To Become a Shinobi Ch. 7
By Eliad Sholomovich

Ibuki lay in her hospital bed. She looked at the ceiling and reflected on the last couple of days. Her hospital dress was rather revealing, but no men were around to notice so she was glad about that. Her mind was preoccupied on more serious matters.

"Can I continue like this? I don't know if I can kill someone. What kind of ninja has a conscience? Ibuki thought and tears welled in her eyes. "I-I guess I'll always be a failure. Sensei will be ashamed of me, but never mind that... What will I do? I can't leave the clan. I'm too deep inside it. Oh God help me make the right decision" Ibuki thought and sighed sadly.

"Why the sad face and tears Ibuki?" a voice spoke from the shadows. Ibuki gasped and hid herself in her blanket.

"Geki-sensei I am not decent" Ibuki said and her face turned red with embarrassment. Geki came out of the shadows.

"Worry not, I assure you I did not see anything. Now tell me what troubles you?" he said in concern. Ibuki exhaled but was still red and feeling awkward.

"It's best to be honest with Geki-sensei" she thought and began "Sensei... I don't know what to do? I can't make myself kill anyone, I feel guilty when I try. Who am I to take the life of another no matter how rotten he is? I almost killed an innocent, though annoying girl from my school a few days back in a fight. I… I just don't know what's right and wrong anymore." she finished with a sob and hugged her knees, tears flowing down her thighs. Geki rubbed his chin.

"What can I say that will help? I can't lie, that will do no good so it’s best to be honest. At least she'll know what affect her choices will have." Geki inhaled and looked at Ibuki and waited until she calmed herself down before he answered.

"Ibuki listen to me I'll be honest with you because you deserve that much. If you turn your back to the clan I will have no choice but to kill you, as sad as it will be to do that. There is an alternative though. You can continue your test and join the clan. Nobody can force you to be an assassin..."

"But I thought all Shinobi were killers" Ibuki thought and asked, "What do you mean I don’t have to be an assassin? Aren't ninjas all assassins?" Geki coughed impatiently and glared at her. She smiled nervously and quickly silenced herself.

"As I was saying you don't have to be an assassin," he continued. "You can be a trainer, a spy or a guard. It depends on what you want. Our clan has many jobs available for its members." Ibuki smiled.

"You mean I won't have to..." Ibuki said hopefully. Geki nodded.

"That is unless you have to defend yourself of the clan" Ibuki nodded and wiped her tears.

"Thank you Geki-sensei" she spoke with a happy and relieved gaze. Geki smiled warmly

"You are welcome and good job on beating that thug Crackerjack. It’s a shame people cheat in a battle." Ibuki nodded.

"That reminds me... Thank you Geki-sensei for saving me from those men." She said with a smile. Geki heard footsteps and spoke hurriedly.

"You’re welcome, so long for now Ibuki." he said and dove through an open window. Ibuki heard him land on his feet and walk away. She exhaled in relief.

"Thank God now I can be at ease" she muttered under her breath. She heard Sarai's voice from behind the door.

"Ibuki can I come in?" Sarai asked. Ibuki smiled.

"Sure, come in."

Her friend came in with her backpack and something behind her back. "What’s that Sarai?" Ibuki asked while raising her brow. Sarai grinned and revealed a large bag of M&M's. Ibuki went wide-eyed.

"Sarai you know I can't eat those... Sensei would kill me if I ate them!" Ibuki said but her eyes remained fixed on the bag. Sarai held the bag directly in Ibuki’s line of view and waved her hand causing the bag to shake.

"Ohh come on don't make me eat them myself," she teased. "A few bites can't hurt right?" Sarai grinned at that point, knowing her friend would soon break.

"I guess I few couldn't hurt but not too many" Ibuki replied as she reached for the bag. In a matter of minutes the bag was already half empty, but Ibuki had kept true to her words and ate only a ninth of the bag. She then told Sarai about the fight and how Geki saved her and her new found hope after she talked to him about her fears. Sarai shook her head

"Well I'm happy for ya really. Oh and you really taught Karin a lesson. You broke three of her ribs and gave her a nasty mark as well as a black eye." Sarai said and smiled. Ibuki smiled but in her head was thinking "I must apologise to her for losing control like that. I hope she'll tell me where Ryu is…"

"Well this isn't strictly social I'm afraid." Sarai grimaced as she took out her books and showed Ibuki the homework she missed for the last three days. Ibuki coughed

"Well I got nothing better to do. At least we've got no tests left right?" Ibuki said and Sarai nodded. Sarai left but not before telling Ibuki she'd see her in school in a few days. Ibuki bid her farewell and sat down and frowned.

"God I hate school so much sometimes. A girl can't even get a rest from homework even when she's injured. People have no shame. Maybe I should have sensei talk to Mr. Reed for me" She then pictured her very scared math teacher facing Geki but knew he'd never hurt him and neither would she. "Well let’s see..." Ibuki said and held a pencil between her teeth and started concentrating on solving the simple equations.

**Meanwhile at Crackerjack’s Hideout**

Crackerjack was sitting near the bar. He had a black eye and his nose was broken sideways. Plus his foot was bandaged from where Ibuki's knife sank deep.

"I'll kill those idiots I swear I will!" Crackerjack thought and held his baseball bat and looked around the bar while losing his patience. He looked at the door and saw three of his five street thugs enter. He approached them, his face red and mouth almost foaming.

"Where the h*ll have you *ssholes been!!!" he barked and they shook in fear.

"We're sorry CJ but we came to tell you we quit." The leader spoke with a stammer in this voice. The bar went silent and awaited Crackerjack's reaction. Crackerjack was shaking and he held his bat so tight his knuckles went white.

"What did you say?" he asked through clenched teeth. The leader shook

"We quit. That ninja's sensei threatened that..." he was interrupted by a baseball bat that slammed itself into his gut. He bent forward and Crackerjack kneed his face with his good knee.

"I can't hear you. Say that again!" he shouted with his bat raised. The other two were trembling. He turned to the others. "What about you two? Are you quitting too?" He asked in a venomous tone. They shook their heads.

"Whatever that ninja would do it can’t be worse then this" they both thought. Crackerjack then asked for a gun. Immediately almost everyone in the room offered him one. He took a Barretta and aimed at the former thug leader and shot both his knees and elbows. Then he slammed his bat into his gut a few times, until the screams became silence. Crackerjack looked at them.

"Let this be a lesson to you all. Nobody quits and lives" he said and spat on his victim. "Now throw this piece of s*** out of my sight!" he demanded and left for a backroom. He took a cell phone and dialled some numbers.

"Hello… Yeah it’s me, I need you to tell the boss somethin’. Yeah I know he ain’t in the mood for interruptions, but tell him a ninja clan is messin’ with the business here. Yeah… I'll be sure to do that."

Crackerjack ended the call. He sat on a sofa in the backroom."Who the h*ll do those ninjas think they are? The boss'll take care of them and teach 'em to never mess with us…"