CHAPTER 6; THE WATER NINJA

"We've got three saints now. Water ninja, here we come!" Ryu declared.

The companions had left the camping site and were heading away from the forest. They had decided to travel on foot since they felt the Water ryu couldn't be far from the dwelling of its dragon saint plus they didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

"What a cool adventure! We've seen three, no that's two saints in two days" Ryu said happily.

"Yeah, and you two still have to explain what you were doing at the lava spot alone" Michael demanded.

"Just drop it!" Ryu said as they walked on.

Night soon arrived…again.

"We'd better rest here" Michael said.

"C'mon bro, let's move on a little further" Ryu pleaded.

"Seriously, you have one crazy amount of stamina" Michael dropped to the ground from exhaustion.

Ryu sat down and stared at the sky.

"Dad's somewhere up there right Mike?" Ryu asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure he is. It's up to us to make him proud" Michael said with a lost smile.

Soon, all the companions fell asleep. As they slept, an evil presence moved through the forest. Six shadows leapt out of the darkness and drew closer to the companions baring wicked looking swords. They raised their swords, preparing for a fatal strike. The swords came down but they were stopped by an invisible force.

Ryu woke up and saw the shadows.

"Dark ninja!" he growled as he released the fire barrier he had set up around himself and the others.

"I thought I told you to buzz off you ugly stinking pelicans!" he insulted the Dark ninja.

Ryu created whips of fire and lashed the dark ninja with them. The Dark ninja vanished after being hit by the whips but more came out of hiding.

"I guess those were clones huh?" Ryu thought angrily. "MICHAEL! WAKE UP YOU SLEEPY FOOL!" Ryu called.

Michael immediately jumped from the ground. Atlanta awakened as well.

"Sorry Ryu" Michael apologized. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing much, we're just being attacked by a group of pelicans in ninja clothing. Let's get rid of these bozos!" Ryu ordered.

The three companions formed the basic ninjutsu seal.

"HORSE! TIGER!" Ryu called.

"SHARK! LEVIATHAN!" Michael called.

"LION! WOLF!" Atlanta called as they formed seals to draw out their chakra.

"Take this! FIRE ELEMENT! DRAGON FIRE JUTSU!" Ryu called.

"WATER ELEMENT! SPIRAL OF DOOM!" Michael called.

"SILENT JUTSU! CALL OF THE SIREN!" Atlanta called.

A force of fire came out of Ryu's body and burnt some of the shadows. Michael's spiral of doom came and carried some of the enemies away. Atlanta's ability brought forth a song that blew the shadows up. Atlanta quickly raised her ring. There was a flash of lightning as the fire saint appeared with a roar.

"Quick! Guys, let's get out of here!" Atlanta called.

The friends jumped onto the back of the dragon and it took them away.

"Wow, we finally get to meet the Fire Saint! That's super! My elemental saint, WHOO HOO!" Ryu laughed.

"Doesn't he ever tire?" Michael growled.

"Ryu, is that really you?" the dragon asked.

"Yep! Burning with flame!" Ryu replied.

"I've awaited you for centuries" the dragon said.

"Wow Molten, you are speaking as if you know Ryu" Atlanta said in surprise.

"I do, I conducted his initiation ceremony into the fire ryu" Molten said.

"Then what's up with the 'awaited you for centuries' line?" Michael asked.

"It's for dramatic effect" Molten chuckled.

"Take us to the Water Village Molten. We need to find some water ninja" Ryu instructed.

"As you wish young master" Molten replied.

So the companions were flown to the Water Village. When they arrived, they got off the dragon. The Water Village still seemed peaceful and it looked like almost everyone was asleep in their various houses. There didn't seem to be a Temple there like in the Crystal Village and Fire Kingdom and there didn't seem to be much ninja activity there either. The Water Village was much smaller than the Crystal Village and most houses there seemed to be made of wood from the forest. There were only a few brick houses in sight and even those looked quite small.

"If you need me again Atlanta, just call, Ryu, take care" Molten said as he vanished into thin air.

"Now that's a cool dragon" Ryu laughed.

"It seems he has taken a liking to you" Atlanta said.

"As has Crystal to you" Ryu replied.

"Thanks" Atlanta said with a smile.

"When did Crystal ever show any interest in Atlanta? You seriously need to work on your pick up lines Ryu" Michael said with a bored expression

"So where do we begin to search for the Water ninja? Besides, Mikey's a water ninja and he's enough trouble as it is. I don't think we need another water ninja ruining our fun" Ryu joked.

"Yeah, thanks a lot hothead but I think that'd be you" Michael said.

"Let's ask around" Ryu suggested.

"The best places to do that asking would be either a pub or an inn since everyone else seems to be asleep right now. There is an inn right there but I don't see a pub so let's look for information there" Michael suggested.

So the companions made reservations for an overnight stay at the inn while seeping information from the innkeeper there.

"Apparently, Nemesis' forces have conquered this village. It seems most of the Water ninja have either been killed or captured. Others have fled to regroup so there is practically no Water ninja left to protect this village" Ryu said to the others while they sat in one of their rooms talking.

"In a sorrowful kind of way, it narrows down our search for the Water ninja. Nemesis, I'll never forgive him!" Michael muttered. "Let's get some rest" he suggested. His companions agreed. Michael and Ryu slept together in one room while Atlanta had another room to herself.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Around midnight, Michael and Ryu were awakened by the sound of desperate pleas coming from outside. They ran to Atlanta's room and knocked. She opened the door.

"What's going on?" she yawned.

"Get dressed quickly, I mean nin style" Michael ordered.

He and Ryu were clothed in the usual ninja style clothing. They waited for her to come out, and then, they slid on their masks and went outside. They hid in the shadows, their dark clothing making them totally invisible. Lord Nemesis' forces had invaded the Water village and were raiding the houses.

"This is terrible" Atlanta whispered.

"How dare they call themselves ninja, a ninja's duty is to protect his ryu!" Ryu whispered sharply.

"We've received information that three ninja are hiding in your inn. Three filthy rats that dare to oppose Lord Nemesis. Where are they?" the leader of the dark ninja asked.

"How dare that jerk call us rats?! I'll punch his ugly face in!" Ryu roared.

"Ssshhh! Ryu, we can't get involved yet. We need to wait for the right moment to strike" Michael advised.

"Tch! And when's that going to come?" Ryu folded his arms angrily.

"I haven't accepted any ninja into my inn. We are faithful to Lord Nemesis" the innkeeper said.

"If you won't bring them out, then you shall die with them!" the dark ninja said as he raised a kunai (throwing knife).

"Michael! Don't tell me the right moment hasn't come yet! Let's go out there and thrash them!" Ryu said impatiently.

"Wait!" Michael ordered.

"What?!" Ryu roared.

"I sense another ninja's presence and judging from the flow of this ninja's chakra, he's really pissed" Michael said.

The dark ninja's kunai came down but a shuriken (throwing star) from nowhere struck the dark ninja. The dark ninja fell to the ground and turned into black smoke, and then he disappeared. The other dark ninja turned to face the direction from which the kunai came. On one of the rooftops stood another ninja in a ceremonial costume like Michael's.

"Ninja code of honour, never attack the defenceless" the ninja said as he somersaulted from the roof right into the midst of the dark ninja.

"He can't take all of them" Atlanta said.

"Let's help!" Ryu said eagerly.

"Very well then, let's go!" Michael ordered and the three of them leapt over the dark ninja and landed beside the water ninja.

"Who are you?!" the water ninja demanded.

"We're friends" Michael said.

"I have no friends" the water ninja said as he leapt away from them.

"I don't trust anybody! Take this! WATER ELEMENT! WATER JET JUTSU!" the ninja roared as a stream of water headed towards Michael, Ryu and Atlanta.

"Stand back guys! WATER ELEMENT! WATER WALL JUTSU!" Michael roared as a huge wall of water arose from the ground and blocked the impact of the water ninja's attack.

"What? You're a water ninja too?" the ninja asked Michael.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. We're also against Nemesis. We met the Water Saint and it told us to find you. Its request was for you to join us" Michael said.

"Very well, if it's the will of the Water Saint, I will join you but first, let's get rid of these d…" the ninja was about to say when Ryu interrupted.

"Ugly stinking pelicans" Ryu said.

The four companions formed ninjutsu seals.

"WATER ELEMENT! WATER DRAGON JUTSU!" the water ninja called.

"WATER ELEMENT! SPIRAL OF DOOM!" Michael roared.

"FIRE ELEMENT! DRAGON FIRE JUTSU!" Ryu roared.

"CRYSTAL ELEMENT! CRUSHING CRYSTAL JUTSU!" Atlanta yelled.

A water dragon appeared from nowhere and washed some of the enemies away. Michael's technique caused a storm which destroyed more of the dark ninja. Ryu's technique caused a huge release of fire which burnt more of the enemies and Atlanta's technique crushed the remaining dark ninja.

"Nemesis will find out about this soon. We must leave the village now. That should take Nemesis' forces away from this village" Michael said.

The water ninja agreed and the companions left the water village. Ryu thought back.

"Crystal element? I thought Atlanta was a fire ninja. I guess she inherited the Crystal element. She must not have wanted us to know, I see" Ryu thought to himself.