MOON SAGA novel book discussion (Part One, Ch 3-4)
3
To the south of Kyoto, in a forest even deeper into the mountains than Uji, Yoshitsune sat.
In front of him was a lake that exactly filled his field of vision, and the surface of the water was illuminated by sunlight shining through the gaps in the trees.
Yoshitsune had been sitting on the shore of the lake, staring out over its surface like that for hours. Perhaps because it was fed by spring water welling up from somewhere, the lake was blue and clear, and water grass with long, thin leaves swayed elegantly in the breeze. It was a lovely sight. But Yoshitsune’s heart was not soothed by the scenery. Rather, the beautiful colors even seemed repulsive to him.
He spent his days merely staring at the lake with a cold gaze, and waiting for the sun to set. When he slept, he was tormented by nightmares of Yoshinaka and Tomoe, and when he was awake he couldn’t stop thinking about them. After the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, his heart had completely broken.
Splash.
In the center of the lake, small bubbles appeared, and ripples began to spread out. The ripples gradually became bigger, and just when it seemed that the surface of the lake would erupt, a beautiful girl emerged along with a spray of water.
Her waist-length silver hair clung to her wet, pale skin, emphasizing the voluptuous curves of her body. Her generous and perfectly formed breasts were exposed, but she showed no signs of embarrassment, and droplets of water sparkled in her feathery black eyelashes.
The girl who had been bathing in the lake slowly raised her head, and realizing that Yoshitsune was looking in her direction, smiled brightly. It was a smile that under normal circumstances would have stolen a person’s heart in seconds, both pure and bewitching in equal parts. But Yoshitsune did not react at all, and his cold gaze was focused on the lake as always.
The girl understood that there was no place in Yoshitsune’s eyes for her, and with a slightly sad expression, she quietly climbed out of the lake. Then, bare-naked, she strode over to Yoshitsune and sat down next to him. Drops of water ran down over her enchanting porcelain skin.
“...”
The girl peered at Yoshitsune’s profile with her large, jet black eyes. Perceiving the sorrow that he was desperately trying to bottle up, and his rage that could not be directed at anyone, she wrapped her slender arms around his neck, pressing her body against his, and stroking his hair lovingly.
Without even turning to look at her face, Yoshitsune threw off the girl’s embrace.
“Back off, Hiyori… Hurry up and get dressed. You’ll catch a cold...”
“...”
Hiyori fixed a sad gaze on Yoshitsune in reply.
Mononoke don’t get things like colds…
Hiyori thought, but she didn’t have the ability to express that in words.
Hiyori had formerly accompanied Kage, in a way, she had been the adopted pet of her fellow Mononoke. So when Kage had displayed an interest in Yoshitsune’s power and began to haunt him, it was natural that Hiyori also stayed by Yoshitsune’s side. To Hiyori, those days had been fun. But when Yoshinaka summoned En, and Kage perished in battle with him, Hiyori herself had undergone a great change.
Hiyori’s youthful form, which it would have been appropriate to refer to as a child, had suddenly matured, and like a butterfly gaining its wings, she had transformed into a beautiful woman. At the same time, she had lost her voice.
Was it because she had lost the balancing existence of Kage? No one knew. But even though Hiyori had lost her voice, Yoshitsune and the others somehow always knew what she wanted to say, and no one tried to force her to speak.
In the distance there was the sound of a flock of birds taking flight. A moment later, they were visible in the sky, crying out and wheeling through the air in formation as they headed for their nests.
When the stillness returned, Yoshitsune spoke quietly.
“Hiyori, you go home first. If it gets too late, Saburō and the others will panic.”
Hiyori, who was now wearing her kimono that she had left by the lake, turned her head as if to ask, “And you?”
“I… have something to discuss with Kage… Don’t worry about me. I’ll be heading home soon,” Yoshitsune said, and gave a forced smile. Hiyori nodded silently, and headed alone down the path that led to the foot of the mountain.
Hiyori knew that Yoshitsune was still thinking of the late Tomoe Gozen. She herself had loved Tomoe for both her kindness and the imposing strength that she possessed. That was why Hiyori had wanted to be the one to soothe Yoshitsune’s heart this time, in the place of Tomoe. That strong wish had caused her body to suddenly grow. But to Yoshitsune, no matter what Hiyori looked like, she would always be like a little sister who loved him innocently.
No matter how much I pray for it, I can’t replace Tomoe.
Hiyori knew that, and her sorrow and pain at her inability to soothe Yoshitsune’s soul felt as if it would tear her chest apart.
The wind blew from nowhere in particular, and it gently swept across the surface of the lake.
“Kage, you are here, aren’t you? I want to speak with you,” Yoshitsune whispered, staring up at the sky as if he were talking to no one at all.
As if it were a sign, the air above the rippling water began to shimmer along with it like a mirage. Its outline shimmered and shifted constantly, never taking a definite form. It took a human shape, and then changed again the next instant.
Are you still thinking of Yoshinaka?
The words made no sound, but instead entered directly into Yoshitsune’s mind.
Why do you suffer? You ate your friend yourself, and yet you miss him?
“...”
Is it the demon within you that you hate? Or do you hate yourself for not being able to contain it?
“...Kage, stop it. This isn’t what I want to talk about.”
But the voice paid Yoshitsune no heed and continued speaking.
I will tell you one thing. The one who called forth the demon within you at that time was me.
Yoshitsune looked up despite himself. He glared at the mirage in front of him.
“Why did you do such a thing?”
I understood fully. You could not kill Yoshinaka yourself. I originally intended to take care of Yoshinaka myself before then… but to my surprise, he summoned En. And even for me, sending En to his grave was something that took every bit of strength I had.
“… What was this ‘En’? Something that even a Mononoke like you couldn’t beat?”
My conflict with En was a fate determined long ago. Long before you were born.
Some time previously, Yoshitsune had heard from Kage themself that they had existed in this world for over one hundred years. It was difficult for Yoshitsune to imagine what sort of time span Kage meant when they said “long ago”.
There was no other way to have you kill Yoshinaka than to awaken the demon within you. Does that lighten the weight on your soul a little?
“… How could it? It doesn’t change the fact that I killed him,” Yoshitsune spat. The mirage shimmered above the water.
What a nuisance you are. You have the power to rule the world, if you so wished, and yet, you fight against it. But that is the difference between you and the rest of the Mononofu… Since I met you at Mount Kurama, I haunted you in the hope of seeing how you would use that power in this era of turmoil, and it is such a pity that I will not…
Yoshitsune’s expression became even more gloomy.
Mononoke are not invulnerable. My body perished along with En. What is speaking to you now is my will, perhaps you could call it an ember. But this too will eventually weaken and vanish. I ask that you take care of Hiyori. In a way, she loves you… A Mononoke living alone is a very fragile existence.
“I understand...”
The mirage was fainter than before, and seemed like it could vanish at any moment.
Yoshitsune. Do not fear the demon that lives within you. You have been chosen. Accept your fate, your power, the demon, and live.
“Chosen? What do you mean, ‘fate’? Do you know? Then tell me!”
A time shall come when you understand. But there is more than one path. You will be the one to choose. If you are running from yourself, then you will err. Face yourself. That will give you the power to change the world…
Kage’s words were gradually becoming weaker. Then, the wind once again swept across the water’s surface, and the mirage was snuffed out.
“Wait, Kage! KAGE! Don’t you leave me too…!”
Yoshitsune’s pained cries went unheard, and he could no longer feel any trace of Kage’s presence. There was nothing but a small fish splashing in the lake as if nothing had happened.
My power will change the world…
Yoshitsune had never considered such a thing even once.
The “Defeat of the Heike” and “Revival of the Genji’s Power” were the dream of his elder brother, Yoritomo, and Yoshitsune did not strongly embrace it. When Yoritomo was raising an army, Yoshitsune only ran to him out of a simple desire to help and be useful. And when he had met Yoshinaka, a friend with the same aspirations, those feelings had become even stronger.
But he had killed that precious friend with his own hands.
Even though they had both vowed the same promise for the future, he had sacrificed his friend for the sake of that future.
Yoshitsune couldn’t help but curse that huge contradiction and ironic fate.
On that night of the full moon, when he had awoken from his demonic state, and seen Yoshinaka fallen and covered in blood before his eyes, he had screamed. All he could do was apologize, sobbing, as Yoshinaka grew cold in his arms.
“Despite that...”
Yoshitsune whispered unconsciously.
After defeating Yoshinaka, he had headed towards the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani in a state of despair. During that battle, he had felt the presence of the demon still smoldering inside him.
Vivid memories of the battle welled up in Yoshitsune’s mind.
When he had arrived at Hiyodorigoe, that overlooked Ichi-no-Tani, he had been unable to quell the stirring in his blood at the battle cries that shook the earth, the sound of the horses and their thundering hooves, and the sight of the battle unfolding below. And in his excitement, he charged down the cliff on horseback.
His wild, silver-streaked hair was tied back, and as he cut down soldier after soldier, he seemed to be a devil.
Now that I have killed my friend, it is too late to fight it. The blood of the demon runs within me.
The reality that he had never wanted to acknowledge had been cruelly thrust upon him.
Therefore, Yoshitsune feared himself in his half-awakened state, and began to suppress all his feelings. Nevertheless, if he remembered Yoshinaka for even a moment, his heart began to pound fiercely and uncontrollably.
“Yoshinaka… I...”
Yoshitsune hung his head, and tears dripped into his lap.
“...will never… ever… become a demon again.”
He lingered over the words as if he were trying to convince himself.
At that moment, there was a rustling from the bushes behind his hunched shoulders.
Startled, he turned to look, and there was a man staring at Yoshitsune with a surprised expression. After a moment’s silence, the man spoke.
“Ah, sorry to surprise you. I didn’t think there would be anyone here.”
As he said that, the man’s face crinkled into a smile. It was a disarming expression.
“Are you fishing or something? Though your expression is a bit grim for that.”
“...”
Despite the fact that Yoshitsune was ignoring him, the man merrily pushed forward and said, “Hey, hey, I don’t know what happened to you, but if you keep making that scary face even the fish are gonna be scared off! Hahaha!”
He put a hand on his hip, and squinted into the water.
“Despite the battle raging in Kyoto these last few months, the fish and the birds seem to be having fun. Isn’t that grand? Whether its a war or whatever else, the only ones being twisted around by our desires and emotions are us Mononofu and humans.”
The man kept talking without a care as to whether Yoshitsune wanted to hear it.
“From the looks of things, you’re a Mononofu too, right? If you wander around these parts, the Genji will think you’re from the Heike, and the Heike will think you’re a Genji, and then you’ll end up dead for no good reason. It’s totally ridiculous. But anyway, that’s how it is, so hurry on home.”
“...Ridiculous, you say?”
Yoshitsune said, trying to contain the anger that welled up in him,
“What would YOU know…?”
“Hm?”
“Lecturing in such a grandiose way… My friend, my dear comrade, died in my arms. What could you possibly know about my pain!?”
The man’s smile vanished, and he fixed Yoshitsune with a serious gaze. But then he turned his sight to the shore once again, and said loudly enough for anyone in the area to hear, “I know absolutely nothing about it! Not how important he was to you, nor why you’re suffering so much. Nothing at all!”
Then he turned to Yoshitsune with a serious expression and said, “How’s that? You satisfied now?”
“...Fuck you!”
Yoshitsune charged at the man and lifted him by his collar. The man was unmoved, and stared down Yoshitsune as he continued.
“But I do know this. No matter how much you suffer and grieve, he’s never coming back. Is what you should be doing now sitting around like a sad sack and crying? Hm?”
“…!”
Yoshitsune regained his composure and let go of the man’s collar, turning his back awkwardly.
“I’m… not crying or anything.”
“Yes you were!”
“I’m not crying!… The wind is just stinging my eyes.”
The man smiled at Yoshitsune, “Well, it doesn’t matter either way, but I think your precious friend would be hoping for you to live life with a smile. If I was that friend, I would think so.”
“...”
“I don’t know what group of Mononofu you’re from, but in Japan these days it’s nothing but war, war, war, wherever you go. There have already been traitors against the emperor and rebels. The next day the two sides could have switched places. Like that, they’re fighting each other for control, hating and killing each other. Just lamenting it won’t end the war.”
“I know that!”
“Pfft, well excuse me then! Bahahahaha!”
Yoshitsune was taken aback. Who was this man who responded so smoothly without a care in the world, no matter what he said, he wondered. Yoshitsune tried to judge from his appearance, but the man held out his right hand and said, “My name’s Dennai. Dennai Noriyoshi. Just a humble Mononofu.”
Yoshitsune hesitantly shook his outstretched hand, “...I’m… Yoshitsune...”
“...Yoshitsune… is it? Well isn’t that a fine name!”
Dennai laughed, in an exceptionally loud voice. Perhaps in response to that, a voice could be heard calling Dennai’s name. Both Yoshitsune and Dennai immediately turned to look, and saw several men running through the forest. A sharp gleam passed through Yoshitsune’s eyes, and his expression changed.
“Dennai-sama!”
Dennai was as unaffected as ever.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Don’t you ‘What’s up?’ me, dammit! Why do you always run off to do your own thing!?” the man said, slightly out of breath. The man beside him turned around and yelled, “My lord, my lord! We found Dennai-sama over here!”
Yoshitsune was quietly putting distance between himself and Dennai’s group.
The man that they called “Lord” approached slowly. Even from a distance, it could be seen that he was tall and slender. When his face finally became clear, Yoshitsune could scarcely believe his eyes. The approaching figure had a beautiful face just like a woman’s.
He had such a slender outline that the word “Lord” didn’t seem to suit him. He had determined, straight eyebrows, and large, almond eyes. His nose was narrow, and the slightly raised corners of his mouth seemed to have a constantly defiant air about them.
When he recognized Dennai, he suddenly quickened his pace and drew close.
“Listen here, Dennai! I told you not to go so far on your own! Why don’t you ever listen to what I say!?”
“Ooh, scary. But I’m not your servant.”
“That’s not what I’m saying! Where the hell do you think you are? The Genji could attack at any moment in a suspicious place like this! If anything happens to you, my brother will blame me!”
The man said, all in one breath. There was no chance for anyone else to get a word in edgeways. Dennai waved his hand as if he were shooing away a fly buzzing around his ear.
“Shut up. If you’re there, I can’t lose myself in my own thoughts or sing songs.”
“Do you even sing!?” came the immediate retort.
“Now, now, Noritsune-sama. We’ve managed to find Dennai-sama safely, now let’s return as soon as possible. The sun is about to set,” one of the men next to Noritsune interjected reprovingly.
Noritsune.
Yoshitsune caught the man’s casual mention of the name.
Taira no Noritsune.
Yoshitsune had heard of him almost immediately after arriving in Kyoto, he was so well known as the strongest Mononofu among the Heike.
It was said that in battle he drew the string of his great bow, which seemed that it would normally take two large men to pull, with ease. He had also proved his strength by surviving despite being on the front line at the fierce battle at Ichi-no-Tani.
Could that great military leader really be this androgynous looking man? Where in those slender arms is he hiding such great strength?
It was difficult for Yoshitsune to believe. He quickly averted his gaze so that it would not be noticed. Behind Noritsune, two creatures that appeared to be Mononoke in human-like forms were hunched over and snickering. They echoed the ends of Noritsune’s and Dennai’s words, and romped around. Compared to their appearances, their voices were eerily childlike. Half-human Mononoke?… Yoshitsune glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. Dennai sighed heavily and walked toward Noritsune.
“Really, you’re always screeching at me. Are you my wife?”
At those words, Noritsune’s mouth dropped open, but he soon snapped back into action.
“Wh-Wh-WHAT!? Your… Who would… To think I was worried about you!”
He ranted in an even higher pitched voice, turning red in the face.
“And this is why I say, you’re always bitching at me like you’re my wife.”
The two Mononoke repeated, “Bitching...” “Yeah, bitching!” while giggling at each other.
“Fine, I get it. I’ll listen to you and go home, okay? So shut up for a bit.”
Dennai clapped Noritsune on the back, and the men turned to head back down the road they had arrived on. Yoshitsune watched them with great caution, heading in the opposite direction to also leave that place.
As he did so, one of the Mononoke looked at him and called out. Its innocent smile from earlier had vanished, and its eyes gleamed like a wild animal.
“Hey. Who are you?… Suspicious person.”
Yoshitsune silently glared back over his shoulder.
“Stop it, Kikuōmaru,” Dennai warned him, but Kikuōmaru's keen senses noticed the sharp gleam in Yoshitsune’s eyes, and he drew his dagger.
“Your eyes. Same as enemy… You are bad… I kill you!”
The men who appeared to be retainers drew their swords confusedly and hurriedly surrounded Yoshitsune. Noritsune’s expression did not change one bit, he merely crossed his arms and watched silently.
“...”
Moderately fed-up, Yoshitsune slowly raised his gaze to the sky and focused his awareness. He had to control himself while fighting so that the demon would not awaken. So he thought, but when the killing intent rose from his body, it threw the retainers into confusion, and Kikuōmaru displayed even more hostility.
“Wait… I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
The one who cut through the tense atmosphere was Dennai. With a hearty laugh and a cheerful voice quite inappropriate to the situation, he pushed his way into the circle and put an arm around Yoshitsune’s shoulders.
“He’s my friend who’s staying in the capital. Put those dangerous things away. Someone will get hurt. You guys are always so high-strung.”
“What, this man is your friend, Dennai-sama? Stop causing us so much trouble!”
The retainers looked relieved and put away their swords. Hearing Dennai’s words, Noritsune stood in front of Yoshitsune and said, “I apologize for the impoliteness my retainers have committed, please forgive us… Kiku, you apologize too.”
He grabbed Kikuōmaru's head and lowered it towards the ground, bowing himself as he did.
“Apologize. S-Sorry...”
The other half of the Mononoke pair, Ginrōmaru, also lowered his head repeatedly for some reason, as if they were one.
“Sorry...Sorry...”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. I’m going home now,”
Yoshitsune replied, showing as little of his face as possible. He was glad that the sun was setting and the place where they stood was hidden in shadow. But Noritsune called out to him as he headed into the woods,
“Hey, it’s dangerous to go alone. There are a lot of Genji wandering around here with a taste for blood. Allow one of my vassals to accompany you home.”
“No… I can go alone.”
“But...”
At Noritsune’s insistence, Dennai butted in once again, “He. Said. He’s. Fine. Have a safe journey home!”
Yoshitsune gave a slight wave over his shoulder in response. Dennai watched his retreating back for a moment, then called out again,
“Hey! Can I see you again sometime soon?”
Yoshitsune stopped.
“...Yeah. Maybe.”
“Again!”
“Again!”
Kikuōmaru and Ginrōmaru repeated. They watched Yoshitsune disappear into the forest, and then began to return the way they came. After a moment, Noritsune turned to Dennai as if he had suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, who on earth was that man?”
“Him? He’s...” Dennai paused there with a sudden grin.
“His name is Yoshitsune. Minamoto no Yoshitsune.”
Everyone was lost for words at Dennai’s confession. After a moment’s silence, Noritsune’s scream of, “WHAAAAAAAAAATTTT!?” rang out across the forest.
The retainers stared at him in shock, and only Dennai grinned cheerfully.
After parting with Dennai’s group, Yoshitsune arrived at his manor, and conveniently ran into the Satō brothers just as they were leaving. Tsugunobu spotted Yoshitsune and looked surprised.
“Huh? What happened?”
“What happened?… Well, I live here, so I came home.”
“No, it’s just that you’re early… We thought you were on the mountain as usual, and we were just about to go and call you. Right, Tadanobu?”
Tadanobu nodded beside him. Benkei’s voice came from somewhere behind him.
“Well, it’s a good thing anyway. Saves us having to go look for you,” he said, dropping the firewood he had been carrying from his shoulders into the hearth with a clatter.
Saburō came out from the central living room, and said to Yoshitsune with a look of relief, “Everyone was worried about you. According to some information Tadanobu and the others picked up, some of the Heike who crossed over to Yashima Island have secretly infiltrated Kyoto. There’s a chance that their allies who are remaining quietly in the capital will suddenly spring back into action. If you happened to run into them, even you could be in danger.”
“...I see. So that’s what’s been going on.”
Yoshitsune murmured as if he agreed. Saburō listened with a dubious expression, then asked, “...‘That’s what’s been going on’? Did something happen?”
“I met some Heike in the forest. Perhaps the ones Tsugunobu was talking about...”
“What!?”
Everyone immediately surrounded Yoshitsune.
“What happened!?”
“Did you fight them!?”
“You’re not injured, are you!?”
Unable to get a word in edgeways, Yoshitsune was unsure how to respond. In the end, he merely answered with a hint of impatience, “They were interesting people...”
Benkei’s face fell and he groaned, “...This is bad. Yoshitsune has already started to enjoy killing!”
“No I haven’t! … I think the one I met was Noritsune. Taira no Noritsune. We didn’t even fight, he was very well-mannered. He apologized for the imposition.”
“Isn’t Noritsune one of the Heike’s top generals? That battle at Mizushima that Yoshinaka lost, it was partly because he wasn’t used to naval battles, but I also heard it was because Noritsune was there serving as a general, and his strategy was brilliant. Yoshitsune, you’re lucky it didn’t turn into a duel with him… Didn’t they realize who you were?”
“I’m not sure. But there was another Mononofu there, and it was thanks to him that it didn’t turn into a battle. I’m pretty sure his name was Dennai…
“D-Dennai!?” Saburō asked, “Wait a minute! It wasn’t… Dennai Noriyoshi, was it!?”
“Yeah, I have a feeling that was his name… Saburō, do you know him?”
It was Yoshitsune’s turn to ask. Benkei’s expression was dubious.
“Why do you know one of the enemy Mononofu?”
Everyone waited for Saburō’s response.
“He… Dennai, Dennai Noriyoshi...”
He took a deep breath, and said with an expression that suggested even he couldn’t believe it, “...was my childhood friend.”
4
Kamakura- Yoritomo’s manor.
Wearing white suikan robes and tall, black eboshi hats, shirabyoshi 1 dancers were performing to a drum beat.
Yoritomo, who had received the news of Yoshinaka’s defeat, and also the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, had finished a conference with his army, and was merrily enjoying a feast.
Next to Yoritomo was the retainer who had captured Shigehira, the fifth son of Taira no Kiyomori, in the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani and brought him back to Kamakura- Kajiwara Kagetoki.
Yoritomo raised his sake cup energetically,
“Now, this land of Japan is covered in the flags of the Genji, announcing the beginning of the end for the era of the evil Heike. My younger brother, Yoshitsune, who suppressed the rebel leader Yoshinaka, has continued his triumphs in battle! I have heard that at the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani, he charged his horse down a cliff, taking the Heike by surprise and causing them to flee by boat. Ha! Ha! Ha!”
He watched the dancers with an expression of satisfaction. A voice came from behind him.
“My lord!”
The instant he heard that voice, Yoritomo’s face visibly fell, and changed to a dispirited expression.
The owner of the voice was Yoritomo’s wife, Hōjō Masako.
Masako was the eldest daughter of Hōjō Tokimasa, leader of the well-known Hōjō clan from Izu Province. She had fallen in love with the then-exiled Yoritomo, and married him despite her father’s furious opposition. But more than her passion, her strength of will was such that it naturally kept Yoritomo cowed.
“...What is it, Masako?”
“My lord, you spoil Yoshitsune. Everyone else is heading to the west to hunt down the Heike, so why have you allowed Yoshitsune alone to remain in Kyoto!?”
“That’s...well… There are still Heike allies remaining in the capital… and I have left guarding the emperor to him.”
Yoritomo raised his sake cup again as if he were trying to evade the question.
“I hear that Yoshitsune is going fishing every day at a lake. Isn’t that right, Kagetoki?”
“Yes. It is just as Lady Masako says,” Kagetoki jumped to agree.
Kagetoki had been born into a lineage that had served the Genji clan for many years, but since Yoritomo’s father, Yoshitomo, was defeated in the Heiji Rebellion, he had begun to work for the Heike. After that, when Yoritomo raised an army and defeated the Heike army led by Taira no Koremori, Kagetoki surrendered to him. Since then, he served Yoritomo. The truth was that when Yoritomo had suffered a great defeat at the Battle of Mount Ishibashi 2, and was being pursued by the Heike, his life was saved by Kagetoki choosing to overlook him. Perhaps because of that life debt, Yoritomo did not execute Kagetoki when he surrendered. There was also the fact that he valued Kagetoki’s keen sense that enabled him to read the flow of a battle and take the advantage, and his ability to find his way in the world. Now Kagetoki was Yoritomo’s vassal, but he also engaged in some splendid maneuvering as something of an assistant to Masako.
“Kagetoki!”
This time, Yoritomo spoke sternly. Kagetoki hurried closer to Yoritomo, rubbing his hands together. He cringed under Yoritomo’s piercing glare.
“You’re the one who’s been filling Masako with all these silly ideas again, aren’t you!?”
“No, no, no! It was not me! It’s just, many in the capital have heard of Yoshitsune’s current state...”
“Enough! It is natural that Yoshitsune should be tired from constant battles. Some things should be overlooked, should they not? Let the man fish!”
Yoritomo looked over his vassals, who were sitting in a row.
“You must also enjoy tonight’s feast. When you have fostered your energy to your heart’s content, then prepare yourselves for the next battle!”
“Yes sir!”
They raised their voices in unison, and bowed. The feast continued merrily.
“In any case, why is it that you two hate the very sight of Yoshitsune so much? He deserves sympathy. He heard that I was raising an army, and rushed here from Ōshū.”
“And the one he was depending on in Ōshū was Fujiwara no Hidehira, was it not!? I hear that the Satō brothers who accompany Yoshitsune were retainers to Taira no Shigehira when they set out. If they still have connections to Ōshū, they may be eavesdropping upon our movements!”
Masako had not given up.
The Fujiwara clan, a great house that boasted power centered on the Hiraizumi area in Ōshū, and the warriors from the east led by Yoritomo as the head of the Genji clan, kept each other in check. As the Fujiwara clan preserved their neutrality, they were not enemies in the same way that the Heike were, but as they were not under Yoritomo’s influence and instead built their own power, it was clear that they presented a threat to him. The six years between when Yoshitsune had left Mount Kurama at the age of sixteen, and when he had rushed to Yoritomo’s side, was time he had spent under Hidehira, the head of the Fujiwara clan.
“… Furthermore, there is something unknown lurking within Yoshitsune. Something that I cannot discern even with my powers.”
Masako’s power was the ability to fathom the powers of other Mononofu. But Yoshitsune was the only one that she could not be sure of, no matter how much she used her power. This uncertainty caused Masako to regard Yoshitsune with fear of the unknown.
“Not this again!”
“My lord, I will say it again and again. What I see in Yoshitsune’s heart is darkness. A deep darkness that only spreads further and further. It is as if something terrible is watching me from within that darkness… It makes me ill at the thought. That thing is sure to bring disaster upon us!”
“I’m tired of hearing about this. I’m going to bed, so I leave the rest to you!” Yoritomo spat, and immediately left his seat. Masako followed him for two or three paces, but quickly gave up, then vented her frustrations on Kagetoki, who was standing vacantly beside her.
“Why does my lord adore Yoshitsune so much!? If this keeps up, not a single word of mine will get through to him!”
“Certainly, if Yoshitsune continues to triumph on the battlefield, Lord Yoritomo is sure to grant him an important position. In that case, then Lady Masako’s status will also change...”
Kagetoki daringly proclaimed.
“What? Are you saying that Yoshitsune and my lord will be able to lead the Genji by themselves?”
Kagetoki cowered like a frog being watched by a snake.
“No, a-a-absolutely not!”
“Ah, for goodness sake, I feel ill! I do not think that a man of Yoshinaka’s greatness could have been defeated in the first place by Yoshitsune, if he had not even awakened his power. I am certain that something happened. No matter what, I must distance my lord’s heart from Yoshitsune now!”
Masako spun around and leaned in close to the kneeling Kagetoki.
“Kagetoki, think of a strategy. At this rate, neither of us will have a place here any more.”
“As you wish.”
Kagetoki answered, and alone once again, secretly embraced his own ambition.
1Female court dancers who performed in male clothing.
2Now Odawara City.