D3lmoniko
Warden of the West
It was said many, many years ago the Shu family had managed to steal a scroll from the village. Being a non-ninja family, and it being war time, they were treated like criminals, and hunted down. The village had no way of knowing exactly what scroll was taken, whether it be one for simple substitution, or a kinjutsu hidden long ago. The family was killed, but the scroll was lost.
That was 150 years ago, and was largely forgotten about except as urban myth and legend. Lately, some kids exploring the wilderness found a trap door. It led to an underground shrine of some sort, but they claim it was full of ghosts, and ran away. Since then, rumors in the village have again surfaced that is the hidden Shu Scroll.
Akihiro Tsubasha, still recovering after his unfortunate mission, decided to verify what the local kids have been saying around the village. He wanted to convince Ago or Ao to join him, but they couldn't be bothered. As always, his trusty Karuy was at his side.
"...Well, it should be around here..." Aki said to himself, as he started to look around for signs of a shrine, or something that might give him a small hint. His mind was already racing to what the scroll could hide. For a non-ninja family to take it, it must've been something important. Maybe a forbiden technique, or, as some said, a whole collection of scrolls. A smile crept on his face as all the scenarios were playing in his head.
Around the area, nothing but wasteland seemed to be anywhere. There were several clusters of rocks around, and at the base of one was a trap door, which had been collapsed by the earlier kids playing on it. Down it led into the earth. Either the Shu family were expert miners, or quite rich to have a such a tunnel underground. Torches lined the wall on the way down, but had long since gone out.
Crouching down in front of the collapsed door, Aki looked down to see how deep the hole went. Sighing and grabbing Karuy, he jumped down, landing on the small pieces of wood left, lifting dust in the sky. Coughing, he began to wave his hand, trying to get rid of the horrible smell that came from inside. "...Great, lights are out..." Karuy quickly went where the light was no more, and Aki realized that his pet racoon might help him navigate through the tunnels. "...Hey Karuy, if you lead me where I want, I'll buy you that fish we saw at the market..." The animal didn't really understand what he said, but he knew how a bribe sounded like. He began moving forward slowly, as Aki looked down as to not either step over, or go on another path alone.
The underground tunnel quickly split into several different tunnels. Some of them collapsed, others still standing. One in particular would have the smell of running water and fish down it from an underground stream, though also the smell of wood, and wax, from unlit incense candles. The rest of the tunnels had no such smell in them, mainly be used as underground smuggling tunnels. One such tunnel led all the way to Koseki, another to Kemuri, and others where they may.
Karuy stopped when he felt saw the tunnels splitting. Aki stopped as well, his eyes slightly getting used to the absence of light. He could not see well, only a few shapes. "...So, through where Karuy?..." The racoon smelt the other fragrances, but the smell of water and fish hotwired his nose. He quickly went through that cave, and Aki followed, picking the pace to follow the now very fast racoon. "...Hey, slow down..."
The river was filled with very large fish, who had been undisturbed for over a century, and permitted to grow large. A fisherman's dream would be to find just one such spot, some of the fish in the river seemed to be larger than the raccoon. Many of the fish did not have eyes, proof they had never left the cave, though others did, showing the river connected somewhere. The path once chosen didn't split off any more, as the Shu family didn't like to get lost too often. That offbranch seemed to be the only one. Up ahead, a small glimmer of light showed some sort of opening. If followed, an ancient, rotted shrine would be seen. A opening was cut into a small hill above it, not large enough to enter and exit back to sunlight above, but large enough to allow light through, lighting the shrine. The tunnel led straight to it.
Which was probably for the best, the supply of infinite fish probably didn't bode well for the raccoon.
Aki heard the water. "...What the hell..." His left foot slipped into the water, and, due to the sheer surprise, Aki let out a yelp, then quickly jumped, falling on his back in the dirt, groaning. "...Side note... Never tempt a racoon with fish..." Karuy didn't pay attention, he tried to catch some fish, only to fail misserably. Lifting himself off the ground, he dusted himself, and then observed the small light peeking. He was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. It was indeed small, and looking through, he saw the shrine with the scroll. His heart raced, and he started to thing of what to do. Curiosity got the best of him, and he entered.
Surely the shrine didn't look like much, but the scroll, it made him smile and get very exited. Taking the scroll, he went to where he went in, but he couldn't exit. On this end, it seemed smaller than on the other side. He was stuck. "...Karuy... Karuy!" The racoon quickly went to the hole and looked at him. "...Listen, Karuy, you got to help me. You got t-" The racoon entered as well. Aki groaned, and rolled his eyes. "...Great. Just perfect. I wanted to be in ANBU, and an awesome ninja... Now? I'm gonna die in a cave!..."
His voice started to crack, as he was starting to panick. In battle, yeah, he could keep his cool, but in a claustrophobic environment? No way in hell. Then, an idea came. At least the scroll might teach him a secret technique, or something awesome that will surely make him escape. Smilling he looked at the scroll and unfolded it.
"...Hiding like a Mole... Hidding like a .... MOLE?!" Aki began laughing. But not a funny, amused smile. This was a genuine crazy laugh. Falling on his butt, he looked at the scroll, a grin on his now red face. "...I am gonna die, because I wanted to learn to hide like a mole..."
Aki going crazy probably wasn't helped by the rattling voice that sounded through the cave. The voice was deep and reverberating, and worst of all, not human.
"Noooo~! Nooooo~! Leave our scroll, it is ours! It has been for centuries....."
A pale blue light seemed to fill the room, and a rattling of chains as a ghostly flame took form infront of Aki. The form became that of a man, written across his shirt was the word 'Shu'.
"Kemuri scum! Why can we not have juuutsu! We honor it, thrive on it! Take our lives, don't take our scroll! All of them are precious!"
The ghost slowly shuffled towards Aki. Though it wasn't moving fast, there wasn't much room to move down below. As long as Aki had that scroll, the ghost seemed rooted and directed at him.
Aki raised up, his eyes widdening. "...Eh... eh?..." He couldn't make up words for what he was seeing now. "...Y-You stole it first!..." 'Great job Aki. Why don't I just insult his ancestors too? Actually, nevermind, you might do it.' His mind was now in full panick mode. "...Y-You know what?! Have it!..." Aki threw the scroll at the ghost, as it flew through him. If at first Aki doubted it was a ghost, now it was without a shread of doubt a real ghost. All this time, Karuy stood still near the whole in the wall, gently scratching it.
A ghostly scream resounded through the room as the scroll was thrown. Though the ghost didn't have form, it's scream was enough that the cave was shaking. A viel behind the shrine fell off the hinges from the screen, revealing another tunnel continuing through the shrine.
"Our scrooooll! Do not mistreat it! It is sacred to uuuus!"
The ghost didn't seem to have any knowledge of the power of ninjutsu, and what the phrase 'C-ranked ninjutsu' meant. To him, a ninja scroll was like manna from heaven. Manna which was currently banging against the wall.
"You will paaaay! You will pay!"
The ghost flew into a rage, and flew much faster towards Aki.
Aki slowly went back, until he felt a soft material hand from the wall. Pushing against it, he fell through it. An exit, probably. "...Karuy! G-Grab that scroll and let's run!" He yelled, as he started to run through the cave system, adrenaline starting to kick in as he felt his blood cold. Karuy quickly moved and, while running, grabbed the scroll in its teeth, starting to run after Aki, catching up to him.
The ghost tried to pursue, but found it stuck, unable to leave the shrine.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOU MEDDLING KIDS! IT IS MINE!"
His screams echoed deafeningly through the tunnels, causing them once again to shake violently.
The ghost crumbled to floating to the ground.
"At least.... at least I still have this one...."
He picked up another scroll from beneath a mat, well hidden, reading Summoning: Impure World Resurrection.
"And I will never lose you, never...."
The sound of a cave in could be heard behind Aki, the entire system behind him falling in.
The two ran like the wind, Aki throwing a few glares behind him. Finaly, he reached the exit point. It was exactly in his backyard, under his house. With no moment to spare, Aki picked up rocks and started to throw them to cover the entrance. Even Karuy started to help. His sister began lauging looking at them. "What are you two goofballs doing?" Aki turned to her, mud and dust on his face, along with a terrified expression. "...Never go to the caved in trap door. Never!" She was starting to worry about him, going near Aki and putting her hand on his head. "You don't have a fever or anything. Did yo get enough air down there Aki?" Karuy put the scroll down, and aki picked it up, looking at it. "...At least there is a silver linning. Hey sis, can you come help me pick a fish for Karuy? I promissed him one..."
That was 150 years ago, and was largely forgotten about except as urban myth and legend. Lately, some kids exploring the wilderness found a trap door. It led to an underground shrine of some sort, but they claim it was full of ghosts, and ran away. Since then, rumors in the village have again surfaced that is the hidden Shu Scroll.
Akihiro Tsubasha, still recovering after his unfortunate mission, decided to verify what the local kids have been saying around the village. He wanted to convince Ago or Ao to join him, but they couldn't be bothered. As always, his trusty Karuy was at his side.
"...Well, it should be around here..." Aki said to himself, as he started to look around for signs of a shrine, or something that might give him a small hint. His mind was already racing to what the scroll could hide. For a non-ninja family to take it, it must've been something important. Maybe a forbiden technique, or, as some said, a whole collection of scrolls. A smile crept on his face as all the scenarios were playing in his head.
Around the area, nothing but wasteland seemed to be anywhere. There were several clusters of rocks around, and at the base of one was a trap door, which had been collapsed by the earlier kids playing on it. Down it led into the earth. Either the Shu family were expert miners, or quite rich to have a such a tunnel underground. Torches lined the wall on the way down, but had long since gone out.
Crouching down in front of the collapsed door, Aki looked down to see how deep the hole went. Sighing and grabbing Karuy, he jumped down, landing on the small pieces of wood left, lifting dust in the sky. Coughing, he began to wave his hand, trying to get rid of the horrible smell that came from inside. "...Great, lights are out..." Karuy quickly went where the light was no more, and Aki realized that his pet racoon might help him navigate through the tunnels. "...Hey Karuy, if you lead me where I want, I'll buy you that fish we saw at the market..." The animal didn't really understand what he said, but he knew how a bribe sounded like. He began moving forward slowly, as Aki looked down as to not either step over, or go on another path alone.
The underground tunnel quickly split into several different tunnels. Some of them collapsed, others still standing. One in particular would have the smell of running water and fish down it from an underground stream, though also the smell of wood, and wax, from unlit incense candles. The rest of the tunnels had no such smell in them, mainly be used as underground smuggling tunnels. One such tunnel led all the way to Koseki, another to Kemuri, and others where they may.
Karuy stopped when he felt saw the tunnels splitting. Aki stopped as well, his eyes slightly getting used to the absence of light. He could not see well, only a few shapes. "...So, through where Karuy?..." The racoon smelt the other fragrances, but the smell of water and fish hotwired his nose. He quickly went through that cave, and Aki followed, picking the pace to follow the now very fast racoon. "...Hey, slow down..."
The river was filled with very large fish, who had been undisturbed for over a century, and permitted to grow large. A fisherman's dream would be to find just one such spot, some of the fish in the river seemed to be larger than the raccoon. Many of the fish did not have eyes, proof they had never left the cave, though others did, showing the river connected somewhere. The path once chosen didn't split off any more, as the Shu family didn't like to get lost too often. That offbranch seemed to be the only one. Up ahead, a small glimmer of light showed some sort of opening. If followed, an ancient, rotted shrine would be seen. A opening was cut into a small hill above it, not large enough to enter and exit back to sunlight above, but large enough to allow light through, lighting the shrine. The tunnel led straight to it.
Which was probably for the best, the supply of infinite fish probably didn't bode well for the raccoon.
Aki heard the water. "...What the hell..." His left foot slipped into the water, and, due to the sheer surprise, Aki let out a yelp, then quickly jumped, falling on his back in the dirt, groaning. "...Side note... Never tempt a racoon with fish..." Karuy didn't pay attention, he tried to catch some fish, only to fail misserably. Lifting himself off the ground, he dusted himself, and then observed the small light peeking. He was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. It was indeed small, and looking through, he saw the shrine with the scroll. His heart raced, and he started to thing of what to do. Curiosity got the best of him, and he entered.
Surely the shrine didn't look like much, but the scroll, it made him smile and get very exited. Taking the scroll, he went to where he went in, but he couldn't exit. On this end, it seemed smaller than on the other side. He was stuck. "...Karuy... Karuy!" The racoon quickly went to the hole and looked at him. "...Listen, Karuy, you got to help me. You got t-" The racoon entered as well. Aki groaned, and rolled his eyes. "...Great. Just perfect. I wanted to be in ANBU, and an awesome ninja... Now? I'm gonna die in a cave!..."
His voice started to crack, as he was starting to panick. In battle, yeah, he could keep his cool, but in a claustrophobic environment? No way in hell. Then, an idea came. At least the scroll might teach him a secret technique, or something awesome that will surely make him escape. Smilling he looked at the scroll and unfolded it.
"...Hiding like a Mole... Hidding like a .... MOLE?!" Aki began laughing. But not a funny, amused smile. This was a genuine crazy laugh. Falling on his butt, he looked at the scroll, a grin on his now red face. "...I am gonna die, because I wanted to learn to hide like a mole..."
Aki going crazy probably wasn't helped by the rattling voice that sounded through the cave. The voice was deep and reverberating, and worst of all, not human.
"Noooo~! Nooooo~! Leave our scroll, it is ours! It has been for centuries....."
A pale blue light seemed to fill the room, and a rattling of chains as a ghostly flame took form infront of Aki. The form became that of a man, written across his shirt was the word 'Shu'.
"Kemuri scum! Why can we not have juuutsu! We honor it, thrive on it! Take our lives, don't take our scroll! All of them are precious!"
The ghost slowly shuffled towards Aki. Though it wasn't moving fast, there wasn't much room to move down below. As long as Aki had that scroll, the ghost seemed rooted and directed at him.
Aki raised up, his eyes widdening. "...Eh... eh?..." He couldn't make up words for what he was seeing now. "...Y-You stole it first!..." 'Great job Aki. Why don't I just insult his ancestors too? Actually, nevermind, you might do it.' His mind was now in full panick mode. "...Y-You know what?! Have it!..." Aki threw the scroll at the ghost, as it flew through him. If at first Aki doubted it was a ghost, now it was without a shread of doubt a real ghost. All this time, Karuy stood still near the whole in the wall, gently scratching it.
A ghostly scream resounded through the room as the scroll was thrown. Though the ghost didn't have form, it's scream was enough that the cave was shaking. A viel behind the shrine fell off the hinges from the screen, revealing another tunnel continuing through the shrine.
"Our scrooooll! Do not mistreat it! It is sacred to uuuus!"
The ghost didn't seem to have any knowledge of the power of ninjutsu, and what the phrase 'C-ranked ninjutsu' meant. To him, a ninja scroll was like manna from heaven. Manna which was currently banging against the wall.
"You will paaaay! You will pay!"
The ghost flew into a rage, and flew much faster towards Aki.
Aki slowly went back, until he felt a soft material hand from the wall. Pushing against it, he fell through it. An exit, probably. "...Karuy! G-Grab that scroll and let's run!" He yelled, as he started to run through the cave system, adrenaline starting to kick in as he felt his blood cold. Karuy quickly moved and, while running, grabbed the scroll in its teeth, starting to run after Aki, catching up to him.
The ghost tried to pursue, but found it stuck, unable to leave the shrine.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN YOU MEDDLING KIDS! IT IS MINE!"
His screams echoed deafeningly through the tunnels, causing them once again to shake violently.
The ghost crumbled to floating to the ground.
"At least.... at least I still have this one...."
He picked up another scroll from beneath a mat, well hidden, reading Summoning: Impure World Resurrection.
"And I will never lose you, never...."
The sound of a cave in could be heard behind Aki, the entire system behind him falling in.
The two ran like the wind, Aki throwing a few glares behind him. Finaly, he reached the exit point. It was exactly in his backyard, under his house. With no moment to spare, Aki picked up rocks and started to throw them to cover the entrance. Even Karuy started to help. His sister began lauging looking at them. "What are you two goofballs doing?" Aki turned to her, mud and dust on his face, along with a terrified expression. "...Never go to the caved in trap door. Never!" She was starting to worry about him, going near Aki and putting her hand on his head. "You don't have a fever or anything. Did yo get enough air down there Aki?" Karuy put the scroll down, and aki picked it up, looking at it. "...At least there is a silver linning. Hey sis, can you come help me pick a fish for Karuy? I promissed him one..."
