The fifth episode of Season 2 of "Gannibal" kicks off with Old Kamiyama Masamune recounting to Daigo, Keisuke, and Munechika how, seventy years prior, the village of Kuge found itself under the oppressive thumb of the Goto family, amidst Gin's fervent desire to liberate them. It is now 1949, and Kuge stands isolated, its coffers depleted of food, while the Gotos revel in their opulent existence, sustained by the lucrative cypress trees that blanket their land.
Kinji, the head of the Goto clan, emerges as a tyrant whose brutality knows no bounds, prompting the Chief Priest, Kamiyama Yoshimune, to intervene after Kinji brutalizes a helpless villager. Young Masamune tags along with his father on this mission. Yoshimune, who also serves as the broker for the cypress sales, enjoys the Gotos' favor due to this pivotal role.
The recent demise of Sada, Kinji's father, leaves Yoshimune pondering if the cause was laughing sickness—a sinister byproduct of cannibalism. The Gotos seethe with rage, yet Yoshimune harbors the belief that the villagers will rally to his defense should he come under attack. He expounds on the notion that a divided village spells doom for the Gotos and how he can facilitate Kinji in uniting everyone under one roof.
Intrigued by this idea, Kinji beams with amusement, but Masamune, unable to remain silent, voices his opposition. Kinji, incensed, confronts Masamune, asserting that the villagers ignited the conflict without comprehending the significance of 'Kashihabe.' Yoshimune compels Masamune to apologize, just as he catches a glimpse of Gin fleeing the scene.
Later, Kinji rapes Gin, his ramblings laced with accusations of cannibalism. Beni, another of Gin's sisters, wonders aloud who could have betrayed them. Unperturbed by the betrayal, Kinji fumes over the accusations and confessionally reveals that he was the one who ended their father's life.
As Gin cleanses herself, she spots Masamune departing and offers him a faint smile. However, Yoshimune cautions his son, warning that Gin's sanity is a fragile thing.
A couple of days hence, Masamune chances upon Gin, nursing wounds beside a serene lake. Drawn to converse with her, he guides her to the sacred confines of the Kurunokami shrine, a place once shrouded in secrecy, known only to the clergy. Concerned for her battered state, Gin confides in Masamune, unveiling the horror of Kinji's frequent beatings and rapes. Masamune stands as a beacon of kindness in her life, and she yearns for him to understand her narrative. Their bond blossoms into intimacy, marking the inception of their relationship.
Meanwhile, the Gotos extend a generous hand to Kuge by lending grains, rejuvenating the villagers' spirits as they embark on farming once more. As Kinji and Yoshimune cruise past, Kinji's contemptuous views on humanity, reduced to mere 'livestock,' escape his lips. Yoshimune remains unperturbed, prompting Kinji to provoke further by inquiring about his encounters with Gin. He assumes her to be a vessel of lust, who has ensnared countless men, earning her the wrath of the villagers. He doubts they will ever secure her forgiveness.
Gin, confiding in Yoshimune, unravels the tragic tale of her mother's rape at the hands of the villagers. Ignorant of her father's identity, she asserts her non-biological ties to the Gotos, branding herself as a product of the village's madness. Masamune, driven to redeem the village, forges an alliance with Gin to transform it.
Elsewhere, Sumire rejects sustenance and retreats into solitude. The elder women pamper her, preparing culinary delights to celebrate her pregnancy. Kuroe, the girl who once attempted escape, harbors envy. She betrays her disdain for the Gotos and solicits Sumire to flee with her. Sumire declines, prompting Kuroe to administer an electric shock. She feigns alarm, crying out that Sumire has fainted, while everyone rushes to her aid, allowing Kuroe to slip away unnoticed.
Returning to their origins, news of Gin and Masamune's union spreads like wildfire, leading to their forced separation. They devise a plan to elope during the votive festival, a day Gin detests as it haunts her with memories of human sacrifices. Pregnant yet uncertain of the father, Masamune's love transcends doubt, embracing the child as his own.
With a forced smile playing on her lips, she uncovers the harrowing tale of her mother's sacrifice. During her mother's pregnancy, the village suffered years of barren crops, a plight that Kuge cruelly attributed to her and culminated in her brutal murder, ostensibly to rejuvenate their failing land. This revelation inflames Masamune with rage, fueling his desire to obliterate the village. However, Gin proposes a more inventive solution: she will step into Kinji's shoes, while Masamune will assume his father's role, forging a path together towards the birth of a new village. Masamune, taken by the idea, christens their unborn child Shirogane, a name symbolizing purity.
Just as hope begins to stir, Kuma, an inebriated villager driven by a vengeful craze to slay Gin, stumbles into the scene, attempting to fell her with a blow. Masamune leaps to intervene, but Gin, agile and decisive, seizes Kuma's axe. In a swift motion, she ends the assailant's life and boldly proclaims her defiance, refusing to flee. The arrival of the other villagers traps her, and though Masamune tries to shoulder the blame, Gin confesses with a mocking laugh. In retaliation, the villagers rain blows upon her, aiming to silence her mirthless chuckles.
In a twist of fate, Yoshimune, who also orchestrated Gin's mother's sacrifice, decides to appease the village's woes by condemning Gin to a slow death by starvation, bound to a tree. Masamune's protests are drowned in the roar of the crowd. Gin, her laughter echoing defiance, vows that Kuge and all within the village will fall to her wrath.
As Gannibal Season 2 Episode 5 draws to a close, Gin, bound and isolated, is confronted by enigmatic figures. Her voice trembles with hope as she inquires if they are the Kashihabe, a tribe rumored to be cannibals.
