What a lot of you have been waiting for, LEO STARTS NINJA TRAINING!
Leo had been progressing with all aspects of his schedule. He was getting faster in their morning runs, he could perform more push and sit ups, and he has learned to look forward to school hours.
One thing he can't still do is the sim exercise they go through every few days. The forest is all around them and he has to tag Heather. But whenever he tries, he always gets lost or can't move do to too much vegetation. It's irritated him. He doesn't know the meaning of the exercise. He feels like Heather is doing it to make him feel bad, but she never laughs at him.
"Heather? Why am I chasing you each day?"
Heather says, "To help you with navigation." Leo has a feeling it's for more than that, but he doesn't complain.
He keeps at it all for a few more weeks, and Heather deems him ready for something else. He goes to the barn, like when they do the forest run, but Heather has him wait this time.
"Leo, we aren't doing that sim today, you have a new one that we'll be using."
"Which one?" Leo asks. Heather has shown him different sim planes in their spare time.
"Put your sim g's on." Leo does so and waits. "Jarvis, display dojo sim." The glasses pixelize to black and the new surroundings take shape. Leo looks around. There are paper and bamboo blinds covering the walls, light streaming in. The ceiling is about normal height with rafters criss crossing. The floor has japanese rugs covering it and there is a rack of weapons in one corner, a closet nearby with more.
"Whoa, it looks like the dojo back in the Lair," the seven year old whispers. Light comes from the wall where the bamboo blind was moved and in steps an elderly Japanese man. He is wearing a sensei gi and silver hair that forms a goatee on his chin. He walks over to the pair that are in the corner and does a bow for respect and greeting.
"Bow back, Leo," Heather instructs. They both do so.
"Welcome to my dojo," he says. Leo hears it in Japanese, but it is translated into English in Heather's sim g's.
Leo understands what he said and replies with, "Will you teach me?" Heather rolls her eyes at his bluntness.
"I am Master Bācharu. I am your new sensei, Reonarudo-san." The pair bow again.
"Arigato," Leo says, signalling thanks. Master Bācharu motions for them to follow him out the way he came. They walk out and see a beautiful garden with ponds, paths, and cherry trees. There is also a small courtyard for more training. Master Bācharu sits on a rock and Leo takes a seat below him. But after being told otherwise, Leo finds another flat rock to sit on nearby. He is taught the lotus position and then the master begins to talk, telling of the history and the way of the ninja.
Heather watches for a little until Master Bācharu takes a moment to let Leo hear what Heather has to say. "Leo, I'll be back when your lesson is over, okay? Listen to Master Bācharu."
"Okay, thank you Heather," Leo says. Heather walks back to the dojo, "Jarvis, disable sim-g H." Her vision returns to the barn and she sees Leo with his on, listening to the virtual sensei. She sets her glasses away and walks out to the house.
She bumps into Thor on the way. "Lass of the Country, it is good to see you!" He exclaims. Heather smiles. "Where is the young Leo?"
"In the barn. Training."
"Ah, finally being trained as a ninja. Well, I was going up to the mountain. Will you join me?" Heather looks at him with a you-know look, "Still can't go without permission?"
"And I have to watch Leo." Thor nods and after a quick, Asgardian goodbye, he spins his hammer and lifts off into the sky.
When Heather enters the dojo again, Leo is still at the rocks, listening to his sensei. She waits until they are done and Leo gets up and walks over to her. "Master Bācharu says I need a training gi tomorrow. You have it right?"
"Yep. Jarvis created this sim, so he made one for you. It'll be by your sim-g's each day."
"Okay, Sayonara Master Bācharu!" Leo calls back. The master bows to them. Leo bows back and they takes off the glasses. "He's so smart. He knew the answer to everything I asked."
"You didn't talk the whole time, did you?"
"No. But when he asked me if I had questions, he knew. And Japan sounds so cool." Leo starts babbling about it all and Heather doesn't mind listening. At supper, Thor joins them and Leo keeps informing them on what he learned. By the time it was bedtime, Heather has to ask Leo one question.
"The trim of your gi has yet to be colored. What color would you like?" She asks.
"Blue," Leo answers, looking at his blanket. Heather would have said that he doesn't need it anymore, but she knows that it helps him through the night as much as she does. He's had it all his life, that is something big.
Leo walks into the barn and sees his gi hanging next to the sim-g's. He runs over and feels the fabric. It's smooth and fluid. He puts it on, leaving his running pants on the floor. When Heather walks in to get him started, she sees him getting used to it. It was made for him. It slips over his shell and a hold in the back is where it goes through. And the fabric is white, lined with a bright blue.
"I look like a ninja don't I?" He asks. Heather directs him to get his glasses and start up the dojo sim. Then she leaves him to train at the obstacle course. When she is done, she showers and then goes to Leo to help him out of the sim. He's learning to do it himself though.
Again, at the table, Leo tries to explain stuff he learned. Heather finds that he loves knowledge and Japanese culture is amazing to his eyes. Heather is happy to see him so in his element.
"I can't wait to tell my brothers about this!" Leo says. Each Saturday, they call up Donnie and Mikey. Raph is seldom there, due to training. But Donnie assures his oldest brother that they are telling Raph what he says. And now that his training has begun, he wants to tell them.
"That's in a couple days, Leo. Don't let it distract you."
"Hai," he says. Thor looks up at Heather.
"That's yes in Japanese, Mr. Odinson. You should learn it. It's fun to say," Leo says before Heather can open her mouth. The oldest two chuckle as Leo eats, oblivious of how adorable he just sounded. "Can we have noodles tomorrow?" Then he explodes into the history of noodles and how much he wants to try them. Then, Leo decides to make Japanese food one of the main things he eats for lunch.
The master's name is Japanese for 'virtual.' As in, computer, simulation, that stuff. It sounds cool.
Awesome right? Leo starts loving Japanese culture. Sure, he isn't punching stuff, but he's being the turtle we all know and love.