Hey ya'll,

Sorry for the late update, I usually throw in the new chapter on the 1st, but with school starting for me and everything I totally forgot. Sorry, but here is the new edition to The Minstrel. :D Enjoy.

Second Movement, Part Five

Mayuri poked the small black bird once again for the umpteenth time since she received it personally from Itachi just last week. He had created the miniature crow from strands of hair he plucked from his head. It was supposed to guarantee a safe way to communicate, but Mayuri would know anything about that yet, as she haven't sent him anything at all since she's got it.

She remained fairly relaxed while the caravan stayed in Konoha, no one was quite interesting in classical music there. The merchants and peddlers made a fortune though. Most days all Mayuri would ever do is stroll around the village and mingled with a few people at shops. Or she would be hired unexpectedly to play for a cheap fare at a stall or store front to attract customers. Life in Konoha, for her, was quite boring.

The crow, named Kurochi by Mayuri, sat on her shoulders as if acting as a guard with the pride of a pure-blooded mastiff. Its attitude was much like Itachi's and Mayuri guessed it was because the man used his own DNA to forge the adorable creature, although if you were to call it cute in any way it would glare at you as if you were an inane dog romping through the streets.

There was one thing good in Konoha: the lush forests surrounding the village. Mayuri usually spent her ample free time exploring every inch of the forests. Today, though, she decided to settle down at one of many clearings in the forest. Mayuri sat herself down on a mossy rock.

She lifted a finger to Kurochi and the miniature bird perched up on it looking intently up at her. Mayuri sighed and said to the bird, "What am I supposed to write to him?"

After receiving the change to communicate freely with the mysterious Uchiha Itachi, Mayuri found herself in a jam. She had no clue what to write to him about at all. Though he had told her about his dark past on a whim, she knew close to nothing about the man himself. What were his likes, his dislikes? How did he conduct his days? What did he do when he wasn't all stoic and mysterious?

Mayuri sighed again and set Kurochi on the rock next to her. He hopped around in a circle and looked up at her intently again, as if waiting for an order. Mayuri ignored the little bird as it continued to hop around on its tiny legs, curiosity dragging it away from his asset.

Mayuri leaned against a larger boulder standing behind her seat and looked up at the canopy of leaves and branches. Sunlight flooded through cracks and lit up the area with a mystifying light.

Mayuri thought of subjects that might be interesting to Itachi. Since he seemed so focused on being a powerful shinobi, taking about all things related to ninja seemed the probable topic, except Mayuri knew even less about ninjas than she knew about the man himself.

Something interesting, something interesting, Mayuri though to herself, what about something Itachi wouldn't encounter on a day-to-day basis?

"Yes, that would do," Mayuri said out loud as a light bulb lit up in her head. Everything about her was a rarity to him.

She took out a brush set and paper she kept with her at all times this past week just in case she had an inspiration. Using the rock beside her as a table Mayuri scribbled her day in a beautiful calligraphy Kaimu had strictly trained.

It read:

Itachi,

Today is the sixth day in Konoha and I'd be lying if I said business is going well for me, but then it's rarely ever good for me here. Konohagakure is just much too modern. I often find myself playing for trees and woodland creatures far more than people in this village. I must be honest, though this is your homeland, I can't wait to move on to the next village.

Today, I've spend just about the entire day surrounded by green. The forests of Konoha are one of few things I look forward to. I've named the small bird you gave me Kurochi, it reminds of me of you. He's very attentive and is constantly on guard against any person that comes across as an enemy, which happens to be just about everyone that comes within a five meter diameter. If it makes you glad to hear, he's caused me to be even more ostracized from my tribe than ever. He is very helpful against my arch enemy, Toroki, the leader of the tribe's son.

Every since we were small he's been picking on me non-stop. I encountered him just last Wednesday and Kurochi bit his finger so hard there was even a little spillage of blood. I must say, days have been more interesting with Kurochi around.

I hope to hear back from you soon, though I'm not quite sure how our postal system works.

With much anticipation,

Mayuri

Smiling at her grand work, Mayuri blew on the paper to make the ink dry faster before folding it up neatly and calling Kurochi over to her.

"Take this to your master," she told him and he took the note in his little beak and swallowed the piece of paper whole.

Mayuri's eyes shot wide open in horror.

"No! You're supposed deliver the letter! Not eat it! Do you know how long and hard I've thought to write that letter?" she screamed at it, her face red with fury. The tiny bird didn't even seem to care that she was throwing a tantrum. He ruffled his feathers and his chest puffed up and down as if it had just burped. Mayuri scowled at his indifference to her anger and frustration. "Fine! Do whatever you like! Here! Take all my paper and eat it!" she growled tossing her little pad of paper toward the bird, in which the bird skillfully dodged it.

Mayuri grabbed her kokyu and stormed off in the opposite direction she came from. Kurochi clamped the pad of paper in his small talons and flew after her, attempting to perch back on her shoulder. Mayuri just waved a hand at him forcing him to continue the rest of the journey home in flight.

"So you finally wrote the letter?" young Lupa asked while she ate dinner with one moody Mayuri.

"Yea, and this bird here," Mayuri flicked at Kurochi's belly, "ate it right after."

"Perhaps that's the way it delivers the message."

Mayuri glanced at the small bird, still acting indifferent to her mood, murderously. "It better be, for your sake," she threatened with the ends of her chopsticks.

Mayuri returned to her task of eating from a luscious feast. Konoha days were prosperous for the merchants and peddlers, so they always ate well in this village. She picked up another slice of sautéed meat and wrapped up nicely steamed rice in between and stuck the whole thing in her mouth. Dear God, this is good, she thought as the juices from the meat swam around in her mouth.

Lupa played around with the rice in her bowl, figuring a way to say what she wanted to say to Mayuri for awhile now. Finally, she decided there was no other way than the straight forward way.

"Um, Shinpi-san," she started. Most of the travelers in the caravan haven't heard of Itachi at all, and none knew about Mayuri's name change. They continued to call her "Shinpi" as usual. "Please don't take this offensively," Lupa continued, "but I don't think you should contact this ninja anymore. He's dangerous from what we heard from the villagers at Ame. Joiji-san agrees with me on this matter also. He's just too…. mysterious to be trusted."

She waited for Mayuri's response and when she didn't get one, Lupa cautiously looked up at Mayuri from the corner of her eye. Surprisingly, Mayuri looked as if she had just been chastised, her eyes dropped and sad.

"I don't mean to make you unhappy!" Lupa said quickly, hoping her words didn't cause too much damage. "Shinpi-san, are you okay?"

"He's a kind man," Mayuri said, quietly, so that only Lupa heard her. "He's just mistaken. He's been living his whole life a lie to protect his younger brother." Tear pooled dangerously at the edge of her eyes until they finally spilled out. Mayuri wiped the tear away harshly. She felt every need to defend him, since no one else was going to. The sad life of a beautiful man, scorn to being hated for as long as he breathed.

Lupa panicked, it was the first time ever in her life she's seen Mayuri cry. Even when Toroki or Chikako were bullying her with all their might, Mayuri has never shed a single tear. When Kaimu died, she didn't cry either, though her eyes weren't dry.

"I'm so sorry, Shinpi-san," Lupa apologized quickly. "I take what I said back."

Mayuri wiped way the stubborn tears that wouldn't cease to fall. "No," she sniffled, "you're completely right. He is dangerous, but only to his foes. I'm not his foe. I'm his friend. So you have to believe me when I say I'm completely safe with him. You believe me, don't you Lupa?"

Lupa regretted looking into Mayuri's earnest eyes, all glassy and purple damped with fresh tears. She gave in to Mayuri's innocent gaze.

Lupa sighed. "Fine, if you trust him, I supposed I can't stop you. But I want you to stay safe," Lupa said. "Shinpi-san, you're more to me than just a friend. You've become a sister. I don't want to see you hurt in anyway."

Mayuri smiled brilliantly. "Thank you, Lupa. And you must know, I think of you the same. I've never really had a friend my age among the nomads. I'd say you'll be stuck with me for life."

"Life is a really long time, I'm not sure I can handle you and your fine personality for that long," Lupa commented sarcastically and Mayuri went into a fit of laughter until everyone else started giving them weird looks.

"So now that we've come to an understanding that this ninja, rogue or not, is a very safe person, what's he like?" Lupa asked, curiously.

Mayuri became giddy with excitement. "Oh well, where to start! He's amazing, moves as fast as lightening, but as quiet as a fish out of water. He's quite, but has no problem making out his point."

"What does he look like?"

Mayuri hesitated. "Oh, I kind of don't want to say, otherwise you might fall in love with him and become my love rival."

"Does this mean you like him?" Lupa asked, practically springing up from her seat. Guys from outside of the caravan were seen as exotic, but the one that Mayuri has her eyes on, Lupa knew he had to be special.

"I don't know," Mayuri shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure how falling in love is supposed to feel like. But I like him for sure."

"Does your heart tighten up when you see him?" Lupa asked, conducting her examination on Mayuri's love life.

"Terribly," Mayuri answered, remembering the second time they met.

"Does he take your breath away with just one look of his eyes?"

"Yes," she answered, almost in a daze and she thought of the day in the forest.

Suddenly, Mayuri felt the uncomfortable thudding of her heart, like a loud taiko drum that rang in her ears. She felt every pulse shooting blood through her veins faster by ten-fold. Followed by the congestive feeling, her skin started to feel hot and prickly. She wondered why this was happening to her, and why she didn't hate feeling so constricted.

"You're in love," Lupa concluded with a sly smile. "And I have to say, very dangerously in love with this man."

If Mayuri's face could get any redder, it did just that. Steam almost erupted from her head.

"No I'm not!" she denied loudly. "And even if I did, it's a wasted emotion. I don't even know if he likes me back!"

"He left you the Kurochi didn't he?" Lupa stated more than questioned as she gestured toward the small bird, which seemed to have fallen asleep.

Mayuri bit her lip. She wasn't the type to read many romance novels, or care for romance at all. All she knows is that not one person has ever seemed to fancy her in anyway other than her music playing. This was a whole new territory for her and she felt perfectly comfortable in her little bubble of isolation.

Lupa smiled and decided to stop teasing her friend. She patted Mayuri on the back, "Don't worry about it too much. It'll only be bad for you. Wait to see what kind of letter he replies you with and we'll know the result his heart from that."

"Oh great," Mayuri pouted, rolling her eyes. "Now, I'll be waiting anxiously day and night until that letter comes across."

At that moment, Kurochi woke up, and flapped around Mayuri's head until she led him land on her finger.

"What do you think it wrong with it?" Mayuri questioned Lupa, as if she knew anymore than Mayuri.

Lupa shrugged. "Let's see what else it does."

The small bird sat still for a moment or two, until it turned his head toward the sky and opened up his beak as wide as possible. A small rolled up parchment emerged from his throat and Mayuri took it reluctantly surprised to find it dry rather than wet and sticky with the juices from inside one's body.

"So it does deliver letters like that," Mayuri said. "Sorry for getting angry at you, but you should give a warning next time someone new to this comes along," she told the bird and gave it a kiss on it's small feather head.

"Open it! What does it say?" Lupa ordered excitedly.

Unrolling the piece of paper smaller than the palm of her hand, Mayuri came to the borderline of confused and angry, for all that was written on the paper was:

That's good to know.

"What kind of reply is this?" Mayuri roared angrily. "Do you know how long I tortured myself over what to write? And all you have to say is this?"

"Now, calm down, Shinpi-san."

"Lupa, what does your analysis say about this reply?" Mayuri said, standing up in her fury, her eyes glowing with fire.

"Maybe he's just not the type to write long messages," Lupa said, trying to ease the situation. "Think about it. Writing long letters hardly seems like him from what I heard from you. You've met him and talked to him. What kind of letter does he seem the type to write: long hand or short and consise?"

Mayuri sat down angrily. Lupa had a point. She looked at the memo again, this time she traced the stroke marks with her eyes. So this is his handwriting, she thought, so neat and clean. Mayuri folded up the piece of paper and put it gently into her wallet.

"You're not angry with him?" Lupa asked, cautiously.

"Just a little mad," Mayuri answered.

"Are you going to write back?"

"Of course! Even if he doesn't continue with the conversation, I'm going to write until his eyes melt in their sockets!" Mayuri said, determined to have her way.