(Tim Seltzer, seltzer@seltzerbooks.com)
The lone Umbrella Pine was dwarfed by massive cedars.
Its graceful boughs gave rise to countless branches, each of which displayed numerous clusters of scale-like needles, spread out in the form of tiny fans.
Unlike the other trees in that portion of the woodlands, it did not bend in the strong gusts of wind that pulled at the clothing of the three travelers. No birds were seen hopping from branch to branch. No cracked and chewed nuts and cones littered its base.
“I can help with little sister,” Kuko said for the twentieth time. Glowering, she watched as Naruto supported the smaller woman, his arm firmly around her back. “You need healing too, you know!” The kitsune was well aware that the young man was firmly on the road to recovery.
“I got her,” Naruto said. “This way, I’ll know that she’s OK.” He was very tired, but his wounds had stopped hurting. Hinata stilled grimaced now and again, so he made it a point to take things slowly. “It’s a matter of trust.”
Hinata looked over at Naruto, glad to have him showing her so much solicitude. She was embarrassed to need help, but realized that Naruto did not look down on her. His earlier praise had caused her to blush for a lengthy period of time.
“I’ve already told you that I didn’t bring you with me to fight mikkyo!” Kuko said, stamping her foot. “If I had, we’d still be wandering the forest, looking for rogue males to fight, instead of standing here in front of this tree.” Suddenly naked, she walked over and tried to give Naruto a kiss. “I would have though by now that you would have realized my true motives.” She pinched Naruto’s buttock.
“I believe her, Naruto-kun.” Hinata looked over at Kuko, thankful for the medical care that she had received. “It was a close battle. We…… we could easily have lost.” She stared at his face, then looked away. “Even as strong as you are.”
“Huh!” Naruto scowled. “You’re just too nice a person, Hinata. But, maybe you’re right. Maybe Kuko only wants to…… uhhh…… you know….”
“What should we name out daughter?” Kuko asked, her eyes glowing with mischief. “I’ve always been partial to ‘Reiko.’ That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” She ran to Naruto’s side and snuggled against him. “You’ll be such a wonderful father.”
Naruto sighed. Once Kuko had been certain that he was doing well physically, she had resumed her vamp act with a vengeance.
“Well, if she’s cute, we should name her Hinata.” He had merely been trying to tease Kuko. When Hinata twitched, he checked to see if she was OK.
“I’m…… I’m…… I’m fine, Naruto-kun….” For a moment, the white-eyed girl imagined herself holding a blue-eyed baby in her arms. Blushing, she shook her head, trying to clear away that vision. “I think I can walk on my own now.”
When Naruto let go of Hinata, he was almost knocked to the ground. Kuko had leaped into his arms. Frowning, he pulled his arms way, letting her fall hard to the ground.
“But…… I’m hurt too, Naruto-kun….” Kuko mimicked Hinata’s voice. “I have a broken heart….” She began rubbing her hair against his leg.
“Geeeez!” Naruto jumped back, when the kitsune ran her hands up along his leg, fondling an area that had Hinata biting her lip. “How long are kitsune’s in heat, any way!”
“It varies,” Kuko said, pulling a brush out and running it through her hair. “But, I think I’ll always be in heat, when you’re around….” She looked over at Hinata and winked. “I can’t help it if you’re such a hunk.”
That had Naruto cursing under his breath. He had no illusions about the way he looked compared to other guys. And, he knew exactly what drew Kuko and the other females to him.
Kyuubi.
Thinking about the fox demon, he looked over at Hinata, wondering if she had any suspicions. He had told her that his transformation was part of a new technique, one harnessing the surplus of chakra within him. He had sounded sincere, as he was essentially telling the truth.
“Little sister…… how long are human girls in heat?” Kuko smiled wickedly. “How about you, for example….”
Hinata began coughing. She looked over at the tree, wishing they could access the portal before sundown. Trying to maintain her composure, she refrained from answering.
“Hinata’s a nice girl,” Naruto said, knowing that his fellow ninja would just ignore Kuko. “You don’t see her traipsing around naked.” He froze for a moment, picturing the night around the fire. “Except…… uhhh…… when kitsune…… look like her….” He sneaked a look at Hinata involuntarily, then quickly looking away when he saw that she was doing the same.
“Mmmm hmmmm,” Kuko said, scowling. There was no cute interplay amongst humans allowed. “It’s always the quiet ones you have to look out for.” She tossed her hair, then blew in Naruto’s ear. “They don’t come any quieter than little sister.” She chuckled. “When we’re at the temple bathing pools, maybe she’ll be the one who offers to scrub your back.”
“Uhhh….” Naruto pictured the three of them in a large water basin. He blinked rapidly, then coughed.
“That’s OK with me, little sister.” The fox woman said. “I get the front!”
It was Naruto’s turn to stare at the tree, wondering just how it could help them reach the temple they sought. He was interested in getting Hinata healed, and finding the information they came for. Bathing was not high on his list.
The last thing he needed was be naked around Kuko.
“Are you sure we have to wait to use this thing,” Naruto said after clearing his throat. “If there were any rogue males who came back from hounding the family, they could have easily trailed us here.”
“Yes,” Kuko said. “Certain carvings won’t appear until the light is just so.” She tapped at the bark with one finger. “They should be right about here.”
“Are trees the way into your place of worship?” Hinata asked. Kuko had been very closed-mouthed about Inari’s temple.
“No, little sister. We are not nearly so dramatic as the keepers of Shi Tenno temples. Though, I would be grateful if you wouldn’t repeat that to the warders of Zocho.” Kuko fluffed her hair.
“So, have you been to this temple before? Are there friends of yours there?” Naruto rubbed the side of his neck, looking very suspicious. “I mean…… you know about the tree and everything... right?”
“Aren’t you the paranoid type,” Kuko said, batting her eyes at Naruto. “It makes you sexy. Right, little sister?” She laughed, seeing Hinata make a face. “No, I’ve never been to this temple before; but, as a member of Inari’s temple, I know the secrets of other kami temples.”
“Kami?” Hinata asked, sitting down and cradling her aching head. “My mother said that some people believed in over eight million kami. Every rock, animal, spring, emotion, quality and even person has a kami associated with it. To some, the spirits of the dead are kami.”
Naruto eyed Hinata. She certainly seemed to know a lot. In some ways, she made a better team member than Sakura.
“The notion of kami has become distorted over the centuries,” the kitsune answered. “We non-humans have a different view of things.” Kuko knew that the two shinobi wanted to hear more. Taking out a mirror and working on her make-up, she kept quiet after saying that.
Naruto looked at Hinata, sticking out his lower lip. The two of them were not oblivious to the kitsune’s capricious nature.
“I like your view on things, Hinata-chan,” Naruto said with a straight face. “She’s probably just making things up again. Needy women do that, or so my sensei once told me.”
Kuko frowned. She knew that Naruto was trying to coerce her into saying more.“I wouldn‘t still be needy, if you would do what needs to be done.“ Kuko stretched in a provocative manner. “And I don’t consider it needy. ‘Satisfaction-challenged’ sounds so much nicer.“
“I’d rather find a hole in a tree first!” Naruto said, fighting to keep his eyes off of the kitsune.
“Oh?” Kuko used her illusion technique. It looked as if she sprouted branches and leaves.
“Shit!” Naruto sighed. The last person he had to deal with that was this single-minded had been Sasuke. He had turned out on the losing side of that battle. He hoped that history wouldn’t repeat itself, in a distinctly different fashion.
Eventually, Kuko settled down and got back to her narration.
“In our stories, the world was formed when the Void felt fear, longing, and regret, one third of the world arising for each emotion. Then much later Lady Sun and her husband Lord Moon were born. Lord Moon endlessly pursues Lady Sun and occasionally he catches her. They had nine children, the Great Kami: Hida, Doji, Togashi, Akodo, Shiba, Bayushi, Shinjo, Hantei, and Fu Leng. Lord Moon feared that his children would one day defeat him and devoured them before they could grow dangerous to him.”
“Great story, huh Hinata?” Naruto put his hands behind his head. “Makes me wish I had a big bowl of shrimp ramen!”
Hinata smiled.
Kuko stared at Naruto for a moment, before continuing. “Lady Sun managed to hide Hantei from his father. Hantei bid his time until he could free his siblings in a very messy manner. They all fell from the sky to earth, but the last, Fu Leng, fell in a deep crevice where he would get stuck for a long time, long enough to be corrupted, later becoming the Lord of the Void”
“Aha!” Naruto said, pointing. The word ’Void’ had caught his attention. “That’s who you are, Fu Leng!” He turned to Hinata. “Because we saved her, we can just call her Fu.”
The kitsune’s tails appeared. She looked somewhat agitated. “We don’t joke about such things.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Naruto bowed. Then, looking at Hinata, he smiled. “We better stick with Leng, then….”
Hinata smiled. Kuko gave her a nasty look as well.
“As soon as the Children of Sun and Moon touched the Earth, they ceased being divine, or so the stories say. I’m not certain why, since other Kami still retained godlike powers. Inari is counted amongst them. She is the goddess of rice, grain and harvest, and protector of foxes” The kitsune actually preened for a moment, before continuing. “Zocho was also considered a kami by some, as are the other three Guardians.”
Naruto stopped laughing, and paid closer attention.
“The Kami also included the Seven Fortunes…… Benten……Bishamon…… Daikoku…… Ebisu…… Fukurokujin…… Hotei…… and Jurojin.” Kuko said. “Hotei was the Fortune of contentment. I’ll be burning an offering to him at the temple.” She blew Naruto a kiss. “Maybe a whole bunch of offerings….”
“And I’ll be giving some offerings to the Fortune that gets horny kitsune to give it a rest,” Naruto mumbled under his breath.
“I would strongly suggest that you watch what you joke about at the temple,” Kuko said, a serious expression on her face. “Zocho and the other Guardians were considered Wrathful Deities by some.”
The kitsune spoke more about kami in general, not mentioning anything that gave Naruto cause for concern.
“Are there certain ways that visitors must behave?” Hinata saked, being very pragmatic.
“Yes. We will be faced with a number of various stages, before we enter the temple proper. I will instruct you both in what must be done. It would not be wise to act in a defiant manner.” She gave Naruto a piercing stare.
“OK. Fine. Great.” Naruto spat. “I’ll be my usual considerate and polite self.” He nodded his head, then frowned. “Temples are a pain in the ass.” He kicked at a number or rocks. “What!” He noticed Hinata staring at him.
“Are you sure he’s the one you really….” Kuko caught herself, before adding ‘want to fall in love with you.’ “That you really want to trust our lives to?”
Hinata twiddled her fingers, without answering. She had caught the fox woman’s near slip. Naruto looked away from the two women, grumbling.
Finally, the time came when the sun turned a warm shade of orange, trying its best to hide behind a series of hills blocked from view by the towering trees. As the rays of light struck the Umbrella Pine in just the right fashion, a number of glowing words appeared, in a language the two shinobi were unfamiliar with.
Kuko took a small gemstone out of her pocket, touching various parts of the tee. As she did so, streaks of colored light ran up the side of the tree, making scattered needles blink and glow like fireflies.
Chanting something in a musical voice, the kitsune kissed the tree, then stepped back. A large archway appeared in the trunk of the broad tree.
“Let’s go!” Kuko said, tossing her hair. “This won’t last for long.”
“First things first,” Naruto said, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes. “You promise to bring us back unharmed, no matter what happens at the temple?”
“Yes,” the fox woman answered. “You have my word.”
“Alright. Lead on. Hinata, you follow behind me.” Naruto took out a number of explosive kunai, just to be on the safe side.
He did not entirely trust Kuko.
Hinata followed suit, preparing to use Byakugan.
When the two ninjas followed the fox woman into the darkness, they felt very strange, as if they were weightless. They walked for minutes, a seeming impossibility, given the diameter of the pine. In time, they saw light ahead of them.
Stepping out of the tree, Naruto gaped. The land before them stretched as far as the eye could see, with enormous mountain crags and long swinging rope bridges crossing a series of huge ravines. Fog shrouded the low areas of the rolling meadows, and flocks of colorful birds swirled around them, flying off towards a spectacular edifice.
Perched on the tallest of the hills, an immense five-story pagoda lorded over the whole scene. Rubbing his eyes, the ninja saw that the same view remained. But, there was no countryside that looked like this anywhere near the tree they had walked into.
“It’s…… it’s so beautiful…” Hinata breathed. “Almost…… almost like we’re in another world.”
“Almost,” Kuko said, smiling cryptically. Bumping her hip against Naruto, she pointed. “That is the temple to Virudhaka, leader of the Kumbhanda, a class beings including titans, ashura, and some gods. In a number of religions, he is considered the Heavenly General. He is known by many names, including King of Kosala, Zeng-zhang, and Zocho. As one of the Four Guardian Kings, he is sworn to the protection of the dharma of Buddha Shakyamuni.” She pinched Naruto’s cheek. “That’s a bigger deal than being a Hokage.”
Naruto said something extremely rude under his breath.
The three travelers made their way down the hill, across the first rickety bridge, and up a winding trail to the temple. It was hard going, given Hinata’s condition. At one point, remembering how he transported Idate during the Fire Race, Naruto put Hinata up on his shoulders.
That did not sit too well with Kuko, who transformed herself into a donkey, so that Hinata could ride on her instead of Naruto.
“Nice ass,” Naruto said, smacking the donkey. "In this form..."
Hinata giggled.
“Just wait….” Kuko said, braying.
The huge carved gate to the temple appeared unguarded. Naruto commented on that fact to Kuko, looking around nervously for some kind of fierce beast or a hidden troop of soldiers.
“It’s not locked,” Kuko said. Resuming her human form, she leaned on the door, causing it to swing open with a long eerie creaking noise. “Anyone is welcome to enter, if they wish. If they have no purpose here…… or come with evil intent…… they will not be a problem for long.” She spoke very sternly. “The same goes for anyone who goes against the rules set forth by the ones who keep the temple…… or anyone who tries to avoid some of the steps needed to gain entry to the inner sanctum.”
Naruto and Hinata followed the kitsune inside. Facts and stories regarding the Four Noble Truths were written on four huge pillars that held up the peaked ceiling. The elegant writing seemed to have faded over some immense period of time.
’May all beings know happiness and the causes of happiness‘.
Kuko spoke that, then added “There’s someone who can make me happy. You know the cause, don’t you little sister?” The kitsune chuckled when Hinata ignored her.
“Ooooh. That one is even better.” Kuko read the second Truth:
‘May they never be separate from the highest bliss’.
“Looks like we’ll be together forever.” Kuko tried unsuccessfully to kiss Naruto.
’May they be free from suffering and the causes of suffering‘.
Hinata said that, reading off of another pillar. She managed enough spunk to glare at the fox woman.
“Yeh!” Naruto said, thumbing his nose at Kuko. “And check that one out.” It was his turn to read:
‘May they come to rest in the great equanimity, free from attachment and aversion’.
“Heh. No attachments!”
“Hmmmm. What do you think about that, little sister?” The kitsune raised one eyebrow. “No attachments. No boyfriends. No husband.” She grinned, seeing Hinata sneek a glance at Naruto. “The perfect life for a shy quiet girl….”
“OK already.” Naruto said, weary of the game. “Is there a purpose to this room, or something. Hinata’s hurt, if you haven’t forgotten.”
“No, its just the entry room, a place for visitors to ponder things, before they go any further.” Kuko smiled. “The next room is another story. We will need to cleanse our bodies. No exceptions. And, those who wish to enter together must bathe at the same time.” She pulled a long woven rope, causing a large panel to slide upward.
“Huh?” Naruto said. “Bathe, as in get totally naked and wash in the water.”
“Yup!” The kitsune got a head start, appearing completely unclothed.
Hinata froze. She looked through the opening, noting that the entire floor of the next room seemed to be one entire shallow pool. There would be no way to duck under the water or crouch down enough to cover her nakedness.
“Let’s go. Follow me. If you wait too long, the panel will drop down, separating us.” The fox woman smiled. “It might be best that Naruto not see you truly nude,” she laughed. “You can catch up with us later. We could use a little privacy.” She began pulling at Naruto’s clothing.
Naruto slapped at Kuko’s hands.
Hinata stepped into the next chamber, and took off her clothes, facing away from Naruto. The young man had never seen anyone blush quite that red before.
When Naruto waded into the pool, he tried to look away from the women, but the kitsune kept stepping into his line of vision. Backing away from her, he came rump to rump with Hinata.
“Group hug!” Kuko wrapped her arms around the two ninjas, bringing them together face to face. Kissing Naruto, she bumped Hinata away.
“Kuko!” Naruto began to get angry.
“That angry face won’t work when you have an erection,” the kitsune said, giggling.
“WHAT!” Looking down, Naruto began choking.
“Right, little sister? Just look at him.” Kuko gleefully watched as Hinata splashed her face repeatedly with the lightly scented mineral water.
The room they were in was hexagonal in shape. One wall held a gilded door, decorated with an etching of a beautiful waterfall, which looked to be filling the pool. On the other wall, small spouts shaped like mythical beasts let water flow into the tile-lined bathing area. Above them, words were painted in fanciful letters.
“Ummm…… look, Naruto-kun…… ummm…… the Five Wonderful Precepts….” Hinata pointed up at the wall in front of her, holding one such precept. She didn’t know what a precept was, but anything that served as a distraction was fine by her.
“Yes…… uhhh…… very fascinating…… a good thing to look at when we bathe….” Naruto jumped when Kuko touched him where she shouldn’t. Setting his jaw, he dunked her head under the water, but that only gave her an excuse to kiss him where he didn’t want to be kissed. “The First Precept reads:
“‘Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life’.”
Naruto pushed a determined Kuko away while he spoke. “That one doesn’t sound right for us, Hinata.”
“No,“ Hinata said, peeking to see what the kitsune was doing to Naruto. She blushed when Kuko shouted “caught you peeking!” Rubbing scented oil over her body, she said “The Second Precept reads:
“’Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I vow to practice generosity by sharing my time, energy, and material resources with those who are in real need. I am determined not to steal and not to possess anything that should belong to others. I will respect the property of others, but I will prevent others from profiting from human suffering or the suffering of other species on Earth‘.”
“I’m an animal….” Kuko said, rubbing her body against Naruto. “And I bet you can be one when you want to…” She said, whispering in his ear.
“Yeh. But I don’t belong to you,” Naruto said. “You should respect that.”
“Oh? Who should he belong to, little sister? Any ideas?” Kuko grinned.
“I…… ummm…… whoever he wants to….” Hinata busied herself with some perfumed soap, rubbing it in her hair.
“Good answer, Hinata!” Naruto pointed up at another wall. “There we go. The Third Precept. Want to read that one to us, Kuko?”
“No.” The kitsune pouted.
“I…… I will, Naruto-kun.” Hinata said, before beginning to read:
“’Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I vow to cultivate responsibility and learn ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term….’”
“Whatever. We get the picture. Let’s skip over the rest of that one.” The kitsune put her hands over Naruto’s ears.
“ ‘I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without love and a long-term commitment. To preserve the happiness of myself and others, I am determined to respect my commitments and the commitments of others. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct‘.”
“Technically, I’m still a child,” Naruto said. “So, no abuse!”
“Hmmmm. Does that mean that you’ll get even bigger? I’ll have to come around again, when you finish growing.” Kuko smirked, seeing Naruto blush.
“I’ll do the fourth one, Hinata.” Naruto walked and rested his chin and belly against one wall, looking up and reading:
“‘Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and relieve others of their suffering.’
“Don’t say anything, Kuko!”
“Me?” The fox woman looked at Hinata. “Why didn’t he mention you too, little sister?”
“Because she’s a nice girl, like I told you before. She doesn’t need to be told this kind of stuff. Yes, Hinata is a real class act. Any way: ‘Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that inspire self-confidence, joy, and hope. I am determined not to spread news that I do not know to be certain and not to criticize or condemn things of which I am not sure. I will refrain from uttering words that can cause division or discord, or that can cause the family or the community to break. I will make all efforts to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small‘.”
“My body is in conflict.” Kuko said, trying to pull Naruto away from the wall, grunting.
“I can’t turn around right now, Hinata. Can you do the fifth one? And when the hell is the bathing part going to be over?“ Naruto shivered when Kuko grabbed him spoon fashion.
“Ummm…… the Fifth Precept:
‘Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society. I am determined not to use alcohol or any other intoxicant….”
“Does that mean we can’t just get drunk and fuck like bunnies?” Kuko whispered into Naruto’s ear. He turned even redder than Hinata had earlier.
Hinata wondered what Kuko could have said. No. On second thought, it was probably better that she never found out. She smiled when Naruto shoved a bar of soap into the kitsune’s mouth, then continued:
“‘I am aware that to damage my body or my consciousness with poisons is to betray my ancestors, my parents, my society, and future generations. I will work to transform violence, fear, anger, and confusion in myself and in society by practicing a diet for myself and for society. I understand that a proper diet is crucial for self-transformation and for the transformation of society’.”
After Hinata spoke the final word, the pool drained and the water stopped flowing. She and Naruto rushed to get dressed then ran through the door when it opened.
They found themselves in a room with a flat sand floor, staring in wonder at the intricate sacred designs worked into the sand by the long sticks and implements hanging on the wall. A large spherical rock lay buried in the sand, surrounded by the path of slate that they would need to walk on. Against the walls, small marble benches were situated near vents that belched forth occasional cloud of visible fumes. Lit bowls of smoking laurel leaves hung from long golden chains.
“This is the room where we need to sit until we see our personal visions, remembering not to share them with anyone else.” Kuko walked over to sit on one of the benches, inhaling deeply. “Ahhhhhhhh….”
“What is that big rock?” Naruto asked, pointing to the stone. Waiting for an answer, he selected the bench furthest away from the kitsune.
“The Omphalos stone.” Kuko replied. In some language or another, it‘s supposed to mean 'center of the earth'. One legend tells that the stone was a large meteorite fallen from the sky in deepest antiquity, while another legend says it was the first physical object to emerge on dry land after the waters of the Great Deluge had settled.”
Hinata glanced around the peaceful seeming room, looking at intricately painted murals depicting pastoral scenes. Large brass plaques were spread around the periphery of the enclosure, listing the Five Obstacles or Hindrances that the temple supplicants should meditate on: Attraction; Aversion; Slothfulness; Arrogance; and Suspiciousness, Doubt, or Uncertainty concerning the Triratna, the three fundamental items of worship.
Sitting on her bench, Kuko smiled. Her look becoming sly, she glanced over at Naruto, after having her vision. Naruto looked somewhat shaken in the midst of his altered consciousness. He looked over at Hinata, scowling at first, then rubbing his chin. Hinata smiled a pure smile, as if her heart were about to burst. She sneaked a look at Naruto, then breathed in more fumes, hoping to have the same vision again.
“Are…… are these visions going to take place…... some day...” The white-eyed girl asked.
“They sometimes do,” Kuko said, standing. “And if they do not, they often provide useful information.” She looked over at Naruto again. “Time to move into the next room.” When the kitsune snuffed out a large colorful beeswax taper burning under a large incense burner, the door opened slowly on its own.
The room they stepped into was lit by countless candles, of every conceivable shape and size. Am oddly shaped pool of water sat in the center of a polished onyx floor, bubbling continuously. Spread throughout the room were small mahogany, teak, and zebrawood tables, each holding a bowl made of some kind of semi-precious stone. The bowls held Curd Yogurt; Durva Grass; Bilva Fruit; Vermilion powder; Mustard Seed; and Ghiwang Medicine, a substance obtained form the intestinal tract of an elephant.
“Those are six of the eight Auspicious Attractors,” Kuko mentioned. “The other two are the mirrors and right-whorled conchs.” Those two items were also present on some of the furniture.
“What’s the water all about?” Naruto asked. “Is it just for show, or are we supposed to drink it, toss coins in it, or use it as a place to take a leak?”
Kuko scowled. “Remember what I told you about behaving. Assume you are being listened to at all times, until we reach one of the places that guarantee privacy.” Tossing her hair, she looked at the spring and spoke. “That is the sacred Castalian Spring, said to have been created when the great winged-horse that brought Zocho to this world struck the ground with his hoof.” She bent over and cupped her hands, drinking the water. “If you have evil intentions towards this temple, the water will poison you.”
Hinata followed suit, unworried. Naruto did as well. When the kitsune blew on one of the conchs, seven walls of the octagonal room pivoted, revealing doors on their reverse side. Wondering how the doors could lead anywhere, the two shinobi noticed that they were all made of precious substances.
A ruby door was adorned with three gems shaped like eyes. An emerald door was decorated with rhinoceros horns. A sapphire door was hung with earrings, each set of which belonged to a famous queen. A door carved from diamond was inlayed with other gems, forming a cross. A door made from fused pearls was hung with king’s earrings. A door carved from coral was studded with intact coral pieces, each having eight branches. The final door, covered with lapis lazuli, held a number of elephant tusks.
“Do you know which door?” Hinata asked.
“No,” Kuko admitted. “But the temple does. Only one will open for us.”
“Of course,” Naruto said, uncomfortable. It seemed that they were losing less and less control. Of course, in this kind of situation, any feeling of control would probably be an illusion. He had a task at hand. There was nothing to do but push onward.
“That is, if any open.” The kitsune added.
“Huh?” Naruto asked.
“If looking in our hearts, we don’t find a good reason to be here, touching any of the doors will lead to our deaths.” Kuko didn’t look concerned. “Unless, of course, one belongs to a temple dedicated to one of the kami.” She curtsied, finger on her chin.
“I see,” Hinata said. “This place truly does not need guards outside.” Her voice didn’t waver.
“OK. Let’s start trying out some doors!” Naruto tried the coral door with no success. Soon, the others joined him. When Hinata tried the sapphire door, it opened. A pair of the earrings fell to the ground.
“It seems you have earned a prize, for making the correct choice.” Kuko said. “Take them without fear. It would be an insult to leave them.” Smiling, she walked over to Naruto and grabbed his hand. “I’m not jealous. I already have my prize.” She chuckled when Naruto pulled away.
Hinata picked up the earrings, looking in wonder at the rubies cut in the shape of faceted hearts. Placing them in her pouch, she looked through the door into complete and utter darkness.
“Afraid to walk in?” Kuko asked.
“No.” Hinata did so, Naruto right behind her. When all three were in the room, huge bonfires lit on their own, each situated in front of a large fearful-looking statue. Altars were present at the feet of each massive work of jade.
“The fiercest of the four, the pop-eyed one with the blue glazed face, wielding the sword, is Virudhaka. Zocho.” Kuko looked over at the huge figure, standing with one foot on the head of a snarling demon, and the other foot on the back of the dying beast. The fire in front of that statue flared ever so slightly.
“Ugly son of a bitch,” Naruto mumbled.
“Naruto-kun…… shhhhhhh….” Hinata put a finger to her mouth.
“That one, with the white face, playing the lute, is Dhritarashtra. Some call him Chiguo or Jikoku.” The fire in front of that statue crackled, then went quiet.
“Him too,” Naruto said, frowning at Hinata.
“Men,” Kuko said. “Whatever the species.” She pointed to another statue. “The Red-faced one with snake coiling around him is Virupaksha. He is also known as Guangmu or Komoku.” Its fire danced higher than the others, for the briefest of moments.
Kuko looked over at Naruto.
“What?” Naruto asked, shrugging.
When the kitsune turned back around, Naruto whispered “Stupid looking bastard. I hate snakes.”
Hinata shook her head.
“Finally, we have this one.” Kuko pointed to a statue with a white face, an umbrella in his hand, and piles of gold at his feet. “Vaishravana, King of the North, known as Kubera when he is associated with wealth. His Sanskrit name is Dhanada, the Bestower, sometimes known as Duowen. He has also been called Tamon. His animal is considered to be an ermine or snow weasel.” The fourth fire changed color from red to white, then back to red again.
Naruto chose to remain silent that time. He looked around the large circular room, taking note of its polished bloodstone walls. A number of items formed a repetitive theme. There were numerous swords, spears, bows, staffs, lassos, and hammer-like maces. There were also a fair number of flags, banners, and standards.
“This room requires us to each make an offering. It must be our own choice, with no input from others.” Kuko waved her arm. “We can choose any one of the four altars. Nothing says that we must use the same one.”
“Is there more you can tell us?” Hinata asked. “What makes a good offering? Is there anything that would cause us to be thrown out or punished?”
“Yeh. Can I give the temple a kitsune as an offering?” Naruto asked, hooking one thumb through a belt loop. “I wouldn’t expect to get the gift back.”
Kuko stared at Naruto. Hinata smiled, then tried to look uninterested when the fox woman looked at her.
“Offerings please the Guardians, not because they are pleased to receive gifts, but because they delight in the virtue of the givers. That virtue is determined by the quality of their motivation in making the offering. Offerings need not even be material. The best offerings are virtuous accomplishments. The offering of religious practice is what most pleases the deities and creates a bond between them and the practitioner.“ Kuko smiled, thinking her own thoughts for a moment.
“Won’t work for me,” Naruto said. “Next!”
“Several factors determine the quality of an offering. One is the giver's motivation. Whatever is offered should always have been honestly obtained, for a wrongly acquired object severely detracts from the wholesome quality of giving it. Offerings should always be of the best one has. For example, if food is offered, it should not be bad or rotten on the pretext that no one will eat it. Since the main purpose of making offerings is to reduce avarice, one should do so without a trace of regret. That’s as much as I can tell you.”
The kitsune walked over to the altar in front of Tamon. Saying few whispered words. She took something out of her pouch and placed it on the altar. It was a carved fox she had been given as a child by an instructor at Inari’s temple. As she watched, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Hinata held her earrings in her hand. They were valuable, and could do a great deal to help the underprivileged, were she to sell them in Konoha. That would be good motivation to hold on to them. But, they had been won more by luck than anything else, and really didn’t feel like they were hers. She placed them on the altar in front of Jikoku, but they stayed there.
“Why?” She asked. Then, she realized that her motive to keep the jeweled items might override the reason to offer them.
Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a kunai that she chose never use in battle, unless her very life depended on it. Kurenai had given that to her one day, when she was about to quit her training. Her mentor’s gift and words of encouragement had meant even more than Naruto’s support during the chuunin exams. That gift disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Naruto sat down, scratching his head and pursing his lips. He emptied all of his bags, pouches, and wallets onto the floor.
“Can I put all of this on, and see what they want to take?” He asked. Hearing Kuko’s exasperated sigh, he said “Never mind.”
Finally, after a lot of deliberation, he knew what he was going to offer. Now, the question was ‘to who?’ Since the one guy had his feet forcing down a demon, that was the one for him. It would be his own little way to get back at some of the things that Kyuubi had said before. Zocho it was!
“It’s the best I have.” He placed five ‘Buy one bowl of Ramen get one free’ coupons on the alter. They disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Maybe you’re cool after all,” Naruto said, given the ugly statue a thumbs up.
The fire flared.
The blonde-haired ninja was certain that it was a coincidence.
A low-pitched rumbling sound could be heard. The room itself began to turn. When it stopped, a door had been exposed.
“Now we go into the temple proper. You may be the only humans to pass this far in hundreds of years. Follow me, and speak only when spoken to, or if I give you the OK.” Kuko lead them into a dark room. When the chamber they had just left rotated again, all light was gone.
After a few moments, two doors opened. A number of low squat figures dressed in long sweeping robes came out, light flooding in behind them. Their faces were not visible behind deep cowls. Their feet could not be seen, as the hem of their temple garb dragged along the ground. No hands extended beyond the ends of the cavernous sleeves.
One being raised its arm. It pointed towards the kitsune. Kuko went and spoke to it in quiet reverent voice for a number of minutes. She reached into her pocket, took out something small that glittered in the light of the doorway, then stepped back, head bowed.
The figure bowed its head. Pointing to Kuko and Naruto, it swept an arm towards one door. Nodding to one of its fellows, it turned and left.
The other similar being walked over to Hinata, touched her on the shoulder, then pointed to the second door. Doing so, it uncovered a scaly hand with three long claw-tipped fingers.
Kuko put her hand over Naruto’s mouth. “I am the only one of us who can speak now,” she said. “They will take Hinata to be healed. We will wait for her in another part of the temple.”
Hinata looked over at Naruto and Kuko. When the kitsune nodded her head, the smaller woman swallowed hard and left with the temple attendant.
After that, Kuko signaled for Naruto to follow her.
They walked through the door.
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