“Enter.” A deep, raspy voice beckoned them and the kunoichi opened the door. “Natsumi-chan, good afternoon, I see you have already met Kazuo-chan.”

-chan? Kazuo thought, holding his peace as he followed Natsumi inside.

The office had wooden shelves that were filled with books and scrolls. A grey-haired man wearing a white haori sat behind the table that had a few documents on it. On the wall above his window was a katana whose saya had a flame design.

Kazutaka seemed to be in his early sixties with a receding hairline, wrinkled face and a long beard below his chin. Underneath the white haori, reserved for the Lightning Sage, he wore a black kimono and hakama.

“Good afternoon, sir,” said Natsumi, bowing before she turned to Kazuo with a smile. “I met him just now, he seems to be quite the interesting fellow.”

“Indeed.” Kazutaka grinned, turning his grandson. “Long time no see, Kazuo-chan.”

“I can’t believe you still address me like that!” said Kazuo, blowing steam off his nostrils. “I’m now grown up, old man.”

“Physically–maybe, but mentally you are still the same Kazuo-chan I remember.” Kazutaka chuckled and the kunoichi joined in. “Natsumi-chan, can you please escort him to Hideo-kun’s class?”

“Right away, sir!” She bowed and took Kazuo to a classroom in the second floor. When they arrived, she introduced him to a tall and youthful man in his mid-twenties with short and curly turquoise hair. He had blue eyes, wore reading glasses and a white kimono suit.

“Good afternoon, Kazuo.” The man spoke with a deep baritone. “My name is Hideo Yamazaki and I am the teacher here.”

“Yo, what’s up, man? What do you teach? Oh, and where is everyone?”

This kid is going to be a handful. “I mainly teach General Knowledge, Arithmetic and Introduction to Ninjutsu (ninja techniques),” he said, pausing for a moment. “The others are on lunch break.”

“I see.” Kazuo nodded and went to sit at the back after Natsumi left.

A few minutes passed and someone walked into the classroom, hands in their pockets. The boy appeared to be in his mid-teens with short, black hair and brown skin. He wore dark shades, trousers and a white jacket that covered his nose. Hideo introduced him as Takumi and he sat at the front.

Soon afterwards, a blue-eyed boy with short, scruffy hair–the same shade as Hideo’s, came in and sat next to Kazuo. He introduced himself as Haru Yamazaki and confirmed that he was the teacher’s nephew. He and Kazuo got along well, as they discovered that they shared similar interests.

When the entire class arrived, about thirty students in total, Hideo requested the newcomer to introduce himself. “H–Hello, my name is Kazuo,” he said while seated and turned around. “Nice to meet you.” Why are they still staring at me? His cheeks turned red when he crossed eyes with a blue haired girl seated at the front.

“WELCOME, KAZUO!” The students said.

“Alright class,” said Hideo, fixing his glasses and pointing at the blackboard. “Let us get back to that question we had before lunch. Ninja A is on a tree, ten metres from the ground. Ninja B is standing fourteen metres from the tree, give with a reason how B would take out A?” He gazed around, skipping the two girls raising their hands at the front. “Yes, Haru.”

“Uh–uh,” said Haru, scratching his head. “It’s Mikoto-chan, sir.”

Everyone gasped.

A freckled girl with long, dark hair burst into laughter followed by a few students.

However, a blonde girl at the front turned to the backbenchers, her face crimson with fury. She had short hair, fair skin and wore a red vest and blue trousers.

“Alright everyone, settle down.” Hideo gestured with his hands. “Can you please elaborate, Haru?”

“Uh, it’s simple really,” said Haru with a slight chuckle. “She can flash A so that B sneaks behind A and takes him out.”

Kazuo laughed and the class joined in.

Hideo’s face turned pale and his jaw widened. “Anyone else cl–”

Dead silence filled the room for a brief moment as a tight slap resounded.

“Oww!” Haru cried, holding his red cheek as he saw stars. She touched me!  

“Hey! No fighting in my classroom!”

Mikoto apologized to Hideo and walked back to her seat. “Yes, Yamazaki-sensei.”

“As I was saying, anyone else to answer the question?”

“Any medium to long range projectile at a trajectory of approximately thirty three degrees from the horizontal will do,” said Takumi, clasping his hands.

“That is correct Takumi, but please raise your hand next time.”

“But Haku and I raised had raised our hands!” Mikoto turned to the blue haired girl.

Hideo paused, fixing his glasses. “You two always answer all of my questions,” he said. “We have to give others a chance also.”

The lecture continued for a further thirty minutes and was followed by General Knowledge, which the front seat competed at answering questions. Before long, the school day drew to a close late in the afternoon and students got dismissed. Those who stayed at the school went to their dorms while the rest left for their homes.

Mikoto shared a dorm with Kohaku Matsumoto, whilst Takumi shared a room with another student named Kenji Nakamura. Haru did not have anyone to share a dorm with, and Kazuo requested to share one with him.

☯

 “Yo bro, do you like that girl Mikoto?” Kazuo asked Haru as they entered their dorm.

“Yeah, and she doesn’t like me back.”

“Her friend–the blue-haired one, um–?” Kazuo rubbed his chin.

“Kohaku…”

“Yeah!” said Kazuo, snapping his fingers. “She’s hotter!”

“How so, bro?”

“Big ass and tits, what more do you want?”

“I think Miko’s pretty, strong and intelligent.” Haru held his imprinted cheek, grinning.

Kazuo side eyed him. “O–kay…”

“What?”

“If you like the blonde, you shouldn’t say stuff like that in class. It’ll get you killed…”

They laughed.

“What’d you say we go peep the girls’ baths?” Kazuo grinned. “You might get to see your crush naked.”

“Wait, whaaat!” Haru raised his eyebrows. “Won’t we get caught? I mean, the punishments here can get crazy.” He pointed at his cheek. “This… is nothing.”

“Nah, we won’t get caught… not when I’m around.”

Kazuo unpacked his stuff and before Haru responded, they heard a knock.

“N–Natsumi… s–senpai!” said Haru, opening the door.

“Hey… Haru, right? How are you?” Natsumi smiled at him and turned to Kazuo. “Little bro, your grandfather is calling for you. Let’s go.”

Haru’s cheeks turned pink. She knows who I am!

 “Please, don’t call me that…” said Kazuo, folding his arms.

“What? Bro?” Natsumi chuckled.

“No… little.”

Lord Taka was right, he acts like a child but doesn’t want to be treated like one. “Well, if you don’t want me addressing you as my little brother, you can challenge me to a fight and­–”

Kazuo’s face beamed as he brought his hands together. “Bring it on.”

“Alright,” said Natsumi, cracking her knuckles. “If you win, I’ll stop calling you little.” As Kazuo took up a stance, Haru grabbed him by the shoulder and said, “Bro, Natsumi is a graduate… she will mess you up!”

“Don’t worry bro.” Kazuo’s grin widened. “I got this.”

The fight was over before it even began. Kazuo rushed in head first and Natsumi dodged all his punches. She raised his hands, kneed him on the gut and he fell on the floor with a thud.

“Let’s go little bro…” Natsumi chuckled, giving Kazuo a hand. “Grandpa is waiting.”

Kazuo puffed air from his nostrils, frowning before he turned to Haru. “Don’t even say it,”

“Told you so!” Haru laughed.

Natsumi and Kazuo parted from Haru and went to the Sage’s office.

“Kazuo-chan,” said Kazutaka, seeing his door open. “How did you find your first day?”

“It was shit!” Kazuo paused, shifting his gaze. “But better than Kaen.”

“Don’t let Kazuma-chan here you say that.” Kazutaka chuckled and Natsumi joined.  

A view of the royal palace flashed in Kazuo’s mind and he faded away for a moment. He wondered what he would be doing had he been back there and if his mother was still angry at him.  “Old man,” he said, snapping back to reality. “I have to get stronger.” He pointed at Natsumi. “She embarrassed me in front of my friend.”

Kazutaka and Natsumi burst into laughter.

“I am pleased you are making friends,” said Kazutaka, clasping his hands. He turned to Natsumi, nodded and she left. “If you wish to get stronger, I will train you.”

Kazuo smiled.

“Follow me.” Kazutaka got up and led his grandson outside.

They walked down the stairs to a dojo in the first floor. The spacious room had a few bokken (wooden swords), nunchaku and other weapons displayed on the walls.

“Before we begin…” Kazutaka placed his hands behind his back. “I should explain the ninjutsu that we teach here is mainly composed of taijutsu (body techniques) and kenjutsu (sword techniques). Today, I will be teaching you the former.” He raised one hand and gestured towards his grandson. “Come.”

Kazuo charged, fists in the air and threw punches everywhere. After a few failed attempts, he combined his attacks with kicks that brought the same result.

Kazutaka kept dodging all of Kazuo’s blows with his hands behind him. They continued for more than an hour and when he saw his grandson wheezing, he paused. “That’s enough for today, Kazuo-chan… we will carry on tomorrow.”

“Phew,” said Kazuo, hands on his knees. I didn’t even land a single attack! He wiped sweat off his face and grinned. “I’ll get you tomorrow, old man.”

Kazutaka chuckled, bidding Kazuo goodbye.

As Kazuo exited the dojo, he walked outside the main building to the bathhouse behind the school dormitories. After taking a warm bath, he went to the boys’ dorm and found Haru in their room. The boys readied themselves and strolled to the cafeteria building where they had their dinner of rice and beef with other students.

Each day after class became a routine for Kazuo. He challenged Natsumi, got his ass whooped and went to practice taijutsu with Kazutaka afterwards.

☯

A week later, trouble loomed as twenty ninjas cloaked in black shinobi outfits lay hidden in the underbrush outside Kaen village. The leader of the group had scruffy white hair, a medium complexion and a lean build. He wore a kasa (straw hat) and a white, porcelain mask that covered his entire face. Embroidered on the back of his black haori was the white character: 王 (King). “My Shadows…” he said, breaking the ominous silence. “We strike by nightfall.”

“Hai, heika (Yes, your majesty)!” they all said in unison.

Sunset came and went and the Shadow ninjas awaited their orders.

“How marvelous,” said the king, staring at the crescent moon. “Like a sharp talon ready to attack.” He took in the spectacle in all its splendor. “As we rise into the night, let us show them despair… SCATTER!”