Chapter 12

I.

The path to freedom did not make me as happy as I thought I would be. Since I have abandoned most of my material possessions, the only thing I have is on my back, and in my bundle. My little bundle holds some daily necessities, a tent, some clothes, and money. Not much, though, as i plan on earning my keep soon, when I arrive at another village. Hopefully this one won't have shinobis in it, and hopefully this one is kinder.

The first few hours were always the hardest. I walked on and on, knowing this path may lead to another village soon, but I don't know how am I going to survive. I don't know any particular useful trait, I am very useless in terms of protection or security, and I don't have any diploma or certificate of any sort within this world that is useful. So basically I'm homeless. I might as well set up shop on the side of the street with a sign that says, "will work for food."

It couldn't have been harder than when I was in Ame.

With that thought in mind, I started to walk faster, even resorting to a little jog. I am very unfit, however, and my job lasted around two minutes before I had to sit down and catch my breath-then start walking again.

It would be close to midnight before I finally arrived at the next village.

II.

I must have been dreaming. Because I saw someone threw a bunch of red balls into the air, and immediately it bursts into a huge red canopy of gas. I quickly shielded my nose and mouth, and stared in amazement that a huge gate has opened before me.

First of all, it was amazing to see people here. There were endless trees that I was getting a little annoyed at mother nature. Second of all, I think I found a village that is hidden among them, but need red gas to reveal its location.

Before I could contemplate if it's a genjutsu of some kind, the gate started disappearing. I quickly ran along and went inside before it disappeared completely.

I was a little shocked, because it was not everyday when I see something to disappear out of thin air. I have tried to investigate the nature of genjutsu, and I decided that the world of Naruto is too complicated for science, so science gave up and failed Naruto.

So I entered this village.

There was nobody in sight, but I could see streets gong down to the horizon. It's pretty misty, and the lanterns are all dark. I could see houses, but so few of them were lit. I walked inside farther down the street, and finally I found a small inn who has the lantern sign "open" still lit.

"Hello?" I yelled into the door, and a small old woman came out with a cane in her hand. She looked up and down at me, then raised an eyebrow, "Yes?"

I fumbled with my bundle and looked around-any other occasion it would have been something out of a horror fiction. In a dark and misty street with no street light, only one red lantern shone above all else and an old woman came out wobbling with a fierce and shiny looking cane-

"I was wondering if you offer tourists a place to stay." I replied, summoning up my basic survival instinct.

She stared at me, "tourists?"

"Travellers." I quickly replied. "I have travelled quite a bit from Konoha-"

She chuckled, "Konoha is the closest large village here." Then a serious and solemn face, "Are you a citizen of Konoha?"

"No." I replied, thinking that I since they placed a seal on me, I am as good as trash to them.

She then narrowed her eyes at me and said sternly, "Open your mouth."

I obliged, and she examined closely at the seal on my tongue, then nodded to herself. After looking at me for two more minutes, she asked, "Can you cook?"

Immediately I nodded, "Yes, yes. I can cook wonderful things-"

Which was not true, but I thought, I'm like five hundred years back, so what could possibly be so difficult about cooking in this era?

She then extended her hands, "I am Taira. Taira Eri."

I immediately bowed, "Taira-san."

She then turned around and replied, "Come on in. I suspect you must have had a long journey."

Since I am so unfit, yes.

I followed her in to a which turned out to be a very lovely little lodge. It's not big, as the first floor consist of a few tables and chairs and a bar like setting-except there are frying pans and also various kitchen utensils. But the most amazing thing is that on the back shelf, within various little glass jars, there are many herbs and leaves that filled up the entire wall itself. There are lanterns that lit up the entire place that's placed within glass masks, and another shelf full of pots and small cups. I suspect those most for the customers.

"Is this a teahouse?" I asked in amazement.

"Sort of." She replied calmly. "I also feed my customers."

I could tell, because there are some kitchen tools that I recognized from ramen shops. For example, the large net thing is used to filter out the water within noodles. Another large and steaming round wooden bamboo utensil is used to steam various buns. I am very amazed by this little place, because it seemed to have everything despite it's size.

She led me up the wooden stairs located at a back corner, and then flip through a cloth curtain that acted as a barrier of second floor to the first, and revealed a small hallway that has a few rooms. One on the back is labelled as "Storage", and another is decorated with purple sparkly stones hanging on the doorway. She directed me to the room across, which has pink stones hanging on top. "This is your room."

I was very surprised at everything, because it seemed everything is easier than it was supposed to be. But despite all my questions I opened the door and discovered a lovely little room with a single bamboo bed, a table, and a lantern hanging by the window. The entire building is made of bamboo and wood, therefore it gave a incredibly serene and tranquil feel. I immediately knew I will love it here, and before I turned around to ask how much the rent, I saw her hand extended out to me.

"Give me all your money." She said.

I was stunned, but I would be even more threatened if she was a middle aged man with scars and a knife on his back. But it does make sense that I must pay for my due. After all, I'm looking for a place to stay and rent. So I pulled out my wallet from my small bundle and gave her all the sum I have in there.

She counted it and said to me, "This is enough for three month. You would like to have a job with me so you can pay the rest of your stay, correct?"

Numbly, I could only nod.

She then said, "Put your stuff here. Tomorrow I'm making noodles for breakfast, you must learn how to fry an egg. Come with me."

By then it's already very late at night, and all I wanted to do was to take a quick shower and go to rest, but her eyes stared at me with a solemnity that did not allow my laziness to take over and blurt out from my mouth. So I could only sigh, put my bundle on the small bed (which I am very grateful there are clean sheets) and followed her down to the kitchen.

Oh my god, this place is so primitive and surprisingly modern at the same time.

For example, on the counter there is a very impressive display of bamboo waterfalls with clinking of various objects. It's intricate enough to have a good price in the modern world. But below the counter, there is a gas tank with wires hooked onto it.

Yes, a gas tank. I have never seen one-because I heard storied about it-in my parent's time.

Needless to say, I was very impressed and very worried at the same time. Because if there's a gas leak, and this place is made from wood-

Eri-chan did not gave me a chance to contemplate it, because she turned it on in a swift motion, and placed a pan on top one of three burners. She had a basket full of eggs, yes, note that I said a basket. Apparently during these times eggs were sold within straw braided strands and then placed in baskets, not in cartons.

"There are four main ways to cook an egg." She then begin. "The easiest is just to make egg roll-which you scramble the egg, put some spring onions or other vegetables that the customers prefer, and then pour half of it in the pan-swirl it around to cover the entire area, and when the bottom is crispy..." She used a small spatula and a pair of chopsticks to lift one side of the egg, and as if by magic, she slowly rolled it into a roll towards the center of the pan.

I stared in amazement as she poured some more egg mixture into the unrolled part of the pan and have it continue on cooking.

I mean. I have had egg rolls in Konoha, but I had no idea this is how you cook it. She finished rolling a large egg roll, which she picked it up with her bare fingers and placed on the cutting board. Then taking a knife, she cut it down to slices.

"Sometimes customers want these in their noodles." She said, carefully placing them in a plate and then shoved them in a fridge-which the doors were also covered in bamboo and therefore I did not really know that it was a fridge in the beginning.

I am proud to say that I am a quick learner, because only after around 3 times, I mastered it to her satisfaction and was ready to make it in the morning.

She then taught me how to cook an egg sunny side up, which is just to crack it into a oiled pan. and take it out after around 3 minutes on low medium heat. Because then a crisp edge will form and most customers prefers that.

Then it's a poaching egg time, and this was the hardest. After breaking about a dozen eggs she gave up and said, "more practice tomorrow. Also learn stuffed omelette tomorrow."

I nodded in shame.

She then led me to the backyard, within a small shed-and inside was a very large bucket. She said, "there are fresh hot spring water flowing through the pipes, if you fill the bucket, you can have a bath. In this basket are soap and shampoo..."

I didn't listen much because I was watching the steaming water rising up in the bucket and I was in heaven.

It wasn't until next morning I learnt this was "Eri's Teahouse", and I started the next phase of my life in this place-which I learnt around a week later was the land of the Forests-Kuni.

III.

A week after staying here, I slowly became acquainted with the geography and the cultural aspect of this place.

It's a very religious place, and there's a a large temple just above the hills-which we could see if we're in town. Every week many people travels over there to pray for next week's success. Be it in health or in business. Everybody donates a few coins each time for the temple to continue its success. Basically it's a pretty peaceful place, with no violent army leading everyone-and I am glad I chose to stay in Eri-chan's, because I just discovered she is a very skilled medic.

Those glass jar with herbs she actually collects them when she closes down the teahouse in the afternoon. It only opens for breakfast and lunch for nearby workers, and in the afternoon she opens a small window of some sort for people to buy herbs for takeout. Or some leftovers. She does not like to waste food, so she discounts left over foods. And she actually sells various herbs at a flexible price-so those who could not afford them could also pay with fresh ingredients.

Just as I was beginning to image this place as more of a magical and peaceful place, a group of rogue nins barged in one sunny afternoon and demand every valuable item to be handed over behind the counter.

I stared in surprise-because honestly I have never seen anything like this before.

There was five of them, all covered in black and with menacing and large metal weapons around their backs. Not only are they fierce looking, their whole stance gave off this "if you don't do what I say I will kill you" vibe, and not to mention they kicked around the tables and chairs-which I thought they were art in itself. Come on, bamboo furniture? Costs a fortune in the modern world.

But this is not a time to wonder off. Because Eri slowly wobbled over and pulled open her cabinet-inside was all the proceeds we earned for that day. This was approaching twilight, and we did not have a chance to deposits them into a bank yet.

Even though I am not a book keeper, I could tell loosing a day's profit would not be a light blow.

Eri motioned me to dump everything into their bag, and I did so while shivering violently. Their blades are incredibly shiny, and seriously I have a fear of prickly objects.

"Hurry!" A man yelled above my head. I was so nervous that I dropped the basket within his bag too. I instinctively attempt to retrieve it, but he pulled his blade on me and I quickly pulled back.

"One word to others, and you're dead." He then tossed out, and ran out of the inn.

Now I knew they must be mediocre nins, because actual nins would not bother even using a door.

I was still recovering from this shock, Eri wobbled towards me and helped me up. "Don't worry, they come once in a while... It's normal now."

"What!?" I was shocked, "you don't have security in this village? Are there no police?"

"Not capable ones." She replied, "we are too poor to afford proper shinobi protection."

I sighed. It did occur to me that this village is very small and tiny. In just the first couple weeks I got to know everyone around the block. Next to us is a meat shop that kills two chickens and a pig a day and sells their meat. Across the street is a clothing store that comes in stock once every three months. Down the street is a paper lantern and umbrella shop, and further down is a ramen/snack shop, and so far, they were our fiercest competition.

"We're a small inn." I told Eri, "we should have proper protection."

Eri just laughed and waved her hands, "We get by."

IV.

After two month of living here, I decided to follow the custom and go up to that large hill where that huge temple is.

So Eri gave me a Saturday morning off.

It was a clear and crisp morning when I dressed in my best grey robe and a black jacket. I looked in the mirror in front of me and found that I looked like a girl with no prospects or future. But the best of all, I don't attract any attention.

I folded a small bundle up that contained a handful of nuts, a small tea biscuit from unsold merchandise last night, and a small bottle of green tea. Upon leaving, a grabbed a couple of coins and tucked them into my pocket.

Tradition here dictates that your next month's income and luck determined by how pious and faithful you prayed in this temple. It's a temple that never ran out of followers because many people believed their livelihood depended on praying here first. This is a place of peace and tranquility. It has a large area and there is a huge bamboo forest behind it. Often people prayed and then buy a bamboo stick that has their fortune imprinted on it. Eri got on last month that states she must make southern food for the next week, and therefore she made rice dishes, and they sold quite well.

I thought I should come in contact with my religious side. I originally am Christian, but when I came to this world, I honestly don't know what to believe anymore. I wasn't a very good Christian either. My parents were, and I thought that automatically made me one. Despite the fact that I have never actually been to church on a regular basis.

But recently, I thought I need some guidance in my life, and Eri said that this temple is known for it's accuracy regarding predictions and advice on future relationships.

Ok I admit, at this point, after I came out of Konoha, I really have no where else to go and I want to see where life would take me next. But I don't want to travel further into shinobi territory, because as worthless as I am, I will be shred to bits and pieces. I must find a safe shelter, and Eri's teahouse provided me with that. I have survived two weeks over here without actually being killed, and I am very glad.

The journey up the hill was a long one. Especially since that I haven't exercised in a while. Ok, let's face it. I haven't exercised in like... ever. And the people in this village come up and down the hill almost everyday, so I see people rushing past me one by one, even small kids ran ahead up the large stone steps while I was careful not to step on the moist moses that may make me slip and fall. There are large stones lying along the steps for people to sit on. I basically climb around twenty stairs and sit down for three minutes to catch my breath. I know this makes climbing stairs much harder, but I was already huffing and puffing to begin with.

It reminded me though, of a movie I watched back in our world. It was quite an old series, it begin when I was a child. A panda named Po who was very bad at martial arts climbed a lot of stairs and became the Kungfu Master. Not that the two things have any relevancy, but the large temple and large stone steps fascinated me. I have never seen anything that tall that could physically walk on before. Only on the big screen. The idea of taking stairs up one by one was very daring to begin with. In a world where elevators and escalator ruled, there was no place for stairs.

One can never be satisfied. As soon as my life has settled down, I wished for some action. And when the action came, I ran away from it and settled down again. After it has calmed down a little, I wished for some more action.

Now standing on the last step, I looked back and saw the people slowly climbing up, and I felt like I am in the perspective of Uchiha Itachi. I stand on top and watch people pathetically trying to climb up and reach me.

Of course his decision was to reach down and extend his hand to help each one climb up.

The temple has some monks reading some gospels. I walked up to a large table with bamboo filters ontop. After tossing down the coins, I rang the bell above me, and a monk shook his bamboo box and handed me a fortune. I bowed to him and he bowed back while wishing me to have a good life. I flipped over the bamboo stick and discovered, "You will encounter great success in your future."

I sneered at it, and can't help but being cynical. After tucking it into my bundle, I ate everything inside and decided to take a stroll in the bamboo forest. Maybe I will encounter some pandas...

It hadn't occur to me that pandas came from China.

However, I did encounter someone very interesting. And her name is Emiko.

I walked further and further into the woods and found a small clearing. It was quite well hidden if not for the ringing of the flowing sound of water. Upon brushing away the heavy bunch of bamboos around the area, I finally stumbled into a hot spring.

Right now if the universe reward me with a handsome naked man bathing inside the spring, I would've been very grateful. But unfortunately the universe doesn't work that way, because as I looked closer, inside all the steams is a girl-and she's extremely pretty.

She was obviously disappointed too, because she turned around and bared her chest to me and said in a pointed way, "you're neither rich or powerful. After four hours and being in here, you're the only one who came."

As it turned out, she was waiting for a man too, preferably someone rich or powerful and handsome that will sweep her off her feet. And she waited four hours.

So she's on the verge of passing out, and I quickly passed her the clothing she deliberately laid out a bit farther into the bamboo woods.

"What's your name?" She asked, "What do you do?"

I replied with a good natured smile, "I'm Arai Chiro, and I work in Eri's teahouse."

She said, "I'm Emiko, and I'm new in town."

I caught a glimpse of her satchel and gasped, "You're a nin?"

"Of course I am. And I'm a good one too." She said.

Later I found out that she was absolutely lying. It's a good thing though, because at least she won't assigned to high level missions.

"I'm also a rogue nin." She said without shame. "I ran away from my village because it was too poor."

"And you came here?" I asked, eyeing her shiny hair and her silky smooth skin.

"Yes." She said, "Do you know any place that's looking for hire?"

"Oh!" I had a great idea, "Why don't you come to our teahouse, we need a shinobi to protect us from bullies and robberies. We probably can't pay you much though. How about you go meet Eri-san with me?"

She gladly agreed, and making me combing out her hair as she laid on a huge rock for it to dry.

She has features that resembles a fox. Her eyes are long and slanted, and when they stare right into me, I couldn't help but shiver a little. Her whole face seemed like it belonged to a king's concubine instead of a ninja. Then again, that's probably one of her weapons. She has a extremely nice body too, with long torso and thin waist while a large bust. Something I envy extremely. So I kept staring at it and wishing I could have her breasts on me, and it caused her to glare at me in a half whiney and half pleading way, "Chiro-chan, why are you acting so perverted?"

I rolled my eyes and bundled her hair up into a simple updo, and we walked down the stone steps together.

On our way down, everybody kept on staring at us. Mainly her, because she glowed even in drags. She doesn't mind it, or rather, she enjoyed it immensely, because she tossed flirting glances at men who couldn't keep their eyes off of her.

It occurred to me that she would be great for business.

And so during my trip up to the temple to pray, I found and brought back Emiko.

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TBC

A/N: I'm slowly updating all my stories. This one is long overdue. Don't worry, main characters will appear in future chapters.