Fox Hunt (Contract Search)

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

Spoiler

Current Profile:
Name: Toshiwakai Kagari
Age: 18
Rank: ANBU

"You're going up to the mountains kid, by yourself?" A man asked in disbelief as he watched the young teen gulp down his soup. "Yep, I'm looking for something up there," Kagari said without missing a beat. "Kid, people have gone missing or worse venturing in there alone." Kagari nodded, "I've heard but, I really need to be up there. It's important to me. " The men around the camp all looked in shock, they all heard the legends of monstrous beasts and rocky peaks. "What could be so Important that's up in that frozen hell?"
"Foxes."
-----------------------
"Only...a....few more feet!" A lone man was seen climbing small trail in the mountains of the Monumentum Deo. The young man was being battered by snow and the wind as he kept climbing. He had been at the mountainside for a few hours now; in search of...foxes. Well to be exact the Fox contract, legend has it that the Haku's and the Fox spirits made the pact on this very mountain. But that could be said by a million other locations in the world. Regardless, this was the place Kagari was directed to by his Maternal Grandfather in Suna; it was a test given by the "old" man. The location, however, eluded the teen as he had no destination in mind. It felt like no living thing could survive up here unless there's a magical warm sauna on the other side of the unstable terrain. But for now, he made his way to the fork in the mountain that led to either the monastery or the rocky peaks of "The Spine." It wasn't going to be an easy search; the conditions would be his enemy. This was a cold he has never experienced, despite his natural affinity to Ice.

Feeling the need to take a break, he found a large enough cave to take shelter in. He set down his pack, taking a small scroll from its contents and placed it on the hard floor. Unsealing it, there were now pieces of deadwood on top of the paper scroll. A few minutes later Kagari would have a small fire to keep him warm; hopefully, it won't go out despite the wind and cold conditions. "I don't want to be wandering around the mountains looking for foxes. Maybe I should have brought Byakko or one of the bigger foxes..." Kagari mused at the small little fox leading him to his destination, yipping out instructions. Sighing, he looked outside and saw what looked to be a massive snowstorm; "Looks like I'm not going outside anytime soon." Looking deeper into the cave he noticed something; there were markings on the wall that looked animal-like. Upon inspection, he noticed that these markings weren't just scratched at random. The closer he looked, he realized that it was a drawing of the mountain. He was able to get a rough idea of where he was currently on the mountain, but most of all there was a clue. There was a small drawing of what looked like a shrine or a temple. Memorizing it, he snuffed out the fire and headed back out into the snow, determined to find this sanctuary.

Half an hour later he arrived at a small, carved out shrine dedicated to some deity. Someone carved it into the mountain somehow and was able to protect it from the snow. There was moss growing on the cobblestone and small bushes surviving despite the hellish winter outside. There was a large monument in the middle, a statue of some kind. It stood several feet above Kagari; if its head fell off and landed on someone, it would definitely crush bones. What was interesting that it was clean, no moss or plant was growing upon it. Was someone keeping it clean? The statue in the middle also held a bright jewel above its head. Was it pointing somewhere? He could see that there was a small pocket of light in the ceiling that gleamed on the statue, "Maybe..." Kagari climbed the walls to where the light was emitting; taking a small kunai he shined it on the jewel and pointed it towards what he saw was a gold target. A faint rumble could be heard in the background, "Uh oh." He leaped off the walls and landed away from the statue. Hopefully, it wouldn't come crashing down. A path in the wall opened up. "Well, I guess the figure's telling me to go that way...Hopefully this isn't some elaborate bear cave." Kagari walked through the now open path, curious about where it would lead.


OOC:
Contract Search.
Using Discovery of Contract of Your Choice. (Fox)
WC: 764
MFT
Proof

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

In a dazzling flash of fiery red fur, you have discovered the Fox Contract<i></i>
Accept/Decline?​

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

As Kagari made his way through the tunnel that opened up, he would begin to see the light at the end. It was a good thing he wasn't claustrophobic as the pathway wasn't very spacious. Finally at the end, in front of him was s large green area filled with plants, water trees. It was as if he stepped into another world from the moment he stepped into that tunnel. Mesmerized by the again, sudden change in scenery; a flash of fiery red fur passed in front of him. Kagari stepped back and readied himself in case he had to defend himself, but in front of him was a sealed scroll. Picking it up, unrolling it he read the contents. "I declare that I commit myself and my soul to the kitsune of the north, hidden in the clouds..." He noticed at the bottom was a pawprint-shaped like a fox with a circle in the middle, big enough for a fingerprint. Looking around, wondering if anyone or anything was watching; he took his Kunai and lightly poked his thumb to draw blood. Placing the scroll gently on the ground, and now with his bleeding thumb; he put it on the scroll. "I accept!" Kagari waited for a couple of seconds for something to happen, but...silence. "hmm..." Kagari rolled up the scroll and placed it inside his jacket. "Well might as well have a look around while I'm waiting...Damn that stings." He shook his hand to get the pain out; putting a small band-aid on the cut in his left thumb. After he had been done doing some first aid, he ventured forth curious about the area in front of him.

He would come across a small den in the ground, a fox den to be exact. He wasn't exactly sure what to do right about now, so curious if anyone was in there; "Uh anyone in there? Or any fox that may or may not understand what I'm saying?"

OOC:
Kagari accepts the Fox Contract.

WC: 329
MFT

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

One's quest to attain more power could often lead one astray. Death and frostbite were certainly no strangers to those foolhardy enough to take on such a dangerous pilgrimage into the mountains for the sake adding to one's arsenal. Little did Kagari know however, the mountains had eyes. As the man sat on the cave floor, igniting a warm fire to keep himself comfortable, several pairs of glowing yellow eyes would watch the shinobi from the darkness of the caves, observing his every action, silently distrusting his intentions. The map carved into the side of the cave wall was detailed enough to be followed certainly, but the reason for it being there was largely a mystery; was it a trap, or not though?

The puzzle in the shrine was easily solved by the shinobi, opening a gateway to a land seemingly plucked from a fairytale; it was lush and beautiful and permeated by the sound of rushing water and singing birds. In massive juxtaposition to the weather outside of this place, one had to wonder if it was real or simply a dream. For the most part, Kagari seemed to be alone in this place, the door in which he'd entered this place seemed to have vanished completely. This place was unusual and seemed to distort the ninja's perception of reality; the den he'd been calling into began shifting and changing, the whole in the ground closing up and being covered in grass. Shortly after, two small rock structures began rising out of the ground just behind where the den had been and once again, Kagari would see a tiny flash of white and red fur. Suddenly there were two small juvenile foxes standing on each pedestal, curiously watched the man before them.

Morotobu<i></i>​

"Well, well, what have we here?"

The white-furred fox piped up first, squinting at the man and eyeing him up and down, speaking in a rather refined and sophisticated voice.

"I smell fox, brother," the cream-furred fox said, sniffing the air around him and leaning forward slightly, "maybe, just maybe, he's one of us..."

Ryuichi

The white-furred fox looked at his brother in mild disbelief, not really sure whether he should trust him or not, "I doubt it. But we shall see.... Now, tell me, human," the vulpine said, almost as if he was gazing through the man, "what do you seek? Why have you disturbed our sanctuary?"

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

The ground began to shift, throwing Kagari a bit off balance. "An earthquake?!" Something was definitely off, as the world around him felt like it was changing; moving as if it was passing by him. He shook his head, realizing that he might be under a genjutsu. He tried to release the chakra in his system, but nothing changed. A hole in the ground opened up; a sinkhole began sucking in the den he initially thought was a foxhole. Once the entire den was swallowed, there was a short pause. From the ground Kagari saw something; two pillars parallel with each other rose up at the same time. They stood at about Kagari's height, and again a flash of red entered his vision. Suddenly two small foxes were standing on top of the two pillars; staring directly at Kagari. One looked snow white with fluffy fur. The other had a peach, cream colored coat. The cream furred one had a long red scarf around its small neck. This must be the flash of red Kagari kept seeing. "Well, well, what have we here?" The white one spoke, surprising Kagari. His voice matched his beautiful color, sounding like a noble or some monarch. "I smell fox, brother," the cream one spoke, sniffing the air around Kagari. "maybe, just maybe, he's one of us..." This drew the attention of the white fox who stared at his brother, and then back towards Kagari. ""I doubt it. But we shall see.... Now, tell me, human," He paused, then gazed into Kagari's eyes; "what do you seek? Why have you disturbed our sanctuary?" Kagari gulped, being stared at two cute little foxes were positively jarring. Kagari coughed into his hand, "I didn't mean to disturb your home. But, I've been looking for you two since I entered Lightning. Well...specifically for this." Kagari pulled out the scroll he had in his jacket and unrolled it. He hadn't even noticed it but, despite wearing a heavy coat, his body temperature did not change. It was not cold or hot in the area he was in, was this another world?

"I seek to make a pact with the kitsune, as my Haku ancestors have done so before me; despite only being part Haku. I signed it when I guess you handed it to me." Kagari sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. This was the first time he ever encountered something like this in his life; he had heard about summons and talking animals in fairy tales and legends. But to see it with his own to eyes, this was definitely something new. "I have so many questions right now...Like what do I call you two besides cookies and cream?"

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Morotobu peered over as they were shown the scroll, still suspicious and not entirely trusting, staying on his guard in case the guy tried anything funny. His eyes flicked up and down the words and the blood signature inscribed at the bottom of the note. The fox knew what was going on here, and it almost made him chuckle.

"Human, if you know anything about our way, you'll know we've long since abandoned the practice of keeping scrolls and books to record information," the fox explained, not going on to reveal much more than that for fear he'd be in trouble with a couple of the higher-ups back at the den. However, as Morotobu was partially lost in thought, Ryuichi looked at his brother and rather noisily cleared his throat.

"You know what this means, right? A pact... Open your eyes; he's a shinobi!"

Morotobu's ears perked up at the idea, a small, devious grin growing on his face like he was a fluffier version of the Cheshire Cat, "hmmm, you may be of use to us, Mr. Shinobi, if you're willing to get your hands dirty... My name is Morotobu."

"I'm Ryuicihi!"

Ryuichi piped up, standing up straight and looking all grand, "but first, a test! See, my brother and I are two halves of a whole; one of us always tells the truth..."

"...And the other always lies."

"Hmmmm, but which fox is which, eh? These two paths behind, one will take you to obtain the power you seek, and one will... well, let's just say you might not be seen again... Anyway, the catch is, you don't know who's the liar!"

Behind the two foxes were two separate paths which diverged and lead deeper into the woods, both of them darkened by the dense wall of trees.

"You may ask us one question each to make your decision of which way to go. This is your last chance to turn back; if you chose to advance, you're committed!"

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

"Human, if you know anything about our way, you'll know we've long since abandoned the practice of keeping scrolls and books to record information," Kagari looked confused, "Wait, seriously?" Why did he sign that contract for the first place? The cream Fox then realized something about Kagari, "You know what this means, right? A pact... Open your eyes; he's a shinobi!" Kagari nodded, "I thought that's what this meant. I was hoping to make a pact with the kitsune." The white fox looked curious, again staring directly into Kagari's eyes. "hmmm, you may be of use to us, Mr. Shinobi, if you're willing to get your hands dirty... My name is Morotobu." The white fox introduced himself, "I'm Ryuichi!" The cream one followed suit. While weary of what Morotobu said, Kagari introduced himself. "I'm Kagari Toshiwakai, it's nice to meet you two." After he introduced himself, Ryuichi would stand up on his two hind legs; "but first, a test! See, my brother and I are two halves of a whole; one of us always tells the truth..."Kagari nodded,"...And the other always lies." Morotobu added.

"Hmm, but which Fox is which, eh? These two paths behind, one will take you to obtain the power you seek, and one will... well, let's just say you might not be seen again... Anyway, the catch is, you don't know who's the liar!"Kagari could see two trials that split into different directions behind the two foxes, one leading to possible death and the other to success."You may ask us one question each to make your decision of which way to go. This is your last chance to turn back; if you chose to advance, you're committed!" Ryuichi warned. Kagari thought for a second, tapping his chin as he observed the two foxes. Ready to answer he turned towards Morotobu. "If I asked Ryuichi that if the left path would lead to me going missing, what would he say? " Then he would ask the brother, "If I asked you if the left path would lead me to go missing, what would you say?"

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Morotobu watched the man intently as he deliberated and tried to make his decision about what to do. His question, however, indicated to the fox that he was on the right track, asking the right questions. The snowy fox gave a short, abrupt answer though.

"No," he said very sternly.

Then when the ninja turned to Ryuichi, he seemed to know what question he was going to be asked already, "Yes," Ryuichi answered, albeit a fair bit more lightheartedly than his brother who seemed pretty serious business at the moment. Now that Kagari had asked his question, and gotten his answers, it was up to him to make a decision about which way to go.

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

The two foxes answered Kagari's question, albeit very quickly. He had his answers and the riddle seemed simple enough; but who knows the consequences might be dire if he went down the wrong trail. Kagari reasoned that Morotobu seemed like the one who tells the truth, due to the fact that he sounded more eloquent but looks can be deceiving. Ryuichi was more energetic, happy but seemed like the trickster of the two. Looking back at the paths and back to the two foxes, he made his choice. Kagari would go down the right trail venturing into the unknown, anticipating the trial before him.

Short post is short.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Unfortunately, Kagari's logic didn't hold up against the foxes and he chose the incorrect path; Ryuichi was the truth-teller and Morotobu was the liar. Since he knew Ryuichi would indicate the left path was safe, he would have to lie and say no, hence why Ryuichi indicated the left path. It wasn't a bad way of going about solving the foxes' riddle, but the shinobi didn't execute his logic 100%.

As Kagari would walk down the right path, things would begin to change. The beautiful lush forest warped as the man wandered in deeper; the trees suddenly shed their leaves while the flowers withered away, the bark bursting into a flurry of flames. The rivers which flowed alongside the trail was quickly transmuted into molten rock, viciously burning and crackling. Kagari would find himself in a small clearing within the hellish forest, a group of foxes huddled together and cowering in fear.

"Had you chosen the correct path, you wouldn't have had to see this," Morotobu lamented, sitting on the ground beside the ninja, "that path would've led you home, but now you're as good as trapped, just like the rest of us."

Ryuichi caught up shortly thereafter, sitting on the ground and explaining the situation to the only person who might be able to help them, "Locked in a world that's not our own, no way out and nothing yet shown... "

"Our young and our elders, forlorn, forsaken. Running out of time as our chakra is taken," the snowy fox said, pointing with his paw to several fox cubs huddled close to their mother, looking emaciated and weak now, barely hanging on to life, "but our great lady sends us a saviour; just and powerful to grant us his favour!"

"We lead this den, but my brother and I are powerless to do anything to stop this Genjutsu," the cream-furred fox lamented, point his paw down another pathway, "whatever dark chakra is doing this, it's coming from toward the centre of the woods. But now we've got a shinobi, everything will be fine! Though, we can't exactly leave our den and let everyone suffer..."

The path leading deeper into the woods didn't seem much more enticing than the hellish one that brought Kagari to this den and he would likely feel an evil overbearing force wash him as he descended deeper. Something powerful was keeping this horrible Genjutsu in place, keeping the foxes scared and suffering and it looked like Morotobu and Ryuichi were counting on their new visitor to find it.

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

As Kagari kept continuing along the path, his vision again warped in front of him; the landscape changed from once a bright green forest to a nightmare. Around him, there were flames, dead plants and trees and a bunch of foxes huddled together in a small clearing. Kagari sighed, "I made the wrong choice didn't I?" On cue, the white fox Morotobu sat a the side of Kagari lamenting at the teen's choice."Had you chosen the correct path, you wouldn't have had to see this," Kagari cursed, disappointed in himself that he wasn't able to solve the riddle. "that path would've led you home, but now you're as good as trapped, just like the rest of us." He looked back to see the pathway now disappearing completely; the way out was now gone. , "Locked in a world that's not our own, no way out and nothing yet was shown... " Ryuichi caught up and sat on the other side of Kagari; he too was disappointed. "Our young and our elders, forlorn, forsaken. Running out of time as our chakra is taken," The white fox pointed to the larger Fox in the middle, looking very sickly. Kagari guessed that was the mother of all the foxes, and she had been protecting them this whole timeframe. "but our great lady sends us a Savior; just and powerful to grant us his favour!"Kagari looked confused, "who?" then he realised who Morotobu was talking about. "You mean me?" The red fox began pointing to a single pathway leading to the darker parts of the hellish forest, "We lead this den, but my brother and I are powerless to do anything to stop this Genjutsu." Kagari could see a trail, as he gazed at it he could feel something sinister coming from the center of the forest. Whatever dark chakra is doing this; it's coming from toward the centre of the woods."But now we've got a shinobi; everything will be fine! Though, we can't exactly leave our den and let everyone suffer..." Kagari scratched his chin, looked around at the scenery surrounding him. This was no place to be for any person or any creature. He slowly crept towards the small group of foxes, knelt down slowly and put the cup of his canteen on the ground. He poured the contents of the bottle from inside and tried to help the mother fox drink some water. He looked at the pathway again, something malicious lied in there that kept all of these poor creatures trapped. "By the way, I was wrong. I made the right choice going down this path." Kagari would venture down the pathway, despite being wary of what would happen. But he was determined not only to get himself out of this hole but to help the poor creatures be free from this place.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

It wouldn't be long that Kagari started heading further into the woods that he would be greeted by a little ball of red fur, a scarf trailing behind as it walked; Ryuichi had quickly caught up to the wayward shinobi to hopefully guide him in this place a little.

"I need to make sure you don't die," the cream-furred fox explained with a light chuckle, "and I figured you could probably use some help; some of us have already tried going down this path ourselves, but not many of them come back, and the ones that do, go completely insane," he remembered when they lost one of their cubs recently who strayed deeper into the forest and returned two days later, starved and thirsty, before collapsing on the grass. Ryuichi had hoped he'd never have to let that happen again.

As the two ventured down the path, they'd run into what seemed like a dead end. There was a dense wall of trees blocking the path, so tightly packed that not even Ryuichi could slither through by the looks of it.

"Whatever you do, don't get this riddle wrong; you've got two guesses, and if not, something will probably try and attack us, so be on your guard!"

Just then, it was like the trees were speaking to Kagari inside of his mind, almost like a psychic voice, whispering into his head.

Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies,
Present in the sun, but not in the rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain,
What am I?

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

Kagari could hear light patting of feet following him; it looked like Ryuichi was going to accompany him on this dire quest. "I need to make sure you don't die," The fox chuckled, Kagari rolled his eyes in response. "and I figured you could probably use some help; some of us have already tried going down this path ourselves, but not many of them come back, and the ones that do, go completely insane," That was a bit alarming, "Great motivational speech, you really are the fox who can't lie." As the two continued along the path, they came to a dead end of sorts. Green bamboo trees blocked their path, not even Ryuichi would be able to fit in any of the small spaces in between the bamboo. "Whatever you do, don't get this riddle wrong; you've got two guesses, and if not, something will probably try and attack us, so be on your guard!" Kagari sighed, "Because that worked out so well the first time, might as well try again." Kagari deadpanned. Just then, Kagari could feel another prescence in his mind, another voice spoke in his head.

Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies,
Present in the sun, but not in the rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain,
What am I?

Kagari took a moment to think again, he paced around the small space trying to figure out the answer to the riddle. Reading aloud the words in his head, he could see his shadow be illuminated by the fires surrounding the forest. Then the answer popped into his head.

"A shadow!" Kagari yelled out loud.

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

It was Kagari's lucky day and he'd given the correct answer to the riddle, but the way forward from here wasn't immediately obvious. He wouldn't be until the shinobi looked away or blinked that the trees blocked their path would mysteriously disappear, literally vanished in the blink of an eye, revealing the path forward. The grass ahead now looked black and charred, many dead trees lining the road which looked ready to fall over any second.

Ryuichi paused, not walking ahead just yet; something seemed to have aroused his suspicion and he didn't seem at all confident about continuing just yet. It was like intuition; something wasn't right here but he couldn't tell exactly what. There seemed to be a storm brewing above their heads and it wasn't looking before it started raining. Little drops of water fell from the sky and seemed to sizzle and burn on contact with the ground. Same for the trees as they began to sizzle and crackle, some of the branches begin to break off and even melt.

"Oh, this is so not good! The rain..." He choked out panicking and pacing up and down, "I think it's acid!"

There didn't seem many safe places around the hellish woodland to take cover. It was either up to Kagari to get creative with his jutsu or the two would simply have to burn. The red fox tried to fox, closing his eyes and muttering a short rhyme, "Burning water over our heads, we bid that you are put to rest..." He then looked up at Kagari to finish it - this jutsu would require two to cast it each time.

Ryuichi will attempt to ready a jutsu in the form of a poem to stop the acid rain. Each round, he will give two lines of a poem and Kagari will have to complete it in a way that rhymes, kind of like a spell. Each complete poem will have a 40% chance to stop the rain.
Ryuichi has 1000HP, but every time he his hit by the rain and unprotected by Kagari, he will lose 200HP. If he dies, the quest will come to an end.

Current Ryuichi HP: 1000

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

There was silence after Kagari's answers, but luckily it seemed that he had made the correct guess. Trees would begin to disappear in front of the duo, and a new pathway opened up. As they made their way through the trees; burnt grass, ash and charred wood lined their path. It looked like there was a massive fire in the area, but because the surrounding landscape was already a hellish nightmare, it made Kagari wonder what happened here. Kagari walked a few steps forward when he noticed the red fox stop in his path, looking as if there was something wrong. "Something up?" The teen asked when Kagari saw the small rumblings of a storm come towards them. It began to rain, but not with water but with something else more sinister. The trees and leaves that were somewhat covering them began to sizzle and melt; this wasn't an ordinary rainstorm. One droplet of acid water almost hit Kagari's boot, it sizzled and melted into the ground a few inches away from his toes.Ryuichi realised what it was, "Oh, this is so not good! The rain..." He began pacing around in circles, "I think it's acid!" Kagari cursed, "Shit! We won't find any cover from these burnt trees! Kagari did a few hand seals, and some of the raindrops began to freeze. (Artic Aether (Mastered)) It wouldn't protect them exactly but it would hopefully make it easier to avoid them. His companion seemed to be casting some sort of ninjutsu as well, as he started to speak in another riddle, "Burning water over our heads, we bid that you are put to rest..." The fox turned towards Kagari and looked at him expectingly. "W-what?" Kagari then realised he would have to finish it. "Uhh, We wish not to be dead, so that we may pass this test."

WC: 295
MFT

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

The sudden frosty gust from the teen's jutsu startled Ryuichi a bit, watching some of the acid freeze right before his eyes and harmlessly falling to the ground. However, the two weren't completely safe; the fox almost yelped as he felt some of the acid singe some of his tail fur. They tried to cast the collaborative jutsu now, but it didn't seem to have quite work - the rain appeared the lighten for a moment, but then it only got much worse. The two would have to try again and hoped it worked.

"Okay, that didn't work, let's try again," he mumbled, annoyed, desperately trying to come up with a more effective rhyme to get them both to safety, "Stop now, elements be soothed," the fox stammered again, before looking up at the teen, expecting him to carry it on.

Rolled 87 - Fail
Fox HP: 800

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

Some of the raindrops would freeze into ice once it entered the zone surrounding Kagari, but some of it still landed on Ryuichi as he could hear the small fox yelp in pain. When Kagari completed the rhyme, it seemed to stop the storm for a minute; but as the saying goes, when it rains it pours. They were pressed for even more time to figure out a way to stop the acid rain from falling. "Okay, that didn't work, let's try again," Ryuichi grumbled as he put together a short rhyme for Kagari to finish. "Stop now, elements be soothed," Kagari nodded, figuring out a rhyme; "So that we can enjoy our youth."

WC: 114
MFT

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

As soon as those final words were uttered by Kagari, the harsh acidic rain seemed to come to a stop, the little crystal Kagari had made to protect began dropping harmlessly to the ground once again and, for now, it seemed the two had been saved by the power of terrible poetry. Ryuichi let out a long sigh of relief as he practically collapsed to the floor, not used to that kind of action, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He slowly got up and looked to the ninja standing over him, sitting down and giving him a small bow.

"Well done, you saved us," the humble fox practically purred before slinking off again, wanting to waste no time in getting to the bottom of what was going on. However, as the fox continued on, the teen would no doubt notice something unusual in the path. It looked like a small, rocky hole in the ground, devoid of any light, but plenty wide enough for both the fox and the shinobi to fit through comfortably, albeit it would take a little bit of a squeeze. Alternatively, they could continue on down the path. Would the hole turn out to be a short cut, or would it be certain death? Ryuichi didn't seem to notice the little den and was ready just to trot along down the road.

Rolled 15, the jutsu successfully stops the acid rain.

There is now a choice to make; play it safe and take the long way round, or risk a shortcut which may lead to more deadly obstacles.

 

[Toshiwakai Kagari]

When he completed the riddle with a rhyme, the rain stopped just in time. Both the Fox and Kagari let out a sigh of relief as the acidic rain ceased, as they could see the dark clouds pass. Ryuichi sat up and bowed his head, thanking Kagari."Well done, you saved us," Kagari shrugged, "I didn't do much. All I did was what you told me to do." The red fox began following the path before them; Kagari would follow suit when the teen noticed a hole in the ground. At first, Kagari thought that there was so much rain that it somehow burned a giant hole in the field, but as Kagari peered into it, he noticed that there was enough room for both him and Ryuichi to go through. "Another pathway?" Kagari investigated it more, but without a torch, he couldn't see through the darkness. He thought for a few seconds about going into the hole, but he shook his head. "Nah." Kagari would follow the path set before them; any easy way out might just lead into another trap. Once he caught up to the red fox, he would say nothing the small den. "Sorry, I thought some of the acid burned a hole into my coat. I need this thing to be hole less if I got back down the mountains...

Actions:
Kagari moved on from the hole and choose to continue down the path.

WC: 224
MFT

 

[Inuzuka Akira]

Kagari had definitely made the right choice by ignoring the hole in the ground; had he decided to go down it, it would have just been a sheer, several mile drop beneath the ground, likely having been the Genjutsu's way of tempting them to their deaths. The path ahead of them began to twist and turn before their very eyes, stretching out in some places, narrowing in others. The winding path seemed to go on forever and just when the pair might think they were making progress, they would find themselves back at the start.

"I don't think we're moving forward. It's some kind of loop we're stuck in," Ryuichi lamented as he looked around, trying to figure out how to move forward from where they were but no such solution seemed to present itself. However, in the blink of an eye, the hellish forest changed again; the two would now find themselves in a closed off clearing, surrounded by a dense wall of trees from all angles.

"Imbeciles," muttered a familiar voice from behind them. Ryuichi immediately spun around to find Morotobu standing before them. He didn't have his usual condescending scowl but rather wore an ominous grin. This wasn't like Morotobu - there was such hunger in his eyes.