Original subtitles

When I was little, my father was famous.

He was the greatest samurai in the Empire.

He was the Shogun's decapitator.

He cut off the heads of 131 lords for the Shogun.

It was a bad time for the Empire.

The Shogun just stayed inside his castle, and he never came out.

People said his brain was infected by devils

And Daddy's is rotting with evil.

The Shogun said the people were not loyal.

He said he had a lot of enemies,

but he killed more people than that.

It was a bad time.

Everybody living in fear.

But still we were happy.

My father would come home to mother,

and when he would see her, he would forget about the killings.

He wasn't scared of the Shogun, but the Shogun was scared of him.

Husband ...

Maybe that was the problem.

Azami.

I had a bad dream.

Don't be afraid.

Bad dreams are only dreams.

What a time you chose to be born, Daigoro!

At night, mother would sing for us.

My father would go into his temple and pray for peace,

He'd pray for things to get better.

Then one night ...

The Shogun sent his ninja spies to our house.

They were supposed to kill my father

But they didn't.

That was the night everything changed.

Forever.

Azami ...

Azami, your dream has come true!

Dai ... Daigoro ...

You must protect our son.

They will pay

with rivers of blood.

That was when my father left his samurai life

and became a Demon.

He became an assassin,

who walks the road of vengeance.

And he took me with him.

I don't remember most of this myself.

I only remember the Shogun's ninja

hunting us wherever we go.

And the bodies falling ...

And the blood.

You are marching toward death

wherever you go,

you cannot escape the Shogun.

My father hardly ever talks anymore.

We just go a little farther everyday.

At night, we make a fire,

and have our tea

and we listen for the ninja.

We never make a sound.

Sometimes he tells me about the past

and about mother.

I try not to think about it

but my father can't help it.

Sometimes he gets lost

in the past.

Daigoro.

I have decided to escape

and defy the Shogun.

Today I will begin walking the road to hell.

But you will choose your own path.

So ...

soon you may be seeing heaven.

Choose the sword

and you will join me.

Choose the ball

and you join your mother in death.

You do not understand my words, but you must choose.

Come, boy.

Choose life or death.

Your mother would be happy.

My own son will defy the Shogun.

You are my child.

Assassin with son.

By order of our lord Shogun,

in the name of Emperor Gonigi, son of heaven.

You now have two choices:

Swear eternal loyalty to your master,

or commit harakiri with your son.

You are wrong.

I have a third choice.

You mad man!

We command you!

He defies the Shogun's orders! Guards!

Seize him! Stop him!

What are you waiting for? Kill him!

Can't you see he's a devil? Kill him!

You mad one, bow before your Shogun.

We see you are trapped.

You can never escape

your fate:

submit with honor to a duel

with my son, Lord Kurando.

Why don't you accept?

If you win,

the Shogun will not challenge you anymore to come back.

How about it?

Accept this offer

or die here

now.

Defeat my son in a fair fight

and you win your freedom.

I agree.

My son Kurando, will slaughter him

and his little bastard.

My strategy will not fail

What's his karma!

Sun in the heavens

blind the eyes of this mad wolf.

Fly, Kurando, my boy.

Fly to glory.

Sometimes we come to a town,

but it is bad for us.

Because we are not like other people.

The towns are dangerous.

The Shogun's ninja are everywhere.

Our rooms are nice,

and we have hot baths.

Anybody could be a ninja

Even a pretty woman or a nice lady.

And you never know who.

Hey.

Oh, how cute!

Oh, merci? Thank you very much. Thank you.

May I roll this out to the back?

Won't you wait inside please? thanks.

But sometimes you have to take a chance,

if you want to take a bath.

Let's rinse your feet.

There.

Matsu!

Yes?

Matsu! Why show you are a kind foolish girl?

that man in there

is just a common beggar!

We have vacancy!

But don't you realize he's a masterless samurai?

They reek of trouble!

If he doesn't pay, he becomes violent.

This is an Inn for first class!

So sorry, there's been a mistake,

we have no...

Can I pay now?

And, would you keep this for me?

One thousand pieces of gold.

Oh, so much?

I hope it's enough.

Thank you very much, I am honored. Thank you.

Matsu, idiot servant!

We must wash their feet.

Oh, a strong little samurai boy!

I'll wipe your feet.

Thank you.

Can we go?

Mostly, we just keep moving.

It's safer that way.

That's how I get my education.

Just seeing things

and always watching out for ninja.

Sometimes I fall asleep,

but my father never does.

That's good, because one time when I was sleeping,

the Shogun sent his soldiers for me.

Assassin, show yourself!

This is Lord Bizen your old comrade.

I bring a message from my father,

your former master.

You have won your liberty, but not your son's.

Your son's life will be payment for your foul crime.

The slow death of your son will be an example to all men.

Where is he?

Turn him over!

Prepare to witness his agony.

He is the son of a mad wolf.

Kill him!

Bizen, my son, you pompous fool!

The wolf lures you to your grave.

But I would risk the lives of all my sons

to see his head on a stake.

Farewell, my son.

You!

Listen to me, Lone Wolf.

I want your head.

You can not kill me.

By my eternal vow I will destroy you!

You and your son are cursed

for evermore!

Bring your ninja. I will kill them all!

I, Lord Kuragawa and my ninja group greet you.

We are here to report the Shogun's wishes.

My ninja women exist to serve our master's move.

We hunt a man called Lone Wolf

who fought a duel with our Shogun's heir.

What was the outcome of this duel?

Terrible.

Traitor!

Tell, please. What can we do?

We are ordered to kill him, it won't be easy.

You fool!

Maybe Lone Wolf would only toy with you.

Might you like to see?

These are your men?

Yes.

Show me your strongest man.

Junai.

Junai, find the way from the room.

huh.

Try to escape from the room.

This is your best man? Lone Wolf would swallow him!

My women will execute him.

When we were on the road, we'd stop a lot at temples,

to pray for the souls of the dead.

That's how people can find my father.

Then they hire him to kill someone

they're scared to kill themselves.

They put up pictures of a wolf on their temple gates.

My father leaves them a sign.

Then we meet in secret.

Message... road side...

Lone Wolf must be near.

I am Hirado, local clan chief.

We hear you will kill a man for money.

They call me Lone Wolf, assassin with son.

In fact they say that..

But you'll have to show me who you are, something to assure me.

The Shogun would have sent him.

Is it enough proof?

Tend to him.

Assassins fee in advance.

Bring the money.

Check, please.

1000 pieces of gold.

We need your help.

The men of our clan are proud and dare to defy the Shogun

who taxes us without mercy.

He takes 2/3 of our harvest, and still thinks we cheat him!

That is why he has sent his fanatical brother, Lord Kiru,

to infiltrate our brothers with many ninja spies.

The Shogun's brother's methods

His ninja scum terrorize our people by night with his supreme torturous methods.

Even now, they are probably reporting to Kiru.

But even worse, now the Shogun is sending special escorts by ship

to bring Lord Kiru safely home.

Three brothers called the "Masters of Death".

Perhaps you've heard of them.

One brother uses the claw.

Another fights with a club.

The third uses nailed fists.

Together, they've killed many men.

We beg you, kill Lord Kiru

before they escort him across our borders.

You have our unworthy prayers for the success of your mission.

We hope you will not fail.

The future of our clan depends on you

When we're on a mission,

I keep count of how many ninja my father kills.

He says not to keep count

Only to pray for their souls.

But if I don't keep count,

I don't know how many souls to pray for.

So I keep count.

So far it's 342.

34 ... 5

Daigoro!

I am the Supreme Ninja!

Father, are you cold?

We've met Lone Wolf.

Now may I suggest you put your troops against him.

He fought and killed all but two of them!

So what happened to your swordsmen will happen to you too, next?

Sorry, but your women are all dead.

It's intolerable. He's intimidated you.

Don't worry, we are very sure he'll lose his power

once he's without his son.

So you see, the little boy is the way to him.

Daigoro ...

Prepare to die, Lone Wolf!

You shameless cheat!

You torture my boy.

The well is very deep.

Surrender now, or your boy will drown.

Give up, Lone Wolf.

I refuse.

It is a certain death.

Throw away your sword.

Kill him if you dare. It doesn't weaken me.

My son and I ...

already have embraced our fate.

Almost too heroic for one without another son.

In the sight of death, my son will not give up.

Ninja, now you shall see ...

You will wish you have been wiser.

Daigoro.

Soon you'll stand at your mother's side.

Understood?

Daigoro.

That was the first time I ever saw my father

spare the life of an enemy.

He should have killed her,

but he didn't.

Maybe it's the way she looked at him

Maybe she reminded him of someone.

To find the Shogun's brother, we had to take a ship.

It was fun.

But there's too many people on the ship.

Too many dangerous people.

All aboard!

All new passengers, get out your money, please!

Rebels.

The Shogun has many enemies.

Get rid of them, or the same will happen to you.

Yes.

Now!

Yes!

With son?

Masters of Death ... Scum!

Let me off at the next stop!

- Don't worry! I'll be the one they ha... - Let me off!

- Do not do something! - Do something!

Please!

It makes me sick!

Those swines will butcher anyone who walks in their way.

It's just bad taste.

Never mind. They'll never make it to shore.

I will see to that!

Sorry to bother you. Would you return my knife?

Very strange.

These kegs are filled with oil disguised as soy sauce.

Someone plans to burn the ship?

Scums drinking sake!

I'll teach you to hurt innocent people like that.

Good. Stay below.

Beings from Hell. Now you roast!

Fire!

Listen to me. You are trapped with a child.

In case you escape, you should know:

We recognize you. The Shogun will never disavow what was.

We have sworn to deliver Lord Kiru.

But we will not attack you, as long as you make no move against him.

If you move, you will see some bloodshed

You'd be wise not to follow us.

Even your mystic play is no match to the Masters of Death.

Daigoro, be brave.

Daigoro.

There's no fire.

We must warm ourselves or die.

How can... you save me?

You are trembling.

More afraid of peace than war?

We felt bad leaving her there.

We knew she would have to go back to the Shogun ...

And commit harakiri.

She was a ninja, and she had failed.

We went on, looking for the Shogun's brother.

They are here.

They must be near.

I sense the rebels, I feel them somehow.

Where can they be? Watching us.

No attack.

Be very careful.

So ...

We have a reunion.

Now we will show you "Masters of Death."

Come on.

How could you throw your sword?

Your technique ... is ...

magnificent!

When cut across the neck...

a sound like wailing winter wind is heard...

I always hoped to cut someone like that someday...

to hear that sound ...

But to have it happen to my own neck is ridiculous!...

You can't touch me! I am the Shogun's brother.

Out!

The Shogun is nothing to me.

Die!

I guess I wish it was different.

But a wish is only a wish.