Chapter 36

Summary

• Toranaga and Naga engage in a tense conversation while falcon hunting, Toranaga rejects Naga's advice to outlaw guns and protect himself against enemies.
• The presence of the falcon and its reactions serve as a backdrop to the charged dialogue between Toranaga and Naga.
• Naga is worried about Toranaga's safety, highlighting that Osakan Regents and the majority of daimyos are gathering and may impeach him.
• Naga warns Toranaga of the potential threat posed by Yabu, who has a substantial military force nearby and could be plotting with Ishido.
• Toranaga dismisses Naga's cautions, criticizing his lack of strategic thinking and threatening to demote him to a peasant if he does not improve.
• A tense incident with Toranaga's horse and falcon reflects the tension between father and son, leading to a hunt with the falcon, Tetsu-ko.
• Toranaga skillfully hunts with the falcon, metaphorically aligning the bird’s hunt with Toranaga’s own leadership and strategy.
• After a successful hunt with Tetsu-ko, Toranaga reflects on using individuals like Naga and the Anjin-san (Blackthorne) as "hawks" to achieve his goals.
• Naga seeks forgiveness for angering Toranaga and expresses a desire to learn. Toranaga orders Naga to learn from the Anjin-san, especially about warfare.
• Toranaga shares strategic military information with Naga, revealing not all battalions will be armed due to a lack of guns, a feint to mislead Yabu.
• Toranaga confronts his own anxiety over political situations, the fates of allies and enemies, and the unpredictable course of events.
• The chapter concludes with Toranaga resting, meditating, and philosophically reflecting on life and death as a carrier pigeon approaches, signifying possible news.