Startled by the masked ninja, Kazuo threw the shuriken at him and the man dodged it. “Hey there ninja, if you don’t want your guts spilled all over the ground… step aside,” he said, drawing another shuriken.

The ninja sheathed his sword. “Jeez, how troublesome…”

Kazuo saw him dropping a spherical object and tossed the second projectile.

A loud bang sounded. As the shuriken passed through white smoke, the man appeared behind Kazuo and knocked him out with a sidearm.

“Owww…” said Kazuo, stroking his neck as he woke up a few minutes later.

“Purple hair, ill-mannered and annoying,” said the ninja, squatting in front of the boy. “Inazuma Kazuo… the Lord Sage instructed me to escort you to the village.”

Kuso, that old geezer.

“Let us go. We do not have all day.”

They got up and journey resumed with a sprint. The ninja leapt from tree to tree in a zigzag manner while Kazuo dragged his feet on the soil. As the number of trees reduced, the dropped to the ground and ran ahead.

“H–hey… wait up!” Kazuo wheezed and stopped to catch his breath. “Aren’t we there yet?”

“We have arrived,” said the ninja, slowing his pace. He pointed to the stone wall in the horizon. “That’s the village.”

They walked the rest of the way and soon reached the tall perimeter.

When Kazuo reached his destination, the sun was high in the sky, without a cloud in sight. Before entering through the main gate, the guard stationed there asked him to produce his identification papers. His documents were checked and he continued with the ninja escort. Kaminari streets were full of life and had people who, for once, did not recognize him.

The Lightning region shared a number of similarities with the Fire region. Buildings were clustered and constructed using mostly timber or stone and roofed with clay tiles. Stone pavements separated the structures with roads that connected Kaminari village’s several districts.

As they sauntered, Kazuo’s stomach grumbled. “Yo ninja, get me something to eat.”

“Do not boss me around, kid!” said the ninja. “This is not Kaen village and I am not one of your servants.” His firm gaze made the young Inazuma turn pale.

Sweat dropped from Kazuo’s temple. “My bad… can we get something to eat?”

The ninja agreed, and they went to the busiest part of the village. When they were a stone throw from a restaurant, the sweet aromas lured them to an eatery with a sign outside that read: Karin’s.

“We can grab something to eat here,” said the ninja.

Karin’s was quite busy and packed with people having their scrumptious meals. It had white ceramic floor tiles, the walls were painted the same and wooden furniture filled the sitting area. Their menu offered several dishes such as the popular grilled beef tongue, rice, sushi and ramen.

“Hey Shin,” said a dark haired woman as she greeted the ninja with a smile. She was slim and appeared to be in her late twenties. “What can I get for you today?”

“Karin-san, hi.” Shin handed her some notes and coins. “One bowl of ramen for the kid and just kōcha (black tea) for me.”

“Great! Isn’t he a cutie?” said Karin as she received the money. Her brown eyes and face beamed at the Inazuma prince. “What’s your name, bōya?”

“Kazuo,” he said, reciprocating her smiled.

“Inazuma Kazuo?” Karin asked, studying his hair. “Your Highness…” She bowed.

Kazuo’s smile disappeared as he raised a hand. “No need for that.”

“Oh sorry, it’s nice to meet you, Kazuo.” Karin pointed to an empty table. “You may take a seat, your food will be with you shortly,” she said writing on a piece of paper.

Kazuo and Shin did not wait long before a waitress brought their food. “Afternoon, here are your orders,” she said, placing a bowl and cup of black tea on the table.

Shin bowed. “Arigatō gozaimasu (Thank you very much).”

Kazuo blew steam off the ramen and raised his chopsticks. “Itadakimasu (Let’s eat)!”

Shin raised his mask just above his mouth and grabbed the porcelain cup with both hands. He blew on it and sniffed the rich aroma before taking a sip.

After they finished, Kazuo and Shin were back on their trip.

“Arigatō, Shin.”

“Dōitashimashite (You’re welcome)… I see there are some manners up there.”

They walked for some time until they reached a huge stone building with three storeys. The structure had black, clay tiles and was painted white. Surrounding it were a few other smaller buildings of similar design. A stone perimeter similar to the village wall but short had been erected around the ninja school. 

“Here we are,” said Shin as they stood outside the main entrance. “You can make your way to the Sage’s office.” He bid Kazuo farewell, and with the cover of smoke, disappeared into thin air.

Kazuo coughed, wafting the air before moving away from the white cloud. What’s with ninja and smoke bombs? He walked through the open steel gate and made his way to the main opening. A sign read: ‘Kazutaka’s Ninja School’ and was painted above the main door. He climbed the staircase and entered the building, which was as quiet as a Buddhist temple. Inside, he felt like a purple stain walking across the snow-white walls, and the black and white floor tiles. Why does this place seem like it is empty? He thought as he walked through the ground floor corridor.

“Kazuo,” said a feminine voice behind him. “Is that you?”

“How do you–” Kazuo turned around with raised eyebrows. Damn, she’s hot!

The kunoichi (female ninja) looked to be in her late teens and had a spiky, orange hair that was shaved on her left temple. She had a mole under her left eye, light skin and visible musculature. Her vest armour was the same as Shin’s with the lightning kanji. She also wore a white, double slit skirt and chainmail covered her exposed limbs. “Name’s Natsumi Kasai,” she said, offering her hand.

“Kasai?” Kazuo repeated, shaking her hand. “So–”

“Yeah…” She chuckled. “Your grandmother was my great grandaunt.” 

“If you’re a royal, why aren’t you back there?”

“It’s complicated,” she said, her eyes becoming glassy. “My mother was exiled for marrying outside of nobility. When she passed away, Lord Kazutaka took me in.”

“Oh…” said Kazuo, thoughts of his own banishment flooding his mind.

Natsumi wiped her face. “Enough about my sad childhood. What brings you here?”

“My f–the daimyo banished me… our clan is really into exiling those they don’t like.”

“Aw, I’m so sorry,” she said with open arms. “Come here.”

After she gave him a bear hug, they reminisced for a bit as she showed him the way to the Sage’s office. They went up the stairs to the third floor and she knocked at one of the first doors from the corridor.