The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [24]
Dragging herself out of the water, Miyuki fixed Jack with an icy glare.
‘I’ll be watching you,’ she said. ‘I don’t trust samurai.’
And I don’t trust ninja, thought Jack.
14
GRANDMASTER
‘Back so soon,’ observed Soke as Jack, dripping wet, entered the yard with Hanzo.
Jack could see that the old man had been expecting him. Three bowls of rice and a pot of tea were set out upon the bench in the yard.
‘Hanzo persuaded me to hang around,’ Jack replied, putting his pack inside the doma.
Soke nodded. ‘He’s a fruit that won’t ever fall. It’s no wonder you lost.’
‘I was actually shaken from the tree,’ Jack admitted. ‘By Miyuki.’
‘Why am I not surprised?’ laughed Soke, indicating for Jack to join him on the bench. ‘She has a wild spirit, that one.’
Soke handed Jack a bowl of rice, and all three tucked into their dinner as the evening sun slowly dropped behind the mountains.
‘Can Jack train with me tomorrow?’ asked Hanzo eagerly.
‘That depends upon whether the Grandmaster will allow it,’ Soke replied.
‘The Grandmaster?’ said Jack.
‘Yes, he’s the protector and overseer of our school of ninjutsu. The Grandmaster holds the key to the eighteen disciplines of our martial art.’
‘Eighteen!’
‘Yes. A ninja must learn them all. Hand-to-hand combat. Weapon skills like the shuriken, shuko and kusarigama. Evasion techniques of disguise, concealment and stealth-walking. The mystical arts of explosives, poisons, mind control and kuji-in magic. Ninjutsu is about becoming a total warrior, one who is independent, invincible and – most importantly – invisible.’
‘So the Grandmaster is the teacher of all this?’
‘Yes, but there is only ever one Grandmaster at a time,’ explained Soke, finishing his rice. ‘He carries all the knowledge with him. He alone possesses the densho, the scrolls that contain the secrets of our art.’
‘But what happens when he dies?’ asked Jack.
‘It’s the Grandmaster’s duty to ensure the knowledge is passed on from generation to generation. Tradition dictates that he’ll have chosen a student and trained that person in preparation for the role. Upon his death, the pupil will inherit the scrolls and become the next Grandmaster.’
‘That’s some responsibility,’ observed Jack.
‘Yes, it is,’ Soke agreed. ‘And only the Grandmaster has the authority to change the techniques or traditions of our art. Only he can decide if you, Jack, a foreigner and a samurai, should be permitted to learn our secrets.’
Jack stopped eating. He’d become excited at the prospect of learning such extraordinary skills. He’d never imagined there was so much to being a ninja. And since leaving the Niten Ichi Ryū, he missed the challenge and thrill of training. But now Soke had raised doubt as to whether he would be taught at all.
‘When do I get to meet this Grandmaster?’ asked Jack tentatively.
Soke smiled at him. ‘You already have.’ He raised his cup to Jack. ‘Pour me some tea, will you?’
Jack stared dumbfounded at the old man.
‘Soke is my title; it means Grandmaster.’
Jack knew he shouldn’t be so shocked. His Zen teacher, Sensei Yamada, had been ancient, yet still a deadly force to be reckoned with. Soke was no different. To master the eighteen disciplines of ninjutsu would undoubtedly take a lifetime. Jack picked up the pot and filled Soke’s cup with a trembling hand.
Straight away, Soke poured the tea on to the ground.
‘Is something wrong?’ asked Jack, concerned he’d offended the Grandmaster.
‘The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness. If you are to train as a ninja, you must forget everything you’ve learnt as a samurai.’
15
THE FIVE RINGS
‘Are you ready for your first lesson?’ asked Soke.
‘Now?’ said Jack, both eager and apprehensive at the idea.
‘Time flies like the wind. You must catch it while you can.’
Picking up his walking stick, Soke stood and beckoned Jack to follow him. Hanzo remained behind to clear up. The summer evening was warm and pleasant, the sun shimmering off the mountain peaks in a halo of golden light. Soke led Jack