Book II, Water Summary

A "Young Master" named Gion Toji and his followers, including Seijuro, go "whoring," where Akemi serves tea. The situation soon becomes obvious. Matahachi is married to Oko who is running a house of prostitution. He is living off Oko because she refuses to allow him to become a laborer. He wants to leave but feels somehow compelled to stay. At twenty-two, he is now soft and lazy but realizes that he made a mistake by not returning to Otsu. He is searching Oko's possessions for money, planning to leave her, when he learns that a man named Miyamoto Musashi is waiting for the Young Master. In fact, Musashi has beaten all the students of Seijuro's school who challenged him and killed two. It is decided that a fair fight is not possible. Seijuro objects but is secretly relieved to...