Misa opened the closet door with caution. I watched her carefully so she won't hurt herself.
"Oh my god! Look Big Brother. A Kyuubi Plush toy." Misa held up a fox toy. I smiled at it and decided to play along.
"Hello Kyuubi. Did you steal my sake from the kitchen?" I asked kindly. Misa shook the fox's head no. I left Misa to play tea party with it as I went to the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower. When I opened the door, I saw a 7 tailed wolf swimming in MY bathtub.
"Hi big guy!" The wolf said, "What are you doing in my brother's mansion?" I can tell she was younger than me.
"Hi there. My name is Shukaku," I introduced myself as I brushed my yellow hair with my tail, "This is my new home. Who are you?"
"The name's Chiyoko!" Chiyoko explained happily, "My brother, Kyuubi, told me about you." That's when it hit me. Kyuubi is in here with Kai. I thought of Kai cuz' Kyuubi doesn't like sake and Kai does. I was angry, but I didn't show it. Instead, I picked up Chiyoko with my tail.
"Would you like me to dry you?" I asked. Chiyoko nodded. I wrapped her with my tail and dried her up. She and I giggled.
"Are you the one who yelled about sake?" Chiyoko said laughing. I nodded.
"Let's go find Kai and Kyuubi. Then I can show you my friends and the club."
"Yay! A club of Biju! I'm so excited." Chiyoko ran up on my head and stayed put. I love this kid.
"By the way, how are you so big? I can't stop asking questions." Chiyoko was embarrassed.
"It's a LONG story. Now you stay on my head now. I'll protect you for whatever mayhem that will happen next."
Kyuubi and Chiyoko, Please continue.
~Shukaku
This is as I like when I was human...
Well, I wasn't really born a beast. I was human until I was 19. Before I was born, my mother was very beautiful. Her golden blonde hair and serene blue eyes would make any guy fall in love. And there was my dad. He was the strangest man I ever seen when I was about 4. He was always drinking and eating things like frogs legs and stuff. His black charcoal eyes and orange hair scared the heck out of me. Because of his drinking habits, he gave me the name Shukaku.
Also, he might had been responsible with my obsession with Tanuki. I was in love with tanukis, tanukis, tanukis. I would read the first part of Villa Incognito over and over again. Every night, I would ask my mom to read me tales of kistunes and tanukis. I still have a raccoon teddybear on my bed that I used to play with.
One day, my life changed forever. In the Sand village, I was going to the 2nd Kazekage's office. My mom was ANBU at the time. As I was walking on the road, I saw my father chasing a tanuki, a female to be more presise, with his broken sake bottle.
"And don't you ever come back, you pest!" Father yelled at the creature. I was confused. What has happened to father. Suddenly, the tanuki grabbed my leg and squeezed it tightly. I didn't know what was going on.
"Chuuuu!" The tanuki exclaimed with pleasure. I still didn't understand that. I tried walking away, but she held on to my leg until I went to Janji's Ramen shop. I ordered a miso ramen for myself and some naruto for the tanuki.
"What's your name fella?" I asked to the tanuki. She pointed to my ramen as if she was telling me something.
"Miso?" I wondered. Tanuki shook her head and said aaaaaaahhhhhh.
"So it's Misa. That's a nice name," I commented, "What about your family?" Wromg question. Misa stared into the distance, tears about to break out and she screamed. It might had broken mirrors from a 5 mile radius. I skipped the question.
"I always wanted a tanuki..." I said to Misa. She was happy and she hugged me again. The green haired chef called Janji spoke up.
"Well, I know many tanuki languages from my home, the Stone village." Janji said. I couldn't tell that he was from the Stone. His black skin made me think of Africa.
"Misa said that 5 years ago, her father was the leader of a tanuki clan not far from here. He wanted to take over the world. But in order to do that, he would have to act and live like humans do. He then broke up Misa's mom and married a human named Shikiki, your mother. 2 years later, Misa was born and was about to get killed. Luckily, she made a deal, claiming that she knew the human form of her father to bring him back..."
I didn't know what was worse; having an evil tanuki for a father or knowing what would happen next.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shikiki was washing dishes when I came home. She was very glad that I was safe. This wasn't the first time I had kept a secret. My mom had the ability to control sand that had passed down to me and other ancestors. When I was finally into my bedroom to go to sleep, I stayed awake thinking about my life. Misa shooke me, telling me what's wrong.
"My mom controls sand, My dad is a villian, my step-sister is a tanuki, What ELSE could go wrong!?!" I yelled in the darkness. I cried and cried every night hoping that nothing goes wrong. But it did.
One night, I finally went to sleep. Misa stayed up. She went into my parents and saw sand encasing mom's body and a tanuki next to her. If Misa didn't scream, my parents would've lived a little longer. But she was so sad that she didn't have my father that she cried. I assume you would know what happens next. My parents woke up seeing each other. Father, freaked out from the sand and mom scared that she saw a wild animal. They fought and father beat her up to a bloody pulp.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I woke up the next morning to Misa hiding under the bed. I went downstairs to get breakfast. Mom made me tanuki soup. No, it didn't had real tanuki in it. She always calls it that because it's my favorite soup. As I was about to eat, Misa flung a noodle at mom. Mom was mad and spilled orange juice on Misa's fur. The following food fight made me hungry and I ate everything that was thrown.
"Fools!" Mom said to me, "You didn't reconize me. I, Hiroki no Tanuki, made your mother into a soup. YOU, beast, ate her. Now that I have both of you weaklings conered, there is no way put!"
Misa was hiding behind me. I couldn't blame her. She was 3. I was so angry at myself and my father that the sand covered me, as if my mom was still there to protect me.
"Clone justu!" Hiroki yelled and made a sign. 100 Hirokis surrounded us. That's when I lost my temper. I inhaled a lot of air. I felt like there were mouths on my whole body sucking the oxygen inside.
"Wind Style: Sand Storm Devastation!" I exhaled. My mouths blew away the clones and Hiroki changed back into a tanuki, dead. I fainted. The only thing Misa can do was to take me into the Sand village hospital. After that, I didn't like any parent who treats their children badly....
Next Time~The first night that I got drunk
~Shukaku
Misa doesn't know what I am, so I posting the info here:
Tanuki (狸, Tanuki? alternatively タヌキ) is the Japanese word for raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). They have been part of Japanese folklore since ancient times. The legendary tanuki is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shapeshifting, but somewhat gullible and absent-minded.
Tanuki is often mistakenly translated as raccoon or badger.
Folklore
Statues of tanuki can be found outside many Japanese temples and restaurants, especially noodle shops. These statues often wear big, cone-shaped hats and carry bottles of sake in one hand, and a promissory note (a bill it will never pay) or empty purse in the other hand. Tanuki statues always have large bellies. Older depictions of the tanuki show them as having large testicles as well, although this feature is often omitted in contemporary sculpture.
The comical image of the tanuki is thought to have developed during the Kamakura era. The actual wild tanuki has unusually large testicles, a feature that has inspired humorous exaggeration in artistic depictions of the creature. Tanuki may be shown with their testicles flung over their backs like travellers' packs, or using them as drums. As tanuki are also typically depicted as having large bellies, they may be depicted as drumming on their bellies instead of their testicles -- particularly in contemporary art.
A common schoolyard song in Japan (the tune of which can be heard in the arcade game Ponpoko and a variation of which is sung in the Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko) makes explicit reference to the tanuki's anatomy:
Tan Tan Tanuki no kintama wa,
Kaze mo nai no ni,
Bura bura
Roughly translated, this means "Tan-tan-tanuki's/Raccoon-raccoon-raccoon dog's testicles, there isn't even any wind but still go swing-swing-swing".[1] It then proceeds to continue for several verses, with many regional variations. It is sung to the melody of an American Baptist hymn called Shall We Gather At The River?.[2]
A couple of Tanuki statues at a temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan.During the Kamakura and Muromachi eras, some stories began to include more sinister tanuki. The Otogizoshi story of "Kachi-kachi Yama" features a tanuki that clubs an old lady to death and serves her to her unknowing husband as "old lady soup," an ironic twist on the folkloric recipe known as "tanuki soup". Other stories report tanuki as being harmless and productive members of society. Several shrines have stories of past priests who were tanuki in disguise. Shapeshifting tanuki are sometimes believed to be tsukumogami, a transformation of the souls of household goods that were used for one hundred years or more.
A popular tale known as Bunbuku chagama is about a tanuki who fooled a monk by transforming into a tea-kettle. Another is about a tanuki who tricked a hunter by disguising his arms as tree boughs, until he spread both arms at the same time and fell off the tree. Tanuki are said to cheat merchants with leaves they have magically disguised as paper money. Some stories describe tanuki as using leaves as part of their own shape-shifting magic.
In metalworking, tanuki skins were often used for thinning gold. As a result, tanuki became associated with precious metals and metalwork. Small tanuki statues were marketed as front yard decoration and good luck charm for bringing in prosperity. Also, this is why tanuki is described as having large kintama (金玉 lit. gold ball, means a testicle in Japanese slang).
Name
Tanuki with typically enlarged scrotum, in a print by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.While tanuki are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always distinguished from other animals. In local dialects, tanuki and mujina (狢, kyujitai: 貉) can refer to raccoon dogs or badgers. An animal known as tanuki in one region may be known as mujina in another region. In modern Tokyo standard dialect, tanuki refers to raccoon dogs and anaguma refers to badgers. Regional dishes known as tanuki-jiru ("tanuki soup") may contain either raccoon dog or badger, although the taste of the latter is often preferred.
Originally, the kanji for tanuki, 狸 (kyujitai: 貍) was used to refer to other mid-sized mammals, mostly wild cats.[citation needed] Since wild cats live only in limited regions of Japan (e.g. Iriomote, Okinawa), it is believed that the characters began to be used to mean "tanuki" instead starting around the Japanese feudal era. This shift in meaning, along with the rarity of the raccoon dog outside Japan, may have contributed to confusion over the proper translation of "tanuki" into other languages.
In Japanese slang, tanuki gao ("tanuki face") can refer to a face that looks like that of the animal, or a person's facial expression of feigned ignorance[3]. Kitsune gao ("fox face") refers to women with narrow faces, close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. The word "tanuki" is sometimes used as a Japanese code. It is a play on ta-nuki. Because "nuki" means "take out", the reader must remove the "ta"'s from the message.
In fiction
Tanuki appear in numerous anime, manga and video games.
- All the main characters in Pom Poko are shape-shifting tanuki who are trying to save their habitat from urban development. Japanese legends about tanuki and kitsune shapeshifting feature heavily throughout the movie. The tanuki were mis-translated in the film as racoons.
- Hachi from the anime series InuYasha takes the form of a tanuki, though he is introduced as a badger in the English dub.
- Urusei Yatsura, which was written by the same author as Inuyasha (Rumiko Takahashi) also features a tanuki in comical situations; a character will often "body-swap" with one.
- In Naruto, the one-tailed demon that is sealed inside the body of Gaara, resembles to a badger-type (racoon-dog) animal. (A/N:They are talking poorly about me...)
- In One Piece, the character Tony Tony Chopper has a transformation that greatly resembles a tanuki, and is commonly mistaken for one. However, the creature is actually a reindeer.
- In the manga Ouran High School Host Club, Mori helps a tanuki.
- In the manga of Yu Yu Hakasho, during one of the early chapters during the time Yusuke spends time as a ghost, there is a chapter with a tanuki who takes shape of an old mans dead grandson when he helps take care of him during the night before the old man dies himself. The tanuki can shape shift, but can't hide his tail, which is how the old man knew who he was since the start, admitting he just wanted to believe it was his late grandson and thanked the tanuki for being so kind. Afterwords, the tanuki is seen walking from the house crying.
- The tanuki is well represented in videogames as one of Mario's power-up suits in Super Mario Bros. 3, a pair of characters in Super Mario Sunshine, the action stage identifier from The Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Rocky from Pocky & Rocky.
- Tom Nook the shopkeeper in Animal Crossing is a tanuki. However, he is translated as a raccoon.
- Also, Korean MMORPG Ragnarok Online, there are raccoon-like monsters called "smokey" that wear a leaf on their heads and have the ability to disappear.
- Tanuki statues can also be seen in the video game Okami in front of many shops.
- Tanuki (the god) and tanukis (the animal) are both in Tom Robbins' novel Villa Incognito. Half of the action in the story takes place in Southeastern Asia. Tanuki is actually the main character of the first chapter of the novel.
- In the American animated television show, Kappa Mikey, tanukis are referenced a few times. The famous statues of them appear in the pilot episode. There is another episode called The Masked Tanuki, which is the superhero identity of one of the characters, yet his suit appears in the form of a raccoon.
- Tanuki also appear in the 2005 Seijun Suzuki film Princess Raccoon (aka Operetta tanuki goten).
- The tanuki of Japanese folklore is a featured character in Tom Robbins' 2003 novel, Villa Incognito.
- The term Tanuki was also often used in the anime Saiunkoku Monogatari. Kou Reishin nicknamed Shou Taishi 'Tanuki Spirit' since the latter survived the many assassination attempts sent by the Kou clan. A new character that appeared in the second season of the anime, Shin Suou, bought many tanuki accessories before he went to propose to Kou Shuurei, the main character. One of the most catchy tanuki accessories was a golden tanuki statue that he kept holding. He bought the accessories because he was told that tanuki brought good luck. Later, Suou Shin received the nickname 'Tantan', from the word 'tanuki'.
- In the manga/anime Shaman King Tamao Tamamura or Tammy's guardian ghosts are a Kitsune (Conchi) and a Tanuki (Ponchi).
- In chapter 354 of Naruto manga series, character Uchiha Sasuke is visiting an old weapons' house that once was being used by his family. There he sees two ninja cats that he knows, who his team member mistakes for talking tanukis.
- The Popular Game MapleStory have an area in which a vast amount of tanukis are disguised as members of the yakuza when players kill a yakuza member it dies and reverts back to its tanuki form.
Wow. The tanukis and I are famous! Trasforming fake money, disguising ourselves as preists, being in at almost all of the anime, I'm glad to be a tanuki!!!
~Shukaku
Here are the new members before ya read this:
Eka (called Eka-san)/ Two tailed wolf demon, girl w/ blue eyes, long brown hair, white t-shirt and blue jeans, tails show.
peillii = Chii/Cat demon, girl w/ short pink hair, cat eyes, blue sweater, white skirt
DEIDARATOBICLAN = Tara/7 tailed white leopard demon, girl with silver/white short hair black t-shirt, navy blue jacket hood up to hide ears, blue jeans, grayish yellow eyes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was on my bed, reading the note that Hachi gave everyone.
Dear Everyone,
Going to Spa. See ya in 2 days. I'll call you when I need help.
Your Buddy,
Hachimata
As I lay on my pillow, staring at the ceiling bored, Misa was eating rice balls the shape of a fox. Then the phone rang.
"I get it!" Misa yelled loudly. She picked up the phone and started talking. I listened.
"Hi Buddy! Who are you? Eka-San. That's a pretty name. I'm Misa! Uh huh. Uh huh. Sure you can have a block party in my house. I'm all alone."
My little sister is a liar. Now I have to stay here in order to protect Misa. The doorbell rang. I rushed to the door and answered it. A girl with short pink hair, cat eyes, blue sweater, and white skirt.
"Hi ya! I'm Chii. Is the party here?" Chii meowed. Great. A pink cat.
"Big Brother, can I be here alone? I'm old enough." Misa insisted. I couldn't take the cute eyes.
"Sure. Don't destroy the house and save me some pizza."
"Yay! C'mon Chii. Let's order some pizza." Misa grabbed Chii as they slammed the door. I was alone in the streets.
(Misa)
"You call." Chii said to Misa. Misa picked up the phone.
"I want Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese please."
"How many pies?"
"5,000."
"That'll be about $456.78."
"Thank you!"
"Why that many pies?" Chii asked as Misa hanged up the phone.
"10 for us. And 4,990 for big brother."
"Wow. No wonder your bro is huge in the anime." Chii was amazed.
(Me)
I was just walking on the street for something to do when I looked at a girl with silver white short hair, a navy jacket with the hood up, blue jeans, and grayish yellow eyes. This might be the girl for me.
"Hello. My name is Tara. Have you seen a pink headed girl and a brown headed girl?"
I was drooling, but I nodded.
"Can I have your name?" Tara asked.
"Shukaku. You're prettiful." Tara blushed. Finally, my pick up lines work!
To be continued...
~Shukaku
"Land. We reached land!!!" Hachi said as he kissed the ground. He was in a transformation accident. Misa was still sobbing.
"Now what?" Kaku said as he flicked his hair. The only one not here is our favorite funky tanuki, "And where's Shukaku?"
"Must get CD before everyone hears it..." Kyuubi muttered as he went on the opposite direction. Houkou, Hachi, and Neka went to find Shukaku. Poor Kaku was with Misa.
(Time Square)
"Wow the streets are crowded," Neka said uneasily.
"Hope he isn't drunk..." Houkou said, "If he loses his mind, not only would he turn back into demon, but he'll be more worse than Misa."
Just then a familiar voice was heard.
"Hey baby. Do ya have *hic* a map? Cuz' I get lost in your eyes."
"There he isss." Hachi yelled as he went inside the pub.
"Hey snakey. Come and give meh some Sake." Shukaku hiccuped. Hachi was furious.
"DON'T CALL ME SSSNAKEY!!!" Hachi yelled and tackled the drunken tanuki. He then was beaten up and very ill.
"Your turn." Hachi said to Houkou, then fainted.
"Okay. I'M the only one who can save him." Neka announced, "Oh Shukaku-Kun!"
"Whoa Neka. I think heaven's lost an angel." Shukaku grinned evilly.
"Oh really?" Neka said. She hit Shukaku with a frying pan.
"I seem to lost my phone number. Can I borrow yours?" Shukaku said as he fainted.
(Back at the docks)
Kaku was a little worried at first. Then he had an idea.
"What do you wanna do, Misa?"
"Can we go to the big Toys R Us?" Misa asked.
"Sure."
"Yay!"
(Toys R Us)
"She'd be probably be at the ferris wheel or the Barbie dollhouse." Kaku thought to himself.
"Cool Videogames!" Misa yelped as she held a controller. Kaku sighed and went to the Naruto section to get Misa a gift.
(Ferris Wheel)
"Why do ya like Kyuubi so much?" Kaku asked Misa, wondering why a cute demon would and someone as cold as Kyuubi.
"Well, He's smart, cool, serious, and very strong." Misa quietly said, "He doesn't go drooling and all pervy when it comes to girls."
"I have a present for you." Kaku gave Misa a Nine-Tailed Naruto doll. Misa cried.
"It's okay. I'm here for you." Kaku cooed as he hugged Misa.
"You are so kind to me," Misa hiccuped, "Thank you Kaku-kun!"
"You're welcome."
"Now where is Kyu-Kun?"
~Shukaku
