Original subtitles

Young Lord!

Why do they have to be so cruel?!

Lord We will join you in death!

All of us we'll avenge your passing one day, for certain!

We understand the edicts but our Lord is so young!

Young Lord!

Young Lord! Young Lord!

Young Lord!

Young Lord!

- Young Lord! - Everyone compose yourselves!

It is most unseemly for you to behave in this manner!

For now, we must maintain our composure

and witness his passing

That is our duty as

his vassals!

I am the Second designated by the Shogunate Ogami Itto

Please

Please be merciful!

If you just hold this fan to your belly all will be well, Young Lord

Do you understand?

This is how the ruler of a castle and domain conducts himself

This is the way of the true Samurai, Young Lord!

The Tokugawa Shogunate imposed excessive taxes

"Daimyo:" Military Clan Chieftains upon the Daimyo

The Shogunate freely exercised its right to execute anyone

that showed the slightest trace of disobedience

To implement the cruel governmental edicts of the Shogunate

three groups were established

First, the spies, who are ever watchful for the first sign of disloyalty

Second, the assassins, who kill any who interferes with the Shogunate's plans

And third, the executioner who acts as a "Second," and beheads those Daimyo

"Seppuku:" Ritual suicide (aka "harakiri") Who are ordered to commit seppuku

The spies belong to the Kurokuwa Clan

The assassins belong to the Yagyu Clan

Finally the post of Official Shogunate Second belonged to one Ogami Itto

who was specially authorized to wear sacred official robes

bearing the emblem of the Shogunate

"Kozure Ookami" "Lone Wolf and Cub"

"Kowokashi Udekashi Tsukamatsuru" (Child and Expertise for Rent) "Sword of Vengeance"

Produced by Katsu Shintaro & Matsubara Hisaharu

Original Story by Koike Kazuo & Kojima Goseki Screenplay by Koike Kazuo

Director of Photography: Makiura Chishi Sound Recording: Hayashi Tsuchitaro Lighting: Mima Hiroshi Art Director: Naito Akira Music: Sakurai Hideaki

Editing: Taniguchi Toshio Fight Choreography: Kusunoki Eiichi Asst Director: Tsuji Mitsuaki Production Manager: Inagaki Masahiko

Sound Effects: Kurajima Yo Narration: Kobayashi Shoji Film Developing: Toyo Laboratories

Starring:

Wakayama Tomisaburo as Ogami Itto

Watanabe Fumio Tsuyuguchi Shigeru Mayama Tomoko Uchida Asao

Naito Taketoshi Fujita Yoshiko Kato Yoshi Kasahara Reiko Tomikawa Akihiro (child)

Sekiyama Koji Otabe Michimaro Matsuyama Teruo Date Saburo Wazaki Toshiya Gomi Ryutaro Sato Kyoichi

Hasegawa Hiroshi Horikita Yukio Fujiyama Koji Oki Tokio Takigawa Jun lwata Tadashi Namita Hisao Terajima Yusaku Morita Manabu

Hamada Yuji Ishihara Sumao Etsukawa Hajime Uehara Kanji Fujikawa Jun Fujiharu Tamotsu Kudan Goro Satomi Jun Mori Shoji Kobayashi Kanae

Nunome Shinji Shimomura Yoshimitsu Kasumi lwao Yamaoka Kazuyo Moriuchi Kazuo Koshiromon Masami Ando Jinichiro Kobayashi Chieko Obayashi Kazuo Nakamura Yutaka (Child)

And Ito Yunosuke

Directed by Misumi Kenji

Banner: "Ogami - Suiouryu Technique Child and Expertise for Rent"

Wh What was that?!

Hmm lemme see

"Suiouryu:" Seagull "Child and Expertise for rent Suiouryu School Ogami Itto"

"Ookami Itto:" Wolf-Sword Ookami Itto?! What the heck's that?

"Ronin:" a samurai without a master No, not "Ookami", "Ogami Itto" Seems that's the name of that ronin

I understand the part about lending his "expertise"

Yes, I'm wondering the same

But, oh my the man looks like a wreck, and he's got a child too!

Is he able to make a living?!

Oh! He's so adorable!

So adorable, it's pathetic!

O-Hime!

No, O-Hime!

O-Hime! Get back! What do you think you're doing?!

Toramatsu!

O-Hime!

O-Hime! Toramatsu!

No, O-Hime! What are you doing? That's someone else's child!

I apologize for her rude behavior! Please forgive us!

I am truly sorry

Pardon me, sir, but it says that your child is for rent

but can you really lend him to us?

Toramatsu You must have been starving, Toramatsu!

There!

There! It's your mother's milk Have as much as you want!

Daigoro

There! There!

Good, isn't it?

Gooood, isn't it?

Toramatsu

There! Good Boy!

Thank you very much, sir

Good Boy

Toramatsu I'll come see you again, when I save up enough money, OK?

Oh, just a moment I hope this is enough

I need no money It so happens that he was hungry anyway

I see Thank you very much!

She was deceived and then abandoned by a man

and she gave the child to another family to raise

but the baby died from a fever

Ever since then my daughter has been deranged

and can no longer distinguish between her child and those of others

Dammit It's starting to rain!

Welcome back home, Dear

What's wrong? Why are you so pale?

What is on your mind tell me?

Yes

Lately I've been having awful nightmares

The voices may be the souls of those you've beheaded they curse me

from ponds of blood or mountains of spikes from ghastly places

I can hear them, as they send chills down my spine

They say that they'll put a curse upon the Ogami line

and they keep repeating that over and over

I am consumed with fear for our child's safety

It is so unlike you you're so strong

You must be tired

Azami you do remember

the reasons why I named him Daigoro

No matter how poor he might become, he will not be grief-stricken

No matter how rich he might become, he will not look down upon others

The Buddhist planes of Hell Hungry Ghosts Animals Evil Gods

and of the God-like beings

by reminding him of these, his name will ensure he grows up stalwart and resolute

Yes

Don't worry He will become strong Strong enough to face anything

Dear

Now that Daigoro is a year old, I'll take him

with me to pay our respects to the souls of those I've executed

We'll go to our memorial shrine and offer our prayers

A mendicant monk...?

Azami!

Azami! Azami!

Azami!

DDaigoro Daigoro

Azami!

Who has done this to you?!

Who did this?

Whoever you are

I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth

I will find you no matter what it takes

and I will have my vengeance!

No matter what it takes!

Attention: The Honorable Inspector Bizen of Yagyu

is here on official business

Inspector Bizen

I was afraid of this that it would turn out this way

What do you mean, honored Inspector?

Before dawn, three men committed seppuku at the gates of my House

I rushed here immediately after hearing of their Declaration

"Declaration?"

"We hereby declare that"

"in order to avenge our Lord Hirotada's death"

"the household of the Executioner, Ogami, must be put to the sword"

"While Ogami Itto is indeed the sole official Executioner"

"we have discovered that he abuses the powers of his position"

"and is a traitor who blasphemes the Great Shogunate"

"The proof will be found in the Ogami's own shrine"

"Remembering our Lord, who was executed"

"by a traitor who spits on the honor of the Shogunate"

"we hereby dedicate our lives to the destruction of his line"

"and as proof of our sincerity, will now join our Lord in the void"

"Signed: The three lkoma Clansmen"

"Odai Hyougo Atobe Shichinosuke and Makijima Gorouzaemon"

"Sealed in Blood"

So you see, as three warriors have paid their lives to present this Declaration

I must now exercise my official right to inspect your shrine

Ogami take me to the shrine

To pay respect to, and to offer prayers for the souls

of those I have been ordered to execute by the Shogunate

I have built this shrine

It is most respectful!

I am moved It does you great credit, Ogami

Why, it's!

What do we have here?!

Of all things a death memorial tablet bearing the emblem of the Shogunate!

Ogami! What is the meaning of this?! Why a Shogunate tablet?!

Answer! Exactly what is it that you pray for at this shrine?

I know nothing I know nothing about this tablet! Who could do something like this?!

What the men said in their Declaration was true

I know nothing of this! This must be

How dare you presume to talk your way out of this!

As the Official Inspector, I order you to accompany us back to our office!

Take him!

Men, take Ogami Itto!

This is too odd! Inspector Bizen

What is the meaning of these uniformed men?

Was it your intent to take me away from the beginning?

Naturally, in such an emergency as this!

If that were so, they would have come here openly

Besides, there shouldn't have been any reason to hide your uniforms!

Furthermore how do you explain the armor?!

If you were in such a rush to come here, why did you take the time to don this?

No more questions! If you seek answers, do it in court!

You planned this, Bizen!

This whole incident only makes sense if it's a plot of the Yagyu Clan!

You've lost your mind, Itto!

The suicide of the lkoma Clansmen was inexplicable

as I knew nothing about their claim, but

when seen as a plot by you to effect my downfall, it all makes sense!

It's all too perfect!

I've long known that

the Yagyu Shadow-Clan lusts after the post of Executioner

That is why you plotted this, isn't it!

That is why you plotted this, isn't it! "Yagyu Shadow-Clan?"

What do you mean by a "Shadow-Clan?"

Are you saying that the House of Yagyu has two faces light and dark?

Indeed Yagyu Munenori's sons: Jubei, Mitsuyoshi, Tomonori, and Munefuyu

appear to rule what the world thinks of as the Yagyu Clan Yet, another child

Gisen, also known as Retsudo, forever lurks in the shadows!

Retsudo is your grandfather

and it is he who is the true Lord of the Yagyu Clan the master schemer

I've long been aware of the existence of the Yagyu Shadow-Clan!

You've secretly made arrangements with the Shogunate

and managed to corrupt these men of Investigator Kurokuwa

And now, by plotting to put an end to me

you seek to obtain the post of Official Executioner!

That emblem, of Two Umbrellas

fools the world into believing you are Shogunate Arms-lnstructors

ordinary members of the Yagyu Clan

But, the Shadow-Yagyu have also been using

a family emblem inherited from Mimasakanokami leyoshi

the emblem of Burnet and Sparrow, and that is the ultimate proof!

Well?

Brilliant as always, Ogami Itto

I am most impressed by the depth of your knowledge about us

But, as things stand, I am of the opinion that you should die right here and now

It will appear as if Ogami Itto fought the lkoma Clan and was killed

It has all been perfectly planned out

I see You forced those lkoma Clansmen to write their Declaration

and then you made them commit seppuku

You Yagyu have used any method to destroy those standing in your way

This is unforgivable

Unforgivable, as long as I live!

Unforgivable, as long as I live! Kill him!

Go! Go!

No

If you enter the water...

... you'll fare even worse against his Suiouryu techniques!

Bizen... how could you be so foolish?!

No... not the Suiouryu Wave-Slashing Stroke!

So, you are Retsudo of the Shadow-Yagyu!

So, you are Retsudo of the Shadow-Yagyu! You naive fool!

You people have resorted to the most despicable tactics

to gain prosperity at the expense of others

For this, there is no forgiveness!

The misery you've inflicted upon my family

shall in turn be inflicted upon the Shadow-Yagyu!

The Shogunate endures and thus, the Yagyu endure

The Yagyu endures and thus, so too does the Shogunate

Do not forget that we are inextricably bound together!

No matter what you do or how much you struggle

your fate is already sealed

Come face me Retsudo!

No, I will not fight you

Now that Bizen is dead

the Shogunate will officially sanction our actions

Wash your neck, and await my return!

Hold it, Retsudo!

Unforgivable! You Yagyu shall not be forgiven! No, never!

The line of the ordinary Yagyu ended at the river of water

and the line of the Shadow-Yagyu shall end in the river of fire

Between fire and water lies the white road, and I shall follow it

no matter where it takes me even if I become a corpse

or ashes I shall have my revenge, one day!

What is it, sir?

He has come

Two years ago, after fighting the Yagyu, the Official Executioner disappeared

The Shogunate's Official Executioner?

Then this Ogami Itto

is someone whom not even the best of the Yagyu could vanquish

Then he's

the assassin called the "Lone Wolf and Cub"

I am sure that you have heard of him as well

I am sure that you have heard of him as well

But we have no idea if he is Ogami Itto

although he claims to be available for hire

But if he turns out to be Ogami Itto, then

Chamberlain!

My fellow men

when we left our homeland, we all pledged to give our lives

in the service of Oyamada Sanmangoku Clan

Yes, sir!

Yes, sir! Yes, sir!

You are our Clan's strongest men

If he turns out not to be Ogami Itto you'll be able to kill him

Understood, sir We two will kill him

although perhaps it is better if we are the ones who die

Chamberlain! We'd be glad to give our lives for you!

I am the Edo Chamberlain of the Oyamada Clan, Ichige Gyobu

I have sought a meeting with you

as it is whispered that you are Ogami Itto, the former Official Executioner

and, if so, we would like to request your assistance with a grave matter

Please excuse us for our impoliteness

Tell me your business

We would like to request the deaths

of a certain group of four men

For 500 pieces of gold, your request will be fulfilled

The number of victims is of no consequence

And, one more thing

I ask that you tell me everything related to this request

Please examine these

I am listening

Chamberlain Sugito is plotting

to assassinate our Clan's heir, Lord Noriyuki, who is in poor health

and to install Lord Takemaru, of a branch family, as heir

thereby gaining control of the Oyamada Clan

Lord Noriyuki will be leaving Edo in two days

making his first visit to this part of the country

Undoubtedly, the Chamberlain will not miss this opportunity

From what we were able to secretly determine

he has gathered a band of ronin

and is waiting for our Lord to arrive

Along the Nikko road

several miles before one reaches the city of lmaichi

lies a mountain road called "Ootawara"

There, in the outskirts of the Oyamada domain

is a bathing palace called "Gounomori"

Chamberlain Sugito is sure to have his men there

I was previously informed that our Lord

will be visiting the hot-springs of Gounomori for a meeting

The three of us were preparing to fight Chamberlain Sugito and his men

It was for that reason that we came here

Following the orders of Chamberlain Sugito are

three first-class swordsmen known as the "Oyamada Three"

Of these, Matsuki Juunai, who holds the office of inspector

is an expert horseback musketeer

We are no match for him in a fair fight

Because of this, we had planned to ambush him

Use your talents and destroy the evil Chamberlain Sugito

somehow I beg you

From high up in the mountain, if you shit a rocky turd, oh...

It'll be all covered with sand...

It'll tumble down like a pebble...

There goes one!

Here goes one!

There goes one...

Daigoro

Soon, the Shogunate's men will be arriving

But, your father intends to disobey the Shogunate's orders

and to flee from this region of the realm

In order to avenge our family, the house- hold of the Executioner Ogami

and to vindicate my honor, I will abandon my samurai life

and I shall become a true demon, bound by no rules!

Hear me, Daigoro

From now on, your father shall

follow a road of blood and corpses

as an assassin in the world of killing without remorse

By taking assignments as an assassin

all that our family has suffered

can be returned back to the Yagyu!

Daigoro The road you will take shall be chosen by you alone

If you choose this Doutanuki Sword

you'll travel the road of the assassin, with me

If you choose the ball, I will send you to be with your mother

Daigoro Of course, you do not yet comprehend

what your father is saying nor what is about to happen

But the Ogami blood in you will decide for you

Here choose

You must choose Daigoro!

You would've been happier

if you'd chosen to join your mother in her world

Oh, poor child!

An assassin with a child, I see

Do you understand, Daigoro? This is our fate!

"Official Order of the Shogunate"

Let it be proclaimed "Ogami Itto"

"Even though you are the Official Shogunate Executioner"

"you have dared to keep, in your own shrine"

"a death memorial tablet that carried the emblem of the Shogunate"

"This is undeniably an act of ill-will towards the Shogunate"

"and as such, it shall not be forgiven"

"You are dismissed from your position, and"

"your House will be abolished In conclusion"

"you and your son, Daigoro, are hereby ordered to commit seppuku"

I must commend your having welcomed us by wearing death robes

It is so typical of you, Ogami Itto, who personified the office of Executioner

You are prepared most commendably

I did not wear this death robe

in order to commit seppuku

but rather to

proclaim that we, father and son, shall live as demons from this day on

These robes are to celebrate our departure!

How dare you! Are you disobeying an Order of the Shogunate?!

Have you lost your mind, Ogami Itto?!

We, who have chosen to live as demons, are no longer mere humans

For us, then, such an order is nonsense!

Come out!

Come out! Come out! Come out!

Can you slay me? With your slender arms

can you execute the Executioner?

You fool, how dare you spit upon an Order of the Shogunate! Kill him!

What are you doing?! Kill him! Kill him!

Ogami Itto

Obey the Order of the Shogunate

and commit seppuku right here and now!

I will be

your Second!

We, the Shadow-Yagyu, have replaced the Ogami's

and have obtained the post of Official Executioner!

Therefore observing all of the proper formalities, we shall take your head!

I refuse! You used the most despicable of tactics to kill my wife

and then wrongfully accused me of treason I shall have my revenge!

No matter where I choose to go, until I achieve my revenge, I will not run

A loser playing at being a hero It is an act that is pointless

Not even your Suiouryu techniques

can stand against the Yagyu's wall of warriors!

Are you sure?

Itto! How dare you!

For 27 years I have served this sacred emblem

You, for 64 years

As long as every single being in the more than 60 domains

lives under, and honors, this emblem

I cannot yet find it to be totally without merit

Observe!

The Yagyu's best men, renowned as invincible, are now as nothing

Unless you strike at this sacred emblem

you cannot kill me!

Can you, Retsudo?!

Is not pointing your swords, while facing

the emblem of the Shogunate considered disrespectful?!

Clear the way!

Wait!

Remove and hand over the robe bearing the symbol of the Shogunate!

Then, we Yagyu will challenge you to a fair fight

If you should win

then you may go anywhere you wish, live wherever you wish

As long as it is beyond the borders of the Shogunate's domain

we will leave you in peace

How about it?

Very well

Our sentinel carries the sunshine on his back...

... while Ogami Itto carries a child on his.

Both men carry something...

... but the outcome of this challenge is already determined.

If everything else is equal and fair, he who has the advantage of ground...

... he who has the advantage of Nature, shall be the victor!

From high up in the mountain, if you shit a rocky turd, oh...

It'll be all covered with sand...

It'll tumble down like a pebble...

It'll tumble down like a pebble... "From high up in the mountain"

"if you shit a rocky turd, oh"

"lt'll be all covered with sand"

"lt'll tumble down like a pebble"

"There goes one!"

"Here goes one!"

Sign: "Gounomori Hot Springs"

Dammit! Oh, shit! Dammit!

What a rude fellow he was!

You You with the little brat!

Want me to slash this rope so you fall down like that other guy?

If there's no other bridge to the Ootawara Road

I believe that doing so will inconvenience you as well

What nerve!

All right Cross!

Huh? A Doutanuki Sword

It won't get a nick, even after slicing through bone

a battle-sword that you can even use effectively from horseback

You got a nice piece here, fellow I'll keep it for you

Why did you come here? Well?

Must I have a reason to take a bath?

You've come to bathe, nothing else?

Are you saying that someone who brings his child has some other purpose?

You're right But you two are unlucky

as you've chosen to bathe in Hell!

All right Follow me

One more thing If you get any funny ideas

you and your brat will be sliced into pieces!

Help! Someone, please! Help!

Stop! Father!

Help!

No!

Can't show it to your brat, eh?

I guess that's what they call fatherly love, eh?

No!

Knock it off! O-kayo! Damn you!

You demons! I'll kill you! Take this!

Looks like she's dead, Onibi

After all, first you grabbed and squeezed her

and then you force-fed her that giant of yours!

You know

I didn't try her 'cause I thought she was too little but she looks pretty tasty!

Hey Why did you have to keep her all to yourself, huh? Huh?

Who the hell's that?

He's come to bathe with his brat

He walked in here with a Doutanuki Sword, but

he's as meek as a house-cat!

It's no wonder he's quiet He could do nothing but stand still, after all!

Have we not met somewhere before?

I'm afraid not

Your name?

Even if I told you, it's an old name I no longer use

Just answer the question!

I am a ronin from the western lands Oonishi Tahei

Hmm Truly, it is a name I am not familiar with

The guy had a Doutanuki Sword

so I figured he'd be highly trained

but seeing as how he nearly fell for the old sake-cup trick Ha!

Listen If you defy us in any way

I'll throw these dirks straight into your throats

both yours and your brat's!

Take them to the bathhouse

Follow me

That man is something!

Say what? Are you telling me that he fooled me?!

Well, even if he is as strong as you, he can't do anything if he's got a child with him

Besides, he doesn't look like a fool who would go up against this many of us

All right I'll find out just how much of a man he is!

Don't, Monnosuke

No! As my man Tanba says, if that guy is no ordinary guy

then that would mean he's mocked my dirks!

I've got to test him for real, or else!

Will you come with me, Tanba?

That man

I just know that I've seen him somewhere before!

I'm sure that you've guessed by now that we've got prices on our heads

Don't be stupid enough to disobey us

Come out! Show me what you're made of

I'm telling you to step out, so that we can duel

Are you deaf?! Why, you

I guess you don't care what happens to your brat

Enough! What kind of a fool would dare to challenge wanted men like you?

That'd just be throwing your life away

That'd just be throwing your life away What are you saying?

He may not have a master, but he's still a samurai

He's not gonna beg for mercy and say "I don't wanna die! Please spare me!"

That's why he chooses to close his eyes like that, don't you get it?

Why won't you leave him alone?

I see what you're saying That does make sense

For a whore and a bedroom pickpocket, you do make sense Eh, Osen?

Ha! And you're nothing but filthy beasts!

What did you say?

All right I'll let him off

But in exchange, you two must screw right in front of us!

Right now! Right here!

Let us watch every moment of it!

Now that sounds interesting

On with the show!

On with the show! No, I won't! Who would?!

It's ridiculous!

It's ridiculous! I wouldn't mind paying to watch, you know

Besides, you sell yourself for a living

On top of that, you then sneak and steal money from your clients

Show us that special technique of yours, and let us enjoy it to the fullest!

Damn you!

Damn you! If you dare to defy me

I'd rather die

I see Then, you die

Wait

You can't You wouldn't

Don't tell me that you'd to save me

If you don't mind a woman like me then I'm all yours

She looks like a little girl!

She looks like a little girl! Yeah!

I bet she thinks she's a female buddha, 'cause she spared a soul

A juicy buddha, more like

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful

Merciful Buddha Merciful Will you knock it off, you lousy priest?!

If you chant prayers at a time like this

it makes us feel like we're already dead!

This is a living hell in any case

Before they leave here we'll all be killed

Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha We don't know that for sure!

Yeah, everyone else is hiding indoors

but there are scores of people in this bathhouse village alone!

Nobody can be ruthless enough to kill that many!

But, the fact is, unlike those folks, we are travelers

If they let us live, then their activities would be known

If that happens, then

R Right They'll kill us for sure!

Damn! So you're saying that we ought to just sit and wait to be killed?! Shit!

No matter what we do now, nothing's gonna help!

They are beasts

Honorable Samurai warriors Please do something!

I do not want to die! I do not want to be killed!

Please save us! Please!

Enough!

What do you expect of a sick man?!

It's the same story with that ronin

One has to lose all sense of decency to save oneself

He has no shame, so he's a beast like them, but

ha! Without fangs, what use is he?!

Quiet!

Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?

You're only a yakuza and a traveling laborer!

Did you know I tried to bite my tongue to kill myself earlier

But, he understood that, so he shamed himself, and made love to me!

Isn't that sweet?

Just to save a woman like me

he put aside his pride and honor, that which means everything to a samurai!

Ha! Nonsense!

There's an army of samurai who'll get it on with cheap whores!

So, don't get airs!

And will that "army of samurai" sacrifice themselves just to save a whore's life?!

He fucked you just to save his own ass!

Don't you understand?

Why don't you ask your little friend the one below your belly button!

What the hell do you mean by that?!

If you were scared out of your mind begging for mercy

could you make love right then and there?

Where are you going?

Are you not afraid of them?

The way I see it If I am to die right now, so be it

A woman like me

can only sink deeper into misery as each year passes by

"Gounomori:" Forest-in-Countryside This hot-spring is named "Gounomori"

"Koumori:" Bat but everyone calls it a "Koumori" Spa

Can you guess why?

Bats have wings, but they aren't birds

yet, they have fangs, but they aren't beasts

Outcasts from society, who are just like those bats

come here in search of even the tiniest amount of peace

That's why we call it the "Koumori" Spa

But those scum are different

They are beasts with fangs!

And you are a bird with wings

What are you trying to say?

You show no fear of their fangs

You have wings, and can fly away from here at will

I just know it As one who's passed from one man's arms to the next

I know what kind of wings you have

Earlier this summer, at a town where I was staying, near Takatou castle

four high-ranking samurai were slain

Whoever did it was supposedly a ronin with a child

And the slain samurai were said to be the best of their Clan

Their interrogators were very rough, so I remember all of that well

The unknown pair were called the "Lone Wolf and Cub"

and were available for hire

as assassins

or so the story goes

By the afternoon of the day after tomorrow

his highness will travel via the Nikko Road

then pass through here: Jizougahara

It's within the Shogunate's domain, and it's an ideal spot to stage an ambush

There'll be problems if we wait until they enter the Oyamada domain

Without fail, they must be killed right here! Understood?

Very well

And? What about the money?

500 pieces of gold

The remaining 500 will be paid upon completion

We're counting on you, Kanbei

There is no room for failure

Leave everything to me

Say mind if I check it out for a bit?

That's what they call a "horseback- musket," right?

That's what they call a "horseback- musket," right?

If you've got weapons like that, why can't you kill them yourselves?!

There would be traceable evidence

Besides we must be at the castle around the time of the attack

I see If you are all "lined up and ready to serve" at the castle, then

there's no way you can ever be suspected, huh?

Exactly

lt'll be reported that Lord Noriyuki and his men

were attacked by a band of lowly, out- of-work ronin, and, alas, were slain

Who, then, will bother to suspect us?

We may be those lowly ronin, but you are a bunch of turncoats!

Watch your tongue!

Watch your tongue! Forget it!

At any rate you must not fail

I understand completely!

Everyone come out! Come out!

Hurry, or we'll kill you!

Come out!

Come out!

Come out!

Hurry up!

Everyone We must thank you for everything

We are leaving now

However there is something I must tell you first

Should any of you say anything about us and I mean anything

to any officers of the Shogunate

You will all die!

Understand?

Yes, sir

However this group is to die right here

For two reasons If I let you go

you will tell somebody, somewhere along the way

and you know what we look like

Secondly you will be an example to everyone in this village!

Consider yourselves unfortunate Your lives are over

PPlease spare me! Please! Don't kill me!

We won't ever tell anyone anything about you!

So please! Please! I beg you!

Please spare me! Please spare me!

Please spare me! Please spare me!

First, the samurai you go first

Pick it up then, fight me!

I'll let you die like a real samurai

MMaster!

I am prepared

But how can we fight, when I am so weak from illness?!

I will commit seppuku

so, at the very least act as my Second!

So, at the very least act as my Second! "Second?!"

Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha "A Second..."

Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha

"Ogamu:" To chant prayers "Ogamu..."

"Ogamu..."

Ogami!

The Shogunate's Second!

Ogami Itto!

Where is he?! Where's that ronin with the child?!

As I thought!

What's the matter?

Wanna kill that fellow with the brat first?

No, wait Leave that man alone!

Let him go!

Say what? What's wrong with you?

Just do not attempt to do anything to that man!

What are you afraid of?! How can you be scared of a guy like that?

You fool! Knock it off!

What's so special about such a coward?!

Monnosuke!

How impossible!

Suiouryu Horse-Slaying Technique

I know nothing!

Please spare me! I will not tell anyone

that you were once the Shogunate's Second

Ogami Itto!

Please spare me!

Why, you It's intolerable!

Who are you?

You fool!

Who are you?!

Greetings, I am the assassin "Lone Wolf and Cub!"

What?!

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

Merciful Buddha Merciful Buddha

It's true the Lone Wolf and Cub

Wait!

Wait!

The End