Chapter 3: 002:Tea ceremony and a new friend
For Mikoto, her son's request was a bit unusual. For a cheerful boy like him, a tea ceremony seemed somewhat dull. But he wanted to learn, and she could teach him. That was what mattered.
"Sora, let's get started. I'm going to teach you a simpler version of the tea ceremony, but that doesn't mean it's easy," said Mikoto. She wasn't trying to scare him, but the tea ceremony was extremely complex, and he was just a child.
"Mom, before we start, can I use the red, weird eyes of the clan?" asked the kid innocently.
"Red eyes? Do you mean the Sharingan? But, dear, you don't have..." Mikoto was interrupted. Her son looked at her, and in an instant, both of his eyes turned red,a two tomoe Sharingan.
"Sora, you!??" exclaimed Mikoto, astonished by her son's eyes.
"The weird eyes? Yes, I have them, Mom. I didn't care at first, but I heard some adults say that you can observe and copy things with the Sharingan, so I wanted to give it a try!" said the little boy, unaware of how outrageous his words were.
A heavy silence fell over the room, quick, silent, and suffocating.
"Mom, did I do something wrong?" asked the curious little guy. He was 20 years old when he died, but he didn't know much about the clan, only that there was a superpower called chakra and that the Sharingan was exclusive to them.
"No, honey, everything is alright. I just wanted to ask you, when did you awaken the Sharingan?" This was surprising for Mikoto, a genius among geniuses. She also had those eyes but knew well what they represented: sorrow, anguish, and death. Talent was required to awaken those eyes.
Sora explained, "I don't know. One day, I just had them. I thought I was dying when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I didn't tell you so you wouldn't worry. Then, one day, I saw an elder of our clan with the same eyes, and he explained them to me. Since then, I've been learning and reading faster. They are quite useful." He was two years old with no prior knowledge of this world, so his ignorance was understandable.
Mikoto took a deep breath. "Okay, you can use them. It will make it easier for you to learn," she said. She needed to tell her husband, but leaving now would only worry Sora. He was a sensitive little guy, and acting hastily would be a bad decision.
"Alright, Sora, let's begin. The host typically prepares the tea in front of the guests.
The main equipment includes the tea whisk (chasen), tea container for the powdered green tea (natsume), tea scoop (chashaku), tea bowl, sweets container or plate, and the kettle and brazier.
Each piece of equipment is carefully selected according to the occasion and has its specific place," said Mikoto.
Little Sora paid close attention. His red eyes were trying to see every detail and ingrain it in his memory.
"A sweet is served before the tea and should be eaten before drinking. The tea bowl is placed on the tatami mat in front of you, with its front facing you.
Pick it up with your right hand and place it on your left palm. With your right hand, turn it clockwise by about 90 degrees so that its front is no longer facing you. Drink the tea in a few sips and place the bowl back on the tatami. Bow and express gratitude after receiving and finishing your tea.
Towards the end of the ceremony, there will be time to inspect and appreciate the tea bowl by lifting it. Once finished, turn the bowl so that the front now faces the host.
The host may ask if guests would like another round of tea, and if not, the ceremony ends when the host washes the tea utensils and returns them to their original places. Alright, let's practice," Mikoto concluded.
"I've got it, Mom! I want to practice," an excited Sora replied.
Thus, the morning passed, and it was time for lunch.
"Sora, why do you want to learn the tea ceremony?" asked a puzzled Mikoto.
"To impress a friend. He looks old-fashioned, and I want to cheer him up as much as I can. Words are difficult, but maybe he will like this," replied Sora seriously. He was a cheerful guy, but his ideas and demeanor were extremely mature, even for this world.
"Can you introduce me to this friend of yours?" She was the patriarch's wife and needed to know what kind of friend her son had.
"Sure. Can I see him this afternoon? That way, I can practice the tea ceremony I learned today," replied Sora.
"Sure, you can invite him over."
"Oh no, we can meet him by the big sakura tree. He lives there," Sora remembered his old-fashioned friend. Being a transmigrator, it wasn't easy to adapt at first. His first friend had helped him a lot.
"By the sakura tree? Sure, I can help you take all the equipment over there," Mikoto said, trying not to show her displeasure. No one lived by the sakura tree in the Uchiha compound, and no one played there except her son Sora.
"Okay, let's go, Mom!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone