Samurai Champloo Fan Fiction ❯ kitsune in koshu ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 2

If Fuu were to be asked what she liked best about Kofu, she would probably have named one of its hot springs. Especially at this point in time when she was enjoying a dip at the castle-town's well known Sekisuiji onsen at the foot of Mt. Yogai. At the onsen inn, the proprietor had remarked on its medicinal properties, and the fact that it had been a favourite of Takeda Shingen, the warlord who ruled Kai more than a hundred years ago.

Fuu didn't care about history, but she cared about chance events and coincidences. She cared about the fact that a chance event had brought her to this town, which Jin had mentioned as his place of birth. And Jin had been from the House of Takeda, so it meant more to her that Takeda Jin, rather than Takeda Shingen might have bathed at this onsen.

The chance event that had brought her to Kofu had in fact been an occurrence in the life of her uncle Miyamori Hideo, who was a low-ranked retainer of Lord Abe Masakuni of the Iwatsuki domain of Musashi province, and served at his Edo residence in the Yamanote area. He was a poison taster - a doku mi yaku - who had the misfortune to have tasted a badly prepared fugu (pufferfish) before it had been served to Lord Masakuni. However, he had survived this ordeal, and therefore lived to benefit from the gratitude of his employer, who granted him a paid holiday to any destination of his choice. Hideo had long desired to go on a pilgrimage to Mount Fuji, and visit historical shrines in some of the mountainous regions of Japan, so he chose the province of Kai.

Hideo's wife Ayako was Fuu's mother's sister, and it was partly at her request that Fuu had been adopted into the Miyamori family. In public, she now went by the name of Kimiko, although she was still called Fuu at home. Her uncle and aunt had suggested that she change her name to avoid being tracked down as the daughter of Kasumi Seizo, who had been associated with the Shimabara rebellion.

Watching the pattern of bubbles forming around her in the water, Fuu contemplated other chance events that had shaped her life. Events such as her encounter with Jin and Mugen at a tea-house in Edo, which had prompted her decision to search for her father. In a sense, that quest had been motivated by the desire to be part of a family once more; even though she had said that she wanted some sort of revenge. She had found a family, but it was the family she had briefly formed with Jin and Mugen. And then she had lost it again.

The sound of footsteps interrupted her reverie. She turned her head to see her Aunt Ayako standing at the entrance of the enclosure around the onsen. “Fuu-chan, you have been there for a long time - you will end up getting cooked in the hot water! Come and join us for dinner at the inn,” she said.

“Hai Oba-san, I will get ready right away,” as she stepped out of the pool.

“Your uncle has some news regarding the miai,” said Ayako.

She was referring to the custom of the formal meeting of two families looking to arrange a marriage between their houses. Her uncle and aunt had been keen to arrange a marriage for her, especially since there had been several proposals for Fuu, sent through go-betweens, from families of prospective bridegrooms. It had been inevitable, since Fuu was now a very beautiful girl, connected to a respectable samurai family.

She had initially refused to even consider setting up a miai, but her aunt and uncle had pressured her into agreeing, albeit with good intentions. They thought it was their duty to arrange a good marriage for her, and that it was the proper thing to do for the daughter of a samurai when she reached a marriageable age.

Fuu knew that her uncle and aunt would support her, even if she didn't choose to get married. However, she felt that she could not impose on them forever. Their kindness towards her had also made her feel that it was her duty to marry into a family that would constitute an advantageous connection for the Miyamoris. And she had learnt by experience that seventeenth-century Japan was not a safe place for a woman choosing to live by herself.

She had been in danger often enough after her mother died, and even during the time she had Jin and Mugen as her bodyguards. But as she grew older, more feminine, and beautiful, she attracted predators on a larger scale. On at least two occasions she had come very close to being assaulted and raped. And Edo was full of pimps looking to capture young women and installing them in brothels.

After some narrow escapes, she had felt desperate enough to `visit' her aunt Ayako, who had been estranged from Fuu's mother when she had married Kasumi Seizo. She had half expected to be turned away, but to her surprise her aunt and uncle had been very kind to her.

Fuu had intended to stay with them for a very short while. However, they had no children of their own and soon grew very fond of Fuu. Fuu had also grown quite attached to them, so when they proposed to adopt her, she had been deeply moved and could not find it in her heart to refuse them.

She had since been through two miai, which fortunately for her, hadn't been successful. The first one involved a prospective groom who was at least twenty five years older than her, and she had beseeched her uncle not to accept the proposal. He had readily agreed - he too had felt that the match was inappropriate.

The second meeting had been with the family of young man, very well connected and respectable, with no obvious or unacceptable flaws. Fuu knew that she may not be able to give her uncle and aunt a good reason to refuse the proposal. But she had been resourceful enough to find out that the prospective groom in question had the reputation of being a prude - it was rumoured that he approved of girls who were very shy and demure, with manners befitting a `traditional' Japanese girl.

The miai took place at a local shrine. Following the polite custom, it was ostensibly an `accidental meeting' of the two families, so if things didn't work out either party could back out of the marriage negotiations without anyone losing face.

The members of the two families wandered around looking at various historical sites and points of interest, making small talk along the way. Fuu tried to act as forward as possible, but she was constrained by the fact that she did not want to offend her own aunt and uncle, or cause them embarrassment. She had almost given up hope when she found the prospective groom glancing at her while everyone else seemed busy examining a scroll at one of the prayer halls. Since she was sure no one was looking, Fuu seized the opportunity to give the young man what she thought was an “amorous look”. She had attempted to imitate the expression she had seen on the faces of women who had shown an interest in Jin and Mugen - that annoying woman `Budou Kiba', for example.

The “look” had the desired effect, because the next day the groom's family sent a message requesting a withdrawal from marriage negotiations. Actually, it wasn't that the groom thought Fuu to be forward. The “look” she had given him had, in fact, caused him to conclude that she was feeble-minded.

Unfortunately for Fuu, another proposal came along soon after. But fate intervened in the form of her uncle's case of fugu poisoning, so arrangements for the miai had to be postponed. Then came the news that they were going to Kai, and Fuu was delighted. She was sure that the miai would have to be postponed indefinitely, and meanwhile she would enjoy the pleasure of travelling to the beautiful province of Kai during springtime, with its spectacular mountain scenery.

So when her aunt mentioned the miai again, after her dip at the onsen, she was a little alarmed. “News of the miai? I thought it had been postponed,” she remarked.

“Apparently, the Tanaka family are travelling to Fuji-san as well. So it would be possible to arrange a miai in Kofu, on our way back from Kawaguchiko. After that, the Tanaka family will continue on their trip to Fuji-san via Kawaguchiko, while we return to Edo.”

Kawaguchiko was another town in Kai, full of hot springs, and situated at the base of Mount Fuji. Women were not allowed to climb the mountain, so Fuu and Ayako had planned to stay at Kawaguchiko and attend the Hana Matsuri (Flower Festival) at the town's famous Sengen shrine.

Disappointed that the miai would take place sooner than expected, Fuu returned to the onsen inn with her aunt. The news had dampened her spirits, but she didn't want to hurt the feelings of her aunt and uncle, so she resolved to look cheerful during dinner-time.

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Dinner was served at the onsen inn's dining room. It was a fairly large room, with a series of low rectangular tables, with sitting cushions placed on the tatami. Most of the tables were occupied; guests at the inn seemed to prefer taking meals at the common dining room rather than in their private rooms. A majority of them were weary travellers who had visited several temples and shrines during the day, so conversations at the dinner tables were muted. Having had a relaxing soak at the onsen, they were ready to retire after a quiet meal.

Fuu, Ayako, and Hideo sat at a table situated in the corner of the room, where there was a sliding panel that opened up to a small garden. Ayako and Hideo exchanged views about the scenery along their trek on Mount Yogai, and the subsequent visit to Sekisuiji shrine. Fuu, although making an effort to join in the conversation, contributed very little, and ate silently for the most part.

Hideo remarked: “Fuu-chan, you seem to be awfully quiet today. And you have barely touched the eggplant and fish preparation - a specialty of this inn.”

“Sorry Oji-san, I am just a little tired, and I ate a lot during lunch and breakfast. I - ”

She was interrupted as a lady walked into the dining room. Everyone was a little surprised as it was considered impolite not to arrive for dinner at the time specified by the inn staff. But they pretended not to notice and resumed their conversations with fellow travellers. However, all the seats had been taken except for one seat at the table by which Fuu, Ayako and Hideo sat. Her uncle and aunt smiled at the lady politely and asked her to join them.

The lady graciously accepted the offer and sat down at their table. She appeared to be around fifty years of age, and after some polite conversation it was revealed that she was the widow of a merchant based in Edo, on a pilgrimage to see various shrines in the country.

She wore a simple, but obviously expensive kimono; the quality of the beige fabric was very good and it was embroidered in a floral pattern which suggested exquisite craftsmanship. The fabric was made of cotton, but the heaviness of the way in which the sleeves draped her arm suggested a silk lining.

Actually, the law forbade the non-samurai classes of chonin (townspeople) and nomin (farmers) to wear silk, but Fuu had seen many instances in which the chonin, in particular, defied the regulations. Having lived among commoners, Fuu had, in fact sympathised with them. She thought that many of the laws governing the conduct of the classes were unjust.

For example, the buke-sho-hatto - laws governing the samurai classes - sanctioned practices such as kiritsugomen and tsuji-giri. Kiritsugomen - literally `killing and going away' - allowed a member of the samurai class the legal right to cut down any chonin or nomin who had offended them. And the practice of Tsuji-giri allowed them to test a new sword by cutting down commoners. [1] Fuu recalled the time that she was working at a tea house in Edo, when she had offended the son of the town magistrate by accidentally spilling tea on him. Had it not been for Mugen, she would herself have become the victim of a `test cut'.

She smiled at the thought of how Mugen had offered to take care of the town magistrate's son and his gang of bullies, for the price of fifty dumplings. And then there had been his fight with Jin, followed by the fire that burnt the tea house down, beginning a new chapter in her life.

Given her past experiences, it had been somewhat surprising that she had chosen such a strange pair of men as her bodyguards. Mugen obviously had a criminal past, and Jin belonged to the samurai class, about which she had very cynical views, despite being the daughter of a samurai. How had she known that she could trust them?

In fact, her time with them had changed her opinion about a lot of things. She had vague memories of her father telling her about the code of conduct of an `ideal samurai', but had grown up to witness some less than exemplary behaviour from members of the `bushi' class. Until she had met Jin, she had not understood what her father had meant; in fact it was his final act of sacrifice that had given her an insight about the Bushido concept of loyalty. He had expected to die in the process of saving her, but had not hesitated to perform what he saw as his duty to her.

“The samurai's life is like that of a cherry blossom - beautiful and brief, as he has to be continually prepared to sacrifice himself in the interests of justice and loyalty,” her father had said. In recent years the sakura metaphor for a samurai's life had caused her a feeling of dread during the spring season, when cherry blossoms bloomed. The last time she had seen Jin was three years ago, when he had come very close to dying in a manner that illustrated the metaphor.

And Mugen, who was not a samurai, had acted like one. She had expected him to be relieved when the journey was over; she had thought that he would forget about her the moment she released him from the promise of helping her find the `Sunflower Samurai'. She had expressed these fears to Jin at the bank of the river, the night before leaving for Ikitsuki island. She hadn't expressed them in words, but Jin had understood.

But Mugen had arrived to save her, just as Jin had. She had realized that underneath the abrasive veneer, he cared about her, and the journey he had shared with her and Jin.

She felt her Aunt Ayako tugging at the sleeve of her kimono. Fuu looked up to find her aunt giving her a significant look, suggesting she had been impolite not to join the conversation. “Kimiko-chan, you are day dreaming again!” she said, and added, “Akemi-san was just talking about how beautiful the Tokoji temple is. We are planning to go there tomorrow, don't you remember?”

Fuu apologized for being inattentive. Akemi, the lady who had recently joined them at their table, smiled at her indulgently. “Ayako-san, you must not scold her. Kimiko-san is so young and beautiful, and must have hundreds of admirers. She must have been thinking about one of them. Much more interesting than temples or shrines, don't you think?”

Fuu blushed and felt a little uncomfortable. She was trying to think of an appropriate response when her attention was caught by the commotion at the next table. A man had collapsed to the floor and appeared to have some difficulty breathing. He was sweating profusely and looked like he was about to vomit. His companions at the table looked very concerned; they were attempting to help him but didn't seem to know what to do.

“Yamamoto-san, what is the matter?” one of them asked. Most of the inn staff had now gathered at the table and were looking very worried.

“We must take him to a doctor,” the proprietor of the inn decided. Some of the inn staff, along with guests sitting at Yamamoto's table, helped to carry him out of the dining room.

Most of the guests had finished their dinner by this time, and were about to retire, but had been a little disconcerted by this event. There were some sympathetic murmurs, and concerned inquiries were directed at the inn staff about what happened.

It turned out that Yamamoto had been taken to a physician in the neighbourhood. The inn staff had no further news of his welfare. Yamamoto had not been staying at the inn; he was visiting one of the guests. He was, in fact, a merchant in Kofu who sold tatami mats. In the past, whenever the onsen inn was in need of refurbishment, he had supplied his mats at a discount, thus establishing a good business relationship with the proprietor.

The guests started to leave the dining room, addressing the inn staff with the polite after-meal phrase of “gochisosama deshita”. Fuu, Ayako, and Hideo also started to get up with the intention of taking their leave, when Akemi leaned across towards Fuu and Ayako, and whispered: “I think it was a case of kitsunetsuki.”

“Did you say `kitsunetsuki,' Akemi-san?” Hideo enquired, with an incredulous look on his face. “Do you mean Yamamoto-san has been possessed by a `fox spirit'?”

“Yes, I believe so. I have been staying in Kofu for about a month, and have heard rumours about cases of kitsunetsuki. People get spells of fever, dizziness, and vomiting for a couple of months, and eventually end up dying from it. In later stages, and afflicted person behaves strangely, as if they have gone mad.”

Fuu and Ayako exchanged sceptical glances, but politely refrained from saying anything. Hideo looked a little amused.

“I have also heard that a kitsunetsuki-death can be arranged. People who want someone dead can go to an inn on the outskirts of the Tokoji temple district. The inn is located near an Inari shrine, and is called the `Furin Kazan Inn'.”

“What do you mean by `a kitsunetsuki-death can be arranged'?” asked Fuu, who looked annoyed, disbelieving, and a little shocked.

The expression on Akemi's face changed suddenly, from complacent to frightened. She said: “It is getting rather late, I must be going now. It has been a pleasure to meet all of you.”

She almost ran out of the dining room, leaving Fuu, Ayako, and Hideo looking very puzzled. “What do you think of that, Fuu-chan?” said Hideo.

“Superstitious nonsense!” said Fuu.

“Well, we will get a chance to find out more about `kitsunetsuki' tomorrow. The plan is to go to the Tokoji temple district and explore temples and shrines in that area,” said Ayako.

“Apparently, the Tokoji temple has a mausoleum devoted to three generations of the Takeda family,” said Hideo. He looked at Fuu and added, “You had a friend who was a descendant of the Takeda-clan didn't you? Jin, I believe?”

“Oh, yes,” said Ayako. “I believe Fuu-chan had a crush on this young man,” she teased.

“I did not!” said Fuu indignantly, but she had turned a beetroot-red.

Her uncle and aunt loved to tease her about Jin and Mugen. Referring to either of them as her `boyfriend', for example, never failed to produce a reaction. She would invariably blush and deny that she had feelings of that kind for them.

But her emotional attachment to Jin and Mugen worried them a little bit. They had heard a lot of stories about her trip to Nagasaki, and it appeared to Ayako and Hideo that she viewed Jin and Mugen as `knights in shining armour' who had always been there to rescue her when she was in distress. What kind of impact would that have on her future marriage?

“Well we had better turn in early,” said Hideo. Many of the temples and shrines here are located on top of hills and mountains, so there is a lot of physical exertion in store for us tomorrow.”

Fuu said goodnight to her aunt and uncle, but decided to have another soak at the onsen before retiring to her room. She had mixed feelings about tomorrow. While she wanted to cherish her `days of freedom' before the miai, she could not shake off the feeling of impending doom that she associated with it.

[1] The Wikipedia describes tsuji giri as follows:Tsujigiri (è¾»æ–¬ tsuji-giri, literally 'crossroads killing') is a Japanese term for a practice when someone, after receiving a new katana or developing a new fighting style or weapon, tests its effectiveness by attacking a human opponent. Originally, this practice took the form of traditional duels between bushi, but as the classical ideals of Bushido were largely forgotten during the Edo Period, the mannerisms of Tsujigiri became increasingly dishonorable. By the 18th Century, it was not uncommon to hear of ronin ambushing unarmed peasants in the dark for simple amusement. A warrior who practiced this often would often be referred to as a Tsujigiri.