Chapter Text
The sun was rising over the horizon, casting the lands below the monastery in a pale light. Inside the monastery itself, a young man was sliding a door open, stepping out into the morning light with a loud yawn. Two more men followed behind him, entering the main courtyard and rubbing their own tired eyes. An old man turned around to face his students, his eyes obscured by his bamboo hat. The three men, Jay, Cole, and Zane, all bowed to their sensei, lining up in front of him to begin their training for the day. Sensei Wu just shook his head, dismissing their gestures.
“There will be no combat training today,” he said. “I have been meditating, and I believe it is time for me to take the next step of my journey.”
“The next step?” Jay piped up, looking to his companions a bit frantically. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere far. You three are still a long way from completing your training, so I am preparing to leave and find the final tool for you to become a true ninja.” He started walking towards the top of the courtyard, his students following closely behind.
“When will you be back?” Cole asked.
“I will return before you three do. I am not the only one going on a journey, you see.”
The three looked at each other in confusion. Sensei Wu opened a sliding door and lingered in the open doorway for a moment, continuing his explanation. “You three are ready to go on your first mission.”
Jay beamed with excitement, straightening up and bouncing in place. “Our first mission?! Are you sure? What are we doing?? Who are we fighting??”
“Jay, calm down-” Cole sighed and rested a hand on his shoulder. Jay stopped talking, but he didn’t stop bouncing though. “What are we doing Sensei?”
“You will leave tonight. A few towns away from Jamanakai Village is a tea shop owned by an old friend. You will pick up my special brew from this shop and return home.” Wu tapped his staff on the ground and Jay stopped bouncing. They shared some confused looks with each other before Jay started up his yapping again.
“That’s… It?” he asked. “We’re just… picking up your tea?”
Wu cocked an eyebrow at Jay. “Is there something wrong?”
“Well… I guess not, I just thought maybe there would be a bit more action! It’s our first mission, aren’t there any bandits to fight, or bad guys to take down?” Jay started punching the air, showing off the basic combat moves he had learned in his time at the monastery. Wu shook his head, tapping the end of his staff on the top of Jay’s head, efficiently shutting him up.
“The lessons I am teaching you are so much more than just fighting. This journey you will take is not about saving people or fighting anyone, it's about learning more about yourselves and becoming closer as teammates and brothers.”
“With all due respect, sensei,” Zane, who had been quietly listening this whole time, finally spoke up, “The three of us have been training together for a long time now. Do we really need more time to grow closer?”
Wu sighed, taking a few steps into his room. “You three still have much to learn. The owner of the shop is a powerful spiritual guide. Perhaps getting a reading at the shop will do you three some good.”
They all heaved their own disappointed sighs and bowed to Wu again, saying, “Yes sensei.” in unison. Wu went on to explain that the three of them would leave that night and the ninja went off to pack for their trip.
~
Under the light of the moon, the three started off, dressed fully in their black ninja gear and each carrying packs loaded with supplies. They travelled for a few days, Jay complaining about the mission nearly the entire way there. They rolled into the village early in the morning, Zane locating the tea shop Wu had told them about.
“I believe we are here.” Zane said, examining the shop’s sign. The Golden Spirit… Hm.
“Let’s just get this over with…” Jay muttered, still very much disappointed with this journey’s goal. Behind him, Cole sighed.
“Oh come on, you’ve been down in the dumps this entire trip. Be thankful that Sensei even trusted us enough to do this on our own.” He opened the shop’s door, leading the way inside and looking around. The smell in the shop was very strong, practically slapping the three boys in the face as they came in. Jay plugged his nose almost instantly, being put in an even more bitter mood. Zane approached the counter, looking around for anyone who might be working.
“You think they’re on lunch break?” Cole asked.
“Oh no, looks like the owner is out. That’s too bad, let's go home now.” Jay started to turn around to leave but Cole grabbed his hood and yanked him back.
Zane walked around to the other side of the counter, his eyes scanning the tall shelves stacked full of tea leaves and herbs. “I am not sure where the owner is. The sign outside said it was open.” He looked back towards his teammates, shrugging at them weakly. Footsteps sounded behind him and he perked up, looking back down the hallway next to the counter. A figure turned a corner at the end of the hallway, his eyes glued to his phone.
“Ah- Excuse me?” Zane called out. The boy looked up, jumping in surprise and dropping his phone. He looked around in a panic, looking like he was about to run away before he charged towards Zane at full force. Zane yelped, jumping out of the way just in time while the boy slid into the main room.
“I knew something bad was coming! You’re here to rob me aren’t you!!” He clenched his fists, very obviously trembling. The other three looked at each in confusion, Cole slowly approaching him.
“Easy kid… We’re not h-”
The boy threw a sloppy punch, which Cole easily dodged. The boy backed up some, his gaze flickering between the three from behind his glasses.
“Dude! We’re not burglars, we’re ninja!!” Jay exclaimed, hopping to Cole’s side.
“Ninja?” the boy scoffed, “There haven’t been ninja around here for years, I’m not that stupid!” He flicked his wrist out and a blade extended from his gold bracelet. Jay yelped, throwing his hands up in defense and slinking behind Cole just the tiniest bit. Cole rolled his eyes at Jay, sending a pleading look to Zane, who was standing behind their assailant.
“Wait! We are ninjas!” Zane started. The boy whirled around, aiming his bracelet knife at Zane now. Zane went on, “We are students of Sensei Wu, he told us that this shop is where we could acquire his ‘special brew’ as he put it…”
The boy looked at Zane in surprise, slowly lowering his weapon and looking between the three of them. “Wait… You’re Wu’s students?”
“That's what we’ve been trying to tell you!!” Jay snapped. The boy retracted his knife, his face coloring as he awkwardly cleared his throat.
“Then… what’s the bad thing…” he muttered under his breath a bit, eventually shaking his head and looking at the three apologetically. “N-nevermind… I’m sorry about all that, I’ve just been a bit on edge lately.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Cole said, much to Jay’s dismay. “Are you the shop owner that Sensei sent us to find?”
The boy looked surprised for a moment. “Me…?” He paused for a minute, fiddling with his necklace. “Uh… Yeah! That’s me! My name’s Chikaru.”
“I’m Cole. This is Jay, and that guy is Zane. It’s nice to meet you.” Cole smiled and Chikaru awkwardly smiled back.
“It’s nice to meet you all too. I’m uh… I’m sorry about that whole thing…”
“What are you even so on edge about?” Jay asked. Chikaru walked around the counter, climbing up the ladder and looking through the boxes on the top shelf for Wu’s order.
“Don’t worry about it,” Chikaru said. He grabbed a big box and climbed back down the ladder, handing it to Cole from across the counter. “I guess Wu’s getting too old to make the trip here himself?” He snickered.
“Not exactly…” Zane said. “He said this was our first mission. He also suggested that we get a spiritual reading from you before we left.”
Chikaru looked a bit panicked again for a heartbeat, but the ninja didn’t seem to notice. “I think Sensei was being sarcastic when he said that, Zane.” Jay muttered.
“Uhm… W-well, if you want, I could actually give you guys some readings! Completely on the house, Wu is a good friend.” Chikaru started playing with his necklace and the ninja looked at each other, waiting for one of them to answer. Cole was the one who eventually spoke up, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I mean… If they’re free. Besides, maybe we’ll actually get something useful from this.”
Jay groaned, tugging on Cole’s sleeve, his brows furrowing in annoyance. “Cooooole, come on… We got the tea, let's just go home, I’m over this.”
Chikaru chuckled, walking back around the counter and looking at Jay. “You can go first if you want. You seem to need it the most.”
Jay glared at Chikaru, pondering the offer for a few heartbeats before sighing and slumping over. “Fine… Let's do this.”
Chikaru took Jay’s hand and led him to the back, informing the other two that they can wait in his living room, as the readings were meant to take place alone. He took Jay into a dim room with a table in the middle, surrounded by pillows to sit on. Chikaru sat on one side of the table and Jay sat on the other, still looking very annoyed.
“Want some tea?” Chikaru offered. Jay didn’t answer for a bit, still trying to look mad, but he eventually nodded and Chikaru poured him a cup. When Jay took a sip, he almost immediately spat it back into his cup in disgust.
“UGH-! Why is it so bitter?” he coughed, wiping his chin.
“It's ah… supposed to be bitter…” Chikaru murmured. He set the teapot aside and asked Jay for his hands. Jay reluctantly took Chikaru’s hands, shifting uncomfortably.
“Close your eyes and try to relax,” Chikaru said, shutting his own eyes. “I can’t read your vibes if you’re on edge the whole time.”
There was a pause. Jay had closed his eyes as well and the two sat in silence for about three seconds before Jay started snickering.
“Please don’t word it like that-” he laughed out. Chikaru laughed a bit as well, one eye opening a bit to look at him. He let Jay get his giggles out and started reaching out when the ninja had relaxed again. Chikaru took a deep breath and he started to see flashes of Jay’s future laid out before him. Although many of the events were hard to decipher, Chikaru was able to read some of the more major ones and he started relaying this new info back to Jay.
“A failed inventor, huh?” he asked. Jay groaned, his shoulders slumping some.
“It’s that obvious?”
“Unfortunately so,” Chikaru held Jay’s hand a bit tighter. “But I see improvement for you, both in regards to your inventions and yourself as a person. Keep your confidence as you start your real training, and you will eventually realize that love and family is a lot closer than you realize.”
He let go of Jay’s hands, and the visions vanished. Jay looked at his hands and then back to Chikaru. “What? What does that mean??” he asked.
Chikaru just shook his head, smiling softly. “That’s all I can safely give you. Send in one of the other two for me, won’t you.”
Jay looked at Chikaru suspiciously, slowly standing to his feet and leaving the room. A few minutes passed and Cole walked in, sitting across from Chikaru. Chikaru offered him some tea as well, but Cole turned it down, probably warned by Jay that it was incredibly bitter. He took Cole’s hands in his and immediately felt a wave of grief wash over him. He let Cole’s visions flood his mind, his a bit easier to read than Jay’s was.
“You are grieving right now… aren’t you?” he softly asked. Cole didn’t answer, but the wave of sadness hit him again, stronger this time. He allowed the visions to swim around in his mind for a bit longer, doing his best to decipher what he saw. Chikaru slowly opened his eyes, looking at Cole compassionately.
“You miss her a lot. I’m sorry.” He said. Cole took in a small, shuddering breath and let go of one of Chikaru’s hands to scratch his face.
“It’s just… it's not fair…” Cole said in a low voice.
“I understand.” Chikaru reassured him. “But you are on the path you are meant to be on. Family extends so much farther than just blood. You will mend the gap between you and your father in time. Just remember that he’s coping with this just as much as you are, even if it's hard to tell. And I know he will love and accept you, no matter what.”
Cole was staring at Chikaru in shock. He tried to blink back the tears that welled in his eyes, and smiled at Chikaru with a small nod. Chikaru smiled back and sent Cole off, waiting patiently for the last one to walk in. Zane came in the moment Cole was out of eyeshot. Surprisingly, Zane actually accepted Chikaru’s tea offer and didn’t have as strong a reaction as Jay did. He winced a bit, but didn’t complain about it. Zane’s aura felt just a bit off… Chikaru couldn’t really put his finger on it, but he was a bit reluctant to take Zane’s hands.
“My friends tell me you are quite cryptic with your messages.” Zane said. Chikaru blinked, a bit taken aback.
“I-... I’ve learned it’s best not to give too many details. I have faith you’ll all be able to put the pieces together yourselves.”
Zane nodded, a small smile crossing his lips as he laid his hands on the table for Chikaru to take. Chikaru slowly took Zane’s hands in his, his vision instantly being washed in a blue light. He couldn’t make anything out from this vision, all he could see was the light and occasionally hearing Zane’s voice echo around in his head. This was all too much, but Chikaru couldn’t let go of his hands. It was like he was frozen in place. Zane was the one who pulled away from him, reality slamming back into Chikaru like a brick. Both of them were out of breath, and Zane especially looked bewildered by what he had seen.
“Are you… like me?” Chikaru asked, his hands a bit shaky.
“I am.” Zane answered. “And you are not a real spiritual guide, are you?”
Chikaru flinched, sitting up and leaning against the table in shame. “Okay, you caught me. You want a prize?”
Zane shook his head. “No. Just a few answers. Where is the guide that Sensei told us about?”
“That would be my master,” Chikaru sighed. “She left on a journey a few weeks ago and left the shop to me. I’m nowhere near her skill level, I’m just a seer.”
Zane looked at Chikaru blankly, and Chikaru feared he was about to get scolded, but Zane just laughed softly and leaned against the table as well. “Do not worry. I will not tell my friends, as I fear Jay would just become even angrier with you. Now… What do you make of that vision?”
Chikaru bit his lip, itching the skin on the top of his hand. “I… I don’t know, honestly. It was too much for me to even guess on things…” he sighed, looking up at Zane, his face warming slightly. “Although, I think there is a lot more to you than the others realize. There’s something...strange about you.”
“I’ve been told that a lot.” Zane remarked.
“No, I don’t mean it like that.” Chikaru stammered. “There’s just something… more to you. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Zane was looking at the ground, lost in thought. His gaze slowly lifted back to Chikaru and he was met with Zane’s soft smile yet again.
“I was going to say the same about you, if I am being honest.”
“M-... Me?” Chikaru looked at him in surprise and Zane averted his gaze again, somewhat awkwardly.
“Something tells me our paths will cross again, Chikaru. In what sense they do, I am unsure.” He got to his feet and Chikaru followed suit, his brain swarming with a million thoughts at once. The two of them returned to the living area where Jay and Cole were talking about their own readings. They perked up seeing Zane and Chikaru, and the ninja prepared to set off.
Chikaru gave them a few extra supplies for their journey and watched them leave, waving goodbye from the shop’s front door. Knowing Wu, Chikaru was sure that he would encounter them again. But he was still troubled by both his initial vision foreshadowing something terrible to befall the shop and the vision he had shared with Zane. Zane was a seer, just as he was… But what was it that Zane saw that Chikaru didn’t? He sighed, heading back into the shop and starting to clean. Worrying about it would do him no good now. He would just have to wait and see what the future brought him…
On the path out of town, Jay and Cole were chatting away about what Chikaru had told them, Jay sounding a bit disappointed that Cole’s was a bit clearer than his was. Zane was lost in his own thoughts most of the conversation, thinking back to what he had seen… or rather, heard. Jay snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked at his small friend expectantly.
“Hm? What was the question?” Zane asked.
“Ugh, you’re so weird sometimes dude.” Jay grumbled. “I asked what Chikaru had told you. You’re so mysterious already, what kind of weird stuff did he see in that head of yours?”
Jay tapped Zane on the forehead, Zane flinching away from him and rolling his eyes.
“Well… He told me about… uhm…” He… wasn’t quite sure how to explain what he had seen.
“Welllll?” Cole pressed. Zane grumbled. He couldn’t tell them that he had gotten a vision along with Chikaru, let alone what he had fully seen in it. He wasn’t even sure what he had fully seen even was. Jay and Cole had stopped walking and were looking at Zane expectantly. Zane scratched the back of his neck, answering their inquiries with an awkward smile.
“... It's... complicated..."