TOHO CO., LTD.
A TOHO-KUROSAWA PRODUCTION
SANJURO
Produced by TOMOYUKI TANAKA and RYUZO KIKUSHIMA
Screenplay by RYUZO KIKUSHIMA HIDEO OGUNI and AKIRA KUROSAWA
Based on the Novel Peaceful Days by SHUGORO YAMAMOTO
Cinematography by FUKUZO KOIZUMI and TAKAO SAITO
Production Design by YOSHIRO MURAKI Music by MASARU SATO
Assistant Director SHIRO MORITANI Production Manager HIROSHI NEZU
Starring
TOSHIRO MIFUNE
TATSUYA NAKADAI KEIJU KOBAYASHI
YUZO KAYAMA REIKO DAN
TAKASHI SHIMURA KAMATARI FUJIWARA
TAKAKO IRIE, MASAO SHIMIZU YUNOSUKE ITO
AKIRA KUBO, HIROSHI TACHIKAWA YOSHIO TSUCHIYA
KUNIE TANAKA, TATSUYOSHI EHARA AKIHIKO HIRATA
TORANOSUKE OGAWA KENZO MATSUI, TATSUHIKO HARI
Directed by AKIRA KUROSAWA
So Mutsuta refused?
Count my uncle out.
I gave him our proposal to purge the clan of corruption.
He just glanced at it and said, "I'm aware of the situation."
- Then why does he do nothing? - I asked him that.
"Why overlook the corruption of your vice-chamberlain
and provincial steward in the daimyo's absence?"
He smiled and said,
"Perhaps I'm behind it.
You all think I'm a good-natured halfwit, a scarecrow who'll do your bidding.
People aren't what they seem. Be careful.
You'd never suspect who the worst are. Be careful."
Then he tore - - He tore it up?
He really went too far.
And then?
I gave up on him.
I met with Superintendent Kikui, as we planned.
What did he say?
He understood our position, just as expected.
At first he seemed troubled and said he'd discuss it with my uncle,
but when I told him my uncle's words, he was shocked.
He thought about it and said, "All right. I'm with you.
I'd like to talk with your group. Gather all your men quickly."
There you have it.
- Kikui's the real thing! - We can reason with him.
He's extremely influential. He's no good-natured scarecrow.
Wait just a minute.
- That's quite a story. - You heard us? Stop him!
Imbecile.
Do I look like I'm going anywhere?
What the hell are you doing here?
It's a free room for the night.
By the way, you should be glad I overheard you.
"The spectator sees more than the player." He can judge the right course of action.
Listen.
If you ask me,
the chamberlain is the real thing,
and the superintendent is a phony.
What? Such insolence won't go unpunished!
Don't get all testy.
I haven't seen either of their faces,
so I can't be fooled by their looks.
The chamberlain is ugly, isn't he?
I guess I must be right.
But judging from your story, he must be a great man
who doesn't care if you think he's a fool.
But this Superintendent Kikui -
You say he's the real thing, "just as expected."
That must mean he looks the part.
Am I right?
But people aren't what they seem.
Be careful.
Enough! What does a worthless ronin know?
I'm just repeating what the chamberlain said.
Don't you get it? His words were even more precise:
"You'd never suspect who the worst are. Be careful."
I may be wrong, but it sounds like Kikui is the rotten one.
Fool!
Quiet down and listen.
What's the superintendent's job?
To quiet discord in the ranks, right?
Instead, he's inciting you to revolt.
Don't you find that odd?
What's more, he told you to gather quickly.
That's a bad sign.
If he's the mastermind, he can kill you all in one fell swoop.
Don't do as he says. Just watch and wait.
But we're meeting him here tonight.
What?
I was right. Take a look.
We're completely surrounded.
Not even an ant could escape.
The foolishness never ends, does it?
Put your swords away. This is no time to play war.
Shut up! We're not listening to you!
Suit yourselves.
I'm sure Kikui will be delighted to see you all dead.
But... we're surrounded.
Just leave it to me.
Superintendent Kikui sent us. Surrender!
You're surrounded!
Do not resist!
What a racket! What do you want?
What do you think you're doing?
Take your shoes off before you go in my room!
Who is this guy?
So... you wanna fight?
Watch out. You woke me up, and I'm in a bad mood.
Pull back!
It's not him we're looking for.
Besides, disposing of this one would take too long.
You're quite able.
If you wish to serve our clan, come see me at the superintendent's estate.
My name is Hanbei Muroto.
It's safe now. Come out.
We don't know how to thank you.
No thanks needed, but some money would be nice.
I've been starving for days. A cup of sake and some food's enough.
This'll do.
See ya around.
But what will you do now?
You've opened our eyes.
We'll rush to apologize to my uncle and follow his instructions.
Very reasonable. Good boys.
Wait. That won't do.
The chamberlain's in danger now.
- The chamberlain? - That's right.
If I were Kikui, I'd arrest him,
since he seems to know that Kikui is behind the corruption.
- Where are you going? - To my uncle's.
So they can catch you?
They know you. Show your face and you're finished.
But it's my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid -
We're all responsible. You were just following our plan.
But if anything happens to my uncle -
Idiot! Stop saying "my uncle"!
You can't just act on your own whims.
That's right.
The nine of us are in this together.
The ten of us!
I can't watch you blunder your way to your deaths.
It's quiet. Everything seems all right.
No, something's wrong. The shutters are usually closed now.
Are there fish in this pond?
A lot of big carp.
Must have been a fish.
Just as you suspected. Those three are Kikui's men.
That's my uncle's room. He must be in trouble.
Don't be hasty. Let's wait and see.
We can't move like this, like a centipede.
Is there somewhere we can hide?
There's a barn just ahead.
Good. Let's go.
Koiso! What's wrong?
Master Izaka!
Fool! This is no time for tears.
My lord is in terrible trouble!
Calm down. Tell us what happened.
The superintendent suddenly arrived with a host of men.
We were eating - - Never mind that. Where's my uncle?
Ten men took him away.
Where the hell were the guards?
They were taken by surprise and locked up in the main house.
And my aunt?
I don't know. Probably under watch somewhere.
And Chidori?
I think she's with her mother.
- How many men are on watch? - Fourteen or 15.
Then how did you escape?
The sentries asked me to get some sake,
so I pretended to go to the kitchen.
- Unaccompanied? - A man followed me the first time.
This time they let me go alone.
Send her right back.
- Send her back? - Yes, to Kikui's men.
Too bad, since she managed to get away,
but they'll raise the alarm if she disappears.
Best to get them drunk on sake.
Then we can rescue the chamberlain's old lady and the girl.
I see.
Koiso, will you go back?
Yes, I will.
Now there's a samurai.
More reliable than all of you.
We're grateful, but please watch your language.
Calling the chamberlain's wife his "old lady"...
And it's annoying to have you decide our every move.
You want to rescue the ladies first,
but the chamberlain's safety is more pressing.
Very well. Where is he then?
We can't rescue him without knowing where he is.
What's the superintendent planning to do with him?
We can't do anything without knowing that.
Kikui must've told the old lady why he hauled her husband off.
Don't you wanna ask her what she knows?
Understand now?
Good. Now split up.
You three and I will rescue the old lady.
The rest of you, look for the chamberlain.
We'll meet in a safe place. Is there anything around here?
We can't go far at night with the ladies in tow.
My house is closest.
Are you crazy? You're next door to Kurofuji.
- Who's Kurofuji? - One of the traitors. A vice-chamberlain.
Sounds like fun. Let's meet there.
That's ridiculous!
Were you born in the Year of the Ox? You always fly off the handle.
Nobody thinks to look right under his own nose.
There are three guards.
I'll knock one down, and you two take him prisoner.
Don't kill him.
He may tell us where the chamberlain is.
While I do away with the other two,
you rush in and rescue the women folk.
We'll meet back at the barn. Got it?
Why are you looking at me like that?
You want to draw your swords? Forget it.
A stupid friend's sword is deadlier than an enemy's.
I don't want to get cut to pieces.
That's the guardhouse. Your plan seems to have worked.
Now's our chance.
That was close.
They've changed the guard.
Muroto. You just met him at the shrine.
He offered me a job.
What's he do for Kikui? - Henchman and enforcer.
Let's go now. He's alone.
Are you blind?
Those three guards are kitty cats.
He may be alone, but he's a tiger.
What the hell's that racket?
The guards are drunk, sir.
Your faces are red.
Wash them in the pond.
Do it!
I'm going to the main house. Stand guard.
Kikui said he arrested Uncle to stop him from destroying evidence of corruption.
Is that right?
He thought of everything, didn't he?
Who is that gentleman?
It's hard to explain. A strange series of events has made him our ally.
Indeed, he saved our lives. - Is that so?
Thank you.
What's keeping those two? It's dangerous staying here.
Yes, but I've never run so in my entire life.
I must rest a bit or I shan't even be able to walk.
This is my first time here.
The hay smells lovely.
I love this smell.
We come here often, don't we, Iori?
I'll find those two.
Why do you two come here?
It's so quiet, even in the daytime.
You can lean back in the hay and feel like you're floating.
Enveloped in its scent, you drift into a dreamy haze.
You know,
I even fell asleep once on Iori's arm.
Not very ladylike.
But...
actually...
it does smell nice.
No wonder they were late.
They were dunking his head in the pond to make him spit out my uncle's location.
Stubborn bastard wouldn't talk.
- Only spat out water, eh? - He may not know anything.
Why should I talk?
Son of a bitch!
What do we do?
He saw our faces. We have to kill him.
That just won't do.
And you killed the other two as well, didn't you?
I did it to rescue you. I had no choice.
I hesitate to say this after you so kindly saved us,
but killing people is a bad habit.
You glisten too brightly.
- Glisten? - Yes.
Like a drawn sword.
A drawn sword?
You're like a sword without a sheath.
You cut well,
but the best sword is kept in its sheath.
So what do we do with him?
Come with us, will you?
We won't harm you.
- Over here! - What is it?
Hurry! Over the rear wall!
That way!
Guard the front gate!
Hurry!
That may be easy for you, but for us it's impossible.
Just try.
We can't. Isn't that right, Mother?
Hurry!
Use me as a footstool.
- No, I couldn't. - Never mind that.
But -
No buts. Your hesitation will force me to kill more men.
Hurry!
Please forgive me.
Please hurry.
We can't let Kurofuji's men see us.
- I'm hungry. Get me some food. - The servants are making rice balls.
Got any sake?
This is no time for drinking. We need to plan our next steps.
I'm smarter when I drink.
Sounds like Kikui plans to pin his crimes on Chamberlain Mutsuta.
They may even force him to write a confession, and then -
And then what?
You can be frank with us.
They'll make him commit harakiri.
What shall we do, Mother?
There's nothing to fear.
Your father is a shrewd old fox.
It won't be easy to make him commit harakiri.
Now, what do you gentlemen intend to do next?
First we'll find Uncle and bring him back. Then -
That's all you need to do.
Pinning the blame on your uncle is practically a confession of guilt.
If we rescue him, they're finished.
That's quite correct.
But can we get him back?
If not, we're the ones who're finished.
Well, then, please do your best.
But please refrain from excessive violence.
By the way, may we know your name?
My name?
My name is...
Sanjuro Tsubaki... (30-year-old Camellia)
though I'm now almost 40.
You're a most interesting man.
Speaking of camellias, those are truly splendid.
Kurofuji's estate has so many that it's called Camellia Mansion.
Let's see what they're up to.
Anything happening?
It's very quiet.
Who's there?
It's just the camellias.
Why don't you calm down and have another drink?
But Kurofuji, what's going to happen?
I doubt Mutsuta will write a confession so easily.
Leave that to Kikui. Have a drink.
But Kikui's made one blunder after another.
Chamberlain Mutsuta is making trouble.
We underestimated him. - You mean -
No, there's still a way.
We'll use his wife and daughter.
Who's there? - Muroto.
Muroto's reporting to Kurofuji right now.
Telling him he lost my aunt and Chidori, no doubt.
If he's taking that report next door,
that means the traitors are there right now.
The three of them must be hatching a scheme.
If they're in that house, my uncle must be there too.
You idiot! What were the guards doing?
Now what? We can't use the women anymore.
Actually, we can.
Mutsuta doesn't know we lost them.
The problem is, they must be watching our homes.
They saw you enter. They'll know we're here.
- We're in danger! - Don't worry.
I sent messengers to your homes as well.
Something's fishy at Kikui's place. A man just rushed in.
What?
There's a commotion at Takebayashi's. A messenger just barreled in.
It seems they're not together.
Then where's my uncle?
They'll eventually have to meet where they have him confined.
We must wait for now.
Don't just wait. The chamberlain has disappeared.
Raise a stink so people demand to know why.
They want to kill him before that happens. Don't let them.
They'll panic and have a meeting.
- The emergency drum! - What's going on?
It's part of our plan.
"We have found that Chamberlain Mutsuta abused his authority.
Accused of malfeasance, he tried to destroy the evidence.
Therefore,
the elders have sent a messenger to Edo for instructions
and detained the chamberlain as a precaution.
He seems to have many followers.
Remain calm. Do not let them incite you.
Superintendent Kikui."
They beat us to the punch.
They're clever enemies.
This is bad.
With the clan on their side, we can't do anything.
Whatever we do only proves their claims.
Meanwhile, they'll have time to carry out their plan.
They won't make any rash moves. - Yes, they will.
They don't know there are only ten of us.
They said "many followers," right?
They can't sit idly by.
At any rate, we've done everything we could.
Relax, Takebayashi.
We must focus on breaking Mutsuta down.
And his men?
Their hands are tied.
That's what worries me. Desperate men will try anything.
They're too dangerous. We must act.
Very well. Here's what we'll do.
We'll lure them out once again, and then -
How will you do that?
There's one way:
Let them know where the chamberlain is.
As you said,
they're desperate and will try anything to get him back.
We'll arrest them when they arrive.
Idiot! Are you mad?
I was afraid it would come to this. - Listen.
It won't be here, of course.
We can lure them to a place of our choosing.
We just let them know where we'll be meeting.
- Never! - Don't worry. There'll be no danger.
Our palanquins will arrive at the meeting,
but we don't have to be in them.
They're finally making a move!
I'll follow them. Tell the others.
Kurofuji left in a palanquin.
Kurofuji's arrived at Kikui's house.
- Kikui's house? - That means -
Two palanquins have left Kikui's.
- Two? - Kurofuji and Kikui.
Where the hell are they going?
They've entered Takebayashi's compound.
All three in the same place?
- That means - - Yes, it must.
Three palanquins have left Takebayashi's place.
They took the Akamatsu road west. - West?
Kurofuji's villa is along that road.
That's the place. Let's go!
Wait.
If their men see you, you're in trouble.
But there's only one guard per palanquin.
This is fishy. The ten of us could easily capture them all.
Good idea!
Capture them, then make 'em talk.
Fool! Doesn't it seem too good to be true?
And if it seems so, it usually is.
But we can't let this chance slip away.
Let's follow them for now.
Circumstances will decide whether we attack or not.
What do you say?
It's a stupid plan, but some excitement might keep me awake.
- Are they really inside? - How should he know?
Are there any booby traps?
Idiot! That's even harder to tell. What about hidden guards?
None at all.
Good, let's attack.
Quickly, before they enter the villa!
Wait.
I don't like the looks of this.
I told you to wait.
Something's not right here. - Shut up!
Suit yourselves. It isn't my problem.
Let's go!
Pardon us.
These seem to be the palanquins of our clan leaders.
We learned today of the chamberlain's misdeeds
and that he has many followers.
It's careless to have so few guards.
We offer you our services.
Surrender!
You're under arrest!
Under arrest?
Don't play dumb! Do you claim not to be the chamberlain's men?
The chamberlain's men? That's ridiculous!
Your denials ring hollow! This is all Lord Kikui's trap.
You followed these decoy palanquins right to your own downfall.
Wait.
I'm out of patience. I've had enough of you idiots.
How did you get out?
I happened to sneeze loudly, and the lady heard me.
She let me out of the closet.
This fool's wearing my best kimono.
I apologize. She let me wear it.
But why didn't you escape?
It never occurred to the lady that I would, so I couldn't.
Also, I've overheard your discussions since last night,
and they contradict everything I've been told.
I've learned a great deal.
Now, if you'll excuse me.
The lady is hopelessly naïve.
She's a little slow, that's all.
So you mean the horsemen weren't the conspirators?
Yes.
We know that...
because we released them, but they refused to go.
They even went to the estate, demanding an explanation.
Trapped by your own little tricks!
You've made yet more enemies.
I wonder about that.
They were coming to our defense.
If we explain why we used the decoys, they may agree to help us.
What do you think?
Indeed. They're proud of their skills
and will gladly use them to aid us.
Good.
Add them to my roster and send them here.
This isn't like you. That will reveal that we're here.
And why not?
It's time for a showdown.
We've come as far as we can.
Judging from those horsemen,
the clan members are all on the traitors' side.
That's right.
We're as good as dead.
We don't stand a chance, do we?
It doesn't matter. Live or die, the nine of us are together.
Ten of us.
I'll go see Kikui.
What for?
To offer my services.
Muroto kindly offered me a job.
- Where are you going? - After him.
- To see what he's up to. - What if he betrays us?
Idiots!
Why tell us his plan if he intends to betray us?
Muroto's invitation allows him to look around the grounds.
- I agree. - Me too.
- Shut up, little boy! - No! He would never do that to us!
I'd like to think so too, but the way he said it -
He was just provoking us. That's how he is.
It's true.
But you never know what he'll do.
He's a monster!
- What the hell do you want? - Tell Muroto I'm here.
He's busy!
So you made it!
I've been waiting for you.
But I hear you're busy. I'll come again.
I don't mind. Come in.
I don't care what you say. I trust him.
Think how many times he's saved our lives!
It doesn't mean he'll do it again!
Why should we mean anything to him?
He has to worry about himself.
He has a job waiting if he turns us in.
How dare you! He may dress in rags, but he's a true samurai.
Look how he thrashed Kikui's men! - Quiet!
He begged us for money. A samurai would starve rather than beg.
He's just outspoken and a bit eccentric.
I refuse to doubt him.
He's a good man. I don't care what logic says.
You're the lady's kin. You'll trust anyone, but -
What is it?
You were shouting so loudly. Mother sent me to ask what's wrong.
Nothing.
But -
It's nothing!
Excuse me.
I've been listening carefully from the closet.
- Get back in there! - In a moment.
I trust that ronin as well.
Please listen.
It may sound strange, but when the lady climbed the wall,
he got on all fours to serve as her footstool.
He was moved by her purity of soul. That alone shows he's a good man.
Nonsense! He called her "a little slow."
As someone said, that's just his odd way of speaking.
His praise comes out as abuse.
- Now you understand? - No, I don't!
- You still insist? - Enough talk!
We're following him. He's dangerous.
We mustn't fight among ourselves.
Our judgment will be skewed if only the doubters go.
Let's take two from each side.
Yasukawa and Kawahara, Izaka and Hirose.
The household is nearly empty, so we can't welcome you properly.
But we can still share a drink.
I'm grateful.
With your help, we'll see some real results.
You came just in time.
I saw the notice board.
It seems there's unrest in the clan.
A large contingent of men just left. Where did they go?
I'll take you there now.
Just so you know, everything in that notice was a bald-faced lie.
Superintendent Kikui is the rotten one.
- But you're his - - Retainer.
Like attracts like. I'm rotten too.
You see, Chamberlain Mutsuta is a shrewd character.
Not easy to break.
But with him out of the way, this clan is ours for the taking.
Kikui is cunning but not a commanding presence.
He pushes Mutsuta out of the way -
And you and I eat him up.
Precisely.
I'll take you to him now.
But remember: He has an inflated view of himself, so -
Stroke his ego and he'll purr?
You catch on fast. Good boy.
Someone's following us.
Turn right at the corner.
Take them alive!
Fool! What's this?
I was against it, but they said you'd betray us.
Idiot! Now you'll have to give yourself up.
Muroto's coming. Attack me! Don't just stand there!
Come on!
This greenhorn here put up a good fight.
A fine present. He's the leader of the resistance.
Izaka, the chamberlain's nephew.
They make a good present,
but they're too heavy to carry to Kikui.
Take them away.
Get up!
We should take more men. The others will try to rescue these four.
We're defenseless on the road.
Very well.
Bring reinforcements quickly.
It's not safe to go alone.
Take two men with you.
Three's not enough. I'll go too.
I'm going with you.
It's me! Open up!
What happened?
Those three are already dead.
It must have been them.
I'll go instead. Where is it?
Nobody knows you there. I'll go. You take charge here.
We've had enough of your trouble.
What are you doing?
Can't you tell?
I'm setting them free.
This butchery is all thanks to you.
Tie me up!
We're too late. Ten men stay to clean up. The rest hurry back.
What's this mess?
I expected more from you.
I'm deeply ashamed.
But when you're that outnumbered, you can only surrender.
I'm not bound by duty to die like these guys here.
This isn't good.
I can't recommend you after a disgrace like this.
I'm sorry.
But I remember that greenhorn's face.
I'll redeem myself by bringing him to you.
You're all so damned clever!
You ruined my well-laid plan.
And you still don't know where Kikui's huge army went.
What a life of leisure!
At this rate, by the time you find Mutsuta,
I'll be a silver-haired 70-year-old.
How beautiful!
This water comes from the Camellia Mansion next door.
How do you know that?
I once heard Terada tell Iori,
"They say stealing another's water is wrong even if you're parched,
but I'm drinking the water of that blackguard Kurofuji."
Look.
Iori’s name is on that paper.
I see Terada's name too.
What's that red blot?
- It's signed in blood! - Blood?
Iori!
Not so loud! Kurofuji is next door.
But you should see this. Shouldn't he, Mother?
What is that?
So Uncle tore up our petition, then placed it in his sleeve.
He wore the same kimono when Kikui abducted him
as when I met with him earlier that day.
Right?
That means -
Look what I found in the stream!
Pieces of the torn petition.
No doubt about it.
Uncle is next door.
In order to protect us, fools that we are,
he seized a moment when his captors weren't looking
and threw these in the stream.
Aren't you tired of being stupid yet?
You want to attack? That's what they're waiting for.
Don't you get it? Kikui's men are next door.
Take a look if you doubt me.
- He wrote it? - Finally?
What is this?
This isn't a confession!
It's an indictment!
The skunk! How long will he keep this up?
What now?
There are a great many of them.
What do we do?
They overestimate our number, which is worse.
That's it!
I'll go tell them I know where you are.
They overestimate the size of your group.
If I say an army has assembled somewhere,
Kikui will send his men there.
The house will be empty,
leaving you free to raid it.
Where shall I say you are?
Another shrine would be boring. How about a temple?
I'll say I was snoozing on the second floor of the gate and heard you swarm in.
Not a bad plan, eh? You know a good temple?
Far enough away to give you time to rescue the chamberlain.
Komyo Temple. A good distance, and very secluded.
Good. Komyo Temple it is.
But listen.
Even after Kikui's men leave, wait for my signal.
Once you're inside, rescue him quickly.
They're still willing to kill him as a last recourse.
There's no other way.
We must turn to our last recourse.
Understand?
Wait until I signal that it's safe to rescue him.
We understand. What's the signal?
Wait until I've set the house ablaze.
Goodness, no! That's too reckless.
I have an idea.
Send something down the stream.
We'll watch the stream and see your signal for sure.
My dear, that's a marvelous idea.
Such a beautifully gentle approach.
Mother, since it's from Camellia Mansion,
wouldn't camellias be nice?
Red camellias...
how lovely that would be.
I rather prefer white myself.
What's the difference? It's all camellias.
But sometimes they fall in naturally.
I'll dump in a pile of 'em.
Open up!
I want to see Muroto.
Bad news!
Komyo Temple's gate doesn't have a second story!
They'll see right through his story!
How did you know I was here?
I heard the superintendent's men were here.
I assumed you would be too.
What do you want?
I brought you a nice gift.
I was asleep on the second floor of the gate at Komyo Temple...
- What'll we do? - It's too late.
We didn't catch the mistake right off.
Maybe they won't either.
I'll have a look.
Wait in here for now.
- What? 130 men at Komyo Temple? - So he says.
- Who's this ronin asleep above the gate? - Never mind that now.
Kikui, we can't afford another failure.
Very well. I'll go myself this time.
We're going to Komyo Temple. You're coming with us.
Actually, I haven't eaten since yesterday.
I can't fight on an empty stomach.
Give me something to eat.
I'll catch up with you after I've eaten.
It worked! The men have left!
- You sure? - Even Kikui was on his horse.
- Kikui left too? - He was livid!
Thank you for your patience.
I want to eat alone. Scram. It's cramped in here.
What are you doing?
I like camellias.
Enough games!
Wait a minute!
The gate at Komyo Temple - It's all a lie!
Is anybody here?
It's a trap! That temple gate has no second floor!
Call your men back! It's a trap!
There's blood on your sword, and it's fresh.
You tricked me last night, you scum.
You can question him later! Hurry!
You guys are done for.
No, you are.
Poor fools, you have no idea.
They'll be attacking soon.
Who?
The conspirators, of course.
They're next door, waiting for my signal.
Without my signal to abort, you'll be dead before the army returns.
Take a look if you don't believe me.
- Still no signal? - What's taking him so long?
If something's happened to him, he can't signal.
- What shall we do? - We can't wait.
Let's attack! - But...
We can't wait!
Hold on! We always botch things by ignoring his orders.
Let's wait for the signal.
It's just as he said! We have to do something quick!
See? You'd better hurry.
But I'll make you an offer.
I'll tell you the signal for fifty ryo.
Gramps, they were watching the stream, right?
He's right.
You'd better hurry and send something down the stream.
He had a lot of red camellias when he was caught!
What are they the signal for?
- Give me fifty ryo. - Tell us or we'll kill you!
Okay, 30.
All right, I'll tell you.
Red camellias mean to attack.
White means to abort.
No signal means I'm in trouble, and they'll attack.
Don't forget: the white ones!
Hurry!
Don't be stingy! Pile them in!
The signal!
How beautiful!
What a close call!
Thanks for your help, fellas! The color made no difference.
130 men are on their way! Flap around all you like!
Don't kill them!
Open up! It's Muroto!
Open the gate!
It's all over.
This one's late.
What was his name again? - Tsubaki.
Forgetting the name of the man who saved your life -
that's awful. - Yes, I know.
Dear, will you ask him to come in?
Let him know everyone is waiting.
Let's get this unpleasant subject over with now.
The traitors have been sentenced.
Kikui chose to commit harakiri soon after the incident.
A regrettable turn of events.
Like the other two, his family name would have been revoked,
and he and his household banished,
but I could have at least had his life spared.
I had hoped to deal with the corruption more discreetly.
I'd planned to gather evidence of their traitorous intent
and force them to retire quietly.
Forgive us.
No need to apologize.
I'm at fault for not inspiring your confidence.
This long horse face of mine causes all sorts of trouble.
A long time ago,
someone saw me on horseback and said,
"The rider has a longer face than the horse!"
- He's gone. - Gone?
I found only this kimono in his room.
So he left in his rags?
Gentlemen, please break into groups and find him.
Quickly!
Thank goodness he won't return.
Thank goodness?
He's a great man.
But extraordinary men like him just make me look bad.
Listen.
He would find it too confining here.
He wouldn't want to wear these fine garments
and be a docile servant of the clan.
- I don't see him anywhere. - The guard said he went west.
Then it has to be this road.
There he is!
Go home. I'm not going back.
- You insist on fighting? - Yes.
I've never been so outraged. You made a fool of me.
Don't get so angry.
I had to do it.
I knew you were stronger than me, so I had to -
It's too late for words. Draw!
I'd rather not.
If I do, one of us must die.
It's not worth it.
It is to me.
Otherwise I can never be at peace.
Very well.
But even if you kill me,
you mustn't kill them.
No matter what, you all stay out of this!
That was brilliant!
Idiot! What do you know about anything?
Be careful.
I'm in a bad mood.
He was just like me.
A drawn sword that wouldn't stay in its sheath.
But you know, the lady was right.
The best sword is kept in its sheath.
You'd better stay in yours.
Stop following me or I'll kill you!
See ya around.
THE END