[Contract Search] What Foul Trickery is This?????

[Tamashi Seto]

What Foul Trickery is This?????

Late Summer, Year 13
Dusk

Amongst the chaos, with his vision blurry from the lack of food and sleep, he could see nothing, only hear the screaming of men, the cutting of flesh and the titanic crashes of boulders and rock being thrown. He swore he could hear a familiar voice but how far gone his mind was now, he couldn't make it out, than suddenly, without notice, he could feel his feel his entire body being dragged against his mind. It felt like his right arm was being torn out of it's socket by how much force was being applied. Were he able, a fleeing thought ran through his mind to try and escape for whatever reason, If only self perseverance, but there was little, If any strength left within his near broken, fragile body. At this stage, he was northing more than a husk, a true former shell of his previous self. He couldn't escape If he wanted to. As he was pulled away from the source of the fighting, and consequently the source of the chaos he was hearing, the sounds of battle were suddenly replaced with presumably, the shaking of the world itself as the ground began to vibrate violently, as If they had unleashed mother nature's wrath. With the near lack of his sight, he could have no idea where he was, or where he was being dragged to. His only hint was the falling of rocks and debris from above. He could have still been in the cave where he as defeated and captured, but he had no idea at this point, not that It mattered with death so close at his doorstep. "Dam Sirens.....I'll get them back for this..." He heard a man's voice, breaking his train of thought that was running in his mind, but It only opened a new one. His voice, he swore he heard it as well, but from where? His mind was so clouded from the lack of sleep and the nourishment his body needed that he couldn't focus enough, not that It mattered, as again, as he tried to think hard, he was immediately interrupted by a sudden explosion behind him, causing the sound of a massive avalanche of rock and debris to fall behind him. With how close the rumbling and the titanic explosions, he felt it would be any minute now that he would be crushed to death. A smile formed on his face at least. Blissful release at last, and the chance to wipe away the shame he had accumulated since his imprisonment, or so he thought. "UGH! SON OF A BITCH! ARGH!" Whether by the hand of the great kami spirits, or the Youkai wanting to punish him more for his incompetence and failure, he suddenly felt himself being dropped to the ground as the voice of presumably, the man that dragging him along, suddenly screamed out in what could only be described as pain. No doubt the man must have been hit by the debris, caused by the explosion behind them, but again, he couldn't be too sure of anything by this point. At the mercy of this man, he simply laid there, awaiting for his fate, but atlas, as per usual, It would only take a few more moments before he feel his entire body being moved once again, only this time, much slower, and now? Now he could hear rumbling the faint release of curse words that could be heard from the man's voice. Regardless of that however, having closed his mind off to such dreadful words he didn't want to hear, he could feel the blurs of vision beginning to lighten up, to such a extent, It was blinding what little vision he had left.

Most surprising however, was as he was dragged along like a dead corpse, or a big doll of sorts by a child, he could hear chirping? The chirping of birds? Were they nearing the outside world? Wait, did that mean they were still in the cave? If that was true, than was all that commotion back there? And why? He had so many questions but as usual, his mind stopped itself dead in it's tracks when he heard the man cuss out loud, than without warning, he could suddenly feel his head smashing against the ground as the man released his tight grip on his rather, destroyed black yukata. "Fuck it....I'm not dying for this pipsqueak weakling. I'll get Lord Tachi back another way.....Consider yourself lucky boy.....though, you soon wish I had killed you instead..." The man went off again but...wait....He didn't understand....was...was he being released? Was he....now free? But why? Why not just finish him off? Did he want to see him die slowly and in pain? More questions he had like prior, but he was given no time to speak. By the time he had mustered the needed strength to speak, the man, or at least his voice, was now gone, leaving him to his fate, whatever that would be, hopefully of his own choosing. He still wanted to die, to commit honorable suicide and take his own life, but If he had a choice in the manner, he rather do that than be crushed to death, and fall victim to dying slowly, but that mean getting up on his two feet. A monumental task indeed. He couldn't even remember the last time he had stood on his two feet. He couldn't even feel his legs by this point, but If he wanted to die by his own hands, and by seppuku no less, than that It meant he needed to get up. That meant he have to bide his time for the time being, and so, knowing full well what he was asking of his body, he laid there, staring up, at presumably the ceiling of a cave for several minutes without moving. When he finally deemed himself ready for the punishment he was asking for, he mustered every fiber in his body to push himself off the ground, only to result in him collapsing on the ground without mercy, but for the first time since he had entered these caves, his burned with determination. Despite the pain he felt from crashing on top of a small pile of rocks, he tried again, and again, and again until It started to feel like a eternity in which he would never walk again, but he refused to give in, even as he body said otherwise. finally after numerous trials and errors, Seto finally found himself standing on his two feet, albeit barely. Breathing hard as he ever had, as If his heart was ready to give in any moment, It took everything he had, and a little more for him to take a step, let alone several, but he did. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but upon reaching the end of the cave or tunnel, maneuvering around the countless land mines that were rocks and spiked debris, he soon found himself at the edge of the entrance or corridor. As he stood there, he could feel his entire body be engulfed in a warm light he never thought he'd feel again. He didn't care If his vision was completely blurred now. He was outside, he was sure of it. It could be nothing else but the warm rays of the sun. Such a discovery made a tear fall from his eye. This was a monumental moment indeed, now, he just needed to find something suitable so he could take his life.....thought without his vision, this might prove difficult, being blind and all....Oh this was going to be fun alright...​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

For several minutes, he stood there, basking in the sunlight the sun provided. It brought a temporary release to the anguish he could feel throughout his body, but despite it's warmth, and his desire to remain there, he couldn't stand around all day, not with his fate in his hands. That said, even though his mind and body were eagered, he couldn't say the same regarding his vision. Blinded by the eternal light of the sun, the only thing his vision provided were the countless white circles in his eyes, forbidding him from nearly seeing anything. It would take far longer than he expected, or wanted for that matter, of him staring down towards the ground before something resembling his vision began coming back to him. It allowed him enough to walk without stumbling over himself like he had in the tunnel behind him, but due to his near lack of sleep and being nearly starved to death while in captivity, his vision was far from being spectacular, even with his uchiha blood coursing through him. He have to be careful obviously but at least he could see enough to walk. He complained, but deep down, he didn't need anymore than what he had now, considering the next real action he was going to take. Between his still, blurry vision unable to grant him the ability to see anything far away, to having no idea where he was, he began wandering aimlessly, shambling on like a undead corpse with no sense of direction. Early on, as the forest began to engulf his vision with it's numerous tall tree's, he hoped a predator would sense his weakness and put him out of his misery, but again, as If the great Kami's had other plans for him, or the Youkai kept him alive long enough for their amusement, he found himself utterly alone in the darkness. Soon enough, It became clear there would be no end in sight as he shambled on alone, but at least, as death would return for him, he could find solace in his final moments, whenever that would come. Regardless, the longer he shuffled on and stumbled forth with each of his feet leading the way, the quicker he began to lose his sense of time. Had it been minutes? Hours? days? He had no idea. He could barely even think. By this point, the only thing that kept him forward was the thought of instant release the moment he could trip over something he could find to impale himself with. Clearly the numerous rocks and branches that littered the forest ground wouldn't do the trick. If he was going to commit honorable suicide, he was going to do it the way It was supposed to be done, even If It meant he had to suffer further.

In the end however, It would matter not, as while he stumbled forward like a near walking corpse, without pause, his body would immediately give out, forcing him to collapse to the ground below him without so much of a warning. Now unable to move his arms, legs or even his head, he found himself completely at the mercy of the forest and the like that were luckily enough to be nearby. Now that he was certain death would come for him, another faint smile came over him as his eyes began to watch the sun set. Soon enough, with his energy now fading, leaving his body, he started to become drowsy. With how sleep deprived he was, he was unable to rest the temptation, thus as the sun continued to set on the horizon, he found himself closing his eyes. Now with nothing but the darkness within his mind, he once again, began thinking of his family and especially Shizu as he began to feel cold. From amongst the outside world however, the last thing he would feel...was sniffing of a small nose.? Followed up by his cheek being caressed by a tongue? Wait what??? Was he about to be eaten?....Or worse?....Wait, what was worse than being eaten? Guess he was about to find out....
​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

When his crimson eyes flashed open again, he blinked in surprise. He was still alive? How? He swore a wolf or something of the like was about to kill him after he had collapsed, and yet now, he found himself laying on the cold floor of some room. Wait what? Upon realizing he was now laying on the floor of some building, his eyes fell opened in shock. Wait....had he been saved? What? No! Dammit! How bloody hard is it to get yourself killed??? Sighing in absolute defeat, his shoulders fell a few inches. That was when he noticed he felt little to no pain emitting from his body, causing him to raise a eyebrow as he pulled himself up. Removing himself from the upper parts of his now destroyed, black yukata, his eyes again, stayed in shock as he looked down, revealing that his countless wounds had been bandaged. Well, that settled that. Yeap, he had definitely been saved. He sighed again. Well? At least now he could see better and his body wasn't screaming in pain. Wait, what was his saying? He wanted to die dammit! Being treated shouldn't change that right? Right! He told himself as he forced his near broken, fragile body off the floor and onto his two feet. Upon doing so however, his eyes were still in shock as he began examining his surroundings for anything he could use for Sepukko yet in the end, all he found was that he standing in a empty, cold room that positively engulfed in dust, and If that wasn't bad enough, the air was stale, almost chokingly so. It was certainly not a pleasant smell by any means, but It was at least bearable. With this, It took but a few seconds for Seto realize this place had clearly been abandoned for what seemed like decades, perhaps even centuries. He was no great studier on history so he couldn't be sure of anything regarding this place. As he began to search through the room for a possible exit, his heavily impaired eyes eventually adjusted to the dim light that shrined in from above, revealing the room to be exceptionally carved, shaped and smoothed to form a perfect rectangle. Upon closer examination, the room's architecture wrung in his mind as something similar, having a vague similarity to the Shinto shrines that sat within his clan's lands, specifically the main one his elder sister performed her duties in. Was this an ancient Shinto Shrine? It looked so familiar and yet, looked so alien. Unable to come up with an answer, It ended up eluding him.

Regardless, upon this discovery, he reexamined the room again, this time with much more focus than before, leading him to discover that the room was once furnished with lavish objects that were even greater quality of his own home, and that was castle of a Daimyo. What remained of wooden furniture, such as couches and lounge chairs sat lined up on the left wall while in-between them, sat numerous broken pottery that sat littered throughout the floor. Most of them were easily lost causes but a few near the wall had survived, and when he took a closer view, he couldn't help but admire the gorgeous flor patterns and the numerous shades of colors that sat imbued on it's surface. The Ceiling wasn't much better as he peered up, as he quickly discovered the wooden beams and joints holding up what remained of the roof were rotted through. Amongst that however, It was clear to him that decoration once hung from them but again, that must have been long ago. He again, looked around the room for an exit but found none. Any doorway or window he could have found have crumbled away, covered by the wooden planks and other debris that covered the enterance, leading to his disappointment, but at least It explained the stale air in these ancient ruins. As he stood there in defeat however, he suddenly found his crimson eyes drawn to a massive slab of marble that sat imbued into the right wall. Wiping away the dust that had gotten in his eyes from his exploring, he got closer to the marble slab, and once he did, he stood there in complete answer. Despite the layers of dust that coated the marble slab, which he quickly concluded to be a mural of some sort, hiding the long faded colors of the mural, he could still make out a striking yet serene scene. Depicting a hilltop surrounded by meadows of flowers, a spring sat at the top, sporting a rather massive pool crafted with water smoothed rocks. He could see the outlines of what he could only imagine as steam, which arose into the air, just as the sun arose over the horizon in the back. There is, of course much more smaller, more miscellaneous details to the mural, but with his impaired sight, he couldn't make them up, much to his dismay. He have to REALLY focus If he study it some more.

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Trying his absolute hardest to not breath in the stale air and dust that covered the room, he stepped closer to the mural in the hopes of being able to see the much smaller details on the mural close up. Aside from it's age, which had clearly stood the testament of time, It was obvious the closer he got, where a enormous talent had gone into the mural. He was no artist, nor did he know many but he could only guess this must have been the life's work of a truly masterful artist, one who had to be a master amongst masters of his craft, as evident to the smallest details that still stood out. Even with his near lack of vision and focus, he could still see the smallest details which still striked out like It was made yesterday, even though the mural had gone through centuries of neglect. He could only imagine what It must have looked like when it was freshly made. As he kept on studying the mural with what little focus he could muster, the image started to become clearer. There was the hilltop, which stood a spring, consisting of clear, streaming water that was ringed massive sized, water smoothed boulders. He wasn't quite sure how but they form a sort of "lip" that kept the hot spring's water in, aside from a small drain that allowed the excess of water to drain back into the air. Than there was obvious fact the hot spring sat in the center of a large glade, a large circular opening of forest with carefully trimmed crass somehow. At the edge of the glade sat blossoming tree's, tree's he had never seen before, tree's that were littered with pink petals. The Mural showed some pink petals flowing through the air, no doubt from a powerful gust of air. It was a a rather serene portrait of a place he would have liked to visit, If not for the fact he still wanted to crock over and die for his shameful display. With his crimson eyes still glued to the mural, he continued to study. This time, in the foreground near the hot spring sat a large, stone benched table pilled high with food and drink, which consisted mostly of grapes, berries and even some cherries. Fresh vegetables used for salads were present as well as clay jugs that sat under the table, no doubt ancient saki of some sort. It was such a surreal scene. It was soo familiar to his own clan's culture, and yet, alien at the same time. For a short time, this begged the question what and why these ancient ruins were doing here. He wasn't a expert historian but he swore If such a place existed, his clan would have known about it, seeing his clan had existed in these clans for hundreds of years.

That said, It took but a few moments for your eyes to drag on to what was most prominent on the mural. In the center were....humans with animal tails and ears? Seto was young, he knew that, he hadn't seen the world like the many veterans or his parents or eldest sister but even he was pretty sure humans with such traits couldn't exist....couldn't they? He tilted his head in curiosity and confusion. After a few minutes of thought, he began to ponder. Maybe they were Kami's? He knew powerful Kami's often took the form of humans or something bearing a human but you remembered such Kami's were rare. The more he thought about it however, he couldn't help but notice that they looked like the depictions of kitsunes, powerful but superbly rare kami spirits that were known to take on the form of foxes or humanoids with fox like tails and ears. Such tales were rare, even in his own clan where they worshipped said kami's. Seto also vaguely remembered that Kitsunes were the descendants, or rather, the favored kami of the Divine Kami, Kerai, whom were supposed to bare her appearance in some way. You could guess Kerai was a white furred Kitsune too, although he wasn't to sure how much truth there was to that. If there was ever a chance again, he supposed he could ask Shizu in the future, since she had studied religious affairs much more than he ever had.

Regardless however, there was absolutely no missing to what the many kitsune like people were doing in the mural. Such a sight had caused him to widen in a combination of shock and awe. Even his cheeks turned red, which they never did. In the middle of the mural sat fifteen or so kitsune women, all surrounding one, whom had shed her ceremonial garb. While the fifteen or so kitsune women watched on, the one center of attention was in child birth as indicated by the mural.....

DO NOT READ IF YOU GOT A WEAK STOMACH. READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
Seto could hardly believe what he was seeing. While one baby kit sat on the stone slab just below their mother, having just been pushed by it's mother, with even it's umbilical cord still attached, you could see the mother cradling one kit in her left while on the right, you could see the mother breast feeding the other kit with her lactating breasts.


Taken back by what he was seeing, he couldn't help but take a step back, now flustered completely. He knew where babies came from of course but.....he wasn't uh....expecting an artist to make such a depiction. At least now he understood why so much food had been laid out, though that did make him wonder what the other fifteen kitsunes were there for. Maybe as midwives? But why so many? Than again, upon taking another look against his better judgement, his eyes opened wider some how when he realized all of them were crying in absolute joy, with the mother herself showing a euphoria he had never seen before. Was she....nope, he didn't want about it, he didn't want to think about it and he didn't want to think about it. He just couldn't believe such a vivacious depiction of women existed. That made him question so many thing he didn't want the answers too, but as he did, shaking and nodding his head in the process, his ears couldn't help themselves but pick up the voice of a high pitched, feminine voice, one that sounded like a girl? "My, my, my, I didn't think my little black sheep would be up and about already. I must have out did myself this time! Fufufufu...." Upon hearing what? A sultry like tone from a girl's voice, he stood in place, somewhat in fear. What the hell just spoke to him? Well this was going to be entertaining, he was thinking. Hopefully It just kill him in the end.....​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Erupting from the shadows stood what looked to be a little girl with four tails and and pair of canine ears. Speechless by what he was seeing, he found himself unable to move as his crimson eyes stared her down. Catching his eyes immediately was her long, silky blonde hair that ran down to her hip, as well as the red ribbons that sat imbued into her hair, just below her ears. Besides for her flawless, light skin like his own, she also sported a set of amber colored eyes. He was rather surprised she was wearing the traditional garb of a Shinto Priestess, which often consisted of a white muna himo with sode kukuri sleeves, a red hakama, a pair of tobi socks and of course, sandals made from straw or some other familiar material. She sported a more more casual version of the outfit, like his older sister that, she was sporting a much more casual version of the outfit however, like his older sister often did, a version of the outfit that was designed for summer use, as indicated by the detached sleeves. He never understood that last part but that was the least of his worries for the time. Aside from that, the only other thing worthy of note was her large black belt that was wrapped around her waist with a a equally large, red ribbon. Whether It was to tie off the belt or simply decoration, he didn't know. Female fashion was definitely not his forte. Moving on, as the girl couldn't be anymore than four feet tall, maybe a little more If he wanted to be generous, It was obvious she had the feet and hands of a child with a similar stature to boast. It went without saying she had no "assets" of her own in the front and probably in the back, not that he was looking. It was simply a observation after all. Obviously the most important aspect of this examination was the little girl's cute and lively four tails that hanged from behind her. They shared the same color of her hair, minus the tips that were snow white. Curious, he rose an eyebrow as he tried to focus more to get a better look. After blinking a few times and focusing his vision as best as he could, he found them exceptionally similar to the tails he saw on the mural, causing him to look back and forth a few times. After a couple of frantic looks, his eyes opened a little in shock. Were those fox tails?

With his mind now rushing, his eyes than suddenly shifted to her head, where her large, tall ears sat. Upon closer examination, they took reminded of him of the people depicted in the mural. His eyes enlarged even bigger. Was.....this little girl a Kitsune? a living, BREATHING KAMI? His mind continued to race in circles, as his mind attempted to fully grasp what he had just discovered. This had to be a dream right? How else could he explain it? He couldn't remember the last time anyone in his clan's history had run into a living Kami besides the founder of his clan, Mausima, but he didn't care, as he lived well over a thousand years ago. Now breathing hard, It took a few moments for himself to finally calm down, but once he did with a breathing exercise Shizu had taught him, he peered his eyes once again in her direction, revealing a playful, confident grin with slight flustered cheeks.

????
"Your lucky Inari found you when he did! Had you been out there for much longer, you would have died for sure. Even so, you surprised me human. You managed to endure far longer than most would with wounds like those. Any normal human would have easily perished or given up on the first day or so, but not you!...This makes it easier for me."

Between that mischievous grin of hers and her equally, high pitched, giggling, he swore he could have heard something else after she had finished speaking, but he couldn't make it out. With her eyebrows risen in a suggestive manner, he was sure It probably screamed bad news but his mind simply wasn't in the right place at the time. He knew Kitsunes had a mixed reputation as great kami spirits, with some being good, others being evil, but he couldn't put his finger on this one. Again, he mind was far too gone by this point to remember. He probably need a few days of recovery before he could ever hope to remember correctly. Regardless, after Seto sighed and caressed his forehead, he returned his sight back on her, this time with curiosity in his eyes as he spoke.

Tamashi Seto
"Ugh....I don't understand.....Who are you?.....And why did you go through the trouble....ergh...to save me?....and this place, what is it?"

Wanting to sit down from the now, headache that was forming in his head, he once again began caressing his forehead in vain to stop the pain, all the while the little girl continued to stare him down with a playful, suggestive look. After a few seconds, she spoke up in her highly suspicious, feminine tone. As she did, she held her head up high, puffed up her cheeks and placed her hands on her child like hips.

Izumai
"Fufufu! Your a brave one human, asking a great kami like myself for my name, as If were already on friendly terms, but I guess I can't blame you. I mean really, just look at me, not only am I divinely beautiful with the wisdom to match, but I carry the blessing of Kerai at my fingertips!" Holding herself in high regard, she momentarily paused, as If to allow him to stare down her "heavenly blessed body" before continuing. Speechless, he found himself unable to move, but not for the reasons she probably thought. "Since your frozen in awe, unable to comprehend my divine like beauty, I shall bestow upon you my name, as well as the reason why I saved you. My name is Izumai, the Miko Kannushi of the Otomo shrine dedicated to the great kami spirit, Kerai, as well as the last living member of the Otomo Clan. You may be surprised to hear that your only here by sheer coincidence. While my pet kami, was searching the nearby lands for possible help, she ended up stumbling across your broken body on the ground. Being the oh so friendly spirit like myself, she spent quite the time dragging you back here before I used my healing powers to save you. Now that your awake, and out of any immediate danger, perhaps you would be willing to hear me out on how you could repay your debt to me? Because otherwise, you may not be going anywhere for awhile...."

With his mind overloaded with more information than he was expecting, he once again zoomed out, showing clear indication he couldn't move. Regardless however, that wouldn't stop him from rolling his eyes in slight annoyance or the fact that a part of him from within his own mind, was pleading even harder for Death to take him, to spare him from whatever THIS was. He just found the entire thing overly difficult to believe, from the way the so called "spirit" acted, all the way to the reasoning beyond his partial recovery, which she herself still hadn't explained to him. It sounded too fishy for him believe, not to mention it brought up more questions than answers, but the more he tried to think on the matter, the greater his headache became. There was also the fact that he and his clan worshipped Kami spirits, so It wasn't as If he could just "ignore" a living, breathing kami that had not only appeared before him, especially after they had partially healed them of his wounds. He couldn't forget either that he was now indebted to her. She didn't have to heal him, and even though he didn't want it, honor still dictated he had to repay his debt back, even If he had no honor, for even If he proceeded forward to commit Seppuku, his death wouldn't wash away the debt, only the actions he had taken against the ronin, thus there would still be shame upon him, his family and his clan. What a troublesome outcome this had become, but with his hands tied, he had no choice but parlay for the time being. He just hoped, that in his mentally fatigued state, he wouldn't do anything or agree to anything stupid. As such, when he was able, he would look up to meet her suggestive smile and remove one of his hands from his forehead.

Tamashi Seto
"Uhh....sure....What is it that you need from me? I'm not exactly a mason or a craftsmen, but I'm sure we can come to some arrangement, provided I can get out of here.....Ohh...yeah, apologies, I should have....introduced myself first. I'm uhh...Seto of the Tamashi clan....Pleased to make...ugh...your acquaintance, Lady Izumai."​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Standing there all confident like with her suggestive tone and smile, Izumai kept her chin up high and her cheeks puffed as her eyes beamed, filled to the absolute brim with glee and delight. She seemingly ignored his introduction. A small sighed escaped him. Yeap, she was one of THOSE people, people he often couldn't stand for more than one reason.

Izumai
"I'm glad you asked! Fufufufu.....Because I'm in need of someone like you! Especially since you seem so eager to leave! Being the ever compassionate and kind kami that I am, I spent the rest of my precious Chi healing you of your wounds. As such, I've spent my beautiful, divine body of all it's Chi with no way to replenish it. As a consequence, I lack the necessary Chi to break the barrier surrounding the Otomo Great Shrine to escape my imprisonment.....So If you have any hope to leave, you have to grace this poor ol, kind and compassionate kami with your own Chi." Raising her eyebrows with a suggestive manner, she made a sultry like grin as she continued. Being tired, worn out and his head still pounding, he had no idea what she was hinting at, but he was sure It wasn't good. Not that It mattered however, It wasn't as If he could realistically say no for more than one reason. Somehow however, he wasn't even surprised by his current predicament. Ever since he had become a Genin, this had been his luck, so nothing much past a breathing, living Kami was going to surprise him anymore. That said, he raised a eyebrow at the term "Chi". From what little he could remember from his tired and battered mind, that term was only used in the most ancient texts within his Clan's achieves, texts that were well over a thousand years old. Was this Kami that old? A question best to ask later. "Sooooo, with that in mind, I have a little ol proposal for you Seto. If you aid me in regaining my old strength so I can destroy the barrier outside, as well as pledge your exclusive aid in rebuilding the Otomo Clan, I will return the favor, pledging the Otomo Clan to you and your clan's aid, should you ever need it, on the condition you provide the summonie with an ample supply of your own Chi. As we Kitsunes function differently from other Kami, that last part isn't negotiable!" Seemingly amused by her own words, or perhaps by his slight shocked expression, he found himself victim to her high pitched, somewhat refined laughter. "Even though I'm sure you wouldn't doubt a beautiful and wise Kami like myself, but If you did, shame on you! You humans can think however you want, but we Kitsunes never take what we want without repaying our debts in equal measure."

After she finished with a semi serious tone, he simply stood there speechless, not sure entirely what to say as his face screamed he was in shock, and It certainly wasn't lying. A pact with a great kami house? That thought kept running around within his damaged mind. He couldn't believe what he was saying. Such an alliance would mean a boom to his people in the future, as well a certain level of prestige for his clan. Perhaps....with this one action alone, he could maybe regain his honor back and wipe away the stain that stood currently. Too many, this seemed like a dream come true, and he could see why. Such a boon was so overwhelming, that It could quite easily wipe any dishonor he had brought, and yet, with those mischievous eyes of hers and that grin, he was sure she wasn't telling him the whole truth, and If he was any better than in his current condition, that might have worried him. Luckily for her, he couldn't ponder much more than on surface level questions. Any deeper and he was sure his mind would only to continue to intensify. That said, he was rather curios about this barrier she spoke of. If what she said was true, than that meant that even If he managed to claw his way out of this ruins, he wouldn't be able to get far, much to his disappointment. He doubt he had the power to break the barrier, even If he was completely healed and right in the head, so again, he was left with no choice but accept her terms. At least he and his clan mates would get something out of it, though he had no idea what this "summoning" she was speaking of. He guessed he had to ask her.

Tamashi Seto
"I don't....ugh...understand...Is the barrier...uhh....outside that strong?....and...ugh....what's this "summonie" your speaking of? I've uhh...never heard of any...ability like that before."

Or maybe he did? He couldn't remember alot of things right now that he had learned from the academy, not that It ever helped that much in the first place. Still in pain, he let out a subtle groan before his crimson eyes races back on Izumai, only to find that she was still staring him down with that overly confident stance and her suggestive grin. If he managed to survive this somehow, If his family didn't kill him, there was no doubt this Kitsune would kill him, but in what way? He probably didn't want to know. He didn't even want to think how Shizu will react once she finds outs what happened here...​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Although Izumai kept her chin up high and her stance radiated an aura of confidence, her iconic sly, mischievous grin had changed to something more serious. As her amber eyes beamed on him, It became evident she took what he said seriously.

Izumai
"Of course! It was originally conjured up during the Godswar that took place well over a millennia by the last remaining survivors of my clan. It was a last gambit to protect the great shrine dedicated to our creator.
Unfortunately, we were unprepared when when the "Great Betrayer", Ena and her foul Youkai attacked. In the end, my kinsmen were slain in battle...or worse, and I ended up sealed in here after I had exhausted most of my power defending the great shrine from the clutches of the Youkai. Over the eons, the barrier has since, weakened significantly but so as my power, as without any way to replenish my Chi, as Kitsunes do not naturally generate Chi as humans too, I was nearly drained by the time Inari had found you. Being the every merciful Kami I am, I healed you of your most life threatening wounds, but in doing so, It left me completely drained! As you could probably figure out on your own, a drained Kitsune is no more threatening than a mere human! Not to mention dangerous! As without Chi to sustain to my divinely body, It will only be a matter of time before I return to my ethereal form.....Buuuuuut, If you were to offer up your own chi, I may be able to destroy the barrier surrounding this place!.....Though It take several attempts before I have the needed power...fufufufu." That was alot more information than he had been expecting, but It was equally just as hard for him to take it in, especially about the nature of Kitsunes, which again, brought up far more questions than the amount of answers she was providing. With his mind being fragmented and his forehead pounding from a now severe headache, he couldn't make out that last part, since she had now, returned to her playful expression, as defined by her obvious eyebrows which were raised up in a suggestive manner, he knew he was being played on some level. Again though, his hands were tied, and while his gut was telling him she was leaving out some very important information, he was sure she was telling the truth about the nature of the barrier and how she got trapped in here. He couldn't fault her for that. although he was surprised she was still sane after being trapped here for well over a thousand years. His mind had nearly shattered after being tortured in captivity for only a few days? While she had to endure a thousand years of being nearly alone. If He was in her shoes, or well, sandals, he would have most definitely offed himself. His limited thought process couldn't even grasp the thought of being immortal, let alone living old enough to lose everyone in his life due to time. Now that was a scary thought. "As for your second question....fufufu! When a potential prospect signs a blood contract with a greater animal, Kami or Youkai, they gain the ability to summon a entity from that family to their location. As such, these "summons" can aid you in battle or through other means, although, keep in mind minster that summons aren't slaves! We can decline If we so wish, send another in our place or even assault you If we so desire! So it's important to have a good relationship with your summon fufufu! Don't worry, as long as you show respect to the divinely beautiful Kami that had saved your life, and fulfill your obligations to the Omoto Clan, I vow to aid you and your clan, should you summon me! It's the least I can do for someone who's willing to go out on a limb for a complete stranger that they have just met. Also, one last note, but as I'm sure your well aware, being an advent user of Chi yourself, the size and power of a summoning will vary depending on how much chakra you use. Use too little, and you may not get much beyond a small kit, where as you employ a sizable amount of Chi, you may be able to summon me at my full power, or a number of weaker individuals."

Talk about dumping more information on him. He was already having a difficult time following her origin story and the barrier that was supposedly outside, and now she was explaining how this "summoning" ability worked. Of course, being a follower of Shinto, a religion that venerated and worshipped Kami spirits, such a offering went far to quite literally blow his mind. He really couldn't believe he was hearing. It was quite frankly, too good to be true, but here he was. Not only was he being offered a permeant alliance between his clan and a great kami clan, but the ability to summon them in battle. Although he was clearly skeptical over the finer details of the "contract" she spoke of, the boons It would grant him and his clan far out weighs whatever torture laid ahead of him. He was sure he regret that line of thinking later, but having the ability to summon a powerful companion in battle was something he couldn't very well ignore. Considering the recent events that had transpired, such an ability would have saved him more than once. No doubt It would save him from such a event, such as the one with the ronin, from ever occurring again. With such a offer however, he couldn't tell If he was blessed or cursed. Looking up at the Kitsune's devilish smile and her overly confident, playful stance, he sighed and relaxed his shoulders. He had made his decision, not that he had much choice in the manner If he wanted to escape from this place.

Tamashi Seto
"I...*cough*....understand.....and accept your terms...Lady..*cough*..Izumai. I would be honored...*cough*...to sign a pact between our great clans."

Managing to say that much through a series of coughing, which made it hard to breath, let alone talk, he stood in place, keeping his eyes on the Kitsune as he waited for her to provide the "contract" he was going to sign to finalize the pact they had agreed to. In his waiting, he closed his eyes as his gut attempted to speak up, telling him that something was wrong, that he was walking into a trap. He ignored the warning however. He was sure his gut was right, and he was being a idiot at the moment, especially with that Kitsune's sly face, but he have to worry about it later when he could think clearly, because right now? He couldn't give it more thought even If he wanted to. He just hoped he wasn't signing his life away or something worse, which.....he didn't really want to think about....​

 

[Tamashi Seto]

Having agreed to Izumai's proposal, he could tell just how pleased she was by the gleeful smile she made towards him. Even her blonde tails that stood behind her that stood normally quietly, were quite lively. He found his eyes watching them as they began to move in a erratic like fashion, bouncing up and down, swirling in all directions. since he had never seen such a thing before, he found his attention drawn to them. He had no idea how Izumai was controlling them. It was If her tails had took on a mind of their own as they constantly changed direction on the fly. Regardless, between her delightful smile and her frantic tails swerving in all directions like madmen, It told him everything he needed to know. At the same time, he felt his gut well, punching him in the gut, screaming at him he was a buffon like Sunako usually called him for accepting the Kitsune's offer at face value. He shrugged at the thought however. His fate was already sealed as far as he could tell. What would be the pointing in fighting it now? He could either bring a potential boom to his clan and potentially reclaim his honor or he could die alone, in the cold ruins by himself with nothing left to his name. While It was obvious the thought of suicide still ran supreme in his mind, the choice was rather clear, even If it went against his personal wants and needs. When his eyes turned away from Izumai's seemingly self aware tails, he tried his best to resemble what looked like a smile, just as she raised her voice to get his attention once more.

Izumai
"And here I thought you may pass up the honor of making a pact with a superbly beautiful kami like myself. Good thing I was wrong about you Seto! Fufufufu!" Laughing in her now, iconic, high pitched laughter, he found himself rolling his eyes when she wasn't looking. He was definitely gonna regret this decision but as his eldest sister always told him, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Just as Izumai continued, still standing in her over confident stance, there eyes met. Her hands yet again, sat on her childish hips that were hidden from view, thanks to her red hakama. "Well now, since you agreed to my terms, lets get started shall we?" Finished with her mischievous tone, Seto watched as Izumai immediately raised her right hand into the air until It was leveled at the base of her small chin. Before he knew it, he found his eyes opening in a mixture of shock and surprise when he found a thick cloud of smoke suddenly dispersing, engulfing Izumai's entire right arm. When the smoke dissipated a few moments later, he could see Izumai holding a untied, opened scroll in her hands, revealing a mountainous amount of text his eyes couldn't decipher. "See this Seto? Sign this with your Chi infused blood, and our unabating pact will be official."

Standing there with a grin on her face, his gut kept telling him to run, to escape this place If he could, but he had already made his mind up, so It could do nothing to sway him. As such, when he met her eyes with his own after he finished staring down the fleshly made contract, he nodded his head in a vertical fashion, telling her of his decision. She kept her sly grin while she held up the scroll, but he ignored it as he slammed his hands together in a tora hand seal. Having not employed his chakra in awhile, or more specifically, while in a half fatigued, severely wounded state, he knew this was going to be a challenge, but he wasn't ready to give up just yet when he hadn't even started. Closing his eyes, he attempted to clear his mind of the countless screams he could hear throughout his mind as he attempted to search for his reservoirs of chakra. Due to his current state, It took far longer than he he had wanted. Where as his reservoirs were normally like raging rivers, they were now minuscule, little streams at the best of times, with the worst being a drained up riverbend. Nonetheless however, he pressed on, and sent what little chakra he could find to his hands, only to find himself with a new challenge. Between being fatigued, tired still, and obviously wounding, he found containing his chakra in a focused area to be overly difficult. So difficult It was, his entire body trembled for several seconds before he was able to seal off the "doorway" to the rest of his body, trapping the chakra in his left hand. Next was to bite down on his left thumb. Not exactly something he wanted to do in his current state but he had no choice, so after taking a few seconds to mentally prepare himself, he bite down down, forcing his front teeth to tear into his thumb's thick skin. It only took seconds before he drew chakra infused blood, as evident by the faint blue aura that surrounded it as It attempted to run down his finger in a straight blood. Not wasting any time however, he approached Izumai without delay, and pressed his bloodied thumb against the white scroll at the time. Upon impact with the white fabric that made up the scroll, he had no idea how It was hard as a wooden or metal surface, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about it. That would at least make it easier for him. Focusing, as he didn't want to mess up his signature, he slowly began writing his name from top to bottom in a tategaki fashion that was the norm in his clan, with his own blood. When he finally finished a minute or two later, he pulled away and sighed in relief. Before he could find said relief however, he found himself started when he suddenly heard the scroll wind up, followed up by the loud sound of a item disappearing, forcing him to peer up. When he did so however, It was indeed gone, having disappeared from Izumi's right hand. He was than met with Izumai's sly smile and a very suggestive wink with her eyebrows. His eyes widen slightly. What did he just get himself into?

Izumai
"Now with that out of the way, you ready to have some fun with your superbly beautiful Kami and companion? Fufufufu! Oooh, don't give me that face! It be fun! Trust me! I'll make sure you enjoy it! I wouldn't be a very good kitsune otherwise! Fufufufufufu!"

He nearly lost his balancing upon hearing what had to be teasing and nothing right else....right? RIGHT? His mind and body wanted to run yet he found himself unable to move or even speak. What foul witchcraft was this? Or maybe It wasn't and he was at the last of his nerves? With that grin of hers, screaming she was about to lunge at him like a wild animal, he didn't didn't know anymore. Such events however, made him question just one thing, and one thing alone. Seriously....what in the ever lasting hell did he just sign himself up for? He did NOT like her tone of voice, let alone that wink or that sultry stance her body was taking. Somehow, he had the distinct feeling Shizu was going to murder him when he returned home. The prospect of...telling her whatever this was far more scary to him than standing before his parents after telling them of his failure's. What a woman Izaumai was. He couldn't even remember the last time a female had intimidated him that wasn't Shizu. All he knew was that he was gonna be in the dog house when he got back....​