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jadegraveThis is a loosey-goosey summary of Hideyoshi's sequel from what I remember after blasting through about 2 routes in 2 days due to the election, haha. Some little portions may be slightly out of order and I have probably left out some of the less plot-relevant moments/interactions but the general gist of everything should be right.
In my completely unbiased and entirely objective opinion as someone who ranks (or attempts to rank) for Hideyoshi in every election and birthday event, it's a really good sequel and I enjoyed it a lot! Very good whump moments (physical and emotional) for both Mai and Hideyoshi, great callbacks to his Eternal, and at least one ending follows the same themes of what I liked in Mitsuhide's Eternal route too.
Current status: Blissful route done
Warnings:
Common Route
As all Ikesen sequels do, Hideyoshi's starts out with Mai returning to Azuchi following the attack on Nobunaga's castle and her travel guide blank. As she tries to make her way to the others, worried, she is surrounded by a group bandits who look to be in the human trafficking business and taking advantage of the chaos in Azuchi. Just as she's about to try making a break for it, Hideyoshi comes swooping in and saves the day, beating down all of the bandits singlehandedly. After Mai is saved, they share a sweet reunion and moment together. However, they are being watched in that moment by spies that Kicho had planted in Azuchi...
Later, Mai sits in on a war council. Unrest is rising in surrounding territories due to the attack on Azuchi, and the warlords have their hands full dealing with them all. Although the conflict with the Ikko-Ikki is dealt with (following Hideyoshi's eternal route) and a ceasefire has been brokered with the Uesugi-Takeda forces in the meantime, not all is well. Busiest of all is Hideyoshi, who is sent every which way in order to help act as a mediator between various uneasy and discontent factions. During this time, Mai is also introduced to Keiji, who reports that Kicho was the one behind the attack on Azuchi and that he is working together with the presumed-dead Motonari. The pair appear to be distributing weaponry, especially guns, to the populace: a sample has been procured and Nobunaga looks to Mai, asking her whether she thinks she, with no training, could use this. Mai herself is very uneasy about the thought of actually using a gun to hurt someone, but she knows that a gun isn't actually all that difficult to use. She answers that she would be able to use the pistol with minimal training, confirming Nobunaga's suspicions.
Everyone gets busy. Hideyoshi leaves to go help mediate between factions in a bordering province, and Mai has a full day of seamstress work ahead of her at Azuchi Castle. They shared a goodbye kiss as is usual, but Hideyoshi jolts as if startled. He said he felt something on his lips as they kissed. Mai didn't notice anything, and suggests that maybe it was some static? After a quick explanation of what static buildup is, they dismiss it since it doesn't seem to be anything major, and go their separate ways.
As Mai works, Ieyasu and Mitsunari drop by with a request to mend their clothes too. Mai accepts, and after a moment of silence, Ieyasu remarks that Hideyoshi really was right. He'd asked them to check in on Mai to make sure she wasn't working herself too hard in his absence. But, well, the request to mend their clothes was still real. They're both so busy with riding back and forth between one potential uprising and the next that their clothes are wearing out fast. That just gives Mai more fuel for thought and worry, hoping that Hideyoshi is all right out there. Mai quickly finishes up the repairs on Ieyasu and Mitsunari's clothes, but just as she's handing the clothes back to them, something about her fingers seems to jolt them too. It's not painful, but it is startling. But alas, duty calls, and they leave soon as well.
Later Hideyoshi returns, unharmed and just as eager to see Mai again as she is to see him. They have their moment together, and spend a very enjoyable night with each other. However, come morning... Hideyoshi reaches out to touch Mai, but immediately pulls back in pain. He's frantic as he asks if she's okay, but she hasn't noticed anything strange at all. However, there's no way to brush this off anymore. They quickly call the warlords to an emergency meeting in order to explain the situation: people who touch Mai seem to experience pain.
Of course, this sounds unbelievable, so it is proposed that they test it out. Mai doesn't like the idea of hurting the others, but Ieyasu talks her into covering all their bases in order to better understand this strange illness(? if it is an illness, anyway). So one by one Mai takes turns touching the different warlords, and almost everyone displays a strong reaction, with Hideyoshi seeming the worst off. Keiji, however, reports only a slight irritation where Mai touched him. After some thought and one more experiment where Nobunaga summons a complete stranger to Mai for her to touch, they work out that the closer Mai is with someone, the more pain they feel. Keiji, who was just an acquaintance, only feels a mild irritation, while the maid who was completely unfamiliar to Mai felt nothing at all. And her lover, Hideyoshi, is hurt worst of all.
Mai is completely horrified by the idea that her touch and presence could hurt people, so she runs out of the meeting hall in devastation. Hideyoshi runs after her, but she says not to come closer and shurts herself away in her room. But Hideyoshi is there, standing just outside the door. If she wants space, that's all right, he'll give her space. But she just has to remember that he will always be there for her and that she isn't alone.
The next day, Nobunaga summons the both of them to his chambers for a meeting. Supposedly, there is a hot springs in the mountains that has some spiritual healing powers. Nobunaga tells Mai she should go there in order to recover and recuperate, and Hideyoshi should go with her. She expresses surprise that Nobunaga would believe in such things, but Nobunaga says he doesn't, actually. But this is a stressful situation for her to be in, and she's obviously distressed by the possibility of coming into contact with someone and hurting them. It may do her some good to spend some time away from Azuchi and that possibility, let her calm down in a relaxing hot spring, and give Hideyoshi some time off after he's been run ragged trying to keep a full blown uprising from starting these past few weeks. It's Nobunaga's way of giving the lovebirds some time to themselves, basically.
So they set off, with the other warlords seeing them off as they ride away. Masamune packed some bentos for them, Ieyasu made medicine, Mitsuhide shows up with water supplies, etc etc. Some requisite teasing and banter ensues, of course, but it's a relatively lighthearted departure. Mai notes that she doesn't seem to be causing the horse any pain by touching it, and Hideyoshi is careful to avoid direct skin contact as they ride together, so everything is going well.
Up until it doesn't.
Partway through the journey, they are attacked by a group of ruffians, declaring that they've found the Sacrificial Princess and to hand her over. It doesn't take long to figure out that they're referring to Mai, and that they intend to kill her, believing her to be someone who brings misfortune and suffering to everyone around her, and to the nation as a whole. They intend to sacrifice her to appease the heavens, who were angry at Nobunaga for his conquest over the lands and were thus punishing people by giving rise to all the unrest and violence as of late. Hideyoshi, of course, believes that it's all bullshit and does not entertain the thought of handing Mai over for even a second. However, their attackers are all adamant that Mai must be killed. And lo, they say, they are proven right as during the battle, Mai nearly slips off the horse and Hideyoshi has to catch her--and his arm immediately begins to start turning red and burn where it comes into contact with her. See? She only brings pain and suffering, and therefore, she must die.
Mai is yelling at Hideyoshi to let go of her, but he refuses, growing more ruthless and violent the more fervently their attackers try to get to Mai. He eventually cuts them all down, though one is left alive for them to interrogate. The remaining attacker manages to choke out in his final breaths that posters of Mai's face and her supposed crimes against the heavens have been spread far and wide across every village there is, so even if Hideyoshi kills him here, more people will come to finish the job.
Now that the fight is over, it's time to take stock of injuries. Mai is unharmed, but Hideyoshi's arms are red all over and completely scalded. They make use of the water that Mitsuhide handed them and Ieyasu's medicine, but even so, Hideyoshi almost collapses and is overtaken by a fever from the injury when they make it to an inn to rest for the night. Mai is overcome with guilt over the injuries that she caused, and when Hideyoshi slips into a fevered sleep, she has to leave the inn, afraid to be in the same room as him while he sleeps.
She takes a walk in the forest nearby, ruminating over everything. That's when she hears footsteps approaching. Panicking over the thought that it might be more people who are after her, she's about ready to run, though the sight of a familiar figure stops her. It's Kennyo--whom she last seen in Hideyoshi's eternal route trying to send her and Nobunaga over the edge of a cliff-- accompanied by a young pink-haired man she doesn't know. She's still afraid that Kennyo will try to kill her, but Kennyo explains that he wants no such thing. Ranmaru introduces himself, and the two of them explain that they know about the Sacrificial Princess rumor, and that it is actually Kicho's work, and part of his plans to engulf the country in unending war and conflict. They know this because the one who saved Kennyo after he fell off the cliff was Motonari, so they had, for a brief time, worked together. But upon finding out that Kicho's plan involved the prolonging of senseless suffering and war, they could not bring themselves to keep working with him, and cut ties with both Kicho and Motonari to go their own way.
When Mai asks why they're telling her this, Kennyo says that it is his form of atonement. For wrapping her, innocent and uninvolved, in his plot for revenge against Nobunaga. But if this is not repayment enough, then Kennyo would offer her his life. He places a dagger before her, and Mai can tell that he's actually serious. He'd let her kill him if she didn't think that he had redeemed himself enough.
Mai has absolutely no desire to hurt anyone. She can't forget what Kennyo did to her, but she doesn't hate him, and she doesn't want to see him dead. She doesn't think Ranmaru does either. But if he does feel the need to atone for it in blood, she takes that dagger and presses it lightly against Kennyo's finger to give him a light cut. Let that be the price he must pay in blood. If he is truly serious about redemption, then she asks him to live. Thanking him and Ranmaru for the information once more, she goes to leave.
Hideyoshi is there to see her, revealing that he had been listening from the beginning, but he's just glad to see her safe. He also expresses relief that Ranmaru is safe as well. They quickly return to the inn as Hideyoshi is still weak from his fever, and he almost collapses again as soon as they make it back. It's definitely time to rest for the night, so they pull apart their futons to make sure that they don't end up touching each other in their sleep. But it's hard, being apart like this when the both of them want and need comfort.
The next day, Hideyoshi is mostly healed up. A doctor has proclaimed the worst of his injuries dealt with properly, so the burns won't even scar. And that is when Mai, who had spent the night thinking about what Kennyo had revealed, tells Hideyoshi her plan: she wants to talk to Kicho. Nobody was supposed to know about Mai's touch bringing pain and burns to others; heck, she didn't even know about the burn part until after the people who attacked her did, even. So what does Kicho know, and how does he know about it? They need answers, and the only way to get them is to speak with Kicho directly. Hideyoshi wants to disagree, but he acknowledges that she's right, so he says that he'll go with her to Sakai after sending a letter to Nobunaga and the others to update them on the situation.
Back at Azuchi, the other warlords receive Hideyoshi's letter explaining the situation. They've been growing more and more tired with the unrest seeming to grow more and more out of control with every passing day. Hideyoshi had excelled in mediating disputes and keeping everything balanced, and without him it's hard for everyone remaining to keep things under control. And they've all been hearing about this Sacrificial Princess rumor as well, and everyone's worried about how the two of them are holding up. Nobunaga then says that he has a letter to write, and Keiji also asks to send a letter since he had infiltrated Sakai before and may have some useful information.
In Sakai, Mai and Hideyoshi are, for just a moment, taking a break. Mai is wearing a cloth over her head and face to disguise herself, because on the way to Sakai they'd been chased out of town and attacked by people who had recognized her face as the Sacrificial Princess. Hideyoshi, knowing how hard and stressful this has been on her, decides that they're just going to enjoy themselves out in town for a bit. They go to a tea shop and have sweets, window shop all the rare foreign goods like textiles and accessories that Sakai has to offer, they just let themselves enjoy things for a bit. Hideyoshi just wants to see Mai smile again.
And then night falls, and it's time to put their plan into motion. While Hideyoshi had genuinely wanted Mai to enjoy herself and be happy for a while, he had also been keeping an ear to the ground as they had gone around town, and he had found out that Kicho was going to be heading out of his merchant house that evening. If they wanted to ambush Kicho, now would be the time. So they track down Kicho, Hideyoshi knocks out his guards, and he says that if Kicho wants to live, he'd better do everything he says.
Completely unflapped, Kicho says that actually, it should be the other way around, and promptly summons dozens more underlings to take on Hideyoshi. Mai is taken away by Kicho as the guards keep Hideyoshi busy. He spirits her away to his merchant house, and we get the usual explanation of Kicho's plans and the reveal that he knows of the future as well, as with most other routes. (Meanwhile, Kennyo and Ranmaru show up to lend a hand to Hideyoshi, who was not having trouble with the guards per se, as none of them were strong enough fighters to really put him in any danger, but there was a lot of them to get through. Ranmaru and Kennyo buy him the time to break away and go after Mai)
And, like in other routes as well, Kicho is also affected by the changes in the timeline. Like Mai, he is unable to touch people he knows without burning them. It's how he knew about the symptoms to spread the Sacrificial Princess lie. As for how he found out... he did some experiments, you see. He picked a random one of his underlings and pretended to take a deeper interest in the man, cultivating a relationship of admiration and (assumed) trust. As expected, Kicho's touch began to hurt and eventually burn the man, with the injuries worsening the deeper that relationship became. Eventually it reached the point where meeting Kicho's gaze blinded the man, which was when Kicho decided to end the experiment.
However, at that point, it was too late. Kicho had left the room and ordered everything stopped, but just hearing Kicho's voice through the walls was enough to kill the man. Witnesses who were in the room at the time reported that the man's skin had eventually begun to actually melt, and he died in agony.
With this vision of what lies in store for her and Hideyoshi, Mai is completely shaken. Kicho lets her leave unharmed, seeing as how he has no particular reason to kill her at this point in time, and it in fact behooves his plan to have her live. The whole reason he spread the rumor of the Sacrificial Princess in the first place is specifically because he knew it would provoke Hideyoshi the most. Hideyoshi is a balancing force and mediator among the Oda forces, and throwing Hideyoshi off will throw the Oda off as well. The impacts of it can be seen already: how the Oda are having trouble managing the unrest without Hideyoshi... and also how Hideyoshi himself gradually grows more brutal and less and less prone to trying to convince the with the people after Mai's life to stand aside with every ambush.
Hideyoshi meets up with her soon after and after making sure she's okay, they leave for a safe place and to recover for the night. Mai tells him some of what she learned: Kicho's goals, his reason for spreading the Sacrificial Princess rumor to disrupt Hideyoshi and the Oda forces. But she keeps the extent of the effects on her hidden, too overwhelmed and upset to think about addressing that right now.
On the journey back to Azuchi, they stop at a seaside inn to spend the night. One morning as they're having a meal together, Hideyoshi tries to reassure her that everything will end up all right, and Mai almost allows herself to believe him. But at that moment, Hideyoshi winces in pain and holds a hand to his eye. Did the sun's rays hit him in just the wrong spot, he wonders? But Mai, with the knowledge from Kicho about how her symptoms will progress, immediately begins wondering if this is the start of the end, and makes a quick excuse and dashes out of the inn.
She spends some time by the seashore, worried and afraid and stewing in her own thoughts. However, she's soon approached by a man who once again recognizes her as the Sacrificial Princess and attempts to kill her. Hideyoshi, who had grown worried about Mai intervenes just in time, keeping Mai close to him to protect her even as she yells at him to let her go so he won't burn himself. He tells her that there's no way he'd do that, that this is nothing in order to make sure that she's safe. The man lashes out in anger and fear, asking why Hideyoshi is protecting Mai: she's the Sacrificial Princess who's the cause of the suffering in the world. Does he want the world to destroy itself? Is that it? Hideyoshi responds back: Mai is his treasure, and he will not let anyone lay a hand on her.
After some skirmishing, they manage to make it to a safe and isolated section of the beach. Hideyoshi says it's a good thing that the guy gave up relatively soon and that Mai wasn't hurt. But Mai has just about hit her breaking point after this latest attack and the knowledge of what is to come in the future. Walking past Hideyoshi, she walks straight into the ocean, and keeps going.
She's submerged up to her calves; Hideyoshi yells at her to stop. She ignores him.
Up to the waist now. The currents are growing strong. And still she keeps going, defeated step after defeated step.
Alarmed, Hideyoshi runs after her and grabs onto her to stop her. But she yells at him to let her do this, she doesn't want to do this anymore. She reveals to Hideyoshi what Kicho told her about the progression of her symptoms. What she really wants is to live together with Hideyoshi and everyone else. But how can she do that if her very presence hurts them and will eventually kill them? This is for the best, she says. For everything to end so no one can be hurt by her anymore.
Hideyoshi just holds onto her more fiercely. He insists that even if Mai thinks that the best thing is to throw her own life away, her life has value and meaning and he is so so grateful for every day that he can spend with her. The words ring familiar: their positions are reversed now, compared to Hideyoshi's eternal route. When he was willing to die, believing it to be the only way that he could be of use, Mai was the one who convinced him that even if he thought the only person he would be hurting was himself, everyone around him would bear the pain of his hurts with him too; that his life has its own intrinsic value not tied to how useful or worthy he was; that the simple truth of his existence is something worth celebrating. He's never forgotten that lesson for a moment, and now that things have come to this, he'll do the same for Mai for as many times as it takes for her to realize the same about herself.
The unconditional love and support breaks Mai, and she begins crying as Hideyoshi leads her out of the ocean. She apologizes, promising not to try to kill herself again. Hideyoshi tells her she has nothing to apologize for, and they return back to their rooms to rest for the night and recuperate from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. They can't hold each other directly, but some careful wrapping of each others' bodies around some clothes mean that they can still have a little bit of comfort from each other, at least.
The next day their journey back to Azuchi continues. Unfortunately, their path goes right through the battlefield of one of a recent uprising, and there are still some armed soldiers lingering around the area. Their conversation makes it abundantly clear that they're hunting for the Sacrificial Princess, lamenting the violence that has destroyed their hometowns and families and hoping that they find her soon so that they can put an end to everything. Hideyoshi and Mai try to stay hidden as they maneuver around the battlefield but unfortunately they are detected. Hideyoshi is left with no choice but to fight...
Tragic Route
Hideyoshi cuts down every last one of the attackers, curt and brutal and bestial. By the time he's done, he's standing alone in a pool of blood. In the back of her mind, Mai remembers Kicho's words and his plan to have Hideyoshi be thrown off balance. The Hideyoshi that Mai knows is kind, yes, but she is no stranger to his brutal side, having seen it for herself in the past. She is afraid for a moment that Hideyoshi has lost himself to that violence in trying to keep her safe.
But then Hideyoshi turns, slightly, just enough to meet her gaze. And she knows that no matter what he becomes or what he does, he is her Hideyoshi, and she loves him. Careful to keep her touch away from his bare skin, she wanders into the blood-soaked battlefield to hug him, and let him know that she will always love him.
Flash forward to a year later. We are in Azuchi Castle, seeing Ieyasu and Keiji greet Hideyoshi as he returns from a battlefield. He has just stopped another rebellion in a distant province, but he brushes off their suggestion that he get some rest. He has to report to Nobunaga first. And with that, he turns and leaves. Ieyasu and Keiji share an uneasy glance about how Hideyoshi has been acting. He's never been the same since he and Mai returned to Azuchi in the wake of the Sacrificial Princess business a year ago.
Inside the war council meeting hall, Nobunaga, Masamune, Mistunari, and Mitsuhide are there as Hideyoshi enters to make his report. Another rebellion successfully quashed and dealt with. Hideyoshi says that he'll be stopping by his manor briefly but will set out soon to stop the next rebellion. Masamune comments that Hideyoshi has lost weight and asks if he's taking care of himself; Hideyoshi brushes it off. Nobunaga comments that Hideyoshi has stopped trying to negotiate truces and ceasefires and stops all the potential uprisings via force; Hideyoshi says that as long as he's successful, what's the issue. Either way, there's no more rebellion.
Just as he goes to leave, Mitsuhide stops him. He asks if Hideyoshi--if he and Mai are happy. For just the barest hint of a moment, Hideyoshi pauses. But he answers that yes, they are, and actually leaves this time. The remaining warlords in the room look concerned, and worried. Mitsunari wonders how long it will be before they can see Hideyoshi and Mai together again.
Hideyoshi returns to his manor, where a maid informs him that everything has been taken care of in his absence. He thanks her, and proceeds to a particular room of the manor that has been specially built. Nobody is allowed to enter the section where that room is located, no one except for him.
In that room, Mai wakes up, seeing that it's afternoon and she's slept the whole morning away. Though it's not as if it makes a difference to her. Morning, afternoon, evening, night; everything is the same. Over the past year, her symptoms had worsened progressively, to the point where even complete strangers began to feel pain when she looked at them or heard her voice. So she and Hideyoshi both decided that she'd stay in Hideyoshi's manor for as long as it took for her symptoms to fade.
She hasn't spoken to anyone for months. Hasn't seen anyone either. But as a familiar set of footsteps walks down the corridor, she perks up and moves closer to the door. Hearing Hideyoshi's familiar voice speak to her, she wants to be as close as she can. He apologizes for being away, asks her if she's doing well, if she needs anything.
Uri scampers through the door, for now content to just play in Mai's room. Uri is the only company she keeps these days. But she doesn't know if her symptoms have gotten to the point where animals would be affected, so she still refrains from touching or speaking to Uri. So she can only watch as Uri plays, but it's better than nothing.
Hideyoshi's palm is pressed against the hanging cloth that serves as a door to the room. Through the cloth, Mai writes on his palm that she wants some more food for Uri, and Hideyoshi says that he'll have that prepared for her as soon as possible. He's glad that she has at least some companionship.
They talk some more- or rather, Hideyoshi talks, and Mai listens. This is as much contact as they can have. No matter how much Mai wants to call Hideyoshi's name, to see his face, to touch him, this is all they get. Until they solve the unrest sweeping through the land and set history back on its peaceful course, this will have to be enough.
Even though it's really, really not.
But Mai and Hideyoshi won't leave each other. No matter how long it takes, they will wait, and wait, and wait...
...Years pass.
...A decade.
...More.
...And one day, accompanied by Hideyoshi's voice, the curtain opens. There he is, smiling that kind and beloved smile at her. At last, they have the rest of their lives with each other again.
Blissful Route
Just as Hideyoshi is about to charge into battle, the sound of approaching hoofbeats interrupts things. It's Nobunaga, riding into the fray. And not just Nobunaga, but every one of the Oda warlords. Though Hideyoshi and Mai are surprised to see them, there's no time for questions as the fighting begins. Mai is led to a safe place away from the fighting while Hideyoshi joins the rest of the warlords in the fight.
It's over quickly enough. A camp is established and Hideyoshi and Mai get some time to rest with everyone around as well. Although first of all, Nobunaga asks them for a report on what they learned in Sakai. THey give their report, but that's not the end of things. Nobunaga asks if Hideyoshi knows why Nobunaga is upset with him right now. Of course it's because Hideyoshi inconvenienced his lord by making him and everyone else ride out all this way, Hideyoshi says, bowing his head--
But it isn't that at all. It is because not once in Hideyoshi's prior letters to Nobunaga did he ever ask for help. Despite how dire their situation was getting and how much worse the rumors and attacks had been growing, they never thought to ask their friends and allies for assistance.
All of the warlords are in agreement. Even Mitsunari, though smiling angelically like always, can't hide his own frustration with how Hideyoshi and Mai tried to handle everything alone. They're part of the Oda forces, trusted and beloved companions of everyone present. Of course everyone's busy, but they're always busy, and never too busy to help their friends.
With this reminder of how cherished by everyone they are, Hideyoshi and Mai finally ask for the other Oda warlords' help to solve the Sacrificial Princess issue. And of course, everyone agrees to help. It is, however, getting late, so first Hideyoshi and Mai both look like they're in dire need of some decent rest in safe territory, where they know that nobody will attack them.
Mai and Hideyoshi have a moment together, and before long, Mai is asleep. Hideyoshi then takes some time to sit outside tending the campfire. Someone approaches to join him: it's Mitsuhide, with something to drink for the both of them. After exchanging some banter, as they are legally obligated to do in every conversation with each other, Mitsuhide sits down with Hideyoshi and they have a little heart to heart. Along with Hideyoshi, specifically, asking Mitsuhide for assistance with an idea he has on how to solve everything in one fell swoop. Because the plan that Hideyoshi's come up with isn't like him at all, it's something more subtle and behind-the-scenes, leaning to Mitsuhide's skillset more than his. But with the earlier reminder that Hideyoshi and Mai aren't alone, he's asking Mitsuhide for help on this plan.
And now we cut to two months. Hideyoshi and Mai are returning from mediating a dispute in a different province. Mai doesn't speak and she is wearing a veiled hat because over the course of these two months, her symptoms have gotten worse over time: it hurts people to look at her directly, and so does hearing her voice.
Over these past two months, what Hideyoshi and the other Oda forces have been doing is trying to rewrite the Sacrificial Princess rumor. Instead of being someone who is the embodiment of heaven's wrath and punishment, they are trying to spread the rumor that Mai is a blessed princess taking on the burdens of the world in order to help bring it to peace. Mitsuhide's spy network is helping to spread the rumor from major towns and cities, but in order to make this rumor a reality, everyone has been working double-time in order to quell the unrest and conflict throughout the country. That way there'll be nobody after Mai's life anymore, and they can keep the country at peace.
It's long, slow work, but they have hope that it will work. On the way back they stop to rest their horse, but this is when a young man (or maybe a boy/teen? I can't quite remember) has finally tracked them down, still believing in the original Sacrificial Princess rumor. He is still after Mai's life, and Hideyoshi of course won't stand for that. It's not very much of a fight, as the young man is untrained and driven more by desperation than any real skill.
But Mai then calls out for Hideyoshi to stop, and makes her way to the disarmed man. She knows that the people who are after her are all much the same: driven by desperation to stop the fighting around them that threatens their homes and loved ones. She offers him sympathy and understanding, as well as options for what he can do for his village. Presented with mercy he didn't expect, the man eventually becomes convinced of Mai not being the cause of disaster. He agrees to peacefully give up and return back to his village.
Now alone again, Hideyoshi asks Mai to remove her veil and look at him. She's afraid to at first since she doesn't want to hurt him, but Hideyoshi had just realized something earlier: when Mai had called at him to stop, he didn't feel any pain at hearing her voice. The symptoms are fading, because without the Sacrificial Princess rumor and with the Oda forces working to quell the unrest and return peace to the land, history is put back on a peaceful course. And that means that she and Hideyoshi can touch each other again, look at each other again, and speak with each other again as much as they want. Finally after those months of slow, hard work, they have their happy future together again.
(Side bits: once they do get back to Azuchi and the rest of the warlords are made aware of Mai's symptoms being gone, they throw a party to celebrate, of course. And of course all of them make sure to touch Mai (pat her on the head, arm over the shoulder, etc) "to confirm the symptoms are gone" but also to make Hideyoshi jealous :p
Also, when Mai goes to check her guidebook, she finds that the pages are still all blank, even though all her symptoms are gone. History has changed significantly enough that the future she and Sasuke are from isn't the same one as the future they are headed to now. And even though this does make her nervous, she knows now from experience that she and her loved ones can overcome any challenge as long as they are together. So she can face that unknown future with hope and optimism, no matter what it may be.)
Passionate Route
The Power of Friendship v2
In my completely unbiased and entirely objective opinion as someone who ranks (or attempts to rank) for Hideyoshi in every election and birthday event, it's a really good sequel and I enjoyed it a lot! Very good whump moments (physical and emotional) for both Mai and Hideyoshi, great callbacks to his Eternal, and at least one ending follows the same themes of what I liked in Mitsuhide's Eternal route too.
Current status: Blissful route done
Warnings:
- Described gore/gruesomeness
- A suicide attempt
Common Route
As all Ikesen sequels do, Hideyoshi's starts out with Mai returning to Azuchi following the attack on Nobunaga's castle and her travel guide blank. As she tries to make her way to the others, worried, she is surrounded by a group bandits who look to be in the human trafficking business and taking advantage of the chaos in Azuchi. Just as she's about to try making a break for it, Hideyoshi comes swooping in and saves the day, beating down all of the bandits singlehandedly. After Mai is saved, they share a sweet reunion and moment together. However, they are being watched in that moment by spies that Kicho had planted in Azuchi...
Later, Mai sits in on a war council. Unrest is rising in surrounding territories due to the attack on Azuchi, and the warlords have their hands full dealing with them all. Although the conflict with the Ikko-Ikki is dealt with (following Hideyoshi's eternal route) and a ceasefire has been brokered with the Uesugi-Takeda forces in the meantime, not all is well. Busiest of all is Hideyoshi, who is sent every which way in order to help act as a mediator between various uneasy and discontent factions. During this time, Mai is also introduced to Keiji, who reports that Kicho was the one behind the attack on Azuchi and that he is working together with the presumed-dead Motonari. The pair appear to be distributing weaponry, especially guns, to the populace: a sample has been procured and Nobunaga looks to Mai, asking her whether she thinks she, with no training, could use this. Mai herself is very uneasy about the thought of actually using a gun to hurt someone, but she knows that a gun isn't actually all that difficult to use. She answers that she would be able to use the pistol with minimal training, confirming Nobunaga's suspicions.
Everyone gets busy. Hideyoshi leaves to go help mediate between factions in a bordering province, and Mai has a full day of seamstress work ahead of her at Azuchi Castle. They shared a goodbye kiss as is usual, but Hideyoshi jolts as if startled. He said he felt something on his lips as they kissed. Mai didn't notice anything, and suggests that maybe it was some static? After a quick explanation of what static buildup is, they dismiss it since it doesn't seem to be anything major, and go their separate ways.
As Mai works, Ieyasu and Mitsunari drop by with a request to mend their clothes too. Mai accepts, and after a moment of silence, Ieyasu remarks that Hideyoshi really was right. He'd asked them to check in on Mai to make sure she wasn't working herself too hard in his absence. But, well, the request to mend their clothes was still real. They're both so busy with riding back and forth between one potential uprising and the next that their clothes are wearing out fast. That just gives Mai more fuel for thought and worry, hoping that Hideyoshi is all right out there. Mai quickly finishes up the repairs on Ieyasu and Mitsunari's clothes, but just as she's handing the clothes back to them, something about her fingers seems to jolt them too. It's not painful, but it is startling. But alas, duty calls, and they leave soon as well.
Later Hideyoshi returns, unharmed and just as eager to see Mai again as she is to see him. They have their moment together, and spend a very enjoyable night with each other. However, come morning... Hideyoshi reaches out to touch Mai, but immediately pulls back in pain. He's frantic as he asks if she's okay, but she hasn't noticed anything strange at all. However, there's no way to brush this off anymore. They quickly call the warlords to an emergency meeting in order to explain the situation: people who touch Mai seem to experience pain.
Of course, this sounds unbelievable, so it is proposed that they test it out. Mai doesn't like the idea of hurting the others, but Ieyasu talks her into covering all their bases in order to better understand this strange illness(? if it is an illness, anyway). So one by one Mai takes turns touching the different warlords, and almost everyone displays a strong reaction, with Hideyoshi seeming the worst off. Keiji, however, reports only a slight irritation where Mai touched him. After some thought and one more experiment where Nobunaga summons a complete stranger to Mai for her to touch, they work out that the closer Mai is with someone, the more pain they feel. Keiji, who was just an acquaintance, only feels a mild irritation, while the maid who was completely unfamiliar to Mai felt nothing at all. And her lover, Hideyoshi, is hurt worst of all.
Mai is completely horrified by the idea that her touch and presence could hurt people, so she runs out of the meeting hall in devastation. Hideyoshi runs after her, but she says not to come closer and shurts herself away in her room. But Hideyoshi is there, standing just outside the door. If she wants space, that's all right, he'll give her space. But she just has to remember that he will always be there for her and that she isn't alone.
The next day, Nobunaga summons the both of them to his chambers for a meeting. Supposedly, there is a hot springs in the mountains that has some spiritual healing powers. Nobunaga tells Mai she should go there in order to recover and recuperate, and Hideyoshi should go with her. She expresses surprise that Nobunaga would believe in such things, but Nobunaga says he doesn't, actually. But this is a stressful situation for her to be in, and she's obviously distressed by the possibility of coming into contact with someone and hurting them. It may do her some good to spend some time away from Azuchi and that possibility, let her calm down in a relaxing hot spring, and give Hideyoshi some time off after he's been run ragged trying to keep a full blown uprising from starting these past few weeks. It's Nobunaga's way of giving the lovebirds some time to themselves, basically.
So they set off, with the other warlords seeing them off as they ride away. Masamune packed some bentos for them, Ieyasu made medicine, Mitsuhide shows up with water supplies, etc etc. Some requisite teasing and banter ensues, of course, but it's a relatively lighthearted departure. Mai notes that she doesn't seem to be causing the horse any pain by touching it, and Hideyoshi is careful to avoid direct skin contact as they ride together, so everything is going well.
Up until it doesn't.
Partway through the journey, they are attacked by a group of ruffians, declaring that they've found the Sacrificial Princess and to hand her over. It doesn't take long to figure out that they're referring to Mai, and that they intend to kill her, believing her to be someone who brings misfortune and suffering to everyone around her, and to the nation as a whole. They intend to sacrifice her to appease the heavens, who were angry at Nobunaga for his conquest over the lands and were thus punishing people by giving rise to all the unrest and violence as of late. Hideyoshi, of course, believes that it's all bullshit and does not entertain the thought of handing Mai over for even a second. However, their attackers are all adamant that Mai must be killed. And lo, they say, they are proven right as during the battle, Mai nearly slips off the horse and Hideyoshi has to catch her--and his arm immediately begins to start turning red and burn where it comes into contact with her. See? She only brings pain and suffering, and therefore, she must die.
Mai is yelling at Hideyoshi to let go of her, but he refuses, growing more ruthless and violent the more fervently their attackers try to get to Mai. He eventually cuts them all down, though one is left alive for them to interrogate. The remaining attacker manages to choke out in his final breaths that posters of Mai's face and her supposed crimes against the heavens have been spread far and wide across every village there is, so even if Hideyoshi kills him here, more people will come to finish the job.
Now that the fight is over, it's time to take stock of injuries. Mai is unharmed, but Hideyoshi's arms are red all over and completely scalded. They make use of the water that Mitsuhide handed them and Ieyasu's medicine, but even so, Hideyoshi almost collapses and is overtaken by a fever from the injury when they make it to an inn to rest for the night. Mai is overcome with guilt over the injuries that she caused, and when Hideyoshi slips into a fevered sleep, she has to leave the inn, afraid to be in the same room as him while he sleeps.
She takes a walk in the forest nearby, ruminating over everything. That's when she hears footsteps approaching. Panicking over the thought that it might be more people who are after her, she's about ready to run, though the sight of a familiar figure stops her. It's Kennyo--whom she last seen in Hideyoshi's eternal route trying to send her and Nobunaga over the edge of a cliff-- accompanied by a young pink-haired man she doesn't know. She's still afraid that Kennyo will try to kill her, but Kennyo explains that he wants no such thing. Ranmaru introduces himself, and the two of them explain that they know about the Sacrificial Princess rumor, and that it is actually Kicho's work, and part of his plans to engulf the country in unending war and conflict. They know this because the one who saved Kennyo after he fell off the cliff was Motonari, so they had, for a brief time, worked together. But upon finding out that Kicho's plan involved the prolonging of senseless suffering and war, they could not bring themselves to keep working with him, and cut ties with both Kicho and Motonari to go their own way.
When Mai asks why they're telling her this, Kennyo says that it is his form of atonement. For wrapping her, innocent and uninvolved, in his plot for revenge against Nobunaga. But if this is not repayment enough, then Kennyo would offer her his life. He places a dagger before her, and Mai can tell that he's actually serious. He'd let her kill him if she didn't think that he had redeemed himself enough.
Mai has absolutely no desire to hurt anyone. She can't forget what Kennyo did to her, but she doesn't hate him, and she doesn't want to see him dead. She doesn't think Ranmaru does either. But if he does feel the need to atone for it in blood, she takes that dagger and presses it lightly against Kennyo's finger to give him a light cut. Let that be the price he must pay in blood. If he is truly serious about redemption, then she asks him to live. Thanking him and Ranmaru for the information once more, she goes to leave.
Hideyoshi is there to see her, revealing that he had been listening from the beginning, but he's just glad to see her safe. He also expresses relief that Ranmaru is safe as well. They quickly return to the inn as Hideyoshi is still weak from his fever, and he almost collapses again as soon as they make it back. It's definitely time to rest for the night, so they pull apart their futons to make sure that they don't end up touching each other in their sleep. But it's hard, being apart like this when the both of them want and need comfort.
The next day, Hideyoshi is mostly healed up. A doctor has proclaimed the worst of his injuries dealt with properly, so the burns won't even scar. And that is when Mai, who had spent the night thinking about what Kennyo had revealed, tells Hideyoshi her plan: she wants to talk to Kicho. Nobody was supposed to know about Mai's touch bringing pain and burns to others; heck, she didn't even know about the burn part until after the people who attacked her did, even. So what does Kicho know, and how does he know about it? They need answers, and the only way to get them is to speak with Kicho directly. Hideyoshi wants to disagree, but he acknowledges that she's right, so he says that he'll go with her to Sakai after sending a letter to Nobunaga and the others to update them on the situation.
Back at Azuchi, the other warlords receive Hideyoshi's letter explaining the situation. They've been growing more and more tired with the unrest seeming to grow more and more out of control with every passing day. Hideyoshi had excelled in mediating disputes and keeping everything balanced, and without him it's hard for everyone remaining to keep things under control. And they've all been hearing about this Sacrificial Princess rumor as well, and everyone's worried about how the two of them are holding up. Nobunaga then says that he has a letter to write, and Keiji also asks to send a letter since he had infiltrated Sakai before and may have some useful information.
In Sakai, Mai and Hideyoshi are, for just a moment, taking a break. Mai is wearing a cloth over her head and face to disguise herself, because on the way to Sakai they'd been chased out of town and attacked by people who had recognized her face as the Sacrificial Princess. Hideyoshi, knowing how hard and stressful this has been on her, decides that they're just going to enjoy themselves out in town for a bit. They go to a tea shop and have sweets, window shop all the rare foreign goods like textiles and accessories that Sakai has to offer, they just let themselves enjoy things for a bit. Hideyoshi just wants to see Mai smile again.
And then night falls, and it's time to put their plan into motion. While Hideyoshi had genuinely wanted Mai to enjoy herself and be happy for a while, he had also been keeping an ear to the ground as they had gone around town, and he had found out that Kicho was going to be heading out of his merchant house that evening. If they wanted to ambush Kicho, now would be the time. So they track down Kicho, Hideyoshi knocks out his guards, and he says that if Kicho wants to live, he'd better do everything he says.
Completely unflapped, Kicho says that actually, it should be the other way around, and promptly summons dozens more underlings to take on Hideyoshi. Mai is taken away by Kicho as the guards keep Hideyoshi busy. He spirits her away to his merchant house, and we get the usual explanation of Kicho's plans and the reveal that he knows of the future as well, as with most other routes. (Meanwhile, Kennyo and Ranmaru show up to lend a hand to Hideyoshi, who was not having trouble with the guards per se, as none of them were strong enough fighters to really put him in any danger, but there was a lot of them to get through. Ranmaru and Kennyo buy him the time to break away and go after Mai)
And, like in other routes as well, Kicho is also affected by the changes in the timeline. Like Mai, he is unable to touch people he knows without burning them. It's how he knew about the symptoms to spread the Sacrificial Princess lie. As for how he found out... he did some experiments, you see. He picked a random one of his underlings and pretended to take a deeper interest in the man, cultivating a relationship of admiration and (assumed) trust. As expected, Kicho's touch began to hurt and eventually burn the man, with the injuries worsening the deeper that relationship became. Eventually it reached the point where meeting Kicho's gaze blinded the man, which was when Kicho decided to end the experiment.
However, at that point, it was too late. Kicho had left the room and ordered everything stopped, but just hearing Kicho's voice through the walls was enough to kill the man. Witnesses who were in the room at the time reported that the man's skin had eventually begun to actually melt, and he died in agony.
With this vision of what lies in store for her and Hideyoshi, Mai is completely shaken. Kicho lets her leave unharmed, seeing as how he has no particular reason to kill her at this point in time, and it in fact behooves his plan to have her live. The whole reason he spread the rumor of the Sacrificial Princess in the first place is specifically because he knew it would provoke Hideyoshi the most. Hideyoshi is a balancing force and mediator among the Oda forces, and throwing Hideyoshi off will throw the Oda off as well. The impacts of it can be seen already: how the Oda are having trouble managing the unrest without Hideyoshi... and also how Hideyoshi himself gradually grows more brutal and less and less prone to trying to convince the with the people after Mai's life to stand aside with every ambush.
Hideyoshi meets up with her soon after and after making sure she's okay, they leave for a safe place and to recover for the night. Mai tells him some of what she learned: Kicho's goals, his reason for spreading the Sacrificial Princess rumor to disrupt Hideyoshi and the Oda forces. But she keeps the extent of the effects on her hidden, too overwhelmed and upset to think about addressing that right now.
On the journey back to Azuchi, they stop at a seaside inn to spend the night. One morning as they're having a meal together, Hideyoshi tries to reassure her that everything will end up all right, and Mai almost allows herself to believe him. But at that moment, Hideyoshi winces in pain and holds a hand to his eye. Did the sun's rays hit him in just the wrong spot, he wonders? But Mai, with the knowledge from Kicho about how her symptoms will progress, immediately begins wondering if this is the start of the end, and makes a quick excuse and dashes out of the inn.
She spends some time by the seashore, worried and afraid and stewing in her own thoughts. However, she's soon approached by a man who once again recognizes her as the Sacrificial Princess and attempts to kill her. Hideyoshi, who had grown worried about Mai intervenes just in time, keeping Mai close to him to protect her even as she yells at him to let her go so he won't burn himself. He tells her that there's no way he'd do that, that this is nothing in order to make sure that she's safe. The man lashes out in anger and fear, asking why Hideyoshi is protecting Mai: she's the Sacrificial Princess who's the cause of the suffering in the world. Does he want the world to destroy itself? Is that it? Hideyoshi responds back: Mai is his treasure, and he will not let anyone lay a hand on her.
After some skirmishing, they manage to make it to a safe and isolated section of the beach. Hideyoshi says it's a good thing that the guy gave up relatively soon and that Mai wasn't hurt. But Mai has just about hit her breaking point after this latest attack and the knowledge of what is to come in the future. Walking past Hideyoshi, she walks straight into the ocean, and keeps going.
She's submerged up to her calves; Hideyoshi yells at her to stop. She ignores him.
Up to the waist now. The currents are growing strong. And still she keeps going, defeated step after defeated step.
Alarmed, Hideyoshi runs after her and grabs onto her to stop her. But she yells at him to let her do this, she doesn't want to do this anymore. She reveals to Hideyoshi what Kicho told her about the progression of her symptoms. What she really wants is to live together with Hideyoshi and everyone else. But how can she do that if her very presence hurts them and will eventually kill them? This is for the best, she says. For everything to end so no one can be hurt by her anymore.
Hideyoshi just holds onto her more fiercely. He insists that even if Mai thinks that the best thing is to throw her own life away, her life has value and meaning and he is so so grateful for every day that he can spend with her. The words ring familiar: their positions are reversed now, compared to Hideyoshi's eternal route. When he was willing to die, believing it to be the only way that he could be of use, Mai was the one who convinced him that even if he thought the only person he would be hurting was himself, everyone around him would bear the pain of his hurts with him too; that his life has its own intrinsic value not tied to how useful or worthy he was; that the simple truth of his existence is something worth celebrating. He's never forgotten that lesson for a moment, and now that things have come to this, he'll do the same for Mai for as many times as it takes for her to realize the same about herself.
The unconditional love and support breaks Mai, and she begins crying as Hideyoshi leads her out of the ocean. She apologizes, promising not to try to kill herself again. Hideyoshi tells her she has nothing to apologize for, and they return back to their rooms to rest for the night and recuperate from the emotional rollercoaster of the day. They can't hold each other directly, but some careful wrapping of each others' bodies around some clothes mean that they can still have a little bit of comfort from each other, at least.
The next day their journey back to Azuchi continues. Unfortunately, their path goes right through the battlefield of one of a recent uprising, and there are still some armed soldiers lingering around the area. Their conversation makes it abundantly clear that they're hunting for the Sacrificial Princess, lamenting the violence that has destroyed their hometowns and families and hoping that they find her soon so that they can put an end to everything. Hideyoshi and Mai try to stay hidden as they maneuver around the battlefield but unfortunately they are detected. Hideyoshi is left with no choice but to fight...
Tragic Route
Hideyoshi cuts down every last one of the attackers, curt and brutal and bestial. By the time he's done, he's standing alone in a pool of blood. In the back of her mind, Mai remembers Kicho's words and his plan to have Hideyoshi be thrown off balance. The Hideyoshi that Mai knows is kind, yes, but she is no stranger to his brutal side, having seen it for herself in the past. She is afraid for a moment that Hideyoshi has lost himself to that violence in trying to keep her safe.
But then Hideyoshi turns, slightly, just enough to meet her gaze. And she knows that no matter what he becomes or what he does, he is her Hideyoshi, and she loves him. Careful to keep her touch away from his bare skin, she wanders into the blood-soaked battlefield to hug him, and let him know that she will always love him.
Flash forward to a year later. We are in Azuchi Castle, seeing Ieyasu and Keiji greet Hideyoshi as he returns from a battlefield. He has just stopped another rebellion in a distant province, but he brushes off their suggestion that he get some rest. He has to report to Nobunaga first. And with that, he turns and leaves. Ieyasu and Keiji share an uneasy glance about how Hideyoshi has been acting. He's never been the same since he and Mai returned to Azuchi in the wake of the Sacrificial Princess business a year ago.
Inside the war council meeting hall, Nobunaga, Masamune, Mistunari, and Mitsuhide are there as Hideyoshi enters to make his report. Another rebellion successfully quashed and dealt with. Hideyoshi says that he'll be stopping by his manor briefly but will set out soon to stop the next rebellion. Masamune comments that Hideyoshi has lost weight and asks if he's taking care of himself; Hideyoshi brushes it off. Nobunaga comments that Hideyoshi has stopped trying to negotiate truces and ceasefires and stops all the potential uprisings via force; Hideyoshi says that as long as he's successful, what's the issue. Either way, there's no more rebellion.
Just as he goes to leave, Mitsuhide stops him. He asks if Hideyoshi--if he and Mai are happy. For just the barest hint of a moment, Hideyoshi pauses. But he answers that yes, they are, and actually leaves this time. The remaining warlords in the room look concerned, and worried. Mitsunari wonders how long it will be before they can see Hideyoshi and Mai together again.
Hideyoshi returns to his manor, where a maid informs him that everything has been taken care of in his absence. He thanks her, and proceeds to a particular room of the manor that has been specially built. Nobody is allowed to enter the section where that room is located, no one except for him.
In that room, Mai wakes up, seeing that it's afternoon and she's slept the whole morning away. Though it's not as if it makes a difference to her. Morning, afternoon, evening, night; everything is the same. Over the past year, her symptoms had worsened progressively, to the point where even complete strangers began to feel pain when she looked at them or heard her voice. So she and Hideyoshi both decided that she'd stay in Hideyoshi's manor for as long as it took for her symptoms to fade.
She hasn't spoken to anyone for months. Hasn't seen anyone either. But as a familiar set of footsteps walks down the corridor, she perks up and moves closer to the door. Hearing Hideyoshi's familiar voice speak to her, she wants to be as close as she can. He apologizes for being away, asks her if she's doing well, if she needs anything.
Uri scampers through the door, for now content to just play in Mai's room. Uri is the only company she keeps these days. But she doesn't know if her symptoms have gotten to the point where animals would be affected, so she still refrains from touching or speaking to Uri. So she can only watch as Uri plays, but it's better than nothing.
Hideyoshi's palm is pressed against the hanging cloth that serves as a door to the room. Through the cloth, Mai writes on his palm that she wants some more food for Uri, and Hideyoshi says that he'll have that prepared for her as soon as possible. He's glad that she has at least some companionship.
They talk some more- or rather, Hideyoshi talks, and Mai listens. This is as much contact as they can have. No matter how much Mai wants to call Hideyoshi's name, to see his face, to touch him, this is all they get. Until they solve the unrest sweeping through the land and set history back on its peaceful course, this will have to be enough.
Even though it's really, really not.
But Mai and Hideyoshi won't leave each other. No matter how long it takes, they will wait, and wait, and wait...
...Years pass.
...A decade.
...More.
...And one day, accompanied by Hideyoshi's voice, the curtain opens. There he is, smiling that kind and beloved smile at her. At last, they have the rest of their lives with each other again.
Blissful Route
Just as Hideyoshi is about to charge into battle, the sound of approaching hoofbeats interrupts things. It's Nobunaga, riding into the fray. And not just Nobunaga, but every one of the Oda warlords. Though Hideyoshi and Mai are surprised to see them, there's no time for questions as the fighting begins. Mai is led to a safe place away from the fighting while Hideyoshi joins the rest of the warlords in the fight.
It's over quickly enough. A camp is established and Hideyoshi and Mai get some time to rest with everyone around as well. Although first of all, Nobunaga asks them for a report on what they learned in Sakai. THey give their report, but that's not the end of things. Nobunaga asks if Hideyoshi knows why Nobunaga is upset with him right now. Of course it's because Hideyoshi inconvenienced his lord by making him and everyone else ride out all this way, Hideyoshi says, bowing his head--
But it isn't that at all. It is because not once in Hideyoshi's prior letters to Nobunaga did he ever ask for help. Despite how dire their situation was getting and how much worse the rumors and attacks had been growing, they never thought to ask their friends and allies for assistance.
All of the warlords are in agreement. Even Mitsunari, though smiling angelically like always, can't hide his own frustration with how Hideyoshi and Mai tried to handle everything alone. They're part of the Oda forces, trusted and beloved companions of everyone present. Of course everyone's busy, but they're always busy, and never too busy to help their friends.
With this reminder of how cherished by everyone they are, Hideyoshi and Mai finally ask for the other Oda warlords' help to solve the Sacrificial Princess issue. And of course, everyone agrees to help. It is, however, getting late, so first Hideyoshi and Mai both look like they're in dire need of some decent rest in safe territory, where they know that nobody will attack them.
Mai and Hideyoshi have a moment together, and before long, Mai is asleep. Hideyoshi then takes some time to sit outside tending the campfire. Someone approaches to join him: it's Mitsuhide, with something to drink for the both of them. After exchanging some banter, as they are legally obligated to do in every conversation with each other, Mitsuhide sits down with Hideyoshi and they have a little heart to heart. Along with Hideyoshi, specifically, asking Mitsuhide for assistance with an idea he has on how to solve everything in one fell swoop. Because the plan that Hideyoshi's come up with isn't like him at all, it's something more subtle and behind-the-scenes, leaning to Mitsuhide's skillset more than his. But with the earlier reminder that Hideyoshi and Mai aren't alone, he's asking Mitsuhide for help on this plan.
And now we cut to two months. Hideyoshi and Mai are returning from mediating a dispute in a different province. Mai doesn't speak and she is wearing a veiled hat because over the course of these two months, her symptoms have gotten worse over time: it hurts people to look at her directly, and so does hearing her voice.
Over these past two months, what Hideyoshi and the other Oda forces have been doing is trying to rewrite the Sacrificial Princess rumor. Instead of being someone who is the embodiment of heaven's wrath and punishment, they are trying to spread the rumor that Mai is a blessed princess taking on the burdens of the world in order to help bring it to peace. Mitsuhide's spy network is helping to spread the rumor from major towns and cities, but in order to make this rumor a reality, everyone has been working double-time in order to quell the unrest and conflict throughout the country. That way there'll be nobody after Mai's life anymore, and they can keep the country at peace.
It's long, slow work, but they have hope that it will work. On the way back they stop to rest their horse, but this is when a young man (or maybe a boy/teen? I can't quite remember) has finally tracked them down, still believing in the original Sacrificial Princess rumor. He is still after Mai's life, and Hideyoshi of course won't stand for that. It's not very much of a fight, as the young man is untrained and driven more by desperation than any real skill.
But Mai then calls out for Hideyoshi to stop, and makes her way to the disarmed man. She knows that the people who are after her are all much the same: driven by desperation to stop the fighting around them that threatens their homes and loved ones. She offers him sympathy and understanding, as well as options for what he can do for his village. Presented with mercy he didn't expect, the man eventually becomes convinced of Mai not being the cause of disaster. He agrees to peacefully give up and return back to his village.
Now alone again, Hideyoshi asks Mai to remove her veil and look at him. She's afraid to at first since she doesn't want to hurt him, but Hideyoshi had just realized something earlier: when Mai had called at him to stop, he didn't feel any pain at hearing her voice. The symptoms are fading, because without the Sacrificial Princess rumor and with the Oda forces working to quell the unrest and return peace to the land, history is put back on a peaceful course. And that means that she and Hideyoshi can touch each other again, look at each other again, and speak with each other again as much as they want. Finally after those months of slow, hard work, they have their happy future together again.
(Side bits: once they do get back to Azuchi and the rest of the warlords are made aware of Mai's symptoms being gone, they throw a party to celebrate, of course. And of course all of them make sure to touch Mai (pat her on the head, arm over the shoulder, etc) "to confirm the symptoms are gone" but also to make Hideyoshi jealous :p
Also, when Mai goes to check her guidebook, she finds that the pages are still all blank, even though all her symptoms are gone. History has changed significantly enough that the future she and Sasuke are from isn't the same one as the future they are headed to now. And even though this does make her nervous, she knows now from experience that she and her loved ones can overcome any challenge as long as they are together. So she can face that unknown future with hope and optimism, no matter what it may be.)
Passionate Route
The Power of Friendship v2
