It wasn’t too long before the obsidian rocky grounds of the Mountain Graveyard, contrasted only by the creepy bony remains of people who once died in this place, whether it was in the battle that formed the place, or in the power struggles between bandit gangs afterwards, changed into a more ground shifting and industrial zone. Once in a while the crew encountered a still working natural gas or oil pumping device or some sort of ground pounding pneumatic hammer of gigantic proportions that seemingly crushed one’s ear drums from kilometers away with its crushing sound. It was like the goal of this gigantic machinery was to crush the ground all the way to the other side of the planet…
“It’s grinding the rocky minerals into shards, I think… If I knew how deep the pressure pulse goes I’d probably shriek my voice out!” Meiko scratched her chin after examining the grinded dust that flew out in blinding clouds from under its rampaging pounds.
The change signaled that the crew was slowly approaching Otogakure. A once desolate place, a gentle grassland where animals roamed free and there was nothing but green plains as far as an eye could see. These plains were initially much larger than Konohagakure and belonged to Fire Country and the Fire Daimyo. That was before it was decided to find another ninja village here, close to Konoha, where the locals could be tutored by Konoha and fostered into another ninja village which would potentially grow strong enough to rival the Great Ninja Villages and in such case Fire Daimyo would have ruled over two Great Ninja Villages greatly expanding his influence through intimidation of great power.
The Daimyo then gathered a large number of ninja from around the land, excused some criminals that wished to reform asking of them to take important positions in this newly established village he called Otogakure or the Sound Village. The people who lived their lives as rogues knew very little of how to manage a village but they didn’t want to resume their past shady lives, knowing full well that being so close to the Konoha borders they’d have ninja swarming the place and overthrowing them within moments of one shady action from their part.
Having no idea how to attract ninja to live and breed, creating a new generation of ninja in their newly found village the criminals simply attracted musicians and travelling artists from all around the world, asking them to tutor the youth who were supplied by Konoha Ninja Academy’s exchange programs in the arts of music. The hopes were that once the young ones knew of the musical arts as well as the art of ninjutsu they’d eventually combine the two together. The result was not entirely a failure of this plan “ a handful of young ones found a newly discovered love for the art and began a slow prospering tradition of combining ninja arts with music and sound in general.
The secondary effect which the newly appointed council of Otogakure could not have predicted was the musical culture that formed in the village. Common settlers who were accepted into the village freely as new villages, allowed to live in village conditions instead being forced to work the land under constant threat of bandit raids and rogue ninja playing with their lives like a pretentious child plays with the lives of ants beneath their magnifying glass. Those very simpletons became fascinated with the music they’ve heard as all the traveling musicians attracted to tutor the youth decided to make a quick ryo entertaining the locals.
Eventually simpletons of basic tastes became experts, in just years villagers became dabblers of the miraculous arts of music and began playing the instruments themselves. They began creating new styles of music, experiments and a musical celebrity culture unlike anything else formed in the village. A cultural awareness of such exquisite tastes could have only been found in the royal and elitist districts of Kirigakure which was known for its snobbish and posh tastes in culture and entertainment. However whereas Kirigakure devoured all cultural arts: film, theatre, circus and music, Otogakure simply became the capital of rather average ninja and amazing musicians.
It was a mystery how the village was still standing, they had very few notable ninja who have made a name for themselves. It wasn’t because of how young the place was, it couldn’t have been more than a hundred years old, by that time Konoha had produced multiple Hokage and Sannin level ninja. One would think that in this world of violence and war the village would have been swept aside like an unsuccessful experiment but strangely enough it wasn’t even raided once. Maybe it was that even the meanest soul enjoyed the soothing melodies and recorded sounds of music hailing from the village, more likely it was the close distance from the powerhouse of the Ninja World “ Konohagakure that prevented more significant raids.
This strangely devoid of violence environment allowed the Sound Village to amass great financial stability and riches, by the time the members of the first Otogakure council died out and the generations shifted the village was an economic powerhouse if nothing else. Producing millions of ryo per single record produced by a single of thousands practicing musicians of the place, even Mana was slightly jealous of the fame and great admiration as well as the rich celebrity culture of the place.
Such peaceful and prosperous environment attracted one great man to foster his dreams in that place “ Guru Ayushi. The spokesman of peace and perseverance, Guru Ayushi hosted multiple fund raisers and publically spoke about how close Otogakure was to his dream of a perfect land “ a land that grew ninja just as a symbolic notion and for respect of the ancient tradition, if anything else. A village that could’ve paid off any assailant harboring as much as an ill thought, a village that took more pride in its rich culture than physical and military power or a sleeping time bomb in the form of a Jinchuuriki carrying inside them a bomb of mass destruction capable of decimating the planet if they as much as sneezed the wrong way.
Guru’s approval of the place only made its respect among the other villages and countries skyrocket. Even the more bloody Kirigakure would have never made moves inside the village walls, not publically, and any spies of Kirigakure caught in Otogakure would’ve been instantly disowned and declared working as rogues and under no orders from the village whereas usually Kirigakure would’ve taken great pride in such men and women who have worked inside the walls of a village for so long that they’ve amassed a fortune of information by the time they were captured and any loss of face or a treasured spy would’ve been inconsequential compared to the wealth of data amassed by these highly trained agents of deceit.
Finally, the dark evening sky was lit up by neon lights, a familiar crunch and sweet softness of home soil met Mana’s sandals, gentle cold evening grass playfully tickled her feet as the coaly surfaces of the Mountain Graveyard were no more. It was strange how the team haven’t met a single bandit in the place “ usually the reputation of the place was that it fostered endless squabbles and power struggles between gangs and served as a shelter for the most dangerous rogue ninja hiding in the Fire Country. Usually one couldn’t have taken two steps in the place without encountering a half-dead starving bandit trying to rob them with a knife made of hardened toothbrushes or fishbone.
“We’re here…” Meiko shrieked out like a schoolgirl, Mana looked at her with gently glowing eyes, it must’ve been nothing short of miraculous for the blacksmith to finally place her foot in the sanctuary of the musical arts. Mana had to admit that despite the recent events making her insides bitter and making her feel half-dead she also had a certain flare of excitement to see the place of such rich celebrity culture. The magician wanted to see the place for quite some time, there was so much she could’ve learned from Otogakure as a rising fame of stage magic… Or has-been rising fame… She’s been away for so long that the girl wondered if at least one child who walked into her shows with eyes of fire-cracking glee would’ve even remembered the young lady they’ve idolized in their youth, then again, it was just several months that she’s been gone… Felt like forever, honestly.
“No guards at the gate?” Kouta wondered looking around, his dark brown hair flipped to the sides as the boy frantically tried to locate at least one guard trying to ask them for their identities or question their intentions in the place. Usually even ninja returning from missions in Konoha would’ve had to fill blanks and paperwork right after entering the gate. This was a little ridiculous, honestly…
“Hmph…” Shimo grunted before his eyes caught a beautiful and barely covered behind of a young lady, possibly an aspiring musician as she’s been walking with some sort of a paper and reading from it, reciting what appeared to be lines of poetry, perhaps a song. Shimo instantly disappeared from the group, following the young woman. Meiko wanted to go after him but Kouta shook his head.
“Let him go, this place seems to be an entertainment center more than a military establishment. I could’ve never guessed. He’ll find us, don’t worry, let the guy have his fun, maybe the tensions between us will ease that way. It wouldn’t be too bad for you two to have a little fun as well, there was little of that lately…” Kouta also pointed at Mana with his chin, signaling for the blacksmith that maybe it was better if Mana and Shimo didn’t have to see each other for a while.
Meiko didn’t really appear to have gotten the clue, she just jumped up and grabbed Mana by the collar of her shirt dragging her aside.
“Roger! We’ll find Mana a male butt to stare at as well!” she chanted out much to Kouta’s protest but the crowd around them was getting so thick and intense that the boy soon found himself lost.
“Wait… Don’t… Show Mana any butts…” Kouta shouted out but his voice fell to deaf ears.
*****
Shimo followed the young lady dressed in nothing but strangely glowing and shimmery dark purple leather into a small block of flats, it had a small waiting room before entering the staircase that lead to the actual flat complex where the young lady dropped down to sit on an overly soft armchair. Shimo dropped down nearby. He didn’t care about making a move, all he cared about was opening the doors for the ignorant and absent minded woman and see to it that she returned home safely… Just like the old days…
Shimo finally drew his eyes away from the woman who didn’t even know that Shimo gently walked in front of her to help her bypass at least four manholes and opened three doors as well as gently lead her through an arc she would’ve bumped into normally. She was so absorbed by her sheets of papers that she appeared to know nothing else but their strangely mosaic appearance and the symbols contained within.
“Thank you for walking me home, young man…” she spoke finally informing Shimo that his attempts to safely guide her home weren’t completely ignored.
“I’m not a criminal, I just… I wanted to do the right thing, a young woman like you walking so absent mindedly in such a big village…” he spoke up
The woman placed the papers into a small handbag, folding them with little care for their integrity, even accidentally tearing the tip of one of them and laughed into her palm playfully.
“You are not from around here, are you? This place isn’t known for its criminal activity, maybe further at the edges of the village where the industrial districts lay. The central area is controlled by the Syndicate” she said “Ever since those guys took over there isn’t any street crime, no murders in the alleyways, no muggings or rapes. A woman is as safe in the streets as she could be around these parts”
“Wait! Syndicate!?” Shimo shouted up jumping off his armchair and instinctively grabbing his sword and pressing it tighter by his hip.
“Oh? You don’t know? Yes, this place does not have an “Otokage” so to say, it never had because electing an Otokage incites challenge, it says to the other village that there is a ninja in this place powerful enough to call the shots and place themselves among the other Kage. There is only the council but having the history of the city in mind they are quite apologetic of criminal syndicates, their parents belonged to the rogue ranks themselves. The Syndicate runs the place, it’s public news really. They control crime and they don’t dabble or allow small time crime to happen. Small times who don’t belong to the Syndicate and act up, all criminals of passion they disappear faster than you would inform an actual Police Force” the lady smiled as if she didn’t just say that she was content about an actual criminal syndicate running her home.
Shimo grunted unintelligibly. “It’s something for another day… Say, fair lady, maybe you’d know where and when a musician named “Notasa” performs? We need to talk to her”
“Oh, are you maybe a journalist? No… You wouldn’t be foolish enough to carry a sword if you were…” the lady began pondering.
“I’d be most grateful if you stopped flirting and beating around the bush and answered the question” Shimo sighed moving his grey hair out of his sight as they have become long and unruly enough to obstruct his view at times. At times like this the boy wondered how Mana managed her hair as the girl never really appeared to cut or restrain them, at least she never bragged about it, most girls would, wouldn’t they?
“A guy who followed me home asks me to stop flirting… Sorry, the people in this place are really relaxed and pleasure driven, I’ll have to apologize if you find us odd. You seem to really be not from around… Well, Notasa is performing tonight in the Ponac Hall, it’s couple of kilometers from here, just ask the people around and they’ll lead you to it” the girl giggled, she really did look like she was relaxed enough to not care enough to lie.
“Wait… Can’t you lead me to it?” Shimo hissed out in confusion.
“I could…” the lady giggled before bumping the young man’s exposed and tense chest muscles with her playful frail finger and dragging it down, getting him excited before pulling her papers out and resuming her reading activities “But I’d miss the pleasure of seeing you stumble around, you’re too cute that way”
Shimo has never rushed off awkwardly from a room so fast in his entire life. “People here are weird!” he whispered under his own nose as loud as whispering could be done.
*****
“Meiko, for the last time, Kouta didn’t ask you to show me male butts… Why would he try to get me laid, I mean… You know? Doesn’t make sense…” Mana tried explaining it to Meiko who continuously dragged Mana from one good looking man to another shoving her imbalanced frame to their lower bodies uncomfortably. Mana was not quite sure which was stranger, that Meiko was interpreting Kouta’s proposition to keep Mana and Shimo separate for a while this way, or that the men Meiko rudely shoved Mana in their faces didn’t seem to mind. Strangely enough they were down for a potential advance but then Meiko dragged Mana elsewhere just like that leaving them confused.
“Hello there ladies!” a couple of guys tried to stop Meiko and Mana but Meiko dragged Mana away and finally gave the magician a chance to straighten out and fix her clothes from all the carrying and dragging around the Meiko has been doing.
“Why wouldn’t Kouta want to find you a friend?” Meiko didn’t appear to get it at all…
“Doesn’t matter… We’ve lost both Shimo and Kouta. I’ll assume that Kouta is sensible enough to find us a place to sleep in through the night and Shimo will… Hopefully not get himself killed or kill anyone. We should probably go look for this Notasa lady…” Mana concluded before she heard sly comments about her clothes from behind and looked at them.
She was all in rags, her black skirt was torn up and ragged in multiple areas, her sandals were completely worn out and basically just a lifeless lump of leather, her blazer was long lost somewhere along the way, most likely incinerated to the point where not a tread of it remained. Her shirt was nowhere near the color it began as and had multiple fist sized holes, one of which was ironically enough showing her undergarments which greatly shamed Mana having in mind that she was standing in the middle of a densely populated ninja village which reminded more of a pleasure town.
“Maybe… We should chill and get some new clothes and supplies…” she blushed trying to calmly move her shirt in a way that would cover up the pink slip of her undergarment covering the chest.
“Yeah!” Meiko shouted out excitedly grabbing Mana by her shoulder and running off so fast that Mana was lifted off the ground and comically floated up like a flag. Despite Mana’s desperate pleads for Meiko to slow down the blacksmith just kept on running, with all of her inhuman speed, evading each and every single passer-by of this dense pleasure town which was probably as difficult as evading raindrops in the rain. Mana closed her eyes, her shame knew no bounds but then she realized that all this typical Meiko’s antics made her slowly move on from other, more dire things she could be thinking about… Even if the alternative was thinking about the shame of her ruined clothing and being carried around like a bag of vegetables, spun and carelessly flung around…
*****
Kouta looked around and sighed, realizing that he was left all alone. The boy looked around and tried locating the nearest inn. All of those buildings were so tall, each block was at least two or three times the size of Konohagakure’s buildings as the village appeared to concentrate all of their villagers in the couple of large and modern if not futuristic districts where Konoha spread them somewhat evenly amongst its territory. Slowly and shyly the medical ninja approached the nearest villager and asked them for the location of the nearest place he and his friends could stay in.
“Shit, Meiko carried off the bag with all the material stuff…” Kouta cursed realizing that the blacksmith carried off the Audra shard filled bag with her which served as all of their bargaining chips in this village since they’ve long since ran out of coins to pay with which was impressive knowing that they once raided the bandit raider encampment…
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