The Chosen Name
Tiny Ninja: The Hidden Lineage
Season 3, Episode 2 — “The Chosen Name”
The journey to the Tide Sanctuary has begun.
After escaping the collapse of the Hidden City and receiving the blessing of the First Keeper, Tiny Ninja and his companions continue east, carrying the hope of restoring the remaining Sanctuaries before the Dominion can find them.
But the past refuses to stay buried.
When the heroes discover a forgotten mountain hut untouched by time, Tiny Ninja uncovers relics from a life he never knew he had—including a letter from his parents, a ceremonial robe, and the truth of his birth name:
Yoriaki — The One Chosen to Bring Light.
As Yoriaki begins to understand who he truly is, Kairo finally reveals the promise he made to Yoriaki’s parents decades earlier—a promise that has shaped both of their lives.
Meanwhile, the Dominion has changed.
Far beneath the eastern ocean, a mysterious new commander known only as Abyssal Prime receives orders from an unseen Sovereign whose influence reaches across the world. Rather than stopping the heroes, the Dominion chooses to let them continue…
Because Yoriaki may unknowingly lead them to the last remaining Sanctuaries.
As the scent of salt fills the air and the sea draws closer, one thing becomes clear:
The greatest threat the heroes have ever faced is no longer hunting them…
It is patiently waiting.
Join us for another cinematic chapter of Tiny Ninja: The Hidden Lineage, where every discovery brings our heroes closer to their destiny—and closer to the darkness rising beneath the tides.
Podcast Intro
Tiny Ninja Theme
You’ve been listening to Tiny Ninja: The Hidden Lineage
A story about restraint in a world of tyranny,
discipline in an age of noise,
and a small warrior carrying an ancient legacy.
New episodes release weekly.
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SPEAKER_00: Season three, Episode Two, The Chosen Name.
SPEAKER_00: Previously, our heroes escaped the collapse of the ancient hidden city after meeting the first keeper, one of the faithful watchers who had guarded the tiny lineage since the beginning.
SPEAKER_00: Their discovery changed everything.
SPEAKER_00: They believed about themselves.
SPEAKER_00: But while they uncovered the truth of their past, something else awakened beneath the world.
SPEAKER_00: Now carrying an ancient map and a new purpose, they begin a journey toward the next sanctuary, the Tide Sanctuary.
SPEAKER_00: The last known stronghold of the water keepers.
SPEAKER_00: What they do not know is that something has begun hunting them.
SPEAKER_00: Something far older than the hunters, something far more patient.
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Tunny Ninja The Hidden Lineage.
SPEAKER_00: Three days had passed since the collapse of the hidden city.
SPEAKER_00: The mountains slowly disappeared behind the expedition as forests gave way to rolling hills covered in waste high grass that swayed like ocean waves beneath the morning breeze.
SPEAKER_00: Tunny Ninja walked near the front of the group.
SPEAKER_00: Or perhaps Yoraki.
SPEAKER_00: The name lingered in his thoughts, not yet spoken aloud, not yet understood.
SPEAKER_00: His hand rested absent-mindedly upon the ember blade at his side.
SPEAKER_00: The ember no longer felt like a weapon.
SPEAKER_00: It felt like another heartbeat, alive, patient, listening.
SPEAKER_00: Behind him, Ashara stretched her shoulders.
SPEAKER_00: I don't trust peaceful mornings.
SPEAKER_00: One of the rebel skids chuckled.
SPEAKER_00: You don't trust anything.
SPEAKER_00: I trust breakfast.
SPEAKER_00: Another laugh echoed through the group.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja smiled quietly.
SPEAKER_00: It had been weeks since anyone had laughed without fear.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo noticed.
SPEAKER_00: They needed that.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja nod Tiny Ninja nodded.
SPEAKER_00: So did I.
SPEAKER_00: The path narrowed as the hills became woodland once again.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja slowed, not because he sensed danger, but because he had begun noticing things he never had before.
SPEAKER_00: A wounded fox hiding beneath fallen branches.
SPEAKER_00: Birds churned changing their songs as the group approached.
SPEAKER_00: Fresh water flowing beneath moss covered stones.
SPEAKER_00: He knelt beside the injured fox.
SPEAKER_00: The animal growled weakly.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara looked confused.
SPEAKER_00: We're stopping for a fox?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja didn't answer immediately.
SPEAKER_00: He simply reached out.
SPEAKER_00: The embers shimmered faintly around his fingertips.
SPEAKER_00: Not as fire, as warmth.
SPEAKER_00: The fox relaxed.
SPEAKER_00: Its breathing steadied.
SPEAKER_00: Its injured legs slowly stopped trembling.
SPEAKER_00: Akari watched in amazement.
SPEAKER_00: You've never done that before.
SPEAKER_00: Tanija looked equally surprised.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't know I could.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo smiled knowingly.
SPEAKER_00: The ember protects.
SPEAKER_00: It always has.
SPEAKER_00: Tanija looked at the fox as it cautiously stood before disappearing into the forest.
SPEAKER_00: I thought the ember only strengthened warriors.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo shook his head.
SPEAKER_00: That is how the Dominion sees power.
SPEAKER_00: Our ancestors understood something different.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest strength is preserving life.
SPEAKER_00: The words settled deeply within Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: Another lesson.
SPEAKER_00: Another piece of the ember revealing itself.
SPEAKER_00: By late afternoon the expedition reached the remains of a forgotten settlement.
SPEAKER_00: Not dominion, not hidden lineage.
SPEAKER_00: Human.
SPEAKER_00: Wooden homes stood abandoned.
SPEAKER_00: Market stalls had long since collapsed.
SPEAKER_00: An old water wheel turned slowly beside a stream despite having no mill left to power.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara scanned the area.
SPEAKER_00: No bodies, no blood.
SPEAKER_00: One rebel frowned.
SPEAKER_00: So where did everyone go?
SPEAKER_00: Kyle knelt beside faded footprints.
SPEAKER_00: Preserved and hardened earth.
SPEAKER_00: Well they looked by these tracks they left willingly.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja walked deeper into the village.
SPEAKER_00: Everything remained.
SPEAKER_00: Tools, furniture, children's toys, even meals left unfinished upon old wooden tables, as though the entire village had simply walked away.
SPEAKER_00: Akari quietly whispered, This place feels wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja nodded.
SPEAKER_00: It feels he searched for the word empty.
SPEAKER_00: Not abandoned, taken.
SPEAKER_00: His eyes closed.
SPEAKER_00: The ember listened.
SPEAKER_00: For a brief moment he heard voices, laughter, families, then silence.
SPEAKER_00: Complete silence.
SPEAKER_00: He opened his eyes sharply.
SPEAKER_00: They're gone.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara looked toward him.
SPEAKER_00: You mean the villagers?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja slowly nodded.
SPEAKER_00: But not by choice.
SPEAKER_00: As the sun began to disappear beyond the distant mountains, one of the scouts called from higher up the hillside Over here The group climbed through thick undergrowth until they reached a tiny stone hut almost completely hidden beneath vines.
SPEAKER_00: Unlike the village, this place felt untouched.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja stopped breathing.
SPEAKER_00: The amber pulsed, slowly, steadily calling him.
SPEAKER_00: He approached the weathered wooden door.
SPEAKER_00: His hand rested upon it.
SPEAKER_00: The old wood swung inward by itself.
SPEAKER_00: Dust floated through golden evening light.
SPEAKER_00: The room was small, simple, a single bed, wooden table, shelves filled with pottery, a faded travel cloak hanging beside the fireplace.
SPEAKER_00: Everything remained exactly as it had been left, as though its owner had expected to return.
SPEAKER_00: Akari quietly stepped beside Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: What is this place?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja whispered.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: Yet every part of him felt otherwise.
SPEAKER_00: His feet carried him toward an old wooden chest resting beneath the window.
SPEAKER_00: He knelt, the lid creaked open, and inside, folded with extraordinary care, were tiny ceremonial robes, beautifully woven, marked with the ancient ember symbol.
SPEAKER_00: Beneath them rested a weathered cloth wrapped around something flat.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja carefully unfolded it.
SPEAKER_00: His breathing stopped.
SPEAKER_00: A painting.
SPEAKER_00: Damaged by time, only half remained, but a clearly depicted two adults standing beside a small adult member of the tiny lineage.
SPEAKER_00: The figure wore the very same crimson scarf.
SPEAKER_00: The same sore, the same unmistakable eyes.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja stared silently.
SPEAKER_00: Akari slowly stepped closer.
SPEAKER_00: Is that Tiny Ninja could barely speak?
SPEAKER_00: Me and something slipped from behind the painting.
SPEAKER_00: A narrow strip of embroidered cloth.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo carefully picked it up.
SPEAKER_00: Ancient characters had been stitched into the fabric.
SPEAKER_00: His expression slowly changed.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara noticed immediately Cairo?
SPEAKER_00: The old master stared at the cloth for several long moments.
SPEAKER_00: His voice became almost a whisper.
SPEAKER_00: It isn't title.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Angel looked at him.
SPEAKER_00: What does it say?
SPEAKER_00: Cairo met his eyes with warmth with certainty.
SPEAKER_00: It is your birth name.
SPEAKER_00: The room became completely silent.
SPEAKER_00: Outside, far beyond the hills, a deep low sound rolled across the distant horizon.
SPEAKER_00: Not thunder, something else.
SPEAKER_00: Something impossibly large.
SPEAKER_00: Beneath the waters far to the east, something ancient had begun to move.
SPEAKER_00: The hut fell silent.
SPEAKER_00: No one moved.
SPEAKER_00: Dust drifted lazily through the fading afternoon sunlight that filtered between broken wooden shutters.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo still had the em held the embroidered cloth carefully in his hands, almost afraid to breathe.
SPEAKER_00: Tunny Ninja's eyes never left it.
SPEAKER_00: His entire life had been built upon questions.
SPEAKER_00: Who was I?
SPEAKER_00: Where did I come from?
SPEAKER_00: Why was I alone?
SPEAKER_00: Why can't I remember it?
SPEAKER_00: For the first time those questions had an answer.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo slowly unfolded the cloth completely.
SPEAKER_00: The embroidery was remarkably preserved.
SPEAKER_00: Ancient characters had been stitched with crimson thread surrounding the symbol of the ember.
SPEAKER_00: His voice became soft, almost reverent.
SPEAKER_00: Yoriki, Yoraiki?
SPEAKER_00: Taninji repeated it quietly.
SPEAKER_00: Yoraiki Yoriki The name felt strange, yet strangely familiar.
SPEAKER_00: As though hearing something he had forgotten rather than something new.
SPEAKER_00: It suits you.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara folded her arms.
SPEAKER_00: So she smiled, do we stop calling you Tiny Ninja?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja laughed nervously.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo chuckled.
SPEAKER_00: I imagine most people still will.
SPEAKER_00: The old master looked directly into his eyes, but now you know who you truly are.
SPEAKER_00: The group gathered around the small wooden table.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo carefully translated the remaining embroidery.
SPEAKER_00: Yuraiki, he paused.
SPEAKER_00: It means the one chosen to bring light.
SPEAKER_00: Silence settled over the room.
SPEAKER_00: One rebel finally spoke.
SPEAKER_00: Chosen?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja looked uncomfortable.
SPEAKER_00: I don't feel chosen.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo smiled gently.
SPEAKER_00: Neither did the greatest guardians.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja looked down.
SPEAKER_00: I've made mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: You will make more.
SPEAKER_00: I failed people.
SPEAKER_00: You will fail again.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Anja looked surprised.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo continued.
SPEAKER_00: A chosen person is not someone without flaws.
SPEAKER_00: It is someone willing to continue despite them.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara nodded.
SPEAKER_00: I like that.
SPEAKER_00: Akari smiled.
SPEAKER_00: I think we've all needed to hear that.
SPEAKER_00: Tinyanja looked again at the name.
SPEAKER_00: Your Raiki.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not even sure if I'm pronouncing this right.
SPEAKER_00: I know that it means the one chosen to bring light though.
SPEAKER_00: Not because he was greater.
SPEAKER_00: Because he had been entrusted with something greater than himself.
SPEAKER_00: Akari continued searching the hut.
SPEAKER_00: Every object seemed deliberately preserved.
SPEAKER_00: Nothing had been looted, nothing disturbed, as though time itself had respected the place.
SPEAKER_00: She carefully opened a small cedar cabinet.
SPEAKER_00: Inside lay several journals.
SPEAKER_00: Most had deteriorated beyond recognition.
SPEAKER_00: One remained mostly intact.
SPEAKER_00: Its leather cover before the amber crest.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja gently opened it.
SPEAKER_00: The writing was faded, difficult to read.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo translated aloud.
SPEAKER_00: If this journal is found, then our hiding place has failed.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone became silent.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo continued, To whoever discovers this, know that our people chose concealment, not because we feared the world, but because the world feared what it could not understand.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja listened without blinking.
SPEAKER_00: The journal continued.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara quietly whispered, That's exactly what the Dominion wants.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo nodded.
SPEAKER_00: They've always mistaken gifts for tools.
SPEAKER_00: Tani Ninja slowly turned another page.
SPEAKER_00: The writing changed.
SPEAKER_00: The handwriting became hurried, uneven.
SPEAKER_00: The machines have crossed the northern mountains.
SPEAKER_00: Entire villages have disappeared.
SPEAKER_00: We have hidden the child.
SPEAKER_00: Tani Ninja's breathing stopped.
SPEAKER_00: The child?
SPEAKER_00: Cairo looked toward him.
SPEAKER_00: I believe the writing about you.
SPEAKER_00: Inside the chest beneath the ceremonial robes, Tani Ninja discovered another carefully folded bundle.
SPEAKER_00: He lifted it slowly, a crimson scarf.
SPEAKER_00: Older than the one he currently wore, hand woven, worn by time, its edges embroidered with tiny golden threads.
SPEAKER_00: It matches yours.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja nodded silently.
SPEAKER_00: Almost instinctively he wrapped it around his shoulders.
SPEAKER_00: The fabric felt warm, comforting, like returning home.
SPEAKER_00: Then the amber flared.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja staggered.
SPEAKER_00: The room disappeared.
SPEAKER_00: He stood inside the same hut, but it wasn't abandoned.
SPEAKER_00: Sunlight filled the room.
SPEAKER_00: Laughter echoed softly.
SPEAKER_00: A man knelt before him, small in stature, kind eyes, his hair streaked with silver despite his youthful face.
SPEAKER_00: Beside him stood a smiling woman, adjusting the crimson scarf around a younger Yoroki's neck.
SPEAKER_00: You'll grow into it one day, Young Y laughed.
SPEAKER_00: It keeps falling off.
SPEAKER_00: His mother smiled.
SPEAKER_00: Then you'll simply have to grow faster.
SPEAKER_00: His father laughed warmly.
SPEAKER_00: I don't think that's how it works.
SPEAKER_00: The family embraced.
SPEAKER_00: For one perfect moment everything felt safe, everything felt whole.
SPEAKER_00: Then the vision shattered.
SPEAKER_00: Tani Ninja gasped as he fell back into the present.
SPEAKER_00: Kari immediately knelt beside him.
SPEAKER_00: What happened?
SPEAKER_00: Tears slowly formed in Tani Ninja's eyes.
SPEAKER_00: I saw them.
SPEAKER_00: My parents.
SPEAKER_00: No one spoke.
SPEAKER_00: Even Asharu remained silent.
SPEAKER_00: Tani Ninja looked at the scarf in his hands.
SPEAKER_00: I remember their voices.
SPEAKER_00: His voice cracked.
SPEAKER_00: I had forgotten.
SPEAKER_00: Akari gently placed a hand over his.
SPEAKER_00: You haven't forgotten.
SPEAKER_00: You found them again.
SPEAKER_00: Outside, the evening sky darkened.
SPEAKER_00: The wind became strangely still.
SPEAKER_00: Far beyond the forest, a flock of birds suddenly exploded into the sky.
SPEAKER_00: Every animal nearby fled.
SPEAKER_00: Even the insects stopped singing.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo stepped outside.
SPEAKER_00: Something felt wrong, very wrong.
SPEAKER_00: He slowly looked toward the eastern horizon.
SPEAKER_00: The sea was still hundreds of miles away, yet he could smell salt carried upon the wind.
SPEAKER_00: Impossible.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja joined him.
SPEAKER_00: You feel it?
SPEAKER_00: Kairo nodded.
SPEAKER_00: I do.
SPEAKER_00: It isn't Dominion.
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: It is older.
SPEAKER_00: Far away.
SPEAKER_00: Deep beneath an endless ocean.
SPEAKER_00: Her colossal eyes slowly opened.
SPEAKER_00: Mechanical.
SPEAKER_00: Ancient.
SPEAKER_00: Intelligent.
SPEAKER_00: It did not see faces.
SPEAKER_00: It saw possibilities.
SPEAKER_00: Millions of calculations unfolded simultaneously.
SPEAKER_00: One result repeated itself.
SPEAKER_00: Again, again, again.
SPEAKER_00: Ember's signature detected.
SPEAKER_00: Ember's signature detected.
SPEAKER_00: Ember's signature detected.
SPEAKER_00: A second voice answered.
SPEAKER_00: Calm and cold, without emotion.
SPEAKER_00: Tracking sequence initiated.
SPEAKER_00: The enormous eyes slowly closed.
SPEAKER_00: Thousands of miles away, standing motionless in the darkness of an abandoned Dominion coastal facility.
SPEAKER_00: A towering figure received the transmission, nearly ten feet tall.
SPEAKER_00: Its armor resembled a shell of some abyssal creature.
SPEAKER_00: Long biomechanical tendrils drifted behind it.
SPEAKER_00: Despite the still air, a single blue light slowly illuminated where I should have been.
SPEAKER_00: His voice echoed through the empty chamber.
SPEAKER_00: Soft, almost gentle.
SPEAKER_00: The bearer has been found.
SPEAKER_00: Without another word, Abyssal Prime turned toward the eastern sea and began walking.
SPEAKER_00: The hut had become more than a place of shelter.
SPEAKER_00: It had become sacred.
SPEAKER_00: No one spoke for several minutes.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja, Yuraiki, remained seated on the worn wooden floor.
SPEAKER_00: The crimson scarf resting across his lap.
SPEAKER_00: He traced the faded embroidery with his fingertips.
SPEAKER_00: Imagining the hands that had woven it, his mother's hands, his father's hands.
SPEAKER_00: For years he had believed he had no past.
SPEAKER_00: Now he realized he had an entire history waiting to be uncovered.
SPEAKER_00: Akari quietly sat beside him.
SPEAKER_00: She didn't interrupt his thoughts.
SPEAKER_00: She simply shared the silence.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes silence was the greatest kindness.
SPEAKER_00: The sun had almost disappeared behind the mountains when the group gathered around a small fire outside the hut.
SPEAKER_00: The flames danced quietly.
SPEAKER_00: No one was hungry.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone understood that something far more important had happened that day.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara finally broke the silence.
SPEAKER_00: So she looked toward Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: How does it feel?
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja stared into the fire.
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: I've spent my entire life answering to one name.
SPEAKER_00: He smiled faintly.
SPEAKER_00: Now I suddenly have another.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara laughed softly.
SPEAKER_00: I've always liked Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: Several rebels chuckled.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja laughed with them.
SPEAKER_00: So have I.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo smiled.
SPEAKER_00: Names given by others often become symbols.
SPEAKER_00: He looked at Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: Your companions named you Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: He placed a hand over his heart.
SPEAKER_00: Your parents named you your Yoraiki.
SPEAKER_00: They are not in conflict.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja looked confused.
SPEAKER_00: They aren't?
SPEAKER_00: Kairo slowly shook his head.
SPEAKER_00: One tells us who you became.
SPEAKER_00: The other reminds us who you always were.
SPEAKER_00: The words settled over the camp like a warm blanket.
SPEAKER_00: Akari smiled.
SPEAKER_00: I think both names belong to you.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja looked around the fire, at Kairo, Ashara, the rebels, then back toward the little hut.
SPEAKER_00: My parents called me Yoriki.
SPEAKER_00: My family calls me Tiny Ninja.
SPEAKER_00: He smiled.
SPEAKER_00: I'll answer to both.
SPEAKER_00: The group laughed.
SPEAKER_00: The heaviness of the day lifted just a little.
SPEAKER_00: Before leaving the hut, Cairo decided to inspect the fireplace.
SPEAKER_00: The stones had shifted over the centuries.
SPEAKER_00: One appeared loose.
SPEAKER_00: He knelt carefully removing it.
SPEAKER_00: Behind it rested a narrow wooden tube, sealed.
SPEAKER_00: With ancient resin.
SPEAKER_00: Ushawa raised an eyebrow.
SPEAKER_00: People really hit everything in fireplaces.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo smiled.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the safest place is the warmest.
SPEAKER_00: Tani Ninja carefully opened the tube.
SPEAKER_00: Inside rested a single letter.
SPEAKER_00: Unlike the journal.
SPEAKER_00: This one had been protected perfectly.
SPEAKER_00: Its first words froze everyone to my son.
SPEAKER_00: Tanja's hands trembled.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo looked toward him.
SPEAKER_00: Would you like me to read it?
SPEAKER_00: Tanininja slowly nodded.
SPEAKER_00: His voice barely escaped.
SPEAKER_00: Please.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo unfolded the letter.
SPEAKER_00: The camp grew silent.
SPEAKER_00: Only the fire continued speaking.
SPEAKER_00: If you are reading this, then I have already entrusted you to another.
SPEAKER_00: Tanyinja closed his eyes.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo continued.
SPEAKER_00: I pray you never remember the day we parted.
SPEAKER_00: If you do, I am sorry.
SPEAKER_00: Akari quietly lowered her head.
SPEAKER_00: Even Ashara struggled to hide her emotions.
SPEAKER_00: Never believe you were abandoned.
SPEAKER_00: You were loved before you took your first breath.
SPEAKER_00: You were chosen because your heart was gentle.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja felt tears rolling down his face.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't wipe them away.
SPEAKER_00: The ember does not seek the strongest.
SPEAKER_00: It seeks those who choose compassion when strength would be easier.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo's own voice began to waver.
SPEAKER_00: Should darkness one day return?
SPEAKER_00: Walk the path of harmony.
SPEAKER_00: Protect those who cannot protect themselves.
SPEAKER_00: Never allow pride to decide your future.
SPEAKER_00: The final nine line nearly broke everyone present.
SPEAKER_00: No matter where you go, your mother and I will always walk beside you.
SPEAKER_00: Silence.
SPEAKER_00: Long, profound.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja gently folded the letter, holding it against his heart.
SPEAKER_00: I found them.
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: She smiled through tears.
SPEAKER_00: They found you.
SPEAKER_00: Morning arrived with an uneasy stillness.
SPEAKER_00: The expedition packed their belongings.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja took one final look at the hut.
SPEAKER_00: He bowed respectfully.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
SPEAKER_00: Then quietly added, I'll make you proud.
SPEAKER_00: As the group descended into the valley, one of the rebel scouts suddenly raised a fist.
SPEAKER_00: Movement everyone stopped.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja listened, not with his ears, with the ember.
SPEAKER_00: His expression changed immediately.
SPEAKER_00: Dominion Shara sighed.
SPEAKER_00: Ugh of course.
SPEAKER_00: Several enforcers emerged from the trees.
SPEAKER_00: Scouts followed.
SPEAKER_00: More than usual, too many.
SPEAKER_00: They're searching.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo narrowed his eyes.
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: They're tracking.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja understood.
SPEAKER_00: They know we're here.
SPEAKER_00: The battle began instantly.
SPEAKER_00: Pulse fire tore through the forest.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja sprinted forward.
SPEAKER_00: His movements had become almost impossible to follow.
SPEAKER_00: The Ember anticipated danger before it happened.
SPEAKER_00: One enforcer fired.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja twisted between two energy blasts without looking.
SPEAKER_00: His blade flashed.
SPEAKER_00: The machine fell.
SPEAKER_00: A shower rolled behind a fallen tree.
SPEAKER_00: Left flag Akari was already moving.
SPEAKER_00: She vaulted from a boulder, her pink scarf trailing through the air, and landed atop a scout, driving both blades into his shoulders before spinning into another opponent.
SPEAKER_00: One rebel stumbled.
SPEAKER_00: An enforcer raised its rifle.
SPEAKER_00: Before anyone could react, Tiny Ninja appeared.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't kill the machine immediately.
SPEAKER_00: Instead, he struck its weapon aside, then disarmed it.
SPEAKER_00: Then disabled it with a precise strike to its power core.
SPEAKER_00: Mushara noticed.
SPEAKER_00: You could have destroyed it, Tiny Ninja nodded.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't have to.
SPEAKER_00: Kyro smiled proudly.
SPEAKER_00: The four virtues.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja simply answered, I'm beginning to understand.
SPEAKER_00: Within moments the forest became quiet once again.
SPEAKER_00: The Dominion lay defeated.
SPEAKER_00: It something felt wrong.
SPEAKER_00: Asharon knelt beside one of the destroyed scouts.
SPEAKER_00: It isn't broadcasting.
SPEAKER_00: What?
SPEAKER_00: No distress signal.
SPEAKER_00: Taninja looked around.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't come to fight.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo finished the thought.
SPEAKER_00: They came to confirm.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone looked east toward the distant sea.
SPEAKER_00: Hundreds of miles away, far beneath the black waters of the eastern ocean, an immense underwater dominion facility awakened.
SPEAKER_00: Steel doors hundreds of feet high slowly opened.
SPEAKER_00: Ancient floodlights illuminated impossible depths.
SPEAKER_00: The minion submarines drifted silently through the darkness.
SPEAKER_00: None carried crews, none needed to.
SPEAKER_00: At the center of the abyss stood a structure unlike any other.
SPEAKER_00: Neither machine nor living organism, something between both.
SPEAKER_00: Within its endless chambers a single blue light slowly ignited.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime entered without speaking.
SPEAKER_00: It knelt.
SPEAKER_00: The ocean itself seemed to hold its breath.
SPEAKER_00: From the darkness a voice emerged.
SPEAKER_00: Not loud, not angry, simply everywhere.
SPEAKER_00: Rapport.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime lowered its head.
SPEAKER_00: The bearer lives in silence.
SPEAKER_00: Then does he know?
SPEAKER_00: Not yet.
SPEAKER_00: Another pause.
SPEAKER_00: Long enough to make even Abyssal Prime seem small.
SPEAKER_00: Finally.
SPEAKER_00: Good.
SPEAKER_00: The chamber trembled.
SPEAKER_00: A colossal shape shifted somewhere far below.
SPEAKER_00: Still unseen, still impossible to comprehend.
SPEAKER_00: The voice spoke one final sentence, a sentence that echoed through every Dominion network across the world.
SPEAKER_00: Do not stop them.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime looked up.
SPEAKER_00: For the first time it seemed confused.
SPEAKER_00: My sovereign?
SPEAKER_00: The answer chilled the ocean itself.
SPEAKER_00: They are leading us to the sanctuaries.
SPEAKER_00: The transmission ended.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime slowly stood.
SPEAKER_00: It finally understood.
SPEAKER_00: The hunt had never been about capturing Yoraiki.
SPEAKER_00: It was about following him.
SPEAKER_00: The past has spoken.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja now knows the name given to him by his parents, Yoraiki, or so he thinks, he's not quite sure.
SPEAKER_00: But he's gonna go with that.
SPEAKER_00: But every answer uncovers another mystery.
SPEAKER_00: The dominion has changed.
SPEAKER_00: Something in the abyss is watching, and their journey to the tide sanctuary has only just begun.
SPEAKER_00: By late afternoon, the expedition reached the high overlook, where the forest ended and endless plains stretched toward the eastern horizon.
SPEAKER_00: Far in the distance, barely visible, the sea shimmered beneath the setting sun.
SPEAKER_00: It was still weeks away, perhaps longer.
SPEAKER_00: The group made camp beneath a ring of ancient oak trees.
SPEAKER_00: The rebels gathered around a map recovered from the Hall of Origins.
SPEAKER_00: Cairo carefully unfolded it across a fallen log.
SPEAKER_00: The parchment had begun revealing more details since Tiny Ninja had awakened the ember.
SPEAKER_00: New symbols slowly appeared.
SPEAKER_00: Ancient paths, hidden tunnels, forgotten settlements.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja traced one route with his finger.
SPEAKER_00: It follows the rivers.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo nodded.
SPEAKER_00: The hidden lineage built their roads alongside water.
SPEAKER_00: Roshara leaned over the map.
SPEAKER_00: So we're heading here.
SPEAKER_00: Tana Ninja looked at the symbol.
SPEAKER_00: A flowing spiral surrounded by four waves.
SPEAKER_00: Tide sanctuary.
SPEAKER_00: Akari smiled.
SPEAKER_00: The sanctuary of wisdom.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo looked around the circle.
SPEAKER_00: If the records are true, the tide keeper may still live.
SPEAKER_00: The rebels exchanged hopeful glances.
SPEAKER_00: Ashara folded her arms.
SPEAKER_00: Then we have our mission, Taninja nodded.
SPEAKER_00: We protect every sanctuary that we can.
SPEAKER_00: He looked round at every member of the expedition.
SPEAKER_00: If the hidden lineage survived once, they can survive again.
SPEAKER_00: That evening, Tani Ninja sat alone beside a small stream.
SPEAKER_00: He unfolded his parents' letter once more.
SPEAKER_00: Every word felt heavier than before.
SPEAKER_00: He whispered quietly, Father, what would you have done?
SPEAKER_00: The water continued flowing, and someone sat behind him beside him, Cairo.
SPEAKER_00: Neither spoke for a while, and finally Kairo broke the silence.
SPEAKER_00: I knew your father.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja turned sharply.
SPEAKER_00: You what?
SPEAKER_00: Kairo smiled sadly.
SPEAKER_00: Only briefly.
SPEAKER_00: Taninunja's eyes widened.
SPEAKER_00: You never told me.
SPEAKER_00: I promised that I wouldn't.
SPEAKER_00: Taninja stared.
SPEAKER_00: He saved my life.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo looked toward the stream.
SPEAKER_00: He and your mother knew the dominion would come.
SPEAKER_00: They also knew someone had to survive.
SPEAKER_00: Taninunja felt tears returning.
SPEAKER_00: So they Kairo nodded.
SPEAKER_00: They chose you.
SPEAKER_00: They entrusted you to me.
SPEAKER_00: Taninunja lowered his head.
SPEAKER_00: You've been carrying this all these years.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo smiled.
SPEAKER_00: So have you.
SPEAKER_00: Tanininja looked toward him.
SPEAKER_00: You raised me.
SPEAKER_00: Kairo laughed softly.
SPEAKER_00: I tried.
SPEAKER_00: And if you remember, I'd left you for a little bit before coming back.
SPEAKER_00: But look it, you succeeded.
SPEAKER_00: For the first time in many years, the old master embraced his student, not as teacher and apprentice, as family.
SPEAKER_00: Hundreds of miles away the ocean churned.
SPEAKER_00: A Dominion fleet floated silently above an underwater abyss.
SPEAKER_00: No engines, no movement waiting deep below.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime stood before an immense holographic map.
SPEAKER_00: Dozens of Dominion commanders surrounded it.
SPEAKER_00: Generals, hunter commanders, factory overseers.
SPEAKER_00: The map displayed every known Dominion territory.
SPEAKER_00: Then a single golden point appeared, moving slowly east, Yuriki.
SPEAKER_00: One general stepped forward.
SPEAKER_00: Permission to eliminate the target.
SPEAKER_00: Abyssal Prime remained perfectly still.
SPEAKER_00: Its voice echoed through the chamber.
SPEAKER_00: Denied.
SPEAKER_00: Confusion spread among the commanders.
SPEAKER_00: The bearer continues toward the objective.
SPEAKER_00: Another general spoke.
SPEAKER_00: He may awaken the sanctuaries.
SPEAKER_00: Abysal Prime slowly turned.
SPEAKER_00: Silence followed, and the sovereign wishes all remaining sanctuaries located.
SPEAKER_00: The realization spread through the chamber.
SPEAKER_00: The Dominion did not know where every sanctuary was, not yet, and Euriki was unknowingly leading them there.
SPEAKER_00: Far below something enormous shifted.
SPEAKER_00: The pressure changed.
SPEAKER_00: Metal groaned.
SPEAKER_00: Even abyssal prime lowered its head.
SPEAKER_00: The sovereign was listening, waiting, planning.
SPEAKER_00: Morning arrived beneath clear skies.
SPEAKER_00: The expedition resumed its journey.
SPEAKER_00: Rolling plains slowly gave way to dense coastal forests.
SPEAKER_00: The scent of salt grew stronger each day.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja walked beside Akari.
SPEAKER_00: Neither spoke.
SPEAKER_00: Finally, Akari smiled.
SPEAKER_00: I've been practicing.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja looked confused.
SPEAKER_00: Practicing what?
SPEAKER_00: She smiled mischievously.
SPEAKER_00: Saying your real name.
SPEAKER_00: And Tiny Ninja laughed, and she looked at him.
SPEAKER_00: Yoriki.
SPEAKER_00: Yoriki.
SPEAKER_00: Yoriki.
SPEAKER_00: The name sounded different coming from her.
SPEAKER_00: Warmer, more personal.
SPEAKER_00: I like it.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja smiled.
SPEAKER_00: So do I.
SPEAKER_00: They continued walking.
SPEAKER_00: After several moments, Akari spoke again.
SPEAKER_00: You'll always be Tiny Ninja Timmy.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny Ninja laughed.
SPEAKER_00: I was hoping you'd say that.
SPEAKER_00: A shadow called from ahead.
SPEAKER_00: If you two are finished smiling at each other, we have a continent to save.
SPEAKER_00: Everyone laughed, even Cairo.
SPEAKER_00: The journey suddenly felt lighter.
SPEAKER_00: Hope had returned.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja stopped one final time atop a grassy hill.
SPEAKER_00: He looked toward the endless eastern horizon.
SPEAKER_00: Somewhere beyond those distant waters, the tide sanctuary waited.
SPEAKER_00: Somewhere beneath those same waters something else waited.
SPEAKER_00: One would offer wisdom, the other war.
SPEAKER_00: Tiny ninja rested a hand upon the ember.
SPEAKER_00: I'll find you.
SPEAKER_00: Whether he spoke to the sanctuary or destiny itself, no one could say.
SPEAKER_00: The wind carried the heroes eastward, toward ancient truths, toward forgotten sanctuaries, toward an enemy unlike anything they had ever imagined.
SPEAKER_00: Their greatest journey had only just begun.
SPEAKER_00: You've been listening to Tiny Ninja, The Hidden Lineage.
SPEAKER_00: In episode two, Yuraiki discovered the name given to him by his parents, learned more about the sacrifice that saved his life, and accepted that his past and present are both part of who he is.
SPEAKER_00: As the heroes continue toward the Tide Sanctuary, they remain unaware that the Dominion has chosen not to stop them, but to follow them.
SPEAKER_00: In the next episode, the journey continues as Akari's past begins to surface, revealing how her path became intertwined with Eurikis.
SPEAKER_00: At the same time, fragments of the Dominion's earliest history emerge, telling the story of humanity's greatest invention and its greatest mistake.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to Tunny Ninja the Hidden Lineage.
SPEAKER_00: Please support the show using the link in the channel description.
SPEAKER_00: Every donation goes directly toward improving the podcast and help bringing this world to life.
SPEAKER_00: If you want to know what the characters look like and see shorts, you can visit them on YouTube channel Tiny Ninja The Hidden Lineage.
SPEAKER_00: Until next time, walk in harmony, protect with compassion, stand with courage, and serve with humility.
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