Locker #: 0000 Gaian Name: Kagetsukiko Guild Status: Member Written Permission: n/a Extra Note: The information in this locker pertains only to what Angel owns, not to what she carries around with her.
This story takes place in a village. This village is not like others, and to understand the story the village must be understood. Because, you see, the Kyuubi is woven deep into this village's history.
The village was an odd one. Made centuries ago by a group of Mizu no Kuni orphans that were trained by Kumogakure to either become the Kyuubi host or assist the host, it grew into a decent population but never past that. At some point after its founding, the Kyuubi host, who was an orphan like the founders, joined the village with her family. From then on, the village had always tasked itself with sealing the Kyuubi away safely from the rest of the world, passing it down from one host to the next. As time passed, the Kyuubi host came to be considered a founder, though she technically was not, because of her relation to the true founders. Ironically enough, legends weaved her into the leader of the founders, and it was only her name, out of everyone else's, that was remembered: Tsuki Mizutou.
The village wasn't a ninja village. However, 100% of its tiny population knew ninjutsu and were at least as proficient as the average genin at fighting. Most just lived peaceful lives as farmers, ranchers, merchants, or performing other services the small village needed. They would weave ninjutsu, taijutsu, and even genjutsu into their everyday work. Of course, the doctors were all practiced in medical jutsu. A big source of income for the village was catering to those outsiders who came in to commission master sealers with seals.
There were some that made a living in combat, taking on missions. Of note were the Kyuubi hosts, who were always expected to be able to fight for and protect their village. The power of the Kyuubi host, made known through its numerous successful mission, was one of the three main reasons why the village remained untouched despite its meager size. The other two were reasons were its valuable sealers and its isolated location. There was never enough reason to target the village, or if there was, there was an equally good reason to stay on its good side.
The secret behind the 100% shinobi skill rate was in the village's size and the importance it placed on bonds. Bonds between family. Bonds between friends. Bonds between fellow villagers. Unity was a strong point, and all children, regardless of social class or age, were taught together until they hit 20 years of age. They learned reading, writing, and hand signs together. Sealing was also introduced early, and all with a shred of talent, were encouraged to specialize in it. Because the village was so small, the few children it had were naturally attracted to building friendships regarding of social standing and economic wealth. The friendships bloomed as they grew, so that when they were all adults, it wasn't strange for the head of the Fah'rel family to be merrily chatting with a village farmer every now and then.
For something so small, the village did have a rather high number of prominent families. With each generation, the strongest families fluctuated. Social mobility was encouraged with the communal teaching and the village's differing needs often dictated which family had the most influence. Most who reached prominence didn't feel much need to remain. As mentioned, the Fah'rel family was one, and it was just about the only constant family. Boasting descent from the original Kyuubi host, they were famous for their Uzumaki lineage, which gave them many a customer willing to pay much for their sealing abilities. Not to mention, the Fah'rel almost always played a major role whenever the Kyuubi was transferred from host to vessel to host, which made them an important and well-respected core of the village. Their wealth isn't immediately apparent. The village's small size rather limits the ways affluence can be displayed. However, throughout the known world, there are several land holdings respected as being under the Fah'rel name.
↬ Tale as Old as Time
The sky was clear today in the village. Not a cloud in sight and a cool breeze that made it feel like all was right in the world and would be for the rest of time. Under a tree like so many others around it sat a circle of kids. The apparent leader, a girl no older than sixteen who stood closest to the trunk of the tree they all stood under, was speaking in everything from a hushed whisper to a bellowing shout. Her hands were just as animated, tracing out movements and lines. She was telling a story, and her audience was attentive to it all. The younger children were captivated while the older, including a couple that looked older than her, were at least enjoying the narration.
That tale was one that was, to them, as old as time itself. It told of a giant beast, which was described as looking like a fox, but nothing like the foxes any of the children had ever seen. The demon had a gaping maw and nine tails, each as big as the village they all lived in. Its snout was as sharp as a sword and its ears like daggers. Gangly limbs, like those of a spider's, deformed the monster's body. The beast had walked through the ocean as if it was little more than shallow puddle and wiped out all the villages it came across. One village, two villages, countless villages. Its unstoppable rampage continued until an army of brave heroes, selfless ninjas that had formed an alliance despite national differences, arrived upon the scene to subdue the beast. It was a hard and long battle. Many lives were lost but many more were saved.
The demon was sealed away into oblivion, but it could only be contained in such a manner for so long. The brave heroes knew this. One village, the strongest of them all, stepped up to take responsibility for keeping the world safe from the demon. To fulfill this solemn responsibility, the village turned to the survivors of the Kyuubi's attack. Only a handful had lived through the mass destruction, and they were all children. The oldest, as the animated narrator put it, was only a year or two older than her. The village took in these children and spirited them away to their village hidden within the cloud-topped mountains. There, the children were trained long and hard. They experienced many grueling hardships and difficulties until, finally, one was chosen: a small girl who couldn't have been any larger than little, five year old Kaguya. Her name, now, is one of the few things the young story teller was absolutely certain of. The name of this chosen girl was Tsuki Mizutou.
Tiny but brave Tsuki, called Little Nezu by her friends, accepted her destiny, because this was certainly her destiny, as Kyuubi's host with much trepidation. In a grand but solemn ceremony, one that took place within a great hall filled with wise symbols written in precious gold and silver, the Kyuubi was drawn from the cage it was just moment's away from breaking and placed within trembling Tsuki, who scared as she was didn't so much as utter a single complaint through it all. After a fierce battle of mettle and wits, a mental trial that challenged Tsuki to face her darkest memories and turn away from the lull of sleeping forever in her most longed for dreams, the beast finally grew desperate. Anything was better than being caged, it thought, and so it decided that it would kill Tsuki, even though that would also mean its death.
Fighting for her life, now, and not just for the safety of all she loved and cherished, Tsuki battled with all her might against the Kyuubi. She used everything she had learned and the thought of her friends, her fellow orphans from Mizu no Kuni pushed her to break her limits. Already, the face down had raged for many days and nights. It continued to rage for many more until at last, finally, she subdued the demon. Alone with no one else to rely on, the little mouse had accomplished what it had taken a whole army of the best and brightest to accomplish.
The climax had been reached and now the story just had to wind down. The tale weaver's hands slowly settled, the two ending clasped in front of her chest as she walked her captivated audience through the aftermath of it all. The demon was subdued and everyone lived happily ever after. With the grand mission accomplished, little Nezu and all of the other orphans that had been her strength in the fight could relax. They left the fabled city of clouds and settled elsewhere. When the brave host passed on, the village she and her friends created all worked together to reseal the Kyuubi into another host. Then when that host passed on, it was sealed into the next. So the monster was passed down. None had to go through the ordeal that Tsuki had to, but all had the same responsibility. "In fact," Pollux, the storyteller, finished amidst applause, "the village still exists and the monster is still passed down from host to host. Brave little Nezu's village is our village. To this day, we keep the terrible demon safely sealed from the rest of the world, and on this very day, the demon, which is called the Kyuubi, is being passed down. Our village was founded by those heroes of the past, and we are their living legacy. We must never forget that, like our ancestors, our strength lies in the bonds we share."
"Child, you weave a wonderful fairy tale," from a patch of shadows that had gone unnoticed until this very moment, a voice cut through the clapping of little hands like a cold wind through a warm fire: acutely felt but with nothing to prove its passing. All had heard, but when they all turned to the patch of shadows, none saw anything.
↬ True as It can be
A dragon-less Lydian? Who would even think of such a thing? Yet, here was one walking through sunny woods, not more than a few hundred meters from a gaggle of children who had just finished story time. Each step and each breath made by the Lydian escaped into the natural world. His movements were not soundless, but the sounds they made became another sound made by the woods, like the rustling of the leaves in the wind or the crackling of bark under the petite paws of a squirrel.
In ages gone by, he had once had to conquer his own urges for conquest out of a wish to stay with his makeshift family of orphans and out of respect for their wish to live a peaceful life with everyone, including him. Again, though, that was ages gone by, when he still had a dragon. The beast, so much like a demon, had been dead for at least a century now, and he had never done a thing with it besides protect the little hamlet he and his friends founded as their new home after they left behind what was known as Kumogakure back then. Now, the hamlet had grown into a village, but not a particularly large one. If he had to guess, the crowd of 30 children or so that he had just cryptically left probably made up the majority of the village's underage population. However, it was evidently able to protect itself. This would be the ancient Lydian's first visit in nearly half a century and the settlement wasn't destroyed at least.
"Heh," the beautiful eyes lit up with good fun as he thought about demons and dragons once more, "Hah. Heh. Oh.. Ahahahaha." The comparison cracked him up, a small joke that was getting much more attention than it deserved. In time, he recovered, though. Stopping in front of a tree, he slid his hand against the rought bark, reminiscing about the past. The connection with nature he had developed over the three centuries he had been one with his dragon had kept his features beautiful and clear, like a pristine pond frozen in time.
"Have I really lived so long that my life has become a fairy tale?" he asked the world around him. Like his footsteps and breath, his voiced thoughts mingled seamlessly with the songs of the birds and the gurgle of a small creek nearby. Years of solitude and generally having no one realize that he was not just a part of the wilderness had given him this silly habit of thinking out loud. It wasn't like anyone would notice, anyways. His rambling continued as he turned away from the tree and leaned his back against it, "Well, I guess it's more about Tsuki. Pff… Bravest of all, was she now? Oh god. That's a good. Pfffft." Another laughing fit overtook the Lydian, this one lasting longer than the previous one. He eventually regained control and, while wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, went right on talking his thoughts out, "Oh. Oh god or gods or whatever there is. Oh, if only the other were here to hear this…. Ah… They're not, but I think I did well in making sure that at least our brave and glorious main character's name was remembered, eh? Nezu the brave! That's got a bit of a nice ring to it, I'd say. Kind of in an ironic and unexpected way, I guess. Everything else was pretty much wrong, but I guess it wasn't bad. It gets across the right points, at least. It'd be good if that kind of story was passed down as sad as it is that it pretty much forgets about everyone else..." like Setsuna and Midori and the pain and sacrifice they went through, not to mention everything the rest had to deal with as well.
He had an appointment to keep, but for just a moment, he wanted to relax and take in the ambience. In ways no younger Lydian could, his senses expanded into the woods around him as he allowed his conscious to spread its wings. The cute children were all still excited about the sudden voice, trying to find out what it was about. Normally, such interest would die down quickly as their whims brought up a new topic. However, it appeared that a theory that the voice may have belonged to the village's guardian goddess kept the discussion alive and strong.
The Lydian smirked. he thought silently as his mind pulled back into his body, . His once serene expression turned into a rather offended "harumph!" as he crossed his arms in contention. Eyes narrowed in offense, he considered, "Sigh," he came to his decision aloud, "They're just kids anyways, I guess it's alright…"
Rather discouraged now that he was considered a goddess of all things, the Lydian decided it was about time for him to head to his appointment. He straightened up, shaking out the disappointment he felt at being misgendered. He didn't have much time left if he didn't want to ruin his solemn arrival.
Taking up a brisk walk, the wizened ancient was shortly out of the small woods and it wasn't long before he walked between rice paddies to the modest center of a simple village. The streets were quiet, far too silent for even a small rural town such as this, but also neat and clean. There were no signs of any sort of rush, much less damage and the Lydian could feel signs of life in the homes. It was clear that some sort of temporary alert had been ordered, one that was planned in advance. the sole pedestrian figured, He found it interesting, he always did, to see how the village's reaction to the transfer of the Kyuubi changed from one generation to the next. One generation completely militarized itself, which was quite a feat considering that the village had never been of the military slant. Another had evacuated the entire population. Still another took the sealing ritual to some distant mountaintop and the honorary guest, the dragon-less Lydian, had to climb a mountain after being told that the location had been moved by the village head's aide.
"Reiko-sama?" a voice coerced the Lydian's, Reiko's, thoughts back to Earth. Catching his rather crude "huh" just in time, Reiko questioned with a more refined, "Hmm?" as he turned to the source of the voice, wondering where he had heard it before.
Before him stood a figure he had seen just moments before. She was a youth that should have been with the other youths in the woods at the edge of the village. he realized, His thoughts were finished by the youth's answer, "Welcome to our humble village, Reiko-sama. We've been expecting you. I am Aonuma Castor, the next host for the Kyuubi." Her greeting was accompanied with a deep standing bow. "Castor… Castor… Castor, you have a twin, do you not?" Reiko framed his question so that it sounded like he knew more than he did. A blink of surprise. After Castor straightened up, she stared rather dumbly at Reiko, clearly taking the bait of his all-knowing act. Surprise in her voice, she answered, "Y-yes. How did you know?". A mysterious smile for theatrics and the suspenseful answer, "I do not know all, but there is much I do as is befitting of this village's guardian." Out of spite, he added in his thoughts, This time, she didn't completely buy what was said, and her doubt showed clearly on her face. She did not pursue the matter further with questions, however, and dutifully moved along the conversation and herself, "This way, please. We will be holding the sealing in the village head's home."
Castor walked Reiko in another direction and, obediently, Reiko followed. The entire walk, he glanced about nonchalantly while musing about how interesting it was that the sealing, this time, would take place right in the village head's home, not even his office. He had to wonder why. There was also something about the girl leading him, something very different from the previous hosts.
They entered the house and then went through a door on the first floor. That's when the question of why was answered. In what must have been originally a study, symbols and runes were scrawled throughout the entirety of the otherwise bare room. There stood three others in the room: a young woman in her late 20s or early 30s with tattoos etched over the entirety of his body in pale silver ink, an elderly man who looked at Reiko with faint recognition, and a small girl that looked like an older version of the littlest of Pollux's audience. Reiko recalled her name was Kaguya so was this a relative of Kaguya? He guessed that the village head was the woman, the Uzumaki, just beginning to walk up to him. He recalled that it was a tradition started by Tsuki for the Uzumaki of this village to mark their bodies with a pale ink rather than the usual black. It would make some sort of sense for her to just make the seal where it was most convenient, in her own house, but that required a certain amazing degree of confidence and bravery,
"Good work, Castor," the apparent head nodded Castor off to the side first. As Castor walked to take her place besides the younger girl, the head of the village confirmed the status Reiko had assumed, "Reiko-sama, it is an honor to meet you," a bow of respect but not as deep as the one given by Castor, "I am Fah'rel Azura, head of this village." Her eyes locked straight onto the ancient's without fear. Maintaining his composure, Reiko nodded sagely. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Azura," he returned and then posed a question, "Castor introduced herself on her way here as the next host, but I've noticed that she… isn't a sealer? Hasn't it always been a sealer to inherit Kyuub?". Behind Azura, Castor blew a strand of her from her face in obvious annoyance. "No, she isn't," Azura began, calm, composed, and certain of her decision, "but-". Before she could finish her sentence, though, Castor stood up for herself, "But we also thought that the village guardian was supposed to be a goddess, not some old man who's stuck in the past." Castor bravely stepped up but showed no sign of disrespect. For the record, Reiko was actually quite pretty and just in case it wasn't obvious he was male. If he had been his young self, Castor would have been sent flying across the room. As it is he just barely contained his inner violence and stared silently at the cheeky brat. He had to give her credit, though. The bravery to stand up to someone known as a goddess would translate into the bravery needed to tame a monster. He could see why the village chose this one.
It was the elderly man who defused the situation with a light chuckle and some chiding, "Oh… I don't know since when it's started, but that's how the youth these days see you now, Reiko-sama. Castor, though, should know that you're a man. She's diligently read all of the old texts. I know this isn't the way we usually do things, but I give you my assurance that there is probably no better choice than her in the village, besides her twin of course. Please forgive her. The majority of the village have been pressuring her with the doubts you just expressed. I would make her apologize but… well, she has been like this for the past few days whenever mention of her unconventional lack of sealing is brought up." To prove the elder's point, Castor harrumphed quite loudly. Reiko turned to look at the old man, and recognized him. "Haru, correct? The previous village headman?" he asked and received an affirmative. The Lydian recalled days gone by, of the slew of emotions he had seen in each and every host right before the sealing. Yes, he could understand. He would not apologize, but he did relax. Azura regained control of the situation, "It is as Kim sensei says. Castor will make a remarkable host. She may not have sealing, but as a Yamanaka, her control over the mind is almost unparalleled by others her age. Only her sister is her equal. We also do not have any sealers who we can pass this burden on to. All of them are either too old or too young, like Senju Takenoko, here." Takenoko evidently referred to the small girl who continued to stand beside Castor. As if expecting something, probably because she had heard it so many times over the preparation period, Castor shot out, "No, I will not let Takenoko take my place. I understand why the host can't be too old, but she's too young. She's nothing like the first Kyuubi host." the Lydian thought to himself but let the misconception pass. Whatever he said, the minds of those that mattered seemed set and he couldn't think of a thing to say to change it. For a moment, a memory of Setsuna flashed before his eyes. Castor must be around Setsuna's age when she received the Kyuubi. A blink dispelled the image and ill foreboding. It was a silly stretch to make, anyways.
There was no way he was going to win, so he sighed in defeat. "I understand. Then, everyone but Castor please leave the room. I wish to speak to the next host alone," Reiko continued to the usual next step: a one-on-one meeting with the next host. It was just a short talk to reconfirm the incoming host's determination to keep the Kyuubi sealed and assess whether they were mentally fit for the task. In truth, Reiko didn't know if he was really the best for the job, but it was a test and tradition he was expected to keep as one of the founding members of the village.
The current and former village heads left as they were supposed to. However, little Takenoko only clung tighter to Castor. For the first time, she spoke, "U-um, excuse me? I would like to stay. B-because Castor nee-san can't… can't use sealing, I'll be her sealer. I don't know how yet but… but… I'll learn! I swear by the village godde- I mean guardian! Sh-she and I… She and I will work together to make sure the Kyuubi is safe and sound inside her, so I need to stay, too!".
Castor only smiled reassuringly and neither of the two that had left came back to pick up the small child who had suddenly spoken up. Reiko could only assume that everyone but he had expected this to happen. a smirk found its way to his face,
Takenoko shrunk from the smile only to lean back forwards when Reiko took a knee and beckoned her forwards with a finger.
This would be a first. A first time that the village gave the Kyuubi to someone who wasn't a sealer. The first time that two people would be present for this test. Once he got over the initial surprise, Reiko decided that these weren't bad firsts. "Okay," he gave the green light, "You may stay." The day was fair and the wind blew just right. The kind of day that felt like nothing could go wrong now or ever. It was a good day for the start of some new traditions.
↬ Tune as Old as Song
A tale as old as time spun itself from the youth's lips, he was nearing his late teens but still considered a child in his village. His body was still, but the mere ups and downs of his voice drew all the attention he could ever want. Rather than telling story, it sounded more like he was singing it. Around him, beneath the shade of the tree who's trunk he leaned again, attentive eyes huddled together. There were a little more than 20 children. The village had shrunk since the childhood of the last Kyuubi host. Most of the children were younger than him, ages ranging from four to his own. Then there were a few who were a year or two older than him to finish the audience. They, too, listened raptly to the story they had no doubt heard hundreds of different times in tens of different forms.
The legend was of a demon and the destruction it wrought to the world. It told of a band of heroes who stopped it and then the following generation that sealed it away for good. The myth was about heroes in ages past, the origin of the very village that the storytelling and his audience called home, and the task their village claimed as its own: keeping the Kyuubi sealed safely within a succession of hosts.
Very likely, one of the children in this very group will need to one day step up and become a part of this history, becoming the next host. To minimize transfers, someone still yet a child was always selected, and there currently was no host for the Kyuubi. The previous host, Castor-sama passed away peacefully about a month ago. After her passing, the monster fox was temporarily sealed in something only the village leaders knew about. That way, they did not have to insensitively anticipate the previous host's death or rush their decision in finding the next host. However, the strength of human will was trusted over material durability. The village would not take long in choosing the successor.
The speaker and the other older children had already been drilled on what he was to do once the sealing was planned. They were to take themselves and all the other children out to this very spot, which had been deemed safe, and distract them so that they wouldn't realize a sealing was occurring.
As if he was one of the many countless trees in the woods, the ageless being still known as the forest goddess by the villagers but actually named Reiko watched quietly. He wasn't even mad about the misgendering at this point. This host had lasted longer, much longer. Nearly a century had passed since his last visit to the village. As always, the story had changed and evolved. The terror of the Kyuubi was elaborated upon less as was the heroism of the army that initially sealed it. The period of bonding following the gathering of the orphans had been expanded upon, fictional characters being added and trials being created to emphasize the strength of bonds. Once more, the name of the host had been lost and she was merely known as Little Brave Mouse. Children had such weird ways of naming.
Reiko was just about to make his presence known when a small one who looked to be around 9 or 11 raised a hand. No, rather, his hand was being forced up by a rather impishly smiling boy of about the same age seated beside him. The child being forced looked flustered and embarrassed but he didn't resist, probably because the other child was his friend, he didn't want to start an argument with the other child, or all of the above.
Raising an eyebrow at the antics of the impish child but also smiling because the playful smile was contagious, the storyteller called on the child forcing the hand up, "Alik? Why don't you say something instead of making someone else do it?". The tricky smile never faded even as the child whined, "But Ha-joon nii-saaaaaaan. Ayu actually has something to say. He said it after your story. I was just helping hiiiim." Ayu, full name Ayura Fah’rel, turned his head to the side and muttered something that even the closest would barely make out, something along the lines of "stop it" and "don't want to." "Well, Ayura?" the older child asked and suggested, "Everyone's already looking at you, so maybe it's best to just get over it quickly?". Ayura's eyes shifted but only to look over at his other side and shoot his nosy friend a glare. His nosy friend returned it with a "You know you love me," look. Cornered but also surrounded by people he trusted, Ayura was goaded into saying what he had only whispered to his friend as an aside, "Well, it was just that the name of the person the Kyuubi was sealed into is Tsuki Mizutou." If Ha-joon, the speaker, remembered correctly, the Fah'rel family could trace its ancestry back to the first Kyuubi host. He of all the children in the audience would be correct about the host's name. Smoothly covering the hole he created in the story while acknowledging Ayura's knowledge, Ha-joon replied, "Yes, I suppose that is correct, and that is a good thing for everyone to know." The last part of Ha-Joon's reply was directed to everyone in the group, and all the listeners nodded their heads obediently, even the one that had forced Ayura's hand up.
Seeing that knowledge of the name still lived, if only barely, Reiko decided to, once again, keep his presence known to only the few that he would see during the sealing. What he knew that the others didn't was that someone was already chosen. He didn't know who, just that he was never called before a host was chosen. Although, he had arrived early by about a week. That almost never happened. Usually, he would only have two days, maybe three if he was lucky, to travel to the village. It was always seen as important that the sealing be done as soon as possible once all the decisions were made. However, this time, the post-decision rush was not present.
↬ Song as Old as Rhyme
As a hooded nobody, Reiko made his way through the village. Since his last visit, there had been fewer children and it looked like the rest of the village's population matched the lower children count. It felt like the village had grown smaller. Although, he wasn't sure how or why.
Unlike most of his visits, the village was bustling with the activity of everyday life mixed in with its uniquely casual use of the ninja arts. Then again, the sealing wasn't supposed to be for another week or so. The village had no reason to be cautious and on high alert.
After making his way through the village without incident, Reiko civilly stepped into the village's central building, where most of the administrative affairs took place. Small as it was, it received enough foreign guests to warrant a government building. Waiting for him within was a wizened old lady, hunched over slightly and with two hands on a cane that helped support her body weight. "Good afternoon," she greeted, one hand released the cane to move with her voice as she cracked a joke, "You must be the forest goddess, excuse me, guardian." Choosing to not respond to the joke, Reiko answered back, "It appears that I have been expected." The old granny gave Reiko a taste of his own medicine and also did not respond to what he said, "My name is Aonuma Pollux. I was this village's previous head. The current head is… ah… out. Sadly, I will be your only entertainment today." She cracked a mischievous smile, displaying pristine teeth. Reiko nonchalantly assumed. He really didn't care, especially not after hearing the name of his "entertainment" as she put it. Pollux, he remembered, was the twin sister of the Kyuubi host that had died. "So it seems," was just about the only answer Reiko could think of. Pollux's smile suddenly disappeared. "Yes, but I'm sure no one can fault the village guardian if he chooses to turn down such a boring offer," her smile returned with a laugh as she ended the joke. Although, the briefly solemn moment did not go unnoticed by Reiko. When he felt someone prodding his mind, he allowed access, There was only one thing Reiko could do. Showing no signs of having received a secret message, he accepted the request, "Well, I was afraid to hurt the feelings of the former host's twin. However, when you bring it up yourself, then I have no reason not to pass my time elsewhere. I hope you fare well." A sweeping turn, a few steps, and then he was back out of the office. With leisurely paced strides, he immediately removed himself from the village and turned to the east.
He found what old Pollux wanted him to see just in time.
Hidden within a dense bamboo grove, a small group of sealers had surgically inscribed the demon sealing ritual into the ground and even up the bamboo stalks themselves, turning the very environment into a tool of the seal. They were all adults, and at first Reiko was confused as to what the problem was. Then he saw the baby, swaddled in cloths that were also inscribed with various runes. It all fell into place. The plan was to use a baby as the next host.
Reiko thought to himself as he watched the preparations for a moment, . His mind reeled through the various past hosts that had also been initiated as babies or toddlers, ages too young for them to decide of their own free will. his fury grew bigger and bolder.
Even ignoring how they had apparently kept the time of the ritual hidden from the other villagers, potentially endangering them, Reiko was furious. He saw why Pollux had directed him here. Her own sister had chosen to become a host so that no one too young would be chosen and stripped of their childhood. Reiko, himself, agreed in preserving a child's youth, at least enough for them to hold on to if they should ever doubt themselves. It was why he had agreed to Castor's arrangement that she, the older and more mature, take on the demon while the younger sealer stood beside her as her partner. Age mattered over skill in many cases. He had seen the harm it had done to children who could not live like children. He had seen them destroyed by the Kyuubi because it was simply impossible to determine one's strength of will at a young age. This sort of sealing, one done more for the family of the jinchuuriki than the sake of the village as Reiko saw it, was a terrible thing.
It was bad enough when he had extremely reluctantly allowed a nine year old. A nine year old who proved to fall short of the bar set and ended up being one of the shortest lived hosts. From then on, he had put his foot down whenever the host seemed too young, and he had never allowed anyone younger than eight. Even that age, he felt uncomfortable with. The early mortality rates of anyone younger than 13 was too high.
Like lightning, his body flashed with an intense light from extraordinary amounts of condensed chakra. Shortly after, a thunderous step announced his presence as he peeled himself away from being a part of the grove. He had been like bamboo, now he was like the storm. His eyes blazed in the light of his chakra as his booming voice echoed with each sternly spoken word, "I thought the sealing wasn't for another week?". The old rush for conquest and violence peaked its head, but he remembered that he had an image to live up to and pressed down the impulse.
Work on the seal immediately stopped and all eyes turned to the blazing Reiko. It appeared that the village had forgotten why he was still considered a guardian after all these years. He would remind them now. In a cold voice, Reiko questioned, "How dare you?" as he looked pointedly at the baby. They all knew what they were doing wrong, and if they did, then they were monsters. Nothing could have changed the village so much that these adults couldn't understand what was ethically wrong with using a baby as a host. They must have heard the reasons, at least.
As Reiko thought, the sealers all flashed uneasy but knowing glances at each other and then the baby. They all knew that it wasn't the wrong date Reiko seethed at but their choice of host. The eyes eventually settled on the man Reiko figured was the ringleader.
"It is a pleasure to meet the guardian," the sealing master responded with polished poise and grace, "I am Roran Fah'rel. I believe… the answers you seek are best answered by the parent of the child." He looked to be in his early 40s and his figure echoed the past village head's and his name confirmed that he was related to her.
The aforementioned parent was a male of Roran's age who held the baby. If suddenly having all the attention shifted to bothered him, he didn't show it at all. He stared straight at Reiko just as he had prepared himself to do. Skipping the greetings, this one went straight to the point, "My family has boasted incredible skills and stability of mind for generations. My child will be no different and she will grow into a strong host worthy of the Kyuubi. Now that the host no longer needs to be proficient in sealing, I see no reason why we need to wait for a child to show proficiency in sealing."
Pretty words, but behind them all, Reiko sensed their true intent. This man had raised his family into a position of power in the village, and he wanted to add to that by using his daughter as a host, as the next in a line of heroes, saviors, martyrs, whatever this generation of the village saw the host as. His family deserved the privilege and the power and he didn't care a shred for his daughter's humanity. Reiko pulled back,
Forcing himself to calm, Reiko explained with words that still sent a chill through the bones of lesser men, "Fool, do you wish to break your child?". Okay, maybe not as calm as he'd like.
Although, the harsh question certainly elicited a favorable reaction. An uncomfortable expression crossed the father's face.
Softening his voice, Reiko gently asked the quietly awake child, "Child, what is your name?". The child simply stared wide eyed at the weird man. His voice hardened once more as he spoke with the adult, "Do you see that? Your child cannot even answer her name. How can she be expected to answer whether or not she agrees to be the host? You have the right to it? What gives you the right to determine the entire life of anyone else, even if she's your child?".
"It would be for the best. She would-" the father's words were cut off.
Reiko already knew all the good things about being the host, just as he knew all the bad things. It wasn't unusual for a host's power to temporarily raise their family into one of the strongest in the village. However, that wasn't what was important. He interrupted, "It is for the best that she has no childhood? You would strip your child of every moment of normality and leave her with no memories to anchor her when she is most divided by the Kyuubi merely for your family's reputation?".
The father didn't appear the least bit cowed. Although, the uncomfortable expression remained on his face. He was convinced, or at least he didn't have enough reason to test the patience of what their village lore described as a 500 year old god-like being.
Reiko was not done, though. "AND YOU!" he turned on the Fah'rel, "Your family has been tasked with sealing the Kyuubi for generations! Why did you support this?!".
Maintaining his composure but bowing ever so slightly out of respect, the sealer explained. "We thought that now was the time for change, Reiko-sama. Did you not think so as well when you approved of the previous host that could not seal?".
"That change did not strip the host of choice and memories untainted by a demon. If anything, it all stemmed from her choice," Reiko replied back, "Some changes are acceptable… This one is not. I have seen with my own eyes what the result of this will be. Your daughter will not likely live long, that is what happened the last time someone tried to force the demon into one so young." Certain now that his reasons were understood and glad that he did not have to test his mettle against any of the villagers, Reiko delivered an ultimatum, "This ritual shall not continue until your daughter is at least ten, and I will watch closer than ever over this village until that time." The ruling not being negotiable, he turned and stepped back into the bamboo forest, becoming like one of the many bamboo once more.
With a stoic expression and a stiff wave of his hand, the current head of the Fah'rel family called off all of the sealing preparations. Instructions were given to erase everything. As much effort as it took to create the seal, it would take even more to preserve it for eleven years.
"Who does he think he is?" the father of the baby stepped up to stand beside Roran, "He only ever shows up for the sealing. Some village guardian he is." Fah'rel advised, "Be careful of your words, Junsu. He may hear them." "You too, Roran?!" the father, Junsu, scoffed but a raised eyebrow was all it took for him to give away, "I know. I know." He knew that the folk tales weren't merely tales. Well, not all of them. "His interruption was… unfortunate," Roran chose his words carefully, "However, it may have been for the best if what he said about our village's failure is true." The story of the previous baby host had not been Roran knew of. Pride had wiped the memory of the failure from the village's history. Junsu just shook his head, unwilling to believe the consequences he had just been about to set upon his daughter. "She would be strong enough. The other was just too weak of mind and will," he reasoned but did not directly push for the sealing to continue against the guardian's wishes. After all, for all his ambition, he was still a father. In the first place, part of the ambition was just so he could ascertain his daughter's place in the village. The Kyuubi host was always respected and given a level of protection and training a step beyond even what the children of the ever prominent Fah'rel family were given. One friend to another, Roran gave Junsu a comforting tap on the shoulder. He smiled gently, "This just merely gives us time to be certain and to prepare," and turned to assist with the removal of the seal.
As he stormed through the forest, scaring all the little forest critters into their homes with his passing, Reiko scoffed. He heard, through the ears of the woods, the conversation between the two friends. Eyes narrowed, not quite in a disgust but an emotion close to it. he caught himself thinking of the villagers as a different race than him, but he was too angry right now to stop and reflect on his foolishly high-and-mighty attitude, He was not impressed by the father's reasoning nor by the love he really did feel for his daughter. All that mattered was that, once again, the humans had forgotten, and if it were not for the timely warning of a little old lady and the existence of a mortal who fashioned himself as an immortal, then the tragedy of the too-young host would have played out all over again.
↬ Just a Little Change
Reiko thought to himself as he entered the bamboo grove that the sealing would take place in. It looked much like the ceremony that had been attempted a decade ago. Except this time, the baby had grown into a slender child and besides her stood a teen that was once just a young boy. He knew immediately that this wouldn't be like the last Kyuubi host, where the older had stepped up and the younger had dedicated herself to the support of the older. The roles were reversed. It was the inexperienced child that will take on the burden of being a jinchuuriki and the older child that will help assist her burden.
As per custom, Reiko dismissed everyone but the host and, not wishing to potentially weaken any bonds with a test to see if he stayed, the sealer that would remain by the host's side. The two children, because even the boy that stood on the threshold of adulthood was just a child to the Lydian, waited attentively for his words.
The talk began with a simple introduction--Hana Im and Ayura Fah'rel were their names--before Reiko passed down not a warning or even a lesson. He passed down words of hope. He reminded the host that to despair was natural and while it was something the demon that will be sealed within her feeds on, to ignore it will only make it grow. Her job isn't to avoid despair but to conquer and overcome it. He reminded her of the village's teaching on the importance of bonds and camaraderie and spoke of those bonds as the key to taming the Kyuubi. Yes, taming, because the Kyuubi is a fickle creature. There is much to say but also much not to say about it because learning of the Kyuubi from itself is one of the many steps in succeeding as a jinchuuriki. The speech was at times clear and at times cryptic. As with the Kyuubi, there was much to pass down about being a host, but also much that was best to let the host learn about themselves.
Then, there was a new part. For the previous host, he did not have the time to prepare, but now, Reiko had over half a century to think of the words he would tell the sealer. There wasn't much, and it was short, but he thought it got the point across. The sealer was not merely a stop gap or warning system for the Kyuubi's release. In order to dedicate themselves to this role, the sealer must also genuinely care for the host because it is not seals that are the strongest prison but, again, the bonds that are tied between friends and family that are the strongest prison for the Kyuubi. More than guarding the world from the jinchuuriki, a partnered sealer should focus on guarding the jinchuuriki from the world.
Once all was said and done, Reiko asked for consent from both sealer and host. As always, both agreed. For ten years, the two had been agreeing to this arrangement. The host was all but born into it and the sealer had been trained into it. Reiko could only hope the extensive preparation would shore up the weakness of youth.
The others were called back in. Now, it was time for Hana to go alone. She looked up to Ayura before taking the first step into the seal. The two weren't close friends, but Ayura was always the one who had to watch over her. He was her babysitter and then when she was old enough to join the other children, he would be the first person to go to when she needed help. Now, he was the only comfortable face that stood beside her in this sea of adults. Well, there was her father and she did recognize Ayura's dad along with many of the other village adults. The village wasn't very large, after all. However, none of them held the comfort of friends. Just yesterday, she was still playing and training with the other children. Now, Ayura was the only one that stood beside her.
After giving Ayura a brief hug to give herself courage, Hana ran out into the middle of the seal. She stopped in the middle as she was told and looked to her father for confirmation that she had done everything right. He gave her an approving nod and Hana had just enough time to flash a small smile before the seal flashed into life.
The runes glowed with energy. Two barriers were formed. The first was a wall of chakra that surrounded only Hana. For the second barrier, the bamboo curved inwards to form the skeleton of another chakra wall that encompassed all those involved directly in the sealing. More chakra curved out of the ground in the shape of roots and bound Hana, making it impossible for her to move anywhere but down. There was a small tug and Hana kneeled, shaking. She had been prepared for this but experience was different from knowing. Being shackled bugged her in ways her young mind could not describe. It just felt wrong and she never wanted to feel it again. The seals below Hana grew a degree brighter. The Kyuubi had been sealed in a pot that was buried beneath the very spot Hana kneeled on and the idea was to trace its chakra up the ground and into Hana. The seals over the rest of the formation soon glowed just as bright as the defenses were fortified. Then, the seal in Hana's lonely circle started to turn red. Hana had been told it was painless. It really was. She didn't feel anything, but seeing the red going into her body filled her with dread all the same. She closed her eyes and endured, trying her best to not look scared.
Sometime over the course of sealing, she ended up passing out. It was a common occurrence for the host during the sealing process. When she finally came to, she lay in her bed in her room as the newest in the long line of Kyuubi hosts. The whisker marks that streaked across her cheek were proof of that.
↬ Beauty and the Beast
"Hana went up to the Kyuubi and punched it into the face. "BLAM! I'm not scared of you!" she said as the Kyuubi was sent reeling backwards. It collapsed into a heap and that's how Hana saved the day! The end!" read the short story that Hana had just given to Ayura to review. He looked at it skeptically, an eyebrow raised. "So…," he started hesitantly. Hana excitedly finished Ayura's sentence, "This is my super ultimate plan to seal the Kyuubi! See? See?! I'm going to punch him and then boom! He's down and then he won't ever think about going outside!". Ayura just nodded blankly, "Uh… Sure, well that's quite the plan, but maybe we can fix it up a bit when you're older. Ahahaha…" He patted a widely grinning Hana on the head. He knew she packed quite a punch for a little kid her age, but he knew, like any sane person his age, that punching the Kyuubi wasn't the answer. Hana cheered confidently, "I'm totally ready for the Kyuubi, you know?" "Well, you certainly seem like you are," Ayura reasoned with a weak smile.
It had already been a year since the solemn ceremony. During and after it, Hana had been stricken with worry and anxiety. However, like any kid, she got over it in a timely manner. Now, a whole year after the sealing, she was back to acting like her old self.
She still played with the other children. They only treated her a little different. Sometimes they'd tease her with the nickname "Hananim" for the extra attention she received, but there wasn't any real bullying. The kids knew that she was just not the same as them but only a little bit. Even as it told cautionary tales of the destructive powers of demons and the importance of keeping them sealed, the village had forgotten how to fear the bijuu that had lived in its midst for as long as anyone could remember.
However, she was getting increasingly less time to play. The demands on a jinchuuriki were high, especially since there had been none for a whole decade. In the span of ten years, powers outside of the village had grown and acted. Hana's village had never been the strongest, but none of the other villages had grown to a size that ever worried the small, out-of-the-way town. In a single, that had all changed. Like in the days of old, ninjas were gathering. Small villages and solitary clans were grouping. This hadn't been more apparent than in the past year. For the first time in years, the shogun named a village Otogakure, the name given only to the village that would house the country's official ninja force. Their power in size and official standing posed a threat to the way of life of Hana's village. Some sort of allegiance would need to be formed. A show of trust. Hana's father vehemently opposed it, but sending the host of the Kyuubi to be trained in Otogakure seemed to be exactly the show of trust and alliance needed. There was nothing anyone could do about it, but to hasten Hana's training so that she could learn even a little bit more before being sent to where her only friend and family would be Ayura.
Of course, the most important thing to train was the Kyuubi. Up until today, she was considered too young for that responsibility. Instead, hours upon hours were spent training her will, mind, and chakra control. Her training was productive, yet even as a child, Hana could feel the pressure to hasten and move on to the next step. It would not long before the time came for the decision to be made, and once she left, her training would be in the hands of a foreign village.
However, this would be the day. She was to attempt a dive, what the village called meditating to meet the demon, in front of various sealers, her father, Ayura's father, and of course Ayura. She had been told that it would be a test. Although, a test for what she did not know. However, she never once sought to fail a test, and like with all others before, she would work to ace this one.
As usual, Ayura and Hana entered Ayura's home, the Fah'rel family compound, for training. They were greeted and led by one of the village shinobi to an empty room. Hana was oblivious to it but Ayura knew without having to see that the room was surrounded on all sides by adults with sealing knowledge.
After the two were seated, Roran, Ayura's father, entered. His presence demanded silence from his child and the child. The introduction was short and the lessons had already been taught. It was merely a matter of beginning, and once he said the word, Hana put into action everything she had learned.
Clearing her mind and closing her eyes, Hana imagined herself falling head-first. She falling deeper and deeper but it wasn't fast or terrifying. It was sort of like floating falling, like falling through water. She fell until she saw a small light at the bottom. The light grew into a platform, and to land, Hana very slowly flipped her body so that her feet would touch the ground first.
The platform was lit but blank. Hana looked about it inquisitively, trying to imagine a cage to represent the seals that restrained the demon. She looked to the left. When she turned her neck to look to the right, there the cage was, right in front of her.
Hana's energy from just a little while ago had disappeared, but she stepped forward without hesitation until she stood just a few feet in front of the pitch black cage that housed the demon. It didn't appear to be home. That wasn't good. She needed the demon to show itself.
"Hello?" she called out into the darkness.
No answer.
"Hello?".
Nothing.
"Hello?".
Nada.
"Hello?".
Nope.
"Hello?".
Nuh-uh.
And that's when Hana realized that what she perceived as her own thoughts on the silence were actually, in fact, words said by something else, and as she came to this realization, a shape distinguished itself from the darkness, a redder shadow than the rest of the darkness.
"Cheh. So you figured it out," the shape commented as its details slowly became clear. Long limbs raised a lithe, red body onto all fours. Lengthy, rabbit-like ears flicked lazily. The dark patterns on the ears stretched all the way down to cover the eyes. Nine tails, just like the legends said. Then there were the teeth. A row of perfectly pristine, perfectly sharp teeth. Leisurely, the Kyuubi walked towards Hana, each step bringing it closer and causing it to appear larger until, when it finally reached he, it towered at least ten times Hana's height.
Hana didn't question how the Kyuubi knew. She had learned that in the realm of the mind, the barriers between thoughts were thin. It wasn't like she could ask anything anyways. Her words had caught in her throat upon the sight of the giant demon fox.
"Cat got your tongue?" the demon teased, sneering.
Immediately, Hana denied, "No! No, I'm fine!" the goading undoing the block.
Kyuubi's ears rotated eerily as he lowered his head and pressed it against the bars of his cage. One giant eye looked at Hana as he purred, "Really now? Then, are you feeling fine enough to give me a walk?".
"Nuh-uh! You won't trick me!" Hana protested, stamping her foot down.
Her efforts to act confident, however, were in vain. Steady as her voice might have been, her body shook and the Kyuubi did not miss it. He could strike now, but that would likely be in vain. With a sigh, the demon backed away and stood once more. He would have plenty of chances later. Tails lazily flicking away, the Kyuubi only gave a low chuckle as he turned returned to the darkness.
The last thing Hana saw before the dive broke was a synchronized flick of all nine tails and two ears. Everything shattered and she found herself back in the empty room with only Ayura and Ayura's father. The Kyuubi… had just kicked her out…
