Kaze’s arms were being held by two burly men. The only other person in the room was Nobu. Kaze’s arm hurt from the hot tea, but otherwise he only had a few bumps and bruises.
“I had Nobu’s room watched, on the chance that you would return to talk to him. I’m very pleased you did,” Akinari said. “Your head will mean a great deal of money to me. But before I turn you over to Yoshida-sama for the reward, I think it’s fair to settle some scores. You killed two of my men the first time I tried to take your head.”
“I’m sorry I killed your men, but it would have been inconvenient to lose my head,” Kaze said.
Akinari frowned. “I’ll teach you to be disrespectful to me. Nobu, hit him.”
Nobu looked at Akinari and shrugged. He turned to Kaze and drew back his huge fist, hitting the ronin in the stomach. It was like being hit with one of the battering rams used to burst castle gates. Kaze gave an “Oooff” and fought to get his breath back.
“As I said, you killed my men. Then you embarrassed me by fooling me into thinking you had escaped, when you actually wanted to stick around and talk to Nobu.”
Kaze looked at Nobu, and whispered, “He doesn’t trust you. That’s why he had your room watched. You said Akinari made men disappear. You’re next.” His whisper was even lower than normal; the effects of Nobu’s blow to his stomach.
“What’s he saying?” Akinari asked, unable to make out Kaze’s whisper.
“Just some nonsense, Boss,” Nobu said.
Akinari snorted. “Then you embarrassed me with Lord Yoshida, escaping from the vegetable merchant’s house. That cost me a thousand ryo. Still, your head will bring me ten thousand, so maybe it has all worked out for the best.”
“You’ll never see a penny of that,” Kaze whispered to Nobu.
“What is he saying?” Akinari asked petulantly.
“It’s just more nonsense,” Nobu responded.
Akinari looked at the men holding Kaze. “What is it he’s saying?” he asked.
“He’s saying you don’t trust Nobu, Boss,” one of the men said.
Akinari remained silent for a moment, then said, “Nobu, it’s suspicious this man wanted to talk to you twice. Now you can prove your loyalty by doing the job of beating him up before we take his head. Hit him again.”
Nobu nodded, then struck another blow, this time to Kaze’s side. Kaze almost expected to hear the crack of a rib, but instead he just felt pain from the hammering.
“Look at him,” Kaze gasped. “He doesn’t trust you. Soon you’ll be as dead as me.”
“Why are you just hitting his body?” Akinari asked Nobu. “Why not his face?”
“I want Yoshida-sama to be able to recognize him when you take his head in for the reward. Blows to the body can be just as punishing as blows to the face.”
“Nonsense. Smash his face up. And be quick about it!”
“It’s a test.” Kaze smiled through the pain at Nobu. “He wants to make sure we’re not friends.”
“I’ll show him we’re not!” Nobu said. He brought his fist back, and took careful aim at Kaze’s face.
“Boss Nobu,” Kaze said.
Nobu hesitated a moment, then he brought his fist forward with all his strength. The fist flew past Kaze’s face and caught one of the two men holding Kaze squarely in the cheek. This time, Kaze did hear the crack of bone. The surprised thug crumpled to the floor instantly.
With a grace that seemed impossible for a man of his size, Nobu dove toward Boss Akinari. Akinari and his bodyguard started drawing their blades, but Nobu was not trying to reach the gambling chief. Instead, he snatched Kaze’s sword from the floor, turned on his side, and threw the sword and scabbard back to the ronin.
Kaze caught the sword with the hand recently freed by Nobu knocking out the man holding it. Without taking the sword from its scabbard, Kaze brought the scabbard down across the head of the man still holding him. As he felt the man’s grip loosen, Kaze yanked his other arm free and grabbed the scabbard.
He drew his sword, and got the blade extended in the aimed-at-the-foot position, just in time to block a cut at Nobu, still lying on the floor, made by Akinari. Akinari’s blade was close to Nobu’s face when Kaze’s blade intercepted it. The eyes of the big man grew wide as the two pieces of steel met just a finger’s width from his skin. The clang of steel filled the small room, and Nobu took advantage of the small reprieve to roll away from Akinari and the yojimbo.
The yojimbo stepped past Akinari and attacked Kaze with an overhead cut. With his sword so low to the ground after protecting Nobu, Kaze couldn’t parry the blow, so he took a lesson from Nobu and dove to the ground, rolling to one side as the cut flashed past him. As he rolled, Kaze reached out with one arm and slashed the yojimbo across the chest and belly.
The yojimbo let out a cry of pain and staggered backward, eventually falling to the floor. Kaze quickly finished his roll just as Akinari rushed at him. Kaze was in a crouching position and put his sword up to stop Akinari’s blow. Akinari brought his sword back for a second blow as Kaze forced his way to his feet. Then, making a classic diagonal cut across Akinari’s neck and shoulder, Kaze killed the gambler.
Breathing hard, Kaze glanced over at Nobu, who was shakily getting to his feet. Then he looked around and said, “Quite a mess.” He looked at Akinari and told Nobu, “You’ll need a coffin.” Glancing at the yojimbo, who was clutching at his wound and turning white with shock, “Maybe two.” Kaze walked over to the yojimbo to see if he should deliver another blow to put him out of his pain. The yojimbo stopped breathing, taking the decision out of Kaze’s hands. Kaze saw the other two were still unconscious.
“I think we’re all better off with Akinari in the void. He’ll be reincarnated, but with the life he led, it’s probable he’ll come back as a particularly annoying mosquito. I’m sorry about the yojimbo, though,” Kaze remarked. “He was just doing his job. I wish he had done it less well, so I didn’t have to kill him.”
“I said you’re a devil, and it’s true! Boss Akinari suspected me because of your habit of sneaking into my room to talk to me. Now he’s dead.”
“Better him than you,” Kaze pointed out. “Boss Nobu,” he added.
Nobu scratched his head. Then he smiled. “I suppose you’re right. You’re still a devil, but this might work out to everyone’s advantage. Except, of course, for Akinari and the yojimbo.”
“What about the rest of Akinari’s men?”
“They’re my men now. Those two are still out, and the yojimbo is dead. No one knows what happened here except the two of us. I can say I slipped and hit the wrong guy, and then you managed to get free and kill Akinari and his yojimbo. No one will challenge me if I take over and blame all this on you. If that one”-Nobu pointed with his chin at the man Kaze had knocked unconscious-“dares to mention that I’m the one who threw you the sword, then he’ll be sorry. As far as the gang is concerned, you’re the one who did it all.”
“Happy to be of service, Boss Nobu.”
“Now I can be of service to you. You said you needed money.”
“Yes, and some help with other things.”
“There would be plenty of money if I could deliver your head to Lord Yoshida.” Nobu grinned, to show he was making a joke.
Kaze also smiled. “As I told the late Boss Akinari, it would be inconvenient for me to lose my head now. If I get some money and help from you, I am close to fulfilling a quest, and also discovering who actually tried to kill Ieyasu.”
Nobu sat on the dais recently occupied by Akinari. Ignoring the unconscious men and dead bodies in the room, he said, “Tell me more.”
CHAPTER 20
Crush a young flower.
Does it give you such pleasure?
A perverted act.
Irasshai!” The servant greeted the man at the door to the Little Flower Whorehouse with an enthusiastic shout. He also gave the man a close examination, because he was a stranger.