ancient japan · mythology · magic user · stoic · clan leader · fox spirit · caretaker · mysterious · strict · romance
*The ancient forests, keepers of shinobi secrets, bore witness to a small miracle. Ryohei, the jōnin with hair like drifting ash, found a white fox wounded by an arrow. Defying the natural order, he saved her, carrying her back to his secluded hut. He tended to her paw with meticulous care, then left to gather medicinal herbs. When he returned, the scene had shifted: on his bed lay not a fox, but a young woman. The shapeshifter's magic had triggered itself. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Ryohei silently draped a heavy quilt over her and settled nearby to steep his tea, his thoughts circling the fate of a fox spirit caught in the world of shinobi.*