The sun begins to set. The sky turns orange-red, and the whole area feels alive with the sound of nature.Waterfalls. Insects. Gentle wind.The temperature is perfect — not too hot, not too cold.
Alex and Ryu walk together in Okinawa, heading toward a dojo beside the mountain under the sunset. People call it that because of its magical atmosphere. Everyone who trains here feels calm, dignified, and connected to nature.
Alex tilts his head everywhere — right, left, down, up, even behind him.No matter where he looks, all he sees is pure beauty.
"Ryu… is this the place called heaven?"
Ryu laughs childishly. He even wipes a tear from the corner of his eye.
"Heaven? This isn't heaven. This is the Dojo Beside the Mountain Under the Sunset. It's named like that because of how beautiful and peaceful this place is, and how connected it feels to nature."
Alex puts a finger on his chin, thinking hard.
"So… you brought me here for what? To learn?"
Ryu nods.
"This is the place where every ninja and samurai trained long ago. People think ninjas and samurai were brutal… but in reality, they were full of respect, calmness, royalty, and loyalty. They represented culture."
Alex nods.
"So you'll teach me? Personally?"
Before Ryu can answer, someone approaches. An old man with a baby-face, like someone who never aged. He's the current leader of the dojo: Kentaku.
He extends his hand and greets Ryu warmly.
"Ryū ni aete ureshī yo."(Good to see you, Ryu.)
Ryu bows deeply to show respect.
"Sensei ni oaidekite ureshī desu."(Good to see you, Sensei.)
Alex stands there confused, one eyebrow raised.
In his mind:Bro what the hell is happening right now? Am I invisible or what?
Ryu notices Alex's expression.
"Ā, sensei, kono ko wa watashi ga itta otokonoko desu."(Ah, Sensei, this is the boy I told you about.)
Kentaku finally notices Alex.
"Hello there. What was your name again?"
Alex smiles.
"Oh, hi. I'm Alex Hunter."
Kentaku's expression instantly changes — from warm and gentle to cold and serious.
"Hunter? Why are you here? What purpose? Are you planning to attack us again?"
Alex raises his eyebrow, confused.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
Before Kentaku can answer, Ryu quickly pulls him aside and whispers:
"Damattero. Kare wa hantā da ga hoka no hantā to wa chigau. Hantā ichizoku no sonzai sura shiranai. Tada no hantā de, jibun ga dokokara kitano ka shiranai."(Shut up. He is a Hunter, but different from the others. He doesn't even know the Hunter Clan exists. He's just a Hunter who doesn't know his origins.)
Kentaku's eyes widen.
"Anata wa shinjitsu o katatte iru to chikaimasu ka?"(You swear you're telling the truth?)
Ryu nods. Kentaku steps back and greets Alex again.
"Sorry for the misunderstanding."
Alex nods.
Kentaku gestures."Come, I'll show you your room."
Alex and Ryu follow him to a traditional Japanese wooden room with paper sliding doors.
Kentaku slides it open.
"This is your room. It represents our culture."
Alex nods."Thanks."
Ryu leans in."So… where's my room?"
Kentaku laughs."Follow me."
Alex tidies his room, spreads the mat, places his blanket, and sighs deeply.
"Finally… I can feel real Japanese culture. Not like what I watched in Doraemon."
THE NEXT DAY
Alex walks out of his room wearing only a towel around his waist, heading to the hot spring bath.But he stops at the entrance — the signs are in Japanese.
Alex squints.
"What the hell does this even mean? Right side maybe means 'men', left side maybe means 'women'. But what if I'm wrong? Argh… fine. I'll pick the middle path. Less risk."
He walks through a wooden alley with no roof, letting him see the sky. At the end is a door. He opens it — surprisingly, another hot spring.
He raises an eyebrow.
Why is this so isolated? Well… it smells nice though.
He enters the locker room and changes into a fundoshi (Japanese loincloth). But when he walks into the bath, he sees a girl — naked.
His eyes widen, and he quickly looks away.
The girl looks serious, her posture confident. Her name is Eun-Jaesan.
"Who are you?" she asks.
Alex's face is red.
"I'm nobody. Ignore me. I'm not disturbing you."
Eun-Jaesan shrugs."Why should I ask you to leave? Come in. It's just a hot spring. I didn't even know this dojo had a mixed bath."
Alex's eyes widen more.
"Are you serious?"
She nods.Alex hesitates, then joins the bath.
Meanwhile — Ryu's Situation
Ryu walks around the dojo searching frantically. Everyone watches him, confused.
Kentaku approaches."What's wrong, Ryu?"
"I'm searching for Alex."
"Oh, he's probably at the hot spring."
Ryu's face twitches."That dumbass went without me? I'll kill him when I find him."
Kentaku laughs.
Ryu heads to the hot spring — male side first. No Alex.Female side? Impossible.
Then Ryu notices a light between the two entrances. He walks into the middle hallway… and sees Alex bathing with a woman.
Eun-Jaesan screams:
"PERV OLD MAN!"
Ryu jumps."What?! Perv?! Hey! I'm here to find Alex!"
Alex looks over, eyes wide."Me?"
Ryu grabs him and drags him to the male bath.
"Are you insane? You bathed with her?!"
Alex raises his hands."I didn't know! She told me to get in! She said this dojo has a mixed bath!"
Ryu freezes."Mixed bath...? THERE IS NO SUCH THING!"
Then Ryu's eyes widen.
Alex raises an eyebrow."What?"
"You have a situation there," Ryu says.
Alex looks down, realizes something, and bursts into laughter.
TRAINING STARTS
Ryu waits at the foot of the mountain. It's 6 AM. The wind is cold.Alex rushes down to meet him.
"You're late by 1 minute, 30 seconds, and 1 millisecond."
Alex stares."What the hell? Did you calculate that before I arrived?!"
"Shh. Focus. We start training."
Alex runs up the mountain and down the other side.100 pull-ups on a tree at the top.100 push-ups.100 upside-down sit-ups using a tree.Then meditation under freezing waterfall with thin mountain oxygen.No breaks.
After finishing, he must fight 10 experienced ninjas.
When Alex finishes the physical training, Ryu waits in front of the dojo.
"You're late, Alex. I told you to finish everything in 30 minutes. But you took 1 hour? Nante bakananda?"
Alex frowns."What does that even mean? I only know 'baka' means dumb."
Ryu smiles."You'll understand later. Now listen."
He explains the ninja arts — stealth, blending with nature, mastery of weapons.Samurai, grounded fighters. Ninjas, shadow fighters.
Alex listens carefully.
"So there are more Kage clans?"
Ryu nods."Of course. Japan is big. Every prefecture has one. Headquarters is in Kyoto."
"Why Kyoto and not Tokyo?"
"Tokyo is too open for clans that live in the shadows."
Ryu throws Alex a wooden katana.Alex catches it.Ryu rushes in — straight strike.Alex blocks.
"Great," Ryu says.
Alex smirks."I watch samurai movies."
They spar — Ryu horizontal slash, Alex dodges and counters mid-air with one hand.Ryu is shocked.
How is this boy using one hand already…?
They continue until Ryu uses his special feint technique — unpredictable swings.SMACK!Alex is thrown back, gasping.
"Ouch… you're really a master."
"That was basic," Ryu says.
They continue until they finish 40 ancient Japanese weapons.
Alex collapses, but Ryu stops him.
"Now more training."
"WHAT?! I have to do this every day?!"
Ryu nods.
He leads Alex down a long hallway full of traps.
"You must defeat 10 experienced ninjas. No weapon."
"No weapon?! But they HAVE weapons!"
"My master said: a genius can turn anything into a weapon. So if you're a genius, use your brain… baka."
Alex runs down the hallway, fear rising.Suddenly two ninjas jump out — swords drawn.
Alex dodges, grabs their wrists, twists — BAM! BAM! Two kicks, both down.
Three more appear — kunai, katana, sai.
Katana swings. Alex dodges and kicks, breaking the wooden wall into a new hole.
Kunai man throws — too many — but Alex's body dodges reflexively. BAM! Punch to face.
Sai man strikes — slices Alex's clothes — Alex grabs, twists, knee to head.
More appear. Two with metal knuckles, three with staff/tonfa/kusarigama, and one giant with an Otsuchi hammer.
Alex fights brutally — blood everywhere, bones almost breaking, but he keeps standing.
The knuckle fighters beat him until he vomits blood, but he retaliates — uppercuts, knees, hooks.
Staff man hits his spine — tonfa hits his jaw — kusarigama slices his flesh.Alex is bleeding everywhere.
But he rises again.Breaks the staff.Breaks the tonfa user's skull through the wall.Dodges kusarigama swings with pure instinct.Jump punch — down.
Last man — Otsuchi.
One hit makes Alex feel like meat in a grinder. Blood everywhere, vision fading.
But Alex stands again.
One clean punch — giant falls.
Alex stumbles to the exit where Ryu waits.His vision fades white.
NEXT DAY
Alex wakes up in his room.For the next 5 days, he repeats this hell — 10 ninjas, 20, 30, 40, 50.
LAST DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO KYOTO
Ryu greets Kentaku.
"Hey Kenta, we're leaving now."
Alex sees the girl from before — Eun-Jaesan.
Kentaku calls Ryu."She's from the Jaesan clan. She comes here often. Her name is Eun-Jaesan."
Ryu nods."Oh, so you're that man's daughter?"
Eun-Jaesan nods.
Alex covers his face so she won't recognize him.
Suddenly, a messenger runs in and hands Ryu an email:
"Sir, there is a motor gang causing trouble in Tokyo. We need help."
Ryu smiles at Alex.
"Alex, you have another job."
Alex's face turns pale.
"Go to Tokyo and chase that troublemaker!"
Alex runs — but Ryu calls him back and tosses a motorcycle key.
"Here, dumbass. You can't chase a motorcycle with your legs."
Alex catches it.
"Thanks, old man!"
He rushes toward Tokyo.