不但曲尽原文的意趣，而且文采灿烂，佩服之至。

Chapter 8   The Hidden Hand

(Ikkenshi)

“How lovely!” I exclaimed deep inside me as I saw her turn around.  Her white dress was stained with crimson blood and her hair was in disarray.  But all these just made her more desirable.  Yes, this yamabuki was the hidden desire of my dreams and today, I would have such desire fulfilled!  She was without help now; her maiden warriors all slain and even her blind brother now lay at her feet.  I did not have to ask who had committed this act.  The bloodied dagger in her hands spoke it all.  
Wait!  I must not rush.  I knew this yellow rose and she was not without thorns.  The dagger had struck once.  She would be more than willing to strike again.  And even if she could not find her mark near my heart, she was the kind that would not hesitate to end her own life.  No.  I would not let my prey be snatched by the merciful Death.  I would have her!

Slowly I approached her.  She backed away, one step, then another, the point of dagger steady at her throat.  She was eyeing me with such hatred.  It was plain that she despised me.  Good, I liked women who would fight back.

“Hitomi.” I took another step forward.
“Keep away from me!” she was screaming.  A thin red line surfaced on her slender neck.
“Wait, Hitomi…you know I will never hurt you.” I put up the friendliest looking smile possible.
She hissed out a laugh.  No.  She was too clever for that.  I had to try something else.
“So, what would you do now, my dearest sister?” I halted my advance and sat down on the top of a flat rock.
“I…I want to commit jigai. Leave!”
“Jigai?” I had to keep my tone flat, even uncaring. “But what for?" Hitomi?  You are my sister, not an enemy.  Why should a sister kill herself for meeting a brother?”
“You are not my brother!  You are the viper of the clan!”
I laughed, turning my back to her, hoping she would take the bait and lunged into attack and I could catch her wrists.  She was too good for that too.
“I?  The viper of the clan  May be, Hitomi, that may be…but look who is murdering next of kin here…” I looked towards the spot where Jun-ichi was lying.

By instinct, she moved to the right away from the body.

“Besides…” I paused and organized a smile up my face.  “The viper is now head of the clan. You know our father had died. “
“Yes… “Her voice had suddenly become feeble.
“And do you know who had caused his demise?”
She looked at me, her beautiful face white as chalk.  
“Why so shocked, Hitomi?  Yes, you guessed right, it was me who did it.  And thanks to the nice gift and chance you offered me.  I poured out the contents of your sake and replaced mine.  He would never suspect his loving daughter would poison him, would he?”
I was so proud of my work.  Although the details were a little different from the actual sequence, what did it matter?  The result was the same.  Indulged in my merriment, I did not recognize the look of complete surprise on her face.  If she seemed shock at the first mention of the murder, she was now as if struck by a lightning!
“You!?  No!” the blade left her throat by just a fraction of an inch but that was enough, my man who had been sneaking behind her as I captured her attention grabbed her wrist from behind.  She tried to put up a struggle but then a heavy hand on the nap of her neck knocked her flat on the ground.

Now, she was finally mine! .

Chapter 9   A Woman’s most potent weapon

(Hitomi)

The world spun round and round and I felt being sucked into a dark bottomless pit.
I remembered the heavy blow on my neck and my body crumpling onto the ground..  Then, total darkness.
“Am I dead?”
Strangely, the question being asked inside my head was devoid of feelings.  I knew I no longer cared.  
“Let Ikkenshi kill me, or do what he wants to me…” I resigned to my fate.  I deserved all these and much worse.  I had taken pity on Jun-ichi for his being blinded by his own wishful thinking.  What about me?  My world collapsed the instant Ikkenshi told the truth.  I had been used.  My plan, my life was nothing but a tool for those with their own designs.  But did that make me less guilty of the crime I had devised?  No!  I might be an unaware accomplice but certainly a conscious plotter.  If they had not used me, I would still have murdered my father!
Beasts!
My father was a beast!
And so was I!  
No matter how I would deny it, the blood flowing inside my vein belonged to the Satomi as well as the Hakatas.

He was carrying me up.  The short climb of stairs ended and a sliding door was pulled open and we were inside.
I felt myself being laid down on the tatami.  There was the shuffling sound of clothes and then of their being disposed into a corner.  I tired to open my eyes but the effort proved to be too demanding.  So, I waited, fully knowing what would inevitably follow.
My obi was untied and someone pulled at one end and my body made several rolls across the small room.  My undergarment was only loosely clinging to my body now.  A hand slipped in between the laps and cupped one of my breasts.  I summoned all my strength to put up resistance.  It was in vain.  My feeble strength could do nothing more than earn a mocking laugh.  I was sure of whom he was now though I knew from the beginning that there could be no other.  I felt my eyes getting moist and soon a drop of tears ran down my cheeks.  So be it!  I no longer cared.
He slipped my undergarment off my shoulders and before long; I was totally naked before his eyes.  His hands roamed over the curves, the thighs and the tapered legs.  Then, he forced open my legs.

I did not scream when he mounted and entered me.  The pain between my legs and that on my soul battled for the position of champion of my suffering.  That on my soul won.  He was moving faster and faster now, his hands on my breasts fondling and squeezing and an unearthly sound escaped his throat.
I braced my back so that my breasts would be held higher; their nipples must be bouncing in front of him, urging him on.  He entered deeper and harder.  I uttered my first moan and brought my weak arms to hold his waist.  
He was laughing now, the laugh of a victor, the ultimate conqueror of my body and soul.
I let him hypnotize himself on his victory.  Then, I counter-attacked.
“Aaahhhh…Katsuo…”
He froze!
As if I was some demon from the bowel of Hell, he recoiled from me and pushed me back onto the ground I opened my eyes just in time to see him holding on to his naked spent manhood.  His face was contorted in rage and horror...
I sealed my victory with a cruel smile.
He reached for his katana and drew it.
Good!  
I closed my eyes and waited for the blade.
It did not come.
Instead his hands were around my neck and I had to fight down the terror of being suffocated.  I must not show my fear!
I open wide my eyes and starred into his eyes.
“Slay me!” I dared him.
His fingers tightened and I by instinct began to fight for breadth.
Then he relented his hold.
“No, dear sister."  I will not let you die that easily.” He hissed. “You will see my victory over the Katsuo you lust so much!  Yes!  You shall see with your very eyes how I, Ikkenshi, will tear his forces to shreds as an eagle would to a sparrow and I will cut off his head, rip out his heart and severe his genitals before you.  Only then, I may consider granting you what you wish…may be.”
“You?” I let out a laugh of despise. “Katsuo can defeat you with one hand tied behind his back!”
“He will, won’t he? “ His over-confidence was making me uneasy.
“Let me show you something, dear sister of mine.”  
He dragged me by the hair and forced me to the verandah. There, I could see the valley open and the only road that would lead up to Sakurakijo and Tennoji.
“Do you see that wood over there at the left, dear Hitomi?”  It is there that Katsuo will meet his end.  He must be rushing here now, anxious to rescue his beloved sister from her plight.  What he does not know is that in that wood, two thousand best archers of the Uesugi army are lying in wait…”
I shuddered.  Ikkenshi had chosen his spot well.  Hidden from the bend of the road, such ambush would be difficult to spot and its concentrated fire deadly to the intended prey.  I could not bring myself to face the horror to see Katsuo and his men being massacred and there was nothing I could do to help.  The distance was close enough for me to witness the slaughter but too far for them to register any warning that my voice could deliver.
“I will kill you, Ikkenshi!” I swore.
That did not disturb him.
“I am sure you will, dear sister of mine.  But for now, I must prepare myself for the crowning victory of my life.”  
He gathered his clothes and walked out of the room.  Two of his men were guarding outside.  I snatched back my white undergarment in horror and covered my exposed body.
“Guard her well.  If she escapes, you die.  If she kills herself, you die!  I will have better use of her when I come back!”
The two guards stiffened nervously at the threat.
He turned to me.
“So, my pretty one."  Till then.” And he was gone.
I was dumbstruck for a long time.  
“Am I to bear such sad fate, to see Katsuo and his men being cut down mercilessly?”  No!  I must do something, anything!
I put back my dress on and fanatically searched the room for something that might help me escape some weapon perhaps.
There was none.
I recognized the room now, it was the one above Jun-ichi’s teahouse and we used to play here when we were much younger.  The thought of Jun-ichi saddened my heart and magnified the sorrow and desperation already engulfing me.  I sat at a corner and began to sob.  Then, between the narrow crack between the tatami and the wall my fingers touched something, something cold and hard…

Chapter 10     Before the Battle (1)

(Katsuo)

From the top of the hill, we could see the outline of Sakurakijo by the fading light of the setting sun.  The magnificent keep of Sakurakijo was now no more than a pile of burnt out wood and rock with smoke still emitting from its pile of ashes.  How careless I was, thinking that I would gain the initiative by striking first and underestimated the cunning of Ikkenshi!  He had made a bold move and out-smarted us.  I vowed never to repeat such mistake ever again.

My attention turned to the direction where Tennoji, hidden from view by thick foliage of green, should be.  Trickle of reports coming in from survivors from captured Sakurakijo told of the fierce fighting between Hitomi’ command and those under Ikkenshi.  Had she perished in the fight together with the others?  My heart sank low.  The loss of Sakurakijo was nothing compared to the possible loss of my sister.  I could still recall the days when we were so much closer, when we were just brother and sister and not members of a divided clan.  Throughout all these years, I had chosen to ignore her more than sibling admiration, brushing aside her need for recognition and care. Now, it might have been too late. I knew I could never muster the courage to display my secret affection for her as she had done for me.  The fact that the same blood was flowing in our veins would restrict my feelings to that of brotherly love and not trespass the taboo.  Yet in my heart I knew how strong that hidden power could be.  Only if……

My thoughts drifted to Shizuka.  There was no report of her whereabouts ever since that night.  I knew she had risked her life to do what had been done for me and I owed her an eternal debt.  I only wished she could be safe and found her own path to happiness and peace.

Jubei was sitting silently on the far side of the camp, stroking the back of Gin-getsu as if it was the torso of his beloved.  We found Hitomi’s mount on the way and our hearts grew weary.  We knew Hitomi would never depart from Gin-getsu, still unsaddled, unless something traumatic had happened.  Jubei had urged me to make general attack at once, his impatience unlike his usual reserved and calm nature. Something was disturbing him greatly.  I decided not to ask.  



But what was Ikkenshi’s plan?  He had taken Sakurakijo but that could not gain him any long-lasting advantage.  Far from it, he was now cut off from his power base, faced with the Hojos on the north and my returning brigade on the south.  It was beyond all reasonable thinking.  And I had learned not to dismiss Ikkenshi as some kind of fool that would make irrational moves.  

What was he thinking?

The sun had almost disappeared now and bonfires could be seen on the opposing side.  By the dim light, I could still make out the familiar terrain.  The thought of ambush came more than once in my mind and I knew a few places that such ambush could be laid.  But Ikkenshi’s cavalry would have better chance to meet us in the open and not on undulating grounds and he had missed his chance.  Even if we walked into his ambush, the spearmen under Jubei could easily overrun their position and achieve victory.  

We would know the answer by dawn.  At the first light of the day, I would lead my men down the slope and up the winding road that would take us to the gate of Tora-mon.  And hopefully, we would find Ikkenshi and his forces and destroy him once and for all.  Hopefully too we could find Hitomi unscathed though the chance of having such miracle was doubtful at best.

I closed my eyes and tried to mediate but there were too many troubling thoughts.  I decided not to engage myself into useless presumptions but leave our fate in the hands of the gods.

In silence, the whole camp waited for the break of a new day…

(Jubei)

My heart was laden.  
I put my hand on the back of Gin-getsu, trying to feel the presence of its former rider.
What had happened to her?  Why was setting her most beloved mount roaming in the hills?  
I could not accept that she might have fallen in battle, that she was forever lost.
I knew she loved me not.  This was of no consequence.  Even if it would increase her hatred for me a thousand times, I would lay down my life for her without the slightest regret.  Yes, there was a time when I was attracted to her only for her body.  But now, I no longer cared how she looked.  I loved her courage, her laughs, her anger, her sadness, and her joy…  The very sight of her had been my only pleasure, my single reason for existence apart from my duty to the lord and my men.

Why could I not have wings to bridge this valley?  “Jubei, we wait till dawn.” my lord had commanded.  Dawn would be too late.  Even a hairbreadth of delay would be too late.  My internal fire was tormenting me, turning my heart into arid ash.  

I prayed Dawn to make haste…

Chapter 12   Before the Battle (3)

(Ikkenshi)

The night air was chilly despite the proximity of the bonfires.  I took a sip of the warm sake and looked across the valley.  Katsuo was better than I thought.  He had refrained from rushing down the valley in twilight to offer battle.  Otherwise, I would not need to suffer this discomfort.  But this would be worth it.  I would not miss anything for the chance to see my archenemy destroyed before my eyes.  Of course I would not lead my men into battle.  Bando, my lieutenant, would put on my armour and mask and be my kagemusa.  What did it matter anyway?  The idea of a commander-in-chief wielding a sword into battle was both archaic and ridiculous!
So I had set up my tent on this chosen spot to see him ride into my carefully prepared trap.  The two thousand archers were well hidden in the dense wood.  There was no sign that they were discovered or even suspected were there.  It would be a massacre.  Katsuo’s ranks had been swelled by his collection of those rebels that had fled Takeyama and should number around nearly four thousand.  But cramped into such small space, they could do little but act as practice targets.
I would personally carry out his beheading if he would be captured.  Of course, if he could be eliminated in battle, so much the better.
It would still be sometime till dawn and I involuntarily gave a big yawn.  The sweet prize of having Hitomi’s body under me was already capturing the better part of my thinking.  With her Katsuo removed, it would only be a matter of time that she would submit to my demands.
Tomorrow would be a most glorious day!

Chapter 13     The Battle.

(Hitomi)
 
Dawn finally came.
I looked with anxious eyes towards the other side of the valley.
Yes, they were here, their spears glistening in the morning sun.  I could make out the figure of Jubei by the unique shape of his horned helmet as he placed himself a few steps ahead of his men, eager to go into battle.  Seeing him, I felt the strange guilt.  I had used him, tormented him.  Yet, his devotion to me had been unflagging.  I knew there was no way I could repay.
The archers of Sagen followed.  The were much bigger in number than I thought, undoubtedly swelled by those willing to join their cause when the army reached Takeyama.  Their heads were turning from side to side, seeking for potential danger.  As an experienced commander, Katsuo must have considered the possibility of ambush.  What he was not aware was that Ikkenshi’s troop had been joined by such a great number of seasoned archers from the Uesugi…such devoid of information would cost him dearly.
The sound of a battle horn and Katsuo’s banner was raised on the top of the hill.  There he was, riding on Gin-getsu, scanning the whole front with his experienced eyes.  Could he spot the trap?
Ikkenshi was at his tent now, attended by two young ladies in waiting and guarded by a dozen of his best warriors.  The rest of his men had formed a short distance from where the archers were hiding.  They would only act as decoys, drawing the attackers to the waiting rain of missiles.
I prayed that Katsuo would make the right decision and my heart missed a beat when he raised his hand and gave the order to advance!
Jubei and his spearmen began their approach to certain death.  They were closely followed by the archers.  Soon, they would be within range!
I knew what I had to do.
I picked out the flute.
Yes, it was the flute that Jun-ichi had used to teach me how to play it years ago.  My impatience and lack of gift had caused me to abandon it and somehow it was misplaced to the position where it had remained hidden.  Today it would serve another purpose.
The magical sound of the flute floated in the air, carried by a downwind towards the advancing column.  It was so eerie, so out of place with the immediate clash of arms that the attention of both sides was immediately captured.  The advancing lines of men paused and let the melody sink in.  There was total silence from both sides, each man trying to grasp the meaning of this all.  They listened with intent, puzzled; some even lower the tips of their spears as the notes hovered over their heads. Then, the full meaning hit home!
The tune was from an old folklore “Midori-no-mori”, the Green Forest!
I saw Ikkenshi jump up from his seat and turned in my direction.  He must realize by now that he had made a fatal mistake not to kill me yesterday
Jubei shouted a command and his formation split in the middle, rolled back like retreating breakers and made space for Sagen’s men to advance to replace the vacuum.  A thousand dragonflies of mid summer seemed suddenly to have appeared as the arrow-heads wrapped in flammable oil-clothes were ignited, .  The enemy archers knew they were exposed now and began to shoot.  A few of Sagen’s men fell but the bulk of the arrows fell short.  Then it was Sagen’ turn. They had the advantage of higher ground and favorable wind!
The singing of a thousand full drawn bows was followed by a carpet of flaming arrows being catapulted into the cramped space of the woods.  The trees exploded into huge furnaces amid the shrieking of the Uesugi archers.  They were too tightly packed even to break rank and flee.  Surprise and confusion drove all sense of direction from the disorganized pack.  Those who managed to stumble out of their hiding were picked up one by one by Sagen’s men.  The perplexed cavalrymen were too shocked by the horrific event to react.  When they recovered from their shock, they saw Katsuo, riding on Gin-getsu’s back led his mounted warriors to execute a perfect flanking movement to the left, passed the archers and the spearmen before rolling down the slope in full gallop.  The enemy’s left flank dissolved as if they were mere sand before the onslaught of a killer tsunami! Trapped between the inferno and the merciless horsemen, the enemy was forced to reel to the centre.  There, Jubei's spearmen were waiting for them.
The battle was over and the slaughter began.
 
I looked where Ikkenshi was and there was no sign of him.
I knew where he was heading…

Chapter 14     New Threat

(Jubei)

The battle had been won.
The Uesugi archers were decimated.  Many were cut down in their attempt to flee after the rout.  The Household Cavalry offered some resistance.  But they soon knew their cause was lost.  Hemmed in from all sides, the heavily armored riders could find no room to maneuver to put their weight into advantage.  Men and horses clashed into each other.  Many fell from their saddles and got tramped in the confusing stampede.  Katsuo cut down their leader, the one dressed in Ikkenshi’s armour, with one single stroke.  The mask was removed and we saw his face.  It was Bando, as we had expected.  
There was no sign of Ikkenshi.  
The men began to gather their spoil from the defeated foe.  But my heart was no longer on the battlefield after victory was certain.  I begged Katsuo-sama to release me so that I could head for Tennoji.
“Take Gin-getsu, Jubei.” He dismounted and handed me the reins. “Try to save her.”  He paused and then with a tint of sadness in his eyes added: “In any case, do not let her suffer.”
My spine felt a sudden chill at these words.  I knew what he meant though both of us could not bear ourselves to face that scenario up till now.  
“My lord…”
He held up a hand to stop me from speaking further.  
I bit my lip and threw myself onto the saddle.
“Yaw!” I gave Gin-getsu a light kick and he carried me towards the temple with the speed of wind.  
I had only ridden for a short distance when three riders approached from another direction.  I noticed the back-banners had the badge of the crossed arrows.  They belonged to the reconnaissance unit.  
“Jubei-sama,” the leader of the three saluted me, his grave looking face betrayed worry.
“What was it?” I reined in Gin-getsu.
“New forces spotted on the north moving towards Sakurakijo at great speed. From the dust their horses kicked up, the force is a very sizeable.” He reported.
“The Hojos!” I knew by instinct.  
It was the worst timing for us.  Though we had just won a victory, our men were exhausted from the force-march and the fighting.  We could not afford to fight another battle today...

“Go and inform the Dono at once!” I barked out an order. “And pass my order to Kitazawa to take up my command and form his troops! I must go on an urgent errand!”
The men saluted me and sped towards the center of the field to seek out the commander-in-chief.
I cursed inside and spurred Gin-getsu into greater speed.
Things had turned out bad and there might not be much time left.
I must find her before the Hojo arrived.

Chapter 15    The Final Encounter  


(Hitomi)

I knew he would come.
I had betrayed him.  His long cherished dream was utterly destroyed together with his force and mercenary.
He would not rest until he had me executed.

“I will kill that bitch!” I heard his shouting as he stormed through the gate.
His pace was quick as there would be little time.
He must kill me before Katsuo’s men arrived so that he could still have time to flee for his life and the road to the Uesugi land still remained open.

“You fools!” The curse was followed by cries uttered in agony, doubtlessly from the two guards that were supposed to watch over me.  Their negligence in duty to prevent me from betraying the position of the hidden archers.  They had paid the price of that mistake dearly.  The heavy sound of body crumpling onto the ground followed.

The sliding door was pulled open by sheer force.  He was there, his bloodied katana in hand, his face shrouded in ominous clouds of bitter rage.

“I should have killed you and feed you to the rats!” he sneered.
“Yes, you should.”  I remained calm.  I must not let him know that my heart was beating at least three times faster than normal.
I did not fear death.  That would be a release.  But I would not let him have the satisfaction of finishing my life.  
He took one step forward and I backed off a similar distance.
He advanced again.  I repeated the same movement.
But the room was small and there was no more space for me to retreat.  My back was against the simple bookshelf where a few tantras were kept.

“You have ruined me, Hitomi.  And I will not let you get away from it.”
He raised his sword and raised it high.  He was aiming at my neck.
“So, you are going to kill me, Ikkenshi?”
“Yes!  And nothing can help you now.  Do not hope that your Katsuo will save you.  By the time he is here, you will be a corpse without a head!” he was slowly closing in, making sure that I could not have concealed any weapon up my sleeve.  There was none.
“Very well, then.  Do it!” He had me cornered now.  There was no way to run.
“Die! Hitomi!”
He lunged and just as the blade was to land on my neck, I made a movement that he had least expected.  I knelt!  His blade missed me by a fraction of a second.  Thinking that I was to go for his tanto still at his belt, he took a step backward with his right foot to put up more distance between my hand and the hilt of his shorter sword while trying to change the direction of the cut to a vertical one, aiming to split me from my skill into two.
But he was wrong.  I never intended to go for the sword.  Kneeling, my body was bent backwards and from one of the tantra scrolls, I grab something and thrust up!
It went straight into his exposed throat!
His eyes opened wide at the shock.  Slowly, he made the effort to pull his chin inward so that he could see the part of the broken flute with its sharpened end buried inside him!
“You…” he knew he was dying and made one last attempt to bring the blade down.
“See you in Hell, Ikkenshi!” I twisted my wrist and pulled and the hole was torn wide for the jet of blood to come showering down on my face.  He fell onto the tatami; eyes and mouth wide open in disbelief.
I stepped over his corpse to proceed down the stairs.  
The guards had fled and there was no one around the lily pond.  At the entrance to the teahouse, his body of Jun-ichi was left where he had fallen; unseeing eyes gazed at the void.  
My last ounce of strength seemed to be leaving me.  My shaking legs could hold me no longer and my knees buckled.  Kneeling by the pond, I could see the reflection of what was supposed to be me. Ikkenshi’s blood was all over my face and garment. I dropped the broken flute and looked into my palms, dyed crimson red.  What had I done?  What had I become?
I pressed my hands on the ground to support my shaking body.  And in the midst of hideous croaking of crows, I began to cry.

Warning!!!!

Chapter 16 is filled with ultar violence.  For those who are not psychologially prepared, please do not read.

Chapter 16   Kaishakujin


(Jubei)

I found her at the burial ground at the back of the temple.
The blood on her face and hands told the story without her uttering a word.
On the way here, I had searched the teahouse and discovered the bodies of Jun-ichi and Ikkenshi.  
Slowly I approached her; my heart arching with every step I took.
She did not move, too absorbed in her shock and sense of guilt.
I knelt down beside her.
“Ojosama.” I called out gently.
She turned her face towards me.
Despite the stain of blood, she was so beautiful.
I tore a piece of my garment and wiped her face and hands clean.  She let me, obedient as the most innocent child.
“Jubei…”She finally came back to her senses.
“Yes, Ojosama.”
“I have killed them…I…” she looked at her hands again.  There was no longer blood there but I new in her eyes, the red stain would never go away.  
“I know, Ojosama…But that was fate and you could not do anything else…”
She raised her chin and looked at me and slowly shook her head.
“No, Jubei.  I could…I should…”she was sobbing and I held her in my arms.  By now, her sobbing had turned into heartbreaking wails.  
I let her cry her heart out.
After a while, she finally stopped.
“Ojosama, we must leave here.  The Hojos are advancing and we cannot hold the castle or the temple. “
She paused for a moment to let my words sink in. Then, she slowly shook her head.
“No, Jubei, I would not leave, never leave.  This is the place where the bones of my mother and her kin lies and here I will find my peace.”
“No!” My fingers gripped at her shoulders.  “Listen to me for once, Ojosama…we can come back!  We will!  I promise that I will recapture this place for you…”
Strangely, a smile surfaced on her lovely face.  
“Arigato, Jubei.  I know how you feel for me and I have treated you cruelly.  But this time, I have made up my mind.  What would become of me if I go and face Katsuo?  Look at these hands.  They are the instruments of murderers.  No…do say to me I was forced.  At the moment of the killing, I knew what I was doing and I was willing to pay the price.  It was the only way that my soul could rest.  It is Giri, our code for the warrior class. ”
“Ojosama…Please.” I knew that once she made up her mind, there was little possibility that I could persuade her otherwise but I could not give up. “The Dono would find a way, to explain, to protect you…he is lord of the clan now…”
“No! Listen to me.  I know he is now the lord.  So much more that he has duty to uphold justice.  How can he be lord if he can let go of a murderer of his brothers, and one who had plotted for the death of his father?  I know he would try to save me, but that would bring him his downfall.  It will cause dissent, and make excuses for the Uesugi and the Hojo and any other who wishes to attack our land and the clan will be destroyed.  No, Jubei!  There is no other way.  You must help me.”
“But Ojosama!”
“Do not call me Ojosama anymore.  At least for once, treat me as just Hitomi, your love and you are my Jubei. Be brave and do what you have to do.  You are the only one in the world who I can trust …that I am willing…Be my kashakunin...”
My heart felt as if being sunk by the weight of the whole Fujiyama.  How could I? It was just unthinkable!
“Jubei, love me…Love me for the last time, as a lover and let me love you…”
“Hitomi…”I held her close to my heart.
We embraced and how I wished the world would end then, that time be made still…
She gently pulled herself away.
“Jubei, I am a female, but also a warrior.  Let me go as a warrior should go.  Promise me.”
I bit my lip hard and nodded.
 “Arigato, Jubei.” She held my head between her breasts.  I savored the floral fragrance into my eternal memory.
“Jubei, it is time.”
I tried to protest but I knew any delay would be futile.  
She got up and asked me to help her find some suitable attire.  I went back to the teahouse and got her a clean garment that belonged to Jun-ichi.  I also carried the body of Jun-ichi to the burial ground.
“Thank you, Jubei… “She was dressed in sparkling white now.  Her hair had been combed and arranged into a ponytail at the back, leaving her slender neck bare…
“Hitomi…” It was time to say farewell.
“Jubei.” She held out her hands and I gave her my tanto.
“Please bury me and Jun-ichi next to my mother.”
I promised.
She made a bow and then using a piece of shred from her discarded clothes, she tied her right leg and thigh together.  This was to prevent her body from toppling.
“Jubei, when I made the second stab, help me…And let my head come off completely, please.”
She did not want me to allow the slight band of flesh that would attach the head to her body, understandable as it will ruin her beauty.
I mustered my strength, stood up and drew my katana.  My heart felt pierced by a thousand spears!  I lowered the blade in front of her eyes so that she could look into her reflection on the blade for the last time.
She did that and nodded to give me consent to raise the blade into the ready position.
“I am ready.” She said.
With crispy speed, she slid the garment off her shoulders, laying her breasts and porcelain-like belly bare. I had to control my emotions as I looked down on her semi-naked body to steady my hands.  She was so exquisitely beautiful, now more than ever.
“Thank you for everything, Jubei…” She said without looking back while taking out the tanto from its sheath and wrapped the blade with layers of heavy rice-paper, leaving the point part bare..  Then, closing her beautiful eyes and with greatest determination, she plunged the blade into her belly on the left!
“Arghh…” The shock of pain was even greater than she expected.  Her eyes were wide open as the agony ran rampant to every part of her body.  Yet, her hands were steady in drawing the blade across the abdomen.  A thin crimson line surfaced as the perfect skin of her belly parted before the blade.  That blade had reached the right side of the belly now and usually, this would be enough.  She was heaving but still did not pull out the blade to make the second stab.  Instead, she moved it up a bit and then reversed the direction1
She was determined to follow the complete ritual, to experience the greatest pain as an act of cleansing her sin!  The blade finally stopped just below her belly button!
“Hitomi!” I wanted to release her of her pain.
“No…Jubei…wait-.” she was breathing hard.  In a moment, her intestines would quietly flow out.  She managed to hold out till the end and completed the life of a female samurai.  
“Forgive me, Jubei!” She pulled out the blade and with both hands plunged it again into her heart through her breast!
“Komen!” I brought the blade down, cutting in at the right side of the neck and the head of my beloved Hitomi parted with her body.  Blood shot out from the neck as her body bent forward, sprinkling the grass before her deep red.
I slashed the blade once in mid air, cleaning the blood off in the act and sheathed the weapon of execution.
I walked to where her head had landed and picked it up.  Blood had soiled part of her face and I cleaned it with loving care.  Her eyes were still open, and so was her mouth from the shock but there was no sign of fear.  She was a true samurai.
I buried her body and Jun-ichi’s next to the tomb of their mother, one on each side.  
When I walked out of the temple, Katsuo was already there on his mount, waiting.
“Was it done?” He asked, his eyes fixed on the wooden barrel I was carrying.
I put my hand into the barrel and held her head high by the hair.  Much as I not wanted to do it, Katsuo must answer to the demand of the clan.  Her head would be displayed high on the rampart of Takeyama where we would retreat to for two days and then I would keep it and had it taken back here to bury it with its owner when the right time came...
Katsuo’s eyes turned down after the first look.  Suddenly, he seemed to have turned so tired and old.  For the first time of my life, I understood how lonely a man he had been, and he would remain so for as long as he lived.
There was nothing more to be done here.  The Hojos would arrive soon and we must preserve our strength to fight another day.
I mounted Gin-getsu, handling the wooden bucket that contained the head of his mistress to an orderly.
“My lord, with your permission, we will call the retreat to Takeyama.”
He nodded and the signal was given.  
I took up the position of the rear-guard and was the last one to leave the area.  
At the hilltop, I reined in Gin-getsu and had a last look towards the silent temple.  It looked so serene there and I knew she was at peace.
I felt the moisting in my eyes.
I told myself it must have been the strong wind…

Epilog


(Jubei)


I sat down by the rock and removed my kasa made of straw that had been shielding me from sun and rain for many days.
It had been eight years now and apart from the moss gathered on the tombstones, the place was largely unchanged.  I used my hands to clear the grass that had been growing around her tomb and soon, the whole slab bearing both arms of the Satomi and Hakata clan came into light.  She was the only one with the family crests of both clans on her tombstone, and the last.
Three months after we lost Sakurakijo, we came back and recaptured it from the Hojos. I had buried the box containing her skull under the same gravestone and made her complete.  For the next two years, Sakurakijo changed hands five times.  When finally we recaptured it, a lasting peace was concluded with the Hojos.  The Uesugis had long vanished from the scene, its domain broken up by rival segments and greedy neigh hours.  But it did not matter anymore.  A powerful shogun had gained supremacy over all of Japan and the Satomi bowed to the inevitable, playing vassal to new ruler of the land.  
Katsuo died within one year, his neck broken in a morning ride and as he left no heir, the clan went into extinction.  The samurai either joined the new assigned lord from the Tokugawa family or chose to be ronins, as I did.
I roamed the country, refusing the invitation of many lords to act as masters of martial arts for their samurais.  Throughout all these years, I had made a name of myself in the special technique of using the yari and was now a master of that art in my own right.  I longer carried swords, or weapons of any kind.  Only a walking pole accompanied me on my continuous journeys. No one would be foolish enough to challenge a master who had won over three hundred duels and never lost.
The night before, I had stayed at the main compound of the temple.  It never recovered its former glory but a small hut had been built for the only old monk that now lived here.  He was a fine fellow and seemed content to spend the rest of his life here as a hermit.  I intended to leave Gin-getsu here, already passed into the senile age, with a sum of money that would ensure the monk could provide for himself and Gin-getsu for many years, in exchange for the promise that he would take care of the horse and when the time came, would bury him next to the tomb which I was sitting next to.  I knew she would like that.
I would depart soon for the snow country of the north.  Hopefully I would visit the place again two or three years from now.  But who could tell.  Things always worked in strange manner in life and I had learned to accept it with grace and compassion.  I only knew no matter where I chose to go a princess would always be accompanying me in my heart.  For that, I was content and eternally grateful.
I sat there for a while, feeling the silence of the place and the peace it bestowed on all those lying here.  All killings and hatred gone forever made meaningless by the passage of time.  Only the deeper feelings of love would remain.
It was time to go and I stood up, closed my eyes and said my departing prayer for the love of my life.
A gust of wind swirled up some leaves from the ground and my head turned up and I opened my mouth, stunned by what I was allowed to see.  On a rather hidden slope overhanging the burial ground, a carpet of glorious yellow yamabuki greeted me, nodding in the gentle wind as if to an old friend.  A few flowers swirled down and I caught one between my fingers.  I smiled even as tears began to run down my face.  I had the beautiful flower pocketed securely, picked up my walking pole and began my new journey.

(End of Story)