Brother?
Brother.
Jeez, Brother!
Oh, Soyo.
Forgive me. I was lost in thought.
I made this tea for you, and now it has grown cold.
Have you been losing sleep due to work again?
I figured as much.
I heard that
another one of your allies left your side.
Ever since that incident...
Ever since Uncle passed away, people have been leaving one after another.
Don't they realize that this is no time for internal conflict?
At this rate, you'll be left all alone.
The blame lies with me,
the gutless master who can't protect any of his men or friends.
Does a pathetic man like me really have the right to rule over a nation?
Every now and then,
I wish I could forget all about the country and government,
and sit here forever,
drinking the nasty tea my little sister made with a blank look on my face.
Brother...
You meanie!
My tea actually tastes good when it's hot!
Is that so?
I hope that one day,
our country will be so peaceful,
there will be no need for a shogun or to worry about the future,
and I will be just an older brother drinking the tea his little sister made for him.
Brother!
Brother.
I apologize for my insolence.
But I daresay you'd be better off not drinking that.
Don't tell me, it was poisoned?
I hate to say this, but I recommend you postpone your little tea party.
Shogun Assassination Arc Part One
Shoguns of Light and Shadow
Oedo Mart
Shogun assassination plot, eh?
The bowl the princess used to make tea was lined with poison.
Watch the Shogun Assassination Arc in a bright room and at a safe distance from your TV!
She nearly killed her own brother there.
The enemy's even exploiting the princess's behavior,
which means they've made it deep into the bakufu ranks.
To think someone tried to kill him in the castle...
How the mighty shogun has fallen.
No wonder he's asking for help from those he cast away.
Summoning the Oniwaban once again?
Some nerve.
He fires us all, and now he wants us to help him?
Sure, the Oniwaban was dissolved under orders from Lord Sadasada,
but didn't Lord Matsudaira take us under his wing and look after us?
We were dissolved on paper only,
and it was agreed that we'd reunite at once in case of an emergency, remember?
Besides, the one who threw us out, Lord Sadasada, is gone.
The shogun cut ties with him after he became a mere puppet of the Tendoshu
and punished him accordingly.
That's why his safety is no longer guaranteed.
Who knows how many within the cabinet are still on the shogun's side?
They're all gunning for the throne.
None of them can be trusted.
We're the only ones who can keep him safe.
So why...
Why is the name Hattori Zenzo, leader of the Oniwaban, not on that list?
It isn't exciting.
Compared to guarding the shogun, assassinating him sounds way more exciting.
Just thinking about it gives you goosebumps, doesn't it?
Slipping alone through tight defenses to take the enemy general's head...
That's what being a ninja is all about.
Ninjas are beings that live out shonen manga in real life.
I can't believe what I'm hearing
from the guy who used to guard the shogun family.
You haven't changed one bit, have you?
No loyalty, cooperation, or creed.
You trust nothing but your own skills.
That is my creed.
I see.
You've really forgotten, huh?
Very well.
Even if the Oniwaban were to succeed and make a comeback,
know that you no longer have a place there,
ex-boss.
Sheesh.
She's acting totally out of character.
Don't you agree?
I don't really care.
Only one copy of Jump again, huh?
Bring it! Rock, paper...
Take it.
I can't get curious about what happens next.
It'll make me waver.
Tell her I said,
"Don't throw your life away acting out of character.
Instead of kissing the shogun's ass,
kissing a certain stupid samurai's ass suits you much better."
This order is confidential, got it?
You'd better not mention it to anyone.
You guys will team up with the Oniwaban
for a secret mission.
Escort the shogun out of Edo!
Make sure he gets to Kyo, even if it costs you your lives!
Pops!
Aren't you being too loud?
Aren't you yelling the top secret mission out too loud?!
If Sho-chan stays in Edo, he will definitely be assassinated!
Honey!
Not even the castle is safe. It's full of political enemies at this point.
Honey! What do you mean, "assassinated"?
Nothing, Mrs. Matsudaira.
He's just drunk.
I'll look for the assassin. You guys ask the emperor for help!
H-Hold on.
Escort the shogun out? How?!
Considering the situation, it's too risky!
What if the plan gets discovered?
If his political opponents take advantage of his absence...
What do you think the Oniwaban are here for?
Th-The shogun!
Why is he here?
No, that's a double.
The Oniwaban's techniques make disguises like this a piece of cake.
If we leave this double here, we can cover up the fact that the shogun has fled.
Uh, I think they'll figure this out!
Just the face is of a great leader!
Just the face is super dignified!
Talk about an unbalanced disguise!
Even if they do find out, I've got another ace up my sleeve.
While the main unit heads to Kyo,
I'll also prepare another double who will head north
to confuse the enemy.
It's a proper disguise this time.
He actually looks like a great leader.
Or so I thought, but why'd you make that part a great leader?!
That can be rank and file! Don't get too greedy!
I'll also prepare a double who will head east.
Hey! The great leader down there just turned east, is all!
Come back! Come back home for now!
And I'll also prepare a double who will head back home.
I'm back!
Where'd you leave the shogun?!
Anyway, I'll prepare a bunch of doubles.
Shogun!
If we hide the real one among them,
we can rest easy even if the enemy finds out he escaped.
Like hell we can!
Monsters like these
walking around in all directions would stick out like a sore thumb!
And you call yourself a ninja?!
I'm not a ninja.
I'm the shogun.
It's the shogun?!
I'm impressed you figured out that he's the real Sho-chan.
I'm having him and Soyo-chan hide here for now.
I-I'm sorry.
No need to apologize.
I'm the shogun.
Why has the princess become the shogun, too?
And what are you making her wear?!
They've all immersed themselves in the role of shogun.
This is how body doubles are supposed to be.
This one is the shogun.
I art the shogun.
We are the shogun.
Behold me, the 30,014th shogun!
Shadow juice squirt!
The last few are all over the place!
What does "shadow juice" even mean?!
Sh-Shadow juice squirt!
Juice, shadow, squirt!
Actually...
Haven't we met before, Shadossy?
Your tone is rude!
I'm the shogun!
Won't you treat me accordingly so the enemy doesn't find out?
I'd say it's pretty obvious already!
What are you guys doing here?!
Is that you, Gin-san?
Why... Why are you here?
Don't tell me
you
came to help me?!
Don't approach me with that body!
I love you, Gin-san!
Hey, that's the shogun!
Sh-Shadow juice squirt!
Could you not let out shadow juices?
You really are the best, unlike that jerk.
Nah.
He's the one who asked me.
Y-You all came here for me?
You did say you wanted to see them again.
When we heard that you were in trouble, we just couldn't sit around and do nothing.
You helped us the last time, so now it's our turn to repay the favor.
You all...
Aren't you glad, Brother?
You still have all these allies.
They're mostly perverts, though.
Sh...
Shadow juice squirt!
Wait just a second. Do you really plan to take these guys along?
Isn't this supposed to be a top secret mission?
There's a bunch of stuff leaking out...
What's the big deal, Toshi?
Gori juice squirt!
What the hell is gori juice?!
Kagu juice squirt!
Pachi juice squirt!
Sac juice squirt!
Kuri juice squirt!
Toshi juice squirt!
Who the hell just let out Toshi juice?!
It seems some strange dogs are sniffing around me.
How upsetting.
What have I done to deserve this?
All I did was try to get rid of the decaying corpse sitting on the throne.
Well, it matters not.
Shigeshige,
you no longer have any allies in this country.
But I, Hitotsubashi Nobunobu, have allies,
tools, in every nook and cranny.
I can easily have your head without taking one step out of here.
Look, a new tool has arrived.
I've been expecting you.
So you're the...
Hey!
What the hell do you think you're doing?
Huh?
I just gotta kill the shogun, right?
That's not the shogun.
He's the shogun-in-waiting.
The shogun, then.
Well, whatever.
He hit his head so hard, he won't remember a thing when he wakes up.
And he was coming to the end of his usefulness, anyway.
Oh, I got it all wrong?
I guess the ruler of a nation couldn't possibly be that weak.
What is he, then?
Like I said...
Just a tool.
Nobunobu-sama!
Make way!
We're under attack!
Get him to a doctor, quickly!
He's the man who will rule this country before long.
Don't let him die, no matter what!
I see. Hitotsubashi Nobunobu, eh?
So he was your pawn in this game of taking over the country.
Is a weakling like that even useful?
If it were me, I would ignore the other abilities
and use the strongest piece.
Isn't it obvious?
After all I did to get him to this point,
he resorted to murder because he wanted to be shogun so bad.
He's a fool.
That brat doesn't know that if you play your last turn wrong,
it'll result in your downfall.
Well, I carried him this far,
so I'll make full use of him, even if he's reduced to a mere figurehead.
The center believed that the Hitotsubashi faction was
behind the assassination attempt,
but now they'll direct their attention elsewhere.
They'll think that Lord Hitotsubashi is also a victim whom someone tried to kill.
Now we won't attract suspicion, even if we go a little wild.
We're free to force a checkmate or knock over the board itself.
Guess it's time for the strongest piece to shine.
Listen up. Here's the plan.
We'll use three doubles to make sure the shogun makes it to Kyo safe and sound.
The real one will hide in the cargo of a bakufu freight ship
and head to Kyo by air.
To cover this up, the first double will stay back in Edo.
The second will head north by sea.
He will distract the enemy if the plan gets discovered.
And the third will head west by land.
This is also a diversion,
but if the enemy finds out,
this is the convoy that is most likely to be attacked and killed.
You guys are a trap which draws in the enemy
and then eats its way out of the prey's belly.
A selection of my best men will pretend to be a small, elite group
while secretly being surrounded and backed up by the Oniwaban.
It's a concentric formation.
Everyone here has a different social status and background,
but regardless of affiliation, you all came together to help the shogun.
So I, too, shall forget about my position
and go into this war as just Sho-chan's partner in crime.
Forget about status and rank.
Let's fight together as allies who love this man.
Forget about lords and retainers!
Let's just fight together for a buddy!
And make sure you come back alive.
Let's meet again, in his country.
I'm counting on you, buddies.
And you too,
doubles.
Uh, not that I care, but could you hurry it up?
It's seriously hot in here.
Why are you the double?!
The double is a role rife with danger
because he will be the first one targeted in an attack.
Gin-san said such a risky role couldn't be left to me, and offered to do it himself.
Hey, bitch.
I'm done with Kingdom,
so get me all the volumes of Terra Formars within three minutes,
or I'll have your head.
He clearly just wants to slack off!
Don't worry.
I made him wear a proper disguise.
Nobody can tell he's not the actual shogun, right?
Man, it's so stuffy.
Does the shogun have any sweats?
He's trying to change into sweats!
Talk about a rough shogun!
You've gotta be kidding me.
Why do I have to guard such a moronic lord?
In the first place, a double like him basically screams "fake"!
Art thou stupid?
I art heading to Kyo in secret.
Of course I'd disguise myself.
Disguise? That was a completely different shogun!
If we are to fool the enemy,
you all need to act the part.
What kind of retainer talks like that to the shogun?
Hey! Just how many shoguns are in this thing?!
What's going on inside?!
Don't you know?
The shogun operates on a three-shift system, dumbass.
That's not how a three-shift system works, dumbass!
Hey.
The next time you address me casually, I'll seriously have your head.
Bring it on! Let's see you try!
I'll assassinate a moronic lord like you myself!
Hear that, men?
I'll ask you one more time. Do you plan to assassinate the shogun?
Never in a million years!
It was a joke! Dark humor!
You'd best be careful.
Both the Oniwaban and the samurai guards are on constant high alert.
He may only be a double,
but one wrong move and you'll be full of holes.
Learned your lesson?
Be careful about how you talk to me from now on, slaves.
You be careful!
Why is the double full of holes?!
I don't care if you're the Shinsengumi chief and vice chief.
You guys are my retainers today, so put your minds to it and get to work.
For starters, carry the palanquin as punishment.
If it shakes even a little, you'll be beheaded.
Curses!
Who would've thought things would end up this way?
If only we'd brought the Shinsengumi along...
A top secret mission?
And now the Shinsengumi can't move out en masse,
so we've been told to guard the shogun or something.
Hey, that's beyond rude.
What mission could be more important than guarding the shogun?
The castle's been on edge ever since the poisoning attempt as it is.
There's no telling when an assassin could come after him, too.
Don't ask me.
Maybe they really trust us.
Well, Captain Okita's here, so things will work out somehow.
Huh?
Speaking of Captain Okita, where is he?
Nothing being picked up on radar.
The four escort vessels aren't reporting anything out of the ordinary, either.
Looks like this might end with us just being needlessly worried.
The other convoys don't seem to be having any problems, either.
I guess that's to be expected.
Nobody could've ever seen through such a perfect plan.
No, even if they did see through it, they couldn't have taken the shogun's head.
After all, he has that man, the strongest of the shogun's Oniwaban, by his side...
The Marici, Hattori Zenzo.
Long time no see, Zenzo-dono.
I wonder how many years it's been since you last saw Shigeshige-dono.
I couldn't say.
I think it was back when you still had one of your arms, old man Maizo.
I'm glad to see you haven't changed.
I suppose we've both been through a lot.
Yeah, so much so that I forgot the passage of time.
But I never once forgot the debt I owe you.
I'm here to repay it, Shogun.
Nothing is more reassuring than having a man as strong as you on our—
Back then, you told me
that the Oniwaban's duty isn't to protect the shogun,
but rather to protect the shogun's duty.
And that the shogun's duty is
to protect the country and its people, even at the cost of his life.
Yes, Zenzo...
I leave the rest to you.
To Be Continued
Preview
Does this path lead to the future?
Show yourself already, assassin!
Don't give me that look.
I'm one of your kind.
Quit looking down on Earth's policemen.
Whatever you were supposed to protect is now gone.
Just what are you plotting?
Shogun Assassination Arc Part Two
Ninja Village
And a great battle.
A shocking incident...