Rendevouz(summon contract)

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Kana decided to add a few more jutsu to his arsenal and hoped that he was ready to come into contract with some sort of creature. Unknown to him, such contract already existed. He ran through the series of hand signs, quite familiar to his surprise. Upon touching the ground, he felt the chakra explode and the jutsu activate. A big cloud of smoke would fill the air and Kana waited. From what he had learned, when using the summoning technique for the first time, one would be transported to the animals with which he had the most affinity to. He was expecting to be transported somewhere. When the dust cleared however, the woods around Konoha was all he saw, confused he looked around only to hear his name called out.

“KANA!!??”

Looking around Kana could only see woods, until a small white fluffy eagle almost crashed into his face. “Kana is that you? Thank the Kami, I thought you were dead!!” Kana was confused. “I apologize but who are you?” The small eagle looked as confused as him and promptly answered. “I am Vijon, don’t you remember me?” The dialogue went back and forth. Kana explained his temporary amnesia and the little eagle explained what he knew. The story that he told Kana was the following.

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The young warrior would perform the needed hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu. A big puff of smoke would envelop him as the jutsu activated. Kana’s vision was suddenly filled with claws and feathers. What stood before him was unmistakably an eagle, yet the sheer size of it was astounding. It raised its beak to the ceiling of the cave and with a speed that should not be possible for its size, would bring it down on the spot that seconds earlier Kana had been. Having used the body replacement technique, he had managed to get behind the bird and wasted no time in performing the elaborate hand sings that would activate the Beast sync. Yet before he could complete it, the bird turned, one of its wings kicking up a gust of wind that not only interrupted the jutsu but also sent Kana crashing into the cave wall. Kana let out a grunt as his sides burned from the impact and his breath was temporarily knocked out of him. Yet, there was little time for him to catch his breath as the bird was on him in seconds. Kana reached into his hip pouch and produced three Kunai knives. He threw two close to the birds face so as to distract the bird and the last he threw at the base of the ankle bone.

Though not significantly injured, the bird would still let out a shriek and with its hurt foot would tear after Kana who was not able to move fast enough this time and would catch the sharp end of the claw raking across his back. Gritting his teeth from the pain Kana would pull out a smoke bomb as he was running towards the exit. The bird sensing his prey wanted to escape would let out a shriek and chase after him. Right before reaching the mouth of the cave, Kana would explode his smoke bomb and the bird was temporarily blinded. Yet with a flap of its powerful the smoke dissipated. Kana had more than enough time though. While the smoke was still in effect Kana had done the hand seals for the Electro Magnetic Murder Jutsu. The big avian suddenly felt its whole body become numb from the shock and with a thud crashed to the floor. His eyes never left Kana as the boy approached it bloody and tired. The battle had not lasted that long but the bird had been an opponent that was almost more than Kana could handle.

“Very well done young one, I have never seen somebody defeat Mikon with such apparent ease.” Though the words were human, Kana would turn towards the sound and discover that the speaker was actually another bird slightly bigger than the one in Kana’s control yet the feathers were slightly molded and it walked with an apparent hobble. Kana had been around the wild long enough to recognize an elder when he saw one. He bowed his head in respect and acknowledgement of the newcomer.

“Thank you” he would say sincerely to the elder bird yet his mind and attention was still on the one named Mikon.

“You are quite welcome son. Please call me Furui. To what do we owe the honor of your visit young one?” The elder asked in a tone Kana could not quite make sure if it was good natured or sarcastic.

“I have come to request a contract with you. I meant no disrespect and I mean no harm. I apologize and if Mikon Sama promises not to attack me, I shall release him”

The elder left out a chuckle as he responded “ah, I see. Well, I think it would be best to leave Mikon where he is, you see, he does not like outsiders. He takes his job as sentinel quite serious you see. But you must know son, that contracts are not just freely given. You must prove yourself worthy of such a binding action.” The tone was more serious and the aging eyes on Kana as if to read his very soul for such worthiness.

“I understand and was expecting such a thing. I am prepared to do what I must to earn your favor.” The boy met Furui’s stare, having nothing to hide and wanting the elder bird to see that he was true to his word.

“I see, I see you are indeed a brave one and a very fine young warrior. If you are as ready as you claim take this Kunai” using a wing feather the elder would dislodge one of the knives that Kana had thrown as a distraction earlier in the fight and would flick it at Kana. The boy would catch it easy enough. His gaze questioning towards the elder.
“use that knife and kill Mikon.”

When Kana showed signs of hesitation and confusion, Furui elaborated. “you see, in combat you may lose those you summon to fight. We are merely tools to aid you in your mission. Failure means death. Mikon was our sentinel, he failed in that mission and in real life he would have died at the hands of an enemy shinobi. If you are ready to use us then you must be ready to lose us young one”

Kana’s face burned. His anger welling up inside. He clutched the knife in his hand and would squeeze until his knuckles were white as bone. He turned to the bird in his control and looked into his eyes. The bird was neither afraid not begging for his life. It merely looked at him, as a warrior awaiting the end and hoping that his life had been an honorable one. Kana could not look it in the eyes any longer and turning back to the elder he let the kunai knife drop from his fingers. “I refuse. I do not seek a contract with you as tools to be discarded when not usable anymore. I seek you as allies, as companions, as friends. If learning how to lose a life is my lesson then I wish it to me mine. “ The sentry would slowly rise to his feet.

“Young warrior, death is a part of the battle field. You should know that. You will face death with every mission perhaps see many of your fellow shinobi die. Why should this scenario be any different? Is not the success of the mission more important than the life of the shinobi?”

Kana would look the elder straight in the eye, his big doe eyes fierce as he said this “yes, the mission is essential and shinobi should be ready to give up their lives. Should I lose friends I will remember their sacrifice. I am prepared for that, I am prepared to lay mine down for them. I am not prepared however to demand that others lay theirs down on my command. Like I said Furui Sama, if a life must be paid in the battlefield it will always be mine because only my life is mine to give.” With that he would await the falling beak or the tearing claws to finish him and his only regret was that he had let his father down.

There was a rush of sound but it was not of claw or beak coming to end his life, it was of the elder bird setting down a scroll before the young man. Kana would look up at Furui in confusion. “Son you have proved yourself to be worthy of our service. I have presented many with this same question and many have been only too eager to establish who the master is and who the servant is. We shall fight at your side and will come if you call us, and like you, we shall lay down or lives of our own choice and not because of some contract. Come boy sign and be a part of one of us.”

Kana would smile as he made his way towards the contract scroll. He would notice that there were little more than 5 contracts in it. As the elder had said, few had passed the test or perhaps few had even gotten the choice. It was because of this that it gave Kana an even greater sense of accomplishment. Furui rolled up the scroll once it had been signed by the young boy. “Well son, all that is left to do is get you home. I am sure Mikon here will gladly give you a ride if you ask nicely.” The elder said with a chuckle. “Go in peace young Kana, and remember, a bond goes deeper than blood on paper.” With a puff of smoke and feathers, the elder was gone. Kana turned to the wild sentry and would bow his head. “Please forgive me if I wounded you. You are a great warrior, should I have not defended myself I would certainly be a bloody spot in your beak or a bloody spot in the rocks below.” The big avian would look at Kana for a few more seconds and then reaching down, he would pluck the kunai knife from his ankle and hand it to Kana.

“Boy, if you are going to apologize for every little scratch, you and I are going to have problems.” Mikon said in a gruff voice and gave the young boy a wink. “Now what you say we get you home. It’s a long way by foot.”

Kana would jump on the back of the bird and with a might lurch of his legs solid ground would soon disappear and they were soaring the clouds. The scenery was so peaceful that Kana began to feel sleepy and he was not sure as he drifted off into sleep if he dreamt it or actually heard his father’s voice whispering in the wind “….I am proud of you son….”Little did Kana know that his life would never once be as he imagined.

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The story ended. Kana stood silent for a while. He had resigned himself to having half of his early life gone but now, thanks to this small eagle he had gotten some of it back. He turned to Vijon and told the young bird. “Come, you and I have much to talk about.” The other was only too happy to comply as he sat on the young man’s shoulders as if that had always been his perch. The pair walked towards Konoha. The sun would set but to Kana his life had seen a new dawn.