"Keeya!", Donatello yelled, swinging at me with his bo, and following up
with a high kick, both of which I easily and silently dodged. I spun
around behind him and managed to land a blow to the back of his shell. My
sword clashed with his bo and he turned to face me.
He was getting better. So were William and JB, who battled each other on the opposite side of the room. Especially JB, I thought as I countered Donatello's attacks and followed through with some of my own. Poor kid is almost too young to be training with us, but too old to train with the others. I was worried when Master Sheno moved him up into our group, but it's been working out okay. As the training intensifies, and I'm able to work up a sweat, I think everything's working out okay.
This feels so right. No one else feels it, I know. They go through the motions, but only under discipline. Even Donatello, who shows the next best level of commitment, and has the most reason to want to become ninja, even he doesn't show much motivation, and William views it more as a required sport, like baseball. He does his best for it because it's expected of him, but there's not the same personal satisfaction in his eyes as, say, when he won the state-wide science competition a couple months ago. Together him and Donatello make formable opponents, but not on a ninja level.
JB has been improving lately, showing more interest in his nun chucks. I was surprised he had chosen them, seeing how he feels about his father. He's going through a lot of ups and downs though, and who knows where his training will be at in the next year.
Actually, my little cousin Rowdie shows potential. I need to spend more time with him, dedicate some sessions for him personally to keep that spark alive. But it's so hard to find time for anything when I have to look after all eleven cousins and a sister.
And here come the worse two right now.
"You're late", Master Sheno told them, not even bothering to look their way. He didn't have a lot of respect for Julian and Romea.
"Give us a break", Julian replied.
"We still have school, you know", Romea said, narrowing her eyes at me. They were jealous I had graduated earlier this year, and was not being pressured to go to college. My path was to become a ninja, like my father. Shortly I would be joining him in the search for my uncle's assassin.
"We go to the same school you do", Donatello retorted, "And we were back half and hour ago."
"Yeah, that's cause you don't have any friends, dweeb", Julian snapped.
I sighed. They were already being obnoxious. It was pointless training with them anymore, but Dad insisted it be done this way. He had trained together with all his brothers and felt very strongly we stay together no matter what, and my uncle's murder had only intensified that feeling.
Master Sheno ignored the bickering and instead worked with JB on his nun chucks, leaving us to set up our own practices with each other. I usually took Julian, because I could easiest handle his outbursts. Romea was just as bad, but didn't loose her temper. William took her. Donatello performed some katas by himself, until JB joined him using his new technique.
This unsteady alliance for practice would last about an hour, and then usually break apart. Sometimes it was Donatello and William having to do homework or something, and usually JB would follow them with the same excuse. Julian and Romea never stayed longer than an hour, they didn't have the patience for it, and for them it was a concession, one of the limits they agreed to. I guess I had to give them some credit, they didn't go drinking, they didn't deal drugs, they didn't run away from home, and they did show up to practice everyday even though they clearly hated it. When we were younger, they had much more excitement, hoping to be able to fight bad guys like our dads, but that has since dissipated. Actually, I think our uncle's murder changed them a lot in that way, I think they're scared to continue training.
I lingered after they had all left, even master Sheno, perfecting my katas. I wanted to be able to impress Dad by how much I had improved in the past year since he had last seen me. Uncle Mike had once remarked how much like Dad I was in my dedication to ninjitzu.
I hope to be like him in points of honor too. I hope to be the one to track down my uncle's murderer, and avenge him. That's my goal in life. After that, maybe I'll go to college.
He was getting better. So were William and JB, who battled each other on the opposite side of the room. Especially JB, I thought as I countered Donatello's attacks and followed through with some of my own. Poor kid is almost too young to be training with us, but too old to train with the others. I was worried when Master Sheno moved him up into our group, but it's been working out okay. As the training intensifies, and I'm able to work up a sweat, I think everything's working out okay.
This feels so right. No one else feels it, I know. They go through the motions, but only under discipline. Even Donatello, who shows the next best level of commitment, and has the most reason to want to become ninja, even he doesn't show much motivation, and William views it more as a required sport, like baseball. He does his best for it because it's expected of him, but there's not the same personal satisfaction in his eyes as, say, when he won the state-wide science competition a couple months ago. Together him and Donatello make formable opponents, but not on a ninja level.
JB has been improving lately, showing more interest in his nun chucks. I was surprised he had chosen them, seeing how he feels about his father. He's going through a lot of ups and downs though, and who knows where his training will be at in the next year.
Actually, my little cousin Rowdie shows potential. I need to spend more time with him, dedicate some sessions for him personally to keep that spark alive. But it's so hard to find time for anything when I have to look after all eleven cousins and a sister.
And here come the worse two right now.
"You're late", Master Sheno told them, not even bothering to look their way. He didn't have a lot of respect for Julian and Romea.
"Give us a break", Julian replied.
"We still have school, you know", Romea said, narrowing her eyes at me. They were jealous I had graduated earlier this year, and was not being pressured to go to college. My path was to become a ninja, like my father. Shortly I would be joining him in the search for my uncle's assassin.
"We go to the same school you do", Donatello retorted, "And we were back half and hour ago."
"Yeah, that's cause you don't have any friends, dweeb", Julian snapped.
I sighed. They were already being obnoxious. It was pointless training with them anymore, but Dad insisted it be done this way. He had trained together with all his brothers and felt very strongly we stay together no matter what, and my uncle's murder had only intensified that feeling.
Master Sheno ignored the bickering and instead worked with JB on his nun chucks, leaving us to set up our own practices with each other. I usually took Julian, because I could easiest handle his outbursts. Romea was just as bad, but didn't loose her temper. William took her. Donatello performed some katas by himself, until JB joined him using his new technique.
This unsteady alliance for practice would last about an hour, and then usually break apart. Sometimes it was Donatello and William having to do homework or something, and usually JB would follow them with the same excuse. Julian and Romea never stayed longer than an hour, they didn't have the patience for it, and for them it was a concession, one of the limits they agreed to. I guess I had to give them some credit, they didn't go drinking, they didn't deal drugs, they didn't run away from home, and they did show up to practice everyday even though they clearly hated it. When we were younger, they had much more excitement, hoping to be able to fight bad guys like our dads, but that has since dissipated. Actually, I think our uncle's murder changed them a lot in that way, I think they're scared to continue training.
I lingered after they had all left, even master Sheno, perfecting my katas. I wanted to be able to impress Dad by how much I had improved in the past year since he had last seen me. Uncle Mike had once remarked how much like Dad I was in my dedication to ninjitzu.
I hope to be like him in points of honor too. I hope to be the one to track down my uncle's murderer, and avenge him. That's my goal in life. After that, maybe I'll go to college.