Volume 2 The Executioner Chapter 116: Caesarean Section
"I'm sorry, Ogata-kun, we can only take you here. The rest of the way... you have to walk by yourself."
"Yeah." Ogata nodded gently, "Thank you for coming to see me off. Before leaving Hirose Domain, I'm not alone... This makes me very happy."
"Ogata-kun, let me ask you something," Kuranaga said softly, "Have you decided where you want to go after leaving Hirose Domain?"
"Well... I haven't thought about it yet. Anyway, let's leave the Hirose Domain first."
"The world is so big, there's no shortage of places to go."
"If I'm lucky, I might be able to find a new place to stay."
"Anyway——"
Ogata raised his hand and placed it on the guard of the katana at his left waist.
"In this day and age, as long as you have a knife, you can go anywhere."
"Ha." Kuranaga chuckled, "That's true."
After saying that, Cangyong slowly knelt down on the ground.
He raised his hands and grabbed the two lapels of his kimono, then pulled them apart neatly, revealing his chest and abdomen.
"Well... I'm almost on my way..."
Cang Yong drew a sword from his waist.
He drew his sword from its sheath.
The sharp blade reflected a dazzling light under the sunlight, causing Ogata to squint his eyes slightly.
Kneeling on the ground, exposing his belly, taking out his sword - it was self-evident what Kuranaga was planning to do.
"…Lord Kuranaga."
Ogata said softly.
"You told me before... that no matter whether you succeed or fail in the assassination of Matsudaira Gennai, you would commit suicide by disembowelment... I thought you were joking..."
"I'm not kidding." Kuranaga smiled, "I'm serious."
"For the sake of justice, I planned the assassination of my lord."
"But I can't completely give up my identity as a samurai, and give up the samurai code..."
"Since I cannot uphold the 'loyalty' of Bushido while I am still alive."
"Then at least - let me die as a samurai when I die."
"At the end of my life, I will be a samurai again..."
"Moreover... with the shogunate's ability, it's only a matter of time before they find out that I'm the mastermind behind this assassination..."
"Anyway... the shogunate will definitely order me to commit seppuku in the future."
"Since I'm going to die sooner or later, I might as well cut open my stomach now."
"It's better to commit seppuku on your own initiative than to be ordered to do so by the shogunate..."
"My family has been entrusted to trusted friends."
"Ogata-kun, your injuries have basically recovered and you can leave the Hirose Domain now."
"Now... I don't have any worries anymore, and there is nothing I can't let go of."
"… Elder." Ogata raised his left hand and pressed down on the guard of his katana. "Do you need me to help you?"
"No need." Kuranaga smiled bitterly, "Too many innocent people died because of me..."
"So many people died because of me. I indirectly killed so many people. How can I die happily alone?"
"……I see."
Ogata sighed softly and lowered his left hand from the katana's guard.
"Then... Elder Master, I will leave first."
"Let's meet again in the underworld... "
"Yes." Kuranaga nodded gently, "Ogata-kun, I wish you - good luck in martial arts!"
"Well, I wish you good luck in martial arts, too."
"...Ogata-kun." Tobizaru, who had been standing silently beside Kuranaga without saying a word, suddenly said, "Goodbye..."
"Tobizaru, please take care of yourself."
"I will."
Having said this, Fei Yuan paused.
Then, as if remembering something, he said to Ogata:
"Ogata-kun, let me give you a piece of advice..."
"After leaving Hirose Domain, you must be careful - never provoke the Shiranui ninjas."
"I am from Shiranui."
"So I know better than anyone what a terrifying force Shiranui is..."
"If you encounter a ninja from Shiranui in the future, please remember to be vigilant."
"Shiranui..." Ogata chewed on the word, "Okay, I will."
"Then... I have nothing else to say." After that, Tobisaur slowly knelt on one knee beside Kuranaga, "Ogata-kun, I also wish you... good luck in martial arts. You must live, and live until you die of old age."
Ogata smiled and said, "I'll lend you my good words."
…
…
Cang Yong did not immediately stab the sword into his own abdomen.
Instead, he silently watched Ogata leave.
When Ogata's figure was about to disappear over the horizon, Kuranaga noticed that Ogata paused.
Kuranaga guessed that this might be because Ogata had stopped and was looking back at them.
After looking back at them for a long time, Ogata's figure, which was blurry due to the distance, completely sank into the horizon.
Cangyong looked around.
There was only sunlight, wind, grass, soil, himself, and the flying ape beside him.
"...Tobizaru." Kuranaga said softly, "You...are free."
"You don't have to die with me."
"Leave the Hirose Domain like Ogata-kun did live freely, or find another lord to serve."
"No." Fei Yuan gently shook his head, "My lord, I will not leave the Hirose Domain or you."
"I have not yet repaid your kindness."
"How can I leave you without your permission?"
"You have already repaid my kindness to you." Cang Yong said helplessly.
"No." Fei Yuan shook his head solemnly, "Not yet."
"My Lord, I will never be able to repay your kindness to me in my lifetime."
Speaking of this, Fei Yuan's face showed a look of reminiscence and... loneliness.
"In Shiranui, only those who are good at assassination and fighting can stand out and gain everyone's respect."
"Male ninjas who are not good at assassination and fighting will be despised, looked down upon, and bullied."
"Female ninjas who are not good at assassination or fighting will be captured to be used as reproductive tools, or will be sent to meritorious ninjas as trophies."
"I am just a loser and a runaway who could never master the art of assassination and could not stand the bullying of the other ninjas in Shiranui..."
"It was you, my lord, who gave me a place to stay."
"It gave me, a loser, a reason to exist."
"I can never repay your kindness to me no matter how hard I try."
"I will always serve you."
"I will follow you to the ends of the earth."
"Even if you want to go to the underworld, I will help you clear the way to the underworld without hesitation."
After saying that, Tobisaur pulled out the wakizashi he was carrying.
"Then - my lord, I will leave first."
After saying this, Tobisaur stabbed his own throat with the wakizashi in his hand without any hesitation.
The sharp blade pierced into Feiyuan's throat and then pierced out from the back of his neck.
After collapsing on the ground and convulsing for a while, the flying ape slowly died...
"......Alas." Cangyong sighed.
The expression on her face was quite... complicated, and I couldn't tell whether she was laughing or crying.
"What a fool you are... Why do you want to be buried with me..."
After expressing his feelings, Cangyong took a deep breath.
Then he slowly raised his head and looked at the blue sky above his head.
"…It's a beautiful, sunny day."
"I won't have the chance to see the cherry blossoms next year... What a pity..."
After saying that, Cang Yong stabbed the sword in his hand into his left abdomen without any hesitation.
Then he used both hands to cut the sword that was inserted into his left abdomen to his right abdomen little by little...
