CHAPTER 13

死闘 Shito

Desperate Struggle

Aska suddenly crouched, snarling at the thick overgrowth in front of them.

Hiro and Jet jumped behind trees seconds before shots were fired.

Ojiisan leapt forward, spinning. He caught the man’s cheek with his heel. As soon as the man fell, Aska was instantly on him, his throat in her jaws.

Another man, also dressed in black, his nose and mouth hidden by a scarf, ran at Ojiisan. Jet knew she should do something—anything—to help her grandfather, but she couldn’t make herself move. It was as if she had suddenly become frozen, rooted to the earth like bamboo.

She tried to summon her power, but there was nothing there. Only fear and immobility. Why was this happening? She’d been able to fight her mother on the mountain, hadn’t she?

Without hesitation, Hiro threw a ten-yen coin with such force that it gashed the man’s forehead. Ojiisan turned and aimed his elbow at the man’s throat, but the man caught his arm and threw him down. Ojiisan’s shoulder struck the earth, and he grunted loudly.

Jet watched it all in a panic, as if in slow motion. Her mother had taught her how to run, jump, kick, fight in every imaginable circumstance. That was just it. Every imaginable circumstance. That was what she’d been trying to teach Jet that night on the mountain—what it felt like to really be threatened. This was different. This was real.

Jet took a breath, steeled herself. While his attacker held his arm, Ojiisan struck the back of his hand, the sound of breaking bones was unmistakable. He flipped to his feet and kicked the man’s knee with the side of his foot. As his enemy fell, Ojiisan kicked his neck. Jet closed her eyes.

“Oshaka-sama,” he said in shinobi kotoba. “Lord Buddha! I knew there would be an attack, but this is worse than I expected. They’re better fighters than we’ve ever faced.”

Hiro was pale. He shivered as Aska came to his side. The dog had killed the other man, but the one Ojiisan had fought was still alive, lying face down.

“Let’s go,” he urged.

“Ojiisan!” Jet turned back toward the man. “We can’t just leave him here.”

“We have no choice. He’s already chosen his destiny.” Ojiisan crouched beside the man and took his rifle. He moved as if in pain, and she knew that if she’d fought alongside them, he might not have gotten hurt.

She sank to the ground in tears, her whole body trembling. Ojiisan took her arm and lifted her up.

He turned her to face him squarely. “You’ve got to snap out of it,” he said.

“I can’t fight. I don’t want to fight,” Jet murmured.

“Of course you don’t. No one wants to fight. But you learn to shut out your emotions and defend yourself. You have to. You’ll be hurt if you don’t. Do you understand?” He gazed into her eyes.

She tried to look at him but couldn’t see anything through her tears. She’d never seen anyone killed before. She couldn’t have imagined how horrible it would be. She felt sick to her stomach.

“What if he had a wife and family?” she asked. “A daughter like me?”

Ojiisan sighed. “It’s true, he might. And that is terribly sad. But he knew that when he took this line of work. And when you’re under attack, you have no choice. It’s either you or him. It is you who decides your own fate. Is his life worth more than yours?”

Jet sobbed. “No. Yes. I don’t know.”

He shook her gently, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Well, I do. You can’t have sympathy for a vicious attacker. This is battle. No one likes battle. If you want to live, you do what you can to survive. That’s all. Blade over heart. That’s what in battle means.”

Jet’s lip trembled. “I’m sorry, Ojiisan. I can’t. I never wanted….”

“No one wants this. But it’s who we are. We must go. Now!” he implored.

Jet sank to the earth again, thoughts whirling. When Satoko had taken her out to the desert to kick trees, she’d never liked doing it, convinced she was hurting them. She’d never imagined fighting with real people, their pain, their agony, their fear. She didn’t want to hurt anyone ever. She had to get out of here, now.

“I can’t. Even if they are Wa. Or yakuza. Or whatever. I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” she said, collapsing further.

“Come on!” Hiro whispered insistently. This time he pulled her up and shook her like a rag doll. “I’ve waited years to meet you. I was so excited that you were coming, and I was amazed by what you did at the river… You can do this!”

Jet tried to move her feet but she couldn’t. They were heavy, like stones.

“No, I can’t. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you can,” Ojiisan told her.

Jet took a breath in. She had to make herself clear.

“Ojiisan, even if I can, I don’t want to. I won’t.”

“Your mother believed in you. She was trying to make you even stronger. She might have pushed you too hard sometimes, that’s for sure. But she had to. Now you understand why.”

“I don’t understand. I don’t,” Jet shook her head, tears streaming down.

“If you give up now, everything your mom did for this family will have been in vain. Her entire life will have been wasted,” Ojiisan said.

“I’m sorry I let you down.” Jet sobbed, falling back down the ground. “All of you.”

“If that’s who you want to be, then fine. You have to decide on your own. Ojiisan, let’s go,” Hiro turned and began to walk away. Then her grandfather walked off, too, increasing their pace as they grew smaller in the distance.

Jet sank down, dejected.

She heard a low moan and looked from the fallen man to the one who lay wounded. His cry sounded so painful, so agonizing. She had to get away from it. Now.

She pulled herself up, spinning around frantically. Then she heard a twig snap, and fear kicked in. Were more people out there, waiting to attack?

She hadn’t asked for this. Maybe the girl in her mother’s story, the one who freed her people, hadn’t asked to be a warrior, or to have so much responsibility, but that girl had had no choice back then. Times were different. Jet had a choice.

She didn’t want to be here.

She breathed in deeply, tried to calm her thoughts.

True, she’d given her mother her word that she’d do whatever Ojiisan asked. She’d kept her word, and it had lead to this. Nothing good could come of it. A shot rang out in the distance.

Jet started, her body crouching into action.

She listened for another sound in the forest, but heard nothing. Nothing. Just the ricochet of her heart against her ribcage, battering away. Then she heard another shot.

Suddenly, anger raced through her body. What if Hiro and Ojiisan had been captured and hurt? What if they needed her, and she was just sitting here? Get up! a voice from somewhere deep inside said. Don’t be a victim! Conquer your fear!

Suddenly some primal instinct took over, lifting her body from the ground.

Just this one more time. For them. Then I’m walking away. Who cares about ancient history anyway? It has nothing to do with me.

Soon she was walking stealthily through the forest, then running. Willing her limbs to move faster and faster until finally she made out Hiro, Aska, and Ojiisan, mere silhouettes along the animal trail, almost hidden by the tall swaying bamboo.

As soon as we get to safety, Jet thought, I’ll get on the first plane back to America. I don’t belong here. I’m out of my element, way out of my league.

She followed them in silence, knowing they felt her presence. Hadn’t J-Bird once said: A pack stays together. You never abandon your tribe.

Eventually she caught up to them, chest heaving with exertion. Ojiisan led them into a thick bamboo grove. When he finally looked at her, there was sympathy in his gaze.

“Thank you for finding us. You understand that I had no choice but to push you.”

“I know,” she replied. Her expression must have shown how much she regretted coming here, making that promise to her mother.

Ojiisan looked from Jet to Hiro. “Our enemies are close. They know how to hide their energy and blend into the earth. I thought when we got through the forest and reached the highway, daybreak would come, and we’d be able to escape. But they’ve blocked the forest. It won’t be easy to escape. If we stay here until daybreak, they’ll encircle us. We’ll be trapped.”

“What can we do?” Hiro asked, desperation edging his voice.

“Go east. If you two run, you’ll get to the ravine in thirty minutes. There used to be a wooden bridge there. It fell apart years ago. Do you remember where it was?”

Hiro nodded vigorously.

“I’ve been planning to rebuild it for years. I packed the materials up there little by little and put them in a storage shed. There’s rope in it. While I’m dealing with our pursuers, I want you to use the rope to cross the ravine. Can you do that? I promise I’ll come after you.”

“Ojiisan, please, let’s stay together. It’s way too dangerous,” Jet said, fighting back tears.

“It’s the only way. I’ll come for you, I promise.” Then Ojiisan turned his gaze to his grandson. “I’ll come back, just like I did with Aska. Keep your faith, son. Okay?”

“Okay,” Hiro said. His lips were trembling.

“Jet,” Ojiisan tilted his head toward hers and said in a near-whisper. “Even though your Ojiisan might look like a harmless old grandfather, he could be something totally different. So could anyone, for that matter…. Wakaru? Understand?”

Jet started. “Anyone?” She looked closely at Ojiisan. Though he was eighty, his skin was taut, his muscles lean and powerful. He moved with grace and stealth. He was strong and proud.

He nodded slowly, as if reading her mind.

Jet’s gaze shot over to her cousin. He was just twelve, but he moved like an athlete. And though she’d just met him, it was clear he had a library in his mind. Why? Were they superhuman, or just super motivated?

Her eyes flickered between her cousin and grandfather as understanding washed over her, making her skin tingle.

“Shinado were born in an age without electricity, when people had to live in the darkness. Now, there’s no such thing as darkness. And there are guns and atomic bombs and all sorts of sophisticated weapons…” Ojiisan trailed off, sadness tinging his words.

“Shinado?” Jet repeated. “You mean ninja?” She almost covered her mouth instinctively as the word floated out.

Ojiisan’s deep blue eyes stilled as he looked into Jet’s face. “The ninja has many codes to live by,” he said. “Rule number one is: Keep secret things secret.”

Jet gulped. That wouldn’t be hard, she thought, because it was all a mystery to her.

“And number two is…?” she asked, bracing herself for the answer.

“Put the blade over the heart. Even if it means using those you love,” he said, levelling his gaze, though she still felt warmth in his eyes.

“Ojiisan!” Jet gasped.

Ojiisan shook his head. “A ninja is not a hero. We had no laws to protect us, no one to give us food or shelter, let alone weapons or training. If the ninja had to, he used even the things dearest to him to survive. And we survived, despite the odds. We survived! If we don’t fight for our tribe now, who will? We must do this to secure a future. A peaceful future.”

Jet’s brow furled.

Again, her grandfather seemed to read her mind.

“I know that sounds ironic, but it’s the truth.”

Jet let his words sink in. She didn’t know what to say, for once. Ninja!

Hiro shot up, standing tall. “If you don’t help us, we’ll all die. And that’s what those men want!”

Ojiisan’s voice was fervent. “And that’s what your mother didn’t want, and why she spent every day of her life teaching you our wisdom, to insure it didn’t happen. Do you understand?”

“I don’t know,” Jet stammered. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

“Our ancestors were genin—slaves even within ninja society.” Ojiisan gazed down as he said the words Satoko couldn’t say. “But we fought for freedom. We can’t give it up now.”

Aska cocked her ears. Jet caught the faint sound of a helicopter and sirens to the north.

People must be coming to put out the fire, Jet realized.

“Listen!” she whispered, heart sinking.

When she envisioned the beautiful thatch-roof house in flames, and the ancient village nothing but a pile of cinders, her heart was filled with pain. She imagined the fire licking the black beams, the white walls and shoji screens, everything burnt to ash and ruin. Burnt like Satoko.

If the ninja had to, he would use even the things dearest to him to survive.

So my mother… she too…

As Jet put the pieces together, she understood why her grandfather had set the fire. Because of the fire, the authorities would come and protect the village, keeping their attackers away. If the police and fire department came, this would give them time to escape.

Ojiisan never would have set the fire unless he had to.

“One more thing,” Ojiisan told Jet and Hiro. “If you encounter into anyone, don’t fight them head-on. Just run. But if you can’t get away, then fight any way you can. Got that?”

“Got it,” Hiro said bravely, looking to Jet.

Jet shook her head. She couldn’t reply.

“Don’t get hurt!” Ojiisan said as he straightened his back, rifle on his shoulder. “If something happens, go see Soji in Tokyo. Right away. He’ll take care of you.”

“Ojiisan, please!” Jet tried to turn away, but she couldn’t.

He met her gaze with an expression that contained both fierceness and kindness, like the sky and earth joined.

“Jet! Your mother taught you well. Don’t be afraid. She’ll be with you. Always. Call upon her and the others. They’re in your blood. They’ll guide you, like the itako said.”

“Ojiisan. Grandpa!” She reached out, and he held her in his strong arms. She didn’t want to let him go. Ever. “Wait!” she pleaded.

“Now go! Run!” he said and released her.

Jet watched his figure fade into the mist, keeping her eyes on him as long as she could.

She had the terrible feeling that if she looked away, she might never see him again.