When Karasu began to wake up, part of him was confused, wondering if he'd be peering into the onyx Torii gate at the entrance to hell... but he wasn't. Instead, the young man peered up at the slightly-billowing roof of a tent, a warm wind that smelled of the sea drifting lazily through, stirring his hair and cooling his warm skin. There was a coarse blanket pulled over him, and as Karasu sat up, confused and rightfully so... that blanket fell away, revealing a smooth, healed chest, unmarked save for a barely noticeable indentation in the shape of a ring, where the hole had been. Eyes widening, he shoved down the blanket in its entirety, seeing much the same ring on his right leg, which was healed entirely; even his toes flexed obediently when he tried! Then... why was he alive? Weapons, supplies, bag... everything was gone save for what little remained of his clothing, the standard Shinobi uniform.
Keeping his tongue still, Karasu slowly shifted, looking out of the tent, standing... and that was when he knew; there was no possibility of him currently residing in the Earth he knew. Where, then, had he gone? To Takamagahara, or in some cultures, heaven? The ocean in the distance... it was much like the view from the house that he began and ended his childhood in, but the water was different; a pulsing sea of shifting blue, white, and lilac... the sky, as well, was deeply azure as it should be but dotted with more stars than sky, and from every direction, now that he felt conscious, came the scents of every delicious thing he could name and more beyond. I must have died, no matter how awake I feel, that was the thought that ran through Karasu's mind.
Slowly, the easily-defeated Shinobi began to walk, aimless for now but fairly certain that he wasn't in danger. He could handle most any demon he'd ever met... but the monstrosities in Kyoto were said to be of an entirely different breed, and from what he'd seen, they were- the one that killed him, Karasu had never encountered, but it was fast, silent, and able to pierce him from two meters away without a sound. On top of that, the Shinobi were trained to detect the presence of a demon, and even in the depths of their Capitol... nothing at all except for unease and purpose had occured to Karasu.
Still, he explored, and slowly, time faded away, this dead man only exploring the landscape, looking around slowly and inquisitively. For the most part, things were normal, but it seemed as though every season had somehow been squashed into one. There were trees of green and gold, of red and brown, even of white with heavy, red berries hanging from them... and there was a path, as well, but Karasu didn't follow it at first- however, when he chanced upon the dirt trail for what must have been the thirtieth time and began crossing to the trees opposite him, it occurred to the man that perhaps he was meant to follow this trail by somebody more akin to this strange place... and so his tattered boots turned in that direction, tapping softly on the hard packed earth.
This path did not end, but the forest eventually gave way as Karasu's legs began to ache and as he kept on, regardless, worrying not for the ache. To his left ran a stream of violet water, and to his right, a field of wheat as far as he could see, currently... ahead, however, lay a town, he could see it on the horizon and so on he went as the sun began to rise in the sky to his left, as orange and then white light crept into the world, causing the light sheen of sweat on his mostly exposed body to glisten... the blue eyes in his sockets, though, were hollow and glassy as ever, despite the wonders in every direction.
Eventually, when the sun was just past its highest point in the sky, Karasu reached the town, hunger gnawing at his belly, thirst burning his throat, and looked around. The homes here... from a distance they looked simple, but up close, in spite of basic building materials that stopped being used a hundred years ago, the craftsmanship was some of the most exquisite he'd ever soon, every house a hydrangea trip all its own with convoluted designs embossed in the walls, windows of every color and texture imaginable, rooves with shapes that made no sense at all... but he needed to eat, to drink, to take a moment and sit, so Karasu slowly walked to the nearest home, stepped onto their porch, which might have been solid stone, and knocked on the door.
For several moments there was no answer, and just as Karasu was preparing to try another door, a diminutive boy who couldn't be older than seven or eight opened the door, smiling up at the human- but clearly, he was not one. With most of the more common features of a typical young Japanese boy, this kid also possessed triangular fox's ears and a single, bushy tail to match.
"Come down here, sir?"
"I'm sorry?"
"Bend down, eye level, please sir?" The boy was still smiling, and, not wanting to upset what might be a demon, Karasu slowly sank to one knee, peering at the fox child.
"What is it?"
"A gift," answered the child, leaning forward and slowly kissing each of Karasu's cheeks. Confused, uncomfortable, the adult held still, once more not wanting to anger whatever this boy was... and slowly, he closed his eyes without thinking about it... the boy drew away, and noise began to fill Karasu's ears, rising to a crazed fever pitch as he slowly stood, opening his eyes and casting his gaze around. Gone was the small yet crazy town; Karasu stood in a city square outside an unassuming building- unassuming compared to the rest, at any rate. Made of every imaginable material, these homes were everything from flat boxes to spiraling towers that ended a mile away from where they started both above and to another direction... there was no rhyme or reason, not many easily discernable paths, and though the architecture was all vaguely Japanese, Karasu felt like he must have been on every drug imaginable- and the architecture wasn't the strangest part.
Everywhere, they danced and laughed and sang; some clothed modestly and yet some entirely nude; some men but mostly women with the ears and tails of foxes, filling the air with gorgeous singing, raucous laughter and clamoring speech. So sudden and so drastic was the change that for a brief time, Karasu only stared, even forgetting his desperate need for sustenance... until that small boy tugged at his sleeve, drawing Karasu's eyes once more.
"What did you do...?"
"I banished your human's senses and gave you a kitsune's eye for magic, and now you can see our realm and its inhabitants in full. Likely this is the first you've seen anybody since waking, yes? One of the ruler's guards was tailing you though, making sure you got on the path... and now here you are. The ruler himself would like to meet you, Karasu-san! Would you please follow me?"
"Your... ruler...? What have I been pulled into...?"
"You've been dragged by your toes into Inari's realm, you Japanese folk all seem to love her so, right? Or at least, you used to before belief in the kami fell away... but they're very much still alive and watching, and I dunno, I guess Inari thought she'd like to speak with you! So really, you'd probably better follow me, eh Karasu-san?!" The boy giggled quite girlishly, one fist on his hip with a finger tip at the corner of his mouth... and then he took off at a slow jog, leaving Karasu with no choice but to follow. Through an impossible crack between buildings they went, dodging kitsune women who paid them no mind at all... through alleys that looked like something out of a progressive Japanese steampunk novel... and further, occasionally dodging a partying demon, once passing by a woman in a modified miko outfit putting on some sort of pseudo-idol show for a deranged crowd... but eventually, the noise did indeed begin to quiet down... and then the nature began to return as gnawing hunger pangs entered Karasu's gut. Was the sun really almost setting...? Had it been twelve hours since he'd been walking through the field...? Surely, it couldn't have been more than four or five...
The boy was gone-? Karasu looked around, but the young kitsune he'd been silently following was gone- and when he turned back around toward the direction they'd been walking in, that too had changed. Forward and above him was a massive traditional temple, long, two stories, with a staircase leading to the only entrance, a story above him. At the base of this staircase knelt two kitsune women different than any he'd seen, dressed as Miko and on their knees, ears folded back, gaze downturned.
"Should I head up...?" Karasu spoke hesitantly, trying harder to ignore the hunger gnawing at his gut, and saw the most subtle of subtle nods come from the women... so, he started up the polished wooden stairs, the nighttime wind eliciting a shiver as it pierced his ruined clothing without any trouble at all. When he reached the doors to the second story, they slid open away from him, revealing a young woman, kitsune of course, wearing the same miko outfit as the others, her ears and tail downcast. Was it a sign of politeness, maybe respect?
"Welcome, Karasu-san. Kami-sama would speak with you, but first we will feed, bathe and dress you, would you please be so kind as to follow me?" Turning, she began to walk off, and Karasu followed, curious and of course starving as he was led down a hallway, down another and into a relatively small, simple room where a table was set with food of an impressive variety.
"I'll take my leave now, Karasu-san, but a personal attendant has been appointed to you for your stay here, and she should arrive before long. Will you be alright alone?"
"I will, thank you..." Karau trailed off, unsure how to refer to this kitsune, but she left without giving him a name, inadvertently shoving the Shinobi's gaze to the table of food... it didn't take long to eat his fill, given that Karasu was trained to go on small meals only, and as such nobody had shown up when he finished eating... so, Karasu stood and slid the paper door open, silently stepping into the hall only to be greeted by a pleasantly smiling man.
"Hello, Karasu-san. As your attendant has yet to arrive, I will lead you to the baths; please do set aside your discomfort, it is no minor tradition for us kitsune to prepare your appearance. However, in order to hopefully ease the obvious strangeness you'll feel, women will do the washing."
"I guess that doesn't bother me, it was the same way a few times before important events... alright, thank you, I'm ready to follow you."
"Excellent," the man smiled, dark hair pulled into a tight, neat knot and made visible as he turned, began to walk, a very confused Shinobi on his heels. Now that his shock was fading... was he really in the realm of a god? Was he supposed to meet with a god, in all honesty, or was this some demon-induced hallucination as his body was torn apart in Kyoto...? Only time would tell, though, so Karasu contented himself to wait, for now.
"Well," Karasu muttered softly after he'd entered the room and watched the door close behind him. Eyes on the floor, two kitsune women flanked a traditional sealed-wooden tub, from which steam slowly wafted. "There's no way to avoid awkwardness on my part, but since you two don't mind, I suppose I shouldn't stall, hm?"
"Indeed," one of them spoke, Karasu wasn't sure which as he slowly shrugged off the pathetic remains of his jacket, kicked off his boots, pants, underwear, then stepped forward, moving into the tub and gingerly sinking down.
"I must admit," spoke one of the youkai- demons?- as she shielded his forehead, guiding Karasu to lean forward and drowning his hair. "I did not expect this to be so entirely easy for you. Have you been bathed by strangers before?"
"I have, and I wasn't a fan of people I knew seeing me in such a vulnerable state... but I have confidence in my body and no reason to distrust you, so I don't mind much. Really, it's almost relaxing," he added with a soft chuckle, leaning his head back, resting his eyes... there was a weight to be felt there, without question. Would it have been better for him to die, there in Kyoto? Who knew... all that mattered was now, for the moment.
"Your scars are many, Karasu-san..." It was a different voice this time, that of the second woman as hands gently began to scrub at him. "It is strange; normally one who dies and ascends loses their scars. I have to wonder why you still bear so very many, when our wish is to ease the pains of your past, upon arrival here."
"I suppose it's something to wonder... but I'd rather keep my scars. There's a story for each and every one of them, and they're just as much a part of me as my eyes and brain. It would be a loss, to be totally unmarked."
"Is that a fact? Then, how about this scar," murmured the first voice as a finger softly brushed against his abdomen, just under the left side of his ribcage, over a small, ropy line.
"My friend was to be murdered, and I tried to help, ended up with a knife in my side."
"Did you manage to save your friend?" As she asked this, Karasu exhaled slowly. There was nothing but innocent curiosity in the kitsune's gaze, so there was likely no harm in telling her.
"That day, yes."
"That day... did his life end anyway?"
"It did. His, and many others. Lives around me have always fallen away, so I do my best not to surround myself... but I'm part of a team, and it isn't always so simple when I'm tasked to work with others. Or rather... I suppose I should say I w a s part of a team... do you two have any idea why it is that I'm here?" Karasu focused on his words rather than the bathing, given that currently a hand was in a place he'd rather it wasn't. At the same time, something was being smeared across the bottom half of his face, explained a moment later as an old fashioned razor was slowly grazed along the skin.
"I am not sure why you've been brought here, no, but I do know that the purpose is not to burn you in a basin of acid or some such torture... I know not whether you'd have gone to Ame or Jigoku, but for one reason or another, you are here... likely, your spirit is already bound to this place, not to Takamagahara or Jigoku."
"I see... well, I suppose I'll have to wait and see, won't I? Can't pull an answer out of my ear."
"A positive outlook to have, Karasu-san... still, one must wonder why it is that you still bear these scars. Perhaps it is that you'd prefer it, as you said... but then, what sort of person are you, who does not wish to leave their past behind?" This woman was sitting beside the tub now, only chatting while the other gently massaged his curls and began to comb out the knots.
"I was under the impression that short hair was popular among men?" The kitsune washing his locks spoke quietly.
"Some think that it makes you look womanly. I don't care if people laugh me off as feminine, though; I like it, so I keep it, and that's the end of the story."
"I see... well, this will do, Karasu, would you step out for us, please?" They were both standing now, and holding half-sized towels. Why didn't he like that one... but he stood, allowing himself to be dried off after he'd stepped from the tub, sighing quietly. Before anybody else spoke, a short fox spirit who may have been a child and whose gender was unidentifiable stepped into the room with a bundle of fabric, speaking with a girl's voice.
"Karasu-samaaaaaaa, these clothes are for you, and then, I'm to lead you to kami-sama!! Please get dressed!"
"Alright, thank you..." Trying to shrug off the honorific, which felt too respectful, he gently took the clothes, assuming that being nude in front of this particular fox wasn't something to worry about given how naturally the women who'd just finished drying him stood around idly- until they both looked to what he was holding. It was subtle, but their eyes widened- should he ask? Well, he'd probably have to be pretty stupid not to.
"What's the big deal?" While speaking, Karasu began to work on the undergarments and soft, loose white pants, with short but soft boots to match.
"Those are ceremonial garments," one of the women explained softly. "They are worn during celebrations when a kitsune achieves their next tail... and in no other circumstances. Either, there is a new cause for their wear, or kami-sama intends to make you kitsune. Either which way, I must say that I am envious of your honor, and you should mind your manners all the more." The woman speaking bowed her head respectfully as Karasu pulled on a scarlet undershirt and a white jacket, the sleeves of which were striped with an inky black.
"Are you all set? Follow me then, please!" The smaller fox, who was likely not really so small at all, turned and scampered off, a suddenly wicked gleam in her eyes that set Karasu on edge. Was there going to be some dumb twist where this loli was actually Inari? Shrugging the thought to the side, Karasu walked after, through the temple, footsteps once more clicking on the polished wooden floors. The features of the temple insides never changed, simple walls and floors, you guessed it if you guessed that there was a rather simple ceiling to match. However, when the loli stopped before a seemingly-random pair of screen doors, Karasu knew that these doors were... somehow wrong, different. An aura wafted off of them and through them, stronger than any he'd ever felt, almost enough to make him drop to one knee and be sick.
"Well, head inside please!" The loli beamed, and though it felt like a bad idea somehow, Karasu slowly slid the screens to either side... and stepped into an entirely different landscape.