Читать книгу The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art онлайн

27 страница из 32

Many years of reading about the ninja had brought me to this small town on the Edo River. To pursue my interest I had crossed the sea from America to Iga, ancient home of the ninja, only to find that the only ninjutsu left there was a few tattered black suits, swords, and scrolls locked in museum display-cases. A historian had suggested that I might try seeking a ninja master named Hatsumi, who ran perhaps the last remaining school of ninjutsu, somewhere near Tokyo. Taking trains to catch other trains, I had finally arrived in Noda City to ask if he would accept me in his training program.

At the Atsusa Ryokan, when told there was a call for me, I felt awkward moving down the narrow little hallways to the telephone. I was indeed the first American ever to have stayed at the inn. The tiny landlady scampered down the hall ahead of me and handed me the phone.

“Mr. Hayes?” The voice on the telephone was deep and articulate. “We have been waiting for you. Hatsumi Sensei received your letter.”