Chapter 48 : The Challenge

Akiko stared aghast at Yamato's proposal.

They were back at the Niten Ichi Ryū, gathered in Jack's room within

the Hall of Lions. The return journey that morning from the Iga mountains

had been a relaxed one, made all the more enjoyable by their triumph in the

Circle of Three and the splendid spring sunshine that had graced their ride

home.

Jack was still tired and all the muscles in his body ached, but following

the best nightmare-free sleep he'd had in a long while, he felt rejuvenated.

Indeed, in a few days he thought he would be raring to train again.

However, the debate they were having at that moment chilled him to the

bone.

He had told Yamato and Akiko about his encounter with Dragon Eye

and they were now discussing what to do with the rutter. With every

mention of the ninja's name, his heart burnt as he recalled the assassin's

sinister powers.

'I'm serious,' Yamato persisted. 'Dokugan Ryu thinks Jack is dead. We

can take him by surprise.'

'No,' countered Akiko. 'You can never surprise a ninja. They're

trained in laying traps. Dragon Eye would instinctively sense that

something's wrong.'

'Why would he?' said Yamato. 'Besides if we don't get him now, he'll

just go after Jack again.'

'We should move the rutter first,' Jack suggested, warming to

Yamato's plan. 'We have the Circle of Three celebration tonight at daimyo

Takatomi's castle. We can slip out during the proceedings and hide it

elsewhere before Dragon Eye gets his hands on it.'

'That's if he hasn't already got it,' said Akiko, shaking her head in

despair. 'This isn't a training game. This is real. The Circle hasn't suddenly

made you invincible, Jack. Though Dragon Eye seems to be. He keeps

escaping every time and no one's ever defeated him. What makes you think

you can now?'

'That's my point: until we kill him, he'll always be a threat,' argued

Yamato fervently.

'Why are you so fixed on this foolish idea of a trap? It's plain suicide,'

said Akiko. 'It's like you've got something to prove.'

'I have!' said Yamato, clenching his fists, his blood boiling as he got

more worked up. 'Jack's not the only one who wants revenge. Dokugan

Ryu killed my brother, Tenno. Remember? Upholding the Masamoto family

honour requires that the ninja dies. This is my best chance to prove myself.'

Yamato's thunderous mood, the one Jack knew so well from when he

was on the receiving end, appeared to be consuming his friend.

'Calm down, Yamato,' interjected Jack, placing a reassuring hand on

his arm.

'Calm down?' exploded Yamato, snatching his arm away. 'Of all the

samurai, I thought you'd understand. He murdered your father as he did my

brother. Dragon Eye's not all about you and your precious rutter, Jack. I

feel pain too. Every day. It's just that I don't have anything that ninja still

wants. He's already taken the only brother I had from me!'

A tense silence fell between the three of them.

Jack felt ashamed. He hadn't ever considered Yamato's situation that

way before. He'd always been concerned with his own predicament,

working out ways he could safely get home without the need for

Masamoto's protection, worrying about what had become of his little sister,

mourning his father's death and wondering how he could defend himself

against Dragon Eye. Yamato would be suffering as much as he was. He'd

lost his own flesh and blood too.

'I didn't think…' began Jack.

'I'm sorry…' said Akiko, bowing.

Yamato held up his hand in peace, drawing in a deep breath to calm

himself.

'Forget it. I'm sorry I let my temper get the better of me.' He bowed

his apologies to both Jack and Akiko. 'We shouldn't be fighting with one

another like this. We should be fighting Dragon Eye. He's the cause of it all.

Always has been.'

'Don't you think it's time,' suggested Akiko, 'that we told Masamoto

about the rutter?'

* * *

Jack knelt before Masamoto, Sensei Hosokawa and Sensei Yamada in the

Hall of the Phoenix, the silk-screen painting of the flaming bird rising up

behind them like an avenging angel.

'I was delighted with your performance in the Circle of Three, Jackkun,' said Masamoto, putting down his cup of sencha and gazing at Jack

with admiration. 'As my adopted son, I am as proud of you as your father

would have been.'

Jack had to blink back tears at the mention of his father and the

unexpected affection displayed by his guardian. Throughout his time at the

samurai school, Jack had missed the encouragement and support his father

would have given him. Whether it was a sly wink of approval, or a piece of

advice, or just his father enveloping him in arms as strong as the ocean.

Those were the precious moments that had been absent in his life over the

past two years.

'You completed the Circle challenges with the true bushido virtues of

loyalty, rectitude and courage,' continued Masamato, 'so I look forward to

personally instructing you in the technique of the Two Heavens.'

Jack's heart leapt. Finally, he would get to use Masamoto's swords. At

last, he was to be taught this unbeatable skill.

'But now to the heart of this meeting,' said Masamoto, his tone turning

serious. 'Is there something you wish to tell me?'

Jack was taken aback by the question. How could he know?

Akiko, Yamato and himself had been discussing whether to raise the

issue of the rutter with Masamoto, when Jack had received the summons to

go to the Hall of the Phoenix to see Masamoto. Before Jack left for this

unexpected appointment, the three of them had agreed that they should tell

Masamoto about the existence of the rutter. Jack realized the consequences

of this could be severe and had insisted that Akiko and Yamato remain

behind. There was no reason for them to be punished too. He would deny

his friends' involvement, maintaining they had no knowledge of the

logbook.

Following such praise and assertions of fatherly pride from Masamoto,

a wave of guilt now replaced the elation Jack had been feeling. He was

ashamed to have to admit to his guardian that he'd lied to him.

'Thank you, Masamoto-sama, for your kind words,' began Jack,

bowing low, 'but I don't deserve them.'

Masamoto leant forward, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. 'Why ever

not?'

'I know why the ninja attacked us in the Iga mountains. It was Dragon

Eye. He was after me. Or, to tell the truth, after my father's rutter.'

'What's a rutter?' asked Sensei Hosokawa.

Jack told the three of them about the logbook, describing how pilots

used it to navigate their ships, and explaining the rutter's importance to

trade and politics among the countries of Europe.

'I'm sorry, Masamoto-sama, but I lied to you,' Jack confessed. 'The

reason why Dragon Eye attacked Hiroko's house in Toba was because of

the rutter. I should have told you at the time, but I'd made a promise to my

father to keep it secret. I didn't know who to trust and then I was worried if

you had the rutter, you'd become the target for Dragon Eye, rather than

me.'

Masamoto stared at Jack. His stony expression gave little away, but

Jack noticed the scars on his face had begun to redden. Sensei Hosokawa's

expression was equally severe. Sensei Yamada was the only one who

looked kindly upon Jack, his eyes crinkling in sympathy at Jack's

predicament.

'We will have to deal with this matter tomorrow,' declared Masamoto

tersely. 'Unfortunately there's a more pressing issue to be discussed first.'

Jack wondered what could be worse than breaking the fifth virtue of

bushido by lying to his guardian.

Masamoto nodded to Sensei Hosokawa. The swordmaster picked up a

large scroll of paper and passed it to Jack.

'Explain this!' demanded Masamoto.

Jack stared at the paper. It was the size of a poster with kanji scrawled

across it. Having been taught the basics of Japanese handwriting by Akiko,

Jack recognized his name among the characters.

'What is it?' Jack asked.

The three samurai exchanged confused looks.

'It's a challenge declaration,' replied Masamoto, as if that explained

everything.

Jack continued to stare in bewilderment at the scroll.

'You may have succeeded in the Circle of Three, but your confidence

in your abilities may be somewhat misguided,' observed Sensei Hosokawa

grimly. 'What on earth made you think of entering into a sword duel with

an unknown samurai on his musha shugyo?'

Jack looked up in shock at the sensei. Surely they were playing a joke

on him. The grave expression on their faces, however, told him otherwise.

'I… didn't enter any duel,' stammered Jack.

'Your name's down here, claiming to be the Great Blond Samurai,'

replied Sensei Hosokawa, pointing at the kanji. 'Sasaki Bishamon, the

samurai in question, has accepted your challenge. You are expected in the

duelling ground before sunset tonight.'

Jack was stunned into silence. This couldn't be happening. He hadn't

written his name down for any challenge. He had no wish to risk his life

duelling with a samurai just to prove whose martial arts were the best. And

certainly not against a warrior named after the God of War.

His only intention was to retrieve the rutter. That was if Masamoto

still allowed him to go to Nijo Castle tonight for the Circle of Three

celebration. His guardian may have suspended judgement on the issue of

the rutter until the following day, but the threat of it hung over Jack like a

guillotine.

Now Jack had the prospect of a duel to contend with too.

'I didn't write this,' insisted Jack, his eyes pleading. 'I can't fight this

samurai.'

Jack's mind whirled in panic. Such a duel could end in him losing a

limb, or even in death. Who could have done such a thing?

Kazuki.

The boy had vowed he would get his revenge. This was it. Jack had to

admire his rival's genius, though. It was so neat, so Kazuki.

'If not you, then who?' asked Masamoto.

Jack was about to blurt out Kazuki's name, when he remembered how

he had falsely accused his rival of cheating in the Circle. How wrong he had

been then. He could be as mistaken in his judgement this time, jumping to

conclusions based solely on his own prejudices.

Jack looked to the floor and slowly shook his head. 'I don't know.'

'In that case, we are presented with a difficult dilemma,' said

Masamoto, taking a thoughtful sip of his sencha. 'Your name and the name

of this school have been seen on this challenge declaration around Kyoto. If

you pull out of the duel now, you will bring shame not only on yourself, but

on the Masamoto name and on the Niten Ichi Ryū.'

'Can't you explain that it was a mistake?' pleaded Jack.

'It would make no difference. Your challenge has been accepted.'

'But surely I'm too young to fight a duel?'

'How old are you?' asked Sensei Hosokawa.

'Fourteen this month,' replied Jack with hope.

'I fought my first duel at thirteen,' reminisced Masamoto with a hint of

pride. 'Against one Arima Kibei, a famous swordsman back then. He too

put up a sign appealing for challengers. I was an impetuous boy at the time,

so naturally put my name down. In fact, I see a great deal of myself in you,

Jack-kun. At least, sometimes. That's why, I must admit, I'm a little

disappointed that you didn't actually issue the challenge; and even more

disappointed that I find out you've been lying to me.'

Jack felt his cheeks flush with shame and could no longer meet his

guardian's eyes.

'But no matter,' continued Masamoto. 'At sundown you will honour

this school and prove yourself a mighty young samurai of the Niten Ichi

Ryū.'

Jack's jaw dropped in disbelief. 'But I haven't sparred with a real

sword yet!'

'Neither had I,' retorted Masamoto, with a dismissive wave of the

hand. 'I defeated Arima with my bokken.'

It was then that Jack realized he was to be given no option. He would

have to fight the samurai.

'Looks like you've finally got what you wished for. Your impatience to

use your swords in class has caught up with you,' commented Sensei

Hosokawa with a wry smile. 'I wouldn't concern yourself too much,

though. I've seen you practising with your katana in the Southern Zen

Garden. Your form's good. You could survive.'

Could? thought Jack, alarmed by his sensei's relaxed attitude.

He hoped his chances were better than that.