Izuminokami so comfortably leaning against him does not help him relax, but at least the touching pauses. And it is somewhat reassuring that Izuminokami seems willing to listen to his story.

But Tonbokiri doesn't change his posture, or hiding behind his hands.

"It is a somewhat long story, for it was a long mission. But the short of it is that the forefathers of Ieyasu Tokugawa's heavenly generals were killed before their time. We agreed to the plan of taking on the roles of those generals, in order to protect Lord Ieyasu and restore the course of history."

He looks downcast for a moment, and his hands lower a little further.

"Although I was full of misgivings about it, I took on the role of Honda Tadakatsu. I did not realize it immediately, however we also had to live out the personal lives of those men. ... Including having a wife. It-- it was Tadakatsu, but it was me."

Up come the hands again.