‘It was meant to test his reactions,’ muttered the samurai, trying to cover up his error as the bedraggled porter clambered back in. ‘You’ll be lucky to even hit the boat, boy!’

Ignoring the samurai’s jibes, the boy positioned himself side-on to the target, forming a perfect A-shape with his body. Jack recognized the motions the boy was going through from his own kyujutsu training – the perfect balance, the unwavering focus, and the combining of the spirit, bow and body as one.

The boy moved with the fluidity of a single breath and, upon release, the arrow cut through the cold air like a knife. The eyes of the crowd followed it across the sky and towards the constantly shifting target. As it landed, a splintering sound travelled back across the waters to the dock.

Raising a soggy black flag with a trembling hand, the porter cried out, ‘The boy split the samurai’s arrow in half!’

More amazed applause burst forth from the crowd.

‘I think we’ve found our first young samurai,’ said Jack, grinning at the others.

The boy placed his second arrow back into his quiver and stepped off the veranda.

‘Where do you think you’re going?’ demanded the samurai.

‘I’ve nothing else to prove,’ replied the boy.

‘Come back here! I’m not finished with you.’

But the boy continued to walk away. The applauding crowd parted to let him through. Utterly humiliated, the samurai reached for an arrow with which to kill his opponent. Jack was about to shout a warning, when the boy spun round with lightning speed, drew his own arrow and shot at the samurai first.

But the arrow flew clear past the man’s shoulder and disappeared into the depths of the warehouse.

With a sorry shake of his head, Saburo leant close to Jack. ‘Are you sure we want him?’

Laughing, the samurai nocked an arrow and slowly drew back on his bow. ‘Now you’ll pay for your insolence.’

The boy stood his ground.

He merely watched as the warehouse’s saké barrels tumbled off their cart, bounced across the wooden dock and hurtled into the samurai. The impact knocked the man clean over the side. With the boy’s arrow having sliced through the cart’s binding rope, several more heavy barrels rapidly followed their victim into the murky depths of the river.

By the time the battered and half-drowned samurai was rescued, the boy had disappeared into the crowd.

13 Hayato

13

HAYATO

‘Any luck?’ asked Jack, returning to the storehouse with Toge. Having lost sight of the archer boy, the five of them had split up to find him.

Slumped on his haunches, Sora woefully shook his head.

‘Are Yori or Saburo back yet?’

‘What do you think?’ Kunio sulked, waving a hand at the empty room.

Toge clipped the boy round the ear. ‘Show some respect!’