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Dark.
The compound lay in silence. Success would mean vital information; failure, certain destruction. The dark moon was purposeful—no light, no shadows, no second chances.
The lone figure crossed the grounds, nearly silent. Clad in black, he flattened against the wall of the Cadre barracks, waiting. The Cadre—the most elite warriors of the koryu—trained in secret, their methods unknown to any but those who passed the brutal, selective trials. They served the Jōnin directly, their loyalty absolute, their movements lethal.
He waited three minutes before anchoring his line to the roof and scaling the wall. Once on top, he crouched low, his sharp gaze scanning the compound. The three nights of the dark moon were special. The Cadre trained without sight, sharpening their instincts in live combat drills where mistakes had consequences. It was the only time they pushed the boundaries of their training to the very edge.
He breathed in the night air, steadying himself. This was not a time for mistakes. Not now. Not when he was so close.
Fear didn’t make him hesitate. He had long since learned to live with fear. It was the weight of the risk—the knowledge of what failure would bring. He had planned this for months, memorizing guard rotations, listening in on training schedules, waiting for the perfect moment.
With a practiced motion, he slipped across the roof tiles, his footsteps as silent as the shadows that cloaked him. The Cadre had already begun their drills below. Soon, he would see what no one else in the koryu had seen. He would learn. He would—
A voice cut through the night.
“Keishi. You are not supposed to be here.”
The words froze him mid-step. He exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping in resignation. Of course.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward, calm, composed, and utterly unamused. Kai stood twenty feet behind him, arms folded across his chest, his eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light.
Hamato Splinter turned, a sheepish grin creeping across his face as his hood slipped back. His whiskers twitched, his tail swished behind him; a sure sign that he was uneasy, and he hated the tell.
Play it cool. He spread his arms in mock innocence, as if sneaking onto the Cadre training grounds in the middle of the night was entirely reasonable. Anyone else caught spying would face swift judgment. But he was the Keishi. The rules bent, though they did not break.
Below them, the Cadre barely glanced up. One of them shook his head with a smirk. A familiar scene. Splinter pushing limits. Kai reeling him back in. The heir and his Keishu—his guard-- were not a threat.
“Keishu,” Splinter greeted smoothly. “What a coincidence. Out for a late stroll?”
Kai didn’t move. “Do not insult my intelligence, Keishi.”
Splinter tilted his head, considering. He could run. He was fast, and Kai was too disciplined to chase him into the darkness. But then again…Kai always caught him eventually.
“Look,” Splinter tried again, stepping forward. “I may have wandered a little too close to the training grounds this time. But it’s the eve of my Founding Day.” He grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Surely that earns me a little leniency?”
Kai’s lips barely twitched—an almost-smile that vanished as quickly as it came. His patience had limits, and Splinter had danced dangerously close to them for years.
“No,” Kai said simply. “It does not.”
Before Splinter could react, Kai grabbed him by the back of the collar and hauled him off the ground with practiced ease.
“Hey,” Splinter squirmed. “Come on, Keishu! I’m fourteen tomorrow! Practically an adult!”
“Then act like one.”
Splinter twisted, but Kai’s grip didn’t falter. The man moved with effortless precision, dragging him across the roof. “Climb down and wait for me at the bottom. If you run, I will find you, and you will regret it.”
Splinter sighed. Kai never issued idle threats. He used the same line he’d used to come up and rappelled back down. Kai followed, landing lightly beside him before seizing his collar once more and marching him across the compound.
“You’re making a mistake,” Splinter muttered, half-laughing despite himself. “Father won’t care. He’ll see the humor in it. He knows I’m resourceful. He’ll probably—”
“No,” Kai cut him off. “He will not.”
Something in his voice made Splinter pause.
They passed two guards at the west gate. They exchanged glances but said nothing. They had seen this before.
The door opened with a soft creak, and Yoshi stood waiting, arms folded in the dim light of a single lantern. He didn’t look surprised.
Kai pushed Splinter forward, releasing him with a slight shove. Then he bowed. “Yoshi-sama. I found the Keishi attempting to break into the Cadre training grounds.”
Splinter immediately raised a hand. “In my defense—”
Yoshi lifted a single finger, silencing him. His voice was calm, but there was no patience behind it. “Sit.”
Splinter hesitated before lowering himself to the floor. He didn’t slouch, but he made sure not to sit too neatly either. If he had to get lectured, he wouldn’t make it easy.
Yoshi exhaled through his nose, then spoke, his words clipped. “The Cadre training grounds.” He shook his head, more annoyed than angry. “You are not reckless. So tell me—what exactly made you think that was a good idea?”
Splinter’s hands came up in a shrug. “I wanted to see how they train.”
“Did you?”
“...No.”
Yoshi didn’t even blink. “Then I assume this was worth the trouble you are in.”
Splinter shifted, unsure how to answer.
Yoshi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You think if you watch them fight, you’ll learn something.” His voice was quieter now, but there was an edge to it. “But that’s not how you learn. And it’s not how you lead.”
Splinter looked away, scowling.
Yoshi let the silence settle before sitting back. “You’ll clean the dojo floors at dawn.”
Splinter blinked. That was it?
“That’s…it?”
“Unless you’d like me to make an example of you,” Yoshi said mildly.
Splinter wisely decided not to push his luck. “No, Father.”
Yoshi gestured toward the door. “Go to bed. And stay there.”
Splinter stood, bowing low. “Thank you, Father.”
Yoshi just waved him off, already picking up a scroll and returning to his work.
Splinter’s grin returned in full force. His eyes flashed in the lantern light. “Good night, Father.”
“Good night, Splinter.”
As Splinter turned to leave, he caught Kai’s eye and mouthed, Told you so.
Kai rolled his eyes and motioned him down the hall, following closely behind. He took his place outside Splinter’s door, settling in for the long night.
Silence stretched between them. Then, right on cue—
“Keishu.”
Kai exhaled. “Keishi.”
A pause. Then, “Don’t you ever fall asleep out there?”
“No. I would be a poor guard if I did.”
“Sensible people sleep, you know.” Splinter’s voice was light, amused. No remorse.
“Sensible people do not sneak onto the Cadre’s training grounds.”
A chuckle. A rustle of blankets. “Fair point. But I made it further this time.”
“One step further. Hardly progress.”
“Small details. It’s the spirit of the attempt that matters.”
“The spirit of the attempt got you scrubbing floors.”
A full laugh now. “Worth it.”
Kai exhaled. “You say that now. Just wait.” A pause. “You should be asleep.”
A quieter voice. Sleep creeping in. “On a scale of minor infraction to legendary disgrace, where does this rank?”
“Reckless judgment,” Kai murmured. “You didn’t notice me following you.”
A sleepy hum. “Maybe fourteen will come with better judgment.”
“I will not hold my breath.”
A beat. Silence. Then, “Good night, Keishi.”
No answer. There never was.
Kai leaned back against the wall, watching over the heir until morning.