Ninja Stars

Chapter 2

As the sun set over Japan’s tall, misty mountains, Mayumi headed into the dormitories where he lived. He was trying as hard as he could to remember everything he’d heard.

That night, his dreams were very disturbed, filled with volcanoes, swords, and everyone laughing in his face as he was defeated by Ling, who had inexplicably become king of Japan as well as Sensei of the Shadow Clan. He tossed and turned, but nothing he did could get the picture of Ling ruling over all of Japan out of his mind.

“Mayumi, you silly little mouse, listening to imaginary voices all the time! You must leave the Dojo, for you cannot even wield a Katana!” Ling laughed. “Go live out the rest of your life as a non-ninja! Mwa-ha-ha! MWA-HA-HA!”

“NOOOO!!!” Mayumi screamed as he shot up in bed. The absence of all of his ninja roommates showed him that he had overslept, and was late for breakfast.

“Oh, no,” he groaned, “I’m late!” So he quickly dressed and rushed down to the Great Hall, where all of the ninjas eat breakfast.

As he entered the Hall, murmurs erupted from the table where Ninja Ling sat, and Mayumi knew that some insults were about to be flung his way like a ninja star. And sure enough, he was right.

“Hey Mayumi,” Ling taunted, “it looks like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning! Still upset that you’re going to receive, ‘The Mission,’ are you? Or are you still mad that I whipped your sorry butt in sword fighting?” At this, all of the ninjas sitting around him started sniggering. “Poor wittle baby Mayumi can’t even handle a wittle bitty Katana!”

“Shut up, Ling!” Mayumi scowled.

“Aww, is wittle Mayumi 'gonna run home and tell his wittle mommy? I bet your wittle mommy can’t handle a wittle Katana, either!”

By this point, the ninjas around Mayumi were rolling off their seats with laughter. Mayumi didn’t want to carry on with this conversation any longer than it had to go, so he just turned and walked away towards and empty table.

Just then, Sensei walked in, and instantly the whole room fell silent. Mayumi quickly took a seat as Sensei stood up to speak.

“Good morning, young students! I hope you all have gotten your rest for the day ahead. But before I let you eat your breakfast, I must make this announcement: following the breakfast session, I would kindly appreciate it if Ninja Mayumi and Ninja Ling would meet me in the Zen garden. Thank you for your patience, young students. Ninja, bow.

“I shall bow,” everyone replied in unison.

As everyone began to eat, Mayumi just sat there, too shocked to speak. He could only think of one scenario for why Sensei wanted to see him and Ling at the same time: Sensei overheard him and Ling bickering again. Now Sensei was going to meet with the both of them to give them their punishments, and, if you’ve already guessed, ninja punishments were not light.