Chapter One
Moon Shadow leapt into the air, narrowly evading Asuma’s blade. He struck down with his own sword. But Asuma was quick. He reeled back his samurai sword and used it as defense. Both swords clashed, metal sparks flying everywhere.
Moon Shadow heard a slight whoosh. He ducked. A shuriken sailed by above him.
Asuma chose that as an opportunity to attack. But Moon Shadow did a back flip and slid down the side of the building. Jiro had thrown two shuriken, but Moon Shadow had evaded them accurately with his back flip.
Asuma had taken it as a getaway. But then he saw the shuriken. He pulled back his sword and tilted to the side. Jiro had thrown the shuriken at the exact speed and time, so that the opponent could deflect one of them, and get hit by the other one at the exactly the same time.
Asuma had tilted to the side, dodging one shuriken, and then he deflected the other one with his sword.
“Real smooth, Asuma,” Jiro said. “I’m trying to get the kid here. Not you.”
“Shut up, dweeb,” Asuma said, “before I go after you instead of the boy.”
Jiro shrugged and jumped off the roof. Asuma followed suit, and landed softly on the old, cobblestone floor. Asuma put a finger to his lips, telling Jiro to shush. Then he put cupped a hand to his ear. This way, sound waves would be captured more easily, and Asuma would be to have better hearing.
THACK, THACK.
It was Moon Shadow’s footsteps on the cobblestone floor. Silver Wolf had been smart to use cobblestone tiling. It amplified the sound of footsteps, making tiptoeing futile.
“Let’s go,” Asuma said. Jiro nodded and ran after him.
The only problem was: If they could hear Moon Shadow’s footsteps, what was to keep Moon Shadow from hearing theirs?
As a matter a fact, Moon Shadow had learned the same technique. His hand was cupped around his ear, and he could hear the repetitive rapping of probably Asuma’s footsteps. Jiro must’ve been following him.
Moon Shadow was amazed. The last time he had met the two, they had been arguing over everything. But now, they were working more like a team. Silver Wolf must’ve trained them well. Asuma and Jiro were both walking at the exact same pace. The key was to make the enemy think that there was only one person coming, but then they would split up, still walking at the certain pace, and ambush the enemy from behind their back.
But Moon Shadow was prepared for this. Snow Hawk was hidden somewhere in the fortress roofs, waiting for Asuma to walk by. Ground Spider was doing the same, except this time, he was waiting for Jiro to walk by.
Moon Shadow was the decoy. As usual. But, luckily, Badger (Moon Shadow’s sensei) had thought up the plan, teaching his pupils before he had sent them on this mission.
Moon Shadow gave a thumbs-up sign to both Snow Hawk and Ground Spider. But Moon Shadow had stretched his arms out too far, letting Asuma to catch sight of him. And sure enough, Asuma was walking toward him right now.
Snow Hawk got out of her hiding place, and threw a demon wind shuriken. It was larger than an actual shuriken. About a yard across. The shuriken crashed into the wall, inches from Asuma’s face. Asuma reeled back. The shuriken was rigged, which meant that it was attached to a thin line of thread. The thread was the color of black, so it camouflaged in the night. Luckily, Asuma hadn’t noticed that. He had held out his sword. But Snow Hawk was already sliding down the thread. Her boots slammed into Asuma’s face. As Asuma fell back, Snow Hawk clipped her foot with Asuma’s sword, and pulled the sword away. The sword clanged away in a few feet.
Asuma regained his composure, realized that he no longer had possession of his samurai sword, and began doing hand-to-hand combat with Snow Hawk.
Everyone knows that samurai are only half as good with their swords. So, through hand-to-hand combat, Snow Hawk had an advantage. She leapt in the air, and spun round like a tornado. The heel of her boot hit Asuma in the stomach, and if it weren’t for his armour, Asuma would’ve been knocked out cold.
Ground Spider had been trailing Asuma and Jiro the whole time. When Asuma and Jiro had separated, Ground Spider had stalked Jiro.
But Jiro had eventually noticed him.
It seemed as if Jiro had led Ground Spider into a trap. They were in an alleyway. Three buildings around them had sloping roofs. When Jiro had spun round, and hurled three shuriken (instead of two) at Ground Spider, four samurai leapt off of the sloping roofs. One was beside Jiro, another to Jiro‘s left and right, and one opposite Jiro.
Ground Spider was cornered.
The same thing was also happening to Snow Hawk. It had all been an act. Asuma had pretended to be weary from Snow Hawk’s roundhouse kick, but it had only been a diversion. Four samurai appeared before Snow Hawk. They surrounded her, holding two swords in each hand.
Snow Hawk was obviously surprised. She looked around at the four samurai, letting her guard down. Asuma got up and drove his elbow into the spot behind Snow Hawk’s ear. Snow Hawk went unconscious.
Ground Spider eyed the samurai closely, trying to calculate their weakness. Moon Shadow, Snow Hawk, and Ground Spider each wielded a different ninja weapon. Moon Shadow had a duelist sword; Snow Hawk had a long bamboo rod with a short scythe at one end; Ground Spider wore gloves with one-foot-long blades that could slice through almost anything.
But was it enough against these samurai?
Then, each of the samurai pulled out a shuriken and flung them at all of Ground Spider’s weak spots. Ground Spider dodged/sliced most of them with his hand-blades, but one of them reached their mark—Ground Spider’s cheek. Even if it had barely cut his cheek, the shuriken must’ve been poisoned. And the effects were already showing. Ground Spider felt lightheaded and his movements were those of a sloth. He moved groggily for a while, and when he could handle no more, he collapsed.
Moon Shadow knew that both of his friends were in serious trouble. But what could he do? Soon, the samurai would come after him. And, of course, he would be terribly outnumbered. But if his friends got captured and held as hostages, who knows how much information they might be forced to give out. Moon Shadow had to do something. But he couldn’t save both of his friends at the same time.
Then his answer came…
There was a sudden whoosh in the sky. Shadows began to dance around the courtyard. And he heard it: The quiet poof of a smoke bomb, and the repeated thuds of fallen men.
Giant birds were looming over him. They zipped down and picked up Ground Spider and Snow Hawk. But birds didn’t have hands. No, these were people. Air ninja to be exact. Air ninja had been thought to be extinct. They were ninja who could fly. Somehow they were here now. And they had Moon Shadow’s friends.
Moon Shadow tried to throw a shuriken at one of them, but they just tilted to the side, and the shuriken ricocheted off of their backs with a metallic clang.
Moon Shadow tried to follow them, but they already a mile away. They and his friends. It was hopeless, like trying to catch a bird that is a hundred feet in the air with your hands.
Moon Shadow watched as his friends sailed away, until they were a tiny speck in the horizon.
Moon Shadow leapt into the air, narrowly evading Asuma’s blade. He struck down with his own sword. But Asuma was quick. He reeled back his samurai sword and used it as defense. Both swords clashed, metal sparks flying everywhere.
Moon Shadow heard a slight whoosh. He ducked. A shuriken sailed by above him.
Asuma chose that as an opportunity to attack. But Moon Shadow did a back flip and slid down the side of the building. Jiro had thrown two shuriken, but Moon Shadow had evaded them accurately with his back flip.
Asuma had taken it as a getaway. But then he saw the shuriken. He pulled back his sword and tilted to the side. Jiro had thrown the shuriken at the exact speed and time, so that the opponent could deflect one of them, and get hit by the other one at the exactly the same time.
Asuma had tilted to the side, dodging one shuriken, and then he deflected the other one with his sword.
“Real smooth, Asuma,” Jiro said. “I’m trying to get the kid here. Not you.”
“Shut up, dweeb,” Asuma said, “before I go after you instead of the boy.”
Jiro shrugged and jumped off the roof. Asuma followed suit, and landed softly on the old, cobblestone floor. Asuma put a finger to his lips, telling Jiro to shush. Then he put cupped a hand to his ear. This way, sound waves would be captured more easily, and Asuma would be to have better hearing.
THACK, THACK.
It was Moon Shadow’s footsteps on the cobblestone floor. Silver Wolf had been smart to use cobblestone tiling. It amplified the sound of footsteps, making tiptoeing futile.
“Let’s go,” Asuma said. Jiro nodded and ran after him.
The only problem was: If they could hear Moon Shadow’s footsteps, what was to keep Moon Shadow from hearing theirs?
As a matter a fact, Moon Shadow had learned the same technique. His hand was cupped around his ear, and he could hear the repetitive rapping of probably Asuma’s footsteps. Jiro must’ve been following him.
Moon Shadow was amazed. The last time he had met the two, they had been arguing over everything. But now, they were working more like a team. Silver Wolf must’ve trained them well. Asuma and Jiro were both walking at the exact same pace. The key was to make the enemy think that there was only one person coming, but then they would split up, still walking at the certain pace, and ambush the enemy from behind their back.
But Moon Shadow was prepared for this. Snow Hawk was hidden somewhere in the fortress roofs, waiting for Asuma to walk by. Ground Spider was doing the same, except this time, he was waiting for Jiro to walk by.
Moon Shadow was the decoy. As usual. But, luckily, Badger (Moon Shadow’s sensei) had thought up the plan, teaching his pupils before he had sent them on this mission.
Moon Shadow gave a thumbs-up sign to both Snow Hawk and Ground Spider. But Moon Shadow had stretched his arms out too far, letting Asuma to catch sight of him. And sure enough, Asuma was walking toward him right now.
Snow Hawk got out of her hiding place, and threw a demon wind shuriken. It was larger than an actual shuriken. About a yard across. The shuriken crashed into the wall, inches from Asuma’s face. Asuma reeled back. The shuriken was rigged, which meant that it was attached to a thin line of thread. The thread was the color of black, so it camouflaged in the night. Luckily, Asuma hadn’t noticed that. He had held out his sword. But Snow Hawk was already sliding down the thread. Her boots slammed into Asuma’s face. As Asuma fell back, Snow Hawk clipped her foot with Asuma’s sword, and pulled the sword away. The sword clanged away in a few feet.
Asuma regained his composure, realized that he no longer had possession of his samurai sword, and began doing hand-to-hand combat with Snow Hawk.
Everyone knows that samurai are only half as good with their swords. So, through hand-to-hand combat, Snow Hawk had an advantage. She leapt in the air, and spun round like a tornado. The heel of her boot hit Asuma in the stomach, and if it weren’t for his armour, Asuma would’ve been knocked out cold.
Ground Spider had been trailing Asuma and Jiro the whole time. When Asuma and Jiro had separated, Ground Spider had stalked Jiro.
But Jiro had eventually noticed him.
It seemed as if Jiro had led Ground Spider into a trap. They were in an alleyway. Three buildings around them had sloping roofs. When Jiro had spun round, and hurled three shuriken (instead of two) at Ground Spider, four samurai leapt off of the sloping roofs. One was beside Jiro, another to Jiro‘s left and right, and one opposite Jiro.
Ground Spider was cornered.
The same thing was also happening to Snow Hawk. It had all been an act. Asuma had pretended to be weary from Snow Hawk’s roundhouse kick, but it had only been a diversion. Four samurai appeared before Snow Hawk. They surrounded her, holding two swords in each hand.
Snow Hawk was obviously surprised. She looked around at the four samurai, letting her guard down. Asuma got up and drove his elbow into the spot behind Snow Hawk’s ear. Snow Hawk went unconscious.
Ground Spider eyed the samurai closely, trying to calculate their weakness. Moon Shadow, Snow Hawk, and Ground Spider each wielded a different ninja weapon. Moon Shadow had a duelist sword; Snow Hawk had a long bamboo rod with a short scythe at one end; Ground Spider wore gloves with one-foot-long blades that could slice through almost anything.
But was it enough against these samurai?
Then, each of the samurai pulled out a shuriken and flung them at all of Ground Spider’s weak spots. Ground Spider dodged/sliced most of them with his hand-blades, but one of them reached their mark—Ground Spider’s cheek. Even if it had barely cut his cheek, the shuriken must’ve been poisoned. And the effects were already showing. Ground Spider felt lightheaded and his movements were those of a sloth. He moved groggily for a while, and when he could handle no more, he collapsed.
Moon Shadow knew that both of his friends were in serious trouble. But what could he do? Soon, the samurai would come after him. And, of course, he would be terribly outnumbered. But if his friends got captured and held as hostages, who knows how much information they might be forced to give out. Moon Shadow had to do something. But he couldn’t save both of his friends at the same time.
Then his answer came…
There was a sudden whoosh in the sky. Shadows began to dance around the courtyard. And he heard it: The quiet poof of a smoke bomb, and the repeated thuds of fallen men.
Giant birds were looming over him. They zipped down and picked up Ground Spider and Snow Hawk. But birds didn’t have hands. No, these were people. Air ninja to be exact. Air ninja had been thought to be extinct. They were ninja who could fly. Somehow they were here now. And they had Moon Shadow’s friends.
Moon Shadow tried to throw a shuriken at one of them, but they just tilted to the side, and the shuriken ricocheted off of their backs with a metallic clang.
Moon Shadow tried to follow them, but they already a mile away. They and his friends. It was hopeless, like trying to catch a bird that is a hundred feet in the air with your hands.
Moon Shadow watched as his friends sailed away, until they were a tiny speck in the horizon.
last edited zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita