Chapter 3

"Arm higher! Not that high, you look ridiculous."

"Legs closer together, make your stance stable."

"Stop making that face, a dancer never shows anything but serenity!"

I was in the backroom of the Dancing Dragon, sweat drenching my form as The Mistress drilled me mercilessly. She was a strict teacher, always pushing me beyond my limits, never letting up once. When I had asked for dancing lessons, I thought it would be… well, dancing. But The Mistress had apparently decided that if she were to be teaching me, she would go all out. Every day, lessons started at six in the morning, where I do stretches while she lectures me about the roles of a geisha. Then we move onto fan maintenance and appearance, and then we finally get to the actual three hours of dancing. After I collapse from exhaustion, she will talk about etiquette in all sorts of situations and finally she will teach me about religion. In the past month, I had learned more about make-up and dresses than I had known in my previous life.

On the plus side, I would be getting a break soon as the Daimyo had decided to pay Konoha a visit from the capital with nobles, advisors and bodyguards in tow. As a brothel aimed to entertain the upper-class citizens, The Dancing Dragon was expecting to be very busy soon.

I stood straight as I finished my basic form, wiping sweat from my brow. Looking over at The Mistress for approval, she nodded before saying, "Now tell me, what are the rules that dancers must always follow?"

I sighed before obediently chanting the words that have been drilled into my head.

"A dancer is always nimble and elegant, we personify grace. A dancer always shows nothing but serenity. So I swear by the Dragon, when dancing I will aim to be as beautiful as the sea itself."

When The Mistress had first told me about Ryujin, the Dragon God of the Seas, I had been shocked to realize how much religion there was on this world. I knew about the Death God – how could I not believe in it when I had seen it tear the souls of Hokages away in another life – but I hadn't grasped the impact the gods have on this world.

The Mistress and all the girls at the brothel swear by Ryujin, the Golden Dragon. Apparently the Uchiha bring their children to their shrines when they are born and ask them to be blessed with Amaterasu's flames. The Inuzuka used to be known as mountain Inugami – dog gods – known for their brutal ways of killing people in the Era of the Warring States. They pray to the Yama-Inu, a dog spirit who lives in the mountains and either kills travelers or befriends them, depending on his mood.

I don't know enough about Japanese religion to know if the stories matched up to my old world, but I do remember that Inugami were known for their berserker ways and unstoppable rage. They were often invoked through acts of cruelty and murder. It fits what I know of the Inuzuka; loyal to their pack only, and completely ruthless to others – just like their animalistic nature dictates.

For someone who had been an atheist, it was a jarring change. In my previous life I had scoffed at the idea of any god or being dictating my actions. And with scientific explanations emerging all the time, religion wasn't as prominent as it had been in the past. It was a huge difference to suddenly be in a world where everyone believed in the gods.

Sure, the different clans prayed to different gods, but everyone believed all of them existed. When The Mistress had first started teaching me about the gods, I had remained skeptical but listened in nonetheless. After my first lesson about Ryujin, I had asked if anyone believed in them. The Mistress had given me the weirdest look before asking me if I believed in trees. After my own weird look, I had, of course, said that I did. She then replied with, "Just as the trees exist, so too do the gods. It is not a matter of belief." To them, the gods exist just the same as the ground we walk on and the air we breathe.

This contradicted every belief I had about religion. I was too logical to suddenly accept such a massive change without proof, and the part of my brain with the scientific method ingrained in, learned after years of schooling since childhood, protested. So I didn't bother to try and change my views about all these new Japanese gods. If I ever met one or saw their interference in person, then I would believe it. But until then, I would learn about the gods whilst happily continuing my heathen ways.

Except for the Shinigami of course. I most certainly believed in the Death God.

"Very good." The Mistress said, nodding after my recitation of the rules. "Now go over the basic forms ten more times."

I refrained from groaning even as I dragged my tired limbs into the starting position. The Mistress reminded me of my old piano teacher.

Man, all of my teachers are absolute slave drivers.

My small size was a hindrance, and even with chakra circulating my body, it gave out sooner than I would have liked. It wasn't long before I collapsed, lungs heaving, desperately trying to get oxygen into my body. I wasn't worried though, this was routine by now. The Mistress then gave me water and we would moved onto lectures while I recovered.

I honestly think I scared her a little. I have no doubt that I came across as a very creepy child. I was driven in ways that normal kids weren't, and I never complained. Not even once. It would have been rude to do so after she had sacrificed so much time to teaching me. So everyday I would dance until I collapsed, again and again. My attitude must have been rather intimidating, because The Mistress often had a strange look in her eyes whenever I forced my shaking limbs up again. She was too good of an actress to allow anything to show in her countenance at all, but she gave off a wary feeling.

Still, she shouted at me and scolded me when I got something wrong, like any good teacher should. But she also never treated me like a child. I was grateful that she recognized that I was different, but still taught me anyway.

The hours flew by as the sun rose higher in the sky. When noon came, I bowed to her as thanks and left the brothel. I stretched my constantly aching muscles out as I made my through the streets. I had made an effort to learn my way around the place, learning all the nooks and crannies, the drop-off points, the places where gangs congregate; I had hung around some of the boys from the orphanage who did odd jobs in the district.

Meandering into central Konoha, I passed out of the red-light district and into a residential area. I made my way to a familiar run-down house with cheerful flowerpots on the windowsills. Walking up the small path leading to the front door, I knocked a couple times.

"Obaa-san? It's me, Minato."

I heard shuffling before an elderly lady opened the door. Her face was lined with wrinkles, and her back was hunched, but her whole countenance brightened up as she saw me.

"Minato-kun, come in! What brings you here?"

I stepped into the small house and took my shoes off. Setting them by the door as the woman shuffled into the kitchen.

"Just dropping by, Obaa-san. My lessons finished early, so I thought I would pay you a visit."

She smiled as she put the kettle on.

"You're too kind Minato-kun. I'm sure you have more interesting things to do than visit me." She said even as she patted my cheek fondly.

Jun Amaya had lost her husband in the early years of the First Shinobi War. He was a ninja who had died young, just like so many others. They had only just married and didn't have any children. Amaya never married again, and instead worked as a waitress to support herself. Now that she was too old to work, she lived off her savings and the meager allowance Konoha provides widows of ninja.

Our meeting was a random occurrence. I had gotten lost (again) trying to find Takeo's new workplace, and I had ended up in a residential neighborhood. Amaya had been on her way back from the shops and dropped one of her bags. Now, I may not have many morals, but I do have manners. I helped her home and she invited me in for tea.

It was obvious to see that Amaya was a lonely old woman, and I couldn't help but pity her. So I made it a habit to stop by whenever I was in the area. Sometimes I would go to her place and help her cook dinner. At first it was because I wanted the extra food, but she was also genuinely kind and treated me like I was her own grandchild. It wasn't until I realized that I was honestly fond of her that I grasped that I had missed genuine care. I hadn't received anything resembling familial affection in this lifetime, and I hadn't realized how much I missed it. So while she was right, and I did have better things to do, visiting her wasn't a chore at all.

"How were your lessons, Minato-kun?" Amaya asked.

I mentally grimaced, but smiled outwardly.

"Same as usual, The Mistress is still as good a teacher as she always is."

Still as strict too.

"Still as strict?" Amaya smiled knowingly.

I smiled back sheepishly.

"You know me too well Obaa-san."

~~~~~~~~~~S.o.t.S~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The orphanage was unusually busy as I arrived back. I pulled over one of the older kids to ask what was going on.

"You mean you haven't heard? The ninja recruiter is coming today! And they say it's one of the legendary three! Can you believe it! One of the Sannin is coming here!"

My eyebrows shot up, before a smirk made its way across my face.

"Is that so? That's… interesting."

"Interesting!?" The unsuspecting kid said incredulously. "That's all you have to say?"

My smirk grew wider.

"Yes. Very interesting."

Just a filler chapter this time, we'll be seeing more happening in the next one. I have new years resolution to post chapters more often, so we'll see how it goes. Any suggestions may be added in if I like them.

Merry Christmas and happy new year all!

Blackbird