Zenemon Yogo! I come at the order of the clan!
But he died himself
He's a 'one-sword' fighter
No one in the clan is his match
we were talking about who to send against him...
...and your name came up
Iguchi, raise your head
You're a 'short-sword' fighter of the Toda school?
It's been years since Toda-Sensei taught me
I merely attended his dojo
we don't have time for modesty
we've learned that you were an instructor at his dojo
He must be beaten inside his house The short sword will help there
That is another reason we have chosen you
Kill Zenemon Yogo by twilight tomorrow
That is an order from the clan's Senior Retainer
Kusaka... what's this man's stipend?
50 koku
20 koku bespoken for a net of 30
That must be hard, with two young daughters and an aged mother
Bring us the head of Zenemon Yogo...
...and life will be easier
Do you accept?
Answer him
This is an honor
You shut up!
well?
By your leave...
I am ashamed to say that over many years of hardship...
...with two daughters, a sick wife and an aged mother...
...I have lost the desire to wield a sword
A serious fight the killing of a man...
...requires animal ferocity and calm disregard for one's own life
I have neither of those within me now
Perhaps in a month...
...alone with the beasts in the hills I could get them back
But tomorrow, I am afraid is completely impossible
I ask that you extend the honor of this commission...
...to another man
what complete and utter nonsense!
we are not here for foolishness from a petty samurai!
Your clan orders you to kill Yogo
Do you understand that?!
The Clan's orders are His Lordship's orders
The very thought of refusal is an offense!
You are relieved of your post! You are expelled from the clan!
Please, warden...
what do you say, Iguchi? Do you accept?
Of course he does!
Don't you!
May I request an evening or two...
...in which to give my answer?
You may not!!
You will answer now!
I obey
I accept the commission...
...to kill Zenemon Yogo
well said!
An officer will call at the hour of the snake
Have your preparations made
withdraw
Iguchi...
Don't worry. who's Zenemon Yogo anyway?
You're sure to win
I have decided exactly that
Good
One should, however always prepare for the worst
That's true. The worst can always happen
In that event, Commissioner this will be farewell
Thank you for everything you've done for me
Please convey my regards to my colleagues in Stores
I understand. And, uh...
...I'll take responsibility for those you leave behind
I'll see they are looked after
That's a relief to hear
All the best to you
A strange noise made me open my eyes
Looking for the sound, I saw my father sharpening his sword
He looked so strange it was hard to believe he was my father
I still remember clearly how he looked that night
The Heart Sutra:
The bodhisattva clearly saw the emptiness of the five states...
...thus relieving misfortune and pain
Form is only emptiness emptiness only form...
we're going
Kayano!
The Master said: A man cunning of word and smiling of face...
...is rarely benevolent Tseng Tzu said: Each day...
Naota, do something for me
Yup
You know Miss Tomoe's house in Nishikicho, don't you?
Yup
Go there, and speak to Miss Tomoe
Now, this is important
You have to see Miss Tomoe herself
And then say...
...'I'm really very sorry, but could you come right away?
I'll explain why when you get here.'
All right?
I'm really very sorry...
...but could you come right away?
I'll explain why...
Uh, I'll explain why...
I'll explain why when you get here
That's fine. Hurry
Look where she laid her egg!
Could you come...
I'll explain why when you get here
Whatever's the matter at this hour?
I'm really very sorry...
...but could you come right away?
when you get here... uh...
He'll explain why?
Squire Seibei sent you to tell me that?
All right. I'll get ready
I didn't think you'd come
The clan has ordered me to go and fight...
...another retainer
I'm going out under orders so I must be properly dressed...
...and I can't do my hair alone
I'm in a bind so I asked you to come
If you can spare the time could you help me?
when do you have to go?
The hour of the snake
There's not much time
where's your kimono?
It's laid out over there
Naota, boil some water
who's coming for you?
A clan officer
Naota, will you wait out by the gate?
Sit down. I'll comb your hair
May I ask why...
...you're going out to fight?
I can't refuse a clan order
Petty I may be but I'm still a samurai
Bamboo baskets, hampers!
Your elder brother...
...asked if I would take you as my wife
I refused
Did you know that?
Yes, I did
But...
But since that day...
...when I told him no...
...I've started thinking about you
Now I think of it ever since we were small...
...and I made dolls to give you...
...I always dreamed one day you'd come to me as my wife
That dream stayed with me even after I got married...
...and you married Koda
It's never faded
I'm going out now to fight to the death
I'm going to win and return to this house
At that time, if I were to ask you...
...to be my wife...
...would you accept?
A few days ago I had a proposal...
...from a retainer in Aizu
I accepted.
I've been very rude
I should never have asked you to come here
No
I'm happy that you asked me
I've been a fool
Please forget everything I've said
Really? A retainer from Aizu...
That sounds like
Are they here?
Yup
well, I'll be going
Thank you very much for everything
Um...
...I'm afraid I can't wait here until you come back
I pray with all my heart...
...that luck is with you and you come back safely
Naota, see Miss Tomoe home when she goes
Take care of the kids
Mrs Iguchi...
...how are you today?
Fine, thank you
Of which household would you be the daughter?
Me?
I am...
...Squire Seibei's childhood friend...
...Tomoe
Sir...
Squire Iguchi?
Zenemon Yogo has closed himself in with the shutters down
That is Genba Hattori Master of Foot
we should remove his corpse...
...but no one can get in
Take care
Zenemon Yogo is no longer human He is a beast!
Leave to enter!
Sir Twilight...
So they sent you?
Zenemon Yogo... by order of the clan, I come for your life
Draw your sword, please
Have a drink?
I know you're all keyed up but I'm going to run
Run?
Yep
I want you let me get away If you please
I didn't expect that from the clan's best one-sword man
My orders are to kill you I can't let you escape
Don't be so impatient You can kill me any time
I'd like to talk to you
Have a seat
It's a nice day
Sit down
what's going on?
They're talking
Even if you escaped where would you go?
Over that mountain and I'm out of the clan's domain
There are masterless samurai everywhere
I can lose myself in them go to Kyoto, to Edo...
If I do that for a few years...
...the world will have changed
The samurai's day is done
This isn't the time for that talk
Pick up your sword, please
I am under orders from the clan to...
Like hell!
You're the clan's errand boy out to claim a reward
Have a drink I was an errand boy, too
I served Lord Shigemasa Toki
Twelve years ago he was ordered to commit suicide...
...after a power struggle within his clan
Then I wandered for seven years with my wife and daughter...
...in search of a new situation
Seven?
with no income?
Of course not
I did manual labor and helped peasants plant and harvest...
...to get a little rice
Or we'd slink into a temple and beg alms there sometimes
Three years ago the Unasaka clan made me an official retainer...
...but by then hardship had killed my wife
I'm good with a sword but I'm hard to get along with...
...and I can't hold my liquor
But this time I promised myself it'd be different
I would do my duty as a true Unasaka retainer
I worked hard to do that
My superior was Lord Shima Hasegawa
He liked me, and did all he could for me
To me...
...the tasks he assigned were the tasks of the clan
His orders were the clan's orders and I carried them out faithfully
what was wrong with that Twilight?
why do I have to cut open my stomach?
I haven't come here to answer...
...that kind of question
I heard your wife died of consumption. Is that true?
I'm surprised you know that
And her fever went up as night came on?
Yes
Consumption is a hard disease And it's catching
My daughter died of consumption caught from her mother
You're not the only one who's suffered
How old was your daughter?
Sixteen
when she should have been a bud swelling into bloom...
...she died...
...nothing but skin and bones A sad, sad sight
I'm very sorry to hear that
Her ashes
She was a pretty girl with pale skin
I guess Lord Hasegawa took pity on me
He gave me money for a funeral well above my station
If only for that...
...I'm very much in Lord Hasegawa's debt
what's your stipend?
50 koku
A sick wife, and children all on 50 koku?
That must be hard
Doctor and medicine alone cost a ryo and 2 bu a month
Piece work wouldn't cover that
I borrowed from relatives but it still wasn't enough
Sometimes we didn't even have tomorrow's rice left
I know how bad it feels to see the bottom of your rice chest
You've had hard times, too
where I really ran into trouble was my wife's funeral
The family's main branch wanted a funeral that wouldn't shame them
I couldn't afford it
I was desperate so I finally sold my sword
It was a fine sword I'd inherited from my father...
...but I figured the age of the sword was over
I'm afraid this is just bamboo
You're going to kill me with a bamboo sword?
No
I learned short-sword from Toda-Sensei
I meant to fight with that
Short-sword?
You mean to kill me with some kind of cheap trick?
You're not taking me seriously are you
wait!
I won't have it!
I only told you that because you wanted me to let you go!
Draw!
Sir!
You're very good...
If you want to run now's your chance
After I kill you
Draw!
Sir! There's still time to stop
Calm down and think!
You haven't rested since yesterday
You're already breathing hard
You mock me
Sir! Continue this and I'll cut you down
Is that what you want?
That's fine by me
Draw
You've cut me, Twilight
This is what you get for taking me lightly
Have a seat
will you let me go Twilight?
That was...
...my intention
It's dark
I can't see
Hell
Twilight...
Is it over?
It's all yours
Careful!
He's dead!
Ito...
Go buy some tofu
Don't lose the money
Miss Kayano!
It's the Master!
Ito...
...I'm home
Miss Tomoe! Father's back!
You're still here...
Thank heaven!
I was sure...
...you were dead!
Finally Miss Tomoe became our mother
My father was happy
But peace prevailed in our house for less than three years
with the Meiji Restoration came civil war
Our clan supported the former Shogun...
...and fought as rebels against the emperor's government
During this 'Boshin war'.
...my father was shot and killed
Tomoe took us, her step-daughters to Edo, now 'Tokyo'...
...and supported us until we were both married
Now she sleeps with my father beneath this stone
In the new Meiji era, many men who had worked with my father...
...rose to positions of great authority
I often heard them say...
...that 'Twilight Seibei was an unlucky man.'
But I do not agree
My father had no desire to rise in the world...
...and I don't think he considered himself unlucky
He loved his daughters...
...and the beautiful Tomoe loved him
His life, I think was short but full
I am proud to have had such a father