October, 1584, a tea ceremony in Kyoto with Sasuke, Soueki, Hosokawa Tadaoki, Gamon Matsuhide, Takayama Ukon. Soueki advises them to have an aesthete's heart like Sasuke. Ukon shows Sasuke a new cloth from Nanban: its colour is called "olive". A memorial is held for Kiyohide, who has been dead for a year. Sasuke is the guardian of his eldest son Nakagawa Hidemasa, and earns 12 000 koku now. Hidemasa is currently fighting the Tokugawa. November 1584, Kobe, Hideyoshi has been sieging Tokugawa (ally of Nobukatsu) for 6 months, with Ishida Mitsunari as his aide. He now sends Sasuke to tell Ieyasu that he is about to make peace with Nobukatsu. Ieyasu won't then have a reason to fight and will retreat. When Hideyoshi defeated Shibata, Ieyasu gave him the Hatsuhana, which he will know lend to Sasuke for his services. Ieyasu has Nagamasu at his side. Almost having a fit of rage during the banquet, Sasuke ends the negotiations well and the armistice is decided. Sasuke also purloined an Iga stone plate.
古田左介は羽柴秀吉の家臣として、千宗易の弟子として、細川忠興や高山右近・蒲生賦秀らとともに数奇者ぶりに磨きをかける。中川家の後見人として茨木十二万石を任せられ、地位も向上していた。
