"The nation is fallen, yet mountains and rivers still exist.
In spring, in the city, trees and grasses thrive."
Did Hideyoshi's dream of a united nation die along with him?
What does fate have in store?
A peaceful world at last?
Or even more warfare?
As Ieyasu's messenger, Nobuyuki visited Osaka Castle,
where he met Hideyori, the current Toyotomi clan head, for the first time.
Meanwhile, having met Naomasa Ii
and fought Kotaro Fuma,
Yukimura regained his samurai warrior spirit.
Halt, Yukimura Sanada!
Why, you...
Like my special chili bombs?
Guess not.
I shall uphold the vow of righteousness I shared with you, Lord Mitsunari.
Edo Castle
I see.
Then Naomasa is dead.
Yes, sir.
Until his dying breath, that man showed fealty to the Tokugawa clan.
Indeed he did.
Now that Yukimura's left Kudoyama, does that mean...
Yes.
The die has been cast, if a bit earlier than expected.
Are you saying that chaos will rear its ugly head once more?
That's right.
That being the case, we must cleanse the pus while we still can.
The pus?
Pardon the intrusion.
What is it?
It's Lord Kato and Lord Fukushima...
My mind is made up.
I shall go to Osaka.
And under Lord Hideyori, I'll return the Toyotomi clan to its rightful place.
That's all very well, but will Lord Hideyori really forgive us?
We'll beg for his forgiveness!
We must bow our heads to the ground and apologize as many times as it takes!
Well, yeah.
Right!
Let's go to Osaka!
I was afraid of this.
Osaka Castle
Inform Lord Ieyasu that I'll see him at Nijo Castle.
What?
Lord Hideyori!
He desires to discuss future governance with me.
How could I refuse?
Yes, sir.
We should have a nice, long chat
about who will rule this country.
Hideyori Toyotomi...
What passes through his mind is a total mystery.
If you don't want to die,
leave all your valuables and scram.
These men are no mere bandits.
Could it be?
If I hand over everything I have, will you let me go?
Well, aren't you obedient?
Cut him!
Cut him down!
After him!
Sure is noisy around here...
Can't a man enjoy his nap in peace?
Who the hell are you?
I don't see why I should introduce myself to a bunch of pesky mosquitoes.
Get in our way, and there will be dire consequences!
I'd say you're the ones who should be worried about consequences.
If Hideyori catches wind of this, you're dead.
Wh-What are you talking about?
Who's Lord Hideyori?
It's clear that you're vassals of the Toyotomi clan.
If you're going to play bandits, you should at least pay attention to your swords.
What kind of bandit carries a fine sword like that around?
If word got out that Toyotomi samurai were acting like muggers,
it would ruin Hideyori's reputation.
Q-Quiet!
Back down, and I'll pretend this never happened.
Or would you rather...
...try to silence me?
Now, what will you do?
Damn you!
Go cool your head!
Who's next?
Run away!
He's a monster!
Thank you.
Oh, no problem.
You are Lord Keiji Maeda, yes?
How did you know?
Never mind. You could probably tell just by looking at me!
Keiji Maeda was the adopted nephew
Keiji Maeda
of Toshiie Maeda, Hideyoshi's trusted aide.
After deserting the Maeda clan,
he was living as a wandering samurai.
And you must be...
Six coins.
Nobuyuki Sanada, correct?
Why did you agree to go to Nijo Castle?
You do realize that some of your men are just itching to fight the Tokugawa clan, right?
That doesn't mean I can declare war on them without hearing what they have to say first.
They must be taught a lesson!
Now is the time for the Toyotomi clan to demonstrate their might!
Then, basically, you're saying...
You're prepared to go to war?
I dislike conflict.
But...
If two powers lay claim to this country's rule,
that is bound to cause a few waves.
And if they cannot stand side-by-side,
there can only be one.
As I'm sure you've already heard,
Yukimura has escaped from his confines at Kudoyama.
Also, Kiyomasa Kato and Masanori Fukushima have cut ties with us.
It is likely they're headed to Osaka.
Takatora Todo,
I order you to eliminate Yukimura.
Yes, sir.
And Masamune Date,
I want you to track down and kill Kato and Fukushima.
Yes, sir.
Please wait.
Could you leave Kato and Fukushima to me?
If I may,
I'd like to go after Yukimura.
You don't like our lord's orders?
That isn't it.
It's only that Kato and Fukushima have a great history with the Toyotomi clan.
As someone with ties to the clan myself, I feel I should be the one to end them.
If I may be allowed,
I wish to be the one to kill the man who defeated Lord Hidetada's forces with a tiny army.
No.
But...
No!
That is all.
You may leave.
Yes, sir.
Couldn't you have granted their requests?
As someone who served the Toyotomi clan myself,
I can understand why Takatora would want to take out Kiyomasa and Masanori.
And as a samurai myself,
I can understand why Masamune would want to face the strongest foes.
However,
in the days to come, samurai must be able to survive beyond the battlefield.
If we truly desire to put an end to warfare, and bring about a peaceful world,
we must rid ourselves of our fighting spirit.
You want us to throw away the desire to fight?
Exactly.
As such, I will not let them fight their desired opponents.
But what else is a samurai to do?
Administration.
I wish us to take the skills to read the flow of battle,
devise strategy, and command troops,
and put them to good use toward this country's administration.
Otherwise, there is no way we'll be able to maintain peace for centuries.
Sounds difficult.
Indeed.
It's so tranquil, isn't it?
It is.
But...
Even rivers that seem to flow quietly have whirlpools within.
Yes.
Earlier, those were Toyotomi clan vassals.
That they attacked me, a Tokugawa messenger,
shows how much anti-Tokugawa sentiment exists within the clan.
Well, are you surprised?
Sure, the Tokugawa clan may have become Japan's rulers after the Battle of Sekigahara,
but it was Hideyoshi who unified the nation in the first place.
If this keeps up, the Toyotomi clan will lose all face.
Lose face, huh?
Oh, yeah...
Have you heard
that your brother left Kudoyama?
I don't know the details, but they say all hell broke loose over there.
Yukimura left Kudoyama...
In that case, he must be on his way to Osaka Castle.
I have to stop him!
Oh, come on...
Can't you sit still for a second?
That said, things are getting interesting.
Yukimura...
Hey, Kiyomasa...
I know.
Keep a close watch on our surroundings!
Yes, sir.
What's that?
They're here.
Take aim.
Run!
Open fire.
Damn it!
They're trying to kill us before we reach Osaka!
Fools.
It was a trap.
Please...
Let me join in the pursuit of Yukimura.
I cannot.
Since he's your brother, you might assist him.
What are you saying?
I...
Quiet.
Detain this man.
Yes, sir.
What are you doing, Takatora?
Nobuyuki, you'll stay here.
We're regrouping with the scouts!
Yes, sir!
Damned Tokugawa lapdog!
Shut up!
You're just a fool who can't tell which way the wind blows!
This country belongs to the Toyotomi clan!
That's ancient history.
It's so nice and cool.
We're almost at Osaka.
Yes.
Lord Takatora!
Yukimura Sanada!
Per Lord Ieyasu's orders,
I shall kill you!
Strike!
There's no end to them!
I'm here to lend you a hand, Yukimura Sanada!
That conspicuous outfit...
It can't be!
Lord Keiji Maeda?
You know who I am? That makes me happy!
Who called him?
I didn't want to be so rough.
Forgive me.
But I must stop Yukimura right now.
Don't let him escape!
After him!
Not on my watch.
What the...
Yukimura!
Thank you, Lord Keiji.
No problem.
Brother...
Yukimura...
This is bad.
Is this...
Lady Nene!
Now's our chance!
Follow us!
Curses...
We're really sorry!
What for?
We promised to work with Mitsunari and protect the Toyotomi clan,
but we ended up fighting him at Sekigahara.
Don't worry about it.
Both you two and Mitsunari did what you believed was right at the time.
So it's fine.
Lady Nene...
Then, from now on, what do you two plan to do?
We shall head to Osaka and, under Lord Hideyori,
work ourselves to the bone for the sake of the Toyotomi clan.
Oh, is that so?
Take care of the Toyotomi clan, you hear me?
Lady Nene...
Why did you leave Kudoyama, Yukimura?
I have no excuse.
But, Brother,
I did find the answer...
To the question you posed to me that day.
What it means for you to stay in this world.
Reconsider the meaning of your life.
So long as I draw breath, I shall live for my beliefs.
I can live no other way.
You're going to Osaka, aren't you?
Yes.
Is there no way we can serve the Tokugawa clan together?
Lord Mitsunari may be gone,
but the vow of righteousness I shared with him is not.
I have decided that the Toyotomi clan is where I belong.
Trying to stop you would be futile, I see...
You told me that you would protect the Sanada clan, as its pillar.
In that case, I shall do my part and defend our pride as warriors...
Defend the soul of the Sanada!
From here on,
please don't consider me your little brother.
Very well.
The next time we meet in battle...
The next time...
I shall show no mercy!
Well, this is goodbye.
Farewell.
This parting of brothers would turn out
to be the first step toward the war that would decide the fates
of the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans.
Episode 8
The Path of No Return
Sengoku Musou High School
8th Period
Japan's finest sweet bean bread, here I come!
School Store
I claimed it first.
No, I did!
Brother, I still have a long way to go.
To Be Continued
Next Episode
The next stage is Osaka Castle, the Toyotomi clan's home base,
and the gathering place for those who seek to defy the winds of change.
They say, "We are the rightful rulers of this country."
Next time: "The Osaka Tempest."
Episode Nine The Osaka Tempest