Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [38]
‘Someone’s there!’ cried Moriko from within.
Panic rose up in Jack’s chest. He quickly searched for his weapon, but he could hear the Scorpion Gang fast approaching.
Leaving his katana behind, he ran for his life.
19
FIGHTING BLIND
Jack sprinted round the corner of the Butokuden, but he knew he wouldn’t make it across the courtyard without being spotted by Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang.
Glancing around, the only cover within reach was the building works of the Hall of the Hawk. Jack ran and dived into a waterlogged hole in the newly dug foundations just as several figures burst out of the Butokuden.
Peering over the muddy lip, he watched as they hunted for him. The first two went round the far side of the training hall, while the other two headed in Jack’s direction. Jack slipped further into the murky depths of the hole. As they drew closer, he could hear the squelch of their feet in the mud. They stopped at the edge of the flooded foundations.
‘There’s no way I’m going in there,’ protested a voice.
‘Go on!’ ordered Kazuki. ‘You need an excuse for a bath.’
Jack heard three more squelching footsteps and looked up. Above him towered the bulk of Nobu.
‘I can’t go any further. I’m sinking!’ complained Nobu, oblivious to Jack’s presence right at his feet.
‘You’re useless! Come back then.’
Turning round, Nobu slipped and wobbled on the edge. For a moment it looked like he might fall into the hole, but to Jack’s relief the oaf regained his balance.
‘Do you think it was one of the sensei?’ asked Nobu as he slowly made his way back to Kazuki.
‘No,’ replied Kazuki. ‘A sensei wouldn’t run away! But whoever it was, we need to convince them to join the gang. Or else silence them. Come on. Let’s go find the others.’
Jack, shivering with a combination of cold, fear and anger, waited until he was sure Kazuki and Nobu were gone, then crawled out of the hole. As much as he wanted to go back to his room, he first had to find his sword. Masamoto had instructed him that ‘it must never fall into the hands of your enemy’. He couldn’t risk Kazuki finding it.
Jack hurried to the back of the Butokuden, but in the darkness and downpour it was impossible to see anything. He scrabbled around on his hands and knees, praying his fingers would come across it.
Suddenly he was aware of footsteps running up behind him.
Loath to leave his sword, he realized he had no choice but to escape while he could.
Jack sensed the blow a fraction before he was caught hard across the gut. He reeled, gasping for breath. Struggling to keep his feet, he heard movement to his left and turned to face his enemy.
The problem was that Jack couldn’t see. The darkness completely enveloped him. But he could hear Kazuki snorting with laughter in the background and the sound of shuffling feet. Apart from that, he had no other way of knowing where the next attack might come from.
Out of nowhere the swoosh of a weapon came rocketing towards his head. More by luck than skill, Jack lurched sideways and avoided the blow. In blind retaliation, he swung wildly at his assailant. Missing his target, he flailed through empty air.
Before Jack could follow through, he was struck across the shins. His legs went from under him and he fell to the ground face first. He tried to roll out of the fall, but was too disorientated. Jack grunted in pain as his shoulder ploughed into the stony earth.
‘Yame!’ boomed the voice of Sensei Kano, bringing the fight to a halt.
Jack pulled off his blindfold, squinting into the bright light of the midday sun. Kazuki was kneeling in line with the other students, delighting in Jack’s defeat.
‘Sorry, Jack,’ apologized Yamato, taking off his own blindfold and offering his hand to help him up. ‘I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. It’s just I couldn’t see where you were…’
‘Don’t worry, I’m fine,’ grimaced Jack, pulling himself to his feet.
‘Good work, both of you,’ commended Sensei Kano, who sat