Week 5 - Peaceful Days Are Ending - Part I
Ando Hiroyuki was bored. Despite the fact that his whole world had been turned upside down by the revelation that ninja warriors with supernatural abilities were real, history classes were as boring as ever. The history teacher, Mister Banns, was one of the most boring people to have ever existed. While the subject itself wasn't too bad, Mister Banns' class lectures were capable of boring a person to death.
Trying to distract his mind from Mister Banns' droning voice, Ando checked on how his friends were doing, as well as his supposed ninja protector Asuka. Christina was trying her hardest not to nod off, judging by how her head keeps bobbing up and down at irregular intervals. Roselyn was writing and drawing stuff in her notebook, for a book she's been trying to write. Jacob was somehow sleeping with his eyes open prompting Ando to make a mental note to ask his buddy to teach him how to do that.
And Asuka? She was paying dutiful attention to the teacher's lesson somehow, busily filling up the pages of her notebook. Ando had to admit that it was impressive that she could stand to listen to Mister Banns' voice for so long.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. The instant that fact had sunk into the minds of every student in the classroom, everyone let out a cheer and evacuated from the room through whatever means necessary. About half the class jumped out the window while the rest all tried to leave through the doorway. Due to previous incidents in Mister Banns' class where desperate students broke through the doors and windows to escape Mister Banns, the classroom where his classes took place had the windows and doors removed in exchange for shutters that would open during classes and close after club activities were over.
Ando, while just as impatient as other students, kept his calm as he waited for his friends and Asuka to put away their stuff. Roselyn had to smack Jacob awake though, causing the blonde to glare balefully at your childhood friend. Ando and his friends were among the last to leave the classroom, even as Mister Banns continued droning on, seemingly unaware that classes were over for the day.
"That was certainly...an interesting lesson, Ando-kun," Asuka commented as she seamlessly joined up with Ando's group. For the past week, Asuka had been staying close to Ando in order to keep him safe from any would-be evil ninja assassins. While Jacob was nonplussed about it since he already knew about the whole ninja thing, Roselyn didn't like how close Asuka was with Ando. Christina was just happy to make a new friend. "It was quite impressive how fast everyone left when the class ended though. One would think they were ninjas."
Ando snorted. Hearing that from an actual ninja was kinda funny.
"Eurgh, as fascinating as it is to hear about your opinion on Mister Banns' lesson, aren't you walking a little too close to Ando?" Roselyn complained. Ando gave the girl with a confused look, glancing towards Asuka for a moment. He didn't anything wrong with how close Asuka was. She was after all meant to be protecting him from ninja assassins. Inwardly, Ando sighed.
His normal everyday life had taken a strange turn thanks to his grandfather being an actual ninja and sending him some knife that turned out to be some super important ninja artifact that had bad guy ninja aiming for his life. And in order to protect him, Ando's grandpa had a ninja transfer into his class. Ando had to admit that at the very least Asuka was easy on the eyes. Still, he didn't really know how to take the fact that half his family were ninjas. His mother had admitted to having trained as a ninja and had fallen in love with his father during a routine mission.
According to his mother, Ando supposedly also had the same ninja talent that his mother's bloodline was meant to have. Ando didn't really see it and didn't ninjas need to be like trained very young? When Ando asked about it, he learnt that Asuka had been training to be a ninja since she was five. Honestly, the only ninja-like trait he seemed to have was being good at throwing things and being fast on his feet. It was why he was a regular on the baseball team after all.
As Roselyn was about to whack Ando over the head for spacing out, Ando's cell phone sent out a message tone. His focus back to reality, Ando pulled out his phone to check who was messaging him. Ah, it was his imouto, Sakura.
Sakura was a second-year middle school student and was in the same class as Jacob's own sister. If Ando had to describe his younger sister in one sentence, it would be: "Definitely someone who would make a good wife". Indeed, while her cooking was nowhere near as good as his own, Sakura handled most of the chores at home as well as helped keep their mother in line. Sakura was also hopeless at physically-demanding sports and preferred to pursue artistic hobbies in her spare time.
Ando opened the message, vaguely aware that Jacob and Asuka were peeping from the side. The moment he opened it, a chill ran down Ando's spine as stared at a photo of his sister, gagged and blinded while tied to a chair surrounded by guys in ninja outfits. He ignored Jacob letting out a swear next to him while Asuka's breath hitched.
"WE HAVE YOUR SISTER. COME TO THE UPPER VIEWING DECK OF LAS ANGEYOTO TOWER WITHIN HALF AN HOUR, ONLY YOU, YOUR KUNOICHI ARE TO COME WITH THE YOIYAMI BLADE. ASKING FOR AID FROM ALLIED CLANS OR FAILURE TO FOLLOW OUR INSTRUCTION SO WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.", was what the message said.
"Ando? What happened? Your face has gone pale all of a sudden!" Christina asked worried, noticing the distress on Ando's face.
"Yeah, what happened to your sister?" Roselyn questioned as well.
Caught off guard, Ando didn't know what to say. He couldn't very well tell them that ninjas have kidnapped his sister. Even if he told them everything, he doubted they would believe him anyway. He himself had a hard time believing in the whole ninja stuff and he had seen it first hand. It was Jacob who came to the rescue.
"A friend of Sakura apparently promised to treat her and some others to afternoon tea at some fancy cafe. Unfortunately, when the bill came, the friend found out they had forgotten their wallet. So Sakura is asking Ando to come help her out." Jacob lied in his usual stoic expression.
"Y-yeah! That's right! Got to go! Need to look after my little sister after all." With that, Ando ran off, quickly leaving his friends behind before anyone could ask any more questions, all while fear slowly began to grasp hold in his heart.
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"It's a trap."
"I know but Sakura…"
"I'm sorry Hiroyuki-sama, this is all my fault. I should have foreseen something like this happening."
After Ando had run off, Jacob and Asuka made up their own excuses and quickly caught up to him. The situation was grim. Ando had confirmed with his mother that Sakura had yet to come home, she believed that her daughter was simply out having fun with some of her friends. Ando didn't have the heart to tell his mother what had really happened.
Currently, the three of them were standing on the sidewalk opposite to the entrance of the Angeyoto Tower, having taken a taxi to get here.
Angeyoto Tower was a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower that was also one of the city's more well-known famous landmarks. Approximately a little over two thousand feet high, it was the tallest building in the entire city, and the third tallest in the world by a few dozen feet. It was also closed today due to "unforeseen circumstances". Asuka had quickly pointed out that the security guards blocking the entrance into the place were ninjas so it was a no-brainer what those "unforeseen circumstances" were.
However, this still led to the problem of what they were going to do. Despite Jacob pointing out that this whole set-up smelt like a trap, Ando couldn't just leave his sister in the clutches of these evil ninjas and risk her life hoping for someone else to come save the day. Asuka was both angry and ashamed of herself for not seeing the possibility of this occurring. Asuka promised Ando that she would do everything in her power to rescue Sakura no matter what.
Despite having lived with Ando's family for only a week, she had already grown fond of the gentle and kind younger girl. With the taxi ride here taking twenty minutes, they only had ten minutes to try and make a plan. Unfortunately for Ando, Asuka wasn't familiar with the shinobi clans in Las Angeyoto City or else she would have already called for help. And even if she did, the message said not to call for backup or else.
There was really only one option for Ando to take - bring the Yoiyami blade to these ninjas and hope that they really will return Sakura unharmed. He would have to trust in Asuka's ability to make sure that they all got out of there alive. Even with the Yoiyami blade in the hands of another, as long as they couldn't pull out the blade, then there would be a chance to retrieve it in the future.
With no other choice available to them, the trio headed towards the entrance of Angeyoto Tower.
"Greetings to you, Hiroyuki-sama." The two ninja guards said as they bowed their heads down towards Ando. "I'm afraid that your male friend cannot join you beyond this point onwards. Only you, the Yoiyami Blade, and the kunoichi may enter." As soon as they said that, a dozen ninja suddenly popped out from their hiding places, ready to ensure that Ando followed the instructions.
Ando grimaced, remembering that was what the instruction had said. Even so, Ando felt that things might go more smoothly with Jacob by their side. Ando opened his mouth to argue with the ninjas but Jacob gently squeezed his shoulder and shook his head.
"Ando, go ahead without me. Your sister's life is at stake here." Jacob reminded Ando. Swallowing Ando nodded, As much as Jacob's presence would put him at ease, he couldn't get into a fight with the ninja security guards over something like this - the enemy was holding all the cards after all. "Go. I'll be fine. Besides, I need to check up on something."
Asuka and Ando gave Jacob a confused look. There was something in Jacob's expression that seemed to say that he was going to take care of everything. It sounded ridiculous in Ando's head but for some reason, he felt that Jacob was planning something. "Alright, stay safe, Jacob," Ando said as he relented.
Without any further conversation, Ando and Asuka entered the building while under the watchful eyes of the enemy ninjas.
The two did not realize that the Jacob they had been with was not the same Jacob that they had known up until yesterday.
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Once Ando and Asuka had disappeared from sight, the ninjas began to move back to their places when they heard someone coughing for attention. Turning around, they saw that the male friend that Ando had brought with him had yet to leave. "What is it, boy?"
"I would like to ask you all something if you don't mind."
"If it's about your friend, do not bother. By all rights, we should be silencing you but for our master's sake, we shall not do so. Pray that you do not change our minds." The leader of these security ninjas answered coldly. For a moment, the ninja watched as the teenager, Jacob if he heard correctly, stare back with a frown on his face before he let out a sigh of exasperation. This angered the shinobi. Did this boy not understand the situation?
"I see. Guess I get to test out my Neoshadows' draining ability then." The sudden cryptic statement from the boy along with the tone it was said in sent a chill down the ninja guard captain's spine. This boy, Jacob, was dangerous. His instincts screamed to cut him down before it was too late but as he reached for his weapons, the shinobi suddenly felt a great weakness fall upon his body and collapsed to the ground. It was like all the strength in his body had suddenly disappeared. It was taking all of his mental strength just to stay conscious.What sorcery was this!?
To his growing horror and fear, the ninja heard the sound of his subordinates falling to the ground as well. Turning his head, he saw that unlike him, they were completely unconscious. Terror grasped his heart as he heard the approaching footsteps of the one called Jacob. Did he do this to them? How? He didn't do anything! That's when the ninja saw the shadow beneath his subordinates move out of sync with his men's body. Stretching out in an impossible manner, something then emerged from the shadow.
Demon! Some kind of shadow demon had been hiding in his shadow! The guard captain quickly connected the dots together but it did nothing to reassure him. In fact, it did the opposite. There were ninja clans that were said to bind demon spirits to their commands. Such clans were both feared and reviled for practicing such forbidden arts. However, he couldn't deny the possibility that the boy - no, the ninja Jacob was from one such clan.
The guard captain's blood ran cold when he felt Jacob's hands grab his head.
"Now then, let's see what we've got in here." And with those terrible words, everything began to hurt.
...
To be continued in the next part. I need to sleep.
lol
