Both Hideki and the samurai bowed upon entering the room, and both took up the more formal sitting position with legs folded under them. They bowed again.

  “I’m sorry for asking for this meeting so early in the morning,” Hideki began, “and on such short notice. But I’ve been giving a great deal of thought to Naga’s new assignment as south magistrate.”

  “I’m glad someone has,” Naga sighed, which drew an exasperated sigh from Yuki.

  “I know you and Jii have probably thought all this out and come up with your own strategy, but I’ve become a little familiar with the South District’s boundaries over the last few days and have drawn some plans that I hope you find useful,” Hideki said.

  “Before you continue,” Jii said in a rather gruff voice, “don’t you think you’d better introduce your guest?”

  Hideki stopped and looked at his guest in black as if he were seeing him for the first time. Then his face started to redden. “I’m sorry, Grandfather. It is just that we have spent so much time together in the past few days that I forgot you don’t know him.” Then turning to Jii, he nodded. “Grandfather, Naga-sama, Yuki-sama, and Musashi-sensei, please let me introduce a friend, Yagyu Jubei.”

  Jubei bowed to the tatami. “Dozo Yuroshiku, onagaishimasu.”

  Naga opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.

  “Raise your head, Jubei,” Jii said. “You are very welcome in this home.” Then looking at Hideki and shaking his head, added, “I do not know how you came to be friends with my grandson, but I am glad he seems to be able to attract such talented people,” glancing at Yoshi and Musashi as he spoke.

  Naga finally found his tongue. “You are very welcome here, and anywhere there is Yoshinobu land.”

  “Thank you. I am humbled by your graciousness,” Jubei said.

  “Welcome back, Jubei,” Yuki said. “I had not heard that you had returned.”

  Jubei bowed slightly to Yuki. “It is good to see you again, Yuki-san. Is your father well?”

  “He is well. You, however, seem to be much thinner than a year ago when you disappeared, and judging by the bruises on your face, you have experienced some rough treatment.”

  “Yes, I got myself into much trouble here in Edo upon my return. If it had not been for Hideki and Yoshi, I would now be dead,” Jubei acknowledged.

  Jii stared from Yoshi to Hideki. “More adventures we have not heard about?”

  “Jubei exaggerates, Jii-san,” Hideki offered.

  Yuki interrupted whatever Hideki was going to say next. “As Jubei’s betrothed, I will defend him. You may call Yagyu Jubei many things; and I would like to do so for his clandestine disappearing act last year, but one thing everyone knows about Jubei, he does not exaggerate.”

  “Jubei, your betrothed still seems to feel the need to defend you against my brother’s unthinking tongue. Hideki often speaks before thinking. He meant no offense by it,” Naga said.

  Jubei smiled. “No offense was taken Naga-sama. Not only did Hideki save my life, he has spent the last few days with me, drawing up this plan with the help of Yoshi. In essence, he has given me a purpose in life. I feel renewed. If I can be of assistance to the Yoshinobu, my sword is yours.”

  “I for one take great solace in that sword,” Musashi said. “Our current situation has reminded me of Sekigahara all over again.”

  “Do you envision a pitched battle?” Hideki asked.

  “He’s talking about being hopelessly outnumbered, little brother,” Naga said.

  Jii laughed and slapped his thigh. “By the Buddha, I am proud that my grandsons marshal such friends to their side. I’m starting to feel young again.”

  “There is just one more thing that I need to take care of,” Jubei said, bowing to Yuki. “I hereby publicly renounce any previous arrangements with Hanzo Yuki.”

  Yuki blushed and smiled up at Naga. There was a look of relief on Naga’s face.

  “It only takes one eye to see that you have found happiness, Yuki-san. Omedato gozaimus.”

  Yuki bowed to Jubei. “Thank you Jubei for your announcement. However, there is no reason for congratulations. I am just Naga-sama’s yojimbo.”

  Jii smiled. “Only if Naga is denser than I believe him to be.”

  Everyone laughed while Naga fidgeted. Hideki saved his brother by continuing. “Naga, you might think as south magistrate you would have a southern area of the city to preside over. That is not the case. There is a north magistrate. You and he preside over all of Edo, but at different times. Each of you has a tour of duty of one month. Your tour started yesterday.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know, little brother,” Naga said.

  “Very well, what you may not know is that no matter how corrupt you think things are now, the corruption is, in fact, much worse,” Hideki warned.

  “How so?” asked Jii.

  “Well,” Hideki started, “the system is flawed. The current laws and organization encourage corruption.”

  “I’d like a few more specifics, Hideki, and less rhetoric,” Jii stated.

  “As you wish, Grandfather,” Hideki said. “Naga, you are one of two magistrates. As the machi-bugyo sho, you are responsible for policing and judging. However, you can police and judge only the chonin or commoners of Edo. They call themselves Edoko, thinking themselves children of the city. They consist of three of the four classes of citizens: the farmers, the artisans, and the merchants. The fourth class is the samurai, and you have no authority over them. Their own lords accomplish policing and judging of samurai. You also have only peripheral impact on the farmers, as their lands are on the outskirts of Edo and are rarely encountered by the magistrate.

  “Therefore, in essence you judge and police the artisans and the merchants. Two more classes of people inhabit Edo, and they do not fall into any of the specific categories Hideyoshi established,” Hideki explained, referring to the man who united Japan before Tokugawa Ieyasu. “The two classes are masterless samurai, known as ronin, and the farmers who flee the countryside to become laborers in the city. The laborers might fall under the merchant class. Merchants hire them. The city is teeming with both ronin and laborers.”

  “I am impressed, little brother. How did you come by such information?” Naga asked.

  “I ask a lot of questions, and I have several good teachers right here in this room,” replied Hideki.

  “Please continue, Hideki,” Naga encouraged.

  “Despite serving one month on and one month off, each day you report to the Roju in the castle, even on your month off. This is done to familiarize you with happenings on your month off so you will not be surprised when your month on begins.

  “Both magistrates work out of the same building, the Hatchobori. It is a large compound consisting of administrative offices, a police barracks, and a rather large jail. To the Edoko, you are their police, judge, and mayor. You have a komono as assistant from the mid-level samurai yoriki class. Beside the two assistants, one for the south magistrate and one for the north, there are forty-eight other yoriki assigned to Edo. They manage the daily operations of the Hatchobori. They do not have time off, so they actually supervise all activities in their geographical locations. They are the ones upon whom you must rely.

  “Each yoriki has several machi-kata-doshin from the lowest-ranked samurai working as detectives. Each has a specific patrol section of the yoriki’s area of responsibility. They are called doshin and make about 30 hyo a year—barely enough to keep themselves alive, let alone feed a family. However, they have to employ several commoners who act as laborers. The labors also carry a jutte as their badge of office, and are given the title shitappiki. The doshin and the shitappiki make actual arrests. The Doshin cannot pay the shitappiki from the pitiful amount he is paid by the government. Most, therefore, have business pursuits on the side despite a shogunate prohibition against such. To circumvent this prohibition, they use their wives to run chaya teahouses or taverns or other not-so-savory pursuits in order to make ends meet. They also accept gifts from rich merchants and wealthy Edoko. You can see the direction I am heading. Corruption is almost mandated by the Tokugawa system.”

  “Thank you for that uplifting report, little brother. What in Buddha’s name are we going to be able to do about it?” Naga demanded.

  “Not so fast, big brother. You have not heard the worst yet.”

  “What could be worse than a corrupt government?”

  “The vigilantism the corruption spawns,” Hideki said.

  “Do I want to hear any more?” Naga asked.

  “I believe you should,” Yoshi injected.

  Naga exchanged glances with everyone in the room. “Okay, Hideki, tell me the worst.”

  “Another way the doshin make money is by arresting Edoko and ronin for minor infractions. Bribes get them off. If they do not have the bribe money, they land in jail. Jail in Edo can be a death sentence in itself. However, if the accused survives the torture at the hands of the roya-minawari, the lowest ranked doshin who act as prison guards, and their rather violent fellow prisoners, then they are off to see the magistrate.

  “The magistrate finds them guilty, no matter the evidence, and awards them a fine they cannot pay. In lieu of paying the fine, they receive hard labor sentences in the copper mines of Sado Island or the gold mines owned by one of the Tokugawa diamyo who pays the magistrate a pittance for the labor. Some of the money gets distributed down to the doshin and the system perpetuates itself. It is common knowledge among the Edoko that Tokugawa’s capital city has the best justice money can buy.”

  “Maybe I should not have accepted this assignment so quickly,” Naga mused.

  “You attacked the O-Fuku in our meeting. It was a brilliant tactic as it kept the Roju and Tairo off balance. However, O-Fuku countered with the magistrate assignment. That was brilliant on her part. She knows the experience will destroy your reputation. You will be dragged through the mud by your association with the crooked system whether you capture the Fox Gang or not,” Hideki warned.

  “Very perceptive of you, Hideki,” Jii said.

  “I had a lot of help with this,” Hideki said. “The real losers are the two classes of people you are supposed to police and judge: the artisans and the merchants. You can throw the other two catchall classes in with them as well, the ronin and the laborers. To protect themselves, a small industry has grown up.”

  “You are referring to the gumis,” Yuki said.

  “You win the prize, intelligent lady,” Hideki said. “The gumis, or ‘machi-yokko’ as they call themselves, are gangs that control vast areas of the city. They provide protection for a fee. They protect the Edoko from the police and anyone else dumb enough to defy them. No doshin or his komono would enter a business with a gumis’ sign on the wall and demand a bribe. To do so might mean the end of the man’s life.”

  “Don’t tell me you are condoning these thugs?” Jii asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “No, Jii-san,” Hideki replied. “However, they exist because they provide a needed service abandoned by the government. They exist to protect the common people from the government.”

  “Protection is one thing; but what about the prostitution, the gambling, the usury, and strong-arm tactics? Surely you do not condone this?” Naga asked.

  “I condone nothing. Nevertheless, as was recently pointed out to me, prostitutes for the gumis can refuse clients. They are also under the protection of the gumi. No one would dare harm them. When they become too old to work, they can move into other lines of work for the gumi. None of these things are enjoyed by their sisters boarded up in the government run Yoshiwara district.”

  “It sure sounds like you are defending them,” Jii said.

  “Just giving you information Grandfather so that I can follow it up with some suggestions.”

  “Well, don’t paint these thugs as heroes, Hideki,” Jii warned.

  “Such is not my intention, but it is funny you should mention that. They are already receiving hero status by the Edoko. There are even plays about them. They seem to live by a code that is not too much different from Bushido.

  “Their organization is along the line of a traditional family with a ko-bun to oya-bun parent relationship,” he explained, referring to bond between a stepchild and parent. “All the foster children of the gumi owe allegiance to the oyabun. Their code is termed jingi, which emphasizes justice and duty. Their loyalty is to the group and the leader. The gumis seem to embrace the jingi based on the character of the oyabun.

  “For example, the largest and most dangerous gumi in Edo is the Gumsumgumi. A former sumotori named Nichi leads them. His wakagasira is Goro,” Hideki emphasized, identifying Nichi’s first lieutenant. “Goro is also a former sumotori. They seem to embrace a protective nature toward the Chonin or Edoko where their main rivals the Yamakai-gumi do not. There are six other gumis of lesser strength in Edo who rule their territories with varying degrees of benevolence, depending on their leader.”

  “Hideki, how do you know all this?” Yuki asked. “My Father has been trying to get this type of information on the Gumsumgumi for over a year without success.”

  “I guess he didn’t ask the right people, Yuki-san.”

  “He runs the metsuke, Hideki. He has many more resources than you,” Yuki asserted.

  “I think it helps if you saved the Gumsumgumi Oyabun’s life twice in one night,” Yoshi offered.

  Now all heads were staring at Hideki. “It is true,” Jubei confirmed. “I was there.”

  “That does not really matter,” Hideki said.

  “Oh yes it does,” Jii said. “Who did you save him from?”

  No one answered, so Jubei spoke up. “I was in the Hatchobori jail and beaten within an inch of my life. Hideki was in the cell beside me with about forty Gumsumgumi. He saved Nichi from two assassins inside the cell. Later, when their attempt to kill Nichi became more overt, the guards rushed the cell, swinging spiked clubs to kill everyone. Hideki managed to escape with the aid of a very talented ninja,” Jubei said. Now all eyes moved to Yoshi.

  Yoshi looked at Jii and shrugged. “You told me to find him and get him back. In order to do so, I participated in a jail break.”

  “I cannot believe what I’m hearing,” Jii said. “Do you mean to say that our Yoshinobu name is on record as being in jail?”

  “No, Grandfather. Do not be ridiculous. I used Musashi’s name,” Hideki said.

  “What?” asked Musashi.

  “Don’t worry sensei, I used your peasant name.”

  “You go too far Hideki,” Musashi said.

  “Sorry, but it was all I could think of at the time.”

  “Hideki, your ability to gather skilled men to your banner is exceeded only by your ability to gather great information. You mentioned a plan?” Naga asked.

  “Yes, I believe it is imperative that you conduct a surprise inspection of the Hatchobori today,” Hideki replied.

  “To what purpose?” asked Naga.

  Before Naga could answer, Yuki cut in. “He wants the people to see that you are not dragging your feet. There is great fear in the city over the Fox Gang running free. He also wants you to take the offensive with the Yoriki in case they have some plan to bring about your demise early.”

  Jubei looked at Hideki. “I told you she was better at this than I.”

  Hideki shook his head in admiration. “You were correct Jubei. Naga, your lovely Yojimbo is ahead of me. The status quo is everyone’s friend except yours. Everyone knows you have one month. Then you either are gone to the castle or back to Kii. All they have to do is wait you out. The police have no interest in supporting you. You have to change that. You have to shake up their status quo and give them more reason to help us find the Fox Gang than to sit on their hands.”

  “I like it,” Jii said. “We’re thinking like a family now.”

  “Okay, Hideki. You have convinced us. What is our first move?” Naga asked.

  “Here is what I suggest,” Hideki began.

  Hideki pointed out the noodle shop. “This is the place.”

  “It doesn’t look like much,” his companion said.

  “I have it on good authority that they make the best noodles in Edo,” Hideki persisted.

  “On whose authority?” the unimpressed companion asked.

  “Come, I’ll introduce you,” Hideki said.

  They both parted the cloth banner that hung vertically from the doorway announcing “Ichiban Noodles.” They were met with an immediate “Irashiai dozo” from a young lady with a plain, faded kimono covered by a white apron with several stains on the front. Her hair was pinned up on her head, and she wore no makeup.

  “You don’t sound all that happy to see me, Hana,” Hideki said.

  The young girl’s head popped up from scrubbing the bench. She cocked her head to one side trying to decide if she knew the young samurai who called her by name. Her glance went between Hideki and his companion dressed in black. The one in black frightened her. He had only one eye that seemed to take in everything. His presence seemed to fill the room like some dark cloud. She knew she would remember had she met him previously. He looked fierce. There was something vaguely familiar about the young one though.

  She smiled and asked, “Simasen samurai-sama, have we met?” she asked.

  “Not formally, Hana-san. We met a few weeks ago when some very unruly tosa samurai decided you were on the menu.”

  Hana studied his face and then recognition dawned. Her eyes got big and she squealed with glee, “Eeeyaa, samurai-sama,” she said, repeatedly bowing deeply. “Thank you for saving me and my grandfather. We searched for you at the Hatchobori but a friend said you had escaped. We were afraid to pursue finding you then.” She looked anxiously at the door. “Are you being pursued? Do you need a place to hide?”

  “No, Hana, we are not being pursued. However, thank you for the offer. I am happy that you and your grandfather are fine. Where is he?” Hideki asked.