PmWiki | Waylight / OnNinja

Tenna laughs almost spitefully, "Tsuxi wannabe? Yes, perhaps, though that's the only kind of ninja that you, or anyone, will ever see."

"In Koji, the word ninja is used talking about two sorts of people. One is the dayglos, the bright and neon fighters... they are not ninja, they are children, who if they are diligent may one day become ninja, and if they are not will merely become old children. I cannot say that I have seen, but, well, there are things that I have -not- seen."

"I worked in a hibachi restaurant for awhile, Akujiki's Palace, it was called. Now, plenty in Koji are superstitious, and few would frequent a restaurant named after an ancient sword rumoured to be demonic. Fewer still a restaurant that was thriving despite looking empty every night."

"Yes, it was a place often frequented by true ninja. I won't pretend it was easy working there. Most chefs like a bit more confirmation that their patrons are enjoying their food than the cold, terrifying certainty that bleeding will happen if they don't. There's a certain tolerance that apprentices are still learning, of course. My left leg aches like a monster when it gets too humid, and there's a nasty scar, but they deliberately avoided the joint or tendons so it could heal cleanly save for leaving an outer mark. Well, there's tolerance most of the time."

"Most of the time. Akujiki's Palace had, shall we say, a graduation ceremony of sorts for apprentices. Most went to work elsewhere afterwards, somewhere with a better mortality rate. It was no secret I was going to move on with my wandering. The restaurant always looked empty save for those standing behind the grills. That night I knew it truly was, that there was only one patron, and I stood behind the only grill to be ignited. I had been told only that to prove myself a master of the grill, that i would have to meet the approval of a master of our patrons."

"It was the longest four hours of my life. He, or she, I have no way ever to know, was there. I knew it, as any animal knows a predator's eyes upon its throat. I could see the tension in the leather of the edges of the seat that betrayed weight upon the middle. I could feel in the air the silent expectation... and knew what would happen if I did not meet them. There was no time to hesitate, I began."

"As ever, there were no words, the tiniest rustle of the tag identifying one of the small bins of raw meat was all the sign of an order given, and there could be not an instant's hesitation or failure to notice. I stared, even as I worked. Of course I wanted to try to see, who wouldn't? I know, I know I was staring into their eyes, and they bemusedly into mine, and yet I saw nothing. I never saw their chopsticks move, only shift position the tiniest amount and a piece of food would be gone from the grill. I could feel their breath make eddies in the currents that rose from the hotplate around my hands, could know just how close they were and that there was not a single thing I could do to prevent my death should they take the slightest dissatisfaction with what I served them. So I did the only thing I could, and served perfectly."

"I knew the end of the test had come at the tiniest creak of the chair, the faintest whisper of silk and I cried out at the sudden pain in my face. And moments later, the presence was gone, I was alone, and alive. They had swung their blade so finely as to graze my face, at the corner of my left eye, just enough to cause pain without breaking the skin. It was a compliment. A Master of Ninja had chosen to explicitly communicate their presence to me, with their blade, as is their way, to say "I have chosen not to kill you." "

"So, all things considered, when it comes to -fighting- against ninja, I'm happy we're only dealing with Tsuxis."