Under the Sky: A Noble Flame
Chapter 1
Japan, 1581 - Nearly a year before the invasion of Iga
"Who is that?"
"Haven't you heard? It's that girl that stays at the temple."
"At the temple? With the monks?"
"Yes, it's very mysterious. No one really knows where she came from, but there are plenty of rumors."
Sayuri tried to ignore the gossiping whispers as she made her way between market stalls. Outwardly, she let a small smile soften her features and feigned ignorance. But, inwardly she cringed. Her small hands tightened their grip on her coarse shopping basket, the torn straw digging into her palms. No matter what she tried, she still attracted unwanted attention when she left the temple. Even dressing in boy's clothing didn't seem to help. From the corner of her eye, she saw a pair of women standing together and following her progress down the street. She hoped that they would get bored and leave, or at least lower their voices out of modesty. Yet, their conversation continued, and despite the girl's best efforts, she couldn't tune them out.
"They say she is cursed," one of them whispered ominously. "I've heard the monks speak of her. She has to move from temple to temple because disaster strikes everywhere she goes."
"Where are her parents?"
"She doesn't have any." Sayuri felt her heart skip a beat. She forced herself to concentrate on the fruits and vegetables in the stall in front of her. Setting her basket down on a nearby barrel, she dug through a large quantity of persimmons to find the most ripe ones she could. An inner voice told her to give the women a piece of her mind - to walk up to them and tell them that they were wrong and that the only curse she could see were their horrible manners. But, she willed herself to step above such petty actions. Her adoptive grandfather would be ashamed. She would have to spend extra time meditating today to diffuse all this negativity.
I must rid myself of the desire to be accepted. Only then will I be closer to internal peace...Somehow, thinking of this made her feel better. Though, the pain still lingered. Letting out a small sigh, she continued to pick out fresh food for the week, concentrating on the quiet of her mind and focus rather than the voices of the villagers. This was why she'd begged the head priest, Kohei, to allow her to stay in the temple instead of going out to shop every week. She even offered to do extra duties around the temple. However, none of the monks wanted to neglect their prayers to venture out into town, and since Sayuri was no monk she was the natural choice for the job.
"Excuse me, Sir," she called out to the shop keeper. "Could I please pay for these?" Upon hearing her request, an old man who stood at the other end of the stall turned around and smiled. Sayuri couldn't help but smile back. This was one of the few people in the village who bore her nothing but good will. Leaning on his cane, he hobbled over to her. His white top-knot bounced with every step.
"It's so good to see you, Sayuri-chan. My, my - just look at you. I swear you grow more beautiful every time you visit me." She blushed prettily at the unexpected compliment, her eyes darting away shyly.
"Oh please don't say that, Kowari-san. You just saw me last week, and I'm sure I haven't changed a bit." Rummaging in the pocket of her dark brown hakama for her small purse, she took out a lengthy, metallic string and pulled a few bronze coins off to place them on the market stall. "I hope this is enough. Please tell me if you need more. I still don't think you should charge me less than the others just because I'm shopping for the temple." He waved his hands dismissively.
"Nonsense. Besides, seeing your smile makes up for the discount." When she covered her face in an unconscious gesture of embarrassment, he leaned closer and whispered so that only she could hear - "My son, Hiroshi, wanted me to say hello."
"Oh, he did?" Sayuri queried. Suddenly, the vegetables in her basket were the object of her intense scrutiny.
"Why, yes. He wanted to thank you for delivering the sutras to our home last week." She nodded, doing her best to ignore the mischievous twinkle in the old man's eye.
"Of course. It's my duty to assist the temple in any way I can."
"He also wanted me to ask you if you'd come to a decision yet regarding -"
"Kowari-san," she interjected, bowing her head. "Please forgive me for rudely interrupting you, but I have already send my reply to Hiroshi-san." The old shopkeeper's smile faltered. "Your son is a wonderful and kind man to propose to someone like me. I am deeply honored by his intention. However, I don't believe I shall ever marry. I wish to dedicate my life to the temple and to prayer. Next year, I will complete the right to become a full-fledged priestess." Her rambling was cut short when Kowari placed a gentle hand on her arm.
"It's alright, Sayuri. You don't have to explain. I understand. Hiroshi does as well, though he is saddened." An awkward silence stretched between them for a few moments. "How long will you be staying this time around?" Glad to be past the uncomfortable topic of marriage, Sayuri pressed a finger to her lips in thought.
"I'm not sure. Usually grandfather sends me a message to tell me when to leave, but I've been here nearly a month and no message has arrived yet." Her brow furrowed. "I hope he is in good health."
"He is, though he misses his granddaughter very much." Both the girl and the shop keeper were startled at the sudden and very uncouth intrusion into their private conversation. Sayuri turned around, surprised when she had to crane her neck to look up at the owner of the unfamiliar voice. Grey eyes met her soft brown ones. The color caught her off guard, though not as much as the man's stature. Few men that she knew were so tall.
"Excuse me?" she stuttered, suddenly unsure of what to say.
"No, please excuse my rudeness." He bowed politely. "May I ask, are you Sayuri?"
"I am."
"Then I must request that you to follow me. I have news from your grandfather."
"And you are...?"
He bowed again. "My name is Hattori Hanzo of Iga." With a swift movement that her eyes barely caught, he reached into the front of his haori* and presented her with an envelope. From his belt, he withdrew a small dagger. "May I?" he inquired, gesturing to the wax seal on the letter. She nodded hesitantly and watched him cut through the barrier. From inside, he withdrew a thin piece of parchment and a pressed Chrysanthemum flower. Upon seeing it, her face immediately lit up with a brilliant expression of joy.
"It is from grandfather!" the girl exclaimed happily. He never failed to send her a small token of his affection with every letter. With a rush of excitement, she read through his message. As always, his calligraphy was impeccable. When her eyes reached the end of the page, she took a moment to re-read the letter once more, perhaps hoping to allay a sudden bout of homesickness. At last, she looked up at the tall man. "He says I should follow you and speak with the head priest here. Are you going to escort me to a different temple?" Although she spoke in a cheerful tone, her heart clenched. She shouldn't have been surprised by now. Ever since she was a little girl, her grandfather arranged for her to be moved periodically from temple to temple. He'd never given her an exact reason, only saying that it had something to do with her experiencing more of the world before taking her official vows as a priestess.
"You're leaving, Sayuri?" the old shopkeeper inquired.
The girl nodded slowly. "It would seem so." She bowed to him. "Thank you for everything Kowari-san. Please send my regards to Hiroshi-san." Without further ado, she picked up her shopping basket, now full of vegetables, and nodded for Hanzo to lead the way. As they moved down the street, she willed herself not to look back. If she did, she knew she would see the old man's sad face. In an attempt to stave off negative thoughts, she tried to take a closer look at her new acquaintance. In the sunlight of the early day, his hair gleamed brightly. The color, just like his eyes, was very unusual - like the teal foam of the morning ocean tide. He wore odd clothes. Although she could tell that he was dressed in a typical hakama* and haori, the cloak that covered his shoulders and most of his body was somewhat bulky and unmarked. Strange. The men her grandfather usually sent were either Sohei* or Yamabushi* warriors who complimented their clothing with clan symbols, sutras, and prayer beads. Hanzo, however, resembled neither. Nor was he a samurai. His clothes were too simple. Not to mention, a samurai would never wear such a bulky outer covering for fear of hindering his mobility. Then it finally hit her -
"Hanzo-san...did you say you were from Iga?" He nodded without pause. She bit her lip, suddenly growing worried. She'd heard of Iga on many occasions. Supposedly, it was - along with Koga - a province that housed the mysterious ninja warriors who harbored a less than shining reputation among both nobility and commoners. As if sensing her growing concern, Hanzo finally moved to look at her.
"Please, do not worry. See? We've already arrived." Snapping out of her daze, Sayuri finally noticed that they'd walked up to the main temple gates. The long trip up the stone steps to the temple was tense, at best. Sayuri hated harboring negative thoughts about a man she'd just met, but her mind couldn't wrap around the possibility that her grandfather would send someone as irreputable as a ninja to escort her anywhere. At the temple itself, a group of monks was waiting for the pair. The girl sighed in relief when she saw Kohei, the head priest, bow to her companion.
"Hanzo-sama, we have been expecting your arrival." His eyes briefly flickered to her. "Have you spoken with Sayuri regarding the situation yet?"
"Not yet. First, I think we should move inside. It isn't safe to speak outside." Hanzo reached out a hand to her. "Will you please follow us, Sayuri-hime*?" The girl balked at the honorific. What was this man doing, addressing her in such a formal fashion? She was just a temple girl. Nevertheless, she nodded, deciding that it was best to say as little as possible before she knew more about the situation. One of the monks took the basket from her, but ignored her when she tried to thank him. The feeling of dread in her stomach intensified marginally. What was going on?
OOO
Kohei escorted both her and the man named Hanzo into one of the innermost rooms of the temple. When the doors were shut and they were alone, Hanzo fell to one knee in a very formal bow to her.
"Hanzo-san! Please raise your head! I am just a simple -"
"Sayuri," Kohei suddenly barked. "Please keep silent and listen to what this man has to say." More than a little concerned now, the girl clasped her hands in front of her and wrung her fingers together nervously. At last, Hanzo looked up. All warmth had evaporated from those pale, grey eyes, leaving nothing but cold, hard, steel. The expression stole her breath. Never had anyone looked at her with such intensity before.
"Please excuse my rudeness, but I will forgo some formality to explain the situation to you as plainly and as quickly as possible. As you may know, Nobunaga Oda, a powerful daimyo* under the Ashikaga bakufu*, is currently attempting to take over the country. Although his previous targets have been pockets of religious rebellion, he has turned his eye to Iga province and the ninja there. We have attempted to negotiate with him in the past, but it seems that we are out of options. We need to unite the ninja clans and make a stand against Nobunaga or he will trample us and kill every last man, woman, and child who has any relation to the shinobi* world."
A beat. Sayuri took a moment to try and swallow this information. "I have read about Iga's negotiations with Nobunaga in my studies." Her neutral response spurred him to continue.
"That is good. Then your grandfather has done a wonderful job in raising you to be our princess."
"Please wait a moment. I think I must have misheard you - "
"Sayuri-hime," Hanzo continued smoothly, "you are not a simple temple girl. Have you ever wondered why your grandfather moved you between temples so frequently? Why you were raised in a temple in the first place and not sent to an orphanage?" She nodded, a lump gathering in her throat. "It is because you are not merely Sayuri. You are Sayuri Kusunoki, the last heir to a noble bloodline that holds the origin of all ninja in both Koga and Iga. We have been trying to keep your existence a secret from Nobunaga. This is why you've been on the move." Reeling from this sudden revelation, the girl took a few steps back. The color drained from her face.
"Ninja? So...my parents..." Hanzo didn't reply right away. In fact, his face expressed a deep-seated sadness. He seemed to ponder on what words to say. Then -
"Your parents were ninjas as well, though they belonged to a different branch that held its place among nobility. Nearly ten years ago, they were killed as part of Nobunaga's campaign to eradicate the rebellion of Tendai Buddhism."
"The fire," she whispered. Her eyes took on a glazed sheen as she momentarily recalled the nightmares she still had to this day of that horrific night of her childhood. She shook her head to clear her muddled thoughts and captured Hanzo's gaze again. "But, what use am I to you? I am not a ninja and if what you say is true, then I am the last of my clan."
"You are a symbol, Sayuri-hime, of everything the order of shinobi must stand together to protect. When Nobunaga killed your parents, we were all outraged. The massacre at Mount Hiei was an unspeakable act of tyranny, evil, and disrespect for human life. That night will reverberate in our memories for many generations, and it's because of this that a truce cannot be negotiated between us." In the wake of his powerful and impassioned speech, Sayuri felt even more uncertain than she had before. Although his words should have clarified the situation, they only made things more confusing.
"But, Hanzo-san, I'm really just an ordinary girl."
"That is not entirely true, Sayuri," Kohei cut in. "You have been educated as much, if not more than, the average noble princess. You have even been instructed in the art of combat and horsemanship. All in preparation for the day you would assume your destined role."
"Combat? But, Kohei-san, I'm not - "
"Will you run again, Sayuri? Will you run from your duty as you run from those villagers in the market or the nightmares that disturb your sleep? I would have thought that after all these years of study, you would have reached enough of a degree of enlightenment to understand that you must accept the hand that fate deals you." His words cut into her with their sharp truth. She'd been running all her life.
"I don't...that is..."
"Sayuri-hime." Hanzo stood up and walked to her. With utmost care, he put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "All of us in Iga, Koga, and even Fuma are ready to stand behind you against this threat. We are ready to give our lives for you. I swear upon my soul that while I live, if it is within my power, I will let nothing harm you. So, please, trust us and lend us your strength." His words rang with such profound sincerity that she truly felt she had no choice but to smile back at him. She still had no idea what this stranger needed from her, but she suddenly wanted to understand. Steeling herself for what lay ahead, she nodded.
"What must I do?"
To be continued...
Appendix
Haori - A hip- or thigh-length kimono-like jacket, which adds formality to an outfit.
Hakama - A divided or undivided skirt which resembles a wide pair of trousers, traditionally worn by men but also by women in less formal situations. A hakama typically is pleated and fastened by ribbons, tied around the waist over the obi
Sohei - were Buddhist warrior monks of feudal Japan. At certain points of history they held considerable power, obliging the imperial and military governments to collaborate.
Yamabushi - are Japanese mountain hermits with a long tradition, endowed with supernatural powers in traditional Japanese mysticism. They also participated in battles and skirmishes alongside samurai and sohei on occasion.
Hime - an honorific used when addressing a princess.
Bakufu - the official (and also alternate) name for "shogunate".
Shinobi - an alternate (and older) title for "ninja".
Daimiyo - were the powerful territorial lords who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings. In the term, "dai" literally means "large", and "myō" stands for myōden meaning private land.