As the locker room emptied, a heavy silence settled. Auzhai finished his maintenance and tucked the blade away. He adjusted his headband, the metal plate gleaming under the fluorescent lights. He glanced at the clock; he had exactly four minutes before his next briefing with the Elders.
One second he was standing by the lockers; the next, there was only the lingering scent of ozone and the faint vibration of the vent cover clicking back into place. Ninja Auzhai - After Physical Education Class
He reached into his locker, but he didn't pull out a backpack. Instead, he retrieved a small, obsidian-colored whetstone. While the other boys gossiped about the upcoming spring festival or complained about the cafeteria’s ramen, Auzhai began a rhythmic, silent sharpening of a small kunai he kept tucked in his sleeve. Clink. Slide. Clink. Slide. As the locker room emptied, a heavy silence settled
Outside, Kaito and the others were walking across the courtyard, laughing. They didn't notice the blur of dark fabric moving across the rooftops above them, silhouetted against the orange sky. He glanced at the clock; he had exactly
He didn't walk toward the main exit like the others. Instead, he looked up at the narrow ventilation shaft near the ceiling. With a fluid, explosive motion that defied gravity, he leaped. His fingers caught the edge of the vent with a sound no louder than a cat’s paw hitting silk.
The afternoon sun slanted through the high windows of the Shinobi Academy gymnasium, catching the dust motes kicked up by two dozen pairs of scurrying feet. For most students, the end of Physical Education meant the end of the day’s struggle. For Ninja Auzhai, it was the start of a different kind of battle: the transition back to the shadows.