"Sorry, Ogata-kun, we can only send you here. The rest of the way... you have to walk by yourself."
"Yes." Ogata nodded lightly, "Thank you for coming to see me off. Before leaving Hirose Domain, I was not alone... This makes me very happy."
"Ogata-kun, let me ask you a question." Kuronaga said softly, "Have you thought about where you are going after leaving Hirose Domain?"
"Well... I haven't thought about it yet. Anyway, let's leave Hirose Domain first."
"The world is so big, you don't have to worry about having nowhere to go."
"If you're lucky, you might be able to find a new place to stay."
"Anyway——"
Ogata raised his hand and placed it on the knife blade on his left waist.
"In this day and age, as long as you have a knife, you can go anywhere."
"Ha." Kuronaga chuckled, "That's right."
After saying that, Kuronaga slowly knelt down on the ground.
He raised his hands to grab both lapels of his kimono, and then pulled it away neatly to the left and right, exposing his chest and belly.
"Then...I'm almost on my way..."
Kurunaga pulled out a sword from his waist.
Unsheath the sword.
The sharp blade reflected a dazzling light under the sunlight, making Ogata couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly.
Kneeling on the ground, exposing his belly, and taking out his sword - it was obvious what Kuronaga planned to do.
"...Kurayaga-sama."
Ogata said softly.
"You told me before that... no matter whether the assassination of Matsudaira Gennai was successful or failed, you would commit suicide by caesarean section... I thought you were joking with me..."
"I'm not kidding." Kuronaga smiled, "I'm serious."
"For the sake of justice, I planned the assassination of the Lord."
"But I can't completely let go of my identity as a samurai and my bushido..."
"Since I am alive, I cannot implement the 'loyalty' of Bushido."
"Then at least - let me die in a samurai way when I die."
"At the end of your life, be a warrior again..."
"And... with the ability of the shogunate, it is only a matter of time before they find out that I am the mastermind behind this assassination..."
"Anyway... the shogunate will definitely order me to have a caesarean section in the future to apologize."
"Since you are bound to die sooner or later, it's better to cut open your stomach neatly now."
"It's better to have a caesarean section on your own initiative than to be ordered to have a caesarean section by the shogunate..."
"My family has been entrusted to trustworthy friends."
"Ogata-kun, your injuries have generally recovered and you can leave Hirose Domain."
"Now...I don't have any worries anymore, and there's nothing I can't let go of."
"...My lord." Ogata raised his left hand and held down his sword, "Do you need me to explain your mistake?"
"No need." Kuronaga smiled bitterly, "Too many innocent people died because of me..."
"So many people died because of me, and I indirectly killed so many people. How could there be any reason for me to die happily alone?"
"……I see."
Ogata sighed softly and put down his left hand that was holding the sword.
"Then...my lord, I will leave first."
"Let's meet again in the underworld... in the future."
"Yes." Kuronaga nodded gently, "Ogata-kun, I wish you good luck in martial arts!"
"Well, I also wish you good luck in martial arts."
"...Ogata-kun." Tobiru, who had not spoken since just now and had been standing silently next to Kurunaga, suddenly said, "Goodbye..."
"Fei Yuan, you need to take more care."
"I will."
Speaking of this? Fei Yuan paused.
Then? As if he remembered 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 ninjas in Shiranui."
"I was born in Shiranui."
"So I know better than anyone else what a terrifying force Shiranui is..."
"If you meet a ninja from Shiranui in the future, please remember to stay vigilant."
"Shiranui..." Ogata chewed on the word? "Okay, I can."
"Then... I have nothing else to say." After saying that, Tobiru slowly knelt down on one knee beside Kurunaga. "Ogata-kun, I also wish you... good luck in martial arts and that you must live.
, live until you die of old age.”
Ogata smiled: "I'd like to lend you some good words."
…
…
Kurunaga did not immediately stab the sword into his belly.
Instead, he silently watched Ogata leave.
When Ogata's figure was about to disappear on the horizon, Kuranaga noticed Ogata's figure paused.
According to Kuronaga's guess - this may be because Ogata stopped and looked back at them.
After looking back at them for a while, Ogata's figure, which was blurry due to the distance, completely sank into the horizon.
Kuronaga looked around.
There were only sunshine, wind, grass, soil, himself, and the flying ape beside him.
"...Farizaru." Kuranagi said softly, "You...are free."
"You don't have to die with me."
"Leave Hirose Domain like Ogata-kun and live freely, or find another lord to serve."
"No." Tobiru shook his head gently, "Lord? I will not leave Hirose Domain or you."
"I haven't repaid your kindness yet."
"How could I leave you without permission?"
"My kindness to you? You have already repaid it." Kuronaga said helplessly.
"No." Fei Yuan shook his head solemnly, "Not yet."
"My lord, the kindness you have shown me? Fei Yuan will never be able to repay it in his lifetime."
Speaking of this, a look of reminiscence and... loneliness appeared on Fei Yuan's face.
"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 spurned, despised, and bullied."
"Will female ninjas who are not good at assassination or fighting be captured and used as reproductive tools? Or they will be given to meritorious ninjas as trophies."
"I am just a loser and a runaway who has never been able to master the assassination technique and cannot stand the bullying of the other ninjas in Shiranui..."
"My lord, you gave me a place to stay."
"Gives me, this loser, a purpose."
"Your kindness to me will never be repaid no matter how much you do."
"I will always serve you."
"Follow you to the ends of the earth."
"Even if my lord you are going to the underworld, I will help you clear the way to the underworld without hesitation."
After saying that, Tobiru pulled out the wakizashi he carried with him.
"Then - lord, I will take the first step."
After saying this, Tobiru stabbed his own throat with the wakizashi in his hand without any hesitation.
The sharp blade penetrated the flying monkey's throat, and then stabbed out from the back of the flying monkey's neck.
Collapsed on the ground, and after convulsing for a while, Fei Yuan slowly died...
"...Sigh." Kuronaga sighed.
The expression on his face is quite...complex, I don't know if he is laughing or crying.
"What a... idiot... why do you need to be buried with me..."
After expressing this emotion, Kuronaga took a deep breath.
Then he slowly raised his head and looked at the blue sky above his head.
"...It's such a beautiful and sunny weather."
"It's such a pity that I won't have the chance to see the cherry blossoms next year..."
After saying that, Kuranyong stabbed the sword in his hand into his left abdomen without any hesitation.
Then he used both hands hard to cut the sword inserted into the left abdomen bit by bit to the right abdomen...