All language subtitles for 1964 Zatoichi senryo-kubi

A DAI EI CO. LTD. PRODUCTION

BLIND SWORDSMAN:
ZATOICHI AND THE CHEST OF GOLD

OriginaI story by KAN SHI MOZAWA
ScreenpIay by SHOZABURO ASAI
and AKI KAZU OTA

Starring:

SHINTARO KATSU
SHOGO SHIMADA

Directed by KAZUO IKEHIRO

Sir, we're aImost in Itakura.
Where exactIy did you want to go?

- Are you from here?
- Yes, sir.

Then perhaps you've heard
the name of Kichizo?

Did I say something wrong?

How do you know Kichizo?

Let's just say
our paths crossed once.

He died the year before Iast.

So I'd heard. I came here
to pay my respects at his grave.

February

1 3th

1 842

That day, when I chose to stand aside
in the war between Iioka and Sasagawa,

there was no need for me
to have cut you down.

Forgive me.
PIease forgive me.

You were from Aikatsu in Joshu Province,
Kichizo by name.

That was aII I couId get from you
before your Iast breath.

In the Province ofJoshu
and the County of Sai

Stands the village of Kunisada
known far and wide

Lived there a man named Chubei
a hardscrabble peasant

His second son

From tender age a prodigy
of swordsmanship and judo

He loved to beat his peers
in all the martial arts

But when he entered
his twenty-fifth year

Yo, go teII that guy to join us.

Hey, mister, if you're not in a hurry,
come have a drink with us.

A drink?

You're bIind, are you?
Never mind that. Come, come.

But I don't--

It's okay, reaIIy.
We're just having a IittIe ceIebration.

- Yo, we've got a guest.
- Have a seat.

You Iook Iike a man who Iikes his drink.
Here, take this.

I've been known
to toss back a few.

You said something
about a ceIebration?

- We're getting the tax man off our backs.
- He's been after us since Iast year.

We finaIIy scraped together the thousand
ryo we needed from our 1 8 viIIages.

After three years in a row
of bad harvests,

putting together a thousand ryo
was Iike giving flesh and bone.

With the tax man finaIIy off our backs,
I feeI Iike I've been reborn.

No kidding.

Let me pour you another.

Thank you.

That certainIy is
cause for ceIebration.

I wonder if I might have
a turn at the drum.

You'd Iike to beat the drum?
Hey, Iet this guy take the drum.

Right this way.

And raising his head
Chuji gave the nod

If that's how you feel
let's gird for battle

We'll need this, he said
and we'll need that

Then calling together
his most valiant men

He set out for Sakai
for a meeting with fate

Here they come.

''Tax Payment''

What?
The money was stoIen?

The tax payment was stoIen!

Without that money,
we might as weII be dead.

Who took it?

Everyone gather at the headman's house!
Everyone to the headman's house!

Three samurai ambushed us
and stoIe the money!

Moju and Yasuke were kiIIed.

The dirty bastards!

No, they were some of Chuji Kunisada's
men, hoIed up on Mt. Akagi.

I heard them say so with my own ears
when they ambushed us.

Chuji even raided the government
storehouses to heIp us farmers.

He's our friend.
He'd never Iet his men harm us.

But he's been on the run,
and he couId be getting desperate.

Friend or not,
he's a gangster at heart.

That traveIing bIind man
was there too.

I saw him sitting
on the money chest.

Don't try to pIay dumb with us.
We have a witness.

Son of a bitch!
After that show with the drum!

Where's the money? Where'd you hide
the money? Speak up, damn it!

I see. So that was
a money chest I was sitting on?

You're asking for it,
you son of a bitch!

As you can see,
I'm a bIind man.

There's something a IittIe fishy
about how that keeps coming up.

Being bIind doesn't seem to have
kept you from being a gangster.

That's right.
I bet Chuji put you up to it.

Boss Chuji wouIdn't do
a thing Iike that.

Yeah? WeII, can you teII us
who the heII did, then? Huh?

See. You can't.

Just hoId on a second, pIease.

This is some kind of
misunderstanding.

A big misunderstanding.

Just Iet me go and taIk to Chuji.
I'm sure we can cIear it up.

How do we know you're not
going to cIear out on us?

I won't run.

I swear I won't run.

So Iong as that money chest
is missing,

both Chuji and I
wiII remain under suspicion.

I have to cIear our names
one way or another.

Besides, without that money
you're aII in big troubIe too.

I intend to find out
who did this.

And I promise you, I'II get
your thousand ryo back for you.

''Intendant's Residence''

You can forget the sorry charade,
Seiemon.

As the headman of Itakura, you speak
for aII 1 8 viIIages in Usui County.

If you're going to Iie to me,
you'II have to do better than that.

- But Intendant, sir.
- Enough!

You have ten days to get your taxes in.
Is that cIear?

I beg your pardon, sir,
but as you know,

this region has suffered three years
of unprecedented drought.

The farmers scarceIy have
enough food to get through each day.

Drop the excuses!

You cIaim someone must have stoIen
the money on its way here?

I've never heard
such ridicuIous nonsense!

You have ten days.
That's finaI.

But pIease, Intendant!

PIease, sir, I beg you!

May I heIp you?

Why shouId I need heIp from you?

I just couIdn't heIp wondering
why you chose to take this back road.

Perhaps you had reason to avoid the
government checkpoint on the main road?

- This is a back road?
- As if you didn't know.

You wiII have noted that I'm bIind.

It can make it hard for me to teII
a main road from a back road.

Now, that's very interesting.

- Can I ask you something, miss?
- What?

You can see, can't you?

Yet even with two perfectIy good eyes,
you chose to take the back road.

Which means...
you must be an outIaw.

HeIIo there.

Care for a massage?

Don't worry.

UnIike most men, I'm bIind.

Nice body, miss.

Oh, you needn't be embarrassed
and cover yourseIf.

Like I said, I'm bIind.

You're the Iady who was avoiding
the checkpoint, aren't you?

PIease, not so Ioud.

Where are you headed, anyway?

If you go down this mountain,
you'II come to Mizorogi.

That puts you at the foot
of Mt. Akagi.

Ah, you're so kind.

But since I am bIind,
I have no way of teIIing

where Mizorogi is
or where Mt. Akagi is.

Are you sure you can't see?

If I couId see,
then right about now

I'd be peeping at you
through an opening somewhere.

Crazy bIind man!

Wait!

You've been foIIowing that bIind man
aII the way from Itakura.

Come to my room.
I want to taIk to you.

Who's there?

Sakichi. Yahachi.

WeIcome back.

Thank you.

So, what did Tsunekichi say?

WeII--

WeII what?

He sent this.

So, Enzo,

I guess you didn't want me
to read the Ietter.

The man thinks onIy of staying
on the intendant's good side,

so he can't find a singIe measure
of rice or sake to send.

You might as weII
forget about him.

What happened to the other three?

Yeah, what happened to them?
Speak up.

- Did they decide to baiI out?
- No!

- Then where the heII are they?
- That's enough!

The way things are now,
I can hardIy force anyone to stay.

Let them go wherever they want.

You guys too. If you want out,
you have my bIessing.

Boss!

You're not being fair
to them, boss.

Forget it.

No, boss, pIease hear me out.

They wanted to at Ieast bring
a IittIe sake back for you and Enzo.

And?

Speak up!

They--

They were kiIIed.

KiIIed?

- By a strange twist, cut down--
- What?

Who did it?

A bIind man
with a Iightning sword.

''Monji's Residence''

If this bIind bugger was headed up
Mt. Akagi, he can't be up to any good.

That's what I figured.
That's why I foIIowed him.

This girI teIIs me he's a gangster
who goes by the name of Zatoichi.

Zatoichi?

She says he kiIIed her brother,

so he must be
quite a strong swordsman.

There's no harm in being carefuI,
but how strong couId a bIind guy be?

I'II get your revenge
for you, young Iady.

But I may need to ask you to do a thing
or two as weII. You understand?

- That's enough.
- Yes, sir.

Look at this, Ogin.

Oh, my! You finaIIy got
your constabIe's hook?

It's my reward for taking on
this job for the intendant.

Chuji taIked big about protecting
the farmers and commoners,

but defying the intendant Ianded him
on Mt. Akagi, where he'II starve to death.

That Ieaves Eigoro Omaeda as my onIy
competition in aII eight eastern provinces.

With this in hand, I'II be as strong
as an ogre with an iron cIub.

Who's there?

Who's there?

I wonder if I couId speak
with Boss Chuji.

Ichi?

It's been a Iong time, boss.

I heard in the viIIage beIow about
aII you've done to heIp the farmers.

First things first, Master Ichi.

I'm toId you made a IittIe misstep
with some of my men.

So it's true they were your men.

Why'd you kiII them?

Why'd you kiII them?

Why won't you answer?

PeopIe I've caIIed my friends
are ignoring me.

My men are drifting away one by one
untiI I have bareIy a handfuI Ieft.

Now you go and take three of
those remaining few away from me.

Why did you do it?

Why did you kiII them?
Answer me!

Boss.

After everything you've done
to heIp the farmers,

why wouId you suddenIy turn around
and make them suffer?

Make them suffer?

What are you taIking about?

PIease return the thousand ryo.

Thousand ryo?

Ichi, if you had eyes to see,
you'd aIready know.

Right now I couIdn't show you even
one ryo, Iet aIone a thousand.

Perhaps you couIdn't, boss,
but I beIieve two of your men couId.

If you Ieft, perhaps I couId have
a word or two directIy with those men.

Are you saying
you can't taIk to me about it?

- Right.
- Ichi!

There's nothing I hate more than
a man who won't taIk straight with me.

So you won't aIIow me?

That's right.

That money was
the farmers' tax payment.

FooIs!

Are you trying to smear mud
on your boss's face?

Boss.

KiII me, boss.
Cut me down Iike a mangy dog.

In a moment of weakness,

we Iet our judgment be bIinded
by the farmers' precious goId.

- But we didn't steaI it.
- We didn't take it.

No, we didn't take it, boss.

I'm cutting you two Ioose
as of today.

Get out of my sight.

Ichi.

What can I say?

The bIame for this
is entireIy mine.

You came on behaIf of the farmers.

In their stead,
do with me what you wiII.

Don't be ridicuIous, boss.

I couId never do that.
I'm just a IowIy bIind man.

If the worId was as it shouId be,
I wouIdn't even be here.

I onIy have one thing to say.

PIease come down
off this mountain.

Farmers aII across Joshu Province
Iook to you as their protector.

They need you to stay aIive.

PIease don't throw away
your precious Iife here.

It is onIy by staying aIive
that you can repay

your debt to the farmers.

Ichi the bIind man begs you.

PIease Iive on,
for the farmers' sake.

Ichi's right, boss.

This isn't the time for you to die.

It's time to stop hiding out.
Let's get off this mountain.

Boss.

What's the matter, kid?

You have a chiId with you here?

Asataro's nephew.

That makes things difficuIt.

Where do you expect to go
when you Ieave here?

I suppose we'II first head
for Yasuemon's pIace in Kasukabe.

Then perhaps I shouId take
the boy for you.

You?

I'II probabIy attract
Iess attention.

- So you'II take him to Kasukabe?
- I'd be gIad to.

Much obIiged.

I'II be on my way then, boss.

The road ahead
is sure to be Iong and hard.

PIease take good care
of your heaIth.

Ichi.

What you did
for me here tonight

I'II never forget
as Iong as I Iive.

What?
Chuji's coming down the mountain?

AII right.
Go teII the intendant right away.

What're you going to do
about the bIind man?

We can squash that IittIe bug anytime
we want. Get going, men.

Ouch.

Hey, that's pretty.

- What's pretty?
- There's Iots of pretty Ianterns.

Wow, they just keep coming.
They're reaIIy pretty.

Lanterns?

- Which way are they headed?
- That way.

That's in Boss Chuji's direction.

Damn.

- What do you think?
- I'm not sure.

This way, men.

Chuji's over this way.

Look, kid.

I want you to pretend you're me
and keep your eyes cIosed for a whiIe.

Okay.

HoId it right there.

- Where's Chuji?
- Show us the way to Chuji!

I'm scared!

Stay with me, kid.

I'm scared!

Boss Chuji!
It's so good to see you!

PIease, come on inside.

We don't want to be any troubIe.

If we couId just rest a bit out here
and get a IittIe water to drink.

It's no troubIe at aII.
PIease make yourseIves at home.

I'm so gIad to see you unharmed.

We'II take care of this, boss.
Get yourseIf out of here whiIe you can.

Boss!

Boss! PIease save yourseIf!.

Master!

Hurry, boss! Run!

Hurry, boss! Run!

PIease, boss! Don't Iet Sakichi
die in vain. Escape out the back!

Boss! Come on, boss!

Hurry, boss! Run!

PIease, boss! Save yourseIf!.

So then,

did Chuji make it out aIive
in the end?

Yes, his men Iaid down their Iives
one after the other

in order to save Chuji.

The onIy ones Ieft standing in the end
were Enzo and Gantetsu.

They aII asked me
to convey their thanks to you.

Thanks?

They said
they owed it aII to you

that they got down safeIy
from Mt. Akagi.

CouId there be anyone

more contemptibIe than
that Monji of Dodo ViIIage?

He and Chuji shouId be protecting
each other as brothers,

but Chuji put his Iife on the Iine
for us farmers,

whiIe that doubIe-deaIing Monji

pIayed both sides of the fence
and tried to kiII Chuji.

So it was this boss named Monji

who sent those men after Chuji?

It's onIy a matter of time
before we get Chuji.

The farmers think he's the one
who stoIe their goId.

Everything's going
exactIy according to pIan.

So that thing cost you a thousand ryo.
You paid a steep price, Monji.

That's the way it goes.

Don't forget our share of the deaI.

Of course not.
Here, have another drink.

Crap!

Is this any way to treat us,
after aII we did for him?

That son of a bitch Monji
onIy has eyes forJushiro.

Pisses me off.

Boss, some traveIing bIind guy
is reaIIy cIeaning up in the game.

A bIind guy?

That's six and two, even.

AII right, odd!

Looks Iike you're doing
pretty weII there, mister.

Yes, thank you.
I've been having a bit of a run.

Perhaps I couId interest you
in a wager with higher stakes.

What kind of wager
might that be?

Very impressive.

But I don't understand.
What did you wish me to wager on?

Can you do that
with your Iightning sword?

My Iightning sword?
You must be kidding.

Not at aII. I happen
to have seen you in action once.

Five ryo.

I wonder where that
couId have been.

WeII, aII right.

Five ryo.

And since you say
you've aIready seen what I can do,

I suppose I'II raise you
another ten.

AII right.

I'II see that ten.

And I'II raise you--

Go ahead,Jushiro.
I'II cover your bets.

Twenty more.

That makes 3 5 aItogether.
What do you say?

That certainIy does make it
a big wager.

I Iike this.

Twenty more it is.

The bets are in.

Just to be sure,
I'd Iike to confirm.

AII I have to do is
sIice a one mon coin in haIf?

That's right.

Begin!

Ah, did I succeed?

Jushiro!Jushiro!

It's nice when the boss running the game
carries a constabIe's hook.

You can gambIe openIy
and never worry about a raid.

Can't beat that.

Thank you.

Monji, make sure that bastard
doesn't go anywhere.

You can count on it.
We've got to get that money back.

And besides, he's got some kind of
connection with Chuji.

We might be abIe to get
some usefuI information out of him.

PIease come in.

Your skiII with that sword
is reaIIy amazing, sir.

Not at aII.
It's onIy fit for parIor games.

You sIice a one mon coin in two
and come away with 7 0 ryo in goId.

It's a good time to order up some sake
and sweet-taIk a maid, don't you think?

Pour on the charm
and who knows where it couId Iead?

Me, charm a woman?
You must be joking.

When it comes to women,
aII I ever do is give massages.

I seriousIy doubt that.

Let me take that for you.

It's a good time for it, you know.
AII our samurai went out a whiIe ago.

You mean there are others
besides MasterJushiro?

Oh, yes. Two others.

- What are you doing?
- Cut it out!

Stop putting on airs!

- Where do you think you're going?
- Get your hands off me.

Take it easy!

Damn it!
We deserve better than this.

We bring Monji a thousand ryo,
and this is the thanks we get?

Keep it down! This is no pIace
to be taIking about that!

For the pittance he gave us,
I'II say whatever I want!

What are you thinking
so hard about, honey?

I was thinking you must be
a very pretty woman.

Oh, my, such a smooth tongue.

But how wouId you know?
You can't even see.

I may not be abIe to see,
but I can teII by the way you smeII.

Do I reaIIy smeII so good?

Sweet as a flower.
Sweet as a whoIe fieId fuII of flowers.

Though they seem to be
pumpkin flowers.

Now you're being mean.

But you know,
you're a good-Iooking man yourseIf.

Wh-what are you doing?
Someone might come in.

ReIax.
No one's going to bother us.

We can't Iet those bastards keep
the whoIe thousand for themseIves.

We couId go to Monji tomorrow and
demand he hand over a hundred to us.

Forget it. I won't settIe
for Iess than three hundred.

Three hundred?

That'd be a hundred apiece.

You think that stingy son of a bitch
wiII agree?

Who cares
whether he agrees or not?

We'II take it.

Wow!

That's the first time I've been
on the receiving end of a massage.

You can be sure I won't forget
the way you smeII as Iong as I Iive.

What's your hurry, honey?

I've had enough for now.
But I'II come again.

You're forgetting the money.

- You charge for that?
- What did you expect?

So you charge for it.

She wants to be paid for that?
My, oh, my.

Yes, sir, I suppose she does.

Here you go.

You reaIIy shouId take a bath
now and then, you know.

- You Iooking for us?
- Yeah.

There was a IittIe something
I wanted to ask you about.

What?

I wanted to hear a IittIe more

about that business I overheard you
discussing a whiIe ago.

What're you taIking about?

You were saying something
about a thousand ryo.

What I'd Iike to know is

where you took the chest
containing that money.

I have no idea
what you're taIking about.

Don't pIay games with me.

I heard you two grousing about the smaII
thanks you got for doing such a big job.

But I'm not asking you
to teII me this for nothing.

I wiII pay you
for your cooperation.

Or perhaps you'd Iike
to see my sword in action again?

Forget it.
I don't know anything.

DeniaIs Iike that
don't get us anywhere.

Look.

You profit nothing
if you Iose your Iife.

- TeII me where the money is!
- I have no idea.

You'II have to ask
at the intend--

Oh, I get it.

For Iost and found,
go to the intendant's residence.

Of course!

Why didn't I think of that?

WeII, I must thank you.

Forgive me if I spoiIed your mood
coming back from a good time.

Here's a IittIe something

for you to stop in somewhere
on your way home

and have another drink.

Here. Take it.

Master Seiemon!

Master Seiemon!
We've got troubIe!

Iwa, Sahei and Kiyoji
went straight to the intendant.

What possessed them
to do something Iike that?

They know the punishment
for not going through proper channeIs.

What are we going to do?

Send out a caII for aII
the viIIage headmen to gather here.

And go make sure the viIIagers stay caIm
and don't do anything rash.

Yes, sir.

I'm going to see the intendant.

But, dear, what if something
happens to you?

Don't be siIIy.
If it's to protect the viIIage,

what happens to an oId geezer Iike me
doesn't matter a whit.

Seiemon,
headman of Itakura ViIIage!

You're under arrest
for defying the authorities

and inciting
the farmers to rebeIIion.

PIease Iet me speak
with the intendant!

Are you aII right, Iwajiro?

Hang on, Kiyo!

Hang on!

Sahei!

Such crueIty!

PIease sir, Iet these men go.
They've done nothing wrong.

I beg you.
PIease have mercy!

Listen here.

If anyone eIse in this rabbIe tries
to kick up a fuss, hauI him in.

As you wish, sir. And what shaII we do
with the ones in custody?

Dirt-kickers trying to petition me
directIy? It's outrageous!

We'II have to make an exampIe of them.
Execute them. And one other thing.

Those three samurai you hired--
it's time to send them on their way.

Yes, sir, that's what
I've been thinking,

but they keep hanging around
and demanding money.

I suppose we'II have to deaI
with them another way then.

MasterJushiro!

If you're discussing some new scheme
for making money, count me in.

So it's coId-shouIder time, is it,
Gundayu?

We swipe the farmers' tax money for you,
and you tuck it away,

then you pretend you know nothing
about it and demand they pay up.

- What do you want?
- Money, of course.

If you want us to keep our mouths shut,
smaII change isn't going to do it.

Bad idea, Gundayu.

UnIess perhaps

you're eager to give me your Iife
as weII as the thousand ryo.

I'd say the wiser course
wouId be to simpIy pay up.

HaIt. Where do you think
you're going?

Is something going on?

Some farmers attempted
to petition the intendant.

- Petition?
- You don't want to get invoIved.

ActuaIIy, the intendant
has requested my services.

For a massage?
AII right. FoIIow me.

Thank you.

Much obIiged.

Excuse me, sir.

Is no one eIse here
besides you?

- No, no one.
- Is that right?

Perhaps we couId
step over here.

What is it?

I just wanted to--

The fooI.

Sees the gIint of money
and throws aII caution to the wind.

That's the probIem
with men who can see.

Who're you?
What're you doing here?

You must be Boss Monji.

Someone toId me I'd find the Iost and
found at the intendant's residence.

Lost and found?
What are you taIking about?

- It's no use pIaying dumb with me.
- You better watch it, mister.

Zatoichi.

Ah, MasterJushiro.

It was a pIeasure to win
such a tidy sum the other day.

Why have you come here?

I don't know what you think you heard,
but I suggest you Ieave.

I'm not very fond of worms.

Worms?

Worms are petty IittIe creatures.

Looking at worms makes me angry.

Makes me want to rip them
to shreds.

And I enjoy doing it too.

But the probIem with worms
is that they refuse to die.

How might this discussion
of worms reIate to me?

They don't have eyes either.

One of these days, I'm going to cut you
to shreds just Iike a worm, Ichi.

That's what Iooking at you
makes me want to do.

But I'm not going to do it now.

If I do it here, it'II onIy pIease
the intendant and Monji.

I'd rather save the worm
for my own personaI pIeasure.

I see.

WeII, if it's not going to get me
what I came to Iook for,

I don't gain anything
by fighting you here either.

So I suppose
I'II take my Ieave for now.

HoId it right there!

- Yes, sir?
- Arrest this man!

He's charged
with defying the intendant.

What the heII are you doing,
Jushiro?

Your men don't have a chance
against this guy.

Go on, Ichi.
Get out of here.

But you better not try to run.

That sounds mighty tempting
right now,

but I'm afraid I stiII owe
the intendant a massage.

See you Iater.

Damn it!

Shimozaka.

Execute the four men in custody
at dawn tomorrow.

''Notice''

''The aforementioned four persons,

having committed unpardonable acts
of defiance against the authorities,

are sentenced to die by beheading

at dawn on the 1 3th of February.

Intendant of Iwabana
Gundayu Matsui''

Let's do it. Let's go rescue Seiemon
and the others!

- Yeah, Iet's do it!
- But how can we fight aII the officers?

If we back down now, you can be sure
we'II get the same treatment someday.

That's right. If they're going to kiII us
anyway, I'd rather die fighting.

Yeah, we've got nothing to Iose!

Hey, it's the bIind swordsman.

So what's the story, mister?
Did you ever find Chuji?

Where's the money
you said you'd bring us?

I did taIk to Chuji, but he's not
the one who stoIe your money.

- Then who the heII did?
- Who's got our thousand ryo?

I know where the money is.

A IikeIy story.
You're just teIIing us that.

The headman's going to be executed
at dawn tomorrow, damn it.

So it's true?

We don't have time
to be pussyfooting around.

Wait. PIease Iet me expIain.

I came to this viIIage to make amends
for a mistake I made three years ago.

By unfortunate circumstance,
I cut down a man I needn't have.

We don't care
about any of that.

PIease hear me out.

I was paying my respects at the man's
grave, when fate frowned on me.

Having no idea it was a money chest,
I sat on a box to rest,

and suddenIy I'm the prime suspect
in the theft of that chest.

I swear I'II get your money back.
It's the onIy way I can cIear my name.

Oh, yeah? How're you going to do it?
Why shouId we beIieve you?

We've had nothing but troubIe
since you got here.

Take your curse somewhere eIse.

We don't need gangsters
to heIp us out.

BIind fooI!

Master Ichi.

I suppose you want
to get your Iicks in too.

Go ahead. You deserve to kick me
and beat me and do what you want with me.

If you want to cut me down,
then do it with this cane.

You know who I am?

I sensed who you were
the first time I met you.

I've never stopped feeIing sorry
for what I did to Kichizo.

I reaIIy did not intend
to kiII him that day.

But since I'm bIind,

when someone
suddenIy rushes at me,

I have no choice
but to unsheathe my cane.

PIease don't hoId it
against aII those peopIe.

They're not themseIves right now
on account of the stoIen tax money.

Forcing us to come up
with another thousand ryo

is as good as
sentencing us to death.

So pIease forgive them.

Miss Chiyo, do me a favor.

Meet me by the entrance
to the viIIage at dawn tomorrow.

What's the matter?

It's no use.
There's just no way.

Why?

There are just too many guards.

They've even got eight musket men,

four in front and four in back,
with their matches burning.

We wouIdn't stand a chance.

We'd aII be dead before we took out
even one of the musket men.

Who're you?

What do you think you're doing?

What's going on?

What?
The prisoners were freed?

- Who did it? The farmers?
- No, sir.

The bIind swordsman?

- What happened to the musket men?
- He cut them aII down.

They were aII kiIIed?

Hey, everyone!

We've got to report this
to the commissioner in Edo.

Intendant! Intendant, sir!
What are we going to do?

CaIm down, Monji.

What are you doing?

You intend to protect your own hide
by destroying the evidence?

Shut up! You're my deputy.
You're as guiIty as I am.

Damn it! You're wrong if you think
you can save just yourseIf.

If this is how it's going to be,
then haIf of that money is mine.

I'II just heIp myseIf!.

So this is where it was--

the farmers' precious goId.

You!

Look here, Intendant.

To atone for trying
to tax the farmers twice,

you're going to give me a receipt
for their taxes, paid in fuII.

And to compensate the farmers
for what you put them through,

you'II aIso return
their thousand ryo to them.

Then you'II be an intendant
worthy of the name.

This thousand ryo wouId have been
compIeteIy wasted on you.

I'm not here for the money.

I'II be waiting for you
down by Bodai TempIe in an hour.

Master Ichi.

PIease take this chest back
to your peopIe in the viIIage.

It proves that the one
who stoIe your tax payment

was neither Chuji nor me.

- What's this?
- PIease don't say a word.

PIease just take it.

I want you to put up a proper headstone
for your brother.

Master Ichi.

Are you Ieaving aIready?

I have an appointment to keep.

Wait. Don't go yet.

Go back with me
and beat the drum for us again.

PIease don't Ieave without first seeing
the joy on everyone's faces.

See the joy on their faces?

That'd be a pretty good trick
for a bIind man.

Miss Chiyo.

TeII you what.

I'II go now, but I'II come back
by the time the singing starts.

Promise?

I promise.

What's the matter, bIind man?

How do you Iike that?

Think you can find your sword?

Damn!

Move it!

THE END
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