Hojo Tokiyuki finally arrived at Suwa, the place where Suwa Yorishige ruled. In The Elusive Samurai episode 3, How Hojo Tokiyuki comes to terms with his importance and learns to accept help from his retainers will be an important topic to discuss.
previously in The Elusive Samurai episode 2, Hojo Tokiyuki was unable to escape from Kamakura due to strict guarding at the exit, so had to go into hiding with Suwa Yorishige and Sizuku.
However, due to impatience, Tokiyuki set off alone to search for surviving Hojo clan members.
In his search, he heard a piece of shocking news, his half-brother Hojo Kunitoki was betrayed by his uncle Godaiin Muneshige who was in charge of Kunitoki’s protection and sold him off to the enemy, resulting in the execution of Kunoitoki by decapitation!!
All the betrayal broke Tokiyuki mentally, noticing this, Yorishige suggested that he would help Tokiyuki to exact revenge on Muneshige and went to learn the current condition of Muneshige with Tokiyuki, which was deplorable since the enemy discarded him after using him once.
So, Muneshige was planning to deliver Tokiyuki next to prove his worth.
On the other hand, Tokiyuki with the help of Yorishige, was gathering allies and gathered two of them named Nezu Kojiro of the Nezu clan and Mochizuki Ayako of the Mochizuki clan, who were retainers of the Suwa clan, which in turn makes them indirect retainer of Hojo clan also.
Using this weakness of his, Tokiyuki under the supervision and advice of Yorishige, lured Muneshige into a forest, and using a bluff and two retainers, Kojiro and Ayako, ambushed him.
However, it wasn’t easy to defeat the veteran Muneshige, however, with the skillful evasion of Tokiyuki added to his two retainer’s strength, it became possible to catch Muneshige off-guard, and taking advantage of that weakness, Tokiyuki decapitated him.
What happens after Tokiyuki successfully avenges his brother, will be in The Elusive Samurai episode 3.
Table of Contents
What Did Hold Hojo Tokiyuki Back From Progressing?
After Hojo Tokiyuki managed to kill Godaiin Muneshige, he maybe couldn’t forget the ecstasy for quite some time, however, after his excitement subsidized, he was hit with the sudden reality, that he was only a figurehead amidst the power struggle until now.
So, expecting great things from him could be impossible.
This pessimistic but realistic thought process likely makes him more humane than most other shonen anime protagonists.
Tokiyuki never learned any art of war, never had any proper academic education, and amidst turmoil to learn those anew was a waste of time according to Tokiyuki, so Tokiyuki had entirely given up even before trying to overcome his shortcomings.
He planned to escape from death on the battlefield while his army engaged in the battle.
So, it was Hojo Tokiyuki’s inferiority complex which resulted in the habit of suppressing the dormant monster in him that held him back from progressing.
How Did Suwa Yorishige Boost Hojo Tokiyuki’s Confidence?
Since Tokiyuki reached Suwa in The Elusive Samurai episode 3, all he did was escape from the chances Yorishige provided for him to progress continuously.
Yorishige even instructed priestesses in training to encourage him, but that didn’t work against the great escapist Tokiyuki, who also escaped from the priestesses’s encouragement while staying in the shrine.
At this point, Tokiyuki could be coined as an escapist who could even escape emotions!!
Nezu Kojiro one of the indirect Hojo retainers also couldn’t help but conclude that, all that Tokiyuki is, is a spoiled brat with past glory, however, Yorishige knew better.
He knew the hidden potential, the dormant monster within Tokiyuki wasn’t yet fully realized or awakened due to the environment he was in, and the expectations others had of him.
All Tokiyuki needed was a little push in the right direction and assurance of success, and Yorishige was more than capable of providing those.
To gain Tokiyuki’s trust and boost his confidence Suwa Yorishige declared himself a god, performed a miracle, revealed his military prowess, and proclaimed to make Hojo Tokiyuki a hero in the time of turmoil.
Yorishige’s assurance about Tokiyuki having the best retainers, and increasing allies in the future boosted the morale of Tokiyuki to some extent.
How Did Hojo Tokiyuki Learned To Trust His Back To His Retainers?
It was not easy for Tokiyuki to entirely trust anybody after the betrayal he faced in Kamakura, but it was still worth a try.
In The Elusive Samurai episode 3, Yorishige told Tokiyuki, that he always needs to remain resolute, and a charismatic person to whom people are drawn automatically and put their trust unconditionally.
Though it was the starting point to become a worthy ruler, but, believe it or not, there is more to it.
However strong one may be, in a war, one person alone can’t bring forth major change, they need a trustworthy team, but trust is hard to come and easy to go.
So, to build trust, one needs a good amount of time to understand others and accept them as they are.
This is also what, Yorishige expected of Tokiyuki, he wanted Tokiyuki to build a bond with his retainer from a very early stage, from his childhood, which may turn into unconditional trust in the future.
Sizuku with her capability as a strategist, Nezu Kojiro as an expert swordsman, and strong Mochizuki Ayako of monstrous strength, were the potential retainer of Tokiyuki, so he had to bond with him.
For the process of bonding, they decided to go hunting, which started with small prey like rabbits.
However, luck didn’t favor them, it was a flesh-eating ox demon according to rumor, that chased them.
An archaic animal, capable of a massacre, was chasing, against whom even arrows didn’t work due to tough skin.
Trained fighters Kojiro and Ayako fell short, as it was humanly impossible to hunt that animal, so it was strategy time.
It was such an aspect in which Sizuku truly shined.
According to her, if it were Kojiro and Ayako alone, then it could be impossible to hunt that beast, but a variable is with them now, Tokiyuki.
Being a master escapist, Tokiyuki was tasked with the responsibility to lure the beast away towards a small ridge, bellow which was a protruding point and sharp piece of rock.
Tokiyuki got a hella different kind of kick from the teamwork this time, which by which, team Tokiyuki managed to kill that archaic beast, and it was the first time, that Tokiyuki felt as if he was not alone and it was okay to trust his back to someone.
It was no doubt a good feeling, which Tokiyuki contemplated for a long time while soaking in a hot spring after the grueling hunt.
Finally
A major battle ended in The Elusive Samurai episode 3 at this stage, however, the foreshadowing of an ominous event was done in this phase, where some warlord was keeping an eye on Suwa Yorishige with contempt.
To know about this mysterious individual, stay tuned for the next episode…
