Thanks for the reviews. This is the next chapter. Plz R&R.
Seven rules of being a ninja. A ninja must:
1/ Keep his life as a secret.
2/ Be loyal to his master.
3/ Not let his master's secrets be revealed.
4/ Complete his missions at all costs.
5/ Not use ninja's skills for his own good.
6/ Find and kill the betrayer.
7/ Kill the enemies or be killed by them.
---------------------------------------------------------
The next morning comes quickly…
Koutetsu is walking on the corridor, intends to wakes the boys up. He heads to Rocky's room first. Right after he opens the door, Koutetsu reliazes that the three brothers are sleeping together, with a peaceful looks on their faces. That's mean none of them were able to sleep last night, and they decided to sleep together.
Koutetsu smiles quietly. Then he closes the door. They must be tired for having a late night. He will wake them up, but not now… just let those boys enjoy the moments of peace while they still can…
*************
"Where's miss Elena going?"
Elena turns around and notices that was Masaki.
"It's you, young master! The Elder told me what you said yesterday, you said that those boys had some kind of latent powers?"
Masaki nods "Masaki tells no lies. But where is miss Elena going, anyway? She seems to be in a hurry."
Elena smiles "Well, I was wondering if they were the chosen ones so…"
"…so miss Elena wants to check if it was true, right?" Masaki asks.
Elena smiles and nods. Masaki continues "Then why doesn't she give it to them AFTER their training?"
"After?" Elena frowns.
"Right. They sure have latent powers, but for now, if they're really the chosen ones, they won't have enough strength to control these powers."
Elena looks at Masaki for a while. Masaki's right, it's too dangerious to give them these treasures now.
"Understood, master Masaki. You're right, I should give these to them after their trainings."
Masaki nods then smiles cheerfully "Masaki really loves to have a sibling!"
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah." Masaki laughs "Masaki wishes he had brothers like them. He loves to have someone to play with! Every one just keeps treating him like a master, he doesn't like that."
Elena rubs his head "Because you're a great shaman, you deserve our repects."
Masaki winces and goes away, Elena sighs and shakes her head as she's looking at him.
**************
Tum tum wakes up and relizes that his brothers have waken up before him. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes and gets up, changes his clothes and goes outside the room. Tum tum crosses the garden as he's having a though of finding his brothers, but he ends up noticing someone is standing, gazing at him.
"Excuse me… er… sir? Have you seen my brothers?"
Somehow that man gives Tum tum a creep. He's (very) big and tall, a man of muscle with a fearful looks. To Tum tum, he's like a giant. That man keeps gazing at Tum tum, then he says with his husky voice:
"You're called Tum tum, correct?"
Tum tum widens his eyes, then he nods "Wh-why do you know my name?"
Without saying more, the giant man suddently attacks Tum tum with his fist. Tum tum quickly jumps aside to dodge it. A hole appears on the ground where the punch stopped. This man is strong! Tum tum's confusing… why does he attack me?
"Why do you attack me?" Tum tum yells.
The man attacks again, Tum tum dodges. His fists are even stronger than stones! Tum tum's getting more and more confusing. The man suddently stops attacking Tum tum, he stands up and looks at him with a threatening appearance:
"You're fast, kid, but not fast enough!"
"Why? Who are you?" Tum tum frowns.
The man comes closer to Tum tum. Tum cautiously stands back.
"Tum tum, right?" the man asks again.
Tum tum nods, he still looks confuse.
"From now on, I'm your master." The man claims.
Tum tum looks at him with a shock "Wh-what do you mean?"
"I'm your master! Then show me some respects! My names is Tonoumaru!"
"Tonou … master Tonoumaru?" Tum tum repeats.
"Your brothers have had their own masters, they're training right now. You will have to do the same. We will start our trainings now! Prepare yourself!"
"Wh-what? Hey, wait a sec…!"
Without letting Tum tum finishes his sentence, Tonoumaru attacks again. Tum tum tries to dodge it, but this time…
Tonoumaru's punch has hit its target. Tum tum is thrown out, he fell on the hard ground. Obviously, Tonoumaru's speed has increased!
"You still have a long way to go, kid." Tonoumaru comments.
Tum tum stands up with difficulties. Tonoumaru doesn't give him a break, he starts to attack again…
The training just keep going on……
*************
The sun is about to set…
Tum tum is lying on the ground, panting and sweating. His body aches. Tum tum has a feeling that all of the bones in his body are broken.
"Stand up!" Tonoumaru shouts.
Tum tum slowly stands up, panting. He's tired, he just wants to sleep right now…
"For the last part of today's training…" Tonoumaru frowns.
"What now?" Tum tum moans.
"Your bear."
"Huh? Amy? What's wrong with her?" Tum tum widens his eyes.
"She's in the forest. Waiting for you to take her home. You have to find and bring her back ASAP." Tonoumaru explains.
"Huh? Why is she in the forest?"
"All of your wild animals are in the forest. Your brothers have to do the same. Let's see how long it will take you to bring her back. Go now!" Tonoumaru commands.
Tum tum runs into the forest. Great… now I have to bring her back…with this pitiful body…
"AMY!"
Tum tum calls her name. How can he find her in a forest as soon as possible? It will take a DAY! And now, the sun is about to set!
Tum tum just keeps going… keeps going. Tum's sweating and panting, he's too tired to see things well. His eyes are burning because of the sweats….
Suddently…
The ground disappears under Tum's feet. He was so tired that he didn't recognize the abyss.
He's falling down!
Tum tum reaches out to a branch and hanging over. If the branch is broken, his life will be over!
"HELP! ANYBODY?"
Tum tum calls out for help, although he knows that no one is in the forest right now. His hands are getting tired… suddently…
The branch is broken!
Tum tum is falling down! So this is the end! A stupid ending for a boy named Tum tum! Tum tum closes his eyes…. Waiting for his death to come…
A hand reaches out to Tum's hand and pulls him up. He was saved! But who saved him?
Tum tum slowly opens his eyes to find out who was his savior. A girl? She's sitting in front of Tum's eyes.
"Are you ok?" she asks.
"Th-thanks… but… who are you?" Tum tum asks with a surprise, he's blushing as well.
The girl smiles. Tum tum is blushing more and more harder. She's kinda… cute! Wait! I like Ling! I don't even know who this girl is!
Tum tum shakes his head try to calm down. The girl keeps smiling and then she stands up
"My name's Itsuki!"
"I-Itsuki?" Tum stammers.
The girl cheerfully nods, then she turns around, intends to leave. Tum tum calls after her
"Hey, wait! I-Itsuki… am I going to see you again?"
Itsuki smiles, she suddently comes near Tum tum and… kisses his cheek. Tum tum's face turns red. He has never been kissed by a girl before! (except for his mother, though)
"Don't worry! You will see me again soon!" Itsuki smiles "Anyway, your bear is really near here, you will find her soon!"
Then she dissappears. Somehow Tum tum feels disappointed, but she said that they were going to meet each other again. Tum tum stands up.
He soon finds Amy sleeping in a bush. The two gets back to the village as soon as possible. Tonoumaru doesn't seem to be satisfied.
"Your brothers returned THIRTY minutes ago! You're late!"
Tum tum frowns. He doesn't have enough strength to talk back right now, all he wants to do now is going to sleep. Tonoumaru sighs
"Go to bed now. We will continue our training tomorrow."
***************
Amy has been taken care by Miki. Tum tum is going to his room, passing by his brothers' rooms. Tum tum curiously looks inside. Rocky is sleeping. He's so tired that he didn't even change his clothes, or even close his room's door. Colt? He's stroking Snowie, it looks like that Snowie will sleep with his master tonight.
Tum tum opens his room's door. Sitting on his cushion, looking at him with her brown eyes is…
"It-Itsuki? What are you doing in my room?"
Itsuki stands up and hugs Tum. He's blushing harder and harder.
"Wa-wait! Where did you come from? Why are you here?" Tum tum stands back.
Itsuki smiles "Haven't I told you that we are going to meet each other soon?"
"Ye-yeah! But I…!"
"You don't recognize me, don't you?"
Tum tum frowns. What does she mean? Did they meet before? Tum tum shakes his head, confusing.
"Who did you hide under your bed on the first night you came back from the survival training? Who did you save from the poachers?" Itsuki asks.
Tum tum widens his eyes, looking at Itsuki with a shock
"That-that was Amy… my companion… how do you know?"
Itsuki comes closer to Tum tum and looks him in the eyes
"Because I'm Amy."
Tum tum opens his mounth "No way! I-I mean… Amy is-is a BEAR!"
"Amy isn't a bear. She is me – Itsuki." Itsuki smiles.
Tum tum still looks confuse. Itsuki shows him a necklace encrusted with mother-of-pearl.
"A ninja can transform into who or whatever she like, thanks to this necklace. We call this The necklace of Fake. All of the ninjas in Ninja's village have these."
"Wh-what about the mother bear?"
"Oh, that wasn't my mother bear. She's just a big bear that was shot by the poachers. I just came near her to check if she was alive." Itsuki explains.
Tum tum widens his eyes. He couldn't believe that Amy is a transformed ninja!
"Why were you in the forest? And why did you follow me?"
"I was looking for someone…"
She stops for a while, then continues "…but it looked like that he wasn't in the forest. And I was lost, I didn't know how to get out of the forest. Then I met you. I though that I could rely on you so…"
"… so you followed me? And the villagers didn't recognize you?"
"I was a bear. No one knows about that. My missions are secret."
Tum tum falls on his knees, he just can't believe in his ears. Itsuki opens the door and goes out.
"The truth is… I really like you. You're a very interested master. I need to talk to the Elder now, see you tomorrow…master Tum tum."
Itsuki says then closes the door, leaving Tum sitting there, still can't belive in his ears.
(To be continued)