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‘What are you waiting for?’ he snapped. ‘We’re wasting valuable lesson time.’

Despite the samurai’s impatience, Jack thought his sensei was relishing the opportunity to display his martial arts skills. The man was conscious of his diminutive size and loved proving he was stronger, quicker and more skilled than anyone else.

Akiko nocked an arrow and drew back on the bow. Her hands were shaking slightly as she took aim.

A tension hung in the air. No one moved. Everyone waited to see what Sensei Kyuzo would do.

Akiko released the bowstring and the arrow flew towards their teacher.

Sensei Kyuzo didn’t move a muscle.

The arrow shot past his shoulder and struck a pillar behind.

‘I told you to aim it at me!’ he shouted angrily. ‘There’s no point in me trying to stop an arrow that isn’t a threat.’

Akiko licked her lips nervously and strung a second arrow. This time, she aimed for the heart.

Jack knew she wouldn’t miss. They were about to witness the death of their sensei.

The arrow flew through the air, straight and true.

At the very last second, Sensei Kyuzo caught the arrow with his right hand.

The students gasped in astonishment.

Sensei Kyuzo took a moment to enjoy the stunned expressions of all the young samurai, before striding triumphantly back up the dojo and handing Akiko the arrow.

‘Any further questions?’

22

LOVE POETRY

‘Have you heard the news?’ said Saburo, hurrying across the courtyard the next day.

Jack, Yamato and the others were heading to the Hall of the Hawk for a haiku lesson. They stopped as Saburo gathered his breath.

‘Last night someone set fire to the Catholic church next to the Imperial Palace!’

‘The war’s started then,’ said Kiku, her face blanching slightly.

‘No, it was a one-off attack. The sensei think a passing ronin did it on his way to Edo. I heard daimyo Takatomi’s furious about it.’

‘Was anyone hurt?’ asked Jack tentatively.

Saburo gave a solemn nod of his head. ‘A priest was trapped inside.’

They all fell silent. Jack felt daimyo Kamakura’s noose tighten another notch. It seemed that every week they had word of another foreigner or priest who’d been persecuted, but this was the first religious attack to have occurred within Kyoto itself.

‘What about the ronin?’ asked Yamato.

‘No one knows. But apparently the Tokaido Road north to Edo is crowded with samurai and ashigaru, responding to the call to arms.’

‘Where are they all coming from?’ said Kiku. ‘Kamakura’s army is going to be unstoppable.’

‘Don’t forget the four other Regents of the Council all have armies of their own,’ said Akiko, trying to calm her friend. ‘Together, they’ll easily outnumber Kamakura’s forces.’

Jack was about to ask another question when he spotted Yori emerging from the Buddha Hall. ‘Where have you been?’ he exclaimed.

They ran over to Yori who was now slumped on the steps of the Butsuden, a small brass bowl in his lap. He gazed up at them and offered an exhausted but untroubled smile.

Saburo plonked himself down beside Yori.

‘You missed the most amazing taijutsu lesson yesterday. Sensei Kyuzo caught an arrow with one hand!’ he said, snatching an imaginary one from the air.

Yori raised a weary eyebrow in acknowledgement of his friend’s enthusiasm.

‘Are you all right?’ Akiko asked, kneeling down in front of him. ‘We’ve been worried about you, ever since you ran out of Sensei Yamada’s lesson.’

‘I’ve been apologizing to Sensei,’ Yori replied quietly.

‘For over a day?’ said Kiku, exchanging a worried glance with Akiko.

‘Sensei Yamada had words with me. Quite a few, in fact. Then he made me polish the bronze Buddha to give me time to think about what he’d said.’

‘But that statue’s huge!’ said Jack, inspecting Yori’s tiny hands black with grime. ‘That’s unfair. You only left his lesson.’

‘No, I was highly disrespectful,’ reminded Yori. ‘Sensei Yamada was right to punish me. Besides, I’m feeling better now he’s explained things.’

‘What did he say then?’ asked Yamato.

‘Sensei Yamada said that as samurai, we must devote