'So then you hit out like this,' Gui Gui instructed, executing a perfect upper cut followed by a roundabout flying kick. Her demonstration was quick and perfect to precision. Aaron stared on, studying the moves executed and how they were crafted so well to prove lethal.  Then, in deep concentration, Aaron followed suit, hitting out exactly as Gui Gui had. He landed nimbly on his feet before looking at Gui Gui, uncertain whether his performance was acceptable.

'Wonderful, excellent!' Gui Gui praised, clapping her hands in pure admiration. Aaron allowed a small smile to play on his lips. One week into learning the basics of ninja arts, he was doing well, having not met with any difficulties yet. But he was worried for what lay in the future for he knew that the ninja arts were highly different from the samurai arts he was versed in. Having been exposed to the magnificent samurai arts since a young age of 4, everything that represented samurai was deeply instilled within him. At the basic level of learning the ninja arts, his martial arts foundation allowed him to cope.  But at an advanced level...he didn't know. The ninja arts were just soo different. Looking at how the other ninjas fought, he was afraid that the ninja arts and the samurai in him would clash. Could he really learn the highly difficult ninja arts? Sighing, a sense of hopelessness settled over him before he got a hold on himself. Oh well, he would try, he told himself firmly. Even though his mission was to find out why his king had been killed and by whom, he still hoped to learn these secret arts of the ever-secretive ninjas, if only so he could get an upper hand when dealing with Calvin's killer.

'Danson was right, you really are a talent,' Gui Gui commented, bringing him out of his reverie. Aaron smiled humbly and replied, 'Don't joke with me Gui Gui. All of you are so much more talented than I am.' Looking up at the smiling Gui Gui, a sense of curiosity overwhelmed him and he found himself wanting to know more about her. She was just so mysterious. In the week that they had been training together, he had learnt virtually nothing about her. He didn't know what she liked nor did he know anything about her background. They had never had the chance to really sit down and talk. All they had been doing was train, train and train yet again. They had been undergoing intensive training the whole week. As a result, he still knew nothing about her. He didn't know why but he felt this unfathomable hunger to understand her, to know the Gui Gui under the mask that she seemed to wear. Sure, she seemed to be happy all the time, a smile always present on her face. But somehow, that smile seemed fake. Somehow, Aaron felt that Gui Gui was not really happy, no matter how bright the smile on her face. She seemed to be burdened by something. It was as if he could FEEL it. Sometimes, he even thought he had spotted a glistening teardrop lingering at the corner of her eye. But everytime, just as he was about to express his concerns, she would flash a huge smile in his direction and continue instructing him or correcting his stance. It was as if she was afraid to let him know of her grief. But why? This was a question he had been asking himself countless times only to receive no answer. Now, as he stared at her, he wondered what was troubling Gui Gui so much. Or was he just thinking too much? Unable to overcome his curiosity, he spit out a question before he realized it.

'Gui Gui, why is it that I have not seen your parents this whole week? Do they not live here?' Gui Gui's brilliant smile immediately disappeared and, for a brief moment, an expression of grief and fear replaced it. Then, regaining her composure, Gui Gui forced a smile before answering,' My  parents...they don't live here.' Aaron could hear a tinge of grief in her voice and, sensing that such a question was venturing into topics of more sensitivity, changed the topic of discussion.

'So what are you going to teach me next?' he asked, grinning from ear to ear, immediately lightening the tense atmosphere. Gui Gui smiled at Aaron's cheerful disposition.

'Well since you are SO talented,' she said, purposely emphasizing the word 'so', causing Aaron to blush slightly,'I think we can skip all the basics. What you will be learning next is how to become as light as a feather, how to master the element of air and use it for your own well-being.' So saying, Gui Gui leapt with lightning speed up a rope that was suspended in the air, held up by two poles, one at each end. Standing upright, she ran swiftly across the entire length of the rope, somehow still managing to look elegant as she did it. Aaron stared in awe at the display of such skill. How was he to achieve that? As Gui Gui landed on the floor, as nimbly as a cat, Aaron bit his lips in nervousness.

'You expect me to do that?!' he asked incredulously, when Gui Gui had reached him. Gui Gui had appeared to do it with such ease, as if conquering and carrying out such a feat was a piece of cake. But Aaron knew that was not the case. Nothing was ever as easy as it seemed, this he knew from years of experience, years of gruelling training he had received at the samurai kingdom. He grimaced. Keeping his balance and running across a flimsy rope suspended 8 metres up in the air was DEFINITELY not going to be an easy task. A tinkling laughter sounded and Aaron was surprised to find Gui Gui laughing.

'You should have seen the expression on your face!' she exclaimed, in between laughter. 'Of course I don't expect you to do that yet. You will have to master something else first,' she said mysteriously, leading him out of the training room. Exiting the training room and entering the Great Hall, Gui Gui grinned mischievously and, grabbing Aaron by the wrist, pulled him towards the opposite end of the room. Finally, they stood in front of what plainly seemed like part of a wall that made up the entire hall.

'This is what you wanted to show me?' Aaron asked incredulously. To his eyes, there was nothing special about the wall.

'Yes,' Gui Gui replied innocently.'What's wrong?' Aaron cocked his head in confusion.

'But...But...Its just part of the Great Hall. I mean like, its a wall. So? What's so special about it?' he asked, staring at the wall in front of him. Hearing this, a sly smile played on Gui Gui's lips. 

'Really?' she questioned. 'Well, there's where you are wrong. Here's another lesson for you to learn: To be a ninja, you must train your eyesight. This wall is not as plain as it seems. Try looking for something unusual.' Aaron studied the wall diligently, his gaze running over every single milimetre of it, not leaving a single detail out. The wall was extravagantly decorated, designed after the flora and fauna that could be found all around the ninja palace.  His eyes studied every intricate detail, every leave, every blossom, searching for something that did not belong to such a pattern. Finally, his eyes spotted something out of the ordinary. He had not spotted it at first but now that he looked at it carefully, he could see that the round middle of the blossom under his study was protruding slightly. It was a small difference from all the other blossoms, almost unnoticeable, but Aaron was sure it was what Gui Gui was referring to. He reached out slowly, making sure it was the correct blossom among the many that surrounded it.  His finger hovered before the protruding middle of the blossom for a second before he pressed it. As his finger came in contact with it, it succumbed under the pressure, sinking into the mechanism that awaited behind. Suddenly, the wall before Aaron parted into two, revealing a beautiful garden behind. However, it was unlike any other garden Aaron had ever seen for though it was lined with rose bushes, what occupied most of the garden was the series of tall thin pillars. They lay in the middle of that lovely place, the pillars of wood in an orderly position, row by row. Astounded by the amazing sight that greeted him, Aaron rushed to enter it but Gui Gui, with lightning speed, blocked his path with an outstretched hand. 

'You can't enter without knowing what you have to do,' she said seriously. 'Such are the rules.' 

'Then what do I have to do?' 

'Look at those pillars. You have to train on them everyday. You will have to train until you can across the pillars without falling in record time. Also, you will train by yourself and be in seclusion except for meal and bedtimes. When you accomplish your task, call me,' Gui Gui instructed. Aaron looked at her in pretended annoyance. 

'Won't you be very free then?' he asked. Gui Gui grinned mischievously. 

'Yes!' she answered energetically. 'I'll be rid of you for a while. Hahaha,' she added in a joking manner.  Aaron smiled secretly to himself and with that, entered the garden that would be his new training venue.

-------------------------------------------