"Come on. Let's go inside."

Under Fujimura-sensei's guidance, I passed through the gate and moved to the front of the academy.

What stood before me was a castle that towered high into the sky. It had white walls and black roofs. Near the roof were openings that looked out over the surroundings, and the entrance to the castle was sealed shut by a heavy gate.

"What do you think of this castle?" Fujimura-sensei asked. "It's quite impressive, isn't it? I like Western castles too, but Japanese castles are still my favorite. You'll be training inside these grounds for the next six years. Do you like it?"

"It's huge, and I think it's amazing. I want to go inside as soon as I can."

When I answered, Fujimura-sensei smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. After we look at the statue, we'll head to your room."

He pointed to a bronze statue beside the castle.

The statue showed a muscular man. Its most striking feature was the hairstyle: a long fall of hair hung from a rod-like section wrapped in white cloth at the back of the head.

Fujimura-sensei walked over to the statue, and I followed.

"This statue shows the headmaster of the Iko Ninja Training Academy when he was younger. His name is Gofu Hattori. In the ninja world, he's such a genius that there isn't anyone who doesn't know his name."

"I see. He must be amazing. I'd like to meet him soon. I'm also curious about that unique hairstyle."

"Is it really that unique?"

Fujimura-sensei and I instantly turned toward the voice.

Standing there was an elderly man with white hair, smaller than the statue. He had the same hairstyle as the statue, brown eyes, long white eyebrows that drooped to the corners of his eyes, and a little white mustache and beard on his chin. He was dressed from head to toe in indigo ninja clothing.

I had never once had someone move behind me without making a sound.

So I was truly startled.

"Headmaster Hattori, please don't suddenly stand behind people like that," Fujimura-sensei said.

So this small elderly man was Headmaster Hattori.

He didn't look very muscular, and he didn't seem strong at all.

"Sorry, Fujimura-kun," Headmaster Hattori said with a happy laugh. "Surprising people is one of my hobbies."

"Um... are you the headmaster of this ninja academy? My name is Shinji Hazama. My parents studied ninjutsu at this academy, so I came here because I want to study ninjutsu too."

I introduced myself.

Headmaster Hattori looked me over carefully, as if checking my hair color, my eye color, the magatama at my chest, and the size of my body.

Then he spoke.

"I know your name, Shinji Hazama. I was the one who taught ninjutsu to your parents. They both graduated from this academy with excellent grades. That is why I am truly looking forward to seeing how you perform here."

"You taught my father and mother? What kind of people were they? I don't have any memories of them, so I want to know."

"Your father was a man who never backed down from a challenge. Your mother was a wonderful woman who treated everyone with kindness. Both of them had great talent as ninjas."

His expression softened.

"Still, I find it very unfortunate that they were unable to leave anything behind for you."

"Um... I do have this magatama. It was left by either my father or my mother. When I look at it, I feel strangely calm. It makes me feel safe."

I touched the blue magatama hanging from my neck as I spoke.

"Hmm. A magatama."

Headmaster Hattori narrowed his eyes.

"Since ancient times, magatama have been used in Japanese rituals and carried as charms. Did your parents leave that directly to you?"

"No. I heard I was wearing it around my neck when I was placed in the orphanage. I don't have any memories from when I was little, so by the time I realized it, I already had this."

"I see. Then it may be the most precious treasure in the world to you."

He looked at it seriously.

"If that is the case, you should keep it hidden under your clothes and avoid showing it carelessly. In fact, it would be best not to show it to anyone."

"Anyone?"

"Yes. Anyone."

"Understood. It's important to me, and I don't want anyone stealing it, so I'll keep it hidden."

I tucked the magatama under my clothes so no one else could see it.

"Still," Headmaster Hattori said quietly, "if that terrible incident had never happened, your parents, who loved you dearly, would have been living with you in a proper home even now."

"That terrible incident? What happened to my parents?"

His words caught my attention, and I looked up at him.

"Ah... I should not have said that."

He stroked his beard.

"Well, you will learn the truth eventually, so perhaps it is all right to tell you now. Have you ever heard the name Yujin Kagemaru?"

The moment Headmaster Hattori said that name, Fujimura-sensei's expression changed.

He stepped toward the headmaster.

"Headmaster Hattori! Isn't it too soon to tell this child Kagemaru's name?"

Headmaster Hattori shook his head.

"Hazama-kun deserves to know about Kagemaru. His parents and Kagemaru are tied together in a way that cannot be separated."

"What happened between this Kagemaru person and my parents?"

"I'm sure you want to know."

Headmaster Hattori looked at me.

"I can tell you, but this is something that must never be known by others. Can you swear that you will not tell anyone?"

"I swear. Please tell me."

After I said that, Headmaster Hattori let out a deep sigh and began to speak.

"To begin with, Kagemaru, your father, and your mother were all students who trained here at the Iko Ninja Training Academy. The man who killed your parents was Kagemaru."

He paused.

"Kagemaru entered your home while your parents were there, and he murdered them inside."

I couldn't hide my shock.

For the first time, I had heard the name of the man who killed my parents.

"Why... why did Kagemaru kill them? I want to know why he murdered my parents."

When I asked, Headmaster Hattori touched his short white beard and looked up at the towering castle.

For a moment, he was silent.

Then he began again.

"I do not know why Kagemaru killed your parents. What I know is that Kagemaru killed them, and that your parents entrusted you to the orphanage."

Honestly, I felt crushed.

If my parents had simply gone missing, there might have been a chance they were still alive.

But if they had been murdered, then I would never be able to meet them.

As I sank under the weight of that truth, another question rose in my mind.

"Then was Kagemaru captured? Where is the man who killed my parents?"

I stepped closer to Headmaster Hattori as I spoke.

"Kagemaru has not been captured. We also do not know where he is."

His expression grew grave.

"Some ninjas own multiple places where they can hide. Even now, he is likely hiding somewhere. I once confronted Kagemaru myself, and we fought with our lives on the line. But the battle ended without a victor."

He looked straight at me.

"That is how formidable he is."

"I see..."

My shoulders dropped, and I looked down.

The man who killed my parents was still alive.

He was still out there, running free.

That fact tormented me.

"But we will find Kagemaru's hiding place," Fujimura-sensei said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Won't we, Headmaster Hattori?"

"Of course. We will capture him and bring him before the Nintei."

Headmaster Hattori's brows drew together.

"What is the Nintei?"

"The Nintei is a court that judges ninjas. Ninjas who commit crimes are tried there. If Kagemaru is brought before the Nintei, he will most likely receive life imprisonment or the death penalty."

He turned his back to me and took a few steps away.

"That should be the end of him."

Then he turned only his head back toward me.

"At this academy, you will learn ninjutsu, taijutsu, and how to handle weapons. But there are three things I want you to remember."

He raised his voice slightly.

"Never misuse ninja techniques. Always question what others call common sense. And no matter how painful things become, remain calm and endure."

He looked at me with steady eyes.

"If you remember those things, you should be able to graduate from this academy as a splendid ninja. I hope you become a first-rate ninja here."

"Yes. I'll work hard and become a first-rate ninja."

"Good. That is the spirit."

He smiled.

"Then I shall give you a special phrase and a special item."

"Truth lies within lies, and what you seek lies within memory."

After saying that, Headmaster Hattori took a kunai from inside his clothing and handed it to me.

"Um... what is this?"

"This is the kunai your father gave me when he graduated from this academy. Take good care of it, and do not lose it."

"Yes, sir. If this belonged to my father, I'll make sure I never lose it."

I accepted the kunai from Headmaster Hattori.

"Well then, I have matters to attend to, so I suppose I shall disappear now."

Headmaster Hattori touched his beard twice, pulled a white sphere from inside his clothing, and slammed it against the ground.

Smoke burst from the sphere and covered everything around us.

When the smoke cleared, Headmaster Hattori was gone.

Only Fujimura-sensei and I remained.

I was stunned that he had vanished in an instant.

Then Fujimura-sensei placed a hand on my shoulder.

"To be honest, I believed it was still too early for you to learn about the man who killed your parents. I was worried that knowing the truth would wound your heart deeply."

"I'm all right."

I forced myself to smile so he wouldn't see the darkness on my face.

"It was shocking to learn that my parents were murdered. But I'm glad I could learn even a little about them. More than anything, I want to become an excellent ninja like they were."

"I see."

Fujimura-sensei looked at me gently.

"You are a much stronger child than I thought. To help change the mood, let's leave this place and go to your room."

He began walking back toward the gate we had passed through to enter the academy grounds.

I followed him again and passed through the gate.

"This way. Follow me."

Fujimura-sensei moved away from the gate.

I was about to follow when, for some reason, I suddenly felt as if someone were watching me.

I turned toward the forest.

"Is something wrong?" Fujimura-sensei asked, looking puzzled.

"No. It's nothing."

I looked away from the trees.

It felt like someone had been staring at me.

But it was probably just my imagination.

"I see. Then let's go."

Fujimura-sensei left the academy grounds and entered the forest.

After walking for a short while, we came across a standing sign.

It read:

Student Dormitories Ahead

About five minutes after passing the sign, two long, large dormitory buildings came into view.

In front of the dormitories stood frog statues.

One statue held its fists out as if boxing.

The other was lying down like a person relaxing.

"The dorm with the frog statue in a fighting stance is the boys' dormitory," Fujimura-sensei explained. "The other one is the girls' dormitory. Remember that."

I memorized it.

The dormitory with the boxing frog was for boys.

The dormitory with the lounging frog was for girls.

Under Fujimura-sensei's guidance, I entered the boys' dormitory.

Just inside the entrance, an old man looked at us through a small window.

He had nervous-looking eyes, deep wrinkles, frameless glasses on only the upper half, a brown vest, and green sleeve covers.

"This is Shinji Hazama," Fujimura-sensei said to the old man at the window. "He is a new student enrolling this year."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shinji Hazama."

I greeted him, but the old man said nothing.

He simply closed the small window.

Once the window shut and his face disappeared completely, Fujimura-sensei spoke to me.

"That old man's name is Shuzo Tsukimura. He is the dorm supervisor for this boys' dormitory. He's difficult and doesn't talk much, but deep down he's a good person, so don't worry too much about him."

"It's okay. I don't mind at all."

"I see. Good, then."

Fujimura-sensei walked deeper into the dormitory.

Several students were already inside, and their eyes gathered on us.

As the boys in the dormitory watched, we climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked down a long hallway.

Eventually, Fujimura-sensei stopped in front of a room.

The nameplate on the door read:

Shinji Hazama

"Here we are. This is your room."

Fujimura-sensei opened the door and showed me inside.

The room was Japanese-style, with tatami flooring covering the entire floor. There was a small refrigerator, a desk and chair, a dresser, and a closet. There was also a height scale, a weight scale, and a large full-length mirror.

A mail slot was attached to the door.

"There's no bed?"

I looked around the room.

"No bed. There is a futon in the closet, so take it out when you sleep."

"Understood."

As I was looking around, the door to the neighboring room opened, and a boy stepped out.

He stopped when he saw Fujimura-sensei and me.

Fujimura-sensei called out to him.