Spirit Ninja

The influence of the Western World is expanding, invading the East. But not all is lost; the last village of the ninja remains untouched and, in this secluded little world, a young ninja is about to find his feet.

‘Deep in the valleys of the Hotaka Mountains, remnants of an ancient culture linger. Hidden beneath the lush forests lies a single village, preserved from the Western influence which has swept across the nation. While not completely isolated from the rapidly changing world, it serves as a last bastion for those who would resist the flow of time.

‘Here, in Togakure, the ninja live on. From the age of five, children are conditioned both mentally and physically, taught the skills their forefathers honed in preparation for their own service to the Emperor. In addition, children learn academic skills such as mathematics, history and English, to aid them in their work.

‘That’s what Mother told me, Yuko,’ I said. ‘So that’s why you have to study hard, okay?’

Yuko nodded slowly. Her eyes glistened; her expression appeared to be in a state of permanent sadness. Even when she smiled, she looked pained. Mother said Yuko was always sad because she couldn’t speak to us, couldn’t tell us how she was feeling.

‘Even though you can’t speak, you can still do other things like the rest of us,’ I explained. ‘So make sure you do all the work Natsumi sensei set for you. We’ll both get in trouble off Mother if you don’t.’

Yuko sighed and stood, clutching her teddy bear. She pointed towards her bedroom and signalled for me to follow.

‘Want me to tuck you in then?’ Asking simple questions with yes or no answers was the easiest way to communicate with Yuko. It saved trouble trying to decipher what she was trying to say, even though I had become better at reading her facial expressions. At least, reading the face hidden behind the veil of sadness.

She nodded again. I held her free hand as we walked. Yuko clambered into bed, gripping the bear tightly for comfort.

‘Oyasuminasai. Good night, Yuko.’ I laid the blankets over her. Yawning, Yuko closed her eyes. I kissed her forehead softly and left, extinguishing her bedroom lamp.

I should be getting to bed as well. Especially because I have training with Daichi sensei tomorrow.

I groaned inwardly. I was hopeless at the physical aspects of being a ninja. All of the theory I handled fine; I could read, write and speak both Japanese and English better than any of the other students. But when it came to Daichi sensei’s practical training...

‘I’ll have to train harder tomorrow…’




Like I had done every morning for the past twelve years of my life, I woke at dawn. I fixed myself breakfast quickly before heading down to the training fields.

I don’t want to be late and give Daichi sensei another reason to fail me.

I wasn’t the first student there. Several of the others had arrived for some early morning practice. Itsuki and Suzume were racing each other up trees, while Jiro and Riku were wrestling on the ground. As I walked over to the group of students loitering, a voice called out to me.

‘Toshi, ohayo.’

I turned to meet the voice. It was Kenta. To say we didn’t get along would be an understatement. He made it his mission to make my life misery. Even his greeting had a sarcastic tone.

‘Good morning, Kenta.’

‘Care for a bit of early morning practice, Toshi?’ Kenta asked. ‘I know you need all the help you can get.’

I didn’t answer. I turned and continued walking towards the other students, but a sharp pain shot through my shoulder. A rock landed in the dirt at my feet.

‘Don’t you know it’s rude to turn your back when someone’s talking to you?’ Kenta spat. ‘I guess you’re just as much a failure in Natsumi sensei’s classes as you are in Daichi sensei’s.’

My fists clenched of their own accord. I spun and flung myself at Kenta, tackling him to the dirt. We rolled around, each trying to gain the advantage. It wasn’t long before Kenta’s strength overpowered my own. I was pinned on my back, completely at his mercy.

Kenta swung once; the blow struck my left cheek, bruising but not splitting the flesh. My vision blurred, but it focused in time to see Kenta line up his second hit. Before he could swing, the sound of Daichi sensei’s voice cut through the air and demanded obedience.

Kenta leapt off, dusted himself and tried to put some distance between us. I slowly got to my feet, trying to look as innocent as I could. Kenta and I both knew Daichi sensei would be unimpressed by our lack of discipline. I didn’t have the advantage of being Daichi sensei’s favourite student.

I can just imagine his smug face.

Daichi sensei walked straight towards me. Even without speaking I knew what he wanted. He wanted an explanation.

‘I don’t have an explanation for you sensei. I am sorry.’ I bowed deeply.

Daichi sensei muttered to himself as he walked away. He directed the class to follow. I stood trembling for several moments, until Itsuki called out to me.

‘I’m coming.’




The day was over and it had once again held only failure and embarrassment. I was more than ready to return home and recover. But the fates conspired against me. Daichi sensei wanted to talk after class had finished. I followed him, silently, along the path to the school house, where Natsumi sensei was waiting for us.

‘Toshi, you are aware that your final exams are next week, correct?’ Natsumi sensei asked.

I thought I had a little more time.

‘Yes, sensei.’

‘And you are aware that, if you perform as you have been during Daichi sensei’s classes, you will not graduate, correct?’

‘Yes, sensei.’

Way to rub it in.

‘Then that is all. You may go.’

I bowed and left quickly. I ran straight home, tears welling in my eyes, and retreated to the garden. Yuko followed, sitting beside me on the grass. She clung to me, trying to comfort me.

‘Thank you, Yuko.’

Her mouth spread wide into a cheesy grin. She pointed at herself, and then to me.

‘You want me to smile?’

Nodding, Yuko retrieved two sheets of paper from her pocket and handed them to me. One had the character for kokoro, for spirit, written on it. The other had the characters for jishin, self confidence.

Yuko stood, smiled, and then ran back inside. I looked over the two pieces of paper once again before placing them in my pocket.

Thank you, Yuko.

I stared at the makeshift target in the garden. It stood there, mocking me, taunting me, reminding me of my failings. As my resolve wavered, I thought of Yuko’s smiling face and the paper in my pocket. The thoughts of despair and futility were replaced by determination.

‘I’m going to stay here and practice until I can do it perfectly.’

I fetched a throwing knife from the satchel I had discarded earlier.

‘Here goes nothing.’

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I visualised the target. As my eyes opened, I raised my arm and then let loose. The knife spun and slapped flat into the edge of the target and fell to the ground.

I yelled. I yelled long and loud until my throat hurt. ‘Why won’t you just go into the target?’

I collapsed to the ground, defeated.

‘All you have to do is go in tip first.’ I gestured towards the target. The knife stabbed into the target briefly, before falling to the ground.

I blinked and wiped away the tears. ‘Did that just float?’ I stared blankly, trying to comprehend what had happened. I walked over to the target. In the dead centre was a small chip mark in the wood.

‘I did it!’ I danced around, amazed at my success. The knife hadn’t stuck, but that didn’t matter. It had stabbed into the target, moved only by my mind. I continued my target practice with renewed determination.

But first I have to learn how to make them move.

I stared at the throwing knife intently, willing it to move. It seemed to budge, only slightly.

Maybe my arms had something to do with it.

I tried again, staring at the knife, but this time I brought my right arm up slowly until it was parallel to the ground. The throwing knife followed, floating upwards until it just hung there, suspended in midair.

‘Let’s see what else I can do.’ I cupped my hand and gently moved my arm left, like I was opening a sliding door. I drew my hand back toward my chest and, once again, the knife followed.

‘What if I make sharp movements?’ I shot my arm out forwards, directed towards the target. There air rippled as the knife flew forwards and embedded in the outer ring of the target.

‘That’s more like it,’ I laughed.

I practised repeatedly, learning the feel of the kunai, just as Daichi sensei had taught me in class. Only now I wasn’t feeling the physical weight. I started getting more efficient, more accurate. Once I had achieved several consecutive hits in the dead centre of the target, I decided to increase the difficulty.

‘Let’s try two at once.’

Controlling two objects was more of a challenge than I had anticipated. The process was exactly the same as before, but required a great deal more concentration. I practised repeatedly until the last of the light had disappeared behind the mountains. The exercise had drained me both mentally and physically, so I collapsed into my bed without eating.




Once again, I rose with the sun. Today was Sunday; no classes. I decided to spend the day training by the waterfall. It wasn’t far out of the village, and I would have a nice secluded spot to practise my new-found skill.

The dirt path brought me to the familiar fork; left would take me to the top of the waterfall, right would take me to the bottom. As a child, I had always been forbidden from going to the top of the waterfall. My parents said it was too dangerous, that there would be no way to survive if you fell.

I’m not a child any more.

I headed left, taking the sloping path up the mountainside. As I neared the top, I heard a raised voice.

‘Tomo-chan, Tomo-chan, come down.’

I ran to the top, and entered the clearing. Kenta stood by the riverbank; the voice was his.

I don’t want to deal with him today.

I turned and began to walk back down the path.

‘Please come down, Tomo-chan.’

I hesitated. ‘Fine.’

I started walking towards the riverbank. ‘Kenta, what’s wrong?’

‘Oh, Toshi. My cat, Tomo-chan, is stuck up there!’

Kenta pointed to a large tree overhanging the river. I looked up and saw a tiny black kitten perched on a branch.

‘If she falls, she’ll drown,’ he said. ‘Tomo-chan likes to climb, but she doesn’t know how to get down.’

‘You have to help me, Toshi.’

I gritted my teeth.

What am I supposed to do? I can’t climb out there, I’m too heavy.

Suddenly, I knew what to do.

Here goes nothing.

My eyes were fixated on the cat. I cupped my hands and slowly raised them. Tomo-chan meowed softly, but kept calm despite the fact she was hovering. I drew my hands in, ever so slowly, coaxing her back towards dry land. Sweat was dripping from my forehead. A slight pain in my head soon grew larger, but I kept my focus on the floating kitten.

‘Come on, Tomo-chan,’ I whispered.

As she hovered above Kenta’s head, my concentration failed.

‘Kenta, catch!’

Tomo-chan fell into Kenta’s outstretched arms, and he pulled her in tightly.

‘Toshi,’ he started, walking forward. ‘You’re a freak.’

He shoved me to the ground with his free hand. ‘Stay away from me, freak.’

I climbed back to my feet and glared. My fists were clenched.

I just saved your cat, you ungrateful…

I took a step towards Kenta’s turned back, rocks crunching underneath my feet.

He heard me and paused. ‘Got something to say, Toshi?’ he called over his shoulder.

I’ve got plenty to say to you.

‘Speak up Toshi, I can’t hear you.’

I want to make you hurt, Kenta. I want to humiliate you like you humiliate me.

‘Spar with me,’ I said.

‘What?’

‘Spar with me. In the exam, be my partner. I want the opportunity to crush you.’

Kenta just laughed. ‘You, crush me? I’m not going to waste my time with you. You’re useless.’

‘Then you’ll look even better in the exam, won’t you? Fight me, Kenta.’

‘Fine, whatever. On Friday, you will fail.’

He left and I fell to the ground.

How am I going to beat Kenta? What have I gotten myself into?

My thoughts raced as I made my way home. My desire to train was demolished. All I could do was laugh at my hopeless situation. The courage I had held moments ago was lost and seemed far beyond recall.

At home, I sunk to the floor in front of my family shrine. I prayed to my ancestors for guidance.

I heard Yuko walk up and sit down behind me. Her hand gently stroked my shoulder.

‘Yuko...’

She sat with me, surrounded by the relics of our ancestors. I imagined their voices, guiding me, offering advice, imbuing me with their strength and courage.

‘I’m going to go train now, Yuko.’

I stood silently. My katana was outstretched in a relaxed stance.

‘My technique is passable,’ I said, stepping through some cuts and parries, ‘but my reaction under pressure isn’t quick enough.’

I blocked high and then followed with a horizontal slice.

‘If I could somehow slow him down, give myself a moment longer to think...’
I practised autonomously, my mind wandering elsewhere. I replayed yesterday’s fight with Kenta in my head, anger bubbling. I remembered the rock striking me, the instant of pain.

I wish I could have dodged the rock, blocked it somehow.

I put down my practice blade and picked up a pebble and tossed it high into the air. It became a tiny spec against the blue sky, and then began to grow as the little pebble sped back to the ground. I pushed my will forwards, trying to suspend the small stone in midair. Its speed slowed until it stopped dead, hovering a metre above my head.

‘I can do this,’ I said, daring a grin. ‘I’ll just push against his blade the whole time, he’ll be thrown off guard, and I’ll be able to beat him.’

‘I’ll need to practice harder. I need to be strong enough to compete with his force.’

I let the pebble drop and I picked up a larger stone. ‘I’ve got five days to train, time to get focused!’




Like I had done every morning of my life since I began my training, I woke at daybreak. Yuko came with me, down to the field. All of the parents in the village were there, standing throughout the field, talking amongst themselves and watching us prepare. If we failed here, now, there would be no end to our shame.

Daichi sensei wasn’t one for delay. He immediately called Kenta forward, and asked who he would partner.

‘Toshi.’

‘Wish me luck,’ I said, smiling at Yuko. She smiled back and kissed my cheek. As she ran off to stand with the other onlookers, I steeled myself.

I strode closer to Kenta and stared at the ground. The stones around my feet began to hover at ankle height. I drew my practice blade, looking up to meet the fierce gaze of Kenta and his wry grin. I smiled back, slipping into a combat stance and motioning for him to attack.

As Kenta dashed towards me, I heard the voice of a young girl cry out, ‘Go Toshi, you can do it, brother!’

For my parents, for my ancestors, for Yuko… I will win.

I tightened my grip and charged forwards to meet Kenta head on.