He stepped up to the mark, nocked an arrow and drew back his bow. Out of nowhere, something struck him on the cheek. Distracted, he lost his grip and the arrow flew off out of control. It hit a large standing stone and ricocheted towards Sensei Yosa, who was standing to one side. The arrow landed at Sensei Yosa’s feet, snagging the edge of her tabi.

‘STOP!’ she shouted.

No one moved. A deathly silence fell upon the garden. Jack could clearly hear the scrape of the arrow tip as Sensei Yosa tugged it out of the ground, then the crunch of the gravel as she approached.

‘Jack-kun,’ she breathed into his ear, ‘did I say you could release your arrow?’

‘So sorry, Sensei, but it wasn’t my fault.’

‘Take responsibility for yourself! You are the bow. You had control. See me after class, when I will prescribe you your punishment.’

‘Excuse me, Sensei Yosa,’ said Yori timorously.

‘What is it, Yori-kun?’

‘It was not Jack, Sensei Yosa. Someone threw a stone at him.’

‘Is this true?’ she demanded of Jack. ‘Who did it then?’

‘I don’t know,’ he replied, although he was certain he could guess.

‘Yori? Who was responsible?’

The little boy bowed and nervously whispered Kazuki’s name.

‘What was that, Yori-kun?’ asked Sensei Yosa, not hearing his first attempt.

‘Kazuki, Sensei…’ And Yori’s voice trailed off.

Kazuki’s eyes flared with anger at this open betrayal and he made to move on Yori, but shrank back as Sensei Yosa thundered, ‘KAZUKI-KUN! You will see me after class when we will discuss your punishment. Now fetch my arrows from the target!’

Kazuki swiftly bowed and dashed to the target. He was so terrified of her wrath that he struggled to pull the arrows out. He had just managed to retrieve the first one, when an arrow shot by his ear and impaled the sleeve of his kimono to the target. He spun round, eyes bulging, mouth open in silent horror.

‘Arouse a bee, Kazuki-kun, and it will come at you with the force of a dragon!’ she called down the garden as she nocked another arrow. ‘Kyujutsu is highly dangerous for a student. Do not fool around. Do you understand, Kazuki-kun?’

She let fly the second arrow. Kazuki didn’t even have time to blink. The arrow clipped him just above the head, parting his hair before striking the target. Kazuki, writhing to escape like a worm impaled on a hook, was desperate to end his humiliation.

‘Hai, Sensei Yosa! Moushiwake arimasen deshita!’ he blurted, expressing the highest form of apology possible.

Jack relished his enemy’s comeuppance. Perhaps, next time, Kazuki would not be so eager to harass him.

Jack turned to Yori to bow his appreciation, but the little boy didn’t acknowledge him. He merely knelt there, with blank eyes, biting his lower lip anxiously.

31: KAZUKI’S WAR

31

KAZUKI’S WAR

Kazuki was not present at dinner that evening.