Ichi-san was here earlier, eh?
What's so funny?
Ichi comes here every so often to get updates on Masa, right?
Now that you mention it...
I told Ichi that Masa is increasingly getting worse, that he's steadily losing weight,
that he can hardly stand, let alone walk,
and that he may go back to his hometown.
You said that?
That's mean.
Ichi wouldn't bother going
to the Elder's place unless I said something like that.
He may have a reason for not wanting to go over there...
Did that never cross your mind?
He's the one who said he'd go over there at least once.
He just finds it too troublesome.
I see.
Now I understand the reason why you wouldn't show your face around here.
The person called "Yaichi"...
...turns out to be you.
Are you leaving, Masa?
Yes.
I don't know how to thank you enough for helping me recover.
Come by here again anytime.
Yaichi.
I heard that the remnants of the Bakuro gang
are finishing up their sentences and will come back soon.
They'll probably be looking for you as well.
You should watch your back.
I doubt you'll end up like Senkichi though...
Yaichi-dono.
So this isn't the first time you've met the Elder?
I heard that you hadn't from Ume-dono.
That bastard Ume told me that you could hardly stand,
that you were losing weight, and were going to go back home.
But I knew right away that he was lying.
I've heard about a gang with a person named Kuhei of Bakuro,
because the Elder and his friends were talking about it.
Don't you understand that I just changed the subject?
That was thoughtless of me.
Don't bring that name up in front of the others.
He was my boss.
You wanted to know about my past.
So how is it? Are you satisfied?
I had a feeling that you might be from a gang of thieves.
But I don't think it's only that.
You don't look like some ordinary thief who used to be in a gang.
Did... I say something wrong again?
No.
The past is the past.
Between how things were then and how they are now,
I like the present better.
I'd like to go through life with that mindset.
That's why I enjoy the present.
That's all.
It's snowing.
I am also indebted to you, Ume-dono, for your concern for me.
Where is Ichi?
He went back to Katsuraya earlier.
So he actually went to see the Elder...
Just as I remember, Edo is such a lively place.
In the month I spent at the Elder's house, I was able to relax as if it were my own hometown.
The past is the past.
It would be great if I could have that mindset as well.
If I ever reach that point, then I could go back home without worries.
At least this personality that is so out of place for a samurai would be more...
Sorry.
You bastard, why're you standing around in a place like this?!
You're...
You're that tall guy from way back!
Do I know you from somewhere?
You walked right into me
in the middle of town!
Oh, you're the person from back then...
I won't go easy on you this time!
Draw your sword!
No, I...
Do it now!
I can't just recklessly draw my sword...
Shut the hell up!
It's actually fairly dangerous to do it here, Aniki.
Erm...
Hey! You punks over there!
It's a showdown between those two ronin!
I hear they're using wooden swords.
How interesting!
Hurry up and take your stance already.
Whats goin' on?!
Start fightin' already!
So you're nothin' but a good for nothin' blockhead, eh?!
Check it out, he's shaking.
Some pretty boy was defending him the other day.
He isn't moving at all.
It's gonna get dark soon.
Get yourself together, Masanosuke!
What do you think you're doing?
You are in the presence of our lord.
Get yourself together.
What do you think you've been studying up until now?
This is the first time I've ever seen such a big wimp.
Just quit being a samurai!
What a samurai...
That's just pitiful, brother.
I ran away again.
I haven't changed at all since I came here from home.
I can never change.
And so people will continue to laugh at me and look down on me for the rest of my life.
Just like they did before.
Don't worry about what happened in the past.
Yagi-dono...
You witnessed my humiliation.
Are you sure you're a samurai?
I am a samurai!
Mr. Leaf Picker...
You really are just like how you look.
How is your bodyguard job going?
Did you get fired?
Why don't you join a dojo or something?
I'm not partial to dojos.
Why not?
There's just so many people...
Well then, shall I tell you about a dojo with no people?
My place.
You own a dojo?
No, but I'm saying I'll be your training partner.
You seem strong.
There's a small restaurant I regularly go to nearby.
Let's get some food.
Do you have some sort of goal?
Do you want to go back into the service of a feudal lord?
For the time being...
But, my personality is like this, so...
I know a person who is shorter than I am...
...but who I feel is so much bigger than me.
He has such astonishing composure.
I was impressed by it again today.
And at the same time, I'm coming to realize just how inexperienced I am.
Well then, is your goal to be like that man?
Not exactly...
But...
There are certainly aspects of him that I envy.
I brought some sweet rice cake.
You didn't have to.
I recovered thanks to you, so...
You came all the way here today to ask about Yaichi as well, didn't you?
Yes, that too.
I had no idea that you were already acquainted with Yaichi-dono.
We met just once, long ago.
I will not tell you much, Masa.
He probably only came here because he knew as much.
Will you at least tell me about Kuhei of Bakuro's gang?
Are they still active?
I hear most of them were executed.
The few remaining members were exiled to an island.
It seems like that man Yaichi managed to escape the hands of the police.
He may no longer have any ties with the gang,
but he started Five Leaves.
You should be cautious.
Toward the remaining gang members?
No, toward Yaichi.
I may be worrying needlessly.
It does seem like he has cast away his past.
But still, there is something about him that bothers me.
Will you tell Ume-dono about Yaichi-dono?
Good question.
It may be better to first get to know him more to see how he is now.
How he is now...
Masa, be on guard and observe him carefully.
Swinging around a wooden sword by yourself
doesn't tell me if you can be useful at all.
But, I still have to train myself this way...
I wish some Yakuza or something would barge in.
Ichi, fight with him.
Ane-san, I have never used anything bigger than a dagger.
Even then, it looks like Ichi would win.
That's the amount of fighting spirit I see in you.
You, use only your left hand.
You've just returned after being sick, and you're already put through this.
I feel for you, Masa.
Well then, shall we entertain Ane-san in her free time?
Hey, I'm really busy you know.
Um, I can't use my right hand?
All you have to do is lightly knock the dagger out of my hand.
It's easy, right?
Wait!
Use a wooden sword.
What're you using a katana for?
Um... I felt Yaichi-dono's fighting spirit and unintentionally...
Jeez.
Everyone, come over here!
Ichi-san and Sensei are about to duel!
Please don't gather people over here.
You ran away the other day during a showdown with some ronin, right?
That's what our hairdresser told me.
That's pretty disgraceful, huh?
You girls, go away!
Okay.
Masa.
You've been acting strangely stiff around me, haven't you?
I am doing no such thing...
I certainly didn't feel confident I could win...
...and my skill has dulled recently.
Training, huh...
The dojo?
Sorry, but can we do that next time?
I'm going to the cemetery.
You must visit graves often.
It's just that... you were holding flowers the first time we met too.
That was the anniversary of my wife's death.
Today I'm going to see other graves, though.
Shall we go?
What are those remaining flowers for?
The next grave.
The one from before was my neighbor's son.
He died in an epidemic.
That was a very long time ago.
This person died at around the same time.
He didn't have any relatives so I'm pretty much the only one who comes.
I'd like you to pray for him too, if you don't mind.
I visit their graves at the same time, since their anniversaries are so close.
Today is the anniversary of this person's death.
Senseless fool. He accidentally fell into a well in the middle of the night.
He was a good friend.
Yaichi.
Yaichi...
Sorry about that, Matsukichi-san. I made you wait.
Not at all. You're busy.
I know I'm taking up your time.
Here's the money.
Did something happen?
Oh, no. It's not related to you.
I owe two people my life.
You're one of those people.
What happened?
Now then, what's on next week's House of Five Leaves?
This is Masanosuke.
I am yet again lacking steady employment,
governmental or otherwise.
I keep on getting caught up in things, but
it troubles me that I'm starting to think this is normal.
Well then, next time...