While hawking near Anjiro, Naga urges Toranaga to outlaw guns, kill the barbarian, and flee immediately, warning of impeachment and Yabu’s surrounding forces. Toranaga erupts, threatening to strip Naga’s samurai status for impatience and folly. As their quarrel unsettles his peregrine, Tetsu-ko executes a brilliant hunt, calming Toranaga and reframing his thoughts.

After the flight, Toranaga orders Naga to apologize and assigns him to study daily with Blackthorne, become expert in guns and war, and befriend him. Toranaga confirms command assignments—two battalions to Naga, two to Omi, one reserve under Buntaro—and reveals the other four battalions were a feint to justify bringing another thousand men, enough to hold Anjiro or escape.

Worrying about the Osaka Council and possible betrayals, Toranaga likens Blackthorne to a fierce short-wing hawk and debates whom to unleash him upon. He decides not to pit him against Buntaro despite suspecting Blackthorne and Mariko may have lain together; if Buntaro suspected, Toranaga would have to kill him to protect his larger plans.

Toranaga recalls confronting Buntaro after the beating of Mariko. Buntaro confesses obsession and past cruelties; Toranaga rebukes him and orders him away from her. To increase pressure and safeguard his position, Toranaga moves Mariko into Omi’s house to rest and keep her from Blackthorne, pretends irritation with Blackthorne, and intensifies training with forced marches—Blackthorne endures even the eleven-hour test.

Earlier, Yabu refused Osaka, mobilized Izu, then publicly pledged vassalage to Toranaga, offering a Murasama blade said to have murdered Toranaga’s grandfather. After Suwo’s corroboration, Toranaga has the sword drowned, stabilizes taxes, and grants Yabu Izu, consolidating control. Meditating on fate, Toranaga’s vigil ends as rain starts and a carrier pigeon arrives from Osaka.