Yori looked up at Jack. ‘There was no need. The vote proved we all believe in you. You’re the only one who can lead us.’

19 A Ninja’s Inspiration

19

A NINJA’S INSPIRATION

‘What are you doing up here?’ asked Miyuki, finding Jack the next morning on a rise overlooking the village. ‘Everyone’s waiting for you.’

She handed him a cup of green tea, which he gratefully accepted, its warmth taking the chill from his bones. He’d managed to get some sleep during the night, but had risen early, his mind still churning with thoughts.

‘Every battle strategy I’ve come up with has major flaws,’ explained Jack. ‘Either not enough samurai, not enough time or simply too risky.’

‘Why not ask the others for suggestions?’

‘But as leader I’m expected to come up with the plan,’ said Jack, a hint of desperation entering his voice.

‘Just because you’re the leader doesn’t mean you have to decide everything,’ reassured Miyuki. ‘In our clan, Shonin often asks the Grandmaster and the family heads for their ideas.’

‘Really?’ said Jack, feeling the weight of responsibility lift a little from his shoulders. He’d considered the others would think him weak to do so.

Miyuki nodded. ‘The Grandmaster always says to lead people, you should walk beside them.’

Familiar with such pearls of wisdom from his time at the Niten Ichi Ryū, Jack instantly grasped the old ninja’s lesson. He’d been so wrapped up in the idea of being leader that he’d forgotten the importance of working as a team.

Prompted by her mention of the Grandmaster, he asked, ‘How is Soke now?’

‘He’s strong-willed, but the cold is getting to him,’ Miyuki replied, her eyes betraying a deep-rooted concern. ‘He’s concentrating on preparing Hanzo to be the next Grandmaster.’

Jack nodded sympathetically, knowing Soke hadn’t looked forward to their clan’s enforced relocation even deeper into the Iga mountains. He was saddened to hear of the old man’s fading health. The Grandmaster had been his ninjutsu mentor, saving him from the Shogun’s samurai and teaching him the necessary skills to help survive the perilous journey to Nagasaki.

‘And what about you?’ asked Jack.

Miyuki forced a smile. ‘The refuge is fine, but not like our last home. Life’s tougher the higher up you are. The weather’s more severe and the land not so fertile.’ She gazed at the farmhouses below with a wistful smile. ‘Tamagashi reminds me of our old village. The square, the pond, the open fields – although our houses were in far better condition and the paddies set out more efficiently.’

‘That’s because you’re ninja as well as farmers,’ Jack reminded her.

‘True, but it doesn’t take much thought to organize things. I mean, look at their paddy fields. If ninja had plotted them, they’d be –’