Takamitsu And The Land Of Foxes

Takamitsu sat in the ramen shop, listening intently to the leaf ninja that were talking next to him. The conversation wasn't really any of his business, and Takamitsu had long since finished his own meal, but a burning curiosity was slowly emerging in the boy, and he very much intended to capitalize on the information he was hearing.
"Yeah, all of the great shinobi have had a pact with a beast."
"Really?"
"Of course! One of my squad members has a contract with the Fox, and they can use their blood to summon those guys at will."
"Does it use up a lot of chakra?"
"It depends on what you summon. If you ask me, the summons that take up a lot of chakra are absolutely worth the extra effort."
"...How did your squad mate do all of this?"
"I'm not exactly sure, to be honest. I know that they had found some sage land or whatever where the foxes live, but I don't know much beyond that. He said that it was about a day's walk from the village, but he made markings in the trees to lead his way there and back. If you want to try and make a contract, that's your best bet."
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Yeah... His summons... They have a lot of... Personality."
Takamitsu slid the ramen ticket across the counter and got up, heading out towards the village's streets. Takamitsu began generously making use of Body Flicker, leaving small bursts of electricity and sparks in his wake, as he started to head for the village gates.

Once the boy arrived at the beginning of the giant gates that provided the main entrance and exit to the village for most people, one of the shinobi on guard duty called out to him.
"Takamitsu, you're going out again today?"
"Yeah!"
"What for?"
"I'm making a pilgrimage!"
The shinobi gave a small laugh, shaking his head before returning to reading his book. This had been the most energetic he had seen Takamitsu in a long time. The idea of finding a new source of amazing power was very enticing to many young ninja, and the thought would usually awaken an excitement that was commonly reserved for intense fights and well-prepared meals.

The boy ran up the side of a nearby tree, looking for any sort of markings on the numerous trees that painted the landscape a deep green. Eventually, he found a small but deep cut, which appeared to be made by a kunai. Upon further investigation, of the strange cut, he found another cut much like it in a tree roughly 50 meters away. He wasted no time in following these markings, quickly dashing along branches as his gaze rapidly shifted from his current target to the next. The sun beat down on him, and his fatigue was rapidly growing after several hours of moving, so he sat down by a river to plan his next move. He wasn't quite sure how the foxes would react to him, or even if they existed. He was only out here because he heard a rumor that wasn't even meant for him, he could very well be walking into a trap set for the other ninja and be absolutely unprepared for the occasion. Takamitsu dived into the water, cooling down and trying to think of if he should continue. When the boy finally dragged himself out of the cool water onto the warm grass, he stared at the sky, watching clouds travel aimlessly. If the clouds didn't fight against the wind, Takamitsu decided, then why should he? He got back up and continued along his path, slowly approaching the Fox's homeland.

Despite his speed, the journey had taken much longer than he expected, and Takamitsu still thought he'd likely run into several obstacles that blocked his path. The first major challenge since leaving the village came mere minutes after he left the river. The challenge came not in an obstacle that had blocked his way or some bandit that was going to prey on the boy who was traveling alone, but instead in the difficulty he was going to have actually getting his name signed on the scroll. There was a noticeable change in scenery when Takamitsu approached the Fox's homeland, trees shot high up into the sky, piercing clouds, and the lush green grass was now a dark green and dotted with different color flowers. There was a noticeable smell of fur that mixed in with the aroma that was produced by the different flowers. Takamitsu wouldn't say that it smelt bad, but it wasn't a smell that he'd associate with being all powerful and legendary. Within minutes of entering the land, a small, stubby fox came up to the boy, not too pleased. "Just what do you think you're doing!?"
"I came here to sign a blood contract with your people."
"So you show up to our land unannounced? How did you even hear about this place, just why should we trust you!?"
"...I eavesdropped on someone in a ramen shop."
"..."
"You can trust that I'm strong, though! You're looking at the next greatest ninja to come out of Konoha!"
"Hah! As if! You don't look like you could throw a punch, much less become a great shinobi!"
"...Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"How about we make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"You seem like a very noble fox, if I'm able to beat you in a challenge of your choosing, I become your servant."
"And if I lose?"
"Then you're going to let me sign a contract with the foxes, and to let me summon you to fight with me."
"...You're on."
"Name the challenge."
"Easy, you have to land a hit on me before the sun goes down."
Takamitsu looked up towards the sky, it looked to be about noon.
"Alright, this will be over in-"
In almost the blink of an eye, the fox was long gone leaving Takamitsu alone and confused.

After a few seconds, he quickly head off deeper into the fox's territory chasing after where the stubby figure had headed. He passed between giant trees that were hollowed out, and large holes where he assumed that other foxes lived. Takamitsu almost ran into a giant red figure that was wrapped around a tree, and as he narrowly slipped by the beast, it shot him a glare that no human could ever replicate. Takamitsu couldn't help but relate the fox to his brother, with the playful gloating and the quickness to propose a challenge that he knew Takamitsu would be at a major disadvantage in. Even the sly grin seemed similar, with the way that is somehow could break Takamitsu down while also managing to force him to make a decision with very little thought, something he was well known for doing around Kurushimi. "You're never going to catch me like that!" The tiny voice called, his tone filled to the brim with taunting and glee felt towards the current situation. "You want to bet!?"
"I already have!"
The fox had him there. Takamitsu performed a series of hand signs, beginning a clone jutsu.
"You've got some spunk, I'll give you that!" The fox called, a slight grin visible on its orange face. If Takamitsu was told that this was a human with some sort of curse, he would have believed it. The fox felt so human like that it was almost off-putting, but Takamitsu didn't have time to think about this, as all he cared about was punching the woodland creature across its tiny face. They jumped in unison, leaving the creature to turn and bolt away again, forcing the two Takamitsu's to pick up the pace again and follow the fox.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Takamitsu!" One of the two called, slowly gaining on the fox. The fox turned to look back at the two, finding that one was gone. "You're trying to ambush me, huh?"
Takamitsu didn't respond, instead pushing himself harder to gain on the fox. "Fine, be that way, I know that you're planning some sort of ambush, so I'll just..." The fox turns around and jumps over Takamitsu, trying to head the other direction. The boy uses body flicker, quickly gaining on the fox and swiping at his fur, knocking the tiny being to the ground. "You see, I sent the clone off to make you think that I was planning something... But I had no plan, I just wanted to see if you'd slip up." The fox grinned, looking up at him. "Well, you're almost as smart as me! Hell, maybe in a few years you might become half as cool as I am!" Takamitsu shook his head, amazed that the fox could act like he was beneath him even after he lost the challenge. "A deal is a deal, are you going to get me that scroll?"
"Yes, just give me a second!" The fox snapped at him, looking away. After a few seconds, a scroll appeared in front of the fox, which he unrolled before looking up at the boy. "Sign your name in your blood!" Takamitsu cut his thumb with a kunai and began to write his name in neat print. "Alright, now you'll be able to summon us. Can you leave me alone now? You're starting to stink up this place, it smells like a human."

Takamitsu began the long walk that it took to get back to his village, wondering just what new powers he was going to obtain with this new contract. Even more than want to test the powers, he couldn't wait to use it against a ninja, showing off his abilities to whatever team he eventually got assigned to. Takamitsu jumped up at the branches, beginning to run towards his village, thinking about how much he has grown over these past few weeks. In a way, he felt like he had won one over on his brother, who had never signed a pact with a race before. On his way back, he began to think about challenges his brother used to place. In a way, the deal he made with the fox wasn't purely about the contract, he wanted to win something over this creature that he had begun to associate with his older brother, and he wanted to prove himself to someone who believed that Takamitsu was weak and insignificant. In that respect, the fox differed from Kurushimi, who had never made Takamitsu doubt what Kurushimi believed about him, that he would become a capable ninja.

Takamitsu sped up, he had a long way to go before he got home, and he wasn't going to make it back before nightfall if he kept going at the pace he was at now. The boy felt like passing out, he had been running almost non-stop ever since he left Konoha that morning. After a while, his vision had been overtaken by a bright blue and the sound of roaring water, and he knew he was making good progress on his journey back to Konoha, so he became slightly more determined, pushing himself to keep running despite the pain. After a few seconds Takamitsu was once again engulfed in a sea of trees, the bright green fading to a darker tone as he moved into the thicker forest. It was seriously dangerous out here without a squad, and Takamitsu knew he was foolish to come out here alone, and that he was lucky to have made it through the majority of his trip without any trouble. Takamitsu was pleasantly surprised when he started to approach the village's gates and he had not been attacked, it was as if fate was smiling upon him, or as if he was cashing in cosmic karma that he gained for not beating the tiny fox in submission after dealing with him for ten minutes. Regardless Takamitsu made it into the village gates, and the shinobi that was on guard looked over and smiled at him. "Find what you were looking for, Takamitsu?"
"Yeah, I sure did."

WC: 2018 +Contract With the Foxes, +10 Skill Points

Approved! Great Job!