Ninja Academy

Ninja Academy
The Choices we make





Ryou Tanaka was the usual Japanese teen, he did what his parents told him, he was very to everybody he knew he loved martial arts and had taken up many forms. Today he sat in his chair staring at the clock like most seniors he was waiting for school to be over. “Ryou” his friend whispered over his shoulder. “Yes” he whispered back. “What you going to do after you graduate?” the friend whispered again. “I told you I am going to help my dad fix my grandfather’s roof then go from there.” Ryou whispered back. “Yeah you told me that I was hoping you would change your mind, a few of us are going to Tomou Square thought you might want to come.” The friend said sitting back. “Dnou!” Ryou turned sharply still in whisper. “You promised me you wouldn’t go there!!” he said above a whisper. “I said I would think about it, unlike you my father isn’t head of a corporate business, I need the money!” Tomou Square was a hot spot for gang activity, what it was really good for was turning small money into large money on bets and car racing, if it was illegal you could find it there. “I am not going” Ryou turned back around. “Fine you will just draw to much attention.” Dnou said he was hurt he really wanted Ryou to come he really didn’t know any of the other people that were going and wanted one face he could count on.

The bell rang and both Ryou and Dnou made their way outside. Dnou passed Ryou in the hall and didn’t turn back around. Ryou sighed and made his way to the bike rack where he saw Dnou drive off in one of his new friend’s car. Ryou looked at them as they roared through the parking lot and out onto the street. Shaking his head Ryou peddled his way toward his house. Ryou lived in an upscale part of the country just outside of Tokyo it was true that his family was very well off. His father was the CEO of a large shipping business and his mother worked from home making wood furniture. “I’m Home” Ryou said in Japanese first his grandfather was living with them and didn’t know English, Ryou’s father liked speaking English in the home as he knew one day Ryou and his younger brother would eventually take over the business and since most of the world spoke English they better knew how to speak it. “Its ok your father took your grandfather to work” a small voice said. Ryou walked outside into a small work area his mother was making what looked like a chair. “Very nice” Ryou smiled he kissed his mom on the cheek then went back inside. “Your brother got sent home again” his mom shouted to him. Ryou sighed his smaller brother Rayain was always in trouble of some sort he was two years younger than him but acted like he was 20 years older. Ryou stormed into his brother’s room. “What did you do now?” he shouted at him. Rayain was on his cell phone while trying to put on a black leather jacket. “Hold on I will call you back” Rayain said hanging up the phone. “Look its mom’s lil messenger boy” Rayain said while running a comb through his slick black hair. “You got sent home again” Ryou said. “Look bro I don’t need school ok” Rayain said picking up his wallet and shoving it in his pants. Ryou could see the dollars bills stuffed inside. “Where did you get the money Rayain” Ryou said he was becoming scared he had been paying too much attention to graduating and martial arts classes he didn’t notice his little brother’s room was becoming a haven for old rebel movie posters, or that his brother’s clothes consisted of black jeans, white shirts and black leather jackets. “Oh finally” Rayain smiled. He looked at his older brother and walked closer. “Finally it hits you, I was wondering who would get it first you or mom, I knew for a fact dad wouldn’t get it.” Rayain smiled. “I’m Sorry” Ryou said lowering his head. “I failed you” he added. “Failed me? You did the best thing you could ever do big brother and that was show me what I didn’t want to be” Rayain was laughing. He bent down and picked up a large duffle bag. “Where are you going?” Ryou asked. “I’m out of here now that you graduated I don’t need to be here to hear how good this is for the “business” how it’s my turn, how I should follow in YOUR footsteps” Rayain said loudly. “No! You will hurt mom, what has she done to deserve this?” Ryou said. Rayain stopped in the doorway. “You will look after her right?” he asked. Rayain turned to look at his brother. Ryou nodded “Yes I will”. Rayain began to walk away again. “Wait” Ryou said he walked past his brother and into their parent’s room. He opened a drawer and pulled out a box it was wrapped in a bow. He opened and pulled out a key. “It was going to be mine, I think dad was going to give it to me at dinner.” He said throwing the key to his brother. “I don’t…” Rayain began to say. “I can’t stop you Rayain, you got to make your own way and make your own footsteps. Just be careful ok?” Rayain dropped the bag and the two brothers embraced. “Now go before mom comes” Ryou said. Rayain nodded picking up his bag and headed out the door. Ryou waited for the roar of an engine the car that was meant to be his raced down the street and out of sight. “What was that” Ryou’s mom said. Ryou turned with tears in his eyes. “He’s gone” he said, his mom looked at him and the two sat together in the living room just staring at each other.

Three hours had gone by and there was the familiar key noise headed for the door. Ryou and his mother hadn’t move from the living room. It was his father and his grandfather they were both talking in Japanese until they came into the living room. Ryou’s mom stood up quickly she hadn’t prepared dinner. But under the circumstances she couldn’t even bare to stand, she sat back down and began to cry. “What’s wrong” his father said dropping his briefcase and rushing to his wife’s side. Ryou looked at his grandfather and told him it was family business and if he could go to his room. His grandfather politely bowed and left the room. “What is it Ryou and where is Rayain?” his father asked him. Ryou began to speak but tears began to fill his eyes. “RAYAIN!!!” his father shouted leaving the living room. “RAYAIN!!!” he ran into his son’s room and stopped. “No!” he fell to his knee’s he hadn’t been in this room in years he was always to busy, always had something to do, like Ryou it had finally hit him; he hadn’t given no attention to his son’s. He got up and opened Ryou’s room this room he knew, he always came in here to see how his older son was doing how he was being prepared to take over the business. Looking back in Rayain’s room he knew nothing of his younger son. Why hadn’t he paid more attention? He walked back into the living room, “I’m sorry dad, I failed him” Ryou said. “NO!” his dad said shaking his son. “We all did” a voice said in Japanese. His grandfather came into the room they all sat there in the living room. “I gave him the car” Ryou said in a low voice. “That was good son” his father said holding his wife. They all sat there trying to come to terms that one of theirs had gone and joined the Yakuza.


Ryou was lying in his room with his headphones on, it was late. He was trying to unwind and come to terms that he wouldn’t see his brother again, when he felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket he rushed to pick it up hoping it was his brother who had changed his mind and wanted to come home. He looked at the caller ID and was disappointed it was Dnou. He answered “What is it Dnou?” he asked. “I am in trouble” Dnou replied. Ryou could tell his friend was scared. “What did you do?” there was silence then someone else came on the phone. “Who is this?” Ryou asked. “Doesn’t concern you who this is, what does concern you is the welfare of your friend.” The voice said. “How much?” Ryou sighed. He could only guess that Dnou had bet more than he could pay back. Ryou opened a metal box he had under his bed. “Two Large” the voice said. “Two-thousand!!” Ryou said. “uh huh you got it or does your friend need a pine box?” the voice said. Ryou shuffled through the bills he had in his box. “I have One-Nine and change” Ryou said. “That will do” the voice said. “You an honest kid, too bad you have a loser friend” the voice said. “Thank you” Ryou knew to deal with these guys was to be honest and polite, once they didn’t feel threatened or disgraced they wouldn’t hurt him. “Can I talk to my friend, I mean the loser.” Ryou asked. “Sure hold on” Ryou stuffed the money in his pocket. “Ryou are you coming?” Dnou asked. “Yes don’t do anything stupid till I get there” Ryou hung up the phone. He slowly walked out of his room. He walked into the living room where he knew his dad kept his other car keys. He slowly picked up a set of keys and walked outside. Once there he pressed the alarm button to turn the alarm off his Father’s sports car then he hit the button for the gate to open. This was going to be hard he thought as he put the car in neutral and began to push it out of the driveway, luckily the drive was slightly slopped so it wasn’t as hard as he thought it to be, he pressed the gate button again to close the gate, got in the car and slightly tapped the gas until he got out of site of the house then he punched it.