Star League 4 Page 2

  Ari laughs. ‘I wasn’t trying to hurt you, just get your attention.’

  ‘Well, you’ve got it now! It’s good to see you, big brother.’

  ‘You too, little sis. How is the Star League treating you?’

  I think about the others and how well we work together as a team. We’ve managed to bust up our fair share of evil schemes. ‘It’s great, but it’s also good to get away for a while.’

  ‘You always were a bit of a loner,’ teases Ari. I slap him jokingly on the arm.

  ‘Come on,’ I say. ‘We’d better get going or we’re going to miss the whole meeting. You can fill me in on what’s been happening with the rest of the clan on the way.’

  Ari isn’t just my older brother, he’s also the head of my old ninja clan. As we walk, Ari tells me everything that’s been going on, and I have to admit, it makes me a little homesick. But I shake my head and try not to think about it too much.

  We keep heading through the trees until at last I start to see glimpses of a huge, grey building. I’ve never been here before, but I know exactly what it is from stories Ari has told me: it’s the Mori Mountain Fortress, a secret place for ninjas to gather.

  We enter and take our seats in a big hall that is almost completely full of ninjas. I look around, trying to spot some familiar faces – which is hard to do when everyone is wearing black masks. I recognise a couple of ninjas that I’ve met in the past, but most of them wouldn’t have a clue who I am. It’s a nice change from fans screaming my name.

  My gaze comes to rest at the front of the room, where a tall ninja stands. He wears a red sash around his waist, which makes him stand out in the sea of black.

  ‘Who’s that?’ I ask Ari.

  Ari follows my gaze. ‘That’s Grandmaster Fuzen. He took over when Grandmistress Reika went missing.’ Ari leans closer and whispers in my ear. ‘Listen, Asuka, I don’t trust him. I haven’t spoken to anyone who actually knew him before he stepped up to take Reika’s place. Be careful around Fuzen.’

  I nod and watch as the figure on stage looks around the room. His bright blue eyes fall on me and he pauses. I stare back at him and his eyes narrow into a glare. What’s this guy’s problem? Finally he looks away and steps up to the front of the stage. He clears his throat and the room falls silent.

  ‘Greetings. I’m glad you could all be here today. Some of you have travelled great distances, and I promise my news will be well worth the journey.’

  Fuzen peers around the room. ‘Somebody has kidnapped Grandmistress Reika and, thanks to my sources, I have found out who the kidnappers are. It is now our duty to hunt them down and destroy them.’

  ‘Who are they?’ asks a ninja in the front row. ‘Tell us their identities so we can find them!’

  Fuzen looks straight at me. ‘They go by the name of the Star League.’

  I glance at Ari in shock. How does Fuzen know about the Star League? And why is he blaming us for kidnapping Grandmistress Reika?

  ‘Who are the Star League?’ asks the ninja in the front row.

  ‘They are a secret criminal group,’ says Fuzen. ‘From what we’ve been able to gather, the members are quite talented: there is an expert fighter, a werewolf, an animancer, a zombie, a robot and a ninja.’

  There’s a loud gasp around the room as he says the word ‘ninja’.

  ‘Who is it?’ demands a ninja I recognise. I think her name is Kaori – I’ve trained with her once or twice, and she was always friendly. But now the look on her face is furious. ‘Which one of the ninjas here is the traitor?’

  Fuzen frowns in my direction and my heart races. If he exposes me here as a member of the Star League I’m toast! But luckily he glances away again.

  ‘Unfortunately we don’t know the true identity of the ninja.’

  Huh, that’s strange. I wonder how he’s managed to find out about the Star League without knowing my identity. I shake my head. I guess I just got lucky this time.

  Ari stands up. ‘How do you know for sure that the Star League kidnapped Grandmistress Reika?’

  Fuzen glares at him. ‘Because I said so.’

  Ari holds his glare and doesn’t back down. ‘That’s not a good enough answer for me. Can we talk to your sources?’

  ‘No!’ spits Fuzen. ‘How dare you talk back to your Grandmaster! Maybe you’re the one who …’

  Before he can finish, another ninja stands up. ‘I’m Gobu from the Shinzuka clan, and I agree with Ari Kuro. We don’t really have any proof that this Star League did anything.’

  ‘You dare call me a liar?’ roars Fuzen. ‘Why, I’ll, I’ll …’

  Fuzen is interrupted as more ninjas leap to their feet in defence of Gobu and Ari. But there are also quite a few who believe Fuzen’s lies about the Star League and want revenge.

  ‘We need to track them down and make them pay!’

  ‘But how do we know it was them? Where’s the proof?’

  ‘We must obey Grandmaster Fuzen. Ninjas turning on ninjas is unacceptable!’

  ‘So let’s get his sources out here. Who are they? Do they exist?’

  Fuzen angrily waves his arms, trying to get everyone’s attention, but it’s Ari who finally gets them all to settle down.

  ‘Fellow ninjas! When we became ninjas we vowed to live by a code and part of that code is to help innocents. We have no real proof that the Star League did this. To attack them without knowing for certain it was them would be against our code of honour.’

  The other ninjas start nodding, then clapping, and soon they’re cheering for Ari. A wave of relief washes over me. I knew I could rely on my big brother.

  I watch as Fuzen gets angrier and angrier listening to Ari win over the crowd. Fuzen’s eyes flicker to one corner of the room. He nods at somebody I can’t see.

  Then something whizzes right past me, and Ari grunts in pain. He starts to sway on his feet and his eyes roll back in his head. I reach out to catch him and he topples into my arms. I lower him to the ground and shake him by the shoulders.

  ‘Ari! Ari!’ I shout. But there’s no reply. He’s out cold!

  ‘Ari!’ I slap his face, trying to get him to come around, but he won’t wake up. His skin is cold and clammy. Then I notice a tiny dart sticking out of Ari’s leg and I remember Fuzen’s signal. He must have poisoned him!

  As a ninja I’ve trained long and hard in the use of poisons, and that also means learning the antidotes. I don’t know the particular kind of poison Fuzen has used, so I’ll just have to take a guess. I fumble in my pockets for a small bit of dried herb and place it in Ari’s mouth. He doesn’t wake up, but hopefully the herb will work against the poison.

  ‘Another ninja has been attacked!’ shouts Fuzen. ‘Lock this place down, the ninja responsible won’t get away this time.’

  ‘Wait …’ I want to tell everyone that Fuzen was the one who did it, but they’re all so busy following his orders that nobody listens to me. Fuzen appears beside me and pulls the dart out of Ari’s leg, then he sticks it in his pocket before anyone else can see what he’s doing.

  I rush at Fuzen. ‘You snake!’ He blocks my attack and pushes me to the ground.

  ‘Restrain the girl,’ he orders a couple of ninjas. They grab me so I can’t move.

  ‘Ari Kuro has been stabbed with a poison dagger,’ says Fuzen, his eyes darting around. ‘You three, get him to the sick bay immediately!’ Three ninjas rush over and surround Ari. I notice that, unlike the rest of the ninjas, they have red cuffs on their sleeves that match Fuzen’s sash.

  Fuzen leans over and whispers to one of them. ‘We don’t want him to wake up. Don’t take him to the sick bay, hide him in the secret cell instead!’

  The ninja nods, and my mouth falls open.

  ‘No!’ I turn to the ninjas holding me. ‘You have to let me go, they’re going to hurt my brother! Didn’t you hear what Fuzen said?’

  Both of them stare straight ahead, ignoring me, and it’s only then that I notice the red cuffs on their uniforms. They m
ust be working for Fuzen too!

  I watch, completely helpless, as Ari is taken away.

  ‘Now we have proof that somebody is targeting ninjas,’ says Fuzen. ‘We have seen it with our own eyes, and we know that the attacker is in this room. Who was sitting close enough to Ari to attack him with a poison dagger?’

  Every pair of eyes in the room turns to me.

  ‘How could you think I’d attack my own brother?’ I ask.

  ‘Jealousy, perhaps?’ sneers Fuzen. ‘He’s the head of the clan and you wanted his position?’

  The crowd around me starts to mutter, believing Fuzen’s lies. I glance at the angry faces surrounding me and I’ve never felt more alone. I don’t know which ninjas I can trust and which ones are Fuzen’s spies. So much for wanting time by myself – I could really use the Star League’s help right now!

  There’s still a chance I can contact them using the communicator, but first I’m going to have to escape a roomful of angry ninjas.

  I throw my arms up and slip out of the grasp of the two ninjas holding me. Then I jump onto a table and sprint along the length of it, dodging the hands that reach out to grab me.

  I leap off the end of the table and land nimbly on the back of another ninja. As she reaches up to grab me, I kick off and land with a thud against a wall, jamming my fingers into the large gaps in the bricks to keep from falling. Clinging on with just my fingertips, I climb over to a hanging tapestry. I use the tapestry as a rope and climb the wall to an open window, pulling the tapestry up after me so nobody can follow.

  As I step onto the window ledge, I peer down. Some ninjas have run outside to block my way at the bottom. I glance behind me and see that there are more ninjas waiting in the hall below. Which means there’s only one way to go – up. I haul myself out of the window, feeling like I’m going to fall at any second, and climb onto the roof.

  I’ve only got thirty seconds at the most before I’m joined by my so-called ninja friends, so I whip out the communicator Ben gave me. I flip open the star-shaped screen and jab the call button. It only rings once before it picks up, and Jay’s face fills the screen.

  ‘Jay! I’m so glad to see you! Grandmaster Fuzen has poisoned Ari and the other ninjas think I did it! I need to rescue him but I can’t do it alone.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Asuka,’ says Jay. ‘We’ll …’

  But before Jay can answer a black boot kicks the communicator out of my hands and sends it flying halfway across the roof. Looks like I’ve got company!

  The ninja kicks out at my head, but I block it with my arm and push away. My enemy spins around and that’s when I notice the bright red sash around his waist.

  ‘Fuzen,’ I growl.

  Fuzen smirks at me. ‘I’m sorry, did I interrupt your conversation with the Star League?’

  I glare at him. ‘You knew who I was all along, didn’t you?’

  He nods. ‘I was hoping the rest of the Star League would join you when you got my invitation so my ninjas could finish them off. But when I saw that you came alone I had to get creative.’

  ‘This was a trap? You hurt Ari just so I’d call the Star League?’

  ‘That’s right,’ he sneers. ‘And you fell for it.’ Fuzen’s eyes smirk at me through his ninja mask. Well, I’m going to wipe that smirk right off his face.

  ‘Why? What do you have against the Star League?’ As I talk I slowly reach into my belt and pull out a shuriken, hoping that Fuzen won’t see it until it’s too late.

  ‘I have my own reasons. The Star League are pests that I’m going to exterminate,’ says Fuzen. I ready the shuriken behind my back.

  ‘I don’t think so, Fuzen!’ I fling the shuriken as hard as I can. It whizzes through the air, a flash of silver light spinning straight towards its target. Then something happens that I’ve never seen before.

  Fuzen reaches out and plucks the shuriken from the air, just inches from his face. He crushes it in his hand, ignoring the sharp blades.

  ‘I will crush the Star League just like your pathetic toy here.’

  I hate to admit it, but Fuzen is much stronger than me. It would be stupid to fight him on my own. Instead I turn and sprint across the roof, launching myself into a tree growing alongside. I drop to the ground and there’s an angry shout behind me as another group of ninjas spots me.

  A couple of bright flashes whizz past my head as two shuriken just miss me and slice into a tree. No peas here, these guys are playing for real! I put on an extra burst of speed and weave between the trees because it’s harder to hit a moving target.

  The ninjas chasing me are fast, but I’m faster. Ari always said that even though I might not be as strong as other ninjas, I could easily beat them because of my lightning-quick reflexes. I feel a pang of worry as I think of Ari and wonder if he’s okay. The thought of Fuzen poisoning him makes my blood boil, but I know there’s nothing I can do now. I wouldn’t stand a chance against so many ninjas.

  I get further and further in front of the other ninjas until at last I’ve lost them. I dive under a large pile of fallen leaves, just in time to see the ninjas run right past me. I try to keep as still as possible, even though I’m pretty sure there’s a worm wriggling in my hair.

  I wait under the pile of leaves for about half an hour. It’s a long time to spend in such an itchy hiding spot, but I’d rather be sure the ninjas searching for me are a long way away. After this, I’ll be a champion at hide and seek! When I finally think the coast is clear I pull myself out of the leaves.

  Except I’m not alone. Just as I’m shaking the dirt from my clothes, I realise there’s somebody behind me. I spin around to face the ninja, and my heart pounds.

  Because it’s not one ninja, it’s a group of them, and they’ve surrounded me.

  I size up the other ninjas. There are five of them and one of me – way too many for me to fight on my own. I’ll just have to take out as many as I can and then try to escape in one piece. I grit my teeth and get into a defensive position.

  One of the ninjas winks at me through the slit in his ninja hood. His eyes look familiar but I don’t know why. Maybe this is an enemy clan I came up against in the past? I shift my weight and I’m about to attack when the ninja speaks.

  ‘What kind of greeting is that? I thought you’d be happy to see us!’

  I recognise his voice straight away. ‘Jay!’ I’m so stunned I can’t even move. The others take off their hoods and I realise that the enemy ninjas are actually the rest of the Star League in disguise!

  I shake my head in disbelief. ‘How’d you get here so quickly?’

  ‘It just so happens that Beaumont Studios has its own helicopter,’ says Connor. ‘We flew here in style.’

  ‘Correct,’ says Sam. ‘And Jay’s superior forward thinking prompted us to borrow these ninja costumes from the wardrobe department, just in case.’

  ‘I hope those costumes are shuriken-proof,’ I say, ‘because we’re going to be facing a fortress full of real ninjas.’ I quickly fill them in on the situation.

  ‘Don’t worry, Asuka. With all of us working together we’ll get Ari back, no problem,’ says Leigh with a smile.

  I smile back, but something is worrying me. I’ll never be able to rescue Ari by myself. With the Star League by my side I might just see my brother again. But first they deserve to know the truth.

  ‘Listen, guys, maybe you should’ve stayed at home after all. Fuzen told me that the only reason he kidnapped Ari was to lure the rest of you here. It’s a trap. You’re what he’s really after.’

  The others stare at me. I’m actually holding my breath, wondering what their answer will be. I never thought I’d say this, but I don’t want them to leave me by myself.

  ‘No duh,’ says Roger.

  ‘We already figured out this was a trap ages ago,’ says Leigh. ‘But that didn’t stop us from coming.’ Chu screeches in agreement.

  ‘We’re part of a team,’ says Jay. ‘And that means we work together, trap or no trap.’ />
  I let out a big sigh of relief. ‘Well, I’m really glad you’re here,’ I say.

  ‘Okay, first things first,’ says Jay. ‘We need a plan. It sounds like there are way too many for us to take on head to head, so we’ll have to blend in with them and sneak Ari out.’

  I nod. ‘The ninja uniforms are a good start. Keep those hoods on and nobody will know your real identities.’ We head off towards the Mori Mountain Fortress.

  As we approach the fortress gate I see that it’s guarded by two ninjas and I start to worry. Suddenly I’m not so sure the ninja costumes will fool anyone. I think about how we’re going to get found out and imprisoned. I’ll never be able to help Ari then.

  ‘Stop right there!’ shouts one of the guards. ‘Identify yourselves!’ My instincts take over, and I’m about to start a fight when Jay’s voice stops me.

  ‘We’re here on Fuzen’s orders,’ he says, loud and confident. ‘He told us to come back here and search for the traitor ninja. He thinks she might try to sneak back into the fortress.’

  The guards look at each other, and I think at any moment we’re going to get sprung. Then they step aside.

  ‘Very well, you may enter.’

  As we pass through the gates and into the fortress I breathe a huge sigh of relief. But it’s not over yet.

  We search through room after room for the secret cell where Fuzen took Ari, but there’s no sign of it. After what feels like the hundredth room, Roger throws up his hands in frustration.

  ‘We’ve been searching forever! This place feels like a maze.’

  ‘It is a ninja hideout,’ I say, ‘so I guess it’s designed to be confusing. But please don’t give up. We’ve got to find my brother!’

  ‘Roger’s right,’ says Jay. ‘We are spending too long searching for Ari.’

  I stare at Jay, open-mouthed. If Jay wants to give up and go home, as the leader it’s his decision. But I can’t believe he’d leave Ari behind like that. I’m about to tell him off when he grins.