Although Shintaro asked Shuntaro to find a place to sit down, Shuntaro did not move at all and continued to stand there, keeping his eyes fixed on Shintaro who was sitting on a big rock.
"Shuntaro, I know you were born on the banks of the Rashomon River in Yoshiwara, so you may not know much about history, so you must listen carefully and don't miss anything."
"Even someone like you who has never been to school should know this, right? More than 200 years ago, this country was in the Warring States Period, and the land was ravaged by war."
"The daimyo fought fiercely, and finally a daimyo named Oda Nobunaga stood out. With his genius strategy, he conquered the daimyo."
"At that time, under Oda Nobunaga, there was a capable general named Hashiba Hideyoshi."
"When Oda Nobunaga was only one step away from unifying Japan and ending the chaos of the Warring States Period, he was betrayed by another of his subordinates, Akechi Mitsuhide, and died tragically in Honnoji Temple."
"And the subordinate named Hashiba Hideyoshi, after learning that Oda Nobunaga was killed by Akechi Mitsuhide, quickly dispatched troops to defeat Akechi Mitsuhide."
"With his achievements of 'suppressing the rebellion and avenging his lord', Hashiba Hideyoshi quickly rose to prominence in the Oda family."
"In the end, Hashiba Hideyoshi seized most of Oda Nobunaga's inheritance, replaced Oda Nobunaga, and became the most powerful daimyo in all of Japan."
"It was at this time that our Shiranui joined Hideyoshi and became a ninja corps under Hideyoshi. They made great contributions to Hideyoshi's subsequent hegemony."
"The second most powerful daimyo in the country at that time, Tokugawa Ieyasu, was far from being a match for Hashiba Hideyoshi. He surrendered to Hashiba Hideyoshi early and became Hashiba Hideyoshi's vassal."
"Hashiba Hideyoshi finally achieved what Oda Nobunaga failed to accomplish - unifying the world."
"He ruled all of Japan and was called 'Tenka'."
"Hideyoshi built the world-famous castle: 'Osaka Castle', and made Osaka the new base of his family."
"In the process of unifying the country, Hashiba Hideyoshi was given the surname 'Toyotomi' by the Emperor."
"From then on, Hashiba Hideyoshi became Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and the Hashiba family became the Toyotomi family."
"Shiranui's fame and strength reached its peak when Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified the world."
"It's a pity that the good times didn't last long."
"When Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded in unifying the country, he was already old."
"He had only sat on the throne of 'Tianxiaren' for a few years before he passed away."
"After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died, he left behind only his young heir, Toyotomi Hideyori, and his brainless mother, Yodo-dono."
"Not long after Toyotomi Hideyoshi died, Tokugawa Ieyasu began to bully orphans and widows."
"In the Battle of Sekigahara in the fifth year of Keicho, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated Ishida Mitsunari, who was loyal to the Toyotomi family, and the Toyotomi family began to lose power."
"The world was taken over by the Tokugawa clan."
"Three years after the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu was named 'Shogun' by the Emperor and established the 'Edo Shogunate' in his base in Edo."
Shintaro turned his head and looked in the direction of Edo Castle.
But because of his vision, he naturally couldn't see anything.
“That’s why history is so interesting.”
Shintaro gave a self-deprecating smile.
"After Oda Nobunaga died, Hideyoshi, who was originally a minister of Oda Nobunaga, led his family to replace the Oda clan."
"After Hideyoshi's death, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was originally Hideyoshi's minister, led his Tokugawa family generals, the Toyotomi clan, to take his place."
"The stories of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu teach us a lesson - you must have children as early as possible to ensure that when you die, your successor will be a capable person."
"Shuntaro, do you think this makes sense?"
Shintaro's words were a bit joking. While saying this, he turned his gaze back and looked at Shuntaro with a bit of expectation in his eyes.
This look is like saying to Shuntaro: I told a pretty funny joke, have a laugh.
It’s a pity that Shuntaro’s mouth didn’t move at all, and he continued to stare coldly at Shintaro.
Shintaro, who had made himself look uninteresting, curled his lips and continued:
"After the Toyotomi clan lost power, Shiranui did not abandon the Toyotomi clan. In order to repay Toyotomi Hideyoshi's kindness, she continued to assist the Toyotomi clan wholeheartedly."
"Although the Toyotomi clan lost power and no longer had the ability to fight against Tokugawa Ieyasu's Edo shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu always regarded the Toyotomi clan as a thorn in his side."
"Eleven years after the establishment of the Edo Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu launched the 'Battle of Osaka' in the 19th year of Keicho."
"Through the two battles of 'Osaka Winter Campaign' and 'Osaka Summer Campaign', the Toyotomi clan was completely uprooted."
"Historical records state that after the Toyotomi clan was defeated by the Tokugawa clan, Toyotomi Hideyori, the head of the Toyotomi clan, committed suicide at the age of 23."
"His son Toyotomi Kunimatsu was captured alive and then beheaded at Rokujo Kawara at the age of 8."
As soon as he finished speaking, a meaningful smile appeared on Shintaro's face.
“But this is actually only written in historical records.”
"The truth is - Toyotomi Kunimatsu is not dead."
Just these words from Shintaro made Shuntaro's pupils shrink slightly.
"When Tokugawa Ieyasu launched his army to attack Osaka and Osaka Castle was reduced to a sea of ​​fire, a group of people risked their lives to rush into the sea of ​​fire and rescued Toyotomi Kunimatsu."
"And these people are the Shiranui ninjas who are loyal to the Toyotomi clan to the end."
"After the ninjas in Shiranui rescued Kunimatsu, they brought him to Satsuma in Kyushu."
"The one beheaded at Rokujogawara was Toyotomi Kunimatsu's stand-in."
"After rescuing Toyotomi Kunimatsu, in order to prevent the Edo Shogunate from discovering that there were still Toyotomi bloodlines left, they took the initiative to sever ties with the descendants of the Toyotomi clan and stopped interacting with them."
"At the same time, they also took the initiative to forget the history of rescuing the descendants of the Toyotomi clan."
"All the ninjas who participated in the rescue of Toyotomi Kunimatsu kept silent about this history."
“Neither tell anyone else, nor record this history in writing.”
"After the ninjas who participated in the rescue of Toyotomi Kunimatsu died one by one, the ninjas who were still alive in Shiranui naturally forgot about this part of history."
"Now that I think about it, the ninjas in Shiranui were really loyal."
Shintaro smiled with a forced smile, and his shoulders shook.
"Even after the Toyotomi clan lost power, he remained loyal to the Toyotomi clan."
"When the Toyotomi clan was about to perish, he risked his life to save the bloodline of the Toyotomi clan."
"From what I know, many ninjas died in order to save the bloodline of the Toyotomi clan."
"After successfully saving the bloodline of the Toyotomi clan, in order to prevent the Edo shogunate from discovering that the Toyotomi bloodline still existed, he took the initiative to distance himself from his former master and forgot about this 'rescue operation' that could have left a dazzling mark in history."
"To this day, neither outsiders nor the ninjas in Shiranui know the legend created by a group of ninjas in the burning Osaka Castle 200 years ago."
"After successfully conquering the Toyotomi clan, there is no longer any family in the world that can threaten the Edo shogunate."
"From then on, the Edo Shogunate ruled the country for 200 years, until -"
Shintaro raised his right index finger and pointed at the ground beneath his feet.
" today."
"The rescued Toyotomi bloodline has survived tenaciously for the past 200 years."
"And... in the past 200 years, the descendants of the Toyotomi family have never forgotten their hatred for the Edo Shogunate."
"The descendants of the Toyotomi clan have truly endured hardships for 200 years!"
Shintaro's tone gradually became excited.
"Finally, as the Edo Shogunate is declining, the descendants of the Toyotomi clan have decided to start from now on! Take back everything that should belong to them from the Edo Shogunate!"
"Money, fame, and... the world!"
The corners of Shintaro's mouth were pulled upwards at an exaggerated angle.
The smile that was revealed was terrifying and ferocious.
Shintaro's appearance at this moment made Shuntaro feel a little creepy.
The Shintaro at this moment is completely different from the Shintaro that Shuntaro knew before.
In Shuntaro's memory, Shintaro was low-key, taciturn, and silently completed all the tasks assigned to him like a diligent old ox.
At this moment, Shintaro showed a smile that was so hideous and somewhat weird, and spoke in an excited tone about the "real history" that had left Shuntaro stunned from the beginning until now.
If someone else told Shintaro the story that "Toyotomi's bloodline remains and is waiting for an opportunity to take revenge", Shintaro would definitely think that his story was well-made and it would be a pity not to sell it to a storyteller.
But after so many things happened tonight, when Shintaro told this story, Shuntaro's understanding of history was shaken involuntarily...
While Shuntaro was still immersed in shock, Shintaro continued speaking right after he left off.
"Shuntaro, it's just like I just told you."
"Me, Keitaro, and Hannosuke have been companions for a long time."
"We are all... Toyotomi's retainers...!"
Shuntaro had just vaguely guessed that Shintaro and the others might be related to the "surviving Toyotomi descendants" he had just mentioned, but after hearing with his own ears that Shintaro and the others admitted that they were Toyotomi's retainers, Shuntaro could not hide his surprise on his face and in his eyes.
"Shuntaro, Keitaro and I are 'outsider ninjas' just like you."
Shintaro continued.
"You were born on the banks of the Rashomon River in Yoshiwara, and then your talent was noticed and you were invited to enter the Shiranui."
"And Keitaro and I are outsiders just like you."
"We were already Toyotomi's retainers before entering Shiranui."
"We have long been preparing to control Shiranui from within."
Shintaro's fists were clenched tightly, and the half of his kimono sleeve and the letter in his hands seemed to be crushed by him.
"Control Shiranui from the inside..." Shuntaro said in a deep voice, "Have you been thinking about controlling Shiranui since six years ago... What do you want to do? To bring Shiranui back to the Toyotomi clan?"
In Shuntaro's impression, Shintaro joined Shiranui 6 years ago.
Then not long after, Keitaro also became a part of Shiranui.
"Well... sort of." Shintaro shrugged. "In order to completely destroy the Edo Shogunate, we need to unite and master all the forces we can."
"For this purpose, we also recruited the remaining ninjas from Iga-no-Sato."
Shintaro grinned and smiled.
From the beginning, he acted like a kid who had pulled off a successful prank, happily showing off his successful prank to Shuntaro.
"After Iga-no-Sato was destroyed 40 years ago, we consciously searched for and contacted the surviving ninjas of Iga-no-Sato and brought them over."
Shuntaro turned his head and glanced at Hannosuke not far away.
Hannosuke remained silent, probably indicating his agreement with what Shintaro had just said.
"We have been preparing for tonight for a long time..."
Shintaro tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and let out a long sigh.
"In order to gain enough say in Shiranui, I climbed all the way to the high position of the 'Four Heavenly Kings'."
"About a year ago, we had already made all the preparations to seize power from Shiranui. We can now officially start to control Shiranui."
"First, convince Enma to submit to the shogunate and move the base in Shiranui to Edo."
"I spent a lot of effort to successfully persuade Enma to submit to the shogunate."
"In the past few months since we moved our base to Edo, we have been looking for the most appropriate time to take action."
"And then - finally today, the best time to implement the plan has arrived."
"You and Gokutaro both happened to be on a mission tonight and were not in the village."
"There's no better time than tonight to take action."
"In order to control Shiranui, I have already made a plan on who to eliminate."
Shintaro sneered, raised his hand and stroked his neck.
"First of all - the Flame Demon who commands the entire Shiranui must die."
"Next are Gokutaro and Kotaro."
"As long as the three of them die."
"It doesn't matter whether the ninjas other than these three are dead or alive."
"Eruma, this old guy who is obsessed with revitalizing Shiranui, is really too much of a hindrance."
"Gokutaro and Kotaro not only have high status and power in Shiranui, but they are also the kind of people who have no worries."
"Gokutaro is addicted to alcohol and women."
"Kotaro doesn't like wine, he only likes sex."
"People like this who don't have any ties are the most troublesome and difficult to control."
"In order to deal with Gokutaro, I sent Keitaro to Gokutaro's side five years ago. I made Keitaro and Gokutaro brothers on the surface, but in fact I was keeping an eye on Gokutaro."
"And be prepared to kill him when the opportunity arises."
"As for Kotaro, I had made some plans for him, but Kotaro had already been killed by Ogata Ittosai, so I saved myself some effort."
"I managed to add poison to the Balrog's dinner this evening."
"Although this poison takes some time to take effect, it is a powerful drug that will kill anyone who takes it."
"While putting drugs in Enma's dinner tonight, give Keitaro an order - when you and Gokutaro go out to perform this mission tonight, find the right opportunity to kill Gokutaro."
"It's just that something unexpected happened to Keitaro. Before he could do anything, Gokutaro was killed by an unknown person. But it doesn't matter, as long as Gokutaro is dead."
"In addition, I also ordered Hannosuke and his men to go to Yoshiwara and kidnap Furin Taifu."
"Shuntaro, you know what? I wanted to kill you too."
At this point, a strange smile appeared on Shintaro's face.
"You are the most terrifying one among the 'Four Heavenly Kings'."
"It's not just because of your extraordinary strength and your high reputation and status in Shiranui."
"If you want to completely control Shiranui, you can't do it without getting rid of or controlling you who have such a high reputation."
"But after careful consideration, I decided to let you go and not kill you."
"You are not like Gokutaro and Kotaro, who are greedy for vulgar things like wine and sex."
"You have always only been pursuing better skills and becoming stronger."
"But you are not as carefree as Gokutaro and Kotaro."
"You have a very close relationship with Furin-Tayu of Yoshiwara."
The weird look in the smile on Shintaro's face became more and more intense.
On the other hand, Shuntaro's expression became increasingly ugly.
"You two are both children of the prostitutes on the Rashomon River. You are childhood sweethearts."
"To be honest, I was shocked to learn that you and Furin Taifu had such a close relationship."
"I never expected that the leader of the 'Four Heavenly Kings' in Shiranui would be a childhood friend of the leader of the Yoshiwara Yuujo."
"I was shocked, but I was also very happy."
"People who have concerns are the easiest to manipulate."
Before Shintaro could finish his words, Shuntaro said with a sullen face:
"So you kidnapped Ah Chang and planned to use Ah Chang as a hostage to force me to do things for you?"
"That's right." Shintaro clapped his hands, "But don't worry, Fuujiya is safe now. Like I just said, not even a scratch is done."
"...Are you planning to use A-Chang to threaten me?" Shuntaro shrugged and sneered.
"Yes." A hint of sarcasm appeared in Shintaro's eyes, "Because I know that you, Shuntaro, are a man who values ​​friendship."
"You can't just sit back and watch your friend die."
Shintaro's words made Shuntaro purse his lips.
After a long silence, a few low laughs were heard.
“So that’s how it is…”
"I now understand why you tried so hard to convince Enma to submit to the shogunate."
Shuntaro now felt as if the fog surrounding him had suddenly dissipated.
A few months ago, the person who proposed to Enma to submit to the shogunate and move the base to Edo was Shintaro.
Shuntaro looked at Hannosuke, who had been silent since a while ago.
"So - you Iga ninjas came to Edo to find us in order to coordinate with Shintaro?"
"...That's right." Hannosuke said softly, "But our hatred for Kinoshita Genichi is real."
"This time in Edo, in addition to assisting Shintaro and the others, we are also looking for Kinoshita Genichi in Edo to see if Kinoshita Genichi has been lured to Edo by the 'Gozen Test'."
"...You are so generous." Shuntaro changed his tone to a mocking one, "You told me such important news so openly that 'there are still Toyotomi bloodlines left, and they are trying to take revenge on the Edo Shogunate'."
"Aren't you afraid that I will leak this important information to others, or directly to the shogunate?"
"Go ahead and leak it." Shintaro spread his hands, "Since I dare to tell you that 'Toyotomi is not dead', it means I am not afraid of you leaking this news at all."
"Whether the shogunate knows that the Toyotomi bloodline is not cut off - this is no longer an important matter to us."
"We no longer care whether the shogunate knows that 'Toyotomi's bloodline has not been cut off' or whether they know that 'Toyotomi intends to take revenge on them'."
"We are now fully grown and no longer afraid of the shogunate."
"What's more, our base is located in a place that is difficult for the shogunate to reach."
"With this geographical advantage, we have nothing to fear."
"How confident you are." Shuntaro said coldly, "What do you want from telling me all these secrets? Are you planning to pull me into the Toyotomi clan and make me a retainer of the Toyotomi clan?"
"If you are willing to join our Toyotomi clan, that would be the best. However, based on my understanding of you, you will definitely not join." Shintaro smiled, "The reason why I tell you all these things is because there are some important tasks that will be entrusted to you, who are very skilled."
"For the sake of convenience, I told you these things which are actually not that important."
"Okay, let's stop talking about these lighthearted things for now."
"It's time to talk about something more serious."
"Shuntaro, I have a mission now and I need your cooperation."
"In order for Fuujitsu no longer lack hands or feet, you will definitely cooperate with me, right?"
There was a hint of sarcasm on Shintaro's face, and he did not try to hide the teasing in his tone.
If a sharp enough gaze could stab a person to death, then Shintaro would have been stabbed to death countless times by Shuntaro who glared at him fiercely.
Unfortunately, this kind of thing can only be an "if".
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara, Braided Hat Teahouse——
The owner of the Braided Hata Teahouse has always been concerned about the one-eyed old man since he entered the shop.
When the one-eyed old man entered the store, a table near the window was empty, so the owner asked the one-eyed old man to sit at this table.
Although their teahouse mainly sells tea and snacks, it also sells some wine.
After sitting down, the one-eyed old man directly ordered a bottle of sake without ordering any side dishes.
Just like this, he was holding a bottle of sake and drinking it in small sips.
There are fewer and fewer customers in the store now.
The town firefighters who came to the teahouse to have a few drinks and take a break, as well as the officials from the Shirobei Club, left the teahouse in twos and threes.
Originally, nearly 80% of the seats in the teahouse were occupied, but now only a few tables are occupied.
After working for so long, the boss finally had a chance to take a break. He leaned against the wooden pillar behind him and let out a long breath.
But before the boss had time to rest for a while, he suddenly heard an old voice:
"Any more wine?"
It was the voice of the one-eyed old man.
As soon as the one-eyed old man finished speaking, the boss immediately nodded vigorously as if by reflex:
"have!"
"Give me another bottle of sake."
"Okay!"
The host ran into the kitchen swiftly and brought out a bottle of sake.
Coming to the table of the one-eyed old man and presenting him the bottle of sake, the one-eyed old man opened the bottle without saying a word and poured the sake into the small wine glass in his hand.
"Sir, would you like some snacks?"
One-eyed old man: “No need.”
"Then please enjoy your meal slowly!"
After smiling politely at the one-eyed old man, the host was about to get up and leave with his plate in his arms.
"Wait a moment."
The one-eyed old man suddenly called the boss again.
"Sir, is there anything you need?" The host knelt down next to the one-eyed old man again.
"Do you sell that kind of dry food here?"
"Yes, there are...but the dry food we sell here is just dried sweet potatoes."
"It doesn't matter."
After saying that, the one-eyed old man took out some money from his pocket and spread it out on the table in front of him.
“Just buy as many dried sweet potatoes as you can with this money.”
"Okay! I'll get ready right away!"
…
…
Edo, the inn where Ogata and others stayed——
Ogata and Atachi had just chatted with Uncle Qing for a few words when Chiba came to Ogata and told him that the treatment for Uesugi was over.
And when Chiba finished treating Uesugi, Lin also finished lecturing Genichi.
Lin looked like she was still angry.
The source is what it was like before, and it is like now...
According to Chiba, although Guase had many wounds on his body, none of them were serious. He would be healed by applying some medicine, taking some good medicine, and resting for a while.
Chiba really helped a lot tonight. After paying the medical expenses of Uncle Qing and Uesugi to Chiba, Ogata wanted to send Chiba and Kondo all the way back to Kitakaze House where they were currently staying to show his sincerity and gratitude, but was strongly rejected by Chiba and Kondo, especially Kondo.
Seeing that the two of them strongly refused, Ogata didn't want to force it, so he could only compromise and send the two of them out of the hotel and then watch them leave.
Of course - because Chiba didn't know that "Mashima Goro" was "Ogata Yoshisei", Ogata was wearing a human skin mask when he paid Chiba the medical fees and when he sent them away.
After seeing Chiba, Kondo and the others off, he returned to the large room where he lived and said to everyone: I'm going to Yoshiwara.
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Mamiya asked in confusion:
"Ogata-kun, why did you go to Yoshiwara for no reason?"
"When I went to rescue Ueyoshi, a fire suddenly broke out in Yoshiwara," Ogata said briefly, "so I decided to go and see how bad the fire was. I'll be back soon."
When I rushed to Yoshiwara just now, I was busy rescuing Gua Sheng and had no energy to take care of the fire in Yoshiwara.
Now that Uesugi has been rescued, her and Uncle Qing's treatments have been completed, and her shoulder is temporarily free of injury, Ogata plans to return to Yoshiwara to see how the fire that devastated Yoshiwara has fared.
After all, Ogata worked in Yoshiwara for a short period of time. He is still considered one of Yoshiwara's servants.
For both public and private reasons, Ogata could not sit idly by and ignore Yoshiwara.
As soon as Ogata said this, he got an immediate response from Uekushi:
“I want to go too!”
"You stay here until tomorrow morning. Don't leave here." Ogata responded to Ueyu without hesitation, "We can't ignore the possibility that after the first batch of ninjas sent by Shiranui Satomi to hunt you failed, he sent a second batch of ninjas to assassinate you."
"So you'd better not go near Yoshiwara now."
"You can stay here with us tonight. It may not be as comfortable as your home, but at least it's safe."
"Besides, you are still injured and can't even walk fast. You should just stay here quietly."
Although Uesugi really wanted to refute Ogata, she had to admit that what Ogata said was right, so she could only nod with a little reluctance.
"Ogata-kun, I'll go with you." Another person suddenly expressed his desire to go with Ogata.
This person is Yuan Yi.
As soon as Genichi finished speaking, he immediately received Lin's terrifying gaze.
To be more precise, it was a rather terrifying sight.
Before Lin could say anything, Genichi turned his head, looked at Lin, and spoke first.
"Shirobei and I are old acquaintances."
Genichi used a rare serious tone.
"I'm a little worried about how Shirobei is doing now."
"Based on what I know about him, if a fire breaks out, he will definitely be at the forefront of the firefighting."
"Let me go and see how my old friend is doing."
Perhaps because it was so rare to see Yuan Yi in a "serious state", Lin was stunned.
After pursing her lips and being silent for a while, Lin let out a low sigh:
"Got it, go and come back soon... Remember to behave yourself and don't cause any trouble again."
"I just went to see how an old friend is doing." Yuan Yi smiled, "What kind of trouble can it cause?"
Ogata had no reason to stop Genichirō, so he naturally agreed to let him go.
Ogata and Genichi put their sabers on their waists and rushed towards Yoshiwara one after the other...
…
…
Edo, Yoshiwara, Braided Hat Teahouse——
"Any more wine?"
"have!"
"Another bottle of sake."
"Okay! Sir, do you really not need any snacks?"
"unnecessary."
"Okay! Here, your sake!"
The host once again politely placed a bottle of sake on the table of the one-eyed old man.