Verbal Battle Arc

The **Verbal Battle Arc** is the seventh arc in The Elusive Samurai series. This arc introduces one of the major antagonists groups of the series: **Kanto Hisashiban**.

In Kamakura, Tadayoshi has assembled an army of strong warriors who will become the guardians of Kamakura, while Sadamune tries to find out if his suspicions about **Chojomaru** are correct.

## Summary

### Sashimi Quest

After the battle against the kokushi, the elusive warriors returned to suwa, while they were eating Fubuki asks Tokiyuki about the food of his homeland to which he replies that it was common food except for sashimi, seeing his melancholy face the elusive warriors departed for Kamakura to catch some fish, after obtaining the bream and wasabi for their lord, the elusive warriors departed again for Suwa, due to the terrain it was impossible to carry the fresh fish so they had to create paths to cross them, they manage to reach Suwa and they make a dinner for Tokiyuki, Tokiyuki is amazed and after eating the sashimi he returns to his hometown. Yorishige asks them how the city of Kamakura is, so Shizuku tells him that he has recovered thanks to his new ruler and his elite group.

### Kanto Hisashiban

In Kamakura, Tadayoshi introduces his new group of warriors to help him defend Kamakura from any attack.
These warriors are the youngest and strongest of the allies of the Ashikaga clan since most of them are in Kyoto helping Takauji.
Shibukawa is indignant due to the attitude of some ex-allies of the Hojo clan, Iwamatsu tells him that he should calm down since that way he will not get women, Uesugi tells him that Tadayoshi is being very benevolent with him since he lets him talk about women, Tadayoshi tells him not to condemn their attitudes in Kamakura but to punish them in Kyoto.

During his introduction some remaining allies of the Hojo clan show up to kill Tadayoshi and ask for reinforcements, Kanto Hisashiban attacks them and Magojiro thinks that the reinforcements must be outside Kamakura, Iwamatsu and Shibukawa go out to attack the reinforcements.
When finishing with the allies Tadayoshi decides to go to eat so the warriors follow him.

Back in Suwa, Shizuku finishes telling Yorishige about Kanto Hisashiban so everyone gets excited about fighting strong warriors.

### Sadamune's Interrogation

In Matsumoto, Sadamune suspects that Yorishige has a survivor from the Hojo clan, he remembers all the times he was defeated by Tokiyuki despite having lived in the shrine for a year, so he suspects that Tokiyuki may be a survivor so he sends his messenger to Suwa to send Yorishige a gift and use that excuse to make Tokiyuki travel to Matsumoto.

In Suwa, Shinzaburo brings the gift to Yorishige to which Yorishige accepts it with delight. Tokiyuki realizes that despite fighting over the territory they are still cordial. Shinzaburo tells Yorishige that his lord has a request which is to send Chojomaru to receiving the gift for Yorishige, Yorishige realizes that it is a trap for Tokiyuki so he doesn't know what to answer at which point Ayako offers to accompany Tokiyuki to Matsumoto to which Shinzaburo reluctantly agrees.

Before his departure Yorishige tells him not to worry about his safety as Ayako will take good care of him.
In Matsumoto Tokiyuki introduces himself to Sadamune while Shinzaburo and Ayako wait outside, Tokiyuki sits before Sadamune, who corrects Tokiyuki's posture, Sadamune tells him that despite being enemies they must show respect for the life they are going to take, Tokiyuki corrects his posture and realizes that he can't make any mistakes or Sadamune will know that he is a Hojo.
Sadamune asks Tokiyuki about his family (Chojomaru's family) to which Tokiyuki replies that they died in a fire, Sadamune continues to ask him more questions and Tokiyuki manages to answer them without raising suspicions, Sadadmune calls Shinzaburo who spent 5 years in Kamakura to confirm if he had seen Tokiyuki, Shinzaburo says that he saw him in Kamakura which Tokiyuki denies since during his escapes he used secret routes making Sadamune doubt.

At that moment Ichikawa enters the meeting, which scares Tokiyuki since he will act as a lie detector, Sadamune asks if he is a member of the Hojo clan, to which Tokiyuki is about to answer, he hears a noise that turned out to be Ayako who played music to entertain Sadamune's subjects and prevent Ichikawa from hearing Tokiyuki's heartbeat, Sadamune seeing that the heartbeat could not be heard, lets Tokiyuki and Ayako go.
During their trip back Tokiyuki and Ayako receive an attack from Shinzaburo who was upset for making a fool of him in front of Sadamune, Ayako attacks Shinzaburo leaving him unconscious, Ayako wanted to decapitate him to which Tokiyuki asks her not to return to Suwa.

## Battles & Events

### Events

* Sashimi Quest
* Battle in Kamakura
* Sadamune's interrogation

### Battles

* Kanto Hisashiban vs Hojo clan Supporters
* Tokiyuki vs Sadamune and Sukefusa
* Ayako vs Shinzaburo

## Characters Introduced

* Tsuneie Iwamatsu
* Yoshisue Shibukawa
* Magojiro Shiba
* Noriaki Uesugi
* Norimitsu Imagawa
* Noriie Ishido
* Shinzaburo Akazawa

## Story Impact

* Tadayoshi is the new governor of Kamakura.
	+ Tadayoshi creates the Kanto Hisashiban.
* Sadamune with the help of Ishikawa interrogates Tokiyuki to find out if he is a member of the Hojo clan.
* It is revealed that Ayako belongs to the Mochizuki clan while Kojiro belongs to the Nezu clan.
* Shinzaburo is defeated by Ayako
	+ Due to the injuries caused by Ayako, he has had to bandage his entire body.