The Ninja Apprentice: The Lost Scrolls of Fudo Shin

by Jon F. Merz

  In seconds, he was asleep.

  * * *

  “Let’s go!”

  Jimmy’s eyes didn’t want to open; they felt sticky and heavy. Jimmy didn’t want to move. But when Vanessa started hitting the pot with a big metal spoon, the noise drove Jimmy crazy, so he finally swung himself out of bed.

  Vanessa stood there in a sweat suit with sneakers on. Her hair was back in a ponytail. She looked rested and Jimmy hated her all the more for it. He could have slept for another day.

  He glanced at the windows. The sun was only just beginning to peek over the trees, warming the dark blue sky with orange and red streaks.

  “Are the birds awake yet?”

  “Get your stuff on and meet me downstairs in two minutes.” Vanessa spun on a heel and left.

  Jimmy shook his head. His mouth felt like moss had been growing on it. But he pulled on his sneakers and sidled downstairs.

  The front door was open. A cold breeze wrapped him in its chill and he shivered.

  Vanessa stood on the grass. “Over here.”

  “It’s freezing out!”

  “You’ll get warm soon enough.” She pointed to a spot next to her. Jimmy walked over.

  “I want you to stand and relax. Keep your head held up and your arms naturally by your side. Bend your knees just a bit. Good.”

  Jimmy did as she said but yawned.

  “Breathe,” said Vanessa. “I want you to feel rooted to the earth. Like your feet are sinking into the earth. You’re immoveable. Unshakable.”

  Jimmy imagined his legs were roots and they were growing down into the ground. It felt weird, but he had to admit that he felt very stable.

  “Good.” Vanessa turned and stood in front of him. “I’m going to punch you now.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Vanessa grinned. “Not full speed. At least not yet. My punch will arc at your head like a hook.”

  “I bruise easily,” said Jimmy.

  “All I want you to do is lift your left arm up like you’re waving at someone behind me. As you do that, I want you to sink on your knees a bit more.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes.”

  Jimmy frowned. “I don’t know.”

  “Trust me, Jimmy.”

  Trust didn’t seem to be a fair request. She’d basically kidnapped him last night, hadn’t she? And she’d let his friends die.

  She saved your life. Now do as she says.

  Jimmy sighed. Great, the voice was back. He looked at Vanessa. “Lift my arm and bend my knees. Is that it?”

  “Keep thinking of yourself as being rooted to the earth, too.”

  “Sure.” Jimmy took a breath and waited.

  Vanessa’s punch sailed in at his head. As it came at him, Jimmy lifted his arm and sank. Vanessa’s punch bounced off his raised arm.

  “Good.”

  Jimmy grinned. “That’s it?”

  “Not even close. Now that you’ve got that, there’s more. This time, keep your other hand open and in front of your throat, elbow down.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s no such thing as only one punch, silly. You block one punch and there will be another one coming. Your other hand is your guard. It will protect you as you take care of the first punch. Now do it again.”

  Vanessa repeated her attack and Jimmy responded as she’d told him.

  She kept building the exercise, though. “This time, after you block my punch, put your other hand under my chin, step forward with your right foot, and shove my head back – way back. Once I’m off-balance, sink on your knees and I will fall down.”

  “You will?”

  Vanessa smiled. “You’ll be shoving my head beyond the support of my spine. I won’t be able to stand up if you do it properly.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Vanessa stopped. “You think I’m playing around with you, Jimmy? You think this is some sort of game?”

  Jimmy frowned but said nothing. Vanessa nodded. “Maybe you should be the one to punch me, then?”

  “I’m not going to hit a girl.”

  Vanessa folded her arms across her chest. “First of all, I’m not a girl. I’m a woman. And if you think that you can do any harm to me, then you’re a fool.”

  “I’ve been in fights before.”

  Vanessa snorted. “Dealing with that bully at school is a far different thing than dealing with people who are intent on killing you.” She paused. “Just ask Jamal and Derek.”

  Jimmy’s heart thundered in his chest. “What did you say?”

  “Am I speaking another language?” A grin snaked across her face and Jimmy felt himself go hot with fury.

  The tidal surge of rage exploded out of him as he suddenly reared back on his right heel and threw a right punch arcing in at Vanessa’s head. As he punched, a yell erupted from his throat that was part scream and part shout.

  At the very last moment, Vanessa’s hand intercepted Jimmy’s punch and the force of the blow made Jimmy think that his arm had run into a brick wall. But before he could recover, he felt Vanessa’s other hand lift his chin straight up and back. The world seemed to go almost upside down and then Jimmy fell back, landing hard on his butt.

  He scrambled to his feet and flew at Vanessa again. This time he drove straight at her, determined to tackle her around the waist, get her to the ground and rain down some punches like he’d seen those mixed martial arts guys do on the television.

  But his arms encircled nothing. Vanessa had deftly evaded his attack and worse, as Jimmy’s momentum carried him further on, she tripped him. He sprawled forward, face first into the dirt.

  “Rage,” she said then, “is the negative manifestation of anger. Anger itself can be useful. But rage blinds us and makes us vulnerable to attack. We cease seeing the traps that lie in wait around us because we are consumed by the uncontrollable aspects of the emotion. Always remember, if you’re not in control of yourself, someone else is.”

  Jimmy got to his feet. For a moment he thought about trying to attack Vanessa again. But then he tasted the dirt in his mouth and felt the ache in his backside and thought better of it.

  Vanessa regarded him. “Had enough?”

  Jimmy looked down. “You don’t have the right to say their names.”

  “You’re wrong about that, mate. I have the right to do anything I believe necessary in order to prepare you for what lies ahead.” She took a breath. “You’ve just had your first lesson in manipulation. Learn it well. I dislike teaching it.”

  “I don’t like learning it,” said Jimmy.

  “A skillful warrior makes use of whatever tools he has at his disposal. In some situations, a punch might suffice. But in others, a subtle bit of psychological warfare is all that’s needed to make the enemy implode.” She smiled. “Don’t think this is all punches and kicks, Jimmy. It’s not. When you’re in combat, you need a strategy. Always. Without strategy, you’re just another fighter. With strategy, you become a warrior.”

  “Strategy…right.”

  Vanessa popped another smile across her face. “Good. That’s settled then.” And in the next instant, she launched a hook punch right at Jimmy’s face. Without thinking, Jimmy intercepted it with the block, stepped forward and shoved her head back. Vanessa’s back arched and at the right moment, Jimmy sank. Vanessa fell to the ground and rolled backwards, coming to her feet as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “Good,” she nodded. “Very good instincts.”

  “How’d you roll like that?”

  “Why – you interested in learning?”

  “Well, sure.” Jimmy shrugged. “I mean, it’s not like I’ve got a million other places to be, you know?”

  “Indeed.” She glanced at her watch. “Right, off we go. Follow me,” and then she trotted off down a small rocky trail that wound its way through the forest, over a small stream, up and down hills, and over lots of fallen trees.

  Jimmy tried to keep up, but soon found himself whe
ezing, gasping for breath and his stomach hurt. As he leaned against a nearby tree trying not to retch, the voice spoke to him again.

  Bend your knees and keep them bent. Keep yourself upright, let your arms swing naturally, and keep your feet moving in short rolling steps.

  Jimmy tried it and found his stride changed. He was able to adapt his body to the terrain, almost like he was more in harmony with it than fighting against it. He still couldn’t breathe right, though.

  Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your top front teeth.

  Jimmy did and found his breathing gradually came back under control. He grinned around his breaths. Hey, it works.

  This is called mu on no ho - flexed knee running. This is how ancient warriors ran.

  Jimmy followed the trail and emerged from the forest at the other end of the house. Vanessa was already there stretching. She took Jimmy through a series of exercises designed to keep his muscles warm and pliable.

  “I’ll get breakfast going then,” she said when they were done. “Grab a shower and find the clothes I bought for you in your room. Meet me down in the kitchen in twenty minutes.”

  “Why are you so critical about time?” asked Jimmy. He expected her to ignore him again.

  Instead, she looked at him with a serious expression on her face. “Because one day, perhaps very soon, someone’s life may depend on you being exactly where you say you’re going to be, when you say you’re going to be. What good is it to say you’ll be there to save them in ten minutes, if you show up in eleven?”

  Jimmy watched her walk away, and then ran to catch up. Who is this woman? He wondered.

  The house might not have looked modern, but it certainly had enough hot water in the tank. Jimmy showered and enjoyed how the heat felt on his sore muscles. He soaped and rinsed and then found the clothes that Vanessa had laid out for him.

  Everything fit perfectly. He slid into new jeans that had already been laundered to break them in, so they felt softer. He put on a T-shirt and a new sweatshirt. The tube socks slid all the way up to his calves and he had a pair of soft slipper shoes that felt great on his feet.

  “Not bad,” he said aloud. That was when he noticed the long thin white box laid across his pillows. A small red bow was stuck to the box. Jimmy opened it and found a three-foot long stick inside about an inch in diameter. The smooth wood staff slid easily through his hands. He gripped it and it felt good to hold.

  Twenty minutes.

  Jimmy frowned and slid out of his room, marveling at how quiet he was able to walk with the slippers on his feet. For fun, he kept his knees bent and descended the stairs to the first floor kitchen. The normally squeaky stairs didn’t make any noise as he almost floated down them.

  That's pretty cool, he thought.

  As he neared the bottom, he heard something.

  Was that Vanessa’s voice? Was she talking to someone?

  Jimmy couldn’t quite hear her. He stepped down onto the first floor and crept down the hallway toward the kitchen, carefully breathing and keeping his knees bent to avoid making noise.

  He could see her shadow in the doorway. Her voice was soft and he still couldn’t make out what she was saying. He crept closer and risked looking around the doorjamb.

  In the shadow of the pantry, he saw the profile of an older man. He had white hair, but Jimmy found it tough to make out any other details since the light was bad.

  Vanessa nodded and said a few more things Jimmy couldn’t hear.

  I need to get closer, he thought.

  He took another step.

  Creeeeaaaakkkkk!

  Jimmy looked down at his foot pressing into the wooden threshold of the kitchen. His stomach sank as he looked back up.

  Vanessa had her hands on her hips glaring at him.

  And the old man had somehow vanished.

  Chapter Three

  “What, exactly, do you think you’re doing?”

  Jimmy swallowed. “You told me to come down for breakfast.”

  Vanessa raised one eyebrow and Jimmy thought it made her look all the angrier. “No, what you were doing was sneaking all around and trying to overhear my conversation.”

  Jimmy frowned. “Sorry.”

  Vanessa shook her head. “Honestly, there’s no need for it. Don’t be a busybody and don’t go sticking your nose into things that you don’t need to know.”

  “All right.”

  “I don’t know how in the world I’m ever supposed to trust you to be able to do what you need to do before-“

  “Who was that guy?”

  Vanessa stopped. “What?”

  “The guy you were talking to. Who was he?”

  Vanessa clamped her mouth shut with a frown. Finally, she took a deep breath and huffed it out. “Here you go again, trying to figure out things you shouldn’t be concerning yourself with. No matter I just told you not to ask about it. You apparently consider it worthy of your time. Well, it’s not. And we have far more important things to concentrate on, like your training. I haven’t a clue as to how you’re going to successfully retrieve the lost scrolls.”

  Jimmy leaned back. “Lost scrolls? What are you talking about?”

  But she ignored him again. “I see you found your present. Happy Birthday, Jimmy.”

  He hefted the staff. “Thanks. I’m not sure what it is-“

  “It’s called a ‘hanbo,’ a three-foot staff used as a weapon in feudal Japan.” She smiled. “It’s very old, that one is. Been in your family for a long time. Now it’s with you, where it needs to be. Treat it well.”

  "My family?"

  "Your real family, Jimmy. After all, you didn't just pop into being, did you?"

  "Well, no, but I've never known anything about them-"

  "You will. Just be patient, all right?"

  Jimmy looked down at the staff. It didn’t appear to be that old, but here and there along the length, he could see small indentations. He wondered if it came from hitting other staves. Or people, even. He looked back at Vanessa. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. That’s the first weapon you will learn to use.”

  “First weapon?”

  “You need to master a very old system of combat, Jimmy. Unarmed techniques, a vast array of traditional and modern weapons, strategy, and a whole lot more.”

  “Oh. Great.”

  Vanessa smirked. “Don’t worry, it only seems completely overwhelming. You’ll do just fine.”

  “Okay. So, what did you mean about retrieving lost scrolls?”

  Vanessa looked ready to start yelling at him, but then abruptly sank to the floor and motioned to Jimmy to do the same. In a loud whisper she waved him back out of the kitchen. “Get down!”

  Jimmy ducked back outside of the doorjamb. As he did, a dark shadow passed by the kitchen window outside, paused, and then slunk away. What was happening?

  Vanessa crawled over to him and put her mouth next to his ear. “Follow me. Don’t ask any questions. Do exactly as I say. All right?”

  Jimmy nodded and watched Vanessa scamper down the hallway back toward the stairs leading to the upper floors. Jimmy followed, grateful his cotton slippers made his movement almost silent.

  Vanessa sped up the stairs, but didn’t stop on the second floor. Instead, she went to a small closet at the end of the hallway and opened the door. Pressing against the back wall of it, Jimmy saw that it was a secret door that opened on a new flight of steps going up.

  Vanessa nodded at him. “Into the attic. Now.”

  Jimmy ducked into the small opening and raced up the dusty creaky stairs with the hanbo held in front of him. Vanessa closed the door behind them, plunging the stairs into darkness. Jimmy found his way to the top where smaller half windows let some of the light in from outside.

  Boxes and trunks and old pictures in cracked frames littered the expanse of the attic. Rolls of old carpeting were stacked against the wall. Dust was everywhere, and Jimmy lifted his shirt over his nose to keep from inhaling
it and sneezing.

  Vanessa ignored the contents of the attic and moved directly to the windows, carefully peering out of the corner. Jimmy watched her frown deepen.

  “So much for secrecy.” She glanced at Jimmy. “Come here.”

  Jimmy eased over to the window. Vanessa grabbed him.

  “Never look out of a window directly. Even if you can’t see what’s around, someone will be able to see you. Here.” She pointed at the lower right hand corner. “Look through there and tell me what you see.”

  Jimmy peered out. What he saw scared him. Six men dressed in black commando garb advanced on the house across the lawn. They held automatic weapons. He looked back at Vanessa. “Six of them?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “There are more than that. Look in the trees.”

  Jimmy peered back out. The giant oak that had branches leading to the roof of the house held another three men working their way over the gnarled branches closer to the eaves.

  Jimmy heard Vanessa’s voice. “And on the outskirts of the woods.”

  He looked further out and saw more men poised by the forests, studying the ground. “They’re looking at our tracks from the run earlier.”

  “Very good. They’re trying to determine how many of us are in the house. See if they have enough men to take the house down with risk of injury to themselves. They have a force of about a dozen. To our two.” She frowned. “Well, perhaps one and a half right now, but we’ll work on that.”

  “Those aren’t very good odds.”

  She smiled. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

  “Are these more of the same people who killed my friends?” Just saying it made Jimmy’s stomach hurt again thinking about Derek and Jamal.

  “Yes. They are.”

  “How did they find us so fast?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “I don’t know. I took all precautions to ensure we’d be left alone. Apparently, I didn’t think of everything.”

  “Now what?”

  Vanessa leaned back from the window and leaned against the wall. “We wait.”

  Jimmy shook his head. “For what? Those guys are right outside. If they know we’re in here, they’ll find us. We’ll be trapped. They could set fire to this house…just like last night.”