Lone Wolf & Child: Assassin on the Road to Hell (子連れ狼)

KOZURE OKAMI

ASSASSIN ON THE ROAD TO HELL

It is the mid Tokugawa era when tranquility reigned.

However; This traveler and his son knew no peace.

OGAMI Itto: TAKAHASHI Hideki.

The man was Ogami Itto. His son was called Daigoro.

It was a hard, merciless journey.

An aimless journey with no end in sight.

Directed by: TANAKA Tokuzo.

Such lightning speed...

No wonder you are the feared Lone Wolf and Child,

former official decapitator, Ogami Itto.

I am Ayabe Ukon, vassal to Lord Matsudaira Kii of the Kameyama clan.

I beseech you to aid our troubled fief.

You wished to test my skill just now?

I have 100 ryo.

I understand that you will kill for 500 ryo.

Here is 15 of the amount as security.

- Before I accept, I wish to hear the details of the situation.

- Besides myself, four others will appear to test your prowess.

Each will hand over 100 ryo and give you more details.

You are from the Kameyama clan?

I am Tsunekawa Shume...

And I am Miura Gennai.

- Your target is shogunate Inspector-General

Yagyu Bizen-no-kami.

What?

- You, yourself, harbor deep grudges against the Yagyu.

Surely, you will see this through for us?

The Yagyu...?

- In the time I have left, I will tell you what I can.

The heir to the Kameyama clan is, in fact, a girl.

What?

- Our lord is no longer young and he had no sons.

So his first child, a daughter, was raised as a young lord,

and formally declared to the government as his heir.

The Yagyu agents got wind of the masquerade,

and Inspector-General Bizen-no-kami is now headed for our clan

to verify his agent's report.

He must be killed or our clan is ruined.

Ogami-dono... I beg you...! Accept this job.

Pa...

Isn't he cute?

Daigoro, how often must I say this?

She is not your mother.

Your mother went to the netherworld long ago.

Forgive us.

It's all right...

Pa!

- Here's 100 ryo... - another fifth of your fee.

Three have passed my way.

Now the fourth, a woman. And skilled no less.

Your name.

I am page to Lord Matsumaru... heir to the Kameyama clan...

Shirasaka Namie.

And when will the fifth appear?

Magnificent!

You are the one and only Lone Wolf and Child.

I am lyama Chonosuke, chief page of the Kameyama clan.

The final hundred ryo is inside this shrine.

Inspector-General Yagyu Bizen has entered our domain...

and it seems that Yagyu Retsudo himself is pulling the strings.

Retsudo?

- Please, Ogami-dono... - Go to Kameyama Castle quickly!

You are Ogami Itto-dono?

Correct.

- I am Miwa Mondonosho, Kameyama clan chief councilor.

I thank you for coming to help our lord.

You've slit your belly?

- In atonement... - the situation has changed.

Please forget we sought your services and leave.

I beseech you.

- Then those five vassals will have died in vain.

Here are their locks.

Let me at least bury them and offer a prayer.

Please wait!

You were too late.

The Inspector-General is already inside.

Chief councilor...

1 will take the 500 ryo and their locks inside

to make certain the five loyal vassals find eternal peace.

Open the gates!

I am former official decapitator, Ogami Itto.

I demand an audience with Lord Matsudaira Kii!

I am Matsudaira Kii.

You will die here, Ogami.

For what reason?

- For the ruthless slaying of five of my retainers.

As I thought.

Make way!

I am Inspector-General Yagyu Bizen-no-kami.

Lord Kii, why the hesitation?

Kill Ogami!

I promised you but moments ago that your clan would be spared

if you killed Ogami Itto.

- You can believe the Inspector-General if you so choose, but it does not erase

the fact that you masqueraded your daughter as your male heir.

- Enough! - Kill him!

You are... Yagyu Gunbei!

Correct.

You fall into our hands again, Ogami.

This too, was the ingenious plan of our father, Yagyu Retsudo.

Retsudo...

- We knew of the Kameyama clan's secret three years ago.

But we bided our time before abolishing the clan.

And just as expected, the Kameyama clan hired you for their assassin.

And again, just as we surmised, you came to Kameyama

and killed the Inspector-General.

But he was a stand-in.

The real Inspector-General, Yagyu Bizen-no-kami, is here!

- Matsudaira Kii, I have the shogun's orders!

Yes, sir.

- If you disinherit Matsumaru and adopt another heir,

the clan will be spared any punishment.

- Is that true? - However

there is one condition.

You must kill Ogami Itto.

- You fools! - You let Ogami Itto escape?!

I am deeply ashamed.

But we have the entire area surrounded.

- Bizen...! - Sir!

- Gunbei. - Sir!

How will you pay for your blunder?!

Get him without fail!

If he escapes a second time,

sons or not, there will be ho mercy!

Sir.

I shall have your hides!

Sir.

Damn you, Yagyu!

- The Tokugawa maintained a rigid control over the daimyo lords.

They exercised three options in keeping the lords in line.

One was the placement of secret agents

of the Kurokawa in various fiefs to spy on indiscretions that

could mean abolition.

Another was the use of the Yagyu assassins

to get rid of any who opposed Tokugawa policies.

And finally, there was the official shogunate executioner,

the duty bestowed upon the Ogami family.

Welcome home, sir.

Welcome home.

It is nice to have you back.

- You look pale, Azami. - Is anything amiss?

No.

Tell me.

I've had a lot of bad dreams lately.

Dreams?

Of those you've decapitated...

There is a sea of blood...

And horrifying screams...

- How silly! - And so unlike you.

SEVERAL DAYS LATER...

Azami...!

Daigoro...!

Azami...! Daigoro...!

Azami...!

Daigoro...!

Dear... Daigoro...

Take care of Daigoro...

Azami!

Who did it? Who did this?

I shall not rest until I find them!

I swear vengeance!

On the surface it looked like

the work of embittered vassals whose lord had been ordered to commit suicide.

In truth, it was a treacherous plot.

Memorial tablets of each executed daimyo

were placed on the Ogami family altar.

Someone, somehow, had placed a memorial tablet of the shogun

who was very much alive.

Its disclosure brought a swift and merciless sentence.

This was the Yagyu scheme.

The Yagyu coveted the position of shogunate decapitator.

They sought to control all three offices of covert operations,

as shogunate secret agent, assassin, and decapitator.

- Daigoro, the central government has ordered us to die.

However, I intend to defy them and escape from this house.

Hereafter, I will walk the path of vengeance as a hired assassin.

And I will avenge the Ogami family

of the humiliation wrought upon us by the Yagyu.

Daigoro, you must choose your own destiny.

Choose the sword, and you too, will be an assassin.

Choose the ball, and I will let you join your mother in death.

You may be too young to understand.

But the Ogami blood which courses through your veins

will know which to choose.

Choose, Daigoro!

You would find peace if you joined your mother.

Poor child!

A lone assassin and his child.

Heed this well, Daigoro, for this is our fate.

- I am Inspector-General Yagyu Bizen-no-kami.

I come on official duty!

Bow to the shogun's decree!

"Shogunate decapitator, Ogami Itto."

"For your insolent action against my name, you are hereby relieved of your duties."

"The House of Ogami shall be abolished and you and your son are ordered to commit seppuku."

- I see you are already dressed to die.

Admirable, Ogami Itto. You are a true samurai.

What's wrong?