At Amagasaki, where his mother Satsuki lives in seclusion, Mitsuhide's son Jūjirō arrives to seek permission for his first battle. Jūjirō weds his betrothed Hatsugiku in a hasty ceremony before departing for the front.

Mitsuhide, watching from the shadows, realizes that a traveling monk who has come seeking lodging is actually his rival Mashiba Hisayoshi in disguise. Mitsuhide thrusts a bamboo spear through the bathhouse wall, believing he has struck down Hisayoshi.

But the person he has stabbed is his own mother Satsuki, who had placed herself in harm's way. When the mortally wounded Jūjirō returns bearing news of defeat, Mitsuhide finds himself confronting Hisayoshi — having lost both his mother and his son.

The moment when Mitsuhide's spear thrust through the bamboo grove strikes his own mother instead of his target is filled with agonizing tension. Satsuki deliberately sacrificed herself to admonish her son for his rebellion. The futility of Mitsuhide's cause is laid bare in this devastating scene.

The "kudoki" (lament) scene, where Mitsuhide's wife Misao pours out her grief, is a showcase for the onnagata (female-role actor). Her emotionally charged performance, set to the rhythms of the jōruri narration, draws the audience deep into the drama. Then comes the "ōotoshi" — the great climax — as the mighty warrior Mitsuhide silently weeps before his dying mother and mortally wounded son.

What kind of justice demands the sacrifice of one's own family? The devastating absurdity of war resonates powerfully in the final moments.