The Hand of Death

Chapter XII

"Attack by Stratagem"

"

The Art of War

"

~by Sun Tzu~

"What do you mean she's dead?" I asked as I sat up.

He sat down in front of me. "Her guards found her this morning. Apparently two Mito sneaked into her room and raped her." I ran my hand over my hair acting speechless. In shock. He continued. "They believe the killers came over her balcony as the guard never left."

"Do they know who these men are?"

"They found a necklace in her hand belonging to one of the Mito but both of them were passed out drunk on her floor. One was still between her legs when the maid came in this morning."

I just shook my head a little. He was looking at me kind of angry but suspicious as well.

"What?!" I demanded.

He went on. "You did not have anything to do with this I assume?"

"Saburo!? No. No, of course not. I will not lie and say I loved the girl but I did like her. She was beautiful and competent. If I could have done anything to protect her, I would have."

Yes I know I'm garbage! That is not the point of this story!

His features softened some. "I am sorry. You are the most dangerous man I know. So I thought."

I shook my head. "That is alright. In your place I would have considered the same thing." I got up and began to clean up for the morning. "What is going on now?"

"The Karafuto packed their things and killed their way to the courtyard. Mostly heimin and servants were killed on their way out but some of our fellow students and mononofu were hurt as well."

I shook my head. He went on to tell me the guard didn't hear anything all night. He took the heads off of the two rapists when he walked in so there was no questioning them. Her guard died soon after his report, by seppuku. The Karafuto House didn't have a large army so there was little worry about a siege. However, there was great worry that Shogun Kasuga, the dead girl's father, would conduct raids. His specialty.

Training would continue as it had. We were just students; we would only be called if the city was under siege. Everyone was upset. There was rumor of a note ordering the attack so they all wanted to find the criminal that had been behind this. It didn't take long for someone to come up with the idea that it was ninja that had done it but most disbelieved this because that was always the excuse. It took the Nigata most of the day to restore order to Toshi no Nigata.

Due to my close relationship with the girl, all of the Daimyo wanted to see me that morning. So I went back to Shigeru's suite and was grilled about what I knew. This part was easy. I knew nothing. I was very distraught at the loss. And thank Amaterasu these people didn't have proper interrogators. I spent some time in the garden. My friends thought I was overcome by the heinousness of the previous events. They were almost correct. I was trying to stay balanced and move on but it wasn't easy without further orders from my House.

"You look very displeased, Kumikazu san."

I looked around to see Ashi watching me. "Yes. Is not everyone displeased today, Sensei sama?"

He nodded and fell in next to me as I walked. "You did very well with the task Shigeru set before you."

"Domo arigato, Sensei sama. I am sorry it was a wasted effort."

"Not so. The Bandai Shogun and all of the Daimyo speak of how great your skills are."

I smiled faintly. "That is very good to hear but it does not mean the same today as it would have earlier." He nodded. "I keep thinking how honorably Eisai fought our duel. She did not deserve this."

"Yes, but what person does deserve it?"

"...I was told two of our men attacked her?"

"I am not so sure. There was conclusive proof pointing at one of the families, but... it just seems so convenient. The timing I mean."

I nodded. We spoke for a few more moments before he had to leave. I found out, when I returned from the garden, that Ashi had left with the other Daimyo and Shigeru for Toshi Towada. Our classes would be taught by his junior instructors until his return. I deduced that he had been on his way out when he stopped to talk to me. I left that morning to go to see Shinnon Jira. This war would affect the cost of Bandai coins. It wasn't what I wanted to do but he would expect it of me. And it would keep my mind off of...

"I am surprised to see you, my lord," he said.

"My not trading silver today will not catch the scum behind this, my friend."

"Yes, I am in full agreement with you there." He sat next to me as usual.

"I notice you haven't slowed down any today."

"Oh, I took a short pause this morning. Long enough to hire a ronin I know to go after the man that killed my runner."

"The little boy!?"

He nodded. "He did not know what happened. So when he saw all the Karafuto leaving he went to watch. One of them slashed his throat as they rode by."

I was surprised. "To be honest, Jira san, I did not know you even liked the boy."

"Just because I did not act like his father does not mean I wanted the boy dead, my lord."

I nodded and lifted a cup of tea. "May your man be fast and brutal."

He lifted his cup as well. "Arigato gozaimasu."

We drank then. I set my cup down and said, "I am sorry Jira san but I do not have good news for you."

"Seems to be the theme of the day."

I nodded. "With war looming I have no choice but to withdraw my money from our investments."

He hung his head. "Kumikazu sama, I truly need you to stick with me right now."

I was taken aback by his sudden honesty. Not the usual behavior for him. I shrugged. "Tell me what has happened."

"You are my last large investor. I have had nothing but one long trail of people today all with the same request. "Give me my money."

"You realize your issues are far simpler than some other people's issues right now?"

"Oh yes. Of course my lord. I do not wish to seem ungrateful for my station but I very well could lose my business today."

"So you want me to let my investment lay where it is?"

"If it is at all possible, yes."

I nodded. "You know me pretty well by now, Jira san." He nodded but he had a nervous expression. "So you have played this conversation out several times by now and you probably have a pretty good idea of what I am going to say. Do you not?"

He nodded again but this time looked a little sad. "You want a part of my business."

"Of course. And the number you already know I am going to say is 50%. Yes?"

"That is what I expected."

"Since we are actually having this conversation I assume that amount is acceptable for you?"

"Yes, Kumikazu sama. It is not ideal but it is better than no business."

"With this war going on I am not sure when I may have to leave. There is a man in town who is a... friend of a friend. If he is willing to act as my go between, then you can keep my money in return for half of your profits. I will talk to him today and see if he is able to do that for me. If he is then he will come to you today."

"How will I know this man?"

"I have 100 silver I am going to have him bring to you. So, you will know him by his purse."

"That does narrow it down, Kumikazu sama. And what do you want in return for your 100 coins?"

I took a sip of tea. "I want you to succeed, Jira san."

We continued to drink tea and talk about business until it was time for me to go. As I left the tea-house I heard from behind me, "I thought dealing with money was beneath a samurai?"

I turned calmly to see Saburo leaning against the wall in the shadows. I removed the hood of my cloak and smiled. "I am no samurai."

He nodded. "I was very surprised to see you doing business today. Why would you? Today of all days."

I gave a small shrug and started to walk again. He followed next to me. "Several reasons really. Least of which is Jira expected me to. He knows me as a shrewd business man. Next," I looked at him. "I need the money. And most importantly, ...I thought it would help me to keep my mind off of Eisai for a time."

"Ah. Did it work?"

I shrugged again. "Some."

We walked and talked for a while and eventually headed back to school. Later that evening I went and found my contact with the Koga, Moto Hisao. I wasn't sure how he'd react to my offer as he was a shinobi and didn't exactly care about the money. His life here was one of a blacksmith. I met with him like normal for one of my reports and we discussed my desire to back Jira. He was all for it as it left us another avenue of information and him getting a third of my half was a nice enticement that he could use while here. I gave him the purse and he went off to find Jira.

The next two months were painful. My friends had been hoping to find an excuse to see the Karafuto territory; now that would never happen. I pretended to be depressed; maybe I wasn't pretending all that hard. I consoled myself with the only thing I could, "A Koga does what must be done."

The Karafuto had raided and burned everything on their way back to the coast. The boats had been readied for the return trip to the island of the Karafuto. But instead of going home, Shogun Kasuga sailed for Toshi no Potomura, the largest port city the Bandai have and began his attacks on it. It only took him a week to eliminate every samurai the Bandai had in the city and it quickly fell into his hands. He had the city fortified and was conducting a holding action while 4000 reinforcements landed a week later to ensure he would keep the Toshi.

The Bandai were mustering every man they could, friend and ronin alike, to march north on the Toshi, as it sat at the far end of Giapan. I could have warned them it was a bad idea, but I was rooting for the Karafuto. The Bandai marched north on Toshi no Potomura, laid siege to the Toshi and were destroyed in a series of night raids that lasted three evenings. They never even scratched the surface of the defenses laid in around the city.

Word came that the Bandai were falling back to a more supportable position to reinforce the villages in the area. That would allow them to surround the Karafuto forces and provide a front line to focus on. This was announced at our school just before class began for the day. My fellow students seemed optimistic at the time, but before anyone could comment I heard someone say, "All this trouble over some slut who spread her legs for the wrong men."

I turned to see a young sensei smiling as several of the students laughed. I began to walk towards him. A few of my friends moved to stop me but Saburo waved them off.

I heard Saburo say, "I have two silver on Kumikazu."

I walked up to the sensei. "Awfully brave talk for a samurai stationed at a school, sensei-ko."

Sensei-ko would mean 'little' teacher. He looked very angry and no one was laughing anymore. "Get back in line!" he yelled.

I shook my head at him. "We are too far past that, sensei-ko. You need to ready yourself."

He was not as prepared as he should have been. He knew I was fluent in Jujutsu and Ju-Do so when he opened with a powerful punch for my sternum he was not ready for the duck, spin, reverse elbow to his stomach that you learn in Koga Jujutsu. It knocked the air out of him and he went to the floor. He caught his breath while I paced around him like a cat.

"By your speech you claim to know much about people, sensei-ko. Just not what matters I suppose."

He looked furious as he stood and came at me again. He punched at me in a quick succession of left and right strikes. I blocked them and kicked him in the knee. When he yelled in surprise I quickly followed up with an elbow strike to his face. Blood flew around the room as I broke his nose and he fell to the ground.

"Done so soon, sensei-ko?"

I paced around him and waited. I saw Saburo stop two more of the sensei by shaking his head.

"Surely a great samurai such as yourself can defeat a simple student in his second year of training, sensei-ko."

He jumped to his feet and ran to the far wall where his daisho sat. He turned around with his katana drawn. The most senior of the sensei, I believe her name was Akiami, yelled, "Stop!!"

I waved her off. "Let him. His defeat will only be that much greater." I motioned him towards me. "Come, sensei-ko. I do not have all day."

"Stop calling me that!" he yelled as he charged me.

I waited until the last minute to throw myself sideways and rolled into him using my inertia to carry my right handed punch straight into his genitals. The sword went flying across the room while he collapsed over me and rolled up in a heap on the floor. I got up and put my foot on his neck.

"Tell me you still believe Eisai sama was a slut... and I will give you the last lesson of your life, sensei-ko."

He lay there, holding himself and looked at me with big scared eyes. "Gomen nasai. I was wrong."

I watched him for a few more moments before I lifted my foot and walked to Sensei Akiami. "I will have to miss practice today, sensei sama. I am not feeling well."

She nodded as I left the dojo. Nigata Shun's Shugodai, Chosan sent sensei-ko to the front line the moment she heard about what had happened. She had not made up her mind as to what she should do with me yet. I attended classes for the next few weeks until finally I got something from the Koga House, and it was just what I had hoped for:

Nigata Kumikazu,

Your father has taken ill. The monks say he will not last a long night.

Please return home immediately.

Gomen nasai.

Grandfather.

I was ecstatic. I really needed to get out of here. I packed my things and made sure all was ready for my departure. It did not take as long as I had thought. Most of what I had acquired while I was here could stay. It was just stuff to fit the part. I left the letter as it would be discovered after I left and provide a simple explanation to my disappearance. I would have to say goodbye to Saburo. It would be frowned upon if my Daimyo discovered I told him I was leaving. But a lifelong enemy who was a Nigata duelist would be worse. I found him in his room meditating on his sword.

"You are smiling," he said.

"I should not be smiling right now."

"Because of Eisai?"

"No. Because it is time for me to leave."

He looked confused. "Why?"

"It is just time."

He shook his head hard. "No! It is not! How can you just leave now!? We have not even touched our katana yet!"

I smiled. "I am not a duelist."

"What are you!?"

I laughed and motioned for him to follow me back to my room. "I am your friend."

He did not look happy. "I do not understand how you can do what you do."

I thought on that a moment and put on my pack. "Saburo, you love the Bandai?" He nodded. "You would die for the Bandai?"

"Yes, of course."

I took my meditation katana from its stand and slipped it into my obi.

"Then how is it you cannot understand everything I do for my House?"

He just stood there watching me.

"Gomen nasai, I cannot stay and see you finish your training. You are a great man and it is my honor to call you my friend." I handed him a small purse of 10 gold pieces. "I know, you do not need money but this may come in handy more times than not. I wish I had a more sentimental gift to give you but that just would not be my way." I smiled.

I stepped onto the windowsill as he said, "I will find you one day."

I looked at him and smiled again. "I truly hope so, Saburo sama."

And with that I stepped off the sill and fell as light as paper to the ground three stories bellow. I did not look back. I headed to the blacksmith's shop. I would not know it for many years but in an hour while Saburo was meditating on his sword again, the words House and 'I do what must be done.' would finally form a very clear picture of who his friend was.

Saburo went on to become the best they had at that school with a spear. Later he would be the best at Kenjutsu until he became their best student in Iaijutsu. His last year in the Nigata school he won their annual Kenjutsu tournament. His father and family traveled all the way to Toshi no Nigata to watch him compete. I could not be there because at the time I was crawling through a sewer in the middle of the Kyushu lands.

Once I was with my contact he introduced me to a girl that had brought the letter. She was a couple of years older than I and fairly attractive. We left immediately. She took us across country and didn't say anything until we were well away from any other people.

"It looks to be a long night," she said.

"Best if it is."

"It sounds as if everything went well, Hiro sama."

"Yes." I didn't know her and I sure didn't trust her.

"Not the talkative type anymore? I had heard you were very outspoken."

"Being surrounded by Bandai will do that."

She nodded. "We will continue across country to a small village I know called Kuru. There is a farmhouse we will stay at long enough for us to change into... more appropriate attire. Then we travel only by night to Goemon Toshi. Yes?"

I nodded once. She shrugged at my lack of response.

"There will be a Gunso and two men waiting with horses at the farmhouse."

She was waiting for me to comment but none came. She finally gave up on the idea, for a while. We rested during the day and she continued to talk as I prepared the meal. She talked about everything. Her family, her friends, she even told little bits about previous missions she had been assigned to before. I couldn't believe she was still alive, let alone my escort. I noticed she was subtly trying to coerce conversation from me, and her slant was one I didn't like.

"Well, of course you know what it's like to kill, that last one was a beauty."

I just ate my rice. Something about her bothered me though; I just couldn't put my finger on it.

By the fourth day I had had enough, "Girl! Shut up! I do not care! Whatever you have done, wherever you have been! I. Do. Not. Care!" She was very taken aback by that.

"Gomen nasai, my lord. I only wished to fill the silence. Perhaps you wish to talk?"

"No! I do not! And if you ask me about my work again... I like silence."

She looked hurt like a little girl. That I really didn't care about. We walked with her sulking for the rest of the way to Kuru. Some time that night we arrived at the farm house. It was a small building with no porch. It looked to have room for three or four people. There were five horses outside and three men in heavy Koga armor standing guard. Two of them were sitting near the front door on a round log, like it was a bench. One wore no daisho; I assumed he was the onmyoji. The other, the Gunso, stood as we approached.

"How did he do?"

"He is a prick, sir. He did fine."

I looked at her stunned. Her whole demeanor had changed to something, competent. When would the tests end? I shook my head in exasperation.

Her commander addressed me. "I am Gunso Sashi, my lord." We bowed to one another. "There are some clothes and equipment for you to change into inside the house."

I nodded and walked in with the girl behind me. They had set up two tables, facing away from each other in the middle of the room. My clothes were on one, and hers were on another. We changed into our new white and red kimonos, and heavy armor. Mine had a rich emerald green enamel, complete with helm and mempo war mask. I stole one or two glances at the girl's back while dressing. She had a nice back. I slid the Shotoku daisho into my obi, and gathered up my things. She did the same. The men had started a small fire outside. The girl threw her peasant clothes onto the fire while I started packing mine away into the saddle bags of the pony they brought for me. One of the mononofu leaned over to me.