Hyakkimaru's Birth
Book 1 of the Dororo Novel Series
Toriumi Jinzō
Part 3 - A Nightmarish Fate
The ship Hibikimaru arrived safely at the port of Akamagaseki, then sailed out into the Genkai Sea, which was west of Chizuken. The route Hisamaro and Tajumaru took was one that the local commissioners of Kyūshū had kept a strict watch over since the attempted Mongol invasions a century or so before. The route was a popular one for pirates, but the Hibikimaru was not attacked.
Gotarō, the ship's captain, seemed impervious to even the idea of danger. He stood on the deck of his ship, looking one-eyed out at the sea with an expression of complete calm. The ways and attitudes of sailors were very strange to Tajumaru.
Gotarō approached Hisamaro and Tajumaru on the deck. "We'll start heading for Karatsu tomorrow morning," he said. "Namitarō should be waiting for us well before we reach the port. I'll pass you over to him and his father."
"Who is Namitarō?" Hisamaro asked.
Gotarō laughed. Tiny wrinkles formed on his sunburned skin. "You'll know him when you see him," he said. "My ship is bound for Hirado, so our paths diverge at Karatsu. I hope the rest of your journey is a safe one."
The parting felt abrupt, but Gotarō's well-wishes were sincere.
"Thank you for taking us this far," Hisamaro said. He bowed his head.
"Take care of yourself, boy," Gotarō said to Tajumaru. "Grow up healthy and strong." His voice was so loud that it shook Tajumaru to his bones. Perhaps that voice was a warning or precursor of the violence that was to come in his life.
"Yes, sir," Tajumaru said. He bowed his head, imitating his father.
The next morning, right around sunrise, a small rowboat appeared in the distance. Tajumaru watched the red light of dawn splay over the rower's shoulders as the boat approached the ship. From a distance, he'd assumed that the rower was a man, but when the boat was close enough he could tell that it was a boy even younger than he was.
"Captain!" the boy called out, waving. "We're glad you made it." His voice was high-pitched and enthusiastic. He spoke with a thick Kyūshū accent.
Gotarō smiled fondly at the boy. "Well, would you look at that! So you're finally old enough to come out and greet us on your own, Namitarō?" He rubbed his chin.
"I'm ready to get going," Namitarō said, "so hop right in. Let's hurry back to my dad."
Hisamaro and Tajumaru thanked Gotarō once more, then boarded the rowboat.
Namitarō was only ten years old, but he was strong. The rowboat skipped over the waves at surprising speed. He was dirty and his speech was crude, but his eyes sparkled with lively intelligence. He was not a normal child in any way, but Hisamaro felt guilty for making him row him and Tajumaru to their destination on his own. There was only one set of oars on the rowboat. Hisamaro also felt uneasy about entrusting Tajumaru's safety, and his own, to such a young boy.
As the Hibikimaru receded from view, Tajumaru felt that he and his father had just moved one large step closer to China. He didn't want to go. He frowned hard at the water as the rowboat drew closer to the shore.
"The voyage must have worn you out, Tajumaru," Namitarō said. "Your face looks awful."
"You know my name?"
"Yep. I know everything about you both."
Hisamaro frowned. "What's your father's name?" he asked.
"Genkai Nadaemon," Namitarō said.
Tajumaru appeared slightly puzzled. He'd never heard of anyone named after the Genkai Sea before. "Is that his real name?" he asked.
Namitarō laughed. "It's rude to ask things like that, you know," he said. "Even I don't know my dad's real name."
Tajumaru and Hisamaro exchanged uneasy glances. Namitarō didn't know the name of his own father? That struck them both as very strange.
"Um...what does he do? For work, I mean?" Tajumaru asked.
"He is a prosperous merchant specializing in sea trade," Namitarō said. It was the first time he'd spoken formally. Tajumaru found the contrast a bit jarring. Namitarō didn't say anything else about his father.
They sailed past a series of small ports that looked fairly busy. The sun shone off the white beaches at noon, making them so bright that they were difficult to look at.
When they passed Chikushi at sunset, the view of the clear sky set against the mountainous shore was breathtaking. Hisamaro leaned over the edge of the boat slightly and took it all in.
"A long time ago, there was a kingdom called Matsura1 right where those mountains are now," Hisamaro said in a voice tight with emotion. "I wonder how many people have crossed the sea and seen these mountains since that time?"
Tajumaru remembered a story that his father had told him about the Japanese Empress Jingū, who had invaded Korea more than a thousand years ago in revenge for her murdered husband.2 After that, she'd sent messengers and emissaries to the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 AD) Emperors in China. An enormous number of people must have passed this way since that time.
Ships both large and small were docked along the wharf of the next harbor they passed. Namitarō turned the rowboat slightly to the east, then guided it into a small inlet.
Hisamaro, Tajumaru, and Namitarō alighted on the shore of the island. Namitarō led the others up a steep mountain path. They climbed for a while, then descended into a valley with a small village. Genkai Nadaemon was waiting for them there.
From the high cliffs behind the village, the island of Iki was partly visible, shrouded in blue mist. Namitarō picked a safe path down the cliffs, then brought Hisamaro and Tajumaru to the threshold of a large hut.
A burly man in the prime of his life stood in front of the door. He stepped out to greet Hisamaro and Tajumaru, naked to the waist with deeply suntanned skin that gleamed with sweat. The man bowed slightly.
Tajumaru bowed as well, then gasped in surprise: one of the man's legs was gone. It had been replaced by a thick wooden pole. Tajumaru had seen people with missing legs walking with a cane or on crutches, but he'd never seen a man like this one before.
If the man noticed where Tajumaru was looking, he showed no sign of it. "You must be tired from your trip," the man said solicitously. "I'm Genkai Nadaemon. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Tanbano Hisamaro, and this is my son, Tajumaru. I received a letter from Chin Uiro, who suggested that we place ourselves in your care—"
Hisamaro tried to pass Nadaemon Uiro's letter, but Nadaemon put up a forbidding hand and smiled. "No need. I've heard all the particulars from Hirakata."
Hisamaro frowned. "Who is Hirakata?"
"Hirakata Yoshihisa is a prosperous merchant like myself, and Lord Uiro's natural son."
Hisamaro knew about Chin Jōyū, who was Chin Uiro's son and a physician, but he'd never heard of Uiro having any other children.
"He paid up half of what it would cost for your passage so that we wouldn't be careless on the voyage," Nadaemon said.
"Only half?" Hisamaro asked.
"We'll get the other half when you arrive safely in China," Nadaemon said.
Hisamaro was briefly speechless at Uiro's consideration.
"I'm sorry to have you stay in a place that's so rundown," Nadaemon said, "but it should be safe enough for now. Please come inside. We'll talk more after we've had a drink."
"We're greatly indebted to you," Hisamaro said.
Hisamaro didn't ask, but it seemed clear to both him and Tajumaru that Nadaemon came from samurai lineage. It was obvious from his speech and the way he carried himself.
Nadaemon guided Hisamaro and Tajumaru inside. He walked freely and easily despite his wooden leg. No one they passed gave the leg so much as a passing glance.
***
Hisamaro and Nadaemon drank and talked together until well into the night. Tajumaru and Namitarō were permitted to stay in the room with them. They sat in the corner nearest the door.
Namitarō ate the fresh fish he'd caught that day with gusto. Tajumaru already knew that Namitarō was an honest boy with rough manners: spending more time with him had not changed his initial impression. They talked about the capital and fishing, occasionally listening in on their fathers' conversation.
Hisamaro and Nadaemon discussed many topics ranging from politics to art. A digression about poetry led to them singing a familiar song together.
Nadaemon didn't reveal his real name, but he did tell Hisamaro that he'd served as a commander in the navy of Ōuchi Yoshihiro until 1399. Nadaemon had been twenty-six at the end of his service in the navy, but the strength of his loyalty to Yoshihiro hadn't wavered once in all the intervening years. Yoshihiro had trusted Nadaemon enough to appoint him responsible for all trade negotiations between his fleet and the Korean peninsula.
Yoshihiro was a member of the prominent Ōuchi Clan, whose domain was in Kyūshū. After his father died in 1379, Yoshihiro and his brother Hiroshige were locked in a violent power struggle. Yoshihiro defeated his brother in battle. Hiroshige returned to the clan, though he'd taken an arrow in the leg and would never walk normally again.
Hisamaro didn't know it, but Nadaemon bore a striking resemblance to Ōuchi Hiroshige.
After Hiroshige returned to the Ōuchi Clan, Yoshihiro distinguished himself in the civil war that rent the Japanese Imperial Court in two. He led an army against the Southern Court supporters near Kyōto in the name of the shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and convinced the Emperor of the Southern Court to surrender, bringing the Northern and Southern Courts of Japan back together after their long separation.
Afterwards, the shōgun told Yoshihiro to build him a villa to honor his victory over the Southern Court. Yoshihiro thought that this was an unreasonable demand, so he and his clan revolted against the shōgun. Yoshihiro was supported by many other lords and withdrew his forces from Kyōto to consolidate his power and gather allies. The shōgun wanted to solve the problem peacefully, but Yoshihiro insisted on fighting.
And so, in December 1399, troops supporting the shogunate set fire to the city where Yoshihiro's army was encamped. Yoshihiro committed suicide to avoid being killed by the invading forces of the shōgun that he had once served.
To punish the Ōuchi Clan for the war, the shōgun confiscated the provinces of Buzen, Iwami, Izumi and Kii, handing over much of the confiscated territory to the Yamana Clan. He approved Hiroshige's succession to the head of the Ouchi Clan and granted him land in Suō Province and Nagato Province. However, Ōuchi Moriharu defied the shōgun's orders to give up the Ōuchi Clan’s territory, and Hiroshige was defeated by his cousin in battle and killed.
Nadaemon nursed secret desires and plans to overthrow the shōgun. His loyalty had been to Yoshihiro, and he still carried a grudge for what had happened to him. Nadaemon had been so disgusted by the backstabbing and politicking after Yoshihiro's death that he'd discarded his old life and position forever.
So Nadaemon had become a merchant, using his old contacts and expertise to create a new identity for himself. He believed in trading with everyone on equal terms. His frequent trading partner was Sōdasa Emontarō, a living legend known as the King of the Pirates that sailed the trade routes between Japan and Korea.3 The Matsūra Faction that defended Karatsu, where Tajumaru and Hisamaro were headed, was led by the Sashi Clan; members of this clan had introduced Nadaemon to Sōdasa Emontarō. The trade relationship that followed was very lucrative for Nadaemon, but it was also dangerous and illegal.
The men in the village where Hisamaro and Tajumaru were staying were all members of Nadaemon's crew. Many of the crew had become rich and built houses in the village to live in with their wives and children. There were several young crewmen staying in the village's largest hut with Nadaemon. They stood guard and served as his personal protectors.
Nadaemon took a sip of sake out of a smuggled porcelain bowl and smacked his lips together. He rubbed his wooden leg gingerly. "I thought I was done for when I lost my leg. Getting this one gave me a new lease on life. It's tougher and stronger than my old one."
"I noticed that when we first met," Hisamaro said. "Your artificial leg is of excellent quality, and it's fitted very well. I don't know of any surgeons in Japan that are capable of such fine work. The knee can even bend, somehow—it's really quite a marvel."
Nadaemon seemed pleased at Hisamaro's praise. "You're right, Lord Hisamaro," he said. "The doctor who gave me this leg was Chinese. If all goes well, I'll introduce you to him at the end of our journey."
"Thank you very much," Hisamaro said, bringing his chin to his chest.
Tajumaru and Namitarō were laughing at a shared joke. Nadaemon glanced over at them, then said, "Namitarō's mother passed away, just like Tajumaru's. My son was engaged to one of Lord Sashi's daughters, Yobuko, but she died when he was six years old."
"That must have been very difficult for you both," Hisamaro said.
"We're both widowers," Nadaemon said. "It's not something you ever really get over."
"No." Hisamaro offered Nadaemon a sympathetic smile. Their origins were very different: one a court physician, one a naval commander, but their resentment toward the Ashikaga shogunate was shared in equal measure. The more they spoke, the more they liked and respected one another. Chin Uiro and his sons had considered their personalities before suggesting that they meet. Many men felt anger or resentment toward the shogunate, but few possessed Hisamaro and Nadaemon's particular brand of cynicism.
The topic of conversation turned to pirates. Pirates had been something of a problem in Japan since 1350 or so; they attacked supply lines to and from Korea and China. The islands of Tsushima, Iki, and Matsuura were the closest Japanese islands to the Korean peninsula. All of them were currently occupied by pirates. It was believed that these islands served as the pirates' main base of operations, but Nadaemon stated in plain terms that this was not the case.
"Trade has always been a lifeline for pirates as well as ordinary sailors," he said. "You might even say that trade is our natural area of expertise. Pirates are called wakō—'wa,' from the kanji meaning 'insult,' and 'kou,' from the kanji meaning 'steal.' We've always been despised, yet we endure, hundreds and hundreds of us, and we're not all despicable thieves. Sometimes a pirate is just a trader that doesn't have the shōgun's official seal of approval. And sometimes traders who do have the shōgun's approval sail around burning, looting, and killing. But really, most of what the shogunate calls 'pirates' are just merchants that that the Emperor and the shōgun refuse to authorize."
Nadaemon was speaking mostly about the pirates that sailed between Japan and Korea, since he was the most familiar with these. There were other kinds of pirates, less friendly and far less focused on trade. Legend had it that these pirates were a legacy of the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan. It was supposed that the Mongols that managed to survive drowning in repeated typhoons joined up with the pirates that already existed in Japan, increasing their numbers.
The Mongol invasions of Japan ended in the late 1200s, but the Mongols kept trying to gain a foothold in Korea until 1392, when Taejo of Joseon's armies successfully repelled them. Taejo became the first king of the Joseon dynasty after this military campaign. Taejo permitted and even encouraged trade between Japan and Korea, but the shogunate placed limits on what goods could be imported, and in what quantities. Conducting legal trade with Korea was restricted to members of the Ōuchi, Sō, and Shōni Clans.
Nadaemon became a merchant trader scarcely seven years after Taejo of Joseon assumed the throne in Korea. He started his trading career in China, but the Chinese Emperors enforced such severe penalties to deter pirates that he quickly shifted his operations to the Korean peninsula. When Emperor Zhu Di took power in China after the Jingnan Campaign, he opened up new trade routes to Japan thanks to friendlier relations between the two countries. Many men who had once been pirates seized upon the opportunity to trade in new markets and became honest merchants and traders.
"The power of pirates has not weakened," Nadaemon said. "I expect that our position will only grow stronger. We won't be restricted by idiotic prohibitions and nonsensical policies. All we need to do is increase the scale of our operations in secret. More trade does nothing but good for the people and foreign relations. Supplies get cheaper, culture and information spreads faster, and everyone is happy. There's no downside.
"The shōgun only restricts our activities because he's greedy and wants the lion's share of the profit. People who know me as a reliable trader will purchase from me, even without the shōgun's fancy seal. So people can call me a pirate all they want; it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission in this business. I intend to keep working for as long as I can, to help improve the lives of the suffering poor at the bottom."
Nadaemon took another swig of sake. Namitarō curled around himself like a cat and fell asleep, but Tajumaru stayed awake to listen to what Nadaemon had to say. He had such strong conviction. He reminded him in many ways of his own father.
"Japan knows little of the rest of the world," Hisamaro said. "We don't even know much about China and Korea, and the world is so much larger than that. We need to expand our field of vision if we're ever going to advance."
"Uiro's letter said that you were that kind of doctor," Nadaemon said. "Interested in medicine's past as well as its future. It's one of the reasons I agreed to take you to China. I understand that you're impatient to leave right away, but we need to wait a bit before we depart."
"What seems to be the delay?" Hisamaro asked. He was thinking about the pursuers that the shōgun had sent after him.
"The Korean navy is restless at this time of year," Nadaemon said. "We don't want to get tangled up with them."
Hisamaro realized that Nadaemon must get inside information about travel conditions from the pirate Sōdasa Emontarō, who had official dispensation from Taejo of Joseon himself to engage in trade. It was logical that he would know when it would be safest for pirates—and merchants—to sail. Since he was based an almost equal distance from Japan, Korea, and China, he received news and could react to it faster than almost anyone else.
Nadaemon looked toward Tajumaru. "You're going to be a great doctor someday, just like your dad. Right?"
Tajumaru blinked. He hadn't expected the question. "Uh...yes, sir," he stammered out. Zheng He had asked him the same thing—and he'd responded in much the same way.
Tajumaru and Hisamaro slept on the floor of the hut that night, listening to the sea outside. They were a little way from the ocean, but the wind carried its sound to the hut as clearly as if they were right on the beach. Tajumaru was soothed by the regular rhythm of the waves and slept peacefully for the first time since fleeing Kyōto. Tajumaru had gotten used to sleeping aboard ship on the Hibikimaru, but feeling solid ground under his spine gave him an added sense of security. Nadaemon and Namitarō slept in another room, solicitous of their guests.
Tajumaru and his father left the village and boarded Nadaemon's ship as soon as it was safe to travel. It took them about a month to reach Karatsu.
Karatsu was the easternmost city of Hizen Province. Karatsu was under the protection of the Shōni Clan. The Shōni Clan were an offshoot of the Fujiwara Clan, but they'd become estranged over the centuries. They were constantly getting into disputes with their neighbors in the Suō and Nagato Provinces.
The harbor was defended by an allied group of samurai and sailors known as the Matsūra Faction. Their gathering place was a local fortress, and they were deployed whenever there was danger.
When Tajumaru and Hisamaro arrived in Karatsu, it was the end of May and stiflingly hot. Tajumaru went out to the beach with Namitarō every day to go fishing and swimming. Tajumaru had only swum in shallow rivers before, so Namitarō had to teach him how to swim in the ocean. Spending so much time outside in the hot sun made Tajumaru as brown as a nut within a few days.
Namitarō knew the area well and taught Tajumaru the names of nearby islands and landmarks. The port of Karatsu was enormous: some of the ships in the dock were large enough to hold crews of thirty men or more. Tajumaru could easily imagine these vessels being used as warships.
The port was a common meeting point for sailors. There were inns, merchants, and taverns convenient to the shoreline. Namitarō was recognized by almost everyone. Tajumaru heard some people call him "little captain," probably because of his strong physical resemblance to his father.
Namitarō would, eventually, inherit his father's ship and become its captain. The ship was old by that time, but it was well-made. Chinese engineers had designed it as a special prototype and the best materials available had been used in its construction.
But that was all in the future. For now, Tajumaru and Namitarō walked along the rocky coastline near the port, talking and skipping stones. Namitarō faced the north and squinted at the horizon with an expression of longing. He'd sailed all over the Sea of Japan with his father, but there were so many places that he'd never been to before.
"Those islands all the way out there are the Iki archipelago," he said, pointing, "and that big one over there is Tsushima. It's my dream to sail past them, all the way to the distant continent on the other side. You'll be heading that way soon, Tajumaru."
Namitarō lost his thick accent when he talked about his dream. This was likely due to his mother's influence, since she'd always tried to get him to speak properly. Or perhaps he just wanted to be very clear about what it was that he wanted.
Tajumaru thought it might be good to become a sailor and explorer like Namitarō. He'd never considered the possibility for himself before, but he was tempted. Maybe when he and his father got to China, Tajumaru would stay on Nadaemon's ship and keep sailing.
There were medicinal herbs on the island, so Nadaemon led Hisamaro out to good gathering places so that he could replenish his medical supplies. Nadaemon's wooden leg hampered him sometimes, but he was always able to get where he wanted to go without much trouble. Nadaemon allowed Hisamaro to examine his prosthetic limb as often as he liked, but Hisamaro could never quite figure out the secret of its design.
Nadaemon had lost his leg above the knee. A fat, sanded wooden part attached snugly to his stump, then connected seamlessly to a weighted, bending joint that was responsive whenever Nadaemon shifted his weight from foot to foot.
Nadaemon also introduced Hisamaro to members of the Sashi Clan. One of their villages was on the island, and Nadaemon had always been friendly with them. Sashi Yobuko had been betrothed to Namitarō before her premature death. The Sashi Clan were important members of the Matsūra Faction and had connections with many fishermen, sailors, and merchant traders. According to Nadaemon, they also had ties with the local pirates and knew where their local base of operations was located.
Nadaemon told Hisamaro about the long and storied history of the Matsūra Faction whenever they went out gathering together.
The Matsūra Faction was known throughout Japan for their valor and bravery. In 1019, fifty enemy ships from China invaded the islands of Iki and Tsushima. When the conquerors turned their ships north, the Matsūra Faction rebuffed the attack and took back the islands.
In 1185, during the Genpei War that pitted the Taira and Minamoto Clans against one another, the Matsūra Faction joined the side of Minamoto no Yoshitsune in the Battle of Dan-no-Ura—and won. This decisive victory elevated the reputation of the Matsūra Faction: their reputation spread all over Japan. Minamoto no Yoritomo, Yoshitsune's half-brother, granted members of the Matsūra Faction land and titles for their acts of valor after he established the Kamakura shogunate.
In 1274, the Matsūra Faction helped beat back the Mongols, joining their naval forces to those of the Ōtomo and Shōni Clans. The Matsūra Faction suffered very heavy losses in these battles, but they again emerged victorious.
The Mongols returned in 1281. Two large armies were sent out to defeat the Matsūra Faction once and for all. But then a major typhoon sunk many of the enemy's ships. Those that survived were picked off by the Matsūra Faction and their allies.4
Thanks to their many victories in battle, the people of Kyūshū viewed the Matsūra Faction as divinely protected heroes.
Hisamaro told Tajumaru what Nadaemon had said about the Matsūra Faction's history. Tajumaru was shocked at how long and bloody it was. He gained a deep and profound respect for the Matsūra Faction as the protectors of Japan. Without them, Japan would have likely been taken over by China.
Tajumaru also gained a new sense of his place in the world. He could no longer go back to his genteel life in the capital as the son of a low-ranked court physician. He was among pirates and sea traders now: he'd entered into their bold and violent world.
Nadaemon told Tajumaru and Hisamaro that they'd be leaving the island on the last day of May. Hisamaro was incredibly nervous. They would cross the sea to China from here. There would be no turning back once they set sail.
Tajumaru and Namitarō had become as close as brothers. Tajumaru liked Karatsu and wanted to stay in Japan. Truth be told, Tajumaru wouldn't mind spending his entire life in Karatsu. He would be protected by Nadaemon and the Matsūra Faction. Perhaps he could train as a warrior and learn to defend himself. He had no fear of their pursuers when he was surrounded by such courageous and battle-hardened men.
Just before Hibikimaru's departure from Karatsu, there was a frantic message from Iki: rival pirates had attacked a port on the Korean peninsula. The ships defending the port were all set ablaze, leaving the harbor city defenseless. Messengers were dispatched all over to request military aid.
"Pirates, huh?" Nadaemon snorted when he heard the news. "Looks like we'll have to wait until it all blows over to set sail." He had an uneasy feeling that was difficult to explain.
Nadaemon's sense of unease was well-founded. Pirates raided the coast of Korea so often that he probably should have expected it. Piracy would only worsen in the area in the coming years. Things would eventually get so bad that Korea would launch a counterattack under the command of Yi Jong Mu, who sailed to Tsushima with almost two hundred and thirty warships holding more than eighteen thousand men. Most of the people on the island managed to flee, but Yi Jong Mu's forces claimed many lives and recovered hundreds of captive Korean and Chinese prisoners. Yi Jong Mu's attack was so severe that it prompted the lord of Tsushima to propose a treaty to Taejo of Joseon. This treaty put an end to Japanese pirate raids in Korea and China and paved the way for new trade relationships between Korea and Japan.
But Yi Jong Mu's attack, and the treaty that resulted from it, wouldn't occur for another ten years. Nadaemon was concerned with the safety of the sea now. He couldn't choose a date of departure from Karatsu with the situation being so uncertain. He had orders to get Hisamaro and Tajumaru to China safely, and he took those orders very seriously. Chin Uiro trusted him. He wasn't about to betray that trust.
Some days later, they received word that the pirates had defeated all of the harbor's defenders. Taejo of Joseon sent in Sōdasa Emontarō's pirate fleet to reclaim the harbor and mop up the mess.
"Idiots," Nadaemon muttered when he read the message. "They got complacent and forgot just how tough and dangerous pirates can be."
If there were pirates between Karatsu and the Chinese mainland, he would have to do his utmost to protect Hisamaro and Tajumaru. The Korean navy and the rival pirate federation could fight one another into the ground for all he cared; he had other things to think about.
"I'm not sure the voyage to China can be made safely at the moment," he said to Hisamaro. "We might be able to slip between the opposing forces while they're distracted, but it's a gamble."
Nadaemon decided to leave the decision up to Hisamaro and his son. Left to his own devices, he would choose to wait until it was safe, however long that might be. Hisamaro also decided to wait and see how the situation in Korea played out.
The situation remained much the same for several months. Hisamaro grew impatient. He and Nadaemon decided to set sail for China at the end of August.
The night before the Hibikimaru was set to depart, the unthinkable happened.
A dozen warriors that wore no clan insignia attacked Nadaemon's hut in the middle of the night. The guards were surprised at their numbers and allowed several to get inside before raising the alarm. Nadaemon drew his longsword and prepared to fight. The attackers were hooded. None of their gear or clothing had identifying marks.
"Cowards!" Nadaemon spat. "Declare yourselves!"
Tajumaru and Hisamaro heard the commotion and sprang out of bed. They assumed that their pursuers must have found them.
Someone started kicking at the door to their room.
"Run and hide, Tajumaru," Hisamaro said.
"Father..."
Tajumaru went to the room's window and climbed out. His father wasn't behind him. He turned around in time to see one of the attackers run his father through with a spear.
"Taj—Tajumaru," Hisamaro gasped out.
Tajumaru ran all the way to a bamboo thicket past the beach and concealed himself until morning. When he returned to Nadaemon's hut, his father's body was laid out in the main living area, cold and utterly still.
"Father..." Tajumaru fell to his knees and gripped Hisamaro's shoulders. He wept into Hisamaro's sleeve for a long time. Nadaemon and Namitarō sat near him in sympathetic silence.
"It's my fault," Nadaemon said. "Please forgive me."
Tajumaru glanced over at him and noticed that he wasn't wearing his wooden leg. It had been broken during the attack, when Nadaemon had tried chasing down some of his opponents. He had tripped over his leg and fallen, breaking it. Consequently, he hadn't been there to protect Hisamaro. The broken limb sat next to him on the floor, split in pieces.
Namitarō had rushed to his father's side before he could be cut down, which was why Nadaemon wasn't dead as well. Saving his father had been a reckless act. Namitarō had never fought in a battle before, but he'd been determined to save his father no matter the cost. Many of Nadaemon's friends and the guards who had protected his hut lay dead, scattered on the floor or in the yard outside.
"His last words were for you," Nadaemon said. "He wished for you to become a doctor."
Tajumaru had never felt so lonely in his entire life.
Nadaemon looked down at his wooden leg with tears in his eyes. "Damn you," he said quietly. "Why did you have to break when I needed you?"
"Dad," Namitarō said soothingly, supporting him on his shoulder when he tried to stand.
Tajumaru was deeply moved by Nadaemon's words. If his leg hadn't broken, he might have been able to save Hisamaro.
He wondered if he and his father had been the real targets of the attack, or if the attackers had come for Nadaemon instead. Did anyone aside from the Uiro family and Nadaemon know that Hisamaro and Tajumaru had fled to Karatsu? Gotarō and his men did; were they trustworthy? It wasn't inconceivable that the shōgun's men had tracked them down after all this time, but assassins being sent after Nadaemon seemed equally plausible. Nadaemon had thrown away his true name and rank and fought in a rebellion. He was also involved with the Matsūra Faction, which had their own fair share of enemies. When Nadaemon had first forged ties with the Matsūra Faction in 1399, there had been a power struggle between the current leader, Shōni Sadayori, and his rival, Shibukawa Mitsuyori. Nadaemon had backed the losing side, though the Matsūra Faction had mostly come back together after that. Dissension among such a varied and violent lot of warriors and pirates was only natural.
Nadaemon was mostly a peaceful trader by appearances, but he almost certainly had enemies. Nadaemon might even be entirely peaceful himself, but Tajumaru knew that he had trade agreements with pirates and rough sailors. Tajumaru's attraction to Nadaemon and Namitarō's world of violence and danger had a dark underside that he was only beginning to see.
The true goal of the attackers was never revealed. Nadaemon hadn't been able to capture any of them alive. He regretted this failure until the day he died.
***
Tajumaru decided to stay on Nadaemon's ship after his father's funeral. There was no point in going to China without his father. Namitarō was overjoyed that he wanted to stay, but Nadaemon scolded him harshly.
"Have you already forgotten your father's dying wish?" he asked, his face bright red.
Tajumaru didn't answer.
Nadaemon took a deep breath, then said in a more measured tone, "You're still not safe here. It would be one thing if my leg still worked, but I don't have confidence that I'll be able to protect you in this state. There's no safe haven for you anywhere in Japan. You'll have to make your way in life without your father from now on. You must go to China and honor your father's desires for your future. Learn to repair my broken wooden leg, and learn to make others just like it. Not just for me, but for all the unfortunate people who have lost their limbs in war. That task falls to you now. I failed to protect your father, but I won't fail with you. I'm taking you to China."
Tears overflowed in Tajumaru's eyes, bright and hot. If only they'd set sail from Karatsu sooner, his father might still be alive. He rested his face in his hands, then bowed his head. "Take me to China," he said with a lump in his throat. "Please."
Nadaemon nodded, then smiled at Namitarō. "Your brother's coming to China with me," he said, "so I guess you should come with."
"What? Really?" Namitarō asked. It was Namitarō's dream to cross the ocean and explore unknown seas. Tajumaru held Namitarō's hand. Nadaemon had called them brothers. For the next little while, at least, they could still pretend to be.
The sound of the sea surged in Tajumaru's ears as if a storm was coming in.
1 Matsura was an ancient nation that bordered what is modern-day Karatsu Bay. Little is known about it, but it is believed that many Chinese explorers first landed in Matsura and spread Buddhism to the Japanese in the early 6th century.↩
2 Japanese Emperor Chūai died in 200 AD; he was killed in battle by rebel forces. His wife turned her rage on the rebels, whom she vanquished in a fit of revenge. She led an army in an invasion of a "promised land" (sometimes interpreted as the Korean Peninsula) and returned to Japan victorious after three years. She then ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne as Empress Jingū. Legend states that her son was conceived but unborn when Chūai died. After those three years, she gave birth to a baby boy. The narrative of Empress Jingū invading and conquering the Korean Peninsula is now considered controversial and up for debate as it involves both the Japanese and Korean point of view and few facts are known.↩
3 Sōdasa Emontarō was active from 1397-1416. He was a prosperous pirate who traveled trade routes from Japan to Korea. ↩
4 The Japanese called the opportune storm that wiped out the Mongol fleet kamikaze ("divine wind"), a name later used in the Second World War for pilots who carried out aerial suicide attacks.↩
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