A bandaged Shiro awakes in an old man's hut. He rescued him after finding him unconscious at where he and Jubei had dueled. He wonders if Jubei is alright. Back with Hajime, 6 of the 7 secret powers of the lovely eye-patch have been discovered. They are completely useless. Hajime surmises that the 7th power must be the one that will let him conquer a nation. A strange figure appears and tells Hajime that he must show results as leader of the Ryujoji clan. Hajime calls for Hattori and orders Jubei's immediate capture. Jubei and friends are having a rice pounding party. Koinosuke is depressed because he doesn't know what to do with himself now that the lovely eye-patch is gone. He lived only to hand the lovely eye-patch to her. She tells him his 300 year search was waste then. Mikage, a former ryujoji assassin appears in civilian clothing and asks to speak to Jubei alone. Mikage apologizes for her former conduct and asks for Jubei to continue as Yagyu Jubei. She tells her all the ryujoji swordsman who were defeated by Jubei, suffered no wounds, and were released from the 300 year old curse of hatred against the Yagyus and all started new life full of happiness. She again begs Jubei to free everyone else from the Ryujoji curse as well and Jubei apologizes and walks off. A boy from Shiro's class shows up with Shiro's notebook and tells her about Shiro's true reason for his challenge and his fear of Jubei falling into the hands of Hajime, his twin brother and head of the Ryujoji clan. She is worried because he hasn't been in school since the duel. Hattori and the ninjas appear to kidnap Jubei, but when she learns she can see Hajime, she willingly goes with them. Jubei, the Ruffians, and Koinosuke are delivered, tied up, to Hajime. He demands to know the secret to the lovely eye-patch's power. Sai approaches Mikage... |