Chapter 10: 

The room was filled with an unpleasant tension. All Yuji could focus on was the big man in the room, the clan’s master. Soy sauce hid away in Yuji’s front pocket once more, before Toshi cleared his throat intensely. “Mr…Toshida.” 

“How do you know my name!? Oh my god you know everything don’t you!?” 

He pointed to Yuji’s homemade name tag as a subtle reminder. 

“Oh…” 

He realized. 

“So…what brings you to my dojo tonight?” 

He asked, a voice of a generation of ninja before him carrying through. 

“I-uh-I w-was on a walk t-today…and I-I…I f-foun-” “Get to the point…” 

Toshi ordered, stopping Yuji’s stammering. Yuji got intimidated and immediately stopped. He had to think a lie quickly, since the head dojo master was sitting right in front of him. 

“Okay…I found that little scroll in the middle of the village center. I don’t know anything about the ninjas and stuff, so I thought this would belong to you guys…” 

“Do you know how important that scroll is…It had secrets that a villager like you could never handle.” “Oh…” 

Yuji remained quiet, still worrying about being in a dojo in front of possibly the most dangerous man in the village. “So you’re saying that one of my ninjas deliberately left a piece of important information in the middle of the busiest place in the village?” 

“...Yes…Yes I am…” 

That was it. He sold his life to double down on a lie. “Well…” 

Toshi mumbled, still locking eyes with Yuji. They sat in silence for what felt like eternities. 

“Uh…Is it okay if I leave, sir?” 

“Oh no…you’re coming with me…and we're gonna find out which unit did this. You will be asking every ninja you see, and you may not leave until you get an answer.” Yuji’s stomach dropped. His fear of ninjas would come back to bite him, and soy sauce was frozen from the request as well. He broke his frozen state to give his response. 

“Y-Yes sir…” 

He said, almost sounding dead inside.

As they left the interrogation room, they immediately started at the front gates. Toshi would shove Yuji in front of them to ask them all the same question: 

“Did you, by chance, leave a very important scroll in the village?” 

He said, looking as if he were being manipulated. All of them had the same answer, and every answer was getting closer to being stuck in the dojo forever. Toshi’s whole plan was a double edged sword: If Yuji managed to get a yes, that ninja would be punished, and most likely come after Yuji until he was killed. If he never got one, then he would be stuck in the dojo forever until he got one. They kept walking, stopping at every ninja they saw. No, No, No, were all of the answers. 

“Oh Soy sauce…should I just accept my fate? I’m gonna die in this dojo, aren’t I…” 

He whispered, until Toshi heard him. 

“Yes…Yes you are…” 

He grunted, trying to intimidate Yuji. His heart dropped at the words, and could only look at Soy Sauce, who looked up at him with big eyes. 

The halls of the dojo seemed to rinse and repeat in Yuji’s eyes, walking in circles, still trying to get a yes to escape. The two of them turned the corner to yet another hallway, yet something caught his eye. 

“Sir…If I can ask, who's in that room?” 

He pointed to the only quarter at the end of the hall. “Oh…that's the log room. No one should be in there, but I do hear shuffling…let's go see, shall we?” 

He yanked his apron, taking him with him. Toshi burst through the door with his usual stern attitude, and observed the room. 

“I swear I heard someone…” 

What was true was that Yumi was in the room, her uniform slashed, and panicking from hearing her father.  She tried her best to tuck the ripped ends of it together to make it look whole. 

“Uh-Father! Who is this…outsider?” 

She nearly lost her voice at the sight of Yuji being held by her father. Yuji knew the features like the back of his hand: Her brown and stunning eyes, her black hair that laid on her back like a cloud, and her soft and mesmerizing voice. Yuji asked the question once more, now stammering even more seeing Yumi right in front of him. 

“M-Ma’am…did you by chance…L-Leave a scroll, In the village center?” 

He said, his eyes wide and on the verge of tears. Her father gave him the death stare, and soon looked back at her with squinted eyes as she barely formed words. “Dad…why is this boy in the dojo?” 

“Quit stalling and answer the question, Yumi…” 

He demanded. She was still emotional from the sight of her best friend being held by her father and being forced to tears, but tried her best to keep her tough facade…but she couldn’t. She didn’t see the bright and joyful Yuji she saw everyday…she saw the scared side of him, trembling and giving signs for help. He gently mouthed 

“Please…” 

“Yes, Master…it was me…I’m so sorry that it had to come to these measures…” 

She admitted, figuring out the situation. She said yes for his safety, she said yes for him…She said yes for them. Toshi stared at his daughter with a dark face, completely still. 

“Mr. Toshida…leave this dojo…and never come back. You are dismissed…” 

He quietly said, his eyes never leaving Yumi. Yuji didn’t say anything, and immediately dashed. Toshi closed the door behind him, still in his irritated state.

Yuji ran down the halls of the dojo as fast as he could. “Holy Moly…Holy Moly…I actually made it out…but why would Yumi say yes?” 

He thought to himself, holding onto Soy Sauce with his life. 

“She…She lied to her father…for me? W-Why?” 

He contemplated, still wondering why she would sacrifice her father’s disappointment for him. 

“Because…She might have feelings for you…” 

Another voice said behind him. “Oh god…please don’t be another ninja person…” 

He mumbled. 

“Don’t worry…I’m not dangerous…I’m quite the opposite.” 

The voice said. Yuji finally turned around to see a shorter woman standing, playing with her hair and giving Yuji a soft smile. 

“Don’t worry…I know my daughter doesn’t show it, but she has feelings for you…I can see the signs from both of you.” 

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