In the land of the Rising Sun, decline of the regime let resisting powers to upraise here and there. The land broke into a turbulent age, in which rival powers compete ruthlessly.
That was the time when a man, in Higo region, stood up to hold up his will. His name was Takeyoshi.
Takeyoshi grew up as an eldest son of a family lived in a settlement of Konoguchi. He had been longing for a martial stories of a samurai handed down amongst the peasants, thus spent his childhood days playing swords.
Takeyoshi was in his youth when the lord of Yashiro, a ruler of the region at that time, lost many of his soldiers from continuous battles, and was actively levying troops from peasants.
Proclamations were not for Takeyoshi without sufficient literacy, but he got wind of the affair. For years Takeyoshi had built up his strength working in the fields, perhaps he was boasting of them. He had determined that he’d become a soldier, and one night he slipped out of his home. The night was a crescent moon.
Next morning, he applied for a duty and was tests amongst those pride in their strength. Takayoshi was ordered to take a weapon. It was a spear, much longer than a hoe he was familiar to. Nonetheless an administrator of the lord of Yashiro was impressed by how Takeyoshi had flourished a spear without difficulty. Takeyoshi was hired as the lord’s exclusive troop. The life of Takeyoshi as a samurai has begun.
Takeyoshi had contributed in winning countless battles, striking down opponents. He had gained the trust from the foot soldiers. The soldiers honored Takeyoshi and thus responded to Takeyoshi’s voice in giving a shout of triumph.
It is the way of life for samurais to show allegiance to their lords. Takeyoshi, as well, raised his sword and trained his skills, thus had shown his allegiance to his lord.
Battle at Kumajin – west side of the region had been a great worry for the troop. Victory at Kumajin will be a golden opportunity to eliminate that worry.
“Come, let us be going!”
On the way Takeyoshi’s troop descend from Yashiro and lead into Kumajin, he heard a woman’s voice.
“Father, mother, look it’s my bro!”
It was his own sister, of which he had not seen for years.
“It cannot be….Takeyoshi!? Takeyo…were you alive?”
“Mother, we should lower our heads. Takeyoshi…”
Takeyoshi’s parents were shedding tears, seeing Takeyoshi’s brilliant appearance.
“Father, mother, my sis, I will follow my lord to protect Yashiro, and be a respectable samurai.”
Takeyoshi at the end, rendered distinguished service by striking down the opponent general! He was given praise for his service and was admitted as a vassal of the lord of Yashiro.
It was not so common for a man of a peasant origin to perform such achievements. This was not always pleasant for the others. Takeyoshi had become an object of jealousy to Atushiro UCHINOKAWA, who was an old vassal and a blood relative of the lord of Yashiro.
Atsuhiro’s envied Takeyoshi so much as to lay a conspiracy to make away with the man.
However, the plan was perceived by one samurai – Kinta. Kinta and Takeyoshi have known each other since they were boys together, true bosom friends.
Kinta had tried to inform Takeyoshi of his danger. However Atsuhiro, who had known that his plan was detected, had even plotted to take away brave Kinta’s life. Atsuhiro’s retainers ambushed Kinta. Kinta, knowing that he had been tracked, still made his attempt to visit Takeyoshi, but alas! Kinta was almost there when he was caught by his pursuers and was slashed at the end.
“What is all this noise?”
Kinta was at the death’s door when Takeyoshi got out of his premises.
“Why!? Why does a thing like this happen to Kinta……”
Now Takeyoshi had heard everything from Kinta, breathing faintly.
“Oh, Kinta you shall NOT die! Kinta!”
Takeyoshi, he himself dug Kinta’s grave, buried him, and mourned for him.
Takeyoshi had put his palms together, closed his eyes and sent his heart out to the memories.
Kinta was born as a son of samurai at a lower class. Through Kinta, Takeyoshi were well familiarized with Kinta’s father’s heroic episodes. Takeyoshi had heard them with excitement and together they had shared their wills.
Kinta used to tease Takeyoshi often for being an upstart, but in fact it was Takeyoshi that saved Kinta from keeping his mind closed when Kinta’s brothers died of illness, his mother passed away and so his father at the battle of Kumajin……
We made bamboo-copters together, we ate “akebi” fruits, spitting seeds...good memories with Kinta flows through Takeyoshi’s mind.
Takeyoshi, repressing all his emotions…anger, sadness …solely sharpened his sword.
Atsuhiro with his retainers were now surrounding Takeyoshi’s premise to eliminate him. There, however, stood Takeyoshi waiting for them, armed and ready, and in aura of outrage, slashed them one after another.
Atsuhiro was soon driven into a corner. Takeyoshi brandished his sword over his head, slashed at Atsuhiro, also a vassal of his lord.
“Vengeance, this is!”
“Stop it, Takeyoshi!”
Takeyoshi now had no hesitation in killing Atsuhiro.
“I avenged you, Kinta…”
His sword was dripping with blood in crimson red.
Now the troops from Yashiro gathered. Crossing swords with an ally is strickly prohibited. Takeyoshi had no choice but to be pursued.
“It is a pity. Although I have pledged allegiance to Yashiro, there is no way that I can stay.”
----- Takayoshi renamed himself “Yashiroyama”, which expressed his feelings agaist Yashiro which his allegiance lied to.
Troop after troop he is chased by. Ten, twenty, maybe thirty.
He slashed them down, and down, as if he were dismissing his murderous thoughts. A full moon, moonlight shining brightly. was the goddess of mercy watching all...
Takeyoshi ran out from the castle, through the bushes. And after a long chase he was surrounded by the pursuers. He was close to the edge of the cliff. "All is up..." At that moment, an arrow, striked through Takeyoshi's shoulder and a slight gap between his shinguard. He had lost his balance, and fell off the cliff, as he had collapsed. "Kinta, I'm following you..."