Stuff and things. Mostly things. [Dual Contract Search][Sayomi]

[Shinrya Kitsune]

It was about that time again. Kitsune had her monthly visit to one of her two provinces coming up soon, so she decided to get things underway early. If she got on her way earlier than usual, she could even have some time relaxing. Maybe she’d bump into someone on the way there, who knows. For now though, she’d have to get underway, through the gates and towards the Heartland of Kaminari no Kuni. It had been a hard week, she’d become owner of several businesses thanks to gambling. That involved a lot of paperwork changing hands, and routines getting looked at and also changed around.

Not only that, but Kitsune was working on all sorts of things in her spare time, of which she already had precious little, but she knew that she had to finish her work on the various devices and doohickeys she had planned. Her latest project was building a concert hall in Kumogakure so artists would have a place to perform. Asides from that she was also working on artificial doujutsu for implantations so the medical branch wouldn’t have to rely on harvesters and a dwindling stock of precious organs. Despite doing her best, she had so far been unable to make them work properly, but she was making progress.

While Hisako had been a huge help in testing the devices, she maintained that none of them actually allowed her to see anything, let alone manifest any of the powers supposed to be contained within. Maybe it was a matter of the basic construction rather than the rest. She was deep in thought as she was going out towards her province. She had decided to walk rather than take a carriage, as that’d allow her to do landscape gazing and get her thoughts sorted out while on the way.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

Re: Stuff and things. Mostly things. [Search][Sayomi]

Sayomi took a deep breath as things rattled through her mind constantly, particularly her last mission with Kaji and the terror that was the Lion Volt demon they had faced, not to mention the horrible chaos that had resulted in it. The brunette, however, had performed better than she could have ever dreamed of doing, but the mission still weighed heavily on her mind so she would take a reprieve traveling to the country to visit her grandparents who had long since retired out in this area. A number of family members also were there, but despite being there to relax, her blood was still pumping heartily from the adrenaline field night, causing the youth to remain restless as she went out exploring.

That was the wonderful thing about this area, that it seemed to always change, no matter how many times one visited. Life, itself, was a miracle to be admired and certainly the teen would do so with a bright, toothless smile as she took in nature on her little walk, trying to leave any cares or worries in the past where she could no longer be troubled by the nature of harsh reality that was the life of a ninja. Though she was only a genin, a weak one at that, and certainly did not have the troubles of many others among the Cloud shinobi, it was only a small blessing for now, now that she was truly going to be apart of a squad, not just someone who would substitute when there were no other options, the tranquil life seemed all too fleeting these days.

One more cleansing breath as she closed her eyes to take in the cool breeze and the serene sounds, but something seemed different now. A noise that was not native to her ears, at least not in the green area that she had grown accustom to. It was certainly a human and her refined senses picked that up, distinguishing it from natural woodland critters in an instant, but it seemed a bit strange for a human to be here. In fact, at this time, except for family members who had accompanied her, she couldn't remember ever seeing a person in this part of the woods before and curiosity began to seize control of the innocent teen and she jumped into the trees, landing on a branch and swiftly, quietly, made her way towards the sound, getting a view of a fiery red mane of hair that could not be missed even to a blind man. Curious, but she, thinking she was in the clear, simply just watched for the moment out of minor intrigue. There wasn't much else to do, at least, and despite the initial desire to temporarily forsake the duties of a shinobi, it was too strongly ingrained into her mind and soul, her heart, to let something which piques her interest to simply go unexplored. Sayomi would keep her keen eyes, brown with shades of purple seemingly mixed in perfectly, reflecting in the light that would seep through the treetops, trained on the woman in order to determine whether she was friend or foe.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

As Kitsune was wandering further towards her province, a thought came to mind. What if she had made a construction error in the eyes and connected the wrong nerves… Hm. Something in the surroundings had changed. Kitsune stopped up and looked ahead of her. She had that strange feeling of being watched, that feeling where you can just feel eyes staring at you, specifically on her back, from above. Kitsune turned around and looked up towards the trees, and bam. There she was, the person watching. ”You know, spying on people isn’t polite, dear.” Kitsune said and chuckled. ”Why don’t you come down from there and we can talk properly?”

If the young girl came down from the tree, Kitsune would then present herself. ”Duchess Shinrya Kitsune, Chief Mednin of Kumogakure. And yourself?” she’d ask and extend her hand for a handshake. Who knows, maybe the kidling was out training. Or just exploring. ”Are you out here by yourself, kiddo?” she asked ”And… What’re you even doing? Training? Exploring? If you want, I’ve got some land not too far away from here, if you need to rest we can go there and have a nice lunch. I’m sure my staff there can whip us up a nice meal.”

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Congratulations You've Found Fox!​

Kichirou had wandered off from his lesson deciding to do some exploring early in the morning. He'd had fun exploring the local wilderness but after many hours of wandering the little fox had found himself beginning to tire. It was at this moment he stumbled across a small clearing just on the outcropping of the clearing was a lovely shrub. Curling up within the flora he curled up & dozed off. Hours had passed with the young fox silently sleeping in the bush. That was when it happened the sound of a woman's voice roused the little Kitsune from his slumber. Stretching out in the shrub he rolled over his ears twitching as they turned to find the source of the disturbance. It was then he saw her a woman with the most beautiful crimson hair. Lifting a paw to his face the young Kitsune rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes & gave a little yawn.

Those golden eyes moved from the woman to the surrounding clearing 'I can't see anyone else around who was she talking too?' he thought to himself wondering if they were alone. She spoke again this time asking someone to come down from somewhere. Golden orb-like eyes moved back to the crimson haired woman following her gaze to the tree. But the little fox couldn't see who she was talking to, he sat attentively watching to see who or what would come down from the tree. That was when he saw them those brown orbs starring out from behind the bushes in the treetop. The little foxes jaw dropped he was in the middle of two shinobi his ears swiveled to train on both of the shinobi. Kichirou may have been extremely small but this more often then not usually worked in his favor.

Unfortunately the little foxes curiosity got the better of his self control, that big bushy tail of his swung around him fluffing the bushiest part of his tail out before him he rested his head upon it. Eager to watch the exchange between the two human shinobi. However in his freshly awoken state & curiosity he had forgot to worry about noise. As he heard movement from the tree his paw moved grasping the ground in excitement. However this movement knocked a small pebble sending it skipping forward. Those golden eyes widened with a mixture of shock & horror. What would he do if they found him? Wishing with all his might he hoped that the small stone would halt its journey. However much to Kichirou's dismay it seemed this stone had no intention of doing that. Whole body tense he waited for the small tap of the stone colliding with the shinobi's footwear. Poised within the bush he was statue-like & unblinking even that tail of his did not waver.

Should either of the shinobi's gaze pass over the shrubs they might just see those golden eyes looking back at them. A mixture of fear & curiosity reflected in those golden orbs. Perhaps they would even see the beautiful hues of his soft yellowish-red fur through the spaces of the leaves. Maybe just maybe it would be the partially exposed beautiful white fur that was speckled with dirt from his nap. Kichirou was filled with fear his instincts crying out for him to flee this dangerous situation. But the young Kitsune's curiosity was getting the better of him. No matter how strong the sensation to flee was there was an unwavering curiosity that burned at the core of the little fox. Demanding he stay & learn more about the shinobi. Haruki often told him to be careful as curiosity killed the cat. Kyou however often reminded Kichirou that they were foxes not cats. Often being all that was needed to lift the little foxes spirits.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The girl's eyes remained fixed and her confidence assured her that there would be no problem tailing a lone person for just a little bit, novice though she may be, she was still a shinobi after all. In fact, she jumped to the next branch for just a moment, waiting for what seemed like mere seconds before the woman seemed no longer interested in this game of being tailed like a cat spied upon by the wary mouse, but what she said seemed very un-predatory like. However, the shock of being detected did not go without consequences as the young brunette slipped and barely caught herself in time for some stability, another pathetic error that hopefully wouldn't be put on her record for others to see as the youth scolded herself internally for such a disreputable failure as this.

Taking the offer and thinking it wise to accept in case her observatory skills were not the only thing exceptional about this woman, Sayomi descended from her lofty branch swiftly and silently, or so she would normally believe before this mishap. The name the redhead gave was something that seemed to ring with familiarity and the title she carried was certainly prestigious enough that the storm caller doubled down on her scolding for not knowing the face immediately. "I'm...I mean, my name...is Sayomi. Sayomi Santaru? I'm a genin, but...not very talented. No one of importance," she stated, as simple and right as rain. Despite the internal disappointment in herself, the belittling words that she spoke seemed to lack any cry for self pity or that she was depressed in her station. It was just simply a fact that had no sway over her emotional state. Just the honest truth. O-Oh, no. I mean...I just finished a mission with my teacher, Kaji and...well, he said for us to take a small break so, well, my grandparents live not far and I like...well, exploring," the girl stumbled over her words in explanation, a pause punctuated with a deep breath before continuing.

"P-Please, don't worry, miss. I don't need a-anythi-," she stopped partway through the lie (as it was clear the girl clearly had been underfed for years by her lithe physique, but something seemed to puzzle her. Despite being so easily detected by whom was now identified as a highly skilled ninja in her own right, far outstripping any credentials Sayomi would likely ever accomplish, the brunette was still a ninja and her senses went on high alert as a simple pebble bounced its way from rustling bushes. Most people would brush it off, but it seemed too curious for the girl to ignore and she turned in the direction it came, immediately detecting traces of a small animal that was mostly obscured.

She couldn't help it, those large golden eyes and the soft patches of fur that were exposed immediately told the teen that this was something adorable and that it was not something to be afraid of, that was always how she thought, at least. If it were cute, then it wouldn't cause harm and she quickly looked over to Kitsune, trying to keep one eye firmly fixed upon the animal's location. "M-Miss Shinrya? I think...we're being watched," she simply stated, not wanting to scare it away by moving closer, though it did not stop a small blush from darkening pale cheeks from the thought of how adorable and soft it would be to hold and cuddle, if she ever were brave enough to actually do so, that is.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled at the girls stumbling over her words and whole general nervousness ”It’s okay, take a deep breath. Calm down. And don’t say you’re no one of importance. Everyone is in one way or another. As for talent, well, that’s a relative thing. Besides. Skill lies with hard work.” she said with a friendly wink. ”You like exploring, eh? Well it just so happens that I do as well. There’s still plenty places I haven’t seen or bee--” she stopped halfway through a word and turned her head down, to look at the pebble that came rolling towards them.

She turned her head towards where the pebble came rolling from and spotted large golden eyes and fur. It didn’t seem like anything big or immediately dangerous… Though Mother Nature was a deceitful temptress in this world, so really it could be anything from something immediately cute, but horrendously venomous, or something that only looked cute from afar but really was a horrible mutated beast when looking at it up close. The chakra flow in the area around it didn’t seem to indicate anything much bigger than maybe two handfuls of furball, so it didn’t seem like it was actually a threat.

”I’d say you’re right Sayomi-chan. We most definitely are being watched.” Kitsune said softly, grinning a bit as she noticed the young shinobi blushing. Ah, the watcher being the watched. Kitsune wondered how that’d feel for a young girl like this. Regardless, there were more immediate concerns, like finding out what kind of creature was watching them. So Kitsune knelt down and extended a hand before saying ”We’re not going to harm you.” in as non-threatening a way as she could ”My name is Kitsune, and the girl beside me is Sayomi. We wish you no harm little one.”

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

The exchange between the shinobi seemed to be going well enough, the young fox couldn't sense any hostilities between the two. Unfortunately they were not so focused on one another that the pebble launched fourth by his lack of concentration went unnoticed. Both of the shinobi immediately stopped talking their gaze moving to the bush Kichirou hid within. His mind raced with thoughts what would he do now? Even though they had noticed him they didn't seem aggressive if anything curious. It was when the Duchess with that beautiful crimson hair knelt down reaching towards the bush. Her words seemed genuine but he had been warned enough times about humans & the dangers that came with it.

Those golden eyes moved to the young kunoichi he seemed to blushing with excitement. Cautious he stepped out from the bush, slipping gracefully through the branches. He stepped forward watching the two shinobi before him. Once he was out of the bush he would sit, that beautiful yellowish-red fur of his shining in the light. That big bushy tail of his curled around him as he looked up at Kitsune. It was a peculiar name for a human, his gaze would shift to the girl named Sayomi. He would give a warm smile before turning his gaze to Kitsune "Sorry Duchess Kitsune & miss Sayomi, I wasn't spying. I was just having a nap when..." he paused raising a paw to his head & scratching behind his ear. Haruki would not be pleased to hear he had chosen to nap where two humans could stumble upon him. Not just any humans two shinobi, well if he was going to get in trouble he may as well make it worth it.

"...well when I heard you two." he would say giving a tired yawn & wiping his eye. The young Kitsune had hoped to get a longer nap, but hopefully he could at least have some fun. Kumogakure he tried to remember why that sounded so familiar, after a moment he realized it had been from one of his classes. It was one of the great shinobi villages. Curiosity burned in his eyes why were the humans here? From what he had been told most humans did not like the wilderness. It was why they all lived together in their massive cities to keep the wilderness away from them. But these two kunoichi had done the exact opposite, they didn't seem bothered by him. Not that he had thought they would, after all he was the cutest of his kin by far.Little did the young fox know that he had possibly just caused someone to go into cuteness overdrive.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The older woman was sweet to say such things, so Sayomi thought, especially since it were untrue and Kitsune could not know whether she was someone or nobody, especially since she had never seen the little ninja ever practice her trade. That was for the best, at least, because this way the redhead could say such things in blissful ignorance instead of the crushing reality that was her branch family's lack of skill that she had inherited. The wink from the busty woman was a bit confusing, after all, what was a wink exactly supposed to mean? Was it flirting? The confusion of trying to decipher the secret meaning of the action made the teen fidget in place and kept her characteristically silent for a few moments more until the series of events to come would begin with a flick of a pebble.

Thankfully, however, Kitsune believed her, though it wasn't surprising since her senses were clearly more finely tuned than her own and they peered forth towards the curious fluffed fur and the bright eyes that gazed unwavering at the two women and the older shinobi approached the creature, trying to coax it forward with honeyed words to great success. Perhaps greater than she could have gathered as it began to squeak in the cutest little voice, but not fox language. That of actual human speech and Sayomi gasped silently, covering her mouth and trying to cover parts of her cheeks which were flushed more so from the cuteness of the animal.

He was so polite as well! The little voice with those big adorable, oversized golden eyes and twitchy little ears, his sleep-filled voice, scratching his ear with his paw. It was all too much for the teen and it seemed impossible to control her body at the moment as her hands lowered slightly to show her jaw completely dropped as her wide eyes, as big as saucers, seemed to shimmer and sparkle with awe and wonder. It was too much. Far too much. And despite how frozen she was otherwise, she was capable of saying one thing before going to her previously frozen position. "T-Too...too cute...

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled ”I suppose everyone needs a catnap now and again. Or, I suppose in your case it’d be a foxnap?” she said with a grin ”You look like you’ve got a million questions though. I’d like to answer them all, if I can. I’d imagine the first question on your mind is what we’re doing all the way out here in the wilderness. Well. I can’t speak for Sayomi-chan here, but I was on my way to the nearby province of Raimei no Seika. I own it and as such, have a duty to see how it’s doing from time to time. That of course, includes tending to the large shrine my clan has, which eh… Would probably interest you, as it’s dedicated to fox spirits. It’s also why I have the name I have. I come from a clan that believe their prosperity to be due to guidance from fox spirits, you see.”

After that explanation, Kitsune looked at Sayomi who had frozen up and poked her nose. ”Come now Sayomi-chan. You can’t just stand there all frozen-like.” she pointed out ”What’s your name little one?” she asked the little fox, trying to get some more conversation going, possibly to get the little fox to come with them, or other such advances in the plot. It was fair to assume that they couldn’t just stand around in that place all day long, so Kitsune did her job to try and move things along. After, hopefully, getting the name of the cute little fox, Kitsune would then state ”Well. I’m still supposed to head to my province. You’re both welcome to join me there. And of course, you’re welcome to ride on my shoulder, little one. Or my head, if you prefer being a headfox.” she finished with a chuckle.

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Kichirou watched the youngest of the two shinobi she seemed to be in some state of shock. When she spoke he smiled giving a small nod of his head "Thank you Miss Sayomi." the young fox would say remembering the proper custom for receiving a compliment. It was the crimson haired shinobi who spoke next to him, he smiled at her play on words. So far his instincts had seemed right, they both didn't appear like they would become a threat. A wide smile appeared across his face with a slightly guilty look in his eyes. It wasn't often he got to meet humans he was indeed full of questions. 'What should I ask first? What do you ask a human?' he thought to himself not knowing what was customary for these beings, not wanting to be rude by asking improper questions.

The Duchess went on to tell him why she was in the wilderness. Having been on her way to a property she owned, apparently she had duties at a local shrine to attend to. When she spoke saying the shrine was devoted to fox spirits his eyes lit up. She went on to say that her family believed their prosperity had come from the favor of such entities. 'Wow there are humans who worship foxes?! Wait till I tell Haruki!' he thought with excitement, Kitsune turned her attention to the young shinobi named Sayomi giving her encouragement. Kichirou looked at her once more with a smile, had he misheard her maybe she was scared of him. Duchess Kitsune asked him what his name was before he could say anything more to the young kunoichi. "My name is Kichirou...I'm the youngest of my kin." he would say with a small smile bowing once more even placing a paw in front f him as he did so.

Kitsune then invited both the young kunoichi & himself to her lands he beamed with excitement. Although he knew that Haruki would not be pleased, but how could he say no? There was a clan of shinobi who worshiped fox spirits! He was going to be talking about this for weeks with the other foxes. Nodding his head he would say "Only if it wouldn't be a bother miss I would love to see it!" there was an undeniable excitement to his words. Turning his gaze to Sayomi he would speak to the young kunoichi "Miss Sayomi are you going to come? I've never seen a human fox shrine, have you?" he would ask her those golden eyes beaming with the desire for adventure. Standing up he would stretch giving a final yawn as he did so.

"I can't believe I'm going to a fox shrine with two ninja!" he would exclaim with youthful delight. Unable to contain his joy about the adventure, he spent so much time in his classes imagining about the chance to go on these adventures. Now he here was in the wilderness of the Land of Lightning on his way to see a fox shrine. In the company of two shinobi nonetheless, he felt like one of those foxes from the old legends of his Lore lessons. His fur shined in the light as he stood before them on his two bag legs, that bushy tail balanced behind him. Standing there all calm with his guard down. It was an optimal hug opportunity little did the fox know he was at risk of such attacks.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

Foxnap. A fox, napping. Even the name sounded so cute as her gaze focused solely on the adorable tiny ball of fluff that was before her and though she wanted nothing more than to hold the small creature in her arms and nuzzle her cheek against his, a semblance of self control and, more so, fear and respect kept her from making any attempt. As clouded as her better judgement was, she still wore a bearing of responsibility and loosely paid attention to the words of the older woman and she was shocked to learn how propertied she seemed to be, even more than she had expected being the chief medical officer. The indication of an extreme family wealth was present, perhaps close to the level of the Santaru...maybe. The history of the Cloud was something the girl was never very skilled in and family names of importance often escaped her when not attached to a specific person.

However, the look and expression on the furry baby's face filled the teen with such joy that she couldn't help but smile, snapping to attention when addressed directly by the redhead. "Y-Yes, ma'am," she responded, seemingly even more rigid while standing almost at military attention than she was earlier when had froze up from the cuteness. The blush still remained, but only out of embarrassment from being called out on her flaw. Even his little name was adorable. Kichirou. The harsh exterior began to melt when the fox cub looked her way once more and spoke again to her, getting a light shake of her head as an instant response. "I haven't. It'll be...my first time as well. It sounds wonderful though...a shrine to lovely foxes." Sayomi responded, trying hard not to stumble over all her words, with only mild success

It made her smile all the more and when he stood up on his hind legs, his bushy tail of floof all puffed up, the teenager was nearly overcome with a powerful urge to scoop him up once and for a split second, she moved to do so, but instead recoiled instantly and composed herself properly. Instead, she walked behind as they began their journey the red haired woman and small fox cub, almost mesmerized by the fluff of his tail until finally she mustered up the courage to ask him a question. Not that it hadn't been offered by Kitsune earlier, but he didn't seem to accept, perhaps he would her request. "Mi...Kichirou-s...chan..." she started, not sure how to address him, but since he was simply a cub, it seemed more appropriate. Especially with his adorable features. "Would you mind...if perhaps, I could carry you?"

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled at Kichirous reaction to being told where she had intended to go and decided to kneel down, and pick him up carefully before placing him on top of Sayomis head. ”While I’m a head researcher, you’re now a head fox, Kichirou-kun~” Kitsune said, laughing a bit ”I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. And by no means is you joining in a bother. On the contrary, I think it could be fun. Besides, how could I say no to letting you come? You’re absolutely the cutest thing on four legs this side of anywhere. It could turn out to be quite the adventure too.”

Who knows? All sorts of shenanigans could happen while on their way to Kitsunes province. Heck, they could get sucked into an alternate dimension populated by giant marshmallows. Or, perhaps not. Giant marshmallows inhabiting a dimension sounded weird enough without the fact that dimension jumping was practically impossible for more time than a split second. It was apparently how her very own Takaamahara worked. By taking her into a separate dimension and using that to shorten the distance between any two points she wanted to go from and to. Quite ingenious from a scientific standpoint, but infinitely difficult to replicate in reality.

Ever the scientist, Kitsune made all sorts of notes about this little furry fox in her head, all about how it could talk, its size, all those important details. Then it occurred to her. Could it be like the felines she had made a contract with way back when Daisuke taught her about them? If this was really a fox of the kind that made contracts with people, then Kitsune would definitely want to make one. Having her own partner fox would be absolutely fantastic, and absolutely the cutest thing ever. She practically squeed internally with cuteness overload.

[WC: 304; MFT]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Those golden eyes watched how the young kunoichi responded to the Duchess. When she answered his question he beamed 'An adventure for us all then.' he thought excitedly. Miss Sayomi stepped forward with what looked like intent to scoop him from the ground. However she quickly caught herself quickly, it looked like she was trying to muster up the courage to ask him a question. 'Haruki never said that humans would want to carry me! This just keeps getting better!' he thought excitedly. Although he had already been asked if he'd wanted to be carried he was unsure at the time. Finally Sayomi mustered up the courage & asked if he would mind if she carried him. "Ofcour..." he abruptly stopped speaking as he was scooped up by Kitsune & placed up Miss Sayomi's head.

When she made her joke he giggled when she apologized he shook his head. "It's okay Lady Kitsune. It would be so fun! Then I could tell the others!" he would say with a wide smile revealing those sharp fox teeth in a cheeky grin, unaware that Haruki was currently moving through the Heartland in anxious search of the youth. He couldn't stop imagining them going on some grand adventure. At the words of the crimson haired woman he nodded before sliding forward more on Sayomi paws on either side of her face as he looked at her from atop her own head. This close he could see the most amazing flecks of purple within her eyes. "You have pretty eyes Miss Sayomi." he would say with a wide grin. That fluffy soft tail swished back & fourth against Sayomi's neck. Thinking about the adventures that could be had before them who knew what would happen.

Once they had begun to head to the towards the shrine he took note of which way they went. Not wanting to get lost, while he lay there atop Sayomi's head he couldn't help but think about the shrine. Why would humans have a fox shrine? Maybe one of the ancestors had stumbled upon this crimson haired woman's ancestors. He would have to confer with the Lorekeeper of his people when he returned. That was if Haruki ever let him leave his room again, it was not the first time he had skipped out on one of his classes. How could he stay there when there was so much to see in this world! If he'd stayed there he would have never known about this fox shrine & gotten the chance to know these shinobi from Cloud. The closer they got towards the shrine the closer something else got to them.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

Sayomi wasn't exactly sure how to classify this strange turn of events, the world was definitely unusual, that was the honest truth. The day was initially expected to go slowly, a relaxing vacation by herself to contemplate her thoughts and recent events, yet now she followed a prominent figure and the cutest little fox her eyes have her beheld. A gaze just utterly transfixed as it walked in front of her, tail wagging with each step, even as she were to ask to hold it, but the Med Chief had different plans and picked up the adorable canine and placed it promptly on her head. The young Santaru didn't even feel it's claws upon her brunette locks, only the soft fur pressing down on her skull and the blush returned bright as ever. She wanted to giggle at the woman's joke, but dared not move too much lest the poor creature would plummet all the way to the ground. Such a travesty could not be allowed.

And so the poor Sayomi had become immediately very rigid in her movements, to ensure the safest journey for the baby cute bundle of fur on top of her head, though she did dare to reach slowly up and took the liberty of allowing her soft fingers to pass over bristling cuddly fur of the fox and almost squeed with delight. If her blush wasn't bright enough, it burned further as Kichiru's face suddenly appeared in front of hers with a compliment on his lips...snout. "W-Why, thank you, Kichiru-chan," she said politely as possible, looking to return the compliment. "You're so soft, softest of...anything I've felt before," as she looked forward, walking slowly in Kitsune's footsteps.

Then a thought popped into her head, making her ponder many things as well, looking at the back of the crimson-haired woman that led them. "S-Shinrya-sama? What's...a fox shrine like? What kind of...adventure will we have...if i-it isn't too bold to ask..." At this point, the inexperienced genin was no longer even conscious of the fact that she still gently pet the baby fox that sat upon her head.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled ”Well, who knows what we’ll experience on the trip there? Isn’t that the whole point of adventures?” she posited, knowing full well that anything could happen. Well. Almost anything. It wasn’t like a dragon was going to do a fly-by or anything. Right? ”As for the shrines, well, they’re the more traditional kind of shrine you’d be able to find in the older parts of Kumogakure, you know, with big torii at the entrance and all that jazz.” she explained as she led the way to her homelands, through dense forestation with a wide path to follow. If it were up to Kitsune, she’d have a cobblestoned path from her provinces capital to Kumogakure, but then again, the maintenance on such a path would be pretty intense…

”If we keep this pace, we should be hitting the borders of my province within the hour. So we’re making great time as it is.” Kitsune said cheerfully ”Ordinarily I take a carriage. Imagine if I had done so today as well. Then I wouldn’t have bumped into either of you. And there’d be no adventure!” Kitsune hypothesized. And it was true. Nothing ever happened on the carriage trips from Kumogakure to Raimei no Seika, or even on the way back.
It was quite boring to just sit in a carriage for a few hours. Sometimes you had to get outside and take a walk. Of course, it also gave her the opportunity to meet the locals if she bumped into any of them. Listening to their troubles was also one of her jobs as owner of a province. Just last time she went, she was told of a large beast plaguing a village on the border of the province. Needless to say, she handled it with ease by essentially turning it into a barbeque feast.

[MFT; WC: 305]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Kichirou listened intently to the words of the Duchess as she spoke. He felt the same way who knew what wonderful adventures lay ahead of them as they continued their journey. Miss Sayomi blushed brightly at the little Kitsunes compliment, offering one in return saying she was the softest thing she'd felt in her life. Those Golden eyes would beam with pride Kichirou always remembered to look after his coat. After all when he was out he represented his people even in his young age Kichirou showed a natural wit although he was too shy to show others his true potential. Miss Sayomi seemed to be just as interested in the shrine as Kichirou was, asking the crimson haired woman about it as well.

Kitsune proceeded to tell them it was one of the more traditional shrines that could be found around the oldest parts of Kumogakure. "Yup & if you hadn't busted Miss Sayomi..." he would stop to look down at the young kunoichi with a cheeky grin. "Then I wouldn't have woken up & we wouldn't be on our way to an awesome adventure!" he would say excitedly to the group of kunoichi. Kichirou began to hum as they continued walking down the path after a small while he slid forward off the top of MIss Sayomi's head. Giving a small yelp-like cry of "Fox-down!" in jest although one could easily mistake the vocalisation as authentic. Sayomi would see a golden blur of fur fall passed her gaze as the weight that was upon her head no longer weighed her down. No doubt Kitsune would hear-like the exclamation of shock if she was not looking at the two already.

Doing a very cat-like twist so that if either kunoichi attempted to catch him he would land comfortably on his back in their arms. What looked to be a simple lapse of concentration was actually more of a surprise trust fall. A playful smile was upon his face as he fell through the air. But would either of them notice the subtle intentional shift in his bodies positioning that had caused the initial fall? It was possible, though it was also just as likely the movement was taken as an attempt to adjust oneself to prevent precisely what had just happened. The little foxes arms outstretched above him in a dramatic display as if this fall was going to be fatal.

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

Sayomi thought on the red-haired woman's words for a moment, pondering things and wondering if there could be any flaws in the logic, but found nothing immediate so she shook her head, but very softly as to not bother the adorable little creature that sat perched upon her brunette locks. "I g-guess that makes sense," she said, now trying to recall what the older parts of Kumo looked like. It was a large, mountainous country that their village resided and she lived on the outskirts, so knew very little of the entirety of the village. The Torii, however, was known to one and all and certainly Sayomi did not want to seem stupid or ignorant, so she focused on what she did know as opposed to the lack of knowledge. "O-Oh! I know that." Simply stated.

Kichirou caught the girl off guard with his first comment, something which the young kunoichi had to protest almost immediately from how wrong it felt to say she was busted. "B-Busted? I wasn't...I wasn't doing anything wrong. C-Certainly not to be busted..." chirped the girl as a rebuttal to what was meant to be a humorous comment. However, not much was allowed as the orange ball of fur seemed not as graceful as the littlest Santaru would have assumed and fell, but the shout caused the girl to panic and immediately hold out her arms as the small creature fell down, catching him in her arms. So...soft. He was so soft and looked so adorable and helpless as he laid in her arms. The teen's heart pounded wildly at the surprise, eyes widened in horror as the brunette looked on with fear and concern. "F-Foxy? K...Kichirou-chan? Are...are you alright?! Please don't b-be hurt..." she raggedly pleaded with the creature that she cradled close to her body, softly so not to crush him but close enough to feel the bristle of golden fur against her clothing.

 

[Shinrya Kitsune]

Kitsune chuckled at how flustered Sayomi got whenever Kichirou said anything. She was smitten, that’s for sure. If Kitsune had to give a diagnosis, Sayomi had caught a bad case of Foxy Fever, which was harmless but left the patient smitten with foxes. ”That much is true. You haven’t done anything that’d be qualified as ‘bustable’.” Kitsune said in a chipper tone ”Shouldn’t be long now. Once we get over the next hill you should be able to see the biggest of the torii.” Kitsune continued, gesturing to the small hill in front of them. It wasn’t steep or anything, just tall enough to obscure the horizon.

Right at that moment in time, Kichirou decided to do his trust exercise, and if Sayomi hadn’t caught him, Kitsune would have. She had already spun around, ready to handle whatever might be the situation as Sayomi reached out to catch the small bundle of fur. ”Good catch, Sayomi-chan. Excellent reflexes. As expected from a Kumogakure kunoichi.” Kitsune said with a bright smile, proud that Sayomi had, without failure, caught the small fox that slid off her head. ”Be careful not to drop him though. We’ve still got a little while before we reach the first torii. And from there, we’ve got a bunch of stairs to climb”

Yup, stairs. The worst thing ever. But that was the way to get up without straining your ankles due to uneven terrain and trying to walk up a literal hillside. In ancient times, the stairs had been simple cobblestone stairs, but in more recent times, they had been converted into granite steps until the very last bit which had marble steps. Granted, in this case “recent” mostly referred to within the past two hundred years. Some of the marble steps had been worn down, so they had a slight groove worn into them from where people had walked up and down. This also meant they’d be slippery when wet, but with today being a bright sunny day, the cheery trio would have absolutely no issues with that.

[MFT; WC: 342]

 

[Miroku Akkuma]

Kichirou only glowed with excitement he couldn't believe he was going to get to see the genuine Torri at the entrance to an Ancient Fox shrine. After his statement at how Kitsune had busted Sayomi he couldn't help but giggle at her reaction. She looked so shocked by his words immediately saying she hadn't done anything wrong. At least in the way that justified his use of that particular word. Kitsune had agreed & the young fox wondered if it was because they were ninja. After all espionage was commonplace in the life of a shinobi. Even if they had missed the joke he certainly found joy in their reaction. Kitsune said that they were close to the first of the Torri now & as they spoke he plunged forward into the empty air. Sayomi's words made the young fox giggle mischievously as Kitsune complimented the kunoichi on her reflexes.

"I'm okay thanks to you Miss Sayomi, you saved me!" he would say with a wide smile hoping to make her feel better. Kitsune's efforts to come to his aid had not gone unnoticed by the young fox either. The Duchess told Sayomi to be careful not to drop him & he very much doubted that she would. With the care she was taking to cradle him in her arms, he enjoyed the warmth of being in her arms. Soon they would be at the Ancient Shrine & the young fox as if he were going to burst with excitement. When the Fox fellowship journeyed over the horizon he saw to his amazement the massive Torri at the base of the stairs. His eyes shone with the joy of seeing something he had never come across before. To think that he had almost made it to a real Fox Shrine a place where his people were paid tribute. The young fox had only dreamed of accomplishing such a feat how little time he was given outside of training & aiding the summoners of his kin.

"It's amazing! Thank you Duchess Kitsune & Miss Sayomi! I never thought I'd get to see something like this! Look at how big that Torri is! Wow look at all those stairs! Climbing all those...now that's a test of devotion!" he would say with awe, to think people climbed all those stairs to pay tribute to foxes. He couldn't wait to ask Kyou he was sure the old fox would enjoy hearing of his adventure. That is after Yuna was done scolding him for making her fret so much. But it would be well & truly worth it in his mind. Kichirou would certainly never forget his time with these two humans. It was at this time a dark & ominous presence could be felt from behind them. Whatever the source to this sensation was it wasn't yet visible to the group. The young fox gotten a sinking feeling in his stomach, no it couldn't be.

"No...No...it can't be him." the words stuttered from his mouth as he looked up at the shrine he was so close. No he wouldn't be stopped not when they were so close. Looking up at his two shinobi companions with desperation in those golden eyes of his he pleaded with them. "We have to get to the shrine quickly! Please will you help me?" To be so close & know that Yashoku was on his tail. If he was here it meant Haruki had sent him, meaning that he would not leave without the young fox. With tear filled eyes he looked up at those two shinobi with a desperation that was vastly more dramatic then needed. But to the young fox this was an urgent matter, it was so rare he got to go on adventures. Nonetheless with a pair of humans who he had come to regard as friends.

(There is a Dark & Ominous presence on the horizon behind the Fox Fellowship Duh...duh..duuuuuh.)

 

[Santaru Sayomi]

The young shinobi made sure to pay close attention to the woman's words, listening quite intently on her description of what to come for the newly formed trio and smiled as she reaffirmed Sayomi's innocence to the little fox. So intently, that she quite panicked when hearing the fox's words, yet now she had the most adorable little ball of fluff imaginable to the world cradled within her arms. It was now, thankfully, safe in her arms, the soft fur bristling against her pale skin and making her want to squeal with delight all the more with the minor amount of weight twisting ever so slightly as Kichirou made himself comfortable and soon Sayomi found herself holding the prescious cub much like a baby, holding the fox gently yet firmly so he didn't drop. She blushed at the words of both the duchess and the fox himself. "O-Of course, I'm h-happy to save...anyone I can...and t-thank you, Kitsune-sama..." Though, she did shake her head immediately at the notion that it might be possible to drop the adorable creature. "Oh, n-no. I would never...unless Kichi-chan would...prefer to be somewhere else. I wouldn't stop you," though a sad tone as she looked down to his fuzzy muzzle with a soft squeeze described her thoughts on the matter of not holding him perfectly.

The mass of stairs that now lay before them, with the giant Torii marking the entrance to the shrine that they had now reached, posed an intimidating feature for the young shinobi who marveled at the sheer amount of this undertaking, nibbling on her lower lip reluctantly. For a moment, she almost thought about hesistation at the obstacle before her, but it was the cheerful words of awe from the bundle of fluff she held that convinced her the trip was worth it. A test of devotion and she certainly would be devoted from this moment on to honoring all foxes no matter what. Unintentionally, the girl did a soft, verbal reaffirmation to herself under her breath coupled with a nod. "mmhm! I can do this..." she said, as she started up the stairs at a quickened pace than she normally would have approached it.

"I'm...very excited to see it! T-The best destinations have the longest journeys, don't they?" She repeated, having heard that from somewhere though not entirely knowing if that were true or where the source came from either, but it was said anyways. However, the soft bristle of the cub's fur started to get more active as he seemed to squirm, his movements a bit erratic and when he spoke, his voice was drenched in fear, terror. The young Santaru was always sensitive to such things concerning self-preservation aspect of life, having been meek and small her entire existance, though outside his own panic, she could scarcely understand what there was to be worried about, sensing nothing of the sort in the air. However, he was a fox and even the youngest storm caller knew better to question the instincts of animals so she gave him a nod of confirmation and held him even closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around him. "We w-won't let anything happen to you, Kichi-chan! I p-promise..." she stated protectively, looking to Kitsune, whom she felt would be the real protector of the group if anyone were. "R-Right, Kitsune-sama?" Without even waiting for confirmation, her own pace had become swift as they continued to trek up the stairs.