An explanation, thought Jack, but he let it pass. Now wasn’t the time to ask about her miraculous survival.
Jack had overheard Sensei Yamada and Sensei Kano, as they laid her in the Buddha Hall to recover in peace, discussing dokujutsu, the ninja Art of Poison. The two sensei had both agreed that someone had helped her to build a tolerance against ninja poisons. Jack suspected the monk from the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon was responsible. He recalled how Akiko had appeared ill at New Year. She had told Kiku that it was something she’d drunk and then had gone straight to the monk for help. Had her condition been caused by trying to build up a resistance to such poisons? Akiko had a lot to explain, but for now Jack was just glad she was alive.
‘I’m so sorry, Akiko. I should’ve listened to you. Whatever Sensei Yamada says, I made a stupid mistake in not –’
‘Jack, it wasn’t your fault,’ she interrupted, softly putting a finger to his lips. ‘The only mistake was Dragon Eye’s – he let you live.’
Akiko beckoned Jack closer, drawing his face towards hers.
Their cheeks touched and Jack felt her warm breath grace his skin. For that brief moment he experienced total peace, safe within her arms.
Whispering in his ear, Akiko said, ‘You have to get back the rutter. You must follow the Way of the Dragon.’
NOTES ON SOURCES
The following quotes and facts are referenced within Young Samurai: The Way of the Sword (with the page numbers in square brackets below) and their sources are acknowledged here:
1. [Pages 6 to 8] This old nursery rhyme, ‘A man of words and not of deeds’, is considered to originate from a play by John Fletcher (playwright, 1579–1625, a contemporary of Shakespeare) called Lover’s Progress (‘Deeds, not words’, Sc. 6, Act III).
2. [Page 70] ‘When tea is made with water drawn from the depths of mind, whose bottom is beyond measure, we really have what is called cha-no-yu’ – Toyotomi Hideyoshi (samurai daimyo, 1537–98).
3. [Page 71] Tea was first introduced on English shores around 1652 by Dutch traders, who had only begun shipping it back to Europe in 1610. England was a latecomer to the tea scene.
4. [Page 185] ‘In a fight between a strong technique and a strong body, technique will prevail. In a fight between a strong mind and a strong technique, mind will prevail, because it will find the weak point’ – Taisen Deshimaru ( Japanese Soto Zen Buddhist teacher, 1914–82).
5. [Page 224] ‘Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come’ – based on a traditional Buddhist blessing and healing chant (anonymous).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A serious bow of respect and thanks must go to the following people who are all a vital part of the Young Samurai team: Charlie Viney, my agent, for guidance of the Young Samurai project on a worldwide scale and his continuing dedication to my career; Shannon Park, my editor at Puffin, for so ably picking up the editing sword from Sarah Hughes and making just the right cuts and suggestions; Louise Heskett, whose passion, dedication and enthusiasm are worthy of the greatest samurai; Adele Minchin and Penny Webber for launching a great campaign and overcoming the masses; and everyone at wonderful Puffin Books, in particular Francesca Dow; Pippa Le Quesne for early guidance and suggestions; Tessa Girvan at ILA for continuing to discover new countries in which to sell the Young Samurai series; Akemi Solloway Sensei for being such a generous supporter of the Young Samurai books (readers, please visit: solloway.org); Trevor Wilson of Authors Abroad for his sterling work in organizing my event bookings; Ian, Nikki and Steffi Chapman for their wonderful backing; David Ansell Sensei of the Shin Ichi Do dojo for his excellent tuition and guidance; my mum for being my number-one fan; my dad, without whom these books would not be so sharp; and my wife, Sarah, for making everything worthwhile. Lastly, all the librarians and teachers who have supported the series (you are my secret ninja force!) and all the Young Samurai readers out there – thank you for buying the book, reading it and sending me emails and letters telling me how much you enjoyed it. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
JAPANESE GLOSSARY
Bushido
Bushido, meaning the ‘Way of the Warrior’, is a Japanese code of conduct similar to the concept of chivalry. Samurai warriors were meant to adhere to the seven moral principles in their martial arts training and in their day-to-day lives.
Virtue 1: Gi – Rectitude Gi is the ability to make the right decision with moral confidence and to be fair and equal towards all people no matter what colour, race, gender or age.
Virtue 2: Yu – Courage Yu is the ability to handle any situation with valour and confidence.
Virtue 3: Jin – Benevolence Jin is a combination of compassion and generosity. This virtue works together with Gi and discourages samurai from using their skills arrogantly or for domination.
Virtue 4: Rei – Respect Rei is a matter of courtesy and proper behaviour towards others. This virtue means to have respect for all.
Virtue 5: Makoto – Honesty Makota is about being honest to oneself as much as to others. It means acting in ways that are morally right and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Virtue 6: Meiyo – Honour Meiyo is sought with a positive attitude in mind, but will only follow with correct behaviour. Success is an honourable goal to strive for.
Virtue 7: Chungi – LoyaltyChungi is the foundation of all the virtues; without dedication and loyalty to the task at hand and to one another, one cannot hope to achieve the desired outcome.
A short guide to pronouncing Japanese words
Vowels are pronounced in the following way:
‘a’ as the ‘a’ in ‘at’
‘e’ as the ‘e’ in ‘bet’
‘i’ as the ‘i’ in ‘police
‘o’ as the ‘o’ in ‘dot’
‘u’ as the ‘u’ in ‘put’
‘ai’ as in ‘eye’
‘ii’ as in ‘week’
‘ō’ as in ‘go’
‘ū’ as in ‘blue’
Consonants are pronounced in the same way as English:
‘g’ is hard as in ‘get’
‘j’ is soft as in ‘jelly’
‘ch’ as in ‘church’
‘z’ as in ‘zoo’
‘ts’ as in ‘itself’
Each syllable is pronounced separately:
A-ki-ko
Ya-ma-to
Ma-sa-mo-to
Ka-zu-ki
bō wooden fighting staff
bōjutsu the Art of the Bō
bokken wooden sword
bushido the Way of the Warrior
Butokuden Hall of the Virtues of War
Butsuden Buddha Hall
cha-no-yu literally ‘tea meeting’
chi sao sticky hands (or ‘sticking hands’)
chiburi to flick blood from the blade
Chō-no-ma Hall of Butterflies
chudan middle
daimyo feudal lord
daishō the pair of swords, wakizashi and katana, that are the traditional weapons of the samurai
Dim Mak Death Touch
dojo training hall
dokujutsu the Art of Poison
fudoshin literally ‘immovable heart’, a spirit of unshakable calm
fukuwarai children’s game like ‘Pin the tail on the donkey’
futon Japanese bed: flat mattress placed directly on tatami flooring, and folded away during the day
gaijin foreigner, outsider (derogatory term)
Ganjitsu New Year festival
gi training uniform
hai yes
hajime begin
hakama traditional Japanese clothing
Hakuhojo the Castle of the White Phoenix
hanami cherry-blossom viewing party
hanetsuki a traditional Japanese game similar to badminton
hashi chopsticks
hatsuhinode the ‘firsts’ of the year: for example, the first visit to a temple in the New Year
inro a little case for holding s
mall objects
irezumi a form of tattooing
itadakimasu let’s eat
kami spirits within objects in the Shinto faith
kamon family crest
kanji the Chinese characters used in the Japanese writing system
kata a prescribed series of moves in martial arts
katame waza grappling techniques
katana long sword
kendoka sword practitioner
kenjutsu the Art of the Sword
ki energy flow or life force (Chinese: chi or qi)
kiai literally ‘concentrated spirit’ – used in martial arts as a shout for focusing energy when executing a technique
kissaki tip of sword
koan a Buddhist question designed to stimulate intuition
kozo the paper mulberry tree
kumite sparring
kunoichi female ninja
kyudoka practitioner of archery
kyujutsu the Art of the Bow
makiwara padded striking post
menuki decorative grip ornament
mochi rice dumpling
mokuso meditation
momiji gari maple-leaf viewing
Mugan Ryū the ‘School of “No Eyes”’
musha shugyo warrior pilgrimage
mushin a warrior’s state of ‘no mind’
nage waza throwing techniques
nasu eggplant, aubergine
ninjutsu the Art of Stealth
Niten Ichi Ryū the ‘One School of Two Heavens’
niwa garden
obake karuta Japanese card game (monster cards)
obanyaki sweet bean-filled pastry
obi belt
ofuro bath
ohajiki a game using small coin-shaped playing pieces
origami the art of folding paper
ozoni traditional soup served on New Year’s Day
randori free-sparring
rei call to bow
roji Japanese garden
Ryōanji the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon
sado the Way of Tea
sake rice wine
sakura cherry-blossom tree
sashimi raw fish
sasori scorpion
satori enlightenment
saya scabbard
sayonara goodbye
seiza sit/kneel
Senbazuru Orikata One Thousand Crane origami
sencha green tea
sensei teacher
seoi nage shoulder throw
shaku unit of length, approximately equal to one foot or thirty centimetres
shamisen three-stringed musical instrument
shi the number four, or death shinobi shozokuthe clothing of a ninja
Shishi-no-ma Hall of Lions
Shodo the Way of Writing, Japanese calligraphy
shoji Japanese sliding door
shuriken metal throwing stars
sohei warrior monks
sushi raw fish on rice
taijutsu the Art of the Body (hand-to hand combat)
Taka-no-ma Hall of the Hawk
tamashiwari Trial by Wood; woodbreaking
tantō knife
Taryu-Jiai inter-school martial arts competition
tatami floor matting
tempura deep fried seafood or vegetables
tofu soya bean curd
tomoe nage stomach throw
toshigami spirits of the New Year
wakizashi side-arm short sword
washi Japanese paper
yakatori grilled chicken on a stick
yuki gassen snow battle
yame stop!
Yamabushi mountain monk, literally ‘one who hides in the mountains’
zabuton cushion
zazen meditation
Japanese names usually consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, unlike in the Western world where the given name comes before the surname. In feudal Japan, names reflected a person’s social status and spiritual beliefs. Also, when addressing someone, san is added to that person’s surname (or given names in less formal situations) as a sign of courtesy, in the same way that we use Mr or Mrs in English, and for higher-status people sama is used. In Japan, sensei is usually added after a person’s name if they are a teacher, although in the Young Samurai books a traditional English order has been retained. Boys and girls are usually addressed using kun and chan, respectively.
ORIGAMI: HOW TO FOLD A PAPER CRANE
How to fold a paper crane, by Akemi Solloway (née Tanaka) and Robyn Hondow
Begin with a large square piece of paper – one side coloured and the other plain. In all diagrams, the shaded part represents the coloured side and dotted lines the creases. Make sure all creases are sharp by running your thumbnail along them.
Step 1. Place the paper with the plain side down on the table. Fold it in half diagonally and open. Then fold in half the other way and open.
Step 2. Turn the paper over, so it is coloured side down. Fold it in half to make a wide rectangle and open. Then fold it in half to make a tall rectangle and open.
Step 3. With the coloured side down, bring the four corners of the square up and together. Flatten paper so you end up with a small folded square one quarter the size of the original paper.
Step 4. Fold the top triangular flaps on the right- and left-hand sides into the centre to make a kite shape. Then unfold.
Step 5. Fold the top corner of the model downwards, crease well and unfold.
Step 6. Take the bottom corner of the upper layer and pull it up, so that it forms a canoe shape. Press down so that the sides of this canoe shape flatten to make a diamond shape. Flatten down, creasing well.
Step 7. Turn the paper over and repeat steps 4, 5 and 6 on the other side. The paper is now a flat diamond shape.
Step 8. The top half of the diamond is solid, but the bottom half seems to have two legs. Fold the upper layer of both legs into the centre line.
Step 9. Turn over and repeat the fold on the legs on that side, too. The diamond shape is now more like a kite.
Step 10. Fold both legs of the model up, crease very well, then unfold.
Step 11. Holding the right leg of the kite shape, open it up and reverse fold the leg along the central crease. Raise the leg up and position it inside the top part of the kite then flatten it. Repeat on the other side.
Step 12. There are now two narrow points sticking out. These are going to form the head and tail of the crane. Take the point on the right and bend the tip down, reversing the crease and pinching it, to form the beak of the crane.
Step 13. Fold down the wings.
Step 14. Finally, pull the wings and blow into the hole underneath to open out the body to complete your origami crane.
‘Congratulations!’ says Sensei Yamada. ‘A crane isn’t easy to fold, but you have to remember that becoming a true samurai takes time.’
For other models and additional help, see video at youngsamurai.com
Credits: lesson by Akemi Solloway Sensei, lecturer of Japanese culture and eldest daughter of a samurai family, website solloway.org; diagrams courtesy of Robyn Hondow, website origami-fun.com.
PROLOGUE
THE ASSASSIN
Japan, June 1613
Silent as a shadow, the assassin flitted from roof to roof.
Hidden by the darkness of night, the ninja crossed the moat, scaled the inner bailey wall and infiltrated deep into the castle grounds. His objective, the main tower, was a formidable keep of eight floors that sat at the heart of the supposedly impregnable castle.
Evading the samurai guards on the outer walls had been a simple matter. Lethargic due to the hot, airless night, they were more concerned about their own discomfort than the safety of their daimyo within the tower. Besides, their very belief that the castle was impenetrable meant the guards were lax in their duty – who would even attempt to break into such a fortress?
For the assassin, the harde
st part would be getting inside the keep. The daimyo’s personal bodyguard wouldn’t be so negligent and the ninja had come as close as he could by traversing the roofs of the outer buildings. He now had to cross open ground to the solid stone base of the tower.
The ninja dropped from the roof and skirted the edge of a courtyard, using the plum and sakura trees for cover. Passing silently through a Zen garden with an oval pond, he made his way to the central well house. The assassin ducked inside as he heard a samurai patrol approach.
When the way was clear, the ninja darted across to the keep and like a black-skinned gecko effortlessly scaled the steep slope of its immense base. Swiftly reaching the third floor, he slipped in through an open window.
Once inside, the assassin knew exactly where he was going. Padding down the darkened corridor, he passed several shoji doors then bore right, making for a wooden staircase. He was about to ascend when a guard suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs.
Like smoke, the ninja sank back into the shadows, his all-black shinobi shozoku rendering him virtually invisible. Quietly, he drew a tantō in readiness to slit the man’s throat.
Oblivious to his proximity to death, the guard came down the stairs and walked straight past. The assassin, not wishing to draw attention to his presence within the keep, decided to let the man live. As soon as the guard rounded the corner, the ninja resheathed his blade and climbed the stairs to the upper corridor.
Through the thin paper shoji before him, he could see the halos of two candles glowing in the gloom. Sliding open the door a notch, he put a single eye to the crack. A man knelt before an altar deep in prayer. There were no samurai present.
The assassin crept inside.
When he was within striking distance, the ninja reached into a pouch on his belt and removed a rectangular object wrapped in black oilskin. He placed it on the floor beside the worshipping man and gave a brief bow.