Musashi - Eiji Yoshikawa [512]
The letter explained in some detail how they had learned where she was. Yajibei had had all his men out searching for her all day long, but the crux of the matter was the message Kojirō had left at the Donjiki. It had been crossed out and beside it was written: “To Sasaki Kojirō: The person holding Matahachi’s mother in custody is Hamada Toranosuke of the House of Ono.”
“Finally,” said Kojirō, the words coming from deep in his throat. At the time he’d rescued Matahachi, he’d suspected that the two samurai he cut down had some connection with the Ono School.
He chuckled and said, “Just what I was waiting for.” Standing on the veranda, he glanced up at the night sky. There were clouds, but it didn’t look like rain.
Very shortly afterward, he was seen riding up the Takanawa highroad on a rented packhorse. It was late when he reached the Hangawara house. After questioning Yajibei in detail, he made up his mind to spend the night there and move into action the next morning.
Ono Tadaaki had received his new name not long after the Battle of Sekigahara. It was as Mikogami Tenzen that he’d been summoned to Hidetada’s encampment to lecture on swordsmanship, which he did with distinction. Along with bestowal of the name came his appointment as a direct vassal of the Tokugawas and the granting of a new residence on Kanda Hill in Edo.
Since the hill afforded an excellent view of Mount Fuji, the shogunate designated it as a residential district for retainers from Suruga, the province in which Fuji was situated.
“I was told the house is on Saikachi Slope,” said Kojirō.
He and one of Hangawara’s men were at the top of the hill. In the deep valley below them, they could see Ochanomizu, a section of river from which water for the shōgun’s tea was said to be drawn.
“Wait here,” said Kojirō’s guide. “I’ll see where it is.” He returned shortly with the information that they had already passed it.
“I don’t remember any place that looked as though it might belong to the shōgun’s tutor.”
“Neither did I. I thought he’d have a big mansion, like Yagyū Munenori. But his house is that old one we saw on the right. I’ve heard it used to belong to the shōgun’s stable keeper.”
“I suppose it’s nothing to be surprised about. Ono’s only worth fifteen hundred bushels. Most of Munenori’s income was earned by his ancestors.”
“This is it,” said the guide, pointing.
Kojirō stopped to inspect the general layout of the buildings. The old earthen wall extended back from the middle section of the slope to a thicket on a hill beyond. The compound appeared to be quite large. From the doorless gate he could see, beyond the main house, a building he took to be the dōjō and an annex, apparently of more recent construction.
“You can go back now,” said Kojirō. “And tell Yajibei if I don’t return with the old lady by evening, he can assume I’ve been killed.”
“Yes, sir.” The man ran swiftly down Saikachi Slope, stopping several times to look back.
Kojirō hadn’t wasted any time trying to get near Yagyū Munenori. There was no way to defeat him and thereby take for himself the other man’s glory, for the Yagyū Style was the one actually employed by the Tokugawas. That in itself was sufficient excuse for Munenori to refuse to take on ambitious rōnin. Tadaaki was inclined to take on all corners.
Compared with the Yagyū Style, Ono’s was more practical, the aim being not to make a great display of skill but to actually kill. Kojirō had heard of no one who had succeeded in attacking the House of Ono and putting it to shame. While Munenori was in general the more highly respected, Tadaaki was considered the stronger.
Ever since coming to Edo and learning of this situation, Kojirō had told himself that one of these days he would be knocking on the Ono gate.
Numata Kajūrō glanced out the window of the dōjō’s dressing room. He did a double take and his