They say that in the past, when the fragile and short-lived mortals had yet to cross over the sea unto these lands, Inazuma was once a land that belonged to the tanuki. They say, too, that human history began as drunken tanuki nonsense... Welcome to Toki Alley, a place where history and wild tales intertwine.
Prologue: The Tanuki's Oral History of Inazuma
They say that in the past, before the fragile and short-lived mortals had crossed over the sea to these lands, Inazuma was once a land that belonged to the tanuki.
Lazy and fickle by nature, the tanuki never worried about tomorrow, nor did they carry today's troubles with them through the night. During that period, the land of Inazuma was a cozy paradise for the tanuki and every day was a fun-filled festival.
At least, that's what the tanuki elders say.
Later on, the kitsune arrived by sea, forcing the tanuki into a great war that lasted first for 800 years and then for another 800 years, with both sides suffering heavy casualties, until eventually the only option was to hold peace talks. The tanuki are a stubborn bunch and to this day still don't admit defeat, but the fact remains that they ceded the giant Thunder Sakura to the kitsune.
But the kitsune are a crafty and cunning bunch too, and equally skilled in the art of shape-shifting. It is said that in that great war, as a consequence of the constant switcheroo trickery, many poor souls became completely disoriented and could not for the life of them keep track of who was who — eventually forgetting even who they were, what they were, and which side they were supposed to be on.
Thus were the hapless mortals born. The product of bewildered yokai.
This tale and many others were told to me by the tengu who likes to boast.