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.He’d explained about his relationship to Miyuki and tried to convince Hayato that the ninja were misrepresented as a whole.Hayato had acknowledged that Jack as a foreigner might be able to bridge the gap, but that he would never trust a ninja.This suited Miyuki just fine, since she wouldn’t ever trust a samurai.Thankfully, Yori managed to negotiate a truce between Hayato and Miyuki – the differences of the samurai and the ninja were to be set aside for the common goal of defeating Akuma.But Jack realized this was a fragile alliance.‘Tamagashi may not be much to look at,’ he said, ushering the two of them over the mill’s rickety bridge.‘But I can assure you its people deserve defending.’They followed the farmers along the muddy track and into the square.As they passed the ramshackle homes, the villagers came out to greet them.But upon seeing the tender age of their saviours, they could only gawp in disbelief.‘Not much of a welcome!’ remarked Hayato.‘They’re probably just nervous,’ suggested Yori, although he too sensed the growing awkwardness of their arrival.Entering the square, they made for the main farmhouse where Junichi was waiting on the veranda.He bowed low at their approach, keeping his eyes respectfully to the ground.‘As the head of this village, I welcome you and offer our undying gratitude for helping us in our hour of need.Please consider Tamagashi your home –’Standing up, Junichi took a double take and became lost for words.He stared aghast at the four young samurai, one tiny monk and the lone ninja before him.Jack and his recruits bowed back, all made uneasy by Junichi’s horrified expression.‘What’s the meaning of this, Toge?’ demanded Junichi, out of the corner of his mouth.Toge stared blankly back, while Sora piped up in their defence, ‘We couldn’t get any more samurai.’‘That’s not what I mean,’ hissed Junichi.‘You’ve hired children to do men’s work!’‘They’re the best we could do,’ replied Toge grimly.An air of desperate disappointment consumed the villagers gathering in the square.‘We might as well give up now!’ shouted a farmer to Junichi.‘Akuma will slaughter them,’ cried an old woman, her face pitying the young warriors.‘Where are the real samurai?’ shouted another man.The calls of outrage, frustration and despair grew louder and Junichi’s pleas for calm went unheeded.The farmhouse door opened and Yoshi the elder came tottering out.He thumped the wooden veranda with his walking-stick and fixed the villagers with a furious glare.‘What right have you to judge these young samurai? When you can’t even fight as men yourselves! This village doesn’t deserve to be saved.’The crowd fell into a disgraced silence.Then the old woman cried, ‘You can’t allow children to fight our battles!’‘Who else has stepped to our defence?’ challenged Yoshi.No one answered.‘These young samurai have skills we don’t.They are brave and willing to make a stand for us.We should respect them.’‘I can really see Akuma respecting them,’ shouted a farmer sarcastically.‘He might just laugh himself to death!’At this the crowd began to disperse, realizing the futility of battling bandits with a pitiful army of children.‘It appears we’re not wanted, after all,’ said Hayato, turning angrily to leave.‘This is simply a misunderstanding,’ said Jack, exasperated by the farmers’ short-sightedness.Unwilling to give up on them, he added, ‘Let me explain the plan to them.’‘No, the situation is perfectly understood.The farmers don’t want our help.Come on, Yuudai.’Bowing farewell to Jack, Yuudai followed Hayato back in the direction of Okayama.‘I have to agree, Jack,’ said Miyuki.‘We’re wasting our time here.’‘But how will the farmers survive without us?’ said Jack, thinking of poor Neko and the fate of her parents.‘You can’t help those who won’t be helped,’ responded Yori with a reluctant sigh.Heading back down the track, Saburo asked, ‘What about food and lodgings tonight?’Jack was about to answer, when an alarm suddenly clanged.The faces of the villagers became taut with terror.‘Bandits!’ cried a farmer and everyone fled in wild panic.A few desperately gathered their belongings, others ran for their lives, but most rushed after the departing young samurai.‘Save us! Save us! You must help us!’ they implored.‘Now they want our services,’ called back Hayato.Nonetheless, he unslung his bow and dashed into the square, Yuudai at his side.Jack, Saburo and Miyuki unsheathed their swords and prepared for the surprise attack.Yori gripped his staff, his hands trembling at the thought of the forthcoming battle.‘Which direction is Akuma coming from?’ demanded Hayato, running up to the main farmhouse.‘I don’t know,’ cried Junichi, his eyes darting fearfully in all directions.‘Well, who rang the alarm?’‘It wasn’t me,’ he said, as if the raid was his fault.‘Then who did?’‘It was her!’ shouted Kunio, pointing to the roof of the blacksmith’s hut.Neko was standing upon its ridge, an iron bar and hammer in hand.She pummelled it again and grinned in delight as the villagers scattered like startled mice.‘So where are the bandits?’ questioned Miyuki, scanning the deserted horizon.It was then Jack realized Neko’s ploy.‘There are no bandits!’Smiling with relief, Yori said, ‘She’s just proving to the farmers they really do need us.’‘There’s more to that girl than meets the eye!’ said Yuudai, letting loose a great booming laugh at the chaos she’d caused.Neko, seeing Yuudai applaud her, rang the alarm again.Yoshi shuffled over to the edge of the veranda and addressed the young samurai.‘Please help our village,’ he beseeched.‘We’re all children when it comes to fear.’18THE RELUCTANT LEADERThat evening, the young warriors received a proper welcome [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]