THE ELUSIVE SAMURAI
Suwa Grand Shrine is much obliged to the Governor of Shinano
for his generous offering at the Misayama Festival the other day.
This is a gift from us, as a token of appreciation.
If you would be so kind as to deliver it to Sadamune for us.
Yes, sir. My lord will be delighted.
MESSENGER OGASAWARA CLAN SHINZABURO AKAZAWA
I must say, these are quite expensive gifts!
And we accept them most graciously.
My lord did emphasize that we must pull out all the stops
for this grand occasion that is the Misayama Festival.
They were all at each other's throats before over territory,
and yet they still maintain proper etiquette.
Just what I'd expect from the great Suwa Grand Shrine and the Governor of Shinano.
I must express my deepest thanks to Sadamune and his entire family
for his endless kindness and consideration.
Oh, no. It's really nothing.
I do, however, have one small request from my lord.
Your wish is my command.
If we could please have Chojumaru join us as an envoy to deliver these gifts.
Wait! That's…
We will provide an adequate escort,
so we would very much appreciate it if you could send him on his own.
I'm sure the Suwa family can stand to part with one insignificant child
for a period, no?
Do they know who I am?
No. Your cover-up to hide your true identity should be flawless.
But Sadamune is sharp.
He may have found some proof, or he may intend on uncovering it upon meeting you.
To refuse would raise even more suspicion. What will you do?
Yes! Me! Can I suggest something?
Surely it would be all right for just me to accompany him, right?
I'd feel bad sending the poor little thing off on his own.
No. We want--
Or would a young girl on her own in your entourage spell trouble
for the Ogasawara clan?
Then shall we arrange for departure to be tomorrow morning?
Fine.
With Ayako around, well, I guess it should all work out.
Really?
I know I can count on her with a sword, but…
There's no need to worry. She may not look it, but she is quick-witted.
Don't you worry.
If I can't protect the Young Lord from something as trivial as this,
I'll never be like Tomoe Gozen.
Tomoe Gozen?
A military commander once lived in Shinano by the name of Kiso Yoshinaka.
He lost his entire family at a young age and fled to Shinano,
where he grew up and gained the strength to overturn the lord.
He's the exact same as me. He has the same goal.
And at Lord Yoshinaka's side,
growing up beside him and eventually becoming his vassal,
was the brave Tomoe Gozen, always there to protect him.
As someone originally from Shinano,
and as someone who has always aspired to a life of martial arts,
Tomoe Gozen is her ultimate role model.
I see.
So, why is she practicing carrying two leather dummies?
Tomoe Gozen had superhuman strength.
She once grabbed two warriors, one on each side, and snapped their necks right off.
I want to snap some necks too!
The only issue now is how to answer Sadamune's questions.
TOKIYUKI MEMORIAL
I will now explain it like a game.
Okay. Thank you.
JULY 1
Sorry! Did I keep you waiting for long?
NO, I JUST GOT HERE
When Sadamune asks you a question…
I AM A HOJO
Huh?
Detection!
YOU DIED
I see a future where if you answer incorrectly, your life will be in danger.
Oh, no! So what do I do?
It was the same for Lord Yoshinaka.
He excelled at warfare, but lacked proper manners and consideration for others.
After a string of poor judgment and missteps,
he lost the people's support, and it led to his doom.
And so, as we don't want you to meet the same fate…
Study rigorously!
You must fill that head of yours with knowledge
so that Sadamune doesn't become suspicious tomorrow.
Am I really going to be okay?
SHINANO THE NEW GOVERNOR'S RESIDENCE
My Lord, I bring you Chojumaru.
Good. Let him in.
Then, we will wait outside the room.
He is intimidating up close.
But I won't lose. He is nothing but cheap tricks and dirty plots.
I am the son of a Hojo.
I also come bearing the name of Suwa Grand Shrine.
I won't let anyone underestimate me.
Correct that posture.
This is how you sit when you want to show respect to someone.
You just made a grand gesture of sitting down because you're facing an enemy.
On the contrary.
The enemy is a taker of lives,
which is precisely why you must show respect for the lives they would take.
During this time period, both men and women would usually sit
either cross-legged or with one knee drawn up.
The practice of sitting in seiza style became widespread during the Edo Period,
and is rooted in the etiquette guidelines as compiled by Sadamune Ogasawara.
I was the one to underestimate him. What begins now is a battle of words.
If I don't flee with my words,
I will be pierced with words.
Begging your pardon, but how old are you?
-I'm nine. -Really? You don't look nine.
I was about to ask you to become my mistress.
One could mistakenly think your body was fully grown.
I get that a lot.
We have received your token of appreciation.
Please send Yorishige my regards.
Yes. I will.
Is this kid a Hojo? Or just some brat?
I'll keep firing him with questions and see how he responds.
Say, kid. You're actually sitting quite nicely.
Quite unnatural for a Suwa warrior with an uncivilized upbringing.
One could also say shooting a shrine maiden in the ear
is suggestive of an uncivilized upbringing.
He dodged the question by immediately firing back with retorts.
All is fair in a battle.
If there's one thing I know for sure,
it's that proper manners won't win the day in a real fight.
And you have been nothing but a constant thorn in my side
ever since the dog-shooting competition.
You must be the child of someone important.
The child of a famous warrior or something.
State your lineage! As you would on the battlefield.
My forebear is Koizumi Gengoro.
He was a resident of Okaya-no-sho,
and was elevated to the chief guard of Suwa Grand Shrine.
Koizumi Gorosaburo became the fifth chief guard under his lineage,
and he also ensured that his soldiers received a proper education.
And I am Chojumaru, one of his sons.
He speaks without hesitation, and his posture is entirely composed.
If he's lying, could it be because Yorishige has carefully trained him?
I confirmed the existence of your forebears
and that they died last year in a fire.
I can see they also had a son.
But something's off here.
Some locals have stated both parent and child died in the fire.
I left my parents in the burning building and fled on my own.
-It is something I feel great shame over… -Forgive me, Mr. Koizumi.
I never knew you, and now I am using your untimely death as my own personal shield.
The fire consumed all, even the bodies,
so it's no wonder some people thought I died along with them.
There is something even more perplexing.
These retainers of yours.
Kojiro, to be precise… He is of the Nezu clan.
And this Ayako of yours,
I hear she is the illegitimate child of the Mochizuki clan.
Both illustrious houses that have prospered in Shinano for generations!
What reason could they possibly have for entering into the service
of the child of a chief guard?
I am aware of their lineage.
Upon our first meeting at Suwa Grand Shrine, we played a game of tag.
They now call me "lord" because I won.
We are just children playing lord and vassal.
We are simply rehearsing for the day we pledge our loyalty to a true lord.
Do the inner workings of child's play
really intrigue the eminent governor of Shinano this much?
Impressive. Each and every response even more articulate than the last.
That fear and bravado he had upon entering the room has completely dissipated.
It's almost as if he's enjoying this back-and-forth now.
He is a peculiar young brat who loves playing hard to get.
I wonder if he particularly excels at dodging the truth as well?
Shinzaburo. Enter!
So, kid. Was yesterday your first time meeting this fellow?
I think I may have seen him at the dog-shooting competition…
Prior to that, I was on duty in Kamakura.
I know Kamakura well.
I often visited the area where the Hojos and their important retainers reside.
Now that I see you up close, I am certain.
Yes. I've seen this child many times before.
How will you plead?
If you try to talk your way out of this one, your composure should slip.
"Where?" "You couldn't have seen me."
I'll be watching for the slightest slip in composure during your reply.
Why would you make up a lie like that?
Huh?
What reason could the child of a Suwa Grand Shrine chief guard
possibly have for being among the great eminence of those in Kamakura?
He's bluffing. We generally travel by palanquin on official outings anyway.
Even if it were a time when I was running away from practice,
such provincial warriors would not even know who I am.
And besides, I had invented plenty of secret routes so as to not be spotted.
Never underestimate the Elusive Son.
You're calling me a liar? I was in Kamakura for five years!
I know everything there is to know about Kamakura…
You are free to lie, if that's what you want to do…
But a poor bluff is the same as a poor follow-up attack.
You make it so easy
for your opponent to counter, even when on the run.
…did the Ogasawara clan send a liar as their messenger to us?
Shinzaburo. Enough. You may take your leave.
-Damn it! -Good job!
Not a single slip-up from this one.
Is he a master at hiding his true colors,
or does he really have nothing to do with the Hojos?
Oh, my! I am so late.
You're late, Ichikawa.
My apologies. I was left stranded by a landslide.
I need to use the privy. I can't hold it any longer.
Truly, the mind of a nine-year-old.
Leaving her station at the worst possible moment for her lord.
All right, kid. Now the real fun begins.
Do not mistake my behavior for mere rudeness.
I am operating under the suspicion that you are a surviving Hojo.
Naturally, I must use everything within my disposal to weed out such survivors.
As a last resort, I would like to monitor your face up close
and listen for the truth from your heartbeat.
Hey! What happened to proper manners?
I told you!
Manners and battle are two separate things. And this is a battle.
You can't just change things up like that!
I will tell you one thing.
No one has managed to maintain a lie under these conditions.
Are you ready? I will now ask the pivotal question…
Are you a Hojo?
DO RE MI FA SOL LA TI
Hey! I'm trying to listen to his heart here!
All right, people of Ogasawara!
Who's ready for a dance battle with the great Ayako?
What marvelous dancing, my lady!
Just how many instruments are you playing? That's amazing!
DO RE MI FA SOL LA TI
Dengaku. It was like this period's version of "club music."
It stirs something so deep within that it shakes people to their core
from all walks of life, regardless of social standing.
Hey! Why is everyone out here dancing with that girl?
Well, she just started playing music all of a sudden.
She said, "Sadamune's having a great time talking with the kid,
so we should all get together and have a good time too."
PROVINCE OF SHINANO PROVINCIAL CAPITAL
NAKANO TOWN, TAKAI DISTRICT
We will destroy the cliff to keep Ichikawa stranded.
But if he does come, Ayako, you must leave immediately.
With their superhuman eyes and ears combined,
Sadamune and Ichikawa could uncover even Lord Tokiyuki's true identity.
You must block either their sight or their hearing.
Hey! Cut that out! We're in the middle of a very important conversation!
Wow, really? I didn't think you could have important conversations with children.
And we planned on leaving soon.
Some warriors from Suwa should be
on their way to the border to escort us right now.
Can you imagine what might happen if the children come home late?
Well, you're being too loud! Just wait a little longer.
Young Lord?
Don't worry. I am right here with you.
She captivated both my eyes and ears.
And not just with her music and her dancing.
But with her gorgeous, long limbs, and an animated face.
I truly am blessed.
She is so talented, and yet here she is as my retainer,
where if the world were at peace, she would surely be idolized by all.
I ask you again. Are you a Hojo?
It's not good. His mind is fully dominated by that Dengaku dance from before.
The way his heart is palpitating must be because of that as well.
Now I'll never get an honest answer.
Enough. You may go.
Just remember that if you try to interfere on the battlefield again,
I will kill you without hesitation.
Understood. Then I'll be taking my leave, Lord Sadamune.
Are you sure about this? Why not just kill him now if you're suspicious?
This is just how he is. Ever since the dog-shooting competition.
He openly acknowledges what is good and expresses praise with his whole being.
He readily accepted my advice to correct his posture, and not once
did he let that posture slump, no matter how I tried to corner him.
Such candor is peculiar these days, when everyone is suspicious of one another.
It would be rude to doubt a person when they are being so sincere.
Ayako, where did you learn to put on such a performance?
Do I have you intrigued?
It made me forget all about Sadamune hounding me.
Because I couldn't stop thinking about you.
Whoa! Honesty is scary! It's almost like a weapon.
Hey, Young Lord…
How dare you… How dare you… How dare you, how dare you, how dare you…
How dare you! How dare you make my lord think less of me!
You miserable brats are nothing but lip service and parlor tricks!
Never mind sending you back to Suwa.
I'll send you to the ground with my martial arts!
-Young Lord! Stay back! -Too slow!
Dance! Dance! Dance!
How do you like the taste of that?
I've been using this naginata for longer than you've been alive!
This guy has unwavering faith in his skills with a naginata.
Get back here!
Kojiro is the same with his sword.
I don't have any weapons I'm especially good at wielding.
But instead…
What the…
Hey! What are you doing? Stop that! Let go of me!
Wait! You bitch! Don't think you'll get away with this.
Whether it be a kick, or a rock,
or my opponent's weapon, or a musical instrument…
Wait… All right! Let's talk this out!
I will make the most of this body I have been given
and use whatever I can get my hands on!
What do you want? Do you want money? A sword?
Shit! This bitch is insanely strong!
Wait…
I don't need to choose a weapon.
I just need to protect my lord!
Shinano had Tomoe Gozen, a faithful retainer.
Echigo had Hangaku Gozen, a military commander who led a rebellion.
And Totomi had Jiro Ii, a female feudal lord.
History has long documented the roles
of women fighting bravely throughout the country.
All right. Now for the finishing snap.
Wait!
We're not fighting today.
He only came as a messenger. Killing him will only aggravate matters.
You can snap his neck another day.
-Huh? Really? -Yes! Of course!
All right. You're very kind, Young Lord.
You know, Young Lord, when you came to Shinano,
I thought it must be fate.
A fledgling ruler came to give me a chance
to become the Tomoe Gozen that I've always admired.
And it's thanks to you, Young Lord.
You're the reason I was able to throw myself into the arts,
both martial and performance.
I will use everything I have learned to protect you, Young Lord.
And when I'm done protecting you, I will bear you lots and lots of children!
So, Young Lord,
take me whenever you like.
Does she even realize what she's saying?
-I'm so embarrassed! -Hey!
Everything she says and does is to the extreme.
She is larger-than-life.
She truly is defined by absolute, pure loyalty and a radiant heart.
I'm sure she'll be a strong and beautiful military commander one day.
And I hope I can be a lord worthy of her.
TO BE CONTINUED
Let's go!