Rent a Girlfriend: Heritage of the Ninja (short story) Part 1

Characters:

Kazuya Kinoshita

Chizuru Mizuhara

Mami Nanami

Ruka Sarashina

Sumi Sakurasawa

Nagomi Kinoshita

Yoshiaki Kibe

Shun Kuribayashi

Sayuri Ichinose

Harumi and Kazuo Kinoshita

Mimi Yaemori

Umi Nakano

Graduation Trial and First Mission:

This was considered the final trial or test, and Kazuya was neither nervous nor anxious. What he was, was annoyed. Running across the obstacle course, he felt rather than seen the sudden arrow soaring towards him. Dodging the first one, he then backflipped and caught the second one. Throwing it back at the source, and of course he completely missed. Flipping over another obstacle, a three-foot-high log wall. He landed and drew his Katana. There before him was two others that were clad in black, and each held their own Katanas before them. In this trial he was not supposed to initiate combat. In fact, he had to somehow only evade and only defend himself to pass. What concerned him was he had no idea where the third person could be. He could tell from their stances and how they held their Katanas who they were. Then without pausing he ducked and rolled, barely evading from being struck from behind from a Sia. Continuing to roll, he did a handspring and filled over the two others landing at the goal. Pulling off his hood and face covering he turned back to the three and smiled. They did as well after they removed their own hoods and face coverings. "Very good Kazuya. You passed the final trial." His grandmother Nagomi said and then sat down on her haunches. "I am way too old to be doing things like this anymore." She muttered as she rested and Harumi stepped over to her, handing her a canteen of water. She greedily drank.

"We told you Mom, that we could do this. You did not have to participate." Kazou said as he looked at Nagomi with concern. The old woman smiled.

"No way. I wanted to since this is my grandson's graduation day. He is now officially a Ninja of the Kinoshita Clan. All that is left is the ceremony and him getting branded." Nagomi said drinking heavily again and then reaching into a pouch and removed a pill bottle. Taking one.

"I had expected Mom and Dad but not you Grans. Are you sure you are alright?" Kazuya said as he too neared his Grandmother. Also worried over how exhausted she seemed to be. Nagomi chuckled and shook her head.

"I am fine. But you have to remember to expect the unexpected. Otherwise, you might be defeated or put yourself in danger. As a Ninja of our Clan, you have the responsibility to do your best to fulfill your role and in time pass on the family heritage." Nagomi said as Harumi helped her stand. She was breathing a little harder than normal as they all walked back to the Car. Which was about five miles away. It had taken Kazuya about eight minutes to run the distance and all the way he was targeted by his family. As they walked, he and his Father stopped long enough to retrieve any Shurikens, Darts and Arrows that were shot at him. Some Arrows they had to break off the shafts because the arrowheads were embedded too deeply in a tree to actually retrieve. Meanwhile his Mother Harumi used a Bow Staff to trip any traps that Kazuya had not fallen for. All in all, it took twice as long as normal for the four of them to reach the Car. before actually reaching the Car they all stopped long enough to change their clothes. Packing their various weapons in a Duffle Bag. At home, they conducted the ceremony, and he was branded with a Snarling Tiger and a Serpentine Dragon with Wings on his two forearms. The Symbols of their family clan.

One week later, Kazuya clad in the traditional Ninja Robes eased up the side of the fifty-story building. Using Shinobi Shukos, otherwise known as Climbing Claws. He climbed with barely any effort. After all, when he was ten, he had to climb a seventy Story building using the same method. So, he knew exactly how to hook the claws into the one-inch groves of the building. His goal for the night was the roof and from there the forty third floor. Tonight's mission was a simple one. The higher-ups of this particular building had a sorted and vile reputation. Something that the Government wanted to eradicate. To bring the same people to justice. The problem, they had no evidence and could not get a Warrant to even go into the building. That left it to him. Or rather his family. Reaching the top floor, he quickly made sure that no one was about. Noticing the Security Camera. With a flip he hit it with a ball that splattered toothpaste over the lens. Simulating pigeon poop. Moving without sound, he neared the door and used a Spike to unlock the door. Once inside he melted into the darkness and snaping a carabiner in a place that no one would notice without thoroughly searching. In that he snapped a thin black line into it. Then dropped the two ends down the Stairwell. Forgoing the stairs in case they were alarmed, that and he wanted to put some thrill into his infiltration. Nearing the Forty Third Floor, he stopped his decent and swung over to the door. Once again using a spike to pick the lock, he opened the door and slipped into the dark hallway. The last obstacle was a door that had a keypad on the wall just besides the door handle. This would require a code that the Representative from the Government had given him. Something they had procured by paying an exuberate amount of money to a Technician that worked in the building. Tapping in the code, the door unlocked, and he entered. Walking right over to one of the computers, he plugged in a Flashdrive also provided by the Representative. It not only broke the encryption codes, but it also downloaded everything within the computer files. All the corruption and illicit illegal dealings the Company had conducted. When done, he pulled the Flashdrive and pocketed the evidence. As he entered the stairwelll again, he elected to go down rather than up. Sliding down the rope all the way to the first floor. Pulling the rope, it unlopped from the Carabiner and he returned it to one of his pouches. It was just as easy to sneak out of the building and meet up with his Contact, who would take the Flashdrive and that would be the end of all those connected to the Company. No one other than the Representative, and his Family would ever know who he was, that he was there or what he had done. The Contact would only briefly see him and have no idea what he did. That is how it worked. Within a few days Three Billion Yen would be deposited in the Family Bank Account. Payment for the mission.

Stopping briefly at his Family's Home to change clothes in the secret room on the second floor, Kazuya then went back to his Apartment. A Studio Apartment on the second floor. From now until he was needed for the next mission or assignment. He was just an average College Student. That was his cover. Just like his Family's cover of running a small-time convenience store located under the residence. Back at his Apartment, he went to take a shower and laid down on his futon to get some sleep. After all, it was just after midnight, and he had a class in the morning. Along with he had to do his morning exercises.

Neighbors:

It was just after 6 AM and Chizuru waited in the Kitchenette near the Coffee Maker. She had forgotten to preset the Coffee Maker to brew last night and now she had to be patient and wait. She needed the stimulate to get herself going. Especially this morning. She had stayed up late last night working on a couple of her College Assignments that were due next week. With her job and how busy she was with everything else. She had postponed working on anything College Related. She glanced over at the wall the separated her Apartment to the one next to hers. "Funny I did not think anyone was living there." She muttered as the aroma of Coffee drew her back to the Coffee Maker, it was almost done, and she was really craving a cup. Her thoughts went back to the mysterious neighbor that she had not even seen once since she moved in. She wondered if perhaps whoever it was, was as busy as she was. Now armed with a large cup of black coffee she headed to the balcony to sip the brew and watch the sun rise. The cool air would definitely help awaken her. Once on the Patio, she looked down and noticed someone back there doing one arm pull-ups on a tree branch. Her eyes wandered at the man's physique. He was not what someone would consider buff, but he was in good shape. She blushed when she realized that she was perversely staring at the man and admiring his body as he drew himself up. She then realized that the man had done over two dozen one armed pull-ups since she had begun to watch him, and he did not seem to be tired or straining at all as he continued. She continued to sip her coffee as she watches him and then when he switched to his other arm. Doing just as many pull-ups as he did before.

Kazuya easily noticed that someone was watching him as he did his pull-ups. But decided not to acknowledge to whoever it was that he did notice. He suspected that it was just one of his neighbors be curious. He noticed that the girl stopped watching him and went back into her Apartment right next to his. "Okay, that must be my neighbor. She is kind of...Well she is really beautiful." He muttered as he dropped to the ground and swung his arms back in forth in front of his. Now that he was loosened up, he would go jogging for a couple of miles. After that he would finally be able to get himself a cup of coffee and take a much needed and deserved shower.

Back in her own Apartment, Chizuru forced herself to stop thinking about the view that she had of that Man exercising. Going to her bathroom she showered and changed her clothes. Forgoing doing her hair into pigtails yet. Waiting until she absolutely had to. She had a lot of things to do before going to her Class at the College. Laundry, making breakfast, cleaning her Apartment and then getting ready to leave in her Ichonise persona. All of that took time. First, she made a simple breakfast and after eating and cleaning the dishes. She went over to her laundry basket and frowned. "I put off doing laundry for too long. I put on my last clean pair of underwear and socks." She muttered as she looked at the overflowing basket. Hefting the basket and Laundry Soap then made her way down to the first floor to do her laundry. Nearly bumping into the man that she had been ogling as he worked out in the back yard of the Apartment Building. She blushed slightly as he let her pass and hoped he did not notice her earlier and say anything. To her relief he didn't.

Riding on a Train, Chizuru always tried to stand in one of the corners with her back against the wall or side. This prevented any perverts from groping her. She had experienced it once and after stomping onto his foot with the heel of her shoe, it stopped him from caressing her ass. This time though it seemed that all the corners were occupied by other Girls. A reporter had mentioned that a couple of months ago about it being a preventive measure to deter anyone from groping or fondling. So, now more and more girls were doing that. She had listened the early morning news this morning while cleaning her Apartment and heard everything about the Authorities making over three dozen arrests at the HINJO Corporation. From Laundering Money to Drug Smuggling. She stopped to watch some of it when the reporter mentioned that those arrested were also blackmailing and forcing young girls to do some really sorted things. Moving over to one of the sides, she stood as close as she could to the wall of the train. Unfortunately, that did not help or save her from an older balding pudgy middle-aged man in a business suit. It did not stop him from caressing her ass, she stomped hard down on his right foot. But he simply smiled as he continued to rub her ass. "Stop that!" She growled reaching down with her left hand to forcefully push his hand away. He laughed.

"Oh, come on girl. You know you like it." The Man said with a sneer until suddenly he squealed loudly and spasmed upwards. Both of his hands went to his own backside as he hoped about. "AAARGH! What the Fuck?" He whimpered painfully as he found the source of the painful discomfort. A straightened-out paperclip that had penetrated his left ass cheek. A small amount of blood could be seen on a good half inch of it. He immediately limped away cursing and rubbing his offended ass cheek. Chizuru looked over to see the man from her apartment building with a small subtle smile on his lips about ten feet away. She had to wonder how he did that from such a distance.

When Kazuya got onto the train, he immediately noticed the Girl from the Apartment Building standing as close as she could to the side near some crowded seats. A good portion of the middle of the train car was packed with other people. From what he could tell were High School Students to Men in Business Suits. Along with what he guessed were fellow college students. As he stood there, he saw a balding short middle-aged man inch his way closer to his Neighbor. The older man did not even try to hide his intentions as he moved his right hand down and began to rub and caress her ass. He watched as the girl stomped on his foot, but that did not stop the older man, and it seemed to encourage him. Reaching into his own pocket, Kazuya pulled out a large paperclip and straightened it. Then broke off a third of it so that it had a sharpened end. With a minor flip of his wrist, he sent the small projectile across the somewhat crowded train right into the older man's ass. Causing the man to suddenly yelp in pain. Drawing attention from several others. Now the focus of so many, the man limped away cursing as he rubbed where the piece of metal had penetrated his posterior. Kazuya smirked and then noticed that the girl was looking right at him. She smiled at him and gave him a small curt nod. Ten minutes later the train arrived at the Station that was the stop near the College and most including Kazuya and Chizuru got off. On the platform Chizuru touched his right forearm gently.

"Thank you. I could not stop that pervert from groping me. You are the one that got him to stop...Right?" Chizuru asked and Kazuya shrugged.

"Yeah. I could tell you did not like it." Kazuya said and Chizuru let out a small sighing breath. Then they both started walking towards the College Campus.

"Usually, I try to be in one of the corners. With my back towards the side or corner. That way no one can come up behind me and do that. Today I couldn't because all the corners were already being used by other girls." Chizuru said making it sound like it was a common occurrence for some pervert to grope some unsuspecting girl. "That was amazing you somehow hit him with that piece of wire from where you were. How did you do that?" She asked him and Kazuya quickly came up with a good excuse.

"Well, I play darts a lot. You know where you throw darts at a Dartboard." Kazuya stated and it sounded like it was possible, so he hoped she would believe him.

"Still, that was really impressive. Thank you. Oh, by the way. I am Chizuru...Chizuru Ichinose." She introduced herself.

"Kazuya...Kazuya Kinoshita." He said back.

"It seems we are neighbors." Chizuru told him and he then realized that she had been the one watching him work out from her patio next to his. They chatted about this or that as they walked onto the Campus. "I have to go that way...I have a class on Twentieth Century Literature." She gestured towards a large building off to the right and about one hundred meters away.

"I am that way." Kazuya said pointed to the left where the sidewalk split off and then went a bit to the right.

"When you are done with your Class...Would you like to maybe meet me at the Cafeteria. I still owe you for what you did today. So, how about letting me buy you lunch?" Chizuru asked and Kazuya shrugged.

"You do not have to do that." Kazuya said and Chizuru shook her head. Her pigtails swayed back and forth.

"Yes, I do. It is the least I could do for what you did." Chizuru stated firmly and Kazuya decided that it might be nice. After all, Mami had just dumped him a few weeks ago. He had fallen for Mami and had hoped she would be the one. That in a few years they would get married and then she would begin the training to become a Ninja like him and his family. He would initially start her training, then his Grandmother would help her learn the subtleties and history of the Clan and later his Mother and Father would join in and finish her training. But Mami had dumped him claiming she found someone better than him. He actually knew the truth after she had dumped him. He had spied on her from the shadows later and discovered that she actually was cheating on her Boyfriend when she dated him. So, at that moment he knew she was unsuited and unworthy of being anything more than what she had been with him.

"Okay. My class ends about 11 AM." Kazuya said and Chizuru smiled at him.

"That is about the time my Class ends. So I will meet you at the Cafeteria...Say about 11:15." With that Chizuru departed and as she walked, she suddenly was approached by two girls with huge smiles on their faces. Kazuya watched as the two girls bombarded Chizuru with questions. While she completely denied everything.

At the end of the day, it had been decided that they would go home together. Since they were heading in the same direction. During lunch at the Cafeteria, Kazuya learned a few things about Chizuru. That she was also attending Acting School and she had a long time dream of becoming an accomplished actress like her Grandmother. In return he told her some things about himself and his family as well. That he planned after College to go into the Family Business. Not really elaborating into what type of business that his Family did. Other than running the Family Store. Not about him being a Ninja and a Paid Government Special Agent. As they neared the Train Station, two men came running out a local bank. One of them began to fire from a pistol back at the bank. While the other beelined it to a parked car where a third man was sitting behind the wheel of the car. Kazuya quickly grabbed Chizuru and maneuvered her behind a nearby Dumpster. At the same time, he palmed a Shuriken. Keeping it concealed within his palm. "Stay down." He said calmly putting himself between him and the two-armed men that jumped into the car's back seat. That is when the driver began to fire his own gun from the driver's seat out the open window of the Passenger seat. Keeping the Bank Guards from coming out and attempting to stop them. As the car began to drive away at high speed. The Passenger's Side Front tire exploded, and the car veered into a nearby Brick Wall. No one, including the Bank Robbers noticed what had caused the flat tire. Two of the Robbers quickly got out of the car, brandishing their firearms. Then slumped as two darts struck them in critical spots that rendered them unconscious. Within moments the Police arrived, and the scene settled down. With the commotion over, Kazuya and Chizuru continued to make their way back to their respective apartments. No one even suspected that he was the reason the Robbers did not escape. Later, a Government Official made the collected Shuriken and Darts disappear from the evidence Locker at the Police Station. Along with the Officers that had collected them were told that they did not find anything. The Robbers tire blew out and they fainted after they crashed.

"Thank you...Again. For protecting me." Chizuru said on the Train, still shaking somewhat from what had happened. She then noticed that even during that incident Kazuya was completely calm. Which intrigued and piqued her interest. "Anyone else...Would be like me...Completely freaking out over that." She muttered inaudibly as they rode the train to their stop.

Aftermath and the First Date:

In her Apartment, Chizuru tried to memorize her lines for a Play that she was auditioning for. But her thoughts kept thinking about Kazuya. Which aggravated her as he sat heavily in her Chair. "Stop thinking about him! Stop it!" She growled and then sighed. "He is just so...So amazing." She hit herself lightly with the Script. "Okay...Enough of that. I have to concentrate." Forcing herself to reread the Script again and not think about her Neighbor at all. She failed completely.

"Grans! You have to be kidding me." Kazuya said over his Cellphone as he too was pacing in his own Apartment.

"That girl dumped you a month ago. It is time you moved on and find yourself another. This time make sure she is not some...manipulative B...Girl that already has a Boyfriend and is only using you because she hates him. So that is why...To get over her...Try what I suggested." Grandma Nagomi stated over the Speaker of his Cellphone. "The best way I believe to be the best is to go on a date with someone else and that will definitely help you get over her. Thus, the Rental Girlfriend APP I sent to you. Use it." She demanded, ending the call and Kazuya decided to relent. Even though he did not really want to. As he sat and began to look over the profiles and pictures he almost fell over from his seat when he saw someone that easily resembled Chizuru Ichonise. His Neighbor. Even their first names were the same. That was enough reason for him to at least book a date.

Waiting outside the Aquarium, Chizuru subtly glanced at her Cellphone. She had arrived a good thirty minutes early. She had reviewed everything the new Client had put on his profile and believed she was more than ready to be his pretend Girlfriend for the date. She did notice several appreciative glances from other men that passed by her. Most had a girl with them, but that did not stop them from looking which annoyed their dates. She was confident in her abilities of being a Rental Girlfriend and knew she would be ready for anything. That is until she noticed who her client was. It was her Neighbor, Kazuya Kinoshita. To her dismay and surprise, when she saw him. Her heart skipped a beat.

"I have to say the differences between what you look like then to now is extraordinary." Kazuya remarked as they walked through the Aquarium. "Though I think I like you better the other way. You are really cute with pigtails and glasses." He commented and Chizuru pouted as her cheeks reddened.

"Please don't tell anyone. I do not want anyone from School to know what I do for a job." Chizuru said and Kazuya nodded.

"No problem. I won't. We all have secrets we do not want anyone to know about." Kazuya said and Chizuru knew she could trust him. It still was a shock to her and at first, she wanted to cancel the date since he knew her. Knew the real her. But he reassured her that he only Rented her so he could get over his recent break-up with who he believed was his Girlfriend. So, she decided it would be alright for them to proceed on the Rental Date.

Nearing the Exit, they made their way to a local Cafe for lunch. So far, Chizuru was having a great time. She may turn heads, but she noticed so did Kazuya. But from girls that passed them and why not. His physique was quite nice. It was not that he had bulky muscles, but they were well defined and easily noticeable in the shirt he was wearing. She herself found herself secretly and subtly admiring his physique a couple of times and finding herself becoming attracted to him not just physically but emotionally. For she knew he was a really great guy. Someone she knew she would not mind being with. "Stop it, Girl. He is a client. You do not have an interest in that type of relationship right now." She said to herself as they neared the Cafe. With the date over an hour later, they separated and made their way back to their respective apartments separately. Though later that evening she heard Kazuya leave the Apartment at about 9 PM and did not return until just after 2 AM. For she was up to then trying to finish a Term Paper. She found herself wondering where and why he left for so long. Not knowing that he was going on another Mission sanctioned by the Government.

To be continued: