Original subtitles

Well, well. Long time no see.

So? Since you came to me, I'm guessing you want money?

Who will you kill, Jiro?

Or is it Saito Hajime II now?

How does it feel to be called that name?

Nothing special. I gave up my old one long ago.

It means nothing to me.

Oh, really?

I don't believe that for a minute.

A name is the first thing parents give their child.

You're awful chatty for a snake.

Temper, temper.

Your patience is a far cry from your namesake's.

The surliness hasn't changed, though.

You must have gotten that from him.

You want to talk work?

That's right.

5 ryo

10 ryo

20 ryo

30 ryo

Hook Nose: 10 ryo.

Red Eye: 5 ryo.

The Frog: 20 ryo.

The Lady Bandit: 30 ryo.

Scar: 100 ryo.

100 ryo

Can I assume the reward matches how well they fight?

Who knows?

Could be the strength of the target. Could be the depth of the grudge.

The client sets the rate.

Still, 100 ryo? That's something special.

Now, take your pick, successor.

Who will you kill?

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Blue Miburo

Any work welcome

Gimme money

We're sure not finding any jobs, huh?

Damn it. Why don't we just rob somebody?

Huh? I know you, boy.

Funazo-san.

It's me, Nio. It's been a long time.

I owe you for back then.

My daughter and I are getting by now.

I'm glad to hear it.

Wh-Who's this?

You know this guy?

Any work welcome

Gimme money

Yup.

Huh...

Are you looking for work, young Nio?

I know just the thing.

What? Really?

F-Funazo-san, is this your new bride?

P-Perish the thought. She's merely an acquaintance.

Forgive me.

I'm Nio.

What pretty hair you have.

Like somen noodles.

Thank you.

This is Nagi-san, the lady of a proper samurai house.

What are you clapping for?

I see you're with child.

When is the baby due?

I don't know, but it can't be long now.

Don't you care?

Nagi-san wants to take a boat downriver.

I'll give you some pocket money if you'll help me take her.

We'd love to help.

Don't make us work for cheap!

Please watch your step.

Right.

So why do you want to go downriver?

That's my secret.

Forgive me. I didn't mean to pry.

L-Like this?

You've got a knack for it, young Taro.

Yes, praise me more.

Step right this way.

Okay.

Nagi-san, that's the river!

This way! Over here!

That gave me a fright.

You took the words out of my mouth!

P-Please try to be careful!

H-Hey, Nio. C'mere a sec.

What is it?

You've got to watch your step, Nagi-san.

This lady's fishy.

Yes, of course.

Y-You think so?

What pregnant woman wants to go downriver?

Are you sure she's not planning to drown herself?

Drown herself? Surely not.

What a cool breeze.

It feels lovely.

I-It sure does.

Look, the water's sparkling.

I feel like it could suck me in.

Please don't!

There's a boat coming the other way!

We're fine. Stay on course.

It's going to get a little bumpy.

P-Please hold on tight.

Hold on?

T-To the boat. Like this.

Oh, to the boat?

I might as well just ask her.

E-Excuse me, Nagi-san...

If something's troubling you, I'd be happy to listen.

Troubling me?

Let me see...

I have so many worries, it's hard to pick just one.

W-Well, you have a baby on the way, so please don't do anything rash.

When I was little, everyone called me "Ollow."

I asked them, "What's that mean?"

They said, "You're always in such a daze, your head must be hollow."

I thought that was a good one.

"Hollow"? As in "empty"?

A bridge!

Isn't the river nice?

Does it bother you?

No, not a bit.

Huh? Really?

I lost my parents when I was young.

I just happened to meet a good man.

My family weren't samurai, and I'm so clumsy, I'm always a burden.

But that makes me think.

Look.

A crescent moon?

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Isn't it funny how everything beautiful is missing something?

Maybe the same goes for us.

Like this river.

Even if it gets weak or rough or takes an unexpected turn,

or if it gets silty sometimes,

we have to show respect, deference, and humility.

And live gracefully as the current takes us.

Um, aren't you scared to give birth?

It seems like it must hurt.

Of course I'm scared.

But I'm in no rush.

No rush?

Well, tomorrow's me will figure something out.

Huh? Is that funny?

Did I say something funny?

This person is strong. I guess this is another kind of strength.

Hey!

Nagi-san!

I finally found you!

My husband.

Sorry, Funazo-san. My wife made some more unreasonable demands, didn't she?

Not at all.

"Unreasonable demands"? I would never.

These boys were good enough to help.

Oh, I see.

I'm Nio.

A-And I'm Taro.

I really appreciate it.

I'm Yotaro, and I run a dojo on the other side of Sanjo-oohashi.

Please stop by if you're ever in the neighborhood.

We'd love to.

Let's head home before it gets dark.

Okay.

Excuse me.

How can I learn to be strong like you?

You're plenty strong already.

Oh, dear. I still need to buy tofu.

Bye now.

Whoops. Watch your step.

You don't look even a little tough.

Whoa. Watch it.

Taro-kun, let's get strong.

What? No, stop. We're supposed to be making money.

I don't understand, but that's what makes me think.

Taro-kun, let's make money the strong way.

What even is the strong way?

So that I can keep getting closer.

Funazo-san!

I'll help you take your boat back.

Will you help me hawk fish?

Not for nothing.

Now you're talking.

He is strong.

I can't believe we walked all over town hawking fish.

But we made Funazo-san happy.

Oh! Hey!

Hey, Nio!

Guys!

You're late.

Hajime-kun. You beat us home.

You smell funny. And you're all beat up, too.

Shut up, monkey brains.

I'm back.

He's beat up even worse than you!

I have returned.

And drunk.

Did you make a lot of money?

What a foolish question!

Good thing we've got adults we can count on!

All done.

We're all done gathering funds.

I see we're all here.

Let's count up our earnings.

How much do we need to have those coats made?

Nio!

We need 250 ryo, sir.

Now, put your earnings in the bowl!

Yeah!

At last.

Leave it to me.

And me.

Count me in!

All right! Good work, men!

Whoa!

Keep it coming!

All done.

So how much did we make?

Eight mon?

Are you kidding me?!

You'd better not be holding out on us!

Same to you!

Okay, who put in these mon coins?

Me and Taro-kun.

We helped sell fish.

I'm sorry it's only a drop in the bucket.

D-Don't apologize, Nio.

What were you guys doing?

We lost everything gambling!

We pawned our swords and can't get them back.

We are samurai no more.

You reap what you sow.

What about you two?

We worked as bodyguards, secretly following this real cutie around.

Creepy.

She turned out to come from a good family.

Her father insisted we accept a token of his gratitude.

What? That's amazing.

This fine erotic print.

Wow.

Why?

And you, Kondo-san?

Right.

To my great shame, I failed to catch a cat.

Some help you are!

I helped out in the fields.

Oh, Gen-san.

Words of thanks were my reward.

Get money next time!

A-And your group, Serizawa-san?

We challenged dojos! Naturally, we won every bout.

Making money couldn't be simpler.

They paid us to return their signboards.

That put us in a grand mood.

So grand that we spent it all drinking.

Wh-What are we going to do?

We'll never make any money like this!

There's 10 ryo.

What?! Did you say 10 ryo?!

Whoa.

I bet you won it gambling, you lucky devil.

Don't lump me in with you.

I knew I smelled blood on you.

Shut up.

This still isn't nearly enough.

Only the children turned a profit.

We'll never...

...get those coats made.

No.

We borrowed the full 250 ryo from the Aizu Domain.

Yamanami-san! Niimi-san!

Which means...

We can make the coats!

Always a step ahead.

It's a loan with no interest or due date.

It seems the Shogun's influence worked in our favor.

I see. Then we owe Nio.

Still, I liked that old man we met at the gambling hall.

He even bought us a drink.

Yes, he was quite an agreeable fellow.

I hope our paths cross again.

In any case, elder, have a seat.

No. Tonight, we celebrate our rising.

I ought to wait till we've all assembled.

I'm sure the others will be late.

Let's start without them.

Make merry. We'll drink this night away.

Well, we're already drinking.

What do you say we wash down the wine with words?

We, the Blood Risshidan, have our target: the Miburo.

Oh?

Listen, I've got an idea.

Here's the plan.

Who's there?

Naozumi-niisan, it's me, Nagi.

Oh, Nagi.

You may have married my brother, but that's no excuse for eavesdropping.

I bought some fine tofu. Don't you like tofu?

N-Now's not the time!

My.

Women don't belong near the dojo.

Yes, yes.

What to do?

Nagi-san.

You shouldn't slip out of bed like that.

It's bad for the baby.

Yotaro-san.

Uh, your brother and his friends are in the dojo—

Don't worry. You can leave them to me.

How was it?

Don't move, Nagi-san.

It's over. Everything's fine now.

Is it really?

Yeah. Let's turn in. It's getting late.

Something's been bothering me.

You startled me.

What's bothering you?

It's been two months since your father left so suddenly.

Yes, it has.

It's strange.

He used to visit the dojo every day.

You know my father.

Maybe he went off on a training journey without telling anyone.

That's not all.

It's also the way the students in the dojo look at you.

At me?

They, well... It's like they're mocking you.

They act almost contemptuous, I suppose.

You can tell, Nagi-san?

I can. And I don't just mean a handful.

So many people from who-knows-where have started visiting, like those men in there.

True.

It all started when Naozumi-san returned from his tour of the country.

True.

My brother seems to be enjoying himself. Maybe I should ask him to let me join in.

I have no business with you.

Go away. You're killing the mood.

I... I guess I'll try another time.

Okay, my mind's made up. I'll talk things out with my brother.

So try to relax and focus on giving birth to a healthy child.

All right.

Yes, good. Shout nice and loud.

Nishimura-san, did you hurt your wrist?

Did you get in a fight? You need to stop that.

You're a strong man. If you draw your sword in the heat of the moment—

D-Did I offend you? I'm sorry.

I certainly have a hard road ahead.

We'll make this city of Kyoto our battlefield.

That leaves one problem: how to talk Yotaro around.

Mother, please protect me.

M-Mistress!

I thought I'd find you here on her deathday.

What has you so flustered?

The night before last, a man caused trouble near Nijo Castle,

then bit through his tongue and died.

The magistrate wants to know if he was one of our students.

M-Mistress! You shouldn't run!

Our target: the Miburo.

What are the "Miburo"?

Nagi-san, look after this place.

I know something's about to happen.

Something dreadful.

E-Excuse me. Let me see.

Thank you for yesterday, Yotaro-san.

It's so good to see you.

Thank you for coming, Nio-kun.

Is Nagi-san inside?

She's probably visiting the graveyard today, but I think she'll be home soon.

Nio-kun.

He assisted my wife yesterday.

Did he? I'm glad to hear it.

Sorry for dropping in so suddenly.

You see, we borrowed money from Aizu at the Konkai-Komyoji Temple,

and are on our way back from thanking them.

Oh, so you're men of Aizu?

Oh, no, we're not.

We're Miburo.

Miburo?

Still, it's always nice to be in a dojo.

You like dojos?

Yes.

I should've introduced myself. I'm Kyohachi Yotaro, head of the Kyohachi School here.

You run a dojo at your age?

I'm 29.

So am I.

I have my own dojo in Edo.

Really? You do?

Would you care to spar?

That's a great idea. I'd love to learn from you.

Naozumi, I know Yotaro's your little brother,

but you don't need to put him at the head of the Risshidan.

He can't be honest with you or his wife. Not even his students respect him.

No, we need him.

You don't know the real Yotaro.

He's the only man fit to lead the Risshidan. He's a paragon of the sword.

He's a true martial god. No one could ever defeat him.

And what if he loses?

If someone can pull that off,

he'll be more than any of us can handle.

Like

a River's Flow

Next time

It is I, Kondo Isami.

I always like a dojo, and I like to match blades with skilled opponents even more.

For my Shieikan in Edo, and for the Miburo, I must master the way.

I shall hone my techniques, strengthen my body, and temper my spirit.

Next time: "To Battle."

It is not to be missed.

To Battle