Reckoning Arc: Koto

Touching the strings for the first time had been nice. It elated Yuina, as she was filled with old memories and yearnings. Currently, the only thing better was that she was no longer carrying the bulky thing. It was less about the weight and more about the awkward shape and size in comparison to her height and build. It also strained her shoulder, which didn't help.

"You don't have to watch us, Mariko." Rei's words had no effect on Mariko who sat formally at the side of the room, staring intently in their direction.

"I wish to stay."

Yuina wondered whether Mariko participated in tea ceremonies. Her form was perfect for such activity.

"Are you good to begin?" Rei looked Yuina over. She knew her skin was pale and she could feel the beads of sweat across her body. It wasn't from exertion but the heat flashes she'd been getting in alternation with cold flashes. "If not, we can wait a few weeks if you're recovering from an illness. I only suggested today, because you seemed eager."

"I'm lucky to be alive. Can't complain when that was the alternative." Telling someone that she was weakened wasn't great, but it wasn't something that was hidden well. Not with her body's current limitations. It didn't help that they looked ready to kick her out so she could properly recover. "Time is limited. It's best not to waste it."

Yuina wondered whether she had been too blunt. It was best to get to the point when at work, but these were civilians. She thought back to piano lessons. She didn't want to waste her or her teacher's time back then, but 'time is money' is less applicable here.

"If that's what you want." He sounded unsure. He sat in a more comfortable position in front of his own koto. His posture was in contrast against Mariko's. His koto had a lovely varnish. Rei gestured to the section on her right. From the edge to the bridges. "This section, from the mountain to the bridges is where most of the playing happens." He gestured to the other half. "This side is mostly used for vibrato and changing the tune or note. Do you understand?"

He knew she knew theory, yet this felt like some kind of test. What would it be otherwise? "Yes."

"We can also move the bridges. Moving it will lower or heighten the pitch." It was something she had done before. The closest thing was using a pedal, but using her foot was different than moving a piece while still playing. Flipping sheet music while playing with two hands was bad enough. "With time, the movements and plucking will create tears in the string, at which time you'll want to consider getting them replaced." She was told this by Asobu when buying her koto. Replacing a koto's strings was more comparable to a piano than a guitar, but with more frequent replacements that were more similar to the frequency of a guitar than a piano.

Rei showed her how to wrap the tape around the pick and her finger. She was about to do the same with her thumb before he stopped and corrected her. It was tapped a little differently and at a slightly different angle. Yuina then did the same with her other hand.

"When you play a note, you want to keep your wrists flat or slightly upwards."

It was easy enough for Yuina to remember. Piano had a similar form. Too bad her mind knew, but she no longer had muscle memory from years of practice.

He encouraged her to try plucking each string. "It's a pentatonic." She was scared of listing out the notes she thought they were in case she was wrong. It was somewhat a natural skill, but it was mostly learnt. Even then, it was something easy that could be mistaken. But one note was certainly a sharp. Or a flat, she supposed, if she dropped down a note. Yuina was fairly certain that there wasn't a C without any adjustments. Her mind fried at the thought. C was her first benchmark note thanks to the Middle C on the piano, and here she was going to have to maneuver the strings to create that same note.

"That's true."

Mariko was surprised on the side, but was much quieter than she had been at the shop. Yuina assumed it was their music space because of the décor. They must treat it seriously if it was related to their career or potential career. Though hadn't Rei mentioned being a hobbyist too? Maybe he taught on the side. It would explain his offer.

"If you have no objections, I would like to start off with gagaku," said Rei.

No scales? He wanted to jump straight into it.

"That's fine with me."

Yuina hesitated to call gagaku classical, but it was a more 'elegant' style of music. A style prominent among the higher class.

"Do we not have sheet music?" Paper products had a wide range in price based on the quality, but she would think it was of importance to a musician.

"I told you she's probably some oblivious noble's kid." Mariko narrowed her eyes and scowled.

"Did I do something wrong?" If she had done some kind of social faux pas, it would be best to correct it as soon as possible. Yuina still recalled the time she used the wrong terminology to a street vendor. She was lucky she was young because the woman had kindly explained to her the difference instead of chewing her out. Yuina wouldn't have blamed her, as the word apparently had derogatory implications. Yuina had felt ashamed afterwards and struggled to look at her.

Based on Mariko's words, she probably rudely said something in relation to social class. "We usually practice by rote memorization," said Rei.

"You're being too kind." Mariko interjected with a sharp tone. "We learn through apprenticeships, but you keep talking like it's so easy to learn. Talent is one thing, but trying to reduce our efforts is cruel and arrogant. Everyone starts from the bottom, and even if you can read sheet music, it doesn't matter if you can't play a single note."

Yuina knew the importance of rote memorization. You couldn't learn a piece well just by sight reading. Especially at the beginning. It took a lot of practice. She could see how that could be condescending for someone who didn't use sheet music, but learning from pure memory sounded horrendous. She was sure it likely stuck with them longer, something needed if it wasn't widely accessible, but sheet music helped so much. It was like being given the formula to adequate success. Not outstanding success, but outside recitals, orchestras, and other performances, people probably wouldn't complain about the outcome unless they were some critique snob.

To look down on that…

The concept was so backwards to her.

Yuina bet there were people in medieval times who were better off than the Elemental Nations in that regard.

"Oh." Yuina sat in awkward silence, unsure of what to do or say to rectify the situation.

Rei stood and walked to the chest on the other side of the room. He opened it and picked up a booklet. "Would it help you?"

"Rei!" He hadn't taught Mariko yet, so she was understandably angry with the offer.

"I don't want to create any ill will between you two. If you teach through rote memorization, then I'm willing to learn that way." Yuina shifted in her seated position. Her ankle was becoming numb. "Though, I'd appreciate if you could explain the mechanics of how to consistently and accurately hit notes." That was what she needed to play the piece her mom composed.

"Are we sure you aren't an alien?" Rei tilted his head to give Yuina another considering look, not for the first time.

"Like 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'?" asked Mariko. Her tone had lightened since Yuina rejected getting specialized instructional help. Yuina was unaware of the story and didn't understand the reference. She wasn't much of a science fiction fan, but it was good to hear that even in another world people shared stories about aliens. "I still think noble fits better. They always use a bunch of fancy words."

Yuina didn't know how to answer that. How did shinobi fit on the scale of nobility and class? Shinobi was its own social class, but defining where it existed in the hierarchy got messy. It was especially messy and distorted within the walls of Konohagakure. So, no, she wasn't part of the aristocracy class, but shinobi were an adjacent class who technically had the same type of social status. A lot of social practices were also shared between the two, and it didn't help that historically the daimyo's family had always been cautious about power balances which led to marriages in the past. Money and class weren't the same thing. There were rich commoners and poor nobles. Shinobi were certainly above wealthy merchants, whether the clan was rich or poor. Though, the integration of shinobi into hidden villages brought about additional complications to those classifications. All in all, Yuina avoided thinking about it most of the time unless she undeniably thought someone was higher in the hierarchy than her, and, due to location, that was usually an internal class issue.

They kept staring at her. Guess she had to answer. She raised her hands in a defensive pose. "Nothing like that. Though I'm not hurting for money, which is how I can afford all this."

Mariko leaned forward. "Then are you some kind of prodigy?" It didn't make sense to Mariko. People considered her a prodigy. Her mind spiraled. What if Yuina was a prodigy in something else and music was just an untapped potential? No. She didn't want that to be the case!

Yuina never liked the prodigy title. She had a cheat ahead, though she guessed by definition that was what a prodigy was. The other reason she didn't like the title was because it reminded her of the day she felt duped. The day her understanding of everything fell apart. She still blamed Kakashi. Maybe Sakumo a little too. "That's what they say?"

"Who's they?"

They were nosy buggers, weren't they? Couldn't she have a separate bubble for music without her line of work needing to be brought in?

At the very least, it was a glorious reminder that no matter how many in the circle knew her status there were plenty of people who could go on living without ever knowing or caring who she was. "I'm a kunoichi. Though I'm technically on leave right now."

"So you're saying you don't have a severe, potentially terminal illness," said Rei.

Yuina was going to question it. How had he possibly come to that conclusion? Then she remembered the state she was in. Then her words. Her mentioning that she could have died. It was almost funny. No, not almost. She was certainly amused. Yuina feared death on a daily basis and the potential to be injured by an enemy-nin didn't cross Mariko's or Rei's mind.

People's lives really were segmented.

Here they sat in the same room together, but their lives until that point were probably quite different. Maybe this is what people meant when they said ignorance was bliss.

Yuina cracked a smile. "Sorry to disappoint. No illness. I'm recovering from multiple stab wounds."

They look horrified.

"Stab wounds?" Mariko mouthed the words again at Rei and made a janky stabbing motion as she grimmaced and quivered.

It made Yuina look forward to lessons even more. She wondered what the world looked through their eyes.