Chapter 3: The Eve of Departure
The night was deep and still. The only light in Sensei Wu's room came from a single andon lamp, its oil paper shade casting a warm, golden glow on the tatami mats. The air was cool, carrying the scent of sandalwood incense and the complex, earthy smell of the forest after dusk. Wu sat in perfect seiza, his eyes closed in meditation, a picture of absolute tranquility. The shoji screen to the garden was open, and the only sound was the chirping of suzumushi, the bell crickets, in the darkness.
A shadow fell silently across the mat. Wu did not open his eyes.
"What troubles you, Nya?"
The screen slid open fully. Nya stood there, not in her work apron, but in a simple, dark blue yukata. Her hair was unbound, falling over her shoulders. "You sensed me," she stated. It wasn't a question. "Of course you did."
"You are projecting your anxiety like a beacon," Wu said, his voice calm. He opened his eyes, which seemed to hold the lamp's glow. "Come. Sit."
She stepped in, her bare feet silent on the mats, but she did not sit. She paced, a restless energy to her, running a hand through her hair. She stopped at the open screen, looking out at the dark, looming shapes of the cedar trees.
"I'm worried, Sensei," she said, her voice low. "Sending them to the city... alone."
She turned to face him. "It's... it's been so long. Since Kai and I... left that life. You know what it's like out there. It's all noise, and bright screens, and heroes posing for cameras. It's not... real. Not like this."
Her pacing grew more agitated. "Jay and Cole... they've never seen a skyscraper! They're children of this valley. And Zane..." She hesitated. "He has no memory before you found him, half-frozen in the woods. What if... what if the city breaks them? What if it's too much?" She finally looked him in the eye. "Why can't you just refuse this 'old friend'? Why is his problem our responsibility?"
Wu regarded her for a long moment. "You have matured, Nya. You carry the burden of responsibility for them all. It is a heavy weight."
"That's not an answer!" she said, her frustration making her voice sharp. "And it's not what I want to hear."
Wu sighed, a long, slow sound, and looked past her, out at the moon-silvered garden. "I cannot hide you all in this valley forever. The world is changing. This 'Hero Society' expands, and the shadows it casts grow longer with every new 'Symbol of Peace.' I would rather my students learn to walk in that new world... than be trapped in the past. Trapped in my past."
He turned his ancient eyes back to her. "I grow old, Nya. My time is coming. What happens when I am gone? I do not want this valley, your home, to become your prison. I want you to see how truly large the world is."
Just outside the door, in the dark, unlit hallway, four shadows were huddled. Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane, all in simple jinbei sleepwear, had been drawn by the sound of Nya's voice. They listened, silent as the shadows they were trained to be.
Nya's voice, when it came, was thick with emotion. "A prison?" she whispered, her hand tightening on the wooden frame of the screen. "How can you say that? This place is not a prison!" Her voice rose. "It's our home. It's the only home most of us have ever known. You are... you're our family. You're the closest thing to a father any of us have ever had."
In the hallway, Kai's jaw tightened. He looked at Cole, who met his gaze with a look of profound understanding. Cole gave a single, firm nod.
The shoji screen slid open.
Nya and Wu both looked, startled. The four of them were standing there, looking awkward but resolute.
"Uh..." Jay began, scratching the back of his neck. "We weren't eavesdropping. We were... uh... checking for... mice? Yeah. Big mice."
Cole shoved him lightly in the shoulder. "What he means is, we heard. And you're wrong, Sensei."
Kai stepped forward into the lamplight. His usual fiery bravado was gone, replaced by a quiet sincerity. "Nya's right. This place isn't a prison. It's..." He struggled for the words. "It's the first safe place I've had since... well. Since our parents were gone. It's home."
Zane stepped beside him, his expression one of calm analysis, but his voice was firm. "A 'prison' is a location one is forced to inhabit against their will. I have analyzed my internal data. I have no desire to be anywhere else. This is my home."
Cole was the last to speak, his voice a low rumble. "You didn't just train us, Sensei. You raised us. We're not trapped in your past. We're your students. We're your legacy." He looked at Kai, Jay, and Zane. "We're his family."
Wu looked at them, one by one. The stern mask of the master softened, and a rare, genuine smile touched his lips, crinkling the corners of his eyes.
"You are right," he said. "All of you. Thank you. Your sentiments are... deeply appreciated." He looked at Nya, who was watching her brother and friends with shining eyes. "And that is why, Nya," Wu continued, "we are not sending them alone."
Nya's head snapped up. "What?"
"We. We are going with them. To... observe... this festival. It has been a long time since I, too, have seen the city."
For a second, there was stunned silence. Then Jay let out a whoop. "Yes! Road trip! We're all going!"
Kai grinned and slung an arm around Nya's shoulders, pulling her into a one-armed hug. "See, sis? You're with us this time! You won't have to miss me at all!"
Nya just shook her head, but she was smiling, the relief washing over her so completely she felt light-headed.
The sun was just breaching the sharp, misty peaks of the mountains, painting the morning sky in shades of pale orange and vibrant blue. The air was cool and crisp, smelling of mist, dew, and the promise of a long journey.
The group was assembled at the dojo's large torii gate, which marked the entrance to the forest path. The four ninja were dressed in simple, dark, and nondescript civilian travel clothes, their colorful gi packed away. They looked, for the first time, like normal teenagers. Each carried a simple furoshiki—a cloth-wrapped bundle—or a small, practical satchel slung over their shoulder.
...Except for Nya.
She was struggling with two large, very heavy suitcases, her face set in determination.
"Whoa, Nya!" Jay said, his eyes wide. "What's in there? Cole's weight collection?"
"It's called 'appropriate clothing,'" Nya grunted, giving one of the bags a heave. "We're going to the city, not a three-day camping trip. I can't have you all embarrassing me by walking around in your training pajamas."
Kai held up his small, light bundle. "I have... two shirts. And a toothbrush."
Zane adjusted his own satchel. "I have one spare set of clothing, as contingency, plus a multi-tool and a water purification filter."
Cole patted his bag, which looked suspiciously lumpy. "I've got the essentials." He opened it just a crack, revealing several neatly wrapped sandwiches and rice balls. "What?" he said, defensive, as they all looked at him. "It's a long walk to the train station!"
Sensei Wu, in his travel robes and kasa hat, his oak staff in hand, looked at the assembled group. He looked at Nya's mountain of luggage. He looked at Cole's portable pantry. He looked at Kai and Jay, who were already starting to shove each other over who would walk in front.
He let out a long sigh, but the faint smile from the night before was still there.
"Well..." he said, his voice carrying on the fresh morning breeze. "Shall we go?"