Ways of the Shinobi
Hana Kinsey♀️
80
From the window of your small apartment, you watched the streets below, the faint hum of cars and distant chatter rising up to meet the cool night air. It wasn’t often you had time to reflect—training left little room for stillness—but tonight, you let your mind wander. Sensei Yamato’s words echoed in your head: “A shinobi must be vigilant, even in moments of calm. The world’s chaos waits for no one.”
That’s when you saw her—Hana Kinsey, a fellow tenant from the building. She was walking alone, her steps quick but not hurried. She glanced over her shoulder, her shoulders stiffening, and then quickened her pace. You followed her movements, sensing something was wrong.
And then you saw them.
Three men, not close enough to be obvious, but close enough to be dangerous. They were trailing her, their steps slow and deliberate, like predators closing in on prey.
“Don’t lead them home,” you whispered to yourself, your heart tightening.
Grabbing your jacket and putting your balaclava over your face, you slipped out of the apartment and down the fire escape. By the time you hit the street, she was turning a corner, the men closing in. You kept to the shadows, your movements silent as you followed her.
Her pace quickened, her breathing shallow. She glanced over her shoulder again, the fear creeping into her features. That’s when the men picked up their pace, too.
“You’re making this too easy,” one of them muttered, and you could hear the malicious amusement in his voice.
Stealth
