Misfits and Misadventures

Today marked a day of immense excitement for the young kunoichi, Ryoinsatsu Jurei. After what felt like years of back-and-forth between herself and her parents, she finally convinced them to allow her one. And only one. Familiar companion to tag along with her during her journeys ahead, so long as she accepts full responsibility for the creature and holds all accountability for its mannerisms and behaviors.

Jurei had always been rather fond of animals, so it wasn't much of a surprise that she had been insistent on getting a familiar companion. She'd seen how effective the Inuzuka Clan was in combat with their own familiars by their side, and she wanted to see if it was true. Could having an animal really make such a big difference in battle? Jurei was overjoyed at the news and immediately set off to visit the Beast Tamer Association's establishment in Hoshigakure no Sato shortly after receiving permission from her parents. She didn't have a specific type in mind when she arrived at the Beast Tamer Association establishment, but she knew that she wanted to get something cute.

"Welcome to the Beast Tamer Association!" The clerk says with a friendly smile, gesturing with both arms to the rows of cages behind and across him. "We have all sorts of Familiars here for sale. From dogs to cats to bears, we have it all! Hm, you know. I don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing you enter our establishment before, Miss...?"

"Ryoinsatsu Jurei, but Jurei will do, thank you. No formalities needed," She waves her hand dismissively with a sheepish grin. "And yes, this is my first time visiting your establishment. I'm in need of a Familiar as my companion to tag along with me on my journey ahead. Life as a kunoichi won't be easy, so I want to make sure I serve my nation to the best of my ability in the areas I'm weakest in."

Jurei notices that the clerk's eyes widen slightly at the mention of her last name, but she paid no mind to it. She's used to people reacting that way when they hear her last name. It isn't uncommon for people in Hoshigakure no Sato to recognize the Ryoinsatsu clan's name and be wary of them due to their reputation for being ruthless businessmen. The best she can do, to at least stymie the stereotypes of her kinsmen, is to act completely in opposition to their expectations as to how a typical Ryoinsatsu clan member behaves. And in this case—

"You wouldn't happen to have any first-time recommendations? I think I read on a flyer that Familiars are usually adept in one shinobi discipline, but I'm not exactly sure what specialization I'd want mine to have so... Oh! And I'm not looking for anything flashy or the like, and if they're cute, that's a bonus for me! I'm not too picky as long as I can get along with them well enough."

"Well," The clerk pauses to stroke his chin thoughtfully. "If you're looking for something cute, I recommend the rabbits. They're small and cuddly, but they pack a punch in battle. We also have some foxes and cats if you're looking for something more ferocious. As for specializations, if you prefer a more up-close approach to fighting, perhaps one with Taijutsu to overwhelm the opposition. Maybe you prefer to fight at range, then maybe one with Ninjutsu can provide auxiliary offensive Jutsu to even the odds for you. There's many to choose from and it'll help round out your own weaknesses in the field of combat."

Jurei nods her head in agreement, taking note of the clerk's recommendations. She walks around the establishment, examining each cage carefully until she spots a rabbit with brown fur and white spots. It's cute and cuddly like the clerk said it would be, so she decides to approach the cage and crouch down to get a better look at it. The rabbit stares back at her with its big, black eyes as if it were sizing her up. Jurei smiles at the sight and reaches her hand out to pet it through the bars of the cage. To her surprise, the rabbit doesn't flinch away from her touch but instead nuzzles its nose against her fingers affectionately.

"Hi there, aren't you a cutie?" Jurei coos softly, stroking the rabbit's soft fur with gentle strokes. She notices that the rabbit seems to enjoy being petted by her, judging by how it closes its eyes and relaxes under her touch. She can feel herself getting attached to the little creature already, but that initial spark she's looking for isn't quite there yet. Perhaps she should look further down?

However, further down the row lies a creature only rumored to exist in old wives' tales, legends, and mythos. In one of the slightly larger standing at 1'11" and weighing 4kg, there's a plump, raccoon dog with patterned fur consisting of black, brown, white, and deep champagne colors with beady black eyes and a pale underbelly. However, he dons a weathered straw hat and a small, ming blue haori tied into a knot that resembles a cape, instead. Before Jurei's arrival, he toiled away in his cage with a single straw of wheat between his teeth, flicking it about with the edge of his tongue as he hummed to himself a tune with his eyes closed.

By the time the kunoichi entered and the loosely hanging bell above the door rang, his ears perked up, and one of his eyelids languidly opened to see who it was. He peers at her through the bars of his cell with an unreadable expression on his face. The clerk had already greeted the kunoichi by this point and was busy giving her recommendations on what type of Familiar she should get. The raccoon dog watches them silently from behind the bars of his cage, observing their interactions with each other. His gaze lingers on the girl's face for a moment longer than necessary before he turns away and goes back to chewing on his straw.

Meanwhile, the clerk descends down the row while gesturing to the multitude of species and their natural aptitudes, along with their specialties and weaknesses, until they arrive at the raccoon dog's cell. The clerk pauses for a brief moment to glance over at the creature inside the cage before continuing on with his explanation. Jurei follows suit, but when she looks at the creature inside of the cage, her eyes widen slightly in surprise. She'd never seen a raccoon dog before, much less one wearing clothes! It was quite unusual, but she found it rather endearing.

"Actually," She interjects during his monologue. "Pardon my interruption, but I didn't think we had, or any that I've ever seen before, raccoon dogs out in the wild. Especially one that's all dressed up like this."

The clerk chuckles softly and nods his head in agreement. "Yes, they're very rare. We don't get many raccoon dogs here at our establishment, but when we do get them, they tend to be more... Unique than the others. This particular one is what's called a 'Bake-danuki' and has been with us for some time now, but no one has shown an interest in him yet. He's a bit of a loner by nature, so he doesn't really interact with the other Familiars here either. He's the only one of his kind the Associations caught, which is a feat in and of itself, considering previous attempts to catch one always failed. They can be quite cheeky, too, from what the faculty have told me."

"That's... incredible. I've only ever heard of them in stories, but to think they actually exist?" Jurei tilts her head to the side slightly as she kneels and studies the creature inside the cage. It seems to be ignoring her presence altogether, which is odd considering that she's standing right in front of its cage. She wonders if it's just not used to having people around or if it's simply uninterested in making friends. Either way, she finds it intriguing and decides to approach his cell. The raccoon dog senses her presence and opens his eyes to look at her again. His gaze is intense and piercing, but there's something about his demeanor that intrigues Jurei even further. She feels drawn to him in a way that she can't quite explain. She crouches down in front of the bars of his cell and reaches out to stroke his fur through them. The raccoon dog allows her to touch him without complaint or resistance.

"He doesn't seem to mind me touching him," Jurei comments aloud, glancing over at the clerk curiously. "Is there anything I should know about him before I decide whether or not to buy him?"

The clerk shakes his head and smiles wryly. "No, he usually doesn't like being touched by strangers. But... this is the first time he's ever let anyone touch him since he got here... Hmm..."

Jurei blinks in surprise and turns back to look at the raccoon dog again. He stares back at her with an unreadable expression on his face before turning away from her once more and going back to chewing on his straw. She can't help but smile at the sight of him. There's something about this creature that she finds endearing, even though she's never seen one before in real life. She feels drawn to him in a way that she can't quite explain as if some unseen force is pulling her towards him.

"Perhaps I could show you around to the other side?" The clerk intercedes, attempting to draw the young lady's attention away from the Bake-danuki. "We have many other Familiars here for sale that are much more amiable than he is, and we're always looking to expand our selection of Familiars for sale. We also have some foxes and cats if you're looking for something more ferocious." Jurei rises to her feet once again and nods in agreement before following the clerk. As they walk away, she glances back over her shoulder at the raccoon dog one last time before disappearing out of sight.

The raccoon dog watches them leave with a blank expression on his face. Once they're gone, he spits out his straw and stands up in his cage, stretching out his arms and legs as if he were just waking up from a long nap. He walks over to the edge of his cage and peers through the bars where Jurei had disappeared from view. A small smile spreads across his lips as he shakes his head and mutters under his breath, "What an interesting girl... Bah, but that insipid clerk ruined my chances to bail outta here," He curses in a foreign language beneath his breath. "I'll have to grab her attention again somehow, I'm not any of these second-rate Familiars get a chance at freedom unless I do." One of his paws rests on his hip and the other on his cheek. "Now then... How should I go about this?"

The clerk leads Jurei around the establishment, showing her all sorts of different Familiars for sale. Some are cute and cuddly like rabbits while others look fierce and intimidating like foxes or cats. They come in all shapes and sizes as well, from small rodents to large predators like wolves or bears. The clerk explains that each Familiar specializes in one specific shinobi discipline, but they also have natural strengths and weaknesses when it comes to combat. For example, rabbits are fast runners but weak fighters while foxes are excellent trackers but poor fighters. Cats are agile climbers but poor swimmers while wolves are strong swimmers but poor climbers.

"So what kind of Familiar do you think would be best for me?" Jurei asks curiously, glancing around at all the different animals on display before her. She notices a few other customers browsing through the establishment's wares as well. Some seem to be looking for a companion while others appear to be more interested in buying supplies for their existing Familiars.

The clerk smiles and nods his head in approval. "I think we should start with something simple like a rabbit or cat since they're easy to handle and won't require much training." He gestures towards a nearby cage containing a white rabbit with brown spots on its fur. "This one here is a good choice for beginners because it's very docile and doesn't require much maintenance." Jurei walks over to inspect the rabbit closely. It looks up at her with big brown eyes and twitches its nose curiously as she peers inside the cage.

That's when they hear the clamoring of metal ticketing and echoing down their way, drawing the attention of all three parties. The clerk's eyes widen in surprise as he sees that the aforementioned raccoon dog managed to... escape from his cage, despite how thick the bars themselves were until his gaze shifts and realizes that they're smaller in actuality. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Jurei, herself, didn't even notice the bars being that thin enough for him to casually slip through, or is there more to what this Familiar is capable of? No matter, the Bake-danuki stances up and flexes his paw, as if taunting the Association clerk to put him back in his confinement space.

"Hey! You! Get back in there!" The clerk shouts angrily at the raccoon dog running down towards them with a mischievous grin on its face. He turns to look at Jurei apologetically before rushing after it. "I'm sorry, but I need to go deal with this situation right now. If you want to purchase something, just let me know when I get back."

Jurei watches as he chases after the raccoon dog with a puzzled expression on her face. She wonders why it would suddenly decide to run away like that when she'd never seen anything like this happen before in all her years coming here. Maybe he was just bored and wanted some excitement? Or perhaps he was trying to escape because he didn't like being caged up? Either way, it seems like an unusual occurrence for such a creature.

The raccoon dog itself, on the other hand, is cunning and agile, easily dodging the clerk's attempts to catch him as he runs through the store. He darts around cages full of Familiars, causing chaos wherever he goes. Some of the Familiars start barking and hissing at him as he passes by while others just stand there silently watching everything unfold before them.

"Hey! Stop running around!" The clerk yells angrily at the raccoon dog as he tries once again unsuccessfully to grab hold of it. "You're gonna scare away all our customers!"

The raccoon dog ignores him completely and continues running around the store, causing even more chaos as he goes along. He jumps onto tables, knocking over displays and scattering merchandise everywhere in his wake. He climbs up shelves, knocking down books and other items onto unsuspecting customers below. He even manages to jump onto one of the counters where some food items are being sold, knocking those over too before leaping off again.

Jurei watches everything unfold with amusement while the clerk continues chasing after him. She can't help but think how cute he looks as he runs around causing trouble everywhere he goes. It reminds her of when she was little and used to play games with her cousins yonder whenever they got bored during long rainy days indoors. She remembers how much fun they had chasing each other around the house until their parents would scold them for making too much noise and send them back outside again where they could run around freely without disturbing anyone else in the neighborhood.

The chase continues for some time until the Bake-danuki makes a beeline toward Jurei, bobbing and weaving past the other startled customers who scream and stumble over themselves, trying not to trip or step on the expeditious raccoon dog. He stands up on his hind legs and places both paws against her leg, looking up at her expectantly as if waiting for something. Jurei blinks in surprise when she realizes what he wants from her. She reaches down and picks him up off the ground, holding him close to her chest while he nuzzles against her neck affectionately.

"Oh my... You're quite affectionate, aren't you?" Jurei coos softly at the raccoon dog as she cradles him gently in her arms. He purrs happily in response before licking her cheek once more with his rough tongue. "You're such a cute little guy." She strokes his fur gently with one hand while holding onto him tightly with the other. The clerk finally catches up to them and stops short when he sees Jurei standing there holding the Bake-danuki close to her chest.

"What are you doing?" He demands angrily, glaring daggers at the raccoon dog as it cuddles up against her body.

"I've decided to buy this Familiar," Jurei replies calmly, ignoring the clerk's anger towards the raccoon dog as she continues petting him lovingly. "He's very sweet and affectionate, so I think he'll make a great companion for me."

The clerk shakes his head vehemently. "No way! I refuse to sell him!" He points accusingly at the raccoon dog standing next to Jurei. "That thing is nothing but trouble! It's been causing chaos everywhere it goes since the moment we brought him in here! We can't sell something like that to a customer!! He'll cause nothing but trouble if you take him with you!"

Jurei frowns slightly and glances down at the Bake-danuki in her arms. He seems perfectly content to stay there forever, nuzzling against her chest while purring softly to himself. She looks back up at the clerk and smiles reassuringly. "I'm sure he'll behave himself once he gets used to living with me," She explains calmly. "He just needs someone who understands him and cares about him enough to give him a chance. I'll pay whatever the cost to have him, even if it's a little extra for his 'squirrelly' nature."

The clerk hesitates for a moment before sighing heavily in resignation. "Fine," he says reluctantly, shaking his head in disbelief as he walks over to the register and begins typing something into the computer. "But don't come crying to me when he causes problems for you later on down the road!"

Jurei nods happily as she watches him ring up her purchase. Once everything is settled, she pays for her new companion and leaves the Beast Tamer Association establishment with Ninjiro cradled securely in her arms.

"Alright then, let's get outta here," Jurei says cheerfully as they step outside into the bright sunlight. "So what should I name you?" She asks quietly while stroking his fur gently with one hand. "I think I'll call you... Ninjiro! What do you think?"

Ninjiro looks up at Jurei and blinks once before giving her another lick on the cheek. She laughs softly and scratches behind his ear affectionately. "I guess that means you like it," She murmurs as they begin walking down the street together. "Well then, Ninjiro, let's go home." Unbeknownst to her, there's a faint imprint of its paw on her on the side of her left forearm. And the Beast Tamer Association is free from one less nuisance... for now, among others and stranger beings await them in their care in the future.


WC: 3,257
TWC: 3,257

Spoiler:

Requesting approval for the following claims:

Investing 3,257 TWC into purchasing the following Familiar:

► Buying Ninjiro, the Big-bellied Bake-danuki (2,000/2,000) [1,257 TWC Left]

Invest 1,257 TWC remaining into the following *Jutsu:

► Training Butterfly Effect @ C-Rank [405/500] → (500/500) [1,162 TWC Left]
► Training Shadow Clone Technique (1,125/1,125) [37 TWC Left]
► Training Gold Release: Make It Rain! @ B-Rank (37/1,125) [0 TWC Left]

*25% Discount option via Max Stats

Jurei Ryoinsatsu wrote:Requesting approval for the following claims:

Investing 3,257 TWC into purchasing the following Familiar:

► Buying Ninjiro, the Big-bellied Bake-danuki (2,000/2,000) [1,257 TWC Left]

Invest 1,257 TWC remaining into the following *Jutsu:

► Training Butterfly Effect @ C-Rank [405/500] → (500/500) [1,162 TWC Left]
► Training Shadow Clone Technique (1,125/1,125) [37 TWC Left]
► Training Gold Release: Make It Rain! @ B-Rank (37/1,125) [0 TWC Left]

*25% Discount option via Max Stats

Approved!

Note: Not a dumb dumb