I sat on a roof, watching the humans place white flowers on some stone. They were all dressed in black. They were mourning. And they were boring.
I clicked my tongue in irritation. This is all I get when I wake up? This is it? I jumped off the roof, landing silently. Someone in the back of the crowd noticed me staring blankly at all the people and seemed irritated I was wearing white at such a sad event. Like I cared whatever important human died. Humans die all of the time. It was much more earth-shattering when a Yokai died.
Imagine all of the Yokai being massacred in a brief time period. Yokai were eternal. Yokai were always there, and would have always been there. The guilt of surviving ate at me, but I pushed through the crowd of people. Some murmured curses at me, but I pressed onwards until I had reached the steps. I climbed them briskly, the crowd bristling in anger at my audacity. The rain came and I looked up at it blankly.
Even the sky cried more for this human than it did my family.
I took a flower from the pile and shaded my eyes with my hat as the flower burst into a shower of white petals. Someone from the crowd gasped as not even the stem was left. I picked up another flower and did the same. I had gotten through three flowers before the crowd shouted at me in anger.
And then I laughed at them. I recognized the blonde boy and his eyes lit up in recognition at me. He started shouting something to the gray haired man next to him. The one who had me in his grip. He appeared next to me swiftly, and this time I didn't fight it when he detained me. I looked up at him blankly as his only visible eye stared at me with hatred.
Humans are honestly so ridiculous.
They had me detained. I was in a jail cell I could easily break out of. Some time had passed and a new 'Kage' was chosen. And now I was meeting that 'Kage.'
I stared at this blonde haired woman blankly. She seemed irritated.
"So this kid disrupted the Third's funeral and you had him in jail since then?" She asked the other people surrounding her. "This child?" Her eyes swept the room slowly. "You locked up a child for disruption? I understand beforehand he was running around escaping shinobi, but you locked him up for it? He wasn't even a threat!"
"Ren likes new Kage-nee-sama," I said quietly. Her gaze snapped to rest on me and her eyes softened slightly. "Ren didn't do anything wrong, Ren thinks. Ren saw it was gloomy, and Ren doesn't like it when things are gloomy! Gloominess brings about sickness," I told them. It did. Yokai fed on negative emotions. As a Yokai trying to do right and atone, I often made the humans not quite so negative. Though it was quite curious. The humans could see me in my regular form. Normally, humans were blind to Yokai. Had they evolved?
... Was there anyone else who survived except me?
"So, Ren," the new Kage started. "How did you manage to outrun ANBU?" She looked at me seriously. "Someone as harmless looking as yourself, it's quite impressive," she continued, emphasizing the word harmless. I swallowed the incomprehensive words.
"Ren is small," I said quietly. "Ren knows hidey-holes." I gazed at her eyes. Caramel, I noticed. She was conventionally pretty. She sat back in her seat.
"You can use chakra, too," she said. I squinted at her.
"Ren doesn't use chakra. Ren uses magic," I said. "Ren doesn't know how to use chakra." She blinks at me, tilting her head in confusion.
"Very well, Ren. Please demonstrate your magic for us," she asked. I hesitated before looking around the room. I noted they were all shinobi. I sighed.
"Ren doesn't like displaying magic for humans-" I froze. The word was out before I could stop myself. I could feel sweat drip down my palm as my eyes slowly trailed up to hers.
She leaned forward, the picture of confidence. "Demonstrate," she ordered. I shivered at her tone and felt suddenly very small. I was feeling fear. A human was causing fear in me.
I obeyed. I summoned my magic around me, shimmering and transforming me into a flawed copy of the Kage herself. It shimmered when I moved, and it broke like glass after a moment. I breathed out slowly as my eyes closed.
"Ren thinks you should feel honored," I said as they gaped at me.
"A transformation jutsu - but not quite. I didn't sense any chakra..." Someone from the shinobi in the back said.
"Like Ren said, Ren uses magic, not chakra," I said proudly, puffing out my chest. "Ren can do more!" I faced my palms up and summoned a dark, purple fire. At first it was a mere puff of smoke before my hands were engulfed in flame. I grinned at the Kage. "Ren is very good at magic."
I could feel the attack before it even got near me. I extinguished my fire and lifted a hand slowly, dramatically. A shield surrounded me and deflected the nameless shinobi's attack. I stared at him coldly, his eyes the picture of fear. "Ren is used to being feared and attacked for being Ren. But that was very rude, onii-san," I grinned at the end, pretending to be a child once more. The Kage studied me, and I felt nervous under her stare.
"Can you teach others this magic?" She asked me. I immediately tsked. Humans only think of power and making themselves stronger. Selfish, selfish, selfish! She blinked at the rudeness as I crossed my arms and tilted my chin up defiantly.
"Why should Ren? Ren has been mistreated since he stepped foot here. Ren is insulted, and you all should feel honored that Ren has given you a demonstration in his amazing magic," I stuck my tongue out at her. "And besides, only others like Ren can use magic. Humans can't use it." I cursed myself for stumbling again. Humans. I keep calling them humans!
"Where are others like yourself, then?" She asked, likely worried that Yokai would attack. This 'new' ability was dangerous to her. A laugh bubbled in my throat.
"Hehe, Ren wouldn't doubt it if Ren was the last one left!" I told her, before bursting into giggles. "Ren has been alone for a long time," I smiled. "Kage-nee-sama shouldn't worry about the dangers of magic... Unless Kage-nee-sama made Ren angry, of course," I smiled sunnily at her. I let the threat sit before I continued, noting the sharp look that crossed her features. "But Ren likes Kage-nee-sama, so that wouldn't happen!" She smiled in return, but I could read humans easily. She was nervous.
"Well, I am glad for that," she sighed, letting her hands fall onto the table.
"Ren isn't," I suddenly said bitterly. Her eyes shoot up, realizing her mistake, and I laughed. "You all tiptoe around pain if it is your own, but should the pain belong to another, you do not hesitate. Typical. All the same. Everyone's the same," I spat. I then grinned. "But Ren doesn't blame you! That's just how humans are, Ren thinks. Ren is grateful he doesn't have to be one of you pathetic people." She looked guarded and stiff.
"I would like you to explain," she ordered.
This time I didn't allow the fear as I simply tilted my head, my eyes squinting from my grin. "Ren isn't human. There. Ren said it. Oh, how nice to finally say it! Ren doesn't like pretending to be one of you grovelling, snivelling creatures!" I threw my hands up, as if in a cheer. "Humans are weak!" I shouted before shivering. Tears dripped from my eyes, unbidden. "We are superior," I whispered, as the Kage slowly relaxed. She seemed to note I was broken. I am broken. So, so broken and alone. And I'm surrounded by humans. I hate humans. "We feast on humans, or feasted. Now there is only Ren, and Ren promised not to hurt humans." I laughed. "Ren is angry. Ren doesn't like anger. But Ren is, and so he must." I was babbling now, making very little sense to them, most likely. "Ren is lonely, but Ren hates loneliness. Ren misses Kanta, Ren misses mother, Ren misses the river, and Ren misses when there was more of us." I punctuated the sentence with a sob and fell to my tiny knobbly knees. They took my hat in the dungeon, so I was only in my knee-length kimono. I looked back up at the Kage. "Humans are a disease, a pestilence, a virus on the land. We kept the population in check until they fought back, but it was no problem. At first. At first. We ruled, ruled, ruled, were superior, and now Ren is alone," I continued, tears continuing to fall. I stopped to sob loudly as the Kage's eyes widened.
"Yokai?" The word spilled from her lips. I froze and stared at her.
"You know?! You know of that which I speak?" I launch myself at her desk, my speed alarming everyone in the room. I slam my hands on the table. "You know, you know?" I kept asking. "Ren needs to know if you know!" I slammed my hands repeatedly on her desk.
"But Yokai don't exist," she said faintly, taking in my appearance once more. I laughed.
"We are not forgotten!" I say happily. "Gone, gone, but not forgotten!" I lean close to her face, and she tilts back, uncomfortable. "Ren is happy Kage-nee-san knows of Yokai!" I push off the table and fall to one knee, my face becoming eerily serious.
"Ren? What are you doing now?" She asked almost fearfully.
I drew upon my wellspring of magic. I searched for her name and found it. Magic swirled around me, and Tsunade stood up in alarm.
"Do not worry," I tried to reassure her. The magic sparked, and I finally looked up to meet her eyes once more. "Tsunade Senju," I started, "I wish to bind myself to your service, and yours alone." She blinks at me, speechless. "I have tested, and found you worthy of my services. Until your death, natural or otherwise, I shall devote myself to your service." The magic shimmered before launching itself at Tsunade. She took a step back in an attempt to get into a fighting stance until the magic solidified itself into two dark purple crystals embedded into leather cords. "Do you accept me?" I decided not to tell her this contract would have been dangerous were I interested in eating her.
This whole series of events had just seemed to be surprising Tsunade, but I was the most surprised when she agreed. I stood as one cord floated to me, clasping itself to my wrist. The other continued floating before her.
"When you take that crystal, our contract will be sealed. I will be bound to you."
"And what do you get out of this?"
I grinned. "All I ask is that you occasionally give me attention. And revive knowledge of Yokai, no matter which way you go about it. Children's stories, perhaps."
Her hand extended, and, despite the shouts of everyone in the room, she took the crystal.