Some men move through the worldleaving as li le trace as a drop of

water moving through a stream.

Other men do not.

Ot�r men are ro�s, r�olute againstt� cu�ent, forng a tho� m�e

drops � �rn a�de and pa� t�m by.

Dewa Province, Japan.Early Edo Period.The middle of the 17th Century.

Not water nor rock nor manhas any choice in the ma�er.

it is a question of fate.

Inside Yamagata Castle.The stronghold of the Sanjo Clan.

Yet youstand a�used

of slaughtering thewi�ers of a duel, after

two members of yourhouse were fairly

beaten.

So instead Ithrew my life away.

I beg you toexecute me.

Matsudaira-san,you have a true

samurai in your service.Please take him home

and treasure him.

Your Lordhas come to stand

in your defense, whichspeaks we� of your

character.

How amI to ensure

Justice?

To hearthat one's friendsare involved in afight and pretend

not to hear isshameful.

To refuseto take vengeancewould surely have

lengthened mylife, but this alsowould be against

the Way.

Ujimori-san,this man murderedone of your own

retainers. Wi youaow him to escape

punishment?

There isalways use in my

lands for honorablefoowers of

the Way.

Yes, my Lord,but how wi the

people respond ifsome are aowed to

violate the ruleof law and

order?

if a crimeswere punished with

death, s�n there wouldbe no men capable of

great things.

Ofcourse, my

Lord.

it is not the lawle� ones whobetray. How can one betray whenone has offered no aegiance?

instead beware the man obse�ed with law.Fear the man who admits no space betw�n

law and honor. Such men are deficientbecause they have never truly lived.

Mywishes for

safety on yourjourney.

The sword is the weapon of thehero and the murderer alike.

With such glancesdoes fate do its work.

The first order of a Samurai is to servehis master. A single betrayal is moreshameful than a thousand murders.

The frown and the fu�owedbrow are the t�ls of betrayal.

Are yousti� troubledby my decision,

Gakushi?

I mustdisagr�, my

Lord. The manwas guilty.

NowMatsudaira-

san knows he isexempted from your

rule, my Lord.Next time--

Enough.Matsudairais loyal.

Therewas one piece

of your le on It­k to heart,

my Lord.

Nothinggreat is

a�omplished,except bycriminals.

Betrayal makes widows of women andmonsters of men. The lives of those who

suffer it and the souls of those whoco�it it are but rice for its table.

The following dawn.Atop the castle walls.

Betrayal is destruction, as pureas it can be found in the world.

Betrayal is the atavisticspirit of man laid bare.

H���g...

...

and yet a� the glorious rise of man has b�nan upward spiral of betrayal and vengeance.

Araku,Wipe the

rest of theSanjo Clanfrom theearth.

I holdyou to your

promise, on painof death. As longas I serve you Ido as I please. Iam a law unto

myself.

Sanjo ichiwara, long retired to a peacefulcorner of the world, was the first to faafter his son. Gakushi's first strikes t�k

the head and the heart.

So it was with the story of theSanjo Clan. The weakne� that hadaowed evil men to ray to the

Falcon Ba�er destroyed the Clan.

Oga Peninsula.Northwest cornerof the Sanjo dominion.

You arethe last one.You wi� come

with me.

A thousand tendril echoes of Gakushi's betrayalspread through the realm, and reduced the SanjoClan into the ashes from which a Samurai would rise.

Elsewhereand everywhere.

Sendsome men to

finish it.

Yourname is SanjoGoro. You are

the fifth son ofSanjo Terotomi.

it is wrienhere, plain

as day.

Therest of

Sanjo is dead.That means youare now the

Daimyo.

No,Gakushi-san. I am

Michikawa Nobunaga. Iwas ma�ied to Sanjo Ayame,but she was adulterous and Idivorced her a decade ago.

I owe no a­egianceto Sanjo.

Please,Sanjo Goro

lives in Eiwa! Hehasn't returned

in twentyyears!

No,Gakushi-san,

please!

With that stroke the dice were cast.But those whose lives hung on

their tumbling could not hear themclacking acro� the fl�r.

Back inside the main Donjonof Yamagata Castle.

Yes!Mark me down,Yuko, that was a

g d one!

Yous�m to bewi�ing.

Didyou expectanything

le�?

Wheneveryou finish makingm n-eyes at my

sister, I amready.

Not yet.

The Villageof Eiwa.

Yes! Markme down,

Yuko!

You'retaking that?

I'd hardly havego�en

cut!

I haven'tbeat you in

five years. Whatare you trying

to prove?Again?

Your songrows by leapsand bounds. I'venever s�n oneso ski�ed at

his age.

Youhaven't b�nout of Eiwain twenty

years.I sti know

greatne� when Is� it. Every dayhe grows more

determined.

I havemade himswords.

Wi youte him the

truth?

T�ls withoutknowledge are a

dangerous thing. Once hehas swords, how much longerwi he be satisfied as the son

of a blacksmith? His bl�dcries out for his mindto awaken. Te him,

my friend.

if I dohe wi not

stop until hehas a mysecrets.

A manmust know

who he is in thisworld. if you ca�otte him the truthabout his father, atleast te him the

truth abouthimself.

Theseare for you,

son.

For me?But...

They'rebeautiful,father.

Thank you.

Later. In the homeof Sanjo Goro.

Thatdepends onhow quicklyyou learn,

Katashi.

Howlong wi� we

be gone?

A swordis a weapon of

honor, because touse it, you must a�roachyour enemy close enough

to f�l him blow hislast breath. Think

on that.

Tomo�ow,we leave for

the mountains. Youhave a long road

ahead before thoseare put to their

best use.

Katashi,you work

quickly andwithout fear.

There is no wastedmotion. Veryg�d for a

wa�ior.

Mayuko,exce�ent sm�th

curves. Sharp curvesin a woman's writing areunpleasant. Yours have

the flavor of a spa�ow'sf�tsteps. Feminine.impermanent. Very

g�d, ind d.

My son,you are an artist.

My brother himselfwould be envious, and

Ujimori has mastered somany styles of writing

he can use themas a code in

ba�le.

You shouldbe careful. You

can hurt yourself ifyou don't know

what you'rdoing.

Perhapsyou should give

me some le�ons. Ihave b n told thathay is a g�d thing

to practiceon.

Still later.After the rice.

I'vedecided I'm

not le�ing youleave. You'� have

to te� your fatheryou've changed

your mind.

I'mwaiting

for him tochange his

mind.

Heknew when

he let you trainthat you wanted

to be asamurai.

My father'spermi�ion ca�otmake it so, and

neither canswords.

Whenwe get to

Ujimori's court,you wi� be a

samurai... if yousti� want tocome with

me.

Wi� youwait for me?Wi� you waituntil I get

back?

You'�get in

trouble.

ThenI'� get in

trouble. Juststay with me...

please.

Of courseI'� wait for

you! Only... stayhere with me

tonight.

Very late that night. Afterthe village is asleep.

You two!Sentries!

A� things g�d and evil are under theWay. Even betrayal is but a ri�le

through the weave of human destiny.

Dawn.

Wemust wake

Jun.

SanjoGoro!!!

A Samurai's fate is determined at themoment of his birth. But, since theSamurai ca�ot know this fate untilit a�ives, his life is sti� under his

own control.

Please,wait here. I

must know youare safe. Iswear I wi

return.

Sanjo Goro!Come face your

death!

Comequickly,

Jun.

A that wi be is alreadydone, but that does notrelieve us of the doing.

Go out theback, Jun. And

take this.

if you'regiving me this,

that means they'rea� dead, doesn't

it? We're a�that's left?

Yes, myson. And s�n

there wi� onlybe you.

I wi�find who isresponsible.

Sanjo wi� live.I swear itto you.

And Iwi� smile inmy next life,knowing that

it is so.

Thus understanding the nature offate, the first principles of the Wayof the Samurai fo�ow natura�y.

You wantme?

Youwant mydeath?

HereI am! Take

it! M�t death with the same heart andthe same mind as one uses to do

anything else. The moment of deathis no different than any other.

Youmust bethe son.

I amSanjoJunichi.

Come on,then...

Wh?

So t� m�t life in thissame spirit. As if death

were always at hand, yetas if one were an i�ortal.

Minoru-san?

Your sisteris in the barn.

Take her and run.There's nothing you

can do now butsurvive.

Show no mercy to one's self, but even le�to one's enemies, for your fate and his have

both b�n wri�en since before the first dawn.

Come on!Are none of youman enough to

finish me?!

Katashi!

ug�!

Even a corpseshould not retreat.

At the moment of death,resolve to die facing

one's enemy.

There!in the shadows!

Get them!

I haveno time toexplain, but

you must k�pthis always,

Katashi.

I loveyou, father.I wi� makeyou proud.

I knowyou wi�, son.I love you.

it iswhat you are.

it is whatwe are.

Honor the wisdom of the past and planagainst the troubles of the future,

a� from the present moment.

Do not become unbalanced bythe swirling of a foregone fate.

At leastyou are men

enough to putdown your bows

and face mewith stl!

Come on,then! We wi� diein each other's

arms!

A man exists for a generation.His name lasts for a� time.

By doing this, you wi�awaken from your dreams.

He plunges reckle�lytowards an i�ational death.

Even if it sms certain thatyou wi� lose, retaliate.

Neither wisdomnor technique has

a place in this.

A real man doesnot think of

victory or defeat.

Careful.There are

two sentries.Stay low.

We're athat's left. The

entire Clanis dead.

Thenyou're the

Daimyonow.

Fromthis moment,

you are my samurai.Your first order is

to get us tosafety.

Whenthe sentriesdie, foowme throughthe field.

We wialways be

behind you,my love.

Do not break thebonds of family.

Asyou say, sister,so do I swear.Until my last

breath.

Wemust haveour day ofvengeance,

Jun.

You've setus a dangerous

path. My love knowshe is your samurai, buts�n he wi� discover

he is no longeryour friend.

That'swhy you musthelp me guide

him.

Ki�him!!!

give it.

in a� things, doeverything thatis required, anddo nothing else.

When vengeanceis required...

Take it.

When comfortis required...

L�k for Destiny and it does notexist. Focus your mind on living,

and destiny wi� disa�ear.