Enchantress
Chapter 10 – Her Destiny, Her Triumph
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.
With the events of the previous night still fresh in her mind, Minako's attention became frequently divided ever since she woke up early this morning. The lingering visions of old-man Masato and his statue continued to remain at the forefront of her mental priorities.
No…it can't be just a coincidence.
In addition, the image of the other Michiko statue that Minako had seen during her mission with Sasuke back in the Earth Country had also inched its way Minako's mind.
Even though the actual designs of both statues were different, there's no doubt that the primary figure depicted in both sculptures was Michiko. The resemblances between them and the illustrations in that book are uncanny!
But…what was that weird feeling that I got when looked at the first statue? And I still can't figure out the reason as to why there were healthy, booming flowers at the base of the statue when they were both underground and surrounded by nothing else but concrete?
After tending to the medical needs of her most recent patient, Minako quietly exited out of the room and made her way towards Dr. Kimura's office, which was located on the top most floor of the General Clinic. During her commute, Minako began to piece together all of the events that had occurred in her life from between the time of her gender change to her encounter with Masato the previous night.
I feel like I'm getting closer...but I still feel like I have a long ways to go. How did this happen? Why did it happen? And more importantly, why the hell did it have to be me?!
The distant memory of Kakashi's earliest words to Team 7 echoed in her mind.
"A ninja must look underneath the underneath."
Minako eventually reached Dr. Kimura's office and gently deposited her morning medical folders into the drop box that was mounted up onto the wall right next to the door. 'Underneath the underneath' huh…? Minako glanced to her right and looked through the window that greeted her; taking in the beautifully lit form of Sunagakure on this pleasantly clear day.
Hmm…perhaps-
The notable beeping noise of her communicator (the one that Dr. Kimura had temporarily entrusted to her in case the blonde's immediate services were necessary) snapped Minako back to reality. Without wasting another second, Minako answered the incoming transmission and calmly made her way towards the main level operating rooms.
"Have a wonderful night girls! Once again, thank you for all of your hard work and assistance on yet another successfully productive day. You three truly are a godsend for both this hospital and our village."
"Oh stop Emi-san it's all in a days work! I think I can safely say for the three of us that the satisfaction of knowing that we are saving lives is the greater reward for our efforts. Am I right girls?"
Sakura and Minako simultaneously smiled in earnest at the middle-aged receptionist that Ino was completing her final medical form in front of.
"And besides, it doesn't hurt to get a little field work every now and then right? All of this experience is just going to evolve us into better medics with every call." Said Sakura.
"The date…and my signature, and…there! Here you go Emi-san! That's the last of 'em."
"Thank you Ino-chan."
"Anytime!"
"Take care! And see you three tomorrow!"
"We will! Good night!"
Once she saw the girls disappear behind the hospital's main entrance doors, Emi hummed a little tune to herself as she began to wrap up her clerical duties for the night.
After a nice and hearty meal at a local eatery, the three girls decided to make their way back towards their room at the inn and call it a night. While Sakura and Ino were busy catching up on some small talk involving how the other's day had been, Minako silently scanned her surroundings and noticed some very familiar landmarks while she was at it.
Wait...that's the kiosk where I bought my dango last night! Minako looked ahead and noticed another familiar kiosk. And there's where I bought my chocolate taiyaki! Which means...
Minako quickly moved to the side and directed her gaze some distance ahead of her; trying her hardest to pinpoint a particular shop. And sure enough, she noticed the partially visible forms (she was viewing them at an angle) of calligraphic tatejiku, partially lit up from the glow of two nearby paper lanterns, displayed behind a large window.
Masato's store!
Minako quickly looked back at the other two and let the excuses fly.
"Um guys? I uh, just remembered that I have to go...mail a letter! Yeah that's it! I meant to write back to my friends in my village a couple of hours ago during my last break of the day, but my afternoon was just packed. I can't believe it actually took me until now to remember it."
The other two ceased their conversation and directed their gazes towards their yellow-clad companion.
"Hmm? Oh. Alright Minako-chan."
"Would you like us to accompany you? It is getting a little late and the courier station is quite the trek from our current position."
"Not to mention that it's well past the hospital in the opposite direction no less."
"N-no, no, no help is necessary thank you. I uh just remembered seeing a few courier boxes at the hospital receptionist's desk, just behind Emi-san, during our little talk with her not too long ago. And besides," Minako gently patted her utility pouch, "I've got my map and I could always ask for directions in case I somehow manage to get lost along our usual route to the hospital, you know, as a last resort kind of thing."
Sakura and Ino smiled and nodded back towards the other blonde.
"Alright then. We'll see you soon back at the inn Minako-chan!"
"Be careful!"
Minako smiled, "Can do!"
With one final nod, Sakura and Ino vanished from sight and headed towards the general vicinity of the inn; which was exactly what Minako had wanted them to do.
Thankfully they didn't just continue walking back. I would've hated to do any unnecessary waiting just to ensure that they didn't see me.
Without a moment's notice, Minako quickly dashed towards Masato's shop, immediately stopping in front of the store to regroup and collect her thoughts.
I need answers…and the old man is going to be the one who will give them to me.
After a quick clearing of her throat, Minako made a few audible knocks on the large double doors that stood before her and waited.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...and still no answer. Time was moving agonizingly slow for the impatient blonde.
"Masato-jiisan!" A couple of more slightly louder knocks. "Masato-jiisan!"
Ugh...is he even here?! I mean I know the shop is closed but where else would I be able to find an old man who only met just yesterday?
Minako fidgeted for a few moments but went to the display windows shortly after to try and take a quick peek inside.
Dammit! The stupid tatejiku and the purple curtains behind it are blocking everything! Argh!
Minako went back to the doors for one last try.
Come on answer. Answer! ANSWER DAMMIT!
"Masato-jiisan! Masato-jii-"
The sudden click of the door coupled with Masato's slightly disgruntled comments about 'impatience' and 'rude people' made Minako gasp in both surprise and delight. The old man still wore the same outfit that he sported last night during their first encounter.
"Oh good! You're here!"
Masato was taken aback by his unexpected guest. "Oh! Minako? Is that you?"
Minako looked back at the Masato in moderate surprise.
"Y-yes! Yes it's me Masato-jiisan." Wow...for an old guy he's got some pretty impressive memory skills.
Without even thinking about waiting for a response from the old man, Minako's pent up excitement had completely overridden her sense of common courtesy.
"Now first, I would like to apologize for coming to visit you at such an awkward time and on such short notice and even though we only met yesterday there's really no real reason for the both of us to have this little meeting in the first place but I was wondering if-"
The amused and slightly clueless look that was etched across Masato's face made Minako cease her rapid-fire talking all together. Reality came crashing down on her when she realized at how ridiculous she must have looked from an outsider's POV. Her face began to heat up as all forms of verbal communication died out in her throat.
"U-uh...um..."
Masato greeted the young blonde back with a light-hearted laugh and a smile.
"My, my. Aren't we a little zealous this evening?"
Minako brought one of her hands up to her face in an attempt to ease her embarrassment.
"S-sorry. I was...just..."
"No need for apologies young lady. Why don't you on come inside for a little bit and take a few moments to calm down your nerves?"
"T-thanks Masato-jiisan."
"Not a problem. And please, just call me Masato. There is no need for formalities around me."
"Alright. Masato."
Masato gently closed the door behind Minako as the blonde stepped into the store.
"May I offer you something to drink? It may help accelerate the calming process."
Minako blushed in embarrassment. "U-uh...j-just some water would be fine thanks."
Masato smiled. "I shall return shortly."
"Ahh!" Minako felt refreshed. "Whew...I needed that. Thanks Masato."
"You're very welcome my dear." Masato retrieved the cup from the young blonde's hands and gently set it aside. "Now, if I may be so inclined to ask, what sort of business do you have with me at this hour? Was there something that you needed me for? Judging by the volume of your shouting it seemed to be quite urgent."
Minako blushed again at the memory of her erratic behaviour only moments ago. "Y-yes!" Minako cleared her throat. "Yes, there is something that I need your help on. I uh, was wondering; if it's not too much a problem, if you could…tell me a little bit more about Michiko's story?"
"Is that all? Well, I don't have much to do tonight and I suppose I can spare a couple of moments to assist in your queries. Sure, I'd be happy to help you Minako."
Minako's eyes brightened up. "R-really? Thanks Masato!"
"Not a problem. Now, is there any event in particular that you would like me to talk to you about? Michiko did encounter quite a lot during her life time, despite how tragically short it may have been."
"Oh…" Minako's built up excitement had rapidly drained out of her system. Her body felt heavy and strangely cold at this surprising news. She…died young?
Noticing the girl's discomfort, Masato decided to continue on. "This may seem a little inappropriate but while we're on the topic…would you like to learn more about how Michiko spent her last few moments on Earth?"
Minako slowly raised her head to look directly into Masato's wise, dark grey eyes. "Y-yes…i-if you don't mind."
Masato gently smiled at the anticipative blonde. "Not a problem. If you don't mind, please follow me."
Minako did as she was told and allowed Masato to direct her towards a more secluded section of his shop.
As she watched Masato tend to the hearth that was situated in the middle of a traditional tatami-matted room (a far cry from the extravagant treasury-like appearance of the shop only one room away), Minako decided to make herself comfortable by kneeling down on one of the large navy blue cushions that were situated on either side of the hearth – Masato had kindly requested of her to remove her footwear prior to stepping into his 'meditation chamber' (1). The room was also spruced up with a few decorations, including a few tatejiku, Wow…the old man sure loves his decorative scrolls, and a small incense altar located against the wall to Minako's left.
Once the fire had reached an adequate size, Masato took his place on the other cushion, directly facing Minako from behind the luminous glow of the crackling flames.
"So…where would you like to begin?"
Minako stared into the flames for a few moments before looking back at Masato.
"Do you remember the book that I was holding in my hands yesterday night when my team-mates and I first met you?"
"The Age of Anarchy…"
"Yes. If it is possible, I would like you to begin from a particular chapter that had caught my interest as I was skimming through the book. One of the near-end chapters entitled: The Final Ritual."
Masato mentally prepared himself for a few moments before nodding back at Minako in understanding.
"Very well. However, I will warn you before hand that the story may end up being longer than you might have initially anticipated. Should you ever feel the need for me to stop at any point during my narration, please don't hesitate do so. I will not take it offensively."
Minako felt an awkward sense of empowerment from Masato's request.
"O-oh. Alright then."
A single nod was all that Minako received in return.
"Now, as your friend had previously stated the other night, I believe her name was Ino if I remember correctly."
"That is correct."
"Thank you. As Ino had mentioned the previous night, Michiko was the sole figure responsible for sealing away all nine of world's most powerful bijus, subsequently putting an end to the Black Lotus War and beginning the world's first era of peace, which was formally dubbed as 'The Halcyon' (2)."
Minako nodded in interest.
"The Age of Anarchy truly was one of the more…darker time periods of the world. It was at that time where man's greatest vice – the lust for power – became prominent among the majority of the word's most powerful leaders.
Many warriors fought valiantly to protect their homes and their loved ones, but bravery and pure strength of will alone did not guarantee a fight to the finish. Many children became orphaned due to the large number of parents that have fought and died for that sake of their futures. Some families even had their entire bloodlines extinguished all together."
Minako was overcome with sympathy.
"As I mentioned before, the nine bijus that we know today are the world's most powerful demons. However, it is widely believed that 'Hell's strongest commanders' have only been alive for roughly 500 years (3).
"Only?! But I thought that they were older than that! Well…much older than that to be honest."
"While there is no solid evidence that this number is valid, many scholars have discovered a plausible explanation as to why the bijus are believed to be relatively young in terns of demon years. After numerous years of archaeological and mythological research, a fairly recent legend has stated that Hell used to belong to a single ruling entity: a powerful and bloodthirsty demon lord by the name of Zaigou (4).
For centuries, Zaigou had always been at war with Kami (5), the supreme ruler of heaven, for the ultimate prize of obtaining as many human souls as he could. By doing so, Zaigou would be able to break free from his imprisonment in Hell and ultimately rise against Kami for exiling him out of Heaven aeons ago."
"W-wait…you mean to tell me that Zaigou, was once a heavenly deity?" (6)
"It seems to be quite probable, given his desire to battle against Heaven. 'Zaigou' was not the demon lord's original name of course, but so far there have not been any records citing what his original name was, or could have been, prior to his banishment."
"Hmm…"
"Now, as much as I'd like to continue on with my tangent about the world's theological beginnings, I would like to I get back on topic and continue with the tale of Michiko's Final Ritual; but do be aware that my little anecdote will prove to be of great importance later on."
Minako nodded. "Sure thing Masato."
"Very well. Now, during the feudal era, Zaigou's power had begun to grow at an alarming rate due to the increasing number of corrupted souls that he was receiving upon the death of countless sinners. Criminals, murderers, blasphemers…all of them became Zaigou's sole property because of their tarnished and impure essences.
Kami knew that it would not be long before Zaigou's growing power eventually broke the seal which kept him imprisoned in the underworld and leaked into the mortal world. Should this circumstance ever come to be, the demon lord would be bestowed with the ability to claim all of the 'living souls' as his own, gaining enough minions to challenge heaven itself and finally destroy Kami for his eternal humiliation. Something had to be done.
Since Kami and all other heavenly beings do not desire to interfere with the affairs of the earth, the holy ruler knew that he would have to entrust this highly dangerous task within the hands of humans, particularly ones with high spiritual affinities. These were the individuals whose souls were said to have been blessed with a fraction of Kami's own power during its rebirth."
"Masato, if I may interrupt, how come Kami and his heavenly followers did not wish to 'interfere with the affairs of the earth' as you put it?"
"Mortals were meant to earn their place in the afterlife without possessing any prior knowledge of Heaven or Hell's actual existence. If that was the case, humans would obviously fight for their place in Heaven through selfish and dishonest means: the exact opposite of how Kami intended his 'children' to achieve post-existential salvation."
"Oh…and uh, one more question if you don't mind. What did you mean by 'a soul's rebirth'?"
Masato smiled. "All in due time my dear."
Minako pouted on the inside. The story was getting extremely interesting.
"Now where was I? Ah yes. Now, these special souls were prophesied by many earthbound seers to become the humans destined to lead mankind to peace and prosperity upon the day of reckoning.
There were three, sixteen-year-old youths in particular that were specifically chosen by Kami himself to wield the three heavenly objects that would vanquish Zaigou upon his resurrection. They were:
Yamato: the eldest son of a valiant provincial warlord belonging to the Kusanagi Clan.
Shinnosuke: the eldest son of a Buddhist monk belonging to the Yasakani Clan.
And of course, Michiko: the only daughter of a widowed High Priestess belonging to the Yata Clan. (7)
The three prestigious clans initially belonged to three separate nations before Yamato, Shinnosuke, and Michiko united to become the 'Heavenly Trinity.' Upon their union, the three clans migrated towards a 'middle point' which evenly distanced each clan's respective home villages from this new settlement; a sort of 'epicentre' of you will.
Using today's modern geography, the Kusanagi clan would have originated from the Thunder Country, the Yasakani from the Earth Country, and the Yata from the Wind Country. As for the clans' new establishment, it would more than likely be located somewhere within the north-western quadrant of Fire Country."
Minako had a quick thought to herself about the three youths. Hmm… could they have been the world's first three-man team?
"The three treasures that Kami had bestowed to these youths consisted of a sword, a jewelled necklace, and a mirror: each one representing the three primary virtues of valour, benevolence and wisdom, respectively.
Yamato was entrusted with the sword, Shinnosuke with the necklace, and Michiko with the mirror. Each treasure was specifically created to slay, bind and seal Zaigou upon his immediate restoration.
The battle was immense but in the end, the youths had proved victorious. The demon lord fell to the mercy of the Heavenly Trinity."
Minako felt a strange warmth spread across her body as she had her own little vision of what the battle might have looked like. So cool…
"However, during the time of Zaigou's sealing, the task that was entrusted to Michiko, something else had happened that no one, not even Kami himself, could have ever predicted."
And just like that, the warmth was gone. "What was that?"
"Instead of simply sealing Zaigou away back into the deepest pits of Hell, as Kami had originally intended the mirror to function as, Michiko's impressive spiritual powers, combined with the divine powers of the mirror, had actually separated Zaigou's collective power into nine, lesser-powered divisions before banishing them from the mortal world back into Hell."
Minako stared back in awe. "Impressive..." Masato nodded back.
"Indeed. Because of this occurrence, Michiko was able to successfully and significantly reduce the probability of Zaigou's reawakening, should such an event ever occur. The world was safe for the time being."
The blonde felt a strange sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach as soon as Masato mentioned the number nine. She didn't really know why that was so.
"But, while everyone continued to rejoice at a demon-free world, Michiko felt unhappy at her accomplishment."
"Why is that Masato?"
"Michiko was a loving and caring individual. She believed that not everything, including demons, was entirely evil. She believed that it was quite possible for some of the lesser demons to peacefully coexist with humanity, if they were given the chance."
Minako looked back at Masato in both surprise and confusion.
"Well, as one could possibly imagine, Michiko was the subject of much ridicule for a time, for the likelihood of her beliefs ever becoming a reality was absolutely ludicrous. Many individuals dismissed her foolish visions of a peaceful human-demon society as nothing more than a child's fantasy. Even Michiko's own mother and fellow clan members could not help but feel shame at the heiress' embarrassing ideologies.
Fortunately for Michiko, there were a few others who wanted to see the young priestess' dream come to fruition. Some showed great interest in her vision while others simply wanted to live in a world that would completely overturn the way that society was structured.
One of these individuals was her team-mate: Yamato of the Kusanagi clan. The handsome warrior was not only known for his exceptional prowess as a soldier, considering his age, but he was also quite popular among commoners as a kind and caring young man; a very rare occurrence for an entire bloodline of stoic and battle-hardened swordsmen back in those days."
"Really?"
Masato nodded. "In addition to being highly supportive of his team-mate's hopes and ambitions, Yamato had also harboured strong feelings of love and affection for the young priestess; stopping at nothing to ensure that her happiness was guaranteed."
Minako couldn't help but smile at thought of their romance.
"Now you may call it bold or you may call it foolish, but one day Yamato and Michiko ventured alone, unbeknownst to their respective clans, to tap into the holy barrier that Kami had created which isolated Hell from the world of mortals, with intention of actually befriending a demon."
Minako gasped.
"With the use of the mirror, combined with Yamato's expert knowledge of geography, the pair eventually stumbled upon a particular point in the world where the barrier between Hell and Earth was fairly weak.
It was at this location where only a few of Hell's lowest-ranking demons, intangible spirits and apparitions if you may, would sneak into the mortal world to perform small and often harmless acts of mischief upon any innocent bystander unfortunate enough to cross their path."
"Hmm...interesting." Minako adjusted her seating position as her legs started to grow numb.
"It was spiritually tiring for the young priestess, but Yamato and Michiko had eventually released a demon of their liking, with the use of the mirror, from the depths of Hell with great success – the pair was just one step closer to achieving their dreams of a symbiotic human-demon society.
Unfortunately for them, they received a lot more than they had initially bargained for. You see, the demon that they had unleashed was actually one of the nine divisions of Zaigou's power that Michiko had sealed away some time ago; only this time, the division had somehow manifested itself into a solid and physical form."
"W-what did this demon look like?"
"A large red-furred fox, equipped with nine visible tales. You may know the demon today as the famed Kyuubi no Yoko."
Minako froze. "S-so...y-you mean to tell me t-that..."
Masato simply nodded. "Now you can understand as to why Michiko was sometimes referred to as 'The Mother of the Demons': she was the individual responsible for essentially 'giving birth' to the nine bijus."
Minako unconsciously brought a hand down to her torso, letting it rest right in front of the spot where the Kyuubi's seal had been branded on her body. Masato noticed the girl's discomfort but continued on regardless.
"Now as you may have already guessed at this point, the remaining eight divisions of Zaigou's demonic power had also assumed physical forms of their own, but each one was highly differentiated from the next; no two bijus ever shared the same characteristics.
It took a lot of time, patience, and hard work but the pair was able to miraculously convince the Kyuubi that they had no intentions of ever harming her or her kin – it was quite remarkable for them to learn that the Kyuubi did not only harbour a specific gender but that she was also a mother. "
"H-how is that possible? I-I mean, given the assumed time frame of the story, the nine divisions of Zaigou's power had not even been sealed for a single year!...I think..."
"That you are correct Minako. I think that this phenomenon had stemmed from the fact that the Kyuubi was not created like a regular demon. It seems quite probable to assume so don't you think?"
Minako cleared her throat. "I guess..."
"Well, if you can just picture the amount of time that it took for the Kyuubi to warm up to only two humans, you could only imagine how long it took for the demon to warm up to a few villages; not to mention the fact that said villages were also in possession of a large number of soldiers, priestesses and monks specializing in demonic slaying and purification."
Minako gulped. "Y-yeah..."
"But through it all, Yamato and Michiko's hard work had finally paid off, for their villages and clans welcomed the powerful demon with open arms. As a demon of exceptional power, the Kyuubi was bestowed with the ability to change its appearance at will so it was not hard for the demon to cleverly disguise herself as something a little less intimidating.
Like most higher-level demons, the Kyuubi is also capable of human speech, subsequently making all means of communication between herself and any other humans much more convenient. Her fairly frequent visits to the village had imposed a high sense of protection and safety among its residents. As a result, the once highly volatile biju's overall impressions of the human race had become gradually positive over the years.
Time eventually passed and Michiko could practically feel her dream of a peaceful coexistence between humans and demons coming true. Much had occurred during that time as Michiko had not only established a romantic relationship with Yamato but she had also received a faithful demonic companion as well: a young white-furred fox pup by the name of Koki (8), birthed from the Kyuubi herself."
"W-wait a minute...a white-furred pup? How is that even possible if the Kyuubi had red fur?"
Masato had an answer for the inquisitive blonde.
"Well, it is quite probable that the Kyuubi had mated with a Kitsune, an earth-bound fox spirit of divine origins (9), thus allowing it to give birth to a white pup. Since Kitsunes are the believed to be only supernatural foxes to possess white fur, it seems only logical for a fully demonic fox to give birth to offspring like Koki, only if it had mated with a Kitsune."
"Oh..."
Masato simply continued on with the story after observing that Minako had no additional questions.
"Michiko had adored and loved Koki ever since he was entrusted to her from the Kyuubi. The privilege of a demon bestowing mutual ownership of one of its kin to anything other than itself, let alone a human, was the greatest honour that Michiko could have ever asked for. No matter where the priestess or her beloved were located, you could be certain that Koki was not too far behind. The three were inseparable.
This act of pure trust and companionship between the Kyuubi and Michiko had marked the dawn of a new era; one where both humans and demons alike, coexisted harmoniously.
Michiko's unbelievable ability to successfully establish this bond of friendship with a powerful demon coupled with her serene beauty and loving heart, had resulted in the young priestess being affectionately dubbed by her peers as "The Enchantress." It seemed as though that there was nothing alive that Michiko could not 'enchant' for lack of a better word."
Minako made a small laugh at Masato's pun.
"But then, as some times happened, the balance of nature shifted. It wasn't long before the knowledge of a full-fledged demon submitting to the demands of a human had spread. Soon, spiritualists from all four corners of the world began to dive into the darkest of magics in the hopes of achieving the same feat but for reasons far more sinister than recognition."
"U-um...magic?"
"Yes, magic. The majority of today's ninja techniques are actually derivations of magical spells that have existed since the feudal era. While the general mechanics of executing spells, when compared to jutsus, may be different, the overall processes are more or less the same."
"Really...?" Hmm...learn something new every day.
"Now, while Michiko's mirror was highly effective in terms of penetrating through Kami's barrier, it is definitely not the only method doing so. Many practitioners of the dark arts even went so far as to uncover and utilize forbidden spells and incantations that were composed by ancient magic users from long forgotten times.
Before long, the unthinkable had occurred: a passageway, large enough to unleash all of Hell's demons, was created, thus plunging the entire world into supreme chaos. Countless lives were lost and innocent blood had been spilled. No matter which side you pledged your allegiance to: enemies, allies, royalty, nobility, common folk…if you were not careful, your life would not have been spared, no matter how significant your existence may have been. This was how 'The Age of Anarchy' achieved its namesake."
Minako let out a heavy sigh as she had a feeling that Masato's story was drawing to a close.
"Not even demons were spared from the global-scale massacre. All of bijus, excluding the Kyuubi no Yoko, were captured and enslaved by the hands of these dark arts practitioners. Each country that had successfully claimed 'forced ownership' of a demon did all that they could to exterminate anyone and anything that dared to stand against them. There were even instances where a biju would be pitted up against another biju in an attempt to annihilate one's competitors.
However, there was only one nation, one which was also in possession of a biju, that chose to fight for the sake of peace."
"Kyuubi and the three clans..."
"Correct. It was once again up to the 'Heavenly Trinity,' along with the additional assistance of the Kyuubi, to return the world back to its shortly lived moments of peace. Unfortunately, Michiko was highly adamant in her refusal to use her powers against other humans. In top of that, her unconditional affections for the Kyuubi and Koki further enforced her decision to remain out of the battle; it was hard for her to accept the fact that she would have to use her powers against demons as well."
"B-but…the entire world was on the brink of destruction!"
"It was. Many people scorned Michiko for her candour. It was blatantly obvious that without her sealing powers, the demons would continue to pour into the mortal world and cause more unnecessary killing. It was common knowledge that the majority of demons possessed no conscious thought of their own. If anything, they were nothing more than vicious animals. But being the compassionate soul that she was, Michiko did not side with that argument. Spending too much time with highly intelligent demons had forced the priestess to believe that all demons behaved that way as well.
However, that mistake ended up being Michiko's downfall."
Minako gulped.
"Sometime during the great war, all of the Kyuubi's kin had been slain on the battle field. She did not observe who or what had killed her older pups, but she did bear witness to a human mercilessly slaughter her youngest pup."
Minako's heart clenched. "Koki…"
Masato nodded solemnly. "Consumed with rage and anguish at the thought of humans betraying her trust and taking her for a fool, the Kyuubi lost all sense of self control and unleashed her fury.
Out of all nine bijus, the Kyuubi no Yoko was the strongest one of them all. Even though she spent selective moments of her time in the mortal world, the Kyuubi's sheer power, when compared to the remaining eight bijus, was not only infinite, but it also possessed the ability to became progressively stronger overtime.
It seems quite probable that when Michiko had first split Zaigou into nine separate sections, the entity that eventually evolved into the Kyuubi, contained the largest amount of Zaigou's original power and demonic life force. But that's just a theory."
Minako was preparing herself for the worst.
"Much like with Michiko's unplanned sealing from before, the Kyuubi had also done something that no one could have ever expected. Being the strongest demon out of them all, she somehow managed to assimilate all of the demons that were currently within the mortal realm, including the remaining eight bijus, and reverted back to her original form: Zaigou had been restored to his former glory. What made things even worse was that the demon lord had finally realized his ambition of existing in the mortal world: fresh human souls were ripe for the picking."
The blonde clutched the sides of the cushion that she was sitting on.
"Horrified at the realization that Zaigou's resurrection was the result of her naivety, Michiko finally knew that the fate of the entire world was all up to her. Calling upon the assistance of Shinnosuke and her beloved Yamato once again, the Heavenly Trinity battled the demon lord for a second time.
Unfortunately, his powers had increased exponentially since the trio had first encountered him roughly five years prior. Yamato, Shinnosuke, Michiko and all of the world's finest warriors and spiritualists were no match for the newly awakened demon lord. All hope seemed lost."
Minako's breathing became heavy.
"But just then, a miraculous thing had occurred. Kami, the supreme ruler of Heaven, inhabited Michiko's body and assisted the young priestess in what was proclaimed throughout the entire land as: The Final Ritual.
The divinely possessed priestess collected the remaining two treasures from her team-mates and transported both herself and Zaigou towards Hakurei-Zan (10) – a tall and majestic mountain range that was surrounded by an abnormally holy aura.
By isolating Zaigou away from any innocent civilians in the very place where his absolute power would be at its weakest, in the mortal world at least, Michiko would then be able perform the Final Ritual and bring an end to Zaigou's existence once and for all. Much like the first sealing, Michiko's Final Ritual divided up Zaigou's power once again but instead of resealing all nine sections back into Hell like the first time; Michiko performed a slightly different sealing ritual. This second sealing imprisoned all nine powers into nine separate containers. Once this process was complete, the priestess then scattered the containers across the globe in nine random locations.
By placing a secondary seal on top of these containers, additionally fortified by Kami's holy energies, the bijus' powerful demonic auras would become grossly inhibited, left to remain undetected by future spiritualists who would dare to seek their power once again. In addition, by keeping the bijus out of Hell, the privilege of having their powers continuously grow, as it had done before, would be forever kept out of their reach."
"T-then what happened…?"
"Using the last of her powers, Michiko reformed Kami's barrier, purified any malevolent demons that remained on Earth, and restored the lives of the innocents that had died on the battle field. In addition, she even managed to bestow the world with a handful of 'good demons' to continue her legacy of a peaceful human-demon society; how she managed to do so exactly still remains unclear. The world had finally begun the first era of true peace: The Halcyon."
Minako's body felt heavy.
"There were no witnesses to Michiko's rise to victory, but all of Hakurei-Zan's powerful holy energies were found to have been completely extinguished; reforming the once sacred land formation into nothing more than an ordinary mountain range.
When countless search parties were formed with the intention of locating the brave heroine, the unexpected truth had left the entire world stricken with grief. Michiko's body was found at Hakurei-Zan's summit; cold, lifeless, and completely wrapped among a strange throne of thorny vines (11). She was only 21."
Minako's delicate features held a defeated look.
"Located at the fallen priestess' feet were Yamato's sword and Shinnosuke's necklace: both completely drained of their divine properties, thus becoming nothing more than common objects. The two treasures were gently nestled within the center of an impressively large and fully bloomed black lotus flower. The mirror however was nowhere to be found.
This bloody era of the world that had occurred from between the emancipation of the nine bijus to the final battle between Michiko and Zaigou was dubbed as: The Black Lotus War – receiving its namesake from the mysterious and otherworldly flower that had blossomed from the Enchantress' place of death. The revered resting place would later then be reformed into a memorial shrine, dedicated to Michiko's honour, as a sanctuary of hope and eternal gratitude for being the saviour of the world."
The last remaining embers of the hearth that sat in between the pair during Masato's story had finally burned out into fine wisps of smoke.
"And thus ends the tale of the Enchantress."
Minako continued to stare at the ash-laden hearth in silence.
"Oh goodness, would you look at the time?!"
Minako pulled out her pocket watch at Masato's exclamation and nearly jumped out of her seat after realizing that it was just after 11pm.
Oh crap! How am I supposed to convince Sakura and Ino that I had spent the last hour and a half writing some bogus letter?!
Masato had a little laugh. "I think it's about time that I sent you off Minako. I do hope that my seemingly endless rambling didn't keep you away from anything important this evening. It's a very bad habit of mine that I'm trying my very best to fix."
"No, no that's fine Masato. Really. Your story had kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire time! In all honesty, I didn't really want it to end."
Masato's kind grandfatherly eyes made Minako cave in a little.
"Well…ok that's sort of a lie. I mean, it is kind of hard sitting in one position for a long time, given the fact that I hate sitting still, but all in all, you have really gotten me hooked to Michiko's story. I just can't help but want to learn more about her."
Even though I didn't really get the answers that I wanted, at least I was given SOME insight into that weird statue during my mission with Sasuke…kind of…
"No matter. As long as it kept you interested, I was more than happy to tell it to you."
Masato escorted Minako back to the front entrance of his shop.
"Have a pleasant night Minako. And please, give my sincerest apologies to any individuals who desired your services during your time with me."
"For the last time Masato, don't worry about it!" I am NOT looking forward to the awkward questions that those two are going to bombard me with.
"Well, if you say so. But do keep that apology in mind in case anyone does ask where you've been for the last little while. Good night Minako. And tell your other two comrades that I say 'Hello' and that I also wish you three the best of luck during your mission here in Sunagakure."
"I will. Good night Masato."
After one final wave between the two, Masato gently closed the door and locked up his store for the rest of the night. Masato sighed heavily as he noticed his hands 'flicker' in and out of their solidity. He slowly raised one of them up to take a closer look at his virtually transparent palm; firmly realizing that it his eyes were not deceiving him.
"Time is running short…" He clenched his hand into a fist and watched as the appendage gradually reverted back to normal. "But I MUST not let her down. The fate of the entire world rests on her shoulders once more."
Meanwhile…
Three figures, barely visible to even each other due to their extremely dim surroundings, were carefully treading along the ancient stone path of some underground ruins hundreds of miles away from civilization.
"So this is the place?"
"From what our Intel has gathered, yes."
"Be on the alert. There have been numerous reports citing some strange and unexplained activities occurring with in these ruins."
"Are there any particular examples that we should be aware of?"
"Shh…do you hear that?"
The three figures ceased their walking and focused their attention towards their hearing.
"Yeah…we're not alone."
"WATCH OUT!
TBC
A/N: The main plot of this entire chapter is based upon the actual mythological tale of Japan's Sanshu no Jingi ("The Imperial Regalia of Japan"). I hope the massively long pages of dialogue didn't bore you guys. If it did, stay tuned for Chapter 11! I'm currently writing it up as we speak! I promise it will be a lot more interesting!
I will also be using a slightly different 'in-chapter section division symbol,' due to the new text specifications that has implemented to all of the stories. As some of you may have noticed all of my previous chapters and other stories have had all of their dividing sections (i.e. between my author's notes and the rest of the story) completely nuked.
(1) For a better depiction of what Masato's "Meditation Room" looks like, just envision the interior of rooms required for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
(2) Halcyon – The term used to describe 'golden' or 'marked by peace and prosperity.' Synonymous with 'calm.' Kind of gives off that FFX feel doesn't it?
(3) 500 years was derived from the amount of time that Higurashi Kagome (from Takahashi Rumiko's original manga series: Inuyasha) was able to travel back and forth from the present to the feudal era.
(4) Zaigou – The Japanese word for 'sin.' It can also mean a 'rural district'! XD
(5) Kami – The Japanese word for 'spirit' in the Shinto faith. Regardless of what you read, 'Kami' DOES NOT translate to 'God' nor 'a deity.' The sources that mention otherwise have wrong information.
(6) Yeah, added a modern Christian twist to this mythological tale. Does my story seem a little out of taste for doing so?
(7) Koki – The first name of the seiyuu that provided the voice of Roxas in the Kingdom Hearts II video game for the PS2: Uchiyama Koki.
(8) Now I know that 'Yamato' is also the name a currently existing character in the Naruto Manga but hey, it's not a crime for two people to have the same name correct? The name 'Yamato' originates from 'Yamato Takeru,' a prominent figure in Japanese mythology who wields the holy sword named 'Kusanagi'.
Coincidence? Nope! I intentionally made my 'Yamato' a sort of carbon-copy of the mythological Yamato. And yes I am aware that 'Yamato' and 'Takeru' are also the names of two characters from the Digimon series.
'Shinnosuke' is derived from the name of a character from SNK's Last Blade video game series for the Neo Geo: Kagami Shinnosuke. Strangely enough, 'Kagami' means 'mirror' but Michiko in my story wields the mirror, not Shinnosuke. This was purely coincidence.
(9) Kitsune – Mythological creatures in Japanese folklore. While the notion of kitsune being fox spirits is consistent with Japanese folklore, the ideas of them being 'earth-bound' but 'of divine origin' are strictly from my imagination. Japanese spirits are, while supernatural, are not originated from heaven.
(10) Hakurei-Zan (Mount Hakurei) – The fictional holy mountain range originated and borrowed from the fictional mountain range of the same name and properties belonging to Takahashi Rumiko's original manga: Inuyasha. Did it seem kind of random for me to add this into my story?
(11) Although I mentioned (privately) to a few readers that I had completely made up the entire imagery involving 'a woman wrapped among thorny vines,' I now remember that I had actually derived it from a Sailor Moon episode.
This episode was during the very first season of the anime where Sailor Venus (the inspiration behind Minako/Michiko's physical appearance) dies at the North Pole just before the final battle with Queen Beryl. And how was her corpse displayed? Among a bunch of (thorn less) vines. Go and find it on YouTube!