Here is the much anticipated fifth chapter! I made it long, just for you guys. Truthfully, my laptop crashed and burned, which is why this took so long. But that's beside the point. Enjoy!
Speed...of...Sound (or Shun)
I groaned, curling into a ball and turning to the side. The sheets slipped off my body, and I pulled them harshly over my head to block the sunlight filtering through the window. Admittedly, I was surprised to find myself in my own room and not on the cold, unforgiving dirt.
It was a few more minutes before I realized that sunlight meant daytime, meaning I was late for training. I was tempted to rush outside and apologize to Gramps for sleeping in, but then I thought better of it, remembering the torture the dinosaur had put me through. Every single muscle ached from yesterday's harsh exercise; every sinew throbbed dully from overuse. The only good thing that came from it was that Rice Crispy finally quit stinking.
I stared up at the ceiling with a scowl. I didn't need to check the clock to know it was about six in the morning. I breathed in deeply, standing up and wincing as I completed my morning stretches. I could already tell today was going to be a bad day.
I crawled back into bed and decided to take the day off. Technically, ninjas didn't have holidays, so I was sure Gramps would be in here within minutes to chastise me for not being responsible or something like that. Of course, if he was being benevolent, which was like asking hell to freeze over, he might leave me alone.
That, however, wasn't the only reason I had to dread the day.
Today was the day of Marucho's fifteenth birthday party, the most widely anticipated bash of the year. Everyone knew he always went all out for it, and so many people tried to sneak in that he had to have bouncers at his door to keep things under control. Two years ago he had everyone go indoor bungee jumping, much to the crowd's pleasure, and last year he'd taken everyone to Paris for the summer. Needless to say, whatever he had planned for this party was bound to be more extravagant that the last.
As much as I disliked large crowds, Marucho was a good friend and it was only expected that I be there, along with the rest of the gang. For his sake, I would go, albeit grudgingly.
My door slid open quietly, and if it hadn't been for the familiar creaking I heard, I would have missed it completely. "Grandson?" he croaked.
I didn't answer.
"I'd like to apologize for yesterday," he explained, entering and resting himself on my bed with a grunt.
I quirked an eyebrow at that. It had to be a load of crap. He never ever apologized for putting me through a torture session he called training. Or for anything else.
He sensed my skepticism, and continued, "I am being completely honest with you. I realize that yesterday was unfair and a bit harsh—"
"A bit?" I snorted.
He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Alright, very harsh. I just assumed that your young resilient body could perform the task better than my aging one could." His voice sounded frail and feeble, like that of a jaded old man with nothing worthwhile left in life. I was tempted to believe him for a moment. Gramps sounded so sincere, and yet…
"I understand if you don't believe me, so leave an old man to his senile ramblings…" he began to shuffle out sadly.
"Wait, Grandpa," I called out, and he stopped expectantly on the other side of the door. I pulled myself out of bed, muscles stinging. He pushed up his glasses, and I sighed. "I guess you're forgiven."
He grinned manically then. "Oh, excellent, Shun." There was a brief pause. Then—"Now that we are on such good terms, I need you to go to town and buy me some rejuvenating serum. I hear it is all the rage these days."
I stood beside my bed, staring blankly at his wrinkles. A dull ache raced up my legs.
"What?" I murmured furiously.
"Shun, it would be unfortunate to know that you are losing your hearing at such a young age—"
"I heard you!" I snapped, stalking closer.
He straightened. "Well, in that case…" He coughed nervously. "…I should be going!"
I suppressed the urge to run after him—I was in no mood for that—and groaned again, knowing I'd been roped into running his errands for him. I might have seemed like I had a choice, but in reality, if I didn't comply out of my own free will, Grandpa's next step would be using guilt against me, followed by blackmail. Besides, I didn't have the energy to waste on him.
During breakfast, I recalled Marucho's official invite with perfect clarity, for lack of anything better to do except listen to the dinosaur's rants about how even old people deserved to feel useful.
The envelope had been a creamy white, elegantly garnished with Marucho's family name on the corner. A glob of blue wax sealed it, and I had carefully opened it to reveal the serious little note enclosed.
Dear Shun Kazami,
You are cordially invited to Choji Marukura's fifteenth birthday celebration being held in at his posh estate located in the business district of the city. The theme shall be "Future Fads" and the celebration shall commence at exactly six o'clock sharp. Late arrivals are likely to be denied entry.
RSVP promptly.
Sincerely,
The Marukura Family
Enclosure
Along with the overly decorated invitation had been a map showing directions to the "posh estate." As if I'd need them. I'd been to Marucho's house so many times, I was confident I could make it there with my eyes closed. That is, if I could make it while aching all over.
"—and that's how I learned that slicing out someone's liver with their rusty samurai sword is not the best way to solve your problems."
I stood up, hoping to escape before I was charged with another mundane task. "Yeah, that's great, Gramps."
"Wait, are you heading out to the drugstore, Shun?" he called, shuffling after me.
I pulled a hand through my hair. "Gramps, I don't have time to buy drugs for you, okay? Besides, they're bad for your health."
He smacked me lightly on the head.
"What?" I shrugged.
"Well, whenever you get time—" that was code for now—"head over to the store and get me that wrinkle cream. Oh, and maybe you should also bring some denture cream while you're at it. My stocks are running low."
"Yeah, sure." I headed out the front door, dodging the net that fell seconds after reached it and stretching something in the process. I cringed, but quickly pulled my act together. I couldn't seem weak outside of my home. What would the neighbors say?
It took a grand total of five minutes to reach the gates, a process that normally took only five seconds. Judging by the position of the sun, I knew it was nine or so. That gave me nine hours till the party, although at this rate, I assumed it would take me nine hours to get there. Not to mention that I still had to find Marucho a present and buy Gramps his beauty products.
Bad day was an understatement.
---
Traditionally, ninjas had to be able to leap from great heights and run for long distances. Well, not traditionally, every ninja had to be agile and have great stamina.
Which I failed at today.
Terribly.
I walked down the most populated street of town, and an old woman—older than the dinosaur at home—shuffled past me.
Something was obviously out of place.
Just then, a figure smacked into me, causing a jolt of pain to run through me.
"Sorry," she apologized, eyeing me with flashing emerald eyes. Runo. Her face brightened with realization. "Oh, it's just you, Shun. What are you doing in town?"
That was the cue to run, which I would have done if I could've. Instead, I replied, "I could ask you the same thing."
"I'm just shopping for Marucho's present." She answered cheerfully. "You are coming to his party, right?"
I nodded, quickly trying to come up with an excuse to leave. I didn't have anything against Runo—Dan apparently thought she had some good in her—but she got on my nerves at times, and that was reason enough for me to disappear.
"I have to go this way," I pointed out casually, noticing she was headed in the opposite direction. "Grandpa needs his meds." I made my way down the sidewalk a bit and pointing in said direction. "This is me going."
"Oh, I gotcha." She nodded before turning and calling out a 'See you later!'
The drugstore was actually in the other direction, but I figured I could cut back around quickly. I wasn't as sore anymore. In fact, I was picking up the pace a little bit (I managed to power walk ahead of the granny!). Still, by the time I reached the store, I collapsed onto the nearest bench, mentally howling in pain.
The man behind the counter pointedly ignored me, passing me the usual order. He never acknowledged my existence, but that might've been because of a falling out he'd had with Gramps. Consequently, Gramps always sent me here, instead of coming himself. The nondescript paper bag contained two containers of denture cream, each one tightly sealed.
"Do you have any…wrinkle cream?" I asked pitifully, rolling my eyes when his lips pursed in amusement. He obliged wordlessly, handing me the offending product. I held it at arm's length, letting it fall into the open bag.
So far, so good. Now I only had to deliver the package and find a present. I could do all that in six hours, right?
Of course. I was built for speed. I was slim, tall, angled…I'm practically faster than a speeding bullet.
Still, I wasn't up to the challenge of going home only to come back again, so instead, I hired a local boy to take the creams to my grandpa.
I only had to find a present now. The sun was still angled high in the sky and with that in mind, I meandered through the bustling streets of the city, looking for something halfway decent that a kid millionaire didn't already have. I wandered through Hallmark stores, pawn shops, malls, and antique shoppes, but nothing screamed "Marucho".
The last two years I'd gotten him things that his parents deemed useless to someone like Marucho. So what if he was never going to use shurikens in his daily life? What did it matter if an antique samurai sword would just sit in the back of his closet gathering dust?
It was the thought that counted, or at least, I thought so.
I didn't have much longer before the party started. I noticed that it was getting close to five thirty, and at the rate I was traveling, it would take me at least half an hour to make it there. I had to move fast, which was impossible to do in the packed streets. Running into an alleyway, I leaped up, climbing onto the roof of a building with strained effort.
I studied the building to the left, the distance between the two only a few feet. I'd jumped areas at least three times that distance almost on a daily basis, so this wouldn't be too hard. Taking a running start across the tiled rooftop, I darted forward and just as I was about to take off, a cramp shot through my leg. With an ill-disguised scream, I plunged downward, trying to stretch and reach the other roof. My fingers curled around the gutter, and I heaved myself up, panting and narrowly avoiding a sticky situation. Resting for a few minutes, I tried again with the next rooftop over, happily finding that I was getting back into the flow of it.
By the seventh, I had taken to just leaping from roof to roof for fun, working the cramp off, until I caught sight of a small American-named store on the corner. A bright blue lava lamp reflected the dying sunlight.
"We have a winner," I murmured, landing expertly in front of the store and getting a few startled looks. The clock at the checkout counter said it was 5:55. Luckily for me, I could make out Marucho's tower in the distance. Taking to the roofs again, I sped toward the house, clutching my unwrapped gift in one hand.
The ache had begun to disappear and within moments I was running toward the open front doors. Ha, they don't call me Ninja Boy for nothing. Fixing my jacket, I strolled forward just as the bouncers slammed the doors shut.
The two brawny, seven foot men stared at me from behind their sunglasses. "I'm sorry, but it is now six-oh-one," the one the right said.
"But I'm one of the guests of honor! I actually know the birthday boy!" I sputtered indignantly.
"We have explicit instructions not to allow admission to anyone here late." The other answered.
I withheld a growl, examining my opponents. I guessed that each one weighed about 300 pounds, but with my superior ninja skills, I should be able to take them out. That's what I was trained for. Granted, usually ninjas had surprise on their side, but I had the utmost confidence in my abilities.
"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to leave. There is a strict no loitering policy enforced around here." The first one informed me in a deep baritone.
I'll show you loitering, I thought, getting ready to spring and give him a well-placed blow in the head region, when a beep sounded on my wrist. Dan's face popped up on the screen of my communicator, looking annoyed, a mist in the background.
"Shun, you were supposed to be here four minutes ago!" he yelled. "Marucho is upset."
"I'm standing outside, you idiot, but the bouncers won't let me in. I was here one minute late. One minute!"
He sighed, irritated. "I made it on time," he emphasized. "You're a ninja, Shun! How the heck did you not make it? What about your super speed?"
I glared at him. "Hey, I have an excuse!"
"You can't blame everything that goes wrong on your Grandpa. He's a very wise, friendly old man, Shun. You should feel lucky to have one because there are people who don't. Have grandparents, that is. When will you be more mature and realize that?"
Great, now Dan was apparently more mature than me. "Look, Dan, I'll find a way in. Tell Marucho that I will be there."
"No, I'll make sure you get in," he stated, cutting the connection.
The guards raised their slim eyebrows at me, obviously having eavesdropped on our conversation. They didn't make a move to toss me off Marucho's property, and since I doubted that Dan would pull through, I went over my plan to take out the guards. I was positioned to strike right beside the second guard when they suddenly addressed me in unison.
"Sir, we have received word from our superintendent. You are allowed to enter."
I smirked at them, gloating silently at their failed attempt to keep me out. That'll teach them to mess with a ninja.
I cradled the gift, stepping inside and feeling the rush of air as the doors closed behind me. The grandiose foyer was brightly lit, and a young butler took my coat and escorted me to the room where the party was being held. After going down hallway after hallway, I got bored and announced that if we weren't there soon I would find it myself. He didn't say anything, merely directing me toward a pair of french doors that had a banner reading 'Happy Birthday, Marcuho!' stretched over them and tiny pictures of him in the windows, effectively blocking any peeks inside.
I stopped just before I opened the doors, wondering what he had planned for this year. Maybe he was taking us on a safari through an imitation Africa. Or maybe he'd just have a normal party like most people did.
Drawing a breath, I pulled open the doors, expecting to see something flashy like an explosion or something mundane like a piñata. Instead, I didn't see a thing. Steam obscured my view completely and I instantly felt sticky in my clothes. Blindly, I wandered into the steam holding the present behind my back. The lights progressively brightened as I ventured deeper into the mist, but Marucho or even Dan.
I did, however, notice what the place had been transformed into. It was a bubbling hot springs, complete with rocks, masseuses, and relaxing sounds from nature. Was it just me or was it weird for a fifteen year old to throw a hot spring party?
"What do you think, Shun?" a boyish voice asked me and I looked down to see a mess of blonde hair. Marucho, though not exactly normal height, had shot up a few inches throughout the years, just not enough for us to see eye to eye.
I smiled for his sake. "It's great, just not what I expected."
"You really think so?" he beamed. "I was unsure at first, but Runo said it was going to be amazing."
"She helped you plan this?"
"Yes, Runo was very helpful in the planning stages of this party. Even Dan pitched in. He suggested we have pudding as a refreshment."
Why was I not surprised?
"Marucho, aren't hot springs only for over the edge wackos?" I asked playfully, and he grinned.
"If the shoes fits!"
We shared a laugh, and then I remembered the item I clasped behind me. "Marucho, I got you something."
"Shun, you didn't have to get me anything!" he exclaimed with a frown–it's true, he didn't like gifts–but then an honest smile broke through. "What did you get me?"
"Well what does every bachelor pad need?" I joked, revealing the present.
"A lava lamp! This is great! I'll put it right next to my other one." He headed away from me and I gaped as I finally laid eyes upon the giant, skyscraper lava lamp poised in the middle of the room. It's colors shifted wildly, and my little lamp looked pitiful next to that monster. I should have figured as much, but at least he acted excited.
"Hey, Shun! You made it!" Dan's distinct voice cut through the noise and in seconds he was beside me. "I told you I'd get you in. I couldn't leave you out there with those nasty security guards."
"I could've taken them, Dan," I muttered.
"No, you couldn't have. I totally saw you walk in as stiff as a board. What you need is a massage and some relaxing time in the hot springs," he decided, promptly dragging me to a table and shoving me onto it.
"Dan, I don't know what–"
"Don't talk, just...enjoy,"he breathed, sinking into a pool of water.
I had to give Dan props. The massage totally helped alleviate my soreness, and pretty soon I was joining him and the others in the hot springs, reminiscing the good old times.
"It seems like just yesterday Marucho was fourteen," Dan recalled, looking into the distance.
"Dan!" Runo shouted. "That was yesterday!"
He laughed, and everyone soon joined in. I made a move to punch his arm but my arms were unresponsive.
"What's going on?" I asked aloud and Dan turned to look at me in confusion.
"Oh, it must be that cream I asked the masseuses to use on you. My mom likes it because it numbs her body after her yoga session. Don't worry, Shun. It should wear off in an hour or two," he explained calmly.
I would've killed Dan had I been able to move, so he was lucky I was temporarily paralyzed. For his sake, it better only last a few hours.
I have the next chapter all planned out and everything, so stay tuned. Oh, make sure to drop me a line and review!
Cocoacharm15