Light 'Em Up (Private, Summons Training)

Karasu walked into the forest surrounding Hoshigakure with a bittersweet smile on his face, reminiscing on a childhood spent running through these woods with old friends. Coming across an old tree that had been knocked down in one of his and Kirei's sparring sessions that had gone straight to 'overkill' faster than someone using the Hiraishin, the Uchiha sat down and looked into the sky, silently praying as he drew a flask from his vest pocket, unscrewing the cap and pouring some on the ground for his fallen friends before taking a swig himself.

It had never occurred to him that he'd be the one to make it out of that Hell alive.

[Summoning Contract Post 1/6 (Using 50% Off Coupon)

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat there, his eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine and hating himself for the fact that he was allowed to do something so...mundane, while his nephew, his sisters - adoptive and biological, his friends...anyone and everyone he'd ever cared about, pretty much, were unable to just sit and do something like this anymore. They were just...gone.

A rustle through the leaves caught his attention, along with a soothing call, a bird's song that somehow captured his heart and swore to him that everything would be okay.

It gave him hope.

Sighing, he stood and wandered in the direction of the call, partly wary and partly wishing that whatever was making such a beautiful sound could just lull him into sleep.

[Summoning Contract Post 2/6]

Walking into a clearing that was achingly-familiar to him, Karasu looked around for the source of the song that had led him here. As he did, he watched a scene unravel before him with a sharp intake of breath. The breeze had calmed, and the sun's warmth had grown to the point where it felt as if he was coated by a blanket. The Jounin's blood, however, was as cold as ice as he bore witness to something that was straight out of his dearest memories.

A massive fox kit, all orange fur and big red eyes, stared down at a black-haired child, both grinning like lunatics. The nine tails on the larger of the two children wagged in an excited manner, even as the young boy spoke up. "Kura-nii, Otou-sama said I could spend the night again! What should we play? Hide and Seek? Truth or Dare?"

The warm air blown over the child's face caused both figures to chuckle, even as the larger of the two replied. "Jeez, calm down Karasu! We've got all the time in the world. After all, we'll be best friends forever, right?"

Even as the scene began to fade out, and the bird's song turned into a haunting melody, both Karasu and his younger self spoke at the same time, tears streaming down the face of the elder as he did. "Forever and ever, Kura-nii..."

[Summoning Contract Post 3/6]

Closing his eyes, Karasu ripped his head away from the scene, growling as he looked around the clearing. He was brought here for a reason, right? If this was some kind of sick joke, then the Uchiha wouldn't hesitate to kill whoever had managed to fuck up his day so badly.

The song grew louder and louder, strangely never hurting his ears even as it echoed through his skull, when it stopped. The entire area was enveloped in an eerie silence, like the calm before the storm. That is, until a rush of flame and heat and power burst into existence directly in front of Karasu, blasting him into a tree at the edge of the clearing.

Cracking open his eyes, Karasu beheld a sight that he had seen only once before, one that had been burned into his memory...

[Summoning Contract Post 4/6]

Standing up, Karasu's eyes narrowed at the ancient bird that had taken up residence in the center of the clearing, seeming to levitate lazily as it stared him in the eyes. It's feathers were the color of flames - no, they WERE flames, or was that a trick of the light? The red eyes flicked over his form in an almost self-satisfied manner, before a male's voice entered his mind, calm and soothing, deep and powerful, with the wisdom of ages. "It has been quite some time, Karasu. You look well, my friend."

Sighing, the Uchiha spoke to the phoenix, with a tone to his gruff voice that was both fond and irritated. "Kikōō. I'm surprised to see you outside of the Sage Lands. I thought your Clan didn't leave often, and when they did it was typically something important."

Snorting in a fashion that could be construed as laughter, the now-named Kikōō spoke inside the Jounin's mind once more. "Who says that my business is not important? It has been decided that our contract has sat idle for too long, and we have deemed you worthy, little Godling. If you would have me, that is."

[Summoning Contract Post 5/6]

With a sweep of his wing, Kikōō manifested a blackened, burnt scroll, with the kanji for "Phoenix" glowing like coals on the surface, the same flames spreading through cracks in the surface itself. Stepping forward and catching it gently out of the air, Karasu seemed to contemplate his options for a moment, before unraveling the scroll, admiring the beauty of the seals inscribed inside.

Kneeling, setting the scroll on the ground gently, Karasu bit into his right thumb hard enough to draw blood, then brought the wound to the surface of the paper, swiping it across in an almost careless manner while inscribing his name in neat, angular kanji. His blood ignited, burning itself into the paper even as ash covered his thumb and sealed the injury.

Rolling the scroll tightly, he held it out to Kikōō, who sent it back to his ancestral home in the Sage Lands. Dipping his head, the majestic bird spoke a brief goodbye before disappearing in the same flames, promising to return soon.

Slumping to his knees after the encounter, Karasu let himself curl up onto the ground, the weariness of his emotional trauma finally catching up to him.

His tears falling once more, he slowly fell into a fitful slumber, dreams filled with carefree days and old friends...

[Summoning Contract Completed]