Butterfly. The woman was clothed in such a colorful costume and danced with such graceful ease…that she was painful to watch. And just like a butterfly, she only came during spring to his miserable winter before leaving for greener pastures. It was during these spring festivals that she danced for such a massive audience. Otherwise, she was closed off from the public; her company was then exclusively available to those with enough money to pay for her services.
She was nothing more than an exotic butterfly, trapped within a golden cage.
But like every other year, she participated in the grandest festival honoring the loveliest season of all: spring. And like every other, he remained silent, entranced by her very presence. However, this year, he turned away. Next year, she would leave to become the mistress of a wealthy merchant.
He could not bear the pain of knowing this would be the very last he would see of her. For now, she was nature's greatest gift. However, reality was far less forgiving. She was a painted prostitute, sold to the highest bidder. Even her beauty could not change her destiny.
A bitter smile graced his lips. He remembered, all those years ago, when he proudly proclaimed that he would buy her freedom. How naïve he had been! A mere chuunin could never hope to make enough money to buy off such an expensive prostitute!
All those years ago, he visited the red light district for the very first time. His comrades decided to show him some of the life pleasures he was clearly deprived of.
Cobbled streets, darkened alleys, murky puddles, and dirty figures strewn across completed the notorious picture. He could hear the painful moans of those suffering withdrawal from opium. Flimsy curtains were not enough to cover figures fornicating. He shuddered, hoping he and his comrades would reach the fabled establishment in time.
It didn't take long, and he was slightly surprised to notice the superior quality of the building compared to its surroundings. Beautifully carved doors led customers within the building. Instead of windows, large, ornate prison cells graced the walls of the building. Inside each cell, beautiful women beckoned the customers, promising sinful delights.
Disgusted, he turned to leave. It was then that he noticed a lonely figure. Her cold demeanor repelled potential customers, and yet she didn't seem to care at all. Instead, she fiddled with her silk robe, her lips curled into a dispassionate frown. He supposed he should have been repelled by her demeanor, but he was compelled to come closer. She made a lovely, yet depressing portrait, and his compassionate nature yearned to alleviate her sadness.
She must have noticed a pair of eyes watching her as she turned sharply to face the source of her disturbance. She was surprised to see a young boy, barely a man, staring at her with such warm eyes. When had anyone looked at her with such compassion?
"Boy…why are you staring at me?" she asked, her hushed voice sultry in the darkness.
He blinked, caught completely off guard by the question. He was just too adorable as she chuckled with unbridled mirth. "You're too innocent to be around in this kind of place."
"What do you mean boy? You look no older than me!"
"Judging from experience, I'd say I'm much older. Perhaps not physically, but I've aged far beyond your years."
He became silent. What she said was probably true. He never experienced any of the hardships she must have gone through. The silence was unsettling, so she cleared her throat.
"Now, why are you here?"
"My…my comrades lead me here." he stuttered.
"Oh? And what do you think of it?"
"I think it's absolutely horrible! No one…no one should live in such conditions!"
She froze, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. Then, the most startling transformation occurred before his very eyes. Her mask of sorrow cracked and revealed a beautiful smile. It was a rare, genuine smile that graced her lips, allowing her eyes to crinkle with happiness. It was absolutely breathtaking, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe altogether.
"You're the first to ever say such words. Compared to other pigs who visit…you're the very first." she whispered.
"A…ano…it…it was nothing. People say I have a tendency to say things out loud when I'm passionate."
"Oh really?" He didn't miss the sexual innuendo laced within her words as he blushed crimson.
"You're absolutely adorable! I must know your name!" she exclaimed.
"I-iruka!" he stammered.
"Dolphin! How cute!" She laughed as she noticed his embarrassment.
"It's…it's not cute!" he said, rather irritated by the responses he usually received when people connected his name with the damnable creature.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of!" she exclaimed. It seemed he was even more embarrassed, and if possible, his face turned into an even more alarming shade of red. For the first time, she laughed with pure amusement and happiness.
"I'll show you I'm not some girl. I'll make enough money to free you because I'm a noble man!" he nearly shouted.
Once more, the young boy shocked her. Then, she smiled again. Never in her entire life had anybody given her reason to smile, or feel happiness. But the innocent boy had done so without even trying; he was special. If anyone could make her forget her profession, then that person was special indeed.
"What's your name?"
Shaken out of her stupor, she turned to him, mumbling an intelligent, "Hmm?"
"Your name? I told you my embarrassing bit."
"Aiko." she said simply.
Aiko. Love child. Iruka could not help but note the twist in her name. Love child indeed!
"Come closer." she beckoned.
Curious, Iruka closed the distance between them. Her hands cupped his face and slowly, she brought her face down and kissed his lips. It was a chaste brush, but it was the purest action she had ever given any man. His face was now burning.
"Never let anyone take your innocence away from you. You are one of those rare, blessed souls. And…and you deserve something far better. Leave this tainted place, because the very air will corrupt you. Go far away and breathe cleaner air. Forget about this hell, about me. This place, people like me…will only bring you down."
Then she turned away from him. He didn't know how long he stood there, but slowly, he trudged back home. All night, her whispered words lingered and he could not fall asleep. Forget her? How could he?
Alas, that was the last time he visited the red light district. And it was the very first, and last time he ever spoke to her.
He turned to face her, watching her intricate dance from the roof of his house. Like every passing year, she remained beautiful, as if she were untouched by time. He sighed, falling into a trance by simply watching her.
"It hurts doesn't it?" a quiet voice asked.
"Yes…yes it does." Iruka said softly.
His skills as a ninja seemed to have deteriorated over the past few years if he could not even detect the presence of a fellow shinobi. Then again, the man behind him was jounin, a future candidate for Hokage.
"Is it so obvious?" he asked.
"No…I'm just very good at figuring people out."
"Of course. It's expected that a jounin is capable of such things."
The two sat together in companionable silence, watching the scene below them. Iruka felt warm; he always did whenever he had company. As soon as the feeling crept upon him, it left; he knew the jounin left.
Somehow, he could not help but feel slighted. Surely his company was not that boring. He wrapped his arms protectively around his knees, feeling vulnerable. Slowly, he retreated back to his room, feeling resigned.
It would not do to dwell on the past.
It was almost midnight and yet the red light district was teeming with life. He hunched his back, hoping no one would recognize him. What would people say if they heard Iruka visited such a notorious area? He shuddered to think of the results. Besides his reputation, his teaching license could be jeopardized. However, he was willing to risk it all for a single woman.
He reached the familiar building and its sad cages of women. They beckoned potential customers with crooning voices and flashes of skin; they were enticing, and yet he shuddered in revulsion. Then, he spotted her, aloof and distant. Very little had changed.
"Iruka?" a soft, melodious voice asked in surprise.
Perhaps he was wrong. Many things changed over the years.
"H-hai. Ever since we met, I've always wanted to visit you. But after what you told me all those years ago, I could not go back on your words. However, today…I felt compelled to see you. This may be the very last I see of you." he said, proud that he managed to say his mind.
"I am honored."
She gave him another breathtaking smile, but this time, he could not help but note the sad desperation marring it. It seemed too painful to hold her smile and it quickly turned into a grim line. There was no use in pretending. If anything, she slumped further, looking utterly defeated.
"I suppose you have already heard about my position." It wasn't a question, but a mere observation. Her fine brow arched as she regarded the young man before her.
"What happened to the bridge of your nose? The scar…" she trailed off.
Hesitantly, Iruka's finger traced the shallow scar and he grinned sheepishly. That didn't seem to deter her at all as she patiently demanded an answer from the shinobi.
"It was a simple mission really. I just got careless."
"I highly doubt that. You ninjas are trained to be far more cautious than that."
"I was blinded by my emotions. There were a few innocent civilians who were unable to escape. A little girl would have been killed by crossfire if no one came to protect her. My superiors said I should have thought about the mission first. A dead ninja is no good in such situations." He couldn't help but allow bitterness to creep into his words.
"But you saved a life. Isn't that one of your duties as well?"
"Yes…yes it is. I suppose this is why I never continued my ninja training. My emotions would affect me if I ever became a jounin."
"What are you now?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"I'm a teacher at the Academy."
"It's very fitting. Very few are blessed with the gift to share knowledge with others." Iruka smiled at the compliment.
"I don't want to seem rude, but why did you come back?"
"…I don't know." That was the most honest answer he could come up with. He truly did not know why he came back.
"I see." She did. She saw a confused young man looking for answers in the wrong place. She sighed, suddenly very tired and feeling very old. It was time to warn the boy once more. No matter how much he had matured, he was still very naïve about certain matters of reality.
However, before she could even utter a word, he was gone. She blinked, thinking the opium fumes had gone to her head. Perhaps it had been nothing more than a mere dream. Disheartened, she turned away, hoping to get some rest.
Despite her confusion, Iruka was still in the district. He knew the moment he saw her broken figure that he had to do something...anything to alleviate her pain. How like him to be blinded by his emotions!
Resolutely, he entered the ornate establishment. He was standing within the brothel, demanding a meeting with the owner, and was led to a luxurious waiting room.
Carpeted walls, plush rugs, priceless antiques, and expensive chandeliers graced the entirety of the room. He could not help but feel small and worthless within such an ornate enclosure. Nervous, he chose the most humble looking furniture to rest; the upholstery was threaded out of silver in an intricate style, but looked relatively plain compared to the other pieces decked out in gold, silver, jewels, and pearls.
He waited patiently, wonderin when the owner would appear. He imagined a lecherous man, oily and sly. His imaginations came to an abrupt end when he heard doorknobs twisting. Suddenly, the ornate doors opened and Iruka stifled a squeak of surprise. A middle-aged man entered and Iruka noted that time treated him fairly; the man looked rather distinguished with gray speckles across his head full of hair. Most would agree that the man would have been handsome had he been younger. However, the man's cold eyes and slight sneer marred the image.
"What do I owe you for this…meeting?"
It seemed the owner already knew Iruka was a chuunin, thereby deducing the ninja had very little money to spend. Iruka slowly inhaled and exhaled, hoping to calm him down. Then, he froze. He really had no idea why he called in for a meeting. What business did he have barging in when he had no purpose to such a visit?
But you saved a life. Isn't that one of your duties as well?
He was being stupid. Just like all those years ago when he saved a young blonde boy crying on the streets, he was going to do something just as ridiculous. He was going to try and save her. He was going to keep his promise…the promise he made all those years ago.
She was similar to his young charge. Both were looked down upon by society, both were alone, and both needed to be saved. He rarely questioned why he was the one saving them, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He sighed, knowing he looked every bit the martyr of a tragic play. However, what else could he do? A promise was a promise, and he intended to keep every single one of them.
Slowly, he faced the man who held the keys to her prison cell. The man's cold eyes turned into slits, as if he suspected something. Iruka returned the favor with a cold, stoic look of his own.
"What would it take to free Aiko?"
The doors behind her suddenly rattled before sliding to reveal two figures. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Iruka coming towards her. He had a gentle smile gracing his lips and his eyes shone with great happiness. Did something wonderful happen?
"You're free…" he breathed out.
She had never heard such beautiful words directed to her before. He kept his promise. Suddenly, she became deathly cold. At what price did she gain freedom? Her wide, frightened eyes regarded the calm man before her.
"What…what did you do?" she croaked.
"I saved enough to get you out of here."
She knew he was lying. There was more at stake than mere money. The bastard owner of the damned brothel would have never freed her. Especially since the merchant paid a hefty price for her body! What had Iruka done that granted her such a privilege?
However, she could only muster a soft, "Thank you." What else could she say to the man who saved her?
She was allowed meager rags to cover her body as she gave up the silk robe and her few belongings were placed within a sack. She stepped out of her prison cell and for the first time, she felt absolute freedom. As compensation, she was given enough money to buy shelter, food, and clothing. The money allowed her the luxury of getting the barest essentials for a few months…time enough for her to find a decent job.
Despite her happiness, she could not shake out her uneasiness. At what price had Iruka paid for her freedom? Unbeknownst to her, Iruka paid at the expense of his own freedom,
"What would it take to free Aiko?"
The old man could only stare at the ninja incredulously. He knew shinobis were stubborn and self-righteous, but this was ridiculous. Surely the young man realized that he could never save the girl!
Suddenly, the man laughed. His harsh laughter filled the entire room, mocking the ninja. Slowly, he faced Iruka.
"You wouldn't have enough to buy back her body!" he spat disdainfully.
"I asked you already. What would it take to free her?"
"She's already been sold. I'm afraid the deal's been sealed."
He knew it was irrational, but he was becoming desperate. The man already knew he didn't have enough money to buy her off. There was only one thing left to do. Pride be damned, but a life was on the line. Slowly, he kneeled, his head bowed in defeat. This was very uncharacteristic of him, but there was simply no other way to save her.
"I will do anything. Please…just free her." he uttered softly.
He considered the ninja's words. Such fragile words that held such great meaning! The poor man was delusional if he thought the girl was going to be freed so easily!
I will do anything. Please…just free her.
The man eyed the ninja before him. Suddenly, he grinned. At the loss of one, he could gain another! It was absolutely brilliant!
"You don't look too bad. There has always been a special interest in…men. I'm sure I can find some use for you in exchange for the girl's freedom." he said maliciously.
Iruka froze. Surely the man didn't mean…
"What are you implying?" Iruka demanded.
"For one year, you will stand in place for her absence. That's my final offer."
Iruka felt his blood drain from his face. He did say he would save her. What other choice did he have?
He swallowed his anxiety before coming up with his decision.
Aiko...you're free...
Author's Note: Yes, yes, I realize Iruka had the scar way before he was ever a chuunin. However, to fit the story, I had to bend some parts. It's nothing too drastic. Anywho, I hope this story sounds plausible enough to the reader. Please review so that I can make it better! n_n