忍ぶ意思 Shinobu Ishi
Title: Part 1: Shinobu Ishi
Rating: PG13 (for mild violence)
Pairing: TBA, Ohno-centric
Genre: action, AU
Chapter: one
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Ohno Satoshi is the student of a strong ninja lord who has lived his life following his teacher’s strict guidance. But what happens when he slowly learns he has to live for himself?
Jyani looked down at the two boys humbly seated before him with their knees tucked under them and gazes trained directly on the space a few feet in front of the ninja lord, avoiding direct eye contact.
The ninja leader was seated on a raised platform, the focus of his audience chamber. Underneath him was a faded purple pillow and behind him, engraved in high quality wood, the code of the ninja clan. The first rule stood out from the rest, the flowing kanji slightly larger than the previous.
Remain loyal to the clan and its lord.
That was Jyani. It was more than tradition that everyone in the village followed the head of the clan. The code ensured that there was a network of trust and confidence and that they would never be betrayed by one of their comrades.
Of course there were many ninjas that rejected this practice, saying it was too strict, depended too much on one person, but Jyani directly attributed the success of his own clan to the centralization of their loyalties.
This lord had no need for subordinates that he held any doubt in. He made sure he knew where each of the members of the clan stood in their loyalties at any point in time, and the most effective way to take care of each individual if it came down to that.
It was, though, in his best interest to prevent any disloyalties in the clan’s existing members before any situations arose. The easiest way to do this was to create a connection to, not only Jyani, but to the clan as a whole. If there were any lingering attachments, it would be harder for a ninja to betray or leave him.
There was a spectrum of ways to do this, but Jyani had two preferred methods.
The easiest way was financially; even ninja couldn’t live without some sort of income to buy food and other necessities.
The most effective, although much more difficult to achieve, was emotionally; when a ninja had a family of friends to leave behind in his betrayal, he tended to rethink his actions. And if a member of the village wanted to stay, they were expected to follow Jyani’s command.
It wasn’t that Jynai doubted his subordinates. Of course he didn’t. It was a “give and take” relationship.
It was just better to prevent problems of disloyalty from rising, especially when they were still young, instead of dealing with the harsh consequences later on.
“Ohno Satoshi. Ninomiya Kazunari.”
Neither of the boys moved an inch at Jyani’s booming voice. They had been trained well thus far.
“Do you know why I have called you here today?” Jyani paused in order to receive an answer from the two placed before him.
When silence overtook the room for more than five seconds, the boys answered simultaneously.
“No, sir.” Satoshi’s eyes were still locked on the floor boards.
“N-no.” Kazunari sounded more nervous than his comrade and his eyes were darting towards Jyani’s face. “Sir,” he added after hearing Satoshi use the title.
“From today forward, the two of you will become a team.”
Kazunari’s head shot up and he looked Jyani directly in the eye before noticing his mistake and looking towards the open door leading to the garden outside, blushing in embarrassment.
Satoshi had also looked unprepared for the announcement, but held his position in front of the lord, bowed forward slightly.
As it should be. Satoshi was Jyani’s prodigy after all.
“Starting now, the two of you will report for all missions together. Kazunari, you will move your belongings into Satoshi’s room in the Main Building by tonight.”
The boy nodded anxiously, looking down at his hands placed in front of him.
“I expect you to train together, to know each other’s strong points and limitations. Satoshi, if I ask what Kazunari would do in a specific situation, you’d better be able to tell me. Kazunari, you should know where Satoshi is at any given time.”
The two boys nodded together.
“Any questions?” Jyani was stoic but he wasn’t heartless. These nine and eleven year old boys were probably feeling quite overturned right now.
He knew everything about the both of them, which was why he had made the decision that he had. It was obvious the pair was already getting along well together, and having a companion in their work would only make them stronger. It would give them new abilities, expose weaknesses, as well as bring emotional stability.
Kazunari looked up at him tentatively and Jyani motioned for him to speak.
“Wh-why us?” he squeaked out in a high pitched voice.
Jyani gave him a wry smile that probably wasn’t as comforting as he’d meant it to be. “You complement each other. You work well together and you’ve already had experience doing so. Besides, you are the only two ninja in your age group that have your ability level.”
Jyani trusted he answered Kazunari’s question properly, although with more information than was necessary.
He paused for another minute, glancing at Satoshi, who still hadn’t moved, then dismissed the two with a flick of his wrist.
+++
“This is weird,” Nino said as he handed Ohno his bedroll.
“It’s not weird. It’s an honor.” Ohno took the oversized blanket unconsciously, watching Nino rummaged around the mostly bare room. He shared it with several other children, but since Nino was the oldest and the only one able to take on any missions, he was also the only one with any personal items to claim as his own. Even though they didn’t amount to much.
Ohno’s room was bare too, though. They were ninja that lived in the protection of the forest-ridden mountains; even if it wasn’t a rule to be unattached from the rest world (which it was), there really wasn’t a convenient access to goods so far away from civilization. They didn’t have any of the latest technologies that swept through the cities and rarely heard any news of the outside world. In fact, the only time that either of them had left the small village had been strictly to fulfill a mission.
“Whatever…” Nino didn’t turn around to acknowledge Ohno’s words, but simply continued to examine random items, deciding whether to bring them or not, intending to pass them on to the room’s other occupants in the later case. So far he hadn’t left any behind, though.
Since Nino was an orphan (well, the real story was a little bit different--Nino’s parents had sold him to Jyani after the ninja lord had witnesses the boy’s amazing combat skills on the street, but since Nino felt like that was worse than simply being abandoned, he told everyone that he was an orphan), he lived in a small house with seven other children and a retired widow in the middle of their small village. It was a place that children would often come in and out of, being adopted by other families in the small town, growing old enough to earn their own lodgings, or rarely, like now, they would move into the Main Building.
The Main Building, which housed Jyani and his two assistants, as well as several higher ranking ninjas, was more like a Lord’s castle when compared to the rest of the meager village. It wasn’t decorated in gold trimming or delicately painted paper screens, but the entire ground space it took up was larger than half of the rest of the expanse of the remaining homes (of course their community wasn’t big in the first place, but that was still saying something). The Main Building was made completely of high quality wood, as was tradition, and included a garden in the middle that both boys agreed was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. It only had a small, simple pond and several blossoming trees, but it seemed like the rest of the world disappeared while you were within its boundaries.
Surrounding the outside of the garden was the main hall, which included several private rooms, and one full corridor was dedicated to Jyani’s reception hall, meeting rooms, and private quarters.
The household itself was made up of elite ninjas, all of which had earned their status over years of grueling work. Although they brought in a large portion of the village’s income, they included less than ten percent of its population. The rest of the village was much like any other: although the primary occupation was that of a ninja, there were also a few farmers, shop owners, and one merchant who would travel back and forth with wares for the village. The total residents amounted to less than a few hundred people, but it was enough to keep the town thriving.
Nino wasn’t sure how he felt about the change in his arrangements. Although he was actually quite ecstatic to be moving in with his best friend, Ohno, he had begun to get used to living in such a crowded space with a loving mother figure and siblings he could relate to.
Ohno had been living in the Main Building for as long as Nino had been in the village, which wasn’t more than a few years, but it was still a very prestigious and unbelievable standing for someone of Ohno’s age. Nino could tell the other elite ninja were always looking down on his friend when the younger boy came to visit, and it was obvious that they treated Ohno with disdain, although it was (thinly) hidden behind a veil of courtesy. Ohno was only eleven, after all, and it had taken them that many years to earn their own room in Jyani’s palace.
Jyani’s just playing favorites.
There’s something else going on.
He’s a pretty boy after all.
These were not the worst things that he’d heard about his friend, even when Ohno was standing immediately next to him.
It pissed Nino off, but Ohno didn’t seem to mind. He’d calmly walk past them without a word either way and, although the younger ninja was sure that at the smallest complaint Jyani would at least reprimand them for their childish behavior, Ohno had never approached his mentor with the problem.
Nino thought that made him even braver.
“Do you really need all this?” Ohno asked past a pile of items that had built up in his hands, the bedroll at the bottom.
“I’m almost done, don’t worry…” Nino replied casually, looking through the sparse collection of books he’d obtained over the last few years.
He ended up taking them all.
+++
Nino wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to Ohno, who was slowly going through his sword forms in the clearing next to where the younger ninja had been training.
They had come to practice together, which wasn’t anything new since they had been doing so since Nino had come to the village two years ago. But it was official now. Nino could hang around Ohno all day, share his futon with him, even hold his hand, and now no one could tell them stop messing around and get back to work, because Nino’s work had become knowing everything about Ohno.
He had never been happier for the change.
Although Nino wanted to call Ohno over so they do so some hand to hand practice, he decided to wait until Ohno finished his form. The older boy wouldn’t hear him, anyway, and Nino might even become a distraction, which he would feel guilty over later.
Instead, Nino walked through the green foliage hanging from the trees towering over him and headed towards a small river that ran beside their training area.
It had been a month since the two of them had become a team, and Jyani still hadn’t given them a mission yet. Nino hadn’t finished many missions by himself before, but he had had an expectation that he would suddenly be bombarded with them after such an official announcement that the two of them would become partners. There was a reason for it, wasn’t there?
Nino leaned over the flowing water and brought a mouthful of it to his lips with a cupped hand.
Ah, that hit the spot.
Ohno brought the katana over the top of his head in a slow, controlled motion, and then dropped it in front of him. He held that pose for a second, before bringing it back up towards his chest, and turned the blade to slip back into the sheath at his side.
He stood staring at the tree in front of him, focusing on the feeling of his chi coursing through him.
After a few seconds he finally took a deep breath and came out of his trance.
Nino had been practicing with his pole when Satoshi had started his mid-day exercise. Nino was fairly good at using one (he could do this cool trick where he anchored the pole into the ground and used it as a step, curling his calve around it to lift himself a foot or two off the ground), but that was only one of the many weapons he could use. The younger boy couldn’t handle a katana to save his life (well, maybe if his life was on the line he could make it work) but Nino was proficient in a whole different arsenal of weapons including throwing knives, stars, darts, sais, and spears.
In fact, in a lot of ways Ohno thought that Nino was far better at fighting than himself. Of course as Jyani’s apprentice he had learned many tricks and strategies for combat, but Nino could adapt himself to whatever situation he was in without thinking about it. If he needed a weapon, he could pick up pretty much anything and use it, where Ohno was restricted to carrying his sword with him. Nino was good at coming up with alternative courses of action, where the older boy had to rely on his luck and whatever he could remember of Jyani’s lectures. Ohno had more experience than Nino, too, but he felt like Nino’s naivety gave him the strength to weather any situation.
“Ah, Oh-chan. You’re done?” Nino tromped back through the forest towards him, wiping water from his chin, his brown training gear wet down the front.
Ohno mopped the sweat from his own forehead and nodded.
“Want to spar? Do you need a break?”
“Na, I’m fine. Hand to hand?” It seemed like Nino always wanted to do hand to hand combat, since it was hard to pick a good match up of weapons. Sometimes Ohno would use his sword, but Nino’s specialties were all either effective from a distance or used the same form as his hand to hand anyway.
The weapon expert grinned widely and nodded.
Ohno allowed a small smile to grace his own lips at his friend’s affection, and began untying his katana from his waist.
It was the same as it had always been, the two of them practicing together, getting stronger in their private glade of the forest, but Ohno couldn’t help but feel that their lives were headed for a change.
+++
Jyani called the team into his mission hall a few days before Ohno turned twelve. Nino had mumbled something like finally as the two waited patiently outside the sliding paper door before they were allowed in by one of Jyani’s assistants.
After the formalities of bowing and allowing Jyani to speak first, the task they were to be assigned immediately surfaced.
“It’s a retrieval mission. It’s not a high rank, but since it will be the first mission the two of you complete together, I think it is appropriate.”
Nino nodded and Ohno stayed as stoic as ever. He was always like that in Jyani’s presence and it seemed to make Nino edgier than if his friend had been his usual laid-back self.
“You will be leaving tonight. The details are in this Mission Brief.” Jyani handed the documents to the man seated beside him, who shuffled the few feet between him and the boys and placed it in front of them. “Please take a few minutes to look over it before we discuss the strategy details. I will return shortly.”
Nino noticed Ohno nod lightly next to him and mimicked his friend’s actions.
Jyani slowly stood, his assistant following, and exited the room through the sliding doors beside them.
When the two ninja were left alone, Nino caught Ohno’s look, then they both reached for the envelope together.
As they read through the information, it was obvious that this was an easy mission. Something had been stolen (evidently) and the customer simply wanted it returned to them. They had details on the location of the item and the perpetrator, as well as a clear description of the task.
Ohno had done two missions like this before so he was glad it was their first one. It would give them a taste of success and a little confidence working together.
Nino, on the other hand, felt cheated. The two youngest working members of the clan were wasting their time on this? Nino could do this mission by himself. The only reason that they would even need two people was because it was in some Lord’s house and there would probably be guards and blah blah blah.
Ohno laid the plans of the manor in front of them and began formulating an entry strategy.
“It seems as if the security is lax at this door,” he started, pointing to the map.
“You’re taking this seriously?” Nino asked incredulously, turning to his friend.
Ohno blinked at him a few times, looking slightly confused. “You should take every mission seriously, Nino.”
“What? Oh, come on. You could do something like this in your sleep. I could do something like this in my sleep.”
Ohno’s face fell into a disapproving frown and Nino sighed.
“Fine. What’s the plan?” the younger boy asked, conceding.
Ohno didn’t retract his look, but turned his attention to the map and began outlining tactics with his forefinger.
Over the course of ten minutes, with Nino suggesting several other options (there’s probably a water outlet here or they’d have more guards in this area because of the way they do the rounds), the two of them hashed out an entry plan.
Jyani seemed to appear right as they had finalized their strategy.
Nino presented their idea, his expression neutral, and didn’t mention the fact that this mission didn’t fit their skill level while Jyani listened intently.
When the younger ninja was finished, the envelope organized neatly in front of them again, Jyani offered a few criticisms.
“How are you going to get into the treasure room once you are inside the building?”
Ohno hadn’t thought about that, and neither had Nino from the look on his face. It was obvious to Jyani that these two needed far more experience planning than what they had, but for now it would due to just criticize them a bit.
“If you make contact with the lord what will you do?” Jyani immediately fired the next question. His expression said that he had expected quite a few ideas to be neglected.
Using the plan formulated by the pair, the three of them made it workable and Jyani sent them off feeling confident that he had taken Kazunari down a notch and better prepared Satoshi for any unexpected situations.
+++
Ohno and Nino were perched next to each other on top of a tall wall made of wooden pillars surrounding the targeted household, hidden from the moon by overhanging tree branches.
They were dressed almost identically in their black ninja gear, which had been made specifically for night raids. The night, of course, held many more advantages than moving in the daylight, and so the clothes they wore were standardized throughout the village. Their day apparel would often change by task and availability, and therefore many ninja still wore their black gear when they weren’t working.
Starting from the top, each boy was equipped with a black fabric mask covering their nose and mouth, and a hood that wrapped tightly around their heads to keep any hair from showing (although Ohno could still see some curls peaking out across Nino’s forehead). This not only prevented anyone from recognizing the ninja in question, but also stopped the locks of hair from being used against them in battle. Also, if utilized properly, several ninja could confuse their prey and create an illusion of more or less men than were actually present.
Around their necks, hidden by the tall collar of the undershirt, was a small metal band that was meant to protect the owner from a hidden attack or a fatal wound across the jugular. The plain black shirt that covered each chest had long sleeves that were tucked into gloves, which were fingerless and covered in thin pieces of lacquered wood. The top was in a cut similar to a kimono, two flaps of fabric attached to each sleeve, one folding over the top of the other, ending in a piece of string that tied tightly across the chest for easy access in a tough situation. The top was secured by a matching sash across the waist, eliminating any loose pieces that could get caught on something or grabbed by an enemy. They also wore a sparse outer layer of armor which consisted of two forearm guards, made of the same strong wood that covered the back of the hand.
In order to keep their mobility intact, the pants were made up of a thin cotton material that fit loosely, but was made to almost the exact measurements of the owner. The bottoms bulged slightly above where they were tucked into black soft boots, which were split between the two largest toes in the traditional style and dipped in a tar-like substance on the sole for durability and grip.
Each ninja also wore a variety of items either around their waist or on their back. The only consistent tool for everyone was a mesh net that served various purposes: as a rope (since it was strong enough to hold even the heaviest ninja), emergency wound treatment (to stop blood flow), or even as a distraction or illusion in a quick escape. Since it could also be used to carry other items, stretching large enough to fit a sake barrel, but also delicate enough to hold small jewels, most ninja wore the cloth around their waist or across their torso.
Ohno usually had his tied around his waist, the excess material tucked neatly into the back of his sash to prevent any free ends from hanging around him. He did this because he had to wear his sword on his back, diagonally for easy access, and so it would take too much effort to have to move either of the items to reach the other. Nino, though, wore his around his chest tonight like a vest, since he would be the one retrieving their target item--an ancient scroll--and could easily carry and protect the item while keeping his hands free.
Unlike Ohno’s, the sash at Nino’s waist was specially made with pockets sew in the top and back so he could carry a variety of small weapons with him like throwing stars and acupuncture needles. Hanging off one hip was a small pouch that was full of at least ten different powder or herbs, each with extremely different properties (some were poison, some were for healing, some simply made you fall asleep). Nino was competent enough that he could know which one he was touching simply by the consistency (in the case the order they were in got mixed up), but he could never make such a product himself. He was clever, but in a way that was strictly logical.
Not having anything similar to weigh him down, Ohno was more prepared for combat than Nino was, following the plan they had devised with Jyani. One permanent difference was that Ohno’s forearm shields were bulkier than Nino’s were, but that was simply due to their dissimilar combat specialties. Ohno had to get in close to his enemy while Nino could snipe from farther away.
But tonight the older ninja had a thin piece of metal attached to his chest under his shirt as well, protecting his most vital areas and organs. Usually their clan avoided metals because they were bulkier, heavier, and harder to repair, but there were some instances, especially for the designated combatant, in which they were necessary.
With an ease of years of practice, the pair simultaneously jumped from the wall and darted across the inner garden of the mansion, somewhat covered by the cherry trees that were growing there. Once the pair was next to the building, they sidled up against the rock wall that made up the base of the structure and shimmied the length of the side, staying in the shadows.
They approached the entrance they had decided to use for infiltration, a window that looked out onto the garden, with Ohno in front and Nino following directly behind. Pausing for only a second to look in back of him, Nino pressed himself against Ohno’s side and then knelt down to give his partner a leg up to the window, since it was almost ten feet off the ground.
Nino lifted Ohno up (not quite easily, but they made it) far enough that he could grab onto the window sill. Upon a signal from his comrade, Nino grabbed onto Ohno’s calves and pulled himself up, using the rock wall as a hold for his feet as much as he could.
As skilled as a monkey, Nino kept his contact with Ohno to a mere second, his own fingers following his friends on the sill and holding his own weight up, before he tentatively lifted his head and looked through the window, his thighs resting around Ohno’s waist. The room was dark, but there was a faint light coming in from the hall, which was exposed by the door to whatever room they were currently looking in being open.
Without hesitating, Nino pulled himself into the room, careful that he didn’t cause the wooden shutter propped open above him to fall shut, and by the time his feet touched the floor, Ohno was following right behind him.
According to the map, the treasure room should be out the hall and around the corner from where they entered. But there would undoubtedly be guards on duty. The manor wasn’t that big, but it was big enough.
Ohno snuck up to the doorway and pressed himself against the wall in order to look through the entrance. Nino followed directly after him, placing himself at the other side.
The two of them waited in silence and eventually heard voices wafting down the hallway, although they didn’t seem to be moving.
Nino met Ohno’s eyes for a second and each of them knew that the other agreed that they should move. First peeking his head out of the door slowly, the older ninja then darted out of the room, Nino mimicking his movements almost perfectly.
They were down the passage, headed the opposite direction of the light, but before they rounded the corner, Ohno pulled himself up the wall gracefully, using another sliding door’s frame as a spring board, and positioned himself in the rafters.
Nino was sure he hadn’t looked as cool as Ohno, but he successfully completed the move too, without making a sound.
The two of them slowly worked their way through the beams that covered the hall, and when they finally approached the treasure room, which was currently being guarded by two stoic looking soldiers, they were disguised by the flickering shadows of the lamp hanging beside the door as it softly reflected on different angles of the wood.
This had been one of the harder parts of their plan. They had had to come up with a different idea to disengage the protectors quickly and silently depending on how many there were present. The plan they had come up with for two soldiers included each of the boys taking on one of the guards, but the question of keeping the silence had fallen to Nino, whose knowledge of herbs was better than Ohno’s.
Reaching for the pouch at his side, the younger boy pulled out a square of cloth, already knowing where the item he was looking for was located, and withdrew it without making a sound. He unfolded the makeshift envelope and handing Ohno a brown leaf, a little smaller than the expanse of his palm, delicately and took one for himself too.
The herb, which had been dried and treated, would make a man lose his consciousness immediately when inhaled. It would only last for five minutes at most, but it was more than enough time for Nino to get in to the treasure room and get back out. As a backup plan, Nino figured the two of them could take out the soldiers easily, not to mention more that would show up. He estimated a ninety percent success rate for up to twelve additional guards, fifteen if Ohno could get his sword out fast enough.
Ohno gave him a look, saying that he was ready, and the two ninja dropped down directly in front of their respective adversaries. When their enemies opened their mouths in surprise, either to gasp or yell, each boy shoved the leaf inside instead, and then gently guided the man to the floor as the herb took immediate effect.
Nino withdrew a tool from his sash, something that resembled a key only it was distinctly bent in a way that made it almost unrecognizable, and began picking the simple lock that was inlaid in the door. Usually only the most important rooms had one in this age and therefore made them particularly stand out from the rest of the household.
The lacquered wooden door popped open a second later, and Ohno took a protective stance in front of it, his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging across his back. As Nino rummaged in the room behind him, the older ninja looked critically each way down the hallway, to see if their attack had alerted any one. The only light still visible was the lamp next to the door, which continued to create shifting shadows on the wall and in the rafters where the pair had been a moment ago.
They hadn’t been detected.
Nino pushed up against him a moment later and Ohno turned to see the scroll tucked snugly against his chest inside the mesh container. The older boy jerked his head towards the way that they had come, and they retreated without any problems arising.
+++
When they returned to the village the next day, the first stop (no matter how much Nino complained that he was hungry) was the Mission Hall in the Main Building.
Jyani smiled at the pair with a twinkle in his eye as his assistant examined the scroll and began checking off notes on a separate sheet of parchment.
“Everything went smoothly, I presume?”
Both boys nodded together, Nino’s exhaustion making him less jumpy than when they had been given the brief in the first place.
“And no casualties, I see.” In Jyani’s hand was a report that Nino had written a few minutes earlier, filling in the details of the mission (supplies used, how closely they followed the original plan, any unexpected occurrences). Jyani offered the sleepy-eyed boys another grin, obviously proud of them.
The assistant nodded and handed Jyani the notes he had taken before excusing himself with the retrieved scroll in hand.
“You did well.”
Nino noticed Ohno’s lip lift ever so slightly in a smile, and couldn’t hold back his own. It felt really nice, being praised like that, not to mention the words were coming from the leader of the village.
“But,” Jyani started strongly, pausing for dramatic effect. “You aren’t complete.”
After that statement, Nino blatantly stared at him, confused by the sudden change, and Jyani was amused to see Ohno raise his head as well.
He looked between both of them, giving them a full on stare, but not offering an explanation to his statement.
+++
A/N: Yay! My ninja story! Actually I wrote this over a year ago, but haven't posted it until now, because of timing and also because it's very dear to me so I wanted to make sure it was good for the rest of you too. Since I wrote it so long ago, though, you might see some of my old writing style (lol, I don't even know if it changed that much).
About the title: "Shinobi" in another word for Ninja in Japanese, but Shinobu, the adjective form, can mean "hidden". So it's a play on words, either meaning something like "A Ninja's Purpose" or "Hidden Purpose". I can't say I'm particularly good at Japanese, so if you want to correct this, feel free!
About the pairings: There will be some later, but I wanted to post the first few chapters as "to be announced" because when I was writing this story I actually wasn't 100% what the end pairings would be. So I wanted to convey that feeling. I will not be offended if you choose to wait until they are posted to read this story. :)
By the way, if you have any questions about this universe please ask, because it might take a little while for the details to come through. I'm always open to criticism too.
(p.s. Should I make a banner for this?)
Chapter two
Rating: PG13 (for mild violence)
Pairing: TBA, Ohno-centric
Genre: action, AU
Chapter: one
Disclaimer: I guess Johnny’s technically owns Arashi, huh? Not me.
Summary: Ohno Satoshi is the student of a strong ninja lord who has lived his life following his teacher’s strict guidance. But what happens when he slowly learns he has to live for himself?
Jyani looked down at the two boys humbly seated before him with their knees tucked under them and gazes trained directly on the space a few feet in front of the ninja lord, avoiding direct eye contact.
The ninja leader was seated on a raised platform, the focus of his audience chamber. Underneath him was a faded purple pillow and behind him, engraved in high quality wood, the code of the ninja clan. The first rule stood out from the rest, the flowing kanji slightly larger than the previous.
Remain loyal to the clan and its lord.
That was Jyani. It was more than tradition that everyone in the village followed the head of the clan. The code ensured that there was a network of trust and confidence and that they would never be betrayed by one of their comrades.
Of course there were many ninjas that rejected this practice, saying it was too strict, depended too much on one person, but Jyani directly attributed the success of his own clan to the centralization of their loyalties.
This lord had no need for subordinates that he held any doubt in. He made sure he knew where each of the members of the clan stood in their loyalties at any point in time, and the most effective way to take care of each individual if it came down to that.
It was, though, in his best interest to prevent any disloyalties in the clan’s existing members before any situations arose. The easiest way to do this was to create a connection to, not only Jyani, but to the clan as a whole. If there were any lingering attachments, it would be harder for a ninja to betray or leave him.
There was a spectrum of ways to do this, but Jyani had two preferred methods.
The easiest way was financially; even ninja couldn’t live without some sort of income to buy food and other necessities.
The most effective, although much more difficult to achieve, was emotionally; when a ninja had a family of friends to leave behind in his betrayal, he tended to rethink his actions. And if a member of the village wanted to stay, they were expected to follow Jyani’s command.
It wasn’t that Jynai doubted his subordinates. Of course he didn’t. It was a “give and take” relationship.
It was just better to prevent problems of disloyalty from rising, especially when they were still young, instead of dealing with the harsh consequences later on.
“Ohno Satoshi. Ninomiya Kazunari.”
Neither of the boys moved an inch at Jyani’s booming voice. They had been trained well thus far.
“Do you know why I have called you here today?” Jyani paused in order to receive an answer from the two placed before him.
When silence overtook the room for more than five seconds, the boys answered simultaneously.
“No, sir.” Satoshi’s eyes were still locked on the floor boards.
“N-no.” Kazunari sounded more nervous than his comrade and his eyes were darting towards Jyani’s face. “Sir,” he added after hearing Satoshi use the title.
“From today forward, the two of you will become a team.”
Kazunari’s head shot up and he looked Jyani directly in the eye before noticing his mistake and looking towards the open door leading to the garden outside, blushing in embarrassment.
Satoshi had also looked unprepared for the announcement, but held his position in front of the lord, bowed forward slightly.
As it should be. Satoshi was Jyani’s prodigy after all.
“Starting now, the two of you will report for all missions together. Kazunari, you will move your belongings into Satoshi’s room in the Main Building by tonight.”
The boy nodded anxiously, looking down at his hands placed in front of him.
“I expect you to train together, to know each other’s strong points and limitations. Satoshi, if I ask what Kazunari would do in a specific situation, you’d better be able to tell me. Kazunari, you should know where Satoshi is at any given time.”
The two boys nodded together.
“Any questions?” Jyani was stoic but he wasn’t heartless. These nine and eleven year old boys were probably feeling quite overturned right now.
He knew everything about the both of them, which was why he had made the decision that he had. It was obvious the pair was already getting along well together, and having a companion in their work would only make them stronger. It would give them new abilities, expose weaknesses, as well as bring emotional stability.
Kazunari looked up at him tentatively and Jyani motioned for him to speak.
“Wh-why us?” he squeaked out in a high pitched voice.
Jyani gave him a wry smile that probably wasn’t as comforting as he’d meant it to be. “You complement each other. You work well together and you’ve already had experience doing so. Besides, you are the only two ninja in your age group that have your ability level.”
Jyani trusted he answered Kazunari’s question properly, although with more information than was necessary.
He paused for another minute, glancing at Satoshi, who still hadn’t moved, then dismissed the two with a flick of his wrist.
+++
“This is weird,” Nino said as he handed Ohno his bedroll.
“It’s not weird. It’s an honor.” Ohno took the oversized blanket unconsciously, watching Nino rummaged around the mostly bare room. He shared it with several other children, but since Nino was the oldest and the only one able to take on any missions, he was also the only one with any personal items to claim as his own. Even though they didn’t amount to much.
Ohno’s room was bare too, though. They were ninja that lived in the protection of the forest-ridden mountains; even if it wasn’t a rule to be unattached from the rest world (which it was), there really wasn’t a convenient access to goods so far away from civilization. They didn’t have any of the latest technologies that swept through the cities and rarely heard any news of the outside world. In fact, the only time that either of them had left the small village had been strictly to fulfill a mission.
“Whatever…” Nino didn’t turn around to acknowledge Ohno’s words, but simply continued to examine random items, deciding whether to bring them or not, intending to pass them on to the room’s other occupants in the later case. So far he hadn’t left any behind, though.
Since Nino was an orphan (well, the real story was a little bit different--Nino’s parents had sold him to Jyani after the ninja lord had witnesses the boy’s amazing combat skills on the street, but since Nino felt like that was worse than simply being abandoned, he told everyone that he was an orphan), he lived in a small house with seven other children and a retired widow in the middle of their small village. It was a place that children would often come in and out of, being adopted by other families in the small town, growing old enough to earn their own lodgings, or rarely, like now, they would move into the Main Building.
The Main Building, which housed Jyani and his two assistants, as well as several higher ranking ninjas, was more like a Lord’s castle when compared to the rest of the meager village. It wasn’t decorated in gold trimming or delicately painted paper screens, but the entire ground space it took up was larger than half of the rest of the expanse of the remaining homes (of course their community wasn’t big in the first place, but that was still saying something). The Main Building was made completely of high quality wood, as was tradition, and included a garden in the middle that both boys agreed was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. It only had a small, simple pond and several blossoming trees, but it seemed like the rest of the world disappeared while you were within its boundaries.
Surrounding the outside of the garden was the main hall, which included several private rooms, and one full corridor was dedicated to Jyani’s reception hall, meeting rooms, and private quarters.
The household itself was made up of elite ninjas, all of which had earned their status over years of grueling work. Although they brought in a large portion of the village’s income, they included less than ten percent of its population. The rest of the village was much like any other: although the primary occupation was that of a ninja, there were also a few farmers, shop owners, and one merchant who would travel back and forth with wares for the village. The total residents amounted to less than a few hundred people, but it was enough to keep the town thriving.
Nino wasn’t sure how he felt about the change in his arrangements. Although he was actually quite ecstatic to be moving in with his best friend, Ohno, he had begun to get used to living in such a crowded space with a loving mother figure and siblings he could relate to.
Ohno had been living in the Main Building for as long as Nino had been in the village, which wasn’t more than a few years, but it was still a very prestigious and unbelievable standing for someone of Ohno’s age. Nino could tell the other elite ninja were always looking down on his friend when the younger boy came to visit, and it was obvious that they treated Ohno with disdain, although it was (thinly) hidden behind a veil of courtesy. Ohno was only eleven, after all, and it had taken them that many years to earn their own room in Jyani’s palace.
Jyani’s just playing favorites.
There’s something else going on.
He’s a pretty boy after all.
These were not the worst things that he’d heard about his friend, even when Ohno was standing immediately next to him.
It pissed Nino off, but Ohno didn’t seem to mind. He’d calmly walk past them without a word either way and, although the younger ninja was sure that at the smallest complaint Jyani would at least reprimand them for their childish behavior, Ohno had never approached his mentor with the problem.
Nino thought that made him even braver.
“Do you really need all this?” Ohno asked past a pile of items that had built up in his hands, the bedroll at the bottom.
“I’m almost done, don’t worry…” Nino replied casually, looking through the sparse collection of books he’d obtained over the last few years.
He ended up taking them all.
+++
Nino wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to Ohno, who was slowly going through his sword forms in the clearing next to where the younger ninja had been training.
They had come to practice together, which wasn’t anything new since they had been doing so since Nino had come to the village two years ago. But it was official now. Nino could hang around Ohno all day, share his futon with him, even hold his hand, and now no one could tell them stop messing around and get back to work, because Nino’s work had become knowing everything about Ohno.
He had never been happier for the change.
Although Nino wanted to call Ohno over so they do so some hand to hand practice, he decided to wait until Ohno finished his form. The older boy wouldn’t hear him, anyway, and Nino might even become a distraction, which he would feel guilty over later.
Instead, Nino walked through the green foliage hanging from the trees towering over him and headed towards a small river that ran beside their training area.
It had been a month since the two of them had become a team, and Jyani still hadn’t given them a mission yet. Nino hadn’t finished many missions by himself before, but he had had an expectation that he would suddenly be bombarded with them after such an official announcement that the two of them would become partners. There was a reason for it, wasn’t there?
Nino leaned over the flowing water and brought a mouthful of it to his lips with a cupped hand.
Ah, that hit the spot.
Ohno brought the katana over the top of his head in a slow, controlled motion, and then dropped it in front of him. He held that pose for a second, before bringing it back up towards his chest, and turned the blade to slip back into the sheath at his side.
He stood staring at the tree in front of him, focusing on the feeling of his chi coursing through him.
After a few seconds he finally took a deep breath and came out of his trance.
Nino had been practicing with his pole when Satoshi had started his mid-day exercise. Nino was fairly good at using one (he could do this cool trick where he anchored the pole into the ground and used it as a step, curling his calve around it to lift himself a foot or two off the ground), but that was only one of the many weapons he could use. The younger boy couldn’t handle a katana to save his life (well, maybe if his life was on the line he could make it work) but Nino was proficient in a whole different arsenal of weapons including throwing knives, stars, darts, sais, and spears.
In fact, in a lot of ways Ohno thought that Nino was far better at fighting than himself. Of course as Jyani’s apprentice he had learned many tricks and strategies for combat, but Nino could adapt himself to whatever situation he was in without thinking about it. If he needed a weapon, he could pick up pretty much anything and use it, where Ohno was restricted to carrying his sword with him. Nino was good at coming up with alternative courses of action, where the older boy had to rely on his luck and whatever he could remember of Jyani’s lectures. Ohno had more experience than Nino, too, but he felt like Nino’s naivety gave him the strength to weather any situation.
“Ah, Oh-chan. You’re done?” Nino tromped back through the forest towards him, wiping water from his chin, his brown training gear wet down the front.
Ohno mopped the sweat from his own forehead and nodded.
“Want to spar? Do you need a break?”
“Na, I’m fine. Hand to hand?” It seemed like Nino always wanted to do hand to hand combat, since it was hard to pick a good match up of weapons. Sometimes Ohno would use his sword, but Nino’s specialties were all either effective from a distance or used the same form as his hand to hand anyway.
The weapon expert grinned widely and nodded.
Ohno allowed a small smile to grace his own lips at his friend’s affection, and began untying his katana from his waist.
It was the same as it had always been, the two of them practicing together, getting stronger in their private glade of the forest, but Ohno couldn’t help but feel that their lives were headed for a change.
+++
Jyani called the team into his mission hall a few days before Ohno turned twelve. Nino had mumbled something like finally as the two waited patiently outside the sliding paper door before they were allowed in by one of Jyani’s assistants.
After the formalities of bowing and allowing Jyani to speak first, the task they were to be assigned immediately surfaced.
“It’s a retrieval mission. It’s not a high rank, but since it will be the first mission the two of you complete together, I think it is appropriate.”
Nino nodded and Ohno stayed as stoic as ever. He was always like that in Jyani’s presence and it seemed to make Nino edgier than if his friend had been his usual laid-back self.
“You will be leaving tonight. The details are in this Mission Brief.” Jyani handed the documents to the man seated beside him, who shuffled the few feet between him and the boys and placed it in front of them. “Please take a few minutes to look over it before we discuss the strategy details. I will return shortly.”
Nino noticed Ohno nod lightly next to him and mimicked his friend’s actions.
Jyani slowly stood, his assistant following, and exited the room through the sliding doors beside them.
When the two ninja were left alone, Nino caught Ohno’s look, then they both reached for the envelope together.
As they read through the information, it was obvious that this was an easy mission. Something had been stolen (evidently) and the customer simply wanted it returned to them. They had details on the location of the item and the perpetrator, as well as a clear description of the task.
Ohno had done two missions like this before so he was glad it was their first one. It would give them a taste of success and a little confidence working together.
Nino, on the other hand, felt cheated. The two youngest working members of the clan were wasting their time on this? Nino could do this mission by himself. The only reason that they would even need two people was because it was in some Lord’s house and there would probably be guards and blah blah blah.
Ohno laid the plans of the manor in front of them and began formulating an entry strategy.
“It seems as if the security is lax at this door,” he started, pointing to the map.
“You’re taking this seriously?” Nino asked incredulously, turning to his friend.
Ohno blinked at him a few times, looking slightly confused. “You should take every mission seriously, Nino.”
“What? Oh, come on. You could do something like this in your sleep. I could do something like this in my sleep.”
Ohno’s face fell into a disapproving frown and Nino sighed.
“Fine. What’s the plan?” the younger boy asked, conceding.
Ohno didn’t retract his look, but turned his attention to the map and began outlining tactics with his forefinger.
Over the course of ten minutes, with Nino suggesting several other options (there’s probably a water outlet here or they’d have more guards in this area because of the way they do the rounds), the two of them hashed out an entry plan.
Jyani seemed to appear right as they had finalized their strategy.
Nino presented their idea, his expression neutral, and didn’t mention the fact that this mission didn’t fit their skill level while Jyani listened intently.
When the younger ninja was finished, the envelope organized neatly in front of them again, Jyani offered a few criticisms.
“How are you going to get into the treasure room once you are inside the building?”
Ohno hadn’t thought about that, and neither had Nino from the look on his face. It was obvious to Jyani that these two needed far more experience planning than what they had, but for now it would due to just criticize them a bit.
“If you make contact with the lord what will you do?” Jyani immediately fired the next question. His expression said that he had expected quite a few ideas to be neglected.
Using the plan formulated by the pair, the three of them made it workable and Jyani sent them off feeling confident that he had taken Kazunari down a notch and better prepared Satoshi for any unexpected situations.
+++
Ohno and Nino were perched next to each other on top of a tall wall made of wooden pillars surrounding the targeted household, hidden from the moon by overhanging tree branches.
They were dressed almost identically in their black ninja gear, which had been made specifically for night raids. The night, of course, held many more advantages than moving in the daylight, and so the clothes they wore were standardized throughout the village. Their day apparel would often change by task and availability, and therefore many ninja still wore their black gear when they weren’t working.
Starting from the top, each boy was equipped with a black fabric mask covering their nose and mouth, and a hood that wrapped tightly around their heads to keep any hair from showing (although Ohno could still see some curls peaking out across Nino’s forehead). This not only prevented anyone from recognizing the ninja in question, but also stopped the locks of hair from being used against them in battle. Also, if utilized properly, several ninja could confuse their prey and create an illusion of more or less men than were actually present.
Around their necks, hidden by the tall collar of the undershirt, was a small metal band that was meant to protect the owner from a hidden attack or a fatal wound across the jugular. The plain black shirt that covered each chest had long sleeves that were tucked into gloves, which were fingerless and covered in thin pieces of lacquered wood. The top was in a cut similar to a kimono, two flaps of fabric attached to each sleeve, one folding over the top of the other, ending in a piece of string that tied tightly across the chest for easy access in a tough situation. The top was secured by a matching sash across the waist, eliminating any loose pieces that could get caught on something or grabbed by an enemy. They also wore a sparse outer layer of armor which consisted of two forearm guards, made of the same strong wood that covered the back of the hand.
In order to keep their mobility intact, the pants were made up of a thin cotton material that fit loosely, but was made to almost the exact measurements of the owner. The bottoms bulged slightly above where they were tucked into black soft boots, which were split between the two largest toes in the traditional style and dipped in a tar-like substance on the sole for durability and grip.
Each ninja also wore a variety of items either around their waist or on their back. The only consistent tool for everyone was a mesh net that served various purposes: as a rope (since it was strong enough to hold even the heaviest ninja), emergency wound treatment (to stop blood flow), or even as a distraction or illusion in a quick escape. Since it could also be used to carry other items, stretching large enough to fit a sake barrel, but also delicate enough to hold small jewels, most ninja wore the cloth around their waist or across their torso.
Ohno usually had his tied around his waist, the excess material tucked neatly into the back of his sash to prevent any free ends from hanging around him. He did this because he had to wear his sword on his back, diagonally for easy access, and so it would take too much effort to have to move either of the items to reach the other. Nino, though, wore his around his chest tonight like a vest, since he would be the one retrieving their target item--an ancient scroll--and could easily carry and protect the item while keeping his hands free.
Unlike Ohno’s, the sash at Nino’s waist was specially made with pockets sew in the top and back so he could carry a variety of small weapons with him like throwing stars and acupuncture needles. Hanging off one hip was a small pouch that was full of at least ten different powder or herbs, each with extremely different properties (some were poison, some were for healing, some simply made you fall asleep). Nino was competent enough that he could know which one he was touching simply by the consistency (in the case the order they were in got mixed up), but he could never make such a product himself. He was clever, but in a way that was strictly logical.
Not having anything similar to weigh him down, Ohno was more prepared for combat than Nino was, following the plan they had devised with Jyani. One permanent difference was that Ohno’s forearm shields were bulkier than Nino’s were, but that was simply due to their dissimilar combat specialties. Ohno had to get in close to his enemy while Nino could snipe from farther away.
But tonight the older ninja had a thin piece of metal attached to his chest under his shirt as well, protecting his most vital areas and organs. Usually their clan avoided metals because they were bulkier, heavier, and harder to repair, but there were some instances, especially for the designated combatant, in which they were necessary.
With an ease of years of practice, the pair simultaneously jumped from the wall and darted across the inner garden of the mansion, somewhat covered by the cherry trees that were growing there. Once the pair was next to the building, they sidled up against the rock wall that made up the base of the structure and shimmied the length of the side, staying in the shadows.
They approached the entrance they had decided to use for infiltration, a window that looked out onto the garden, with Ohno in front and Nino following directly behind. Pausing for only a second to look in back of him, Nino pressed himself against Ohno’s side and then knelt down to give his partner a leg up to the window, since it was almost ten feet off the ground.
Nino lifted Ohno up (not quite easily, but they made it) far enough that he could grab onto the window sill. Upon a signal from his comrade, Nino grabbed onto Ohno’s calves and pulled himself up, using the rock wall as a hold for his feet as much as he could.
As skilled as a monkey, Nino kept his contact with Ohno to a mere second, his own fingers following his friends on the sill and holding his own weight up, before he tentatively lifted his head and looked through the window, his thighs resting around Ohno’s waist. The room was dark, but there was a faint light coming in from the hall, which was exposed by the door to whatever room they were currently looking in being open.
Without hesitating, Nino pulled himself into the room, careful that he didn’t cause the wooden shutter propped open above him to fall shut, and by the time his feet touched the floor, Ohno was following right behind him.
According to the map, the treasure room should be out the hall and around the corner from where they entered. But there would undoubtedly be guards on duty. The manor wasn’t that big, but it was big enough.
Ohno snuck up to the doorway and pressed himself against the wall in order to look through the entrance. Nino followed directly after him, placing himself at the other side.
The two of them waited in silence and eventually heard voices wafting down the hallway, although they didn’t seem to be moving.
Nino met Ohno’s eyes for a second and each of them knew that the other agreed that they should move. First peeking his head out of the door slowly, the older ninja then darted out of the room, Nino mimicking his movements almost perfectly.
They were down the passage, headed the opposite direction of the light, but before they rounded the corner, Ohno pulled himself up the wall gracefully, using another sliding door’s frame as a spring board, and positioned himself in the rafters.
Nino was sure he hadn’t looked as cool as Ohno, but he successfully completed the move too, without making a sound.
The two of them slowly worked their way through the beams that covered the hall, and when they finally approached the treasure room, which was currently being guarded by two stoic looking soldiers, they were disguised by the flickering shadows of the lamp hanging beside the door as it softly reflected on different angles of the wood.
This had been one of the harder parts of their plan. They had had to come up with a different idea to disengage the protectors quickly and silently depending on how many there were present. The plan they had come up with for two soldiers included each of the boys taking on one of the guards, but the question of keeping the silence had fallen to Nino, whose knowledge of herbs was better than Ohno’s.
Reaching for the pouch at his side, the younger boy pulled out a square of cloth, already knowing where the item he was looking for was located, and withdrew it without making a sound. He unfolded the makeshift envelope and handing Ohno a brown leaf, a little smaller than the expanse of his palm, delicately and took one for himself too.
The herb, which had been dried and treated, would make a man lose his consciousness immediately when inhaled. It would only last for five minutes at most, but it was more than enough time for Nino to get in to the treasure room and get back out. As a backup plan, Nino figured the two of them could take out the soldiers easily, not to mention more that would show up. He estimated a ninety percent success rate for up to twelve additional guards, fifteen if Ohno could get his sword out fast enough.
Ohno gave him a look, saying that he was ready, and the two ninja dropped down directly in front of their respective adversaries. When their enemies opened their mouths in surprise, either to gasp or yell, each boy shoved the leaf inside instead, and then gently guided the man to the floor as the herb took immediate effect.
Nino withdrew a tool from his sash, something that resembled a key only it was distinctly bent in a way that made it almost unrecognizable, and began picking the simple lock that was inlaid in the door. Usually only the most important rooms had one in this age and therefore made them particularly stand out from the rest of the household.
The lacquered wooden door popped open a second later, and Ohno took a protective stance in front of it, his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging across his back. As Nino rummaged in the room behind him, the older ninja looked critically each way down the hallway, to see if their attack had alerted any one. The only light still visible was the lamp next to the door, which continued to create shifting shadows on the wall and in the rafters where the pair had been a moment ago.
They hadn’t been detected.
Nino pushed up against him a moment later and Ohno turned to see the scroll tucked snugly against his chest inside the mesh container. The older boy jerked his head towards the way that they had come, and they retreated without any problems arising.
+++
When they returned to the village the next day, the first stop (no matter how much Nino complained that he was hungry) was the Mission Hall in the Main Building.
Jyani smiled at the pair with a twinkle in his eye as his assistant examined the scroll and began checking off notes on a separate sheet of parchment.
“Everything went smoothly, I presume?”
Both boys nodded together, Nino’s exhaustion making him less jumpy than when they had been given the brief in the first place.
“And no casualties, I see.” In Jyani’s hand was a report that Nino had written a few minutes earlier, filling in the details of the mission (supplies used, how closely they followed the original plan, any unexpected occurrences). Jyani offered the sleepy-eyed boys another grin, obviously proud of them.
The assistant nodded and handed Jyani the notes he had taken before excusing himself with the retrieved scroll in hand.
“You did well.”
Nino noticed Ohno’s lip lift ever so slightly in a smile, and couldn’t hold back his own. It felt really nice, being praised like that, not to mention the words were coming from the leader of the village.
“But,” Jyani started strongly, pausing for dramatic effect. “You aren’t complete.”
After that statement, Nino blatantly stared at him, confused by the sudden change, and Jyani was amused to see Ohno raise his head as well.
He looked between both of them, giving them a full on stare, but not offering an explanation to his statement.
+++
A/N: Yay! My ninja story! Actually I wrote this over a year ago, but haven't posted it until now, because of timing and also because it's very dear to me so I wanted to make sure it was good for the rest of you too. Since I wrote it so long ago, though, you might see some of my old writing style (lol, I don't even know if it changed that much).
About the title: "Shinobi" in another word for Ninja in Japanese, but Shinobu, the adjective form, can mean "hidden". So it's a play on words, either meaning something like "A Ninja's Purpose" or "Hidden Purpose". I can't say I'm particularly good at Japanese, so if you want to correct this, feel free!
About the pairings: There will be some later, but I wanted to post the first few chapters as "to be announced" because when I was writing this story I actually wasn't 100% what the end pairings would be. So I wanted to convey that feeling. I will not be offended if you choose to wait until they are posted to read this story. :)
By the way, if you have any questions about this universe please ask, because it might take a little while for the details to come through. I'm always open to criticism too.
(p.s. Should I make a banner for this?)
Chapter two