Boss!
So you didn't take the guy to Elder's this time? He's in the basement, right?
Yeah.
It'll be quick since we're dealing with one of the Shogun's direct retainers...
You look pale.
That's my line, Yaichi-dono.
Getting your sword ready for the next job?
I don't intend to use my sword for my work with the Five Leaves.
Didn't you say that you'd protect me?
I'll use the back of the sword for that.
What brought you here?
You heard about the job this time, right?
Only that we kidnapped the son of one of the Shogun's direct retainers.
The payment will be made the day after.
Understood.
Will the Five Leaves really disband after this?
Who knows. But I won't need money anymore.
I do want to live without working hard, though.
Masa probably needs money, but he's trying to earn it on his own.
When everyone's like that, I can't see Ichi's reason
for keeping the Five Leaves in business.
That's been weighing on my mind, too, but...
That he's now saying things that he kept to himself all this time means...
It's thoughtless to say out loud what everyone already knows.
I know that, but I just can't help saying it.
The Five Leaves is somehow restless these days, isn't it?
Masa, saying that is thoughtless, too.
Pardon me.
"Pardon me."
So what kind of family are we dealing with this time?
You haven't heard?
I heard only that it's one of the Shogun's direct retainers.
It's the Kanou family. We kidnapped their heir.
We demanded more money than usual this time.
I told you before that we target
the Shogun's direct retainers because it's easy work.
Isn't that enough of a reason?
I should put the money on the ground and leave... Correct?
You'll find half of the money you demanded in this.
You do not have to return the hostage.
This is for your trouble.
Please take care of the hostage in secret.
If you pull a funny stunt and it becomes known to the public,
your gang's name will be in the newspaper, Five Leaves...
What's the reason?
Reason?
The reason for taking care of him in secret.
He doesn't have our master's blood in his veins, hence he isn't a true heir.
I heard nothing about him being adopted.
He's really their legitimate son.
Then what did he mean by not having their master's blood in him?
Then isn't he a result of adultery... between the wife and another man?
He's lived as their master's legitimate son and heir,
but the master didn't accept it... maybe?
Either way, we need to do something about this boy.
Can returning him quietly settle the matter?
In any case, how terrible it is to hear your own family say you're not wanted.
How sad...
We don't want the drug to wear off.
I-Is that...
Your parents didn't pay the ransom for you.
Instead...
they paid us to kill you in secret.
That's a lie.
You weren't needed in that family, huh?
That must be a lie.
That money must be the ransom that my father prepared for me!
There's no way that isn't the case!
What the hell?
He isn't someone who'd do something uncalled-for like this, is he?
What a joke.
Could it be that Yaichi-dono wanted "that boy"?
The reason he kept the Five Leaves going... he kept kidnapping...
Could it be that it was not for the money...
but because he just wanted to see "that"?
Yagi-dono's old acquaintance...
The heir who supposedly died of illness...
Yaichi-dono was kidnapped.
It's been a while. You've grown.
He's an old acquaintance. He's waiting for Toku-san to show up.
So what did you do with the boy?
We released him in an inconspicuous wooded area.
The Five Leaves is finished.
He doesn't say what he's gonna do with it, but we can't keep on going like this.
Food is ready. I'll go let the man outside know as well.
Yeah.
I'm not hungry, so...
You don't have to hold back, you know.
I'm not holding back.
This man left my gang and went legit when he was young.
This is Umezo and his daughter Okinu.
I'm Jin. Saint has been letting me stay here for the past few days.
Do you live in Edo?
Yeah. I make a living doing mostly physical labor,
since physical strength is pretty much my only redeeming trait.
Dad, why didn't you tell him about your tavern?
I had a bad feeling about him for some reason.
Come and eat.
He went legit a decade and some years ago.
So he knows little about the underworld.
He probably wouldn't know Bakuro, either.
Well, that's what I thought so I didn't ask... if he knew Seinoshin.
Even you don't know Seinoshin. It's hardly possible that he would know him.
Yaichi-dono...
He wants to know if you guys released the hostage boy as he instructed.
Why are you following me?
This isn't the direction of Katsura-ya.
Are you possibly going to go check the Kanous' residence?
We need to see it through.
We need to? What for?
What do you mean?
W-Well...
Go home already.
Yaichi-dono...
What're you... Hm?
Sei...
Samurai... This has nothing to do with you.
I promised Yaichi-dono that I'd protect him.
Yaichi...
Samurai...
Are you sure you know who the man you're trying to protect really is?
Next time I see you, I'll settle this matter...
as a member of Bakuro.
I transferred the headship of my family to my little brother.
My uncle is the chief councilor at my former lord's castle.
With his reference, I came to work at the lord's Edo residence.
However, I started wondering if it was really where I belonged.
I wanted to change myself. That was my wish.
And so I decided to leave the fief.
I aimed to get back into government service after I overcame my fault.
As the days passed by, I started to feel like it was not possible.
My encounter with the Five Leaves, however, was nourishment for the soul.
"Don't care about the past... Enjoy the present."
The man in front of me is Yaichi-dono, the one who taught me that.
Were you telling that to yourself, so that you can be like that?
What'd you say?
What does the Five Leaves mean to you?
Aren't you the one who's been caught up in the past?
I talked about myself... because I want to visit Elder after this
and ask him about you.
So... I thought I should tell you about myself first.
Up until today, I've lived thinking that it'd be better not to know much about you.
However, now, I definitely want to know about you.
So, I've decided to go see Elder...
to stop worrying and take action.
I think this is something I've learned from you, Yaichi-dono.
There's one more thing that I need to tell you.
The location of... Yaichi-dono's grave.
The Yaichi I know is someone I met only once
when I was still leading my gang as one of their two bosses.
Please tell me about it.
Leave all the money you have and go!
Everything, even your kimono... unless you wanna die.
Didn't you hear what he said?
Looks like some nocturnal thieving monkeys are screeching.
Don't provoke them.
Hurry up and do as I said!
We don't have money. Beat it!
If you leave the money and go, we'll beat it.
Hey.
Now... Leave your money already and go home.
You damn monkeys!
He's Saint Soji, one of the two bosses of Ichishi!
Ichishi?
How are you gonna take responsibility for hurting our Soji?
Kuhei-san of Bakuro...
Surely you wouldn't try to just say
that some of your underlings did it on their own, would you?
I'm sorry.
They didn't know it was Ichishi's boss and did it in the spur of the moment.
Being nocturnal thieves...? It seems that you haven't taught them manners.
Well, Bakuro only does rushed jobs any idiot can do.
Like boss like underlings. It shows your level.
Benzo...
You just keep quiet.
Show us your dignity as a gang leader.
Boss...
Hm?
Excuse me.
Ryu is my sworn younger brother.
I'll atone for his sin with him.
So please forgive him.
Sirs, bosses of Ichishi... The other guy ran away.
But he stayed. Could you give him credit for that?
Me, too! I'll atone for it with him as a sworn brother.
So please don't take his life.
How touching... Kuhei-san.
Benzo...
Do you wanna take responsibility by losing one of your fingers?
Just that man is enough.
This is why he's called the Saint.
Good for you that you don't have to lose any of your men
when you're shorthanded...
though he'll lose one finger.
Sei...
No, Boss... I'll...
No, I want Sei to do it.
You don't have to take this upon yourself.
You can just leave ordeals to the youngest one.
Sei! Settle this matter for them!
Use this dagger.
I'm not used to using it, so...
Sei...
We've taken responsibility... Are you satisfied?
I'll treat you to sake or something.
That's enough.
The Saint showed him mercy! So why did you...?!
Monji...
You're not our younger brother.
I was told to settle the matter.
Can we go against Boss?
Then... show a little hesitation at least.
Saint... Thank you for showing us mercy.
That was your sworn brother, was it?
Yes. Ryu, and Monji underneath him.
What about that man, Sei?
He, too... is my sworn younger brother.
"To be continued"
Now, about the next episode of House of Five Leaves...
The cat at Masa's place speaking.
I gained a lot of weight.
I was eating the same rice with dried bonito flakes on it as Otake-san was,
so why did only I gain?
I have to lose weight.
Well, the next episode is...
"Already Wasted"