Short-Short: Sometimes Toshogu

The sound of clapping hands echoed through the grounds of the shrine atop the mountain, where morning mist was rising.
"Gongen-sama, Gongen-sama, good morning to you."
A small old woman was pressing her hands together in prayer before an equally small shrine. She chanted something, slowly turned around, and waddled down the stone path.
"Good work."
A tanuki poked its head out from the bushes and said. Then, with a poof, the shrine transformed into a tanuki.
"Well, it's only sometimes."
The tanuki that had been disguised as the shrine said. The two of them recalled last summer. They had played a prank on the summer festival lanterns and burned the shrine down. At dawn, as the tanuki were panicking, the old woman from earlier appeared, and one of them hurriedly transformed into the shrine. Since the old woman didn't doubt it for a second and pressed her hands in prayer, the tanuki pretended to be the shrine the next day as well. And the day after that, every day, taking turns.
"Tomorrow is your turn."
The two of them disappeared into the mountain together.
"You're diligent every morning, aren't you?"
A villager spoke to the old woman at the foot of the mountain. The old woman smiled and replied.
"Yes. To Gongen-sama. He has a different face every day, you know, it's adorable."

No. 776

I am participating in Kasan Tahara's weekly short-short note.
This week's theme is "Tokimeki Two Shoes," and the hidden theme is "Sometimes Toshogu."