The Last Samurai - Requiem

INT. RAIN-SOAKED ROOFTOP – NIGHT

Solid Snake leans against a steel vent, a cigarette smoldering in his gloved hand. Across from him stands TOM CRUISE, wearing a weathered bomber jacket, his face carrying both intensity and peace. They’ve just finished a mission. Silence sits between them like an old companion.

SNAKE:
("Hmph.")
You remember when we were kids, Tom? Used to play American Ninja in the backyard. You always insisted on being the samurai... I thought it was just a phase.

TOM CRUISE:
("Grinning.")
And you always wanted to be the sneaky one. Guess nothing's changed, huh?

SNAKE:
Heh...
But I watched The Last Samurai again recently. It hit different. The discipline. The sacrifice.
("He exhales slowly.")
The Bushido code. That’s not just some ancient philosophy. That’s a way of life. Something this messed-up world could use more of.

TOM:
You’d be surprised how much of it I try to follow every day. The seven virtues...
("He begins to list them, calm and sure.")
Gi — Integrity.
Rei — Respect.
Yu — Courage.
Meiyo — Honor.
Jin — Compassion.
Makoto — Honesty.
Chugi — Loyalty.

SNAKE:
("Nods slowly.")
It's rare to see all that in one person anymore.
But the Japanese... they still carry it. There's something cool about a culture that values honor more than power.

TOM:
Yeah. They fight for something bigger than themselves. Even when they lose, they never really lose. Because they don’t give up who they are.

SNAKE:
I’ve fought in too many wars that meant nothing. But when I think about Bushido...
It makes me wonder what kind of soldier I could’ve been... if I was fighting for something I believed in.

TOM:
Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe your war isn’t over. Maybe it’s just beginning.

Snake looks out over the city. Neon lights blur in the drizzle.

SNAKE:
("Gravelly voice.")
I don’t believe in fate. But I believe in loyalty.
If I’ve got one fight left in me… it’ll be for something honorable.

They stand in silence again. The ghost of childhood games flickers between them—plastic swords, shouted vows, backyard honor. Now men, shaped by different wars, but still holding onto something ancient.

SNAKE (half-smiling):
You were always a weird kid, Tom... but maybe you were on to something.

TOM (smirking):
Told you, man. The samurai never die.

Fade to black.
[End Scene]