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There’s a reason people searched for the samebito.
Who wouldn’t? After all, the tales behind them would make anyone want to try and find one. While many would scoff and consider just the mere idea of one to be pure myth. However, that didn’t stop the few who did believe–people who both wanted proof as well as wanted to be rich from both the knowledge of their belief being vindicated as well as from the wealth that came with it.
Samebito were a race of shark men; mainly solitary yokai who preferred to reside in the deeper waters where no man dared to dive. While there have been a few who have interacted with humans before, it almost never ended well save for the one or two tales but those were the lucky ones.
Mainly due to the human nature of greed. Most humans who have come across the samebito wanted to capture and imprison them for their tears. Their red tears became pure rubies that could easily be sold for profit until the day the yokai died.
Hence none have been seen for quite a long time; humans slowly forgetting their existence more and more even as the modern age came about. Though they had less to worry about there were still those few who still believed the stories.
Many of the elderly warned the hot blooded youth not to bother the hermit who lives on the outskirts of town. He liked his privacy, and tended to bring in high quality fish to the markets without complaint; selling them to small sushi restaurants as well as street vendors. No one could deny that mysterious fellow has so far brought nothing but good fortune to their home.
Hence many of the older men and women let him be and made sure his life was peaceful. They didn’t care when he wore a large sunhat and covered his face with a scarf. They didn’t mind that he was taller than most people and always wore a trench coat. Even if they never knew what he looked like they were just glad to have someone who was willing to sell them such quality goods for a fair price.
However, that didn’t stop some of the youth.
No matter how often he was told to leave it, Yagura was not deterred from finding out what that hermit was hiding. He was hot-headed and tended to get into very messy situations that at times he had a lot of difficulty getting out of.
He was a young man who had great things planned for his future with the best grades in school and a future in a university. There are times it goes to his head.
However he could never get the idea of that hermit out of his head; no one seemed to know what he looked like, no one could tell him, not even those who have lived here for decades. His friends try to deter him from attempting anything brash.
Even they know better than to go after the hermit, Kisame Hoshigaki.
Since no one else seemed to care, Yagura took it upon himself to see what the other was trying to hide. It would eat away at him until he got his answer! He didn’t want to go to his university without knowing what’s under the scarf and hat! It would haunt him for the rest of his days!
The house in question was atop a sea cliff: it was a high peak when the tide was going out; anyone who fell from there would end up dead if the water was too shallow. The best time to jump from there would be the high tides when the water was deeper and there was less risk of injury. How the hermit manages to fish and not fall into the water was a mystery.
Jeez,how old is this guy? His house looks like something out of the Heian era… He narrowed his eyes as he took it all in. It was an old looking house but he could see a few modern parts of it; such as the generator outside the house and the glass windows.
Maybe he just likes the old style? Weirdo…
Slowly Yagura made his way up to the window where there was some light. The sun was already beginning to set as he rested his hands on the window sill and slowly peaked over through the glass.
At first there’s just the lantern that’s providing some light in the dim house; a yellow paper one that shows a nice table and some cushions on the tatami mat floors. He squinted a bit to try and make a better sense of what he was seeing since the glass seemed old.
Then he heard loud humming that’s followed by the creaking of floorboards as a tall figure walks into the room.
Yagura swears he feels his breath catching in his throat at what he sees under the lantern’s glow. At first he thinks he may be seeing things as he squinted his eyes and even quietly wiped the window.
Yet nothing changed. His eyes are wide when he sees the blue tinted rough grey skin. The large shark fin on the creature’s back. The midnight blue hair that was spiked up as he caught the side profile of this….whatever this thing is’ face.
Those eyes…the little gills under them…the sharp teeth…!
Yagura noticed him freezing beside the table; holding what looked like a plate of freshly cut tuna. He ducks down, feeling his heart pounding in his chest and silently prayed that that ... .thing in there hadn’t noticed him.
He felt like there was a hurricane of thoughts swirling around within his skull as he swallowed thickly. He was right. He was right. There was something off with that old hermit just like he thought. He wasn’t human. He wasn’t human at all…!
What is he? What the hell was this creature that’s been living in their town? Yagura swallowed as he wracked his brain to try and remember the old tales his grandmother would tell him. About creatures of the sea, how each one was different, what ones to look out for and what ones to avoid at all cost!
He slowly moved back to peak over the window sill again to get a better look; because he needed to tell everyone. He needed to tell them what he’s seen and to chase whatever this is off.
Nothing with teeth that sharp was good news for their hometown!
However when Yagura looked again, he was met with an empty room. He blinked in surprise and began to feel panic grip him. No no no where did he go? Where did he go?!
He slowly stood up from the rocky ground and started to back away–
“Now…correct me if I’m wrong,” A rough voice rumbled the same moment his back bumps into someone, “But...It’s kinda rude to be peeping at someone in their own home isn’t it?”
Yagura is stiff as he slowly tilted his head back as he felt his stomach churn from the anxiety. He can feel the tightness in his chest as the old hermit smiles down at him showing off sharpened fangs.
A samebito..he’s…a samebito…a half man half shark…fuck fuck fuck fuck…!
He turned around fully and tried to put space between them, watching as the giant yokai followed him. He was smiling as he watched him try to scramble away, struggling to roll on to his front to push himself up to run with how shaky his body was from nerves. Kisame tilted his head as he watched the intruder headed in the opposite direction of the yokai.
Unaware that that way was where the cliff’s edge was.
“You’re Yagura right?” Kisame speaks as he continues to advance on the intruder, “I know your folks. They buy fish from me every day…it’s pretty easy to have the village look the other way when it comes to reasonably priced fish to sell. They keep their noses out of my business and I get to hunt and eat as much as I want…ah don’t worry don’t worry I won’t eat you.”
Yagura stops himself from barely going over the edge, his eyes widened as he stared down below. His ears were ringing, his body trembled and he swallowed thickly. No no no this isn’t how this was supposed to go!
He was supposed to find out what the hermit looked like, satisfy his curiosity, tell his friends all about it and get on with his life! How was he to know he would see a yokai?!
He tried to speak when the samebito mentioned his parents, eyes widening and mouth opening and closing in shock.
“You see…I spent a long long time making sure no one knows what I am. It keeps my life and the lives of the villagers peaceful. I love this place very much. I spent over a century of my life here…It’s a shame really that you decided to snoop around.”
“W-wait ... .wait wait wait I promise I can keep a secret! Please!” Yagura looked at him then back at the edge with his stomach sinking, “Please I won’t tell anyone what you are Hoshigaki-san!”
He jolted when a hand landed on his shoulder and Kisame leaned in; smiling as if he was just simply greeting him.
“Oh I know you won’t be telling a soul about this, Yagura-kun,” His eyes snap up to look at him, the pupils blown wide and almost consuming his eyes with abyssal darkness, “It’s a shame though…your folks were really excited for you to go to university. But you know what they say…”
Yagura barely has a moment to realize what was happening as his body tilted back and he no longer felt the ground beneath his feet.
“Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead.”