#ninajgo x reader

[greenygreenland]

Operation New Me: Young! Father Figure! Wu & Reader

-pt 1 is here

Tags: @agentcheescakesart

-🛑CONTAINS BULLYING/MENTIONS OF IT🛑

Summary: You're still having trouble with bullying. Garmadon pays a visit, and Wu comes to realise just how grave a mistake he’s made.

Snip, snip!

"So that's what's been going on?"

Snip, snip!

"You do know you can always come talk to me if you need anything, right? You always forget that you don't have to do everything on your own."

Snip, snip!

"Alright. How does that feel?"

You glanced in the mirror at your bob cut, shaking it around to get a feel of your hair swooshing against your cheeks. Your hair barely brushed your shoulders, but you had to say, short hair was actually quite nice. It wasn't as heavy as longer hair and was definitely going to be less of a hassle to care for. "Thanks Sensei." 

Wu cast a glance to all the hair in the trash bin, eyeing the piece of gum for a while longer. "What they did to you was cruel. You didn't deserve that." he said. You got off the toilet and brushed a few pieces of hair into the trash. "Some people are just like that I suppose."

"Perhaps...” He paused before saying, “Why don't you shower? Morro and I will make dinner."

You barely remembered having dinner after your shower, everything seemed to pass in a blur of colours and short conversations, leaving you in a dazed sort of state. Wu was quite obviously concerned, but he didn’t say anything. That night, Morro came and slept in your room with you. He said he just 'felt like it', but you knew he felt bad about you getting hit in the face at school.

Friday was swift to come and you thanked the First Spinjitzu Master for making it happen. When the last bell rang, you wished you could be the other teens who raced out of the school like there was no tomorrow. It was silent as you waited in the main hallway, waiting for the moment your sensei would arrive.

When he entered through the front doors, you could have sworn something was off about him. He wasn’t as relaxed or calm as he should have been, and his lips pulled into a deep frown. Morro wasn’t stuck by his side today either, so it looked rather odd to see him all alone. You quickly bowed in respect before leading him down the halls to your assigned classroom.

Walking into the classroom felt like you were about to enter a serpentine’s tomb. Your language teacher, who sat in the middle of the room, sent icy glares your way. She shifted from where she sat at the grouped desks in the middle of the room as your history teacher’s jaw dropped. Wu didn’t seem to notice, but maybe that was because his mind was focused on the meeting. You both took your seats at the desks while your history teacher glanced at Wu apprehensively.

"Hello, a pleasure to meet you.” There was a sickly sweet smile on her face that made you itch. “I am (Y/n)’s language teacher, Ms. Hannden. Are you her father?" You fiddled with your hands under the table, an awkward frown pulling at the edge of your lips. "He's actually--"

"You could say that." answered Wu. He sent you a fond smile that made you feel just the tiniest bit better about the parent-teacher conference. Your language teacher nodded in understanding. "I see. And you are...?"

"Wu."

Your history teacher looked like he was about to faint. Wu kept his gaze trained on your language teacher, as if he were silently picking her apart little by little. You saw the disdain in his eyes for her, but he concealed it perfectly. "My daughter...

You almost gasped.

"...has been dealing with an excessive amount of bullying as of late. I understand that she is new, but I do not believe it is normal, per se, for her to deal with such a considerable amount of violence. To be frank--it is concerning."

Your language teacher folded her hands on the desk, that same sugary smile still on her lips. "That is completely understandable, but bullying is quite a school-wide norm and currently our top priority to fix here. We're trying to access it, but it isn't easy dealing with the large amount of students. At the moment, we are doing all we can to keep it under control. I am truly sorry for what has happened, but I can’t say there is much we can to do help her." Wu frowned in response and your gazes connected again. 

He quickly turned back to the teachers and said, "I see... Was there anything else you wished to speak of?"

Your language teacher paused for a second. There was an awkward silence that ensued before she nodded. "Yes. Your," she looked disgusted, "daughter carries weapons, and that will not be tolerated on school grounds. Were you aware at all?"

Wu looked uncomfortable. "No."

"Well she went off with a warning the first time, but if I so much as see another one of those knives, she'll have to be suspended, or worse, expelled. Not only that, but she has been late to class on multiple occasions despite it only being the first few weeks of term. She will be held-back if it continues, and there will be consequences. Not only that, she has been provoking other students and causing trouble, distractions, and so many other things in this school. She must keep herself in line, especially since I have been hearing various complaints from other students’ parents."

First Spinjitzu Master, what a load of bull that was.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, half expecting Wu to send you one of his 'looks'. Instead he stood up, giving his bamboo staff a good twirl and motioning for you to follow him. "Thank you for your time." His voice was deathly calm. The last time you heard him speak like that was when you, Garmadon and Morro accidently splattered paint on the monastery's front doors and then accidently broke it with the help of the Nunchucks of Lighting (it was Garmadon's idea, not yours).

Wu placed a hand on your shoulder, as if to silently reassure you that he knew you were completely innocent. "I will ensure that I have a...’talk’ with my daughter." You followed your sensei out the door, stiffly looking over your shoulder at the two teachers whispering. 

"Ms. Hannden, you do realise that that is Wu, the son of the First Spinjitzu Master, right?" 

Wu didn't seem to hear that, or rather didn't care to. He only marched through the halls and straight out the door with only one destination in mine: Home. You could tell just by the way he tapped his staff against the ground that he was unfortunately, angry. "Sensei," you quietly mumbled. "Are you angry at me?"

He paused in his step and swiftly whipped around to face you, eyes wide in bewilderment. "Angry? What reason do I have to be angry with you?"

"The teacher said..."

"Well clearly she hadn't a clue what she was talking about. I won't stand for bullying, especially when no one decides to do anything about it." He scoffed to himself. "A school is a place for learning, not stress and heartache. Come on, Garmadon's waiting for us." Wu turned around, flicking his staff into the air while fluidly moving his hands around in long strokes. To the untrained eye, Wu's spectacle was simply an odd performance of 'hand-waving', but to you, it was much more. Wu was harnessing his energy and utilising it to summon a great, white and golden dragon, a skill only the most focused and fearless could do.

No matter how many times you’ve watched the dragon appeared from thin air, it was like magic. The dragon huffed out a long breath as Wu petted him affectionately. You both climbed on, and as soon as Wu gave the reins a gentle nudge, you were off. 

The ride back home was silent, but as soon as you slid off the dragon and set foot on the ground, two familiar people greeted you and broke it. They jogged across the courtyard, waving and excitedly shouting as Wu's dragon disappeared in a flurry of golden specks lost to the wind.

"Took you long enough to get home. We already cooked dinner!" exclaimed Morro. He motioned to the darkened sky and setting sun with a pointed look. "Oh shut it, drama queen,” you grumbled. “It's still summer so the sun's been out all day. Not only that, but we had to sit through a painful parent-teacher conference you were lucky enough to skip."

"Oh, right.” he dumbly said. You aggressively ruffled his hair as he added, “How'd it go?"

"Parent teacher conference?" echoed Garmadon. "I thought you just started school."

Your expression lit up light the sun. “Garmadon!” You tackled him in a hug as he laughed. “It's good to see you again (Y/n)." He ruffled your hair affectionately. "You've grown since the last time I've seen you."

"And you've gotten older." you joked. He chuckled a little as you disconnected from the hug. "I'm not that old."

"Yeah, you're pre-historic!" said Morro. You and him high-fived as Garmadon rolled his eyes with a light chuckle. The emotions of joy and excitement were fleeting as you caught sight of Wu silently making his way into the monastery. He opened the doors, allowing the dim candlelight to flood the courtyard as he disappeared inside. Garmadon followed your gaze before glancing up at the rising moon shining brightly overhead. "It's about time we have dinner, I have a feeling we have a lot to catch up on." You nodded in agreement, following Garmadon inside as Morro explained about how awful your school was.

As soon as everyone had gathered around the dinner table, you knew something was bound to happen, and you were sure Morro probably felt it in the air. Today was supposed to be a good day because Garmadon was back, but all the chaos that had recently happened seemed to dampen the mood. Much to Garmadon’s luck, he remained out of the loop and had no idea what happened, so he glanced at everyone's tired faces in confusion, bouncing from yours, to Morro's and then finally, his brother's.

The tension was suffocating.

"If I may ask," he quietly began, "what exactly did I miss while I was gone?" Wu paused mid-bite to set his chopsticks down. He picked up his tea cup and took a harsh sip of tea. He seemed to be in a sort of meditative state of thought, because he didn't reply right away, so for moments, it was silent again. After another minute or so, he set his cup down, the sound echoing through the empty halls of the monastery.

"I am almost never angry because I know, especially as a teacher, that anger is a strong emotion that can blind decisions and actions." Wu said, only pausing to survey everyone's expressions like a hawk to its prey. "The last time I remember being this infuriated was when I had an argument with you, brother." Garmadon pursed his lips together almost nervously, but Wu ignored him and continued. 

"That had to be decades ago, so this feeling is something I am trying to calm, yet I can't seem to when it concerns you (Y/n). The way you have been treated at school these past two weeks is infuriating, and more so when your teachers--those who should take responsibility--say they are doing something when they are not."

His steely tone send shivers down your spine, and it made you tremendously thankful that you weren't the one on the receiving end of it. Wu took a sip of his tea again as if to calm his intense bout of anger. "None--and when I say none, I single out none--even dare recognise the fact that you have been bullied and attacked by your peers. If you were not a ninja, those girls could have hospitalised you! 

“I cannot imagine what those students have done to each other, and that fact is terrifying in itself. Teenagers will be teenagers, but there is a fine line between simple teasing and assault. I will not stand for such barbaric behaviour." Wu heaved out a long, hard breath before finishing the last of his food and taking his dishes to the sink. He placed a hand on your shoulder and gave it a good squeeze. "You will not go back there. I promise."

And with that, he turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall.

There was a good half minute of silence before Garmadon whistled lowly. His eyes were wide as he made a face that screamed 'wow'. "I haven't seen Wu that angry since...I can't remember, but he was definitely not that angry when we had an argument." Morro snorted to diffuse the lingering tension. "Sensei's a harsh teacher, but he's not an angry person."

"Couldn't have said it better." replied Garmadon. "Besides that, mind telling me what happened?"

You began from the beginning, from how you were nervous for good reason to go to school, then to how you had to deal with tripping, insults, fights, and finally, gum stuck in your hair. Garmadon nodded thoughtfully at the end of it. “So that’s why you cut your hair. I wanted to ask, but I didn’t have the chance to.” He paused, a devious smirk crawling up his lips. “If I were you, I would have fought back and given those girls a well needed lesson.” 

You waved your hand dismissively. “I’m not like you Garmadon. I can’t go around beating people up because I have a positive reputation, unlike some people.” Morro and Garmadon sent each other glances as if to ask who you were referring to. You rolled your eyes. “When I say some people, I mean both of you.”

After a long dinner of re-telling the horror stories of high school life in the city, you took a long, hot shower. It felt nice to have the water run down your tired limbs as you mumbled a little song. Once you finished, you were quick to make your way back into your room and flop down on your bed with a sigh.

As you laid there, relishing in the silence of night, you thought back to all that happened in the past week or so. You recalled all the interactions with your peers, from the times you were tripped, to the fight, then the name-calling, and lastly, the gum.

You almost laughed to yourself at how cliché your life turned out to be at the moment. It was like a high school drama, where the new girl got bullied before finally sticking up for herself. The only difference with you was that you weren't going to stay in high school because you had people who actually cared about your mental health.

Your Sensei didn't doubt your words for a second once you told him what happened, not only that, but he made the quick decision to not allow you to go back there no matter the consequence. And besides, what kind of ninja needed to go to a regular high school anyway?

A light knock at your door jolted you out of your thoughts. By the way the knock sounded, you knew it was Sensei. He had a gentle way of allowing himself to be known unlike Morro who'd rather burst through your door, or Garmadon, who shouted before coming in. You sat up in bed and said a light 'come in'.

Wu quietly slid open the door as you yawned. "Tired?" he said. You nodded as he closed the door. He hadn't changed out of his gi, and the strong scent of freshly burnt incense hit your senses as soon as he took a seat at the edge of your bed. You looked him up and down, surveying the odd way he folded his hands together to the distant look in his usually lively eyes. "I'm surprised you're not asleep Sensei." you said. He shrugged--something he almost never did being how ancient he was. 

"How are you feeling?"

It was your turn to shrug. "Tired, worried as to why you're here maybe." Wu chuckled a little to diffuse the tension. "I wanted to talk to you about school. I understand that it has been....difficult, especially with all you have dealt with as of late." He ran his thumb across his fingers in thought. "I apologise for not noticing sooner. I should have done more for you, and although it is in the past, I can't help but regret knowing that I wasn't there as I should have been."

You frowned and scooted closer to him. “There was nothing to be done.” you quietly said. He couldn't control the actions of your peers, and it wasn't like he could have predicted how evil your classmates were going to be. "It's not your fault."

Wu closed his eyes as if he were in immense pain. A soft, quivering sigh escaped his lips, as if the years he’s lived in this realm were finally catching up tot him. "No.” He turned to you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. “As your Sensei, I should have been more aware of what was going on. It is my responsibility to ensure you are safe and healthy. It is also my duty as well to educate you on when it is alright to remove yourself from situations you can prevent. My intentions were pure, but the world is so full of cruelty, and it...it seems I forgot to see it. So not only have I failed as a sensei, but as your guardian as well."

The guilty look in his eyes made your heart ache with sorrow. It reminded you of the day he came into your room exactly like he had done only moments ago and told you that your parents were dead. 

Wu surveyed your shifting expression as if he were afraid you would express anger towards him, or even hatred for making you go to that blasted school. But you could never say anything like that because how was it fair for Wu to shoulder such a burden? He raised you since the day your parents died, treated you like you were his own, and taught you everything you needed to know to become the skilled ninja you were today. How could you hate someone you loved so dearly?

Wu seemed to match your train of thought. He smiled again, this time much more delicately than the last. "You are more than my student (Y/n).” He wrapped his arms around you, sheltering you in warmth unmatched by the sun. “You are my daughter, and most importantly, family.” You rested your head on his shoulder, savouring the love and affection you didn’t realise you wanted to be showered in. You couldn’t stop the tears gathering in your eyes. 

After all the times people called you names, threatened to beat you up after school, and got you in trouble, this was what restored your happiness. For a moment, it was as if nothing else could go wrong because you felt so safe with Wu. 

“Sometimes, people need to change,” he said. “But that person is not you."