02x09 - Sono Otoko, Kusunoki Masashige

[bunniefuu]

Yes.

I have a feeling a golden temple will
be built somewhere within sight of here.

Yeah, I know what you mean.
You can sort of feel it, can't you?

There's no way
they'd build something like that.

THE GOLDEN PAVILION
DOES NOT YET EXIST

We have been greatly indebted to Mima.

I must thank her properly later.

Still, to think that her father
is Doyo Sasaki.

He betrayed Kamakura alongside Takauji,

and I hear that he now serves
as something of a strategist

for Takauji in Kyo.

My Lord, if you command me to do so,
I will use her to get close to Doyo

and make preparations
to take Takauji's head.

Let's not. It would put you in danger,

and I don't want to betray her
when she has treated us as friends.

I want this one encounter
to end with us remaining good friends.

Forgive me for making
such an insensitive proposal.

That is just like you, My Lord.

THE ELUSIVE SAMURAI

So, what do you two like about the boy?

-He's kind.
-He's kind.

You country girls are always so quick
to fall back on kindness.

Listen. A man who gives you
no excitement is worthless.

There must be moments
when even the boy gives you a thrill.

See? In the end, it's that thrilling side
of him you're attracted to.

-Mima!
-You're too loud!

Boy!

Wait a second!

After all that,
they really have become friends.

They sure are carefree.

Still, even after spending days
traveling around Kyo,

all we hear are terrible things
about the Emperor.

Yes. The warriors, in particular,
are full of discontent.

My father said
the Emperor is far more capable

than he needs to be.

That's why he cannot understand
how ordinary or incompetent people feel,

and he wants to decide everything
by himself.

He said that if only the Emperor
had just one wise retainer

who understood both him and the people,
he could have become a true hero.

See you, boy.

Yeah. Thank you.

I had fun again today.

Hey.

How long are you staying in Kyo?

I don't know. I have a feeling
I may not be here much longer.

Hey…

Would you consider serving my father?

You could rise much higher in rank
than you would as a guard in Suwa.

SAIONJI MAIN RESIDENCE

- CARPENTER
TEAM FOREHEAD

- Chojumaru! Just the person I needed!

Uncle. Why are you dressed as a carpenter?

Never mind, never mind.

The preparations for the uprising
are complete.

Now is the time to reveal my plan.

They are young,
but they are retainers I can trust.

May I show them as well, Sir Kinmune?

If those children tell anyone,
you will die.

If you trust them enough
to accept the consequences,

then very well.

SAIONJI VILLA

This is the Saionji clan's
newly-built villa.

I have been modifying this bathhouse
all by myself.

We will hold a banquet at this villa
and invite the Emperor.

We will suggest that he be the first
to bathe in the new bath,

for good fortune,
and when he enters this changing room…

The floor will open, and the Emperor
will plunge headfirst

onto the blades below.

Here, we shall put the Emperor to death.

That will be the signal for us
to begin our w*r.

After the fall of the Kamakura shogunate,

the Emperor has openly treated
my Saionji clan unfavorably

because of our close ties to the Hojo.

Unless we take the Emperor's life
and restore the Hojo to power,

I can never hope
to rise in rank in this lifetime.

Are you two out of your minds?

Even I know that k*lling the Emperor
is a grave crime and no laughing matter.

We of the Kamakura faction
do not recognize the current Emperor

as having legitimately
ascended the throne.

Doing away with a false Emperor
does not constitute high treason.

After all, the current regime
is the Emperor's dictatorship.

Once it loses its head,
Kyo will fall into utter chaos.

We will seize that opportunity
to raise armies across the country

and reclaim the realm!

Yes.

I have a feeling
that if you continue with this plan,

a golden temple will be built here.

That is a favorable omen, shrine maiden!

It means my clan will prosper enough
to build something like that!

Indeed, Sir Kinmune!
We will carry out the plan in three days.

Let us drink to its success in advance!

We absolutely must stop them!

k*lling the Emperor
would be the worst possible move.

Not only would our prospective allies
stay away,

but the Hojo name would be disgraced
for a thousand years to come.

My Lord!

Thank goodness…

Oh, no. I mean,
Mr. Yorishige told me before we left.

I cannot yet tell you
what Lord Yasuie's plan is,

but it will most certainly fail.

I can see that future.

However, even if the plan ends in failure,

there is no doubt that Kyo
will fall into great chaos,

and it is also certain that the chaos will
be ideal for starting the great battle.

The Elusive Warriors' mission in Kyo

is to take Lord Yasuie with you
after the plan fails

and flee back to Shinano
as quickly as possible.

From then on, speed will be everything.

We will commence military operations
as soon as you arrive in Shinano.

That's what he told me.

I see.

To get Uncle safely away,
we need to prepare thoroughly

before the plan is carried out.

The question is how we will escape
from Kyo.

Starting tomorrow,
we will scout out our escape routes.

What about Mima?

We promised we'd spend time with her
again tomorrow.

I'll go tell her we cannot make it.

If honest Big Brother talks to her,
sharp Mima will see right through him.

Big Brother came down with a fever
and is in bed.

-Sorry.
-Oh.

Maybe I dragged him around too much.

Well, can't be helped.

Hey, Shizuku.

Who is the boy, really?

Just as I told you,

he's the son of the chief guard
at Suwa Grand Shrine.

His business here is finished,
so I think he'll be leaving Kyo soon.

You're pretty hard to read yourself.

And this is from Big Brother,
to thank you for showing us around.

What? Really? What is it?

Maybe a comb? A mirror?

WE CAUGHT SOME BIG ONES,
SO PLEASE ENJOY THEM

You country samurai.

Yes!

This street is excellent.

There are few people here, day or night,
and plenty of broken walls to hide behind.

Streets like this were ideal
for escaping in Kamakura too!

The Young Lord sure looks lively.

When it comes to escaping,
he's in his element, after all.

Well! You like this escape route?

You have a discerning eye.
I like it as well!

A warrior should always keep escape routes
like this in mind,

so that we can ensure the Emperor's escape
if bandits attack Kyo.

Pardon me for being so sudden.

Are you the son of a warrior
from around here?

Oh, no. I'm just sightseeing.

Oh, I see.

Let's go, My Lord.

He looks weak,
bowing and scraping like that,

but he seems to be on the Emperor's side.

It'll be trouble
if he gets suspicious of us.

Yeah.

-Shizuku, the map.
-Yes.

The next place to check is…

BOWING

Creepy. He keeps bowing
and acting suspiciously.

No. He's not just some suspicious man!

By bobbing his head
and looking all around,

he's taking three-dimensional measurements
from above, below, left and right!

Our builds, postures, stride lengths
and distances from him!

Even when his opponent is a child,

he makes sure to assess them
so he can escape without fail.

That's the stance of the elusive!

To think he saw through it
at such a young age…

The secrets of my elusiveness.

-He's formidable.
-He's formidable.

-If this man and I…
-Were to face each other in earnest…

-I might lose to him at escaping!
-I might lose to him at escaping!

What is this inexplicable tension?

How do I put it?

It feels like they're locked
in an incredibly sophisticated,

yet incredibly pointless clash.

Shall we introduce ourselves?

No, you need not.

It would be rude to ask
the name of a child

who is scouting escape routes.

My name is Masashige Kusunoki.

MASASHIGE KUSUNOKI

I'm merely an insignificant minor official
who started out as a local landholder.

"GOD OF w*r"
MASASHIGE KUSUNOKI

Masashige Kusunoki, the "God of w*r."

With only a small force,
he repeatedly outmaneuvered

and defeated the massive forces
of the Kamakura shogunate,

becoming a driving force behind
Emperor Godaigo's rise to rule the realm.

His military genius stands out
even in Japanese history,

and he is a great hero
celebrated in countless legends.

Let's go, My Lord.

That man is trouble.

If he learns who you really are,
it's all over.

A man named Shokan
praised your military strategy.

Shokan?

You mean Shokan, that utterly bald,
dull-eyed, rotten scoundrel!

I helped him escape by using a substitute
corpse to make it look like he had died.

That takes me back!

How is he doing now?

I thought I k*lled him, but he survived.

Big Brother!

What an interesting child you are!

He certainly was a great villain
who deserved to be k*lled,

but for now, let me simply be glad
that he is still alive somewhere!

So,

what do you want from me?

You just revealed information
that could put your life in danger.

And like me, you place
the utmost importance on survival.

That means there is something
you want from me, Masashige,

enough that you would
deliberately open yourself up to me.

I cannot suppress this sense
that we understand each other.

Regardless of whether
we are enemies or allies,

there is something I should learn
from this man.

Was I wrong?

Mr. Kusunoki.

There are enemies I wish to defeat.

They surpass us in military strategy,
skills and power.

And I am not confident I can defeat them
just by running from them.

You wish to know the secret
to how the weak can defeat the strong.

Very well, suspicious boy.

Do you have the courage
to come to my residence alone?

-You think the Young Lord will be okay?
-Probably.

I don't think he's the kind of person
who would set a trap for a child.

Still, I am surprised.

To think that Masashige Kusunoki,

whose military renown resounds
throughout Japan,

would be a man who, at times,
even comes across as servile.

-Sneaky, snacky.
-Dear!

You're sneaking bites
of the servants' meal again!

Sorry. I was just feeling a little hungry…

Who is this child?

-Run!
-Wait!

Do you run away from your wife too?

Ever since I took it upon myself to raise
an army and caused her much hardship,

I have not been able to stand up to her.

The Kusunoki style
is to flee for the time being,

then get back in her good graces
once she has calmed down.

Now then, boy.

You wanted to know
how the weak can defeat the strong.

Then let us have a practice bout.

Use the technique you think
gives you the best chance of winning.

We shall exchange just one move each.

Once I've seen that,
I should be able to offer some advice.

Or are you afraid

of my martial prowess
that defeated the massive Hojo army?

I'm not afraid.

Who taught you that technique?

One of my retainers,
whose one eye is hidden.

He teaches me various techniques
suited to me.

You have a good teacher.

When I raised an army

and faced a Kamakura force
a hundred times the size of my own

my men were nothing
but a makeshift group of amateurs.

We were even lacking teachers
to instruct them in swordsmanship.

How did we win?

Allow me to show you the Kusunoki style.

He blocked it with a rice ball?

From your stance,

I could tell it was an artery slash
performed while escaping.

In other words,
a low-power, precision slash.

All I need to do is keep it
from reaching an artery,

so even this hard rice ball
is enough to serve as a shield.

GRINNING

I never imagined someone
would use a rice ball in a sword fight.

Thinking that way already means
you're not very elusive.

You are too fixated on
winning with a sword.

If you focus solely on
winning with a sword,

only those who are strong
with a sword can win.

If you are focus solely on
winning with arrows,

only the side with skilled archers
can win.

The secret to how the weak
can defeat the strong

is to escape from the cage
of preconceptions.

Mr. Kusunoki?

Those confined within that cage
have nowhere to escape,

and can find no options
beyond those directly before them.

Even if you cannot wield a sword properly,

you can hollow out logs
and store rainwater in them

to withstand a siege.

Even if you cannot use arrows,
you can spread oil and burn ladders.

Even a baby can defecate
and throw its own feces.

Soldiers, weapons,
physical strength and skills for battle

need only be brought to bear
for a single moment

to defeat an enemy force
a hundred times larger.

Common sense, tradition,
aesthetics, past successes, large forces.

Those enclosed in such cages
are solid and strong,

but when a gap between
the bars is exploited,

they have no way out
and are utterly vulnerable.

Then what should I do?

It is simple.

Preconceptions are illusions
created by the mind.

Then it is also the human mind
that can dispel them.

The weak must not be trapped in a cage.

Even if they call you underhanded
or cowardly, flee with confidence.

Why do birds look so free and magnificent?

Because the entire sky is a place
for them to escape.

Unbound and unconfined.

Always traverse that vast, high,
magnificent place of escape.

To escape is to live.

That is what I, Masashige, believe.

TO ESCAPE IS TO LIVE

Thank you, Mr. Kusunoki!

Your words have given me confidence
in escaping!

People have said I have
the fighting ability of a rabbit

and called me a naked little freak
who runs away.

I've been hurt
by all the things they've called me!

That's quite a way to be spoken of.

Boy.

Let me give you something nice.

CLUTTERED

What a mess…

It got this way
while I was trying all sorts of things

to see what might be useful in battle.

-Here it is.
-What's that?

It is a record
the Emperor ordered me to write.

It describes how I fought the last w*r
and records it all.

That is the draft of what I submitted.

Your handwriting is awful!

It's just a draft,

and no one's going to see it,
so I thought, why not?

Well, take your time deciphering it.

Right…

However, you must not show it to anyone.

It is meant to be given
only to the Emperor.

More importantly…

these are military strategies
for those who love to escape.

Someone who doesn't understand escape
may misuse them.

I trust you as a fellow lover of escape
and entrust this to you.

Do you understand, boy?

Yes! Thank you, Mr. Masashige!

He's out! Thank goodness!

Thank you for giving me
your valuable time.

I have had many valuable experiences
since coming to Kyo,

but the time I spent with you today
was exceptional.

Indeed. Life is short.

Enjoy escaping to your heart's content.

At his age,
to have eyes that carry such a destiny…

And the hostility for the current regime
that occasionally shows through…

Surely not.

Father!

What is it, Tamonmaru?

A messenger from Lord Takauji came
while you were away.

Regarding the banquet
the day after tomorrow,

he says his arrival will be delayed
until around 8:00 p.m.

I wonder if something has come up.

He has some business to attend to
at the military office

and will come directly here
as soon as he is finished.

Understood.

Also, Mother was looking for you.

She still has not calmed down…

I don't think she will for a while.

I may have nothing
but pickled vegetables for dinner tonight.

I will share some of mine with you.

My Lord.

I would very much like you
to accept my proposal this time.

We now know when he will be passing by
and which route he will take.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to k*ll Takauji.

If you seek to rule the realm,

this is not an opportunity
you should let pass.

- EPISODE 22 [YEAR 1335]:
THE NIGHT OF THE ASSASSINATION

- Let's go!