The man on the other side of the river. Chapter 5.

[seimeinotaka]

 

Aki’s office is normally quiet but the atmosphere is even more painfully silent. The stern expression in her face is enough to drown any questioning or whining from the 3 swords who were brought in a hurry.

“The current information is confidential, so you are strictly forbidden of speaking about this. If any of you ignore this order, not only will I personally punish you, but you will be given the maximum penalty in the citadel. You all understand what I mean, right?”

Her voice is unusually harsh and deadly, and the swords nod slowly, realizing they were involved in something far more serious than they imagined. Uguisumaru is about to say something but bites his tongue instead and looks at Yoshiyuki and Taroutachi. The former looks confused but wondering while Taroutachi seems unfazed as ever.

“As you know, the Retrograding Army is planning to ensure Sanada Yukimura’s survival,” Aki says, folded arms and sharp tongue increasing the tension in the room. “The Intel brought by the expedition party is detailed in the folder I am going to give you. You three will join the party-”

“But Master…!” Uguisumaru interrupts, and Aki’s heavy gaze is on him. “You said that we could decide to join the-”

“There has been a change of plans, Uguisumaru, so I would advise you to keep your comments to yourself until I am done with this.”

Uguisumaru blinks and grimaces because the way she is just saying his name out loud, no nicknames, no insults or even cursing gives an off intention, one that this is too serious. He turns to see Mikazuki and notices that Mikazuki’s usual smile is nowhere to be seen and for once, he looks equally serious as Aki is.

“I’ll get to the point. Sanada Yukimura did not die in Osaka.”

“Wha-” Both Yoshiyuki and Uguisumaru blurt out and even Taroutachi seems to be taken back by the sudden affirmation.

“Sanada Toushirou has confirmed this. Sanada Yukimura survived the events in Osaka and continued to live in the Tokugawa era. This has unexpected consequences, so your mission is the following: Annihilate everyone from the retrograding army and do not let the enemy learn of this. Sanada, Sengo and Mikazuki will be joining you. You will depart first hour tomorrow, prepare yourself as you see fit and do not tell anyone about your mission.”

-

Aki has left the room to deal with some of the swords and arrange their departure, but the tension has not. Immediately both Uguisumaru and Yoshiyuki look at Mikazuki, hoping he would offer any explanation.

“W-what was all that about?” Uguisumaru is the first to ask, mostly because he feels this mission like a death sentence, one he would rather avoid but Mikazuki just shakes his head and doesn’t erase the anxiety in Uguisumaru’s heart.

“It is as Master has said,” Mikazuki says softly but with such graveness that he could have yelled them to silence. “As if this was a miracle, we have confirmed the survival of Sanada Yukimura.”

“Hey! How are ya’ so sure?” Yoshiyuki interrupts, as he is well aware of this fact, having come from a long time when the Tokugawa had been the grand victors and living in an era where Yukimura himself became a symbol of rebellion, with thousands of legends of how he had survived but none proven true. “Do ya’ have some sort of proof? The little kid could have just made something up to help Sengo…”

Mikazuki smiles, enigmatic and intriguing, as he takes out some package from his sleeve and leaves it on the desk. Uguisumaru and Yoshiyuki arch their eyebrows but only Taroutachi, silent until now, seems to have realized.

“Could it be that these are… letters…?”

Mikazuki’s smile shines more brightly and his eyes glint with a mysterious glint. He doesn’t reply and merely watches them, until Yoshiyuki finally takes the package and unties the knot, several letters scattering as they stand. Each sword takes one and, after an encouraging nod from the crescent moon sword, they begin to read.

The trees have been blooming, pink petals carried by the wind like how we used to train when we were kids. The climate is far warmer here, the sun reminds me of those times we were in Osaka castle-

Rinne is hoping you can join us once more during summer, when even the heat is unbearable in Ueda. Arima Onsen should be thriving with activity but Ren-san has promised to find us some quiet place.

I hope this letter finds you well, Gensabarou (though writing this name brings back a lot of memories and I can’t find myself getting used to this). Perhaps it might have taken longer, given how you have settled in Matsushiro. I told Rinne about how the town had been built from 100 000 stones but she seemed to have found that amusing for some reason, because she began laughing at it.

“Of course when Master heard of these news, she immediately posed the same question our bright revolutionist did. After that, we were sent to a specific date in history, shortly after Sanada Nobuyuki had passed away, in 1658. A ha ha ha, I might not look like it, but I can participate in stealth missions,” Mikazuki ended the sentences with a bright laughter but the other swords didn’t follow.

“Were you sent to retrieve this?” Taroutachi asks and Mikazuki doesn’t even attempt to hide his smirk.

“Well, Master only tasked us with some proof of what Sanada said. Both Sengo and myself had not been entirely convinced, but Sanada mentioned the existence of some letters. Yukimura had been fond of letter writing and Nobuyuki had kept several of his exchanges with Ishida Mitsunari. If the young Sanada had been telling the truth, it would be natural for Nobuyuki to treasure and keep the letters from his dearest younger brother, would it be not?”

“And you took those and brought them back… Wait, is that even…”

“There are no records of these letters in history, so no one found them during all this time. Our goal was not to make the truth public but only to retrieve it. Master has no intention to reveal this miracle, but that is not the point now. As you can see, these are the letters Nobuyuki got from Yukimura. We couldn’t retrieve the ones Yukimura received, as he seemed to have settled in a faraway village and Sanada couldn’t remember the way to that place. However, Sengo has confirmed this is Yukimura’s handwriting and Master herself has compared the writing to the letters Yukimura wrote in his exile in Mount Kudo. I believe she said ‘both were the same type of hideous writing’. Of course, the biggest proof would be to see Yukimura himself alive but the only one who has done so is Sanada, having traveled with Nobuyuki when they visited the undead brother. Perhaps we might see this for ourselves in our mission.”

Yoshiyuki nods to himself and flips the letter he’s holding curiously, “So these letters are proof he didn’t die...”

“Uh, why are some letters blurred…?” Uguisumaru asks as he lifts one of them and looks quizzically at some formerly damp spots.

“Well, it’s only natural that they would be covered in the tears of the man who has missed his Master the most.”

Uguisumaru blinks for a moment then a faint smile is on his face, one matching Yoshiyuki’s, both partially able to relate to that feeling of nostalgia and grief for decades, all kept inside.

“However, that does not explain our role in this expedition,” Taroutachi asks with his usually calm and devoid voice and once more the tension increases.

“Well,” Mikazuki begins as he takes the letters back and ties them carefully, hiding them once more under his sleeve, perhaps the safest place in the world and being told by Aki to keep them there. “Uguisumaru’s is the easiest to explain. He had been the one who accidentally eavesdropped the Retrograding Army and knows their plans best. However, he was also chosen, as opposed to the keen Atsushi and the reliable Tonbokiri” -- Uguisumaru opens his mouth to protest but Mikazuki just smiles and ignores him – “because he was not related in any way to the events in this tragedy and miracle.”

Now Mikazuki’s words confuse all swords and Yoshiyuki tilts his head as he repeats his words. “What do ya’ mean?”

“Surely you have noticed that a lot of our members were involved at some point in the Siege of Osaka. As expected, many were part of the victorious army and the sudden news might cause a conflict of interest. Master has chosen those swords who have no ties to the conflict and/or would not be affected by this revelation. Naturally this excludes both Sanada and Sengo. She also selected swords who would be discreet about this development and who could act alone.”

All three fall into silence, as Yoshiyuki realizes that the Shinsengumi swords weren’t directly involved, but their ties to the Tokugawa shogunate would prove them unreliable and Taroutachi understands why he’s among the best suited from the older swords. Uguisumaru sighs because he had happened to come across the field but at the same time, realizes that he wouldn’t have any particular strong feeling over such a discovery.

“I get why the Boss chose us,” Yoshiyuki begins with a thoughtful frown, folding his arms to concentrate. “I don’t understand why she is so intent on killing all.”

“Well, young sword, perhaps none of you have realized this but-”

At this point the door opens and Aki enters the room, followed by Sanada and Sengo behind. The look on both of their facs is unreadable but Aki’s looks more stern than usual. She looks at Mikazuki who shakes his head with a faint smile. It is all she needs apparently before letting out a long sigh, perhaps realizing that the swords wouldn’t understand something so easily.

“Yoshiyuki. We found out that Sakamoto didn’t in fact die when you last saw him.” Her voice is deadpan and the way she delivers the news is like a hit to Yoshiyuki’s face.

“W-what do you… I saw, I know what I saw…”

“No, you thought you knew but we also found evidence that after he got attacked, he went back to Tosa and hid there for the rest of his-”

“Hey hey… Boss… Ya’ are kidding, right…?” Yoshiyuki looks incredulous at Aki. “There is no way something like this happens twice… That’s not how history we-” It is in that moment that Yoshiyuki’s face lights up and stops mid-sentence. “I-.. I think I get it now…”

Taroutachi seems to hide his confusion quite well though he can’t hide his own surprise when Uguisumaru curls his hand into a fist and hits his palm in realization. “Oh, so that is what Master means!” His bright smile quickly sours when Aki raises an eyebrow with an obvious “I didn’t expect you to understand it” expression and mumbles to himself.

“Well, since you are so smart, enlighten Taroutachi,” she replies as if to address Uguisumaru’s grumble. “A sword not involved in human affairs would have a harder time grasping the concept.”

Uguisumaru clears his throat and turns to Taroutachi, trying to wipe the bitter smile on his face because he has to prove he did understand the issue. He thinks he did, anyway. “Uhh, well… Let’s put things like this. Uh… People believe that Sengo’s Master…” Uguisumaru flinches as he realizes that Sengo is there, and listening, so he laughs awkwardly to himself before continuing. “Uh, Sanada Yukimura died in battle. It is recorded in books and people have taken it as a fact…” Uguisumaru turns to Aki and her expression is of bewilderment and from the looks of it, he did get it right.

“I see… So everyone would think Sanada Yukimura-dono would perish even if he didn’t in reality.”

“Yeah. But if we suddenly said “Hey, you know, we have proof that he didn’t die in Osaka… That would cause trouble. Because everyone thinks he did. And if we showed the letters, there might be people thinking we forged them or something but others would prove they are the real deal.”

“However, this brings us a problem,” Mikazuki interjects calmly. “If Sanada Yukimura-dono survived and our records of history happened to be mistaken… What would reassure us that the rest of our written history is exempt from this?”

Taroutachi blinks and the gravity of the situation becomes clear to him as well, reflected in that stern frown in his face. “In that case, if the Retrograding Army took notice of this fact…”

Aki shrugs. “We don’t know how they would take it. We can’t tell if they are willing to showcase this as truth or ensure his survival to change the perception of “written history being changed”. However, if they were to reveal this fact, the doubt it would bring to any event in the past would put the validity of everything we’ve done under questioning. They can easily hide any change in history through the excuse that “it was something only a few knew about.” That is why you cannot allow the enemy to realize this fact. Your goal is not to aid or prevent the events in Osaka castle, just destroy all the Retrograding Army elements before they realize the truth. Sengo was him until his apparent death so he’ll tell you the details before our miracle, and Sanada will later fill in the gaps for the actual revelation.”

It was in that moment, that the three swords realized how fragile the concept of history was.

-

The tension seemed to fade in the land as soldiers were required to handle the bodies, war seemingly a faint memory of the past. Sanada Toushirou was never handed to Yukimura and so he continued to watch over Nobuyuki, his master too exhausted and drained to go on. Everyone else had thought it was the grief of losing his brother which made him more taciturn, and not the fact that he was in fact at his wit’s end trying to convince Yukimura to live. For a short time, Yukimura hadn’t refused to stay at the lodge, always under the surveillance of either Ren or Daigo, but he hadn’t accepted their plans either. And so it always felt as if he was on the verge of life and death, which caused Nobuyuki unnecessary worry.

Nobuyuki sighed as he left his cup on the table, shouchuu untouched as he couldn’t even make himself drink it. He had tried, to no avail, of talking to Yukimura but had received silence as his reply and now Yukimura had shown his defiance by sleeping.

“I always wanted to keep Yukimura pure, unsullied and unaware of the world. If perhaps he would only know about that world, he could live his life at his…”

“How long are you going to keep telling yourself that?” Daigo’s gruff remark cut through Nobuyuki’s reminiscence, ignoring the silver-haired man’s pale face, as Daigo simply closed his eyes. “If Yukimura knew of the world, maybe he would have left the Sanada before. Perhaps you two would have fought before.”

“I…”

“When you let your siblings grow you have to let them fall and make mistakes. I understand your feelings of wanting to protect your brother but it ended up harming him more. In the end, the result was the opposite of what you wanted.”

“Your sister kept fighting all the time. Are you saying that…”

“That is what she chose to do.” Daigo looked up and met Nobuyuki’s gaze, melancholic and weary. “All I can do is to support her as much as I can, to ensure that she makes it alive. I don’t care about this land or about peace. I just want my family to smile, that is all.”

Nobuyuki finished his drink in silence and Daigo didn’t say anything else. Perhaps he was letting Nobuyuki sort his feelings out, those misguided and kind intentions laced with fear. Sanada wouldn’t judge his master and from what it seemed to be, this Daigo person didn’t judge him either, it was the sad tale of those living in a war-torn era. And the more Sanada mused on the human nature of his master, their surroundings fell in silence and at one moment Sanada realized Nobuyuki had fallen asleep. All the stress had finally gotten to his master, drowned in liquor.

It seemed Daigo had also noticed Nobuyuki’s state as he simply finished his drink and said in a soft voice, “I know you are still awake.”

And to Sanada’s surprise, from the darkness of the other room emerged Yukimura’s figure.

“You were listening to us, weren’t you?” Daigo’s voice still lacked any accusatory tone and the man didn’t move nor react when Yukimura hesitantly sat next to him. And as if trying to reassure him, Daigo merely added, voice as if he was saying something obvious, “It was something you needed to know.”

Yukimura refused shouchuu and instead watched Daigo refill his cup. “Why did you help Rinne?”

“Didn’t I say this before? I want to protect my sister. So far, this was her wildest idea and the one that put her in most danger. Even now, there is no room to make a mistake. Ever since you fought she desperately tried looking for a way to save you.” Daigo stopped for a moment and stared at Yukimura with a solemn gaze. “She never joined the Tokugawa to oppose you, but you probably figured that out.”

Yukimura looked at the window, ordering his thoughts for a moment before speaking. “I didn’t hold back when we fought, but I never planned on…”

“She held back. She never meant to kill you. Just wanted you to seem like you died and smuggle your ‘corpse’ before anyone noticed the faint. Even in such a difficult position, she took everything by herself. Ren and I were never in the battlefield and we just helped her out carrying you out.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you need to have all the information before you take a decision. Your past record hasn’t been so brilliant, from what Rinne told me,” Daigo said and Sanada for a moment didn’t know if Daigo was kidding or not. “I’m not here to tell you not to kill yourself or that you should live, because that is your decision, not mine.”

Yukimura took Nobuyuki’s empty cup and taking the hint, Daigo filled it quietly, though Yukimura didn’t drink it immediately. Instead he just stared at the faint moonlight reflected in the liquid. “Everything is over. The Toyotomi are gone… It is the grand victory of the Tokugawa. I have lived a life of no regrets… I showed my will to this world, one which won’t need us warriors anymore… and I should scatter in the wind, like the cherry blossoms…”

“You know, this world is full of tragedy and suffering.  It’s unfair and no matter how many years pass humans keep harming each other and destroy everything. But my sister believes that if there were more kind people like you, honest and righteous, eventually something would change. Perhaps this new era of peace of the Tokugawa, founded on the blood and betrayal of others shows a grim future but as long as we have someone like you to set an example, maybe the future won’t be so grim.”

Yukimura didn’t react and just chose to take the drink in a gulp, grimacing a little after his bold decision.

“As long as you live you can do something. We never were born with a purpose in the first place, so it’s not like you’ve lost your reason to live or that you can’t find another one. That is what my sister has been trying to tell you, albeit in a very roundabout and passionate way.”

“Why is Rinne-?”

“You should know why. People do silly things when they love someone.”

-

Uguisumaru sighs as they are hiding in the bushes near Osaka Castle, too close to the battlefield, the remnants of the Toyotomi getting ready for the siege. It’s never an easy thing to presence, realizing that he is in fact looking at their last moments alive. He glances at Sengo, his face is hard as a stone and almost unexpressive except for his eyes and Uguisumaru understands that as much as he tries to be unfazed, these all were Yukimura’s comrades and people Sengo once knew. Osaka Castle is a can of worms which could bring back all sorts of feelings.

“I-I’ve found the enemy… They are planning to sneak into the castle, in two groups…” Sanada whispers, anxiety and tension in his voice but he continues. “One group is headed our way, the other is on the other side of the field…”

“Hmmm, there is no choice…” Mikazuki ponders, eerily calm at times like this, even more so than Uguisumaru and he thinks he understands why he is always the leader. “In that case, Taroutachi, Sanada and myself will handle the enemies on this side. Uguisumaru, Sengo, and Yoshiyuki, you will have to go around the castle and intercept the enemies before they arrive.”

Uguisumaru nods and quickly follows Sengo, the expected leader of this subunit. Sengo quickly moves in front of him, as if he’s known all the layout like he saw it yesterday. Perhaps he did, perhaps he strolled and scouted this area like no one else when Yukimura was still alive and getting ready for the siege. It finally occurs to him that because he remembers this so well, his grudge is as strong as ever.

Sengo exchanges no words except for the necessary, telling them about logs or when he’s turning right or left to avoid outing their presence, especially to those patrols that look out on the forest but don’t dare enter it. They all move quickly, Yoshiyuki is as serious as Sengo but seems to share Yoshiyuki’s concern, one if Sengo meets his former Master again.

In one moment, Sengo halts and hides behind a tree, and Uguisumaru and Yoshiyuki do the same. Sengo waves his hand and points to the east and it is when Uguisumaru finds a patrol of 5. They are outnumbered but Sengo shows no fear in his gaze and Uguisumaru knows he’ll just have to follow. His hand grips on the handle of his sword, unable to kill that sad smile. Aki had apologized to him before departing, this time they could leave no survivors. However, he is ready, he will invite Sengo and Sanada tea after all this bloodshed is over.

There is a distant sound of canons being fired, at Osaka castle and following the signal they attack. Sengo first darts to the closest enemy, while Yoshiyuki and Uguisumaru cover him from both sides. Luckily one of the enemies is a tanto and Uguisumaru slashes its body in half before it can attack, blood spilling onto him as if grim rain. There is the sound of bones crashing, Yoshiyuki having stabbed his sword though a wakizashi’s face and removes it with those familiar black raindrops. They have no time to ponder, as the sound of a corpse hits the ground and Sengo lunges forward and his sword enters through the stomach of the enemy tachi and the glint of his sword curves upward, accompanied by those raindrops. In a blink of an eye they have destroyed the first subunit but they will have to hunt down the rest.

However, they still can afford some minutes to recover. Uguisumaru wipes the blood from his face as Sengo looks through the trees. Uguisumaru says nothing and follows Sengo’s gaze, fixed on that tall and proud building, destined to burn as they will continue fighting. There is some smoke coming from one side, it has probably been hit by the canons and the lanterns must have spread some of the fire.

Sanada Yukimura’s last stand has started.

-

The fighting seems never ending and soon it’s become night time. Sengo looks at the fading corpse, formerly an enemy naginata but now it’s reduced to ashes scattered by the wind. He has to be thankful they disappear and no matter how many they slay, their remains will never betray they even existed. Yoshiyuki lets out a long weary sigh, but with how he ends it in a positive tone, Sengo believes this was the last of the remnants. They are ordered to keep watch at night and at dawn they’ll meet with Mikazuki but it seems this fading dream is coming to an end.

He is about to breathe in what would be closest to relief. He isn’t sure if he’s glad everything is over, as he has been forced to relieve what happened hundreds of years ago, listening to the canons drowning the voices of Yukimura and by extension, Sengo’s comrades and then everything being consumed by fire. By contrast the night is eerily silent near Osaka grounds but they can listen to the distant cheerful racket on the enemy camp. Of course they would be celebrating, the Siege of Osaka became the ultimate Tokugawa win.

“Lower your voice.”

The sound alerts Sengo as he unconsciously points his blade at the darkness hidden between the trees and he can listen to both Uguisumaru and Yoshiyuki creeping closer. It was the voice of a man, one Sengo didn’t know and wasn’t expecting at this hour. Without waiting for Yoshiyuki to confirm who these people were Sengo blends in the darkness of the forest and advances stealthily to where the noise came. His sight is better than a normal human but not a match to Sanada’s or any other sword proficient in scouting. However, he can distinguish two figures, cladded under robes, the taller one carrying what feels to be some huge lump. Sengo keeps his hand on the handle until...

There is a groan, one familiar voice able to paralyze him and make his heart stop.

“You should tell him, he’s not fucking dead but weighs like one.”

“Stop complaining, we’re not even close to the meeting point.”

There are incoming steps and Sengo can hear a sword unsheathing, clumsily if he has to add, and the first voice he heard saying, “Who’s there?”

“Sanada Nobuyuki.”

It is in that moment that the sword is sheathed back and the man breathes in relief. “Rinne sent us.”

“How is he?”

“Heavy,” the second unknown man replies. “But not dead.”

There is a solemn silence, briefly broken by one muffled sigh and even through the darkness and the robe hiding Nobuyuki’s face, Sengo can see a glimmer in the man’s eyes, one close of witnessing a miracle. However, that moment is cut briefly and Nobuyuki presses on. “There is no time, I snuck out on the festivities so-”

“Go back,” the first man interrupts Nobuyuki. “We will handle this. No one is aware of our existence in this place, but your absence will make anyone suspicious. After everything is over, come check on him.”

The lump on the tall man seems to move and Sengo’s eyes flicker in recognition, arm extended as if trying to reach him, but Sengo doesn’t move and instead his eyes water. He stays like that for an eternity as he sees Nobuyuki nod slowly, perhaps wishing to stay but that could wait. With another nod, more to himself, he disappears into the woods, in direction of the Tokugawa’s feast. The two strangers wait for moments, distance between them and Nobuyuki increasing and when they believe it’s enough, they walk again, carrying the unconscious Yukimura through the woods and melt soon into the darkness.

A hand to his shoulder breaks him from his daze and he can barely see the sympathetic smile in Yoshiyuki’s face with Uguisumaru getting closer. Neither says anything and Sengo doesn’t even try to wipe his eyes. He turns to the place Yukimura and the rest of the men faded, this would be the last time he would see him alive.

But he can go on now knowing that Sanada Yukimura escaped his fate, having seen it with his own eyes.

-

Aki is waiting them as they arrive from the expedition and her stern frown and dangerous eyes soften when she sees Mikazuki’s placid smile. All Retrograding Army enemies had been annihilated and no remains of their own interference were left. The world will forever believe on that written fate of the man once called the Crimson Demon of War but the seven people gathered know of the truth and in a silent vow they have agreed to never let this truth come to light.

They arrive to her office and Uguisumaru and Yoshiyuki flop, exhausted and without any restraints. Aki doesn’t frown to them and instead goes on how since they did a good job, they are excused from their duties for an entire week Uguisumaru yawns with tears of joy, especially since he will be allowed to all the tea in the citadel and Yoshiyuki laughs with him. Taroutachi seems confused on what reward he wants and Yoshiyuki then begins listing many things that Taroutachi denies. The dreadful atmosphere of days ago is gone and these swords quarrel and laugh as Mikazuki glances at the two who have drifted from their group but instead of saying anything, he joins in teasing his beloved Master and proposing horrid gift rewards to Taroutachi.

Sengo has asked Sanada to come to this corner, probably aware that no one else will interrupt them. He gives the tanto one long look as he bows deeply, to which Sanada jumps surprised and waves his arms nervously.

“Thank you, Sanada.”

“No, no… I-I… I didn’t do anything…” The young child blabs as he holds his hands tightly and looks down. “If I had told you sooner… You would…”

Sengo raises and he shakes his head. There is a myriad of emotions in his face, perhaps it will take him time to come to terms with his feelings. His hate for the Tokugawa will probably never fade but now there is some hope and regret. Regret that he hadn’t heard Sanada sooner, guilt he had not believed in the people closer to Yukimura, but also joy in that even if he had parted with his master, Sanada Yukimura had lived a long life. “There’s no way to change that now…” He says, melancholy at his own self-reflection and thinking about the past but even he acknowledges he can’t do anything about it, about his mistakes and him being toyed by fate.

Shortly after Sanada and Sengo were brought to the Sanada household after the Siege of Osaka, Sanada would remain with Nobuyuki’s side until he was presented to the Tokugawa and perished in the Great Meikerei fire. There is no use wondering if Sengo would be different, if things would have changed if Sengo had listened to Sanada back then, He can only think that maybe this happened for a reason, or maybe there was none, but in the end he was told the truth.

Sanada didn’t live to be with Nobuyuki until his Master passed away and all they have are Yukimura’s letters, which implied he lived for many many years, married and even had a child.

Sengo takes these same letters and offers them to Sanada. “I will never be able to atone for my rage, but… Would you want to read these letters… There are many things I still don’t know about Master Yukimura and if you could…” Sengo finds it hard to express himself and Sanada himself is at the edge of tears. Neither can honestly say anything else, Sanada just nods fiercely as he takes Sengo’s hand the same way Yukimura and Nobuyuki did when they were kids.