Ninja and Samurai

First Day of Training (YUGO)

The Sun was just barely cresting the tiled roof of the Monastery. All around me, my new "teammates" are yawning, whining about the "ungodly" hour. Two boys that I guessed were the youngest out of all of us were swaying on their feet and in imminent danger of toppling over. A couple of the older boys were even asleep against the back wall.

Me? I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. It was only 5 in the morning, after all. I'd gotten up to train at earlier times than this - sometimes in much more hellish weather. As a result, while the others were wishing for their beds, I was standing upright with my feet spread and my hands behind my back in the customary stance of respect. My eyes were open and focused on the sliding doors at the front of the courtyard. The others might not have been ready for the day ahead, but I was.

"Good work, Yugo," Came a voice to my right. "The harder you stare, the sooner the door will open."

I suppressed a groan. I didn't even have to look to know it's Ukyo. "Mock me if you want. I'm simply showing that I'm ready." I kept my gaze pointedly ahead of me as I said it; no way was I giving him the benefit of addressing him.

"Well, isn't someone being the teacher's pet?" He decided to go on; I could hear the smirk in his voice. "And on the very first day, too! Are you that desperate to make a good first impression?"

"Teacher's pet, good first impression," I replied curtly, not once looking at him. "I call it just being a respectful student. You have a problem with that?"

"None at all," The annoying ninja assured me, though his mocking tone never changed. "I'm simply enjoying the sight of the 'respectful samurai'." His voice was now coming from my left side. I still didn't glance in his direction.

"Get a good look, then," I told him. "Because as soon as that door opens, you better start looking exactly like me or the teacher might get mad."

A bare elbow rested on my shoulder; I gritted my teeth but didn't give him the satisfaction of me swatting it away. "You mean PIXAL?" He asked. "Yeah, I don't think she'd mind if I'm out of place. She and I have a... special arrangement."

My shock caused me to finally look fully at him. My mouth may have been slightly open, but I didn't really care. "Wha-? It's only the first day - how could you possibly already be on special terms with the teacher?"

Ukyo took his elbow off my shoulder and stretched his arms languidly behind his head, letting out a small sigh. "Let's just say the two of us have an understanding," He informed me briskly, smiling and opened one of his eyes teasingly.

I clicked my tongue and resumed my stance. "Yeah, whatever," I growled. "So what if you and the teacher are on so-called 'special terms'? It won't help you in the long run, if at all."

For the first time since we'd started talking, Ukyo paused. I was starting to think I'd won before he spoke again, quieter yet nonetheless nagging, "You're taking this way too seriously, Yugo. It's honestly adorable."

Well, the silence was nice while it lasted.

Then the doors finally slid open, and our teacher strode gracefully into the courtyard. Everyone around me shook off the last of their sleepiness and scrambled to take their positions on the cobblestones. Ukyo didn't make a final snide comment, so I glanced over and found him copying my stance: feet spread, hands behind back, eyes faced fully towards the instructor. I couldn't help smirking at the irony and whispered under my breath, "Special arrangement, huh?"

"Shush!" Ukyo hissed, just as Valt Aoi asked our teacher, "No armor today, Pix?"

PIXAL, our Nindroid teacher (still don't know how I feel about that) smirked and glanced down at her outfit. We'd seen her in an intricate purple kimono at the Orientation, but today she was wearing a simple white tank top and black sweat pants. Her shiny white feet bore black tabi shoes. "I thought we would...ease the group into their training," She explained, smiling wide enough for her metallic face to allow.