‘Here is your koan. Two hands clap and there is a sound. What is the sound of one hand clapping?’

Yori said nothing for a moment, nervously wringing his hands on his kimono, his forehead creased in panicked concentration.

‘What is the sound of one hand, Yori?’ demanded Kazuki.

‘Please. Please. I need silence to think.’

‘Sorry, but I’m hungry and have little patience. Answer me!’

‘It refers to… the koan itself. When the two hands clapping are… seen as the seeking of the answer… so that the hands themselves become the koan… it then follows that you… as the meditator… become the koan that you are trying to understand… That is the sound of one hand clapping.’

‘Excellent. Sensei Yamada would approve of such a philosophical muddle of an answer. But wrong! This is the sound of one hand clapping,’ said Kazuki, and he raised his own hand and slapped Yori hard across the face. Yori fell to the floor, whimpering in distress.

‘No!’ shouted Jack who, without a second’s thought, flew from the shadows and slammed into Kazuki.

He drove his shoulder into Kazuki’s gut and they both rolled into the middle of the hall. Kazuki was severely winded and couldn’t move. Jack punched him in the mouth.

‘That one’s for Yori,’ said Jack. ‘And this is for me!’

Akiko and Kiku came flying into the Butsuden just as Jack raised his fist for the second time.

‘Jack!’ cried Akiko.

Jack glanced up. It was the split second Kazuki needed. He drove his own fist up into Jack’s chin, sending Jack backwards. Kazuki scrambled to his feet as Jack lay sprawled across the stone floor. Kazuki stood over him, his burst lip trickling blood.

‘Bad move, gaijin,’ he spat, lifting his leg to strike.

‘No!’ warned Akiko, launching herself at Kazuki in an attempt to stop him. But Nobu grabbed her by the hair and sharply pulled her back.

Jack, fired up by Nobu’s assault on Akiko, rolled into Kazuki and drove hard into his standing leg.

Pushed off-balance, Kazuki crashed to the floor.

The two boys wrestled, each trying to get the upper hand.

Kazuki managed to roll on top and trap Jack’s left arm. Jack felt pressure being applied and was immediately paralysed with pain. He tried to move, but each time he did, Kazuki pressed down harder.

Yamato ran in with Saburo.

‘Yamato, help Jack!’ cried Akiko, who struggled against Nobu’s grip.

Nobu, scared that Yamato might attack him, immediately released Akiko. Kiku ran to her aid, but Akiko didn’t need any help. She elbowed Nobu hard in the stomach, causing him to double over in agony.

‘Why would you want to help a gaijin, Yamato?’ shouted Kazuki, breathless from the fight. ‘Especially one who has usurped your brother’s place. I am right, he is Masamoto’s adopted son, isn’t he?’