Volume 35

**249: Apprehension.** While walking in town, they notice a captured Kuhachirou being paraded around town. He's to be hung upside down at Satanoura, and left to drowned by the tide. Jinza's plot is to trick the other's out of hiding in an attempt to rescue him. They realize this, but he's the only one who knows Kunichiyo-sama's appearance, which is why they brought him despite his lack of skill. They don't mind being blabbed about themselves, but are worried about Azumi and Chiyozo's safety. Hanzou's teammate try to approach by hiding in the expectant crowd, but is shocked to see there's none there. A hidden spy finds him suspicious and decides to remember his face. Jinzo tries coaxing Kuhachirou into telling him the infiltrator's numbers and traits. Azumi comes to the rescue in a mask and man's clothing, but is unable to save his life. She knocked out Chiyozo and bound him to a tree to accomplish this, who feels betrayed and rejects her.

**250: Separation.** She tries making it up for him by buying the mask he showed interest in earlier, but he takes her stuff and storms off. Takenobu visits the training camp, and in greeting holds a mini-speech for the young orphan Kanta. Azumi search for Chiyozo, who's steaming off while running, before realizing he's gotten lost. The person in charge of the orphans, asks for Kanta's whereabouts, but ends up sending On to deliver botamochi to Gohei-san's house instead. On the way he's beaten up by bullies looking for Kanta, who also eats his botamochi. Hungry, Chiyozo is about to eat a shrine offering, when learning a lesson Okyo taught him. Missing his sister, he cries when he stumbles upon a beat up On.

**251: Loneliness.** Chiyozo washes his wound, and On tries to tell of his woes. Nervous he tries to move on, but On follows, so they end up going together. Pekkuma scolds On, but Chiyozo scares him off. He tries asking the kids for where the mask stall is, but they don't understand. Azumi understands he's not testing her, but is actually lost. Two guys tries flirting with her, when she sees Chiyozo in the distance and runs to hug him. She thanks the kids.

**252: Secret Message.** Kunichiyo understands his situation, calmed down and just plays with Suzuhime. Takenobu brings the young Tokugawa on a horseback trip, and they talk overseeing the sea. The kids brings Azumi and Chiyozo, letting them stay at their house. Azumi learns of the greatly popular leader of the fief, Takenobu. They hide at the horseback archery ring, and catches his attention with some blade juggling, before presenting him with an official letter from the Tokugawas. Everybody is fooled by her acrobat act.

**253: Disguises.** Takenobu tries calling bullshit, to test their resolve. She insists on the condition she must oversee that Kunichiyo can write his true feelings, but Takenobu rejects this since he's not familiar enough with her yet. His spies has tracked Hanzou and his team, one of which is reporting of Azumi's meeting. Two of them tries meeting her to ask about her meeting, but she tells them they're being tailed.

**254: The Magical Cloak of Invisibility.** Pretending to play hide and seek with On and Chiyozo, Azumi uses the cover of thicked to help Hanzou's team slay their assailants. Hanzou and Ginbee discretely return to the abandoned hut. A begger approaches them asking for food in exchange for sex. Warita calls her a lunatic and chases her off, while Ginbee offers her an onigiri.

**255: Dancing.** Warita comes across her clean, where she puts her offer on the table again. This time he goes with her, and is assassinated. Takenobu brings Azumi to their guest house, and says he wish to entertain her as a Tokugawa envoy. He is testing her again. Azumi turns it down, but the rest drink. Chiyozo gets drunk and begins waving his sword around, they restrain her while the other try to disarm him. They notice he's too skilled to be a street performer.