We look the same, but men call us monsters. If we shadows, which lurk between eras, are destined to die, then I shall fall with the cherry blossoms. Then, I shall fall with the cherry blossoms.
The last shogun has already made his decision.
Takechiyo.
Yes, sir.
Kunichiyo.
Yes, sir.
No matter what judgment is given,
this was his decision.
You must not complain.
And both the one who was chosen and the one who was not,
are not to be jealous of one another,
but to work together for the glory of the Tokugawa family.
Understood?
Yes, sir!
"The last to write on this was the Iga ninja Oboro."
Thus, Iga is the winner.
Takechiyo-sama will be the winner.
Get that blood-covered thing out of here.
The Five Treasures Have Arrived
The Five Treasures have arrived.
Who are these people?
Iga.
Known as the Black Hoes, they aren't even worthy of being called ninjas.
Laborers, essentially.
How powerful are you, Five Treasures of Koga?
Why do you Iga wish to stop Suruga-sama?
Ninja Technique: Grass Fire!
My whips slash through flesh like pomegranates,
and snap bones like icicles.
Let the melody of the heavens send you to hell!
Gei'in!
Ninja Technique: Darkness Spider.
What is this darkness?
Gei'in, I can't see a thing!
So they intend to strike while hidden in the darkness?
Laughable.
Taste my ninja technique!
No matter how you try to dispel it,
you cannot escape my ninja technique, Firefly Squid.
It's my sweat. The sweat of Shichito Gei'in.
Tenshin!
Gei'in-sama's Firefly Squid is a light that leads you to hell.
My caltrops, the Thousand-Handed Kannon,
are the light of virtue that leads to heaven.
Know this.
Thanks for bringing me these when it's so late.
It's fine.
Get home.
Tengus are said to be on the mountains at night.
Yeah.
My child...
Please find my child!
I lost... I lost sight of him on the mountain!
Just wait! I'll call the men!
Hachirou?
Yes, Hachirou.
What's wrong?
I wasn't going to say anything,
but I decided I needed to talk to you, at least.
Don't try to be loyal now!
I'm in a hurry.
Of course, sir.
We will prepare a boat immediately.
Tenshin. Kazuma.
We will go with you,
and you will reach your destination by morning.
You're telling the truth, right? You had best be!
Eye magic, was it?
The power possessed by your leader, Hachirou.
During that battle,
wasn't the Kouga leader said to have used the same technique?
Kouga Gennosuke... That was his name, right?
Those who tried to kill Gennosuke,
or to hurt him,
or to use magic on him...
Those opponents, alone,
were affected by his illusion skill that caused them to destroy themselves.
That was Gennosuke's eye magic.
Right?
I've only ever heard of it.
Then, you don't know the details?
Nineteenth Year of the Keichou Era Sunpu Castle
Both sides, put ten names on these two scrolls.
This will entrust the third shogun's fate to the Iga and Kouga.
Kouga Leader Kouga Danjou
Iga Leader Iga-no-Ogen
Kunichiyo
The second son, Kunichiyo, will be entrusted to the Kouga,
and the first son, Takechiyo, to the Iga.
Takechiyo
Both sides, fight with all your lives.
Swordsmanship Instructor Yagyuu Munenori
The one to survive with their scroll will be the victor.
Tokugawa Chief of Espionage Hattori Hanzou
And their clan will be promised a millennium of prosperity.
Tokugawa Shogunate First Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
Chou! Chou!
Over here!
I heard a voice!
Hey, over here!
There he is!
We found him!
Chou!
Are you hurt?
Are you in pain, Chou?!
Chou!
Did Gorone agree to fix the pistol?
Show him more respect.
He said he'd do it, but next time, go ask him yourself.
You don't get it...
This is me being nice to him.
Don't be stupid!
If you're willing to leave your tools to other people,
you'll never fulfill your duty!
I know that.
Again?
You got more of this stuff?
Utsutsu, those are to be sold.
If only you guys could survive on morning dew...
Hachirou!
Why?
Hibiki?
It's strange that she's so late.
She wasn't here, was she?
She's just a little late.
You needn't worry so much.
Sure, but...
What?
Maybe she met Hachirou.
Why?
What's happening with Hachirou?
He said he's leaving the village.
No way.
You didn't stop him, Gorone?
No.
Wait, Namenba!
Why?
If he's met up with Hibiki,
it may be better to leave this to them.
You think Hibiki will stop him?
I don't know.
But maybe it's fated that they will never be together.
Why are you trying to leave the village without telling me?
Are you scared of my... of our powers?
I'm not scared of your power.
Because unless I hate you or want to hurt you,
you can't use it on me, can you?
I'd never think of you like that.
I know that, but...
And my power can do even less.
It can only disable an opponent's power.
So why are you scared?
Twelve years ago,
in their youth, Ogen-sama and Danjou-sama,
the first pair to fight, were in love.
And so were Gennosuke-sama and Oboro-sama.
But the Kouga and Iga will never fight again.
Even if that's so,
their destiny to always be separated
has been inherited in another way, perhaps.
Another way?
As long as they bear Gennosuke-sama's and Oboro-sama's blood...
How much do you know, Gorone?
Do you know why it's said that they carry the blood
of the two who died in that battle?
No one will tell me when I ask.
Ninjas are beyond human understanding, aren't they?
Strange powers, like turning sweat into light,
that change what we know about the world itself.
I am embarrassed.
I'm told there was a ninja who wouldn't die.
Wouldn't die?
Yakushiji Tenzen, most likely.
A powerful foe, who was an integral part of that war.
Do you think it's true that he didn't die?
I'm sorry, but Tenzen was of the Iga.
I don't know the details.
Well, I'm sure it's nonsense...
But Gennosuke defeated even a creature such as that.
So how did he lose to this Iga Oboro woman?!
You've noticed, right?
Of course you have.
When the last cherry blossoms bloomed...
It's the first time... It's the first time I won!
That was deliberate, wasn't it?
Hachirou, are you being kind to me,
your little sister?
You aren't being kind at all.
Hachirou?
I...
That was a whirlwind...
It had to be.
Hey, Gei'in...
Naturally, you know the man named Hattori Kyouhachirou?
Of course.
The son of the second Hattori Hanzou-sama.
Indeed.
And in the last battle between Oboro and Gennosuke,
he and the second Hanzou were there, as well.
They both overextended their powers and died.
Oboro-sama lived slightly longer,
long enough to write the Iga victory into the scroll.
That is how it was relayed to some of the Shogunate.
But the story told in this village differs slightly.
Before the last battle began,
Gennosuke-sama was already hurt.
He couldn't open his eyes to use his power.
I love you, Gennosuke-sama.
Gennosuke-sama embraced Oboro-sama, who had killed herself,
and wrote the Iga victory into the scroll with his own hands.
And then...
But...
Yes, it isn't even known how much of this is true.
There's a story that the man called Hattori Kyouhachirou,
on the morning when Gennosuke and Oboro were to end their war,
met with Oboro in secret.
Have you heard that?
No, I have not.
Was there some secret agreement between them?
Originally, the Hattori clan was part of the Iga.
Perhaps he gave Oboro some plan, so that the Iga would win.
Isn't that possible?
When I was still eight or nine,
someone came to the Kouga village to visit Gei'in-sama.
Then, that was...
Yes.
Kyouhachirou-sama.
If... If Kyouhachirou-sama actually saved those two,
then why?
I don't know.
As head of espionage for the Tokugawas,
he tried to ensure the bloodline of such powerful ninjas continued.
That's the most obvious explanation.
But I'd like to think that he was moved by how,
despite their being destined to be torn apart,
they sacrificed themselves, for love of one another.
Otherwise, it would be far too sad for Hachirou and Hibiki.
I don't care what happens, if I'm with you!
I should give it up.
Yes, laugh and tell me that I should.
But I still can't believe that that decision was the right one!
Tenshin!
Close the door.
The cold wind is hitting my lord!
The rain is hitting him!
I'm afraid I cannot.
What?
Why? Why can you not shut the door?
It's because...
Because...
Your... neck.
Because I'm already...
dead...
Preview
A ninja spends his life to refine his technique.
To fulfill his duty to his lord.
The Kouga Must Die
Oh, poor Gei'in...