Chapter 50: The Conflict of Faith (Seeking Collections)

  Kira Yoshinaka decided to go to Tsunoshima with a light escort, but Sano Jirō and Ichimonji Hanzō hurriedly stopped him. In the end, he reluctantly agreed to bring only 15 close attendants in plain clothes, but they were actually afraid of being attacked by the rōnin led by ōishi Yoshio.

  Tsushima originally flourished in front of the gate town of Ushita Tenno-sha, and later gradually formed a residential area with five densely populated areas: Komezuka, Tsutsumi, Ichiba, Ikada, and Shimomura, also known as Tsushima Gomura. For nearly a hundred years, Tsushima has been responsible for the tax affairs of the Ise Sangū Imperial Court and the transfer of annual tribute, which further promoted the commercial development of the region.

  The Ox-Headed Emperor Festival is very famous, and according to the townspeople, every year during the festival, Oda Nobunaga would wear a miko costume, beat on small drums, and dance the Ama-no-Uzume, many people said that Oda's cross-dressing appearance was very attractive, this legend has been passed down widely, almost as famous as the Owari Great Stag in Owari Province.

  As I walked to a sake house, I overheard some townspeople whispering: "...speaking of which, the young master of the Oda family is really a good person! He comes to participate in the Tsushima Ushioni Festival every year, what a devout person!"

  "Yes! The heavenly dance is really great to watch, my two daughters at home can't dance, they're so stupid!" Another person came over to chat and brought a few companions who burst out laughing.

  "Do you hear? It seems like there's some commotion, let's go take a look!" Several townspeople sprang into action, rushing out to see the excitement, and indeed, the end of the street was already packed with people, seemingly in a heated argument.

  "It's a fight! Look! That person is a samurai! He drew his sword!" But in an instant, a scream was heard, and the crowd became chaotic. In no time, twenty or thirty monks armed with glaives rushed over, driving away the townspeople who were in their way with ferocious expressions. The samurai didn't even have a chance to resist before being hacked to death by the monks' swords. Then the monks dispersed the onlookers and cleaned up the battlefield.

  The townspeople were about to disperse when another group of people rushed over, led by someone who seemed familiar. Fifty or sixty men wearing colorful clothing and holding knives and guns surrounded the monks. The townspeople immediately scattered in all directions, with some shouting: "The Hattori family has arrived! The Ikko sect is going to war with the Hokke sect! Everyone run!"

  "Hattori family? One of the four families, four surnames and seven names of Hattori party? I think I saw him at the banquet a few days ago, wasn't his name Hattori Tomosada?! Kira Yoshinaka's memory was good, he quickly remembered that this familiar man was called Hattori, who seemed to live in Ebisu, west of Tsushima, and was one of the fifteen parties controlling water transportation on Tsushima."

  Kiriyama Mantsumaru looked at the confrontation in front of him, wondering if it would disperse for a while, shook his head and walked into a nearby sake house, ignoring the humble smile of the sake house owner, saying: "Masakiyo! What is the relationship between this Hattori Yukitaka and your family?"

  "Master of the mansion, Hattori Yoshisada is the head of the lower Hattori family, and in our family, he is the middle Hattori. My older brother, Hattori Yasutane, resides at the Chigasaki clan's main house." Hattori Masakiyu appeared from somewhere and knelt down beside him, speaking in a low voice.

  "So that's how it is, then this Hattori Yoshisada can also be contacted?"

  "It is possible to contact him, but I dare not guarantee that he will listen to the orders of a single commander." Hattori Masahide replied with some trepidation.

  Kiriyama Mantsumaru nodded understandingly and said, "It's all right, the head of the house doesn't want you to convey any orders. Just tell Hattori Tomosaemon that outsiders should value harmony, and sectarian disputes shouldn't be carried out in public. Causing unnecessary killings in town will surely lead to hell!"

  "Yes!" Hattori Masaki responded and retreated, disappearing without a trace. The sake shop owner who had just been talking to him also regained consciousness, realizing he was leaning against the customer, and quickly got up to ask enthusiastically: "Honored guest, what can I get for you?"

  "Bring out whatever local specialties you have!" Kirishima Mantarou's mouth corners couldn't help but curve into a faint smile.

  Before long, the townspeople who were peeking out from their homes began to murmur among themselves: "Huh? They seemed like they were about to start a fight just now, but how did it suddenly disperse? When did the Hitoe family become so easy-going?"

  "I clearly saw a puzzled expression on the face of the samurai from Hattori's house, it really looks strange!"

  "I don't understand! I really don't understand! It seems that this old man is getting on in years and can't keep up with the ideas of young people."

  "You're clearly only forty years old, what's with the old man act in front of me! Bastard!"

  ……

  "It's about time to go back, indeed!" Kiryu Manzoumaru savored the wind-borne fragrance of the river fish banquet, then clapped his hands and left Yamagata Zentarō to pay the bill, strolling out of the sake house with his attendants.

  The pedestrians on the street have indeed restored order, except for the small vendors who were smashed and cried as they cleaned up the stall. It's hard to see that there was a bloody killing scene here just now. The bloodstains on the ground are covered with fine sand, and the small vendors on the side of the street continue to hawk their goods. Before long, all this will be forgotten by people.

  "Is the essence of this era that human life is as worthless as grass? The Ikko and Hokke sects are really arrogant!" Kiryuu Mantsurumaru sighed and turned to leave.

  Tsushima's commercial district prospered due to the rise of Gomura, and its business reached its peak in the town. The shops were all located within Gomura, and the gaps between them became the site of large temples and residential areas for common people. Due to a lack of planning, this area became similar to later-day slums, with privately built structures everywhere, narrow and dark streets, and polluted water on the ground. It was like two different worlds compared to the prosperous Tsushima.

  Kira Mansaburoumaru didn't have any interest in coming here, but he changed his mind after running into an interesting young boy. The boy's age couldn't be discerned, but he was about the same height as him, and his disheveled attire was similar to that of Oda Nobunaga. Despite not having come of age yet, he had already started wearing a tea whisk hairstyle on his head, and his small face was covered in flour from who-knows-where. Carrying a bamboo spear, he took on five boys several years older than him on the street, sending them fleeing with their tails between their legs. His name was Keijirou.

  In the Warring States period, there were about 800 people named Keijirō, but it seemed that only one of them was a young boy who played with strange objects. Kira no Motsunamaru couldn't be certain if he was the Keijirō he was looking for, so he could only follow the little boy named Keijirō into this slum-like residential area.

  The little boy, still unaware of being followed, didn't notice anything unusual until he arrived in front of a low-roofed house. He glanced around casually, and Kiryū Mantsurumaru barely dodged to avoid his careless glance. The boy ran to the well to wash off the flour on his face, then removed the string from his head and shook out his hair. In no time at all, he transformed into a lovely and adorable child. The little boy took a deep breath as if to encourage himself, then silently slipped into that dilapidated house.

  "What an interesting guy, whether it's that person or not, it's worth taking a look! " Kirishima Mantarou walked briskly to the front gate of the old mansion.

  "Keitaro! You've gone out and had fun again, haven't you?! The flour at home is missing again! Tell me, did you use it to powder your face again?! We can barely afford rice, how can you still use that flour for your face?! Don't you know that flour was a gift for the noble family?! When Uncle comes back later, you'll definitely be scolded!"

  "Big brother! That's my new attire, the young master of Owari's Oda clan dresses like this too! I'm going to become his samurai as well, with my Keijirou's marksmanship and bravery, I'll definitely succeed!" Keijirou retorted in dissatisfaction.

  "Shut up!" A majestic voice of a middle-aged man came out, and the man scolded: "Look at what you're saying! Go back to your room and reflect on yourself! If you dare to talk back to your brother again, you won't get dinner!"

  Kiriyama Mantarōmaru stood outside the mansion for a moment, his smile deepening as he raised his hand to knock lightly on the wooden door.

  "Knock knock knock!"