The last and the youngest Yoshioka scion to duel with Musashi was Yoshioka Matashichirō, although the Kokura hibun claims that his encounter with Musashi took the form of an ambush near Sagarimatsu (see Ichijōji). Thus the Kokura hibun describes how Matashichirō:
事を兵術に寄せ、洛外、下松邊りに彼の門生数百人を會し、兵仗弓箭を以て、忽ち之を害せんと欲す。
Matashichirō gathered his deshi and awaited Musashi in ambush on the outskirts of Kyoto at Sagarimatsu. There were several hundreds of deshi, intending to kill Musashi in a single attack with swords, as well as bows and arrows.
Here too, the Bushū denraiki and the bukoden closely follow the Kokura hibun though the Bukōden adds that M atashichirō was Seijūrō’s son and that they had gathered at Sagarimatsu “feigning to practice”. The Bushū denraiki’s point of view focuses on Musashi, claiming he was back on the road (presumably satisfied with the outcome of his recent two duels), and was passing through Sagarimatsu in the company of a dozen of his “allies” when:
中にも十七八歳の若者、一番に進む。武州、跡より声をかけて、「加様の場にてたるめば命を墜すものぞ。少もたるむな」とて、後より帯を取て、真先に推立進まる。彼者矢に當て疵を被る。
A young man of seventeen or eighteen among them was way out ahead. Calling out to him from behind Musashi seized him by his belt and pushed him forward saying, “if you slacken your resolve here you will lose your life; remain firm.” But the young man was struck by an arrow and wounded.
It goes in to describe how:
武州、門人等に曰、「何れも心閑かに立退き候へ。我等一人蹈留り、大勢を追拂ひ、跡より可追付」とて、門人を先だて、多敵の位にて打拂々々退かる。
Musashi spoke out and addressed his followers, saying, “stay calm and move back, you can catch up with me once I have driven them back.” At this he stepped out in front of his followers and, using his tateki no i proceeded to drive the enemy back.
It claims that, the road ahead being blocked by hundreds of Matashichirō's henchmen, Musashi fled to a “temple,” where he hid himself, until at length the disturbance was subdued with the help of the shoshidai, the deputy governor of the Samurai Dokoro. It is not clear which temple the Bushū denraiki is referring to, although two nearby temples that lay derelict at the time are possible contenders (see Sagarimatsu).
Any queries of remarks? Launch or join a discussion at our new FORUM