User:Dafattyboi/Young Samurai: The Way of the Dragon

Young Samurai: The Way of the Warrior is a historical children's novel by Chris Bradford, published in 2010. It is the third in a series of action-adventure stories set in 17th century Japan following the exploits of an English boy, Jack Fletcher, stranded in Japan and training to become a Samurai.

Plot
The story opens with a ninja breaking into Osaka Castle. While evading the patrolling samurai, he slips from shadow to shadow until he reaches his objective, the main tower. When the ninja reaches the main tower, he meets with his employer (identity yet unknown) and hands over John Fletcher's rutter. It is soon revealed that the ninja is none other than Dokugan Ryu, the deadly Dragon Eye. Dragon Eye's employer and he then discuss Jack's continuing existence and the contents of the rutter. Dragon Eye has tried and failed to decode the cypher protecting the rutter but his employer reveals that there is a Franciscan monk being kept prisoner that is fluent in both English and Portuguese that should be able to crack it.

The story then rejoins the protagonist - Jack Fletcher -  and his friends, Yamato and Akiko. After being shamefully dismissed from the samurai school They're chasing an unknown man through a bamboo forest after this man stole Akiko's pearl. The story then recounts a meeting with this man, who is revealed to be named Orochi. Orochi is rumoured to know Dragon Eye so the trio set out for the village of Kabuto to find him. After another chase through the forest Jack and Orochi begin to fight. Although first portrayed as lame, Orochi is actually fighting fit and gives Jack quite a scare. After being bested by Jack, Orochi advises him to go to the village of Shindo and visit the Dragon Temple but before he can give his full advise Orochi is struck down by a poisoned blow dart. Jack quickly realises that it's the work of ninja and flees. After a breif fight with the ninja, Jack is inexplicably saved by another ninja.

More to follow....

Characters

 * Jack Fletcher - hero of the Young Samurai series
 * Akiko – daughter of Dāte Hiroko and niece of Masamoto
 * Yamato – second son of Masamoto
 * Masamoto Takeshi – samurai swordmaster and founder of the Niten Ichi-Ryū school
 * Dokugan Ryu – Dragon Eye, one-eyed ninja and Jack's sworn enemy
 * Sensei Kano - sensei of Bojutsu
 * Sensei Hosokawa– sensei of Kenjutsu
 * Kamakura Katsuro – daimyo of Edo (Tokyo) and founder of the Yagyu school
 * Kazuki – student rival of Jack
 * Sensei Kyuzo – sensei of Taijutsu
 * Saburo – the talkative friend of Jack
 * Takatomi Hideaki – daimyo of Kyoto and governs Japan on behalf of the Emperor
 * Sensei Yamada – sensei of Zen
 * Yori – the quiet, mouse-like friend of Jack
 * Sensei Yosa – sensei of Kyujutsu - female