Yoshii Toranaga - Tumblr Posts

each week i tune into shogun in order to see toranaga do the political equivalent of sticking out his leg and making eye contact with yabushige while yabushige trips over him

I mean......... you're not wrong.

Shogun fans be like:

FINALLY! AFTER SEARCHING FOR EONS, I HAVE FOUND WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!!!!!!!

Would you write a Toranaga x reader who was traveling with John Blackthorne?

Untethered, floating aimlessly

Standing before the great lord, your head hung low with your eyes trained to the ground and unable to meet his gaze. But your ears bore witness to your surroundings; the howling winds of nightfall, the crimson tent's flap flying in the breeze. Had your feet not been covered, you would have felt sand cling to your toes. For a moment you are thankful you are in this clothing .. but the weight of it hangs on your shoulders.

Just like the weight of his silence, you think inwardly as you waited patiently for whatever words would come out the Lord's mouth.

Biting the inside of your cheek, you finally raised your eyes to see the scene unfold before you. Yoshii Toranaga, holding his infant daughter in his arms .. he looked down at her, his lips upturn in a small but recognisable smile of content. Moving slightly in a motion of rocking the child who rests in her peaceful slumber. You've never seen him this peaceful before, not ever since you met him.

The girl seemed like she was too little to even fit in his arms but she did, perfectly so. An image too good to be true.

Toranaga lifts his had and his eyes rest on yours. "You did well."

You did well. At those three simple words, you gleamed softly.

In your time in Ajiro village, you had taken up the task to learn as much of the Japanese language as you could. Ten words a day, you had requested of your teacher, Lady Mariko. But she adjusted them to five, less you wanted to go to sleep with a headache and forget the pronunciations which was most likely what happened.

"What have you decided to name her?" Toranaga quarries in a hum.

Yes, it is true. You have excelled in learning as much words as your brain could handle. But you were still new to stringing up sentences with said words. Your head turned to Lady Mariko, awaiting his translation.

Swallowing up every anxiety you had in you, your eyes interlocked with his. "I have." Your voice began, leveled. "Mariko will be her name. For she has stood by me like no one else has since my arrival."

Toda Mariko blinked, hesitating her interpretation for her Lord as her heart swells with gratitude. Her eightfold fence rattled but she charged on, guarding it dutifully. She dips her head in a bow. "You honor me greatly, N/N-sama."

Lord Toranaga's eyes narrowed lightly, brows contorted in confusion and they rested as Lady Mariko translates for you. He didn't dare miss the warmth the two women shared and found it endearing that you were finding a footing in his country, a home in the form of one his most trusted people.

A small smile settles on his lips, looking at you. "A fitting name indeed."

The Lord comes over to you, carefully placing Mariko in the safety of your arms. Your heart swells with wonder of her being here .. for a long time she had been but an imagination, a dream. And now you're finding it hard to believe she was actually here.

You had expected so much from Toranaga's arrival. The first image of him that came to your mind when he saw you, was him raging and speaking so quickly in long sentences you didn't even understand. And you just staring at him like a deer, surveying for any predators in the area.

However, you weren't going to lie because you deserved his anger, his lecture. Hiding a pregnancy wasn't a small thing...

Still, you couldn't take your mind off of the day you two parted. You had argued with him on the ship sailing to Ajiro village after the escape at Osaka. Needing to let out your pent up emotions to the sole purpose of your anguish and frustration. Him.

When you were first brought before him along with John Blackthorne, you had been but a stranger to him. A barbarian. At first you had no knowledge as to why he had strike up the deal to set John and his crew free in exchange of you being his concubine.

It seemed like a deal for his own personal gain which you righteously refused. But just as John had a slippery tongue when it comes to vile words, he did so when telling lies. Like the lie he told Toranaga of you being his sister, to ensure that you were close to him whatever the circumstances was.. a lie in which still is hidden til today. And then he goes on to accept the offer on your behalf.

Some brother he was.

Lady Mariko was there to help you in any way she could and you were grateful in that aspect. Yet that still didn't mean it was sunshine and roses from then on.

The escape from Osaka took place.

You had thought, since you were Toranaga's concubine he would protect you, at the very least. But when you climbed on that Portuguese ship at the bay, and the captain said he wanted you and Blackthorne out and back to the shores of Osaka, Toranaga came out of the captain's quarters and relied his words.

Betrayed.

You were no stranger to betrayal. It was the root cause of you coming here in the first place. The son of a lady you were serving had his eyes of for you, one day gifting you his grandmother's ring on Christmas. A little bird tweeted in the kitchens you were working in and you found yourself in front of the Mistress who had her son beside her, questioning him on the jewellery. The bastard denied ever giving it to you.

Branded a thief, you knew sooner than late that you would be sentenced to transportation.

Your nan always told you to be wary of men, they will take advantage of you if you don't.

That's why you descended upon the Portuguese ship in tow behind John, because you were just a pawn in whatever game the Lord of Kanto was playing.

You both narrowly escaped. That was one thing about you that you shared with John. Your drive to live ...

For the few coming hours, you had Mary that drive nor will ..

Unable to face Toranaga after his betrayal, you went to the back of the ship that courses through the waves. Somehow, you ended on the other side of the helm of the ship, the heal of your legs balancing on a protruding beam. Your mind had conjured up a peaceful oblivion, that was enough to make you do that.

As you gaze down at the reflection of the starry littered sea, that's all you wished to be engulfed in. A gleaming heaven, a calm nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Not a raging cold ocean that would drown you the moment you let go.

The moment you let go ..

It never came. Because Toranaga was there.

He stopped you. Obviously it didn't work. You were a stubborn girl from the day you were born.

Your mind was made up. You nothing here in these, you had no one, you were no one.

By the time you reached Ajiro village, no words were shared between you and Lord Toranaga. You stood next to Blackthorne as the formalities went on with Toranaga inspecting his vassal's army.

Then you saw him sailing away on the boat, gracefully raising his fan as the army cheered him on. Nagakado had said he had urgent business and that for the coming months, the gun regiment needed to be trained.

There was only a moment where you interlocked eyes with his as the boat took him away. A foreign feeling tugged at your heart and you ignored it as you wondered beneath all that anguish inside you. Was he ever feeling it too?

Now how were you to bring up being with child in all that whirlwind of pain and betrayal and loneliness?

Thankfully the loneliness was cured.

You found a friend in Usami Fuji. She had orders from Toranaga to be John's consort and you knew a great deal about him spending time on the Erasmus, in that long, excruciating voyage. She was thankful for you immensely.

With time, she helped you adjust to the life growing in your womb as she was once a mother too.

Lady Mariko was there, too.

She was your translator, your closest confidant. You had begun to accept her as the older sister you always wished and dreamed you had. Most of your siblings you had to see go because of famine. You were much accustomed to death around you.

So when a new life came, your heart was heavy with joy. Your eyes shed tears of content for the very first time since you arrived in this island country. In your daughter, you had something that was yours and a purpose to keep moving forward in this godforsaken journey called life.

Life seemed a little brighter with her here now. And that only hope you held, was the reason you stood before Toranaga today, without having to fall to your knees and wallow in self pity and embarrassment.

Toranaga nods toward Lady Mariko and she bows, taking her leave. Your heart sinks as you watched the departure of your interpreter but you do your best not to show it. Now, all you had was your broken Japanese to communicate with him.

There was silence, only the winds whispered, filling the space between them. As if they too were anticipating who would break the silence of suffocation.

"That day .. no goodbye." You tried piecing together the words you could only describe were like million puzzle pieces to create one image, while the clock ticked in your eardrums.

The clock being the unflinching gaze of Toranaga.

Toranaga replies, "I'd assumed you were angry with me."

"I still am." You confirmed, catching onto the last three words he said. The lessons you spent with Mariko giving you hope that even though broken, you could still communicate and reach and understanding.

Your gaze fell on a lamp, finding it interesting all of a sudden. You harboured enough strengths and courage to do a great many things but looking into his eyes was not one of them. He was the most frustrating yet undaunted man you had ever met in your life and you didn't know whether to see that as a blessing of a curse.

"Can .. can I trust you?" Your voice came out in a whisper.

"Trust is a powerful word."

Of course he would say that. I mean, what were you hoping? He was a Lord, for crying out loud. And you .. you are just a girl from a small town that courageously paved her way through life and then royally fucked it up after you trusted someone you claimed to love.

Still not meeting his eyes, yours closed as you let out a shaky breath. You just needed the clarity. "Then, can I lean on you? Until the storm is over?"

He knew exactly what you meant. This war. You wanted clarity on whether he would protect you should anything happen ..

Toranaga nods. "I will you give you a shelter untill this storm is over." His lips upturned and your eyes finally found his, your heart fluttering as the burning on your cheeks stung.

"And perhaps," he continues, "we can start over. From the beginning."

"I'd like that," for the first time, you beamed a smile that reached to your eyes. "I'd like that very much."

Hi! So nice to see another person who writes for Shogun on here.

Anyways, I was wondering if I could get a Yoshii Toranaga x fem reader please? I don't know what all you write in the story, but I know it will be good. Thanks! And take all the time you need, I am in no rush.

Shrivelled Blossoms

You were always a strong person who knew what to say and when to say something in the right moment. And when to keep silent and re-evaluate words and tones that needed to be input in a conversation, whether serious or not. So, what happened today? You just... froze. A word you're so sure isn't even in your vocabulary.

Your friends warned that this would be a serious case to handle and you prepared for it every possible way you could. And when it came, you tackled it in every direction.

'It's not cheese and sprinkles, being a lawyer.' Your father would say. This field of work was hard but you weren't about to lie to yourself, that it didn't build you up as a person.

Entering the train, you took a seat and then texted your friends, telling them you were on the subway. Honestly, it was a miracle you even made it this far! What with the many shots of saké you shared with your friends, that you yourself couldn't remember the exact number.

Your childhood friends who still lived in Osaka texted you after work, when you were curled up on your couch and in your Disney pajamas, contemplating whether to do a Disney marathon starting with Pirates of the Caribbean or just continue binging the last episode of Demon Slayer. They invited you to a girls' night out to cheer you up and you were too nice to decline as much as you were anticipating the latter.

Plus, you thought that it would be nice to catch up after some time you three were caught up in your hectic careers.

Now you wanted nothing more than to plop on your bed and let the drowsiness take you to a peaceful slumber. The hangover can be dealt with once you wake up.

But still, thoughts of the court case resurfaced once more. It's to be expected, as you were an over-achiever ever since you could remember.

It wasn't so much as failing the case and bringing failure to your family name... Well, just a tad bit on that part. But the rest, you wanted to fight for someone so passionately and effortlessly. The dejected look your client gave you made you want to shrivel up and find a place to hide and never come out. But time waits for no one and this wasn't the last case you had. However, you viewed it as your big break.

What a waste, you thought as you contemplated appealing. However that thought was soon demolished by the fear of making a fool of your client and yourself so you just let it rest.

You were so caught up in your internal conflict that you didn't hear the intercom announcement. When you lifted your head up, you realized every passenger was gone and the train was moving once more. Shit.

Clicking your phone open, you immediately went to the phone tracker app only to stare dumbfounded at the moving point from your stop. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

You stood up hastily and turned your head to the right. Was it even possible to get ahold of the conductor? You didn't know but you would try. As you took your first steps, the lights flickered just for a millisecond and it went on once more.

A part of you furiously fought off the whispers in your ears of the urban legends of riding a train at night. You weren't big on scary stuff but you grew up mostly with your grandparents so you were a tad bit superstitious.

Gulping hard, you beelined for the front door, hoping that no ghosts or spirits will claim your soul. The train is probably old, it might need a few things checked up. That's why the lights are flickering, your voice of reason was there to calm you down as usual. It's nothing!

Those movies are unrealistic! How could the character's brains function properly when they are stuck in unsettling situation while you are struggling to open a damn door? Despite your voice of reason, your mind kept traversing back to those camp stories and deep down, you thought that a spirit of a bear would maul you. Why the fuck would a bear be doing in a subway station? You're not thinking clearly!

At some point, you managed to pry the sliding door open and enter the pilot's compartment. The air was knocked out of your lungs as the train violently shook from side to side but you managed to grab onto something to stable you. What the fuck is going on?

Losing balance, you fell to the floor and a dull thud filled your ears before it was replaced by a white noise that viscously stung.

The last thing your blackening vision saw was red liquid pooling on the metal floors of the subway train.

...

Furrowing your eyebrows, you blinked your disoriented eyes open, trying to adjust to the light seeping through the room. Room?

Examining the room you were in, you spotted no doors. Only three mahogany wooden doors and a traditional screen door.

You shut your eyes, trying not to panic. Trying to remember how you got here. Your head feels foggy, temples throbbing as you sort through vague memories.

The court case. Night out with friends, few shots of saké, maybe more since you didn't remember the number. The subway. Missing your stop. The light's flickering on and off. The earthquake.

And then ... nothing.

You can't remember.

Your eyes fly open and you take comfort in the feeling of being fully clothed. But it's not your clothes. Glancing down at the unfamiliar outfit. A simple teal kosode. It felt comfortable ... but it still unsettled you - the fact that someone could have undressed you. You hoped and prayed it was a woman, at the very least.

As you sat up, shutting your eyes as you listened to the ache in your head. Opening them once more, observing your new surroundings.

It looked to be one of those traditional homes. There were no windows. Light passed through the paper of the shoji screen. It kind of reminded you of that traditional Airbnb you stayed in for a night with your mom. There were no modern appliances like air-conditioning or heaters. It looked plain.

Your eyes found your sneakers, next to your neatly folded clothes. But your handbag was no where to be seen. I've been robbed, was your first thought and then pieced together the puzzle. And you concluded you were kidnapped and they confiscated your handbag.

Your heart leaps into your throat as it becomes clear that you need to get the hell out of here.

Wobbling as you slowly got up, your bare feet brushed along the tatami  mat, taking your clothes and sneakers in your hands, ambling your way towards the shoji screen. You dropped your shoes and pulled the sliding door to the left and you were met with shocked brown eyes staring back at you.

"Miss, you shouldn't be up and about with your injury!" The young woman gasped.

"Who are you and where am I?" Your hoarse voice croaked and felt scorching in your throat due to screaming for dear life in the train.

"I am Lady Toda Mariko," she introduce and from the corner of your eye, you saw two women shuffling in the room. One carried a bowel of water and a towel, the other carried what looked to be a neatly folded kosode. "I am instructed to bring you to My Lord once you regain consciousness."

"Your Lord?" You echoed and your eyes widen. "Jesus Christ? Am .. Am I in heaven?"

Lady Mariko blinked momentarily before laughing softly. "No, I assure you, you are very much alive. And seem to be doing well than yesterday. You are in Ajiro village and I've been instructed to bring you to My Lord, Toranaga-sama."

....

You had been out of place.

Exotic, is one word Toranaga could describe you and quite frankly the only word he could find in his mind after last night's events. His brother had betrayed him, his brash son drove himself to his death trying to avoid an already fixed fate. And just a few feet way from Nagakado's lifeless body was you.

An unconscious young woman, half drowning in a pond filling up with crimson blood. Sustaining an injury to your head that he requested should be treated by a skilled healer.

Hiromatsu thought you were an assassin or a spy who was caught up in the wrong place and time. Why else were you there? You were just so out of place. Upon closer inspection, you were anything but.

They confiscated your bag and searched for any weapon you might be concealing but found.. strange, peculiar things instead. Yet nothing threatening.

Scrutinizing you now in a different light, his thoughts were concluded.

Silence.

That was Toranaga's tactic. He waited to see who would speak first. And judging by how your eyes travelled everywhere in the room, unable to meet his. You were shifty, and you needed to fill the silence quickly.

Very simple, that's what you were. But definitely non-threatening. Unless your true self was hidden well behind a facade. Now that was a different story and he would soon find out.

You did not know how many centimeters your forehead was to the floor, or how many degrees you were bowing. Once you were presentable as so Lady Mariko deemed you to be, you were led to a relatively spacious room by two men in samurai haircuts and made to kneel before this person she had referred to him as her Lord, Yoshii Toranaga.

Behind Toranaga was a Tokoma which displayed an impressive samurai armer and a part of you thought the production crew really had the budget to pull off even the smallest detail.

"Hello-"

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Me? My name is Y/N." You answered. Silence dragged on again and it became unbearable so you filled it. "Is this a movie set?"

"A what?"

"I was just assuming... where are you hiding the cameras?" The two men shared a glance and you were starting to get annoyed that they were beating around the bush.

You desperately wanted an ibuprofen to sooth your headache and call a doctor to check if you didn't sustain any brain injury. Yes, you were grateful for their assistance whilst you were unconscious but you wanted nothing more than to go home.

"Look. There's been a huge misunderstanding here." You say, the tension reverberates in your throat as the words came out in a petty croak.

"Where are you from?" Toranaga asks.

"I am from Tokyo."

The lord hesitated, not knowing of a place by the name of Tokyo but ventured on. "And tell me. What were you doing in the middle of last night's squabble?" You blinked at his question, not knowing what to say.

"You mean the train incident?" You trekked, not sure to what he was alluding. "I was distracted and missed my stop so the train continued on it's journey."

"What are you saying?" It was the man on the other end of the room who spoke. Lady Mariko told you he was Toranaga's right-hand man, Hiromatsu. "Speak plainly."

Breathing out through your nose, you collected yourself. Opening your mouth to speak, you were cut off by the old man. "Are you an assassin sent by Ishidō?" He accuses.

"No."

"A spy?"

Your eyes bulged at the mere thought of doing that. "Jesus Christ. No!"

"Then explain this weapon." Toranaga placed your phone in front of him. "One of my Koshō took it from your bag and it's light burned his eyes."

Mouth agape, you couldn't fandom the craziness of this situation. What hell did I step into? You wondered inwardly.

"That's because he turned it on. Don't you know what a phone is?"

Toranaga and Hiromatsu stared at you as if you had grown two heads. You hated that it made you look stupid, in front of these serious-looking men. It reminded you of your years in college and some classmates never thought you would make it as a lawyer because you were too sensitive.

Seeing this was going no where, you played along with their game. Method actors, you reasoned with yourself. Perhaps you are in a movie set, set in feudal Japan ... based on their clothing and the extraordinary built set.

Surprisingly, they came to a conclusion and believed you. Toranaga allowed a roof over your head as a guest in his Edo castle until he figured out what he should do with you. You felt like a burden to him and you hated that.

Adjusting for you wasn't so much of a problem. You had a great teacher. Lady Mariko was very patient with you and explained everything you needed to know, that coupled with you were a fast learner, took you farther.

However, in some places you felt restricted. Like the many layers you had to carry when you wear your kimono, or the way you had to shuffle your feet all the time when you walked. Sometimes when you made sure no one was around you, you walked the normal way you did. Screw grace and elegance .. at certain times, that is.

Thankfully you would be going home pretty soon. Toranaga and his entourage were marching to Edo, present day Tokyo.

The lord's brows furrowed as he silently watched you raise your arm in different directions, clutching your magic box in your palm. Muttering something about 'no reception' in a groan.

You were a strange thing. But tolerable.

Upon arriving in Edo, you stopped on your tracks, no longer trailing behind the foot soldiers. He wondered what shocked you...

Continuing to observe your body language, you were now keeping to yourself as your eyes scanned the still thriving city of Edo.

A few days went by as Nagakado's funeral arrived all too quickly and he was staying within the walls of his castle, intent on having time to himself to process these emotions on his own. From afar, he gazed at the smoke drawing up to the sky - the fire that would turn his son's remains into ashes. He needed to distract his thoughts before grief took over. Weakness was never an option.

However, he's mind kept coming back to you. The lord noticed he rarely saw you. He began taking note of your routine. On most occasions, you spent your time in the gardens or by the pond. One time he caught you drawing something on the sand, and the gardener fumed at his ruined work.

Upon inquiry, you told him you drew what you explained as a stickman in an aeroplane, flying back to his home. You missed home ... yet you said Edo was your home. That confused him tremendously.

Requesting a maidservant to invite you to dine with him. Toranaga raised his brows upon receiving the response. "My Lord, she declined your invitation."

Nodding, the maid took her departure. Letting out a breath, he humbly sought you out.

The maids were flocking around you with towels in their hands, lecturing your ear off but you heard nothing. You weren't thinking straight as you sat under the rain. Perhaps a part of you was trying to reach God somehow by asking to end this dreadful nightmare. Reality hit you like a bus, the days were moving and you slowly came into realization that you were stuck, in the past.

Thoughts about your parents and family invaded Would they miss you too much? Would they think you were dead if they searched high and low and couldn't find your body? You began to recalling your grandmother's funeral .. all those sorrowful faces looking up at you, voices giving you and your family condolences. Would that be the same for you as well?

You were unable fathom why .. why this happened to you?

Was this to be your reality?

Drowning in your depressive thoughts, you hadn't noticed Lord Toranaga enter the threshold of your room, requesting the maids to leave you both.

Advancing towards you, he stood in front of you with furrowed brows confusion. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not going home, am I?" My bottom lip trembled as your heart swelled, feeling tears fill up your eyes.

Feeling a warm finger under your chin, he brought your eyes to meet his. A warm smile settled on his lips. "I do not know how or what brought you here, Y/N. But everyone has a fate, perhaps being here is your fate."

You blinked away the tears, sniffling lightly. "But..but why?" Hot tears fell down your cheeks. "My life was just beginning, I was starting to make my parents proud of me, I was starting to find my footing in my career... There is nothing for me here."

As much as you wanted to appear strong all the time, you broke down. Everything you've ever worked hard for is gone and now you were forced to start life anew, in a time not of your own, with new people.

When she sobbed, Toranaga's body went froze, not knowing what to do. He wasn't accustomed to a woman crying in front of him, most woman he knew had learned to stiffen their lips and march on with their pain carefully hidden away.

Hesitantly, he brought you in an embrace, shocking himself as well. But was relieved as you didn't pull away, deciding to lay your head on his chest.

Not knowing how to comfort her any further, he decided to just listen. Inviting her to dine with him in his private quarters and just listened to how she grew up in the year 21st century.

Toranaga had found you infuriating at first.

You were a disagreeable woman with a sharp tongue and quick-witted mind. And he almost lost his words around you. Almost, being the key word. Brazen, just like his son and everyone else in his circle, you wanted him to fight.

He didn't know if you were stupid or too bold for your own good. Such matters needed to be handled tactically, that's what he told you one night as you dined together, getting to know you better. In hope of steering your mind away from the conversation.

And then you told him of your position as a lawyer.

Toranaga appreciate your willingness to fight for people you personally did not know, whom you addressed as 'clients'. He liked your spirit of having to give someone else a voice to speak their thoughts aloud, maybe that's what made you so fearless.

Daresay he wanted to believe you. That you came from the distant future. A world so extraordinary with tall buildings that reached for the heavens, flying steel dragons that flew across the sky from one country the other, horseless carriages that cruised through the streets. Such a world was out of his imagination.

That was when you showed him your rectangle magic box that glows brilliantly with a switch of a button, which stored countless moments in time called 'pictures'.

It stored pictures of you and the people closest to you in life. Places you've been to, your achievements. Every picture had a story. Most them were of you goofing around and you giggled at those, showing him a part of your character, a carefree soul. That was when he started believing you. This truth was solidified after he asked and you told him of growing up in a unified Japan. Toranaga gleamed softly. For he too wished to live in that reality with no wars, losses and betrayals.

Your reality seemed like a tranquil heaven he wished to bask and his heart shattered when he saw that look in your eyes when you finish telling him of your home. It was like a tide going out and it went out slowly... how he desperately wanted he could stop it surprised him.

You told him of how Japan was so beautifully broken. Your words were like a melodic poem to his ears. Narrating of the cycles earthquakes and hurricanes that destroy homes, the losses. Yet everytime, there still is that slight strength to keep standing up defiantly, rebuilding what was once broken. "That's what makes Japan unique," you told him.

That was something you both agreed on.

Daresay, he found himself distracted by you at times. Him of all people, distracted by a woman, no less. That was unheard of. Such feelings were hazardous ... but he was audacious enough to act on them one morning he made up his mind.

Toranaga found you standing on the engawa, overlooking the serenely pitter pattering rain.

It was like you sensed his presence because your body never stiffened this time when you both crossed each other. You were relaxed and just like at last night's dinner, you were free to speak your thoughts without hesitation.

"I've given myself time to think about it, what you said." A sigh escaped your slightly parted lips and they settled in a serene thin line which was half a smile. "It's not so bad when you get used to it."

Honestly, you began to think this whole thing was a vacation. A long needed vacation - you would adjust. Maybe you're starting to, maybe it'll take some time.

Peering up at the Lord, you saw what you could make out as a soft smile. It wasn't all the way to his eyes - perhaps one day you would have the pleasure to see that miracle. "I have given myself time to think, as well." He shifted to observe the garden and his brows furrowed in the slightest, as if contemplating his words. "I want you by my side."

"As what?" You quarried. "If you want to know the details of what happens in Japan's history, I don't know Jack shit, I'm sorry."

Toranaga chuckles. "Fate has many things fixed for us as a people. The heavens would have sent you anywhere in Japan but they brought you to my path ... And I'd be honored to have you by my side."

It was a lie. You knew exactly what happens in Japan's history. What kind of person does not know their country's history? You always stood by the law. The laws of physics, the laws of science, the natural law. It wouldn't hurt to break the laws of time travel, would it?

If these feelings were true and they ran deeper than what you ancipated ... you would help him win this war, so that you sustain the head on your shoulders and stay by his side.

Giving him a brilliant smile to his earnest words, you reply. "I'd be honored to be by your side, too."

There were many preparations Toranaga needed to settle for the next days to come, and today he would go to his son's final place. And thank him. Both he and his trusted friend, Hiromatsu.

And then ... Crimson Sky would commence.

But for now, he drank delight in this peaceful reprieve, observing the nostalgic drizzle of the rain with you by his side.

No caption necessary.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun (2024)

Wrong answers only. What's this man smiling about?