"There were people who loathed one other." "Their corpses withered in the fields, their souls soaked in blood..." "And their bonds were broken by blades..." "Collapsed in the darkness, their sincerity walls..." ""My beloved, please die... "" ""My beloved, please die..."" "Clouds shroud a night with a waning moon quivering in the haze" "A cruel trap involving a pair of crucified fledglings" "Oh, since smoldering feelings lie firmly in their hearts destruction!" "Gently as the water, severely as a flower pierce with a trembling blade" "Even when I shut the fated tears deep within my eyes my eyelids still remember you" ""19th Year of Keichou (1614 A.D.)"" ""Sunpu Castle"" ""Tokugawa Chief of Espionage- Hattori Hanzo"" ""Swordsmanship Instructor- Yagyuu Munenori"" ""Retired Shogun" " Tokugawa Ieyasu"" ""Kouga Manjidani Group- Kazamachi Shougen"" ""Kouga Manjidani Chief" " Kouga Danjou"" ""Iga Tsubagakure Group" " Yashamaru"" ""Iga Tsubagakure Chief" " Iga-no-Ogen"" "Don't worry..." "It'll only hurt for a second!" "Iga-no-Ogen!" "That sharpness!" "What on earth does that man wield?" "!" "Female black hair, twined together and coated with secret animal oils..." "'Tis the secret Kokujou (Black Rope) technique of Iga-no-Yashamaru." "However there is no point in wasting it so." "Talk about pathetic, you Kouga geezer!" "'Tis premature to be boasting of your win, boy..." "Kouga Danjou!" "What was that?" "!" "It was phlegm." "P-phlegm?" "!" "To think he would oppose Yashamaru's Kokujou with phlegm..." "Ogen." "Make not light of it!" "The phlegm of the Kouga Manjidani's Kazamachi Shougen is like glue!" "Its adhesiveness, several hundred-fold!" "This's more like it, kiddo!" "Now you can't play cat's cradle anymore." "Bastard!" "I'll kill you Kouga scum!" "To think I'd ever see eye-to-eye with Iga trash!" "Chief of the Kouga Manjidani group, Kouga Danjou..." "Chief of the Iga Tsubagakure group, Ogen..." "What ill-boding people..." "Now I understand why the first Hanzo sealed them in darkness and forced them into an anti-war pact..." "Still, I do not understand why Ieyasu-sama would wish to observe such rabble..." "Ninja..." "Indeed." "So a priest says to use ninja to decide the next Tokugawa shogunate..." "Edo Castle is split into two factions over Hidetada-sama's successor;" "one for Takechiyo-sama, and one for younger brother Kunichiyo-sama." ""Tokugawa Bakufu Overseer- Nankoubou Tenkai" Even the senior guards" ""Tokugawa Bakufu Overseer- Nankoubou Tenkai" partake in this family quarrel... partake in this family quarrel..." "Should we ignore this, even if we do destroy Toyotomi, the Tokugawa shall also follow the path to destruction." "I know..." "That is the reason I consult you, Priest." "And I have stated my thoughts." "However, it is far too late to settle things with reason." "Empathetic consideration would also prove futile." "Consequently, the next wisest choice would be to decide by having two worthy warrior families vie in a 10-game match of swords..." "Doing thusly would also save many Tokugawa samurai from dying pointless deaths..." "Therefore, ninja?" "Indeed..." "Even if ninja should slay one another and perish in a sea of blood it would make no difference to anyone!" "Enough." "Stop them." "That is enough!" "That is enough!" "Kouga and Iga..." "To think such people would hide in a province bordering the Yagyuu..." "How blind I have been!" "I had heard of their names from the first Hanzo." "Their ninpou is said to surpass ordinary techniques." "Yes." "That was most impressive." "Kouga Danjou, Iga-no-Ogen." "I truly thank you both." "Incidentally..." "Would you be willing to help determine the Tokugawa successor by fighting to the death in a ninpou competition?" "Allow me to humbly say this." "Speak." "We... have been bitter rivals for 400 years." "Even were it not for the Tokugawa family..." "Rescind the anti-war pact we made with the first Hattori Hanzo-sama and we can begin." "As you wish." "Yes." "Well stated, Hanzo." "Then..." "Inscribe upon these two scrolls the names of ten ninja of each clan." "The Kouga shall represent the faction wishing Kunichiyo to be heir." "The Iga shall represent the Takechiyo faction." "I entrust to them the selection of the third-generation shogun." "And once the two sides fight and slay one another, the one to survive with this secret scroll in hand shall be the victor!" ""The Ten Kouga"" ""The Ten Iga"" ""By Decree of Tokugawa Ieyasu"" "1000 years of glory are promised to one clan!" "To Kouga Manjidani..." "To Iga Tsubagakure..." "This is certainly an odd turn of events, Ogen-ba..." "That it is..." "Just as we were nearing conciliation through our grandchildren's love..." "The two could very well be with each other as we speak..." "Such a pity..." "It just wasn't in the stars..." "Wasn't in the stars..." "Fate, indeed..." "Providence is terrifying..." ""9th Year of Tenshou (1581 A.D.)"" "Danjou-sama!" "Ogen-dono!" "Sorry I'm late!" "Today is the last day we can meet in secret..." "Yes." "The next time we can meet is after both the Iga and Kouga clans have been freed from their long-standing grudge." "It won't be that long." "The Kouga elder is on my side." "Hattori Hanzo-sama too wishes for a truce between the clans." "If I ask for mediation, they will unquestionably spare no effort to help." "Yes, Danjou-sama..." "We must briefly part, Ogen-dono..." "The sun is about to set." "Make haste." "Ogen-dono." "What is wrong?" "Do you think it will be?" "Come again?" "Do you think... there will be peace in our lifetime?" "Do not be fainthearted..." "We must both patiently persuade those close to us." "When the time is right, we will bring both sides together and tell them about us." "Ogen-dono..." "I will do my utmost..." "I love you..." "And I you, Ogen." "That's the first time you've ever called me "Ogen"!" "I have cleansed my body..." "That's..." "The Tsubagakure village!" "The Tsubagakure lookouts would never be destroyed so easily!" "This is no ordinary raid!" "Who would dare attack the Iga, and why?" "!" "Oda!" "Ogen!" "Where is the elder?" "!" "Ogen!" "Ogen!" "My shoulder..." "It only grazed it..." "Grandfather!" "Ogen..." "I'm sorry." "We rushed straight here, but he was already" ""First Generation" " Hattori Hanzo" I'm sorry." "We rushed straight here, but he was already" "Kouga Danjou." "Why are you here?" "I see..." "The Iga are doomed if nothing is done!" "Escape with the survivors!" "Bastard!" "Ogen!" "Ogen!" "Just accept it!" "The hammer will drop on Nobunaga eventually!" "No human being would carry out such an injustice!" "Danjou-sama." "Return to the Kouga..." "I promise I'll come see you someday." "No, we need to get you to safety." "But first you need medical attention..." "Sakinta!" "Who's there?" "!" "Hannojou!" "Hikoza!" "This is a Kouga blade!" "Danjou-sama." "Renbu!" "Why are you in Tsubagakure first?" "I'll explain later!" "Why do you kill the Iga?" "!" "What an odd question..." "The retired shogun has ordered us to use this opportunity to exterminate the Iga!" "What?" "!" "'Tis hardly an onerous job." "Oda's lines are infallible." "All we're doing is exterminating the Iga insects who dare to slip through the cracks!" "Unforgivable!" "I am the chief!" "It was decided that your opinions on this matter need no consideration!" "That can't be!" "Danjou-sama..." "Have you deceived us-and me?" "!" "Ogen!" "How can you say that?" "!" "Wait!" "This is some sort of" "Ogen?" "!" "Ogen!" "Ogen!" "Your wound!" "You said it was your shoulder, but it's actually near a vital spot!" "Ogen!" "Show me your wound!" "Ogen!" "I guess it just wasn't in the stars..." "Please die..." "Kouga Danjou!" "Incidentally, Ogen-ba." "I doubt you know who the Kouga Manjidani Ten are..." "Likewise, I doubt you know who the Iga Tsubagakure Ten are..." "Ten?" "You mean nine." "You let your guard down..." "That Yashamaru boy is still quite inexperienced..." ""Ogen"" "Dan" "Farewell, Ogen!" "'Tis the fate of one born a shinobi, Ogen..." "Ogen!" ""Kouga Danjou"" "Melting away in the melody you whisper in the twilight" "I sense eternity in our attracting eyes and life sprouts silently" "The dew of emotions that dances and flutters about in the spring wind is a crumbling butterfly dream that wildly disturbs the path of the stars" ""Oboro" "Kouga Gennosuke" is a crumbling butterfly dream that wildly disturbs the path of the stars is a crumbling butterfly dream that wildly disturbs the path of the stars" ""Kouga-Iga Border" " Toki Pass" is a crumbling butterfly dream that wildly disturbs the path of the stars" ""Kouga-Iga Border" " Toki Pass"" "Sorry I'm late..." "Oboro-dono..." "Gennosuke-sama..." ""Mutual Thought, Mutual Killing"" ""Next Episode"" "Kouga and Iga." "Upon those opposites, the wind of tranquility blows." "Two beautiful hearts trust and bond." "In the night sky of their humble rendezvous soar the blood-soaked signal fires that are the secret scrolls." "On the next Basilisk~ Kouga Ninpouchou"