Yo, a new story here~ It involves a certain trio from Touhou, and I'm basing this tale on a suggestion that got posted in here, by Tungsten Astatine.
Konohagakure was currently resting, with few lights turned on certain buildings as some workers tried to squeeze a few more minutes in their work schedule. The tower in the center had some luminous spots, with shadows moving behind the windows. There were few people currently in the streets, as the autumn was about to end, with the temperature lowering gradually with the passing days.
A woman was walking down a street, gazing up at the starry sky. The darkness of the new moon was alleviated by the dim streetlights. The breathing was visible in the onset of winter, coming out as puffs of whiteness. Her golden hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, with her coat and dress moving along. "Chilly..." She blew on her hands, briefly stopping by an alley. Maybe there would be a nice cup of hot tea waiting for her.
Her body had called for some activity to shed some excess energy, so she decided that a brief stroll around the block would suffice. The owls and insects were the only sources of noise besides the rustling leaves, giving the village a soothing ambiance. *Clan-ban-krang-!* She turned to the alley with a start, was a stray animal messing with the trash cans? There was something moving in the dark, close to the main street.
"Wait..." She focused her sight, it was moving in a different manner from a quadruped. "A child!" The woman grabbed the skittish shadow and dragged it to the lamppost, revealing a scrawny boy covered by dirt and ragged pants. The bright blond hair was matted and dull, those blue eyes were filled with fear. He pulled his arm back, attempting to flee, but he was too weak for that.
The boy had finally escaped the damn orphanage, he couldn't end there again. "Are you taking me back?" His eyes showed pure terror, they belonged to someone who suffered neglect and never knew affection. This struck a chord in her heart, making her recall her past. "Back to the place with mean people?" The kid amended at the quizzical face. "I don't wanna go there!" All the time he kept trying to undo the hold on his arm, despite it being clearly futile.
She sighed, making him tilt his head in confusion. "No. I won't." She crouched before the boy, pulling out her blue and red scarf and wrapping it around the thin neck. Those sapphire orbs were full of innocence, despite the rough life. She guessed he was around three in age, appearing to be younger due to malnutrition. "I want to help you. Will you let me?" Then she took off her jacket, covering him fully.
"Can you trust me? I can take you to a better place." The child hesitated, fidgeting under the clothes that held her warmth and passed it to him. The adults from the orphanage had always glared at him, refusing to show a scrap of kindness, going as far as making the other children avoid him. Could he? She seemed honest with her intention, like that man that sometimes came to check on him every few weeks.
"Where?" She smiled tenderly at his acceptance, having witnessed his inner turmoil, he had a truly hard life to be this disbelieving that a person couldn't show altruism. "Home. Do you want to go?" His eyes flashed, having heard it from the foreign adults that took away the other kids, it sounded like a really nice place. "Okay..." She offered her hand, which he took with some hesitation, letting her guide him.
"Here we are." The duo stood by a door, with her waiting for the kid to take the first step. He looked up at ruby eyes, still uncertain. "Go on." She offered an encouraging nod. Once he opened the door, the boy saw a redhead female lounging on the sofa like a lazy cat, barely turning her head to face the newcomers. "... Who is the kid?" A teenage girl peeked from what seemed to be the kitchen, curious at what she overheard.
He recoiled away and hid his body behind the kind woman, holding her dress for a semblance of safety. "I found him outside, so I offered him to stay the night here." The redhead propped herself up with an arm, gazing at the kid analytically, making him step back. "Fine by me, but he needs a bath first." The gentle blonde nudged him to the girl, who had gone to pick a clean towel and an oversized black shirt with some weird scribbles and red splatters. "Let's go, stinky~"
The kid got dragged by the girl, who didn't care for his protests as she took off the clothing, shoving him under the shower. "Mm-! ... It's warm..." This was a warning sign, this boy must have been neglected, which also explained his fear of other people. But considering that Konoha did its utmost best to keep orphans from the streets... "Of course, why take cold baths in this weather?" The water running off the boy was brown, showing how dirty he had been, not to mention the grime and some strange substances that were mucking it up. "Dang, even rats live better than this."
Before he could reply, he felt a pair of hands scrubbing his hair. "By golly, your hair is a bird's nest, look at those knots and grime!" He stopped his attempts to protest, closing his eyes to keep the suds away and letting her care for him, wincing when she undid the knots. "Ha... you will have to stay here, for now, no way you're going to stay in the streets in this cold weather." Whisker-like marks were revealed once the cheeks were scrubbed enough. "He looks like a kitten~"
"So, what do you intend to do with the kid?" Hecatia already had a feeling, but she wanted the confirmation from Junko. "I could send Clownpiece out to set up the proper measures, but only if you give the OK." Besides, she might have to pull some changes to take away possible dangers, seeing how the kid seemed to be a victim of neglect. "I... I want to give him a proper family." Hecatia let out a happy chuckle and tousled the golden mop.
"I knew you would say that." As if she would say no to those puppy eyes. "I'll have 'Piece know what we need, first thing in the morning." Junko calmed down, what she dreaded the most was having her household members refuse to take in the boy, but the redhead still had that same welcoming spirit that enabled them to meet in the first place. "I also have to prepare for tomorrow, but I think the kid will need a space to sleep in, maybe we could use the extra room?"
The blonde had already gone to prepare the bedding. "Thanks." She briefly looked back to the redhead, nodding her head. "Don't sweat over it, just go do your thing."
I'll be using the trio of invaders from 'Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom' to adopt our little Kyuubi-sealing-vessel. Their circumstances and further possible deviations from canon will be revealed at a later date.