Niji-iro Tougarashi (Rainbow-colored Peppers) Translation by Wei-Hwa Huang (whuang@ugcs.caltech.edu) Book 9, Version 0 6/16/97-6/16/97 Originally published in Shonen Sunday Heisei year 3 (1991), week 38 to week 48? p80.1 ------------- PART 80 -- ??? ------------- p80.2 p80.3 Furon: How...? Sign: Grave of Natane's Mother p80.4 Book: House Accounts p80.5 Book: Diary p80.6 Furon: So, that's how it happened? Furon: That's where it was hidden? Asajirou: Only I know. Furon: Splendid. p80.7 Asajirou: Stop! Asajirou: I don't want to kill Natane's brother! Furon: Don't worry about it. Furon: I don't plan to use this name forever; as far as Natane's concerned, I'm only her father's killer. Asajirou: That was an accident! p80.8 Furon: You're not going to chance my mind about killing you. p80.9 p80.10 Asajirou: No matter what they say, Natane's our sibling. Asajirou: We'll protect her. Furon: Sibling? Furon: And how meaningful is that? Furon: Historically, in a struggle for power, the stronger has always survived. p80.11 Furon: Why are you holding back? Furon: If you die here, will the rest of them be able to protect her? Asajirou: I knew it. Asajirou: Without the desire to kill, I'm no match for you. p80.12 p80.13 Hey! Run away! We'll handle it! May I take the sign? Please! Help yourself! Goodbye, then. How long do you people plan to hold me? Eh? Yow! p80.14 That hurt... Who are you? If any of the seven get hurt in this town, someone will be very angry. Compared to Hanzo, Master Akamaru has horrible luck... You're Takamitsu's lackeys? Woof! Woof! Eh? Who... are you? p80.15 Haniwa-nen Style Tatsunami Doujou p80.16 Haha! Hey, Yamada! Don't hold back just because he's a kid! Oh! Yes, sir! p80.17 Jeez. Another hole! I can't believe that Asajirou-nisan'd run into this good of an opponent! This doujou challenger must be an expert swordsman. Indeed. Ha! Ha! Your other brothers are just as surprising! Every single one a good fighter! I guess your father must have been an expert swordsman, too! p80.18 But, he hasn't left a single clue as to his identity. Asajirou-nisan, there's something fishy about that! Indeed. Every one of your mothers was so secretive... Wait, come to think of it... not a single word in that diary referred to Furon's father... Could it be...? p81.1 ---------------------------- PART 81 ----------- p81.2 p81.3 Stop! Stop! Hey! Stand back and at attention! WHAT?! p81.4 That stupid princess from Edo? Trouble attracts more trouble, I guess. Tell her I'm not here and send her home. Yes, sir! Good afternoon, Ojisan! Uh, Lord Takamitsu's not here right now... Huh Huh Ehhh! Koto-chan! You here to visit ojisan? p81.5 All the way from Edo... To what do I owe this visit? Eh? Hi! I just learned that some of my friends are in the castle town. Whew Friends? Ojisan, could you invite them into the castle? They're my friends! Princess! Eh? Hahaha...how could I ever refuse a request from you? Damn! p81.6 p81.7 The walnut, proof of being a sibling... Perhaps instead of thinking of Natane's missing brother on her deathbed, she was worried about young Natane. Karakuri Tenements But that means... p81.8 That rascal actually is our... WAH! p81.9 What planet were you on? Here! I've mended it. Oh! Thank you very much. Yawn! p81.10 p81.11 Thinking of something? Um. Oh! Not... I was just thinking about how much you've grown. Aw, c'mon! Be serious! In the blink of an eye... Yep. In the blink of an eye, a little girl becomes a bride. Everlasting happiness... of course! p81.12 You know, Asa-nisan; one of us might not be related to the others. Who told you that? Sanshou overheard it at Landlord Hiro's; I thought it was pretty weird too. But, it'd be great of Asa-nisan was that person. That way, I'd be a bride, and we'd be together forever. I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. Haha! I do. That's enough! p81.13 Shichimi-nisan, what's that over there? Eh? p81.14 Some tall pillars... Chimneys? Hm. Doesn't look like a public bath's... Strange. Hey! Shichimi! Chinpi! Please come back to the doujou! Why? It's not dinnertime yet... p81.15 We'll tell you on the way. Just come back with us! p81.16 Dinner at the Black Castle? Those are our palanquins. Hey-yo! Hey-yo! So what's this about? Dunno. Hey-yo! Hey-yo! Hey-yo! Hey-yo! p81.17 Oh! They're coming, they're coming! Where? Let me see. p81.18 Those people? Your friends, Koto-chan? Are you sure it's them? Yup. Really? Yup. p82.1 -------------- PART 82 ------------------- p82.2 p82.3 p82.4 Eh? A typical souvenier warehouse? p82.5 Someone's coming! The factory's closing down temporarily. Let's lock up the doors! Yes, sir! These dolls...don't seem quite salable... p82.6 p82.7 ... Didn't I tell you guys? I knew there was a catch! Don't yell at me! p82.8 Forget it. It's not that bad. It's a free dinner, isn't it? Right, Lord? Show some respect! Put your head down! Don't you know who this man is? These kids are oni-san's bastards... ...which makes them my nephews... He's the brother of the 8th shogun, Lord Akimitsu, ... Alright, alright! Everybody... I'm your... p82.9 Cough! Cough! I'm Princess Koto's uncle, Takamitsu! Nice to meet you! Over in the other room, I've prepared some delicious food. Let loose and make yourself at home! Hi! p82.10 The shogun's brother? Just like the rumors; he's a pretty straightforward guy! I hear he's got a pretty smart head, though. Fitting for such an important person. The proverbial "younger is smarter", eh? Shiro? (Castle) What a true proverb, eh, oniisan? What's that supposed to mean?! I told you so! Why are you picking on me? Stop nattering! Get over here! Princess Koto, daughter of the shogun? p82.11 Oni-san's descendants are all in my castle... this sort of opprtunity only knocks once. It would be so easy to poison the food... Good evening! But... Long time no see, Lord Takamitsu. It is I, Hanzo, from the Fuuga clan. p82.12 Oh, Hanzo, is it? How have you been? He still managed to get through all my guards...what idiots... I've heard that the Princess has come to bother you... Nahh...your job is the real bother! You're the bodyguard for the seven siblings, I'm sure. Yeah, don't worry. While they're in my castle, I, Takamitsu, will personally see to their protection! I have some dinner ready; shall we dine together? Oh, no! See, I've already prepared my own dinner here... Hahaha! Still the cautious one, I see. You're don't think I would poison you, would you? Is he suspicious already? p82.13 Oh, of course not, sir. This is from years of habit; please forgive me... Hahaha. Well, I won't force you... Damn him... p82.14 p82.15 What's all the commotion inside? I...Idiots! Disguise your faces! Eh? Hanzo and the seven siblings...? p82.16 Yes! Now, run away before you're discovered! Sorry, but can we have some food firse? We're hungry. Very hungry. If you don't mind poison, I have some food prepared. You're kidding again; be serious! Hey... ... p82.17 Here! Here! Some suspicious people!! Eh? p83.1 ----------- PART 83 ---------- p83.2 Disappear, now! But we haven't been fed... Okay, okay! Help! Assassins! Guards! p83.3 Help! Assassins! Yow! What happened? Some people tried to kill me! p83.4 I'll handle it. Don't get caught, Akamaru, you idiot... p83.5 Don't know who they are, but they're fast. I have no idea where they are. See? These are the escape techniques of the Higa Ninja clan! Our proudest technique! p83.6 Funny. Who would want to kill you, Lord? Does someone have a grudge against you? We hear a lot of bad rumors about the shogunate on our travels... Sometimes the best intentions are misinterpreted as bad ones. For example, I help the poor, but sometimes at the expense of others... there's nothing I can do about it. I see. p83.7 Of course, I'm not frightened of misinterpretations; I've gotta do what I have to do, right? Hahaha! Remarkable! No wonder you're the Lord! Very admirable! You guys are enemies too,...idiots. Everything's all right now... let's party! p83.8 Fwap! Fwap! p83.9 Oh, I almost forgot. A present. What is that? Oh! There's a factory in town with the big smokestacks... this is from there. Oho? A factory that makes souveniers? p83.10 It's awfully heavy for a toy! It doesn't look like they're selling well; there's a lot of them left in the warehouse. Really? Shichimi! Where are you? Oh! Won't she shut up? What is it? Let me show you how to play cards! It's a gaijin game! You need brain power, though. Sure you can do it? What's that supposed to mean? p83.11 Don't tell anybody about this! It's bound to cause trouble... Hmph! Complaining on the one side, playing so happily on the other side. What a hypocrite... Jealous? Whaaat? Eh? Out of wine already? p83.12 Like that food, kitty? Mm? Meow meow But... Meow p83.13 The joy of receiving, when compared to the joy of acquiring... is worth as much as a fart. Meow! Cough Cough hahaha! p83.14 Snnxx Glub Oh! You took it apart! Need help putting it back together? Shichimi! Oh! Won't she shut up? p83.15 The princess finally fell asleep and I wanted some peace and quiet... Oof! Dong! Whee! Bastard! Bastard! She's really drunk! Oh...really? Just drunk???? p83.16 Finished putting it back together, Sanshou? ? p83.17 p83.18 Wow Doesn't look very salable... a souvenier like that... p84.1 ------- PART 84 ------ p84.2 p84.3 Sometimes the best intentions are misinterpreted as bad ones. For example, I help the poor, but sometimes at the expense of others... there's nothing I can do about it. p84.4 p84.5 They're going back to Edo tomorrow... ...together with that brat princess? Yup! She's forcing them to go with her. She just left for the doujou they're staying at. I don't know why, but they... irritate me. p84.6 Not me! I'm envious! I'd love to be one of them! I've always wanted a cute sister! Your sisters could never be cute! Yes, yessir! Remember, once they leave the town, you cannot fail. No matter what, they must be killed before they reach Edo! No problem! Not this time! Leave it to me! p84.7 Do you have a new plan? Behold... Ha. Calm down. It's not the real thing. See, this is a very convincing model made out of colored clay. Inside this fake shit, I've placed caltrops with poisoned tips. I'll put these on the roads in front of them... One little step, ... and it'll be over! October 18th will be the last issue! p84.8 Looks pretty interesting. Well? Very convincing shit, no? Careful! Danger! No person would be stupid enough to deliberately step on a piece of SHIT! Really? Nobody? I dunno. I have a much more effective weapon. p84.9 Oh? With this sort of weapon, a child could defeat 50 adults. One child...defeat 50 adults? In fact, someone life you could even defeat 40 adults! ... So...where are these weapons? Look. They're being made in that factory with the smokestacks! About 2/3rds are finished! In two more weeks, we'll complete our quota! p84.10 And then... I can take over the world by force! Hahaha!! p84.11 p84.12 p84.13 Wow! What's happening? Hm? Nothing's happening. There was a big noise, and the ground shook! Don't worry. Probably just thanking that Lord for a good dinner. Of course, of course! Eh? p84.14 With something like that, Black Castle or not, this place could be conquered easilt. In a short time, we've stopped whatever rebellion might be planned. We've saved the Juushu's life! Of course, we're refined; we're not going to gloat about it, just fade into the distance. Ha! Ha! We're so honorable! p84.15 Uh... We'll be off then... p84.16 ye--ow! Don't worry. That's a real piece of shit. sniff Whew! Good thing I stepped in some real shit. p84.17 Welcome, welcome. Dog shit, pigeon shit,... I'm so embarrassed to be in this comic. p84.18 What is is this time? The seven siblings and Princess Koto are now leaving Nagoyama Village and returning towards Edo. Oh! Finally returning to Edo? with Princess Koto... p85.1 ------------ PART 85 ---------- p85.2 p85.3 p85.4 p85.5 Having nightmares about that planet again, eh? p85.6 Even when we've seen the desolate future, we can't stop progress. We can hold back on the truly devastating weapons, but... ...once they attain their conveniences, they'll never go back. I know, intellectually, what continuing that road will lead to... ...but we'll just stupidly await the time when harm looms ahead... ...before we'll realize it's too late. In conclusion, we, and our species... may be the stupidest species on that planet. p85.7 If you were only born 30 years earlier... your ambition would still make you a famous, prodigal scientist. It's a matter of world ecology; before the waves caused by the environmentalists, it was only a typical evil. Under that sort of backwards thinking, my inventions would be ignored by the world. Only from one darkness to another darkness... But! No matter what, it's too late. That planet had to be given up. And as for an escape, I've had one... but those idiots refused to leave their dear planet. p85.8 Forget it. It's just as well. There's nothing worth remembering about that planet. Look at this one! The mere concept of "environmentalism" doesn't even exist! p85.9 Hey-yo! Hey-yo! p85.10 Hey-yo! Hey-yo! Hey, pick up the pace! I'm getting hungry! Let's go to the nearest tea shoppe for some tea and scones! If you're so hungry, why don't you go on ahead? But then we wouldn't be travelling together! Hmph! What kind of "travelling together" is it if you're in a palanquin? Hey-yo! Hey-yo! p85.11 Hey, how about it? Let's pick a rendevous point, and split up in all directions! Great! Suits me perfectly! Hey! Don't you think that's a bit cruel? Cruel? That petulant princess deserves it! Right! The less we get involved with the royal family, the better! She lives in a different world from the rest of us. Besides, we don't want to look after her; if something happens, our heads may be on the chopping block. Hm, it would be a problem if we got involved in family politics. How would we? p85.12 True. Perhaps that's safer for us. Besides, we don't owe her anything... What are you people whispering about? Louder! I'm a travelling companion too! So, it's decided! What's going on? Oh! Hey! You guys! WAIT! p85.13 Don't just stand there! Follow them! Uh... which one? Uh! The... lemme think... Shichimi! Shichimi! Which one is Shichimi! Any one of them! Just follow them! Hey... You idiots! p85.14 Later, in a grass hut in the hills... p85.15 Ah. They're here! Wow! That was a sudden rainburst! We're all wet! You walk too slow! We got here before the rain started. Sigh. Something doesn't feel right. It's just a small shower. It won't last. Okay. Let's wring out our clothes first... It's great to be able to sit around in just one's underwear. In front of you, that is, instead of that princess! p85.16 It's great to be among a group of men. Indeed, indeed! Where's Natane? p85.17 In another grass hut in the hills... Jeez, they're slow. What are they doing? p85.18 Aa-choo! Better dry myself. p86.1 -------- PART 86 ------ p86.2 p86.3 p86.4 p86.5 p86.6 Nice position. Looks like you had a decent teacher. Get away from me! You lech! Twerp! I was here first! But I have to defend myself... p86.7 Not good enough. Oh. p86.8 p86.9 p86.10 Woman! Keep it. Eh. An expensive-looking hairpin. p86.11 Yo. Dammit! Those seven brats! They split up and ran away! How are we supposed to track them now? p86.12 p86.13 p86.14 p86.15 Wait! Wait! Leave! This doesn't concern you! p86.16 p86.17 p86.18 Oh! Then... where's the rendevous point? In another grass hut in the hills... What's going on? What's taking them so long? p87.1 (RHS) ------- PART 87 ------- p87.2 Don't worry. I didn't call you here to look at your face. Good, that means I can calm down now. p87.3 Looks like you're still a thief. I didn't come here for lectures. Well? Would you like to show some filialty for your father? Hahaha! What, you need a massage? No. Something easier. I need these people killed. p87.4 For how much? Hello, hello! That wouldn't be showing filialty now, would it? I understand. How does 5000 ryou sound? I refuse. I don't feel like seeing your happy face. Oh, I remember this vase. That crack I made is still here! p87.5 When I was four... You got all enraged at an innocent little kid's playing around; you attacked me with your sword! I miss those days! That was a mistake! I was aiming for your head. I thought so. p87.6 Farewell. Wait. 10,000 ryou, and this bonus. Your dead mother's only memento. Don't you remember? When you were a baby, no matter how hard you cried, once you were given this blanky, you would stop crying. p87.7 So you *did* hide it! For an occasion like this. Those eight people. I hope you'll accept. p87.8 Take it. 10,000 ryou, right? Right. p87.9 I accept, Mr. Rich Man. p87.10 But as for a father, I have none. Farewell. p87.11 Master Shougo? Let's go! p87.12 Hey...! Sanshou! Chinpi! Billy! Keshi-ni-san! Asajirou-nisan! Goma-nisan! Hmph! Stupid separation theme. As if we didn't know it was the artist slacking off! You see, he got annoyed at having to draw so many people over and over, so he forced us to split up... p87.13 Sanshou! Chinpi! Billy! Oh? Another grass hut? Maybe...that headstrong girl... p87.14 Now what? Well, we know they're going towards Edo. Instead of searching to and fro from them... why not go to one of the rest stops ahead and ambush them? That was supposed to me MY idea! Good afternoon! p87.15 Not here, either. Where is that (brat) Natane? Why did we run away? Weren't we supposed to be the pursuers? Oh! Uh...it was reflex. p87.16 He's only one, and we're three. Oh. Yes. Of course! Alright. Attack! p87.17 Natane? p88.1 -------- PART 88 p88.2 Kyaa! Natane! p88.3 Another one! Yeah! Can't you be quiet! It took me a long time to catch that fish! They're only two, and we're thre. Oh. Yes. Let's bide our time. p88.4 p88.5 p88.6 Interference, all right...but...for whom? p88.7 Halt! May I see your face? I don't know who you're looking for, but... ...you have the wrong person. p88.8 Shut up and listen to him! Better stop. I'm sure you don't want to die over a case of mistaken identity. Shut up! p88.9 p88.10 I did have the wrong person. Didn't I just tell you that? p88.11 Sorry for damaging your hat! Don't worry about it. p88.12 p88.13 Can't you do anything right? I get angry just thinking about it. Telling us to separate without choosing a good rendevous. What were you thinking? Hey, it's actually all your fault! Here! The fish is done! Well...what do we do now? Well, we'll proceed towards Edo... then we'll find some place to sleep.... What's with the hairpin? p88.14 Someone gave it to me. A boy I didn't recognize. Huh, must be your karma. What is it? This...this hairpin... it looks expensive. It probably is. p88.15 p88.16 Dreaming about that planet again? Uh. Oh? Uh... yes. of course... p88.17 Be patient. You want to poke a hole in the ozone layer? Pollute the oceans? Make a few species extinct? It's all there for the taking! Haha. Right, all those experiments we wanted to do on that planet but couldn't. But first...we'll have to get past the clerk, or do it ourselves. ??? p88.18 Sleeping Do Not Disturb The Shogun Your highness! It's dinnertime already! Please wake up! Snore! Snore! Then...we'll awaken you later. Snore! Snore! Snore! Snore! p89.1 ------- PART 89 ------- p89.2 p89.3 Onii-chan! p89.4 p89.5 p89.6 p89.7 Don't worry. We haven't got the wrong person this time. We're definitely here to kill you. p89.8 I warned you, it's a delicate matter,... Of course! It's not just an issue of wanting to kill but not being able to. Taking your life will be easy. I hate being underestimated. That's good. If you manage to kill me, I won't regret it. p89.9 Skill isn't everything. Survival is. Whomever survives wins. p89.10 p89.11 Kill! p89.12 Yaaaah!!!! A surprise attack, see? p89.13 You bastard... p89.14 p89.15 Have you contacted the other brothers? Eh? Oh. Uh. They should already be at the traditional meeting place. Really? Good work! p89.16 Ow! Master Shougo? I can't let it be known that I'd kill my servants. I don't believe in trusting others... but making sure that others trust me is tantamount. p89.17 Dead end ahead Oh. Um... Wait, wait! p89.18 Um...looks like...they're lost! Hmph! Idiots. You didn't do this on purpose, did you? What's that supposed to mean? You wanted to be alone with me, so you... Looks like you need to be taught a lesson! Hah! Wait. But since we were following them, that means we're also... Hmph! Idiots! ------------ End of Book 9