When The Dead Arise

Chapter 11

"Excellent," the Blind Master stated. Azure shoved you off, you let her get up. You sat down and panted, lifting up one knee and resting your left arm on it. You opened your left hand and looked at the scratch. It went dirrectly across your hand. It wasn't deep, but stung nonetheless.

"She cheated! That's not what a ninja does!" Azure hissed. You stayed silent, deciding it better to not point out how disrespectful she was being. Though she did have a point, but what does it matter. Will a drunk man care? Will a criminal care? Will Destro care?

The Blind Master nodded, "Fire, you will leave us in nine months time to fight along side the G.I.Joe. None of your enemies will follow guidlines as to how to fight. Making the most of your surroundings, as well as what you have, will save your life. Azure!" He knows what I'm talking about.

Azure straightened herself, "Yes Master!" You turned from the master to look at Snake. He was looking back at you. You snapped your head back to the Blind Master as soon as he began to speak. You didn't want to stare at him, or try to figure out what he was thinking. It was probably something rude or mean or just plain heartless.

~Inside Snake's mind~

Does she realize that she just flashed to all the ninjas here?

... I don't like it...

~Back to Reader POV!~

"You fight with honor and integrity. But, in real fights, this may cost you your life. If not, then the life of someone else. Fire!"

You jumped up and pressed your arms to your sides, "Yes Blind Master!" You lowered your head to show respect and hide the pain in your hand.

"You fight in a way that will keep you and your comrades alive. But there is no honor in the way that you fight."

"Master, may I say something?" You lowered your head a little more.

"One who speaks their mind often times tells the most truth," you took this as a yes.

"In the streets honor means death. To fight or kill honorably would mean to fight with no permanent damage and to not kill. This would cause the enemy to strike again, in a more fatal way than the last."

The Blind Master nodded. Snake followed suit, making you wonder what his life was like on the streets. Azure lowered her head. You closed your fist over the scar, careful not to touch it. You clenched your teeth together to stop yourself from whinning about the pain.

The Blind Master whispered something to Snake Eyes before turning and walking away. Snake turned towards both of you. He walked closer to the stage and pointed to the ground in front of him. You both jumped down and stood in front of him at attention. He turned to you and held out his right hand. Slowly you placed your left hand, still in a fist in his hand.

He signaled for you to open your hand, to which you shook your head no. He reached for his waist, where one of his guns was strapped. You opened your hand and gazed at the floor.

"What do want me to do, pull through it?" You mumbled. You dared to glance at the cut again. It had stopped bleeding for the most part and now had dried blood surrounding it.

"Your pretty sloppy with a sword," Azure caused you to look at her with her words, "But you're not a bad fighter."

You clenched your jaw, "Thank you," you said wistfully. It felt good to be told you weren't a failure. Take some pointers Snake! Snake pointed to a wooden bench to your left. He dropped your hand and turned to the doors. Azure dropped the wooden stick onto the gravel before the stage. She took the lead to the seat.

She sat to the left and you to the right. You blew onto your hand, when a breeze blew past you extended your hand to let it cool off the wound. Azure leaned back, with perfect positure, not slouching. The silence drew on, and you decided to make it less awkward. You scanned the training grounds.

"Which one is the Hard Master?" You turned to Azure.

She shifted in her position, "None of them," she gazed at the grass before her without a word. She face hid any emotion she might have felt.

"Is he inside?" You pressed on.

Azure shook her head, "He's not here."

"Is he meeting with-"

"He's dead," Azure interrupted you. She didn't sound sad, happy, or confused. She stated it as if it were a normal fact. Something that was just because it was.

You let silence draw on before speaking again, "What happened?"

"He was murdered," Azure crossed her arms and looked to the clouds, "They say it was someone else, other than Storm Shadow. But that means that I've been training for nothing."

"Storm Shadow?" That name again.

Azure gave a slight nod, "He trained alongside Snake Eyes as a child," you tried to imagine Snake as a child. Was he chubby or scrawny? A natural or a horrible fighter? You gave up, since you had never seen his face, "One day Snake found a sword in the back of Hard Master. Storm Shadow was caught running away, and he was blamed for his death. He was my uncle, when he died I was only seven." She took a deep breath, " I began training instantly, so that I could one day kill Storm Shadow. When he was brought back for trail, I was given the honor of being the one to kill him if he was indeed proven to be guilty." She laid her head back, "He was proven innocent. Now I train because I know nothing else, and I don't know what else someone like me can do," You began to brainstorm things that she could do as a fighter, but before you spoke she spoke up again, "Snake likes you."

You scoffed, "Right," you said sarcastically. You tried with all your might to hide how you wished he really did. But, obviosly, he didn't care about your well being in any way. Azure had no idea what he acted like.

"If I had gotten the cut he wouldn't have inspected it. Or gone inside to get bandaging," you were about to disagree when Azure lifted her finger. She pointed to the door and there was Snake. He carried two bamboo staffs and a roll of tan banishing. He tossed the roll at you, which you caught despite your inability to use one hand. Azure cast you a smile, hopefully Snake would see it as a sign of friendship and not suggestion.

Snake pointed to Azure. With the other hand he turned the wrist to face the air and closed his fingers in a fist except for two fingers. The two fingers stayed pointing up into the air. He pulled them back and forth, commonly used to say ''come'. Azure stood and followed Snake back to the platform. They both got up with ease and a staff was tossed to Azure.

Though you knew you would lose you silently wished it were you. To be close to him, to see his broad muscles. You looked at the bandaging. You began to wrap it around your hand. This wasn't the first time you've wrapped bandaging, so it was done quickly.

But you never got up. Snake never asked you to spar with him. Azure never gave up her place to let you go. So you stayed there, watching them. When they looked over you smiled and gave a thumbs up. But when they looked away you wiped at your cheek.

Why can't he hold himself back like that when he's training me?

You kept watching them. Snake was clearly holding himself back in some areas. Stopping short in some places or ignoring open spots. It made you wonder how much he hated you to hurt you so much.

Yes, he gave you bandaging. But you want robots to function properly, and that's probably his only thought in the action.