Early Morning — The Great Village
The Great Village lay hidden deep within towering mountains and sacred forests, brimming with spiritual energy that flowed through every stone, leaf, and stream. It was the birthplace of legendary warriors, where gods had once walked, and where the next generation trained to defend the world.
The sky stretched its golden arms when twelve-year-old Ryju Kojima arrived at the gates of the Ninja Academy for the first time. Bright-eyed and filled with dreams larger than the mountains themselves, he gripped the gates' wooden posts, heart practically doing backflips in his chest.
Seven years of secret training had led to this moment—throwing pebbles like shuriken, sneaking past adults unnoticed, swiping snacks like a shadow in the night. All of it had been for today.
Ryju clenched his fists and grinned.
He was going to be the best ninja ever. No doubt about it.
The massive gates creaked open, and whether it was the wind or his imagination, Ryju did not care. Beyond them lay the world he had only ever dreamed of.
He stepped inside and froze.
Children swarmed the courtyard—some excited, some serious—each here to become real ninjas. Weapons and scrolls lined the walls—shuriken, swords, staffs—each reflecting the morning light.
The air itself was heavy with determination. This was no game. This was real.
Ryju wandered forward, awestruck, until a crackle from a loudspeaker snapped him back.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Lloyd Saizi—as you probably know, I am the current Spiritual King."
Ryju blinked. The Spiritual King was speaking to them, here?
He stood frozen, hands clenched at his sides. Legends had walked here—Grandpa had been a Spiritual King once. And now he wanted to be one too. To protect the world, just like them.
A deep breath.
He wanted to protect others. He wanted to become the next Spiritual King.
Before he could think further, a cheerful voice interrupted.
"Hey! Do you want to be my friend? I'm new here!"
Ryju turned to see a girl about his age, blue hair cascading over her shoulders, smiling brightly and extending her hand.
Before he could respond, Spiritual King's voice boomed again:
"HELLO, MY FELLOW STUDENTS! ARE YOU ALL READY TO BECOME NINJAS?!"
The courtyard erupted in response.
"YEAHHHH!!"
Ryju's ears rang. His soul felt the cheer.
"Now that everyone's fired up," Spiritual King continued, "LET THE CHALLENGES BEGIN!"
Challenges.
Traps. Sparring. Giant frogs?
It did not matter.
Ryju's fists clenched, his chest tightening with excitement.
This was it. The beginning of his journey.
And nothing would stop him now.
The path of Ryju, descendant of heroes and future protector of the village, had begun. New friends, unknown rivals, and mysterious trials awaited.
One thing was certain: he was ready.
[Let the Ninja Trials begin.]
Outside the gate of the Ninja Academy
The early morning sun cast long shadows over the bustling Great Village. The usual calm of the narrow streets was replaced by the excited chatter and hurried footsteps of dozens of young ninja hopefuls. Colorful banners flapped in the breeze, announcing the start of the first challenge. Vendors packed away their stalls as students gathered outside the Ninja Academy gate, where the Spiritual King's voice boomed overhead.
"Your first challenge is to find a team of six."
Ryju blinked, still catching his breath after arriving at the challenge grounds. His heart raced as the announcement echoed through the open square.
Wait a minute… that girl from earlier! He scanned the crowd frantically. "Do you wanna be on my team?"
Silence. The girl was gone.
"Wait—she's not here?! Then who's gonna be on my team…?" he muttered. "Why do we need teams of six anyway?"
The booming voice of the Spiritual King answered, as if reading his thoughts. "You're probably wondering why you need a team of six. In the later challenges, teamwork will be essential."
A pause. "You have two hours to form your teams."
Ryju's stomach dropped. "TWO HOURS?! I'm doomed… no way I can find a team in time."
But then his hands clenched into fists. "No. Grandpa never gave up… so why should I? I'm not giving up—no matter what!"
Thirty Minutes Later – Around the Village
Ryju dragged his feet through the lively road, frustration creeping in. Everywhere, groups of students had already formed tight-knit teams, laughing and strategizing. Horses trotted patiently beside their riders along the cobblestone paths, while carriages moved through the road slowly, their low murmurs mixing with the hum of excited voices. Vendors nearby were closing their shops early to watch the event, and townsfolk lined the streets, curious to see which teams would be made.
"…I'm doomed," Ryju muttered. "Still no team… hopeless."
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a lone, wimpy figure leaning against a weathered post in a quiet alley, crying.
His eyes lit up. "Wait… he's by himself!"
He hurried over. "Hey! Wanna join my team?"
The boy looked up, sad. "Huh? Me?"
"Yeah, you! So, what do you say?"
"…Why me? I'm just weak."
"That's why you're crying," Ryju said.
"Yeah… my family doesn't even accept me."
"It's alright. I accept you. So, how about joining my team?" Ryju said, grinning and reaching out a hand.
"Alright, if you say so," the boy replied, taking Ryju's hand.
Ryju grinned. "Nice! What's your name?"
"Kuroyami."
"Cool. I'm Ryju."
"Nice to meet you." Kuroyami nodded. "We still need more."
"I know. About an hour and a half left."
"Right."
Elsewhere in the Village
A girl with long blue hair paced anxiously outside a stone tea house. "Where did that red-haired boy go? I wanted to be friends with him…" she whispered to herself.
Back with Ryju and Kuroyami, Ryju spotted a girl walking, arms crossed. "Hey, look! There's a girl over there," he said. "Let's ask her!"
"Yeah, let's go."
"This is going to be fun…" the Spiritual King murmured, watching from his balcony overlooking the arena.
"Hey!" Ryju called out. "Do you wanna join our group, girl?"
The girl turned, frowning. "Yeah, why not? I got nobody else."
Ryju grinned. "Yes, that's great."
"Perfect," Kuroyami added with a smile. "But yeah, I'll join. I'm Rei."
"Nice. That makes three," Ryju said. "We need three more."
Rei checked a little clock on a nearby stand. "Only thirty minutes left. Most people are already in teams. It's gonna be tough."
A few minutes later… a breathless voice called out. "Hey! Can I please join your group? Please?"
Ryju turned. "Yes! This has to be a miracle—we need more people!"
The boy smiled, catching his breath. "My name's Shun. And… nice red hair!"
"Thanks! Nice green hair."
"Thank you," Shun chuckled. "You don't get it. I've been trying to join a group forever. But people kept rejecting me. When they found someone better, they kicked me out. These two hours have been the worst."
"Dang. You've been through a lot," Ryju said. "Sucks for you. But hey—at least you're with us now!"
Shun nodded, relieved. "We just need two more!" Ryju said.
"Are we ready?" he asked, looking at his new teammates.
"YEAH!" they all shouted together.
Back to the blue-haired girl, she noticed a boy with a sword entering a small cave. Oh, I see a boy going into that cave. Let me see if he wants to join our group.
Back with Ryju and his team: "We just need two more! Are we ready?"
"YEAH!" they all shouted together.
Nearby, a tall, muscular boy named Goro stretched. "It's just the two of us. We need four more people."
"I know," Kenshiro muttered, munching on a bag of chips.
"You had to stop for snacks…" Goro sighed, then pointed. "Hey! I see a group of four! Let's ask!"
They ran over. "Hey, can me and my friend join your group?" Goro asked. "We've been walking forever. And Kenshiro was… well, hungry."
"If you two join, we'll have six. We're good to go!" Ryju smiled.
"Awesome! I'm Goro, and this is Kenshiro."
"Sup," Kenshiro said casually.
Ryju wondered: Does Kenshiro even care about this challenge?
Still—they had their team. They were six. They were ready.
A Dark Cave Hidden Inside the Village
Far from the bright streets and lively crowds, in a shadowed cave beneath the village, a cold wind whispered through jagged rocks. Flickering torches cast dancing shadows on damp stone walls.
From the darkness, a low voice hissed, "Weak. All of them. They think they're ready, but they are nothing."
A pair of eyes gleamed red in the gloom.
Nearby, a trembling girl backed away, her hands pressed together as if praying. "P-Please… I just want to be a ninja…"
The shadow stepped closer, its voice cruel. "Weaklings don't deserve to live. They deserve to die."
Back at the Village Square
Suddenly, Ryju stopped in his tracks, his expression hardening.
"Something's wrong," he said.
Rei looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"The air… it's heavy, like it's thick with fear."
Kuroyami narrowed his eyes. "You can feel that?"
Ryju nodded slowly. "Yeah. Grandpa taught me how to sense it. This feeling…" He glanced toward the dark cave's direction, face serious. "It's bloodlust. And there's a lot of it."
To Be Continued…