'Jack-kun! Jack-kun! Jack-kun!'
Jack blinked into the bright summer sunlight. It was going to be another
scorching day, he thought, as he was drawn out of the cool shade of the Hall
of Lions and into the baking courtyard by the cheers of the gathered
students.
The past three months had been a gruelling schedule of relentless training
for Jack, Akiko and Saburo. Yamato, whose absence had been keenly felt
by all of them at first, had been almost forgotten in the face of such an
onslaught of instruction. Jack had lost count of the number of 'cuts' they
had practised with the bokken to improve their kenjutsu, the quantity of
arrows they had shot, lost or broken in kyujutsu, and there was not a single
part of their bodies that hadn't been bruised during taijutsu.
On top of that, Jack had needed to fit in clandestine training sessions with
Sensei Yamada in his attempt to learn Chō-geri with the hope of revealing
the meaning to his vision. But the intricacies of the complex technique still
eluded him. He had done everything Sensei Yamada instructed, but he
simply was not good enough. At the rate he was going, it would take him
years to master Chō-geri.
'I won't ever be able to do this,' Jack had said in despair as he'd landed
upon his back for the fifth time, barely a week before the Taryu-Jiai.
'Whatever you believe, will be, Jack-kun,' replied Sensei Yamada matterof-factly. 'It's not the technique you need to master, it is yourself.'
That was all he had proffered as encouragement. This had left Jack more
frustrated than ever at the sensei's garbled teachings. Could the old monk
not see that the technique was beyond his abilities? Yet still Sensei Yamada
demanded he practise Chō-geri every night until his body ached with the
effort.
Standing in the boiling courtyard surrounded by a throng of well-wishers,
Jack just hoped all the pain and effort would be worthwhile. But it was too
late to worry about such things now.
The day of the Taryu-Jiai had arrived.
'Jack-kun! Jack-kun! Jack-kun!'
The chants filled his ears and he was funnelled across the courtyard and
into the Nanzen-niwa, the Southern Zen garden. Akiko and Saburo were
already there, waiting for him by one of the large standing stones.
Masamoto and Kamakura sat upon a shaded dais at the north end of the
garden. They were flanked on either side by the sensei of their schools, all
wearing full ceremonial kimono. Students lined both sides of the garden in
neat, disciplined rows, the Niten Ichi Ryū on the east side, and the Yagyu
Ryū on the west.
Jack's heart pounded in his chest.
'Samurai of the Niten Ichi Ryū. We salute you!' shouted a bald-headed
official in a stark white kimono.
There was thunderous applause from the crowd and Jack, Akiko and
Saburo instinctively drew closer together in a protective huddle.
As the applause faded, Masamoto and Kamakura conversed politely, but
their outward civility did little to hide the underlying animosity between the
two samurai. Masamoto was especially grim. The absconding of his son had
aged the samurai more than any battle scar could have. He bore the shame
of his son's desertion like a wound that would never heal.
'Samurai of the Yagyu Ryū. We salute you!' shouted the official.
The students on the west side of the garden applauded and let out a battle
cry of 'Yagyu! Yagyu! Yagyu!'
The monstrous form of Raiden strode into the garden and took his place
by the standing stone opposite them. Jack had forgotten just how big the
boy was. Raiden may have appeared the oversized ape at the hanami in
spring, but today he looked a bull, brutal and terrible. The Taryu-Jiai wasn't
going to be a contest. It would be a slaughter.
Behind him emerged the lean figure of a girl with raven-black hair. She
moved in a quick, calculated manner, as if every step was part of a kata.
Her eyes were sharp black diamonds and her thin-lipped mouth a red slash
across her powdered white face. She was enticing in a deadly way, thought
Jack, a viper poised to strike. Then the girl gave a crack of a smile,
exposing her teeth.
They were painted entirely black.
Jack had barely got over the shock, when the final Yagyu warrior entered.
The whole of the Niten Ichi Ryū school erupted in astonishment. It was not
Toru.
It was Yamato.
Jack couldn't believe that it was actually Yamato standing with the Yagyu
School. He had not seen him since spring. There had been rumours amongst
the students that he had joined the Yagyu Ryū, but for him to compete
against his father's own school was beyond comprehension.
When Masamoto recognized who the final participant was, he sprang to
his feet, his eyes bulging with outrage. He spun on Kamakura, but was
stymied by anger. Kamakura sat, unflinching, relishing the moment. The
great Masamoto had been unhinged.
'This was not what was agreed. Where is the other samurai?' said
Masamoto with scarcely controlled restraint.
'Did I forget to tell you? I'm so sorry. He was unfortunately called away
by his father and we had to replace him with one of my other students,'
replied Kamakura, deliberately lingering over his final words.
'Your student? This is unacceptable.'
'I'm afraid the rules of the Taryu-Jiai clearly state that the competition is
between the two schools, not individual students. I am perfectly at liberty to
switch my warriors any time prior to the contest. Isn't that right, Takedasan?' said Kamakura to the official.
'Hai, Kamakura-sama, that is correct,' replied the official, deliberately
avoiding Masamoto's glare.
'So, unless you wish to forfeit the Taryu-Jiai…'
'No! We will continue.' Masamoto sat down, fuming like a boiling pot.
The official held up his hand for silence. The murmurings of the crowd
ceased.
'I am Takeda Masato,' said the bald-headed man. 'I am the independent
adjudicator for this Taryu-Jiai appointed by the Imperial Court. I will
referee all matches. My decision is final and irrefutable. The first round is
kyujutsu. Samurai, prepare yourselves!'
The crowd gave a round of applause as the archery targets were set out
down the length of the garden.
'What is Yamato doing on their side?' demanded Jack as they huddled
round their standing stone. 'How can he fight against us?'
'You heard Masamoto's words just as we did,' said Akiko. 'Masamoto
disowned him after the hanami. He ran away because he'd lost too much
face. He couldn't deal with the shame.'
'But why join the Yagyu School?'
'Surely that is obvious, Jack,' said Akiko. 'He wants his father to lose
face too.'
'Enough!' interrupted Sensei Yosa, who had come over to break up their
discussion. 'You must concentrate on the competition at hand. Don't allow
yourselves to be distracted by such underhand tactics. Remember what I
taught you – you need absolute focus for kyujutsu. Balance is your
foundation stone. The spirit, bow and body are as one.'
Sensei Yosa had drilled those three principles into them every day for the
past three months. They had literally spent the first month just learning to
stand and hold a bow correctly. Only then had she progressed on to teaching
them how to shoot an arrow. Akiko was the first to manage the technique
properly, but Saburo and Jack still had difficulty striking the target with any
degree of consistency.
In the final weeks, Sensei Yosa had made them shoot until their fingers
had bled from the blisters. One time, she had even come up to Akiko and
tickled her ear with the feathered flight of an arrow. Akiko had been so
shocked that she had missed the target entirely and almost struck a bird
nesting in the old pine tree. All Sensei Yosa had said was, 'You cannot
allow yourself to be so easily distracted. Absolute focus, remember?' The
next lesson she had shouted in Saburo's ear, sending his arrow skyward.
'Focus!' Sensei Yosa repeated.
'Let us begin. First round. Targets set at one hundred shaku,' called the
official.
'One hundred shaku!' exclaimed Saburo as he gathered his bow and
arrows. 'I can barely hit one at fifty!'
'The school to score the most points from six arrows will be deemed the
winner of this match,' continued the official. 'One point for striking the
target. Two points for the centre. Yagyu to go first.'
The girl with the black teeth stepped up to the mark. Silence descended
upon the crowd. She nocked her first arrow and in a cool detached manner,
she let it fly.
It struck the centre of the target and the Yagyu School cheered. Without a
moment's pause, the girl shot her second arrow and it sank into the inner
white ring, missing the centre by a finger's width. She grimaced in
frustration.
'Three points. Yagyu.'
Saburo went to position himself on the line. Even from where Jack was
standing, he could see Saburo's hands shaking. He could hardly even nock
his arrow.
Saburo's first shot went so wide that it almost hit a student standing in
the crowd. A ripple of laughter rolled through the Yagyu School. Saburo's
second shot was no better, landing short.
'Zero. Niten Ichi Ryū.'
'Don't worry, Saburo,' said Jack, as he saw the mortified look on his
friend's face. 'I'm sure the ape boy won't do much better.'
Thankfully, Jack was right. Raiden couldn't even grip the bow properly.
Both shots sailed past without even worrying the target.
'Zero. Yagyu.'
Jack was up next. He double-checked his posture, calmed his breathing
and meticulously moved through each motion. He let loose his first arrow
and it just caught the target on its outer ring. There was a great cheer.
Jack tried to keep his focus, waiting for the noise of the crowd to settle
into respectful silence.
He took aim and fired.
It missed.
There was a groan from the Niten Ichi Ryū side and the sounds of
celebration coming from the other school. The official put his hands up
requesting silence.
'One point. Niten Ichi Ryū.'
'Sorry,' said Jack, returning to their standing stone.
'No. It was good. We still have a chance,' said Akiko, a slight tremble in
her voice. She was the chance!
Yamato stepped up to the mark. His basic technique was good, and his
first arrow struck the target but was wide of the bull. The Yagyu School
sensed victory and began to shout. However, Yamato was too bold with his
second. He drew back with such force that the arrow shot past the target and
embedded itself in the old pine tree at the far end of the garden, much to the
relief of Jack, Saburo and Akiko.
The match was not over.
'One point. Yagyu.'
Yamato blatantly ignored Jack and the others as he sat down, clearly
displeased with his performance.
Akiko now advanced to the firing line.
'She's got to hit two bullseyes to win!' whispered Saburo in despair.
'When has she ever done that?'
'Today?' said Jack hopefully, seeing Akiko draw a long slow breath to
calm her nerves.
Jack had witnessed Akiko hit the centre once before at this distance, but
that had been the only time during their entire period of training. Could she
now score twice in a row when it mattered most?
As Akiko prepared for the shot, the noise of the crowd faded to a low
murmur like the sound of a receding wave. In one fluid movement, she
loosed her first arrow. It flew true and straight, striking the target dead
centre. A cheer erupted from the Niten Ichi Ryū.
'Come on, Akiko!' shouted Jack, unable to restrain himself.
The official called for silence and the applause rippled away.
Akiko set herself up for her second and final shot of the match. If she got
this, the Niten Ichi Ryū had the first round.
The eyes of the entire crowd were upon her and her hands began to
tremble uncontrollably under the pressure. Jack could see her battling to
control her nerves. Gradually, she slowed her breathing and her hands
steadied. Raising the bow above her head, she drew back to make her shot.
'GAIJIN LOVER!' came a cry from the Yagyu side.
The shout shattered the silence. For the briefest of moments, Akiko
appeared stunned, struggling to control the delicate balance between her
mind and body as the insult rebounded within her head.
Jack fumed, knowing Akiko had to maintain the flow of her draw
otherwise she would miss.
She loosed the arrow an instant too soon.
The arrow spun awkwardly. Yet it still struck the target. But had it hit the
centre?
The whole crowd drew in its breath as one. The official ran over to
examine the arrow's placement, its tip embedded at the very edge of the
centre.
'Centre strike! Four points Niten Ichi Ryū,' announced the official,
satisfied with the arrow's mark.
Jack and Saburo both punched the air with their fists. Akiko had done it!
Akiko bowed triumphantly as the official cried, 'First round to Niten Ichi
Ryū.'