Yabu’s Rise, Bargains, and Fall

This thread follows Yabu’s pursuit of power from the unexpected seizure of foreign weapons through shifting alliances and betrayal to a final loss of his position and life.

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The Prize at Anjiro

The Prize at Anjiro A discovery with military value Yabu comes to Anjiro to examine a foreign ship and finds the Erasmus carrying muskets, powder, cannon, and silver. He recognizes that these weapons could give him an advantage in the approaching war, even though guns challenge the martial conventions he was raised to uphold. Ambition against inherited codes Rather than treating the ship only as a trading opportunity, Yabu imagines a trained musket force that could change the balance of power. He privately asks what bushido requires, but receives no answer from ancestral tradition and chooses practical ambition over strict adherence to older forms of battle. A temporary reward The plan cannot remain secret once Toranaga’s forces arrive. Yabu loses control of the captured cargo, but the episode reveals how quickly he can turn a material opportunity into a political design—and how readily he adjusts his allegiance when circumstances change.

A Weaponized Alliance

A Weaponized Alliance Bargaining beneath threat Yabu knows that Toranaga’s control of his life and lands is real, but he tries to bargain as an ally rather than submit as a vassal. He offers his musket strategy in exchange for territory and command, insisting on preserving Izu’s hereditary independence. A public bond Toranaga’s symbolic gift of a renowned sword and his confirmation of Yabu’s new authority strengthen their alliance. Yabu accepts the honor and imagines himself rising alongside Toranaga, yet his desire for power remains stronger than any confidence in the agreement. Loyalty with limits Back in Izu, Yabu prepares his gun troops while monitoring Ishido and Toranaga. He calls himself an ally and, when useful, a vassal, but privately continues to compare which master might offer him the best future. His political position is influential precisely because his loyalty remains uncertain.

The Failed Escape Plan

The Failed Escape Plan A new threat closes in When Nebara Jozen arrives with Ishido’s demand that Yabu travel to Osaka, Yabu learns that the Musket Regiment and its training have been exposed. He recognizes that refusing the summons could mark him as an open rebel, but obeying could expose him and Izu to Ishido’s control. Omi’s counsel shifts the choice Omi urges Yabu to resist Ishido and to preserve the weapons and the possibility of fighting alongside Toranaga. Yabu is reluctant, but the arguments persuade him to conceal the regiment’s work and delay his decision long enough to consider another course. Violence destroys the cover Naga kills Jozen and his men after they witness the exercise, turning secrecy into a crisis with legal and political consequences. Yabu avoids immediate responsibility by blaming Naga, but the act ties him more closely to Toranaga’s side and makes the conflict harder to reverse.

A Vassal’s Narrow Passage

A Vassal’s Narrow Passage Submission under pressure Toranaga’s arrival forces Yabu to accept a formal vassal relationship, despite his preference for alliance without subordination. Yabu gains territory and military responsibility, but he must now answer to a lord whose political skill exceeds his own. Competing commitments Yabu still weighs the rewards Ishido might offer and the danger of crossing Toranaga. His efforts to keep options open make him useful to both sides, but each new decision increases the number of people who may regard him as unreliable or treacherous. A compromised commander As Toranaga escapes Osaka and the coalition around him grows uncertain, Yabu tries to retain influence through command of the muskets and control of the Izu approaches. His position grows stronger on paper even as his freedom to choose a side diminishes.

Death by His Own Bargains

Death by His Own Bargains Treachery exposed After the destruction of Blackthorne’s ship and the failed Osaka attack, Toranaga confronts Yabu with evidence linking him to the ninja assault. Yabu denies the charges, but the evidence and his history of divided loyalties have left him without a persuasive defense. A final request Toranaga sentences him to commit seppuku. Yabu asks to lead a battle instead, then accepts that his death is unavoidable and names Omi as his heir. He follows the ritual with the pride and composure he believes his rank demands. A legacy passed on Yabu dies having secured Omi’s succession and leaving behind a Musket Regiment shaped by his ambitions. His end does not undo the harm he caused or settle the wars around him, but it completes his personal rise and fall: the man who tried to master every shifting allegiance is finally judged by the lord whose favor he could never safely control.

During Yabu’s first investigation of the Erasmus at Anjiro

From Yabu’s negotiations with Toranaga at Osaka to his return to Izu

From the arrival of Nebara Jozen in Anjiro through Jozen’s death

From the arrival of Toranaga at Anjiro through the ninja attack in Osaka

During Yabu’s final return to Toranaga’s camp at Yokohama