<standard disclaimer>
Ninja Scroll is not mine.  Please do noe sue me.  o_o;
</standard disclaimer>


The story is taken from yet another samurai legend/story.  Kudos to 
people who recognize it.  ^_^

This was written in half an hour.  Apologies for the roughness of the 
draft.
C&C is greatly appreciated!  Please send some!  Please?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

    Jubei stared into his small cup of tea, watching the tea leaves 
slowly turn and spin in the microcosm of currents in the hot tea.  
The small dark green porcelain cup was warm to the touch, and it 
glinted in the sunlight as Jubei turned it slowly.
    "You answer?" a voice across the short tea-table asked.
    Jubei looked up from his tea.  The man sitting across from him, 
in his rather gaudy clothes, smirked.  Jubei turned his head to his 
left and looked to the humble-looking man next to him.  The man had 
his eyes closed, as if in deep thought.
    "I'm not so sure if this duel is necessary," Jubei replied.  
"Neither one of us really needs to prove anything, ne."
    The man with his eyes closed nodded sagely.
    "So you're saying you'd rather not test whose skill is greater?" 
the gaudy-looking man asked with a smile.
    "I would prefer not to," Jubei replied quietly.  "Surely a man of 
your status would know that there is nothing to be gained by 
frivolous dueling."
    "But it would only be with bokuto!" the gaudy man noted.
    "Would it be worth that much time?" Jubei asked.
    "Of course!" was the fervent reply.
    Jubei looked over to the silent member of the party.  The man 
opened an eye and regarded Jubei evenly.  Jubei raised an eyebrow.
    "Perhaps," the man said quietly.  "It would be best to have the 
duel, at least to calm our energetic friend."
    Jubei nodded and bowed curtly.
    "Thank you, Kamakura-dono," the gaudy man replied with a large 
grin and a bow.
    It didn't take long for Jubei and the gaudily-dressed man to face 
off, a bokuto in each of their hands.  Kamakura clapped.  The two 
quickly struck out at each other.
    "A tie!" the man in loud clothes shouted jubilantly.
    "We only struck each other at the same time, Mishima-san," Jubei 
noted.
    "You lost, Mishima-san," Kamakura noted dryly.
    "Impossible!  I struck Jubei at the same time!" Mishima protested.
    "Do you require another strike to prove to you that you lost?" 
Kamakura noted dryly.
    "Perhaps we should simply drop this matter," Jubei noted.  "I'm 
quite tired from my travels an-"
    "Another time!" Mishima declared.
    Kamakura nodded and the two arranged themselves accordingly.  
Kamakura clapped his hands again and the two struck at each other 
with lightning speed.
    "A successful strike!" Mishima rejoiced.
    "I think you lost," Jubei noted quietly.
    "Nonesense!  I struck you first," Mishima protested.  "The 
reputation for my school has been upheld."
    "It is true that your bokuto struck him first, Mishima-san, and 
it is true that your school's reputation has been upheld, but the 
fact remains that you lost," Kamakura noted dryly.
    "Kamakura-dono, please tell me why I have lost?" Mishima asked in 
exasperation.
    "Surely a samurai of your reputation should understand, Mishima-
san," Kamakura said quietly.
    Jubei quietly cleared his throat and looked on.
    "I demand a rematch, with shinken this time!" Mishima demanded.
    "But-" Jubei protested.
    "Very well," Kamakura interrupted.
    Servants quickly brought out two swords and padded armor.  Jubei 
reluctantly squared off against Mishima and resigned himself to the 
match.  Kamakura simply closed his eyes and sighed.
    "To first blood," Kamakura noted dryly with a hint of ire in his 
voice.
    The modest lord clapped again.  There was a flash of light as 
steel flew threw the air and reflected the bright light of the sun.  
Jubei stood still, watching his opponent with impassive eyes.  
Mishima stared back, equally as impassive.  A moment of silence 
elapsed.  Kamakura simply sighed quietly.
    "You see, Mishima-san.  You lost again," the lord noted quietly 
as Mishima took a slow step back and staggered slightly.  Servants 
quickly staunched the flowing blood from his shoulder.
    "How can this be possible?" he muttered painfully.  "I struck 
first!  My speed was unmatched!"
    Kamakura slowly stood up and walked over to Jubei.  The lord 
thumbed the padded armor where Mishima struck, running a finger in 
the split fabric.  Jubei turned his head and briefly glanced at his 
shoulder.  The fabric had been cut, but not the leather underneath.
    "Did you study the works of Musashi-sensei, Mishima-san?" 
Kamakura asked quietly.
    "Of course!" the wounded swordsman said indignantly.
    "Then surely you would remember that Musashi-sensei said that. 'a 
chop is always a chop regardless if it kills your opponent.  A cut, 
no matter how effective is always a cut.'
    "That is why you lost every time, Mishima-san.  You can not hope 
to chop a trained samurai to death, let alone a samurai in armor - no 
matter how lightly armored.  You have learned a great deal from your 
sensei, Mishima-san, but I fear you have lost your foundation in 
bulding your speed," Kamakura noted quietly.
    The servants guided the wounded man from the garden.
    "I apologize for the incident," Kamakura noted quietly with a 
curt bow.  "I had hoped that Mishima was at least half the samurai he 
was reported to have been.  I could have used a samurai of that 
calibre in my court."
    "Iie, iie," Jubei said with a smile.  "No harm done."
    Kamakura smiled and took a seat by the low table again.  Jubei 
doffed the armor and returned the sword before taking a seat by the 
quiet lord.
    "More tea?" Kamakura asked with a smile.



That's it.  There you go.  Hopefully, I've been able to illustrate a 
rather fundamental point in swordsmanship that I had to learn the 
hard way.  If not, well, it makes for a keen story.  ^_^;;

Thanks for reading.

_______________________________________________________________
Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com