When evil threatens the world,
the warriors of hope will always appear.
Garbed in Cloths of the constellations,
they fight by exploding the energy within them:
their Cosmo.
They are the warriors who
protect the love and peace of the world...
The Saints!
Saint Koga's journey to find Athena continues.
Eden has succeeded in retaking Aria,
but is taken aback by the change in her.
Meanwhile, after his defeat to Eden,
with help from Yuna and a mysterious man,
Koga regains his lost confidence.
Young men, let the Cosmo in your hearts burn!
Feelings for a Friend! A Ninja's Path and a Saint's Pride!
Feelings for a Friend.
A Ninja's Path and a Saint's Pride.
So this is the jungle
where the Fuji-style ninjas make their headquarters.
And this is also Haruto's homeland.
Hey, Haruto, what are you doing here?
Then let me ask you...
Why did you follow me?
I...
Leave!
I prefer being alone.
Haruto!
Haruto? Haruto!
Where did he go?
Leave this place.
Leave!
This place belongs to those who are more than normal.
The ninja?
So you knew this was a ninja village, but you came anyway...
A courageous boy.
However!
This is your last warning.
I apologize.
But I cannot return.
That's...
Wow, a real ninja!
Those bizarre clothes you wear...
Y-Yours are just as bad!
You must be a Saint.
Yes, I am. Why?
I see.
Then it is even more imperative I keep you from passing.
Why?
I despise Saints!
I can't see.
Ninjas are impressive.
You will be unable to continue unless you defeat me.
Listen to me, and leave!
That's not happening.
I am going to find Haruto!
This is an illusion?
What do you want with Haruto?
What do you want with my son?
What? Then...
You're his father?
We're here.
This is...
Indeed.
This is the headquarters of the Fuji-style ninjas.
Fuji-Style Ninja HQ
Master, why have you allowed a Saint into our village?
The Saints bring disaster with them.
You were the one who taught us that.
He says he is Haruto's friend.
I shall see for myself.
Ow...
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Not at all.
Is this a Japanese tea room?
A Japanese tea ceremony!
Now, then... Where to start?
Um, may I try?
I am Morigakure Zenzou Masataka, seventh head of the clan.
Leader of the Fuji-style ninjas.
Then Haruto is...
Yes, he was to become the eighth ninja leader.
Before he was deceived!
Haruto had a dear friend
with whom he'd spent all his time since childhood.
Brother!
Hey, Haruto.
He revered this man, Yoshitomi, as a brother.
And Yoshitomi treated him as a little brother, as well.
Even at the places of training, which should be for self-improvement,
it seemed to me that Haruto worked
to win his approval.
Good.
Even if his motives were impure,
we allowed it, for the sake of Haruto's growth.
But that was a grave mistake.
Why? Why must you...
Please understand, Haruto.
I don't understand!
It's too sudden!
If you leave the village, I'll never see you again.
I don't understand!
If you stop being a ninja, what will you be?
I'll be a Saint.
A Saint?
This village is too small for me.
So I've decided to abandon the way of the ninja,
and become a Saint.
Then I will, too.
Someday, you'll understand...
The thing that is most important to you.
Until then, stay here.
Okay?
Brother...
Stay well, Haruto.
And so he vanished from the village.
Several years after he'd left,
he returned to the village.
Grievously wounded.
What are you doing here?
Master...
You left the village behind.
There is nothing for you here.
The world is in danger.
We must notify the appropriate people.
Yoshitomi, you remember the village's laws.
You will not be allowed to pass these gates.
If nothing is done,
the powers of darkness will destroy the world.
Helping me stop them is the same as protecting the village.
How can you not understand something so simple?!
I've nothing to say to you.
Begone!
Wait, master!
Why can't you understand?!
Brother!
Haruto?
It's been a long time.
We need to hurry and treat your wounds.
I knew it was too much to hope for...
Going back to the village I'd abandoned, asking them to help me.
What happened?
There's a conspiracy underway at the Palaestra.
The Palaestra?
If we don't stop it,
they'll destroy the world.
Haruto, if something happens to me,
take this information to...
Brother, what's wrong?
Haruto, run!
9:17.
I finally found you.
Asking a child for help?
Pathetic.
I won't let you touch him.
Don't worry.
I'm only after you.
You're in the way. Get out of here.
Let me tell you something.
At 9:20,
your life will end.
Let's go.
Stay well, Haruto.
Brother...
Grave of Yoshitomi
I ran...
And I left you to die.
After that, Haruto changed.
He became distant and withdrawn.
He secretly trained
to become a Saint.
And succeeded in doing so.
Haruto ignored our words and left the village,
just as Yoshitomi had.
Then he was an important friend.
Important?
There's nothing in this world more important than the village.
He was deceived
by that traitor.
No...
An outsider wouldn't understand.
But that is the law of a ninja.
Do you hate Haruto?
When he left the village, he ceased to exist for us.
But you told me about him.
From my viewpoint as leader of the Fuji-style ninjas, Haruto is dead.
But as a father, it seems to me that Haruto has been running,
ever since he abandoned his friend.
Haruto hasn't ever returned to the village.
But if he has, then...
He's at the place where he trained with his friend!
Haruto! Haruto!
What do you want?
Haruto...
You can stop your yelling.
Sorry.
Why didn't you leave?
I...
Those are...
Ryuho, this is my fight.
Leave this place.
Who are they?
I had problems with them long ago.
And it looks like it's time to settle them.
Then I must stay.
What?
As your friend, I'll stay and see what happens.
Haruto, why did you come back?
You don't understand why I'm here,
but I know why you're here.
Why?
Are you tired of living in shame?
Haruto...
What are you doing?
I'll take revenge for my son!
Son?
Then you're Yoshitomi-san's father?
Ryuho, get out of here!
You ran, and because of that, Yoshitomi died!
And then you ran from the village, too!
What's your point?
You do nothing but run.
Why return?
You knew we'd try to kill you!
No one asked for your opinion!
Doton!
Genkugutsu no Jutsu!
Doton!
Dorui Tenjou!
A coward's trick.
A-Amazing, but...
Haruto can't win like that.
He's not attacking.
He's only blocking his opponent.
What is he trying to do?
There!
Haruto!
What are you thinking?
You abandoned the path of the ninja to be a Saint.
But you're still using ninjutsu.
It doesn't matter.
There's no point in asking a weakling like you anything.
Fuuton! Kamaitachi no Jutsu!
Ryuho!
Giving in to guilt and throwing away your life?
That's the act of a coward, Haruto!
What?
Haruto, you became a Saint to follow in your friend's footsteps, right?
Ryuho, you...
Then you can't give up halfway!
Stop talking!
He can't do anything.
He can't be a ninja or a Saint!
Or save his friends!
Now you'll let another of your friends die again.
Kuchiyose no Jutsu!
Stop it! Don't touch Ryuho!
Haruto.
I ask you this question... Who are you?!
What?
Are you a ninja?
Or a Saint?
You'll never stop my scorpion without being one or the other!
Ryuho!
I...
This village is too small for me.
So I've decided to abandon the way of the ninja,
and become a Saint.
I...
Someday, you'll understand...
The thing that is most important to you.
Haruto, you became a Saint to follow in your friend's footsteps, right?
I am a Saint!
Suiton! Zettai Reido!
What?
You've chosen to be a Saint,
so why do you use ninjutsu?
I am a Saint...
But I'm also a ninja!
Curse you!
I won't run away anymore.
I won't abandon anything!
Choose one and give up the other?
Never!
I'll carry the burden of all I've done.
And I will save my friends!
Let my Cosmo howl.
Hakurouken:
Denshin Musou!
I win.
Why?
I told you.
I won't abandon anything anymore.
Is that your answer?
Yes, that's right.
That was an illusion?
Haruto's father!
It will be a hard path to follow.
I'm ready for it.
You asked me why I came back.
Yes.
To see you.
To follow my path.
Are you done running?
You've grown, Haruto.
Be well.
Yes.
Haruto...
Jeez.
I should have figured it out, as soon as you knew Brother's name.
He did this for you.
Yeah.
Not that I asked him to.
Looks like you're okay now.
No one asked you.
But there is one other thing I'm worried about.
To Be Continued