai watched as the captain stepped down from the dais, walked across the floor and approached the two.
"I don't know what Hakanza paid for you Honey, but I will double – no, triple it if it meant having you back," said Nishin as he wrapped a hand around her waist.
She gave him a venomous stare, "I am never going back there, Nishin. Ever!"
"Everyone has their price, My Dear –" he jumped as a voice cut through their conversation.
"Nishin? You know the rules … no touching Hakanza's girl."
Nishin grinned at Makoto, "Oh, it's alright. Honey and I go way back." He turned to Hani and reassumed his position with her.
Makoto snatched Nishin's hand from Hani's waist, twisted it behind the man's back and pushed him into the wall. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, Nishin …" said the captain with a firm, commanding voice. "This isn't your brothel. You touch a girl here; you'll pull back a stump." He pushed against him again, "Understand?!"
Nishin gave an angry grunt, "Perfectly."
Makoto released the man, "Now return to your table. If I see you give the girls anymore trouble, then you'll have to deal with Hakanza and worst of all, me."
Nishin sneered at the captain before sulking off to his table.
"Hani, are you alright?" asked Makoto as he turned to her.
She took a deep breath, "Yes … yes, thank you Makoto."
He looked over his shoulder after Nishin, "Welp, he just bought himself a guard at his door tonight." He looked back at Hani who was clearly shaken up, "Hey, why don't you take a break." He put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the antechamber and then back to the kitchens. "Sweetheart?" he called.
"Yes Dear?" answered Umeko through the chaos of a busy kitchen. Her buxom form negotiated through multiple servants, food trays and ovens.
"Could you get Madam Hani a drink?"
Umeko wiped her hands on her apron as she looked the skinny woman over, "How about a sandwich too?"
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Gai was beyond grateful when Hamada finally left. He had learned more than he ever wanted to know about breeding and caring for horses. Everything from what kind of grain they should eat, to erectile dysfunction in stallions.
Gai reached for his drink and noticed half of the food on his table was gone. 'That man never stopped talking. How on earth did he find the time to eat?' he wondered.
"How are you holding up?" asked Makoto having just returned from the kitchen.
"Is it 10 yet?" asked – pleaded Gai.
Makoto chuckled, "Nope. Almost 8:30."
Gai looked past Makoto, "Where's Hani?"
"She's taking a break. Umeko's with her – shoving food down her throat, no doubt."
Gai indicated Nishin, "What was that about?"
Makoto shrugged, "An old acquaintance of Hani's?"
'Acquaintance?' thought Gai. 'Could he be from Konoha?' He didn't recognize him. 'Maybe he is under a henge and on a separate mission? Or maybe …' He thought back on what Hani had said some of her past missions were. "Makoto? Do you know that man?"
"Who, Nishin? Sure … been a merchant for Hakanza for years."
"What does he sell?"
Makoto looked between Nishin and Gai and suddenly released what Hani and Nishin being 'acquaintances' meant. "He … sells livestock," he lied.
"Ugh, keep him away from me. I don't want to go through another lecture on animals," moaned Gai.
"Looks like you've got bigger problems," said Makoto as he eyed three bald men walking up the dais.
"Well, if it isn't little brother!" laughed one of the men.
"How's our little kōhai doing?" said another.
"Haha! He's barely touched his food," joked the last man.
"Yeah, cause Hamada touched it all for him!" joked the first.
"Yamada, Sugi and Kazuo," said Gai with a smile. "So nice of you to join me at my table."
"Pfft!" spat one. "What's with this sweet talk, Toki?"
"Yamada, hand me that sake bottle!"
"Hell no, Sugi! You dirty drunk! You'll drink it all."
Gai made note of the men's names and went about finding physical features between the three to tell them apart. From what he could tell, Yamada's nose was broader than the other two, Kazuo had smaller eyes and Sugi had larger ears.
"Hey!" shouted Sugi suddenly, pointing at Gai. "You're an imposter!"
Both Gai and Makoto froze. How could they tell so easily?!
"The Toki we know would never have an empty bottle of sake on the table!" he said, tipping the bottle over, proving his point. "You must not be getting enough pussy cause you're starting to think with the wrong brain!" He jumped up and grabbed his crotch, laughing along with his friends.
Gai and Makoto sighed in relief. "Taka," called Makoto to one of the serving girls. "Bring a few bottles here please."
Yamada leaned back, "So Toki, we were reminiscing about the battle at Shouzon today and we were trying to remember if it was 300 infantry or 400 infantry?" He scratched his chin, "Can you remember? It was one of your favorite battles after all."
Gai's eyes widened. He didn't remember reading about any battle of Shouzon, but then again, he only had time to read a quarter of the scroll given to him. 'How would Hakanza, react?' he wondered.
"Oi Toki?" asked Kazuo at his silence.
Gai looked Yamada in the eye, "What the hell difference does it make? We kicked their asses anyway, right?"
The three bald men beat their hands on the table and laughed heartily. "Knocked their dicks in the dirt!" said Sugi.
"If I remember correctly, Toki. That's where you got your first master craftsman sword?" asked Yamada again.
Gai nodded, "Ah yes, a great blade."
"You named that sword too, didn't you? What did you call it?" asked Kazuo.
'Damn it! Would these guys stop asking me questions already?!' he shouted mentally. He searched his mind for a suitable name, "Suibou."
"Suibou?" asked Yamada, confused. "You never gave your swords woman names."
"Yeah," said Sugi. "You said, 'Only a man can bring down a superior enemy'."
Makoto cringed, 'Shit!'
Gai thought quickly, "Yes … but a woman could bring the downfall of an entire nation."
The three monk imposters exchanged wide-eyed looks. "Damn, Toki! When did you grow up and become all philosophical on us?" asked Yamada with a laugh.
Gai breathed a sigh of relief. This mission was going to give him a heart attack.
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Hani paced back and forth in the antechamber. She had to escape the kitchen or else be accosted by Umeko and be forced to eat more food.
She wouldn't lie. The sight of Nishin scared her – scared the hell out of her. It had been years since she escaped that damnable brothel after successfully completing a spy mission there. It was three months of utter torment. Out of all the missions she ever did, regardless of what she had to do, that one was by far, the worst. Nishin was practically a slave driver, compensating his girls poorly and often abused and/or violated them nightly.
She would have killed the man if her mission had not specifically ordered her not to. It was a horrible place, but still a viable hub of information that Konoha wanted to continue to take advantage of.
It took her six months to recover mentally from that assignment and she almost abandoned being a ninja all together. But when she was approached for a mission that would send her to the royal palace, she couldn't help but read the report. And she was happy she did. It turned out to be one of her easiest and most relaxing missions ever: playing courtesan to a politician. She ate great food, slept all day, and increased her wardrobe by threefold. It was literally a two year vacation. And in the end, she had actually made good friends with the bureaucrat who had employed her under the goal of hiding his sexual preferences. Hire the prettiest courtesan you could find and no one asked questions. Konoha, on the other hand, wanted a few eyes and ears in the palace so they supplied her with all of the official documents she would need to get into a high class bordello. From there, the politician chose her, not knowing she was actually an undercover ninja.
But, even after three years, she still had nightmares of her time at Nishin's brothel. Regardless of her emotional training, there are still times she is filled with regret and shame for the things she had to do there.
Fortunately, she could take solace knowing her gathered information had brought Konoha and their allies a great deal of aid. And she had successfully upheld the reputation of her clan and the Willow Warrior, or Yanagi Joufu; the name given to Hachi women when they have successfully completed their training. If you need information, a spy, or a quite assassination, then a Willow Warrior would be your best choice. Willow Warriors were like a delicate venomous spider. They could be in the room with you the entire time and you wouldn't know you were in danger till it was far too late.
With the help of their bloodline ability, a Willow Warrior could use seduction to get close to their male targets. If their prey was a woman, then they would use charm and cunning instead. Willow Warriors were trained in hand-to-hand combat, but it wasn't their strongest skill. The Hachi clan's motto is: A clenched fist brings fear; but a soft touch brings devotion. Instead of training their fists and building their muscles, they gilded their tongues and painted their faces. It is actually because of the Hachi women that Oirans or Tayuus have been nicknamed, Keisei or 'Castle-Destroyers'; "because their sex appeal, like the mythical beauties of history, could destroy a man as easily as any army".
It was a hard life of training for Hani. Most people assume the young life of a Willow Warrior to be learning to apply makeup and playing dress up in fancy clothes. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Once a Hachi girl reached five years old, her training began.
First, they begin training in martial arts. In addition, they are exposed to a regiment of poison doses. The first few years are the worst in this particular part of their training as most times they fall seriously ill. When other children dealt with chickenpox and other childhood illnesses, Hachi girls had to endure nights of horrendous nausea, blackouts and frequent trips to the hospital. Poison training often continues on into their twenties or longer, depending on the development of poisons at the time. Next, they begin training on music, which includes singing, dancing and instrumental performance. These lessons are taken very seriously, partly because it's a crucial aspect of a geisha/oiran's list of skills and because it trains the girl on balance and improves her dexterity to better handle weapons.
Once she reaches puberty, the Hachi girl's bloodline limit: Zeru-roiyaru develops. This is often an awkward time for the girl. Not only does she have to deal with the trials of puberty, but the Zeru-roiyaru is unstable and difficult for a young girl to control. Often times it leads to very embarrassing interactions with other boys her age. This is the main reason Hachi girls are tutored instead of attending the academy.
At around fifteen years old, she begins training on the subtle art of seduction. Up until this point, the Hachi girl's missions consisted of working undercover at tea houses and training alongside meikos (apprentice geisha). The specifics as to what Hachi girls must do to train in seduction are largely kept secret – not necessarily because it is a powerful technique they want to protect, but mainly because it would stir moral disputes from the village's authorities.
"Madam?" came Oda's soft voice.
Hani shook herself from her reverie, "Yes Oda?"
He gave her a concerned look, "Are you unwell?"
She smiled, "No, I'm fine. Just a little distracted."
"I hate to bother you, Madam. But the time for your performance draws near."
Hani sighed, grimacing slightly. "Has the band been informed?"
"Yes Madam."
"Was there any dispute?"
"No Madam. I think they like the idea of a little improvisation for the evening."
"Good." She reached behind to the small of her back and began to untie the lacing around her obi.
"Uuuuuhhh, Madam?" blushed Oda. "Do you need some privacy?"
She smiled at him and then pulled the ribbon from around her waist. Her obi unrolled down her midsection and down her legs, stopping just above her ankles. Oda blinked. It wasn't an actual obi at all, but a long, gossamer skirt she had tied at her waist and then folded to look like an obi.
"How does it look?" she asked as she tied the white ribbon around her neck like a collar.
He smiled at her, "It looks wonderful, Madam. I look forward to your performance."
She returned his smiled and then walked to the door. "Oh wait" she reached behind her neck and pulled something from the collar of her dress. "Wish me luck!" she said with a pleasant grin before walking to the door.
Gai did the best he could to hide the sweat beading at his forehead. The three bald friends of Hakanza had been keeping him in a precarious balancing act with their unending questions and references to past events. Just as he thought he couldn't take any more of their badgering the house lights dimmed and the musicians fell silent.
"Oi! The main event!" chuckled Kazuo.
Gai squinted through the darkness to the center of the room where a small area had been cleared. Was this Hani's performance? What had she planned? Did it involve a pole? He quickly pushed that last thought from his mind.
The musicians started first, a slow, almost mournful song; barely slower than a pulse. The lights followed, but just the center ones -- gradually lighting the open area. Hani's small form soon became illuminated. She had her back to the crowd, her arms behind her back, and in her hands she held a pair of red fans with long fabric extensions. Just as the music's rhythm developed, her body responded. She brought her arms up slowly, and then turned to the crowd; her face was calm and serene. Like a ballerina, she moved gracefully about the floor. Her moves working in harmony to the melody in the song; it was like watching a conversation between her and the music. As the music swelled to a crescendo, she opened her fans; two dark red half circles that stretched the length of her torso. The fabric trim extended another six inches from the fan itself. On the paper blades were a set of white, painted lines. Overall, the fans looked like the fins of a koi, floating through the air as if she danced underwater.
Gai was entranced by her movements. It wasn't like the traditional dances he had seen before. Instead, it was like a fusion between ballet, kung fu and gymnastics. His trained taijutsu eye noted the different stances in her form and the fluid offensive/defensive movements. Gai smiled, if she had been holding a pair of swords, then people wouldn't mistaken this performance for a dance.
He leaned into his seat, taking the sight of her in. With her hair down, he could see it was actually fairly long, stopping just short of her lower back and Gai decided if there was an award for hair flipping, then she would be on the short list.
She moved with a stunning grace. Though Gai had certainly seen his fair share of agile kunoichi, Hani was different. She didn't make hasty movements. She moved with a calculated accuracy – no action was wasted. In this dance, Hani was reminding Gai why they called it: martial arts.
The crowd voiced their approval in "awes" as she leaned forward and brought her leg behind her back; her foot nearly touching the back of her head. She then brought the same leg forward, lifting it over her head. 'She wasn't lying,' thought Gai.
As the music reached its last grand crescendo, Hani straightened her arms, propped up on the ball of her foot and twirled. Gai grinned. 'Impressive,' he thought. But his eyes widened as she kept spinning. She brought her arms in tight to her sides to increase her momentum and then tilted her head to the side to go even faster.
The musicians caught this cue and held the crescendo, building and building till their instruments could barely hold on. The crowd cheered and clapped at her impossible feat.
Just as the crowd thought she could continue forever, she stopped, slid into a front splits and struck a pose. The crowd were on their feet, giving her a standing ovation. Even the musicians stomped the ground out of respect, unable to clap for their instruments.
Yamada elbowed Gai roughly, "Well, well, Toki. I can only imagine how much you enjoy a woman that limber." He gave Gai a wink and laughed at his blushing face.
Hani stood and gave the crowd a polite smile, bowed and then quietly exited the room. She had done her part for the evening.
She was grateful to find Oda waiting for her in the servant's room holding her overcoat.
"That was stunning, Madam," he added as he helped her don the clothing.
Hani was still trying to catch her breath, "Thank you, Oda." Before tying her coat, she went about adjusting her outfit. She blushed slightly as Oda watched her with a grin. "Sorry, but after doing movements that gymnastic, things are bound to creep up."
Oda couldn't help but chuckle. He had never seen a woman deal with a wedge so openly before.
"So what next?" she asked as she finished adjusting her clothing.
"You can spend the rest of the evening at Hakanza's side."
She sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. How much time do we have?"
"About an hour." Oda leaned into Hani and whispered, "You two are doing an excellent job. The evening has gone thus far without a hitch."
"Don't jinx it," added Hani with a grin.
Gai was relieved to be alone again on the dais. Yamada, Sugi and Kazuo had left shortly after Hani's performance, stating they needed a "smoke break". 'Filthy habit,' he thought.
A familiar voice made him jump, "Good evening, My Lord."
Gai looked over his shoulder to see Hani's grinning face. He couldn't help but smile back. She gave a small wave to Makoto who gave her a polite nod in return.
"Looks like you were hungry," she added as she took the seat to his left.
Gai rolled his eyes, "Don't ask. I'll tell you about it later."
Makoto couldn't help but chuckle.
Hani smiled at Gai, "How are you holding up?"
"So far so good. But my enthusiasm is waning."
Hani gave him an exaggerated look of shock, "You! Is that even possible?!"
He squinted at her, "Very funny."
She covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled at him.
He grinned slightly, finding her humor infectious. He propped an elbow on the arm rest of his seat and brought his face to a lose fist. He eyed her, up and down a few times; not even realizing he was doing it. He was just caught up in the moment and was enjoying the sight of her next to him; laughing and glowing.
"Sir?" said Oda, breaking him from his daydream. "I brought you a fine bottle of sake, Sir. I thought you and the Madam might enjoy it."
"Oh, thank you Oda," said Hani as she took the bottle from him.
The servant bowed, took a few of the empty plates from Gai's table and excused himself.
Hani eyed the bottle, "Wow, this is expensive stuff." She winked at Gai, "I'm wondering if he raided Hakanza's special collection for us."
Gai watched her pour them both a drink. "Remind me to give Oda a pay raise," he joked.
They both laughed, knowing Gai had the power to do it if he really wanted to.
Hani took her cup and lifted it, "To a successful banquet."
Gai smiled as he lifted his own cup, "Kenpai." He was just about to bring the drink to his mouth when a firm hand on his shoulder caught his attention.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, M'Lord. But may I be excused? I want to be sure the patrol is ready for the shift to the guest quarters before this lets out."
"Oh, of course, Makoto," nodded Gai. As the captain walked away, Gai turned his attention to Hani who was taking a large swig of her drink. 'She must have worked up a thirst,' he thought.
"Haaah!" she said as she finished her drink in one breath. It was cool, refreshing and surprisingly citrusy. She froze, 'Citrusy?!'
"That good, huh?" asked Gai as he brought his own drink to his lips.
Her hand shot out and shielded his cup so fast, even Gai blinked in surprise.
Hani sighed in relief – she almost didn't make it in time. It was so close that her knuckles were touching his lips. From the crowd, it would look like he was holding and kissing her hand.
Not knowing what had caused her reaction, Gai didn't budge, "What's wrong?!"
"The sake is poisoned!" she said just loud enough for him to hear.
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Thank you, for reading!