Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [89]
Jack lifted Kazuki’s head up to allow him a mouthful of air before thrusting him back under.
‘Admit you cheated, Kazuki. Admit that you hid the lantern!’
Jack held him up for longer this time but didn’t release the choking hold.
‘Did what?’ gasped Kazuki, struggling to control his growing panic.
‘Don’t play me for an idiot, Kazuki. Tell everyone here how you put branches in front of the stone lantern. Expose yourself to be the dishonourable samurai that you are!’ demanded Jack, bobbing Kazuki’s head beneath surface in between sentences.
‘I didn’t…’ spluttered Kazuki, his voice harsh and grating under the pressure of the choke. ‘I didn’t cheat… I got ahead of Tadashi and Akiko during that challenge. There’s no way it could’ve been me!’
‘Liar!’ said Jack, dunking him once again.
‘JACK, STOP IT!’ cried Akiko, breaking free of Hiroto and rushing over to pull Jack off. ‘He’s telling the truth.’
Jack faltered in his attack.
‘I could see the stone lantern when I passed it,’ she explained.
Jack looked at her and knew she was telling the truth. All of a sudden, his entire assumption had been undermined. He let go and allowed himself to be dragged off Kazuki by Akiko. He sat staring dumbfounded at the shuddering form of his rival.
Kazuki rolled on to one side, coughing up muddy water.
‘Tadashi was in front of you, not Kazuki,’ Akiko continued. ‘It must have been him that cheated. That would explain why, during the Mind challenge, Tadashi fell against me in the waterfall. At the time, I assumed it wasn’t intentional, but now I’m not so sure.’
‘Tadashi… knocked into me too,’ confessed Jack, a twisted truth emerging in his head, ‘but I thought it was an accident as well.’
‘Clearly not,’ spat Kazuki, giving Jack a venomous look.
Jack felt ashamed and betrayed. He’d accused Kazuki of cheating with no real proof. He’d jumped to conclusions based solely on his low opinion of his rival, while all along it had been Tadashi, whom he’d thought of as a friend. His own behaviour was no better than Kazuki’s, discriminating against him for being a gaijin.
‘I’m… sorry,’ admitted Jack, the apology sticking in his throat, each word as heavy and bitter as lead. ‘You didn’t cheat. It was my mistake.’
Kazuki got unsteadily to his feet with the help of Nobu and Hiroto. He looked down at Jack, pure loathing in his eyes. ‘That’s right, gaijin. You were mistaken. But make no mistake – I will get my own back.’
Jack felt an ice-cold shiver creep down his spine, but oddly it was not in response to Kazuki’s threat. It came from the distinct feeling that he was being watched.
‘Did you see that?’ Nobu whispered, pointing over Kazuki’s shoulder to a nearby rooftop.
Everyone turned and peered into the rainsoaked night.
Nothing was visible in the darkness, not even the Castle of the White Phoenix.
A second later, lightning blazed across the heavens and for one terrifying moment a figure in black could be seen silhouetted against the boiling sky.
The thunder roared as Nobu, his chubby face stretched taut with fear, screamed, ‘NINJA!’
43
ESCAPE
They fled in different directions.
Jack, Akiko, Yamato and Saburo sprinted across the mud-slicked square towards a side alley that would lead back to the temple. Kazuki and his Scorpion Gang went the opposite way, heading for the castle. As they ran, Jack glanced up and spotted several shadows flitting across the rooftops towards them.
‘Hurry!’ Jack urged. ‘There’s a whole gang of them.’
They put on another burst of speed and had almost reached the cover of the alley when Saburo lost his footing, flying face first into the mud.
‘Keep going!’ Yamato shouted to the rest of them, running back to help their fallen friend.
Jack and Akiko rushed on, entering the alley just as a ninja dropped from the eaves. Glancing over his shoulder, Jack expected to see the assassin bearing down on them. Instead, the ninja let them run away and turned to bar Yamato and Saburo from making their escape.
‘We’ll meet you at the temple!’ cried Yamato, dragging Saburo towards