Read Vagabond - Chapter-3

Summary of Oko (お甲, Okō)

While Takezo and Matahachi help Oko remove all of her secret weapons from the hidden loft in their house, the two men express their awe in the amount of swords she keeps. She comments that it should be enough to fool Tenma. Takezo finds an oak sword that he shows a lot of interest in, and Oko asks whether he wants to keep it. Takezo confirms and Oko allows him to keep it mentioning that it makes him look more manly. Hearing that, Matahachi adds that he wants one too. Later at night, when everyone gathers to share a drink, Matahachi mentions to Takezo that they should leave soon. Oko, being curious, asks where they would go and Matahachi replies that they would go home to their village. Meanwhile, Oko tries to get closer to Takezo and encourages him "to be a man" and drink some sake as he refuses. Matahachi, being provoked my Oko’s comments, interjects that he’s also a man since he has a fiancée back home. Oko mentions that Matahachi could leave since she doesn’t want to stop him. Takezo drinks a cup of sake and collapses immediately due to his low tolerance of alcohol. While Takezo sleeps, he dreams when he is a boy. He sees his father, an intimidating man with a large moustache. Takezo asks him where his mother went. His father says that she is gone and beats Takezo telling him that he was not allowed to call her "mother" anymore. Takezo angrily stares up at his father from beneath his eyebrows, infuriating his father who then tells him to stop giving that look to him. He says that Takezo has the "eyes of a beast". Later Takezo wakes up to see Oko sitting by him. He is surprised by her appearance, and as she moves close towards him to touch his face, he becomes even more shocked. As she holds his neck, she mentions that he should have noticed the way she’s looked at him and asks him if he could feel it. As she bites Takezo’s lips, he pushes her away and screams, telling her to stop. Immediately after, they both hear the sounds of the Tsujikaze gang banging against their door, announcing their arrival.