Remergence of a Dynasty [p]

[LOOCH]

There are numerous art forms that exist throughout the continents that attempt to capture and communicate the ideas of mortal societies. These styles of art try to seize an era or folklore and beautifully put it on display for later generations to appreciate. Puppetry, one of those very artistic avenues has been documented to be one of your more pioneer visionary formations. Said to have endured over thousands of years, the art of puppetry has taken on many forms. Expressing itself in a range of visual languages, and manipulating spectators optics into a physical genjutsu with well-crafted dolls portraying the illusion of life.

Arguably in the myriad of eyes no other puppetry framework imprisons the manikin artistry more beautifully than Bunraku, also known as Ningyō jōruri. Bunraku puppeteer masters take a great pride in their work and it is fabled that the sign of a true puppeteer master is one that can lull a matured sharigan into a daydream like state.

This specified style of puppetry roots and clan start at humble beginnings. The Bunrakuken weren't primarily puppeteers, at first they were hard working craftsman and to this date still are on top of their puppetry prowess. Originally Bunraku had a crawling inception, due to the lack of public appeal. So in its induction there were few who took the time to appreciate the stunning virtuosity of it all. Yet before the Bunraku genre of puppetry could relinquish life. There came along Bunrakuken Chikamatsu, Uemura's grandfather of old, whose genesis was Suna no Kuni. He innovated the art form and popularized it onto a national stage, along with the likes of Kabuki. This method of technical puppetry had grew to become a jeweled eyesight that was both seen as heavenly and refined.

It was then that the complex engineering would become widely know as Bunraku. This led to the Bunrakuken being know as 'Gods of puppets'. It also became a origination of a clan of puppeteer craftsman who sought out to change puppeteering forever. However unbeknownst to the world Bunrakuken Chikamatsu had a darker secret lurking within the dark recesses of his mind. It is a myth and legend that he was the devil who gave birth to the demonic artistry better known as human puppetry. Not the form of human puppetry that exist today, no it is believed that he actually mutilated human beings and manufactured them into puppets for his own sick pleasures. Of course this was never proven and is all in theoretical folklore. 

Throughout the generations the Bunrakuken would remain synonymous with puppeteering greatness. Additionally through the generations the conception of chakra and the development of chakra threads would further innovate the genre to new levels. To such levels that now puppeteering made its transition to the battlefield and into the world of the shinobi. 

It is here in this juncture of time, that the Bunrakuken would relocate to Mist's soil. It is also here Bunrakuken, Kogawa, Uemura's father story would take creation. He would start by partially deviating from the clans world of exclusively performing Bunraku and more so into the darker depths of the shinobi.  It was to no surprise that Kogawa excelled in the skill of using puppets for battle, but it took some elbow grease. His rise through the ranks was lazy and a tough journey. In the kickoff of it all, the weaknesses puppetry posed were hard fought, especially in such a formidable village of potent shinobi.

Once he gained a better grasp on the concept, mechanics, and strategy of combat puppetry. Is when he began his mighty ascension. He was extremely clever with his puppets traps and used deadly poisons to his advantage. To ensure the future of the Bunrakuken puppet supremacy, Kogawa got married to a female puppeteer, from the Awaiji Bunraku Puppet Troupe. After a few years of marriage and having the comfort of financial stability the couple decided to have their first child, turns out the embryo would develop into a boy   ...A boy they would name Uemura.

[LOOCH]

>> "You ready Uemura?"

 

The tone was soft and soothing to the ears. In response Uemura nodded as his large onyx pools looked up aloofly toward a calm gentle gaze, that fell upon him like the brilliant sun. It was one of being cool under pressure, and it did aid in slightly suppressing his heighten nervousness he hid. This beautiful person who Uemura leered to for situational guidance was none other than his mother whose silky ink hair flowed down to her shoulders and perfectly framed her feminine features. Yet his mother was masterfully oppressing her distress. Her mind was elsewhere, like how lost Uemura had seemed ever since the passing of his father.

However she noticed hope developing as a result of the puppetry art form Bunraku. He was never really ever taught the intricate puppetry, just taught how to go to war with the puppets. She felt it was destroying his mind and corrupting his innocence. She wondered did all shinobi children sacrifice their innocence and childhood for the sake of becoming stronger for these shinobi villages? It was a question that she felt she had the answer to, except feeling an answer and knowing was different. So for now she would have to put up with his shinobi lifestyle since it may be the only thing keeping him sane.

After he had falsely confirmed his confidence. Uemura who was dressed in all encompassing black cloak similar to his mother. Turned his attention back onto the stage where currently a hypnotizing Kabuki performance was taking place. Soon his body stepped forward as he peeked from beyond the fringe of the maroon curtain. The lowly Seishu hall was filled with approximately sixty to seventy constituents, which made it around half its seating capacity. It was a very abnormal turnout for such a shit hole theater.

Most will say the increase in customers was because of the slash in ticket prices, but in actuality when the Bunrakuken name was featured as a headline act those who were familiar with the name were curious, and so they came to see if the same great show existed like it did in the past. As the youngster returned from his peeking perch, Uemura walked and stepped past his mother. A few more movements and he stood before a platoon of four foot tall puppets. He studied the marionettes before finally raising his right hand and brushing it against the smooth wooden cheeks of a beautiful figurine.

The gesture depended on how one chose to see it. Of course you could classify it as disturbing or one could define it as a appreciation for high quality craftsmanship. Funny thing is either perspective wouldn't have been wrong.

>> "Mom did dad make these puppets?"

She would casually turn to Uemura who now stood behind her. Next came a "yes" nod in confirmation at the curious boy before her.

Instantaneously Uemura mind nightmarishly flashed back to the look "it" gave him.

He suddenly shook his head reeling himself back into reality. Erasing the morbid thoughts and look off his face. Whatever thoughts he was thinking were put up and locked away  in the deepest pits of his psyche.

 

>> "Good! Knowing that their dad's gives me confidence. I just hope I am as good as he was."

He beamed a smirk toward his mother's direction, which startled her, but she masked it and smiled back. A foreign voice and figure abruptly approach the two who were located exit stage right.

>>"You two have five minutes before your on. Hmm! Hmm! You have such a cuuutte boy!"

Uemura eyed the flamboyant male, but in the end kept it moving. He focused his attention on the performance now. It was subtle but he noticed his mother grip her shamisan a little bit tighter. The playwright they were going dramatize through puppetry was The Love Suicides at Amijima(Shinjū Ten no Amijima 心中天網島by Monzaemon Chikamatsu). Uemura read it over an uncounted amount of times and perhaps practiced it even more.

Moments later the Kabuki act would end and then it went dark. The three main components to Bunraku would go on stage, chakra threads would create life, and the play would begin...

SPOILER: Click to show

Koharu is a 19 year old prostitute at the Kinokuni House in Sonezaki, who is being competed for by Kamiya Jihei (a struggling 28 year old married paper merchant) and Tahei (the wealthy and arrogant merchant nicknamed the Lone Wolf for his lack of family and possibly friends). She loves Jihei and does her best to avoid Tahei, but one night she has a samurai customer over at Kawachi House. She makes her way through the streets of the pleasure quarter but doesn't quite avoid Tahei. Tahei follows her in and boastingly propositions her. The samurai shows up, head encased in a deep wicker hat to preserve his anonymity. Tahei peers in and is frightened away by the samurai's fierce eyes. The samurai is then examined by Koharu's maid. Satisfied that he is not Jihei, she leaves the two alone to do what they will.

The samurai reproaches the proprietress and Koharu: he had come all the way there, at considerable trouble to clear the overnight visit with his superiors, and they have treated him shamefully and not made his visit pleasant at all, with a poor welcome and a gloomy Koharu. Koharu begins talking to him, but asks him such morbid questions about suicide that the samurai is positively nonplussed by such morbidity. They move to a room by the garden so the samurai "can at least distract ourselves by looking at the lanterns" since Koharu's conversation is certainly not distracting. Jihei creeps around outside that room, resolving that he will signal her somehow and the two will run off and commit suicide together, like Koharu had promised him.

The samurai guesses as much as some suicidal pact had been agreed upon between Koharu and Jihei and that this pact is the reason for her unhappiness; he begs her to confide in him. She gratefully does, and confesses that while she had indeed promised to kill herself with Jihei since he was financially incapable of ransoming her and her contract had more than five years left to run - if another were to ransom her, the shame would be intolerable - but that she had promised hastily and did not really feel like dying. Would the samurai agree to be her customer for a year and so thwart Jihei? The samurai agrees.

Jihei overhears everything and is infuriated by her treachery. Her request is the final straw, and he begins positioning himself to stab Koharu to death. His short sword penetrates the shōji, but does not reach Koharu. The samurai reacts almost instantly, seizing Jihei's arms and tying him to the wood lattice.

Along comes Tahei, who sees Jihei standing there in the shadows and begins beating him, calling Jihei a thief and convicted criminal. The samurai rushes out, and when Tahei cannot specify what exactly Jihei stole, hurls Tahei under Jihei's feet to trample to his heart's content. Tahei then ignominiously flees.

The samurai looses Jihei and the hood of his cloak. Jihei instantly recognizes the samurai as his brother Magoemon, a flour merchant, nicknamed the Miller. Magoemon reproaches Jihei, laying out the stress on his marriage, his finances, his business, and his extended family that his infatuation with this fickle prostitute has caused, all because Jihei was naive enough to take her at face value. Jihei contritely admits his fault and announces that any relationship between him and Koharu is over. He returns to Koharu the 29 letters and oaths of love she sent him, and asks Magoemon to take back his corresponding 29 tokens. Magoemon retrieves them all, and a woman's letter besides. Seeing that it is from Jihei's wife, Kamiya Osan, he stashes it away and promises Koharu that none but him shall read it before he burns them all, on his honor as a miller. Jihei kicks Koharu as they leave, and on that note, Act 1 ends.

Act 2 opens with a charming domestic scene of Jihei sleeping in the kotatsu, while Osan tends to the paper shop and their children. The maid Tama returns with the daughter Osue on her back and news that Magoemon and his aunt (Osan's mother) were imminently on their way for a visit. Osan wakes Jihei, who begins industriously working through his accounts on an abacus, so as to look busy when the two arrive.

They make a great fuss on their arrival, accusing Osan and Jihei of various faults; Magoemon seizes Jihei's abacus and hurls it to the ground as emphasis. Shocked, Jihei inquires as to what could be the problem, saying he hadn't even been to the pleasure quarter since that fateful night and had not so much as even thought about Koharu.

The aunt denies his word; her husband, and Jihei's uncle, Gozaemon, had heard much gossip in the pleasure quarter that some great patron was about to ransom Koharu and he was certain that the great patron spoken of was none other than Jihei.

When Jihei hears this, he quickly explains that the patron must be Tahei; he had been unable to redeem Koharu in the past like he wanted because Jihei had always blocked his attempts, but now that Jihei had washed his hands of Koharu, there was nothing to stop him. Surely he was merely taking advantage of the situation.

Magoemon and the aunt are relieved to hear this. But Gozaemon might not be as convinced, so they ask Jihei to sign an oath on sacred paper that he will sever all relations with Koharu. Minds at peace, they leave to tell the uncle the good news.

Jihei's mind is not at peace however. He cannot forget Koharu and is weeping hot tears. Osan gives him a speech on her grievances, neglected by her formerly loving husband for no fault of her own, their business and by extension their children endangered by his fecklessness and distraction. Jihei corrects her: his grief is truly about his shame that since Koharu will allow herself to be ransomed, Tahei will crow to everyone about his victory of Jihei.

Osan tries to comfort him, pointing out that if that is the case, Koharu will probably kill herself first. Jihei will have none of this, however. To prove it, Osan reveals that she had sent Koharu a letter (the same letter read and burnt by Magoemon) begging her to somehow contrive to end the relationship with Jihei; Koharu had quite obviously fulfilled her promise to do so, and so Osan worries that Koharu will keep her other promise to kill herself should anyone but Jihei ransom her. Osan asks Jihei to save Koharu, since she does not want Koharu dead as a result of her request.

Jihei points out that the only way would be to put down as a deposit at least half Koharu's ransom in cold hard cash, but that he simply does not have that money. Osan produces more than half the requisite money, money she had been saving to pay a major wholesaler's bill and had raised by selling off her wardrobe - the money is necessary to keep the business afloat but "Koharu comes first." The rest of the money can be raised if they pawn all their finery as well.

In that finery, they set out about their mission of mercy. They are intercepted at the gate by Gozaemon, come to demand that Jihei divorce Osan. Speaking venomously all the while, he checks to see whether Osan's dowry of fine clothes was still there. They are not in the dressers. He discovers them in the bundle, and insists at once that they are going to be sold to redeem Koharu. Jihei threatens to commit suicide then and there if Gozaemon continues to press him to sign the bill of divorcement. Gozaemon relents and leaves. He takes with him Osan as Act 2 ends.

That night, Jihei leaves the House, saying he is leaving for Kyoto. Out of sight, he turns back, but narrowly misses Magoemon as he searches for Jihei. Magoemon is deeply worried about a lovers' suicide. He learns from the proprietress that Jihei had already left, mentioning a trip to Kyoto. Concerned, he asks whether Koharu is still there. Somewhat comforted by the fact that they say Koharu is upstairs sound asleep and convinced no lovers' suicide could happen that night, he leaves to search elsewhere.

Jihei is deeply touched to see that his brother is still seeking to help him and save his life, ingrate and good for nothing though Jihei is. But he is determined to go forth with the suicide, and retrieves Koharu from an unguarded side-door.

The two leave the pleasure quarter, travelling over many bridges. They stop at Amijima, at the Daichō Temple. A spot near a sluice gate of a little stream with a bamboo thicket is the spot- "No matter how far we walk, there'll never be a spot marked 'For Suicides'. Let us kill ourselves here."

Koharu implores Jihei to kill her and then himself separately; she had promised Osan not to lead Jihei into a lovers' suicide and if their bodies were discovered together, then everyone would be certain Koharu had been lying or broke her promise. To forestall this objection, Jihei and Koharu cut their hair off- now that they are a Buddhist monk or nun, no one would hold the vows of a previous life against them.

Jihei's short sword fails to pierce her windpipe with the first stab, but the second one kills her. After her death, he hangs himself from a tree by jumping off the sluice gate. Fishermen discover his body the next morning when it is washed down the stream into their nets.