Chapter 00: Kanata's Fate
Summary:
Hideo Miura recounts the events leading to his son's demise. 4 years since he recovered his granddaughter, the six-tailed Kitsune, he prepares for her departure once more.
Danger awaits anyway who carries the Miura name, even in their own home.
The Zenin and Kamo families plan to take advantage of the young Kitsune's powers by forming alliances but this does not favor the Miuras.
In his desperate attempt to protect his child, Kanata forgoes his birthright.
Miura Kanata was the only son of the Miura family clan leader. As the natural heir to the clan, he was taught about the system early. As soon as he could stand, he was taught how to fight. His bedtime stories were filled with their history. Even the lullabies spoke of their creed.
Kanata was educated in both mundane and jujutsu scholastics. He took after his mother's intellect. As a window, she was well versed in both worlds. What he was able to inherit from his father was not just his looks but his strength. As an Inari summoner, he was proficient at sorcery.
To him, his early education and training hinted that his responsibility and the future of his clan was apparent.
The system was collapsing.
Clan members were being married off to the Zenin and Kamo clans and some elders have broken their pacts and brought their Inari subjugates elsewhere to create smaller factions.
The fox spirits were growing restless of this divide that even their skulk experienced a disparity.
Nogitsunes or pure cursed foxes were eventually born. They are the shadows of the sacred beasts that protect the Kitsune and have been fed with too much malice from their sorcerer counterparts that they became embodiments of greed and aggression.
Nogitsune summoners were confirmed to have sprung from their own clan. Unlike their original counterparts, Nogitsunes made binding vows with their masters in exchange for more power. As the new clan rose, their creed also spread-dethrone the Miura head and kill the Kitsune.
"Kitsunes when eaten pass off their vitality and powers to those who consume her,"
This was the secret that left the remaining members on high alert.
Kanata was new to the professional world of Jujutsu practioners when the uprising occurred. It was also the time when he had just settled with his wife. True enough, assisting his father capture strays and eliminate estranged members took a toll on him.
Despite the heavy responsibility that he needed to bear, it wasn't long until he begged his father to release him from his legacy and choose a more committed and powerful family member. Hideo did not approve of his son's will and lectured him on the importance of his legacy and his protective privileges especially with the impending civil war.
Kanata asserted himself as the leader-emeritus for a few years until he decided to finally turn away from his family after learning how much danger his situation could get them in.
Kanata's wife wasn't exactly a stranger to the world of shamans. Despite being non-combative, she was gifted with the sight. She was, like his mother, a window. She knew what marrying into the Miura family meant. But in the end, she would not give up what was most important to her even if it meant that she'd have to fight.
Kanata was able to depart without leaving too much traces from the Miuras but what he couldn't shake off was the guilt of leaving his poor father to fend for himself at the estate. Kodansha, the current and only Kitsune left at the estate already had attempts on her life. Those events led him to his decision to send his Inari to visit the estate to speak with his father's shikigami but what it witnessed was less than favorable despite acknowledging that things were in control.
He told himself that it was a necessary albeit, arduous sacrifice.
"I have to be strong…for both of them," he thought.
Kanata no longer counted the months that had passed since he forfeited his seat at the clan. He was living rather peacefully on his own. Deep inside of him, he knew that it wasn't without any help from his family.
He was allowed a few seasons of this-mundane existence. A peace he never thought he could have at the estate. But it only took one winter to change everything.
It was days from his wife's due date and he could not be any happier to meet his daughter. Looking at his wife cradle her belly reminded him of why he chose to deny his birthright. In his wife's eyes he saw an unrecognizable version of himself but a version he had preferred. He wondered if upon meeting his child, she'd look at him the same.
The thought of welcoming their child was meant to give him a sense of completeness but here was a strange feeling that occupied his heart as the days drew near.
Was it fear? Or Guilt?
Or was it the acceptance of his reckoning?
The search had begun on December 8, 1989, a day after his daughter was born.
The Nogitsune tribe knew that a Kitsune finally made her presence known as a shift in energies were distinct in indicating such occasion. Tengen, unknowingly confirmed it by sending word to his allied sorcerers regarding his desire to meet the child. The Nogitsunes and their masters though had ears everywhere giving them a signal to execute their plan.
Although there was also an equally strange and overwhelming stream of cursed-energy flow from another direction, the deserters knew who their prime target was.
Hideo 's four-tailed Inari had received news from his skulk that Kanata's daughter was born as a six-tailed Kitsune.
The first of her kind.
Before he could even meet his granddaughter and sound the drums of celebration, his family was attacked and conspirators surfaced. Though he was able to fend off most of the assassins, this caused a significant delay for him to deploy men to herald his son's family.
All Miura Inaris were connected by a singular conscience allowing them to communicate at a distance. On top of this, they were extremely sensitive towards the needs of their masters. Kanata's Inari warned him about the assassins that were drawing near. He didn't waste another second. After securing his wife's safety, he made a difficult decision to separate from them.
It had only been a day since he met his daughter who felt so weightless yet the hold of her hand on his finger felt so heavy. She was so warm in his arms. Her soft coos were like music to his ears that he could help but well up in sadness. He was finally happy but his glee was taken hostage by the people who were driven too much by envy.
He gave her a long look as if he was memorizing her face. She was so beautiful and fragile.
She was perfect.
And in danger.
He had instructed his wife to take their daughter and hide and no matter what, not to return to their home. Lacing his arms around his beloved wife and child one last time, he promised that he would protect them.
His Inari was equally emotional. It its own way, it cried as it parted from his master who placed a barrier for them. Sayo didn't shed any tears as she waved goodbye to her beloved husband one last time and instead shot him a peaceful smile. It was her way of giving him courage and telling him that she understood everything.
It wasn't long until they finally parted and Kanata made his way back to his house. There were already intruders waiting for him but he still casually entered it.
"This is the last time you ever speak of my daughter," his tone was ominous and his eyes turned jet black. There were probably twenty of them bracing themselves to attack but before any of them could reply, Kanata expanded his domain. His whole house went dark and one after another, men and Nogitsune fell. As an Inari summoner without his steed beside him, it wasn't as effective to use but he knew it was enough to buy time for his wife to escape. He was the heir to the Miura clan, he was prepared for difficult battle and this was his most important yet.
However, despite his superior capabilities, he couldn't fight against the treachery of the Nogitsunes summoners. They had allies in the shadows. An ally capable of striking a poison arrow direct to his heart causing him to choose between his life or the Inari guarding his child. It wasn't a difficult decision. Pooling all of his cursed-energy and releasing it towards his Inari was the easy part.
For what very little time he had left to recall his short time with his family coupled with the uncertainty of their safety-that was the bigger dilemma.
Kanata's grey eyes slowly went still and it was then followed by a long pause as he relaxed his chest. Then all that was left was silence.
Kanata's Inari wept as they travelled away from Tokyo but thanks to its protection they were able to reach her sister's residence located in a remote province. She had to set aside the fact that her husband was gone and that soon, they would find her trace. After all, windows connected to their family were easily persuaded due to their fear. She was left with no other choice but separate their child from the mystics.
Her sister despite not being indifferent to her plea knew that there was peril that may come for them should they take the child in. After begging them to take her child, she vowed to return for her and asked Kanata's Inari to protect them. Before she left, she noticed that the its tails were bleeding and fading away but the shikigami was able to stay afloat thanks to Kanata's sacrifice but after casting a protective enchantment over the newborn, it slowly faded and died.
Sayo returned to her home but already found her husband lifeless. He was already cold and left to decay but she held unto him. This was the man who chose love over his duty. He was her husband and the father of their child. His unbeating heart instantly became a reminder of her own identity. This time, it was her turn to fulfill obligation as a wife and more importantly, a mother.
Not taking any chances, the Nogitsune summoners returned to collect the body of the heir. They easily spotted the mourning widow beside him and told her that a mortal shouldn't interfere with their work. After confirming that they still planned to capture her daughter, she unleashed a set of flames after casting a curse using her husband's blood to produce fox fire. It was then revealed that she was also a jujutsu practitioner.
The flames consumed every person and entity inside the house that even Sayo wasn't spared from turning into ash. Hideo had nothing to recover from the fire and was left with only a vengeance that steadily grew.
It took years until Hideo found his granddaughter. It seemed that his son's Inari's protection spell kept her from trackers including their own. He had resolved that his son probably relinquished his right as master to the Inari before dying making it a free guardian for his granddaughter and daughter-in-law.
Hideo found out that a 10 year old in Fuji was accused of sorcery after setting a portion of her family's house on fire. It took another 2 years to finally locate her exact whereabouts as the family kept on moving.
Upon investigation, he found out that it was Sayo's sister and her family who were housing the child. There, he discovered that she was terribly abused and starved. The child did not look the least bit healthy, Her happy demeanor with her peers was always left at school. It seemed to him that she was being held prisoner.
It was difficult to interfere with her routine. This was a child who didn't grow up in their world. From what intel he got, he was pleasantly surprised that she wasn't a delinquent.
But her guardians were another story. Clearly she did not have a happy childhood nor was she growing up well.
His informants told them that many neighbors and teachers have attempted to rescue her but since Sayo's sister was a lawyer and her husband was a cop, the claims were always dismissed.
Hideo finally rescued her before they attempted to poison her out of fear that she'll retaliate. He found her unconscious on her bed in her room filled with talismans. She was heavily sedated. The heartbreaking picture only enraged the Miura elder. He lifted his granddaughter in his arms and moved her to his vehicle.
To honor the wishes of his son and daughter-in-law, Hideo spared the family but instead erased the memories of each of the family members except for Sayo's sister. He didn't like to admit it but he was adamant to threaten her.
"Vow to never speak of the child and our world lest you want your own family to perish,"
It would be his first and last time to speak to her without displaying any hint of sorcerery but to Hinata, it was all the same. He had cursed her with his words.
Sachiko was 12 when she moved to the Miura estate. She was quick to warm up to her grandfather whom she claimed had the same kind face as her late father's. Her words gave comfort to Hideo as the Inari seemed to have only filled her dreams with images of her late parents. She told her grandfather about the fox who would follow her around before but soon disappeared after her 12th birthday. She later reunited with Hideo's Inari shortly after.
Hideo and the whole clan helped her recover and taught her everything she must know about being a Miura. She was a quick learner. Very smart, calculative and calm much like her parents. What bothered him was that she didn't really show much sadness and never cried until he brought her to her parents' grave.
The grave was more of like a formal resting place that had pictures of her parents where a bounty of flowers surrounded them. The garden of was a place of rest for the Miuras but to Sachiko, it was the place of awakening.
Since then, she showed more emotion and vulnerability but that only fueled her to train more. Having started late in her training and education, she found it difficult to control the powers bestowed to her by the nine-tailed fox.
During her 16th birthday her irises turned red and her pupils would sometimes turn into slits like that of her Kitsune spirit. Her nails grew sharp and one side of her cheek had red markings. There were even times when her Kitsune ears would appear. At one point, she even asked if her tails would ever surface but her grandfather explained that Kitsune tails aren't literal and instead are imbued as extensions of her soul.
Her bodily changes were a sign that she was beginning to awaken her full potential as a Jujutsu practitioner. As a six-tailed Kitsune, she would be bestowed with 6 different areas of power besides her heightened senses and supernatural strength and speed. To which, she would discover one by one.
Her grandfather accelerated her training in order for her to be able to adapt being a Kitsune while she lived among the mortals. She was making great progress in her training even awakening some of her tails soon came to no surprise. Control however, was a different case.
He watched as his granddaughter sparred with one of the Inari summoners and was proud that she was able to defend herself well. For a moment he was reminded of the timid little girl who was afraid of going outside of her room and meeting people but now she was more sociable and expressive.
"She has grown well my son. I hope I did you proud." the utterance of his words sent him in melancholy. He would have rathered that Kanata spoke of her that way in the present.
Kanata was a natural at everything. Hideo remembered that his skills only flourished when he was sent to the Academy and that perhaps,
Maybe it was time to send her there as well.
"Sachiko," he waved towards his granddaughter who acknowledged his gesture and ran to his side,
"Yes grandfather?" she was wide eyed and finally enough flesh to cover her bones. Best of all, she was smiling, sincerely.
He gave her a pat on the head, "Good job,"
In his head, he had hoped that he would be prepared to let her go soon.
Right now, it seemed impossible.
But necessary.
End of Chapter 00
Thanks for reading!
Had to inject these two chapters to give you a background on Sachiko's cursed technique and family history.
Out of curiosity, anyone else comes into mind who was born on December 7?
A few notes:
Kitsune: Fox Spirit-Human hybrids. They are not half-human, half-fox, they are humans who are jujutsu sorcerers born with 2 halves of 1 soul. She is not a by-product of the cursed womb.
Inari: Fox shikigami specific to the Miuras.
Nogitsune: evil cursed fox shikigami.
I researched about Kitsunes and decided to base some elements of its folk-lore into my own version.
And yes, you read it right, fox tails aren't literal but more on that later.
Back to Sachiko and her colorful class on the next chapter, "Kitsune and the Firestarter."
Also, do listen and stream Dramaturgy by on your spare time. I was really inspired by it.
NOTE: This is a work of fan-fiction. All rights reserved to the creator of JJK, Gege Akutami.
This is simply an output of my 'what-ifs' in the JJK world and Juju-fever. My timeline and interpretation of concepts behind the franchise may not be consistent with the current published works but I tried.
Concepts and characters behind the Miura clan came from my own research and imagination. I tried my best to tie them in the main plotline.
The first few chapters may focus on the OC for now but rest-assured, the characters you all love and cherish will fill the pages. It's a bit of a slow burn so bear with me.
This may contain anime and manga spoilers.