The aftermath of Nagakado's attack on Ishido's men is a gory one, and its devastation goes far beyond the lives taken.
A furious Toranaga strips Nagakado of his command of the cannon regiment and then gives that command to Omi (to the fury of Yabbushige).
Buntaro — previously thought to be deceased — returns to complicate life for his long-suffering wife, Mariko.
Not surprisingly, he and Blackthorne do not get along, and they almost engage in a feud when the samurai beats his wife after a night of heavy drinking.
Cultural differences and their consequences are highlighted in a storyline in which Blackthorne's careless use of words results in an old man's death.
But the killing is not as savage as it initially seems, and Toranaga is able to use the elderly gardener's death to his advantage, by framing him as the village spy whom Yabushige has been hunting.
An earthquake nearly claims the life of Toranaga, and Blackthorne seizes the opportunity to solidy the bond between the two men by replacing the lord's missing swords with the ones he received from Fuji.
The episode concludes with the Heir's mother, Lady Ochiba, arriving back in Osaka and promptly declaring her authority over the Council of Regents, much to Ishido's horror.