Chapter Seventeen
Clarity
>>>Midday - May 7, 1583
It was a little past noon in the forests of Mt. Gozaisho when Jiro finally put out the campfire. Noriko still couldn't quite believe what had been said earlier that morning as she returned from pulling her katana out of a very stubborn pine tree. Shisho Kumo, the ninja she had met in New Komo Town, was the one responsible for her father's murder? The fact that he was an Iga ninja only compounded the mystery. What had her father done to attract the attention of the Iga? Was it even official business?
"So," Jiro began as he gathered up his supplies. "I assume you'll want to go after the ninja now that you know what he's done."
"Of course." Noriko replied. "The fact that my father's murderer must pay for what he's taken from me has not changed, no matter who that turns out to be."
"Understandable." Jiro commented. "Everyone's got their own problems to deal with."
Something occurred to Noriko for the first time. "Wait, what are you going to do now? You mentioned earlier that you weren't part of that . . . Blood Oath, right? If that's true, then why are you here?"
Jiro smiled. "I was wondering when you'd ask that. Let me ask you something; who can defeat the High Yaen Master in a straight-on confrontation?" He gave Noriko time to give a quizzical look before continuing. "That's exactly right: no one, not even me. I joined his group and pretended to drink the Ryuketsu so that I could figure out a way to put a stop to whatever he's up to. As it turns out, whenever he's using that bone mask to actively control his followers, he has to split his concentration. The next time he does that in front of me, that'll be the time to strike."
"So that's it." Noriko concluded. "You're here to kill High Yaen Master Raijin. It doesn't make much sense though. What does Raijin hope to achieve?"
Jiro sighed heavily. "A long time ago, Raijin was a good man. No, a great one. Raijin tought Jeffy and I the skills we needed to survive in the world. He was someone of both lofty ideals and rock-solid practicality. Even now, he believes he's working for the salvation of Japan. However, something has clouded his vision. I'm not quite sure what just yet, but I'll find out when I confront him. I do know this much, though: the Raijin that Jeffy and I knew years ago would never have used something so insidious as the Ryuketsu."
Noriko looked downward. "How will you know when the time is right, or that it will even come soon?"
Jiro replied quickly. "The key is that other raiju, Hideaki. He's the only one out of Raijin's troupe that took the Ryuketsu willingly. I don't think there's a single drop of red blood left in him. Still, no matter how much control Raijin exerts over him, he can't control Hideaki's rage against that Ueda Takashi. Hideaki blames that ronin for everything bad that ever happened to him, and he won't rest until he's exacted his revenge. If Hideaki fights again, Raijin will have to actively exert control over him, and I'll be there to take advantage of it."
The Yaen Master suddenly drew his katana in a lightning-quick motion. "Of course, now that I've told you all this, I'll have to kill you."
Noriko took a moment to judge the intent in Jiro's eyes. "What? You can't be serious!"
The sword master continued to glare at Noriko for a few more seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Ok, you got me, I'm not going to kill you. Still, I could use some practice if I'm going to go up against the High Yaen Master himself. Think you could spare a little time from your newfound 'Kumo Hunt' to spar with me?"
Noriko smiled and drew the Amatsuotome in cohesion with a cool gust of air from the south. "Ready when you are, Matsuda Jiro."
>>>Afternoon - May 8, 1583
Ueda Takashi sat cross-legged at the Yunoyama Onsen's dining room table, his hands folded under his chin and his elbows resting on the hard wood of the furniture. His eyes calmly followed Yamamoto Fuji as he continued to package supplies for his travel sack. The apprentice had kept himself busy for most of the day in this manner. In fact, Takashi was fairly certain that Fuji hadn't slept a wink since they had buried his mother yesterday evening.
"You know," Takashi commented. "We could, sort of, help you with that."
"No thanks." Fuji mumbled, his fresh white gi shifting with his overstated movements.
Takashi sighed heavily. "Come on, Fuji. Where are you going?"
"Simple." Fuji stated. "Raijin destroyed my family. Megumi betrayed us and killed my mother. I'm going to find them both and . . ."
"And what?" Takashi questioned flatly. "You think you can take on the High Yaen Master? You think you can even come close to the skill of a fully trained Iga ninja who already made a fool out of each and every one of us?"
Fuji stared intently at the table. "I understand that, but what am I supposed to do? If I don't confront them now, I may never have the chance again. Besides, I can't just run away from this!"
"I know." Takashi grumbled, rubbing his face in exasperation. "I know, ok? Look, all I'm saying is that we need to have a plan if we're going to do anything at all."
"A plan?" Fuji questioned as he lifted the gigantic Shinryo-ken onto the table and began to wrap it in cloth. "Listen, you guys don't have to come with me. Raijin and Megumi are my problem, and I'm the only one who can do anything about this sword, right? It makes sense that I should be the one to go."
Yuki suddenly entered from the stairway, carrying bedding material. "Don't talk like you're the only one with problems here, Fuji. Think about who you sound like right now."
Fuji stopped for a moment. He hadn't really thought about it in his constant flurry of activity, but his current course of action did seem strikingly familiar.
"You're right." he admitted, setting down the broadsword. "I do sound like Noriko. Has there been any sign of her?"
"Well," Yuki began. "Most of her travel stuff is still here, and her hat too. If she left, it must have been in a hurry."
"Probably going after that Jiro again." Takashi added. "Well, at least we took care of that Wild Card guy, but Noriko is still out there, and so is the guy who killed her father. We still don't know what happened to Jeffy-sensei either."
"Hideaki is still after Takashi's life." Yuki continued. "The ninjas are still here as well. Fuji, we're not going to get anything accomplished by splitting up now."
The apprentice looked down toward the table, his eyes shifting left and right uncomfortably. "Takashi, Yuki?" he questioned. "I trust you, ok? Thing is, I trusted Megumi just the same, and look what happened. It's not that I think you're going to betray me or anything, but I just don't know if I can keep going while depending on other people."
"You know what?" Takashi said, standing straight up. "You don't trust us. You don't trust us one bit to say something like that."
"What?" Fuji responded.
"You heard me." Takashi continued. "Think about what you just said. There's only two reasons that a person would be unwilling to depend on someone else. One is if they're just plain stubborn, like Noriko, and two is if they can't trust them. Since you don't come off as the stubborn type, it's easy to see where you're coming from."
"Look," Fuji replied, anxiety in his voice. "It's not that I don't want to, I just can't help it."
Takashi looked sternly toward the apprentice. "No way, I don't want to hear that from you. There's no such thing as a person who can't control the way they act toward other people. It's not that you can't help it, it's that you're afraid to make a decision." The ronin put a hand on the table and leaned toward Fuji. "Remember what I said yesterday? No more running. No more retreat; we don't have that luxury anymore. You need to decide now, Fuji. We want to help you out. We've got our own problems to take care of, but we don't want to see you die needlessly either."
"He's right, you know?" Yuki added. "Do you think that the time we've spent together means nothing? We helped each other out plenty of times already; what makes things so different now?"
Fuji looked down at his hands. "I just . . . I don't know what to do anymore. What are we anyway? Traveling companions? Partners in crime?"
"Heck no." Takashi smiled. "I thought we could be friends." The ronin extended a hand toward the apprentice. "A man doesn't become a warrior because of skill, he is called that because he has a reason to fight. In that sense, you're now as much of a warrior as any one of us. I can't trust someone who does things at a whim, but I can trust someone who's here for a reason, who's here to fight for a reason."
Yuki extended her hand toward the apprentice as well, smiling widely. "I don't want to see something bad happen to you, Fuji. You're a nice person, and there aren't that many people like you in the world. I know you want to deal with the people who screwed up your family, but don't let that become your life. We want to come with you, and we want you to come with us."
"Each of us has a good reason to go to the top of this mountain." Takashi continued. "Each of us values each other's life. Is there a better definition of friendship that you can think of?"
Fuji smiled and put his right hand together with Takashi's and Yuki's. "Okay then. We'll go together as friends."
Takashi used his left hand to press all of their hands together. "And we're coming back the same way, got it?"
"Yeah," Fuji responded. "All of us."
>>>
"Taroto-san!"
The elderly man leaned back toward the store entrance. "Nobumitsu-san? Is that you?"
The town guardian stood in the doorway to the grain store, his face contorted with worry. "Taroto-san, where do you keep my armor?"
"Armor?" the grain seller questioned. "Whatever would you need that for?"
"I'll explain in a minute." Nobumitsu answered. "Just show me where it is."
Taroto rose from his chair and entered the back storage room, removing a key from the top of a dusty shelf. The old man undid the latch on a large cabinet in back, exposing a set of samurai-style plated armor behind the doors.
Nobumitsu nodded in agreement and began putting on the outfit. "Last night, our library was again raided by that large raiju. I went to stop him once and for all, but he ran off for the woods as soon as he saw me. I chased after him, but he held Tomoe hostage in order to keep me at bay!"
"Tomoe!" Taroto exclaimed. "What was she doing there?"
Nobumitsu's eyes narrowed. "I think she was trying to go see those warriors up at the Yunoyama Onsen again. She wasn't happy with the way I took her from the onsen, but I didn't think she'd try to sneak up there on her own at night."
"So," Taroto began as Nobumitsu fitted the shoulder pads. "What now? Are there conditions? Threats? What do you need the armor for?"
"No conditions." the town guardian responded. "That raiju is a beast, but he didn't kidnap Tomoe just to get away from me. He has something else in mind, and I'm willing to bet that the rest of those cretins at the shrine are involved as well. I'm going to do the only thing I can do, put a stop to this nonsense right here and now. I'm taking Keichiro and Honda with me to rid our town of that cursed raiju and his fellow bandits."
Nobumitsu had just finished putting on the armor and was about to walk back out of the store when Taroto spoke up.
"Nobumitsu! Stay for a moment."
The town guardian turned. "What is it, Taroto-san? I must hurry."
Taroto looked toward the floor. "I know about Takashi's return, and Yuki as well. Tomoe told me everything. Also, the raiju who took Tomoe is Hideaki, is he not?"
Nobumitsu answered calmly. "Indeed, the three children you once cared for have returned from afar. However, they are not who they once were."
Taroto straightened. "Why did you not tell me yourself, Nobumitsu?"
The town guardian sighed. "I did not want to cause you grief, Taroto-san. They return only to bring trouble to our town, and I did not want you to think any worse of those outcasts than everybody else already does."
Taroto resumed his seat in a wooden chair. "Let me tell you something before you go, Nobu. The actions of Takashi, Yuki, and Hideaki are not a disappointment to me. Everyone must grow up one day, and so everyone must change. Some changes are for the better, some are for the worse, but everyone makes that choice. Hideaki's actions are inexcusable for now, but do not hate Takashi and Yuki simply because their choices are different than yours."
"Taroto-san," Nobumitsu sighed. "How easily can you brush aside what Takashi did eight years ago? Is there any excuse for-"
Taroto held up a skeletal hand that silenced Nobumitsu. "I know Takashi better than you ever will, Nobumitsu, and my opinions regarding that night have not changed. It may be a fault, but I will always believe in his good spirit, and Yuki's as well."
Nobumitsu nodded gravely. "I hope you are right, Taroto-san. Especially for Tomoe's sake."
>>>
It was sunset by the time that Takashi, Yuki, and Fuji finally left the Yunoyama Onsen. Scorching red rays of light cut through the pine trees and cast ethereal shadows on the lonely mansion. The three companions had cleaned and straightened everything inside thoroughly before they left, in memory of the generous tenant who had accommodated them, regardless of her true intent. From where they now stood at the edge of a trail leading toward the shrine, Fuji could just barely see the rudimentary tombstone they had erected for May near the misty cliffs where Noriko had trained.
"Well," Takashi said with a heavy sigh. "Let's get on with it."
As the ronin turned toward the forest, Fuji suddenly spoke. "Takashi?"
"Eh?" the ronin called back.
Fuji looked at the mansion wistfully as a bird twittered in the distance. "Do you think we'll ever see this place again?"
"I don't see any reason to." Takashi stated. "After all, we're not really welcome around New Komo Town as long as I'm with you."
"That's not what I meant." Fuji replied. "Will we ever be able to see it again?"
"What?" the ronin called back. "You think you're going to die or something?"
"Hey!" Yuki piped up. "No thinking like that anymore! You've got to keep optimistic from here on in, ok? We're not gonna run anymore, remember?"
"That's right!" Takashi laughed, giving Fuji a friendly slap on the back. "Let's get a move-on my good fellow! No more running for any of us!"
Fuji had just turned to follow suit with his companions when he heard a strange noise, something like a hoarse chatter. The apprentice turned around to see a strange animal following in his footsteps.
"Hey, Takashi?" Fuji questioned.
"Nani kore?" the ronin asked.
Fuji looked back again at the animal. "What is that following us?"
Both Yuki and Takashi turned around to see the strange-looking beast give another chattering noise.
"Oh," Takashi commented lightly. "A tanuki. They're fairly common in these parts, nothing to worry about."
Fuji couldn't stop looking at the animal as he continued walking. It was shaped somewhat like a dog, but the face seemed oddly rodent-like with its narrow snout and long whiskers. While its massive mane of fur was mostly silver-gray in color, certain sections were almost pitch black, such as a mask on the face,the ears, the legs, and rings on the tail. Its triangular ears twisted this way and that in response to small sounds in the underbrush, and it would shake itself thoroughly every now and then, almost as if something were giving it a serious itch.
"Geez," Fuji complained. "It's not going away."
"Just ignore it." Takashi advised. "It's not going to follow us all the way to the summit unless you feed it something."
When Fuji turned back around, the raccoon dog shot a sharp glare at Takashi.
What makes you so sure about that, ronin? Now, what was that damn name again? Starts with a "C", I'm sure of it. Ca- Cai- Cait-something?
(End Chapter Seventeen)
Japanese Dialogue and Terms (in order of appearance):
nani kore - basically, "what is it?".
tanuki - as the text suggests, a raccoon dog. Once common in Japan, the raccoon dog is in truth a dog, yet it looks almost exactly like a raccoon. It is presently on the endangered species list due to overhunting.
