Chapter 6: The Struggle for Succession

After years of peace and prosperity, Lord Nakamura was growing old and his health was failing. He knew that he needed to choose a successor to continue his legacy and maintain the stability and prosperity that he had established in Tosa.

However, the retainers of Lord Nakamura, including Hiro and Saito, had different ideas of who that successor should be. Some believed that Lord Nakamura's eldest son, Takeo, was the rightful heir and should be the next lord. Others thought that Lord Nakamura's younger son, Jiro, was more capable and should be the next leader. And yet others believed that one of the retainers, such as Hiro or Saito, would be the best choice to continue Lord Nakamura's vision.

This disagreement over the succession caused tensions to rise among the retainers, and they began to form factions and alliances. Takeo and Jiro each had their own followers, and the retainers who favored one of them began to isolate and exclude those who supported the other.

As the conflict grew, it began to affect the stability and prosperity of Tosa. Rivalries and resentments began to spill over into the administration of the province, and the people began to suffer. Lord Nakamura was devastated to see his legacy being threatened and he knew he had to act.

He summoned his retainers and his sons and announced that he had chosen his successor. The retainers and his sons were surprised by the announcement, but Lord Nakamura said that his choice was based on merit, and that he had chosen the one who would best serve the people of Tosa and continue his legacy.

Hiro and Saito had been friends and brothers-in-arms for years, they had fought side by side to restore peace and prosperity in Tosa, and their bond had grown stronger with each passing day. They had shared everything, from the joys of victory to the sorrows of defeat, and they had always trusted each other with their lives.

But all that changed when Lord Nakamura announced his chosen successor. Hiro had always believed that Jiro was the best choice to continue Lord Nakamura's vision, but Saito had always favored Takeo, Lord Nakamura's eldest son.

Saito believed that Takeo was the rightful heir and had more experience and better qualifications than Jiro. Hiro, on the other hand, thought that Jiro was more capable and had a better understanding of the people's needs.

Their disagreement over the succession caused a rift in their friendship, and they began to distance themselves from each other. They avoided each other, and their conversations became tense and strained.

It all came to a head when Lord Nakamura announced his successor, it was Jiro and Saito was furious. He felt that Hiro had betrayed him, by not supporting his preferred candidate and he believed that Hiro had influenced Lord Nakamura's decision.

In a fit of anger, Saito confronted Hiro, accusing him of treachery and disloyalty. Hiro was taken aback by Saito's accusations and tried to explain his reasons, but Saito was not listening. He was convinced.