Author Notes / About This Fic:

This fanfic draws from many sources. That includes anime (like Naruto), TV (like Agents of Shield), movies (like Dr. Strange), other fanfiction (like HPMOR) and real life. Characters will be introduced as they become plot-relevant. Some will take many chapters to appear.

This is a rational fic. If you don't know what that term means, looking it up now would be wise. In short, this fic tries to show you characters being smart, instead of just telling you that they are smart. You will be able to follow their thought process, the techniques that they use to determine what is true, and their decision-making process. They will never simply 'guess' the right answer. They must earn every fact they discover, every decision they get right. You can follow the techniques they use, and possibly apply these techniques in your own life. This fic is meant to be interesting, but it is also meant to make you go "ah ha!" and "how come they never thought of that in the movie/series/show? It seems so obvious in hindsight."

This is the first fanfiction I have written. Reviews are still welcome..

This fic contains no "pairings" or romance subplots. It does not (as of writing) even contain any strong profanity. Still, I gave it an "M" rating due to the complexity of the some of the thought processes characters may end up using. It is possible a younger reader might get lost. The rating is a hint to that.

There is an old saying: "nobody considers themselves to be the bad guy in someone else's story". My hope is that different readers may end up disagreeing about who the 'bad guys' are in this story. If there even are any. Bad things will happen, and some of those will be deliberately by various characters, even some you may consider to be heroes, but it will be up to you to determine if those actions are justified.

Chapter 1. A New Hope

Sato passed through the red Torii gate, and strode up the garden path towards his small shrine. He was not having a good day. Glancing over the garden he had assumed responsibility for, he noticed, and not for the first time, that many of the plants had started to wilt. He hoped it was merely the cold of early February, and not due to any fault of his.

He was used to being unable to comfort the visitors to his old shrine. He did what he could, but gone were the days when people came to pray for simple things, like a good harvest, or success in battle. These things were simple, because either you got them or you did not, and it was sometimes 50/50 odds either way. Faith was a lot harder to maintain when your visitors prayed for help surviving cancer, or for consolation after the death of a child. They were much less likely to get such things by pure luck, and much as Sato tried, he frequently found many of his shrine-goers inconsolable in their pain or grief.

Years of service, though, had hardened him. His heart no longer broke easily, as it had in his youth, and he no longer feared being unable to help those suffering. Still, it tried even his patience when his garden refused to grow. When even the simple plants he was responsible for wilted, and died. Truth be told, he had spent many an hour here, earlier in life, tending his plants when he felt unable to see his visitors happy. Perhaps that was why they were wilting now. Perhaps his recent efforts to do more for his visitors had led to him neglecting his garden. He hoped that was it. It would not to do have another priest visit him, and think him slacking in his duties because he put the needs of his visitors over garden maintenance. As his teacher Ikuruki once said "tend the shrine, and have faith that the Kami will tend the visitors". Of course he was doing the right thing. Hopefully the Kami would see that.

As he approached the wooden door to the outer shrine, he noticed something. Someone had been busy. A small bundle of orange cloth had been left on his doorstep. Perhaps a gift from one of his visitors? Who would wear orange cloth anyway? The color was hideous, and did not go well with anything. No, at second glance, it looked too round to be cloth. And his visitors preferred to leave friend rice, or other, edible offerings at the shrine. This had to be something else. He quickened his pace, passing between the two small fox statues, clad in their red wrap, that adorned the foot of the stairs to the shrine. He did not have to wait long. The cloth moved. Uncoiling like a long snake, it took Sato a moment to realize it was not cloth, or even a snake, but rather, a large orange fox, with white underbelly, and, though he had not noticed it a second ago, a red collar around his neck. In the center of the band, there was some kind of colored glass. A fake gemstone, probably bought by someone with more money than sense, and more tackiness than average.

Sato sighed. While it was not unknown for local pets to sneak onto the shrine grounds, he never looked forward to finding them. They had a tendency to wreck the shrine, either accidentally or not. A steely glint caught his eye. There was a name tag on the collar – but he could not read it from this distance. Deciding against approaching the unknown animal for now, he swept past it into the shrine. This was a task for his gardening gloves.

It took him a few minutes to check everything was in order, and he spared a glance at the clock. 7:02. He should be opening the shrine soon. Poor thing had probably stayed out there most of the night, though it did not seem in the least bit uncomfortable. Hoping that he could do a better job with this fox than he had done with his garden, Sato fetched his gardening gloves. Hopefully, the creature had been given its shots.

He approached cautiously, trying not to make too much noise, deftly avoiding the old, creaky wooden planks whose location he knew by heart. The fox was sitting up now, watching him, a curious expression on its pointed features. The collar tag gleamed again. "Easy now..." he said, slowly making his way up to the small creature. Please let it still be tame, he thought.

It turns out, he need not have worried. Once he got within a few feet, it started to wag, like a lost little puppy. Once he got within arm's reach, it rolled over on its back, still wagging, and looked up at him, soft white belly and all. He couldn't resist. Belly rubs. There were worse ways to start the day, he was sure. With slight trepidation, he extended a hand.

His sister had always loved cats, but unfortunately, they were prone to executing a form of particularly brutal betrayal, where they'd lay upon their backs, as if begging for a belly rub... but proceed to viciously claw you if you attempted to give them what they were asking for. He hoped that the fox was not like that – and was pleased to find it so. It seemed to absolutely vibrate with happiness as he gently petted its tummy. Assured that his fingers would not be subject to imminent demise, he examined the collar tag with his other hand. It wasn't a simple plate, as you'd expect. Instead, it was more like a locket. A clasped metal holder, with something inside. He pushed the release button, curious and slightly distracted by the happy ball of fluff under his hand. It was paper, but tightly folded. "Sorry, little guy", he said, applying both hands to the paper, and straightening it out for reading. "This might be important."

He expected the owner's address. Perhaps a phone number. Maybe, in this modern age, an email address. He got none of these. The writing was old, but the lettering spoke a very well trained hand. Perhaps one of his elderly visitors, who prayed at the shrine every day? He would have to ask them. Or, better yet, put up a sign. He frowned. Hopefully he had not stumbled upon some rich visitor's exotic pet. That could be a great deal of hassle – not what he wanted at the moment. He scanned down the page:

Hello.

I am Kyu.

I am harmless. I have had my shots.

If you are reading this, I am not lost. I am found.

You can pet me. I love affection. I also love to wander.

There are three rules you must always follow with me:

Do not give me food or water. I hunt at night. I find my own.

Do not confine me. I have to wander free.

Above all, never take me to a vet. I have a rare condition, and a vet would kill me.

Follow these rules, and we'll get on great together.

No name. No contact information of any kind.

He looked at the fox. To his surprise, Kyu's eyes were open again, and looking up at him. Those big eyes, so deep, and round... Sato shook his head. Perhaps he was becoming soft, but he couldn't simply leave the fox here. Even if his owner obviously thought he could look after himself. What were they thinking, anyway? Nobody leaves a fox alone like this. Especially in a city like Tokyo. While some would ignore it, out of respect for Inari, for foxes were reputed to be her messengers, not everyone would be so charitable. To many, foxes were nothing but a pest.

He looked down at the little guy, gently petting that soft, white tummy fur. "What a menace to society you are. Sneaking in here at night. Getting me all worried. Bet you are a little rascal, hunh?". To his surprise, Kyu emitted a loud geckering sound. I guess he likes humans talking to him, thought Sato. What a strange creature. Sighing, Sato decided to go for it. He picked up the fox, and gently held him, then went back inside. There was no way he was going to get accused of neglecting someone's missing pet. Especially if they realized they had left it here, and Sato had refused to make sure it was OK. Mistreating the pets of visitors to your shrine would not help his reputation as a priest in any way. Especially if that someone was rich, and you probably had to be to own an animal that some still considered sacred. Even more so if that animal had been thought, in ages past, to be a messenger for one of the gods your shrine was devoted to.

As he went inside, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Something, somewhere, was deeply wrong. Perhaps it was his garden? Yes, that had to be it. His poor garden. The innocent fox had not seemed to harm it – but it needed watering. And weeding. And probably much else besides. He sighed again. It could be done later, in the afternoon.

There were some elderly gentlemen, fewer now, but still some, who still came to the shrine every morning to give a prayer. He wondered how long his shrine would last, relying mainly on the kindness and attention of those who were advancing in years. Still, it was a new day, and with it, new hopes.

Without really thinking about it, he petted Kyu gently between the ears, and Kyu's tail wrapped around his arm. He couldn't shake the feeling that somehow, somewhere, today was different. Disentangling Kyu from his arm took a little doing, but soon, the fox was resting on a wooden table, just inside the main door to the shrine, while Sato set about finishing his preparations to open for the day. Candles, cleaning, snacks, offerings... all had to be in place if the day was to be a success. Though he couldn't shake that feeling that something was just not quite right, he found himself hopeful. Perhaps today would be different. Perhaps, today, he could make a difference. Serve the Kami. Be an example for those who were struggling. Despite that nagging feeling...

Kyu watched him lazily, one eye closed, the other half open. The night had been hectic, and he had a busy day ahead of him, too. That would come, though, in time. The shrine wouldn't open for at least half an hour. For now, there was nothing wrong with catching a few extra Zs. As Sato hurried out of the room, no doubt attending to some urgent preparation, Kyu smiled, his lips curling back to reveal a surprisingly long set of fangs. Kyu studied himself in one of the wall mirrors, making sure that his fangs weren't showing any more, by the time Sato returned on the next errand. So far, all according to plan, he thought.