A/N: Gear up guys! looonng Chapter coming up!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, except for the plot and any I introduce.
Chapter 5: Two Blondes and Brunette: part II
WHITE:
white often represents purity. But that isn't always true. It also represents cleanliness, neutrality and happiness. A house surrounded by a white picket fence often gives the vibe of a 'happy home'. On the other hand, white also represents confusion, frustration and shock.
12:03am...
The feel of numb fingers was definitely a splash of cruel water...or rather like a big drop of lime in my already open wound. My body was failing. If weakening muscle control wasn't enough of a sign then my darkening vision surely was.
No no. It wasn't like in the movies.
First the vision blurred. But that was due to the tears. How come I was tearing up? Maybe it had something to do with my choking breath. And the uncomfortable hands choking my neck. Now the edges of my field vision was getting dim.
Aw fuck. Now I'm blind.
It's no use trying to breathe in. The muscles around my ribs are in paralysis.
Heh. The herbs were really effective.
Why the hell I'm blabbering when I'm about to die?
Wait.
'About' to die...or dead already? Coz the suffocating ache in my lungs are absent.
And shit! I can see 'the end of tunnel' light.
9:45, 2 hours 18 minutes ago.
Third person p.o.v.
"It's getting late." A thick voice boomed. The owner's eyes slid to the decorative screen which should have slid open exactly fifteen minutes ago. The owner's hands were tapping impatiently on the tatami mat. He was a fat Daimyo, sprawled across the floor on a comfortable cushion. On the very edge of his patience. The three Geisha who had arrived early today had taken the whole day for rest. They were supposed to be performing right now...
"Forgive them, Daimyo-sama," said the flustered assistant, "But the Dancer seem a little sick when I last visited her."
A little sick? That was a shitty lie! He had found the head geisha retching on the corner of the gardens some hours ago. Her normally pale complexion seemed deathly at the time. He had expressed his concern. He also suggested shifting the performance to the next night. But the lady had been adamant. 'We shouldn't keep the lord waiting', she had said. She had bowed her delicate body to show appreciation to his concern.
He rubbed his cheeks with his index finger. His cheeks were a bit too warm for his liking...
'Don't worry! I'll definitely be alright by the night!' she had added cheerfully. He knew that, at that time, the 'Geisha mask' had slipped from the lady; she'd been herself when she said those words to him. Saying this she'd excused herself to the room she shared with her Maikos.
Her blonde Maikos...
Beautiful like any other Maiko...but what was wrong with the god forsaken blonde hair? The Daimyo would definitely not want to see blonde Shimadas*...
The panels clicked as the screen slid open.
The assistant felt a bit disappointed. Yes. He was eager to see the performance. But her naked face was much more amusing than the painted one she was wearing at the moment.
She floated to the middle tatami. Her Maikos sat her either side facing the Daimyo. And thankfully they had dark-haired Shimada wigs on their head. The assistant thought it was a good decision.
"Daimyo-sama." The Geisha brought the Lord's attention to her.
The Daimyo beamed a lecherous smile at her.
The assistant felt a pang of unease...a totally uncalled pang of unease. He had to stay away from her!
After all...Geisha were the worst heart breakers...
But the Geisha gave no notice to the Lord's smile. And gave a gentle smile in the assistant's direction. Or was it aimed at someone behind him...No. the dividing panels were behind him. And surely she wasn't smiling at the panels...
The assistant suffered unwanted heart palpitations.
Well. Damn his heart!
He returned the smile.
The exchange wasn't left unnoticed. The guard beside him jabbed his ribs.
"Flirting with Geisha, eh Takeo?"His friend whispered, using the rising sounds of the Ryuteki* as a cover.
It was no use denying...his red face worked well as an answer.
"Shut up, Sora!" he hissed.
"What may we call you?" asked the Daimyo, who seemed eager to get acquainted with the Geisha. Even he hadn't asked her name.
"They call me 'Yukiko', after the snow." saying this, she sat down. A black sandogasa* sat on her head; that was the beginning position of the dance*. The dance started with the first beats of the hip drum.
He was glad that he hadn't sneaked in the rehearsals. For if he had, he wouldn't be this awed at her movements right now. He liked the feeling...
Her movements were long, gentle and had a continuous flow. Her Hikizuri* was black, with red spider lily* prints. Its long sleeves only enhanced her movements. Her feet glided from position to position. She seemed to float. At least to him. And at some moments, during her hand movements, her sleeve would hike revealing her smooth, white skin.
Yes. He definitely preferred her natural skin over her painted one.
The Ryuteki stopped and its player started a sombre song.
She talked about a young travelling girl searching for her lost lover.
The dancer's movements were slow, searching.
Then she came forth to a wisteria forest.
Yukiko sat on the ground. And with her movements showed her awe at the forest.
She sat for a moment. And recalled her memories of the lover.
Then with one fluid movement she was up. Her movements grew faster. A bit happier. Her long sleeve followed the trail of her movements.
She compared her love to the wisteria.
But before she could start her next movement...
"Takeo! Sora!" someone hissed from the other side of the panel beside which they were standing. That gruff voice was definitely Yamada's.
"What is it?" he asked a little irritated.
"The bells were jingling on the west wing. Scout the area for any security threats." Saying this security head vanished into the hallway.
He was an assistant, dammit! Not a guard! Sighing to his fate, he went for duty.
10: 30, 1 hour 33minutes ago...
Nothing. It was probably a mouse that had stepped on the tripwire. But that little mouse spoiled his whole mood. Coz when he returned to the guest room, the performance was already over. And the Daimyo had already resigned to his room. Fate. Cruel fate.
He entered his room on the west wing beside the Daimyo's personal room. It wasn't time to set the futon yet. Setting the radio collar, he checked for response. And Yamada's gruff voice came as a reply.
"Is everything fine?" the security head asked. Takeo checked around. No movement. No sound. There were some ruffling noises. But that was definitely the Daimyo on the adjacent room. He always tossed around in his sleep...
"Yes, everything is fine."
They'd been on high alert since a week ago...since their Daimyo stole the Fire Daimyo's sword. And now Konoha ninjas were probably on their way to slice their Daimyo's head.
*sigh*
Why kill each other over a weapon? Were all Daimyos this stupid?
11:30, 33 minutes ago...
Nothing happened for a long time but when it was eleven thirty sharp, he heard the Daimyo wake up. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the Daimyo's door. Someone entered the Daimyo's room!
"You called, Daimyo-sama?" the familiar voice cut in before he could barge through the wall. Another kind of dread filled him.
"Yukiko-san! You performed well. Here's your pay." The unmistakable sound of a bag of money hitting the floor followed.
"But you already paid for-"
"That's not what I'm paying you for.."
There were some shuffling noises. He felt like punching to Daimyo's face.
"D-Daimyo-sama! We are performing artisans! Not 'Geisha girls*'! Dai-!" her voice was cut all of a sudden.
This was it! He was barging through! He couldn't take it any longer! He swiftly went before the Daimyo's door and opened it with closed eyes.
"Took you long enough." said a calm voice.
Yes. It was Yuki-chan. But she was in a different attire. She had a weapon pouch wrapped on her thigh. And dangling from her neck was the Konoha Hitai-ate...
"Kono-!"
Takeo didn't get the chance to say the full word. A sebon needle laced with a sleep-inducing drug interrupted him.
Hinata p.o.v...
Damn! I barely missed his jugular vein. Better beware next time. Taking out the sebon, I healed the puncture mark.
Now. The sword. It was supposed to be in here somewhere...!
"Miu-chan. Come in. Miu!" I tapped on my radio collar furiously. Hope she hasn't set the alarm like last time. If that idiot hadn't stepped on that wire, we wouldn't have to do this.
" is Miu. Report."
"Did you find anything in the dungeons?"
There was silence on her part.
"Miu?" no answer, "Oi, Uzumaki!"
"I've found vital information. Find the sword and leave without me..." there were some sharp sounds from her side. She probably cut the radio.
"Uzumaki?"
No answer. She definitely cut the connection.
"Did you hear that, Keiko-chan?"
There was a sigh from Yamanaka.
"Naruto's always like that."
"How's the situation at the exit?"
"No threats. No movements. All clear."
"Then I'm going to the dungeons after finding the sword. We can't leave that idiot there."
"Right! I'll alert you on any suspicious moves from the guards."
"Roger!"
I turned towards the knocked-out Daimyo.
He really liked the sword, huh? Now where the hell do I keep my favourite things? The 'icha icha' volumes stay in the cupboard...but the Daimyo's room didn't seem to have any. My diary of pressed flowers stays beneath my pillow...
I moved the heavy body aside. And turned over the futon.
I smile threatened to split my face into two...
My my...the Daimyo is really fond of the sword...
11:58, 5 minutes ago...
I'm losing my head over that idiot's safely! What the hell did she find here? All I see is the murk and darkness. Murk and darkness and...
A presence!
Kami! It's too late! I feel the cold blade touch my neck. I never wished for my byakugan so much till now. Damn the white-eyed freaks!
"who are you?"
I knew that voice. I almost smirked! I decided to play it cool.
"Yamada-san! Its a pity that you forgot about me..."
"Konoha ninja...should definitely ...not be underestimated!"
He started sliding the sword, ready to cut my neck. The blade sliced the leather strap of the radio collar. I couldn't let it cut any further!
Substitution!
I'm two yards away from that man.
I think.
The darkness is confusing.
I touch my neck. Yes. It is bleeding.
"Yamada-san. Wont you call your comrades?" I took out my bundle of vials of herb-poisons. The bi-pyramidal vial.
"I don't need them to finish you."
"Confident, are we?" I poured the dirty-brown liquid over my kunai.
This could be taken as dirty fighting...but I didn't have the advantage of a byakugan, so...
"Don't underestimate me!"He said. A blade whooshed past me. Missing me by inches. I'm not so sure coz of the darkness, but I think I got an unexpected hair-cut just now...
The glint of his blade is enough for me. I swing towards the said direction. I duck as he slices the air to get me. It may be for a split-second, but it's an opening!
I plunge the kunai with both my hands towards him.
But the bastard dodges with a speed that doesn't suit his bulky body.
I swept my foot around hoping to knock him out. And I did!
Without stopping for a second, I plunged my kunai towards him.
But my kunai never reached him.
Coz the next second there's a metallic clank and then my hands were empty.
I heard the clank of steel on stone as my kunai hit the ground somewhere in the darkness.
"You are a Hyuga, aren't you?" the deep voice rumbled off the walls.
Yes. No.
"That's none of your concern!" I reach for another kunai in my pouch...damn. I had to find that poisoned kunai...that poison was my hard work, dammit!
I crouch around, searching the floor wildly in the dark.
Then his presence comes near again! I aim at knee-level and strike.
Juken!
The small chakra flare lights up the darkness. My eyes widen at the scene in front of me.
My poisoned kunai. In his hands. He was ready to strike.
I dodged.
My shift is not enough. The kunai wedge through the skin on my shoulder. That's enough. I know that's enough to kill me.
I land on my butt as the pain hits my head. I take out a sebon. I search my bundle of vials for the anti-dote.
It was supposed to be here! It was supposed to be here! That cubic vial! That-!
Rough arms grab my arm. Yanking me up from the ground. The cut on my shoulder tears a little further. I fight back a whimper.
"you are surely foolish. Did you think that I wouldn't recognise that dance form?! That dance form used only at the Hyuga ceremonies! You bitch. You-aaaarrrrgggh!"
Eat my sebon, motherfucker!
I land on my butt again. And again the yanking procedure follows. Now I could surely feel the effects of me poison...
The man backed me up against the wall and wrapped his thick fingers around my neck. Such an unconventional way of killing. Did he know that I was poisoned?
"That herb you used is a native plant." He said, as if he had been reading my mind, "You thought I wouldn't recognise its smell?"
I punched his jaw. Or rather tried to. For it landed softly on his shoulder instead...
12:03. Present time.
I tried to reach for another sebon. But my fingers were numbing. The feel of numb fingers was definitely a splash of cruel water...or rather like a big drop of lime in my already open wound. My body was failing. If weakening muscle control wasn't enough of a sign then my darkening vision surely was.
No no. It wasn't like in the movies.
First the vision blurred. But that was due to the tears. How come I was tearing up? Maybe it had something to do with my choking breath. And the uncomfortable hands choking my neck. Now the edges of my field vision was getting dim.
Aw fuck. Now I'm blind.
It's no use trying to breathe in. The muscles around my ribs are in paralysis.
Heh. The herbs were really effective.
Why the hell I'm blabbering when I'm about to die?
Wait.
'About' to die...or dead already? Coz the suffocating ache in my lungs are absent.
And shit! I can see 'the end of tunnel' light.
.
.
.
Or is it?
Is that 'light supposed to be blue?
In that drowsy state I heard an unfamiliar voice shout:
"RASENGAN!"
.
.
.
Or have I heard it before...?
Keys*
Shimadas hairstyle worn by the geisha and maiko. In modern times, the time consuming hairstyle has been replaced by ready-made wigs which Naruto and Ino wear in this chapter.
Ryutekia type of bamboo flute. If you want to hear it, then visit wiki!
Sandogasaa type of travelling hat. I've used a black one here as it is used in the dance 'Fuji musume'.
Hikizuria trailing kimono.
Red spider lilythe flower which represents parting.
Dance performed in this chapterit is not Mai dance or Kabuki. It's the one usually mentioned in various fanfics. Although, I've taken some elements from the story-line of 'Fuji Musume'.
Geisha girlsProstitutes are often referred as geisha girls.
A/N: I know its been a long time since I last updated...but here I am again. hope you will forgive my absence! Read and Review.
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