Chapter 4 Victim comes first

"Starting today, we are going to form a ninja seeking club!" After school on the day of Akari's declaration

"Enju! Enju!" Akari yells Enju name

"What is it?"

"How do you start a club?" Is she really serious about starting that club.

"A club? You'll have to have a minimum of eight members, you also need a teacher to be the advicer. Then there's the necessary paperwork."

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Are you planning on starting a new club?"

"Yeah"

"Ah Enju! aren't you gonna stop her?"

"Why? It's fine isn't it? It's seems she's all fired up."

"Just what I'd expect from Enju! You got it!"

"You did say you wanted to try something new!" Enju slipped a wry grin. Not that I think about it, she wasn't there when Akari and the others were going crazy.

"But in the end it won't get approved right?"

"Our school has a basically liberal tradition! As long as it's not too weird I think it will be approved. And what kind of club are you thinking of forming?"

"The ninja seeking club!"

"The what. I'm sorry could you repeat that?"

"Ninja! Seeking club!"

"Are you a fool? There's no way they'd approve a club like that!" Though she has been smiling until now, Enju's voice suddenly becomes harsh. Of course even she didn't expect to hear a stupid name like that.

"What are you even supposed to do in this club?"

"Like the name it's a club that seeks ninjas! Kazuki even agreed to it!" Akari says pulling my arm 

"I never agreed to anything!"

"Hahaha Kazuki was talking about em too!"

"That was just hypothetical, I never said they actually existed!"

"You just said it yourself that a club like that will never get approved!"

"Kazuki you're on my side aren't you?"

"It's like Enju says. There's no way a club like that would be approved!"

"I see, seems we're on the same page!" 

       "Okay first off, we need to get members" 

"Nice idea Akari"

       Enju and I are against the idea but Akari and John are still pumped up. They're not even listening to me and Enju and just keep making plans to start the club.

       "In that case what about Yamabuki" John ask.

"Oh I'll pass!" I hear Yamabuki says from her seat a little way off. 'that's unexpected I figured she'd want to join'.

     "You're already in the comic club aren't you? Dojin activity was it? I heard you're really popular"

"Aw you're embarrassing me, oh by the way this is the new book I sold at the last dojinshi fair."

       Looking at the book in his hand, John eyes gets big and his hands started to shake.

"I'll take three copies of the new book!"

"Sorry, two limit rule"

"Shooooooot!!!" With the terrible unprecedented wail, John collapse on the spot. I get that it's a dojinshi but what with the overreaction.

       "Ah. The two limit rule is short for one purchase limited to two copies. It's common for popular authors at the dojinshi fair!"

"I see... No wait that wasn't what I was going to ask..."

"I've been a fan since I was back home. Autograph please!"

"Aww hahahah I'm blushing!"

"Anyway, Yamabuki is an author with sales, so I can understand that you're busy."

"I see, well in that case it's just the three of us for starters. Me, Johnny and Kazuki."

"Hey don't include me in the count!"

"Alright! So we need to get new members. Let's talk to the teacher first. Let's go Kazuki!"

"Stop pulling me, I never said I was going to join!" However, holding fast to my arm, Akari started dragging me out of the classroom.

"Kazuki you know what this means right?"

"Ah youth."

"Ahaha! This is an interesting development Kazuki! Right now you're like the protagonist of a manga." This is not what I had in mind.

"Let's go Kazuki, our story just begun." 

     Whatever' I'll just go at it and see what happens.

"What a great teacher! He listened to what we had to say so seriously." Akari says with excitement.

Hmm I wonder..." I jave the feeling it was more like he was just listening because he couldn't stop Akari once she started talking.

"But he did say that it's okay so long as we got the members we needed!"

"You don't know what irony is, do you?"

"I guess we just have to find more members! come forth comrades of destiny!" 

"Destiny?" 

"Ah well of course, that means you too Kazuki!" Thinking about it more, a real ninja like me getting mixed up in this so called destiny. 

" I don't want to be part of this destiny and even acknowledge it but..." Does she really plan on starting this club? I wonder what's got her so keyed on this.

  "Lets go just home" I said

   "Huh! Lets talk some more" she said with disappointment. If I go back late again, I might get attacked by Ricka and it'll be a real pain. And speaking about her, I can see her head pecking around the corner down the hallway.

"I figured she'd be watching me.." I mumbled. As soon as our eyes meet, she quickly turns and disappears down the other side of the hallway.

   "Something wrong Kazuki?"

   "Nothing. Let's go home." The less witneses there are, the better it is for me after all.

   "Ah, about that, I really do wanna talk to them if there really are real ninjas!"

   "I see." The dream has already been fulfilled. Not that I can tell her that.

       On the next day while I'm heading to the classroom, Akari calls out to me.

"Ah Kazuki!"

"What is it?"

"I made a poster to recruit members!"

"So you went and made it huh!"

      "Look, look, we'll get lots of members with this!" She said showing me the poster on her hand. And it's say's 'let's look for ninjas together! Seeking people who knows about ninjas! Won't you pledge your youth to us?' 

     What is this? I thought in my head. "I don't think you'll get many people with this." The more I look at the paper the more of a mess it is. The one thing that get across her passion at least...

"What's wrong with it?" 

     "Well first of all, you can't say what you're doing in tha club also there's no contact information. Nobody will be able to contact you if they want to join." 

      "Oh that's right! I forgot about that. I'll go fix that right away, thanks!" She said running off. Did I seriously just gave her an advice? Well it seems see is serious about looking for ninjas. She did makr that poster overnight. 

     There wouldn't really be anybody who's willing to join, would there? I just thought to myself heading to the classroom.

     After lunch, Akari, John and I are going around putting up the posters on the notice board. 

"Alright, this is the last notice board" she said 

"Okay! Hahaha, we've really done it" John replied feeling too excited if you ask me, while I'm....

"Sigh! I'm exhausted." i just mumbled out. I didn't even plan on being a member in the first place but I saw how hard Akari is working and I just 2ant to support her.

"Kazuki I'm looking forward to it!" She said smiling

"Looking forward to it.... Well, yeah." I don't think they will get any members this way but if it makes her happy then it's no big deal.

      After school on the same day, even when classes has long ended and every students have left, Akari doesn't get up from her seat and that reason is because.....

"*Sigh*.. No one's going to come Akari."  Enju says from her seat

     "You don't know that. There'll be people who wanna join! I'm gonna wait right here untill they come!" Akari said

"I plan on waiting with you too, of course Kazuki too!" John said

"I told you not to mix me up in this..."

"Don't tell me you're gonna abandon this girl and go home?" Yamabuki says from afar.

"Yamabuki. You're going to wait too?"

"Well it looks like it's going to be fun to watch." She ssy laughing. And of course because am her  target, Ricka is staying behind too.

"Well whatever!" Enju gets up from her seat preparing to leave

"You're the going to wait Enju?" I ask her.

      "I have a student council meeting so am afraid I won't be joining you guys. Could you watch Akari for me wnd make sure she doesn't go carzy?" Saying that, Enju the only one with common sense leaves. So in the end, we have two ninjas, two idiots and one pleasure-seeking weirdo. What kind of a situation is this? 

     The place has been quiet for a while until Akari decided to break it. "I wonder what kind of people would come?" And John follows

"Yeah it'd be great if they were super-cool ninja-like dudes!" Rick didn't say a word but yamabuki have her say "Ahaha things are getting interesting."

     I wonder." In all likelihood, I think no one will come. However, if someone does come I hope they have common sense... "Looks like no one is coming after all."

     Some minutes have passed sine Enju left, no one has come in or go out the classroom. "No one's really coming, are they?"

"There's still time before we leave school." Akari said while Yamabuki " that's right. If you leave now then it's game over." is backing her up.

   "The game is over when the buzzer sounds."

      "Feh, you've got no imagination." Yamabuki complains. Right then, the door at the back of the classroom starts making an unnatural rattling sound. It isn't the the wind, i think someone on the other side is touching the door.

     "Could it be...a new member?" Feeling excited, Akari rushed off from her seat to open the door and standing is a familiar face. We've seen her before when Enju was showing me around the school.

       "That poster in your hand! The ninja seeking club, right! Do you wanna join? A new member? Is this like a big welcome party thing?" Akari said full of excitement looking towards the girl. 

       It's clear to me that the girl looks startled but Akari won't stop bugging her to enter the classroom. "Are you gonna join? You wanna join, rightt? Ah, first grader? That's all the more reason to welcome you! Come in, come in this way!"

       Akari doesn't know that she's scaring the girl and anytime now she'll run and she keep on hounding her. Can't you at least hear her out first. But Akari just won't leave her alone and then *BOOM* just like that she turn on her heels and run away like a scared rabbit.

       "Ah wait! Everyone come on, we're going after her!" Akari yelled at us before dashing out of the classroom chasing the girl. As I get out into the hall, I can see that they're already far ahead. 

    "What should we do Kazuki?" John ask me as he step out too. And thinking about what Enju said to me before she left, I simply give out my answer "We're going after them" for one reason, Akari can't be left on her own.

      Akari is one thing but the other girl is really quite fast for her age. It looks like am going to have to get a bit serious. Enju I'm sorry, I wasn't able to stop Akari from going crazy'! I thought in my head.

        After running for a long while, I arrive at the school garden and right in front of the breeding house where I had first met her. And when I arrived, I could see Akari was already on top of the girl while she's on the ground.

       "Hey, see you two alright?" I asked worriedily. But then the nex moment, all I could see is just pure white lace and ribbon that completely reflect Akari personality. 

        "Hee hee hee. Sorry but finally caught you!"

"Let me go! I won't taste good if you eat me!"

"We're done with that game, so you're not getting away! I'm not letting you go!"

"Akari calm down!" I say walking to where the ywo girls were. 

"Oh Kazuki look, I got a new member!" Akari said excitedly

"Alright I can see that! Just let her go, you're scaring her" Akari finally calms down and so does the other girl and the next moment, John and Ricka catches up with us.

"Alright little girl, what's your name?" I ask her

"Oh.. I'm Myu Momochi."

"I see. Well Myu, I'm Kazuki and the one chasing you here is Akari!"

"Pleased to meet you!"

"Alright is that's out of the way I...." Before I finished, John interrupted me

"Hey Kazuki! You haven't forgotten about me have you? I'm John but you can callme Johnny!" John said introducing himself.

"So Myu, why did you come to that classroom

"U-Um... I was interested in the the ninja seeking club." Looking at her, I can tell that she's hesitating. "Anyway, I'm interested in ninjas.

     Hearing her say this, Akari eyes is filled with excitement. "I get, I sooo get it! You wanna join the ninja seeking club right?"

"I haven't....."

"It's okay! We don't have all the members yet, but we're sure to get them soon!" Akari cit he4 short before she could finish her sentence. "So we've got a big welcome for all new applicants!"

     Feeling pressured, Myu looks at me with puppy dog eyes which is telling me to save her.

"And Kazuki is also joining of course!" Akari added

"Is that true?" Myu asked.

     I didn't said anything about joining. However Akari decided it long ago that I'll be part of it sooo.... "I guess I'll join the club." It's all I can do, because I can't leave wn innocent girl like Myu in the hands of Akari and Johnny.

     And also thinking about it, i don't think my identity will be revealed too wo it's a win win situation.

     "So how about it Myu, won't you join us in the ninja seeking club?" Akari extended her hand forward to Myu."if we're together, it's bound to be fun!"

    She looks around and after seeing everyone nodded she agrees to join. Everyone except for Ricka. And so the ninja seeking club has gone from two members to four.