Chapter II

  “What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but

  excels in winning with ease.”

  "The Art of War"

  ~ by Sun Tzu ~

  Master Goshiu had come home for a few weeks and since his bodyguard had to go where he went, I would be seeing more of my father for a time. My father refused to give me permission to continue training with Brother Yuri. He said it was not proper for me to train with the heimin, but that I should go to one of the Koga dojo instead. All I needed to do was request it of my Daimyo. I felt that this was some sort of test.

  I had spent my childhood with my mother. She was a loving warm woman who had obviously allowed me far too much freedom, but I loved her because of that. I spent my time dreaming of being a tailor not knowing what expectations others held for me. My mother spent her time enjoying my company and reveling in the time she had with me. She knew, though, like all samurai wives, that our time together would come to an end sooner than she would like.

  Father had spent these years waiting for me to become old enough to begin my training as a mononofu. He allowed me to run and play and did not bother me for bending the rules of society like all children in Giapan had done for millennia. You do not reprimand a child for using his chopsticks to grab the same piece of fish that you have, even though for an adult this is a huge taboo. However, he did have expectations of me. He had been waiting for the sign that I was ready to begin my life as a samurai and it had come.

  He gave me a speech while we sat together on the porch of our home.

  “My son, you must continue to train hard. People will depend upon you to defend them and their property. Even our great lord, Daimyo Tetsuya, will expect only the best from you. A Koga samurai is loyal, courageous, strong, and most of all, resourceful. These are the things you must achieve as a Koga Mononofu.”

  I nodded to Father but didn't know if I could stand up to those requirements. But a boy does not tell his father that. Not in the Golden Land of Giapan.

  "You are quiet," he said.

  I nodded. He rose and I followed. We walked from our house to one of the public gardens of the castle.

  “I know what you feel, and it is normal Hiro."

  "…What if a samurai is unsure, Father?"

  "He must not show it." He said this firmly, but sympathetically.

  "…What if a Koga is afraid?"

  "He must not show it."

  "What if I fail?"

  He stopped and watched me for a moment as I continued to walk without him. I stopped when I realized he was not beside me.

  "You will not."

  He laid his hand on my shoulder. It was one of the few times he had done that. We walked for a long time in the gardens. He never quit talking to me about what was to come.

  "You are of the Koga House.” He went on to quote our motto. “A Koga does what must be done.” He went on to describe how we saw ourselves. “The Koga are one. If one Koga looks weak, we all look weak. If you are in need, a Koga will aid you. If another Koga is in need, you must aid them. A Koga is the worst of enemies but the best of friends. This is the way of the Koga." He spoke long on this. I think he was trying to prepare me.

  I spent that evening trying to come up with some way to explain things to Brother Yuri that did not make me seem like an ass. It did not look promising. I awoke in the morning and said my goodbyes to Mother and Father. Then I went to Brother Yuri to explain why I couldn’t stay in his class. He had been too good of a friend not to tell him, and, as Father said, a Koga is the best of friends. A good friend would not lie to a man for years without explaining his reasons. I found him near the shrine, as always.

  “Ah! The young lord returns.” To him that was just a joke.

  “Yes, brother.”

  He looked at me for several moments. “You obviously have something very important to say to me, Hiro san. What is it, little one?”

  “…I have been lying to you brother.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “About?”

  I waited a long time before answering. “My father is Shotoku Kanichi.”

  He relaxed after that. “Ah. Yes. I know your father. A very good man.”

  “I came to explain why I deceived you.”

  He pursed his lips and nodded. “That is a good place to start.”

  “I just wanted to talk with the heimin. I wanted to...understand them. If I had told anyone

  who I am, they would have treated me like….”

  He nodded again but more slowly. “I understand, Hiro sama.” There it was. My shoulders

  slumped even more hearing him call me his superior. “And you understand why I cannot

  continue to train you. Yes?”

  “Yes. You are their only means of learning self-defense, but I can go to my Daimyo.”

  “Very good. You have learned much little Koga.” He leaned in close to whisper. “Do not forget these lessons.”

  “Yes, Brother Yuri.”

  He leaned back and watched me a moment before we bowed goodbye. He wasn’t angry. Just disappointed. I went home that evening and ate with both Mother and Father, which was a very nice change. I liked having my father home. I didn't know him but I wanted to. This visit of his was at a time when I was finally old enough to understand him. Later that evening, while we were sitting in the garden that made up our small front yard, I asked him about a story I had heard in town.

  “Father, I heard you once defeated 23 ronin in combat. Can you tell me the story?” I asked hopefully.

  My mother made a face. “Your mother does not like it when I talk about myself

  Hiro san...” He said with his usual stern tone. He must have seen my disappointment as he slowly began to grin. “...So I had escorted Lord Goshiu to one of the Okayama castle's...” Mother almost threw her arms in the air while Father continued. “He was there to discuss some trade agreement or something. We were taking a break from the day’s discussion and he wanted to visit the gardens.”

  I had seen my father leave for work and return many times over the years and he always looked the same. A basic cotton kimono with wide hakama pants, and of course his daisho which was his set of samurai swords. He was a stoic man. A samurai's samurai, but he was very animated once his story got going.

  “So then,” He leaned in towards me, “without any warning, men just started pouring over the wall! To their credit they did not scream as they attacked so it took the house guards a few moments to realize anything was happening in the garden.” His arms pantomimed his shock. “You may not know this but I was never particularly good at Iaijutsu.” Iaijutsu is the art of drawing the sword and attacking in the same swing. “...and yet I was still able to draw and cut the first ronin in half as he jumped from the top of the wall towards me.” He made a motion like he was cutting the man as he dropped down. “Immediately after that two more landed to either side of me.” He looked left and right. “I kicked the one to my left in the stomach and cut the arm off the one to my right...”

  The story went on for a long time and it was very good. The bench Goshiu had been sitting on backed up to the garden wall so Father had stuffed him under it and picked up another katana from a fallen samurai. He then stood in front of the bench scissoring through the ronin as they came to kill Goshiu. He was able to hold them off until the house samurai showed up and dispatched or chased off the rest. “Once it was all done, Goshiu was furious!“

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Well it was the rainy season so he was wet. Covered in mud. His clothes and hair were

  disheveled and it did not help any that I slammed his head into the bench when I shoved him under it. Add to that all of the blood covering us and the garden... You can see how that might push someone in a bad mood.” He shrugged.

  I nodded. “What happened?”

  He leaned back a little and smiled. “I stood there looking at him and he looked so much like a soaked cat that I could not help but laugh. And I could not stop. After a few moments Goshiu was laughing too.”

  My father was only in town for two weeks so I made arrangements with my uncle to cover for me with my friends. I spent as much time with Father as I could, which was not as much as I would have liked. Even though Goshiu released him from his duties while they were home he still had responsibilities to our House. Some of his time was spent in court because our Daimyo enjoyed having him present. I was able to go with him and sit next to him when he was there. Some of his time was spent with friends in the castle and some of his time was spent in town. I was a child so he did not tell me what he did when he was with friends or in town.

  I would go with him when he visited in the castle but I had to make excuses when he visited people in town. Some of my father's friends were friends of mine as well and I did not want them to know who I was just yet. The rest of his schedule was occupied by the large portion of the day that he spent with Mother in their room alone. “Talking.” They “Talked” a lot. Which irritated me because I could not figure out what was so important. I did not take the opportunity to ask my Daimyo for permission to join one of his dojo because I thought it would take away from the time I had left with my father.

  I think the time in court was my favorite because we sat close to the Daimyo where all of the action was. We almost always had father’s Lord Goshiu and my friend Eita with us. It made for very entertaining conversation while we were there. I remember my first day in court very clearly because an odd thing occurred with Eita's older brother, Masao. We had been there for almost an hour when he was announced to the court. He was greeted by several people as he made his way to the front. I could see that he was a good looking young man with a strong confident bearing and was about to settle in on the far side of the court just as he saw us across the dais from him. He smiled when he saw us and began to cross over to us since there was nothing pressing being addressed in court at the time. Daimyo Tetsuya, who had been in discussion with an adviser at the time, looked up and saw his son Masao approaching us.

  Tetsuya glanced at me and then said, “Masao, no.” He motioned for his son to approach the throne. Masao quickly bowed in obedience to our Daimyo and did as his father urged.

  They spoke quietly for several moments back and forth until Tetsuya broke off the discussion.

  “No. You will obey me in this.”

  My Daimyo's tone was firm but not angry. He motioned Masao towards the doors to leave the court. Masao bowed to his father and left but with a furious expression on his face. The court was very quiet until Daimyo Tetsuya called for the next issue. The three of us looked to Eita to see what he thought but he just gave a small shrug and shook his head a little before excusing himself to see if his brother was alright. It would be many years before I found out what was wrong or why Tetsuya made him leave.

  While Mother and Father were “talking,” I would often slip out to visit my uncle Tozasu. I liked to help him with his tailoring, and it was fun to catch him up on the news from court. He didn't get to go very often. While I was eating with Tozasu one day I happened to ask, “Uncle, why do you not talk to Pe?”

  He looked up, surprised. “The geisha?!”

  “Yes. She talks about you very much.”

  He looked dubious at that statement. “Only because I am the only man in town who does not want her!”

  “But you always look at her when you pass her in the street?”

  “Hiro! It is not polite to point such things out!”

  Well if he thought yelling at me was going to get him anywhere he was mistaken. “But it is true. Why not take her a grand kimono? She would be very flattered.”

  “And why should I want to flatter her?”

  I stared at him. “She is lovely and intelligent. And they say she was once a Samurai-ko. She is a very capable woman.”

  “Humph.” He kept eating his rice.

  “I think you should. She would be a very good match for you.”

  “And what would people think of me marrying a woman who owns a geisha house? No! A geisha school!”

  “They would think you wise enough to get a woman with her own means, rather than some pretty flower with only her looks to speak for her.”

  That stumped him. I ate my rice.

  My father had to return to Teikoku Toshi no Kyoto with Goshiu a week later.

  “Why do we not go with him Mother?”

  She looked down at me. “We have no family in the capital Hiro.”

  I was confused. “But we would see Father more.”

  “Not much. His duties would keep him out of our home most of the time. At least here we have your uncle and friends.”

  My three friends, Cho, Goruchi and Himi didn't have both parents. Himi had his mother who was ill more times than not. Chi had only his father, the policeman, because his mother died from a cholera outbreak when he was a baby. Cho lost both of his parents to a fire in the heimin quarter of town. I had a father and a mother. I had not appreciated that fact until this last visit from Father. He was well respected and loved by many people, from our Daimyo to Brother Yuri the monk. I was already missing him.

  One afternoon, weeks after my father had left, I was on my way home from pacing the streets when I saw my uncle standing outside Pe’s geisha school. Normally, a patron has to be introduced by a member of the club to the Okasan but I knew my uncle was there to see Pe specifically. I waited in the shadows and watched as she came to the doorway. She was lovely. She of course denied the wrapped gift three times, which is the custom with gift giving, but I could see the joy in her eyes when she accepted the gift and opened it to find a grand kimono.

  “Will you not come in, Tozasu sama?”

  “I… cannot, my lady. It would not do. But I would be most grateful to talk with you tomorrow... at Suma’s tea-house?”

  “Yes. That would be very nice, Tozasu sama.”

  They both bowed and parted. I felt great! My uncle may have finally found someone! I was elated as I walked home. I was going through the back alleys to the castle when I heard people yelling. I wandered around a corner to see the scene. There stood my three best friends, Cho, Goruchi, and Himi. A nobleman’s two sons were yelling at Himi. One of them was brandishing a tanto. I walked toward my friends and watched, wondering what to do.

  “You think you are good enough to talk to us, hinin?!”

  “I only wished you good evening, my lord.”

  These “noble” pigs were just being bullies. Himi had done nothing to them. But these pigs knew none of the peasants could interfere for fear of the death sentence that would follow. I was getting angry and about to say something when the one with the tanto finally worked up the courage to stab Himi in the stomach. We all screamed.

  Thinking my friend dead, I cursed the two for the worthless, honor-less dogs they were. I hollered how their parents were not fit to clean the blood from an eta’s feet. My other two friends and I ran as the two cowards chased us. They were only a little older than us and not old enough to be faster than us. Getting past the precinct and city guards at each of the gates was easy. The guards didn't care about running children, only rowdy samurai. After running out of the city, I told my friends to make for the woods. When we neared the woods I began to slow a little.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Get ready.” I said.

  When the boys were almost on top of me, I threw myself sideways on the ground. They were too close to react in time. They tripped over me and flew through the air. I heard one of them scream as he hit the ground. I got up and helped Cho and Goruchi pummel the other to death with stones.

  Later I found that his friend had accidentally sunk the knife into his own heart when he landed. I would have thought there would have been some great change in me before all of this. I had killed a boy, but somehow I felt the same as I had before leaving my uncle’s shop. I was no longer excited, but I was far from upset at what I had done. I think when they killed Himi they had made me too angry to regret killing them.

  I made my friends help me drag their bodies into the grove and bury them there. I then made sure we cleaned ourselves in the nearby river. It wouldn't do to come back with blood on us. Once we caught our breath we walked back to town. Cho was feeling queasy.

  “I don’t feel very good.” He stepped off to the side of the road and became sick.

  When he had finished I asked him, “What’s wrong?”

  “We killed them. Do you know what they'll do to us?”

  “Yes. But they were traitors to our House.”

  They both looked at me. “How so?” Goruchi asked.

  “Koga are supposed to stick together. Be there for each other, like we were. Not bully each other. And certainly not kill each other just because we can.”

  They both nodded after a while. We hid in the trees and waited for a large group of heimin going into the city after working the rice fields for the day to pass by. When one did we fell in with them and slipped past the guards. I led us back to where we expected to find Himi’s body but there was only Xi the jeweler, standing there with the local Machi-bugyo; the Chief of Police. Xi was an old man, and frail to look at but he had a wit that would make most jesters blink. He wasn’t laughing at the present though.

  “Xi sama? Where is Himi’s body?” I asked. The Machi-bugyo approached. I didn't know him.

  “Are these the boys you saw running away, Xi san?”

  “Yes, my lord.” He had to answer. If he lied and was caught, he would die for it. I could

  understand that.

  “Where are the two that were chasing you?” The police chief was talking to me now.

  “I am afraid Xi is mistaken, Machi-bugyo sama. There were no people chasing us. We just heard about Himi a few moments ago.” My friends looked at me. They were scared. I was too, but what choice did we have? The Machi-bugyo looked sternly at me.

  “Xi san is an upstanding citizen of this city. Who are you to claim he is wrong?” Again, I didn’t have any choice. I straightened my shoulders.

  “I am Shotoku Hiro. Son of Shotoku Kanichi.”

  The Machi-bugyo looked at me. My friends stared stupefied. I went on. “My uncle, as you know Lord Machi-bugyo, is Tozasu the tailor.” He nodded. As the son of a samurai it would take someone of equal status to contest what I claimed. Poor confused Xi was not that person.

  Xi, with eyes wide, spoke up. “Yes, my lord. Tozasu is the boy's uncle. I must have been

  mistaken about what I saw.”

  The Machi-bugyo nodded, and with nothing left to do here, he left. Xi told us where to find our friend. He watched me as we walked away. My friends said nothing as we walked. The monk from a nearby temple had taken Himi to his home and was working on him. The monk said Himi couldn’t see us until tomorrow, but he would be fine. We could hear Himi’s mother crying from inside the house. She would be hurt badly if Himi died. He was her only family, and she needed the money he made to add to her own to make ends meet. We left as the monk wished, but I for one had my doubts about Himi's recovery.

  The next morning I left to check on Himi first thing. I found him well and rested. The monk had healed him, but his body would still take some time to get back into shape. Himi was very happy to see me. Someone had told Himi and his mother what had happened after he was stabbed. His mother was very grateful. I apologized for not doing anything to stop it, but she seemed more than happy that, “what was done was done,” as she put it. She was, unfortunately, very respectful. Himi seemed to have the same problem.

  "I am honored that you helped me, Hiro sama." He smiled.

  I shook my head with a smile. Soon Cho and Goruchi arrived. They spoke with Himi for a while, until the monk made us leave him so he could rest. The silence outside was unbearable. Finally Goruchi gave in.

  “Domo arigato for helping us yesterday, my lord.” He bowed to me while I stared at him.

  When he rose I said, “That is possibly the stupidest thing I have ever seen you do.”

  His jaw dropped. “I was being respectful, my lord!”

  “Which only proves you are as stupid as I have always claimed.” I said.

  He got very red and shoved me to the ground. When he realized what he had done his eyes got big. Cho stood there with his mouth open. As for me. I sat there and began to laugh. Eventually they did to. I raised my hand to Goruchi and he helped me up.

  “If I had wanted heimin to bow to me, I could have come out dressed in my best kimono

  and wearing my tanto.” I shook my head at them.

  Cho nodded and said, “True but now we must be careful around others.”

  “Yes, unfortunately.”

  There was another long pause. Goruchi chimed in when he grew tired of it. “I hear that Kuma needs help repairing the guardhouse at the barracks.”

  That sounded like fun. We liked watching the soldiers train, and Kuma was a fun loving man. We agreed and walked off towards the barracks of Castle Goemon.

  So, things had changed. It was a chore trying to convince all of my friends that they need not treat me differently, but it made a lot of things easier as well. Since I had met all of the commanders of the guard to the castle while my father was visiting, getting my friends into the castle was easy now.

  The peasantry came around after some time, but only within reason. So no more chores from the carpenters. No more helping out in the tea-houses. And no more favors for the pretty geisha. I managed to keep them all talking to me at least, which was difficult and took some time. In retrospect, I think it was worth it. They were good people.

  My uncle’s relationship with Pe was going well. The whole city was talking about it. They made a wonderful couple. None would talk badly of them for fear that our Daimyo would be upset by their criticism of two of his favorite servants. They were both in very good standing with him, and it wasn’t like my uncle was a noble lord. A tailor can suit whoever he wants. I was happy for him, and Pe was happy to find out she wouldn’t be mothering a young boy after all.

  But, not all of life is pleasant. I had been putting off talking to my Daimyo. I knew I had to, but for some reason making a request of him frightened me. I would have to find his son Eita to make the introductions.

  I thought he would be able to smooth things over for me and maybe I wouldn't be so frightened with Eita present. I wasn't sure how to find Eita though. He had always just popped up before. I figured he would find me if I was obvious and stood out. I walked down the main pathway of the castle and out into the gardens. I went through the multiple gardens of the castle several times over, but no Eita. I went through the castle to the several libraries, no Eita. Eventually I went into the city to see if I could find him there. At the tea-houses? No. Gambling dens? No. The Police Station!? No Eita. Eventually a man in a brown cloak with maroon stains stopped me. He looked to be of an age with my father.

  “Hiro san, what are you doing?” he asked with a confused expression.

  I was surprised that he knew my name but answered him because I had nothing to lose. “I am trying to find Lord Goemon Eita.”

  He nodded as if some great question had been answered for him. “He is at your aunt's geisha-house.” He smiled.

  Apparently their marriage was a foregone conclusion for everyone around here. I thanked the strange man and headed to Pe's school. Once there I inquired for him from the back door of

  the building. One must be discrete when inquiring about a guest of a geisha-house. I had been pacing and waiting for him to come out when I heard, “So, you are Hiro, hmm?”

  I looked up to see a thin man dressed in a rich red and white silk kimono. He wore no weapons that I could see other than a tanto.

  “Yes. I am Shotoku Hiro.” Something in his tone put me on my guard.

  “I am Nokizaru Tisada. I believe you know something about my sons.”

  “No. I do not, Tisada sama.”

  He quickly reached to grab me. I slapped his hand out of the way and jumped back. “I think you lie.” That is when I heard him. Finally.

  “And I think you are mistaken, Tisada.” Not adding the suffix “san” was very insulting unless you were very intimate with that person.

  Eita exited Pe's back door to stand next to the man. Tisada turned towards him and took a few steps back.

  “My lord! I did not realize you were there.” He bowed to Eita, but my friend did not return it. He just stood there staring at Tisada. “Lord Eita, this boy was last seen in the company of my sons. I simply wish to know what he knows of them,” he said with a nervous smile. I slowly sidestepped to my left to get closer to Eita. Tisada continued. “I have not seen them in weeks, my lord.” Eita said nothing. He just watched Tisada. The man became very nervous as the silence dragged on. “Surely you can see nothing wrong with a father asking about his children, my lord?” Still nothing. Tisada began to shake a little with nothing but silence around him. “Gomen nasai if I have offended you, my lord. Please forgive me, it will not happen again.”

  His apology did not appear to have any effect on Eita. The man bowed, and again Eita did not return it. Tisada left quickly. When he was out of sight my friend turned towards me. I had thought by his actions that he was angry.

  "Koga-ko? What brings you here?" He sounded very pleasant now. I bowed to him and he returned it. That was odd.

  “I had hoped to find you, Eita sama.”

  He laughed at that. “And so you have. What can I do for you?”

  "My father insisted I stop training with Brother Yuri the Yamabushi."

  "Ah. I see. And he wants you to receive training from my Father’s Sensei instead?"

  I nodded. "I was not sure how to ask our Daimyo. I had hoped you could tell me, since he is your father."

  "Of course, come with me. We will go request a meeting with our lord."

  I was happy at this good news. "Do you think he will grant it?"

  He laughed again. "I hope so. I would hate to think I had fallen that far out of favor with him."

  He motioned for me to follow him as he asked about Father and Mother. I answered him but my mind was on how to ask the Daimyo for training. The walk was short, or at least it felt that way. Eita walked me through the outer gates of the castle to the main entrance of the Tenshin at the castle's center. We walked through several winding halls until finally stopping somewhere in the middle of the servants’ quarters. I looked around but all I could see was wood halls and simple doorways. Eita made me close my eyes while he did something. I heard something slide open. He guided me through what I guessed was a secret door.

  Once that was done he had me open my eyes. We were in a large square room which had four rows of four pillars holding up the next floor. The far half of the room was open to a balcony that wrapped around to create the ceiling above us. Eita led me to a stairway on the far side of the room leading to the upper floor. At the next floor I could see a Koga Samurai guarding a wooden door. He bowed and opened the door for us. I returned his bow with Eita as we passed. We turned left and stopped at another wooden door with another Samurai guarding it. He bowed when he saw Eita. Eita returned the bow and the guard scratched at the door three times. Soon a servant arrived, my Daimyo’s Herald. I waited quietly while Eita talked to his father’s man.

  After a scant few words the Herald closed the door. While we waited some more, I watched the servants moving about the castle. All of them seemed intent on accomplishing whatever it was they were doing. One of the funny things about Castle Goemon, none of the servants ever look to be doing nothing.

  Soon, the Herald returned and escorted us inside. It was a small wood paneled room with very little in the way of decoration, just a few sketches on the walls. Daimyo Tetsuya sat at the end of the small room, with brushes for calligraphy and some paper scattered around him on a small table. He sat there waiting for us with a stoic expression on his face. His Kimono was of red silk with small black moons on it. On his hip he wore a long solid black katana, accompanied by a gold enameled wakazashi short sword. He was a big man, not tall but stocky. We bowed. I touched my forehead to the floor. When he returned our bows we sat up.

  "Father, my friend and your servant, Shotoku Hiro, has a request to make of you."

  Tetsuya nodded and responded in a deep voice that seemed to shake the floor.

  "I have heard many good things about this boy.... I will hear his request, Eita san."

  I was shaking. I really had expected more of an introduction from Eita. Some friend. “...My Daimyo. I would like to be trained in one of your dojo for the art of Jujutsu." I swallowed. "I am not without training in the martial arts. I have trained for two years under the tutelage of Brother Yuri, my lord." I was trying very hard to calm my heart. I hoped I hadn't offended him.

  "And why were you training with a monk? Did you think him better than the Koga's Sensei?"

  Uh oh. "No, my Daimyo.” I shook my head. “I simply happened into it while pretending to be a heimin in town."

  "You went around dressed as a heimin?!" I was shaking very badly now. I heard some kind of snicker escape from Eita.

  "Yes, my Daimyo."

  "Hmmm. So you disguised yourself as a peasant. Received training from a monk. Lied to

  everyone involved. And if I remember correctly, managed to keep this up on your own for two years. Is that correct?"

  "Yes, my lord." I lowered my head.

  "All of this from a seven year old boy. I wish I could be here to see what kind of man you grow into, Hiro san." He was nodding.

  "I have no excuse, my Daimyo."

  "And you do not need one. I salute your ingenuity, Hiro san!"

  Huh? My head snapped up. He was smiling.

  "Yes. Report to Sensei Ikudaiu in the morning at the chrysanthemum Dojo." He nodded a

  sharp crisp nod, ending this discussion.

  Eita and I bowed to him, stood and backed away through the doorway. Eita walked me out of the castle. We took a couple of turns and then he had me close my eyes again. I heard another, I assume secret door, open as Eita nudged me through. Once he had closed it and had me open my eyes I could see we were standing in a corner of the foyer to the Daimyo's courtroom. I spoke to him before we parted.

  “We could have just come this way in the first place. You were showing off.” I stated.

  He nodded with a huge grin. “Yes, I was.”

  "I thought he would be angry."

  "Why?" He laughed. "You have done something it takes most spies years to learn."

  "Lying?"

  "Yes." He watched my face as that sunk in. "Say hello to your mother for me, Hiro san. I hope she is doing well."

  "Yes. I will, my lord." I bowed to him and went home. Confused.

  The next day I headed out to my new school first thing in the morning. The Dojo was inside the castle. It was a large room on the second floor. The only decorations in the room were the weapons on the walls for training. I could see another forty students in the class, all of them of varying ages, but thankfully many of them were of an age with myself. Many of them appeared to be pleasant people. Sensei Ikudaiu however did not. He was a man of slight build. He had short black hair and a nasty scar on his neck. He welcomed me without feeling then walked up to me and appraised me like a horse.

  "Defend!" he yelled.

  I took my stance. Left leg forward, right leg back. Right hand guarding my chest with my left out in front of me. He walked around me.

  "Terrible. You are no monk! Why stand like one? Your elbow is out too far."

  He hit my elbow with a stick he carried, Whack! Ow. I pulled my elbow in close to my chest.

  "Your feet are too far apart!" Whack! Oww. I shortened the distance between my feet. "I see we have much work ahead of us. Fall in!"

  I fell in with the other students and began training. I am not sure why I did not make friends at the school. They seemed to keep their distance from me and I for my part did not go out of my way to make friends. I had more than enough to deal with in just trying to catch up to them in the training, so making friends seemed to be something I just never got around to. Oh I made several acquaintances. There is always plenty of conversation in any school, especially after the lesson at bath time. But, if I wasn't training then I was running through the city trying to keep in touch with all of my peasantry comrades.

  Sensei would walk through the class and critique each of us. "Hiro san, watch your knees!" Whack! OW. "You are too low!" Whack! OWW! "Your foot is too far under you for that kick!" Whack! OW! It didn't take me but a few weeks to catch on to the subtle differences between the two arts. I was very good at Kara-Te so learning another was easier than learning from scratch. Some of the older students had real difficulty getting the hang of the maneuvers, while I, though not perfect, caught on quickly.

  I enjoyed this time in my life, once Ikudaiu stopped hitting me! The day I made it through class without being hit, I started practicing my Kara-Te at home again, because I did not want to forget it. I studied with Ikudaiu for a year.

  I made many trips out to the city to see my friends. Sometimes I could help with the work and sometimes it was just too public. I had just seen my eighth new year when I decided to go to Uncle Tozasu's shop. Father was back in town and he and Mother were talking in private again.

  On my way there I saw a samurai harassing Eju, the blacksmith. They were at the end of an alley. I could see that the samurai was a Honshu, a House to our north. He was yelling at the blacksmith for what he felt was a terrible job on his horseshoes. Eju was begging for his life, as the samurai had his katana drawn. The Honshu was gloating as I walked up behind him.

  "What are you doing, Honshu sama?" He turned, startled. Then he snarled at me when he

  realized I was only a child.

  "Get out of here, unless you want some of the same!” he yelled.

  Then he turned away from me to threaten Eju again. He looked serious about harming my friend and after my experience with Himi, where I had waited too long, I had promised myself I would not do that again. I took a small step back to give myself the proper distance for the strike and kicked the Honshu in the knee as hard as I could. I heard the joint pop and snap as his leg buckled beneath him. When he fell to the ground holding his leg, I quickly picked up his katana and stuck it through his neck. I stood there, angry, while he choked to death. Eju brought me back to my senses.

  "Hiro! Thank you for my life, but you must flee before you are caught here!" He shoved me forward.

  I ran through the alleys towards the castle. The buildings flew past me. I had never run that fast before. I was running so quickly that I didn't notice the arm slip out of the shadows to lift me up. When I realized I was no longer on the ground. I began to flail about in my hysteria.

  "Hiro. Hiro! Calm down! I mean you no harm." The fog slowly cleared from my eyes. It was Lord Eita. I had not seen him in months. He was probably preparing for his brother’s wedding. "Are you alright Koga-ko?" he asked.

  I caught my breath for a moment. "Yes, Eita sama."

  "Good. I will walk with you back to Shiro Goemon. Yes?"

  "Yes, my lord."

  He never asked why I was running, though he seemed to be smiling about something. A few days later, without warning, my father took me to see our Daimyo, Goemon Tetsuya. I remember he seemed as large as the last time I saw him. He wore a gold kimono with the Goemon crest over his heart. We went before him and bowed low.

  "So, this is your strong little Koga, Kanichi san?"

  "Yes, my Daimyo."

  "He has never looked very special to me and yet, ...my son tells me he tested exceptionally well."

  "So I have been told, my Daimyo." Father looked pleased, but I didn't understand what they meant.

  Then my Daimyo spoke to me. "Hiro san, I am assigning you to my best instructor, Sensei Nokizaru." He pointed to an older man who looked to be about forty. He was standing in the shadows of a corner at the back of the room. "Go with him Koga-ko. He will train you for the time being."

  I wasn’t expecting this. I was very scared actually, but everyone was watching me. So I bowed and did as my lord ordered. When I reached him, Sensei Nokizaru, put his hand on my shoulder and led me out of the meeting hall. I could just make out my Daimyo's last comment before we left.

  “It is impressive how well he fared in the Honshu test.”