"Moriguchi Ichizo should be in the southern part of the keep, on the fifth floor," said Toyotomi. "Baisotei-sama said to kill him first."
"Right," said Deushi. Ajibana said nothing.
The three men started along the wall of the castle, heading for the keep. The castle had guards, of course, but it was a dark night and the men were completely silent. Their dark purple uniforms gave no hint of their presence.
The castle was large. To the west were sheer cliffs. To the east and south was a huge forest. In times past, the forest would have been cut back to prevent surprise by the enemy, but now it grew right up to the castle walls. To the north was open country; the main gate was on that side. There were four walls, each thirty feet high. The east and west walls were twice as long as the north and south. At each corner were square watchtowers that stood twice as tall as the walls. There were two more in the centers of the east and west walls. The inner keep stood as tall as the watchtowers but was twice as wide to a side. It was here that they would find the Moriguchi family they had come to slay.
They walked along the top of the tiled castle walls. They were on the eastern wall, near the forest. It had been child's play to climb the trees and leap to the wall. The peaceful times Japan enjoyed had made daimyo like Moriguchi Ichizo complacent. There were not even guards mounted on the watchtowers. Moriguchi and his family would pay for this complacency with their lives.
They reached the watchtower in the middle of the eastern wall. There were several sections of roof, alternating in direction and getting smaller as one ascended. Near the top was a balcony that circled the watchtower. Toyotomi, Deushi, and Ajibana climbed swiftly and stealthily to this balcony. There were doors here that allowed entrance to the inside of the watchtower, but the men passed those by. They walked along the outer section of the balcony; there was no need to tempt fate by going along the inner side.
As soon as they rounded the corner and were on the outer side of the watchtower, they saw a man. He stood on the balcony in front of them and leaned against the wall of the watchtower, facing out towards the forest. They knew immediately he was not one of the castle guards. He wore dark blue clothing with light blue bands on the lapels and going over his shoulders from his hips. He had a dark blue hood that was tight about his head and covered everything except his face. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed. They could see no obvious weapons.
"I can't believe the Commander sent me on such a mission as this," the man said. "Protecting the Moriguchi family from incompetents such as you? Any one of the young men could do this."
"I-Incompetents?!" said Toyotomi, more loudly than he had intended. "Who are you?"
"My true name is not for the likes of you," said the man. He opened his eyes and turned his face towards them. He looked to be in his thirties. He had a mustache and a short tuft of beard on his chin, both black. "You may call me Okina, if you ever have the chance."
Toyotomi wasted no more time with talking. He drew his sword from the sheath on his back with a practiced motion. He charged forward, stabbing.
Okina exploded into motion. He turned towards the men and leapt over Toyotomi. As he came down behind him he kicked the swordsman in the back with his right foot, which sent Toyotomi sprawling to the floor of the balcony. Okina faced the next man, Deushi. Deushi had pulled out a three-piece rod, a weapon similar to nunchaku sticks but with three sticks joined by chains instead of two. Deushi swung at Okina's face. Okina leaned so far back it looked like he might tip over, but he did not. The rod passed within an inch of his face, but missed. Then Okina jerked forward and slammed a fist into Deushi’s stomach.
The breath left Deushi in a rush. It had not felt like a hand that struck him, more like the butt end of a spear. He looked down and realized this Okina had a black steel tonfa in each hand. Deushi swung his rod back at Okina's midsection. Okina dodged again. Deushi wondered why he did not block.
Suddenly Okina jumped straight up. As he did, Deushi saw Toyotomi charging again, his sword leading the way and a look of surprise on his face as his target disappeared. Deushi scrambled out of the way of the sword and Toyotomi skidded to a halt. He looked up.
Okina had caught the edge of the uppermost section of the watchtower's roof with his feet. He hung upside-down, facing Toyotomi. His tonfas were spinning in his hands and he swung them at the same time. They smacked into either side of Toyotomi's head, and the swordsman dropped to the balcony floor like a stone.
Deushi watched warily as Okina dropped down to stand once more on the balcony. The man scoffed. "I would have thought that with such meager defensive skills you boys would at least be able to take a hit," he said. Deushi growled and came at him. He held his rod by the center stick and swung with the outer two in a quick succession of strikes. Okina dodged each of these effortlessly. His right foot came up quickly and slammed into Deushi's stomach. Deushi doubled over in pain as the breath left him again. He rushed forward, his left hand grasping to catch Okina, and for an instant it seemed he had caught him off guard. But Okina hopped to his own left side, and a hard kick to the right side of Deushi's head sent him slamming into the wall of the watchtower. He dropped too.
Okina looked at the two unconscious bodies, considering the general lack of skill that permeated the ranks of shadow operatives these days. Then it occurred to him; hadn't there been three of them?
He hurled himself to the side. The third purple-clad ninja, Ajibana, came down from the sky above right where he had been, a dagger leading the way. It might not have been as impressive a weapon as the sword and three-piece rod his companions had carried, but Okina knew instantly that this one would be harder. The man must have climbed on top of the watchtower roof while his friends were fighting, and tried an ambush from above.
Okina rolled and came up on his feet. After his attack missed, Ajibana had landed in silence and immediately turned to follow Okina. He slashed at Okina with alarming speed. Okina dodged each attack and countered with his tonfas. Ajibana dodged these in turn.
Then something was flying towards Okina's face, but he had not seen Ajibana throw anything. He realized it was Deushi's three-piece rod. Ajibana must have snagged it with his foot and kicked it at him while their arms were doing the fighting. Okina only had time to turn his head to the left so he would not be struck in the face and blinded. He felt the rod strike the side of his head, and at the same time he felt a slash across his right hip. He realized Ajibana was running past him to be at his back. Since Okina had already turned his head to the left, he kept turning his whole body that way.
Ajibana was indeed attacking him from that direction. He stabbed at Okina's face. Okina jerked back and dropped his tonfas. He kept bending back until his hands touched the floor. Then his legs came upwards. His feet and ankles snapped around Ajibana's neck. With a strength that no one else there that night could have managed, Okina used his legs to hurl Ajibana bodily across the balcony. Ajibana’s face smacked roughly into the rail of the balcony, and he fell to the floor unconscious.
Okina vaulted lightly back to his feet. He stopped his breathing and listened for signs that the castle guards had heard the commotion and were investigating. He shouldn't have had to do that. Skilled ninjas would never have made as much noise as these amateurs had, even in battle. But it seemed they were quiet enough, for he could not hear anything. That was good, since it would give him time to get these fools out of here. He might have left them there, but ninjas did not leave evidence.
First he walked over to the last one, the only one who had demonstrated promise as a shadow operative. To the unconscious, purple-clad body, he said, "You did well, boy. You are strong and skilled. But it takes something more to defeat a man of the Oniwaban group. It takes experience! And actually, it takes more than just experience. It also takes dedication! With those four things, you may one day be at my level. Except that it also takes honor and good judgment! So, to review, if you can achieve strength, skill, experience, dedication, honor, and good judgment, you may become a great warrior!"
The boy did not speak up to disagree. Okina, satisfied that wisdom had been imparted, set about the task of tying up the bodies and getting them out of the castle.
The next evening Okina was back. He figured the castle guards could handle any attacks that might come in the daytime, especially considering how unskilled these Shikumo ninjas appeared to be.
The Shikumo group had started up about a year ago and had been trying to gain recognition. With no work coming their way, they had decided to make a grand gesture that would gain them fame in the underworld. Thus, they had targeted the Moriguchi family. The family had once been friends to the Oniwaban. Though those days were long gone, it was the Commander's feeling that if such an assassination were to take place it would be a stain on their honor. Thus, he had sent Okina.
Okina had protested, but the Commander had been adamant. The leader of the Shikumos, a man named Baisotei Ryushi, was said to be skilled. And so here he was.
He decided that it might be worthwhile to learn a bit about the family. So after night had fallen he slipped into the keep through a window. He found himself in a long, dark corridor. He was on the third floor; there were five floors in the keep. He hoped to catch the family at dinner, and predicted that the dining hall would be on the second. He walked down the hall, silently but without bothering to conceal himself. If anyone came near, he would sense them long before they sensed him.
He came to a staircase and followed it down. Light showed through some of the walls, so he treaded more carefully through these halls. Down one corridor he saw two women carrying trays of food. He went after them. They brought the food into a room. He caught a glimpse of the interior when they opened the door. Certain it was a dining hall, he circled back and found another spot away from where the servants were entering. He took out a knife, cut a small hole in the edge of one shoji wall, and peeked through.
It looked like there were three diners, which fit the description of the family he had been given. It was easy to pick out Moriguchi Ichizo, who sat with the other two to his left and right. He was around forty-five, rather short and chubby. His hair was shaved in front and arranged in a perfect mitsu-ori topknot. He wore a light brown kimono and brown hakama pants. His clothing looked terribly expensive. His face was grim and humorless; it was the face of a man who does not allow himself to be happy.
Seated to his left and right were a young man and woman. Okina had been told that Moriguchi had a son and daughter, but not their names. The young man had longish hair that was not styled at all, but rather hung around his head randomly. It was a striking contrast to his father's perfect styling. His clothes, also, were much more colorful, with a light green kimono and deep red hakama pants. His mouth seemed to constantly curve in an uncaring smile. He was handsome in a rakish way. Rather like me, Okina thought.
Once he looked at the young woman, though, his awareness of Moriguchi and his son faded. She was about twenty and was strikingly beautiful. Her hair, in a taka shimada style, was as perfect as her father's, and she wore a yellow kimono with pink roses on it. Her eyes were large and deep, her lips full and sensuous. She was almost ethereal in her loveliness.
Okina shook his head to clear the sudden fog that had sprung up in his thoughts. He realized the young man was talking. "I have been thinking of having a new set of armor made."
The woman said, "Oh, good grief, Brother. You already have a dozen."
"A great warrior such as I needs many sets of armor," he retorted. He might have sounded haughty, but it was as if even he did not take himself seriously.
"Oh, yes, with all the terrible wars all around us, you should have two dozen," the woman said, rolling her eyes. Those lovely, lovely eyes... Pay attention! Okina roared at himself inwardly.
"Oh, and you are much more reasonable, with your preposterous notions of becoming a swordswoman," said the young man.
Moriguchi - the eldest Moriguchi - groaned audibly. "Why did you bring that up, Washichi? She hasn't mentioned that in days!"
"Terribly sorry, Father," said the boy Washichi, sounding anything but. A crooked little smile played about his features.
"Well, now that he has brought it up," began the woman. Moriguchi groaned again. "What exactly is your objection to my learning swordsmanship, Father?"
"Women do not become swordsmen," he said. It sounded to Okina as if he desperately wanted that to be the end of it.
"Since when?" the girl asked.
Moriguchi spluttered, "Since when? Women have never been swordsmen!"
"Yes, I'm afraid he's right, Jun," said Washichi. "Best learn how to cook like a good young lady." Okina was certain the young man was getting a great deal of enjoyment out of fanning the flames of this argument.
Jun said, "You can only hope I never become a warrior -"
Moriguchi said, "You are not going to -"
" - because I'm sure I could beat you!"
" - become a warrior!"
Washichi said, "Oh, come now, Jun. You can't possibly think you can surpass me! I am a truly superior warrior! No matter how much swordsmanship you learn - "
"She is not going - "
" - I will always be the strongest - "
" - to learn swordsmanship!"
" - warrior in this family!"
Okina was getting dizzy. Were they always like this? There was another consideration now, though. This Moriguchi Washichi said he was a great warrior. Okina's briefing had not mentioned that; perhaps the Commander did not know. If he was so strong, maybe Okina did not need to be here at all. But I can't just assume it's true, he thought. I'll have to find out for certain.
The meal appeared to be breaking up. The girl Jun rose and left. Okina wanted to follow her, but duty compelled him to stick with Washichi. The boy rose and left a little after that. Okina crept after him, really on guard now. If the boy was as strong as he said, he might have sharp senses.
Washichi went to a stairway and went up. Okina knew he would be too exposed following him up, so he went out a window and climbed the walls. He glanced in another window at the third floor. The boy kept going up, so Okina went to the fourth floor and looked in. He saw the boy coming up the stairs. At the top of that flight of stairs the boy tripped over his own hakama pants and fell flat on his face.
Okina sighed inwardly. So much for the "great warrior," he thought. But wait! What if he knows someone is following and is putting on a show of incompetence to lure out his enemies? Okina chuckled just a little. He's crafty. This lad may be a great warrior after all.
Washichi went down the hallway, slid open a door, and went through it. Okina climbed in through the window and went down to the door. He cut another small hole in the wall and peeked through. Washichi was sitting with a small book, reading by candlelight. After a little while, he opened a chest and took out a jar of ink and a quill pen. He dipped the quill into the jar and raised it up to write in the book. As he did so, he knocked over the jar. Ink spilled out onto the floor. He gave a gasp and grabbed for a cloth. As he did so, he knocked over the candle he had been reading by. He did not appear to notice immediately, though. He put the cloth over the ink and wiped it up as flames caught on the chest. By the time he noticed that, the flames had climbed to the top of the chest. He shrieked and beat at them with the cloth, finally putting them out.
Okina watched all this in amazement. I have never seen anyone go to such lengths to conceal their skill! he thought. He must be among the strongest warriors I have ever encountered!
He watched Washichi for a while longer, but there were no more major mishaps. Eventually the boy took off his clothing and dressed for bed. During that operation he managed to trip over seemingly nothing and fall flat on his back. Finally he blew out the candle and lay down.
Okina thought, Hmm. I still have no direct evidence of his strength. I know! There's one test that will pierce the veil of his stupidity!
Any warrior worth the name had an awareness of his surroundings that even sleep could not entirely dull. If Okina went into the room, Washichi would wake up.
Okina slid open the door and stepped into the room. He waited a moment. Any second now, he thought.
Washichi did not stir. Maybe I was too quiet. He is snoring rather loudly, after all. Okina took a step closer to the bed, then another. Nothing. He stepped up to the bed and stood next to it. Washichi snored away, without reacting in the slightest. Okina shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He coughed, just barely. Washichi’s head flopped to the side. His snoring abated for just a moment. Then he started up again. Okina coughed again, a bit louder. Nothing. He whispered, "Moriguchi Washichi." He said it again, louder. Then his patience snapped and he yelled out, "Wake up, Washichi!"
Washichi did not move an inch. It seemed as if his snoring got louder. Okina hung his head. This one’s no warrior.
Without even bothering to walk silently he went out of the room and stood for a moment. He supposed this mission would go on a little longer.
On a whim, he began to look around a little more on the fourth floor. He found what he was looking for. On the other side of the keep was the room of the girl, Jun. He peeked into the room and saw her, also in bed. He considered a moment, and went through the door. He shut it silently behind him and stood watching her sleeping form. He took a step closer to her.
Jun stirred and suddenly sat upright. She looked around her darkened room and said, "Is someone there?" For just an instant she thought there was movement. She got out of bed and went to the window. She looked out, but could only see the castle walls and the night sky above. "Hello?" she called.
There was no answer. Had she imagined it? She did not think so. Maybe it was only a bird. She went back and got into bed again.
On a rooftop above Okina sat. He had hurled himself out the open window at the first sign of Jun stirring. He was truly surprised she had sensed him, and even more surprised that she had known he had gone out the window. If he had not found shelter from her view so quickly, she would have seen him. With perceptions like those, maybe you have what your brother lacks, he thought. Rest easy, now. No one will disturb your sleep as long as I am here. I mean, besides me.
The next night he was back, crouched atop a corner tower, after spending the day sleeping in a tree. His back hurt and he had a headache, but he ignored these minor discomforts. A man of the Oniwaban did not allow aches and pains to dissuade him from his duty. Rather he turned these into his strength. Every pain lessened the intensity of wounds received in combat. Pain was actually something to look forward to, now that he thought about it. His back sure did hurt, though.
He was lost in these thoughts when he noticed something to the rear of the castle. He descended to the wall and looked. There was a candlelight moving away from the castle. He could not see very well through the trees. He scaled the wall down to the ground in a way that only ninjas knew. He looked over and saw a small gate. Stupid, he thought. I should've checked the wall more closely when I got here, but I thought they would come over it, not through it.
Then again, this was probably not one of the Shikumo group. The person, whoever it was, was leaving, not entering, and even fools like these Shikumo men would not use a candle. The light was getting further away, so he jumped up into the trees and caught a low branch. He did not like leaving the castle, but if this was a family member they could be putting themselves at great risk.
He jumped through the trees and followed the light. As he got close, he recognized the person. It was the daughter, Moriguchi Jun. What was she doing out here at night? She was wearing a plain robe, and carried nothing but the candle. She was walking along a narrow dirt road, little more than a game trail. He decided he could not simply let her walk around out here alone. The castle guards would have to do their job back there.
He kept pace with her by jumping from tree to tree. Once she looked over towards him. He froze, but it was out of surprise, not worry. She could not possibly see anything beyond her candlelight in this black night. But she must have heard him. She was good.
After a moment she went on her way again. At last she reached what appeared to be her destination. There was a rocky area. In the center was a small pool of water. Okina thought there might have been steam rising from it. He got a stable position on a branch and watched as Jun set her candle down on a rock. Then she slipped the robe from her shoulders.
Okina's mouth dropped open as her voluptuous nudity was revealed. His heart stopped beating for around ten seconds as he watched her walk to the pool and dip a toe in. Apparently satisfied at the temperature, she stepped down until one leg was in the water up to her knee.
Then something dropped from the sky and landed silently behind the girl. Okina saw a flash of purple, and he was in motion.
As he vaulted into the air he saw Jun turn towards the figure near her, and his respect for her went up another notch. The figure had been totally silent, but she had sensed it all the same. Okina landed between the two, facing Jun.
He put his right hand on his chest and inclined his head slightly. "Young lady," he said, "do not be afraid. I will -"
Suddenly there was a pain in his cheek and the world spun around. He saw the trees to his right, the purple-clad figure behind him, the rocks to his left, Jun, the trees, the figure, the rocks, and Jun again. Then the world stopped again, and he was facing Jun. Her right arm was stretched toward her left side and her palm was flat. She had slapped him hard enough to spin him twice in the air. She thinks I'm the enemy, he thought. Her face showed fear, but she obviously intended to go down fighting.
There was no time to explain, though. He turned back to the figure behind him.
It was a man. He was about Okina's height and slim. He wore a purple ninja uniform like the men he had fought at the castle. This one wore no hood, though. He had a belt of dark leather. It looked like there were many small, cylindrical pockets in the belt, but what those were for Okina had no idea. His head was shaved. He had three tattoos on his face, one on each cheek and one on his forehead, each of a purple spider. The one on his forehead faced downward, and the legs curled forward and terminated at his eyebrows. The two on his cheeks faced toward his mouth. Four legs on each spider met over his nose. The other legs ended at his jaw line. His skin was dark and his face was broad and cruel.
The man said, "Who are you?"
"You may call me Okina."
The man sneered. "I've heard of you. One of the lieutenants of the Oniwaban, are you not?"
"Yes. And you are Baisotei Ryushi."
"My fame precedes me."
Okina smiled. "'Fame?' You are joking."
Baisotei looked annoyed. He reached behind his back and drew a sword. "I had decided to kill that one, waste of a beautiful woman thought it would be. But now I suppose your death will be sufficient to demonstrate my power."
Okina's eyes narrowed. He whipped his steel tonfas from the concealed pouches in his sleeves, held them still along his forearms, and dropped into a fighting crouch. Baisotei, too, readied himself, holding his sword before him. There was a pause, and the two men came at each other.
Baisotei held his sword in just his right hand and whipped it around in a blinding cut at Okina's head. Okina ducked under it and did a punch at Baisotei's stomach. Baisotei danced to the side and chopped downward. Okina blocked with his left tonfa and used his right to strike at the sword. The tonfa clanged against it loudly. The sword did not break, but Baisotei grimaced as the vibrations shook him. Okina did another low punch with his left tonfa at Baisotei's stomach and this time connected. He felt the butt of the tonfa strike hard muscle.
Baisotei hopped backwards, pain on his features. Okina came after him and Baisotei slashed at his head again. Okina ducked and the blade passed over him. This time, though, as soon as the blade missed, Baisotei switched directions. The blade slashed down and right. Okina managed to get his right tonfa up to block, but Baisotei's left foot came up and kicked him in the chest. He stumbled back and Baisotei stabbed at him. He spun his left tonfa and knocked the blade aside.
Baisotei held his ground. As Okina came at him again, he reached to his belt. He dropped something on the ground, something that sparked and hissed. It looks like a firecracker, Okina thought. Okina ignored it and swung with his left tonfa at Baisotei's chest. Baisotei blocked with his sword and stepped to the side when Okina followed up with a punch with his right tonfa. Just then, there was a loud noise at Okina's feet. He instinctively glanced down, and in that instant Baisotei attacked.
He slashed downward and caught the front of Okina's left shoulder. Okina hopped back and gritted his teeth against the pain. Baisotei smiled evilly. "No matter how strong you think you are, you cannot defend against the Bakutouwaku technique of Shikumo Ninjutsu!"
"Only a true idiot would come up with such a noisy technique and call it 'ninjutsu,'" said Okina.
Baisotei scowled. He came forward, slashing to the left with his sword. Okina watched both hands, though. With his left hand, Baisotei dropped three more firecrackers in quick succession. It seemed as though they lit as soon as they were pulled from Baisotei’s belt. Okina blocked the slash and countered with a kick at Baisotei's chest. Baisotei swept it aside with an open palm. Then a firecracker blew up. Okina couldn't help but jump a little. Baisotei swung his sword down at Okina's leg, still outstretched from his kick. Okina managed to pull the leg back, but another firecracker sounded and Baisotei stabbed at him. He parried with a tonfa, but the third firecracker went off. Baisotei punched him in the face, hard, and he was too distracted to dodge.
Baisotei said, "Any time you want to concede, you may do so. In fact, if you want to join me, I would be more than willing to have you. You could be my sub-commander."
Okina said, "Why would I want to concede when I am about to defeat you?"
Baisotei smiled and came at him. Okina saw him drop three more firecrackers. Baisotei slashed straight down. Okina dodged to the left and swung his left tonfa at Baisotei's head. Baisotei ducked and stabbed. Just as he did, a firecracker went off. Okina knocked the sword aside and, with incredible speed, jumped over Baisotei. He landed against the side of a large boulder and ricocheted off it. A firecracker went off as he hurtled at Baisotei. Baisotei blocked when Okina swung at him with his right tonfa, but could not when Okina swung with the left one. The tonfa connected solidly with the side of Baisotei's stomach. He grunted but had enough strength to stab at Okina just as the third firecracker went off. Okina knocked it aside easily.
Baisotei stepped back and gasped for breath. Okina said, "You may as well stop throwing your silly firecrackers. I give you credit for mastering such a technique. But against the Oniwaban it is useless. I have learned the timing of it. That is what it is all about, right? You know the timing of the fuses so they never surprise you. But now they will not surprise me, either."
Baisotei nearly snarled at him. He came forward again. Okina went to meet him, swinging at Baisotei's head. Baisotei ducked under it, and dropped further so his left hand touched the ground. He vaulted onto that hand and shouted, "Shikumo Ninjutsu... Kajou Bakuhatsu!" As he stood on one hand, his sword slashed at Okina’s legs and his right foot swung at Okina's head. Okina swung both his tonfas. There was a clanging sound as the right tonfa stopped the sword, and a crunch as the left tonfa connected with Baisotei's foot.
Baisotei yelled in pain and fell away from Okina. His sword clattered to the ground. He faced away from Okina and clutched his foot. Okina said, "Are you ready to give up now?" Baisotei did not answer, so Okina took a couple of steps toward him.
Baisotei whirled on his left foot and stood in the same motion. He threw something at Okina's face. Okina cursed himself for his carelessness, but there was no time to dodge. Something small and white hit him in the forehead, and a black cloud burst forth.
A ninja bomb! he thought. An eggshell hollowed out and filled with powder! He felt his eyes burning and knew it was blinding powder. He couldn’t stop himself from clutching at his face and his tonfas dropped to the ground. He stumbled back as his eyes began to tear uncontrollably. He heard motion, and something slammed into his chest. Baisotei's foot, he knew.
Jun watched as Baisotei kicked the man in blue. What had his name been? It appeared he was fighting to protect her. He fell backwards and landed in the hot spring, and did not come up.
Baisotei turned to her. Limping on one foot, he started toward her. He sneered as his eyes traveled over her nakedness. She wished she had thought to put her robe back on, but had been too enthralled by the spectacle of the fight. She looked around for anything that might save her now, and she saw his sword, on the ground close to her. She snatched it up and held it before her. Baisotei looked pale and sweaty from the pain of his wounds, but he still smiled in mockery. She thought of her brother, Washichi. For all his claims of being a great warrior, she couldn't think of a single time she had seen him fight with a sword. How did one hold it properly?
Then Baisotei reached down and picked up one of the strange weapons the man in blue had used. He held it not with the handle, as the other man had, but as one might hold a very short sword. She knew she was lost then. If he had been unarmed, maybe she would have had a chance, but now... Can I stab him before he reaches me? she thought desperately. This sword is longer than that weapon...
A voice behind Baisotei said, "I think that belongs to me."
Baisotei turned and Jun saw, behind him, the man in blue. He rose up out of the water and climbed out. He said, "I thought it was lucky she came out here for a bath, but I didn't know how lucky. If you had used a ninja bomb back at the castle I would have been in real trouble. But it was child's play to maneuver myself near the hot spring. I knew you would kick me rather than take the time to get your sword. So I went right into the hot spring, and that washed my eyes out. And now your time is up."
He picked up the other weapon he had dropped. Baisotei went toward him, but was slow because of his wounded foot. He swung with the iron bar for the man's head. The man blocked easily with his weapon. With speed Jun had never seen before, he swung upwards and connected with Baisotei's temple. Baisotei's heels left the ground and he seemed to hang in the air for an instant. Then he dropped unconscious to the ground.
The man stood regarding Baisotei for a moment. He picked up the weapon that Baisotei had dropped and began putting it and the one he had into hidden pockets in his sleeves. As he did so he said, "So very foolish. You were a competent fighter, but your ninja skills were sorely lacking. A ninja must always, first and foremost, be aware of his surroundings. You should have known you were overmatched as soon as the fight began. Actually, a great warrior can sense another person's strength just by looking at them! It's a pity, really. With the right training you could have been good."
He finished putting away his weapons. Then he turned to Jun. She again became angry that he was seeing her naked. "Young lady," he said, "I must go now. It has been my honor to protect you. You are, as that one said, very beautiful, though looking at you I can see qualities far beyond that." His expression was so serious that her anger faded. Even with his soaking wet clothes, blood, and eyes reddened from that powder, there was a strange kind of dignity in the way he stood before her.
He bent down, grabbed Baisotei around the waist, and hoisted him up on a shoulder. He walked off toward the trees. As he reached them, he stopped and looked back. The dignity with which he carried himself vanished. His mouth hung open as he visually devoured her, starting at her feet and going up to her face. Then he saw that she was still watching him. He gave a start and rushed off into the night.
She just stood there for a long time. She had never before witnessed such a battle, never seen men like those, fighting with passion, skill, and determination. She realized she still held the sword Baisotei had dropped. She lifted it up and looked at it. When she picked it up to defend herself with it had felt very light, but now it seemed heavier. Father will never let me keep it, she thought.
She realized she was very tired. She set the sword down and lowered herself into the hot spring to rest. As she did, the words of the man in blue drifted back to her. "A great warrior can sense another person's strength just by looking at them!" And, "...beautiful, but looking at you I can see qualities far beyond that." Had he been trying to tell her something? He had won that fight using a pair of metal sticks. She wanted to be a warrior. If her father would not let her wield a sword, maybe there was something else she could use...