Yay, yay, YAY! We're about to meet a new kunoichi! But this time, the snakes have the upper hand... or do they? The ninja will have to race to find the kunoichi of water, unless the snakes have already found her.
A lot of this town/the kunoichi of water is loosely based on Hawaiian culture. I will admit I didn't do a lot of research, mainly just names and inspiration. It's LOOSELY based, since this is Ninjago and not the US. I think there's differing cultures all around Ninjago, and this is my take on one of them.
Anyway, please enjoy the chapter! We're beginning the mini-arc for the water kunoichi, so I hope you like her!
Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago.
After a restless night of sleep, the ninjas and kunoichi were headed to Ka Nalu to find the kunoichi of water. After waking up before dawn, they'd blearily gotten ready and headed out to the fields where Nya and Alex normally trained their powers to call their dragons.
Cole, Alex, and Nya all drank at least one cup of coffee, since they would be flying the three dragons. Lloyd didn't have the experience to fly the dragon himself, and the other ninjas were skeptical of his ability to stay awake the whole trip. Cole had practically carried the boy out of the city, so the ninja's skepticism was well-placed.
They all got in a group before heading out so Sensei could go over their plan.
"As you know, my students, we are running low on time. With the Serpentine being spotted in the town last night, they have a head start on us. It'll be a few hours before we arrive, and we will have to move fast." Sensei Wu was dead serious as he spoke, knowing the water kunoichi was in danger. They didn't know what Garmadon had in store for her.
"Cole and Lloyd, you will be on the perimeter of town acting as our eyes. Garmadon will know we're coming, and we can't put Lloyd be in danger, so be on the lookout and relay back to us what you see," Sensei told them.
Cole nodded seriously, Lloyd still passed out in his arms. He wanted to get in on the action, but he also knew that as the leader of the ninja, he couldn't talk back to Sensei. Besides, the green ninja was their future, keeping him safe was a priority.
Sensei paired the rest of them off quickly. Kai and Alex were going to wander the town asking about the waterfall, Jay and Nya would take the town as well, but in search for the kunoichi. Zane and Sensei were searching the beach.
The Ultra Dragon, Dusk, and Nyx all landed on the field. Jay and Nya immediately headed for Dusk, giggling to each other as if Cupid had shot them with an arrow last night.
Alex headed over to Nya, stroking the dragon's pure black scales. "I'm sorry I've been busy, Nyx," she murmured softly.
A puff of smoke shot out of the dragon's nostrils, like it was scoffing at her. If a dragon could look indignant, the look Nyx was giving Alex now certainly fit the bill.
"She needs to stretch her wings more," a voice said behind her.
Alex whirled to see Kai standing behind her, the ever-present smirk on his face more smug than normal. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he wore a tank top in his signature color that showed off his muscled arms. For a brief moment, she wondered exactly how strong he was from all that training.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "She's been able to fly around whenever she wants, though. Shouldn't she be able to stretch her wings herself?"
"Theoretically, yes," Kai said. "But she's not just flying around all the time on her own. She's not going on big trips like this every day." He moved along her dragon, waiting for her to get on first.
Alex hopped on, Kai getting on behind her. She felt him wrap his arms around her waist and briefly flashed back to last night on the rooftop. It had been magical in a way she hadn't expected. They weren't romantically involved after one night, neither of them were ready for that. But Alex had enjoyed getting close to someone like that again. Between Nya, Lloyd, and Kai, she was really beginning to believe she might fit in here.
The dragons took off together, Cole and the Ultra Dragon leading the way, Kai and Alex in the middle, and Jay and Nya trailing behind them all, giggling and whispering to each other the whole time. The ride was long, and everyone except Jay and Nya rode in near silence.
They landed outside of Ka Nalu, and Alex could see the waterfall where the next silver weapon was. The pounding water sent up sprays of mist where it landed against the rocks, and Alex knew the only person that would get to the other side of the waterfall was the kunoichi of water. Hopefully it wouldn't be as terrifying as getting her silver weapon. Watching everyone leave her behind for something only they could see was an experience she would rather not repeat.
"Alex, are you ready?" Kai asked from the ground.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts again, shoving those worries into the back of her mind. She then realized that she was still sitting on the dragon and hopped off.
"Yeah," she grinned at him. "Let's go learn about a waterfall."
…
Jay and Nya strolled down the streets of Ka Nalu, taking in the bustling marketplace. Kai and Alex were looking in the neighborhoods and houses, trying to learn more about the waterfall, as some kids might have heard it as a bedtime story. The information online wasn't very descriptive, and Sensei Wu was hoping that the people who lived here would be able to shed more light on the legend.
The two walked hand in hand, and occasionally Jay swung their hands back and forth excitedly. It made Nya laugh every time, and since that was one of Jay's favorite sounds, he kept doing it with a silly grin on his face.
The two of them walked through a downtown area, with fishermen running all over the streets, and a few merchants with stalls set up in front of vacant storefronts. An antique store caught Nya's eye, and she pointed it out to Jay. He looked at it and nodded before they quickly dodged between people in the street, safely making it over to the shop. If anyone could tell them more about a legend, it might be someone that runs an antique store.
A bell jingled overhead as they entered the store, taking in the various artifacts. One glass cabinet was full of dishes and silverware, each piece different. There was one full set on a shelf that had finely detailed flowers painted on it. Nya admired it for a moment, pausing in the doorway.
"Can I help you with something?" The voice came from across the store, and Jay and Nya both jumped and tried to find the source.
Furniture took up the middle of the room, some of it piled so high that it touched the ceiling. Jay and Nya started around the side, looking at the items around the room. Nya saw old pictures and cameras, some in frames and some loose on tables. There were several bookshelves full of books, and Nya couldn't even read the titles on the spines of some of the books.
Near the back of the store, there was a middle-aged man standing at a cash register. He had a long beard, and wrinkles all around his eyes. He smiled kindly at the two of them.
"Lookin' for something special?" he asked in a jolly tone. His voice was kind and warm, making both of them relax slightly.
Nya stepped forward. "We're here to ask about the waterfall right outside of the town. We've heard a few things, but we wanted to know if you had any more details for us."
The man nodded slowly and came out from behind the counter, heading over to one of the bookshelves. He looked through the books, eventually pulling out a blue one with silver lettering on the spine. Brushing a thin layer of dust off, he handed it to Nya with a wink.
"If you have any questions, you know where to find me. And feel free to look around, there are a few treasures hidden in a place like this," the man said. With that, he turned and went back to the counter.
"That was… strange," Jay commented a little too loudly.
"Sh!" Nya hissed, dragging him over to a couple of the chairs. She pushed him into one and opened the book, sitting in the one next to him. The chair creaked under her, making her cringe a little.
Next to her, Jay shifted in his chair to make it creak as well. One of the legs on his chair was uneven, so he began to wobble it back and forth until Nya smacked him. He let out a small yelp and rubbed his arm.
She cracked open in the book, noting that it was a book of old legends. She looked over at Jay, who was peering over her shoulder.
"Jay, would you mind looking around the store? If the guy said there were treasures here, he might have something specific in mind. Try to find something that could help us." She gave him a soft smile, knowing they needed to work quickly, and it might take her a few minutes to find what they were looking for in the book.
Jay nodded and pecked her on the cheek before standing up and looking around. Nya turned back to the book and flipped through it, focusing on the tale of the waterfall.
When she found it, the first thing she noticed was that there were pictures to go along with it. She looked at the god of water, who commanded the element with a whip. She instantly knew that he was holding the silver weapon they were looking for. According to the book, the god of water hid it in the cave to prevent its power from being abused, and then created a waterfall to hide his treasure from the world. No one would ever be able to get to it unless they had the blessing of the water god himself, and if the whip's power was ever used for evil, it would be destroyed.
Nya stood up and reached into her pocket to grab the little bit of money she brought with her. Something told her they'd need the book later on.
She went up to the counter and put the book and some money on the counter. "I'd like to buy this book, please."
The man nodded with a smile. "Of course. Is that-"
Jay ran up and slammed some money down on the counter, holding something in his other hand. "We want this as well."
Nya looked over at what he was holding. It looked like he was holding a normal compass. She raised an eyebrow at Jay, who shook his head to say he'd explain later.
The man's grin grew further. "That's a wise decision, I'm sure of it." He happily took their money and disappeared to the back, leaving them alone in the store.
"Jay, what is that thing?" Nya asked, grabbing it. She moved around, but the needle remained fixed in one place. "Jay, this compass doesn't even work."
Jay took her hands in his. "That's what I thought, too, until…" He turned the compass over, showing her the inscription on the back.
To find whatever it is you seek.
"You got a compass that doesn't work because it had a weird, ominous riddle on the back?" Nya asked incredulously, pressing it back into his hand.
Jay sighed. "Just trust me on this one, Nya."
Nya could tell that she'd hurt his feelings a bit, so she grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm sorry, Jay. I'm sure you're right."
Just then, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She noticed it was a message from Sensei, and looked up at Jay. "We've gotta go! Zane found the kunoichi of water!"
…
The sun shone hot and bright on Zane as he surveyed the beach. It was so hot that he could see heat waves radiating up from the sand, and he was lucky that his optics could filter the blinding light of the sun reflecting off the waves. The water was clear and blue, and he felt so far out of his element. When he had his golden weapon, he could've frozen the whole ocean in front of him. Without it, he'd be lucky to conjure a few snowflakes in this heat.
Heaving a sigh, Zane turned to look at the ocean, watching as a few surfers rode waves back to shore. There was a small group of surfers together, cheering as their friends surfed. One fell off his board, and the other kids laughed and patted his back as he trudged back to shore. The group dynamic was enticing, and Zane kept finding himself staring at them. They were all equals, laughing and joking with each other. He felt a pang of loneliness and longing before shaking his head and continuing down the beach.
The waves crashed against rocks at the end of the beach, and Zane caught a brief glimpse of Sensei Wu at the other end of the beach, his long white beard blowing in the wind. Zane looked up to see the falcon circling the sky, and he entered falcon vision mode.
From up high, he could see himself down on the ground, momentarily frozen. He took control of the falcon, searching for someone on the edge but still near the water. The falcon flew over to the rocks and saw a girl hidden behind them, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared at the water. Zane took in her dark curly hair and remembered the surfer that the falcon had spotted the night before.
He blinked and was in his body again. He looked down the beach to Sensei Wu, who made eye contact with him and nodded.
Zane crept over to the rocks, not wanting to startle the girl. If he was right, then she'd be emotional and artistic, but he hadn't imagined her as withdrawn. Nevertheless, this girl seemed right.
His foot slipped on a slick rock, and Zane heard the girl shift in surprise. "Hello…?" she asked softly.
"Hello," Zane said in return. "My name is Zane, what's your name?"
He kept moving around the rocks, keeping a firm grip so he wouldn't slip again. She began to come into view, and he felt a spark of something, which shocked him momentarily. Zane got up beside her gently, trying not to startle her.
She turned to look at him, her features soft and gentle. To his surprise, she looked as if she'd be rather tall when she stood up. Her skin was the color of a fawn, and she was clearly used to being out in the sun often. Her hair was dark, though the sun had given it highlights, and the curls fell to the middle of her back and framed her face. Everything about her looked strong, but Zane could see insecurity behind her deep brown eyes.
The girl looked him up and down as well, biting her lip as she looked into his eyes before glancing away quickly. Zane gave her a reassuring smile to calm her.
Finally deciding that he wasn't an immediate threat, she sighed softly. "I'm Mira," she said as she picked at the frayed ends of her denim shorts.
"That means ocean," Zane said as the meaning flashed across his vision.
Mira blinked and her brow furrowed. "Yeah," she said, staying quiet. Her eyes darted away to look at the ocean.
He followed her gaze, seeing a surfer that had gotten away from the group. "Do you surf?" he asked, already suspecting the answer.
Mira nodded, her curls bouncing. "I like surfing at the end of the day best."
His mind whirred for a moment, filtering through data. "Isn't it dangerous to out as it gets dark? Do you usually do that?"
Mira flushed lightly and began to twirl a curl around her finger. "It should be, but I've never even felt a riptide. Actually, I-" she paused and shook her head. "Nevermind."
He watched her gently. "Do you feel like the ocean is trying to protect you? Like when you go out too far, something pulls you back in?" His voice was confident as he spoke, he knew exactly what she was trying to say.
Startled, she looked over at him again. "That's-that's exactly it."
Zane offered her a smile, and this time she returned it.
"If you would like answers, I can lead you to someone that can answer any questions you have. He is just up the beach, so you do not need to worry about anything bad happening to you."
She bit her lip and shook her head, standing up slowly. "I'm sorry, I really think I should be getting home now." She edged around him, her feet easily gripping the rocks.
Zane jumped up to follow her. "Please, just for a few minutes."
Mira disappeared behind the rocks, much faster than him. Zane tried to catch up to her, but his feet kept slipping on the rocks. The sand under his feet was a relief as he paused for a moment to regain his balance.
"Who are you?" Mira's voice was nervous. She took a few steps back, entering Zane's sight again.
Around the corner, Nya and Alex were smiling pleasantly at the girl. Zane saw Kai and Jay down the beach with Sensei, who had contacted them when Zane found the next kunoichi.
"I'm Nya, and this is Alex. We're kunoichi that are going to fight alongside the ninja to save Ninjago, and we think you're one of us." Nya was confident and polite as she spoke, trying to soothe the girl in front of her.
Mira stared blankly at them and crossed her arms over her chest. "What does that have to do with me?"
Alex took a step towards the girl, which made Mira take a step back. Zane quickly sidestepped so she wouldn't back into him. She heard him behind her and took a step away from him as well.
"Have you heard of Ikaika Falls?" Alex asked, watching the girl with a strange look on her face.
Mira raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Everyone here has heard of Ikaika Falls," she said.
Alex chuckled slightly at her wording and changed the question. "So, do you know about the weapon hidden inside the cave behind the waterfall?"
Mira nodded slowly, retreating back into herself. "That's only a legend, though."
Zane could see how she wanted to escape their attention and leave, and he knew she'd take some convincing to join them.
"The pounding water makes it impossible for anyone to pass through the waterfall," Zane began, thinking back to the story he'd researched only yesterday. "What if I told you that there is a weapon back there, and that I think you're meant to retrieve it?"
The girl shook her head quickly, curls flying everywhere as she began walking away. "You're all crazy."
With that, she turned her back on them and walked away. Zane wanted to run after her, beg her to join them, but the logical side of his mind told him that they'd need a lot of convincing to get this girl on their side.
"Well, I don't think it's her," Alex said, turning to Nya. "I can't imagine a kunoichi being so… I don't know, shy?"
Nya laughed and shook her head. "I have to admit, I think you got it wrong too, Zane. She doesn't seem like she'd be willing to leave and join us in saving Ninjago."
Zane frowned at both of them. "Water is known as a "weaker" element, so her shyness fits that. She was just approached by three strangers trying to convince her to believe in a legend that she has known all her life to be just a story. Water is creative and emotional-"
"Zane, she seemed pretty closed off to me," Alex said, trying to placate the rambling ninja.
Heaving a sigh, Zane turned to where she disappeared, watching as she headed up a sand dune, back into town. "Trust me. It is her."
…
Lloyd and Cole sat up by the top of the waterfall, tired of wandering around the town. It would have been a bit of a hike, but Cole helped Lloyd fly them up on the Ultra Dragon, which was now passed out beside them. All four heads breathed slowly, puffs of smoke coming out of Flame's nostrils. Cole longingly looked at Rocky, remembering when he had a dragon that was his own.
"Everything's changing, Cole," Lloyd mumbled beside him. The boy's normally bright green eyes had dimmed as he stared out into the town.
Cole heaved a sigh and leaned back on his elbows. He could see tiny figures running around on the beach, tossing frisbees and surfing. He remembered a time when he'd love nothing more than to join them, to be able to do something simply because it was fun.
Not that the kid had it any easier, of course. He had to stand up to his own father someday. Cole and the other guys were older when Sensei found them, and Lloyd was still a kid.
"I'm afraid it looks like other guys are changing too," Cole told the boy. "There's a new dynamic."
Lloyd made a face at that and changed the topic. "Do you think we'll ever get the Bounty back?"
Cole laughed, thinking about their old ship for the first time in a while. "Well, it is Destiny's Bounty, so I'd say destiny will bring her back to us eventually."
Neither of them laughed at his bad joke. They simply stared out at the town. Cole grabbed a set of binoculars and trained them on the beach, seeing that everyone else had congregated there.
"It looks like something's wrong," Cole said, motioning to the other set of binoculars for Lloyd. "I can't tell what's happening, but they're all arguing and Kai's doing the thing where he gestures wildly like he's mad."
After hearing that, Lloyd flailed toward the binoculars and pressed them to his face. "Where are they?" He looked around for the ninja, but without their gear he couldn't find them as easily. "Oh, hey-"
Cole heard Lloyd pause and turned to look at him. The boy's face paled, and something flashed through his eyes. "Lloyd?"
Lloyd bolted to his feet, standing on the edge of the waterfall. "I found snakes. They're headed toward town, it looks like they're following someone."
Grabbing his phone, Cole punched in Zane's number. It rang a few times before Zane answered.
"Hello? What-" Zane hardly had the chance to speak before Cole cut him off.
"Get into town. Lloyd spotted Serpentine," Cole ordered sharply, continuing to peer into his own binoculars. He scanned the town, and his heart stopped. "Shoot - Zane, there's two groups. They're converging on a girl, and I don't think she sees them yet."
"Curly brown hair?" Zane asked, and Cole heard a hint of desperation in his voice.
Cole kept his eyes on the girl, who was almost to a house on the edge of town. "Looks like it."
Zane made a strangled noise and spoke frantically to the rest of the team. He must've muffled the speaker, as Cole couldn't tell what he was saying.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Cole asked, and Lloyd looked over at him. They shared a concerned glance.
It took a moment for Zane to come back. His voice was steady, but Cole could only assume it was because of his robotic nature. There was faint panting in the background, likely from the group rushing to confront the Serpentine.
"It's her," Zane said. "They've found the kunoichi of water."
…
Mira had plugged her earbuds into her phone as soon as she left the beach. If she was listening to music, no one tried to talk to her when she passed by. This was a small town, where everyone knew everyone else. The lack of privacy was stifling, and after her weird encounter with the guy and his friends before, she wasn't in any mood to talk to anyone else.
If she had it her way, she wouldn't have been dragged into a conversation with him, anyway. She didn't like talking to people, and certainly not odd, attractive strangers who had guessed one of her best-kept secrets.
It was an odd thing to admit to herself, really. The fact that the ocean that had battered some of her friends while they were surfing never seemed to affect her in the same way. She'd always been an avid surfer, and when she was younger she went out with friends and they held their own competitions. When she always won because the ocean could never seem to drag her under, the other kids began to push her out of their group until she had no one left.
Mira felt something run down her face and realized she'd begun to cry. She brushed it away quickly and changed her song to a peppier one, trying to suppress the memories again.
She looked up to see that she was almost home and pulled the key out of her pocket. Her parents wouldn't be home yet, so she slipped the key in the lock, unlocking the door and opening it. She pulled one earbud out of her ear and froze before going in her house.
Mira could've sworn she'd heard hissing, so she looked around her house, seeing nothing. With a shrug, she went in and shut the door behind her. She headed into her kitchen, throwing her keys on the counter.
"Well, well, well…" she heard behind her.
With a gasp, Mira whirled to see a trio of snakes in her kitchen. A black one with a tail and a staff was in the lead, flanked by two other serpentine with legs.
Mira backed up fearfully, gasping when her back hit the counter behind her. She was too afraid to speak, and simply stared wide-eyed at the creatures in front of her.
Skalidor hissed at the terrified human girl in front of him. He was disgusted - was this really the kunoichi of water they were after? He sneered, then grinned as she trembled.
"Ssso thisss is the kunoichi of water," he said to the other snakes. "I'm not impressssssed, are you?" he asked them, chuckling as they shook their heads.
"Unfortunately, we need you, no matter how… ussselesssss you seem," Skalidor said with disdain. His forked tongue flicked out, and the girl flinched at the sight of it. "Don't worry… I'm sssure nothing too terrible will happen to you."
Ohhhhh snap! Looks like the ninja found her first, but the snakes got to her first. Skalidor is the leader of the Constrictai, so I wonder where Mira will end up next chapter...
Garmadon in this story is going to be a lot more of a threat, at least for a while. He might get shipped off to the Dark Island at the same time, I'm not entirely sure yet. But for now, he wants the kunoichi on his side. As you can tell, he's willing to do whatever it takes to get them. Buuut, he's also dealing with the snakes, who are missing both of their leaders right now. (Fun fact, Skalidor was originally going to be Skales, but I remembered that Skales is in jail right now and had to go back and fix it.)
Please, please, please leave a review! I appreciate any feedback I can get!