BUD,
BLOSSOM,
BLOOD
BY
ALVIN KING
EXT. LOW LYING, WOODED MOUNTAIN – DAY – EST.
EXT. FOREST PATH – DAY
RINJI FURUSAKA, Japanese boy, mid teens, bright colored kimono, hair tied in a loose fountain on crown of head, runs upwards through the forest.
He runs with great effort in the dark of the forest canopy.
A fan is tucked in his waist sash. A circular crest is on the kimono shoulders.
Here and there BIRDS FLAP away through the tree branches.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – DAY
SUZU FURUSAKA, samurai, mid forties, hair tail chopped flat at end tied to center of shaved crown, steps into the clearing. A heavy dark robe with a circular crest on the shoulders is worn over a dark kimono. A waist sash wrapped around the entirety jut a long sword and a short sword.
He peers across the clearing.
ROKA KUROSHIMA, samurai, in his late twenties, is kneeling in the sun, his hands on his hips. His eyes are closed.
His hair sprouts from the top of his head. His dark heavy robe, only half worn, hangs down from his waist sash, exposing his white kimono. A long sword and a short sword protrude from under.
INT. KUROSHIMA HOUSE – GUEST ENTERTAINING ROOM – DAY
YOUNG ROKA KUROSHIMA, about mid teens, in a bright kimono with a circular crest on the shoulders.
YOUNG SUZU FURUSAKA, about late twenties, early thirties,
in a white kimono with nothing on the shoulders.
MINORU KUROSHIMA, about mid to late forties, in a dark kimono with a circular crest on the shoulders.
They sit together in a wide room of sliding paper doors with highly polished floors and large watercolors of sea and forest battles. One wall is open to the courtyard.
All sit on silk pillows laughing and talking and drinking tea.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – DAY
SUZU FURUSAKA
(adjusts long sword)
Roka Furoshima. IÕm here as youÕve requested.
Roka opens his eyes. His hands move from his hips to his thighs.
Suzu walks toward the center of the clearing.
SUZU FURUSAKA
Almost twenty years and IÕm not surprised. Disguised as a lowly ronin. Hmmmmm. Alone a masterless samurai would never be received in the House of Furusaka. I will discover the root of your cunning. Your father would have
been proud of you.
Roka springs to his feet. With his left hand he grabs the long swordÕs sheath and the handle with his right but keeping it sheathed. His eyes slit.
He takes a couple of quick steps towards the older man.
SuzuÕs right hand goes for his long swordÕs handle.
They stand ten feet apart.
ROKA KUROSHIMA
My father will be proud of me today.
SUZU FURUSAKA
Your father was disloyal to the Shoganate. He was a traitor.
ROKA KUROSHIMA
(face scowls)
Today, it is you who will die the death of the traitor.
SUZU FURUSAKA
No matter the outcome this will not end here for you. I am a very important man.
Roka takes a deep breath. His face becomes calmer.
ROKA KUROSHIMA
One must know the circle to break the circle.
In one swift motion Roka draws his sword.
ROKA KUROSHIMA (cont.)
Prepare yourself.
As swiftly, Suzu pulls his blade.
The two samurai stand erect double handing their weapons.
They glare, elbows tucked, each blade frozen menace toward the other. The balls of their sandals grind into the dirt slowly back and forth. Stances slowly widen.
BIRDS FLAP AND TWEET through the trees and shafts of light.
They leap to each other. Steel SWORDS CLANG. Blade twists against blade. They grunt as they struggle.
EXT. KUROSHIMA HOUSE COURTYARD – DAY
Young Roka is struggling under the restraint of two samurai. Minoru and Young Suzu are engaged in combat.
The courtyard is completely surrounded by covered patios. Here and there people witness the fight. Suzu stabs Minoru through the abdomen. He extracts the weapon and blood sprays everywhere.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – DAY
Rinji bursts from the woods into the clearing.
RINJI FURUSAKA
(running)
Father.
A quick, short shove moves Suzu back off balance and Roka speedily widens his stance, squats and brings his long sword a sweeping crescent under SuzuÕs guard slashing his abdomen.
Blood sprays as from a hose. Suzu folds to the ground.
Rinji is screaming and sobbing, reaches his father, drops to the ground and clasps his head.
RINJI FURUSAKA
Father. Father. Father.
He cries for a while as Roka looks on gradually becoming more quiet.
Then Rinji stands up and walks toward Roka. He is glowering at Roka and noticeably trembling.
RokaÕs left hand moves to his sheath and thumbs up on the blades handguard loosening and exposing three inches of steel.
Rinji stops ten feet from Roka, pulls the fan from his waist sash and throws it to RokaÕs feet.
Rinji glowers. Roka is stoic, stone faced. He drops the sword back into its sheeth. Rinji turns and runs back to his father.
INT. SMALL WOODLAND SHRINE – DUSK
Roka kneels before giant bronze Buddha. His forehead is to the floor, his arms extend before him. Candles cast dim yellow light along the walls of the small wooden temple. A pink ceramic bowl of sand holds several sticks of smoking incense. Embers drift at various heights.
He sits up on his heels.
ROKAÕS VISION
The face of Minoru is smiling and looking directly at you.
ROKA KUROSHIMA
Father, it has been a long time. It is time for you to rest. Though I fear the circle may not yet be broken.
INT. FURUSAKA HOUSE – DAY
Roka and Rinji sit next to a table with the remnants of a tea session. They sit in a small room with one wall open to a covered patio and courtyard beyond.
Rinji holds an open fan and they both look at it as Roka runs his finger along the writing on it.
ROKA KUROSHIMA
One must know the circle to break the
circle. One must break the circle to fly.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – DUSK
Rinji sits on the ground with the head of his father in his lap. The woods around him are a dark ringed mass. There is very little light in the sky.
He looks at the ground. The blood soaked ground is black. The sword of his father lies on the black stain.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – DAY
As he runs towards them Rinji watches Roka slash his father. He screams as his father falls to the ground.
EXT. TREE RINGED CLEARING – NIGHT
Rinji slowly reaches out and pulls his fathers sword to him.