Promise #10 Never trust Others, Not Even Those In The Clan
The entire domain of the kitsune illuminated today to celebrate Shizu’s completion of her training. None of the kitsune spoke a word to her, but each helped in their own way in silence. She needed to mentally prepare for what was to come.
Shizu wrapped the light-blue robe around her body. The sleeves were loose around her arms and drooped beyond her hands. Underneath the kimono, she wore a pair of pants with strips of leather wrapped around her thighs. On one of her legs was a set of four needles dipped with poison and the other leg had a sharpened dagger.
A kitsune woman, wearing a plain black hakama, walked around Shizu to aid her in dressing. Where her master had only his tails to reveal his true nature, her whiskers sprouting from her cheeks gave away her fox-like true form. She held out a long thick strip of cloth. It had a light pink floral pattern like cherry blossoms floating through the wind. She wrapped it around Shizu’s waist, tucking one end in to create a seamless look. She took another patterned sash off the table next to them.
The second cloth covered the first one and stopped in the back. Shizu looked in the mirror to catch a glimpse of what the woman was doing. It was impossible to see without straining her neck, so she waited until the woman moved away again.
The outfit was easy to breathe in despite how tight the midsection was. Added with the fact that Shizu’s breasts were constantly in pain from growing now and having her first bleed, she was grateful for the comfort.
Shizu strode closer to the mirror and turned to examine the back of the kimono. The second cloth was wrapped into a tight bow that again looked less like it was part of the outfit and more like it was attached and free-floating above her waist.
Another kitsune woman strode into the room. This time, she was carrying a small bowl of black liquid. The woman bowed. She placed it on a table and left.
Shizu walked over to the bowl and smiled gratefully. She lifted the bowl off the table and brought it to her mouth. It was bitter, but the cool liquid quenched her thirst and warmed her body. Once, the drink had made her sick to her stomach and unable to move. Now it was easier than water to ingest. They never gave a name to it, but she always referred to it as the blood of a kitsune.
“Shizu,” a voice growled from the doorway.
She dropped the bowl and turned to see her master at the doorway. He wore a pure black yukata that made most of his body meld in with the shadows around him.
Shizu bowed. “Sensei.”
He nodded in response. “Is she ready?” he asked the kitsune that helped Shizu get dressed.
The woman flicked her two tails.
“Good. You’re free to go.”
Smoke engulfed the silent kitsune, and in her place was a small thin fox. She gave Shizu one last glimpse before scurrying out of the room. Its two tails swished behind it.
Her master looked back at Shizu, and for a moment, a smile crossed his face. “You’ve trained for four years. You’ve bled for us in more ways than any man could. You’ve eaten our food and bathed in our waters. Now you will return to the humans and show them what they have paid for.”
“I will, sensei.” She bowed again. “Thank you for everything you have done for me.”
“Don’t thank me, girl, until you prove to me my training wasn’t for naught.” He flicked his tail at the remaining weapons she had yet to store in her clothing as a reminder. “You’re ready. You won’t be able to kill a samurai, but your strength is enough to survive and be one of us. Today, you will celebrate your birthday within the city as a woman. Tomorrow, you will be a shinobi.”
This was her moment. The push to survive and prove to the kitsune she could survive came to fruition. Her freedom was within her grasp. Her heart fluttered at the thought of leaving the kitsune den behind. The clan was her next step in finding where she belonged and regaining her lost freedom.
Shizu bowed. “Arigatou, sensei. I am glad to have joined your family after all of my training and await my new life with the shinobi.”
#
Shizu stepped outside for the first time in years. The light of the setting sun behind her. Before her was a city filled with buildings that stretched across the horizon. She brushed the dust off her kimono and turned to look at where she exited. From outside, it was a dilapidated shed, but to her, it was the only home she knew. It was strange seeing it from this side after having never left for so many years.
Beyond the doorway were a dozen glowing eyes staring at her. Kitsune that had followed her out and wished her farewell. Their fur brushing against her hand during her walk out was comfort enough and filled her with the strength to turn from all that she knew. The only one that hadn’t come was her master who chose to stay behind. Now she would be returning to her people.
Outside of the building stood a single stone statue of a fox staring down at the city. She imagined it was an actual kitsune disguised as a statue to play as a guard for their people, but it never moved to prove her theory. She rubbed the top of its head for luck.
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She let out a soft sigh and began her trek into the city. “Time to find the clan that holds my freedom and release it from their grasp.”
There was no running away yet. Their gaze would be focused on her as soon as she left the fox den, even if she never saw them herself. Play the part of the budding shinobi and her path would open itself to her.
The people within the city were far different than the people the kitsune had pretended to be. Their eyes were brighter, and there were no scars on their faces that looked like whiskers. She touched her dagger at her side through the kimono. Enough lessons and promises told her one thing: everyone was a possible enemy if they wanted to be.
She needed to find her target her master instructed her on, a priest. He wasn’t to be killed, but he never told her exactly what the intention of finding him was beyond joining others for a birthday celebration. Girls that were her age all dressed similar to her would be the path to her target. They would all be celebrating their birthday as they all turned sixteen within the last moon cycle.
It didn’t take long to find them. A small group of girls all huddled together in kimonos of different quality. She walked over to them. From a quick glance, none of them seemed armed and they wandered around as if unprepared for an attack at any given moment. It clashed against every lesson her master taught her.
“Hajimemashite,” Shizu said and bowed to them all. “I’m Shizu. Please, let me join your group. I’m new to the village, so don’t know my way around very well.”
The girls all stared at her. None of them bowed or showed any sign of friendliness. She reached for the dagger, imagining the lack of protection they portrayed was all a ruse.
One of the girls with a plain gray kimono skipped up to her and gave a small smile. “I’m Yoko.” She nodded her head to Shizu. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” She tilted her head to the side. “You’re not from here, but your dialect is just like ours.”
Shizu relaxed and bit her lip, trying to think of what to say. “My parents were from here.”
The girl laughed and nodded. She grabbed Shizu’s hand and dragged her down the road. “Then let’s go and get our blessings.”
The group and Shizu all began their parade down the road once more. Adults lined the streets, either cheering on the girls or carrying out errands. Some talked amongst one another in loud boisterous voices, but they weren’t her target and what they had to say didn’t matter. Shizu tensed with every man that looked down at her, expecting them to attack.
They arrived at the small shrine before nightfall. In front of the building stood a large red gate made of thick wooden posts. Each one would require at least two adults to wrap their arms around it to reach the full circumference. On either side of the gate stood statues of foxes. The one on the right had a key in its mouth while the other held a small scroll in its paw.
She walked over to the one holding the key. The gray stone was smooth and well cared for. It wore a red bib that matched the wooden gate. She laughed at the idea of the kitsune who had trained her wearing these. The girls stared at her and continued under the gate to the shrine.
Shizu followed and watched as an older man strolled out of the shrine to welcome them all. He had a gentle smile. Different from the kitsune who held so much malice. He wore a black hat that stood a hand-span above his head and tied under his chin with a white cord and a light-yellow robe with a white long-sleeved robe underneath. Her target.
The priest bowed to the girls. “Welcome to the shrine, young ones. Please step forward, and I will provide the offering for the inari for you.”
Yoko was the first to step forward and bowed. “I’m Yoko. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” He returned the bow and handed the girl a small brown object from the basket he was carrying.
The other girls copied Yoko’s movements until it was Shizu’s turn. The man looked over to her with amusement. “You’re new here? The other girls visited the shrine almost a moon cycle ago to prepare, but I’ve never seen you here.”
Shizu bowed. “Yes. I’m sorry, but my parents never told me how this goes.”
The priest knelt in front of Shizu. She could see what the man had in his basket. The brown was tofu that had been fried and stuffed with rice. The idea of food made her mouth water. She wanted to reach down and devour it, but what the man had said earlier made her stop. He had called them an offering to the inari, another term for foxes the kitsune despised.
“I’m the priest here. Now,” he stood back up, “what is your name, child?”
“Shizu,” she mumbled. “My name is Shizu. Arigatou, sensei. Please take care of me.”
The priest bowed in return and handed her one of the tofu rolls. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Shizu. Take that inarizushi and go with your friends. They’ll help you with the offering. When you’re done, please see me. I’d like to talk with you.”