Read Vagabond - Chapter-1

Summary of Shinmen Takezo (新免武蔵様, Shinmen Takezō-sama)

Night dawns and Takezo helps Matahachi limp in the forest. While they take a rest, Takezo reassures Matahachi that once they find a village they will find medicine. Matahachi explains they left Sakushu to make names for themselves, but instead of cutting enemies, they were only given machetes and told to cut grass in order to make roads. Takezo soon notices something behind him. While Matahachi continues to ramble, he asks Takezo to take care of Otsu if he dies but someone soon holds a sword to his neck. Mistaking him as Takezo, Matahachi jokes around. As he turns around he realizes that it is actually an enemy samurai. Matahachi stumbles backward, trying to avoid the samurai's sword, but gets cut on the arm and runs away looking for Takezo. He then sees Takezo is fighting a samurai himself, headbutting him and grabbing and smashing his head into a tree. The other man then slips and Takezo turns towards Matahachi, picking and throwing a boulder at the samurai chasing Matahachi. Takezo then smashes a branch into the samurai's head and pierces it into his throat. Takezo turns his eyes on the last samurai, trembling in fear. Takezo smirks as he proceeds to kills him. The moon shines bright as Takezo and Matahachi continue their journey. With a determined expression, Takezo says that there was no way he would die, since he was "Shinmen Takezo" and Matahachi repeats the same with his own name and with a faltering breath, and states they are going to make names for themselves. Matahachi collapses and Takezo runs out in the forest to find a village. The field is abundant with corpses and Takezo notices something is wrong with him as well. He vomits over one of the bodies. On the ground, he notices a figure brooding over him but it appears to be a woman in a kimono.