Three months had passed, and Kangnam felt like he was starting to adapt to his surroundings. Sure, the mentors and curriculum was strict, but he was eager to learn. Within months, he was like a leader amidst the three new recruits.

 

Here's how a day would go:

5:00 - Salutations and Speech from the Grand Ninja.

6:00 - Fishing and Cooking with a Pan and Firewood.

7:30 - Bathing

8:00 - Non-Stop Sparring

14:00 - Hunting and Cooking with a Pan and Firewood

15:30 - Obstacle Race / Triathlon / Non-Stop Sparring 

20:00 - Archery and Cooking with a Campfire

21:00 - Night Camouflage

02:00 - Rest

 

 

 

 

Kangnam rarely slept during rest time; instead, he read a book his sensei gave him, titled 'The Ninja Code'. He diligently followed every rule, every single teaching, and even the Grand Ninja sometimes praised him. He could recite the first half of the book.

 

The other recruits were two girls. One was called Hirai Momo, who had talked to him during the ceremony. She had become his sparring partner, and together they fought with gust and strength. His bluntness and power matched her agility and speed. The other was called Minatozaki Sana, and she was very shy to strangers, but when Kangnam talked to her, he found that she was also very talkative and caring. She fished, cooked and hunted with him.

 

Sungjae kept a close eye on Kangnam (of course, the action was kept secret) and he taught Kangnam every move and turn. This greatly helped him, after all he was new to this thing.

 

And of course, I, the Dreamstrike, was still in his mind, waiting for a chance to take over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kangnam was washing the dishes with Sana. She intently scrubbed the pan, which was glistening with wildboar oil.

 

"Hey." He gently whispered. "Want to run together at the obstacle race today?"

 

"Again?" She raised her eyebrows. "This is not the first time. I can manage."

 

"Well, I could carry you across the mud river, and you could haul me up the cliff. And I could also take on more hits on the electric eel river." Kangnam said. "And partly because I know that your mentor has pressured you frequently. Ever since I helped you. And you can’t get anywhere near your record since that day.”

 

"Ok. *sighs* Fine by me, but we need to do it discreetly." Sana replied. "What say we let on Momo-chan on this plan?"

 

"Good idea. Her agility and speed is unparalleled." Kangnam commented.

 

"See you later then. I'll contact her." Sana flicked her hair back and walked away.

 

Kangnam nodded. They had pulled this plan off, they could do it again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some time later, the three of them arrived at the starting line.

 

Sana's mentor, Minhyuk, scowled. "Three, two, one, start!"

 

At the command, three pairs of legs sprinted. Kangnam was slower than the two, but what he lost on speed, he made up for on obstacles. He launched his torso just right above dunes, wriggled inside cracks in the wall, and swung around vines.

 

Sana was sprinting around the corner when she saw Momo dive for her legs. "It's faster this way." Momo mustered out before dropping Sana onto her shoulders and vaulting herself over a trunk. Sana was equally amazed at her speed, as she knew that she herself would not have managed that feat.

 

Kangnam neared a shallow river. He knew that this was the electric eel river, and he waited for Sana for a moment. 

 

“Quick, run!” Kangnam laughed as he saw Momo carrying Sana over the last tree trunk.

 

They leaped onto his shoulders, and he waded through the water, grunting as the eels shocked him with high-voltage attacks. Finally they reached the shore, and Kangnam put them on the ground.

 

They neared a cliff, and Sana quickly belted a rope around her waist. “C’mon, hold on tight.”

 

She climbed fast, as if the weight of two people hardly mattered. Within moments, she had reached the top. She untied the rope and let it drop down the cliff. 

 

The three of them could now see the finish line, marked with a flag.

 

“It’s a race from now on.” Momo giggled as she sprinted forward, Sana chasing after her.

 

Kangnam shrugged and leaped after them, looking at the finish line ahead. They could see Momo’s mentor, Ilhoon, waiting for them further away. He dashed past Sana, landing each step nimbly. He made a dive, scoring first, and landed on the mud.

 

Sana and Momo crossed the line together, with Momo accidentally (?) stepping on Kangnam.

 

“Ouch...” Kangnam smoothed the fabrics of his clothing. “That hurt.”

 

“Sorry, I didn’t see you.” Momo sniggered, while Sana giggled nearby.

 

“I shall have you wash the dishes tonight.” Kangnam muttered. “Ow, ow, ow.”

 

“Fine by me.” Momo said.

 

“Though I don’t suppose you’ll help me hunt boars as well?” Kangnam asked, hopes rising.

 

“Nope.”

 

And that was that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At break time that night, Sungjae called Kangnam out for a talk.

 

“Kangnam. Are you adjusting to your surroundings?” He asked.

 

“Yeah.” Kangnam nodded.

 

“And have you been following the ninja code?” Sungjae asked.

 

“Yeah.” Kangnam nodded.

 

“Did you think that you could pull off some teamwork in the obstacle race, again, without us noticing?” Sungjae scowled.

 

“Yeah- wait, what?” Kangnam shook his head in disbelief.

 

“Don’t try to fool me. Sana emerged with no electricity marks, Momo’s hands are red, and your palms show no signs of climbing the cliff at all.” Sungjae counted. “Also, you’ve been actively communicating with them, and I happen to have read your lips. This is really not the first time that I’ve noticed.”

 

Kangnam shivered.

 

“While I’m here, talking with you, Momo and Sana have already been locked up by Ilhoon and Minhyuk. If you do care about them, try and find them before break time ends. Otherwise, they’ll be gone.” Sungjae nodded. “Good luck. I know this is sudden.”

 

Kangnam, without any more questions, charged towards the large castle.

 

Sungjae watched him sprint off, then turned to the trees. “Sensei.”

 

The Grand Ninja swooped down. “He is dangerous. He may find out the truth.”

 

“You mean he values feelings more than the code.” Sungjae agreed. “He won’t be valuing feelings after tonight. We’ll deal with him.”

 

“I expect him to change.” The Grand Ninja nodded. “Otherwise, he poses a threat to all of the senior ninjas.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kangnam opened yet another wooden door. The room was empty. 

 

He desperately stomped the ground. Anyone would be frustrated in this situation, especially if he/she had opened 276 doors and found the room to be empty. 277, to be exact.

 

He scratched his head in frustration. The only floors he hadn’t searched were the basement and the roof. Judging from the lightening of the sky, it wasn’t long before the end of rest time. He had to make a decision, and fast.

 

He sprinted up to the roof of the castle, panting as he neared the top. The roof held only one room; he could try to get to the basement after he searched the roof.

 

He flung the door open. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The game is on.” Minhyuk whispered, eyes shining. “That boy has potential, and it’s up to us to activate his power.”

 

“Let’s hope it works.” Sungjae smiled eerily, and watched intently.

 

Behind them were two girls, restrained and unconscious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The room was not empty; instead, it was loaded with crates and boxes. Kangnam heaved a breath.

 

He sprinted inside and opened the first box in sight. It was full of a mysterious balck powder, the likes of which even Kangnam had never seen before. Kangnam, without hesitation, checked another box. It did not occur to him that these boxes were connected to a wire, which led to a connecting rope outside the castle, running all the way to the hands of Jung Ilhoon and Yook Sungjae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ilhoon smiled and lit said rope on fire, and watched the roof explode. He glanced at the two girls, bound and unconscious, behind him.

 

"Break time has ended." Sungjae announced. "And anyone who has stayed on the roof has been blown to kingdom come. Including our papers."

 

"It's a pity that we couldn't keep any records, right?" Sungjae joked, getting ready for another day. Another day without his apprentice.

 

"I wouldn't say that. It's best to destroy any evidence. We could be put to trial in the Royal Court just because of those papers." Ilhoon nodded. "If the Emperor asks, we could just say the recruits defied the ninja code and commited suicide before the end of their training."

 

"I think we're safe. No more paper, no more evidence of our crimes. From now on, we'll pretend that nothing had happened. The Grand Ninja shall take care of the rest." Sungjae nodded, and they put on their black robes.

 

Sana watched them from the corner of her eye. Once the duo came back, she quickly pretended to be unconscious again.

 

The two men hoisted them back to the castle, and Sana's eyes quickly filled up with tears. This partner, this leader had been blown to death, because of her. She'd live in regret for the rest of her life.

 

She closed her eyes. There was too much going on in one night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debris and rubble presented themselves on the roof. The force was evident; the walls, frames, even the structure of the attic was now blown to pieces.

 

A burnt corpse lay on the wooden floor. It did not move; why should it? Its mind had already died from the blast, and there was nothing to control the muscles and body. The corpse, of course, belonged to Kangnam. His limbs sprawled out, his neck facing the wrong direction, it would be a living hell if he wasn't dead by now, It was so ironic, that he was fortunate to be dead.

 

Because of a case that did not even matter to him, he was now deceased. Because of a stack of papers, Kangnam was now facing the long-term punishment. In a hollow plan designed by the Kyoto ninjas, he was the pawn of their schemes. His life did not matter. And worst of all, he did not die according to the ninja code. His death was disgraceful.

 

How could this boy die now? He had such potential, such eagerness to learn, the enthusiasm.

 

And so, I was born. Infused with the momentum to avenge the boy, infused with the purpose to cleanse the ninjas of Kyoto. I was not Kangnam. I was his avenger. I was... Yasuo. Yasuo Namekawa. The person who now took over his mind.

 

I was born when he first had the notion to make friends with the princess; the start of the story. I had closely observed him throughout his adventures, and now, finally, I could change his path. I could decide.

 

I stepped out of the debris, cracking my knuckles and neck into place, twisting my arms back into their joints, eyeballs swiveling to grasp my surroundings. I was now ready.

 

I am now the ninja. And it was time for battle.

 

I am now the Dreamstrike. And I had to fulfill Kangnam's wishes: to become the strongest ninja in Japan.