Chapter 9: The Ninja Named Shiru

I’m scared. I’m scared.

He smashed me on the ground.

“Ahgg!”

I threw up blood.

Is this it? Am I going to die?

I promised that, 

“I won’t let anyone lay a finger on my friends.”

“I’ll be back.”

I don’t want to experience that again. Ever again.

My blood was already flowing from my head. I couldn’t see well. My vision’s starting to blur. I can’t die here. I need to protect them.

“I can’t... afford to... die... here.”

Even though I couldn’t stand up anymore, I forced myself to lift my head.

“I made a... promise. That... I’ll be back.”

I was barely standing.

But that time, my vision’s become a lot clearer than before. I had remembered this feeling way back before. I could see the air as if I could touch them. Then, all of a sudden, the wind became so rampant in the sense that the dojo, the trees, and the ground will most likely to collapse.

“What’s happening?”

Lerio and others reacted.

I didn’t know what’s happening, but when I saw my reflection in portion of the water that soaked me just a while ago.

“My eyes are...”

My eyes shined like an emerald.

“Why is this—?”

Then all of a sudden, the ground I was standing, melted. My feet couldn’t move.

“Sorry, Jen. I can’t let you do that.”

Shiru came.

“Shiru? Why are you here?”

Lerio asked him like he’s a bit surprised.

“I thought I asked you to not be rough with her, but look what you’ve done...”

Shiru just changed his expression.

“Wha—!”

Lerio and the others fell in the melted ground just like me.

“Are you going to betray the association? Huh, Shiru?”

“I was never a part of the association. Don’t get me wrong. I only joined you because I wanted to see Jen again.”

He said.

Eh? Just to see me? Now that you mention it.

“Someone’s been dying to meet you.”

So that someone was Shiru?

My head was covered with blood. I couldn’t even see well. I felt like I was about to faint.

“How dare you betray us, Shiru?"

Lerio yelled.

“Sorry, Jen.”

Shiru apologized. 

“Why are you doing this?”

I pushed him away from me.

“Jen, I’m not your enemy.”

He kept convincing me.

“We need to treat your wounds. You’re bleeding all over.”

He insisted. 

“Let go of me.”

He’s holding my shoulders. I couldn’t trust him. I didn’t know if what he’s saying was true. And that time, I couldn’t really think well.

I couldn’t move because of his ninja technique. The ground caught my legs.

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, YOU TRAITOR!”

Lerio surprised us when he managed to get out of the melted ground and had various sharp objects thrown to us. Shiru got hit of one of those because he protected me.

“Guh, you can still move from my bind, Lerio?”

Shiru asked.

“Are you... okay?”

I was worried for him.

“Haha, you should ask that for yourself.”

He said smilingly.

That time, I couldn’t already stand. He carried me instead. 

“It’s okay, Jen. You can go back to your friends.”

When he said that, I felt so relieved, in the sense that tears were already flowing from my eyes.

“Thank you, Shiru.”

Everyone was already around us.

“Jen, sorry. I’ll borrow your whistle again.”

He picked the whistle from the pocket of my clothes and he began to blow it. Though it might not be as useful as the first time I used it, some were still knocked out. He used that chance to use some smoke bombs and had escaped from the dojo.

Shiru’s carrying me as we escaped.

“Sh... Shiru, just... leave me. I’ll... just burden... you.”

I can barely say words straight. 

“Since when did you become so caring? You used to be so...”

***

Jen: 4 years old       Shiru: 6 years old

“You want to play with me, Jen?”

Jen was reading a book.

“Playing will only make me waste my energy. You go play with yourself, Shiru.”

***

That's the end of the flashback.

“Haha. You don’t care about what people think of you. You’re just doing what pleases you. YOU'RE AS COLD AS -100 DEGREES! Haha, you’re really cute back then.”

“STOP REMINISCING, WILL YOU?! YOU’RE EMBARRASSING ME!”

Eh? We’re escaping but the ninjas were still pursuing us. Just how relaxed are we, huh?

“You really changed, Jen.”

He smiled.

My mind wanted to say “You, too.”

The Shiru I knew in the past, never really knew how to smile. You’re smiling at the bottom of your heart, huh?

It was then...

Shiru suddenly stopped.

I saw a shadow of someone blocking our way. Well, I couldn’t really see well, since my head’s been so dizzy, plus the blood made it difficult for me to see.

“Who are you? How come that you knew this place?”

Shiru asked that guy.

At first, I thought it was just an enemy but when he started talking, I knew it. 

“That girl you’re holding...”

It was Jairo’s voice.

“How come that she’s dripping with blood?”

He added. He was looking at the blood flowing from my head 

“J... Jairo.”

I called him.

“Let go of her.”

He sounded like he’s really furious.

Shiru was carrying me in his shoulders so maybe Jairo would have thought that he’s the one who kidnapped me.

“Sorry, I can’t hand her over to you.”

Shiru said.

“Shi...ru, he’s... my...”

I couldn’t speak well that time. I even coughed up blood.

“Don’t speak, Jen. You’re still in no condition to speak.”

Shiru was worried. 

“WHAT DID YOU GUYS DO TO HER?”

And here goes our Jairo. Listen first, will you? 

Jairo began attacking Shiru with me on his shoulder. What freaks? Could they just at least put me down first?

“I said let her go!”

Jairo tried to punch Shiru. 

“I won’t!”

Shiru dodged. They began arguing too!

“St... op. Stop it.”

Shiru was swinging me as he dodged Jairo’s punches.

Finally, as Jairo went to punch Shiru in a corner and... I WAS THE ONE WHO GOT HIT! I”LL KILL THEM!

“GUHAAA!”

I reacted.

“Oh!”

Both of them reacted.

“J... Jen?”

Jairo asked.

“STOP FIGHTING BETWEEN ME! IF YOU’RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELVES, GO AND DIE BY YOURSELVES! DON’T INCLUDE ME, YOU ROTTEN IMBECILES!”

They stopped fighting.

“LET ME DOWN!”

I yelled at Shiru.

At last, he let me down.

“Ouch. You punch me, bastard. I won’t forgive you for this.”

“I’m sorry, Jen. I didn’t mean to.”

He kept apologizing.

“He’s your friend, Jen?”

Shiru asked.

“I hate to admit, but yes.”

I said.

“Who’s this guy, Jen?”

Jairo asked.

“Ah, he’s my...”

“Boy-friend!”!

WHAT? DON’T JUST CUT ME OFF AND JUST BLABBER WHAT YOUR MIND TOLD YOU TO?

“Boyfriend?”

Jairo asked himself.

Not so later than that he laughed out so loud.

“BOYFRIEND? THAT GIRL? YOU’RE JOKING, RIGHT? NO ONE WILL LIKE THAT GIRL. ESPECIALLY THE COLD-BLOODED, BUMPKIN, SELFISH GIRL!”

Jairo, I'll kill you. 

“I felt insulted!”

I reacted.

“Well yeah, he’s my childhood best friend. He’s Shiru Shun Kawabe.”

I introduced him to Jairo.

“Jen, you... you remembered my full name?” 

Shiru had teary eyes. 

“You used to forget my name before...”

He added. 

***

“Jen! Jen! Wait for me!”

Shiru was calling me.

“Hurry, Shiku.”

Jen said.

“It’s Shiru!”

“Yeah, Shiyu.”

***

And that's how the flashback ends. 

“I CAN’T PRONOUNCE PROPER WORDS THAT TIME! I WAS STILL 4 YEARS OLD THAT TIME, YOU IDIOT!”

Shiru, I'll kill you too. 

“You’re really cute back then, Jen! And you’re just elegant right now!”

He added.

“STOP PRAISING ME!”

Shiru and I were totally arguing.

“Could you two stop talking about your pasts? I can’t go along with it.”

Jairo seriously said. What’s his problem?

“By the way, you’re already okay, Jen?”

Shiru said.

“Yeah! His punch made me wake up!”

I pointed Jairo.

“Is it just me or you’re eyes turned light green, Jen?”

Jairo asked.

“That’s something I don’t know too.”

I replied.

It was then that we’re already surrounded by the ninjas who were pursuing us.

“You really gave us a hard time, little girl.”

Lerio and those who kidnapped me said.

“I really have to let you pay back for stealing and kidnapping my partner just like that. You guys, reflect on your actions!”

He sounded just like an angry lion back there.

I was shocked. In just 5 minutes, he already annihilated all of the ninjas around even that Lerio. Oh my gosh, what is he?

"While I was trying to escape them, he just finished them off in 5 minutes."

I knelt out of disappointment. 

Shiru also felt amazed at him that time, though he seemed so quiet.

It was then Nitsuji and others came to our rescue. Was it supposed to be a rescue? It was all finished when they came.

“You finished all the enemies? Whoa, scary.”

Nee-chee said.

“Are you okay, Jen? You’re bleeding!”

Ace asked.

“I’m fine.”

I said.

“Really? Whoa, your eyes are like shining emeralds.”

Ken said.

I saw Shiru smiling. And I don’t know why but in the meantime, yeah, I had lost too much blood.

“Jen!”

I fainted that time.

I was really a weakling. I really couldn’t protect anyone. I was just too weak to protect them.