Ōi Fujin tells Kansuke to watch Harunobu from now on. She also says that he will be suffered for his father if the Takeda clan is ruined. Harunobu learns that IMAGAWA Yoshimoto decided to make his daughter Aya marry Yoshinobu. Kansuke tells Harunobu that it should be informed to the Hōjō clan that poses a threat to Harunobu. Though OYAMADA Nobuari should inform HŌJŌ Ujiyasu about the marriage, his sudden death makes Kansuke visit him in Odawara Castle.
Hōjō Ujiyasu (Makoto Matsui, right), his son Shinkurō (Taichi Saotome, centre) and Shimizu Yoshimasa (Tadashi Yokouchi) attack Uesugi Norimasa
Ujiyasu attacks UESUGI Norimasa, Kanto kanrei. He tells his heir Shinkurō (later Hōjō Ujimasa) why the Uesugi clan is destroyed. He says that the clan employed vassals from many provinces and awarded the fiefs beyond their positions. It loosened the tension between Norimasa and his vassals. Besides he had his own way. Ujiyasu explains to his son the importance of morality quoting his father's words.
Uesugi Norimasa (ICHIKAWA Sadanji) doesn't know what he should do
Then NAGANO Narimasa visits Hirai Castle in Kōzuke and advises Narimasa to escape though he and his son Tatsuwakamaru decide to stay there. Then Norimasa departs for Echigo leaving Tatsuwakamaru and his vassal Mekata Shinsuke. Hazuki informs SANADA Yukitaka about this. Yukitaka feels a debt of gratitude towards Narimasa but he should oppose him as vassal of Harunobu now. Soon after Ujiyasu returns to Odawara and Kansuke persuades him concerning the alliance of Kai, Suruga and Sagami because it will work well when Harunobu or Ujiyasu fights against NAGAO Kagetora.
Tatgsuwakamaru (Taiga, left) and Mekata Shinsuke (Minoru Tanaka, right) remain in Kōzuke
At Tsutsujigasaki, Sanjō Fujin talks with Oi Fujin about the marriage. Oi Fujin wishes the Kai people live in peace and she feels at ease now. And she tells Sanjō Fujin that a wife of daimyō studies many things from the troubles in her life.
Sanjō Fujin (Chizuru Ikewaki, left) talks about the marriage with Ōi Fujin (Jun Fubuki)
In Echigo, Kagetora greets Norimasa in his residence. Inviting somebody who is of high ranking in his residence, not his castle was etiquette at that time. Norimasa asks him to send reinforcements to Kozuke, however, he hears the sad news that Tatsuwakamaru died.
"It was thoughtless of you to have left him in Kōzuke, sir," Kagetora says solemnly.
Tatsuwakamaru (Taiga)holds a sword
After Norimasa left Kozuke, Mekada Shinsuke tied Tatsuwakamaru up and brought him to Sagami as hostage.He hoped to serve the Hojos. But Ujiyasu had Tatsuwakamaru hold a sword and he has another to have a fight. Although Tatsuwakamaru is killed by Ujiyasu, he scarred his opponent's forehead. Ujiyasu told Shinkuro that he was a real samurai and ordered his vassals to behead Shinsuke and his followers. Kansuke who stayed in Odawara witnessed it.
And Ujimasa (right) has another one. Yoshimasa (centre) and Kansuke (Seiyo Uchino) watch it.
The affair makes Norimasa grieved for Tatsuwakamaru.
The marriage of Yoshinobu is near. It becomes unnecessary for Sanjō Fujin to make her daughter Ume marry the heir of other daimyo. She feels temporarily relieved but OBU Toramasa, moriyaku of Yoshinobu looks bloomy because it needs to make her marry Hōjō Shinkurō to form alliance with Ujiyasu. In fact, Harunobu and Kansuke talk about it when Ume should marry Shikurō however he tells Kansuke not to talk about it to Ōi fujin whose days are numbered.
Harunobu (ICHIKAWA Kamejirō) finds Ōi Fujin dead
One night Ōi Fujin has a nightmare that Harunobu behaves in a domineering manner like her husband Nobutora. Then she goes to a room where Fudō Myō-ō (Acala) is enshrined and tells the god that she saw many dirty things in her life but she has not seen his mind yet. After that, she collapses and dies. The next morning, Harunobu finds his mother is dead and the beads of her juzu (Buddhist rosary) whose string snapped lay scattered about the room.
The images are from the video of "Fūrin Kazan".