04x22 - The Tactician's Intent

[bunniefuu]

I want to try and gather
the unrestrained winds

I'll run toward the horizon,
alongside the wave crests

I've made my decision,

even if there's a long way to go
on that road.

I'll continue towards the future I've planned

Time rushes us
The heartbeat speeds up

When I woke in the middle of a dream
I kept searching for that same light

Under the shining star lit sky with
countless constellations and shadows

There was something beyond that...
What were you gazing at?

What were you gazing at?

Is this really Moso's house?

Here he's a superintendant officer,

so I thought it'd be a more luxurious
building with gold folding screens.

Your voices are too loud.

Lord Moso is a magnificent person
with no self-interests.

So he lives frugally.

But you know, he's an old man

who's the second most important guy
in the land next to the feudal lord, right?

He smacks of being really poor.

Naruto!

Well well, how shameful of me
to present such a poor residence.

Lord Moso.

What?!

This old man like from
some dumpling shop?

I'm an old man from
a dumpling shop?

Geez, unbelievable!

Idiot!

What're you doing, Neji?!

Well, make yourselves comfortable.

So you are Ninja who came from
the Village Hidden in Leaves?

From the right,
this is Naruto, Neji and Tenten.

I hear you encountered
the Cursed Warrior that appeared

in Lord Komei's residence last night.

Yes.

So, how did it go?

Did you figure out the true identity
of the Cursed Warrior?

Yeah, it's a real ghost.

Oh, a ghost, huh?

Don't be jumping to conclusions
on your own.

But he appears all of a sudden
and flies around.

Yeah, and on top of that,
the inside of his armor was empty.

No matter how bizarre the thing,
there's always a trick.

I'll pin down the true identity without fail.

That is encouraging...

We have just changed feudal lords
and the public is still anxious.

Please eliminate the rumors of
the Cursed Warrior as soon as possible.

I beg of you.

Please!

Tsurucho Yakitori

Here are your chicken wings.

Oh, here we go!

They look tasty!

Hot!

That Moso superintendant officer
seems like a good guy.

Yes. It was also Lord Moso
who came to my rescue

and selected me to be a page.

The son of the feudal lord succeeds him

and an excellent superintendant officer
offers him tutelage...

The government appears
to be stable, but...

Then why is there a strange rumor
going around

about the haunting
of the previous feudal lord?

There's probably somebody displeased

with this dramatic replacement
of the feudal lord.

Do you have any idea who it might be?

Well, it might be Lord Komei, after all.

Isn't that the name of
the tactician you were talking about

who wanted to become the feudal lord?

Then why did the Cursed Warrior
appear in his residence?

Perhaps to deflect attention.

That's it.
I bet that's it.

All right, since it's come to this,

if we can nab that old man
called Komei or whatever

and quickly get him to own up...

Guys, let's get fired up and
get going!

Idiot. We can't do something
like that without proof.

He is a tactician of this land
more or less, so.

Oh man, that's no fun.

First, I want to meet Lord Sagi,
the feudal lord.

That's not possible. Lord Sagi
does not like to meet anybody.

Don't be such a stick-in -the-mud.
Let us meet him, okay?

You're a "nipple" friend, right?

If you're going to say that,
say, "childhood friend."

Huh?

Can we really meet him
in a place like this?

This lake holds fond memories
for Lord Sagi.

And... for me as well.

In our young days,

Lord Sagi always played with
his little sister Lady Toki here.

He might come here around about today
with his attendants...

If we're lucky.

It's up to luck, huh?

It's Lord Sagi.

Lord Sagi, we have arrived.

Thank you.

Oh wow...
So that's Lord Sagi, huh?

He's cute. He is kind of my liking...

My watch has remained stopped
since that time.

Hey, what's he doing?

He's probably reminiscing.

The only thing that can comfort
Lord Sagi's heart

is his memories with Lady Toki.

Byakugan.

Where is it?

Where's this bloodthirsty aura
coming from?

It's not above ground?

Could it be, underwater...?

Assassins! Protect Lord Sagi!

I don't think so!

Who the heck are you guys?

Damn it!
I won't let you get away.

Wait, Naruto!

What is it?

A letter b*mb in the water.

That was a close one.

If you'd chased after them as is,
you would've been totally entangled.

Settle down.

Lord Sagi!

Are you all right?!

Yes, I'm fine.

Thank goodness!

Lord Sagi, these three are Ninja
from the Village Hidden in Leaves...

They came to investigate
the true identity of the Cursed Warrior.

That was unnecessary.
I bet it was that Moso's idea?

It was all because
he was worried for your life, Lord Sagi.

The fact is, if these people
were not here now...

Silence.

Y Yes, my lord.

Hey hey, do you really not get
how this guy feels?!

Chishima was seriously
worried about you.

Without his passionate friendship,

the Hidden Leaf Village wouldn't have
taken action with that low commission fee.

I am not obliged.

How bothersome!

Say what?!

Friendship is in the past.

I became a feudal lord and
he is a mere page.

We are now standing on
different surfaces.

Say that again! I'll slug the guy
who tramples on friendship!

Let it go, Naruto.

What're you doing?! Let go of me!

I have to give guys like this
a good thumping!

You are talking about a feudal lord!

It would have been better
had it pierced my throat.

Go.

Yes, my lord.

Jeez, who does he think he is?!

Jeez, a feudal lord.

Please forgive him.

What? You don't have a problem
with being told off like that?!

He wasn't like that in the old days.

His father and little sister
d*ed in succession

and he became cold hearted.

So that's what it was.

I'm sure the day will come

when he will turn back into
the kind -hearted Lord Sagi.

I don't know about that.

The Shuriken from before.

This is an odd shape.

Hm? Let me have a look.

Oh!

Does it look familiar to you
or something?

Y Yes. There are no Ninja
in the Land of Birds.

But there are guardsmen
receiving special training.

Is it a w*apon those people use?

Yes.

Who commands those guardsmen?

The person who organizes them
is Lord Komei the tactician.

Say what?!

Komei again.

Komei must have originally thought to
mislead the public with the Cursed Warrior

and attempted to create
a rift between Lord Sagi and Moso.

But the relationship between
the two is tight.

And by Moso summoning us here,
he probably sensed that the day

was approaching when the truth
behind the incident would be revealed

and he plotted
to assassinate Lord Sagi.

If we've figured out that much,
let's charge on in!

Hold your horses, Naruto.

We have to find more hard evidence.

Hey, is that how it is?

Yeah, that's how it is.

Neji, look at that.

No doubt, it's Komei!

To think he'd go out without attendants

even though the Cursed Warrior
might appear.

All right, let's follow him.

This is the temple where
the Cursed Warrior appeared last night.

Something smells fishy.

He's shown up...!

Byakugan.

What's this?!

There's no need to waver anymore!

Hey! Wait.

I've witnessed the true identity
of the ghost!

Who's there?

Hey hey, Komei!

You're the one responsible
for controlling the Cursed Warrior, right?

What?

H-Hold it!

Naruto, get down!

I did it!

Damn it! No good.

This thing's not just a ghost, after all.

A tornado?

I can't see the Cursed Warrior!

Byakugan.

A Shuriken Shadow Clone?!

Trigrams Palm Rotation!

What're you letting your mind drift for?!

Sorry... I never thought a ghost could
use Ninjutsu.

It's not a ghost inside the armor.
It's a Shinobi.

And quite a wily one at that.

This is the same shape
as the shuriken from this afternoon.

He's an important witness.
Take him alive.

Leave it to me!

But we can't take him alive

if we don't do something about
that tornado.

Naruto.

I'm counting on you!

Right. I'll try!

Tenten, use as many weapons
as possible and draw his attention.

Roger.

No good. No effect at all.

That's fine. Just keep at it.

Neji... now!

Gentle Fist Technique,
Trigrams Palms.

Trigrams Palms.

Palms.

Palms.

Palms.

Palms.

Palms.

All right, we did it!

We'll find out the true identity
for sure this time.

Show us your real face.

What's this?

It's empty again.

This can't be!

Lord Komei, we have seized from
a storeroom in your residence,

one suit of white armor along
with guardsmen Shuriken.

We would like you to report
to the magistrate's office

as a material witness in
the recent Cursed Warrior incident

as well as the attempted assassination
of Lord Sagi.

I have no choice.

Thank you very much.

With this, Lord Sagi's heart should
settle down somewhat.

Case closed.

Still, they were sure prepared.

Here an hour has barely passed
since contacting Moso.

At that time...

- Huh?
- Huh?

There was a human presence
in tonight's Cursed Warrior.

The presence of someone alive.

A presence?

But you said you didn't feel such
a presence in the first Cursed Warrior.

Yeah.

Hey, what does that mean?

In other words, the two Cursed Warrior
are separate beings.

So many things happen
on this endless road, huh?

Although you're strong willed,
your voice wavered on the phone today

What dreams did you chase to get here?

Even I have times when
I just don't understand, baby

When you're sad, I'll be close to you

Even on nights when we're apart,
I'll be close to you

I'll be close to you

How can we go back to the village
when there's all this mystery?

If we're gonna investigate,
this has to be it.

What? Could this black thing be...?

I get it! We use this
to get through the dark...

Hey, why did we end up
in a place like this?!

Next: "Too Late for Help