"On November 6, 1555, Princess Yu passed away." "Kansuke... so you are back." "I gave Yu a warm burial." "Her attendant, Shima, told me that you made a promise with Yu." "I promised her that I would help you conquer the country." "That's not what I am talking about, Kansuke." "The Kiso family has submitted to the Takeda now." "Only Nagao Kagetora remains." "Once we get Kagetora's head, we can head to Kyoto." "Kansuke!" "Yu wanted..." "Lord!" "Please wait a while on that promise..." ""Swift as the wind"" ""Silent as the forest"" ""Conquer like the fire"" ""Unmovable as the mountain"" "FURIN KAZAN" "Episode 42:" "A BATTLE STRATEGIST VS A BATTLE GOD" "Original Story by:" "INOUE Yasushi" "Screenplay by:" "OMORI Sumio" "Music by:" "SENJU Akira" "Theme Music Performed by:" "NHK Symphony Orchestra Theme Music Conductor:" "TAKASEKI Ken Performed by:" "The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra" "Title Letters by:" "KAKINUMA Koji Narrator:" "KAGAMI Sachiko" "Period Consultant:" "SHIBATSUJI Shunroku Customs Consultant:" "FUTAKI Kenichi Architecture Consultant:" "HIRAI Kiyoshi Wardrobe Consultant:" "KOIZUMI Kiyoko" "Sword Fighting/Martial Arts Coach:" "HAYASHI Kunishiro Conduct Coach:" "NISHIKAWA Minosuke Horse-Riding Coaches:" "TANAKA Mitsunori, TSUJII Keiji" "Photographed in Cooperation with:" "Yamanishi Prefecture Nagano Prefecture Niigata Prefecture" "Cast" "YAMAMOTO Kansuke:" "UCHINO Masaaki" "TAKEDA Harunobu:" "ICHIKAWA Kamejiro" "NAGAO Kagetora:" "Gackt" "Lady SANJO:" "IKEWAKI Chizuru" "HARA Toratane:" "SHISHIDO Kai" "KAWARAMURA Denbei:" "ARIZONO Yoshiki" "KUZUKASA Takichi:" "ARIMA Jiyu Okuma:" "ASADA Aoi" "AKIYAMA Nobutomo:" "ICHINOSE Hidekazu Shiro:" "IKEMATSU Sosuke" "Momo:" "NISHIDA Naomi" "Shima:" "OMORI Akemi" "Ritsu:" "MAEDA Aki" "Princess Yu (flashback):" "SHIBAMOTO Yuki" "Nami:" "URABE Fusako NAGAO Masakage:" "Kenzo" "KUZUKASA Mokichi:" "UCHINO Kenta Priest:" "SAEBA Kazu" "Imperial Palace Dialect Coach:" "HORII Reiichi Kyoto Dialect Coach:" "INOUE Yukiko Yamanashi Dialect Coach:" "KASAI Kazuhiko" "HIMAWARI THEATRE GROUP CAMPUS CINEMA KUROKI PRO." "THEATRE ACADEMY" "Materials Furnished by:" "Kongobu-Ji on Mt." "Koya Muryoko-In on Mt." "Koya" "NAOE Sanetsuna:" "NISHIOKA Tokuma" "KAKIZAKI Kageie:" "KANEDA Kenichi" "OKUMA Tomohide:" "OHASHI Goro" "HONJO Saneyori:" "KIMURA Gen" "Hagino:" "ASADA Miyoko" "Sei-in:" "SATO Kei" "USAMI Sadamitsu:" "OGATA Ken" "Executive Producer:" "WAKAIZUMI Hisaaki" "Produced by:" "NAKAMURA Takashi Art Direction by:" "AOKI Masakazu Technology:" "KAWASAKI Kazuhiko Sound Effects:" "IMAI Hiroshi" "Photography by:" "ISHIHASHI Masao Lighting by:" "IUCHI Minoru Audio:" "NOHARA Tsunenori Image Art:" "TAKAHASHI Yoshihiro Continuity:" "SATO Hideki Editor:" "ABE Tadashi Art Direction Manager:" "SUGIHARA Hiroki" "Directed by:" "TANAKA Kenji" "TSUTSUJIGASAKI, KAI" "Yu left instructions to have this returned to you." "Please hold on to it." "You should be the one to hold on to it." "I see." "What will become of Shiro?" "I'll give him a castle and raise him into a fine general... so that he'll be a suitable heir to the Suwa family." "What will become of that woman named Shima?" "Since she has no family, Kansuke asked to take her in." "Kansuke did?" "How is Yamamoto Kansuke doing?" "I doubt he'll get over it for a long time." "No matter how painful it is..." "I want to live." "I believed your words were true..." "And with belief of that, I tried to survive..." "Princess... are you cold?" "Please don't worry about Young Lord Shiro." "I, Yamamoto Kansuke, promise to see him through his manhood rite." "When he goes to his first battle, I'll guide him to distinguishments." "With your nobility, the lord's prudence, and... my resources and life added..." "He shall become a fine general." "At that time, my old body should be ready to expire." "Then I can be with you again." "I won't let you feel lonely." "In April of 1556," "Shiro was placed in the custody of Akiyama Nobutomo, the newly appointed deputy castellan of Takato." "Kansuke, can I see you again?" "I'll rush to your side anytime." "Young Lord Shiro, let us go now." "Sir Akiyama, please take good care of him." "Don't worry, I will." "Kansuke..." "Shima, what will you do now?" "I have no place to go, except to join the princess." "Shima, come to my place." "But I can't join the princess right away." "So I would like to serve Young Lord Shiro until I die." "I see." "Yes." "That's reassuring." "That should relieve the princess of her worries." "I know full well how much you cared about the princess." "Sir Yamamoto, please keep your promise with the princess." "When you return from battle, take a wife." "You must produce an heir for the Yamamoto family." "Do you understand?" "Princess!" "Promise me so!" "Promise me that right here." "Kansuke..." "Thank you." "KASUGAYAMA CASTLE, ECHIGO" "Meanwhile in Echigo, a serious domestic discord had arose." "It involved the ongoing battle over domains amongst the Nagao vassals." "Okuma Tomohide is here." "There was another side to this domestic discord." "It was a faction battle between the Nagao family's hereditary key vassals and the Uesugi's key vassals." "Okuma, I want you to yield this time." "Lord, are you siding with Naoe and Honjo?" "Siding with them?" "Does that mean the other side will become my enemy?" "No, but..." "In my recent visit to Kyoto, the Emperor has given me orders to punish anyone who defies me, regardless of their external or internal situation." "Are you going to become my enemy?" "Sir Okuma, bear it this time." "Sir Usami, have you forgotten your loyalty to the Uesugi?" "The Uesugi clan does not exist anymore." "Even the Kanto Deputy is under the protection of the Nagao now." "Weren't you hired as a key vassal to the Nagao family, too?" "What?" "Why are you dwelling on that, even now?" "You're the ones who are dwelling on it." "You're looking down on the former Uesugi vassals." "Stop!" "Lord!" "Okuma, are you going to defy the lord's will?" "Why do you fight over a measly plot of land?" "I'll lose face if I lose the land I got from the Uesugi family." "The lord is remonstrating you for dwelling on that." "We hold nothing against you." "Honjo, your father and I worked together in making Sir Kagetora succeed." "Not Usami, though." "So we mustn't have any change of heart at this point." "Or are you ashamed of your father for surviving, by joining the Nagao clan?" "Are you going to trample on your father's legacy?" "What do you mean by that?" "Lord, please understand Sir Okuma's mortified feelings." "What do you mean by that?" "Okuma, if you want fiefs that badly... you can have this castle." "Lord!" "Please stop joking!" "Even without a castle or honor..." "I will still have my sense of justice." "That's good enough for me." "Nami... why does everyone fight over silly things?" "They are not as strong as you." "When I was about to enter the temple at the age of seven," "my mother told me that the truly strong do not have to rely on" "power to survive." "That without wielding power, you can find yourself." "JUNE 1556" "Sir Usami, what is it?" "The lord has disappeared." "Did he go out on his horse again without taking any attendants?" "He absconded." "What?" "This is the letter he wrote to his teacher, Priest Tenshitsukoiku." "In June of 1556, Kagetora suddenly left Kasugayama Castle." "Did Kansuke go out?" "Yep." "I haven't seen him around since this morning." "Don't you know where he went?" "Are you sure he didn't tell you anything?" "I really have no idea." "Is he still grieving over the Suwa princess' death?" "He seems to be taking it very hard." "Do you think he'll follow her in death?" "What?" "No, no..." "The master is not that weak." "I think so, too." "Please forgive me for taking time off to go on a trip, to think about my promise with the princess, and to turn to Buddha for help..." "Kansuke is turning to Buddha for help?" "SAKATO CASTLE, ECHIGO" "NAGAO MASAKAGE" "This is something that we never expected." "Princess, there must be a reason for this." "Reason?" "To teach the vassals that they cannot do anything without a lord." "Or to make the vassals pledge their loyalty to him once again, he might even threaten to retire." "He might be hiding and waiting for the vassals to unite on their own." "I'm sure he means what he said in this letter." "The only person my brother can believe in, is his mother." "Lady Tora?" "There was a part of her that was weary of the world." "She fervently believed in the Kannon-bosatsu (goddess of mercy)." "Kagetora became a fervent believer like her, because of her influence." "Sir Masakage, as the husband of his older sister, please relay our thoughts to him." "But we don't even know where he is." "My guess is that he is at Mt." "Koya, where we visited when we went to Kyoto." "MT." "KOYA" "This was a spiritual temple built by Kobo Daishi." "MURYOKO-IN TEMPLE" "Long ago, during his travels across the country, Kansuke came to Mt." "Koya and received the image of the guardian deity, Marici." "This mark seems to relay your life after you descended this mountain." "You can either cherish this damaged one, or get a new one..." "Without regard to my master's crisis, I took some time off to come here." "You seem very troubled." "Everyone around me meets with misfortune." "Why is someone like me living in this world?" "Can someone like me love another?" "You'll just have to ask that to someone you brought misfortune to." "I can't ask a dead person." "That's something only you can ask." "The dead person would've left something for the living person." "You'll just have to find that and live." "Priest Sei-in, Soshin is here." "Who was that again?" "I shall be taking my leave." "Oh, it's you!" "En route to Kyoto in 1553, Kagetora came to Mt." "Koya to receive teachings from Priest Sei-in at Muryoko-in Temple." "I was wondering who Soshin is." "After I descended Mt." "Koya three years ago..." "I went to Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto, and received the Buddhist name Soshin." "So you got that name from Daitoku-ji Temple?" "Yes." "I wanted to train anew under you, Priest Sei-in." "That is why I came here to Mt." "Koya." "Why?" "Why is Nagao Kagetora renouncing the world?" "You are...!" "How did you find me here?" "So the mundane life haunts me even here?" "Please wait." "I am..." "Enough!" "You dirty rat!" "I am not an assassin." "Stop!" "What training are you here for?" "Why are you losing your temper so quickly?" "Take a look at this mandala (chart)." "It explains the origin of the universe." "With the Dainichi Buddha in the center." "There are Buddhist saints seeking enlightenment around him." "Who are further surrounded by the various Tenbu who protect the "nyorai"" "(people who have attained Buddhahood) and Buddhist saints." "Tenbu is the guardian god for Buddhism." "The Marici and Bishamonten that you both believe in are Tenbu." "They all gather in harmony." "They recognize there are strifes in this world, and explain the importance of harmony." "The enemy without, the greed within, anger, love, Buddha, and gods can all be found in you." "Therefore, you must prepare for it." "That is what training is about." "In other words, it is the path to be united with Buddha in this world." ""Attaining Buddhahood while still in the flesh"?" "That is correct." "That is like the relationship between lord and vassal." "Is that how you see it?" "Yes." "You men are interesting." "One thinks of himself highly, the other thinks of himself too lowly." "Like Heaven and Earth." "Why did you come here?" "What happened?" "The Suwa princess passed away." "Are you mourning her death?" "That is correct." "A princess that your lord killed?" "You will never understand my lord's true feelings." "Yes, I can understand it." "If I let you return to Kai, your lord will gladly invade Echigo, when I am not there." "If you kill me here, you won't be a true priest." "That's right." "That is why I am in a bind." "Lord, please return to Echigo." "Masakage." "If you remain in seclusion, you will be seen as a man who ran away, in fear of the enemies within and without, and you will be tarnishing the Nagao family name for its military prowess." "Please change your mind." "If I may report to you..." "Okuma Tomohide has committed treason and has raised arms against us." "What?" "Usami is confronting Okuma's forces now." "The Takeda in Kai are backing Okuma." "This is part of the Takeda's strategy." "This is a written pledge of loyalty to you, from the key vassals." "Lord, we have faith in you." "Lord, please have faith in us." "Please...!" "Lord!" "Go back and tell your lord that I have recognized another outside foe." "Have you decided to fulfill your promise to Yu?" "Yes." "Will you marry Hara Mino's daughter, Ritsu?" "Please..." "I see!" "Sir Hara, please..." "Will you let me adopt Ritsu as my daughter?" "Kansuke?" "Daughter?" "Yes, I would like to adopt her." "I'll find a fine groom for her to succeed the Yamamoto family." "So that is your reply, huh?" "Ritsu is a truly fine maiden." "I would be truly happy to have her as my daughter." "Hara, what will you do?" "Kansuke, will you take great care of Ritsu?" "I will not waste your sincerity." "Lord, I have no objection to it." "Yu, let Kansuke off with that." "That is the situation." "What a shame." "Yes, I'm very fortunate." "That's not it." "We thought she'd be your wife, not your daughter." "What are you saying?" "She is now Princess Ritsu to us." "Princess, please be good to us." "Please work hard for the master." "Miss Ritsu is an admirable person." "This calls for a celebration!" "Let's have some saké!" "Ritsu." "This is a new guardian image that I got at Mt." "Koya." "I would like to give it to you." "It is the treasure of the Yamamoto family." "My Marici..." "Episode 42:" "A BATTLE STRATEGIST VS A BATTLE GOD The End" "PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE" "Episode 43:" "THE BIRTH OF SHINGEN" "FURIN KAZAN ERA" "The spiritual spot on Mt." "Koya was established by Kobo Daishi Kukai." "There are about 120 temples scattered on it." "Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin had deep connections to Mt." "Koya." "Seikei-in, the family temple for the Takeda." "When the Takeda family visited Mt." "Koya, they stayed at this temple." "When Shingen died, his service was held at Seikei-in Temple." "Muryoko-in Temple is where Kenshin visited on his second trip to Kyoto." "Kenshin trained under Sei-in, the head priest of Muryoko-in Temple." "That is how he created the bond of teacher and pupil." "In the back temple grounds are over 200,000 graves." "Many of them are generals from the warring era." "Shingen and Kenshin's graves are preciously guarded, even today."