Kimono Shop [Open Hitomi / Ayatsuri]

The journey, while pleasant, had been blessedly short, relatively speaking. While Ayatsuri enjoyed travel and sightseeing, the anticipation wore off about halfway through, at which point she hopped on a rather wealthy man’s carriage and rode the rest of the way to and into the village. The conversation within had been frequent and drab, the man preferring to speak almost exclusively about his money, wealth, treasures, and the beauty of the woman with whom he shared this trip. She had to give it to him, she was, in the estimation of many, quite lovely. She also was not above using this to her advantage, in this case a large sum of money and a free ride most of the way to Konoha. Plus, this allowed her to see all of the sites from the cushioned interior of the cart and bought her an effective but simple way into the village free of any real scrutiny.

Upon arrival, she departed with the man and promptly got lost in a crowd, according to him, though in realty she simply slipped away. She meandered about for a while, her double and traveling cloak shielding her from the beautiful but harsh sunlight of this country. As per usual, she carried with her the weapons of her trade, a thin rapier and white katana, as well as a sum of throwing knives, though she had no intention of using them. This was not a visit of combat, but rather one of relaxation, procurement of medical expertise, and… maybe some shopping. A small shop had caught her eye, a collection of silk in every color imaginable hanging in the window. The woman’s deep, lilac eyes widened in joy as she took in the gorgeous kimonos.

A bell rung as she entered the shop, scampering in and immediately losing herself among the beautiful clothing. The woman had a taste for dresses and fine cloth, and this small shop in this distant land had grabbed her full attention. After only a few minutes of looking, she’d already found four different kimonos that she wanted to try on. She walked over to the front counter, finding a girl about her age perhaps with lovely red hair. ”Hello there!” She smiled brightly as she spoke, the long braid of silver hair rippling down her back. ”You don’t happen to allow for people to try any of these on, do you? There’s a beautiful dark pink one over in the corner that I may just need, but all of them are so lovely! Oh, and where do you get them from?”

As she listened, the deep purple eyes of Ayatsuri grew wider and wider, taking on an almost comic appearance. Simply, she could hardly believe that these beautiful dresses were made in house, considering how many there were, and that the woman, this red haired girl’s mother, had taught herself the arts. ”Woooo! They are so beautiful! And truly? I could have one custom made? That is the most fantastic news!” She chattered away as the other girl moved them to where the mother was sewing up some more cloths, Ayatsuri’s hands gesturing wildly in her excitement. When they arrived, she was the woman, sewing with a single hand, and Aya could not move her eyes away, though not particularly because of the one-handed nature of the process. She was a craftswoman, and there was something almost hypnotic about watching a master at work.

Her pupils followed the elegant, refined motions of the woman and her thread as her daughter introduced them. ”This is amazing! Your technique really astounds, though I bet you hear that all the time. It’s nice to meet you Hitomi-chan, Nuime-san.” She bowed to each as she said their names. ”My name is Ayatsuri, though you can just call me Aya if you prefer. And you are right, I am not from here. I actually come from the Land of Clouds. It never gets this sunny there, so I’m having a hard time not frolicking around outside!” She giggled a bit to herself, looking sheepishly at Hitomi. ”Oh but I’m babbling. I actually came looking for some medical advice. The Land of Clouds has very few doctors and almost no qualified specialists, but I’ve heard that your village has some high class medicines. I just couldn’t help but stop when Iyou’re your lovely kimonos. But yes, yes, I would like to be fitted for one I think.” She smiled hugely then, holding one of her thumbs up to show how excited she was.

Regardless of where the fitting took place or whether or not it started, Ayatsuri would follow along, preparing herself for the deed. As she went she spoke up, mostly to Hitomi. ”You say you are not from a clan, but would I be right in guessing you are a shinobi? Most regular civilians don’t bother mentioning things like that. If so, perhaps you could give me some advice on seeking out the medical expert I need? I would very much appreciate it if you could!”

Her ears perked up as she hear the other woman speak about offering medical advice, tempered by the fact that she could, obviously, not give out any secrets about the village or anything that the kage had forbade her from speaking on. Ayatsuri smiled to her at this, nodding along as Hitomi spoke. ”Ah I see I see. That’s good to know. And I would not expect you to betray your homeland and village of course. I actually have a rather odd question, but more on that later.” She spoke as she was being measured, not terribly shy about the whole thing, though she made sure to take off her jacket, setting it down upon the back of a chair while the measurements were taken. She tilted her head to one side, closing her eyes as she grinned at the other woman as she gave a small tour of some of their lovely fabrics. Her head spun as she searched the racks with her eyes, looking everywhere and at seemingly everything, her only discernable guide that of the shop worker’s pointing finger and helpful words.

”Ooooh! These are all so wonderful! I can’t decide.” She put a finger to her lips, looking left and right at the huge array of choices, occasionally ghosting a finger along the fabrics to get a feel for them. As a woman of high tastes and who used her hands for a living, the feel of the silk played an important role for her. ”I think I like this pattern a lot,” she indicated a subtly wavy design, elegant and with hints of gold in it, ”But I’m thinking a new color. Hm… hard to decide. Do I go with red or a summery green?” She thought to herself, reflecting on the seasons. Fall would arrive soon, though she knew not if the leaves here would change color as they did back in Kumo. ”Yes yes yes” she looked through another collection of silks. Suddenly she stopped, gently extracting one bolt, a regal, deep purple color which awoke the unique hue of her eyes and complemented her silvery hair wonderfully. ”This one! I thnk I found it! It’s magnificent!” She hugged the thing to her body, subtle silver embroideries glinting in the light from the sun streaming through one of the windows. After she’d made her decision, she offered the fabric to Hitomi. She twirled a graceful faux-pirouette after handing over the silk.

”Ah I am so excited!” She heard as the girl spoke of a clan, the Uzumaki, which she knew only a bit about. Sealing masters, if her mind recalled, with shockingly red hair. She could see the resemblance, though also understood Hitomi’s desire to be her own person, unmarked and unjudged by the clan she did or did not belong to. She nodded solemnly as she heard her speak of this. ”Well clan or not it makes no difference. You are who you are, and your family seems to run a splendid shop. I honestly cannot believe it isn’t much larger! But I suppose it may be hard to make too many at once.” She heard of her last name. Silk. Lovely. ”Ah I see! I have never traveled off to the vast desert, but it does seem rather hot. And your family there makes these beauties too!? Such talent!”

As she awaited whatever was to come next, payment of some final details to be decided in regards to her kimono, she leveled her eyes once more upon her host. ”Oh I almost forgot though. My query. You see, I myself am also a craftswoman, though not of anything nearly as lovely as these. Rather, I make manikins and puppets, that sort of thing. I have come across some, well, some odd materials which I believe can be used for just such a thing, but I am honestly not quite sure. So, I have decided to find a doctor or medic who might be able to help me out there.” She regained her smile once more, it having briefly faded as she spoke of the body she’d come into. She figured that such a thing were possible, but she did need a second opinion. Perhaps Hitomi would be able to point her in the right direction.

The woman listened along, her measurements taken and cloth chosen, as Hitomi outlined the struggles of the business. Aya’s face fell just a bit, her eyes darkening just a small amount as she heard. ”That is surprising. I would have thought this store would attract all kinds of customers, even from exotic places. Truly, these dresses are some of the highest quality, most beautiful clothes I have seen in a long while. I’ll be sure to tell everyone about it wherever I go!” she exclaimed, smiling brightly. It did confuse her how the store could not be ravished with business, considering the fine quality of the wares, but perhaps Konoha simply was not a place of fine things and high fashion. ”I can assure you, some of the prominent families in my country would love these things. They’ll be terribly jealous when they see me in the kimono I get from here!”

The conversations then shifted over to puppets, Ayatsuri assuring the other woman that she would most certainly stay for a time, at least long enough to see her outfit completed, if not longer. ”Yes yes, I do hope that the two fields happen to overlap. And no, I don’t require any poisons, at least not right now.” She smiled, her hand hovering over the rear of her hip where she had the scroll, sealed up beneath the layers of clothing and wood and bone. She’d have to reveal it eventually, of course, and perhaps this girl could help her directly. She moved ver to sit next to Hitomi. ”I actually have come into a, well a body. I have stored it away and drained it of blood so as to preserve it, but I was thinking it may be possible to transform into a puppet, though I am not entirely sure how to do this. Would you know anyone who might be able to help, or perhaps you could help me?”

She heard some more of the shop’s troubles, sounding of an economic nature as the people of the village could not, at least presently, afford nice things. Ayatsuri frowned a bit, her mouth turning delicately downward at the corners. ”That is a shame to hear, for these are truly exquisite. But” she smiled brightly, perking up and bouncing a bit, ”I’m sure business will improve if you all keep at it! People are bound to notice and save up for things like this, especially come the next trade boom after the growing season is finally over and crops are in! I have faith that you guys will find some nice customers, especially, as you say, for the very reasonable prices you charge.” She moved to sign the payment form, writing down an amount for quite a deal more than the price of her gown.

On the other side of conversation, the puppet business came about. Ayatsuri worried her bottom lip a bit as Hitomi questioned about the body in question. The silver haired woman had expected as much, but it seemed she had not fully prepared herself for the impact of the question. ”No, I uh… I have a bit of a confession to make. I…” she trailed off a bit, her voice catching lightly. She averted her eyes, pausing for a breath, before looking back to Hitomi, a haze of tears clouding her eyes, though she tried her best to keep them from falling. ”We had been seeing each other, this man and I, and the other day, he arrived at my house, stumbling and… and…” she broke off, drying her eyes with her sleeves for a second. ”Oh gosh look at me. I’m so sorry for unloading all of this on you, but I haven’t had many people to talk about it with. He showed up at my house and passed soon after. He could not even speak at the end because… well…” She produced the scroll from behind her, unfurling it a bit, gesturing tentatively if Hitomi would allow her to release the body.

”It may be easier if I just show you, if you don’t mind.” Her voice continued to waiver, but she seemed to gain more confidence as she spoke, her eyes wavering less and less. ”I don’t know who killed him, but I want to find them. I want to find them and show them what they’ve done to him and myself.” Should Hitomi allow her, or specify a location, she would release the body so that her friend could look over it. Should the body release, at Hitomi’s behest, Aya would turn her face away upon its release, catching her breath before slowing returning to face the deceased body before the two.

She nodded along happily as Hitomi thanked her for the kind words, smiling with her, though finding the compliment unnecessary; she had not simply said it to please the woman or to lift her spirits. She had said it because she believed in the business and in the lovely things this family made. She, in reality, could hardly contain her excitement for the beautiful kimono she knew the girl and her mother would create and honestly felt a great shock at the knowledge that the business ever struggled. Perhaps Konoha and the Land of Fire had fallen onto hard times like the Land of Clouds had as well. It would make sense, especially if the village had suffered a recent bijuu attack as seemed to be the case if she judged by the gossip circulating around the streets and the travelers, such as the man she rode here with. She mused only for a bit on this, however, before conversation shifted once again.

She heard the woman, pouring over the surface features of the body, state that he had had a quick death, one with little pain, and her eyes, yet misty, snapped up to Hitomi. ”Thank you. Thank you Hitomi-san. That means a great deal to me. And I understand that my request may be a bit unorthodox, but it means a lot.” She watched along as the girl looked over the anatomy of Kozai some more, commenting on it and offering a recourse from having to watch the procedure. She turned to sit down for a moment before stopping herself, her eyes growing strong with resolve. ”No, if it is all the same, I think I would like to stay. I think I need to watch, if it won’t bother you.” She nodded, determined and sullen, but not distraught or out of control. ”And I’m sorry to hear about your loss as well. I… I know how you feel.” She offered a conciliatory smile, small and demure, but one of solidarity.

She watched carefully, her large purple eyes moving to and fro, as the other woman worked. The task performed really was an amazing feet, especially for someone who looked as young as Hitomi did, and Ayatsuri found herself terribly impressed with the other girl’s amazing talent. She did not speak much and made little noise, unless asked to, in which case she offered helpful hints or answered questions that the red head needed to know about the body or about puppets and such in general. As the store worker and medic began, however, Aya did speak up, expressing thanks. ”I… I’m glad we understand one another, Hitomi-san, though it saddens me to know of your pain as well. Still, it’s nice to share in the grief, if only for a short while.” She nodded her resolve, ready then to begin work on the body.

The process was a long one, though the silver haired woman had expected about as much, though watching it managed to keep her interest throughout the whole of it. When finally it had finished, Kozai was complete, beautiful and wooden, though Ayatsuri would need to make some additions to him. She had prefabricated a kind of suit of fake flesh to put over the puppet which would make him look truly lifelike and she had also painstakingly grown a replacement skeleton for him of her own bones, modifying them so that they would fit his frame and leave both a wide range of mobility and room to fill him with gadgets and modifications. However, she recognized the beautiful work Hitomi had done and her face opened a bit in shock when she was asked to test it out. She raised her right hand, attaching a few invisible strings to the body, and moved it around just a bit, stopping shortly after it. The movements were shaky, uncertain and quaking, as though she were a bit unsure. However, that moment of connection between the two gave her all the information she needed as to the feel and make of the creation as she was, after all, highly masterful in the art.

Eyes still a bit misty, she turned to look at the other woman. ”Thank you so much, Hitomi-san. I cannot express in words nor actions how much this means to me. You… thank youn. It is all I can say.” She offered a deep bow to the red haired woman before requesting one more thing. ”There is a final aspect that I wish to have you test. It is uncommon, but sometimes people do mess with the blood of clan members, even post mortem. Kozai was from a distant clan, one not native to my country, and I would ask that you test some of the tissue here to ensure that nothing has been tampered with. If you could be so kind as to name the clan from whence he comes, it would bring me great peace of mind. He… he would not have wanted his killer meddling with his body and blood.” She averted her eyes then for a moment, regaining her composure.

Once these rather sordid affairs had finished, she heard the other woman comment on the craftsmanship of the puppet and on the beauty of her soon to be dress, something Ayatsuri felt sure would astound her, even after having seen the other dresses for sale. She brightened up at the thought. ”Yes of course! I cannot wait to see the splendor of your mother’s creation!” She would accompany Hitomi off to go look at the new gown, bubbling with excitement and anticipation to see the beautiful dress she had bought.

As the process wrapped up, Aya listened to the other woman, her newfound friend, sharing with her some words of comfort before testing the blood of poor Kozai so as to ensure that it had not been tampered with. After a short series of tests, Hitomi announced that he was of the Uzumaki clan, a clan most knew something about, and that he had not been tampered with. This knowledge coincided with the feel Ayatsuri had gotten for the deceased’s chakra when she briefly manipulated him with her strings and eased her mind a bit. She nodded solemnly to Hitomi as she said the words, her understanding and happiness for knowing the blood had not been messed conveyed by her simple look. ”Thank you so much, once again. This… well it means a great deal.”

She then moved at the other’s call, the pair going over to locate the completed dress she had paid for. Her mother, the one sewing it, handing it over, a delicate looking thing of fine make and astounding beauty, the royal purple just the right color to highlight the woman’s dark eyes. She smiled as she accepted it, running off to the nearby fitting room and putting it on. She observed herself in the mirror, admiring the cut, the stitch, and the colors as they made her hair seem to almost glow and her eyes erupt with color. After only a moment in the room she exited to show Hitomi and her mother, smiling hugely as she twirled about so they could see the beautiful creation they had made. ”My goodness, it is truly so beautiful! I thank you, both of you, deeply from my heart.” She bowed her thanks once more.

After this she had little to do but wrap up her puppet and say goodbye to the pair of lovely ladies at the shop. She stored Kozai within the White Square on her hip, dangling regally from her new outfit which she wore, and later, once she had returned to her hotel, finished outfitting him with a host of new toys and gadgets, replacing his previous skeleton with the new one she’d made and filling him up with a collection of powerful weapons. Before this, before she left and grabbed him, she turned once more to Hitomi. ”I know I keep saying this, but thank you. I had a wonderful time meeting you and you really have helped me in more ways than one. I am glad we met, and I wish you the best in your future. Oh,” she paused and offered up a wide smile, ”and I sincerely hope that you and I meet again!” With that, she would turn to leave, unless Hitomi required anything else, and exit out into the city of Konoha once more, walking with silent steps back to the room she’d rented and, eventually, back to her homeland.  

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