Sunday

Cole, Lloyd, and Zane were training in the courtyard. Despite Zane's limited training time, he was actually learning very fast. Whatever you told him he memorized flawlessly, and never forgot. Wu had actually looked impressed when Zane remembered all that he had learned yesterday, plus more.

It was the afternoon, and Zane had joined Cole and Lloyd a little bit ago. Lloyd enjoyed training with his friends, instead of just with his father and uncle Wu. It made it a lot more fun. He didn't mind training with Wu and Garmadon—they could just get a little boring sometimes.

As they trained together, Wu suddenly called a halt. They all obeyed, looking at him curiously.

"I'm recruiting another student today," Wu announced.

Cole raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Again? How many are you gonna recruit?"

"You will see," Wu replied. He turned, leaving the monastery.

Cole turned to Lloyd. "How many do you think he's gonna recruit?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Couldn't say…"

"We best get training," Zane stated. He seemed unfazed by Wu's announcement.

Lloyd nodded in agreement, and so they all got back to work.

Jay had been a hard one to track down. Wu had not thought that he would live outside of the city, especially not in the desert. The desert lay beside the Outcast, and it was not a very friendly place. Half breeds came into the desert quite often, since there was no one to stop them. The desert was almost just as dangerous as the Outcast.

Jay stood in his family's junkyard, glaring down at his failed invention. It was a flying contraption, and you were supposed to strap it to your back and then be able to fly. He had designed the wings to resemble a bat's wings. Well, they certainly didn't fly like a bat's wings. Jay huffed, kicking it in frustration. He had just climbed onto one of the tall junk piles lying around, strapped it to his back, and then had attempted to fly. It hadn't worked. Why hadn't it worked?! He had made all of the necessary modifications, and it should have flown! What had he done wrong?! This was now his twenty-second failed attempt.

"Stupid thing!" Jay growled, kicking it again. "It's never gonna work! Why do I even bother?!" Huffing, he spun away from it, crossing his arms. "That's it, I quit! Stupid thi—" He paused mid sentence at the old man standing before him. "Uh, who are you?" Suddenly nervous, he wondered if he had seen his failed attempt. Oh no, he probably thinks I'm an idiot! Ugh, why did some guy have to come today of all days?! Why not tomorrow?! What's wrong with tomorrow? Or why couldn't he have come earlier or something?! Oh, I hope he didn't see me! Jay kicked his contraption away, onto another junk pile. He laughed nervously at the old man's silence. "Um, did you want something?"

"If you are done with your mumbling, my name is Wu," the old man said.

Jay gulped, paling, as he realized that he had said all of that out loud. Oh, me and my big mouth! "Um, I'm Jay. Nice to meet you?"

Wu glanced at his invention with a raised eyebrow. Jay gulped again, knowing that he probably thought he was some crazy weirdo or something.

"I see you are an inventor," Wu said. He looked back at Jay with a searching gaze.

"Um, yes…" Jay mumbled. He definitely saw me…

"I am forming a team of ninja."

"Uh, what?" Jay had definitely not been expecting him to say that of all things. Why in the world would he tellhimthat?

"Would you like to join?"

Jay gaped at him, for the first time in his life speechless. "Excuse me, WHAT?!" He was asking him to be a ninja?! Did he now who he was talking to?!

"Yes," Wu replied, and Jay realized that he had said that out loud, again. "You have potential, though you do not know it."

"Um, I-I, uh, I don't think I'm cut out for it… I'm kinda, uh, weak, if you hadn't noticed…" Jay laughed nervously. "I would make a terrible ninja… I mean, I can't even get one of my inventions to work! Well, except that one that I made a few weeks ago… But that was only one!"

"You have more potential than you realize," Wu told him again.

"Are you crazy?!" Jay clapped a hand over his mouth, having not meant to say that out loud… Oh no, and now he probably thinks that I'm rude! Stupid Jay! Why did you have to say that?!

"Possibly," Wu replied, an amused smile on his face.

Jay gaped at him in shock. He had literally just confessed that he was, indeed, crazy. This guy is nuts… "Uh, so why do you want me, specifically, to be a ninja? I mean, I don't know a thing about fighting!"

"I will teach you. You have great potential."

"Great potential?! I'm sorry, but I think you've got the wrong guy, here."

"I assure you, I do not. Your name is Jay Walker, is it not?"

Jay spluttered, almost choking on his own spit. "How do you know my last name?!" Jay had purposefully not told anyone his last name. If word got around, he would be the laughing stock of the whole school. His name literally meant that he crossed the street in a stupid or unlawful manner—in other words, he crossed the street without looking both ways, with no regard to traffic, or crossed the street where you weren't supposed to cross.

"Would you like to become a ninja? You don't have to decide right now."

Jay gaped at him again. He had never met a crazy old man before, but he was pretty positive that he had met one now… But… something was urging him to go with this man. He didn't know… why, but Jay felt something tugging him, urging him, to go. Insisting. "I'll, uh, think about it…"

Wu nodded. "If you would like to join my team of ninja, then meet me tomorrow after school at the Monastery of Spinjitzu. And don't tell anyone."

Jay nodded mutely. The man turned and left, heading for the gate of the junkyard. Jay watched him go until he had disappeared.

"What?"

Monday

On Monday morning, Jay walked in a daze into school. His feet instinctively took him to his locker. Jay, Cole, Kai, Zane, Nya, and Lloyd's lockers were all right next to each other, strangely, and Zane, Cole, and Lloyd were already there. The three of them instantly stopped talking when they spotted Jay.

"Uh, hey, Jay," Cole greeted awkwardly. Zane and Lloyd did the same.

Jay should've picked up on the fact that they were either talking about him or something secret, but he was still in shock from yesterday. He hadn't even heard his friends. He was still mulling over the fact that a crazy old man had visited him yesterday, asking him if he wanted to join his team of ninja.

"Jay?" Cole asked.

Jay jumped, having just realized that they were there. He blinked in confusion at Cole, before he registered what he had said. "Oh! Um, what?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yup! Totally fine! I'm just, uh, tired," Jay lied.

The three of them gave him disbelieving looks. "Sure…"

Just then, Kai and Nya walked up to them.

"Hey, guys!" Kai greeted, Nya doing the same.

They all said hello back.

"So, anyone wanna do something after school?"

Cole, Zane, and Lloyd all exchanged uneasy glances.

"Sorry, Kai, but I've got something I need to do after school," Cole replied.

"So do I," Lloyd said.

"As do I," Zane told him.

"Oh. Jay?" Kai looked at Jay, who seemed to be staring off into space.

At the sound of his name, Jay's head snapped towards him. "Oh, uh, I've got something after school, too. Sorry."

Kai gave them all confused looks, then shrugged. "Okay, then."

Just then, the bell rang. They all hurried off to their classes without another word.

Jay had a very hard time paying attention. He kept thinking about the man's offer, and what it meant. He wasn't sure how some stranger thought that he could amount to anything, especially of all things, a ninja. Jay had already made up his mind. He was going to go to this monastery after school. He had never heard of the Monastery of Spinjitzu before, but he was determined to find out. At lunch, he planned to scour the library and figure out where it was.

After school, and after he had said goodbye to his friends, Jay was now trekking up a steep mountain that, in his opinion, was in the middle of nowhere. Panting, Jay glanced up. He was climbing up some stairs that had been carved into the mountain, and he sighed in relief when he realized that he was almost there. He could see a white monastery at the top. "Finally," Jay groaned.

At the top, Jay paused, about to knock. Did he really want to do this? Being a ninja would be hard work, and it probably included a lot of gore. Jay, in general, didn't like gory things. But, it would also be for the good of Ninjago. He would be doing something to help. Jay wasn't sure if he would make a good ninja. He had his doubts. But the old man hadn't seemed to doubt him. Sucking in a deep breath, trying to reassure himself, he tentatively knocked. He suddenly felt very unsure of himself, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking a bit on his feet. What if he couldn't do it? What if this was all some prank? What if—

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing Wu. "Hello, Jay." Wu stepped aside, letting him in.

Jay nodded to him in greeting, feeling very anxious, and walked in. He gazed around, seeing an empty courtyard, with a golden dragon statue in the middle. "So… I'm gonna become a ninja, then?"

"Yes. Come, and I will show you your teammates." Wu turned, walking inside, and Jay hesitantly followed him in.

Wu led him to a kitchen, and Jay let out a gasp of surprise. But not from the fact that it was a kitchen. Cole, Zane, and Lloyd were there. Cole was leaning on the counter, Lloyd was sitting at the kitchen table, and Zane was standing and already looking at him. Cole and Lloyd then noticed him, too.

"Wait, what?!" Jay screeched. "You're all ninja?!"

"I am starting to see a pattern here," Zane mused.

"Jay? You're gonna be a ninja?" Cole asked skeptically.

"Um, yes," Jay replied defensively, crossing his arms.

"Huh. You don't seem like the type." Cole shrugged nonchalantly.

"Uh, how long have you all been ninja?" Jay asked, suddenly curious.

"A few days," Zane and Cole replied at the same time.

"A few weeks," Lloyd replied.

"Okay," Jay replied slowly, not sure how he felt about this. "Why didn't you guys tell me?"

"You all have to keep your identities secret," Wu answered instead.

Jay turned to look at him. "Why?"

"For your own safety, as well as your friends' and family'. If the oni found out about your family or friends, they would not hesitate to go after them."

"Oh," Jay said dumbly.

"Come," Wu said, walking back out of the kitchen. "You all must train."

They all followed him out.