Not bad.
If Kanna Village hadn't hired those samurai,
these reforms would have never happened.
That's why I would like the capital to personally give them their reward.
As you command.
However,
there might be an unfortunate accident that takes place.
How can she say that the emperor, the one who kidnapped her, is a kind man?
I am in love with the emperor.
She sincerely loved the emperor.
Is that all you have to say, after taking on the capital all by yourself?!
That's right. There was something there that you could not cut down with a sword.
Sensei, you've lost my respect!
Being able to understand each other,
and to share with each other,
are both as short-lived as a bubble on the water.
Obscured by the sands of time,
unable to hold on,
I gave up, until I saw you again, asking
"How much pain
have you been carrying, all alone?
And how much loneliness
is hidden behind your eyes when you smile?"
Embrace this miracle of an encounter now,
By gazing upon each other, we can become stronger.
And if this isn't what you call love,
then what is it you call love now?
Katsushiro-sama!
Katsushiro-sama, please wait!
Now you've done it, Kanbe-san.
Both of you are to blame.
You may be an expert samurai, but Katsu-noji is a rank amateur.
Oh, and there was one other amateur, wasn't there?
Back off, would you?!
If anyone was going to give up, then Kiku-noji,
I thought you would have been the first to quit.
After watching him, I decided I wasn't going to be like that.
What are we going to do about Katsu-noji?
Katsushiro has to decide that for himself.
That's pretty cold.
Maybe I will have a cup.
Just apologize to Kanbe-sama.
I don't need to.
Katsushiro-sama!
The embers of war are everywhere. The work at Kanna Village is finished.
Then, are you saying that you are setting out for another war?
I am a samurai!
Will you come with me?
I don't need you to cleanse me anymore.
What is it? What do you see?
Kyuzo...?
Yukino-san...
Come on over here.
Warm, isn't it?
Yes.
It reminds me of my mother.
You wanted to help him. Isn't that what you were thinking?
Everything was my fault.
That might be a little conceited of you.
Conceited?
He carries a sword because he chooses to, that's all.
Sure, there are those who you rescued,
the village, and a mountain of other problems,
but the war is over, right?
Yes.
Then there isn't anything for you to be fretting over.
You have to start living for yourself a little more.
But...
Oh no, you don't! My word, you are stubborn.
You didn't come along because you were worried about him, right?
You see? Your pendulum is telling the truth.
You are still young. Women, you see, have to make their affections clear.
I know! Come with me.
I have a kimono I'd like you to put on.
Um... but...
I'm sure it will look great on you.
And this time, we're going to make you up, too.
Oh my, sir, have you been listening?
No.
Ready!
Kyuzo!
Why, you...!
Wait! He's--!
Kyuzo!
Kikuchiyo has arrived!
Huh?
You're a pace behind.
You...!
Thanks for coming.
They were coming to eliminate you, so I cut them down.
Glad to hear it! Say whatever you will, you're still concerned over Kanna Village!
Don't get me wrong.
I'm just waiting for the job to be finished.
You're despicable.
Watch yourselves. Ukyo put them up to this.
What have we here? If it isn't the guy from the rice warehouse.
Kobayakawa Tanomo, leader of the bandits, reporting in.
I'll come right to the point.
Would you take everyone and go to the nearby villages for me?
If that is what the honorable emperor commands.
However, we have already taken this year's tribute of rice
from them without incident.
Right, I know.
But the peasants are hiding rice. I can say that, because I know the villages.
No doubt about it.
I'm afraid that I, too, am aware of this fact.
However, shouldn't we let it pass, allowing them to keep it,
in order for them to live on?
Who is your master now?
You are, Honorable Emperor.
And you guys are the samurai that serve me.
As samurai, your duty is to serve your master, right?
Yes, sir!
Isn't that nice?
Being able to boss the bandits around. I'll never get tired of this.
Indeed.
There's one other thing I'd like to have done.
I'm not the only noble reproduction to go out into the wilderness, am I?
You are correct to say so.
Where are all the others? You must have records, right?
You always eat in such an unhurried fashion?
At this rate, it will be time for lunch before you finish breakfast.
That's why you've gotten so chunky, you know.
You should do like the farmers do!
Fool. There is no higher decorum
than my way of eating the next meal before growing hungry.
Shut up, you bastard!
I'm not letting you eat any more.
Stop it, Kikuchiyo.
Yeah, but...
What does Ukyo have planned?
His display of attempting to execute you before the city's people,
as well as his show of releasing the women,
was all to allow Ukyo to manipulate the whole land.
Manipulate?
Yes. Merchants know how to play both sides of the coin,
and will use every trick in the book.
Ukyo put on his outward face, to show the people of Kogakyo that he is on their side,
but behind the scenes, he has set about to dispose of those that are in his way.
Everything he said to you was probably a lie.
I know of another liar. Someone who can put on an act with no trouble,
if it allows him to get ahead.
It's one of the things that makes him so powerful.
You are my sworn enemy, Tsukumozaka Jurobei Mitsuharu!
You can lie, if it helps you to attain your goal. That's what I taught Ukyo.
Isn't he an exceptional son? In the city, he is a fine emperor,
observing his father's teachings, and dispensing rice.
And depending on the situation, he might use the bandits to crush the villages,
is that what you're saying?!
So there's still work to be done.
It would seem so.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
You're embarrassing me. Everyone, lift up your heads.
It is most gracious of the honorable emperor
to personally come to such a place.
Now, now, I won't have you disparaging yourselves like that.
I just saw some of the bandits that were burning. Did you guys do that?
In accordance with the generosity of the honorable emperor,
who has so graciously provided to us with work,
we have banded together to drive off the bandits.
Thanks to you, we can now rest at ease, and can concentrate on just our fields.
We are most grateful.
It has been tough up until now, huh? I think I can understand
the kind of bitter experiences you farmers have gone through.
You're all suffering like this, and yet the capital didn't even try to help you.
The violence caused by the bandits went on.
That's just awful. I give you my apologies.
That's much more'n we deserve!
We're the ones who should be bowing our heads!
Everyone, look up.
From now on, the capital and I will be protecting you all.
There may still be factions of bandits remaining,
but if we join our forces, I'm sure we can change the world.
I want you to bear with me for a while longer.
Bearin' with it is what we always do.
Thank you.
This is the rice that we were able to keep safe from the bandits this year.
We want the honorable emperor to eat it. Please accept it.
We couldn't stand to let the bandits make off with it,
but we'd be much obliged if the honorable emperor'd take it with him.
Everyone, I'm really grateful.
He's a god incarnate!
Now that the wars are over,
someone who is worthy of our loyalty has at last appeared.
I ain't so sure.
No matter who becomes the emperor,
I doubt our lives'll be changin' all that much.
What?
Weeds're made so that even when they're trampled on, and trampled on, they still sprout.
We're the same way.
No matter who becomes what, what we do ain't gonna change none.
Everyone will automatically give us their rice this way,
without us having to take it by force.
Wasn't that easy?
Those people do not know that the bandits are being sent by the capital, do they?
I didn't know how it worked myself, until my father took me in.
And as a result, I faced many life-or-death situations.
I wonder if my predecessor sent me out into the wilderness,
and watched from on high as I crawled my way up.
Please allow me to assure you that he watched over the development
of his venerable reproductions.
It's all in how you say it.
Honorable Emperor, if I may?
Sure. What is it?
We have just received word that the elimination of Shimada Kanbe
and Lord Ayamaro has met with failure.
They're persistent. Okay, got it. Keep trying to take them.
As you wish.
Kanbe-sama...
Is Sanae-dono ready to go?
Mizuki-san and the others are helping her, so they're managing.
I see.
I wonder if we ought to be taking her back to the village like this.
One, two, three, four...
"Fine job you've done..." (five, six, three)
"You're so annoying..." (one, one)
"...big brother..." (two, three)
One, two, three, four...
Kiku-noji! Look over there!
It's a Yakan!
Good morning!
Well if it isn't Momotaro!
You guys!
Rikichi!
Good morning!
Yo!
Oh, my!
I'm back.
Momotaro-san, did you bring me any gifts?
How rude of me! I completely forgot!
Let me throw out that trash, by way of apology.
Rikichi, is your injury okay?
I'm more'r less all right, Kikuchiyo-sama.
Look at this.
It's Gorobe-sama 's katana. We're all goin' to go rescue Sanae together--
Sanae!
Don't open it!
Sanae! It's me! Rikichi! Sanae! Sanae!
I'm sorry, Rikichi-san. I can't return to you as your wife anymore.
I heard everythin'. Even so, whatever happened,
I'm still able to see you alive again. That's enough. Come home with me!
I can't go!
Come home.
I was unable to soothe the honorable emperor's fatigue.
I even killed his child.
You remember this?
Put it on once again for me.
I can't. I gave myself to the honorable emperor--
No! You're my wife! No matter what you say, I'm takin' you home with me!
I know! We'll make a gravesite!
We'll make a gravesite in the village. A grave for the emperor and the child.
I'll even come pay respects with you.
So painful. So truly painful.
I will never forget how surprised I was.
That's not like you.
I could not cut him down.
The light that Sanae had in her eyes was from the love she had for the emperor.
Once I saw her eyes, there was no longer anything I could do. Just like a rookie.
I miss being up in the skies. Back then, your katana was everything.
There was nothing you could not cut down.
Here I've started reminiscing about the past.
I guess that proves that we're getting older.
Kanbe-sama, I need to apologize to you.
If you're here, then the village must be safe and sound, right?
Everything has been put back together.
Their mental state... will be coming along shortly.
Katsushiro was rash.
You fools!
W- why, you...! What the hell did you do that for?! That hurt, you know!
Wait!
Sensei is angry that we are here.
You never told us not to come, did you?!
You always treat us like we're only half grown-up!
Stop jerking us around already!
After you lost to the capital, Sensei,
you have no place subjecting us to this kind of treatment!
Losing battles is this man's forte, right?
If we had been along, then you wouldn't have had to endure today's shame,
isn't that right?!
Why did you set out on your own?!
Why did you not choose to die like a man once you were captured?!
Living in dishonor is not the way of a samurai!
Do not regard death as something so great!
There is honor to be preserved in death!
Are you saying that my corpse could save the others?
If it were me, I would save them, even if I had to die doing it!
Your death would be meaningless as you are now.
I am not afraid to die.
Hey, Katsu-noji, you're starting to worry me.
I understand now why you always lose your battles.
Sensei, you do not place any trust in your friends!
I chose the wrong master.
The old man merely gazed off into the distance
from the hideaway in which he lived.
The baby cries, seeking only
for the warmth of his mother.
We are born paying the price
for someone's punishment, for someone's sins,
but there is no such thing as a future without salvation,
and the present slips quietly into the past.
We string together nothing but hollow ideas,
and tell nothing but hollow lies.
And as the rain falls down upon us,
something appears and then fades away.
Okara-chan, bad news! Katsu-noji ran away!
Katsu-noji is all messed up now. He's really mad at Uncle Kanbe,
and it's like he won't even listen to or look at him.
But you know, Uncle is to blame, too. Katsu-noji is still a child.
Unlike Momotaro-san or Hei-san,
he still can't decide for himself what path he is going to take.
Papa Masamune says that Katsu-noji wants to be a samurai
because he dreams too much about samurai.
He thinks too much that being a samurai is something really cool, something attractive.
It's too hard for me. Katsu-noji, are you okay?
Sister seemed down about something, too.
Uncle Kanbe, please do something about everyone.
Uncle, you're the only one who can help Katsu-noji and Sister.
Oh yeah, Momotaro-san has come here. Has the village gotten back to normal?
Well, bye now!