Aiko had sorted all kind of perils to secretly enter the castle, hidden in the mountains of Shikoku island near Takamatsu, now she was using all her skill to avoid guards and slide thru the darkest corners without being spoted, she reached the staircase and climb up, her feet making no noise, on the next story there was a trap, the whole corridor's floor was covered with a foot of sand, sink your foot in it and you may be triggering a trap, Aiko concentrated and launched herself in that misterious Ninja runing that enable them to float barely touching ground, but in this case when Aiko reached the other end of the corridor she haven't left any mark in the sand at all.

On the next floor everything was darkness she thought on lighting a match but that might give away her position, so she walked slowly, hearing, the slightest noise could mean danger, and then she hear it the noise of sandbags pending from ropes and swinging her direction, with her eyes shut,(she couldn't use them in the dark anyway) she avoided one dodged another and kicked off a third one braking it, she felt her way thru the wooden wall to the nearest door and left for the next staircase and the last floor where she would finally reach the objective.

This new room was much larger and barelly lit, she held her Tanto knife ready, and walked slowly paying attention at every detail that might trigger her atack mode, twelve inches of razor-sharp steel sharpened only on one side, a wool and hay dummie appeared from gods know where and inmediatelly lost its head, then another got stabbed in the chest, as more and more dummie enemies kept appearing Aiko skillfuly continued her stabbing and slashing when she reach out and take the jade vassel she was to steal another dummie appeared but this time she just kicked it and place the knife on its neck.

The lights then went on and an applause roared from the gathered audience of Dragon ninjas sat in "U" formation and at a higher place on the far side of the room where the council of the elders, the wisemen who ruled the Clan of the Dragons, her own grandfather was among them.

A master ninja then steped up, it was the only man in the room that did not look completly Japanese, uncle Sai had been known in his life with dozens of names, visited dozens of counties and it was a mystery to Aiko how he had manage to be accepted in a Japanese Ninja Clan, he was Aiko's tutor cause her father Akira had been missing for years, but that's another subject, so the elders raised hands to request silence, the silence was restored inmediatelly, the master ninja made a bow to the elders and proceeded speaking this way:

"My aprentice Aiko Kotoku, daugther of Akira* Kotoku had acomplished the following tasks, 1.- Reaching the castle lands with minimum clues. 2.- Avoid all traps in the gardens. 3.- Infiltrate the castle and pass the guards without being spotted.
4.- Walk in the sandpit without triggering any traps. 5.- Passed the dark room untouched by the sandbags 6, 7, and 8.- Make it thru here, kill all enemies, retrive the Jade vassel and..." he pointed to Aiko still holding the Vassel on one hand and the Tanto knife on the neck of the fictitious enemy, "...she captured an enemy alive, Aiko would you please?"

Aiko walked to the council and with a kowtow she deposited the vassel before them then she stood up as her grandfather came down from the council's dais, and the elder spoke this way:

"I proudly announce that my grandchild Aiko from the household of the Kotokus had just turned 18 and now compleated her ninja training" he then fit a black belt with green and gold edges and wielding the mark of the dragon around Aiko's navel, "Aiko you bring honor to our family and to our clan wield these with honor as well" Aiko bowed thanking her gandparent and heard him whispering "Save some cake for me from your birthday party in Takamatsu" the old man winked and then acting stern again he went back to his place in the higher place and dismised her with a nod, as she came to occupy her new place in the lines of the Dragons new applause and cheering could be heard.

* In Japan some manly names finish with "a" like Akira, and some womanly names like Aiko finish with "o".