Chapter 4: An Escape with… Creativity?

Shun's point of view

I woke up with a shock and fell out of the tree.

'Awake yet?' Grandpa's voice sounded.

I growled just lied on the ground.

'Get up! You have to go training and after you're going to cleanup your room!'

'Training? At this time of the day?'

'Yes! You have already missed your training yesterday, so you have to regain that!'

'Oh, sure…' I muttered whilst I stood up.

'Your training includes getting water from the well!'

That couldn't be to hard…

'On your bare feet and you have to take the path through the cave and the forest!'

I should have known…

'I want you back before sunrise with four buckets full of water, which you fill one after another and not at the same time!'

'Yeah, yeah, I get it…' I muttered.

I threw my shoes on the ground and picked the bucket up.

The well was less than a mile from here, if you walked on the path. The alternative route was probably about a mile or something.

The rocky ground was cold and scattered with sharp stones. After a while of evading rocks, I came near the end of the cage, and went into the forest. Next to me a little stream flowed.

That gave me a brilliant idea. I could also get the water from here.

I neared the stream and filled the bucket.

Suddenly I felt a shuriken flying past me. A few strands of hair laid on the ground.

I knew I was being followed. And I knew that I should have to go the well too now.

Grrr… I hate training… And what did fetching water have to do with becoming a ninja anyway?

I emptied the bucket walked further.

Pain shot through my foot, and when I looked at it I saw a cut.

My golden advice: Never listen to what your ill-tempered grandfather says.

After a very long exhausting time I had finally finished this training.

'You're slower than before, Shun. Your condition is getting worse!' Grandpa said.

'I have barely slept five hours this night! And I'm hungry…' I argued.

'A ninja should always be ready, sleep or no sleep, hunger or no hunger!'

'So that's your motivation to not give me a meal when I misbehave?'

'If you don't get food it's your own fault, because you've misbehaved! You have to do more to become a ninja!'

'I don't want to become a ninja!'

'You'll be grateful one day!'

'Over my dead body!'

I ran away to my room, where I saw Skyress again.

'Did you fight again?' she asked.

I nodded. 'I wish he could accept that I have a mind of my own too…'

'I have thought, and I know where you can find everything you need for your plan.'

'Nice, where?'

'Your mother had all the stuff you need right now. And she had about the same build as you have.'

My thoughts drifted away to that day… That horrible day in the hospital where I got the most horrible news I had ever got… Her death…

'Are you okay, Shun? I'm really sorry, I know it has been a very hard time for you, I shouldn't have reminded you of this…' Skyress said with guilt.

'It's no big deal, Skyress… I only hope mother wanted a daughter too, 'cause she's going to get one in an instant!' I said.

You are probably a bit confused, aren't you? This is all for my "great" plan. Let me explain: I'm just going to disappear. By camouflaging myself. And, because they would notice me easily, I'm going to camouflage myself as a girl.

I ran to the room that was formerly my mother's and locked myself and Skyress up in it. I opened a closet and started trying on clothes.

'You look quite plausible, Shun, but… Err… You're missing something…' Skyress said.

I toyed a little with my clothes to make me look a little more feminine.

'Maybe you can try doing your hair, and maybe a little make-up?' Skyress advised.

'Good idea, no one will recognize me after that' I said as I did what she had said.

'It's good like this!' Skyress said delighted. 'You look so pretty!'

'Thanks…' I muttered. No one has ever said something like that to me before…

'But you need a new name too'

I thought for some time.

'What do you think of Shizumu?' I asked.

'Err… Shun, are you aware of the fact that that means "depressed"?' Skyress asked.

'Yes, and that's what I'll become if I stay any longer…'

We had a long discussion about names and stuff like that. But it was very boring…

Eventually we came with the name "Kazari Kotonatta". Sounds nice, doesn't it? Skyress made it for me.

I had to find a home too. Marucho probably had the space, and I guess he wouldn't mind it.

I decided to make a phone call to him.

'Hello, this is Marucho Marukura speaking, whit whom do I speak?' the voice on the other side of the line said.

'Shun here' I said.

'What are you calling for?'

'Can you help me, or rather, a friend with something?'

'What can I do?'

'Well, a classmate wants to go to a school near where you live, but she doesn't have a place to stay, so she's searching a place to stay. I wondered if you had a spare bed for her'

'Of course! What's your classmate's name?'

'Her name is Kazari Kotonatta'

'I can pick her up this afternoon, seeing that the holiday will end today'

'Thank you very much! I will inform her! Bye!'

'Bye!'

I hung up and jolted to my room, without being seen by Grandpa or being hit by traps. I packed a bag, went outside and started to wait.