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Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

The tiger-tattooed pirate hauled in the rope. After several strong pulls, the crewman swung before them. His face was pale and his mouth fixed into a howl of pain. His right arm was missing, bitten off at the elbow.

‘You let it go!’ exclaimed the two-headed snake pirate in disappointment.

The ninja pirates laughed heartily at the joke. Jack felt sickened to the pit of his stomach.

‘Try again,’ ordered Skullface. ‘This time ensure a shark takes a good hold.’

The bleeding crewman was dumped back into the sea. The water churned and the ninja pirates whooped and hollered in delight as several other sharks appeared. A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. Then all went quiet.

Tiger tugged on the line. This time it came up easily. At the end of the rope dangled a single ragged leg.

Skullface cuffed Tiger round the head. ‘Idiot! You lost the bait!’

15

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Captain Kurogumo

‘That’s why the Fuma are more pirate than ninja,’ said Miyuki darkly, as Skullface and his gang left the disembodied leg swinging in the wind, just beyond the reach of the snapping sharks. ‘They lack any spirit of ninniku.’

Jack understood. Ninniku was the ninja’s equivalent of the samurai code of bushido. As part of their training, a ninja strived to cultivate a pure and compassionate heart, one that didn’t harbour grudges and always sought peace and harmony. In Jack’s eyes, these Wind Demons didn’t even possess a heart.

‘But that’s not the only reason why the ninja and Fuma are enemies,’ continued Miyuki, talking to divert their attention away from the grim reminder of their own potential fate. ‘Twenty years ago, the Fuma clashed with the ninja. Grandmaster Soke told me the whole story …’

Jack, Saburo and Yori gathered closer to listen – anything but think about the crewman’s horrific death.

‘The ninja Grandmaster Hattori and his clan were hired by the daimyo of Suo Province to wipe out the Wind Demons, who’d been raiding villages up and down the Seto coastline. Hattori set sail with a fleet of warships. He found the Fuma hiding in Beppu Bay. There was a great battle. Hattori destroyed almost all the Wind Demons’ boats. It seemed victory was assured. But the Fuma sent a fireship into the midst of Hattori’s fleet. Knowing that it could explode at any moment, Hattori gave the command to withdraw. What he didn’t know was that the Fuma had swum beneath their ships and disabled their rudders. With no way to avoid a collision, Hattori ordered his men to jump ship, but to their horror they discovered the whole bay was covered in a slick of oil. Before any of them could swim to safety, the Fuma ignited the trap and the whole clan, including Hattori himself, perished in the flames.’

‘That’s a cheery bedtime story,’ said Saburo.