Chapter 18 - Part 1
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(One year ago …)
“Our contacts in Northern Valedonia have successfully carried everything out, Master Gorō,” the Yamanoha shinobi made his report before the old man, bending his knee and with a bowed head.
Master Gorō lips stretched into a grin of keen pleasure. “Excellent! Where are they now?”
“We received word that our Western agents have successfully intercepted the carriage that was carrying the Princess Ariadne and her handmaiden Miss Lihyal, and that they are safely hidden away until passage on a merchant’s ship was made. The captain is, fortunately, one of us and therefore, handled everything very discreetly.” Having finished his report, the shinobi remained in a bowed kneeling position.
“Thank you, Kenta. You are dismissed.”
Kenta stood up, bowed again, and left the old man’s hut.
Leaning a little on his bamboo cane, the old man slowly turned to face the open window of his hut and studied the scenery outside. There was a light and steady breeze outside and enough sunlight so he could see groups of shinobi training, as well as Yamanoha craftsmen and their own apprentices busy in their workshops crafting weapons, clothing, padded armor and other essential equipment.
Despite being located in a vast underground cavern, the headquarters of the Yamanoha clan had adequate ventilation and enough natural light. This was all due to its unique construction. A long, long time ago, the founders of the clan wanted to look for a place that would keep their growing numbers safe and well-hidden, but also provide them with ideal living conditions. Having found an almost-hidden narrow entrance that led to the underground cavern which would become their clan headquarters, they all agreed to make the cavern their home and hideaway. It was a stroke of good luck that one of their founders happened to be well-versed in the principles of civil engineering. He applied his knowledge of both engineering and construction to expand the cavern over the years to enable it to accommodate their growing shinobi forces, as well as their families and supporters. The cavern had a network of cleverly-hidden ventilation pipes and tunnels that provided clean mountain air and oxygen. There were also specially designed slats and ceiling openings that let in natural sunlight. So while they may live underground, the shinobi of the Yamanoha clan were in no way deprived of air and light.
And all of this took place long before Master Gorō and his generation were even born.
Our founders are indeed wise - and much ahead of their times, he mused.
In more ways than one …
His thoughts then turned to his own younger days when he himself was a young shinobi-in-training. He remembered being around Kai’s age at that time.
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“You have a unique talent, Gorō. One that can prove very useful and crucial to our clan in the future,” spoke Master Jin.
“You don’t say, Master Jin. How so?”
“Hmmph! For someone who is skilled at face reading, you’re pretty shortsighted when it comes to the future, you scamp!” Master Jin sneered. Years later, Master Gorō would speak in much the same way with his future protégé.
“Not even the most skilled face reader or fortune teller can predict what shape the future will take nor what it holds from us. But we still need guidance of sorts on how to best navigate its uncharted waters. So tell me, Gorō,” Master Jin suddenly angled him a penetrating look. “What do you think of the Western lands that lie beyond the Great Barrier Ocean? Is it worth it for the Yamanoha clan to establish themselves there?”
“And why would our clan want to gain a foothold there, Master Jin? What advantage would we gain by forging alliances with those arrogant, long-nosed Western barbarians?” replied his protégé.
“You fool! Have you given deep thought on any of the things I have taught you?!” Master Jin yelled in angry tones. “Have you gotten so used to seeing with mere eyes of flesh that you completely forgot how to truly see?! Is that hard-headed apelike skull of yours incapable of basic comprehension?!!”
As deeply insulting and painful as his sensei’s words were, Gorō had no other recourse but to let him continue on with his tirade. Settling his features into a blank, emotionless mask, Master Jin’s mad ramblings flowed around him.
“After all the years of hardship and intensive training you’ve gone through, your stupid, sunken pig’s eyes can’t see beyond your nose?!! You have no right to be a shinobi!! No, I take that back! You’re not even fit to clean the public village latrines!! I should have you expelled from the Yamanoha clan!!”
In a smooth and sudden movement, the young shinobi placed his hands together in front of him with the fingertips touching together. He then made a deep bow, such as one that a lowly slave would make to his master. Because that was what it was. His bow was so low that the tip of his nose scrapped the floor.
“You are absolutely correct, Master Jin. I am nothing but an insignificant speck of dirt on the sole of your foot. No, I am even lower than that. You are the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom that surpasses the ages. I am merely nothing. I am not worthy of regard or forgiveness because I am a mere beast who utterly lacking in talent, discernment and brains. Do with me as you wish because I deserve no less than that.”
Several seconds of complete dead silence passed. The seconds became a full minute. And then several minutes.
As he expected, it was Master Jin who broke the silence by speaking first.
“Get up, you dimwitted baboon!”
Gorō straightened back into the customary kneeling position.
“You believe that establishing ties with the Western barbarians is mere foolishness?”
“Yes,” the shinobi replied baldly. “But that is because I am not used to the idea. My very self recoils at the thought of having to work closely with such a people.”
His sensei suddenly smiled in a surprisingly musing, even indulgent manner.
“It’s a good thing you spoke from the honesty of your heart, Gorō. And you are right. I myself hesitate and have many misgivings even thinking about it. But that is where I think the path of our clan lies.”
“What do you mean, Master Jin?”
“We are shinobi, and we serve as the tools and weapons of men. But we ourselves are men. And no matter how strong or powerful a shinobi one becomes, that shinobi will always be in its heart of hearts, a human being. And as human beings, we are but flesh. And will always remain flesh … limited, finite, and always chasing after that which we cannot hope to have - or understand.”
“And what role do the Western barbarians play in our clan’s future, Master Jin?”
“Despite appearances and differences in thinking, they are just like us. They too chase after those things beyond their grasp. Like us, they seek security and stability where they are. But things being what they are, they lack the wisdom that is the basis of one of our guiding principles.”
“To see the world beyond the world.”
“Exactly, Gorō. In order for them to do that they have to look beyond their rough and uncouth surroundings and reach out to others who are both different and same as them. So …”
The young Gorō smiled when his sensei left his sentence hanging. “It will most likely be a complicated and troublesome thing our clan will be getting itself into. I foresee a long period of many trials and errors on both sides.”
“But it can still work, despite the dangers, eh, my pupil?”
“That remains to be seen, Master Jin.”
The master and the student both gave matching grins.
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That very same grin now played on Master Gorō’s face. Personally, he was secretly and pleasantly surprised that, even with his fortune-telling abilities, things turned out to be not so bad after all.
The fact that events have conspired to lead the princess and her handmaiden to live in Yashima was one of the many proofs that they have no cause to regret forming ties with those who live across the Great Barrier Ocean. Despite some mishaps here and there, almost everything worked out well. Most of the time.
You may just as well be much better at predicting the future than me, Master Jin …
- Writer
