Ep. 9: TITLE: Hyakkimaru and Dororo face executioners and a mysterious fox near the Banmon border.

9

During their travels, Hyakkimaru and Dororo encounter a high wooden wall banmon (んもん), marked by many arrowheads. During the night they are attacked by a nine-tailed fox, but Hyakkimaru drives it off. In the morning soldiers approach with three captives to be executed as Asakura spies: an ashigaru and two peasants who unknowingly helped him. They are tied to the banmon and executed by a volley of arrows. Angered at the cruel waste of life, Dororo attacks them bare-handed, but is thrown to the ground. Hyakkimaru intervenes, and kills one of the samurai with the sword in his arm to everyone's surprise. The lord is revealed as Daigo Kagemitsu, and when Dororo tells how Hyakkimaru's body parts were taken by demons Daigo realises that Hyakkimaru may be his own son and withdraws. Later, Hyakkimaru and Dororo arrive at a town and the hungry Dororo rushes in, but is surrounded by wary townspeople who catch and throw Dororo into the river. They mistrust anyone crossing the border marked by the Banmon, not wanting to be caught between the warring lords. Hyakkimaru arrives in the town ruled by Daigo but is accused of being an Asakura spy. He meets Tahomaru who invites him to the house of his father Daigo Kagemitsu. While waiting there, he again sees the nine-tailed fox outside the window. (Source: Wikipedia)