Hey guys,

Was it just me or did the last month roll by really slowly? Anyways, here is chapter four. Now I know the story feels like it's moving very slowly but just be patient. As Mother Gothel (Tangled) says: All good things to those who wait. Of course, in a much less evil tone. Well, arrivederci (that's a formal 'goodbye' in Italiano [I love the language])see you next month! And don't forget to leave a review!

First Movement, Part Four

A small pebble came flying towards Shinpi. By the time she saw it she only had the time to hide her instrument behind her as she took the blow with her body.

"It's the ugly Shinpi! Ugly! Ugly! You're hideous!" some of the younger kids in the caravan yelled across the street as they continued to throw anything they could grab from the ground at her. "Ugly! Get out of here! You're unwanted!"

Shinpi looked over at the younger boys. Children really to learn from example, she thought to herself. They were too afraid to come closer and bully her because she was older, but since Toroki and the older kids were doing it, it just felt right to do it also. Just too look cool.

She knew the perfect remedy for dispersing them. When Toroki and Chikako's bullying became worse she did this on impulse, but she quickly found it works on the boys and perfected it as she grew. She turned her head ever so slightly in an angle that blocked the sun from most of her face and gazed at them in a bleak dead stare. Her purple eyes became a dark plum color and looked absolutely lifeless.

Shivers when down the boys' spines and they awkwardly ran away saying that if they stayed she would do something weird.

As soon as they were gone Shinpi moved on normally with a glow in her face and her hair fluttering in the wind. Last night was a hectic day. The last of the preparations for the festival were finally over last night and the townspeople were busy setting up their stalls for the parade that starts is off in the afternoon.

Shinpi was quite free in the morning and was just taking a stroll through the places that they would be performing at night. She liked to see the magnificent stage while there weren't many people around. She was just heading back in time for breakfast when the kids decided to use her as a target for throwing rocks.

"Oh dear, what happened?" Kagura asked when Shinpi returned. "Where they throwing rocks again?" she asked as she helped Shinpi pat the dust and dirt off her yukata.

"It's alright, Kagura," Shinpi said. "I'm not hurt anywhere. I'll just change out of before the performance tonight. It's time for the festival; I can't be brought down in bad spirits today!"

Kagura smiled. Shinpi always had on a bright smile which constantly brightened up the room.

"Alright, let's get you out of those rags and into something beautiful."

Later on during noon, while most laborers were taking their lunch break, Kaimu took his group and prepared for their float. Every year Kaimu would be invited to play in the parade. It was a rare chance to see him at the taiko drum.

Right after the parade Shinpi, Kagura, and Shin were dressed up as the rain spirits in blue and white kimonos to play on the grand red painted stage built especially for the festival every year at the square. Shinpi and Kagura's faces were covered with a grey veil while Shin's was painted white like Kaimu's. Kagura was stationed at the ju-nana-gen, a type of koto which was her specialty. Shin had most of the percussion except for the beginning sounds of rain fall in which Shinpi plays with a pair of hyoshigi clappers. After Shinpi the sounds of the beginning rain fall Shinpi set down the hyoshigi and took up her ryuteki flute which she had mastered shortly after the kokyu.

As Kagura stringed the ju-nana- gen through the first phrase of the song the crowd instantaneously became quiet. Everybody listened on to the performance. When the first four measures of Kagura's intro finished Shinpi placed the bamboo flute at her lips and a ghostly melody flew through the wind. She imaged herself in the midst of a bamboo forest shrouded with grey mists. The cold chilling air prickles her skin as she sang with the flute.

Softly, Shin knocked the wooden handle of a mokugyo generally used by Buddhist monks during recitations of sutras or mantras. Gradually playing faster Shin captured the essence of rain fall as Kagura held the undertone with elaborate chords.

Shin took up the another pair of clappers, the same that Shinpi has used before and gradually played a lighter sound of rain as the mokugyo in his other hand shifted its rhythm to fit that of a shishi odoshi or bamboo fountain.

Kaimu took up bachi sticks and knocked them against each other as a sign to tell Kagura and Shinpi, who sat further up the stage from him and Shin, that the music is about to move into its second movement. The speed picked up gradually as Kaimu controlled it with clapping sounds of his bachi drumsticks as he alternated between the sticks and the shime-daiko they were designed for.

The music went from soft eerie rainfall to a thundering storm. Kagura shifted from plucking single notes to strumming chords and Shin dropped the mokugyo and stood up to play the tsuri-daiko.

Shinpi finished off the first movement with one long lasting note as Shin thundered of the daiko. Shinpi set down the flute gently and lifted her kokyu. She waited as the drums roared into a frenzy of heart racing rhythms and beats. Kagura's fingers flew across the ju-nana-gen like lightening. It was finally Shinpi's turn to enter.

The crisp bright sound of the kokyu to make sense of the drumming behind as the melody sounded off swiftly, like a horse racing across the plain with its rider. Shinpi's blood rushed through her body as her heart thumped to the tempo of the cry of the music.

Soon the inferno of turmoil switched over to the third movement which celebrated the coming of spring. The music took a turn for a more festive mood as Shinpi envisioned of flowers blooming under the warmth of sunlight. A large cherry tree blossoms with a crown of glory as spring over took the iciness of winter.

A loud applause sounded from under the stage as the audience cheered for the wondrous performance.

The four performers stood up and bowed gracefully to the crowd before gathering their instruments and descending to back stage.

"Ah! This feels so much better," Kagura sighed after she took of the stuffy veil. She ruffled her dark curls and tied them up in her usual lose ponytail. "We have a couple of hours before our night performance; I think Sensei said it's a private party for Ichun-sama."

Ichun Shou always invited Kaimu's troop to perform at his annual parties. Shinpi had never played at his parties since they are Kaimu's top priority every year. The two men became close friends several years ago and Ichun funds are what Kaimu survives on.

"He scheduled earlier than usual," Shinpi commented.

"Yea, well, we don't determine when we play. Are you going out to play?" Kagura asked as she changed into a more comfortable yukata.

"Of course," Shinpi said with a smile. "Are you going to meet up with Kiba-san?"

Kagura blushed with a pretty smile on her face. She had met Kiba last year at the festival and they became an instant couple.

Shinpi giggled teasingly and Kagura nudged her.

"You are way too young to be teasing me about things like this!"

"Oh, come on, Kagura. The whole world knows! I heard that Shin is going to be seeing a girl today also."

"Really?" Kagura exclaimed. "That's momma's boy? That's something we should all see. When he going to meet her?"

"I think he's going to look for her right now since the performance is over."

"Maybe she was watching. Let's take a peek," Kagura suggested as she fastened the obi at her waste.

As soon as Shinpi finished changing she went over to the curtain that served as a door for the women's changing room. She crouched under Kagura.

"That must be her," Kagura whispered as they watched a young lady talking with Shin with her face blushed like a cherry. "Oh, look how smug he is." They giggled.

Suddenly, Kaimu appeared behind him, already changed. He blatantly shoved Shin out the door and said, "Just get out and have fun. Don't block the door."

Kagura and Shinpi muffled their laughs behind the curtain but as soon as Shin left with the girl they burst and let out all their laughter.

"I didn't expect Sensei to do that!" Kagura laughed.

"Alright," Shinpi said, regaining her posture. "Should you be meeting with Kiba-san about now?"

"Oh, your right! I wouldn't want to be late," she said and grabbed her bag. "But what about you, Shinpi-chan? You're going alone?"

Shinpi shook her head and with a smile she tapped her kokyu's case. "I'll just clean up here, check the things for Ichun-sama's party and I'll go play."

"Are you sure?" Kagura asked.

Shinpi didn't have any friends among her peers in the caravan. Though there were many boys that had a crush on her they never approached her. The past years Shin and Kagura had always accompanied her during the festival, but this year she was completely alone.

Shinpi smiled confidently and nodded her beautiful head of gold. "Don't worry about me. Go have fun."

"Oh listen to you," Kagura said. "Sound more like a twelve year old than an old grandma. See ya!"

Shinpi waved as Kagura walked out and sighed as she dropped her small hand. She looked around the room at the scattered kimono pieces and instruments. Kaimu was probably loading up the cart with the taiko drums about now so she had to hurry and clean up.

She quickly folded up the clothes of kimono so they wouldn't crumple up until they could be hung and maintained. Then she set all the instruments on their boxes and loaded them onto Kaimu's cart quickly.

The two of them walked back to the inn. Shinpi hung out the kimonos since they were to be used again later that night and would look bad with wrinkles.

"Here's some allowance for you," Kaimu said and gave Shinpi a couple of bills.

"Thanks," she said and put them in her wallet.

"Make sure to be back before five," he instructed. "I'm going to be hanging out with some friends."

"Got it. Have fun,"she said and waved again as he left.

Shinpi quickly set the instruments they will need at the party according to the schedule Kaimu hung up in the living room. Since it was a private party they wouldn't need too many instruments.

She looked around the room before she left and made sure everything was in its place. She locked the doors and went out to the busy streets with her kokyu in hand. The streets were always busy and crowded so Shinpi just got something to eat and looked for a place to rest and practice her kokyu in solitude.

As she walked towards the outskirts of the village Toroki saw her. He was with his group of friends comparing their muscles. Since he was the tallest of all his friends, Toroki saw her first and his heart skipped a beat again. He walked away from his group wanting to talk to her for a bit, but his friends took it the wrong way and walked out with him thinking that he wanted to bully her again.

Shinpi looked up at them with her eyes sharp like a lioness. It struck Toroki's chest like a sword. He had never meant to be the one that always teased her, but because he was so confused when he was younger he started to bully her as a way to escape from the anxiety. Since he was the oldest and the leader everyone else just copied him.

"Where are you going," they asked her as they surrounded her.

The boys snickered and pushed her around. Shinpi grasped her kokyu case closely to her chest. She was already used to being shoved around, but if her instrument were to be damaged by one of these useless boys there would probably be to end to her depression and rage.

One of the boys shoved her hard and the rest stepped aside to watch her fall into a puddle of putrid mud. All the boys snickered and laughed as Shinpi picked herself up, her clothes wet and stained. Her hair was no long glistening, but caked with mud.

She stood up and brushed off the mud from her face and case. The boys stopped snickering after seeing her cold glare. Shinpi learned long ago that cry wouldn't stop their bullying.

She gave Toroki one long glower which sent cold shivers down his spine. He always hated her cold stare. She only ever looked at him with it. Toroki held his breath for as long as he had her eyes on him. He only let out his breath after she turned her back on him.

Shinpi stomped away. She was too furious to care about passersby. Before she knew it, she was long away from the town's boarder. She continued to climb a small hill that sat beside it. As she climbed, the pink buds of a cherry tree peeked over the top as if sneaking a look down at its rare visitor.

The little glimpse of the tree made Shinpi curious. And despite being out of breath she climbed up the hill with double the speed. When she reached the top her legs were sore and she really needed a long drink of water, but the result of her hard work was worth it.

On the top of the hill planted a tall lonely cherry blossom tree. It looked over Amegakure on a slight curve in the hill. The sight bewildered Shinpi. It was so beautiful, the tree, as a soft breeze combed through its branches sending its blossoms dancing in a gorgeous array.

It seemed like hours before Shinpi exhaled and realized the dreamlike landscape was real. She walked towards the tree and placed her hand on the solid bark. She closed her eyes and felt the tree breath as if it responded to her presence.

Excited, Shinpi sat down in a small void in the roots protruding from the grassy ground. It was as if the void was there for her. She opened up her case and took out her instrument. Glad that it hadn't received any damage from the previous episode with the caravan boys, she set it up and started to play whatever she wished. The notes spun together into a sweet melody. After Shinpi finished her improvising she looked up at the dark branches and they swayed back and forth. Their blossoms fell and the chattering of the leaves sounded like applause from above. It was bliss for her.

Shinpi looked at the horizon over the hill and saw that the sky had turned into a warm orange glow. She promptly got up and put her kokyu away. She turned to the tree and bowed and formal ninety degree angle.

"Thank you for listening," she said to the tree. "You are my first unofficial audience. If you would permit, I would like to play for you another time." She bowed again and left, but not without looking back at the tree one more time before descending the hill.