*Author's Note: Thank you so much for the feedback so far. It's been great. I do have stories for all the NS Rangers (and some other characters as well). If the reviews keep coming I'll make sure it all gets posted so be patient. Also, feel free to check out the two other stories I have on FF.net. I'm kinda testing the waters right now. If my work is well received I'll start posting more of it here. Anyway, normal disclaimer applies of course. On that note, enjoy the story.
"Self Control"
"Hunter Bradley, please take your seat." Ms. Henderson said to her rambunctious student.
No response.
"Hunter Bradley if you do not take your seat now I will have to send you to the principal." Ms. Henderson threatened.
8 year old Hunter Bradley wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary for him. He was a kid who had to be doing something at all times or he was bored. On this day he had decided that the chalk board was a great place to finger paint.
"That's enough, Hunter Bradley; get to the principal's office right now." Ms. Henderson said.
"I don't wanna." Hunter argued.
"Hunter Bradley! Do you want me to call your parents?" Ms. Henderson said.
"No." Hunter said.
"Then get to the office right this instant!"
"Fine, I'm going." Hunter mumbled as he smeared a line of red finger paint on the door on his way out.
"Hunter, you do know what you did was wrong right? You shouldn't finger paint on anything except paper." Principal Williams said.
"Yes ma'am. I know." Hunter said.
"Then why did you do it?"
"Because I was bored." Hunter said.
"You are always bored Hunter. Why can't you be more like your brother? We never have problems like this with Blake." Principal Williams said.
"Do I look like Blake to you? No. Now can I go to lunch?" Hunter asked.
Principal Williams sighed. She didn't know what to do with Hunter. It was clear he had potential for greatness but he was so hyper and into everything. "Fine, I better not see you in here again. If you pull any thing else I will have to call your parents."
"Yeah yeah." Hunter said taking off.
Hunter ran to the cafeteria. The 3rd graders ate with the 1st graders in Hunter and Blake's school so everyday the brothers would eat lunch together.
"Why are you late?" Blake asked his brother.
"I was in Principal Williams' office." Hunter said.
"What did you do?" Blake asked.
"Nothing. I was bored so I finger painted on the board." Hunter said.
"Hunter! You are suppose to use chalk on the board, not paint!" Blake said in disbelief.
"I know but I was bored. I don't wanna be here anyway. I don't understand why we have to come to school. I wanna stay at the academy with Mom and Dad and train all day. Training after school isn't enough. We'll never be the best that way." Hunter said.
"Mom and Dad don't want us to stay at the academy all day. They said they want us around kids our own age." Blake said.
"I know but…LeAnn is close to my age and she stays at the academy all the time. She even lives there." Hunter said.
"That's because LeAnn is Sensei's daughter." Blake said.
"No, that's because Sensei Omino is cooler than Mom and Dad." Hunter said.
"That isn't true. Mom and Dad are cool." Blake said.
"Whatever you say." Hunter said picking at his lunch.
Hunter managed to stay out of trouble the rest of the day and after school he met up with Blake and they walked out to the pick up area and found their mom.
"Mommy!" Blake said hugging his mother.
"How are my boys?" Helen Bradley asked hugging her youngest son.
"Hunter got sent to Principal Williams again." Blake blabbed.
"See I ever tell you anything again tattletale" Hunter said.
"Hunter Daniel Bradley, what did you do now? Wait let me guess…did you hide the class gerbil in some poor girl's desk again?"
"No." Hunter said.
"Did you draw on Ms. Henderson's lesson plans again?"
"No"
"Did you throw tomatoes at your gym teacher again?"
"No"
"You broke something you were touching as you walked again? Please just don't touch anything that isn't yours anymore."
"It wasn't that."
"Then what is it this time?"
"I finger painted on the chalk board."
"Oh of course. You finger painted on the chalk board. Why didn't I think of that? God, Hunter! What is it that you find so hard about staying out of trouble?" Helen asked her son.
"I hate school! I don't wanna be here! I wanna be a Thunder Ninja! Why can't I train with you and Dad instead of coming to school?" Hunter asked.
"We've been over this. You need an education because you never know what your life has in store. You don't know what you wanna be when you grow up and you have to have education to prepare." Helen explained.
"I know what I wanna be. I either wanna be a Sensei or I wanna be a motocross racer. Either way I don't need school for that!" Hunter said.
"I knew it was a mistake for your father to get you involved in motocross with him." Helen said.
"Why? I love motocross!" Hunter said.
"That's the problem. Your passions are in your hobbies instead of school." Helen said.
"Ninja training isn't a hobby. I want to be the best Thunder Ninja ever…no…I want to be the best Ninja on the planet." Hunter said.
"Hunter, do you realize how many Ninjas at the other academies want the same thing?" Helen asked.
"But they aren't me. I will be the best one day. You wait and see." Hunter said.
Helen drove her sons to the Thunder Ninja Academy. After getting a lecture from his father Hunter joined his brother on the training field.
"Bradley, heard you got in trouble today." 11 year old LeAnn Omino said walking over to Hunter.
"Omino…you wanna make something of it?" Hunter asked.
"Hard to be the best Ninja in the world when you're getting lectures instead of training." LeAnn said.
"You're in for in now. You wanna see who's the best." Hunter challenged.
"You're so on." LeAnn said taking a fighting stance.
The two started a friendly spar, which quickly turned into something that was anything but friendly. In the end LeAnn got Hunter down on the ground.
"I win." LeAnn said triumphantly.
"No fair, you cheated." Hunter said.
"How did I cheat?" LeAnn asked.
"I don't know but I know you did." Hunter said.
"Face it Bradley, you'll never be the best." LeAnn said.
"LEANN!" Sensei Omino called.
"Yes father?" LeAnn asked.
"What are you doing? You're suppose to be read to go to dinner." He said.
"Why? I don't wanna go." LeAnn said.
"Where are you going to dinner?" Hunter asked.
"Father has a meeting with the Senseis of the Wind and Snow Ninja Academies and he's taking me." LeAnn said.
"Why would you want to meet with the Wind Sensei? They are our enemies." Hunter said.
"Hunter, it is true the Thunder and Wind Academies were once rivals but it is time we put the past behind us. We must find a way to make peace. And LeAnn I expect you to go and be nice. Sensei Watanabe is bringing his son who is your age." Sensei Omino said.
"Ugh, Cameron Watanabe? He is so boring father. He isn't even a ninja." LeAnn said.
Sensei Omino sighed. "LeAnn please, I expect you to be nice to Cameron. You're both 11, surely you can find some common ground. Now I expect you to be ready to go in 15 minutes."
"Yes father." LeAnn said. She watched her father walk away. "I don't wanna go. Father will expect me to entertain Cameron all night and he is the dullest kid on the face of the planet."
"There has to be something fun about this Cameron kid." Hunter said.
"Nothing. His idea of fun is sitting at a computer and doing school work or reading a 400 page book. No kidding." LeAnn said.
"Ugh, sounds boring. Glad I don't have to go meet him." Hunter said.
"I wish I didn't. I guess I should go get ready though. I'll see you later Bradley." LeAnn said.
"I want a rematch later Omino." Hunter said.
"You're on." LeAnn said running back to her dorm so she could clean up.
Hunter went back to training until dinner time. He went home with his parents and Blake. The four of them sat at the table and ate dinner. Knowing this was the longest they would get Hunter to be still Michael and Helen Bradley took advantage of this situation.
"So tomorrow you won't get sent to Principal Williams' office tomorrow right?" Michael asked.
"No sir." Hunter said.
"And just to give you some incentive to behave your father and I have decided if your behavior doesn't improve you will start going to tutoring after school and not ninja training." Helen said.
"WHAT? No! That isn't fair!" Hunter cried.
"It is very fair. All you have to do is behave and you can still train. I don't think there is anything unfair about it." Michael said.
"Do we understand each other?" Helen asked.
"Yes Mother." Hunter mumbled as he finished eating.
The next day Hunter sat in his desk and listened to every word his teacher said. He did exactly what he was told when he was told and after school he would go to training and train even harder than before. On the weekends he would go to the track with his father and ride harder and better. By the end of the school yeah Ms. Henderson was sorry to see Hunter leaver her class. He even got an award for best behavior. Not that Hunter was completely reformed. He still had a horrible habit of touching things as he walked but all and all Hunter was finally on his way to reaching his potential.