Yoshi smiled a little sheepishly. “Pardon, Jii-sama, but I already have. No actions have alerted me.”

  Jii turned to Hideki. “It seems your impetuousness has paid off for the family. We have trained retainers who would give their lives for us, but they know nothing about the way of shadows. Now we have our own shadow warrior,” Jii beamed. Then he turned back to Yoshi.

  “Yoshi-san, you have complete access to our family at any time. I put our safety in your hands.”

  Yoshi bowed deeply. “I will do my best, Lord.”

  “Musashi–dono, may we count on your sword as well?” Jii queried.

  Musashi bowed his head. “You have my word, Yoshinobu-sama, but only until I can find my replacement.”

  “Musashi–san, our family will need a fencing master. This could be a change in lifestyle for you,” Jii pointed out.

  “I pledge you and your family my sword, Yoshinobu-sama, but my life has been dedicated to perfecting my art. I am graying now and have had a lifetime of battles.” Then, glancing at Hideki, Musashi added, “I find great comfort in knowing the next generation may be steeped in the traditions of old.” Returning his eyes to Jii, he continued. “But you need younger blood that will grow with the new regime. I will give you my sword and my knowledge as far as Edo. Then I must return to my musha shugyo so that I can complete my pilgrimage. I have a lot of knowledge that I want to give. I am thinking of writing a book and will need solitude to finish it. Besides, once in Edo, you will have the Yagyu as your fencing master, and their blades to protect you.”

  Jii shook his head. “I wish I could trust to that, but they may be part of the problem. At first when I heard of Hideki’s lapse of wisdom in Kyoto, I was angry. Then he told me of you fighting beside one another and I began to believe you were sent from the gods. As you well know, there is no bond thicker than combat. I may love my relatives, but I will put down my pipe and pick up my sword for a brother-in-arms until my dying day. If Hideki had such friends, then when we get to a town filled with established allegiances at least we would have a cadre we could trust.”

  Musashi nodded in concurrence. “However, if Naga becomes the next shogun, the Yagyu will still be the hereditary Tokugawa fencing masters and my presence could cause problems. There are men stalking me.”

  “If you are under the Yoshinobu name, you are beyond provincial law,” Jii asserted.

  “True, but how would it look for Naga during the interview with the Tairo and Roju if I was on your staff? They could question his judgment for having a ronin with over sixty deaths on his head.”

  Jii turned to Naga. “What do you say to that charge?”

  “I’d say all Musashi’s opponents died with a weapon in their hand, with malice in their hearts, and—most importantly—facing him,” Naga replied.

  “And I’d say if they doubted any of Naga’s words, they can pick up a sword and face me,” Hideki chimed in.

  Jii nodded. “Bravado is good in the young, but we must face political facts. What Musashi says is correct; his presence could cause us harm. However, I believe his absence, especially for this trip to Edo, would cause us more harm. Therefore, I take you up on your offer to join us to Edo. Once there, you can make up your mind whether to stay or go.”

  Jii came to his feet, walked back to Naga’s side, and kneeled again. Then in his gruff voice, “Musashi-dono, I promote you to the rank of counselor in the Yoshinobu family with a stipend of 400 koku. You are to advise us on tactics and weaponry and be our fencing master. Yoshi-san, I contract with you to be our eyes and ears and to provide us intelligence that you deem beneficial to the Yoshinobu family. Your contract is worth 300 koku.” Then, looking at his two grandsons, Jii asked, “Does everyone agree?”

  Naga grunted his approval.

  Hideki bowed deeply to Musashi and Yoshi.

  “Omedato gozaimus mina san,” Hideki said in way of congratulations to both.

  Musashi turned his head to Yoshi, “See ninja master, no boiling oil for you today. But screw up once in your new position and I’ll start cutting wood for the fire.”

  Yoshi knew Musashi was not kidding.

  The next day the entourage passed through Narumi, the forty-first station on the Tokaido, after a three-ri journey of approximately six miles. The town was small but the wide streets had open markets on both sides of the compacted dirt road. They were famous in the region for the tie-dyed fabrics that were suitable for making yukata, the kimono worn in the summer and after a bath. Many of the women in the latter part of the entourage left the procession and started haggling with the merchants. There was plenty of room for their purchases in the horse-drawn wagons in the rear.

  The procession made good time as neither the Yoshinobu men nor the retainer’s women rode in kogas. The koga was a palanquin conveyance held by two men on their shoulders. Jii, Naga, and Hideki rode horses but kept them at a walk to keep from pulling ahead. Musashi now had a horse and rode beside Jii or Naga. Hideki was on horseback as well but moved up and down the procession to ensure it stayed together and that there were no security breaches. Jii seemed to relax a little with Musashi and Yoshi in attendance. Yoshi started each morning scouting ahead of the procession, then snaked back to the tail end—always alert, always watching everything.

  In the midafternoon they passed through Chiryu, the fortieth station. Because Jii wanted to make it to Okazaki by nightfall, the procession did not stop for a noon meal, but pressed on. It was thirteen ri or thirty-two miles from their last stop to Okazaki. This was a punishing march and all were tired by the time they made the entry onto the longest bridge in the country, the bridge over the Yahagi River.

  Hideki stood his horse at the entrance of the bridge and marveled. Musashi pulled up beside him.

  “I did not know such things existed,” Hideki said.

  “It is the longest bridge in the country, I am told,” Musashi advised.

  From where Hideki sat on his horse, he could see the wooden structure arching over the waterway. The bridge floated on trestles driven into the marshes and on into the riverbed itself. At its highest, it stood two rokoshaku bo lengths off the water. It was six men wide with railings on each side approximately hip high. The entire cortege could continue its orderly march onto and across the bridge without reducing into single file.

  “Look, Musashi-sama,” Hideki pointed. “It is the castle of the great man himself.” On the far side of the river stood the castle town of the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

  “What I am looking at are the mountains on the other side. I hope we get to rest here a while. Coming thirteen or fourteen ri in a day is hard traveling for the women,” Musashi said.

  Hideki’s face almost frowned as he pondered. “I believe Jii wants to push on tomorrow and spend a day resting in Akasaka.”

  “Wise choice for the bachelors,” Musashi observed, “but I do not know what the wives will say.”

  “You have been this way before?” Hideki asked.

  “Yes. Akasaka is famous for its entertainment quarters. They are said to have the friendliest girls on the Tokaido.”

  “Musashi, you should be ashamed. We are on an important mission. We cannot be deterred with foolish dalliance,” Hideki said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

  “Who is talking, you or Jii?” Musashi mused. “You may do as you please, prince of the Yoshinobu, but I intend to let some pretty young thing pamper me in Akasaka.”

  “Is it really that nice?” Hideki asked a little sheepishly.

  “You mean to tell me you have never slept with a woman, Hideki?”

  “It is not of importance. A true samurai must focus on the martial arts,” Hideki said in defense.

  “True, Hideki, but if you don’t use your sword, it gets dull.”

  Hideki spurred his tired horse toward the end of the entourage. Musashi smiled after him. “Jii has neglected some of his training.”

  When all had arrived and quartered in the inns, they were surprised to find they had official visitors. This threw the tired retainers into a whirlwind of activity as the household made rapid preparations lest Naga lose face. They scrambled for two hours to set the stage for the meeting in the grand room of the largest inn.

  Hideki did not have to worry about strange faces causing a security problem as all other travelers were turned away the day before by the advance team. Yoshi was busy checking on all of the inn’s employees. Finally, after the Yoshinobu had bathed and changed into their finery, the Yoshinobu samurai retainers bathed and ate in shifts. Then security was set throughout the inn.

  In the grand room, Nagamasa sat on folded legs on the raised portion of the twenty-six tatami room. Because of the close proximity of the river to the west and the sea to the south, there was a very pleasant breeze blowing through the inn, and Jii had allowed the sliding walls to the grand room to be opened in order to allow the air to circulate.

  Nagamasa was dressed in the two-part kamishino over a light blue kimono of the finest silk. From the waist up he wore the sleeveless kata ginu with wide exaggerated shoulders. On the lapels of the kata ginu the Tokugawa holly hock mon signified the shogun’s family. He wore lightweight hakama of dark purple. Despite the breeze, Naga fanned himself with a collapsible bamboo and paper fan. Behind Naga and against the wall were his kodachi in vertical stands—a samurai always had his two swords within easy reach.

  To Naga’s right and on the lower main tatami floor sat Jii. He faced into the great hall in the same direction as Naga. To Naga’s left and on the same level as Jii sat Hideki. Outside the grand room was the courtyard of the inn. The grand room opened onto a wooden walkway that was approximately two feet off the dirt and surrounded the courtyard. In the courtyard, a single spago-palm shaded several large rocks. A small stream meandered through the courtyard and filled a kakei bamboo fountain that supplied a single shishi-odoshi. The water flowed into the bamboo fountain, which in turn fed the open end of the deer chaser that pivoted in the center. Once the deer chaser filled, the tube would rotate downward, giving a resounding “clack” as it struck stone. The water would empty out and gravity would move it back into place for filling again. While the noise would continue every so often, humans found it peaceful and Zen-like in its simplicity. The deer did not find it so soothing. The greenery of the garden was thereby maintained.

  Musashi sat among six retainers on the left against the side of the room facing inward on the main floor. All were in fine kimonos with wakazashi in their cloth obi belts and katanas in sayas beside them on the tatami. Yoshi moved into the room and whispered into Hideki’s ear. Hideki nodded and motioned Yoshi to Jii and Naga. Yoshi repeated the message to both and then moved silently to Musashi, saying in a low voice, “There are more Ninja in and around and under this inn than I knew existed.”

  Musashi’s eyes darted to Jii, who acknowledged the information but indicated no action. Musashi nodded to Yoshi, and then watched him disappear through the sliding paper door. He next turned and passed the information to the retainer on his right. By the time the news reached the last man in line, all had their hands on their katanas.

  A page at the door received his signal from Jii and announced in a loud, high-pitched voice, “Yagyu Munenori, first counselor to the shogun.”

  Yagyu Munenori walked onto the tatami and up to the center of the room, faced Nagamasa, and knelt. All the Yoshinobu retainers bowed as he entered. Jii, Naga, and Hideki did not. Behind Yagyu came two people. Both were dressed as high-ranking samurai. All wore mons showing black hats with ties. One of the samurai looked very ferocious. He wore the kamishino like Naga, but his clothes were entirely black. His eyes and ears were everywhere.

  The second samurai looked alarming as well, but for a different reason. Hideki had never seen a woman dressed as a man before, and he had never seen one as pretty. He swallowed hard. Who was she? Would he meet her again? Would she notice him? Many things raced through his mind at once. He had to fight to focus on the activities at hand.

  Yagyu Munenori bowed, touching his forehead to the tatami. Behind him, his two escorts did the same.

  “Yagyu no tajima, desu. Dozo yoroshiku onigaishimasu,” Yagyu uttered in a deep and authoritative voice.

  Naga did not respond.

  “Matte, matte, Yagyu-sama,” Jii replied. “We are servants of the Tokugawa just as you. There is no need to stand on formality.”

  Yagyu and his escort remained bowed. “No, Yoshinobu-dono. I am a servant of the Tokugawa. You are the Tokugawa,” he declared.

  Jii smiled appreciatively. “Dijobu, Yagyu-sama. May our contribution to the Tokugawa family someday mirror yours.”

  “Domo arigato, Yoshinobu-sama,” Yagyu said. “You honor me and my family.” Only then did they all three raise their heads. Yagyu stared directly into Naga’s eyes, then moved to Jii and finally to Hideki.

  Jii grunted in appreciation of Yagyu’s good manners before asking, “How may we assist the counselor to the shogun?”

  “I came to pay my respects to the potential next shogun,” Yagyu replied. Hideki smiled despite the protocol that Jii had tried to drill into him all evening. Naga remained stoic, staring into nothingness above Yagyu’s gray head.

  Jii acknowledged the homage. “You are always welcome in any Yoshinobu dwelling, high counselor. Shall we dispense with the rest of the pleasantries and call for refreshments?”

  Yagyu bowed again. “Thank you.”

  Jii clapped his hands and the walls moved back as the inn’s maids brought in lacquered trays with sake and bowls of vegetables, first to Nagamasa, Jii, and Hideki, then to Yagyu’s party and finally to Musashi and the retainers along the wall.

  Hideki reached for his sake cup but Jii’s searing stare froze him in place. Jii picked up his small ceramic sake bottle, set aside his tray, and glided on his knees to Yagyu. “Allow me, High Counselor,” he said as he poured sake into Yagyu’s shallow outstretched cup.

  “Domo, Yoshinobu-sama,” Yagyu said as he held the cup up in Nagamasa’s direction with a slight bow. “Compai,” he toasted.

  Naga nodded as Yagyu and his two escorts drank.

  Jii turned to the black-clad samurai. “And who do we have here, Yagyu-sama?”

  Yagyu nodded at the man on his right. “Let me introduce the leader of the Metsuke, Hittori Hanzo.”

  Hittori Hanzo bowed to Jii and uttered, “Dozo yoroshiku.” Cranking his head to the left, he nodded at the female in male samurai clothing. “This enchanting creature is Hanzo’s youngest daughter, Yuki.”

  “Dojo yoroshiku, onagaishimasu,” she stated in a pleasant high-pitched voice.

  Jii bowed to each in return. “We are honored by your presence Hanzo-sama. I knew your grandfather.”

  “Umm,” Hanzo grunted in reply.

  “But I’m a little confused by your daughter’s presence,” Jii, continued. “Is it acceptable to have women sit in such meetings?”

  Yuki went about eating as if she were not the center of conversation.

  “I believe it is imperative, Yoshinobu-sama. And her presence is the reason I have traveled hard for so many days,” Yagyu said.

  Jii poured a drink for Hanzo. “This is getting very interesting. Please continue.”

  “When I heard you had been summoned to bring only thirty retainers, I knew something was amiss. The barbarous practice of junshi by seppuku is bad enough,” Yagyu explained, referring to the act of following a lord in death, “but we have to stamp out kyodai goroshi before we lose all our finest Tokugawa heirs. You’ve heard that the Yorifusa family was completely eradicated by the Fox Gang?”

  “Yes,” Jii responded. “The messengers that brought our summons told us.”

  “Well, that gang is giving me nightmares,” Yagyu said. “I’m supposed to be protecting the Tokugawa so we can make this transition from constant war to continual peace, and a gang of cut throats seems to roam at will—and I know nothing of them.”

  “They seem to be in many places at once,” Jii said, pouring Yuki some sake.

  Yagyu continued. “Calling the Yoshinobu to Edo on such short notice with only thirty retainers smelled of treachery to me. So we have been riding for over a week to intercept you as early as possible.”

  Jii bowed to them. “Go kudo sama deshita.”

  “Iie, no need to thank us for our hard work. Yorifusa Juro was a good man. He could have been a great shogun. Nevertheless, assassins cut down his entire family. We must stop this kind of politics or we’ll be back in the Warring States period again,” Yagyu stated.

  “Assassins?” Jii inquired. “I was told they were bandits.”

  “Since when does a gang of bandits overpower an entire household of samurai?” Yagyu replied. “And how can they strike in Mito, then in Edo, and the Metsuke not know about it?”

  Jii looked at Hanzo. “That is a very good question Hanzo-sama. Indeed, how can that be?”

  “Because they are not bandits, Yoshinobu-sama,” Hanzo replied.

  “Well, they are not ghosts, surely,” Jii prompted.

  “We believe they are ninja,” Yagyu said.

  “How many attacked the Yorifusa?” Jii asked.

  “We believe between thirty and sixty,” Yagyu answered.

  Jii shook his head. “That is a lot of ninja. How can they exist and no one know?”

  Yagyu turned to Hanzo. “We are not sure. I have spies all over the country. I know of all the ninja families. This one has eluded us … but we will find them.”

  “Could this be the work of the Five Families?” Jii asked innocently.

  All three sets of eyes turned to stare at Jii. “Yoshinobu-sama, what do you know of the Five Families?” asked Yagyu. “I heard you do not use ninja.”

  “I don’t know much, I’m afraid. We are country samurai from Kii, so we do not get much information about the rest of the country. But occasionally we get travelers who pass rumors.”

  “I am aware of the Five Families,” Hanzo said. “I have allowed them to operate, as their targets usually don’t concern the government. But if they are involved I will tend to them.”