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ninja clan took him in, where he studied their secret arts and became the man he is today. Dokugan Ryu, the most feared ninja to have ever lived.’
    The old woman sounded almost proud at the idea.
    ‘But how do you know all this?’ demanded Jack. ‘No one else seems to know his identity.’
    ‘No one’s ever asked
me
before,’ replied the old woman, pulling back her hood to reveal a gruesomely scarred face… with two empty eye sockets.

6
UEKIYA’S GARDEN

    Jack touched the arrow buried in the
sakura
tree.
    His fingers lightly brushed the weathered flights and the sensation sent a chill through his body despite the sticky summer heat. He couldn’t quite believe it was still there, piercing the bark of the cherry blossom tree like a needle in the eye. Its target had been Dragon Eye, but he had escaped, as always.
    ‘Masamoto-sama commanded me not to remove it.’
    Jack spun round in surprise to find Uekiya, the old gardener, tending an immaculate rose bush. The withered man blended in like an ancient tree. He was as much a part of the garden as he was of Jack’s fond memories of Toba, the little port where he’d first arrived in Japan.
    Although the reason for Jack’s return was dishonourable, the welcome by Hiroko, Akiko’s mother, had been warm and reflected the care she’d given Jack during his first six months in Japan.
    After their disturbing encounter with the blind hag, Jack, Akiko and Yamato had hurriedly left Shindo and the next day departed on the final leg of their journey to Toba. The going had been slow due to Kuma-san’s injury and was made even more arduous by the stifling heat. Upon their arrival, Hiroko had provided much needed refreshments and organized for the bath to be filled so they could wash away the dirt of the trip. While Yamato took the first
ofuro
and Akiko caught up with her mother’s news, Jack had sought the cool shade of the garden to recover.
    The old man smiled a toothy grin, obviously pleased to see Jack once more in his garden.
    ‘Did Masamoto-sama give a reason for leaving it?’ Jack asked, letting go of the arrow.
    ‘It’s to remind us never to lower our guard.’
    Uekiya’s smile faded as he gently cut a blood-red flower from the bush and presented it to Jack. ‘And this rose bush I planted to remind me of Chiro.’
    Jack could no longer meet the gardener’s gaze. He recalled the night when Dragon Eye had initially attempted to steal the
rutter
from him. It had been the first time Jack had witnessed Akiko’s fighting skills, which after two years of training at the
Niten Ichi Ryū
had now been honed to a fine art. Chiro, however, wasn’t a warrior. She was Hiroko’s maid and had been killed in the attack, while the samurai guard, Taka-san, had been seriously injured defending the home.
    It had been a great relief for Jack upon returning to Toba to find Taka-san fully recovered, the only indication of his injury a vicious scar across his belly, which he bore with some pride. But the guilt of Chiro’s death still remained.
    ‘Welcome home, Jack-kun,’ Uekiya added, forcing a smile back on his face as he continued to prune the rose bush.
    ‘Thank you,’ Jack replied, settling down beneath the cool shade of the
sakura
tree. ‘After such a long time in Kyoto, it is almost like returning home. I’d forgotten how beautiful your garden was.’
    ‘How can that be?’ said the old man, his brow furrowing in puzzlement. ‘You’ve been carrying a piece of it with you ever since you left.’
    ‘You mean my
bonsai
?’ asked Jack, referring to the miniature cherry blossom tree he’d been given by the gardener the day he’d departed for samurai school.
    ‘Of course, it’s grown from the very tree you sit beneath. It’s not dead, is it?’
    ‘No,’ said Jack quickly, ‘but it does need some attention after the long journey.’
    As he had no idea how long he would be staying in Toba, he’d brought the tree back with him in its original carrying case, along