Farmers in Ii-no-ya gather in their cotton in autumn 1565 though SETO Hokyu still stays in Sunpu. And KONDO Yasumochi, one of the Ii-no-ya Three visits Naotora and says that somebody from the Iis' territory cut down and stole some trees in his fief. He claims her to hand the thief overbut Naotora objects to it and they go to the forest together. They find that not only Yasumochi's but those of the Iis were cut down and stolen also.
MATSUSHITA Jokei has not informed about the situation in Mikawa yet. And in Sunpu, IMAGAWA Ujizane is irritated that his matchlocks are not nearly finished despite the relationship with the Takedas is growing bad. Hokyu tells him that the butt is incomplete with a joke but it makes Ujizane angry and they are mediated by ONO Tajimanokami Masatsugu. After that Hokyu and Masatsugu see Jukeini who recovers her health passes through a corridor.
The man (Yuya Yagira, centre) who is a thief is captured at last
Toramatsu improves his skill in gomoku narabe, Five in a Row and Koten says he neither wins nor loses the game. Naotora hears it and remembers the words "winning without having a battle" (**) that Masatsugu told her. Meanwhile Naoyuki stands sentinel to protect the trees and there appear the thieves at last. They attack Kondo's men by blowgun. And the head of thieves is the man whom Naotora saw at the bottom of a waterfall and near the well of Ryugu-kozo.
He is captured by Naoyuki and handed over to the Iis. Though Naoyuki says that he should be beheaded, Naotora who takes his kindness to her into consideration opposes it (***). They stay a decision until Masatsugu returns from Sunpu but Naoyuki says that he will agree with it also. Then Masatsugu returns and agrees with beheading him. He says that there is the possibility that he commits a theft in Sunpu and it's the disloyalty to Ujizane. However Naotora hardly accepts it.
Naotora (Ko Shibasaki, right) and ONO Masatsugu (Issei Takahashi) at Ryotanji
They talk about it in details at Ryotanji with the cooperation of Nankei. Masatsugu says that a pardon for him allows many thieves rush into Ii-no-ya. Naotora insists that he should not be beheaded but should be imposed on work service instead. Masatsugu accepts it and gives her the information concerning the Imagawas. Naotora ponders on the alliance of Suruga, Kai ruled by the Takedas and Sagami ruled by the Hojos but becomes entangled. And the man is in jail and and guarded by Ketsuzan.
Masatsugu visits Naoyuki's house and proposes him that they should hand the man over Mochiyasu. Naohisa, younger brother of Naoyuki hears their conversation and tells about it to Naotora. Then she visits Masatsugu with anger and quibbles about his decision. After her talk, Masatsugu asks her in a casual manner.
"Have you finished your story?"
Then he adds that the lord should protect his or her people from thieves.
Jukeini (Ruriko Asaoka, right) advises her grandson Ujizane (ONOE Matsuya) to gain over Ieyasu who betrayed them.
But the man escapes from the jail. He makes OKUYAMA Rokuzaemon, who guards him in place of Ketsuzan sleep with a dart and joins his company again. Yasumochi gets angry and asks Masatsugu to inform it to Ujizane but he is so busy dealing with the Takedas. Jukeini advises him to gain over TOKUGAWA Ieyasu who once betrayed them.
At that time, a girl who calls herself a daughter of Naochika visits Ryotanji.
(*) "Tsumi to batsu" is the Japanese title of "Crime and Punishment" written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
(**) The words of Sun Tzu.
(***) It seems that she mixes up public and private matters.
The images are from the official website of "Onna Joshu Naotora".