Here's the next installment of Shun's ninja antics! Thanks to all of those that have taken an interest in it already!!

Caught

Ninjas often lived in villages that were built to provide defense for its inhabitants. As a precaution, the house of the jonin—the head ninja—contained many secret places, such as hidden doors, rotating staircases, concealed passages, and more booby traps than a trick house.

In my case, Grandpa and I lived on an island we pretty much had all to ourselves. He could be considered the jonin, and this was his house. Sure, he could do what he wanted with it, but sometimes I was skeptical. Even after years of living here, I'd barely scratched the surface of all the secrets the place held.

If we lived in a bustling city full of criminal activity, it'd be reasonable to have traps every few feet. I mean, if someone managed to climb the huge walls surrounding the property, then they'd still have to make it past the pitfalls in the yard. And if by some miracle they got through those obstacles, they'd have another thing coming once inside the house.

It seemed like a hassle when the chances of a break-in were slim, at best.

I glanced wearily around my room, dark for the most part, only one window letting light in. there had to be something more in here, and I just hadn't found it. The only ensnarement I had encountered was the trap door located right as you entered the room, which opened when you stood on it for too long. I knew about that one because I'd fallen in on my first day here.

I crossed the room quickly, flicking the overhead light on. It illuminated the dark corners, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The bed sat where it always had, across from the computer, and the closet was half-open.

I decided on checking the closet out because it seemed like the most obvious place for secret passages. Shoving clothes out of the way, I randomly pushed against the walls to see if they gave way. I was about to try the ceiling when a loud sound caught my ear.

"Shun!"

I cringed, immediately recognizing Julie's high-pitched scream. I considered ignoring her, but then figured that she'd probably keep shouting until I came out. Swiftly, I jumped out of the closet, leaping out the open window instead of bothering to maneuver through the house.

It sounded like she was outside the grounds, and I wondered wryly what could have brought the hyperactive Subterra Brawler here.

Leaping onto the wall, I almost did a face plant at the sight of Dan and the others standing giddily outside the gates.

"What is this? A fieldtrip?" I asked, steadying myself with a hand.

"Hey, Shun!" Dan waved. "Get down here!"

I complied, landing gracefully behind them. "Dan," I began, trying to think of some way to get them to leave, "do you mind telling me what all of you are doing here?"

I glanced at every face, noticing the apologetic looks that Alice and Marucho gave me. It figures that only they would have the decency be embarrassed about showing up uninvited.

"We're here to visit you, silly!" Julie replied, latching onto my left arm with a grin.

"Visit?" I repeated.

"Yeah, now will you quit asking questions and let us in?" Runo demanded impatiently.

Wait. Hadn't she learned her lesson the first time she'd snuck in? I mean, she and Marucho were on the verge of being beat up by an eighty-five year old man. Maybe Gramps had smacked Runo on the head, causing her slight memory loss.

"Come on, Shun, give us a tour of your place," Dan prompted. I pointed out that he had already been here. "Well, Julie and Alice haven't," he argued, only making Julie tug on my arm and Alice smile shyly.

"That's not a good idea, and you know it, Dan. This place is dangerous if you're not careful, and…"

I trailed off when the gates opened seemingly by themselves, and the group cheered. I groaned inwardly, knowing Grandpa was behind this.

Dan raced forward, and Julie released me in favor of Alice, tugging the poor girl forward along with the rest of them. I didn't stop them because, as far as I knew, there were no traps until the front doors were—

"Shun!" The five of them screamed out as they fell into a hole, proving me wrong. Well, can't say I knew about that one.

I ran over, looking down at them a bit smugly. "Do you guys ever bother listening?"

That was a rhetorical question, of course. Too often they acted on impulse, following through with things without a second thought.

Like coming to "visit" me.

I lifted each one out, warning them that if they wanted a tour they'd have to listen to me before running off.

"Stay here until I come back." I ordered, leaving them standing outside as I slid the front door open. I wanted to check for any traps in the main hallway before they entered. The last thing I needed was for them to fall into a spike pit or be impaled by wooden stakes shooting out of the walls. Gramps tended to keep the more dangerous traps deeper inside the house, but I could never be sure. One might come as a total surprise.

Trailing down the dim hallway, I flipped light switches on, knowing their eyes wouldn't be as adjusted to the darkness as mine. My steps on the wooden floors echoed in the empty space but didn't set anything off. I tensed reflexively in areas I was positive had housed a trick just yesterday. All the nets, sticks, trap doors—everything—had seemingly disappeared.

I even examined the kitchen—Grandpa's favorite place to catch me off guard—without incident.

More than a little suspicious, I swiftly sprinted back in the direction of my friends, hoping Gramps didn't have something special in mind for them.

"I've got you now, you hooligans!" Grandpa shouted, and I quickened my pace, arriving just in time to see him leaping down from the ceiling with a wooden stick in each hand.

The other five Brawlers were sprawled on the floor, tangled mercilessly in a net. They—well, mostly Dan and Runo—shouted in protest, wriggling even more against the confining mesh.

"Shun, get us out of here!" Dan hollered loudly, causing the others to cover their ears because of his proximity.

"Ah, Shun, you made it!" Grandpa noticed, handing me a stick and smacking the other against his palm experimentally. "It'll be just like hitting a piñata." He raised it high above his head, before adding as an afterthought, "A squirming piñata."

"Grandpa!" I hissed, snatching his stick with ease. "These are my friends. Or have you forgotten so easily?"

Even with the bright lights shining overhead, the older ninja leaned forward, squinting at the group he'd caught. He adjusted his glasses, and I desperately wished his eyesight wasn't failing him for good. It wouldn't benefit anyone to have a blind old man wandering around a house with an arsenal of ninja weapons at his disposal.

Dan grinned at him. "Hey, Grandpa! It's me, Dan."

Gramps raised a bushy, gray eyebrow at him. "No, I don't remember you."

"But you love me!" Dan protested.

"No," I corrected smoothly. "He just puts up with you because I do." Dan glared at me before muttering something about a ninja roll. I sighed, remembering the time I'd tried to teach him to roll out of harm's way. That probably explained why the net was jumbled so much.

Grandpa moved onto Runo, staring for a second. "Ah, you and you"—he pointed at Marucho, who laughed sheepishly—"are the ones who I caught last time."

"Please, sir, we meant no harm, and Runo and I offer our sincerest apologies," the blonde explained, Runo nodding vigorously.

Grandpa nodded serenely, before directing his attention to Julie. "You attacked me with a hammer, I recall."

She blushed. "Like, I am sooo sorry about that, but you'd totally be my favorite crazy old man if you let us go," she bargained, and I chuckled quietly at her attempt to win Gramps over.

"And you," he stood before Alice, looking thoughtful. "What have you done to me?"

"Oh, nothing, sir," she answered politely, chestnut eyes wide. "And I would appreciate it if you set us free."

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I think I would prefer it if you stayed in there, and a little beating never hurt anyone."

I stared at him in disbelief, already beginning to undo the mess Dan had made. Gramps laughed when they gulped audibly. He told me to have fun with my friends and retreated into one of the darker areas of the dojo murmuring something about kids these days.

An hour later they were all free with minor damage sustained.

"Shun," Dan began seriously, dusting himself off. "Don't be offended if I say I never want to come back again."

"Don't worry, Dan." I offered, shaking my head in the direction Gramps had left in. "I don't blame you."

Soon they left, making me promise that I would go to town sometime during the week.

Darting cautiously from room to room, I reached the kitchen, wanting to forget today's episode with a steaming cup of herbal tea. I'd barely taken a sip when Grandpa dropped down from the ceiling and onto the counter, expertly flinging his ever-present stick at me. I set the cup down, speedily doing a back flip to avoid it. A net was on me within milliseconds, not giving me time to dodge.

"A ninja should never be caught off guard," he chided. "Oh, and thanks for the tea!"

Man, I love writing Grandpa. Anyway, don't forget to review, and if there's anything ninja-related you would like to see, let me know!

Cocoacharm15