'I don't know what you're talking about,' said Jack, thinking on his feet.
Akiko and Yamato exchanged puzzled glances. Was Jack the reason for
the attack?
'Liar!' countered Dragon Eye. 'We wouldn't be here unless they knew
you had it.'
Suddenly there was a high whistling in the air and the soft sound of a
fleshy impact. The ninja with the broken wrist fell face down on the snowy
ground, an arrow quivering in his back.
'Masamoto!' spat Dragon Eye.
Masamoto, swords drawn, charged into the garden flanked by four
samurai. Three more samurai thundered across the veranda, stringing fresh
arrows on to their bows.
'Another time, gaijin,' promised Dragon Eye, before fleeing with the
remaining ninja over the bridge.
Yamato dragged Akiko and Jack to the ground as arrows shot overhead.
The first arrow caught the trailing ninja in the leg. The second pierced his
throat. The third was targeted on Dragon Eye, who leapt cat-like into the
cherry blossom tree, the arrow flying beneath him and embedding itself in
the trunk. Dragon Eye swung from the lower branch, dislodging a thick
curtain of snow, and deftly flipped himself over the wall, before escaping
into the night.
'By Akuma! Who was that?' demanded Masamoto as he levelled with
them.
'Dragon Eye,' said Jack, getting back to his feet.
'Dokugan Ryu?' echoed Masamoto, incredulous, then shouted at the
nearest samurai. 'Captain! Fan out. Secure the house. Raise all our samurai
from the village. By the memory of my son, Tenno, find this so-called
Dragon and destroy him!'
The captain barked orders at his retinue of samurai and they disappeared
into the night. Masamoto, beckoning a heavyset samurai and a distraught
Hiroko over from the house, turned back to Jack, Yamato and Akiko, who
still knelt upon the ground cradling the wounded Taka-san in her arms.
'Kuma-san here will look after you all. He is one of my most loyal
samurai. Don't worry about Taka-san, Akiko,' he said, noting the pleading
look in her eyes. 'I will have him tended to. Now go!'
The next day, Jack, Akiko and Yamato were summoned to see Masamoto in
his chamber.
'Be seated,' he ordered curtly.
Masamoto, sitting in his usual place on the raised platform, appeared to
Jack to be less composed than on previous occasions. His scarring was
more inflamed and his voice tight and hoarse.
Hiroko poured him sencha.
'Dokugan Ryu has not been found,' he said bluntly, clearly displeased at
his samurais' failure. 'My scouts had word of a sighting of ninja from
Matsuzaka village, ten ri from here. We came as fast as we could. However,
our horses were not swift enough to save Chiro.'
Hiroko stifled a sob and Masamoto signed for her to make a discreet exit.
They all knew she was grief-stricken by the loss of her faithful maid.
'Masamoto-sama, may I ask how Taka-san is?' enquired Akiko.
'He is comfortable, Akiko-chan. His wound is deep, but I have been told
he will recover with time. Dokugan Ryu is a formidable enemy and he
fought with valour.'
Masamoto scrutinized all of them.
'He was fortunate, though, to have you three by his side. You acted with
true bushido. Do you know what that is, Jack-kun?'
'No, Masamoto-sama,' replied Jack and bowed as he had been taught by
Akiko.
'Bushido means "Way of the Warrior", Jack-kun. It is our samurai code
of conduct. It is unwritten and unsaid. It is our way of life. Bushido is only
known through action.'
Masamoto took a deep draught of his sencha before continuing.
'The seven virtues of bushido are rectitude, courage, benevolence,
respect, honesty, honour and loyalty. Last night, each of you demonstrated
these virtues through your actions.'
He let the weight of his words hang in the air. All three bowed low in
appreciation.
'I have one question, though. For I'm mystified as to why Dokugan Ryu
should rear his head again. I cannot believe he's still under the employ of
my daimyo's enemies. That threat has passed. The men responsible for that
assassination attempt are now all dead, by my own hand. I can only assume
he has a new mission, but how that involves my family again I do not know.
So, did Dokugan Ryu give you any indication as to why he dares attack the
sanctity of this house?'
Jack remained silent, suddenly feeling hot and uncomfortable under his
kimono. He could sense Masamoto's eyes on him. Should he reveal the
truth about the rutter? Chiro had died because of it, yet his father had
strictly commanded that he keep it secret. The rutter was his lifeline home
and until Jack knew who wanted the rutter, he could not reveal the book's
true purpose to anyone, not even to Masamoto.
'Jack…' began Yamato.
But Akiko glared at Yamato, her eyes clearly stating that it was Jack's
duty to tell Masamoto if he knew anything. Not Yamato's.
'Yes, Yamato?'
'Jack…' Yamato waivered, 'saved my life. He defeated a ninja with his
bokken.'
'Jack-kun, you have skill in weaponry? My, my, you have surpassed my
expectations,' said Masamoto with a surprised expression, his question
about Dokugan Ryu momentarily forgotten. 'I sensed from the first time I
laid eyes upon you that you possessed strength of character. Indeed the
essence of bushido spirit.'
'It was Yamato's training that made it possible, Masamoto-sama,' replied
Jack, keen to give Yamato the credit in order to impress his father. He also
hoped it would lead the conversation away from the rutter.
'Excellent. But he is no teacher,' stated Masamoto with no malice or
intent, but his blunt comment cut deep at Yamato's pride.
Jack felt sorry for Yamato. Nothing he did ever seemed good enough to
gain Masamoto's respect. His own father, on the other hand, had always
been quick to recognize his achievements. A bitter pang of grief swept
through Jack as he thought how proud his father would have been. He had
defeated a ninja!
'Jack-kun. You have proven yourself worthy to follow the Way of the
Warrior. I decree therefore that you are to train at the Niten Ichi Ryū, my
"One School Of Two Heavens". Whatever Dokugan Ryu's intentions are,
you'll be safer under my direct supervision. Tomorrow we shall leave for
Kyoto.'