Knock knock on kitsune's door

[Bayushi Hiromitsu]

Red Sashimono crossing the woods, but there is no sound.
Dark shadows marching unseen, for there's no one around.
The left hand holds a tessen, and your eyes are bound.
And in the other danger stood, nowhere to be found.

The scorpion army was fierce and stood briefly at the Kitsune Gates. One man, a scorpion bushi, full of pride, stepped ahead:

-Open the Gates in the name of the one true emperor!

Some steps behind, some though that maybe, just maybe, they could be unwise enough to just open the gate for Kaneka, their "true emperor", after all, no name was said.

Hiromitsu and some other scorpion samurai knew that the whole plot was not some "polite" demand. This "front door knocking" was, as before, a decoy.

Another way to feint, the scorpions hidden in shadows where getting near the castle. Once the kitsune were protected by the tall trees, now, they are doomed by them.

Hiromitsu look over his brothers at arms:

-The plan is quite simple. We sneak in, kill the sentries, and we open the gate from the inside. Optionally we, of course, could take 4 month and build a giant fox made of wood and step inside? No? Ok then, let's keep it simple.

[Kitsune Poxo]

The Scorpion had arrived was all that ran through Kitsune Daichi's head. His letter had fallen on deaf ears and now they pounded on his gates. The beauty of Kyuden Kitsune shall be marred. Just another scar this war is bringing him and just another cry from his brothers and sisters why they should have remained separate from the Mantis.

Daichi approached the front gate to face the scorpion. He wore a determined look on his face and his usual light clothing with ashigaru armour. His fox red hair was pulled up tight in a braid and his discolored 'evil' eye was bared for all to see.

The stench of an army already tinged his nose as the figure of the daimyo exited the gates and stared into the forces that gathered. His palms were held outward showing no weapons. Even from a distance one could tell Daichi was a bear of man, taller and meatier then the average man, which was unusual since most Kitsune were smaller than the average.

"Welcome to Kitsune Mori," He started in a nice booming voice that was well practiced. "Let me offer you advice once again. Please seek an alternate route. The Mori protects itself when it can feel hostile intentions. The Fox have lived here for a millennium and even we do not know everything. Turn away and be spared the madness."

[Bayushi Hiromitsu]

Behind his mempo, the proud scorpion bushi smiled.

-It is a good thing you brought history to my mind! It helped remember some things:

The dragon helped when you needed, Kitsuki family if you remember... But I guess this help is no more.

The crane helped when you asked, Kakita family right? But I guess this help is no more also.

And your defences, well:
Of course, the Mantis have this massive fleet, but it won't be doing any good in here.

And for the tsuruchi family, I guess they will have greater things at hand right now. Like been very far away from you.

We are really near our territory... really... really near. I don't see you closing our supply lines. And this forest, so great, offers much wood for our fires and shelter to our warriors.

You are great shugenja, that is true, and shugenja are wise.. listen to them and don't let your kind suffer for pride... because you will suffer if you chose not listen your wisdom.

And of course, that's a good thing that we are all honored samurai and ninja are just but fable... Because if things were any different, it would be just a matter of time.

The Soshi family knew Illusion and some of their best shugenja were really anxious to practice with some worthy adversary.

Some believed that was a good way to increase the territory.

[Kitsune Poxo]

"The dragon were torn as many went ronin. The crane were pushed back in the north and now push for their courts. The Mantis fleets can still take the rivers just as well and the arrows of the Tsuruchi can fly far and still land true. You are in our home and while our allies run short so do yours but we are never alone."

"Harm the forest and it is not we who you face. Seek an alternate route. This is the wisdom I speak. It is just as in the tale of the scorpion and the frog. When the scorpion stings it half way across and speaks the lines that it is in its nature, so too is it in the nature of those living in this forest."

"It is funny you speak of ninja. They are nothing but fable, such a deception. Maybe you know our fable as well? Not all of the Kitsune are human, is it just as much a fallacy? Who is it to say our true home is actually behind me or even within this realm of existence? If that is so we have more time then you think."

[Tamori Manji]

After the impasse with the Kitsune daimyo at Kyuden Kitsune's walls, Bayushi Hiromitsu felt mentally and physically distressed. Days passed, the black and red forces of his Clan massed in an encampment outside the humble castle's walls, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that something was wrong, that he was being observed. "What is taking our scouts so long?" was the unanswered question that pervaded the encampment and more than one Scorpion patrol had mysteriously disappeared since their arrival near Kitsune Mori.

One night, as he walked restlessly across the Scorpion camp, Hiromitsu started seeing fox shadows out of the corner of his eyes; but whenever he tried to look at them directly, they disappeared as if they were never truly there. One thing the Bayushi bushi couldn't deny though, the night was beautiful near Kyuden Kitsune. Without all the artificial lights of the cities, the stars could be clearly seen and the full moon shinning over them was quite the natural spectacle; it was no wonder that lovers of all ages, especially the young ones, came here to flirt and profess their vows. But he was not here for love and tried to shake off the unwanted thoughts from his head. It was then that he heard a faint voice call his name, it came from the dark forest, accompanied by a pretty, albeit childish, laughter and it said, Bayushi-sama... Hiromitsu-sama... *giggle* come, come quick, you must see. Has his name ever had a -sama attached to it before? He didn't think so and being called that was a funny thought. Something was obviously not right here but this voice was so compelling, so alluring that it was hard to resist and he felt no enmity in it. What was Bayushi Hiromitsu going to do?