My last words to him were, " I need to be alone right now..." And then we were ripped apart. I was never good enough for him away; Fugaku-sama, his father, would never allow it. He is the heir to the Fir Country; educated, superior, royalty. And what am I? A peasant, only aloud to know such nobility because my mother was his nurse.
I've loved him since before I could remember. Every time I saw him my heart would race and stop at the same time. I believed that my reason for living was to meet and love him. But now, I'm not sure. Fugaku-sama sold me after my mother passed away.
I don't know it I'll ever see him again. I don't know where I'm headed, who bought me. All I know is that my name is Uzumaki Naruto, that I'm in love with Uchiha Sasuke, and my new life begins now.
A rickshaw moved through the streets. The knowledge of where it was headed was only known to the driver and the man assigned to escort the young blonde girl, that looked confusedly around the town.
"Such a pretty girl; golden hair, big blue eyes. The Okiya made a nice investment when they decided to buy you", the escort stated, while gently grabbing the girl's chin and lifting her head to get better look at her. "How old are you?"
"I-I'm seven..." the girl stuttered out. "W-What's an Okiya?"
"It's the place that bought you. You will live there until you can get the attention of rich Danna, that can take care of you."
"How do I get a Danna?"
"You will find out soon enough", the man said ending their conversation.
The sun was setting over the Fire Country, casting an orange glow ever the village of Konoha; the rickshaw drawing closer and closer to its final destination. The blonde girl fidgeted in the cart. She had never been outside the walls of the Uchiha Compound, where she'd grown up. And now she was curious to investigate the world; despite her feelings of missing her ex-home.
The village market was closing down for the night, while the aromas from the food stands wafted through the air. The blonde girl's stomach grumbled loudly. She hadn't eaten anything for the last twelve hours; since she was rudely awakened from her bed at the Uchiha Compound and the dragged--half consciously--into the rickshaw she was currently in. The delicious smells were torturing her to know end.
The escort sighed, he could sense what was occupying the girl's mind. "Driver", he said casually."Let's stop for some food."
"Hai", replied the other man.
The rickshaw stopped in front of the a simple stand, that sold barbeque squid. The girl's big blue eyes shined brilliantly at the sight of the oceanic creature swimming around in their barrels, before being caught and roasted. The two men accompanying her ordered three squids; one for each of them.
When the girl was handed her squid, she drooled slightly before devouring her dinner. She was so hungry, that she barley tasted the squid as she swallowed each bite. And soon, the stick that had held her meal was bare. The girl's stomach still ached from hunger as she watched her companions eat their food.
The escort took pity on the girl--yet again--and handed his squid over to her after taking one last bite.
"Arigato", she smiled happily at the man as she chewed her second squid.
For the first time today, the girl actually looked at her escort. He had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and a long scar stretched across his nose. The man had brown skin and wore a simple blue yukata tied with a white obi. The man looked young, probably around 19 years old.
"Oji-san, may I ask your name?" the girl asked as they sat back down in the rickshaw.
"My name is Umino Iruka", he stated looking into the girl's cerulean eyes. "I work as a dresser for the Okiya that bought you."
"So does that mean I'l see you a lot?" Iruka smiled and nodded to the girl's question. "Yata! You're nice I like you Iruka-ji-chan."
Iruka couldn't help but chuckle.'Such a simple girl. She's too innocent to be one of them...'
Suddenly the rickshaw came to a halt in front of a fairly large stone gate with a wooded door ; a house lay beyond the gate. The sun had set a while ago, but because of the moon and stars shining on this cloudless night, the neighborhood was visible. It consisted of many other houses similar to the one the rickshaw had stopped in front of. The house was made of wood and had two stories; lights shined in the window above.
Iruka stood up, took the blonde's hand in his and walked down from the rickshaw; taking her with him. He lead the way to the gate and knocked on the door a few times before stepping back to wait, while letting go of the girl's hand. It took only a few seconds for a young woman, about the same age as Iruka, with a brunette bob hair cut, wearing a plain black kimono, to come and answer the door.
The woman eyes the girl standing next to Iruka and asked, "This her?"
"Hai."
"Hmm, she's pretty. Come here...?"
Iruka gave the girl a light kick, signaling that the question directed at her. "Naruto," she answered looking the woman in the eyes.
"Well Naruto, I'm Shizune. This is where is where you'll be living from now on", the woman named Shizune stated, while smiling. "Come now, Tsunade-sama will want to meet you. Say good bye to Iruka-san."
Naruto turned to hug Iruka and said, "Bye bye Iruka-ji-chan." Iruka smiled and patted the girl's head.
Letting go of Iruka, Naruto walked through the gate towards Shizune, who said good bye to Iruka as he got into the rickshaw and left. Shizune locked the wooden door and instructed Naruto to follow her as she walked towards the house.
A regular yard surrounded the house and walk way, while rock statues were placed miscellaneously around. To the right of the house lay a small waterfall and pond, filled with white and red gold fish. The inside house was simple and clean; not much to it. There were plants set around in some areas, but mostly it was a traditional Japanese house.
Naruto ogled her surroundings. Something about new places always made her curious to explore, but she couldn't because she was supposed to following Shizune. Naruto made a mental note to look around later on.
This new surrounding was almost enough to take her mind off of what was taken away from her just a few hours ago; Uchiha Sasuke, Suke-chan to her. She missed walking around with him in the forest behind the Uchiha Compound. Missed the way he'd always smile at her whenever they were together. Missed watching over him when he was ill. Missed the way he'd tend to her whenever she'd injured herself; usually by falling over something. She missed him, loved him, lived for him. But he wasn't here with her right now.
Snapping out of her thoughts of her thoughts, Naruto asked, while walking side by side with Shizune, "So where am I exactly Shizune-nee-chan?"
"Hmm, you don't know? You're in the Godaime Okiya", Shizune answered leading them through the house until they stopped in front of a door. "Tsunade-sama is the owner of this whole house and everything in it, which includes you. So when you meet her be nice."
Shizune knocked lightly on the door and waited for a reply. When she received a grouchy sounding "What?", she kneeled down--telling Naruto to kneel on the floor and bow-- then slowly opened the sliding door and bowed to the woman inside.
"Let me see the child", the woman ordered.
"Hai", Shizune said, lightly pushing Naruto inside.
"Ah, arigato Shizune. You may leave now."
"Hai."
With that said Shizune left the room, leaving Naruto alone with the woman one could assume was Tsunade. The woman had long blonde hair tied back in two loose pig tails. She looked like she would be in her early thirties; very pretty in Naruto's opinion. She wore a grey yukata, that could barley contain her enormous breasts. A green shawl was draped over her shoulders. She was leaning against the wooden table in front of her, as she sat on the floor. Her light brown eyes stared intensely into Naruto's blue ones, as she sipped whatever was in her cup.
"Sit", she said, beckoning Naruto to the table. "If I remember correctly your name is Naruto, ne?"
"Hai."
"I'm Tsunade. I own you from now on", she stated smiling sheepishly. "Welcome to the Godaime Okiya, Gaki."
"Don't call me Gaki, Obaa-chan", Naruto muttered under her breath.
Tsunade chuckled, hearing the comment, "You know, I like you. It's going to be fun having you around the Okiya. Just don't disobey me or run away, okay."
"Hai. Um, Tsunade-obaa-chan, what's an Okiya? No one has told me what it is yet."
"Eh, really?" Naruto nodded. "An Okiya is a house where geisha live. We buy girls, then send them through training. And when the girl finally becomes a working geisha, the money she makes goes to the Okiya to pay off her debt to the house. The debt is accumulated because of the buying price of the girl and the money spent on her training. When a geisha pays off her debt she can leave if she wants to.
"Naruto, the reason why you're here is because I bought you so that you will become a geisha and work for me."
AN: Please don't make any comments about how this story is kind of like Memoirs of a Geisha, because it's not. I read the book and watched the movie, which is what's helping write the story. But the plot is mine is different. There will be plot twist all over the place, so don't prejudge the story.
And please don't bite my head off or extremely flame if I get some things wrong about Japanese culture; I'm trying my best to remember everything I know. Hope you liked the chapter. Sorry if it's a little dull, but I needed to get some introduction into the story. Like with all stories, they usually get better as they go.