Relax, I'm A Ninja (5 page)

I was impressed. Most recruits at least questioned Dad when he said ninjutsu, at which point he’d silence them and they’d ask again and again. They breathed hard and spent the whole practice bumbling around in disbelief. But Amy stood ready like she was at her regular class. As I strapped on the rest of my gear, I couldn’t help but wonder what she’d do next.

“Sato, I have taught you karate, and you have done well. But clay is meant to be molded—your past training is now clay. The ninja have no rules; we mold clay to fit our needs. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sensei.” She bowed. Her doe-in-the-headlights expression had already morphed into determination.

“You will take turns fighting Ito and Perry. They will not hold back. Perry, let’s begin.”

My dad walked off the mat and I followed, leaning on the wall to watch the show. Amy faced Marty and squatted down, putting her hands up. I didn’t want to underestimate her, but when a Chihuahua fights a pit bull it’s hard to think it has a chance. She had so little training in comparison. She’d probably get creamed.

Marty made the first move—a low kick to trip her. It was a good opener; you could pin an opponent fast if they fell for it. But Amy didn’t. She hopped back and ducked as he took a swipe at her face. He didn’t let up, charging her with punch after punch. He’d built up a lot of momentum. She ducked into a little ball; he tripped and thumped onto the floor.

Not bad at all for the first day.

She sank her elbow into his stomach. Marty grunted, but he grabbed her arm and swung her to the floor. Then he pinned her skinny arms with his muscled ones.

It was over. He had all his weight on her, and there was no way her hundred-pound frame could overcome it. I’d have a hard time overcoming that. She struggled to get out as I waited for my dad to call the fight. He didn’t.

“It’s over, right?” I asked. A moment of silence passed where all I could hear was Amy trying to get free.

“I don’t think so.” He stood up, but didn’t step onto the mat. “She’s thinking.”

I looked over to Marty on top of her. She was so weak. But then again, Courtney didn’t look as strong as she was. What did my dad see that I couldn’t?

Amy stopped struggling; maybe he would finally call it. But then she kneed Marty right in the balls—
she kneed him in the balls.
I cringed, and it wasn’t even me who got the blow of all blows.

“Arg!” Marty rolled over, moaning as he held his crotch.

And she didn’t let up! She jumped up and kicked him in the face. I didn’t think little Amy Sato would be so…so vicious. She got on top of him and wrapped her arms around his neck while she dug her knee into his spine.

“Enough.” My dad walked onto the mat and Amy let go of Marty, who lay on the floor.

“You don’t do that!” Marty’s voice was strained, and sweat beaded his forehead.

“No rules, right?” Amy looked to my father for reassurance.

“No rules.” The littlest smile crept onto his face. I couldn’t believe what had happened. First David kicked Goliath right in the balls, and now my father was
smiling
about it.

“Rest five minutes, then fight Ito,” Dad directed.

She bowed. “Yes, Sensei.”

As she walked over to the drinking fountain, I couldn’t help but feel nervous to face her. I could beat Marty easy. But if Amy was willing to kick a guy like that, I had no idea what I was up against. She’d figured out the no rules thing fast. Most recruits struggled to set aside their ethics.

“Need help?” I leaned down next to Marty.

“Just gimme a sec and watch out for yourself.” He pulled himself up to sit, but then lay back down. “I was
not
expecting that. Should have guessed a girl wouldn’t honor the unspoken code.”

“Yeah, but Danielle never even—”

“Sorry about that.” Amy kneeled next to me, and I jumped away. How did I not hear her coming? She was starting to freak me out.

“I’ll get you next time.” Marty smiled his perfect smile. “Now that I know you play dirty.”

“I just did what I was told.” She shrugged, looking totally satisfied with herself. She’d taken out a ninja who’d been training since he was twelve. I’d be proud of myself, too.  

“You’re not supposed to understand Ito Sensei’s code yet.” Marty pulled himself up and stayed this time. “Took me a year to figure out how he talks.”

“Well, I am an honor student,” Amy said, sarcastic and flirty as ever. Marty leaned toward her. Here she’d kicked him, and it was like he’d totally forgotten. She was already the perfect
kunoichi
.

“Ito, Sato, take your places,” my dad said.

Amy stood up without hesitation. I kind of wanted to find a cup and bubble wrap first, but I faced her. She crouched down into her traditional karate stance, and I watched. So far, she’d been the exact opposite of what I expected. Not timid, weak, and confused, but fierce, strong, and smart.

Her dark brown eyes stared into mine—the panther sizing up her prey. She didn’t look scared for one moment, though she had to know I’d been doing this my whole life. She could spar, but she relied on her training. Fighting was instinct for me. I could beat her if I erased my assumptions…and kept away from her knees. She obviously wanted me to make the first move, but I preferred to defend. So I waited, stared at her, and smiled. One of her eyebrows rose. Then she finally attacked.

She was good. She assumed I’d block the first blow and attack from the side, so I dodged her and she dodged me. I grabbed her, but she twisted out of it and tried to trip me. I held my ground, which made her lose her balance.

I had her pinned in less than ten seconds, making sure to keep her knees to one side with my leg. I twisted her free arm, trying to get her to tap out, or in other words give up. Her left hand was pinned under her awkwardly. She writhed—surprisingly strong for her size—but I kept her in place and waited for my dad to call the fight. He didn’t.

I’d done everything right. I’d won. He should have called it. He was giving Amy a chance to do what she did to Marty, but she couldn’t. I’d covered that option. She grabbed my thigh with her awkwardly placed hand, digging her nails in. I grunted, but held firm. I wasn’t moving my leg—there was no way.

And then she tickled me. TICKLED. This was the freakiest girl I’d ever fought. I tried to hold in my laughter, but she knew it was working and tickled more. Then she started laughing, and I busted up too.

The second I faltered, Amy rolled on top of me. She locked my arms at my side by wrapping her legs around my torso and digging her heels into my spine. It hurt like crazy. Did she learn that in our dojo? Or did she know instinctively how to bring the pain? I tried to get my legs around her head so I could pull her off, but she leaned in so our noses almost touched. She smiled, and I was pissed off that she had me.

“Thanks for inviting me, Tosh. This is really fun,” she whispered.

“Glad you’re enjoying it,” I said through my teeth. I hated losing. As far as I was concerned, she hadn’t beaten me yet. There had to be a way out. Then I saw the answer. In any other circumstance, it might have gotten me in big trouble, but now was the perfect moment to “attack.”

So I kissed her.

She whipped her head back so fast you’d have thought my lips were poison. I used the opportunity to grab her torso with my legs and flip her over so I was on top. She stared at me—there was the shock I’d expected when my dad brought up the ninja thing.

I grinned. “No rules, right?”

She tried not to smile, but she totally did. I could swear she glowed, but maybe that was in my head. People didn’t literally glow. I thought about kissing her again, since it was so fun the first time, but I had no reason now. It would look like I wanted her, and I couldn’t want her without being the biggest jerk of a friend in recorded history.

“Enough!” My dad stepped onto the mat, and I released Amy. His angry glare caught me off guard. He’d never said I was the favorite, but the Clan assumed it. Had Amy taken my place? No way. Maybe he was mad that I kissed her like that. Dad was pretty old school.

I held out my hand and Amy took it. To cover my bases, I pulled her close and whispered, “What happens in ninja school stays in ninja school.”

“For sure.” She wiped her cheeks like it might remove the blush, and I tried to ignore how pretty she suddenly seemed.

“Five minutes,” my dad said through his teeth. I rushed to the fountain for a drink, hoping it might take away the zinging on my lips from that kiss. It didn’t.

For the rest of training, Dad worked with Amy on establishing a cover. Hers was pretty similar to mine, but we had to work with what she had since she was invited so late. It wasn’t like she could suddenly take up hip-hop without her friends thinking she’d gone insane.

“Walk Sato home,” Dad said when class was over. I always walked the new recruits home and answered questions he didn’t want to bother with.

“Yes, Sensei.” I bowed and left the mat with Amy. We slipped on our shoes and coats, leaving the dojo and heading in the direction of her house.

6

It was quiet for the city. A few cars passed by as we walked the steep hill to her house. The cool air felt perfect after fighting so hard. Some of the trees still hung on to their leaves, darkening our path between streetlamps. I don’t know why I’d expected Amy to talk when she’d done everything else so completely weird that evening.

Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. “You did good. No one’s ever done that well on the first day.”

She stopped walking and stood in front of me, finger in my face. “I
knew
there was something weird about you—I knew it.”

I pushed her finger away from me. “And how’d you know?”

She went still, seeming reluctant to tell me. “Do you remember when we sparred as little kids?”

This question surprised me. “No, not even a little bit.”

“We were like five or six.” She shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal, though I had a feeling it was. “I just remember you were winning, like I could feel the loss coming. But then at the end…it was like you threw the match and I won. Since then it just felt like you were better than you let on, so I kept watching you after that.”

I swallowed hard, unable to find words. For some reason the thought of her observing me so closely made me want to hide.

“You’ve always been really secretive, even when you were younger, and so not like your friends. They’re all sweet and considerate and humble. You’re way too confident for a nerd.” She sighed. “I thought you were such a jerk. You treat people like you know everything about them, but I guess you do in a way.”

“You think I’m a jerk?” I felt like I’d consumed a whole vial of poison. I was just trying to keep Eddie happy. I had no idea I came off like that to her.

“Thought
you were a jerk.”

I nodded. “So, what do you think of me now?”

“I …” She looked down, a little flustered. “Well, you make a lot more sense, that’s for sure. You’ve been doing this your whole life, huh?”

“Yeah.”

She started walking again, so I followed. I tried to figure out what I should say next. I was supposed to be the one giving information, and here she was telling me how she’d seen through me, even as a little kid. That was some serious skill in perception.

“So, you’re really okay?” At this point I was usually talking a new recruit out of some plan to run away or flat out refuse the invitation.

She laughed. “When Sensei first said it, I almost didn’t believe it. But then it just…made sense. It’s not like ninjas are magical creatures. They used to exist, so why not now? Everything about you and your dad just clicked, so I figured no matter how weird it was it must be true.”

“You’re not mad about getting sucked into this? Scared? Confused?”

“Are you kidding? This is like the dream job I’d always hoped existed!”

“Really?”

“Hello? I love karate. What, did you think I took all those classes to see you?” She bumped my shoulder.

“No! I never really thought about it.” I’d known Amy for years, since her first karate lesson at age five, but even then I knew to keep my distance. Eddie was in that class too, and he stared at her so much my dad would make him face the back so he’d concentrate. He quit when Amy moved up a class and he didn’t.

She laughed. “Obviously not. I’ve been dying to get an invite to the competition class. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. I just want to be the best. I want to beat you for real, not because you throw the match.”

I smiled. “Sorry, that’s not happening.”

“You wanna bet?”

“It wouldn’t be fair to take your money.”

“Whatever.” She nudged me again, at which point my stomach turned. Eddie would kill to be here with her. If he knew that I’d kissed her (and kind of wanted to do it again), he’d call me a traitor.

We’d almost made it to her house. I’d never
technically
been there, but we used to ride by Amy’s like we did Courtney’s.

“So, what exactly do we, uh, do?”

“The usual—sabotage, espionage, smuggling, and such.”

She pursed her lips. “Isn’t that…wrong?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Did you think we’d be superheroes in disguise? Honestly, we just get the jobs and do them. We don’t know our clients’ reasoning, good or bad.”

“I guess I can live with that.”

“Really?” It seemed too good to be true, like she didn’t actually get how serious this was. “You’re not bothered at all?”

She bit her lip, and for a second I thought I saw the fear underneath her claims of being excited about this. “Will being bothered about it change the fact that I don’t have much choice?”

Ah, so this is her way of coping. Pretend it’s fine.
“No, I guess not.”

“Right.” She took a deep breath, trying to muster her courage. “So, how many of us are there?”

“Not something you can really put a number to, but there are thirty-one in our Clan. Thirty-two now.”

“Wait, are there other Clans? Like, others in the city?”