The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [41]
Jack gazed in dread fascination at the varied array of shuriken.
‘What’s that one used for?’ he asked, pointing to a large shuriken with a spiralled cord attached.
‘It’s a little invention of mine,’ answered the bladesmith, grinning with pride. ‘Inspired by the Ring of Fire. I’ve attached a fuse, so the shuriken can be lit and thrown to start a fire. Tenzen’s been testing it out for me.’
‘I’ve heard it works rather well,’ said Soke, giving Kajiya a congratulatory pat on the back. ‘Tenzen, will you show Jack the three main techniques for throwing a shuriken?’
Bowing, Tenzen selected several of Kajiya’s shuriken and took up position in the square. At one end were three fence posts driven into the ground. Even at this distance, Jack could see the wood was pockmarked and guessed they were regularly used for target practice.
By now, some of the villagers had gathered round to watch the display.
Choosing a straight spiked shuriken, Tenzen threw it overarm at the target. It struck the first post with a resounding thunk. Then he selected a flat-bladed shuriken, flinging this one underhand. The weapon pierced the second post, sending a splinter of wood flying. Finally, he flicked a star-shaped shuriken sideways from waist level. The silver star flashed through the air to penetrate the third post. Each attack was effortlessly executed and devastatingly accurate.
‘Now ikki goken,’ instructed Soke.
Hanzo nudged Jack excitedly, whispering, ‘The “five blades in one breath” technique! Tenzen’s the only one who can do it.’
Fanning out four throwing stars in his left hand, Tenzen weighed-up the first shuriken in his right hand and took aim.
In the blink of an eye, Tenzen launched the first shuriken. His arm moved in a blur as he threw the other four in quick succession. The attack was so fast that before the first star had even hit the middle post, the other four were all airborne. They struck the wood one after the other like a pepper of gunfire.
There was a round of applause from everyone and Tenzen gave a humble bow. He turned to Jack and handed him a four-pointed star.
‘You have a go.’
Jack reluctantly accepted it. The shuriken was lighter than he’d expected and the edges viciously sharp. He felt very uneasy holding the trademark weapon of the ninja, having witnessed first hand the damage they could inflict. His father had been wounded by one, the cook at Akiko’s house had been killed with one and Yamato’s brother had been poisoned by one. And now he was about to learn how to use this weapon himself.
Tenzen mistook Jack’s uncertainty for a lack of confidence.
‘Hold it between your thumb and forefinger. Not so tight,’ he advised, adjusting Jack’s finger positioning. ‘Grasp it lightly as if holding a swallow’s egg. You need to allow the shuriken to slide from the fingers.’
Jack did as he was told and lined himself up with the first post.
‘Now throw it sideways, flat, as if you’re skimming a stone. At the moment of release, tense your fingers and wrist so you get a straight accurate pitch.’
Jack brought back his arm, winding up to throw. As he straightened his arm, with a flick of his wrist he let the metal star go.
The shuriken shot through the air and struck the target dead-centre.
Tenzen and Hanzo stared in amazement at Jack, while Soke’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. Jack couldn’t believe it himself.
‘Beginner’s luck,’ he said by way of an explanation.
Tenzen wordlessly passed Jack a second star.
Jack went through the motions again. But the pressure was on this time and he released the shuriken too late and with too much force. The star veered wildly off target, shooting between the posts, towards the village well.
A dark-haired girl let out a surprised yelp as the shuriken shattered the clay water pot she was filling. Soaked to the skin and looking around furiously for the source of the attack, Miyuki spotted Jack.
She gave him a deadly stare.
Tenzen, trying to stifle a laugh behind his hand, whispered, ‘I think you need more practice.’
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