Shogun Assassination Arc Part Two
Ninja Village
Watch the Shogun Assassination Arc in a bright room and at a safe distance from your TV!
The Honnoji Incident.
Akechi Mitsuhide's betrayal sent Oda Nobunaga up in flames.
It is said that Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, future shogun,
was isolated near Kyoto and found himself in his most severe crisis ever.
The ones who sided with him and escorted him safely to Mikawa
were us Iga ninjas, in what came to be known as the Crossing of Iga.
This led to Lord Ieyasu taking the Iga ninjas under his wing,
and to this day, we continue to guard the shogun family as the Oniwaban.
Zenzo! Go stand in the hallway!
Sensei, that moron's been out there for ages.
I'm sick of listening to that crap.
Who cares about loyalty?
Leave the lectures to the samurai.
We should just focus on reading Jump and refining our skills.
Your skills aren't good enough, either!
Zenzo!
Standing in the hallway won't cool your head, huh?
Go stand in the river Styx!
That's more like it. Ninjas need not lectures,
but practice!
Sensei...
We're tired of this routine.
How ironic.
The ninjas who escorted the shogun east in the past
are now heading back west, escorting the shogun out of Edo.
It'd be fine if it were the shogun.
But just look at the people we're guarding.
Dango
Hey, quit dawdling!
I said, bring out all the dango this shop has!
Don't anger us.
Keep looking down on me, and I'll have all you slaves beheaded!
Sheesh. Being a leader ain't easy, huh?
Tea!
Who'd want to pay these useless retainers 360 yen per hour?
I make more than that!
I'm so damn irritated.
The irritation keeps coming at me in a three-shift rotation.
We're parading the shogun out in broad daylight,
but the enemy's not falling for the trap at all.
In what world would a shogun like you exist?!
Are they even trying to assassinate me?
If they're not up for it, I shall return home at once.
Show yourself already, assassin!
The shogun's right here!
Come at me whenever!
Cut it out!
You'll ruin the plan!
How far the Oniwaban have fallen.
Well, I guess we're not alone in that regard.
Even if Shigeshige-sama does escape safely to Kyo,
can he really hope to make a comeback after losing so much power?
Does this path even have a future?
Zenzo probably didn't come because he took that into account.
Remember how he always said
that the Iga ninjas simply sold out,
and we haven't changed since the time we switched allegiances at the drop of a hat.
That the shogun was merely the highest bidder for the Oniwaban's services,
and that we never had any notions of loyalty to begin with.
He's not like that.
Sure, he's not loyal in the least,
but he probably...
Sarutobi!
The duty of the Oniwaban isn't to protect the shogun,
but rather to protect the shogun's duty.
And the shogun's duty
is to protect the country and its people, even at the cost of his life.
If I become the shogun someday,
I hope we can fight together
for this country.
Sh...
Shigeshige-sama...
I'm sorry to say,
but you can't protect this nation as its shogun.
So give up your life to fulfill the shogun's duty,
and I'll fulfill mine.
Z-Zenzo!
Make sure to burn the events that transpired here into your memory
and tell future generations about it.
I'm the man who assassinated the shogun,
traitor to the nation, Hattori Zenzo.
I'm prepared to bear that cross for eternity.
Sheesh.
I can't say I like these rough jobs.
What the hell is this?
Where'd they come from?
I thought the radar wasn't picking anything up!
What are the escort vessels doing?!
We've lost contact!
Just who are they?
Wh-What's going on?!
The escort vessels in the rear suddenly fired.
No...
There's an unidentified fleet up ahead, too!
Were we betrayed? No way!
Only the best and most loyal retainers knew about this plan!
Y-You...
Really?
Yeah.
Two scouts and three patrolmen
were all taken out with one blow from behind.
How'd they slip through the Oniwaban's net?
Are you saying there are traitors among us?
That's highly likely.
Anyway, it's too risky to head west like this.
We should assemble the whole squad and investigate.
There's no need to go to such lengths.
There are no traitors here.
There are only
fakes who disguised their faces but couldn't disguise their killing intent.
Jeez.
They finally fell for the trap, huh?
Or should I say, we fell for theirs?
It's a game of deception.
We'd prepared body doubles of the shogun,
but it seems they'd snuck in body doubles of our allies.
In other words,
the enemy's using ninjas, too.
Look at them go.
Ninjas sure are amazing.
Just by sneaking a few in, you can walk all over the enemy.
They're almost like termites.
What kind of analogy is that?
I never knew anyone other than samurai were that strong!
I'm getting all fired up!
Please don't. They're on our side.
I know, I know.
This time, I'm competing with Shinsuke
to see who can take the real shogun's head.
We won't get a chance to do anything.
Get a load of that kid.
Isn't she the shogun's little sister?
A VIP like that doesn't even have a bodyguard.
It'll soon be the end for the main keep, as well.
Look, Princess.
That's the offal.
That's the liver.
And that's—
No! Stop it!
Now...
What's next? The heart, or the tripe?
Good grief. Hijikata-san's instinct was right on the money.
I've been made to sneak right into the maelstrom.
What an honor.
A country samurai like me, getting to play the last retainer defending the main keep.
Both the enemy's head and my lord's are riding on my sword.
Don't give me that look, Princess.
I'm on your side, you know.
Oops, my bad.
I thought I could fly if I opened my umbrella,
but it didn't work.
Hey...
What kind of punk-ass Sheeta are you?
Don't give me that look.
I'm one of your kind.
Using ninjas to tear us down from the inside was impressive.
But you guys have made a huge mistake!
I figured, because I feel like I'm slicing through butter here.
Apparently we picked the wrong option.
Y-You bastards won't be able to take the shogun's head.
I never cared about that to begin with.
What we're after isn't the head,
but you guys, the shogun's limbs.
T-Takasugi!
Don't tell me you guys...
It's not just here.
We're targeting every area the shogun faction scattered to.
No way...
How'd you assemble such a massive force?
Who's pulling your strings? Where's the mastermind?
In the same hell you're about to go to.
All right. I'm done cleaning.
Now I can fight without worry.
You should hurry up and get rid of that, too.
You can't go all-out with her in the way, right?
Tell me, are all of you guys carrying umbrellas around all day without a care in the world
out of your goddamn minds?
Aren't you the same?
Takes one to know one, as they say.
You don't actually care about the shogun, do you?
You've got the eyes of someone who flocked here 'cause you smelled blood.
The eyes of a killer.
Relax.
Even if you only fight criminals...
I'm one very heinous criminal.
Then...
Give me your best shot.
Try hitting here next time.
Take careful aim,
'cause if you miss, you'll be the one with the hole in his chest,
Mr. Self-Proclaimed Space Criminal.
Quit looking down on Earth's policemen.
Was that
from a corpse?
Okita-san!
Princess!
Gramps!
You're all right? Hurry and escape!
Wait, Okita-san got caught up in an explosion.
And Brother still hasn't...
Where is he?
He's all right, isn't he? Tell me he's okay!
Why won't you answe—
Princess...
Could you quit wasting time and take her away already?
O-Okita-dono!
Get going.
Just one of these monsters would be a handful, and there are ten.
I don't know how many minutes I can buy you.
Hey, Commander.
This is why I told you not to do anything stupid.
Talk about a fragile ship.
Things were just getting good, too.
Yeah, they were getting good.
A few inches over, and I could've bid farewell to a real pain in the ass.
Give me a sec. It'll be taken care of soon.
No can do. I'm not going down with this ship.
Besides, it's all taken care of already.
Give it a rest.
Haven't you had enough?
If it's a head you want...
If it's the shogun's head you want, it's right here.
Gin-chan, these guys...
Sacchan-san!
All the scouts have been taken out.
Judging from their techniques, they're most definitely Iga people.
Iga people?
People from the ninja village that gave birth to us Oniwaban.
Then your brethren are doing this?
Within the Iga-style ninjas,
the Oniwaban is a branch of sorts that was hired by Lord Ieyasu.
But those who stayed behind in Iga hold no loyalty toward the shogun family.
They're a band of mercenaries that only look out for themselves.
And now they've moved out to take the shogun's head.
No, this is more like...
The ninja village itself has turned into the shogun's enemy.
Who could be mobilizing such a huge force?
The only ones capable are the three great ninjas who rule over Iga!
Head of the Fujibayashi Clan, Fujibayashi Gaimon.
Head of the Momochi Clan, Momochi Rappa.
And the head of the Hattori Clan,
Hattori Zenzo.
This is the end.
Your lord is already dead.
Whatever you were supposed to protect is now gone.
Who's that?
He works fast, all right.
Hattori Zenzo, the cornerstone of the Shogun assassination plot,
and one of the leaders of Iga.
I don't recall ever leading such an unruly mob.
I could've handled this myself, but now you've made a mess of things.
Well, aren't you a confident one?
Yeah.
Feel free to examine it.
It's most definitely Tokugawa Shigeshige's head.
So you really could kill your former lord.
He was the one who said he would protect the country and its people.
If his head could put an end to pointless conflict, I'm sure he was glad to give it.
Pointless conflict?
That's rich, coming from a guy who didn't fight to protect a thing.
Send word to all the units.
Tell them this little ruckus is over,
and that they ought to work smart.
Hold it!
I guess it's about time.
Let's go.
What about him?
Leave him.
They don't even have a reason to fight anymore.
Hey, Commander!
Good grief.
Both these morons still have their game faces on.
Know that Earth has a custom known as battles for revenge,
Criminal.
I'll keep that in mind,
Policeman.
I can't believe you were on their side.
Just what are you plotting?
Ninjas carry out their missions in silence.
Hand over the shogun or these whelps will die.
That's all you're getting from me.
Momochi, you should spell it out.
Tell them that they stand in the way of our success.
Silence, Fujibayashi.
So you really don't know what state the ninja homeland is in right now.
Six months ago, cannonballs rained down from the sky above Iga.
The village was attacked by a strangely-dressed mob carrying umbrellas.
If we defied them, they would burn down the village.
But if we helped assassinate the shogun,
we'd be hired as the new Oniwaban for the reformed government.
That was the deal they offered us.
You actually took that cheap bait?
Didn't you people do the same before?
We lagged behind you during the Crossing of Iga,
but it's our turn this time.
It appears we were too late.
The Hattori brat has already taken the shogun's head.
Too bad, Fujibayashi.
The Hattori Clan will hog all the glory again.
No.
There's still plenty of glory to go around.
Men!
We don't need this trash anymore!
Kill as many as you can and cover yourself in glor—
I know you went out of your way to give that order,
but we don't take orders from you.
Toshi!
Don't call me that.
True that. There's only one man in this entire country who can order us around.
When did you bastards...
Quit standing around and kill them!
Momochi, you too—
I'm sorry.
I'm not obligated to take orders from a traitor who was in cahoots with the enemy, either.
Momochi, you couldn't have!
I'd already accepted a request, you see.
How about this for an idea?
Let's have the highest-ranked person here take charge.
N-No way...
You can't be...
I order you as shogun.
Take out the rebels.
I-It's the shogun?!
Preview
Welcome to ninja country.
They're precious friends.
Gin-chan! Sho-chan!
Can you protect this country?!
Shogun Assassination Arc Part Three
Hey, Shigeshige.
Ninja Soul
It's the shogun?!
He was alive?!
Who did Zenzo kill, then?
And the Harusame Space Pirates descend upon Iga once again!