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kaitoujokerscans · 1 year ago

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Get Back Hachi’s Memories! CH4

<4> The Secret Curry Seasoning

Hachi, full name Fuuma Hachi, was a ninja born in Japan.

Nobody knows for sure when the first ninjas came about. The word ninja literally means "one who hides", which makes them difficult to trace through history. One theory is that ninja were first employed during Prince Shotoku's reign in the sixth century. Back then they were called shinobi, "heralds of good news", and the name for them changed over time.

Ninja started to gain notoriety in the Sengoku period. They were valuable assets for generals in need of fleet-footed men. In the Edo period, the primary role of ninja switched to espionage. The bakufu engaged them as mercenaries and sent them all across the country. They spied on the secrets of daimyo and gathered local intelligence. Some even say that the famous poet Matsuo Basho, who composed haiku during his travels through the interior of the country, was himself a ninja.

There are multiple schools of ninjutsu, the most famous of them being the Iga, the Koga, and the Fuuma. Hachi belonged to this last group. In the present day, the different schools intermingle. When Hachi was a child, he went to Ninjutsu School to learn the basics of ninja arts. During his time there, he met Koga Hyakkimaru of the Koga clan. Hyakkimaru was in a higher grade than Hachi. Hachi was a poor student and a crybaby, but Hyakkimaru always came to his aid.

A few hours later, the Sky Joker reached the airspace over Koga Village. A great tree which served as an icon of the ninja village grew at the center of a vast forest, and beside it stood a gigantic castle. However, there were no classic shachihoko ornaments decorating the roof. Joker had stolen the golden shachihoko in a previous caper.

Joker, presently Kaitou Joe, parked the Sky Joker next to the castle. He could've just descended from above with Balloon Gum, but then Hachi might've figured out his identity.

The two of them headed for Hyakkimaru's hideout in the forest.

There were ropes and cords strung all across and between the forest trees, like some kind of obstacle course. This area was probably used as a ninja training ground. After a while, they spotted a large oak tree. There was a small, inconspicuous shack halfway up its trunk. This was Hyakkimaru's hideout.

When the pair arrived, Hyakkimaru had just finished his regimen and was catching his breath.

"It's been so long, Hyakkimaru-san!"

"Well, if it isn't Hachi! Good of you to visit," greeted Hyakkimaru with a natural smile which showed off his fangs. A Koga mask rested upon his blazing red hair, and he wore a light yellow haori above his grassy green ninja gear. Two ninja blades, his weapons of choice, sat crossed over his back.

"Here's a little something for you!" Hachi promptly handed over a wrapped-up bento box. Hyakkimaru lifted the lid and found chikuwa fish cakes like the kind used in oden packed inside.

"Oh, you remembered my favorite! Let me try one now." Hyakkimaru picked up a chikuwa and put it in his mouth. He chewed it, savoring the flavor, and a look of happiness broke out on his face. "Indeed, it's flavorful to the core. You've gotten even better at this, Hachi."

"Thank you!" Hachi also broke out into a smile. The whole room was filled with a warm and genial atmosphere like they were back in their school days. Meanwhile, next to Hachi, Joker as Kaitou Joe was just sitting idly cross-legged.

"I didn't expect you to visit all of a sudden. So what brings you here, Joker?"

"Ah...!" Joker tried to cover up what he was saying, but it was too late.

"Joker, you say!?" Hachi instantly stood up, gripped the hilt of his sword and scanned the room with eagle eyes. "Where are you, Joker!?"

"Huh? What are you talking about, Hachi? Joker's right in front-" Hyakkimaru started to say, confused. In a heartbeat, Joker pointed to outside the window.

"AH, there he is! Up on that tree, there's someone that looks like Joker!"

"Really!?" Hachi ran up to the window and put a hand to his brow, scrutinizing the outside. "Looks like he's not there anymore..."

"Agh, he must've gotten away..." Joker acted disappointed.

Hachi lamented. "Good grief, that fiend makes a fast getaway. The next time I spot him, I'll chase after!"

"Y-Yeah, you do that..."

Seeing Joker and Hachi's unnatural behavior, Hyakkimaru's ninja instinct picked up that something was wrong. He turned to Joker and probed for details. "It seems there's more going on here than meets the eye. Could you tell me about it?"

A few minutes later, Hyakkimaru and Joker were left by themselves in the shack. Hyakkimaru had asked Hachi to go relay a message to the other Koga ninjas. Hachi was more than willing to oblige, saying that he was excited to see them all after so long.

Joker took a sip of the tea that Hyakkimaru had brewed and exhaled.

"So what's going on? Why does Hachi think you're not Joker?" Hyakkimaru asked.

Joker told him everything, how yesterday he left for a job in the middle of an argument and came back to find Hachi concussed and unconscious. How he seemed to forget all about Joker, except for how mad he was at him.

"I see, so that's what happened..."

"This whole thing's turned into a massive pain to deal with. Hachi said that he hit his head and lost his memory before, and you were the one who fixed him up that time."

"Right, that makes sense. I remember that happening..." Hyakkimaru folded his arms and traced his memory. "That was back when we were in Ninjutsu School, during a test where we had to deliver a coded message. Hachi fell from a high place and hit his head. He forgot the message he was tasked with. He'd fail the test if he didn't remember, so I jogged his memory."

"That's it! I want you to tell me how you did it."

"Hm..." Hyakkimaru closed his eyes and thought deep.

"How can I get Hachi's memory back to normal!?"

"It's probably not a matter of Hachi losing his memory, but rather that it's repressed. For some reason or another, he's lost track of it. Think of it like a cabinet drawer that's gotten jammed and can't be opened. In order to use the ninja art that will unearth his repressed memory, he'll need to be reminded of what he was doing immediately before the triggering event."

"Immediately before?"

"Yes, but from what you've told me, that may be difficult."

"How so?" Joker asked Hyakkimaru intently.

"Hachi was by himself when he lost his memory. Which means that Hachi himself would be the only one who knows what he was doing at that time..."

"Oof, I get what you mean..." Then Joker had a sudden thought. "Ah! But Hachi was in the middle of making and taste-testing the curry for dinner!"

"Hm, is that so... Something unexpected must have happened while he was cooking, which made him hit his head. It may be that the only necessary step to jog his memory is to have him taste curry."

"Yeah! Curry!"

"But it'll have to be a curry that tastes exactly the same as before..."

"Ha ha, that's easy. I just have to ask Hachi to make the curry again!" Joker stood up, full of optimism.

When Hachi returned to the Sky Joker, he was in an exceptionally good mood. "Well, I'm really glad I got to visit everyone again!" His round face was full of cheer, and per Joker's request, he started making curry for dinner.

But when Hachi tasted the finished curry, he tilted his neck. "Hmm..."

"What is it?"

"Something's off... I feel like there was a secret ingredient..."

Joker took a taste for himself. True enough, it wasn't Hachi's usual curry. It felt like it was missing something. "Yeah..."

"That's strange."

"You don't remember what you put in?"

"Hmm, I don't know..."

Apparently hitting his head had made him forget the secret ingredient, too. He wouldn't be able to recreate the same curry like this.

That evening, exhausted after chatting with his old friends, Hachi turned in early. Later at night, Joker stood alone in the kitchen.

"All righty..."

Joker lifted up the lid of the curry pot. There was still plenty of curry left. If he asked Hachi too many questions, he'd get suspicious as to what he was up to. Thus Joker decided to figure out the secret ingredient on his own.

That said, he always left the cooking to Hachi, so he had no clue what the ingredient could possibly be, nor did he really know what things were kept where in the kitchen.

"Well, whatever. I can just try putting everything in, yeah?"

—A few hours later, Joker was stretched out on the couch, exhausted. After that, Joker had divided Hachi's curry into little saucers and added everything in the kitchen into different ones to test which one was the secret ingredient. Condiments, vegetables, meat, fish, even candy — he'd tried them all, but each time he tasted the result, his tongue met with a disagreeable flavor. Very few of them had actually been edible. He hadn't gotten any closer to Hachi's usual curry flavor. In fact, he was getting further away from curry that tasted any good at all. For the first time ever, Joker was intensely rueful that he'd never lifted a finger to help with cooking.

In time, he was down to one saucer of Hachi's curry that hadn't been altered. He couldn't risk any more failures.

"Agh, what should I dooo"

Joker was completely fed up at this point. He rolled onto the couch and started crunching down on potato chips that had been left over after he tried adding some to the recipe. On the outside, this just looked like typical bored Joker behavior, but inside, he was distressed.

If he couldn't recreate Hachi's curry, then he couldn't jog Hachi's memory with the method Hyakkimaru had described. In turn, that meant Hachi would keep hating Joker.

No, it was okay if Hachi still held a grudge. What disturbed Joker more than anything else was that Hachi had forgotten him entirely.

Hachi probably resented Joker because of the fight they'd had right before he left, and that emotion still remained. Joker could accept his anger over that. They could argue all they wanted, and they could get emotionally charged at each other.

But now, they couldn't even do that.

If all the time they'd spent together, all the fun and frustration and sadness, all the many fights they'd had — if Hachi didn't remember any of that, then they'd remain only in Joker's memories. As if they were something that had only happened in a dream, fading from existence. It would forever feel like something was missing from his life.

The thought alone pricked at his heart, filling him with pain.

As a consequence of his profession, Joker was hated by a lot of people. He thought he was used to the feeling. But he hadn't realized how much it hurt to be forgotten...

Under normal circumstances he wouldn't think this at all, but he didn't care if Hachi hated him, as long as he just remembered. Internally bargaining, Joker rolled over. The bag of potato chips was empty before he even realized.

Hm...?

I wasn't eating that fast, right? he thought, picking up his head. From the far side of the table, he heard the sound of someone crunching on chips.

"Mmm, these potato chips are tasty. I just can't restrain myself."

"Queen, you shouldn't have too many midnight snacks."

"!?" Joker jumped to his feed. Sitting at the table in front of him was Queen, munching on chips.

"Q-Queen! And Roko too!"

"Good evening."

"Pardon the intrusion, Joker," replied the white dog named Roko who was next to Queen. Roko was a super dog who had been genetically engineered to be able to speak, and was Queen's partner phantom thief dog. He was always calm and collected and kept Queen in check. He also lived at Silver Heart's house.

"W-What are you guys here for!?"

"Come on, you heard me announce myself. I told you I was coming in."

"Huh? You did?"

"We came in through the normal entrance and landed our plane in the hangar like always."

"Seriously? I didn't notice at all..."

"No duh, Joker. You're not in your usual outfit and you've just been zoned out on the couch looking at the ceiling. The kitchen reeks of something weird, so I was worried you'd performed an arcane ritual and something'd gone wrong."

"Hard to believe you were worried when you're snacking on my potato chips!"

"But I was hungry! You didn't respond at all anyway, so I figured you wouldn't mind sharing. So what's with the getup?"

"This...? Nothing special."

"Whatever floats your boat, I guess."

Joker was being close-lipped, but Queen didn't even seem to mind. She cleaned the chip grease off her fingers with a wet wipe.

"Again, what are you here for?" Joker scowled at Queen, irritated.

"The thing I was calling you about. You said you were busy and just hung up. I didn't want you pulling that again, so I just came in person."

"Right... that happened." He'd been so focused on Hachi that he'd forgotten all about the calls from Queen and Spade. Queen had been telling him about...

"Didn't you say something about a weird phantom thief?"

As soon as Joker brought it up, Queen leaned way forward and pouted in annoyance. "Yeah! I swear, it was SOOO frustrating!" She picked up and skillfully swung the humongous sword beside her, slamming it on top of the table. This greatsword made of diamond was Queen's weapon of choice. "I was at an art museum in the Caribbean not too long ago to steal a treasure. The 'Striped Brooch', you know the one!"

"Yeah, you told me about it before."

Queen had lately been coveting a treasure called the "Striped Brooch". It was a unique gemstone brooch with striations. It had been found in ancient Incan ruins, but its monetary value wasn't as much as its ostentatious appearance suggested, so Joker had passed it up.

"And then! I came across him in the storage room!"

"Him being?"

"The Time Thief!"

"The time thief?" Joker echoed with wide eyes. He'd never heard the name.

"That's not his actual name, though. He's been showing up all over the place lately, and he's called that because of his strange abilities." Just thinking back on the incident made Queen clench her fists.

"He's got strange abilities?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. I had so much trouble getting to that brooch and stealing it, but all of a sudden it wasn't in my possession anymore!"

"Huh? That doesn't make sense."

"I'm telling you, he stole the brooch from me before I even knew it!"

"You must've let your guard down, Queen. He could've just nicked it off you while you were distracted."

"That's not what happened," interjected Roko, who had kept quiet so far. "I was looking. Queen definitely had the brooch. But all of a sudden, it was gone."

"Gone?"

"As soon as we noticed it wasn't there, the Time Thief right in front of us was holding Queen's treasure instead."

"W-Wait a second here. You guys were there with this Time Thief guy?" Joker asked.

Queen folded her arms indignantly. "Yeah. But what's really bizarre is that when we went into the storage room, nobody else was there. But it was like he was just waiting around for us to take the treasure. The moment I got the brooch in my hands, he showed up out of thin air."

"For real...?" Joker was beginning to take some interest in this strange phantom thief. "The treasure just vanished right in front of your eyes? Both of you?"

"Yes. I was definitely holding the treasure. But he did something and then the next instant, it went poof. Then he said, 'The item you just obtained has now come into my possession by rewinding time.'"

"The heck..."

"After that, he said 'I can manipulate time.' Word for word."

"Time...?"

"Exactly. He has some strange ability that lets him manipulate time. That's why he's being called the Time Thief," Roko said in the same solemn tone. The way he spoke, it sounded like he was only half-convinced and was trying to persuade himself.

"It really is weird. It wasn't any sleight of hand. I don't understand what he did..."

"A phantom thief who can rewind time, huh..."

Then something lit up in Joker's head. Like a single shaft of light filtering through a pitch dark forest, a ray of hope beamed into his mind. In an instant, a fantastic idea gave him a jolt of energy.

"That's it!" Joker jumped to his feet and exclaimed.

"Huh?" Queen and Roko looked at Joker in surprise.

"If he can rewind time, he can go to the past, right!? Which means I can figure out what happened!"

"Uh... you could, yeah."

"If his ability is the real thing, yes."

"It's real! I mean, it has to be real, or I'm screwed! If I can take advantage of his ability and go to the past, I can figure out the curry's secret ingredient!"

"The curry's?"

"Secret ingredient?"

Queen and Roko vocalized in sequence, more confused than ever.

Yes, Joker had come up with an idea. He would investigate the secret ingredient for Hachi's curry by using the Time Thief's ability to go to the past. If he could just go to the moment when Hachi was making the curry, he could know for sure what he'd added to the recipe!

Joker marveled at his own brilliance. He turned to Queen and asked, "So where's this Time Thief guy!? Phantom Thief Joker is gonna head straight to him and steal his ability!"

"Um..."

"I'm not certain he'll show up today, but..." Roko began to say, then used his ears to push buttons on the TV remote. The television turned on to the UNN channel. DJ Peacock was there on screen, screeching in his usual garish manner.

"Good evening, everyone! This is DJ Peacock! And today, we've caught wind of an advance notice from Phantom Thief Spade!"

"Tonight, I'll come to take the Golden Gallery Box from the Escargot Museum.

--Phantom Thief Spade"

The screen showed an image of the Escargot Museum. As the name suggested, it was a curious piece of architecture modeled after the shell of a snail lying on its side.

"Wow, looks like Phantom Thief Spade's on the job tonight. The so-called Time Thief has been up to no good lately, and if Phantom Thief Joker or somebody else shows up, it'll be all the more chaotic. We can expect some heart-pounding and stimulating developments from this!"

Joker switched off the television and stood boldly. "Ask for stimulation and you'll receive! Just you wait, Time Thief!"

The gloom clouding his eyes dissipated, making room once more for an optimistic gleam.

#kaitou joker #light novel

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poemshubs · 2 months ago

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How Many Haiku Did Basho Write?

Matsuo Basho, a renowned 17th-century Japanese poet, is often celebrated as one of the masters of haiku. His works continue to be admired today for their simplicity, beauty, and depth of meaning. Haiku, a traditional Japanese poetic form, follows a strict syllabic structure of 5-7-5 and often reflects nature, the seasons, and the fleetingness of life. Basho is widely regarded as the poet who elevated haiku from a playful form of verse to a profound literary art. But how many haiku did Basho write during his lifetime?

This article delves into the life and work of Matsuo Basho, focusing on the number of haiku he composed, the significance of his haiku in Japanese literature, and the themes that permeated his works.

The Life of Matsuo Basho

Matsuo Basho was born in 1644 in Ueno, a small town in Iga Province, Japan. His early life was marked by a fascination with literature and poetry. Basho’s love for poetry led him to study the art of haikai, a form of linked verse that would later evolve into haiku. Under the guidance of haikai master Kigin, Basho refined his poetic skills, developing a distinctive style that emphasized simplicity, nature, and spirituality.

Basho’s life was one of constant travel. He often embarked on long journeys, seeking inspiration from nature and the changing landscapes of Japan. His travels, documented in works such as Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), deeply influenced his poetry. Basho’s haiku often captured fleeting moments in nature, reflecting his Zen Buddhist beliefs in the impermanence of life.

What is Haiku?

Before diving into the number of haiku Basho wrote, it’s essential to understand what a haiku is. A haiku is a short form of Japanese poetry that consists of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third line has five syllables, making a total of 17 syllables. Haiku often focus on nature, the seasons, and the fleeting nature of life. Despite their brevity, haiku convey deep meaning and evoke strong emotions in the reader.

Haiku emerged from a longer form of linked verse known as renga. The first stanza of a renga, called the hokku, set the tone for the poem and often described the season or the environment. Over time, the hokku evolved into the independent form we now know as haiku. While Basho did not invent haiku, he played a crucial role in its development and popularization, transforming it into a revered form of literary expression.

How Many Haiku Did Basho Write?

The exact number of haiku written by Matsuo Basho is not entirely clear. Various sources provide different estimates, as many of Basho’s poems have been passed down through manuscripts, anthologies, and oral tradition. However, scholars generally agree that Basho wrote around 1,000 to 2,000 haiku during his lifetime.

This broad range is due to the difficulty in determining the authenticity of some poems attributed to Basho. Like many great poets, his work was widely copied, imitated, and disseminated by his students and followers, which has led to variations and sometimes misattributions in the total count of his haiku.

Regardless of the precise number, it is clear that Basho’s contribution to the haiku form was immense. His haiku continue to be studied and admired for their elegance, simplicity, and profound insights into nature and the human experience.

Famous Haiku by Basho

Some of Basho’s most famous haiku have become iconic representations of the form. These haiku capture moments in time, often highlighting the beauty of nature and the transience of life. Here are a few examples:

The Old Pond (Furuike ya)

Old pond… A frog leaps in, Water’s sound.

This is perhaps Basho’s most famous haiku. In just 17 syllables, Basho creates a vivid image of a serene pond, interrupted by the sudden splash of a frog. The poem captures a fleeting moment in nature, reflecting the Zen Buddhist concept of mujo (impermanence).

A Lightning Flash (Inazuma ya)

Lightning flash— What I thought were faces Are plumes of pampas grass.

In this haiku, Basho uses the image of a lightning flash to convey the fleeting nature of perception. The momentary illumination reveals not faces, but merely grasses swaying in the wind. This poem reflects the theme of illusion and reality, a common motif in Basho’s work.

Autumn Moonlight (Aki no tsuki)

Autumn moonlight— A worm digs silently Into the chestnut.

This haiku captures the quiet beauty of an autumn night. The moonlight and the silent digging of the worm evoke a sense of calm and introspection. The poem reflects Basho’s sensitivity to the changing seasons and the passage of time.

Themes in Basho’s Haiku

Basho’s haiku often revolve around several key themes, all of which are deeply rooted in Japanese culture and Zen philosophy. These themes include:

Nature: Basho’s haiku frequently focus on the natural world, capturing the beauty of landscapes, seasons, and wildlife. He had a deep appreciation for nature, which he saw as a reflection of the divine. His haiku often depict scenes from his travels, such as mountains, rivers, and forests.

Impermanence: The fleeting nature of life is a central theme in Basho’s work. His haiku often reflect the transient beauty of a moment, reminding the reader of the impermanence of all things. This theme is closely related to the Buddhist concept of mujo, which teaches that everything in life is constantly changing.

Simplicity: Basho’s haiku are characterized by their simplicity and economy of language. He believed that poetry should be clear and direct, stripping away unnecessary words to reveal the essence of a moment. This simplicity is what makes his haiku so powerful and enduring.

Travel: Basho’s life as a wandering poet deeply influenced his haiku. Many of his poems reflect the experiences and observations he made during his travels. His haiku often capture the sights and sounds of the road, conveying a sense of movement and exploration.

Basho’s Legacy in Haiku

Basho’s influence on haiku cannot be overstated. He is widely regarded as the master of the form, and his work has inspired countless poets both in Japan and around the world. His haiku continue to be studied in schools, analyzed by scholars, and enjoyed by poetry enthusiasts.

In addition to his haiku, Basho’s travel journals, such as Oku no Hosomichi, have also become literary classics. These works blend prose and poetry, providing insight into Basho’s travels and the inspiration behind his haiku.

Conclusion

Matsuo Basho wrote around 1,000 to 2,000 haiku, leaving behind a rich legacy of poetry that continues to resonate with readers today. His haiku capture the beauty of nature, the impermanence of life, and the simplicity of existence. Basho’s work transformed haiku from a playful form of verse into a profound literary art, and his influence can still be felt in modern poetry.

Through his haiku, Basho invites readers to pause, reflect, and appreciate the fleeting moments of life. His work reminds us that even the smallest, most ordinary moments can contain deep meaning and beauty.

#poem

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