Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [47]
At Kazuki’s command, the Scorpion Gang dropped into fighting guard, facing off against each of Jack’s friends. Yamato and Saburo stood their ground, but Yori trembled as a boy twice his size loomed over him. Ignoring Kiku with a sneer, Moriko squared up to Akiko and hissed into her face like a wildcat.
‘Come on! Make the first move,’ Moriko dared, baring her blackened teeth and fingernails that had been sharpened into claws. ‘Give me the excuse I need to scar you!’
23
BREAKING BOARDS
Akiko slipped into stance, preparing to defend herself. She knew from experience that Moriko fought viciously. But just as the fight was about to kick off, a bō struck the wooden bridge with tremendous force and everyone froze.
‘Do we have a problem?’ enquired Sensei Kano. ‘In a setting such as this, there should be no need for raised voices.’
Nobu and Hiroto immediately released Jack.
‘No, Sensei,’ replied Kazuki in a friendly voice. ‘Jack’s lost his picture and is a bit upset. There was a misunderstanding, but it’s all sorted now. Isn’t it, Jack?’
Jack glared at Kazuki, but there was little else he could do. He had no proof of what had happened. Sensei Kano would never be able to see the truth.
‘Yes,’ he replied flatly, not taking his eyes off his enemy.
‘I understand the situation perfectly,’ stated Sensei Kano. ‘I think it is time that you all went back to the school.’
Kazuki signed to his Scorpion Gang to follow him and they left without another word.
Jack looked up in despair at his sister’s drawing caught high in the topmost branches of the maple tree. Even with his skills as a rigging monkey, there was no way he could get to it. The upper branches would snap under his weight.
‘Don’t worry, Jack,’ said Akiko, seeing the sorrow well up in Jack’s eyes, ‘I’ll get it for you.’
With astounding grace, Akiko launched herself from the bridge, kicking off from the handrail and catching hold of the nearest branch of the maple tree. She swung herself up to the next level, then flew up the tree swift as a sparrow. Fearlessly walking out on to an upper branch, she caught hold of the fluttering paper.
With the same unparalleled skill, Akiko dropped down the tree and back on to the bridge. She handed Jack his sister’s drawing and bowed.
Jack was speechless, only managing a nod of the head to show his appreciation. The others appeared equally impressed.
‘I’ve always enjoyed climbing trees,’ she said by way of an excuse, heading towards the school without a backward glance.
Where had Akiko’s remarkable ability come from? None of them had been taught those skills at the Niten Ichi Ryū. Her agility reminded Jack of the ninja who had flown like bats through the rigging of the Alexandria, and of the one person he’d seen scale a castle wall as if he was a spider – Dragon Eye.
Is this what Akiko had been up to on her nightly outings? Learning ninja skills?
But that was absurd. The samurai hated the ninja and all they stood for, and surely ninja felt the same way about samurai. What sort of ninja would want to teach a samurai their tricks? The whole idea was ludicrous. Besides, only men became ninja. Jack immediately dismissed the idea.
CRACK!
Kazuki’s fist drove through the cedar board, smashing it into two pieces.
The class applauded loudly as Kazuki became the first student to break wood in the run-up to the trials.
But he was not the only one to succeed at tamashiwari that morning. The constant training inflicted by Sensei Kyuzo on the makiwara over the past month was paying off as Hiroto, Goro, Yamato and then Emi and Akiko all snapped their single pieces of board. With more time, the students realized that one board would become two, and eventually the three required in the Trial by Wood.
Jack was preparing for his attempt when Sensei Kyuzo suddenly shouted, ‘REI!’
The whole class bowed as Masamoto strode into the Butokuden. Jack was taken aback at his guardian’s unexpected appearance.
‘Please, Sensei Kyuzo,’ said Masamoto, with a wave of his hand, ‘continue as if I wasn’t