L. Benitez's Blog

Please check out the full post on my official author blog! http://lbenitezauthor.blogspot.com/20...

O-heyo!



Where do I start?

Well, I've decided that blogging more on my GR page is a good idea. I'm not expecting any likes or comments, but if I do in fact get some, hooray! :D

I've got a main author blog going that I published on November 1st. The blog features all my Shinobi 7 Series content like character profiles, excerpts, and details of my other works.

However, I also would like to use my blog to help put the spotlight on other authors as well. I do book reviews, author interviews, cover reveals, and I'll help spread the word about your giveaways. It's a new blog so I can't guarantee sales, but I can at least give you some free exposure :) If you like and follow my blog, that will also help exponentially!

That being said, here's a link to my latest blog post. Please check out my goodreads giveaway and become a goodreads fan on my page. Thank you so much! If you'd like to contact me, either leave a comment and read my "contact me" page on my blog.

Arigato!

http://lbenitezauthor.blogspot.com/20...

Thanks to Jasper County Newspaper for featuring me and my book in their article. Very excited!!!

I would like to say thank you to the new follows I’ve gotten. I haven’t had much activity (if any) on my wordpress but I’m gearing up to change that! I just got back from a karate tournament yesterday. It was wild, there were a lot of Martial Arts styles, from Kung Fu, to Tae Kwan Do, to the many karate branches. I’ve enjoyed competing and representing my school. I even won grand champion, a feat that I wasn’t expecting. But I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of my fellow classmates and my own sensei, Roger Leitaker. Thank you to all my friends and family.

Have a wonderful day everyone! I will be sure to post more often and follow back as much as I can! =D

~Lily

Reblogged from Tsundoku Reviews:

Brief Summary: The Blackthorn clan has ravaged the world of Shaaku Den in search of the ultimate power—the Mekai-Ishi. Only Master Kitsune’s clan stands in their way, led by six brave and hopeful, but untrained, warriors called the Shinobi 7.

The Tsundoku Scale: Middle of the Pile, 7 out of 10.

The Good: I love the characters and the whimsical, self-deprecating comedic tone that they take.

Read more… 514 more words

A very kind review from this blogger. As an author, the greatest joy is knowing that someone has liked your work. I'm happy to say that is the case here. There will be bad reviews, good reviews, and so on. But it's made my morning to know that this reader Matthew has liked my work. Another thank you to Tsundoku Reviews! Please follow them!

Author’s Note: Hello everyone! Here’s an excerpt from the book Shinobi 7: Trials of a Warrior, the first book in the Shinobi 7 series. Please enjoy and thank you for reading.

Cassie’s POV (point of view):

~A drop of innocence in the pool of deception~

The cold morning air started to ease up from the warm sun rays that started to shine. Slowly, I came out of my dreamless sleep and my cerulean blue eyes opened. I turned over on my back and stretched out my arms, feeling the coarse grass blades poke at me. But I no longer minded, I was used to the feeling of the grass around me.

For a few minutes I stayed on the grass, looking at the yellow-colored skies directly above me. “Another day,” I murmured. My throat burned for water.

I stood up to my full height of 5’6”, dusted off the blue cotton top that hung loosely on my shoulders and then wiped the dirt off my faded black pants. As a final grooming procedure I took my fingertips and whisked them through my brunette hair as if they were a brush. My hair was tied in a single ponytail that fell to the side of my shoulder. Oh how I wish I had a hair brush, a tooth brush, anything like that.

But as it stands right now all I have are the clothes on my body, the blue headband in my hair, and a slightly torn and wrinkled map folded up in the back pocket of my pants.

My name is Teruko Cassie. I’m sixteen and I’ve been traveling through Shaaku Den for two weeks now. Two weeks of walking through high grass fields, hunting for food and water, and sleeping on the weeds and dirt. What little money I have, I’m saving for utmost emergencies.

As it stands right now I no longer have a home and I’m traveling to Master Kitsune’s Clan in hopes he’ll train me to be a fighter.

I’m not going to lie. I never thought of myself as someone who could (or would) be a warrior or even a person of conflict. I’ve always been non-confrontational, kind to others, and violence or fighting had never been something I’d do. My mom always told me that I could never fight or grow up to be a warrior, because my spirit was too pure and my heart was too kind. She always said that whenever someone looks into my eyes they’re exposed to my goodness.

For a long time, I wanted to grow up and be a baker, just like my mom.

That thought was quickly shattered when my family was attacked by Blackthorn. Not just my family, my entire town, and I was the only one who escaped. It pains me to think about that because I don’t even know if my family has survived the vicious attack. My parents, my two older brothers, and my two younger sisters… they couldn’t make it out.

I’m all that’s left of my family.

All I know is that I was lucky enough to escape and now I must take matters in my own hands and learn how to defend myself. Then one day, when I am strong enough, I will take my village back and drive the evil out. I’ll save my family, friends, and everyone I love from the Blackthorn Clan.

Reaching my arm back, I took out the map in my back pocket and unfolded it to study it. “Not that much farther,” I said out loud. According to my map I have only three more days of journeying. I’m not even entirely sure this map is accurate.

The warrior clans have been hidden around Shaaku Den for as long as I can remember, and as long as my parents could remember as well. When I was eleven, a stranger came into my parent’s bakery after traveling for days straight through the forest. The stranger had no money on him but my parents gave him bread anyway, and as a thank you he gave my dad a map. He said that this was a specially made map from one of the clans and has each clan location inside it.

He left the same night he came. My dad never even opened the map, he just set it down on the table near our front door. A few times out of sheer curiosity I peeked at the map. It looked like every other map, nothing seemed to be different about it. However, after studying it carefully, I realized that if the map was held up directly in the sun that a little kanji symbol hidden within the material would appear.

The kanji symbol read, ‘clan’ and I realized that the map the stranger had given us was in fact a specially made map. I still don’t know if it’s accurate but hopefully it will lead me to Master Kitsune’s mysterious school.

I try to keep away from the roads just in case I come across a town overtaken by Blackthorn. Because I was so close to the Kitsune school I’m sure Blackthorn doesn’t reach out this far. After swaying back and forth in weeds up to my waist for twenty minutes, I finally found the road and slowly trudged on it.

The morning air was nice and refreshing like it always is in the beginning of the year. I saw steam rise up from the long stream that I had been following for a few hours. After walking another five or six miles I sat down under a willow tree to rest.

It wasn’t long before the figure of a farmer came walking down the road His crops gathered in a woven basket attached to his back and a straw hat to shade the sun rays. As he approached closer, he noticed me sitting there quietly and shouted, “Hey! What’s a young, fragile-looking girl doing all the way out here?”

Did he really just call me fragile? Do I really look fragile? How well can he see me? I’m at least a fourth of a mile away!

“I-I’m looking for the Shinobi clan.”

The farmer raised one of his heavy gray brows and regarded me with a suspicious look. “Would that be because you’re one of them?” he asked cautiously.

One of them. He thought I was a clan member. “No sir,” I answered, “not yet.” I could definitely detect wariness in his tone. I couldn’t blame him, he probably thought I was a student under Blackthorn.

He studied me for a few moments. “Well… I was on my way to my village. I wouldn’t mind the company. When we get there my wife will fix us something to eat.”

The farmer’s sudden gesture of friendliness took me by surprise. “I’d like that,” I smiled, walking over to him. He was probably 6’3 but was hunched over from his crop loads. He looked to be in his mid-sixties and had a full head of graying hair and tan leathery skin from working out in the sun all day. “Let me help you carry those, sir,” I offered.

“Think you can handle it?”

“Yes sir.” The farmer nodded gratefully as he handed me two baskets of corn crop to carry on my back. It was probably ten pounds of weight to carry but I didn’t mind. If carrying ten pounds meant a meal then I’d gladly strain myself and try to carry twenty. Now that the farmer’s load was lighter he stood up straight and let out a sigh of gratitude.

“Thank you,” he smiled. “What is your name, girl?”

“Teruko Cassie, but I go by my last name Cassie.”

He nodded. “I see. Well my name is Gin. An odd name, I know, but Gin the Farmer is who I’m known as by everyone in my town.”

“Gin,” I smiled, “I like it.”

“Thank you, Cassie-Chan.” We starting walking in silence. I felt shy and I wasn’t sure what to say to him. He’s a stranger, but he’s kindly offered to take me to his town. I can trust him… right? Finally he broke the silence when he asked, “How long have you been traveling, Cassie-Chan?”

It took me a moment to remember. You lose time if you don’t keep track of it. “Two weeks.”

Gin whistled to show he was either impressed or shocked. “Are you all by yourself?”

“Yes sir.”

“Why travel so far away from home?”

His question wasn’t answered immediately. “I don’t have a home,” I finally said. He turned his head and gave me an odd look. “I’m taking this journey because I want to train and become strong at Master Kitsune’s school.”

“Hmm,” the old farmer replied thoughtfully. “My father wanted to train there as well,” he then told me. “Went to the school and saw Kitsune Golden Tail himself. And you know what Kitsune told him? He told my father he didn’t have what it takes to be a Shinobi and that was that.”

I nodded politely. “Was that before—?”

“Yes, before Kitsune disappeared for nearly a fourth of a century. But who knows, now that he has returned he might have cut his expectations.”

“Expectations?”

“Cassie-Chan, my father was nineteen and the strongest man in our village. He was not only strong he was fast, sharp as a tack and obeyed orders. He was told he didn’t have what it took.”

“Oh.” There was no point in hiding the disappointment in my voice.

“So can I ask you another thing?”

“Yes, sir.”

Gin looked at me straight in the eyes for the first time. “What makes you think you have what it takes?” he asked plainly.

His sudden question put me on the spot and I fumbled for an answer. “I… uh…” I stammered. I broke his intense gaze. “I don’t know,” I finally mumbled in a small voice. “I don’t know if I’m good enough or if I’ll be accepted in the clan. I know that they have expectations that I probably won’t meet. All I know is that I have to try, and if by some miracle I do get accepted I must work hard and stick out with my goal.”

Gin didn’t say anymore but after a few minutes he smiled, “Well you can always stay with my wife and I if you’re rejected.”

“Thank you Gin-San.” It didn’t surprise me a complete stranger would assume I didn’t have what it took to be a fighter. My appearance wasn’t threatening. I looked like a normal teenage girl (of course most teenage girls don’t look like they’ve slept on the ground).

What gave almost everything away for me were my eyes. I’ve been told that my eyes are like a doorway to my kind spirit; no malicious intent or struggle inside.

The rest of the walk was relatively peaceful and quiet. Gin would tell me about his village and all the people living there while I nodded politely. Finally we reached his village, which to my surprise was very large. “I didn’t know there were so many people living here,” I said in awe.

He chuckled. “Yup this is really more of a town than a village. Lots of people come and go here. Every Saturday all the students from Kitsune’s school come here.”

I gasped in surprise. “You know people who train from Kitsune’s Clan?”

“Sure, everyone who lives in town knows. We’ve been living in this town for generations and we’ve all sworn secrecy to keep the clan’s location undercover. Really, we don’t know where the school is but we do know it’s close to our town.”

This was surprising news to me. Obviously no one in the town would tell outsiders about the clan. “Why every Saturday?” I then asked.

“That’s the day all the students are allowed to leave the school grounds and most of them come here because it’s the closest town,” Gin answered. “You sure ask a lot of questions.”

“Sorry,” I smiled, “I’m just an inquisitive person, I guess.” We kept walking through town and all around I saw brightly colored homes and shops scattered around. There was a park in the middle of town with a beautiful array of trees and a small pond graced with three swans. “What is your town called, Gin-San?”

“This is my town, Swan Bara.”

That was a beautiful name; Swan Bara, or rather, Swan Rose. “Why do you have your farm land so far away?” I asked.

“Just like to keep to myself. When you get older you become more private.”

“But you have to walk so far to get there and back. Why all the trouble?”

“It’s not trouble,” Gin answered quickly. “Come now, we’ve reached my home.” He led me up a rickety wooden staircase, through a polished bamboo sliding door, and into a house that smelled like cherry blossoms.

The first room we entered was what I guessed to be the living room where I saw two floral patterned chairs, a wooden coffee table, and a shaggy blue rug covering almost all of the wooden floor. There was a large window with curtains that matched the rug. “Make yourself comfortable,” Gin told me.

“Thank you,” I smiled. This was my first time being in a home for a long time. I was about to sit on one of the chairs when I remembered the dirt and mud caked on my clothes. So I sat on the floor and leaned against the wall with the window above me. Now I took a better look at the room and I saw old paintings in tired frames hung all along the wall.

I felt a little out of place, which made me feel silly. This was someone’s place. Why do I feel such unease inside a nice warm home?

After ten minutes a woman entered the living room. She looked to be the same age as Gin. She wore a light purple kimono. She had soft green eyes, graying hair tied back in a bun, and wrinkles dancing along her fair skin. “Why hello dear,” she said. Her voice was soothing. “Thank you for helping my husband with his crop load. He says he’s strong enough to carry it alone but you know men and their pride.” She chuckled after saying this.

“Kasumi!” Gin exclaimed from kitchen.

The woman laughed again. “You may call me Kasumi, dear,” she told me.

“Yes ma’am,” I smiled nervously. “My name is Teru—oh!”

Before I could introduce myself, the elderly woman all of a sudden pulled me into a tight hug. My senses were immediately overloaded with the smell of lilac as my face was buried in the soft silkiness of her kimono. She’s hugging me. I froze in her embrace, unsure of what to say or do. I certainly didn’t expect her to hug me!

“I’m sorry,” Kasumi then laughed. “Gin and I don’t have any grand kids and you are so cute! He said your name was Cassie-Chan, what a pretty name.”

“Um, thank you,” I stammered.

She finally let me go. For an elderly woman she has a tight grip. “Gin mentioned you had traveled a long way and you were going to Kitsune’s School?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well that’s interesting dear, because while I was in the market I met a young boy a little older than you. He was going to the school as well.”

She met someone else who was looking for the same place as me? That’s quite the coincidence.

“Really?” I asked. “Who was he?”

“You’ll meet him,” Kasumi smiled. “Come along now dear, you must be starving! I hope you enjoy my miso, it’s my own recipe!” She grabbed my wrist and started to walk to her kitchen. Overwhelmed, I followed her, and the idea of a hot meal sounded heavenly.

We entered into the kitchen and it was just as nice as the living room. There was a wooden table and chairs, a fine china cabinet, and the aroma of fresh food filled the air. Kasumi let go of my wrist and smiled. I turned and saw Gin sitting down to a cup of tea at the table. He had taken off his straw hat to reveal a bald-spot on top of his head. I noticed the other boy Kasumi had mentioned sitting across from Gin.

“Seems we’ve both picked up kids. What are the chances we both find kids who are both looking for Kitsune’s School? Ha!” Gin laughed. The boy sitting across from him wouldn’t even look up to see me. When he saw Kasumi bringing over plates of food he stood up to help her. That’s when I got a good look at him.

He was taller than me by a good six inches and he had peach-colored skin like me, with a lanky but muscular body. His hair was a dark umber brown, pointed in all directions, and I noticed on the right side of his hair there was a golden lightning strike dyed in. I wanted to see the color of his eyes but he refused to look at me. I got an abrupt vibe from him that unsettled me.

After helping Kasumi grab plates of food he sat back down next to Gin, but he had turned so I still couldn’t see his eyes because of his hair.

For a moment I stood in the middle of the kitchen unsure what to do. I sat down two chairs away from him and decided to forget about him for the moment. “This looks very good, thank you,” I told Gin and Kasumi gratefully.

The elderly couple smiled. “Please enjoy,” Gin said warmly.

During dinner Kasumi and Gin gossiped about people in town. Occasionally I would ask a question to make them think I was listening (even though I was hopelessly confused) but the boy stayed silent.

After dinner the two went outside their front door to talk to their close neighbor, leaving me alone with the boy.

I was frozen in my seat, not sure what to say. He hadn’t said anything to me all night, let alone look in my direction. Was there something wrong with me? Was there something on my face? Oh no, maybe he saw I had dirt all over me, figured out I was homeless, and condemned me as unworthy to talk to. What was it about me?!

Okay Teruko, he obviously has a problem with you but just be friendly and introduce yourself. Break the ice. At least find out his name.

“H-hi I’m Teruko Cassie,” I stammered nervously, trying to smile and be friendly.

He didn’t move his head to look at me. “I never asked for an introduction,” he said plainly.

Rejection.

I hung my head low in embarrassment and shame. This boy had no social skills and probably thought I was a total dork! Uh, maybe I am a dork. After five or so minutes of more awkward silence (at least it felt awkward to me) I decided to speak again.

Kasumi did say he was going to Kitsune’s School, so we have something in common. “So… uh… I never got your name,” I said softly. It was probably suicide to ask him, but my curiosity to know his name got the better of me.

“I never gave it out,” he answered in the same cold tone.

“Oh… so what… is your name?”

He turned to me and regarded me with a serious look. “Hanran Nigaru.”

Just then, Kasumi and Gin stepped in through the kitchen. “Hey you two, we’re back!” Kasumi laughed, “I was going to suggest— oh, I can see you two are busy.” Her voice shifted in cadence, like she suddenly sounded suspicious. Wait, was she leery of me and Hanran?

I quickly turned back straight and shook shook my head. “No, you’re misunderstanding, we weren’t—”

Hanran then stood up and headed towards the hallway. Kasumi giggled and winked at me. What I just took for suspicion was actually mischief. “I was young once too, dear,” she winked.

My face grew flushed with embarrassment. “No, we weren’t doing anything, we were—”

“Come along Cassie-Chan, I’ll show you to your room!” Kasumi interrupted, laughing as she disappeared through the same hall Hanran did. I sighed and buried my face in my hands. This is so overwhelming!

~*~*~*~

Kasumi led Hanran and I to the guest bedroom where two futons had been laid out. “If you’d like to take a bath it is down the hall to the right, and I set out some new clothes for you Cassie-Chan,” she told me.

“Thank you,” I replied. “Thank you for everything.” I expected Hanran to say something grateful, but he merely nodded his head.

After Kasumi left I went into the bathroom as she said. Somehow Kasumi knew I would take a bath right then, because there was already hot water in the tub. It had been a longtime since I’ve taken a bath; so I indulged myself and stayed in the water until my fingertips looked like prunes and the water slowly turned from hot to cold.

When I finally finished and got out of the tub, I saw Kasumi had laid out a white kimono, so I folded up my shirt and pants and slipped into it. The feeling of new clothes was nice; especially when it wasn’t covered in dirt and dried mud.

I was a little hesitant to walk into the guest room so I stood frozen at the door for a few minutes. It was dark, probably 10:30 at night and silent because everyone had gone to bed.

“Come on Cassie,” I told myself, “All you have to do is open the door and walk in.”

Sounds simple, right? But I was hesitating, Hanran made me uncomfortable with his silence. I have never met anyone as unnerving as him.

What if he’s asleep and I come in, trip, and wake him up?

It doesn’t matter; you can’t stay in the hallway all night! Go in there!

But what if?

Go!

“Enough arguing!” I hissed to myself. I stretched out my arm to open the door and as soon as I did, it slid open from the other side. My eyes flitted up and I saw a pair of emerald green eyes staring at me. Wow. I’ve never seen eyes so beautiful, and the silvery moonlight only made them more brilliant. “Nigaru-San?”

His eyes gleamed bright. “Please move aside,” he replied.

I realized I was obliviously standing in his way. “Oh I’m sorry,” I quickly apologized, thankful it was dark because my cheeks were probably a deep shade of red. He stepped past me without another glance or word. I sighed and walked into the guest room.

Could this get any worse?

There was a candle flickering at the far end of the room for light and I saw Hanran had pushed his futon all the way on the opposite side of the wall. In other words, farthest away from myfuton.

Well that settles it, he doesn’t like me one bit. I set my clothes down at the end of my futon and crawled into it, putting the fluffy white pillow on top of my head to hide the sulking look on my face. Then I fell asleep and forgot all about my troubles for the time being.

~*~*~*~

Lately I had been used to waking up to the morning sun hitting my face, insects and birds singing, and the scratchy grass pointing at my body in all directions. Luckily, I woke up to peace and quiet, with no poke holes and no blinding light. Looking out the window, I guessed it was 9:00 in the morning. Whoa. I slept in!

Quickly I jumped out of my futon and took notice that Hanran was not in his. I looked for my pair of clothes but they were gone, and replaced with a navy blue tee and olive green pants. Kasumi must have taken my old clothes. After getting dressed in the clothes she gave me, I walked out of the guest bedroom and into the kitchen where I saw Kasumi sat down to a bowl of rice. “Good morning,” she greeted warmly.

“Good morning Kasumi-Chan,” I smiled. “Thank you for the clothes.”

“You’re welcome. I washed your old pair, and they’re outside drying right now.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Kasumi laughed. “You sure say thank you a lot.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Well why don’t you get a bowl of rice? It’s still hot.”

“Okay, thank you.” We both laughed. I did as she suggested and got myself a bowl and sat down across from her at the table. “Where are Gin-San and Nigaru-San?” I asked.

“Went to the farm at almost 4:00 this morning. They should be home in an hour or so, and then Nigaru-San was going to continue his journey to Kitsune’s School.”

I nodded and took another bite of rice. Maybe Kasumi knows what his problem is. I didn’t want to ask her about Hanran, it felt like petty gossiping. But surely she knows more about him than I do. “Does Nigaru-San talk to you at all?” I asked, sounding casual.

Kasumi nodded. “Yes, he does. He’s a very quiet boy though; he only speaks when he’s spoken to. Why, dear?”

“Oh, uh, he barely said a word to me,” I answered sheepishly. “I suppose he is quiet.” We ate in silence for a few more minutes.

After breakfast I helped Kasumi wash the dishes and put away the laundry she had drying on a clothesline in her backyard. As I was folding up my pair of black pants I remembered the map I had in the back pocket. Hurriedly I took it out and saw it wasn’t ruined. Thank goodness. I couldn’t help but release a sigh of relief.

“What is that?” Kasumi asked me, noticing what I was holding.

“Oh, it’s a map to Master Kitsune’s School,” I answered. “I was using this to travel.”

She didn’t seem suspicious that I had a map. “Hmm. Nigaru-San did mention to Gin he needed directions to the school. Of course we’re not at liberty to give them, but since you have a map, you two could travel there together,” she suggested. Her eyes grew big. “In fact, that’s a great idea! You two can be travel buddies!”

Oh no. No, no, no, I couldn’t have Hanran as my travel buddy! First of all, I’d probably act like a dork the whole time because he doesn’t like me. Second of all, the whole trip would be awkward for me because he doesn’t like me. Third of all— HE DOESN’T LIKE ME!

“Well Kasumi-Chan, see, the thing is,” I stammered. She had been so kind I wasn’t sure how to say no to her. Saying no to her was like telling a child their beloved pet just died… okay, maybe not quite as drastic as that.

My sentence was cut short when we heard Gin and Hanran come through the front door. “An excellent addition you are, Nigaru-San! We carried twice the crop load!” I heard Gin say in delight.

“Oh good, they’re back,” Kasumi smiled, clapping her hands together. She wasted no time to go in the house. “Gin, Cassie-Chan has a map!”

And just like that she was gone, without hearing what I had to say. Oh boy. This can’t be good.

I sighed and followed Kasumi into the kitchen, but found they were in the living room instead. I chickened out and stayed in the kitchen, I didn’t want to join them in the living room. Still, I wanted to hear what was being said. Curiosity came over me and I tip-toed to the end of the kitchen door to listen in.

What if Hanran said he didn’t want to travel with me because he didn’t like me? Well, I already knew he didn’t like me, but to actually hear him say it out loud is worse. I listened carefully to the conversation and peeked out of a crack in the door to see.

“A map to the way is exactly what you need Nigaru-San. Kasumi and I aren’t at liberty to tell you the location, but Cassie-Chan seems to have a map. How in the world she got one puzzles me, but it’s not my business to ask. Would you like to travel with Cassie-Chan?” Gin asked.

Hanran shrugged like it was no big deal. “I guess.” I noticed Hanran was wearing black pants and a black long sleeved shirt with black shoes. Black… that’s not the friendliest color.

“Excellent,” Gin said happily.

Darn it! Now I have to face the inevitable awkwardness. With a defeated sigh, I stepped into the living room. “He said he’ll join you Cassie-Chan,” Kasumi smiled when she saw me walk in.

I lifted my head up to the three of them, putting on my best fake smile. “Oh,” I replied, pretending to sound happy. “O-okay, Nigaru-San.”

He still wouldn’t look at me. No telling what he was looking at, his dark locks of hair covered his face. “I’ll get my stuff and then I’ll be ready,” he said impassively.

“A-alright,” I replied. Time to prepare myself for the awkward.

~*~*~*~

“The, uh, map says we keep walking on the dirt road until we come to a river, then we make a left and cut through the forest. Well, I mean, it doesn’t actually say that, like in written words, but uh, you know, in picture form it, uh, says that.” I read out loud to Hanran. Read out loud? More like stuttered out loud! I’m such a dork!

He nodded in response, which is all he’s given me so far. Not a single word. He wouldn’t even look at me. He even walks a few feet ahead of me because he has a faster walking pace.

As I had dreaded, the atmosphere was horribly awkward for me. I’m not sure if Hanran felt awkward or not, he probably felt fine because of the silence.

The only thing going through my mind was making it through today. I didn’t want to say anything else to him unless I had to. Obviously he was cold to me because he didn’t like me, although I can’t figure out why. I’ve been nice to him the whole time.

I expected the whole trip to be silent.

Think of my surprise when Hanran actually said something to me. “What’s your purpose for going to the Kitsune Clan?” he questioned. That was the first time he said more than a few words; his voice was gruff and husky, but still held adolescence in it, like he hadn’t completely grown out of boyishness. His voice was nice to hear although I’ve barely heard it.

Then I realized he was waiting for an answer. “To, uh, train there,” I answered softly. I didn’t stammer as much, but I still sounded foolish. He continued walking ahead of me and his head stayed straight forward. Usually people look at the person they’re talking to.

I didn’t expect him to reply.

He surprised me a second time when he said in a darker tone, “You don’t seem like the fighting type.”

Hanran had apparently studied me and summed me up. Of course, I couldn’t disagree with his conclusion. Just one more person I can hopefully prove wrong, right?

“I… I’m not,” I mumbled softly. Even a complete stranger could tell I was way in over my head… maybe I am. “Why are you going?” I asked him.

“To become stronger,” he answered simply. I should have known that would be Hanran’s answer. He already looked like a fighter, or at least, he looked like he’d take fighting seriously.

Another hour passed and we both hadn’t said anymore to each other. The tension in the air wasn’t as thick because we actually exchanged a few words. He was no more friendly to me now than he was then, but at least he said something to me.

The scenery of Tiger Country was beautiful; tall grass fields with wild flowers growing, a nicely paved stone path we were walking on, and in the distance I could see the tall trees that made up the forest. Somewhere in that forest, somewhere in the harsh wilderness and maze of trees was an ancient clan. The last shinobi clan that hadn’t joined or been destroyed by Blackthorn.

In some ways, most ways, that secret clan in the forest represented hope. It was hope that the individuals inside the school could stand up to Blackthorn’s clan, could erase the destitution the army had brought, and restore peace to Shaaku Den.

We stopped and sat underneath a shady tree to rest for a few minutes. The day was progressing into night and it would be dark soon.

“I think we’ll reach the river by nighttime,” I said quietly while looking at the map. He nodded. I guess Hanran trusted that I knew what I was talking about; he never once asked to see the map himself. I leaned against the base of the tree and absentmindedly took out my headband and started playing with it in my hands.

It was peaceful for a little bit. All too sudden, the atmosphere changed. I can’t explain it, but there was suddenly a feeling that came over me… like I was being watched. I turned around to see Hanran standing above me, eyeballing me like a hawk to its prey.

He went from being ten or twelve yards away from me to being at arm’s length. I did a small smile, feeling more than uncomfortable with the edgy look in his emerald orbs. “What’s wrong?” I asked him. “Nigaru-Sa—aahh!!!”

CRASH !

All of a sudden his hands were tightly gripping my shoulders, shoving me back while I shrieked in fright. We landed on the grass with a loud thump, Hanran pinning me down. My eyes went up and I saw silver pointed objects flying past our heads. I’ve seen those weapons before; shurikens!

“Stay down!” Hanran commanded as he rolled off of me and onto the grass.

“What’s going on?” I asked in a shrilled voice. This was all happening so fast!

There was a laugh and I turned my attention towards the direction the shurikens came flying from. Standing yards away from us was what looked to be a young man, wearing gray pants, a sleeve ripped gi top, and pointed black hair. He stared at us with vicious eyes and a devious smirk plastered on his face.

His eyes connected with mine. “A couple of teens, huh?” he asked with a snide laugh. “Well you’re in my territory now.” He grinned and revealed his yellow teeth. Ew.

I sat up on my knees and dug my fingernails into the grass. “Please! We’re not looking for trouble, we’re looking for Master Kitsune’s school!”

“Ha!” he replied mockingly. “Well you’re not getting to it unless you go through me… Xing!”

Then Hanran stood to his feet, his head bent low and brunette hair shielded his eyes. A silver object slung down from his arm, hanging from a long chain. The object was curved like a sword. A kusari-gama? What was Hanran doing with a weapon? I never saw him carrying that around, yet it just somehow appeared.

He quickly threw it out, holding the other end of the chain while the kama end propelled towards Xing with great speed.

Clank!

Xing took out a hidden sword and used it to deflect Hanran’s attack. As long as there was distance between them, Xing would be able to deflect his swings. Xing swiped his sword threateningly and laughed. “You’re going to have to do better than that!”

Crash!

“AAAAAIIIIIYEEEEEEEE!” came a high-pitched holler. A flash of blue and pink and all of a sudden Xing was on the ground with two kids on top of him. Did he just get tackled by children? Where did the children come from?

He was face down in the dirt as a young girl with short black hair sat on his back and a young boy with silver hair sat on his legs. “Ha! Take that old man, I’ve got your pointy thingy!” the little girl exclaimed.

“Luna, that’s a sword,” the boy pointed out.

“Get off of me!” Xing shouted angrily, flinging the two kids off of him in a fit of rage.

They flew across the grass field, the boy landing on top of the girl he called Luna. Hanran and I looked down at them in disbelief; were they really there? Or maybe I’m just going crazy.

“What’s up?” the girl asked casually, disregarding the fact we were under attack.

Hanran’s head snapped around. My eyes followed his; the sword! Quickly Hanran ran after it, the two little kids running with him, racing Xing to his weapon. Everything happened so fast, too fast for me to even comprehend. There was yelling and shoving, then all of a sudden—

I was holding the sword in my trembling hands. Xing was only a few feet away from me, looking at me with predatory eyes. Somehow the weapon had come into my grip. It wasn’t surprising if they could tell I’ve never held a sword before. “Come on doll, hand it over,” Xing said seriously, losing his sarcastic smirk. He dared to take a step towards me. “We both know you’re not going to do anything… hand it over.”

He had a hidden dagger tucked inside his belt. Even if I made a defensive move he’d have me. Hanran and the two kids were too far away, they couldn’t help me, if they tried to come closer Xing would probably attack.

I’ve never held a sword before, let alone know how to use one. Sure, I could swing it, but not as fast as he could dodge my swipe and stick me with his blade. I had his sword, but he had me.

This could very well be it for me. No, no, it can’t be!

“Please don’t do this!” I suddenly cried. His eyes narrowed defensively at my outburst. “We get it, okay?” I continued, “you’re angry. You’ve suffered loss. Maybe from family, friends, but I’m willing to bet it was because of Blackthorn!”

Xing’s eyes widened as I lowered the pointed sword, bringing it down to the grass. He wasn’t expecting me to surrender the blade. I didn’t want to hold the killing instrument any longer.

“We’re just trying to survive like you,” I whispered softly, “please let us pass.”

The soft breeze blew through the tall grass field as everyone’s eyes were on me. Finally, the young man before me smirked, shook his head lightly, and reached his hand forward. I flinched, thinking he was attacking.

But instead his hand grabbed the handle of his sword and I could feel his hot breath blow on my forehead. With his face so close to mine he whispered huskily, “Alright, you four can pass.” He leaned back and stared at me with his gleaming eyes. “But only ‘cause I think you’re cute.”

My face turned several shades of red, while the young boy and girl made an ‘O’ shape with their mouth from shock. Before anything else could happen, Hanran was standing in front of me, his weapon once again drawn and pointed at Xing. How did he get in front of me so fast?

Xing laughed at him. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving.”

And then he was gone.

There was a moment of silence.

“Hey lady, that was awesome!” the girl then cheered, throwing her arms above her head enthusiastically.

They approached Hanran and I. The boy took out a few packages of dry noodles. “How about you two eat this with us?” the boy asked.

My thought process was still disrupted. I stood there like a statue looking at the boy who offered his food to share. Then I looked at Hanran. “Can we?”

“Whatever,” he replied.

Why was I asking his permission, anyway?

The young boy smiled and bowed to me. “By the way, my name is YamiTsuki but I go by Yami for short. I’m traveling with my younger sister, Luna,” he said, extending his hand towards me.

I smiled and shook it, “My name is Teruko Cassie. And this is Hanran Nigaru.” Hanran just nodded, not bothering to make eye contact at me or the kids and turning his back to us.

The little girl bounced over to us. “Luna! Just plain old Luna,” the young girl grinned. Now that danger was over, I got a better look at the two odd kids.

Yami had milk chocolate brown eyes, a warming smile, and had skin that was a very pale peach color. He was tall for his age and looked to be either eleven or twelve. He wore a pair of green colored pants with lots of pockets and tears, a dark blue shirt, and black shoes. His hair was an amazing color of silver and because of the setting sun it seemed to gleam a little bit.

Luna, on the other hand, was short and looked to be no older than eight. She had dark tan and with a slender, petite figure. Her eyes were a silvery color. Her hair was short, jet black, messy and had a few strands sticking straight up. She was wearing a hot pink shirt with a pineapple design sewn into it, silver shorts, and black slip on shoes. It was winter time and she was wearing shorts.

The two looked to be such a lively and strange pair, yet I liked them, even though my first impression of them was strange.

“So what were you two doing?” I asked curiously.

“We’re going to be ninjas!” Luna exclaimed excitedly.

“You mean at Master Kitsune’s Clan?”

“Correct,” Yami answered, “we were traveling through the forest to get there and we saw that man attack you two and decided to help. That was very brave what you said, Cassie-Chan.”

My face turned a little pink. “Oh. Thank you for defending us, you’re both such brave kids.”

I wondered how they were able to get the directions to the school? Did they have a map like me? Perhaps they just got lucky. Either way, they were here to help us with Xing, and for that I’m grateful.

While I was talking to Yami, I noticed Luna bounce over to Hanran who was wrapping the chain of his weapon. “So, what are you doing?” she asked curiously.

“None of your business,” Hanran answered simply.

“You don’t smile much, do you?” she asked. He ignored her question and kept wrapping his chain. “What’s your favorite color?” Luna then asked.

This seemed to perturb him. “What?”

“Uh-huh, what’s your favorite color? I like the rainbow, even though the rainbow doesn’t have pink,” Luna grinned, flashing a pointy fang on the right side of her mouth. Obviously she was not picking up on his hostile signals, and if she was, they didn’t seem to bother her.

Hanran let out an exasperated sigh. “Leave me alone kid, I’m busy.”

“Ah come on, everyone has a favorite color.”

“Leave me alone.”

“Just tell me!”

“No.”

“Come on!”

“No. Go annoy someone else.”

“After you tell me!”

“Fine. Green.”

“Grass green?”

“Green.”

“Apple green?”

“Green.”

“Yellow green?”

“GREEN.”

Luna put her hands on her hips. “Well what kind of green, ya big ol’ poo?”

“Does it matter?”

“It matters to me!”

“Why?”

“Cause there are a lot of shades of green!”

He groaned. “FINE. Emerald green,” Hanran finally growled. “Now leave, child. You’re just a distraction.”

She scoffed. “I’m much more than that on the inside!” she objected.

I decided to step in. “Hey Luna-Chan, why don’t you come find firewood with me? It’ll be fun.”

She pondered this. “Oh alright. But I’m not leaving because Nigaru-San told me to, I’m leaving because I like finding sticks to poke things with.” I laughed and nodded, Luna following me into the forest.

Author Interview – Lily Benitez.