Sugimoto and Asirpa are pursued by soldiers from the 7th Division. Private Genjirō Tanigaki finds Asirpa, but is fought off by Retar. Sugimoto evades capture after diving into a bear cave, whose occupant charges and kills the soldiers before succumbing to its wounds. Sugimoto and Asirpa take a baby bear found in the cave to Asirpa's village, and visit Asirpa's grandmother ("Huci"). Lieutenant Tokushirou Tsurumi, the leader of the 7th, mounts a search effort for the missing soldiers. Meanwhile, at a brothel in Otaru, Hijikata ambushes the tattooed prisoner Ushiyama Tatsuma, and offers to work with to him collect the tattooed skins.
