SAMURAI

Willem Jonkman

FADE IN:

A dark Japanese fortress. Guards patrol the grounds. Very well defended.

EXT. WALKWAY ON WALL – NIGHT

Two guards walk under the full moon while holding their spears at their sides. They shiver and their armour clanks. It is cold out.

A SHADOW darts behind them. GUARD 1 spins around.

GUARD 1

Behind us!

A knife is thrown into GUARD 2’s back and he falls. A scuffle

Scuffle

Scuffle between Guard 1 and the ASSASSIN ensues and the guard falls dead.

Many assassins are creeping into the fortress.

EXT. OUTSIDE SHOGUN’S OFFICE - NIGHT

Assassins converge on the door and place iron crowbar-esque tools into the frame.

INT. INSIDE SHOGUN’S OFFICE – NIGHT

The SHOGUN is signing paperwork at his desk. His AID and his BODYGUARD stand slightly behind him.

The door flies off its hinges and the Bodyguard draws his weapon. Knives fly out of the doorway and kill him.

ASSASSINS rush in and try to kill the Shogun. The Shogun draws his weapon and kills some assassins.

Fight

SHOGUN

Did you really think you could

kill the Shogun for all of Japan?

Hahhhhhhhhh!

The Shogun gets killed.

EXT. PATH TO TOWN – DAY

SAMURAI NOBORU clad in armor rides down the path on his horse. Farmers bow their heads in respect. A FARMER walks out to greet him.

FARMER

Welcome back Master Samurai.

I hope enjoyed your mission

NOBORU

What I want doesn’t matter.

the only important thing is

that it got completed.

FARMER

Of course Master. The Lord

is sure to be pleased.

The Samurai rides over a hill to the city.

CITY

People turn from what they are doing to bow to him. It is clear that he is an important person. He rides to the castle

CASTLE GROUNDS

He is greeted by Servants. He dismounts and motions for his horse to be taken to the stables. The Servants bow and lead his horse off. The samurai is greeted by the head servant, YORI and is lead to the castle.

INT. OFFICE – DAY

Yori leads the Samurai through the doors to a large office. It is almost devoid of furniture, but the walls ceiling and floor are extremely lavish. DAIMYO TAKEHIKO sits on a throne at the opposite end of the room. He is clad in ornamental armour.

TAKEHIKO

Ah Noboru. Please come closer.

Yori, leave us.

Yori bows and leaves the room, pulling the doors closed behind him. Noboru approaches Takehiko and kneels before him. He unsheathes his sword and places it respectfully before him.

TAKEHIKO

Welcome back. I trust you

completed your mission?

NOBORU

(Bows)

I would not have returned

otherwise. My Lord before

my life.

Noboru removes a parcel from his armour and hands it to Takehiko.

TAKEHIKO

Good. This should be enough

to expose whoever killed the

Shogun. I will make sure they

pay for this insult on the

power of the daimyos. You may

Leave now. I shall have a new

mission for you soon. Oh, one

more thing. I have heard of

robberies being committed in

the market sector. See to it.

EXT. CITY – DAY TO NIGHT

MONTAGE - CITY LIFE

-- People haggling, having fun.

-- Buskers,

-- Fire eaters,

-- Fire breathers,

-- Minstrels.

BACK TO SCENE

Samurai Noboru (clad in a kimono, haori and his sword) walks through the market as the sun crawls downwards.

As it gets later the market begins to thin out.

It eventually gets very sparse, only a few vendors and buskers are still packing up.

Noboru Walks by an alley,

WOMAN’S VOICE (VO)

Aieeeee! Help someone!

Noboru draws his sword and rushes in to find a WOMAN cornered by two ROBBERS. A limp body lies on the ground.

One of the men comes at him with a vertical attack,

But Noboru parries and slashes his assailant’s side.

The second grabs the woman and shoves her at Noboru, who catches her.

He tosses her to the side as the robbers rush at him together.

He steps to one side and slashes the injured robber in the arm.

The uninjured robber pulls out a throwing knife and throws it at Noboru.

The injured man limps into the darkness.

It goes wide.

Noboru closes the distance between them and stabs the robber in the chest.

Noboru sheathes his sword and goes to the woman.

NOBORU

Are you injured?

WOMAN

No… they just came at me

and my husband so fast and he…

(pointing)

Behind you!

Noboru turns and puts his hand to his sword.

NOBORU

I see noth—

The woman pulls a knife from her robe and stabs Noboru in his dominant arm’s shoulder.

Noboru spins again and hits her to the ground.

WOMAN

Please! Have mercy!

Using his off hand he draws his sword and chops off her head.

He wipes the blood off his blade and rips his haori into a bandage to stop his bleeding. He staggers off into the night.

EXT. CASTLE GATES – LATER

Noboru limps up to the gate. Two GUARDS stand in front of it. There is a trail of blood behind him. His makeshift bandage is dark with blood.

The guards hold their weapons out.

GUARD 1

Who goes there?

Noboru staggers forward. One of the guards goes to investigate. He sees that it is a Samurai. He lets out a YELL and bangs on the door.

INT. HEALING CHAMBERS – NIGHT

Noboru wakes up on a mat. His wound is bandaged. Yori sleeps in a corner. Noboru GROANS and touches his wound. Yori wakes up at the sound.

YORI

Master Noboru! Thank the

heavens you’re alright!

NOBORU

This is… the healing chambers?

YORI

Yes Samurai. The Lord was very

upset to here of your wounds.

he was very angry that you were

injured. I will go inform him

that you are awake!

Yori gets up and bows, then exits the room. Noboru falls asleep.

LATER

The door slides open and Noboru wakes to Takehiko coming inside.

NOBORU

Lord Takehiko! Please forgive

my not bowing. The physicians

say I should stay lying down.

TAKEHIKO

I understand. Losing my most

powerful Samurai in a time of

crisis would be devastating.

Did you deal with your attackers?

NOBORU

I failed my Lord. One of them

escaped. Because of my wounds

I was not able to pursue him.

I shall accept any punishment for

this failure.

TAKEHIKO

No punishment shall be given.

You must speed along your recovery

as your new mission has been

determined. You shall leave in

three days, after your wounds

(MORE)

TAKEHIKO (cont’d)

have set. Make sure you do not

fail me again or there will be

consequences.

Noboru nods and Takehiko leaves the room.

INT. OUTSIDE THE HEALING CHAMBERS – NIGHT

Takehiko walks down the hall and a figure steps out of the shadows and follows him.

TAKEHIKO

Shinobu, I have a task for you.

You must leave immediately.

SHINOBU bows and melts into the shadows.

MONTAGE TRAVELING

-- Fields, farmers farming. Day.

-- Noboru gathering supplies from the storehouse.

TAKEHIKO (VO)

Now that your wounds have had

a chance to heal you shall set

out immediately.

-- Noboru walks out the gate of the castle with packs, Yori joins him and grabs one off this shoulder.

TAKEHIKO (VO)

Yori shall be travelling with

you to make sure that your

wounds do not reopen. The healers

have instructed him on how to

care for it.

-- Noboru is walking on a road with a map in hand. Yori is lagging slightly behind.

INSERT MAP

Noboru draws on the map with his finger as Takehiko speaks

TAKEHIKO (VO)

Your mission is to find the

ninja hideout in the Hidaka

mountains, a three day journey

(MORE)

TAKEHIKO (cont’d)

by foot. The information you

recovered pinpoints them as the

group responsible for

the Shogun’s death. Find out

who hired them, and make them

pay for their crime.

-- They walk

-- And walk

EXT. CAMPGROUND – NIGHT

Noboru and Yori are resting. Noboru is meditating. Yori is cleaning fish for dinner.

YORI

Lord Samurai?

NOBORU

Yes?

YORI

Why do you kill?

NOBORU

What do you mean? I serve

our Lord Takehiko.

YORI

But why? I serve our Lord and

I do not kill.

NOBORU

You are not Samurai. I have been

charged with protecting the peace.

The peace has been threatened and

I have been ordered to fight to

protect that peace.

YORI

Are you sure that’s the wisest?

Protecting something is important,

but you need to make sure it is

something you believe in. Not

something you are told to.

NOBORU

I believe in my Lord. You would be

wise to do the same.

YORI

Yes Lord Samurai.

EXT. NINJA FORT – DAY

The fort is merely a few thatch buildings surrounded by a low wall made of mud bricks. Noboru creeps along the wall and throws a grappling hook up and climbs it.

A NINJA GUARD comes along and sees Noboru climbing over the wall.

The ninja charges at Noboru, wakizashi drawn. Noboru draw-blocks it and staggers, clutching at the wound in his arm.

Noboru shoves the ninja back and stabs him, then pushes him over the edge of the wall and the ninja falls to his doom.

Noboru grabs the grappling hook and hooks it to the other side of the wall then slides down into the fort.

A RANDOM NINJA sees him and SHOUTS a warning.

a squad of DEATHNINJAS starts forming

Noboru runs to a house and hides behind it to escape the squad of deathninjas.

Noboru sneaks inside the house through the window.

INT. NINJA STOREHOUSE - DAY

It’s a storehouse. He grabs some ninja clothing and is about to put it on, but a NINJA THROWS OPEN the door, YELLS, and attacks him with a knife.

Noboru dodges and attempts to grab his sword. The ninja keeps him at bay with the knife.

Noboru instead grabs a bottle and throws it at the ninja.

The ninja blocks with his arms and Noboru throws some more things then wrestles the knife from the ninja.

Stabbing of ninjas commences.

Noboru closes and bars the door.

Noboru abandons the disguise, grabs his sword and climbs back out the window.

EXT. NINJA FORT – DAY

Noboru climbs out of the window.

There is a pounding on the door.

MONTAGE NINJA CHASE

-- INT some ninjas burst open the door and EXCLAIM in surprise at the dead ninja then motion for their comrades to go around the house

-- EXT a ninja runs around one side of the house.

-- Noboru leans up against a wall

-- ninja looks surprised that no one is there

-- Noboru moves to a side of the wall

-- ninja creeps up on the other corner and turns around it quickly

-- the ninja grapples with whoever is on the other side

-- two ninjas are fighting. the two ninjas stop and point at each other, talking in an unknown tongue

-- ninjas all over the compound run around trying to find Noboru

-- Noboru is creeping along on the roofs of buildings.

BACK TO SCENE

Noboru creeps along the roofs, jumping from building to building, heading to the largest building.

EXT. NINJA HQ. - DAY

When he arrives he creeps along the top of the building.

Two NINJA GUARDS with spears are on obvious alert down below.

Noboru jumps down on NINJA GUARD 1 and ninja guard 1 collapses from the surprise and weight.

Ninja guard 2 is surprised and points his spear at Noboru.

Noboru draws his sword and cuts off the tip of the ninja’s spear then jumps and slashes the ninja. Blood.

INT. NINJA HQ – DAY

Noboru opens the door and walks inside. It is fairly sparse with only a simple mat and lanters.

He walks to the end of the room tapping on the floor to listen for secret doors.

He reaches the end and begins tapping on walls.

The sound from one changes and he pulls out the panel revealing a secret section with papers and things.

Noboru shuffles through them, discarding all of them.

NOBORU

Why isn't it here? There

should be something...

He throws the papers away.

Anything!

Noboru storms to the front of the building and throws open the door.

EXT. OUTSIDE NINJA HQ. - DAY

Noboru walks outside. His patience gone.

20 or so NINJA with exotic and deadly weapons are waiting for him.

The ninja assume combat stances.

Noboru slowly draws his sword and assumes a combat stance as well.

Noboru jumps at the closest ninja, armed with a double bladed sword.

The ninja parries with one end and swings at Noboru with the other. Noboru ducks and slashes out the ninja's legs.

A ninja with a spiked chain sweeps at Noboru's legs.

Noboru jumps up and delivers a flying vertical slash, following through by sliding his sword over the ninja's falling body and running him through from behind.

Another ninja with a halberd stabs at noboru's feet

Noboru grabs his sword with both hands and lifts up the ninja impaled on it and procedes to jump backwards

stab

Noboru rushes at the ninja and deflects the halberd as the ninja tries to stab him. The ninja spins and tries to hit Noboru, but Noboru is too fast and slashes the ninja's throat while running by, sending a spray of blood and the halberd into another couple ninjas.

A NINJA WITH A STAFF jumps in front of Noboru as ONE WITH A CHAINED KAMA jumps behind.

Noboru slashes at the ninja with the staff who blocks. The kama-ninja flicks his weapon at Noboru, slashing his bad shoulder.

Noboru releases a series of attacks that place the staffja between the kamja. The staffja twists his stick and it splits into three sections connected by chain.

The staffja attacks Noboru twice and catches his sword in the chain. Noboru pulls it just in time to block the kama flying at his head.

Noboru grabs the kama's chain and pulls the grip out of the kamja's hands and flicks it at the staffja, who gets hit in the head and falls down.

Noboru stabs the staffja in the chest and slashes a RANDOM NINJA in a fluid motion while pulling it out.

A CHALLENGING NINJA WITH HOOK SWORDS appears and attacks.

Noboru blocks and jumps backward, spinning, slashing, and slaying ANOTHER RANDOM NINJA.

Hook swords links his swords up and swings a couple times at Noboru.

Noboru blocks while trying to stay out of reach.

A FIRE BREATHING NINJA lets loose a stream of fire, Noboru's shirt catches on fire and he rips it off and throws it to the ground.

Noboru rushes into the hooksword ninja's range. The ninja attacks.

Noboru counters with a slash on the swords, and sends them flying backwards, lodging themselves into the hookninja's head.

The flame ninja lets loose a couple more bursts and Noboru runs and rolls around him while fluidly killing YET MORE RANDOM NINJAS.

Noboru darts in and the ninja breathes in.

Noboru lops the ninja's head off just as he starts exhaling and a stream of fire flies out of it's mouth as it tumbles through the air.

INSERT

The flame ninja's torch flies into the window of a building.

BACK TO SCENE

Noboru kills many random ninja one after another

kill

INSERT

The fire inside the building spreads, barrels catch fire

BACK TO SCENE

Noboru slashes in a circle and takes out 5 ninja at once.

He flourishes his sword and sheathes it.

The building MASSIVE EXPLODES

EXT. PATH TO TOWN

Noboru and Yori are returning to Town. Noboru's arms are both bandaged.

YORI

You are certain that there

no papers? All ninja clans

keep them for blackmail of

the lords that hire them.

NOBORU

There were no papers Yori.

If there were I would have

found them.

YORI

You did not seem like you

were being particularly

careful. I could see the

smoke from our camp.

NOBORU

I had fully searched before

any serious fighting started.

And not all Ninja keep records.

There are those that do not

need to blackmail their

masters.

YORI

You mean a Ninja clan tied to

a particular lord? Please

excuse my rudeness Master, but

there has not been any proof

of that ever occuring. No Lord

no matter how dishonorable

would stoop to organizing a

personal ninja clan. There are

too many hazards. If they were

caught, they would be denied

the right of seppuku.

NOBORU

It would be difficult, but not

impossible. And if the traitor

has the skill to assasinate the

Shogun, keeping an enire clan

of shadowmen hidden is not

unreasonable. The papers I found...

There were no orders from outside

the clan. All of their inventory

was from small raids. Yet the

amount of explosives in the

storehouse far exceded what rice

farmers could provide.

The pair approach the hill before the city. The farmer on the hill looks ragged and worn. As If he has lived several years since Noboru has last seen him. The farmer sees them, drops his tools and runs over.

FARMER

Master Samurai! Turn back!

NOBORU

What? Explain yourself.

FARMER

There was an attack... many

are dead...

YORI

Master there is smoke over

the hill!

Noboru rushes to the top of the hill. The city looks mostly the same, but the castle is visibly damaged and smoking.

NOBORU

What of Lord Takehiko!

Answer me!

FARMER

There are rumours... that

he was killed. That this attack

was done by the same people

who killed the Shogun.

Noboru draws his sword and starts walking toward the city but Yori rushes up and stops him.

NOBORU

Let me go Yori. I must avenge

our master.

YORI

Yes, you must... but not now.

The ones who did this would

not wait around for Japan's

strongest Samurai to return.

The reason they struck when

they did was most likely

your absence. Killing without

thought won't help us now.

We need a target, and we

need you to heal.

NOBORU

You are correct. But where?

I have no family. My life

was in that castle.

Noboru kneels, hopeless. The farmer walks back to his field.

Yori thinks for a second.

EXT. FISHING VILLAGE - DAY

It is a small village, 12 or 13 buildings. Boats for catching fish and rice fields. Several CHILDREN play in the roads. OLDER PEOPLE work on mending nets and the like.

YORI (VO)

My old village, before I was

taken in by Lord Takehiko.

It is a small village that

survives by fishing and farming.

I have a sister there, she

should be able to take us in.

Yori and Noboru walk into the village.

The children stop playing and stand silently staring. Several of the Older people come and take the children into their houses and shut the doors and windows. A palpable aura of fear is in the air.

The VILLAGE HEAD walks toward Yori and Noboru.

VILLAGE HEAD

Welcome to our village good

masters. How may we be of

assistance to Samurai?

YORI

Greetings honourable Soncho.

I am Yamada Yori son of Yamada

Taro. I was of this village

before I was sent to serve

Daimyo Takehiko. I return

seeking shelter.

VILLAGE HEAD

Yamada Yori? Then you are

Yamada Haruna’s brother?

YORI

That is her. It has been many

years since I have seen her

but family lasts a thousand

years.

VILLAGE HEAD

You are wise Honourable Yamada.

Your sister will be anxious to

(CONT)

see you. But tell me,

who is this Samurai?

YORI

This is Master Noboru, high

Samurai of Lord Takehiko’s

court. I humbly request he

be allowed to stay with me.

VILLAGE HEAD

One as lowly as myself would

not deny a Samurai. Master

Noboru, you are welcome

to stay in our humble village.

NOBORU

I accept your generous offer

with great honour. You are

a kind man Soncho.