The song inspiration for this chapter is: Pinga from the movie Baijrao Mastaani or the song Dola Re from the movie Devdas.
Just to make it a little clearer: Lena's singing is italicised, Ai's is not.
Enjoy this chapter!
***
Tsuki no Matsuri: Festival of the Moon
The story of Renai is known by all who reside in the world. From shinobi to carpenters, courtesans to nurses, everyone is told the childhood fairytale by their grandmothers: there was once a goddess who shook heaven so fiercely, with unashamedly salacious charm, that she was cast out of that world and tied to the moon. In a celestial imprisonment she waited for someone to set her free. The story, of course, depends on the story teller; some choose to say that Senso heard her singing from the gates of heaven and went to find her, others say she threw a star in his direction and waited for him to discover the source of the stardust. There is one fact, as factual as a fairytale can be, that remains undeniable to all who tell it: to free Renai from her prison in the sky, Senso cut the chain around her ankle and the sheer force of his blade obliterated the moon.
Renai is worshipped as the embodiment of love, hope and lust. Senso is heralded as the great warrior God who destroyed the moon in order to save the one he cared most about. But the goddess holds a special place in a courtesan House; out of respect for her reckless charm each woman wears anklets. Bells are placed on the chains to tinkle softly and call out for their saviour in the hopes someone could free them from their ties to the courtesan world.
Tsuki no Matsuri, the Festival of the Moon, celebrates Senso's destruction of the heavenly body and Renai's return to Tengoku (heaven). Throughout this holy month, believers are called upon to reflect on the divine and magical effects of love, devotion and worship. Usually, the Great Houses send gifts to the rulers of the land, Kage and Kings, while putting on a performance and elaborate prayer ceremony for common folk to attend. It is a night in which no one is defined by their role in society and instead valued for the person that they are. It is a night where courtesan can be valued in the community for the keepers of religious traditions and legends, not just for their trade.
Koto had been preparing for their ceremony and performance since the beginning of the month. Being a small House on the outskirts of a village, they had not been expecting a diverse or large audience, nor had they been expecting Renai herself to be included in the ceremony. But nothing seemed to be going as normal of late. Ever since Ai had become more involved in Koto, with customer's spying her as she spied on performances from the balconies above the stage, there was demand for her presence by mayors and feudal lords and the like. It's not that Ai was outstandingly beautiful, although she was beautiful, it's more the look she could shoot at a person. That look of longing and curiosity and lust; it enchanted men and women. If you saw her stood on a balcony, gently singing along to the performance, her sweet face adorned with a look of melancholy, not a single person could walk by without asking her what it is she was looking for and if they could be the one to provide it.
Jiraiya had looked at her and seen someone as lost as he had been in his youth. Someone who spent their days dreaming and nights lost in revelry. He wanted to guide her, to be the one to show Love where she fit in in this vast world. Naruto had seen someone with a similar loneliness and charm; his appreciation of their similarity manifested itself in a need to protect this girl he barely knew.
There was only one man who looked back at her with the same lonesome look of longing she had.
Gaara had not written to Ai, not even to acknowledge the news of the attack she had suffered through. The girl knew there was no other choice than to wear the anklets her father had left for her and wait for…well, she had no idea exactly who she was to wait for. She had no idea what the future held but she was sure of one thing; there would no longer be heartbreak, she would no longer be dependent on anyone for her safety or happiness. The courtesan firmly decided to take charge of her own destiny and rush to meet it without fear. So she put on the anklets and marvelled at how light each step felt; it was as though she was not making contact with the Earth but levitating an inch from the ground, walking on the air. The world felt entirely different; it was almost as though she could sense all movement at all time, all emotion, all desires.
Ruby had slipped into a state similar to Ai's when she first arrived in Koto; she did not want to believe Jiraiya had passed away and no girl in the House was aware of her relationship with the man so they found it difficult to console her. When Ruby retired to her room that day the House was thrown into complete chaos, in need of a leader, in need of guidance. At least, it was that way for a minute.
Out of her room stepped Ai, head to toe in fine silk and rose gold jewellery, her face serene. No one dared question her as she took Ruby's deep red, velvet shawl and placed it on her shoulders and walked the halls of Koto, giving instruction, taking on the role of the head of the House. Girls followed her word, did their chores and were rewarded with knowing they were doing the best for Ruby. Ai spent hours with the musicians, working on music, writing songs for the evening. She helped to choose decorations, gave instructions on correct prayer etiquette and even helped design menus for the evening.
The courtesan walked with such power and unquestionable authority that when vendors showed up at the doors of Koto with decorations and food, they did not even ask the name of this girl they had never seen before. They merely referred to her as "Chisana Ruby" (little Ruby) and continued their work with her. Lena acted as her second in command and, when Ai told her she would be leaving Koto soon but would lead the House for the festival, the blonde haired dancer smiled and knew exactly what was needed.
She cut and dyed Ai's hair; now, her long dark locks were a few shades lighter so her skin appeared warmer in tone. Instead of falling past her hips, her hair now stopped just above her waist. At first, Ai had looked at herself in the mirror and Lena could see a tiny tremble run through her lips as though Ai were about to say she didn't like it. But instead she turned to Lena and embraced her with a big grin, thanking her for her hard work and apologising for not letting her near her hair sooner.
The morning of the festival, Lena had talked Ruby into meeting with the jeweller who was providing the House with new diamond sets for the performers. Ai had spoken to him in the morning and requested he stop by to show her the final product. Ruby was guided to the room by Lena on shaky, unsteady legs. She wore black as to signify the loss of a loved one, a trim of delicate silver foliage was hand stitched onto the skirt, sleeves and veil of her outfit. The woman felt entirely unsure of herself as she walked out into the gaze of girls who were going about their chores and dance practices. She did not have her ruby-red shawl that signified her as the owner of the House and felt almost undressed without it. She had been shocked to hear Ai was wearing it and acting as interim mistress of Koto.
The room Lena guided Ruby to was where clients, vendors, jewellers, tailors all came to haggle with her. With a high ceiling, pink crystal chandelier and low cream chaises, the place was bright and full of shimmering gold antiques. It was Ruby's favourite room in Koto; it was here she took tea with other House owners and they all complained about their girls and clients.
Today tea was served by the house girls in a hurry for they needed to get back to work immediately; amidst four low, cream-cushioned benches arranged in a square, on a oak coffee table, a iron teapot sat proudly, its steam rising out of it's spout as though calling out with its fragrance. Lena and Ruby sat on one bench, the jeweller and his apprentice sat on another. The jeweller was a tall and gruff man with surprisingly delicate fingers; they aided him in his work for he needed to be able to handle tiny stones and metal chains. He greeted Ruby with a smile and a brief exchange of a condolence as he noticed her attire.
"As you can see, madam," he began in his gruff voice, "we have made twenty new gold necklaces set with diamonds and-"
"What is the cost of all of this?" Ruby asked suddenly, looking down as the apprentice began to unpack several red velvet boxes, all of which contained elaborate sets of jewellery. They were unlike anything Ruby had ever seen; in this part of the world, gold was light and delicate, this work was thick strokes of rose-gold metal encapsulating formidably sized diamonds. They jeweller smiled innocently and nudged his apprentice to continue unpacking the jewellery.
"No need to discuss cost just yet-"
"Not until you've charmed us with the beauty of your craftsmanship, Hachiro-sama?" Ruby, Lena and the two men turned to the doors that lead into the main part of the house to find, walking towards them, was a girl that could have been mistaken for a sculpture of Renai herself. Ai walked with such intent and purpose that Ruby had to blink twice to make sure she was not imagining it. The girl's hair was lighter, her skin flushed peach, her bright eyes lined with a slick flick of black. With all the confidence and grace of a queen she walked towards them in a nude coloured dress which had tiny details of pink and blue flowers. Her midriff was obscured by Ruby's red shawl which, while it did not match her outfit, was striking against the muted colours of her dress. Her jewellery glittered in the morning sun as she walked straight past Lena and Ruby to sit on the bench at the head of the group.
"We are the ones who are charmed, beautiful one!" The jeweller suddenly changed his tone; from a slightly sly, cunning grin, he smiled innocently before gesturing to the jewellery on the table. "Are they to your liking?" He asked slowly, watching intently as Ai picked up the sets and inspected them carefully. A few minutes passed. Ruby and Lena watched as the jeweller broke into a sweat, nervous of what Ai would tell him.
"These sets will not do," eventually, Ai put down the last velvet box and indicated six sets which needed adjustments. "Have them re-done and sent here immediately. We will need them by 4 pm this afternoon. The rest are satisfactory." The jeweller nodded.
"And, payment, Ai-sama?" He asked uncertainly and all at the meeting watched in confusion as Ai began to fiddle with her earring. A large diamond, the size of a stone sitting on Ruby's hand, set in rose gold. Ai took off her earring and threw it in the air for the jeweller to catch.
"Here," she said nonchalantly, "this will suffice." The man caught the earring and inspected it before his eyes widened in shock upon realising the value of such an object.
"Thank you!" He said gleefully before he and his apprentice gathered their work and left.
"There was no need to throw away an earring as precious as that one, Ai." Ruby said seriously, casting a strange look over to the girl. Who was this woman now sat in front of her? It was not the scared nor timid Ai that she once knew.
"One can only trade a precious thing for another," Ai answered.
"These sets are hardly invaluable!" Ruby gestured to the jewellery the man had left on the table. Ai stood with a small smile.
"They are not what I was trading for."
"Then?" Ruby asked, watching as Ai walked over to her with a swagger, a pride the likes the woman had never seen. "What were you after?" She asked and almost jumped as Ai removed the ruby-red shawl with a whoosh and placed it around Ruby's shoulders.
"Your happiness," Ai smiled, kneeling down in front of her and taking her hands. "How are you?" Ruby, who had been surprised by Ai's character, suddenly had the feeling of despair rush back into her blood as she was asked this question. Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled. Ai smiled softly, "I know the feeling all too well, Ruby-sama," she said quietly. "Do not love to the destruction of yourself. Let your dreams define you, not your ties to a man who did not give all of himself to you." Ruby looked deep into the girl's eyes to see a light, a glimmer she had never seen before.
"Did you wake as a different woman this morning, Ai?" As she asked, Ai smiled and stood, looking out of the window at the horizon.
"Something is in the air," she whispered, "sancing around the festival, calling out my name." Ruby and Lena watched as Ai walked to the window and put a hand against the glass. "Destiny has taken shape of a figure in the distance. Someone is coming to see me."
***
There was no news from Ai even though Gaara had sent the letter to her over eight hours ago. He was trying to concentrate on his work but there was a feeling of unease, guilt and fear nestled in the depths of his stomach. Everyone was playing on his mind; Ai being silent, his kiss with Taki, his sibling's worrying about him. He sensed the village and the higher ups watching him closer than ever before. He had to move carefully, with more control and intelligence than anyone would suspect him of. Right now, he had to keep his cool regarding Ai's return to Suna or else all attempts to save her might be called off.
He took a deep breath and tried to relax. He was sat at his desk, Kazekage hat hanging on the back of his chair. Tonight was supposed to be a joyous night of celebrating but he felt too tense to even think about takin the evening off. The door to his office opened.
"Gaara?" His sister called to him, earning a sigh from the Kazekage.
"Ugh," the sound issued from him before he had time to stop it. It's not that he did not want to speak with his sister; the sigh was simply a knee-jerk reaction to being forced to interact with someone when he wanted to be left alone. He shot her an apologetic look.
"It's nice to see you too," Temari responded to the sigh. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, adjusting the collar of his Kazekage robe, "just tired. How is preparation for the festival going?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation away from how he was feeling. He could feel the stress bubbling under the surface of his skin, he was not ready to discuss anything with Temari even though that was, of course, inevitable.
"Well," Temari said proudly before the small smile left her face. "What news from Ai?" Again, Gaara had to attempt to stop a sigh.
"She did not write," he said to his sister's surprise.
"No response? That was our fastest flying hawk!" The blonde shinobi said in disbelief.
"Perhaps she does not want my help?" Gaara mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.
"Then she is a fool," as Temari spoke, her younger brother looked up at her with innocent, naive eyes. What could she possibly say to him? They stared at each other for a moment longer. "The elders have requested that the princess hold a special place in the court tonight." Temari had been wondering about Taki and Gaara's relationship all night; he had kissed her but it had not even been a week since he had seen Ai. What game was he playing? Why had he previously shown no interest in the princess? She watched as he slowly realised what she had said.
"A special place?"
"As your partner," she informed him quickly with the same sort of reasoning behind ripping off a plaster as quickly as possible; perhaps it would be less painful. Gaara had no reaction, he merely stared back at her. "Throughout the prayers, throughout the dinner, throughout the celebrations." She said slowly, trying to get through to the Kazekage but his mind was solely fixed on one thing:
"And what have they said regarding Ai's rescue?"
"What does it matter?" Temari asked impatiently; Ai had to come second now. Gaara could not afford to focus on her and hearing him mention her time and time again was infuriating; all Temari ever tried to do was help him get over that girl but he was so stubborn he refused to budge. She could see in his eye that determined glint and she sighed. "They will go and wait for her as per your instruction."
"What if she does not return to the village?" He asked.
"Then she will be considered a true traitor of Suna."
"How so?"
"To feed information to the Kazekage and not engage further is considered highly suspect." Gaara nodded slowly as his sister said this, taking it in, trying to figure out the rest of his life. Temari turned to walk out of the room; clearly Gaara was in no mood to talk.
"And what if Ai does return to Suna?" Temari stopped in her tracks. It was her turn to sigh.
"What do you want me to say, Gaara?" She asked, turning back to him. "We'll all welcome her home with open arms? That she can reside in the palace? That she can be yours again-?"
"I'd marry her." The single sentence caused Temari to seize up for a moment.
"You are so young, you don't know what that means-"
"The elders are asking me to marry!"
"To marry a princess, a noblewoman, even a butcher's daughter would be a better match for you!"
"Why!?" The Kazekage shouted.
"Because Ai was a whore!" Temari shouted back, "and you are a Kage, son of the Kazekage, descendant of one of the oldest ruling families in Suna! That girl is nothing but reckless, rebellious, entirely unfitting for a man of your standing!" But Gaara refused to hear it.
"Am I a monster?" He asked heatedly.
"Of course not."
"Why not? They called me that for so long. I even played out that role, relished it, revelled in it. Killed for that title. Why is it no longer an apt name for me?" His sister rubbed the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb, wincing a little as though in pain.
"Because you redeemed yourself." Gaara scoffed.
"Ai had no need to redeem herself. She was innocent in all of this. She did not choose to be a courtesan." He turned his chair away from his sister when she had no answer for him.
"The Princess will be down to see you at six," he heard her say as she left the room.
***
Koto was coming alive; lanterns lined every wall and walkway, the smoke of incense was rising up to meet a starry sky, chimes were tinkling in the breeze, attempting to talk the nightingale out of its slumber. The walls had shadows dancing on them, even the water running in the fountains seemed to flow faster, jumping out of the spout at the top as though ready to explode. The House was breathing, awake, celebrating.
Girls in every colour ran through the House, out into the courtyard where festivities were to take place. A great courtyard, the size of a small square park, was made from grey stone and was lined with a walkway for an audience to stand and observe the festivities. There were chairs in special places for important guests such as the mayor and his family. Everyone was smiling, everyone was rejoicing; courtesans put smiles on the faces of all with their charm and grace. Children were running through the House, being told off by their mothers who warned them not to go too far. Food was served inside but somehow wine always made it's way into glasses of those seated for performance. The gentle hum of monks praying could be heard in the distance, accompanied by the chiming of monastery bells. It truly felt festive at Koto, with everyone talking loudly, calling out to Ruby to thank her for her kindness.
There was one group that stood out a little against the celebratory background. Four young adults, stood in dark cloaks with serious, slightly confused faces. They kept close to one another and looked around the place as though they'd never seen anything quite like it. Three boys and a girl, different shapes, faces and hair colours but all of them with the same look of intent; they had come in search of something. They moved through the crowd like a dark cloud against the colour, following a tall boy with dark hair. His face was handsome, handsome enough to gain the attention of strangers. Much to the dislike of a girl that stood behind his right shoulder.
The girl pushed her glasses further up her nose and squinted in distaste to see House girls twirling in their brightly coloured skirts, showing off their clothes to their friends. She inwardly scoffed; it was a world away from anything she knew or wanted to know. Beside her, a boy with icy-white hair walked with a small grin, itching to say something to the boy in front of them. The group was almost eclipsed by the shadow of the tall boy with orange hair who stood behind them, face serene, undisturbed by the loudness and colourfulness that the rest of them had not been expecting.
The group was named Taka and had been assigned a mission to inaugurate them into the criminal organisation known as the Akatsuki. When being told that this mission was of utmost importance, the group had hesitated, unsure of what Koto or a girl who was residing there, could do for them. The boy at the head of the group was Uchiha Sasuke and had resisted the mission at first until his team mate, Karin, had fallen to her knees out of sheer fear of what Koto was hiding. She had whispered about a bright light, a kind of chakra she had never encountered before. Upon hearing this and being promised a great deal by the man who sent them here, Sasuke ordered his group to march to Koto immediately.
What had he been promised exactly? He was beginning to forget the answer. All around him was a mess of colours and musical chimes; there was no indication of anyone powerful here. But Karin had told him the whole building was covered in a silvery light, as though the moon itself had nestled into the walls and was shining from between the cracks of the grey stone. She could see it and feel it now, everywhere, pouring out of the earth and sky as though another dimension was trying to tear apart the world and take it over with its brilliant white light. The outline of everything in this building did not seem solid; like a flame, the lines of bricks and tables and chairs looked as though you could blow them away. Even Karin herself felt her own chakra beginning to bend and make way for whatever this unknown light was.
"What is you are after, handsome one?" The group came to a halt, Karin almost bumping into Sasuke, as a girl in an orange dress looked over at Sasuke with soft, glittering eyes. The boy answered in a single word:
"Love." The girl giggled as he answered.
"That is all around us." The girl replied with a sickly sweet smile, her soft blonde curls falling off her shoulders. Sasuke let the briefest frowns of annoyance cross his face; he had been sent to a whore house to locate a girl called Love. Was this a joke? He'd be damned if it was.
"Where is she?" He asked aggressively, wiping the smile from the girl's face.
"You know where the moon sits?" She asked softly. Each member of Taka raised an eyebrow; what an odd thing to ask. Suigetsu, the boy with white hair, answered slowly:
"In the sky…?" He blushed as the girl winked at him.
"Then look to the sky," she pointed upwards.
"Ah!" Karin closed her eyes tightly as she looked up and suddenly discovered the source of the light. Gently, she opened her eyes again.
There, stood on a balcony that looked down on the courtyard, was a girl Karin recognised from story books. Or was she from art? She had the face of a woman that had been drawn before; with round, alluring eyes, soft lips like the petals of a lotus flower and a curvaceous figure, the girl looked so familiar.
Even Sasuke seemed to stop and stare at the girl who's dark hair fell over the balcony as she leant on the railing casually, looking down at the festivities below, chatting with a woman twice her age, both smiling slightly. She wore a red cropped blouse and matching red skirt, both with small flowers made of gold and pink thread. A deep red veil was placed on her head and tied to her hip, it crossed her body like a sash so her stomach was half-hidden. There were other girls on the balcony but Sasuke was sure it must be her. It was hard to tear your eyes away from her.
"It feels warm," Jugo whispered from the back.
"Like Spring," Suigetsu commented under his breath.
All four members of Taka jumped as a horn sounded from the roof of Koto, signalling performance. Sasuke glanced down for a second to see the courtyard clearing before looking up to see where the girl in red had gone but she was nowhere in sight. Had he missed his chance to speak with her?
"Sasuke," he turned as he felt Suigetsu tugging on the sleeve of his cloak, "look!" He followed with his eyes to see where the boy was pointing but it turned out Sasuke did not need a helping hand to find her. The courtyard had cleared and the audience, including Taka, was stood on the outskirts in the walkway. The girl in red stood beside the girl in orange that had spoken to Sasuke only a few moments ago. They were wearing the same dress in different colours, both looking like flowers of the nighttime.
Ai and Lena exchanged small smirks at one another before getting into their starting positions. A group of around thirty girls, dressed in yellow, stood in a circle around them. Musicians, seated on a balcony above them, struck the drums to signal the beginning of performance. The percussion continued, providing the beat of the song, the string instruments struck their first note. Ai raised her gaze to the audience, twisted her hands delicately and sang into the night:
"Lonely one, dark one, if you are tired of your travels sit and talk to me a while." She smiled seductively at the audience and twirled away from Lena who mirrored her actions.
"Come, Let me enchant you with my beautiful words," the blonde sang.
"I too travel through this life alone, I know the pain of solitude," the girl in red walked out towards the audience where she caught a glimpse of a dark haired boy. She twirled towards the walkway. "Come," a few feet from him, she glanced up at made direct eye contact with him, her blue eyes locking onto his dark ones, "let us be alone together." Karin felt Suigetsu begin to laugh as the dancer winked in their direction.
"Cruel one, your dark eyes are what give you away." Sasuke heard the other girl singing but remained locked in silent talks, words exchanged by a glance, with the blue eyed dancer. He took in her face; those lined eyes, a bright red scar in the middle of her hairline, plump velvety red lips. Eventually, she tore her gaze away from his. Ai had been distracted by the look the boy had given her; a look that shook her for a moment before she remembered where she was and began to twirl again.
"Why do you sit silent, unmoving, desperate to come close to me? Come close to me!"
"This world affords us little pleasure. Let us live in dreams for as long as you dwell here. In this world, taking love from someone can be torturous, but so is giving love." The girls in yellow were twirling in a circle around Ai and Lena who's movements became faster as the song built to a crescendo. Ai spun with Lena but tried to look back at the boy in the audience.
"Let us stay in that torturous delight together. Let every moment be laced with our affection, come close to me." The drums hit the final note, the music stopped, a flutter of confetti showered down on the dancers, shouts of jubilation echoed through out the courtyard. As the space cleared, Sasuke tried to find the girl but it seemed she had disappeared.
***
High up in her room in Koto, Ai stood, tending to a lantern on her dressing table. The whole room was in darkness except for this light. She could feel the warmth of the flame on her fingertips as they traced the glass delicately. She was waiting for the unknown, for that boy she knew was looking for her. And almost as though she could predict it, the balcony doors of her room opened and she looked up, into the reflection of the mirror on her dressing table, to see that boy stood on her balcony, three other figures behind him. He entered the room along with the moonlight.
Ai sighed and began to remove her necklace. The boy stared, unsure of her, why would someone act so casually when strangers showed up on her balcony? It's almost as if she was expecting him. It's almost as if she knew who he was.
"He told me someone would come looking for me," she spoke suddenly, grabbing Sasuke's attention, "but I did not even come close to imagining it would be his brother." Her necklace fell onto the glass dressing table with a resounding clang as the heaviness of the metal met the glass. Sasuke stirred in the reflection of the mirror, there was only one person she could be talking about.
"You spoke with Itachi?" He asked and Ai nodded slowly before swallowing hard.
"Is he dead?" The two stared at one another via the mirror. Sasuke tried to read her, to make sense of her, to understand how it was she seemed to know what was happening.
"Yes," he finally responded.
"I had a feeling." Karin and Suigetsu exchanged a look behind Sasuke; did these two know each other? Or, at the very least, how did this girl know Sasuke's older brother? A strange kind of tension was building in the room; the girl did not feel threatened but clearly had no way of defending herself against Sasuke who, it seemed, she knew. So surely she knew he was powerful? Karin shook her head, wanting to speak, to ask what was going on but the girl did not give her a chance. "You only come and ask for forgiveness near the end, I suppose," as she spoke, Sasuke's eyes widened.
"He asked you for forgiveness?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Sasuke raised his voice, "who are you?" Suigetsu raised an eyebrow and Karin frowned; so they did not know one another? The girl sighed and turned slowly.
"If only I could answer that-" The girl in red stopped short as Sasuke removed his blade from its sheath and raised it as though ready to attack.
"Sasuke!" Karin jumped as a new voice joined the fray, surprised that the night could become even more surprising. a man in a mask had jumped up onto the balcony, leapt passed her and put his hand on top of Sasuke's, forcing the boy's blade to the floor. "Lower your weapon!" For a moment Sasuke resisted but he saw the look of fear that crossed the girl's face as she took in the sight of Madara; he stood in his Akatsuki cloak and orange mask. Clearly seeing a figure and not even being allowed a glimpse of their skin was unnerving. This look of innocence gave Sasuke the indication that the girl was not a threat.
"Why?" The boy asked as he placed his sword back in its sheath.
"Forgive us, Renai," Madara bowed as he addressed her.
"Everyone seems to be after this girl's forgiveness" Karin heard Suigetsu whisper, "perhaps now is the time to repent all our sins, eh, Jugo?" He snorted.
"Who are you?" The girl asked, the dancing glow of the lantern behind her causing the man's shadow to contort on the wall behind him. He was powerful and menacing, more than Ai had been expecting.
"Uchiha, Madara," she gasped upon hearing his name. "Your servant." Ai seemed to relax a little.
"You know that name of mine?" She asked; how did he know she was Renai?
"I have been looking for you for some time."
"How did you come to know of me?" She asked loudly.
"It is not often a goddess is born into the world of mortals," Taka, stood behind the man, looked at him as though he were mad before looking back at the girl. Somehow that fantastical idea explained this strange feeling, the light, the warmth, the sense of familiarity they had with her. "Word spreads fast in certain circles."
"A goddess?" Karin whispered in disbelief.
"And what circle would that be? Criminals?" Ai asked, taking notice of the red clouds on his cloak.
"Do not be fooled by what you hear, beautiful one. We are only criminals because we go after what we desire with forces condemned by those who do not know any better."
"And what is it you desire?"
"The same thing you do. The same thing your father did." Ai gasped in shock.
"What-"
"A world of peace," he informed her. "Utopia."
"Utopia?" With this single word, everything Ai knew to be right and good, was thrown into question. Glancing at her bookshelf, she saw Kai's book, red bound leather and a gold embossed title, shining in the corner. Madara was offering her exactly what her father said they would. Salvation, freedom, peace. Could it be? Was this destiny?
"Come with us, Renai," Madara seemed to read her thoughts, "we can achieve it together." Ai looked at him with round, unsure eyes.
"I know nothing of war," she whispered, desperately trying to talk herself out of the thoughts running through her head.
"I am not asking you to fight."
"Then what use will I be?"
"You have skills no one else in the world has, all of which I will show you. You will help us build the new world." Taka looked from Madara to Ai as they continued their stand off.
"And what will I receive in return?" The girl whispered.
"A perfect world is not enough for you?" She could hear in the way his voice changed pitch slightly that beneath he orange swirl of a mask, the man was smiling. "A world in which you and the Kazekage can be united with no fear of censure? No pain. No wanting. Only happiness." Ai closed her eyes at this thought. Could it possibly become a reality?
"The Kazekage and a courtesan?" Karin whispered to herself.
"Isn't the Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara?" Suigetsu responded. Jugo nodded.
"Yes."
"You really find the idea of that guy and a whore odd?" The white haired boy asked Karin who frowned.
"He's a Kage," she stated as though that explained her feelings.
"He's a psychopath." Madara seemed to sigh in exasperation as Suigetsu's whisper was heard loudly throughout the room.
"If they displease you," Madara informed the girl in front of him, "I will kill them."
"Sasuke!" Karin gasped in offence, hoping the leader of the group might stand up to this man they barely knew.
"I have a palace waiting for you," Madara took a few steps towards Ai. "The courtyards are full of flowers and birds you yourself have never seen the colours of. Bring whoever you trust to live with you but lend me your strength," he grabbed hold of her hands, his motionless, expressionless mask giving nothing away.
"Sasuke," Karin continued in an urgent whisper, "we have no idea why we're here in the first place-!"
"Be quiet, Karin," Sasuke silenced her with a single sentence.
"Renai," Madara whispered to Ai gently, "join us."