Suguru Hayao was ecstatic, and he had every right to be. He was the man who captured the infamous Doctor Mori, murderer of the Shōgun. Suguru could not help but imagine the reward, the accolades, the admiration he would be given in just a few short weeks. He would enter the New Capital as a hero, triumphant as a general returning from war. He imagined the High Consort, now the Regent, and the look she would bestow upon him as he handed the murderer over to her. He imagined her skin, her lips, her eyes gazing at him. He then dismissed this idea, as the visage of his intimidating master entered his thought. Yet he let the thought linger long in his mind.

  “I shall have her, or they will call me Captain,” he thought. “Either way, I win.”

  “Suguru-sama,” one of Suguru’s subordinates whispered, bending close to his ear. Suguru was kneeling on a tatami mat inside one of the guest rooms of their den. This pulled him out of his peaceful fantasy and subsequently made him angry.

  “What is it?” he growled, opening his eyes.

  “We have a visitor from the northern division,” the ninja replied.

  “Impossible. There is no way they could have found out so quickly,” Suguru thought. “Is it him?” he asked quietly.

  “No, sir, but it is someone claiming to be the Captain. He gave the correct passwords, at least the older ones, but since I have never met him before, I decided to check with you before allowing him an audience.”

  “Captain?” Suguru repeated. This was most unexpected, as Kondo Daisuke was thought to be dead, or at least that is what the latest report had indicated. Suguru weighed his options for several moments. When he was ready to give his order, he opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.

  Standing across from him in the threshold was indeed Daisuke Kondo, Captain of the Shadowhand and one of his only superiors.

  “Suguru…” Kondo said quietly.

  Suguru jumped to his feet and bowed. “Kondo-dancho! What a surprise.”

  “Pardon the interruption, Suguru, but your subordinate told me to wait, and that is not something I am accustomed to doing. Has discipline really fallen so far, here in the south? I was told you run a tight ship.”

  “I am sorry,” Suguru apologized, and glared at his man to his side. “I will punish this insolence this very night, I promise.”

  The lesser ninja fell on his face and began to apologize profusely.

  “Enough,” Kondo finally said, waving his hand dismissively. “I do not have the time for this.”

  “To what do we owe the pleasure?” Suguru asked, though he already had guessed the answer. Suguru had not risen to an eminent position in the Shin-Shadowhand for no reason. He was clever and cruel, and ever had an eye for promotion, even if it meant the downfall of his own superiors.

  “You should know well enough,” Kondo answered, as the duel of words began. “I am here to take Mori back to the New Capital.”

  “And this was commanded by our Master?” Suguru queried.

  “Not explicitly,” came Kondo’s stiff answer. “Nevertheless, I will be the one to do it. Do not worry, Suguru, you shall receive the credit you are due. I will see to it myself.”

  Suguru did all he could to not flinch, as rage stirred in his breast. His mind whirred. Something was not quite right. This was too soon. It was only a few hours after Mori’s capture. How did Kondo find out about his capture so quickly? Was it bad luck? Was it ill fate?

  He inspected the Captain in an instant. He was gaunt, borderline frail, and bore many fresh scars on his body. His hair was wild, unkempt, and he wore no swords at his side. “No swords,” thought Suguru, his confidence returning. “Then I have the advantage here.”

  “You would not prefer an escort, Captain?” Suguru asked, his voice sounding calm, almost sweet. “I hear there are many bounty hunters about searching for the Doctor. He is only useful to us if we can take him to the New Capital in one piece. Let me come with you, me and a few of my men. It will be less likely that he is torn from our grasp.”

  Kondo eyed his rival darkly, and Suguru nearly smiled, for he knew that Kondo would have difficulty with this one.

  “I appreciate your offer, Suguru,” answered the captain. “But the path I plan to take requires stealth, not force. If I go with too many men, it will be obvious that I am hiding something of great value.”

  This time Suguru did smile, though it was a substitute for a snarl. “Good answer,” he thought. “Though your body has diminished, your mind is as nimble as ever.”

  “Very well,” Suguru conceded. “And when do you plan to depart?”

  “Immediately,” answered Kondo.

  “Immediately?’ Suguru repeated as if in great shock. “Surely you can stay the evening or even just a few hours. The men here would love to hear a few of your tales. It was said that you were killed if you can believe it.”

  Kondo’s stern face did not change in the slightest. “I am sorry, Suguru. I must go right away. I command you to take me to him. You understand how orders work, do you not?”

  This last barb stung the worst. “Very well, Kondo-dancho,” he replied cordially. “I shall lead you to the prisoner.”

  It was at that moment that a previous thought returned to Suguru’s clever mind. One of his underlings had spoken of a man at the site of the kidnapping. This man was found on the wall, watching the scene unfold. His subordinates had apparently taken care of him, but now, seeing Kondo in front of him, Suguru was unsure how well they had taken care of this mysterious voyeur. They would not have recognized him as Captain, not as he was now. However, if he could get one of them to vouch that this was the man on the wall, then he would have a reason to arrest him, for this would implicate that Kondo was working with the old doctor. Why he would do this, he could not comprehend, but the signs were all there in front of him.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Suguru turned aside to the man still prostrate on the floor. “Gather the others,” he commanded. “If Kondo-dancho cannot stay, then at least let the men see him off with honor.”

  Kondo seemed to blush at this, and Suguru was careful to take notice. “That is not necessary.”

  “Nay, my old friend,” Suguru said jovially. “I insist. Now, would you follow me this way?”

  Kondo followed closely, as Suguru led him through the labyrinth halls of the Shin-Shadowhand hideout. Eventually, they came to a larger room. On the far side, there was a wooden jail with three separate cells. In the foreground was a long table, upon which lay the body of what had to be a Truist monk. He was clearly tortured to death, as the look of horror remained upon his face.

  It took everything Kondo had to hold it together. He had to hold himself back from retching. He knew all too well the cruel tactics of the ninja and their penchant for violence.

  Suguru noticed this subtly and questioned him. “Captain, are you well? You seem disturbed.”

  “No, I am fine,” Kondo answered quietly.

  Suguru sighed. “I am afraid we might have been a bit excessive. But you see, I have my orders, these from the Regent herself, and that is to discover the whereabouts of the Truist Congregation in the Middle Country. This poor fellow was questioned at length but could not provide us with any details, alas…”

  During this speech, Kondo’s gaze had shifted to the jail, and there he recognized Mori inside the center cell. Hoping to see his friend without blemish, he was devastated to see him harshly handled, bloodied, and bruised.

  Kondo exhaled slowly. “It will be harder to transport the doctor if he can barely move.”

  Suguru merely smiled gleefully.

  “Bring forth the doctor,” Kondo then commanded, and several underlings did as he bid. The cell was unlocked, and the door opened, but Mori did not move. It took the two underlings to hoist him up for the doctor to speak.

  “Help,” was all he could say, as he gasped for air.

  The tension in the room was rising. Kondo was turning a shade of red, and his eyes were unblinking.

  Suguru had backed away and whispered into one of his subordinates’ ears. That ninja stepped forward and stared at Kondo suspiciously. He then turned back towards his superior and nodded. This gesture was firm and without doubt.

  Suguru grinned. He stepped forward once again and motioned for his men to be ready. His left hand fell towards his sword hilt, fingering it gently.

  “Before you both leave, Captain,” he said in a loud voice. “Could you please explain to us why you were with the good doctor before he was captured by my men?”

  Kondo froze. Up until that moment, the pretense had worked, much to his surprise. But now the air in the room had changed, as did his mood. He no longer desired to simply escape. At that moment, he wanted to destroy everything. The body on the table, the bruises upon Mori’s face, the snide tone of Suguru, his history with this foul organization, and all that he had done, all these things seemed to fill him with an anger that burned within him, waiting for release.

  He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “So be it,” he said to himself, and then let go.

  As he breathed out, an explosion of movement occurred within the small jail chamber. Kondo’s right arm flung outwards towards the guard next to him and pulled forth his sword from his sash. Kondo managed to open the scabbard and unsheathe the sword just in time to parry Suguru’s attack from behind. Then, whirling like a dervish, Kondo cut through the air, slashing many of the ninja around him. They backed away from him, either out of fear or because of injury, giving him a moment to rescue Mori.

  Moving like a rushing river, he collided with the ninja by Mori, stabbing one through the abdomen and then beheading the other. All this was done so quickly that he still had time to catch the falling Mori.

  He hoisted the doctor over his shoulder and then glared back across the room. There was no way out but the far door, but this was guarded by several ninja, with Suguru at the center.

  Suguru laughed excitedly. “So it is! So it is! The Captain has gone soft, I see. Killed one too many and now you want to make amends, eh? Fool! I will slay you here and bury your body with the rest of the filth. No one will remember your name!”

  “Back away!” Kondo cried, and his voice seemed to revibrate through the air. “If you stand against me, you will not live to see this morning.”

  A few of the ninja took a step back at this, but Suguru would not allow it. “Stand firm, you fools! He is but one, and we have him surrounded. The injuries you may receive cannot compare to the glory of defeating this enemy. And the Master will hear of this, yes, to every detail.”

  Kondo quickly inspected the room; there were lit braziers on either side of the cell, one of which was close by. If he threw one down, the whole room and perhaps the whole building would ignite, and it would give him the distraction that he needed. But the blaze could spread to nearby houses and perhaps cause many innocents to suffer.

  “What has become of me?” he wondered. “For never had I thought this way before.”

  Yet the ninja still held the door, the only place for escape. Instead of using the brazier, Kondo used his left leg to pull the table closer to him, and then, with another, more powerful blow, he launched the table and the body towards the unsuspecting ninja. Because they were so tightly packed about the door, this caused a great deal of chaos and gave him an opening. Kondo lunged forward, and with a flurry, he managed to wound several ninja.

  Their leader’s previous encouragement now seemed less potent, and the injured ninja began to position themselves behind their leader, as did some who were not injured at all. The dead body had an additional terrorizing effect, for the eyes of the dead monk were positioned directly at them.

  Suguru realized that his men were losing their nerve and decided to change tactics. “Very well, very well,” he said, trying to display nonchalance. “If it is a duel you want, why didn’t you just say so?” He removed his outer, heavier kimono to reveal the normal black guise of the ninja. He held his sword out in front of him and adopted a duelist’s stance. “Come, now, Captain, let us settle this matter now.”

  Kondo did not like this change, for he knew that Suguru was up to something. He knew that his underlings feared him as a duelist, perhaps just as much as the Master. Yet Suguru was skilled enough and clever, and had few scruples, which made him dangerous. Kondo kept Mori over his shoulder but held out his own sword in response to Suguru’s challenge.

  “Oh?” his adversary taunted. “Confident, are we?”

  Kondo did not reply, but gathered his focus and tightened his muscles, readying for a strike.

  Suguru advanced, and his movements were indeed skilled, but against one who had fought the Raijin, they were not good enough. Kondo, even with Mori on his back, parried each and every one of Suguru’s strikes, though he could not mount an offensive himself.

  He was waiting for something. “Where is it?” thought Kondo. “Where is the surprise?”

  Frustrated and slightly embarrassed, Suguru backed off for a moment and then came at Kondo again. This time, he made a quick motion with the back of his heel, and from a crease in his shoe, a small pin was launched.

  “There it is,” Kondo thought, seeing the fine needle as it sped through the air. Yet there was no real way to block such a tiny instrument. “I need to move,” he thought, and then he bent his head to the side just enough so that the needed whistled by his right ear.

  Suguru had put everything into this devious trick, and seeing it thwarted caused him to step off balance. That was all that Kondo needed, and his counterassault was devastating. He slashed downwards across Suguru’s thigh, opening it like husked fruit. Then, as Suguru fell, and a panic washed over the remaining ninja, he bolted forward through the door.

  “Get him!” Suguru cried, but Kondo had already passed through like a gale. He instructively remembered the way he had taken to get there and reversed it in his mind.

  “Down the hall, left, right, down the stairs, right, left then…”

  Fortunately, the ninja had not tampered with Mori’s horse, and with an effort, he managed to mount the beast with Mori sitting in front. He then tore down the street as fast as the horse could go.