Chapter 7
Summary
- Toda Hiro-matsu, a trusted general and adviser to Toranaga, arrives in the village of Anjiro, prepared for combat.
- Yabu suspects he has been betrayed as Hiro-matsu's presence signals trouble.
- Yabu knows Hiro-matsu is there because Toranaga sent him and fears for his own safety.
- Yabu's internal thoughts reveal desperation and his fear of being accused of treason.
- Hiro-matsu, known for his bluntness and trustworthiness, openly discusses the political situation and concerns for Toranaga's safety.
- Yabu and Hiro-matsu converse about recent political events, including the death of the Taikō and the power struggles within the Council of Regents in Osaka.
- Hiro-matsu criticizes Toranaga for risking his life by attending a meeting in Osaka Castle, controlled by their enemy Ishido.
- Hiro-matsu expresses anxiety and willingness for open conflict with Ishido to protect Toranaga, his liege lord.
- Hiro-matsu accuses Yabu of violating Toranaga's orders by not waiting for him in Yedo, implying insubordination on Yabu's part.
- Yabu attempts to justify his actions regarding the ship to Hiro-matsu, stressing its significance to their cause.
- Hiro-matsu confronts Yabu about the ship, revealing it and its contents have been confiscated by Lord Toranaga.
- A tension-filled interaction unfolds as Yabu processes the implications of the confiscation on his plans and considers his limited options.
- Yabu grudgingly "offers" the ship as a gift to Toranaga rather than concede its confiscation, to which Hiro-matsu expresses his master's presumed pleasure.
- Hiro-matsu is inwardly displeased with his own duplicity but hides it from Yabu.
- Yabu addresses the problem of the spy within his ranks and resolves to find them.
- The chapter concludes with Yabu forced to join Hiro-matsu on a journey to Osaka, knowing it endangers his position and potentially his life.