Chasing the Secret (14 page)

In the water behind him, a fish leaped. Silver ripples widened across the surface of the green water. I smiled and began to turn away. But all at once, the surface rippled again and broke apart in three places. Black forms rose up from the river.

The world seemed to move in slow motion. I caught my breath as the forms solidified in front of my
horrified gaze. Heads, necks, shoulders, and arms. Masked men dressed entirely in black. Dark eyes glittered like black ice from the narrow slits cut in their masks. Steel blades flashed between their fingers.

Ninja!

S
tanding waist deep in the water, one of the ninja grabbed Tatsuya.

My sword already in my hand, I leaped to my feet. “Let him go,” I yelled at the ninja. But my sudden movement made the boat lurch dangerously. I was aware of Hana shouting, her arms flailing, and then she vanished over the side of the boat.

A hand came around me from behind, clamping tightly across my mouth to stifle my cry. My sword was snatched from my hand. Powerful fingers closed around my throat, moving quickly. There was a brief sensation of pressure on either side of my neck—and abruptly all the energy I possessed drained away.

I couldn't move.

All I could do was blink in astonishment. Who
were
these people? To disarm and stun a person just with a touch!

I could not move my arms and legs.

I could see clearly, though. Across the boat,
Tatsuya was fighting desperately, hands clawed against a ninja's black-masked face. But he was no match. The ninja disabled him, fingers twisting lightly against Tatsuya's chest—and suddenly Tatsuya was still.

“Cowards,” he managed to say, the veins in his neck standing out with the effort to speak. “I won't let you take me. I won't.”

Hana came surging up out of the water on the far side of the boat. Her hair had come loose and it was streaming over her shoulders like river weed. She swung her
nihonto
sword wide, and I felt a swell of hope.

But in the next instant hope died, because the third man was at her side. He snatched her sword and pushed her hard so that she lost her balance and fell backward again, disappearing into the water with an enormous splash. I tried to force myself to move…to reach her…but I was still under the influence of whatever strange hold the ninja had put over my energies.

The three black shapes converged on Tatsuya. I caught a brief glimpse of his desperate expression, and then the ninja climbed out of the river as silently as they had come, taking Tatsuya with them. When they reached dry land, he kicked out, once, and then
was still as they bore him away into the trees that lined the river.

Hana had been underwater so long, I thought for a moment that she had drowned, but at last her dark head broke the surface of the water. She came up quickly, gasping for air. When she saw me standing motionless, she waded through the water to my side.

“Oh, Kimi!” she exclaimed. “What have they done to you?”

“I can't move,” I managed to say, half sobbing. “Help me.”

“Don't panic.” Hana put her hands on my arms, her face soothing. “I think I can fix this. Harumasa once asked me to copy a set of scrolls about pressure points and how they might be used in a fight.” She frowned, placing a careful forefinger against my throat. “I never imagined I would one day have to use the knowledge on my own sister.”

I felt her cool touch against my skin, like the kiss of a rose petal. She pressed, and then twisted the tip of her thumb against me. A sensation of lightness and freedom flooded through my limbs. Amazed, I opened and closed the fingers of my left hand, and then my right. I could move again.

“Thank you, Hana.” I hugged her quickly and then turned to stare at the riverbank, studying the
spot where the ninja had disappeared. “We have to go after them.”

But Hana shook her head. “We can never hope to find them, Kimi,” she said quietly. “If the ninja have taken Tatsuya, then it is for a reason. They won't let us take him back. And they have all our weapons, so we're no match for them now.”

I turned to stare at her. “Are you saying we have to leave Tatsuya to whatever fate the ninja have in store for him?”

“Yes,” Hana said simply. Her eyes were wide and clear as she held my gaze. “You chose Tatsuya once, Kimi. You can't choose him again. We have to go after Mother and Moriyasu now.”

I clenched my fists. “But we can't just abandon him,” I cried. “He's our friend. He helped us when nobody else would….” I thought of the way he had stood up to Uncle Hidehira in the dojo temple, and the way he had fought so bravely in the glade.

“I don't want to leave him any more than you do. Tatsuya is special.” Hana turned away and heaved herself back into the boat. She picked up the oar and looked at me. “But we have no choice, Kimi,” she said. “If we don't reach the stronghold, Mother and Moriyasu will be executed, and all hope will be lost.”

I knew she was right. And although it hurt me to turn my back on Tatsuya, I mastered my emotion. Gritting my teeth, I climbed into the boat beside my sister.

“I don't know how you can give Tatsuya up so easily,” I muttered. “He's our friend.”

“Mother needs us more,” Hana said, her eyes flashing as she grabbed the steering oar. “Now, are you going to help me row this boat, or not?”

I ground my teeth, angry with her—angry with everything that had been happening—then snatched up one of the long poles and thrust it deep into the water.

We rowed in silence, awkward with each other for the first time in our lives. Hana and I had never argued before. There had never been anything to argue about.

The sun moved slowly toward the highest point in the sky, following its age-old pattern. Our clothes soon dried. But despite the warmth of the sun I felt cold inside, as if a shard of ice had lodged somewhere beneath my heart. I couldn't help feeling that we had let down Tatsuya when he needed us most. Questions jostled through my mind. What would become of him? Why did the ninja want him?

I swallowed hard, bitterly regretting the way I had
teased Tatsuya for being jumpy about the ninja bush. It seemed he had had good reason to be nervous. And now they had taken him, just as they had taken his father so many years ago.

Hana's gentle voice broke into my thoughts. “Do you think we've gone far enough, Kimi?” she asked. “We must be well inside the borders of Sagami Province now. Tatsuya said we should carry on until the sun reached its highest point, then head inland.”

I glanced at her. Her dark gaze held mine and I saw that she was trying to make peace between us as best she could.

I shifted my stick and leaned forward to touch her hand. “You're right,” I said. “We should do as Tatsuya said. Head inland toward the south, and find Lord Kanahara's stronghold.”

We spotted a good landing place where the riverbank dipped down toward the water. There was a grove of trees nearby, the fresh green leaves rustling in the wind. I rolled up the bottoms of my
hakama
trousers and went over the side, dragging the boat behind me as I waded ashore.

Hana climbed out and together we tied the boat to a slender sapling.

“There,” I said. “We'll leave it there for whoever wants it.”

“It will be a lucky find for someone,” Hana said with a smile.

Friends again, we turned to walk away together, intending to strike out for the south.

Instead, we found ourselves face-to-face with six drawn swords.

A
group of boys, older than we were, held their gleaming steel blades high, ready to fight. They wore colorful patterned kimono jackets in reds and bright oranges, and green
hakama
trousers that had been knotted at the knee.

“By the style of your clothes, I'd guess you've come from Kai Province,” said the tallest boy. He had unusual light-green eyes. His jet-black hair had been roughly cut to just above his shoulders, the top portion twisted up into a leather lace on the back of his head.

“And by the style of
your
clothes, I'd guess you're Sagami born and bred,” I retorted.

“Then you'd guess right,” the green-eyed boy said with a curt nod. “Which makes me someone who's walking on home territory, while you are trespassing. What are you doing here?”

One of the others had been staring at Hana. “I know what they're doing here, Yorio,” he said to his
leader. He was a short, thick-set boy who had the sort of face that usually looked as if it were ready to break into a grin at a moment's notice. He wasn't grinning now, though. He looked serious and guarded, and his long sword was held ready. “Their Lord Hidehira is so desperate to steal our land that he's even sending girls to fight,” he said, still staring at Hana.

I glanced at my sister and silently cursed that I had not reminded her to tie her hair back up after the struggle with the ninja. She had left it loose to dry after her tumble into the river, and now a shining waterfall of thick black silk flowed over one shoulder.

“I may be a girl,” Hana said, meeting the thick-set boy's gaze calmly, “but I can fight as well as any boy.”

“That sounds like a challenge to me, Norio,” cried one of the other boys.

Norio shifted his center of gravity, weighing his sword in his hand as he eyed Hana. “You want to test your theory?” he asked, eyebrows raised. “Or are you afraid to fight?”

“I'm not afraid to fight anyone,” Hana said firmly.

“We're not here to do battle with you,” I interrupted, staring at Yorio, the leader.

“No?” He stared back at me, his green eyes glittering dangerously. “Well, that's too bad, because we
are. We're here scouting along the river to make sure that none of the enemy sneaks across the border from Kai Province. Everyone in Sagami has sworn to resist your new
Jito
and anyone he sends to spy on us.”

“We're not spies!” Hana protested.

But she got no further because Norio moved in.

He struck quickly, and there was nothing Hana could do except duck away and try to evade his swinging blade. I leaped in front of her, but Yorio blocked me. We circled warily for a moment, each of us measuring the other.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Hana snatch up a branch from the ground. She swung it at Norio and he deflected it with the flat of his blade. I could not worry about my sister, though, because Yorio came dancing toward me with his long sword in his hand. He was so close I could see the tiny leaf pattern embroidered into his kimono.

“Let's see what kind of fighters you boys from Kai Province really are,” he said in a mocking lilt. Swiftly he lunged forward, but not with his sword. He swiped at me with his fist.

I narrowed my eyes, my mind racing as I twisted away. What was he doing? Although his sword was in his hand, he made no move to use it. I centered myself, hands out in front of me, watching his every move.

“Come on,” Yorio taunted as he lunged again.

Hana and Norio were locked in combat, his blade striking against her branch with hollow clashes. As Yorio and I danced back and forth, cat and mouse, the band of boys moved to surround us. Some of them shouted encouragement to their leader. My heart began to pound. My breathing was taut and shallow. Yorio came in again. His sword was still held wide, ready to fight, but he made no attempt to use his blade.

I ducked away, all the while trying desperately to read him. I had never seen someone fight like this. What was he doing?

Yorio feinted left with his upper body and then stepped immediately to the right. Confused, I faltered. And in that moment of confusion, he had me. His foot flashed sideways, catching my ankles, lifting, hooking…

All at once I was flat on my back, the breath knocked from my body.

The boys around us cheered triumphantly. One of them punched a fist in the air, his bright orange sleeve rippling.

I cursed myself silently. I knew that this defeat was my own fault. Both my teachers, Master Goku and Father, would have told me that I had thought too much during the fight. I had spent too much time
wondering about my opponent and his intention.

Now I would pay the price.

Yorio's steel sword flashed as he lightly placed the tip against my throat. “Yield,” he said, his green eyes fixed on mine. There was no pressure behind his blade, but the threat was there. Behind him, Hana and Norio were suddenly still.

“I yield,” I said in a respectful tone, holding Yorio's gaze. “But you should know that I am not your enemy. And nor are you mine.”

Yorio frowned. “What is this?” he asked. “A riddle?”

“It's no riddle,” I said. “We are both engaged in the same fight—
against
Lord Hidehira.”

“It's true,” Hana said. “We're not spies….” I could see her weighing things up in her mind. She glanced at me, took a deep breath, and blurted out, “We're not spies—we're rebels.”

There was a moment of silence. Nothing seemed to move on the riverbank. Yorio held me with his gaze, his blade still tight to my throat. Behind him, Norio and a couple of the other boys exchanged glances.

Then at last Yorio seemed to make a decision. He took his blade from my throat and nodded at me. “Stand up,” he said.

I scrambled to my feet, noticing that he didn't sheathe his sword but held it ready. He was watching
me warily. “Tell me why you're here,” he commanded. “Hidehira is your Lord Steward and you are sworn to serve him….”

I shook my head. “Not us,” I said. “We refuse to swear allegiance to that murderer. He killed our father and older brothers…burned our home…turned our friends against us.” I swallowed hard because the words felt thick in my throat. “And we will have our revenge for that.”

Yorio's eyes narrowed. “That's quite a story,” he said. “How do I know it's true?”

“You'll have to take my word for it,” I said simply.

He looked me up and down, scrutinizing my clothing. “Let's say I believe you,” he said at last. “Answer me this—where are you going, and why are you traveling without weapons?”

“We had weapons but they were stolen when we were attacked upriver,” I said, and quickly told him about the ninja in the water. He was surprised to hear of ninja lurking on the estates and sent one of the boys to inform the scouts to keep a lookout.

“And as to where we're heading,” I went on, “we're not sure, but we know it's a town nearby, your
Jito
's stronghold. Hidehira is gathering an army there and preparing to attack.”

Yorio exchanged a quick glance with Norio. “We know this already,” he said. “Our own spies have
been scouting the countryside, bringing back word of where his soldiers are gathering.” He fell silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. A light breeze stirred the trees along the riverbank and out in the water a fish leaped, silver bright.

At last, Yorio seemed to reach a decision. “You both fight well,” he said. “We need fighters like you if we are to defeat Lord Hidehira and restore peace to our land. You say that you are heading to our
Jito
's stronghold, to fight against Hidehira. Well, we have a common aim—because tonight we also march to the
Jito
's stronghold. We intend to surprise the armies massed outside the town walls. There are only two of you, whereas at our dojo there are hundreds gathering to fight shoulder to shoulder against the Kaminari.” He caught my gaze and held it. “What if I asked you to join us?”

Hana and I stared at each other, astounded. We both knew that this would be our best chance of rescuing Mother and Moriyasu. Hana gave a tiny nod, and my heart leaped with hope and excitement.

I turned to Yorio and bowed respectfully. “We would be honored,” I said.

The boys all sheathed their weapons. “This way,” said Yorio and led us all away from the riverbank.

Norio fell into step with Hana. “You fight very well,” he said, his voice full of admiration.

“Thank you,” Hana said, hiding her smile behind her hand. “I suppose you mean I fight well for a girl.”

Norio laughed. “I used to spar with my sister sometimes,” he said. “But she wasn't as fast on her feet as you are.”

Yorio slowed his pace and let his stride match mine as we made our way along a wide path that led through a grove of leafy trees. “Have you had any formal training?” he asked.

“Hana and I both studied under Master Goku for some time.”

“Master Goku is a legend,” he said, eyebrows raised. “We've all heard stories about him, many times. The master of our dojo is a great friend of his. Master Jin—you may have heard of him?”

I nodded. I recognized his name as one that Goku used to correspond with regularly, although that correspondence had been interrupted by Lord Hidehira's recent declaration of hostility toward Lord Kanahara.

“I didn't know they allowed girls to train at the dojo,” Norio said.

Hana smiled. “They don't,” she said. “He didn't know we were girls when we first arrived there. That came later.”

Norio looked confused. “What do you mean?” he asked.

I turned to glance at him over my shoulder. “We both disguised ourselves as boys and presented ourselves at the dojo for training,” I said.

Norio gaped. “You mean…you mean…y-you're a girl, too?” he stuttered.

Grinning, I reached up for the pin that secured my topknot and tugged it loose so that my long hair tumbled down over my shoulders.

There was a gasp from one of the boys. “He's a girl!” someone cried.

Abruptly Yorio started to laugh. “What's your name?” he asked.

“Kimi,” I said, combing my hair with my fingers. “My name's Kimi.” I felt a rush of pleasure at telling someone my real name for the first time in many moon phases.

We had left the river far behind us now and were walking south, heading uphill through a wood where monkeys chattered and shrieked. Dust and pollen danced in the shafts of afternoon sunlight that slanted down through the trees. The pathway forked and twisted, reached the crest of the hill, and eventually began to run alongside a high wall.

“Behind this wall is the dojo compound,” Yorio explained, as we all made our way toward an enormous gate set into the wall. “We have many courtyards and gardens, and the largest practice hall in Sagami.”

The gates were thick and imposing with wooden spikes sticking out at the top. Two armed men in steel helmets stood guard outside, but they bowed low when they saw Yorio and hurried to swing open a small door set into the gate.

I glanced around with interest as we stepped over the threshold. The compound was very much like Master Goku's dojo. Big square courtyards, the sand neatly raked, sweeping maple trees, and glimpses of wooden walkways that led through moss gardens. Away to the left I could see a cluster of students in dove-gray kimonos standing on a narrow bridge over a lily pond, and beyond them the flash of steel as someone engaged in practice combat.

“Welcome to our dojo,” Yorio said with a low bow. “I will take you immediately to Master Jin.” He turned to his friends. “You go and prepare for the assault.”

Norio and the other boys said good-bye and left us, making their way purposefully toward a long, low building with a wood-shingle rooftop that I took to be the practice hall.

Hana and I followed Yorio along a series of neat gravel pathways. We passed a knot of students who all straightened their shoulders as Yorio approached, and bowed respectfully as we passed.

“Have you studied here for a long time?” I asked.

“All my life,” he replied with a smile. “Master Jin is my father.”

“Oh!” I was impressed. Perhaps this explained why Yorio had such unusual fighting techniques. Master Jin must have been training his son since the time he learned to walk.

We passed a garden where a group of students sat quietly in meditation. We went up a flight of stone steps and found ourselves on a wide terrace that looked out over the hillside. Yorio indicated that we should wait, and then hurried away, disappearing through an archway at the far end of the terrace.

Hana and I made our way to the wooden balustrade at the edge of the terrace and stared out at the view.

I realized at once how high we had climbed to reach the training school. The river where we had left our boat was now far below, a slender ribbon of blue cutting through the wide valley. Green woodland hatched the hillside, only partly concealing the clusters of rooftops here and there that signified small villages. I wondered if Tatsuya was out there somewhere, still struggling to get free.

Some distance away, in a haze of coppery, late-afternoon sunlight, a great compound reared up from inside a hastily built shelter of fences, felled trees, and ditches. The town knew it would soon be
besieged, and it had prepared for the battle as best it could. The rooftops of its few watchtowers twisted upward like the shoulder guards of samurai armor. On another hillside I could see the curving roof of another dojo and beyond that, yet another.

“These estates are full of training schools,” Hana said in wonder.

Behind us, a cool, light voice drifted across the terrace. “We will need our students to be well trained for the fighting that is to come.”

Hana and I turned to see a stern-looking man making his way across the terrace toward us. He was tall and very thin, with high cheekbones. Simple dove-gray robes matched his gray hair. His eyes were the same unusual green as Yorio's.