The Ring of Earth

by Chris Bradford

  Turning to Hanzo, Jack prepared to regale his story of escape for the umpteenth time when Shonin clapped for attention.

  ‘Tonight is for celebration and reflection,’ he announced. ‘I admit my judgement was misguided in sending Jack upon this mission. Momochi, please accept my apology. But even monkeys fall from trees.’

  There was some laughter at this, and Momochi seemed satisfied that his opinion had been publicly and respectfully acknowledged.

  ‘But I have been proved right,’ continued Shonin, ‘in agreeing to Soke’s request to train Jack as a ninja.’

  All heads turned towards Jack, who felt slightly embarrassed at being the centre of attention. Hanzo, though, beamed proudly on his behalf.

  ‘Our foreign friend has proved himself, beyond doubt, to be loyal to our clan. Not only that, his incredible escape is a credit to the boy’s ninjutsu skills – and our Grandmaster’s tuition.’

  There was a murmur of approval and Soke bowed humbly in response.

  ‘I realize some of you may question the fact that Jack was caught in the first place. But his experience has taught us an important lesson.’

  Shonin paused to ensure he had everyone’s undivided attention.

  ‘The samurai are getting wise to our tricks. Seeing through our disguises. We must take more care in the future. As you know, daimyo Akechi is planning to invade the Iga mountains once again. Thanks to Jack, we’ve learnt it’s a matter of personal revenge, and Zenjubo has confirmed Akechi doesn’t have the support of the Shogun.’

  Intense whispering broke out among the ninja. Shonin waited for silence before continuing. ‘We’re already using this information to our advantage. Momochi has sent emissaries to the Shogun’s court in Edo. Covertly, they will petition against daimyo Akechi, spread rumours he’s intending to enlarge his province by force. We’ll also remind the court officials of the shinobi’s loyal service in the recent war, seeking for that debt to be recognized. With any luck, the Shogun will put a stop to Akechi’s plans without a single sword being drawn.’

  A round of applause greeted this strategy and Shonin smiled, satisfied with the approval his clan had given him. Jack remembered how Soke had told him the shinobi only sought combat as a last resort, preferring espionage to warfare. Here was the proof.

  ‘But enough of such dark thoughts; it’s time to accept Jack as one of the clan,’ Shonin declared. ‘The sparrow never lands where the tiger roams.’

  Immediately everyone got to their feet. Except Jack.

  ‘Stand up,’ Miyuki whispered. ‘That’s our clan’s secret password. Anyone who doesn’t stand reveals themselves as the enemy.’

  Shonin raised his cup. ‘Jack has woken from death and returned to life. His old path as a samurai is his new road as a ninja.’

  Shonin and all the heads of family then toasted Jack.

  ‘Ninja Jack! May the Five Rings guide you!’

  37

  THE NOTE

  Jack felt like the frog that had finally seen the great sea. Although he was still honour-bound to the samurai, Jack couldn’t deny his pride at being accepted as one of the ninja clan.

  Throughout his training he’d wrestled with his conscience, struggling to justify his association with the shinobi against his father’s death at their hands. To begin with he’d rationalized his decision as a matter of survival, then as a means to knowing his enemy. But as time had gone on, Jack realized the ninja were perhaps no longer his foe and that he enjoyed ninjutsu. Not only that, he’d discovered certain skills were better and more effective than the samurai martial arts.

  At first, he’d considered this a betrayal of the teachings of Masamoto whose sword work was unparalleled. But now he saw the two styles could be complementary to one another. Just as he’d come to terms with balancing Buddhism and his own Christian beliefs – they’re all strands of the same rug, only different colours, as Sensei Yamada had once said – perhaps ninjutsu and the samurai arts could exist side by side. Maybe he could be both samurai and ninja. That combination had certainly made Akiko a formidable martial artist. He hoped the same would apply to him and that his father up in Heaven would understand his decision.

  Whatever, Jack knew his loyalty – his soul – would always remain with Masamoto and the samurai. But the spirit of ninniku, the pure heart of the ninja, was undoubtedly becoming part of him. This was why he was finding it so hard to write the note to Akiko.

  Sitting upon the steps of the village temple, shaded from the sun, the white sheet of rice paper he’d taken from Soke’s house remained blank in his lap. Jack couldn’t simply write down the directions to the village for her. If the note fell into the wrong hands, he would be a traitor and Akechi’s army would come and destroy the clan.

  The message had to be encoded. He understood the principles of making a cryptogram, since his father had instructed him on how to decipher the code that hid the most important information in the rutter. However, the difficulty in this instance was creating a cipher that Akiko could understand and work out on her own.

  After a great deal of thought, Jack decided to use a combination of the Japanese kanji Akiko had taught him, the few English words he’d shown her and references to their training at the Niten Ichi Ryū.

  Picking up the piece of charcoal he’d acquired from Soke’s furnace oven, Jack began to write. It was laborious work. Not only did he have to code the message accurately, but Jack had to remember all the necessary kanji symbols and the correct order of their strokes.

  The note took him several attempts to get right, but by mid-morning he had the finished article. Now he just needed to find someone to deliver it for him.

  ‘What are you doing?’ said a voice from behind.

  Jack, guilty, hid the note inside his jacket as Shiro emerged from the forest.

  ‘Nothing,’ replied Jack breezily.

  ‘Looks like you were writing something,’ said Shiro, eyeing him suspiciously.

  How long had Shiro been standing there? wondered Jack with growing concern.

  Jack had chosen the temple for its seclusion and when he’d arrived earlier that morning, he’d been careful to ensure the place was deserted. Throughout his task, he’d kept one eye on the path leading up from the village. For whatever reason, Shiro must have been out in the forest before dawn.

  ‘I was practising my kanji,’ replied Jack, holding up one of his crumpled earlier attempts. ‘But I’m not very good.’

  He screwed up the paper, collected the other pieces and got to his feet. ‘So what are you doing here?’

  ‘Looking for you,’ said Shiro. Pursing his lips, he asked, ‘You’ve lived with the samurai – what’s their life like?’

  Something about Shiro’s question put Jack on his guard. ‘I was treated well. Samurai school was disciplined, but I learnt a great deal.’

  ‘Did you have to work?’

  ‘Not really, we trained most of the time,’ admitted Jack. ‘Our duty was to Masamoto and our lord, daimyo Takatomi. I suppose we earned our keep by fighting on his side when the time came.’

  Shiro smiled appreciatively.

  ‘What’s Kyoto like? That’s where you lived, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Busy. There are always festivals, crowds, markets. It’s so much more hectic than your village.’

  ‘Sounds exciting …’ said Shiro, gazing into the peaceful valley below.

  ‘It can be,’ Jack replied, making a move back towards the village. ‘I’d better go. Hanzo will be waiting for his sword lesson.’

  Shiro nodded noncommittally and Jack just prayed the boy wouldn’t mention their encounter to Momochi. But as he headed down into the village, he felt Shiro’s eyes on him all the way.

  38

  NINJA MAGIC

  ‘No, like this,’ said Miyuki, gently repositioning Jack’s fingers into the hand sign for Rin – strength.

  As one of the clan, Jack now found himself being taught the ninja’s hidden knowledge, the secret teachings of the densho scroll
s. A week in, he was still familiarizing himself with the intricate finger-knitting patterns of kuji-in. These nine secret hand signs, each with their own mantras, triggered extraordinary powers in the ninja.

  Magical powers.

  Jack had been sceptical. Soke had claimed kuji-in could give a ninja great strength, forewarn of danger, read another person’s thoughts, even control the elements of nature. Although Jack had witnessed his Zen master, Sensei Yamada, perform some astonishing feats at the Niten Ichi Ryū school, he could not bring himself to believe in these mystical arts. They seemed too far-fetched.

  That was until Soke, invoking Rin, had lifted a tree trunk above his head. Now he was a believer.

  ‘Can you remember the mantra?’ asked Miyuki, who sat beside him in the lee of the Buddhist temple.

  Jack nodded. ‘On baishiraman taya sowaka.’

  ‘Perfect,’ she said, smiling her approval.

  Having made the correct hand sign, Jack closed his eyes and repeated the mantra over and over. He visualized a flame within him growing brighter, spreading throughout his body, filling him with energy.

  During their first lesson in the clan’s hidden knowledge, Soke had explained, ‘Kuji-in is a combination of hand posture, meditation and focus. Together they unlock the powers of the mind and tap into the energy of the Ring of Sky.’

  Jack had yet to achieve this. But he thought it was possible. He’d experienced the power of ki, his own spiritual energy, during his meditation training as a samurai. So he knew what to strive for. Kuji-in, however, was on a far higher level and would need a lot more practice.

  Out of nowhere he felt a hot rush and a burst of energy. It was very brief – like a bolt of lightning.

  ‘Are you all right?’ asked Miyuki.

  Jack opened his eyes.

  ‘You shook like a tree in a storm.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ Jack replied, his body tingling all over.

  ‘You just channelled into the Ring of Sky,’ explained Soke, walking over to check on their progress. ‘It can be a bit unnerving first time, but you’ll learn to control it. Even a brief connection can be useful, though, giving you a vital burst of energy in times of crisis.’

  Soke beckoned the other students together in front of the temple.

  ‘Now I wish you to focus on Sha, healing. This is the hand sign,’ he instructed, clasping his hands together, his fingers interlaced, the index finger and thumb both extended. ‘Of all the kuji-in, Sha is the most worthy of your attention. The ability to heal is far more valuable than the ability to kill.’

  He formed his students into a semi-circle overlooking the village.

  ‘For the time being, concentrate on self-healing. Once you’ve mastered this, you can bestow your healing properties on others.’

  One by one, the students settled into their postures and began their meditation.

  ‘On haya baishiraman taya sowaka …’

  The chanting of the Sha mantra echoed out across the valley as the sun slowly set over the mountains. Jack could smell a mix of jasmine and sandalwood incense drifting upon the breeze, and soon fell into a deep trance. The peace and serenity of his surroundings seeped into him, easing his mind, body and soul.

  By the time the sun dropped behind the mountains, Jack felt reborn.

  39

  MOVING TARGET

  ‘Welcome to my hideout,’ said Tenzen proudly.

  Jack gazed around in awe at the grotto, its high ceiling glimmering with quartz and crystals. He’d been surprised enough when Tenzen had led him to a waterfall in the mountains for his shuriken training. But then he’d been astounded as Tenzen had stepped through this cascade and into the hidden cavern behind. The bright sunshine filtering through the waterfall made the grotto appear light and airy, though the cavern receded into darkness.

  ‘How far back does it go?’ Jack asked.

  ‘These mountains are riddled with caves, tunnels and passageways,’ replied Tenzen. ‘I’ve yet to fully explore them.’

  ‘Who else knows about this place?’

  ‘It’s my secret. But I know I can trust you not to tell anyone.’

  ‘So why bring me here?’ asked Jack.

  ‘Target practice,’ he replied, handing Jack three shuriken.

  ‘What’s wrong with the posts back in the village?’

  ‘They don’t move, and samurai do,’ replied Tenzen, walking over to a small log resting upon a ledge. ‘We need a more realistic test for your shuriken skills. You can hit stationary objects almost every time, but can you hit a moving target?’

  Tenzen pushed the log off the ledge. As it swung across the grotto and back again, Jack saw it was attached by a rope tied to a stalactite in the ceiling.

  Taking careful aim, Jack threw his first shuriken. It didn’t even come close, clattering into the rock wall behind. As the log continued its arc, Jack took a second shot. Again the throwing star missed, this time disappearing into the grotto’s black hole. He cursed in frustration. With all the training Tenzen had given him, Jack thought he’d mastered this skill.

  ‘Anticipate the target’s movement,’ advised Tenzen, giving the log another push.

  Following the sweeping trajectory of the log, Jack flicked his third and final throwing star. It flew through the air, just ahead of the target and … shot past.

  Jack watched as his shuriken rebounded off the cave wall and vanished into the waterfall. A second later he was knocked off his feet. Jack sat up, dazed and confused. Then he saw the offending log spinning above his head.

  ‘Always keep one eye on your target,’ said Tenzen, laughing. ‘Especially when you miss.’

  Tenzen produced three more shuriken from his pouch. ‘Let me demonstrate the technique.’

  As the target arced across the grotto, Tenzen launched his throwing stars one after the other. The first two struck the wood, the third sliced through the rope, sending the log crashing to the ground.

  ‘That’s incredible!’ exclaimed Jack, his admiration for the ninja increasing.

  ‘Just takes a little practice,’ Tenzen replied, retrieving his shuriken.

  ‘But you’re so good at everything. Concealment, speed-running, ninja swimming, shuriken-jutsu …’

  ‘I’ve no choice,’ replied Tenzen, sighing as if some great weight rested upon his shoulders. He looked at Jack, seemingly unsure whether to confide in him or not. Then, pulling the last of his throwing stars out of the wood, he sat down upon a rock and faced Jack.

  ‘As Shonin’s son, I’m destined to lead the clan one day,’ he began. ‘That means I have to be the best.’

  ‘You’ve nothing to worry about,’ said Jack. ‘Your ninjutsu is faultless.’

  ‘Being a leader’s not just about fighting and throwing shuriken. I’ll have to coordinate missions, organize the farming, negotiate with samurai for our services, manage the politics of the village, maintain defences, avoid war with daimyo Akechi and plan for the future. My father is brilliant at all these things. You saw how he handled Momochi at the dinner, admitting his mistake yet still appearing in total control. That takes true skill – diplomacy that I don’t naturally have. The entire village admires Shonin. I still have to earn that respect.’

  ‘You’ll make a brilliant leader,’ reassured Jack.

  ‘But what if I can’t rise to the challenge?’ said Tenzen, driving the blade of a shuriken into the log. ‘What if I make a wrong decision under pressure?’

  ‘I’m sure you won’t,’ said Jack. ‘My father used to say, In a storm, a ship that turns from a wave will flounder, but a ship that attacks the wave will rise and conquer. I’ve no doubt you’ll rise to the challenge when the time comes.’

  ‘I hope so, because I sense a storm is coming.’

  40

  BANDITS

  Hanzo sneaked through the forest, his eyes scanning for the slightest movement. He was oblivious to Jack, who crouched high in a tree, his black shinobi shozoku rendering him invisible in the twilight.

 
After a further week’s intensive training in kuji-in, Soke had decided his students required a more physical activity. He’d instructed them to practise their Ring of Earth concealment skills and avoid detection by the best tracker, Hanzo.

  Jack thought he’d evaded his friend, when Hanzo stopped and looked round.

  ‘Soke’s called us back!’ Hanzo called out.

  Jack formed the hand sign Jin, silently mouthing its mantra. This kuji-in enabled him to read the thoughts of others. He understood the result would be little more than suggestion, a feeling; but it could help him judge whether someone was lying or not.

  Hanzo was definitely lying. The boy knew Jack was close. Jack had seen him also use Jin to sense his presence within the forest. Now Hanzo was trying to draw him out.

  Jack slowed his breathing, not moving a muscle and becoming one with the tree.

  ‘I’ll eat your dinner, tengu!’ said Hanzo, giving the area another sweep.

  ‘Over here,’ called a hushed voice that Jack recognized as Miyuki’s. ‘I’ve found his trail. I told you he’s as subtle as an elephant.’

  Clearly, Miyuki had been caught and was now part of the tracking team.

  Jack grinned to himself. She’d fallen for his ploy – he’d left broken stems along a small forest track. Hanzo darted from the clearing in Miyuki’s direction. Jack waited before dropping noiselessly to the forest floor. He thought about cutting across the ridge and backtracking to the temple, when he suddenly sensed danger.

  Before Hanzo’s appearance, he’d been practising the hand sign Kai. This enhanced a ninja’s intuition, forewarning them of threats. However, Jack got the feeling he wasn’t the one in danger. Someone else was, possibly Hanzo. Following his instincts, Jack ran through the forest. The sensation became stronger. Eventually reaching the furthest boundary of the village’s domain, he heard voices.