Jack stared in disbelief at the ninja. ‘Who’s ordering these missions?’

‘You won’t give up, will you?’ hissed Dragon Eye in irritation. ‘Let’s hope you still live without your sword arm!’

Dragon Eye raised his ninjatō and brought it down to sever Jack’s right arm.

Out of the night like a shooting star, Akiko’s wakizashi spun through the air towards Dokugan Ryu. At the last second, the ninja twisted on instinct, the arc of his sword shifting and missing Jack’s shoulder by a hair’s breadth. The wakizashi pierced Dragon Eye’s side and, though the blade cut deep, he barely made a sound. Staggering slightly, the ninja glanced absently at the weapon protruding from him.

‘Who did you learn that from? Masamoto?’ he spat in disgust at Akiko as she appeared by Jack’s side.

The ninja carefully removed the bloody blade, glaring at them in defiance. He then flipped the short sword over in his hand and was about to throw it back at the now defenceless Akiko, when the main gate burst open and Masamoto and his samurai dashed into the courtyard bearing flaming torches.

‘Spread out!’ ordered Masamoto. ‘Find them, and kill the ninja!’

‘Another time, gaijin!’ hissed Dragon Eye. ‘The rutter is not forgotten.’

The ninja dropped the wakizashi, and scaled the castle wall like a malevolent four-legged spider, disappearing into the night.

In the distance, fireworks exploded and brightly coloured sparks reigned down like a meteor shower in the night sky.

43: KENDO — THE WAY OF THE SWORD

43

KENDO – THE WAY OF THE SWORD

‘We believe Dokugan Ryu was sent to poison daimyo Takatomi,’ explained Masamoto the following night in the Hō-oh-no-ma, the Hall of the Phoenix.

He sat upon his dais, framed by the magnificent flaming phoenix. Sensei Kyuzo and Sensei Yosa on his left, Sensei Hosokawa and Sensei Yamada to his right.

Jack knelt between Akiko and the bandaged Yamato on the lower floor. Yamato had been extremely fortunate. The shuriken had not been poisoned and, while he had suffered a deep chest wound, he would recover.

‘But who sent him?’ asked Jack.

Masamoto sipped from a cup of sencha then gazed pensively at it.

‘That we don’t know. It may be a sign of things to come,’ he replied gravely. ‘So daimyo Takatomi has increased his personal guard and has ordered new security measures to be installed in his castle. He sends his apologies for not being here tonight. He has been called away to Edo. But he is most appreciative of all your efforts in stopping the ninja. He wanted me to give you these as a token of his esteem.’