The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [46]
Hanzo pulled himself out and sat upon the edge of the pond, his feet dangling in the water, as he watched Miyuki prepare to cross.
‘Hanzo …’ began Jack, then he tailed off, his mouth dropping open in astonishment.
Jack couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed it before. But this was the first time they’d been swimming together.
‘What is it?’ asked Hanzo.
‘Erm … nothing.’
But it wasn’t nothing.
There, on Hanzo’s lower back, was a small cherry-red birthmark in the shape of a sakura blossom petal.
Just like the one Akiko had described on Kiyoshi, her long-lost brother.
25
A SILENT MIND
That night Jack lay on his futon, unable to sleep, his mind whirling with the prospect that Hanzo might be Akiko’s little brother.
Akiko had once told him that the boy had been snatched as a child by Dragon Eye during the assassination of Yamato’s older brother, Tenno, five years earlier. Though many thought Kiyoshi had been killed, Akiko always believed her brother was still alive. Why else would the ninja have taken him?
In spite of a prolonged search by Masamoto and his samurai, the boy was never found. But Akiko didn’t give up hope. She’d heard a rumour about a boy of samurai status entering a ninja clan in the Iga mountains, and had convinced herself that it must be Kiyoshi.
This was one of the reasons Akiko had agreed to Masamoto’s plan for her to train as a ninja. She’d intended to infiltrate the shinobi and discover the whereabouts of her lost brother. But Dragon Eye was the only one with certain knowledge of Kiyoshi’s fate. When the ninja had died, the secret died with him. And so had Akiko’s hopes.
Until now.
Jack had once asked Akiko how she’d recognize her brother after the passing of so many years. She’d informed him that Kiyoshi had a birthmark like a petal of sakura blossom on his lower back. Just like Hanzo.
It could be a complete coincidence. But Hanzo was the right age. There were aspects of his nature that were very familiar to Jack. His passion for life, his independence and his gentle spirit were all reminiscent of Akiko. And, like his sister, the boy was a natural martial artist.
How many other young ninja would have such a distinctive birthmark?
‘Are you asleep?’ came a whisper from the other side of the room.
Jack didn’t answer, caught up in the possibilities surrounding Hanzo. Or could it be Kiyoshi?
‘I know you’re awake. I can tell by your breathing.’
A shaft of pale moonlight filtered through the bars of the room’s little window. Jack turned to face him. In the half-light, he thought he could picture Akiko in Hanzo’s features. The high cheekbones. His easy smile. The eyes, black as the pearl she’d given him.
He dearly wanted him to be Kiyoshi. For Akiko’s sake.
‘Shall we try and steal Soke’s pillow?’ Hanzo whispered.
‘Hanzo, what do you remember of your parents?’
Hanzo blinked. ‘My parents?’
Jack nodded.
‘Only what my grandfather told me. They died when I was five.’
‘Do you remember if you had any brothers or sisters?’
The boy pondered this question carefully, his brow furrowing deeply. ‘Sometimes I dream of a nice lady who calls me kachimushi, “her little dragonfly”. But Grandfather’s never mentioned I had a sister.’
That was a problem, Jack realized. Soke had told him that Hanzo’s parents had been killed by samurai. But Akiko’s mother, Hiroko, was alive and well in Toba, while her father had been tragically killed in the battle of Nakasendo ten years ago. So they couldn’t be Hanzo’s parents. Even if the boy’s past was wrong, Hanzo’s grandfather was Soke and he wasn’t of samurai origin. How could he be the grandfather of Akiko and Hanzo?
Despite the birthmark, these facts denied the possibility that Hanzo could be Kiyoshi. It was just conincidence and wishful thinking on Jack’s part.
‘Let’s go and steal the pillow,